It took a week to recover, and now i'm ready to explain!

As of now, I have currently been home for about a week. And I am still exhausted. I seem to be on eastern time still and it is really starting to bother me. I would love to sleep past 8:30 at some point again in my life. It is hard for me to even stay up past 10:00. It took me about a week to have the motivation to update my final entry of my blog in the Dominican Republic. I have been extremely busy and tired this week trying to get caught up with old friends, unpack and unwind, and working out at the vineyard. I am so blessed to be home, but a part of the DR will always be in my heart. I cherish the friends and family I met there. I cannot wait to go back, but this time just to visit. And probably in Punta Cana since it is so beautiful there, Fiona will be there, and I can flush my own toilet paper and eat all the buffets that I want.

So for my last weekend in the DR. It was very eventful. I took my final test on Thursday and passed level four. I was so proud of myself. That meant that I got to go out and celebrate my final day at the school. That weekend there were also a lot of birthdays going on, so I knew that a ton of people would be out. It was Hennesey and Angel's birthday. So, thursday night, we decided to go out with my family. And of course, Fiona joined us since she is my family. I am not exactly sure where we went, but all I know is that ladies drank for free the whole night. The cosmos were not that strong, but Fiona and I had at least 5 or 6 before we decided to leave and go to SHOTS and meet up with some other friends. It was one of my last nights in town, of course I wanted to go to Shots. Thats where I started, and that is where I wanted to end up. Jean Michael and Emile were at Shots, so Victor dropped us off. Right away, since everyone knew it was my last weekend, a tremendous amount of shots were being bought for Fiona and I. As far as I can remember we had 4 or 5 double shots. We danced all night, and I almost threw up on the dance floor when a surprise red shot was bought for me and I took it not knowing it was half gin and half tabasco. Worst thing I had ever tasted in my life. This also was the end of me. After a night of great friends and crazy dancing, I was ready to head home. We stopped at a food stand for Nachos, and that was it. I don't remember anything else.

Fiona and I planned to lay by the pool the entire next day, but lets just say my last Friday in the DR was spent in my bedroom in bed. I slept until about 5 pm that day. I could not get out of bed. And of course, I  needed to prepare myself for my final night. I knew it was going to be crazy, we were going out with Stefano and his friends. And we were starting at Shots, and ending at Goal. Two of my favorite places. So of course, I finally make it out of bed to eat some dinner. My final meal at my house, and I had mac and cheese and plantains. It was fabulous. Fiona and I got ready together, had some singing and dance parties, and headed to the party. I knew it was going to be a good night. My sisters and all there friends were there. I could not have asked for a better crowd that night. I got to see everyone that I loved and say goodbye to them for a final time. It was bittersweet. I had a ton to drink, got in 2 fights, with a guy and a girl, and can only remember half the night. I would consider it a success. I would go into more detail, but a lot of it is a big blur. But I remember it being successful.

The next morning, after 3 hours of sleep since I got home at 5AM, I got picked up by Victor and taken to the airport. Saying goodbye to my family was so hard. I did not want to leave them. But I will visit, and I know it is only see you later. I got to the airport almost 3 hours early, and thank goodness for that because I ran into several problems. They couldn't figure out my ticket and I sat at check-in for almost 2 hours. I did not get to eat food and made it to my gate right as final boarding was being called. I was hung over and starving and had to get on a plane for over 4 hours to New York. I even ended up sitting next to a man with Turrets. It was the worst flight of my life. I was living off of peanuts and pretzels. When I arrived in NY, I was so excited to call from my iPhone and speak English to people around me! My layover was 3 hours long, then I hopped on another plane for almost 7 more hours. When I finally got into my parents arms in Portland, I couldn't even cry I was so exhausted. We got Taco Bell on the way home, and by that point, I was satisfied. I took a nice hot 20 minute shower and got into bed that night with a smile on my face. I think I woke up with that same smile. Right away, life fell back into the same pattern as I left. I am so happy to be home.

All in all, I think that this was one of the best experiences that I have had in life. I am so proud of myself for making the decision to go out and live in another country on my own for a couple months. It made me appreciate so many things in my life I never thought about before. I never appreciated flushing toilet paper, drinking tap water, or hopping in my car and just driving somewhere. I never even appreciated having my car until now. This trip has made me grow in so many ways, and I cannot wait to travel somewhere else again. As soon as I can get enough money. Now I just need a job so my parents don't have to support me anymore. Thank you everyone for your support this trip. I really enjoyed it, and also enjoyed keeping you all updated on my adventures. But really, it is great to be home! 

 So happy to be home!

This could be my last post in the city..

Well I just finished school today. I passed level 4 which is simply amazing. I feel pretty confident with my Spanish, but we will have to wait and see when I return home. Right now I am about to head with Fiona to eat at our favorite Italian restaurant for the final time ever. So very exciting. I have been anticipating these lsat few days for a really long time. We were planning on taking a trip to Saona Island tomorrow, but the weather here has been too mysterious lately. We were afraid we would get rained on, so we will see how tomorrow goes, and if it is nice, spend my final day at the pool. Fiona is down to do whatever I want, so it is very nice of her to go with the flow. For the rest of the night, we are celebrating Angel and Hennesey's birthday which should be a blast. I am not sure where we are going, but we always have a good time no matter what. My final night we will be attending shots, and I will be sure to update pictures and blog in the Santo Domingo airport on Saturday morning. And who knows, after that, I may be home the next time you all hear from me! I cannot believe that the last two months has gone by this fast. It is simply crazy and I am so proud of myself for sticking with it. Thank you to all my friends and family who supported me through this when times were extremely rough. I really needed the advice that you all provided me. Special thanks to Jamie Roupp and Alex Wright. You girls helped me out a lot with stories and advice from your own personal experiences abroad! As for now, I can hear pasta screaming my name!!! Talk to you all soon!

Mi ultimo fin de semana en La Republica Dominicana!

This weekend was a great last weekend, and one to remember. We started off with a bang. Right after school on Saturday, our Italian student Alessio invited our class to his house to try his homemade Italian pastas. Let me tell you, this was the best pasta I have EVER had. Everything was homemade, all the way down to the noodles. We had three courses. The first was a typical linguine with fresh tomato sauce and tomatoes, the second was eggplant lasagna and the third was broccoli sauce with penne pasta. We also had wine, homemade bread and finished it off with some coffee with a hint of Orange. It was fabulous. After that, I headed home for some much needed rest. I was then immediately greeted by my host sister telling me that I needed to get up because we were going to TGI Fridays for happy hour. This was pretty fun. We met up with some friends and had a couple long island ice teas and bloody marys. I was feeling pretty good. After this, we went to Chef Pepper for some dinner where I had a marvelous Philly cheesesteak. My night ended well when I fell asleep a little tipsy and full to the television show Ghost Whisperer.

Saturday morning we were supposed to go to a BBQ, but our friend Teilor had a sick mother who did not want anyone at the house. Instead, we all did our own things. I decided to go to a beautiful hotel pool that was close to my house and nap in the sun for a couple hours. The weather was great and I made a couple friends from New York while I was there. It was a great time, and I only got a little red. I seem to use sun tan lotion every time, and yet I still continue to get sun burned. Then for the evening on Saturday I went to bed at 8:30. Probably not the most exciting way to spend my evening, but I was exhausted. The sun wore me out. I ended up waking up yesterday morning to my sister knocking on my door around 8 asking if I wanted to go to Higuey for the day. Well of course I did!

