BRITTANY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
BRITTANY
Elementary Education Undergraduate |
Yesterday when my feet hit the pavement for the first time in the Dominican Republic, what I have been anticipating the entire semester, finally became a reality that swallowed me whole with indescribable scenery, crisp air, warmness beaming on my skin, and sand squished between my toes. Traveling outside of Buffalo, New York has always been refreshing for me, and I feel like traveling is food for my soul. I was initially attracted to the Dominican Republic IPDS program because it was a country I never imagined ever having the opportunity to travel to, let alone adventure and learn alongside their own people and the Mariposa Foundation. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and I cannot wait for the realization of this trip to appear and make my mark on my specific purpose here. I have only been in Cabarete, Dominican Republic for almost two days and I am falling head over heels in love with their rich culture and friendliness. Looking out to the beautiful view of the ocean and pink sky full of kite surfing, I felt an overwhelming emotion of gratefulness to be on this journey and what waits for me at home. Today was my first full day here in the Dominican Republic and it was nothing short of fascinating. After eating an authentic Dominican Breakfast thanks to the Mariposa Foundation, real eggs, fresh pineapple, bananas, and papaya, bread from their bakery, with homemade peanut butter, and THE BEST COFFEE I HAVE EVER TASTED, I loaded my skin with bug spray and sunscreen, and we were off to experience a tour of the country side and their coco farm in Rio San Juan; The country side of the Dominican Republic. The people here typically do not follow any rules of the road and drive however they please. The greatest means of transportation is by motorbikes weaving in and out of vans, taxis, and cars. As an American it was nerve-wracking to see motorists driving less than five inches away from the van. Just observing through the window on our drive to the farm, I was astonished by how much greener it is here compared to the United States. The dirt roads are typically boarded by barbed wire and actual trees. YES, you read that correctly! The fences here are made out of trees stringed and held upright with barbed wire. By cutting a piece of a limb or branch from an existing tree and planting it into the ground, it will grow as another tree. This is why there is an abundance of greenery and masses of tree fences lining the roads. Despite the phenomenal views, one of the first things I noticed once I arrived to the Dominican Republic, is the trash that piles up on the side of the roads. There is no system of recycling here and you cannot flush toilet paper down the toilet which is an adjustment compared to the United States. In addition, there are cows on almost every pasture of green land lined with barbed wire fences, wild chickens, dogs, and goats whom also roam as they please. As we reached the entrance to the farm, we were introduced to a small cement dwelling known as their “cheese factory” where cheese is made. Inside the opened dwelling was a homemade fire pit with a large black pot atop. This in particular amazed me considering how small their “factory” was to make masses of cheese for their people. They only had one pot and one fire to make this cheese which I found resourceful in comparison to the United States where our factories are large in scale with hundreds of workers and machines. Upon arrival to the coco farm, due to recent flooding in November, what was known as dirt, was now thick mush-like muck. We trenched our way through the mounds of mud, getting our sneakers and boots soaked, and was greeted by Freddy’s family, husband of Patricia, founder of the Mariposa Foundation. Two dogs graciously gave us a warm welcome and wanted to be pet and coddled. Sarah, a staff member from the Mariposa Foundation, introduced us to two little girls who are cousins, Liliani, 5, and Leilani, 6. It took the girls about five minutes to warm up to everyone, and then they came out of their shell and were eager to take pictures with us. As we made our way down into the farm Freddy showed us an actual coco tree. During this time, Liliani and Leilani were intrigued by my hand sanitizer hanging from my cross body bag. They kept squeezing my sanitizer into their hands, rubbing it in, and then smelling it saying, “me gusta! Me gusta!” I also taught Liliani and Leilani how to say my name by saying, “Me llamo Britt-Knee… Me llamo Brittany.” Following this, Liliani wrapped her arms around me and would not let go, giving me kisses into my stomach… and looking up at me with one of the biggest, most beautiful smiles I have ever seen. It was in this moment I fell even more in love with the Dominican Republic, claiming my purpose here. She continued to wrap her arms around my waist and would call her “Mi Corazón.” It was an instant connection without any explanation. My heart had never felt so full before. As we continued with Freddy throughout the farm, he showed us a mango tree and a banana tree, and we were able to try a seed of a coco plant, only being able to suck on it. The texture was sweet and damp, making it pleasurable to suck on. Once most of the flavor was dried out from the sucking, we spit out the seed. It was delicious! After our tour we were accompanied by Freddy and his family in a shelter made from branches and logs of trees, where our lunch was being homemade by his mother, a well-known cook in the community. The rice was cooking over a small fire in a large pot with large banana leaves covering the top of the pot for flavor. With much hospitality, we were served chicken, rice, and beans for lunch. I had the pleasure of sitting inside their home and eat with Liliani and Leilani. For owning a farm, I found it immensely eye opening to what the family actually owned. Their home had two bedrooms covered with a sheet in the doorway for privacy, with one loveseat chair, and an old television set in front of it. They had one fridge with just jugs of water inside of it, and a set of table and chairs to eat their meals on. Con Con was THE BEST Dominican food I’ve ate thus far, which was given to us during lunch as well. Once lunch was finished we were able to peel and crack open actual coco beans ourselves! They were freshly hot and ready to be cracked opened to make chocolate with. Once we all finished with the coco beans, a member from Freddy’s family began mashing the beans to eventually make a chocolate paste by simply using a mortar and pestle. Liliani and Leilani took it upon themselves to sneak up behind me and “twist” my hair into a braid, and take some more sanitizer. Once I had the opportunity to use the pestle to mash some of the coco beans, Liliani kept wrapping her arms around me for more hugs, kisses, and our “silly faces,” (sticking out tongues out at one another.) Once the coco beans turned into paste, it was used to make actual hot chocolate for everyone with a hint of cinnamon. While Freddy’s family was making our hot chocolate from the paste, Leilani hopped right onto my back for a ride while wearing my sunglasses and my bag. We chased Liliani up and down and around the house, and even found a fat sized caterpillar. Leilani refused to get off my back and continued to wear my sunglasses for majority of the time we spent left there. Once we finished our rich hot chocolate, (yes it is ten times better than it is in the US), we thanked Freddy’s family for their amazing hospitality whom gave us hugs and kisses just like their own, took a group photo, and said our farewells. I found it extremely difficult saying goodbye to Liliani and Leilani for Liliani would not let me go and pressed her cheek against mine. Before letting go and leaving with the rest of the group, she gave me a kiss on the cheek and gave each other one last squeeze goodbye. My heart felt even fuller once I stepped foot back into the van to return to Cabarete. Shortly after the coco farm we went to a nearby grocery store to stock our kitchen accompanied by dinner on the beach afterwards. I am anxious to begin Spanish class on Friday because the language barrier fuels me to learn and communicate fluently in Spanish. Going to dinner at a Dominican restaurant on our own was a success and we worked together to communicate and get home safely by taxi. Needless to say, dinner on the beach surrounded by regatone music was the perfect way to end such an inspiringly beautiful day.
2 Comments
Caroline Crispin
1/5/2017 10:37:44 am
Dear Brittany:
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Morgan Allender
1/6/2017 01:45:58 am
Brittany!
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AuthorJunior | 716 | Alpha Epsilon Phi | Music and Traveling Enthusiast | Concert and Movie Goer | Lemon Addict Archives
March 2017
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