Wednesday, June 2, 2010




Five Star Campo Accomodations coming at ya!


I didn't have a chance to mention previously that I relocated sleeping quarters about 400 meters down the way from my Doña's residence. I'm now shacking up in what was once a little colmado, town grocery, a two room flat set back from the road. The absentee owner, Ana Rosa, is a charming grandmother who recently left the island for Nueba Yol' (Dominican for New York). She left the house and the shack in the hands of her daughter who resides an hour away from Las Batatas in the city of Santiago. The place has become the family's campo get-away. They rarely visit except for holidays, and then of course on the off chance, to pick up a bunch of bananas or a sack of dried cacoa from the conuco (garden/orchard).

So I was actually living exclusively in the shack until my friend, Christi Holmes, decided to visit a week back. I explained to Ana Rosa's daughter my desire to accommodate my American guest who would be plenty overwhelmed after a few candlelit bucket baths, never mind sleeping on the floor without access to "flush facilities". With this in mind, they handed me the key to the house and its kitchen, bedroom and indoor bathroom (a real luxury). So in one fell swoop I went from camping in the sticks to relaxing in a resort. 'at a girl Christi!


Out in front of the house I've got the town sombrero, a giant Mata de 'Mendra, where my sheriff, his family, and all the town caballeros take pause under the branches to watch the world go by. The sheriff's son is the caretaker, watchiman, for Ana Rosa's house, so he and his campo wife (they are not wedded in the books, but who in the campo ever is?), sleep in a room abutting my kitchen. I serve them up sugary cafecitas every morning in exchange for their services as watchiman (security) when I'm away.


I had initially thought that moving into my own place, I'd find more privacy and Me-time to do work and also relax. While I am finding it is nice to call a place my own, I can't say that I am ever short on visitas. The kitchen is almost always bustling with muchachos and muchachas who like to swing by throughout the day, setting themselves up at the table to color with my crayons, hoping they'll receive some sort of brindis (treats). I've already made dozens of chocolate chip cookies and a batch of blueberry pancakes, I'm thinking about branching out to share the wonders of buttery french toast and banana bread.

So, if you've got a recipe or two, send 'em my way...


JUNE ARRIVED


Along with 540 PVC pipes.

Yes friends, we are ready to begin construction on the pipeline.


It seemed almost a lost cause after so many months of struggling to raise funds in what turned out to be a largely unsuccessful tug-of-war with local political candidates campaigning for the May 15th election. As it It turned out, the money for the water project arrived in the form of web donations to my Peace Corps Partnership (PCPP), a grant that permits Peace Corps volunteers to receive direct donations from family, friends, etc. I would like to take the opportunity now to thank and recognize all of you who donated to the fund. Gracias para todo!

The families of the community of Las Batatas are coming up for air following a long period of doubt and pessimism where they could hardly imagine we'd ever find the resources to build the water system. For a while there, I actually felt like they must see me as yet another corrupt politician, filling their heads with empty promises..."Vote Amy, #1 Gringa...segurara tu vaso de agua nunca se seca" (vote for Amy as number one Gringa...ensure your water glass never goes dry). However now with the money from the PCPP as well as support from the Comite de Yasiqueros, a group of Dominican families living in New York, I see a renewed enthusiasm among my Batatas neighbors.

We are ready to pick up the shovels and dig in!