I grabbed my swimsuit, brushed my teeth and met our friends downstairs. We were going to a church in Higuey where our friend Edwin needed to make a promise to the Virgin of Thanks there. This is a tradition that many Dominicans have here. I did not understand what was going on, but I went with so I could support my friend. It was a two hour drive, but we had fun. I spent the majority of my time listening to the three boys argue about politics and how much it costs to live in the United States. It was actually pretty comical. For the entire 2 hour drive there, we only spent 10 minutes in the church which was really interesting for me, but hey, I couldn't complain, it was tradition. After this, we decided to go to the beach, only for the weather to make drastic shift. All of a sudden we were in the middle of a tropical storm and the rain was coming down so hard. I hate driving here in general because everyone is so dangerous and it is very unsafe, but add a little rain and I am petrified! We decided to go to the JUMBO store instead and get lunch. We ordered the largest pizza ever and ate every last bit followed by some coca-cola and chocolate. After this, we went to get our black label rum and headed back into the city to the Zona Colonial so I could learn some history about Christopher Columbus and Santo Domingo.

The weather cleared up a bit and I had the opportunity to walk around the Zona with a whiskey and sprite in my hand seeing the first part of the island that Columbus discovered. I even saw the house that his son lived it. Halfway through my experience, my camera died and it started to rain, so we were interrupted early. After this, we went on a sweet rampage and searched the entire city for a place to buy cake or desert. We finally ended up at BON, my favorite ice cream shop. This was then followed by the movie Salt. I loved it, and I can't wait for the sequel. I ended up coming home and skyping with my parents and then went to bed. I only have 5 days left in this country and every day I get more excited. I cannot wait to get home!!!

Elle

Sorry again folks!

Hello friends. Once again I have abandoned you for the weekend. Who would have known I had NO free time on my last weekend here on the island. I am about to head to school, but I wanted to let you all know that I will be making a detailed post when I return. Fiona never made it back from Cabarete on time, so of course I get to start off my final week with walking to school along... Horray. I will chat with you all in a couple hours!

CIAO!

The almost ending to a boring week...

This would be my class :) Nivel cuatro. The best combination of students around. 

This week has been close to miserable. The only fun thing I have done was go to MegaCentro yesterday and bought the cutest pair of flats. We went with the class on an excursion after school. I also got to eat McDonalds which was amazing. It is sad how much you miss American junk/fast food when you can hardly ever have it and it is the only thing that you are really familiar with. As for the rest of the day yesterday, I laid in bed doing nothing. We lost power for a solid 3-4 hours so I spent some time in the candlelight bonding with my family. We actually had a really great time. My time here with them is winding down, and I am starting to get sad. I think I mentioned that in the last post, but it really will be hard for me to leave them. As for today, I could hardly stay focused in class. I have had the hardest time paying attention at all this week because I am so excited about coming home. I have actually realized too, that school is not for me anymore. I am so tired of going through the motions. I am ready to hit the real world and start a job and actually have something to look forward to getting up for in the morning. I need to get into a routine of something that I like. I cannot wait to start at the Vineyard with my sister when I return. It shall be exciting! I also cannot wait to go to some football games. I sure do miss the Autumn season when school starts, it starts to get cold, I can wear my UGGS and watch a nice football game with some cocoa and peppermint schnapps. Yes, I need the schnapps! And UofO jell-o shots. Well anyways, I think you all get the point that I am ready for Oregon. We were supposed to go horse back riding today, but the weather has been horrible so we canceled. Although, tomorrow we are in for a big treat. The Italian man Alessio has invited our class to his house after school where him and his wife are making us a bunch of homemade real/ethnic Italian food :) I am so excited for pasta. Then afterward, Fiona is heading to a concert and I think I may go out with my sisters and some friends. It is my last weekend so I need to get everything out of the way that I need/want to do because once Monday comes, time will fly (I hope). I still need to buy a couple things and study for my final test. I only have 4 days of school left! So exciting. Well I need to finish getting caught up on some shows and eat dinner here shortly. Only a week or so left of this blog, and I have accomplished staying dedicated to it for 2 months. I am so proud of myself. Hope everything is well at home. See you all soon.

Elle

Rainy Days

Today the weather was horrible. I have spent the majority of my time in my bedroom since school got out. It poured all day and I am actually wearing jeans and a long sleeve cardigan and am not hot! What a miracle. I did a bunch of studying and got caught up on some television shows. Not much to do the rest of the night except sleep and eat dinner. Tomorrow we are supposed to head to the plaza for some shopping after school with some of the teachers. I am really excited. And on Thursday Fiona and I are planning to go horse back riding at Stefano's country house with his sister. She has 14 horses, so hopefully one of them is nice enough for me to ride.

Before I go, something really funny happened today. One of the new students at the school (an older man from Toronto) was on the roof at school today watching the storm that was coming in the distance. He came inside and asked Fiona and I if we wanted to go up on the roof and see it. We were up there for a good two minutes when all of a sudden it started pouring. We then ran down the stairs and tried to get inside, but our other student Greg had locked us out for about a minute. After pounding on the door, he finally opened it and we ran in. Well, turns out our little friend from up top was not behind up and Greg closed the door on him. I am not exactly sure if you all understand how hard it rains here, but when it rains, it pours. It is the hardest pouring rain I have ever seen. So, we all proceed to dry off in the bathroom and continue onto class because the bell rang. Well a good ten minutes went by when a soaking and angry man walked by our classroom door. Turns out he was locked out a lot longer and was drenched. He was so mad at me he was yelling telling me he was going to get electrocuted and that I am such a bad person to forget he was up there and lock the door. I feel bad because right before he was lecturing me, I took a picture of him with my camera because I thought it was so funny. Greg ended up taking the blame after class and explaining it to him, but he was still heated. I hope he feels better tomorrow. Anyways, thanks for listening to my story. I will chat with you all soon.

XOXO,
Elle

Punta Cana Part 2

Oh what another fabulous trip to Punta Cana. This time was even harder for me to leave because I am not quite sure when I will make it back, or if I ever will. I officially have less than two weeks left here, and time is beginning to go by extremely fast. Now, onto details about my wonderful trip in Punta Cana.

We left Friday morning around 7. I got to sleep at Fiona's in a nice spacious room, and I actually woke up in the middle of the night chilly. I love when that happens here. Who would have known that I actually get cold when it is still 78 degrees? We all gathered at my house in the morning and took a taxi to the busses. There were seven of us going, but we met up with four buses of people. It was a holiday weekend here, so there were a bunch of people that were going to be in Punta Cana. The buses were nicer than the ones we have taken before. The seats lounged back, the chairs were comfortable and we had air conditioning and food! There was a lot of traffic from the holiday weekend, so it took us a solid 4 hours at least to arrive in Punta Cana. Right away, we checked in and headed to the beach. The weather was not the greatest, so we never got in the water. We also had to kill time for an hour and find something to do because our rooms were not going to be ready yet. So we ate some hamburgers and fries on the beach and watched the ocean for a while. We got some great pictures! After this, we went to our rooms, got our suits, and headed to the pool!

