Ok, I'm back in action friends with a newly revised computer to bring you all the latest and greatest news, pictures and stories of DR happenings. As I was home for the holidays, I realized several things about these 2 countries that I love for very different things...read, laugh, enjoy, give thanks.
Stateside Realizations:
-what it's like to pay with plastic again. the DR is an all cash society so this tiny plastic card that swipes so easily through this cute machine and gives me a nice little jingle everytime i swipe is a change.
-what real water pressure is like. no lie that for my first shower over the break I thought bullets were pounding off my back from the shower head, b/c I forgot what high water pressure felt like!
-that water is FREE at a restaurant! Seeing how we can't drink the water here in the DR, everytime you order water at a restaurant it costs b/c it comes in a bottle not from the tap. and refills are FREE!!
-how nice to sit in a restaurant, coffee shop, or walk on the streets and not be stared out or hissed at or called "Americana, my love, you are so beautiful". Remind you this is somewhat a self esteem booster when they say phrases like this when I haven't showered in days or just rolled out of bed:) Ha!
DR Realizations:
-they fill up your gas tank for you like in the olden days in the states. buen servicio.(good service)
-such hospitality to literally strangers! Some friends of ours moved this morning into an apartment and as we unloaded all their suitcases and such, these boys off the street came to help us unload all their stuff. Now that is southern hospitality right there! They might not make you chicken spaghetti or homemade choc chip cookies, but they will lend their muscles!
-how laid back this country is! I clearly have known this for a while and remember this, but a new facet of their laid backness if that is even a word is the idea that their holidays are changeable as in not grounded and the same time every year! What? Literally, their big Christmas holiday is the "The 3 Kings Day" named after when the wise men gave gifts to Christ and this is their gift giving day not Christmas. So, it's normally Jan 6th but the President wanted to change it this year to the 10th, so we now have a holiday on Monday which is great, but weird that holidays aren't firmly planted and always the same time. Can you imagine if Christmas was on the 23rd or 28th? July 4th was now the 7th or 1st? Some may call it inconsistent, weird, chaotic or disorganized. Or you could choose flexible, willing, or no worries.
All lessons to be learned from, gained from, open our eyes to differences, or just widen our perspective. May you look around you and see what you like, what you don't, if you a call to action or just love on those people or practices different from yourself. Needless to say I am LOVING being back!!