I haven't updated my blog for 2 whole weeks. There's a reason behind, and I will explain it shortly. On April 13, I landed the capital, Santo Domingo. I was hosted at my friend's 3-story house for a week. Forgive me if I spoil the story of my two weeks in this town full of the fusion of humble successful people and people that are too afraid to leave, oh, and locals that spend every minute trying to rip money off tourists.
Features:
Surfing ---- Sankies --- ear infection (deaf experience) --- Articulation inability syndrome --- consistent weariness --- everyday is weekend --- the influence in personality --- the question of purpose --- Long distance relationship --- home sickness --- acquisition of new skills --- 'fucking make things happen'
Given my reluctance to do research prior to visiting a place, I ended up working at a hostel at a gated community in exchange for free meal and free accommodation. Typical traveler in Cabarete would stay for at least a month or two, for this reason, the hostel life here is very familial. You wake up to see the same people in the kitchen, lounge and swimming pool everyday. Surfing, Kite surfing and beaches are inextricable to Cabarete. There is not a single person I met that had not tried surfing, if never before, Cabarete would definitely give you enough incentive to try. This is where I started my first surfing session, on the translucent Caribbean water.
For the first time in my life, I lived without reasons, without feeling the urge to jump off the bed and achieve a goal. Strangely, two weeks past speedily, especially when there is really not much of a difference between weekend and weekdays in Cabarete. There's always restless nightlife Mondays through Sundays and then Sundays through Mondays. They kept convincing me ' it is alright. You are on vacation.' But then, these are people that are constantly traveling without a set return date and are forever in vacation. I would like to think that I am out on a mission making an impact; if not on others, at least on myself. Aside from meeting ever-wandering travelers, sankies (a dominican term for local domnican men who mostly work on the beach and try to make foreign women fall for them, then get them pregnant to achieve the great ultimate purpose of legally leaving Dominican Republic), rich foreigners that successfully set up business here, I also met this last group - foreigners that detest the majority of Dominicans, but are subjugated to the excitement in a lawless territory. They end up staying here for months or years. They know they are not going to spend the rest of their lives here, but are somehow too afraid to leave.
I was inspired by these young folks who chose to leave their own countries and manage to make a living with nothing but their bare hands, the agility of minds, and the ability to seize opportunity. Everything seems possible here, like my 22-year-old British buddy from the hostel said you just have to 'go fucking make things happen'. For a week, my mind was stirred up to believe in myself and take initiative to make things happen. Then my boyfriend who is left behind in the US asked me few questions 'what is your priority in life? Am I in it? Do you still miss me? Are you never coming back to California?' To be honest, I was speechless.
Then I asked myself do I want a regular life - graduate, work a mainstream job, get married, have kids. Do I? And do I want to spend the rest of my life with someone that is completely the opposite of myself? I struggled for one whole miserable week to come up with a bucket list/ life goals or whatever you name it.
1. I am going to complete this journey and make the most out of this adventure
2. I am going to nursing school in September
3. I am going to be a writer
4. I am going to set up my own business in central/ South America
5. I am going to get a Spanish- English and Italian-English translation certificate
5. I am going to get married (hopefully at 28)
About my boyfriend, I don't know where the relationship is going to go as I won't be going to schools in California for the next two years, but I know I love him and he loves me no matter what.
A month on this small piece of land gave me an incentive to pick up new hobbies and take the chance to master them. I tried surfing, biking, playing pool...
The castle-like hostel
Cooking by the river. Traditional Banana and chicken soup.
Look at the waves! They are just there to solicit for the laughter from the bottom of your heart?
For the first time in my life, I lived without reasons, without feeling the urge to jump off the bed and achieve a goal. Strangely, two weeks past speedily, especially when there is really not much of a difference between weekend and weekdays in Cabarete. There's always restless nightlife Mondays through Sundays and then Sundays through Mondays. They kept convincing me ' it is alright. You are on vacation.' But then, these are people that are constantly traveling without a set return date and are forever in vacation. I would like to think that I am out on a mission making an impact; if not on others, at least on myself. Aside from meeting ever-wandering travelers, sankies (a dominican term for local domnican men who mostly work on the beach and try to make foreign women fall for them, then get them pregnant to achieve the great ultimate purpose of legally leaving Dominican Republic), rich foreigners that successfully set up business here, I also met this last group - foreigners that detest the majority of Dominicans, but are subjugated to the excitement in a lawless territory. They end up staying here for months or years. They know they are not going to spend the rest of their lives here, but are somehow too afraid to leave.
Long-distance Boyfriend VS adventures
I was inspired by these young folks who chose to leave their own countries and manage to make a living with nothing but their bare hands, the agility of minds, and the ability to seize opportunity. Everything seems possible here, like my 22-year-old British buddy from the hostel said you just have to 'go fucking make things happen'. For a week, my mind was stirred up to believe in myself and take initiative to make things happen. Then my boyfriend who is left behind in the US asked me few questions 'what is your priority in life? Am I in it? Do you still miss me? Are you never coming back to California?' To be honest, I was speechless.
Then I asked myself do I want a regular life - graduate, work a mainstream job, get married, have kids. Do I? And do I want to spend the rest of my life with someone that is completely the opposite of myself? I struggled for one whole miserable week to come up with a bucket list/ life goals or whatever you name it.
1. I am going to complete this journey and make the most out of this adventure
2. I am going to nursing school in September
3. I am going to be a writer
4. I am going to set up my own business in central/ South America
5. I am going to get a Spanish- English and Italian-English translation certificate
5. I am going to get married (hopefully at 28)
About my boyfriend, I don't know where the relationship is going to go as I won't be going to schools in California for the next two years, but I know I love him and he loves me no matter what.
Ear infection & Articulation Inability Syndrome
My week had been miserable also because without a describable reason, the amassed stacks of words discreetly slipped off my head day by day as if a parasite has been consuming the linguistic part of my brain. I have been having a hard time expressing myself as well as understanding others in any one of the languages I know of. My brain lagged and processed slowly like a bicycle cautiously making its way through pebbles and sand. For this reason, I was not able to write. It is not an excuse, but a scary syndrome that I cannot find ways to explain. And I cannot blame on the ear infection I got from surfing either because it happened after. But soon, I will find a cure to that!
And then water filled up my left ear, I have not been able to drain it out for days. I had never broken my arms or twisted my ankles, so being partially deaf was the closest to physically disabled experience I've ever had. The most repeated phrase of the week has been 'what? I can't hear you!'. Now I know how it feels to be different. I could just helplessly smile and nod when a big group of people was firing words and they sounded just like muffled humbles to me. I automatically tried to read lips as people asked me questions in order to get more clues. I might have replied wrongly or I might have been shouting, I wouldn't know. It is not easy and I bestow so much respect on those who have been dealing with more severe long-term condition and have a positive attitudes.
I know I will be okay soon. I have been telling myself 'this is just temporary.'
Change in personality & the acquisition of new skills
Cabarete turns me into a stronger person that stands firm and stands up for myself as well for others. Almost every single motor taxi driver would try to rip you off at least triple the reasonable price. Innocent tourists are the deadly victims. It is not about few dollars, it is about honesty and matter of principal. A month on this small piece of land gave me an incentive to pick up new hobbies and take the chance to master them. I tried surfing, biking, playing pool...
The castle-like hostel
Cooking by the river. Traditional Banana and chicken soup.
Kite beach!
Look at the waves! They are just there to solicit for the laughter from the bottom of your heart?
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