The pool was amazing because it had a bar in the center as well as a ledge where we could put our lounge chairs inside and be covered in water. The humidity is so bad here, that being in the water is something that needs to occur every 15-20 minutes. We also have to reapply sunscreen every hour at least. I am thinking about investing in so SPF 50 before our final Saona trip, because I really do not feel like riding home on an airplane sunburnt the next morning. Anyhow, the rest of the afternoon we spent in the pool taking Mama Juana shots. This was a HORRIBLE idea for me. For those of you who do not know what a Mama Juana is, well it is deadly.  It is a famous drink here in the Dominican Republic. It is a mixture of rum, red wine, and honey mixed with tree bark and herbs. It is supposed to be an aphrodisiac. Well, as most of you know, I am allergic to wine. So, taking five or six of these shots was not the best thing I could have done. By 8 o'clock that night, I was throwing up. This was the most sick I have been on my trip here. I was thankful that it was at nice air conditioned hotel because if I were to get sick in the city, I would have been ten times more miserable. I skipped out on dinner and the festivities that night, but got a great nights sleep. I even woke up to see the beautiful sunrise in the morning.

The next morning was great. Fiona and I woke up early and went to the buffet in the main lobby. It was huge and the food was great. I had some hash browns, a pastry and a vegetable omelette. After this, we decided to spend the day at the pool. I decided in advance that I would not be drinking during the day because for once in Punta Cana, I would like to go out and have a good time! We ended up lounging by the pool and made several friends. Our first friends were three little kids from Santo Domingo. Fiona gets mad at me because I have to say hi to everyone here because I am a friendly person. The only thing about this friendliness is that Dominicans take it as an effort to get to know the other person. So when you say hi, you are stuck talking with them for a minimum of thirty minutes. It definitely does not help that Fiona does not like children. Our second friends were from Spain, except not so much friends. It was probably 10 Spanish guys that were all very drunk and obnoxious. We got rid of them fast! 

Since we were getting harassed by so many people, we decided to head out to the beach instead. At least this way we got a little bit of relaxation. The beach was wonderful. The second day we were there we could not have asked for better weather. There was a wonderful breeze and the sun was shining bright. And just when we needed to cool down, a tiny cloud would go over the sun and give us a two minute break. The ocean felt fabulous. It was nice and cool. We got a tiny sunburn this time, so the cool salt water was quite a relief. There is always some interesting sights on the beach. We always see and meet some crazy people. Since many Europeans vacation here, every other person is always topless or in a speedo. And it is always the people you really could have done without seeing them that way. There is always games, contests and music within the hotels. On this fine Saturday we actually met three guys from Jersey. Of course, Fiona and I asked if they liked Jersey Shore. Obviously they get that a lot, but we had to ask anyways, it is one of our favorite shows! They were not from there, but lived close. They were some of the first English speakers that we had met. 

We ended up going in after a couple hours on the beach to take a nap and rejuvenate for the evening. For dinner that night, we had some amazing pasta and desert. I loved the soft serve ice cream in the hotel. I always managed to have it with every meal. After dinner, Fiona and I headed back to the room to freshen up and have a couple beers and a dance party while we waited for Stefano to come pick us up. No matter where Fiona and I go, we always manage to have some sort of dance party. This is what I love about her. It is like we have known each other for years, and it has only been 5 weeks now. We then headed to the lobby where we saw one of the greatest things of our trip take place.

While we were in the lobby, we decided to listen in on a little conversation at the table across from us. It was a group of four girls from Quebec who obviously spoke English as a second language. They were flirting with the Dominican band that was about to be playing on the stage close to where we were sitting. First, it was funny listening to both groups communicate with each other because they both were horrible at English. Then the band went up to play and the girls were yelling on stage to request a song. After a couple songs, the one they wanted came on. One of the girls got so excited, she ran up to get on stage except for that her foot caught the edge and her face and entire body pancaked onto the stage. Not to mention that she was wearing a dress and almost 200 people were in the lobby watching. It was extremely sad, but probably one of the funniest things we had ever seen. Also, we continued to share this story with our friends the rest of the night, but none of them found it as funny as us. It must have been one of those, "You had to be there!" things. After this, Stefano came to pick us up and we headed to the Iberostar to meet up with our friend David. He had to work until midnight, so we went to the disco there to get some free drinks while we waited. Again, encountered several interesting drunk dancers there.

After some good laughs, we headed to Imagine. This was hands down one of the most amazing clubs I have ever been too. Pictures and words will never be able to describe it. I simply recommend everyone takes a trip to Punta Cana and sees it first hand. This club, first of all, is HUGE. It is inside a man made cave underground. There are several different sections, and each section they play different music. Saturday night it was packed because there was a male porn star who was the DJ. I never really saw him, but we still had a great time. There were different types of dancers and entertainers that we up on the ledges of the caves doing there crazy little things. Also, there were a bunch of different bars inside. The bathrooms were also unbelievable. I wish I would have taken pictures but I already looked like a tourist as it was. I was taking pictures of everything. We even saw some really great mullets inside. Punta Cana really is a collection of some interesting people. From what I remember, this was such a great night, and we did not make it home until about 3:30-4 in the morning (which is an early night for Dominicans). 

When I arrived back at the hotel, I received a knock at the door. It was Victor! He wanted to go get food at the Sports Bar because we were both drunk. Such a fabulous idea. We headed that way immediately. I ended up having cheesy tots, onion rings, fries and a bunch of other fried crap. Victor had a hamburger. We had a nice drunk talk about relationships and he decided to give me some advice about mine. We ended up laughing about this the next morning because nothing that came out of our mouths really made sense. I ended up going to bed at 5 in the morning, and my alarm was set for 8:30. We wanted to get an early start for our last morning. I was not hung over, but I was definitely moving slow. 

The final morning we had a fabulous breakfast and headed out the beach for a little more sun. Here we watched dance lessons and listened to some Dominican music, which I love dearly. I have really begun to listen to it everywhere I go. We swam in the ocean for our final few times, headed back to the room to pack, ate lunch, checked out and got back on the bus after one final round of soft serve ice cream. 

The bus ride home was miserable. It took up 6 hours because of traffic. Half way on the drive, we stopped for a bathroom break and of course I had to go! This was a bad idea. This was the worst bathroom experience I have EVER had. So I am standing in line with a bunch of locals trying to figure out why everyone is partnering up and saying that two people have to go in at a time. Of course no one knows me so no one wants to be my partner. So when I get to the front I am thinking there is only two stalls inside. Well I was half right and half wrong. There were two toilets inside, but not any stalls. The two toilets were right smack dab next to each other. I am not even kidding you. I ended up peeing next to a Dominican girl who I had never met in my life. Imagine me squatting above a seat trying with all my might to squeeze something out while this random girl is watching me. That is the last time that I ever walk into a bathroom with a stranger. The rest of the trip was long. I slept on and off, but you can only do so much on a bus. The only thing that got me through the trip was my iPod and Limon Lays chips. These have become my life here in the DR. I plan to bring back a bulk supply in my suitcase or carry on. 

When I arrived home last night, I skyped with my parents, uploaded some pictures and got right into bed. I was exhausted. I am pretty sad when I think that my time here is winding down, and I really only have one weekend left for adventures. I am so excited to head home, but I know that I will miss everyone here so much. These people have become my family and I have so much fun when I am with them. I hope that at some point I will get to come back and visit them in the future. For the rest of the evening, I need to do homework and get caught up on some Spanish and sleep. It is a long week ahead of me because my plans for this weekend only consist of a BBQ at my friend Teilor's house. I hope school goes by fast so I can start having some fun!!! Stay in touch, and see you all VERY soon.

