2/10

I moved into my house a few days ago.  It’s right next door to my host family’s house – actually my doña owns it.  This lends itself to a beautiful rent of 500 pesos per month ($13.50US).  I have electricity (one light bulb), but only for a few hours per day and it comes and goes sporadically.  I also have a toilet inside my house…but no running water, so I’m back to bucket baths.  Essentially I bathe in whatever room needs to be mopped.

Moving is always an adventure; this time was no different.  I went to Monte Plata (the nearest pueblo) with a local school teacher, who has a truck, to get stuff for my house.  Of course this 40 something thought he had some sort of chance with me and spent the afternoon talking of our future weekend beach trips and my clear need for a Dominican lover.  Didn’t phase me; these things are part of my routine now.  I bought a mattress, 4 burner tabletop gas stove, a small gas tank, and a family size box of Corn Flakes (the grocery store was my last stop, there were few pesos left in my pocket).  As we’re loading the mattress into the truck, who walks up to saludos me?  None other than the town crazy from my site…who for some reason loves me and awkwardly talks to me every time he sees me (I’ve always attracted strange people; this is nothing new).  He’s a nice crazy, not scary, but the odds of him being in Monte Plata at the same time and actually running into me are slim…  He was apparently at the hospital getting more meds.  10 minutes later, we’re giving this guy a bola (free ride) in the back of the truck with all of my stuff back to my site.  As I stare out the back window with a much warranted fear that this 70 year old man is going to fall out and become guagua road kill, I can’t help but think – of course this is how it happens in my life.  The campo crazy had to be a part of this big day.

So we somehow get my stuff successfully back to my house (including my dear crazy friend) and unloaded.  My 7 year old sister helped me move all of my stuff next door.  The next thing I know I have all these old women, including my doña, hanging very old-lady-like curtains all over my new place, putting sheets on my bed, unpacking my things, sweeping, etc.  With the sunset, I begin the list of “How could you forget to buy these things.” Number 1: Candles, Number 2: Matches.  No worries, my doña sent over a candle.

I spent my first evening with all of my neighbor niños.  Had the 10 year old boys catch a small tarantula-like spider and a frog, who were taking up residence in my kitchen.  They proceeded to set the frog on fire right outside of my window.  Perfect.  (If you’re wondering, it burned a brilliant green flame).

Over the next few days, my family kept sending me food every few hours, and sent the kids over to ask what I had been eating and to check up on me.  Once Plum grows up, this won’t be an issue, but I had to throw liver out my side window to the stray dogs the first night – just couldn’t do it anymore.  My campo crazy old man has been visiting several times per day as well.  He has brought me a total of 6 sugar cane stalks (probably over 12 feet of sugar cane – way too much – unlike most of my community, I’d like to have more than 2 teeth when I hit 40).  These things aside, living alone is really nice.  I have some independence back finally.