LATEST NEWS ON SANDRA'S ACCIDENT

Latest news on Sandra is that she is now back in San Jose de Ocoa, is able to walk and is going to the Centro de Rehabilitation there. I haven't heard yet if she has realized what happened to her as to her accident, or how much of her memory she has gotten back. She was glad to see her kids though - and vice versa, Alexandre on the right and Diana on the left, Daniella, her neice, in the center.

Who is Sandra ?

I want people to know about Sandra. Sandra is my girlfriend's (Iderline's), sister. I met Iderline, or Lelé, through working with her father. I am putting in alternate crops with coffee farmers in the Dominican Republic. Her father, Julito, was the first person I put in crops with and eventually, through living with the family, I became good friends with his daughter Lelé, asking him permission if I could date her, which he is happy with. I live in the the local 20 item store with the whole family, it's also the social center of this village.
Sandra, Lelé's sister, is married to Gua and they live next door in a small shack with their 2 adorable children Alexander 6 and Diana 5. Sandra and her husband Gua depend a lot on us at the store for food and supplies as there isn' t always enough work in the area. Sandra is a quiet, content, shy, extremely kind, selfless and a very gentle woman, she has a huge smile everytimes she meets someone and will offer whatever she has cooking to anyone, I see her everyday and play with her kids. I found some help for her husband Gua to put in a crop, and to do her part to help make ends meet, she tried setting up a little gasoline stand by the road in front of her house but it ended up not working, partly because people weren't always paying their accounts, very common in the poor countryside, and partly since she isn't a kind of mafia type to collect what is owing to her, all very small amounts but that add up, so her little enterprise failed. A few weeks ago she chose to go work for a rich landowner, washing, cooking, looking after children, making 30 cents an hour, less than half the normal minimum local wage, leaving her children with mom at the store. This upset me and I wanted to go speak to her employers about her wage, but everyone advised me not to. Instead I decided to help her set up a business selling a kind of sweet bean pudding by the side of the road, popular around here, as well as selling bananas - guineas maduros - and was going to help her this time on handling her money better, she was happy about it all.
- I was on my way back from town with her supplies, climbing up the mountain on my motorcycle moped, when I passed Julito her father, and Gua her husband on a motorbike going the opposite way. They motioned me to stop, I could tell that something wasn't right and I braced myself for bad news.
Sandra was being given a ride back home from her job on a motorbike by an aquaintance of mine, Beto, they hit a truck straight on. Beto died, Sandra was hanging on to her life. I was turned upside down by the news. I turned around and we rushed to the hospital in Ocoa. When we got there they stabilized her as much as they could, she had lost a lot of blood and they wanted to rush her to the capital where they were better equiped to help her. There was no ambulance available so we hired a local volunteer driver with a small truck to rush her to the capital. Marisol, Sandra's mom, was beside herself. It took many people to control her.
When she arrived at the capital she started sporadically screaming - which was when we felt she was probably going to make it, yet she was in a state of unconcious shock. We didnt know the extent and damage of her head injury so we were worried. She was going in and out, sometimes flaying around trying unconciously to stop the doctor from cleaning and stiching her severe arm and head wounds as well as other cuts. There was not enough hospital staff to help and it took Julito, Gua and myself to restrain her so they could do their work. I couldn't imagine how difficult it must have been for them, Julito to be holding his own daughter and Gua holding his wife as she was in such a critical state. We stayed up all night with her so as to keep her from pulling out her IV or rolling out of bed, shooing away too many curious onlookers. I got sick from the stress.
5 days later they removed her from critical care and eight days later she started to talk, at first we were worried as she was incoherent, she was constantly mentioning the name of the child she cared for at her work, Stephany - "where is Stephany, give some of my food to Stephany, show Stephany my arms, you have to meet Stephany etc. She still doesn't know what happened. She couldn't remember her children and other family members, but she has since started to slowly remember them. The brain scan came out positive and she seems to be getting better. We are waiting as long as we can before we relate anything to her about the accident. She says she can't remember being sick in bed and we have told her that she has had an allergic reaction.
I hated that my plane ticket brought me back so soon after the accident but it wasn't changeable. During the whole incident I had this kind of weak, sad, humble and helpless feeling to witness a woman, already struggling so much, now having to face more difficult circumstances. I was thinking "aren't they already being tested enough". But I know there are people in much worse circumstances. They are all rallying to face the challenge, they all have no resentments, they accepted it all as God's will.
We're all hoping she is going to get all her memory, strength and mental faculties back. I am writing to ask that if maybe you could keep her and her family in your prayers, I know for a certainty that it would be a great emotional support for them to know there are some people praying for her and her family from another country.
thanks
Ed

Thanks to Alexandre Duhaime who helped with providing most the funds for a trip to the beach with the kids and adult caregivers! Most kids were in awe to see the ocean for the first time, We had a nice fresh water pool for safe swimming and the kids got to put their feet in the waves and walk along the beach, We had a nice 1.5 hour van ride too, apart from chain reaction car sickness from the younger ones -