Yours truly,

 Elle 

Getting ready for the holiday weekend!

These last few days have been extremely hectic. We have been in and out of internet for days now. It seems as though every day that I return from school, we are without power or internet for at least 5 hours. Because of the excessive amounts of free time I have been give, I have finally accomplished reading Eat Pray Love and I truly wished I would have finished it earlier. It was beyond magnificent. It is such an inspiring novel about finding balance within yourself. I take a lot of advice and thought into what Elizabeth Gilbert has written and I hope to put it to good use in the last few weeks that I have left in this amazing country. I want to live every day here, and not take it for granted. Who knows if I will ever make it back, right? I have also realized throughout this experience that all those things that I used to depend on for survival, really have no meaning. They are useless, and I am better off without them. I have depended on several people who did nothing but bring me down. I never imagined my life without them, and after this experience, I have realized I am nothing but a positive and strong person without them. I want this to be the  beginning of my adventure. My dream is to explore the world. I want to live in other places. I want to be able to figure out for myself where I really want to end up. It may be Oregon, it may be South America or even Europe. I will never know unless I see the world through my own eyes.

....Now all I need is a solid job to fund all this for myself. But I guess you have to start somewhere.

As for my second to last weekend here in the Dominican Republic, I just finished packing for another weekend trip in Punta Cana. Not to mention it is a well deserved on. Fiona and I just passed Nivel 3 in class, and our Spanish has drastically improved. I am finally beginning to feel confident having random conversations with strangers. Dominicans are very great about correcting words and sentences, so the DR is a great place to learn. I am really looking forward to spending this weekend with my host sister and her friends. It has been a while since we have all gotten to do something together, and as my time here winds down, I worry that I will miss my family here a lot. They have been amazing to me. I love them from the bottom of my heart, and they have really made this a home away from home. There is no doubt in my mind that I will make it back for another trip in the future to visit my second family. It's a must. But for my "real" family reading this, please remember how badly you know I want to come home and see you. I miss you guys more than anything and two weeks could not come any quicker.

I will not have any internet access on this trip, but do not down that on Sunday I will not be on this blog adding pictures from the second part of my Punta Cana trip. Wish me luck. I will be sure to drink some tropical alcoholic beverages for you all on the beach while you are watching it pour in the states! Love you all. Two weeks and counting!

Elle

I have a legitimate reason for abandoning you all...

This last week has been an extremely hectic one. I have been extremely sick, and this is the first time I have experienced this while being so far from home. The heat and the contamination in the air did not help my breathing much. I was on the verge of having to go to the doctor, but with the help of my friends and family here, I had a ton of people buying me medicine and taking care of me. Today was the first day that I felt like I had the energy to walk to school and actually do something after.

So as for Friday I spent my entire day in bed downloading music on my iPod because I had nothing better to do. I was burning up in my room the whole time. I also took this last weekend to get caught up on all the American shows I have been missing out on. I watched Teen Mom, Gossip Girl, Keeping up with the Kardashians and Glee. I had a very relaxing evening.

The morning after, I was woken up at 8:00 AM by Fiona. She was calling to tell me that we were going to our friend Stefano's little sister's horse competition. Of course I could not turn down horses. The last time I rode horses was with my friend Mariesa in high school and then of course when my grandparents had them which was years ago. She also said after the competition we were going to head back to to country and stay with them at their house on the beach. I can never turn down Stefano's house. It is too beautiful and a wonderful break from the city. The competition was amazing. And Giulia (Stefano's sister) is incredible. She rode two of her horses and did fabulous both times. We were so proud of her. After the competition we all went back to the country to lay and swim at the beach for the rest of the night. And that evening, Sergio, Stefano's step father made us the most amazing feast imaginable! I made such delicious steaks with mushrooms and bacon in a cream sauce, freshly caught and grilled shrimp, and fried potato balls with cheese. We finished the meal with a chocolate mousse. Fiona, Sergio and I even shared a bottle of Italian wine. That night was amazing. I also played with Stefano's little sister Emi. She did my hair, makeup and nails. We really had a great time together. It is nice to hang out with her because it is very easy for me to understand her Spanish. After dinner, I had taken my medication and passed out in a spacious and cool room and woke up in the morning to the waves hitting the shore outside. For breakfast, Sergio made us everything you can possibly think of. We had cereal, not to mention four choices, grilled cheese and ham sandwiches, pancakes with honey, pineapple, coffee, etc. It was so great. After breakfast, the entire family headed back into the city for the second day of the horse competition. Fiona and I really want to ride horses before we leave after spending the weekend with them.

As for last night, I came home to find that my host brother is running for class president at his school. So my sister Patty and I decided that we wanted to help him with his campaign posters. We decided that his slogan would be, "Ayudame a Ayudarte" which in English stands for, "Help me to help you." This worked out perfect because his initials are AAA. He loved the idea. He went to school today and presented it, but we will not find out who wins until next week. I promised him that I would make him a cake to celebrate if he does win. I hope he does, because I have been craving chocolate for quite some time now.

Today after school Fiona and I went to the pool across the street. It was fun, but we grew restless quickly because the sun was not out for very long. I came home and ate some dinner and worked on some homework. Tomorrow I am the professor in our conversation class again so I had to prepare a lesson plan. Wish me luck all!

I should warn you ahead of time, I am leaving friday morning with my family and friends to Punta Cana again. Friday is a holiday, so we are taking the long weekend to enjoy ourselves. I will post a ton of pictures when I get back! Until tomorrow, I hope things are well up north. I hear there is a ton of rain... bummer. It is nice, dry and sunny down here. But I never thought I would say that I cannot wait to get back into cold weather! Take care.

Elle

Movie Night with my Girlfriend!

Fiona and I are extremely tired tonight. I am still feeling a bit ill, and earlier today we had a wonderful, yet very large, Italian lunch with some of the other students after class. Our new Italian friend recommended it. I must say, some of the best crab and tomato pasta I have ever had! I felt like I was in a food coma when I returned home today. So, we then decided to go to the air conditioned theater to watch The Last Song. It is crazy that this movie is just now coming out in theaters here. I saw it already in January or February with Lilinoe when she was visiting me last winter from Hawaii. It has been almost a year, I think for $2.75 it is worth another view because I loved it the first time. After wards, I have a little homework, a Skype date with my family and then bed. I am so excited for half of the week to be over. I decided I am taking this weekend easy and focusing on studying my verb tenses and exploring some new vocabulary. You can never learn enough! Besides, I only have 24 days left here (I am not counting or anything.) If I did not miss my family, it would be easier to stay, but I cannot go much longer without them in my life. I love them dearly! I will catch you all tomorrow.

Elle

Sick Sick Sick

Hoy estoy enfermo y deseo que estaba en casa con my familia. Me extrano mi familia. I really wish that I was home right now because I am dying of heat exhaustion and a cough/ sore throat. I went to the pharmacy and they really have nothing to help me out here. My host mom made me some delicious homemade soup, but it was too hot to eat it. I have been lying in bed studying and watching American television series because I am missing out on the new seasons. Gossip Girl, Weeds and Jersey Shore. I miss my TV shows. I am currently on SKYPE with Lilinoe Speed, and I must get back to listening to her Hawaii dramas. I will let you all know how things go tomorrow.

