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