Petri Dish

When I think of sending some notes back home to friends and folks I first think of trying to bring up interesting stories that try to convey the experience of what it`s like to go to a new culture, adapt to a new language etc. But that has started to feel like it is missing the mark. - I also wanted to explain the "why" I would leave familiarity and comfort, and what some call the "richness of potential of my sporadic music endeavours" to come here to the middle of nowhere, but I don`t have an answer. But here I am still shoeing out chickens from my room, planting beans, asking people to "repetes por favor, no entiendo", dealing with ways that seem to come sometimes from another planet, eating food cooked on a fire, riding a moped etc. - Sometimes when I sit under my mosquito net, it takes me a bit of time to be reminded that Diana`s tears are just like mine, that Marisol`s frustrations are just like my frustrations, that Juan`s alcohol problem is like everyone`s alcohol problem, that Angela`s laugh is as bright as a laugh anywhere, that Lélé`s hugs are soulful. - It still doesn`t answer the why`s though, but I do know that some thought keeps trying to pop it`s head out from the ether so it can be expressed and for some reason I keep suppressing it, the closest I can maybe come to expressing it, is that maybe we can`t have it all. And if that is what the thought is, I know I don`t have to come all the way here to realize that, but it sure helps, it seems. - So I think I am looking for a certain Petri dish for myself. I don`t know what is going to happen though because I seem to always be looking for Petri dishes. But even that is just a part of it. The view is pretty nice too. - If you would like to take a closer look at this Petri dish to check out either my project website which I added some thank-yous too www.labocainaproject.blogspot.com or this one, my recent thoughts and stories about my trip back here, you are welcome to - and you are always more than welcome to let me know what is happening in your petri dish.
All the best in the new year
Feliz Navidad
Ed

Edito and the rain

Random story number 9

Edito, a small frail vocal man, about 85 years old, lives across from me now with his wife Andrea. He somehow survived some serious bladder infection as well as some other serious problem I couldn´t understand, they were all saying he was going to die - and he is now up and going, a new man, always wanting to show me his new attachment, a bag for capturing his urine, and smoking his cigars. Today he asked me if I could still get a hard-on, using gestures and some words I didnt quite get, and as I could tell by his voice that it was a sincere question I had to answer. He was so delighted, he raised his hands in the air, and then he started praising God as he walked away. It was an interesting mix of subjects I have never really experienced together like that before.

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It feels like never before has my faith been this tested, through these crops I am trying to help out a people who I am daily reminded of how poor they are, and we are being sent down rain day after day, for over 2 straight months, quite a abnomally, everyday I look up incredulously at another batch of rain clouds rolling over, damaging our crops, though the crops are somehow still holding on strong.
But my patience is worn thin, I lent one eyed Pedro my sling-shot to help him shoo chickens from Lion´s bean garden, I put in a good amount of time and effort to find materials to build it well, he said he was going to replace the leather pocket that was breaking, and instead he redid the whole dang thing! shortening the rubber, and now it shoots half as far. He must like chickens more than I. I got angry and pitched it on the wet ground, he got angry back because he was trying to help. Today I still held a grudge and he was all happy to go, saying hello and how are you Eduardo, how did you sleep? as he always does, not worried about me, the sling shot or the rain, like most people here.
This rain puts everything I´ve tried here at risk, 2.5 months of rain is quite a lot. We haven´t been able to dry our clothes for more than 2 weeks - we had one day of sun and there were clothes drying everywhere. We can´t weed, can´t travel well as most rides are on the back of a truck or on a motorcycle - hard to get firewood, it´s cold, all is mucky - and I seem to be one of the few here who is bitching, maybe its because I have half my life´s savings in the crops across the river.
- I was reminded of the quote:
- The source of all glory is acceptance of what the Lord hath bestowed and contentment with that which god has ordained. - Baha´u´llah
and today it was sunny... like nice and sunny...

THOUGHTS AND STORIES FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Thoughts and stories from Puerto Plata (dec 19th)

(zipped past the taxy drivers, who wondered where the heck I am going leaving the airport carrying my own bags, hopped on a motor bike (50 cents) who took me to the bus, half hour bus ride from airport to Puerto Plata ($1,50) squished beside a very large smiley lady on one side, and holding a milk bottle for the other lady squished on the other side, through smoky exhaust and noise of motor bikes, trying not to notice the driving style of chauffeur but telling him not to kill us at the same time, hahaha) stayed in a little room ($6) and took the bus to the capital in the morning.