Yours truly,
Elle

Holiday in Punta Cana!

Wow, I feel like I have completely abandoned my blog. It took everything in me not to pay $5.00 at the resort to be able to update everyone about my trip! But now I finally have time and I cannot wait to talk about my adventures. It all began in Thursday, another typical evening at the bar SHOTS.

Thursday night before heading out with friends, Fiona and I packed for our weekend in Punta Cana because we were not sure exactly where we would end up that night and wanted to be prepared to jump in the car with Stefano friday morning no matter how hung over we were or where we decided to pass out. The night began slow when Stefano was over and hour late to get us. Not to mention, at the last minute told us to meet him at the bar because he was still running late. I got to Skype with my sister, parents and best friend Mckenzie Creamer while I waited, so I was not upset. At last, Fiona and I took a cab and headed into town. Right when we arrived, we decided to take two double shots. This was just the beginning. I do not even know where it ended. I don't think there was a period of five minutes where we did not have a new drink/shot in our hands. We even took jello shots out of syringes. I have now decided that this place is poison. It is always a great night, yet always a horrible "morning after". We danced the night away with our friends and as far as I can remember, it was a wonderful experience. At around 2:00, SHOTS was closing so the lights went on, the singing died down and it was time to leave. Of course through all the chaos, my shoe broke.

One of my favorite pairs of sandals that I brought, and they were unfixable. I also lost an earring throughout the night, but did not discover it until I was getting ready for bed. At this point, I was ready to eat and sleep. The rest of the group wanted to continue on to the next bar. We went to Gold, which is a disco inside of a Casino. This was the place where Fiona and I met Don Omar. I only lasted about ten minutes, when I asked Jean Michael and Emile to walk myself to the car where I could meet our friend Maximo who had already proceeded to take a nap. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the backseat and Stefano was driving us to his home. Before I could make it into my pajamas, I hit the bed and was knocked out. I woke up the next morning, sick. I also woke up three hours before everyone else. Those were the worst three hours of my life. And of course, right when I was dozing off again, I was jumped on by Fiona to tell me that Stefano's entire family was out at the dinner table waiting for me to join them for lunch. I sucked it up and decided to join. This was one of the better meals I have had here. We had fried chicken, rice, tomatoes, bread, habichuelas, and every other possible Dominican food. It was the perfect answer to a hung over morning. We decided to mope around the house for a bit, shower, then head off to Punta Cana around 4 (after stopping at McDonalds).

And here is the good part: Punta Cana. I cannot being to put into words how amazing and in need I was of this trip. Punta Cana is a resort area of the Dominican Republic. It is filled with beautiful hotels, beaches and people (mostly Europeans). We stayed in the Iberostar Bavaro, everyone should Google it because pictures and words do not describe. I recommend everyone experience it first hand.

Right when we pulled up, I was jaw dropped. I have never seen anything like it. There were water fountains, flamingos, jungles, bars, pools and beaches everywhere. I truly felt like I was staying in Paradise for the next two days. Not to mention, I was. Right away we were escorted to our rooms, and for the first time, I walked in and felt I needed a jacket. We finally had air conditioning! The rooms were beautiful. Stefano hooked us us with a great deal on a suite. Stefano is a friend of Fiona's she met at this hotel several years ago. He works at the Iberostar and made it a great trip for us. We could not have asked for a better situation. Right away we both decided to get ready for dinner and our first night out on the town in Punta Cana. We went to a buffet (probably the biggest one I have ever been too) for dinner that night. I decided to take pictures of all of my meals because they were amazing. After dinner, we met up with Stefano and another worker David and went to the disco at the hotel. Since it was September, it was not very crowded, but we were still surrounded by beautiful Spanish, German, Brazilian, Cuban, Puerto Rican and French people. The disco was amazing, it had an airplane inside of it. After this we decided to go into town and check out another place called Mangu. It was two stories and we decided to go downstairs where we would experience more of the "Dominican" lifestyle, music and dancing. This was a ton of fun. We had tons of drinks, danced a little, and Fiona even got sick. But hey, we kept partying. When we were done at Mangu it was around 4 in the morning. We decided to go back to the hotel, grab a golf cart, some pizza and fries, and take a little ride on the beach. One problem, the golf cart got stuck after we ate. At this point, Fiona and I walked on the beach back to our hotel and passed out. It was a successful night and we were ready for the beach and pools in the morning.

The next morning we set our alarms for 9:00. Right when it went off, we got on our suits and headed to the breakfast. We had omelets and hash browns with freshly squeezed fruit juice. It was delicious. We even ate our breakfast on the beach. We decided to start out on the beach since it was so beautiful but eventually moved to the pool since we do not have one in the city as beautiful as the ones at the hotel. There are around 5 or 6 pools at the hotel, but we chose the same one everyday because Fiona had friends who worked at the pool, and it was right by the fresh juice bar, food and entertainment area. The beach was a great experience. I have never seen so many topless Europeans in my entire life. Every other 10 people were not wearing tops. I guess it is pretty normal in Punta Cana. Also there were many speedos on old hairy men. Probably a vision I will not miss. After swimming in the Ocean for a while we decided to move to the fresh water pool. We spent our entire afternoon lying by the pool with drinks and tanning. At this point we were still peeling from the Isla Saona trip, so we had a rough time trying to keep a tan because every five minutes it would peel off. We stayed out by the pool until about 4 then decided we needed a nap before we could make it out another night. We went back to the hotel, showered and napped for about an hour. We asked Stefano to make us dinner reservations at the steak house, but it was closed. He then gave us two other options. Either gourmet food or Mediterranean. Well, Mediterranean food is a bunch of fish, and Stefano knows Fiona does not eat fish so clearly we were going to choose the gourmet. This was all a part of his plan...

So where do I begin with the experience the two of us had at the gourmet restaurant. We both dressed up in cute dresses because we planned to go out afterwards. Right as we walked through the doors of the restaurant we were greeted at the door by two very handsome and well dressed men. The place was romantically decorated and there were four other couples in the restaurant. They also gave us a very odd look, but at this time it did not phase Fiona and I. Right away, the men double checked to make sure we really had reservations at this restaurant and sure enough, we did. At that point, they poured us Champagne at the door and handed us each a long stem red rose. This is when things started to get a little sketchy. They walked us to the back of the restaurant where we sat at a romantic candle lit table with a pink menu that was in a scroll on our plate. As Fiona and I opened the menu, we then realized what was going on. The title of the menu read, "Romantic Couples Dinner Menu." Everyone then thought we were lesbians and we felt extremely awkward. We text messaged Stefano what was going on, and his reply was, "Hahahahaha." It was all a joke to him.

We then proceeded to tell the waiters that we were just friends, but they seemed a little confused. We decided to have fun with it, even though everyone else in the place thought it was rather inappropriate. We ended up having an amazing four course meal. We started off with a cantaloupe frappe with bacon on top. It sounds disgusting, but for someone who hates melon, I actually enjoyed it. We then had a lobster salad. This was the most amazing thing I have eaten my entire trip. It was covered in some sort of a cream sauce with grass noodles on the side. Our main course was candied tenderloin steak with a special gravy and cheese and potatoes. We knew it was bad news when our desert came out in the shape of a heart. It was a dark and white chocolate mint cake with raspberry sauce. It had a cute little white chocolate heart sticking out of it. We finished our meal with some coffee. The cherry on top is when we were serenaded with a love song by a band. We then decided that we were celebrating our three week anniversary together. Our relationship got intimate that night.

