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