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Random story no 1 (dec 19th)

This Haitian lady walked into the small eatery where I was having a sandwich (how old´s the mayo) and started playing with my hair, talking to me, I just let her, this isn´t a surprise in this country where all sorts can happen. I was surprised at how good it felt though, to have a complete stranger play with your hair, kinda like at the barber shop sometimes, I felt like a baby. It was that feeling that made me realize that nothing is free in this country and I was probably going to have to pay her - and it was also at that moment that she casually brushed (inadvertantly?) her chest against my back a couple of times. After a few cordial explanations of what she did to my hair (braided a part of it and added a couple of tiny plastic dolphins) and a few parting words that this is how she made a living (the hair) I paid her a bit for her 20 seconds work.

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Random story no 2 (dec 19th)

Had an interesting conversation with the eatery owner about the area where he lives in Puerto Plata, he said that tourists don´t visit becasue it is run down and poor, and on the other hand, if tourists came, and spent money, there would funds to fix up the place - catch 22. I didn´t know there are 1 million people in tPuerto Plata and area.

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Random thought no 1 (dec 19th)

I was feeling that richness in meaning for one´s life comes with involvement, but sometimes I feel I am too sensitive to handle how rich things can be - things here feel so rich on arrival, that I am catching myself wanting to pull my head back into a turtle shell.

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Random thought no 2

You can wait for better luck, or wait to be elevated by some event, but in the end, as the French Canadian lady working at the Puerto Plata airport said, "on fait notre propre chance", we make our own luck.

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Random thanks no 1 (dec 19th)

Thanks to Roger and to Daniel who are helping me with filling the "business etiquette void" part of my brain that I was born with - and who have got my writing a kind of contract for people who may want to invest - to include goals, reasons, risks, liabilities, hereby´s, and allegiances to whatever kings and queens.


Thanks to Anne Marie Gignac at CBC, I mean Radio Canada, who did a nice peice on this little crop project here - with video and interview, thanks to Marc Deschanbeault who sent her a note to catch her ear. I am surprised at how they held what I am doing in good esteem because being here feels selfish sometimes. I was glad she put in the part that I was not moving here, just spending part of the year.

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Random thought no 3 - (dec 24 th)

am looking forward to putting some contributors money to work. regret not finding and bringing a laptop.

Random story no 2

You wouldn´t know it is Christmas here except for the odd abnoxious radio sales announcements and the lineups at the bank. Back at the village,everyone is happy to see me and vice versa, I forgot about how much of a beehive the store is for such a small village, people in and out, yelling to buy supplies, kids playing, chickens barking, dogs clucking, and am going to move to a little shack up the hill - ASAP. I was wondering whether the people here would still be as interested in working with Canadian investors and sharing 50% of their crops profit with them if these investors payed the costs of materials. They are actually jumping on the opportunity, it´s been a bad coffee crop this year.

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Random story no 4 (dec 27)

Not often you are woken up by a rooster that is being help captive inside a old washing machine, so I awoke this morning, to that weirdest reverberation. The washing machine never works because the generator has never been fixed- to my benefit as it is loud and smoky. I took a horse up to the mountain to watch Milsiarde get his workers going in his bean field, way up the mountain, amazing scenery; 5 men, his new wife and 2 bulls. I filmed some of it.

I was able to talk to Julito, about 7 kilometers away with the walkie talkie that was donated by my dad. He was working with the cows and with our crop, it was pretty fun for all of us to use the new technologie, pretty useful.

As for Milsiarde, they are having a rough go with a bad coffee season and these funds from Ste Famille parish came in very handy, for him, his brother Josée`s family and also Monroa - who are all putting in about 2 acres of beans, now there are a few other people after me for the same help, it looks like I may have aquired that help this morning thanks to an email from a kind friend with an offer... we will see.

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Random story no 5 (dec 27)



On the way back down to the creek I was greeted by Noné who handed me a bowl of fried egg with green onion and some root that tasted like potato, I ate beside his skinny puppies, he told me his wife was out visiting her dad in prison as he had knifed someone who had drunkenly knifed their son in an argument ... the man almost killed her son, but he made it, but her dad managed to kill the attacker so is serving time... You would never figure this to hppen here.


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Random story number 6


Eating tonnes of grapefruit, oranges. Kids are very happy with dollar store christmas gifts. I have to send away for a care package with more of those cheap things.

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Random story number 7

Julito put in way more crops than I thought. He was suppose to just have 2 acres of peppers, but he has 2 acres of peppers, 2.5 acres of tomatoes, and 4 acres of beans ... as if I have money coming out of my ears for that.. but whatever, prices are good and we should make money, maybe it was a good idea after all. He feels bad that some are being donated funds for crops while he is working for a percentage, but the ones who were donated money don`t have to pay to rent land, it`s already theirs, i have to make some money back.

Random story number 8

Heina, Monros`s sister, died, we didn`t know she was that sick, so we are all in a bit shock. They are going to suffer because she was the one who cooked while they worked, and now Robert with his broken leg. I was thinking of moving in with them to help but they are a bit of a ways up the mountain. eesh