To finish off the night, we toured around the hotel and went to a "rock show" at the Grand Hotel. I decided to jump on the bed after dinner, and from that moment on did not feel very well. I went home early that night and ended up getting ten hours of sleep. I think that was a very good decision on my part. Fiona stayed out until two with the boys. The next morning we woke up again and went strait to breakfast and the pool. We pretty much repeated the day before along with some fresh coconut juice and some beer. We also took a long walk on the beach to get more pictures. We were supposed to check out at noon, but Stefano got us the hotel until 4 so we could shower before we left. We ended up taking two bus rides back last night and got home around 8:00 in the evening. It was such a fun and deserved vacation and I can't wait to go back with my host family in two weekends for the holiday. It is the day that La Republica celebrates Virgin Mary so we get Friday off from school. Fiona and I are already counting down the days.

As for now, I really need a nap and to study some Spanish. I officially have one month left. I cannot believe it has gone by so fast. I will keep you all updated on my upcoming adventures. We plan to kayak, ride horses and stay at Stefano's country house this weekend. I can't wait. Hope all is well at home, I cannot wait to see everyone! Take Care.

XoXo,
Elle

Sorry, been on Holiday.

Hey Friends!
I just got back from my vacation/long weekend to Punta Cana. It is late, so I will post pictures and tell you all about it tomorrow.

To sum it up real quick, simply amazing.

Elle

When the lights, go down, in the city...

Today we experienced our first blackout in Gazcue that lasted for nearly an hour. Que Horrible. No fans, water, lights, nada. It was miserable. Good thing Fiona and I had just went to BON to get some helado (ice cream). I also found out today that my host mom, along with a couple others, have begun to take English classes in the mornings while us students are at school. I think that this is so precious. She is trying to be able to understand English better since it is so hard for her to communicate with students who have just arrived and do not understand or speak much at all. I also found out today that Fiona and I will be taking our first trip to Punta Cana. We will take our nivel 2 test early on Thursday and head out Friday morning after we rage at SHOTS all night with our friends. What a great way to start the weekend. We will be staying in an amazing resort that Fiona plans to work in at the end of her trip. It is an all inclusive 5 star resort and this will be her 15th time visiting. (Given the number of trips she has taken, I will take her word on how amazing it is.) My plan is to lay on the beach or by the pool with unlimited drinks, food and fresh fruit and try to cover up this disgusting peel that is creeping from my back to the rest of my body. I cannot wait for all the adventures in Punta Cana. I also cannot wait to tell you all about them when I get back. Right now I need to shower since we finally have water and power, I am roasting over here. The weather was extremely hot today, and it surprised me because the Salem forecast said rain. Looks like when it cools down at home, it heats up here. Must be nice. Chat with you all soon.

Sincerely.
Elle

Sunday and Monday

Sorry it has been a couple days friends, I have been really busy with friends and school work. We have our test this Thursday that determines if Fiona and I will move onto nivel 3. Study study study. As for Sunday, Fiona was having a bit of a rough day so what did we decided to do... Blue Mall and Acropolis. Shopping of course! Fiona got an amazing pair of shoes and I got a dress and a skirt. Both were under $15 American dollars. We also decided to stuff our faces with some taco bell and frozen yogurt. We were definitely pretty content after our trip. We then came back and decided to watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 days. We really had a fantastic girls day and I think that it made her feel a lot better.

As for yesterday, the day seemed long. Fiona and I went and got our nails taken off which was a lot better than we had imagined. We also got another 5 dollar manicure on top of it. We tried a new Chinese food place and got a delicious taste of some pork fried rice with  chicken. The portions were huge and it was under $3. We spent most of the day watching South Park. I also received news that my sisters friend Autumn passed away in a rafting accident. I want more than nothing to be home to help her through this. I love you Rach. You are in my prayers and as for Autumn, she will be missed.

I am on my way to school this fine Tuesday morning. Who knows what is in store for later today. I will write you all soon.

XOXO,
Elle

Our weekend at "Home"

For the record... this is how bad I am peeling. And it is only getting worse.

Now on to our weekend. Friday nights seem to be a little rough for Fiona and I. There seems to be a pattern for us to spend our saturday morning/afternoons complaining about being hot and hung over on the beach. The only thing that helps is staying in the Ocean, forever. We went to Juan Dolio today with Victor and Edwin. I think that we would have enjoyed ourselves a little more if we felt 100%. Last night we decided to go to one of my host sisters friends new bar that just opened. It was a ton of fun expect for the excessive amount of tequila, vodka and wine I drank. I really need to learn to stop mixing. We had a blast, and for the first time, I got to sing along to the songs with the locals. I have been downloading some of their music, and I really find it enjoyable. I can't wait to introduce my friends to it when I get back. After lying on the beach for 4 hours (with sunscreen this time) as well as another bottle of wine that Fiona and I refused to drink with the boys, we decided to hit up Burger King. This was also another disappointing trip. The last time we went, it was delicious. This time, horrible. The worst part about it was that Fiona and I were looking forward to it all day. We planned to go out tonight, but neither of us have been able to recover. After some dinner, a shower and a nap, I am still pooped. We are headed to get ice cream and then are coming back to my place to watch a movie. What a relaxing way to spend a Saturday night. I wish I could have joined my mother and Sue on their adventures at the duck football game. I LOVE MY DUCKS. So happy they demolished New Mexico. Well, I must meet Fiona now. I am taking advantage of this relaxing Saturday night, because something tells me it will be my last. Besides, only 6 weeks left in the DR. When you break it down, it seems like so little time. I remember wanting to go home after the first day. Now it will take a lot to get me to leave. I will stay in touch.

Sincerely,
Elle

Tropico De Sangre.

Hello friends!


Yesterday was another slow day that was very un-eventful. Fiona and I took a trip to the local bakery where we got hit on by a worker. I am starting to get accustomed to this. We also decided that we wanted to go see the new movie that was out "Tropico De Sangre". This was the first movie we have seen in Spanish since we arrived. The movie was a story about Past dictator Rafael Trujillo. He was in rule for nearly 30 years in the Dominican Republic. He was awful. He made rules that were horrible. He dated young women he found attractive and if they did not like him, he had them and their families tortured. The movie starred Michelle Rodriquez who actually from Santo Domingo, the town I live in now. The movie had a lot of footage on the street my school is on. It was incredible. Michele played one of the Mirabel daughters. The Mirabal women grew up in an upper class, well-cultured environment.  All became married family women. Their father was a successful businessman. When Trujillo came to power, their family lost almost all of their fortune. These three sisters powerfully opposed the dictatorship of Trujillo. Michelle's character was very passionate about going against Trujillo and so she became a lawyer. But because she declined Trujillo's romantic advances, he ordered that while she would be issued a degree she was not to receive her practitioner's license.On November 25, 1960, he sent men to intercept the three women after they visited their husbands in prison. The unarmed sisters were led into a sugarcane field and executed along with their driver, Rufino de la Cruz. Their car was later thrown off of a mountain known as La Cumbre, between the cities of Santiago and Puerto Plata, in order to make their deaths look like an accident. The oldest sister Dede is still alive, and tells the story of her three sisters. She lives in the same house the family grew up in and started a museum inside of it about the girls. Just after the women were killed, Trujillo was assassinated. His family is no longer allowed to live or come back into the DR. On December 17, 1999, the United Nations designated November 25 as the annual date for International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in commemoration of the sisters. The movie goes inside the lives of these women and I found it very empowering. I did a bunch of research after I saw it. An english version is supposed to come out in December. I recommend that everyone see it. 


After the movie, Fiona and I got a beer, and discussed how irritated we were. I then became more irritated when I realized that the peeling situation on my back has become drastically worse. My entire upper back looks like I have a disease. I keep putting aloe on it, but it is not helping. As for tonight, there is a new bar opening in the city and it belongs to one of my host sisters friends. Fiona and I are going to join them for a night of drinks and dancing. After a long week at school, we really deserve it. We are staying in town this weekend, so it looks as if our adventures will be in the discotecas. Hopefully we make it to the beach or the pool at least once. Besides, I need to work on this peeling situation. Miss you all. This weekend marks the 1/3 point of my trip! Only 2/3 to go! I cannot wait to get back into the fresh Northwest Air. 


With Love,
Elle

Just another day...

Hey All-

To finish off yesterday, the gang and I got a drink down at the corner store. The weather was fabulous. Because the hurricane is passing and another one is coming, it has been very cool and breezy. I really have been enjoying it. I also got to help my little brother with his English homework. That was a nice change, and I really enjoy it. Listening to him try to write and speak English makes me realize how silly I sound when I mess up my Spanish. Oh well, that is how you learn, right?

This morning I went to school and Fiona and I went to check out another excursion. We are planning on going on a trip through a cocoa plantation to see how chocolate is made as well as taste test all the different flavors. Because of the hurricane, the numbers are looking slim so we may have to pass up on this one for now. After school, we went to a local pool at a hotel. It was on the second floor and looked over the beach (in Santo Domingo). So far the day has been fabulous. I am about to eat dinner here shortly and then meet back up with Fiona. There is not much to write about when the days are long and uneventful. Hope all is well in the Pacific Northwest. I sure do miss home and my family! Tomorrow we are planning to see our first movie in Spanish. It is starring Michele Rodriguez, and is about the history of Santo Domingo. I will let you all know how it goes.

Love,
Elle

The Hurricane is coming!

Weather changed today friends. There is a ton of wind and rain headed our way as Hurricane Earl is slowly passing by us. We are all crossing our fingers that he does not change paths, because if this is the case, the Dominican Republic will get hit directly. For now he is looking good. I am enjoying the weather because I can actually breathe again. The only down side is that the win is stirring up stuff in the air and really causing my allergies to have some problems. The next hurricane, Fiona, is looking even bigger. Right now she is only a tropical storm, but is gaining strength as she moves north. My friend Fiona is pretty excited that a storm is named after her. Hopefully she does not give us a reason to remember her. We are all being very alert down here. It really is scary knowing that there is a storm that could hit, and there is nothing we can do. My host mom Gertrudys is being very protective, and I do not mind it at this point!

Since the weather is horrible, Fiona and I spent the day at both malls. We actually realized that they were not as expensive as we thought. Also, Dominican fashion is actually really cute. I hate to say it, but I must do some shopping before I come back! For the rest of the evening, I need to do some homework, shower and eat, and meet my friends for a drink at the Colmada. Hope all is well at home. Pray for the storm to pass right through, we could really use it.

XOXO,
Elle

La Isla Saona

Hello friends-

Yesterday I woke up to one of the worst things imaginable, followed by a day in paradise. At 3:30 in the morning, I woke up to 2 giant cock roaches crawling up my leg and next to me on my bed. It was the most disgusting thing I have ever experienced. I screamed and my host mom woke up. I spent the rest of the night in my host sisters room on the extra bed. I could hardly sleep because I was paranoid. When I came home last night, she had completely cleaned my entire room and raided it with bug spray. She had gone through all my clothes and did my laundry as well as re-fold and organize all my clothes and shelves. I was in heaven. My mosquito net was re-hung and it worked great last night. But as for the rest of my day yesterday... Nothing can begin to describe the Isla Saona. It was beyond words. I have never been to a more beautiful place in my life. (I have not been many places, but still).

Yesterday was one of the most amazing days I have ever had minus the sun burns I currently have! We started with an hour bus ride to La Romana where we caught a booze cruise Catamaran ride for about an hour to the island. The entire boat was full of Spanish speakers and all attention was on Fiona and I because we spoke english, and had white skin (later to be the brightest red imaginable). We took several pictures, laid on the nets the whole way gazing down at the water below, and drank some rum and coke. We were in paradise. Except the only mistake we made was to start the day with SPF 8 lotion. I am completely regretting this! By the time we reached the island, I was really anxious. For about a mile off the beach, the water was completely clear. I have never in my 22 years of life seen anything like it. I have never seen anything more beautiful. White sand and palm trees covered the entire vacant island.

Right when we got there, we were greeted by other tourist boats, fresh juice and a delicious BBQ. We decided to swim a little before we ate because we needed to cool off. After swimming and relaxing for a while, we decided to eat our lunch. We had bbq fish and chicken, pasta with lobster, salads, fresh fruit, bread, marinated vegetables etc, etc. It was buenisimo! During lunch we tried to converse with an Italian couple who were extremely friendly. We really enjoyed their company. After lunch, we applied more sunscreen (this time SPF 30) and then swam and played some more. We were there for another 2 hours. We were approached by so many people who wanted to take our pictures and speak English with us. B the end of the trip, we were exhausted. After we left the island, we got into a smaller race boat, put on our life jackets, and went for a crazy ride in the ocean. My butt and back are still sore from the waves/bumps. They then took us to a place where we could feed the clown fish and feed them. I think I saw finding Nemo at least 100 times. Im sure they were his cousins and such. Then, we took another crazy boat ride over to a swimming area where the had the largest star fish I have ever seen in my life. Some were the size of my torso. This gave us an extra hour to swim and socialize with everyone as well as take pictures. After this we headed back to the shore, where Fiona and I were burnt and ready to get home. This was a bit of a shortened story of my experience, but pictures will do more justice. I had a great time, and Fiona and I decided that our last weekend here, we want to make a final trip to the Island. We have several other excursions planned in the meantime.

As for today, we have 4 new students. Norway, Germany (American born), Japan and UK. They are all very friendly. We plan to do a movie tonight. As for now, I need to have Gertrudys rub my back side with after sun. I will be needed a lot. I also need a nap. Hope all is well. I miss everyone and will officially be returning October 16th, 3 weeks early!!!

Much Love,
Elle

The day I feel in love with the DR

Hola mis amigas-

Ahhh, if I could only put into words how fabulous yesterday was. I was so busy with my adventures that I did not have enough time to blog. My day at school was just a normal one. After school, I tried a hamburger and fries from one of the fast food places on the Conde, and it was disgusting. Fiona nor I could eat it. After school, Fiona and I planned to meet up with her friends from Punta Cana. This is when the day got great. First one of her friends from a resort that she stays at met us in Gazcue to chat for a little while. He had also brought a visitor from Punta Cana with him and he was from Vegas... another American! We chatted and I later found out he is VERY familiar with Oregon, and its notorious reputation for being "wine country". I was even more surprised when he told me that Willamette Valley Vineyards had the best Pinot Noir he had tried. (Rachel, I know you would like this one) I couldn't believe he even knew the Vineyard. He truly was familiar with the Salem area. We chatted with them for a while and later met up with Fiona's friend Stefano, and two of his friends who also live in Santo Domingo. We were planning on going to the beach, but again, the weather turned bad. Stefano works at the hotel that Fiona visits and is an Italian man who is verrrry handsome and sweet. His two friends, Jean Michael and Emilie, were also great company as well. We then decided that we would head near Boca Chica to Stefano's house to hang out with his family for a while.

When we arrived at the house, I cannot put into words how amazingly stunning it was. I can honestly say that it was the most beautiful and exotic house I have ever seen. It looked like it was straight out of GIlligan's Island. Not to mention the roof was made of plan leaves. Everything was open and spacious and it had mixed country/beach theme to it. Their back gate was right on the beach, and the water was only 10 feet away. It really was a dream home I could see myself in. I really think that my dad would have loved it. On top of the house being beautiful, his family was also great. He had two little sisters who are half Dominican and half Italian. They were both beautiful. His little sister Amy was 5 years old. She loved having guests in the house because she really likes being the center of attention. She was giving us concerts, playing dress up for us, bringing us food and drinks. I really enjoyed her. We decided to make a few snacks, open a bottle of win, and sit out on the beach for a swim while the storm came in. We could see lightening in the distance, and it was amazing. It really was a great experience. I forgot to mention he had 9 dogs. It sounds a little overwhelming, but each of them had their own little hut the hang out in during the day. I liked the wiener dogs best! We ended up staying out on the beach for hours talking story and watching the sun go down and the moon rise.

At around 9, we decided to head back into town to get ready for a bar named SHOTS. The name is self explanatory, it is all they served. Fiona and I got ready quickly, and Stefano picked us back up. Last night was on of the best nights of my life. I truly fell in love with Dominican people and their culture. To just interact with them, watch how exciting they get to dance and sing to their local songs, as well as get more excited to hear American songs, and have a million shots bought for you, it was an amazing experience. And Dominicans love to take pictures with the Blackberries, which they call BB. They take them with them everywhere. It was funny to see how many of them wanted to take pictures with Fiona and I because we were white. Everyone was so generous to us, and loved to speak Spanish/English with us. We stayed at Shots until 2:30. We then all had the drunk munchies so a group of about 20 of us went to a little street restaurant and ate burgers and fries. These were way better than my last. We made it home at 3, and I stayed at Fiona's house. We could hardly get out of bed at 7:30 this morning, but it was well worth it.

I cannot put into words how much fun I had last night, but I really did. Great country, great friends, and great drinks. Nothing can compare to those, especially when combined. Today we are planning on recovering with a long nap since school is now out, and then we will get ready to celebrate Nikki's last night here in the DR. It is SO sad to see her go. She really helped me in the beginning of this experience when things were rough for me, and I cannot thank her enough. (So thank you Nikki, I love you very much). As for now, I better get my sleep on, because there is another long night ahead of us. Because like they say in the Dominican Republic, "Every night is ladies night!"

Chao,
Elle

P.S. I also forgot to mention that We visited the Acropolis which is a 4 story mall outside of the city the night before last. It was there that Fiona and I got to experience the Hooters of Santo Domingo! What an experience. The days just keep getting better.

Public Transport and Boca Chica

Hiii all-
Today was quite the experience for me. I woke up with a bit of a stomach ache, but by the afternoon, I was fine again. Last night Gertrudys completely disinfected my bedroom with bug repellent, so I am not sure if it worked yet. As of now, I probably still have between 25-30 mosquito bites. Fiona and I paid for our excursion today so it is final. We will be leaving at 6:30 on Sunday morning for a fun filled day of adventures. I cannot wait. As for the rest of the day, we decided to try out the public transportation (the Guaguas) and take a trip to a beach called Boca Chica. It took us 1 hour to get about 15 miles away because the busses stopped so much. We had to change busses twice and it was so confusing. While on the first bus, Fiona was given a phone number by our driver. He really liked him. Everywhere we go, people stare at us like they have never seen someone with white skin before. It really is annoying. The busses were really loud and crowded and they smelled terrible. Everything here smells terrible. I can't wait to get into fresh air again. Right after we arrived at Boca Chica (since it was the last stop of the trip) we needed a beer STAT. The weather was horrible. On the way, it rained the whole time. We were hoping for sun and a tan, but never got either.

While looking for somewhere to sit, we walked for about 10 minutes until we were approached by a man who pulled out two lawn chairs for us right next to the beach. He said that we were allowed to sit there and to let us know if we needed anything. The entire time we were sitting there, we were approached by vendor after vendor for different types of jewelry and food. We bought nothing because to be honest the food looked sketchy and the jewelry was ugly. (Sorry, just being honest). Anyway, about 30 minutes went by and the guy came back and asked if we wanted food or drink and we said no thank you. At this point, he did not seem to happy. He stomps away and comes back presenting us with a bill of 300 pesos for using the chairs. This is the best part of the story because it is the first time that I have seen Fiona blow up and freak out on someone during this trip. I am always letting swear words slip out while we are talking and I always feel bad because she seems like such a soft spoken girl, but no. Not this time. Fiona's Spanish is way better than mine, so this is when the talking (more or less yelling) began. I have never heard someone swear and talk/yell so fast in another language in my life. She tried explaining to him he never told us we had to pay in Spanish, and he didn't understand so she then tried English. This made him mad. He was causing a scene telling us that this is the Dominican Republic and if we want to survive here we better know Spanish. No English! He was making fun of where we were from and pulling other people into the fight. It was HORRIBLE. Finally a vendor who knew English approached us and we told him we did not have the money. We had just enough to take the public transit  back the Gazcue. We fought back and forth because of the language barrier for about 25 minutes, and finally he let us leave, after proceeding to tell us to come back tomorrow. Yeah right, never. Everyone and there mother were staring at us and giving us the "dumb American" look. It was probably the worst experience yet.

And then, the public transit back. It seemed faster, but maybe that was because the Dominican man sitting next to us realized that we spoke English and wanted to start practicing with us. He talked our ear off the entire hour. Asking questions, informing us of past Dominican olympians who participated in the Olympics, quoting Jim Carey movies, etc. etc. It was honestly really annoying. I am proud he was so passionate to learn English, but it was a little much after the day we had.

After arriving home, I was greeted by a full house (which is normal). Luissina's best friend Victor, who knows English, was eager to hear about our trip. He was really mad when he found out what happened. He let us know we did not overreact and if that happens again, he will get in his car and drive all the way to Boca Chica to settle things for us. He was embarrassed that we were treated that way. As for the rest of the night, Fiona and I will eat some dinner and head the the Acropolis which is a local Mall with bars and places to have drinks. We might meet her friends from Punta Cana there. Tomorrow, we will go out dancing with my host sisters and their friends. Starting tomorrow, the weekend will be a busy one. We have a ton of adventures ahead. I will be sure to inform you about them asap.

Sincerely,
Elle