November 24, 2011
I had another rewarding day today in the Dominican Republic. Spent time with Maria Esther,
a somewhat shy girl who lives with her family on the outskirts of Santiago. But first the set
up...
Made my way down to the hotel lobby at 9:00 AM sharp and hung out in the lobby waiting for
CI to arrive. Fifteen minutes later, I decided to wander outside and see what I could see. A
couple minutes later a vaguely familiar man, Francisco, introduced himself. His English was
as rudimentary as my Spanish (I need to fix that someday....). We were able to communicate
enough for him to tell me that he was going to be my driver for the day.
We waited anxiously for Yaseni to make her appearance. The poor woman doesn't have a
car, meaning transportation to and from her destinations tends to be a hit-miss proposition.
She finally emerged from a taxi at 9:30 and we were on our way.
During the trip to Maria's place, Francisco relayed to Yaseni his interesting morning. It seems
that his 20-year-old niece has been dating a 50-year-old man (who was staying at the same
hotel as I was)and announced their intention to get married. I guess this is not an uncommon
practice in these parts, though I characterized it as something akin to "cradle-robbing."
We had enough time for me to also explain the opposite, in which "cougars" prey on
unsuspecting young men. Yaseni found the term interesting, but not as fascinating as her
attempts to set me up with a mute. I think she's joking. At least I hope so!
Once in the barrio section of Ato del Caya (sp?), the paved roads turned to dirt, mud and
rock. It was a sign that we were approaching Maria's home. Not much has changed since my
last trip. The house is still the same and the father works next door in his auto body shop.
What has changed is the kids growth. Maria is probably 5"7" now, 5' of it legs. The girl is
probably not more than 80 lbs soaking wet. In fact, her four siblings are all rail thin. Maybe
they're tired of rice and beans for every meal. I even pulled out my Blackberry and did a
Google search for pictures of Julia Roberts. Maria resembles the actress in many respects,
and when she found out who she was, she got a little embarrassed, but I found it hysterical.
My previous visits did not include all of the siblings. I always offer to bring the entire family
along, so I can't remember why it hadn't happened previously. No issues this time around.
Mom wrote five separate letters to the respective schools asking for the day off. Everyone
was present and accounted for, which meant the need for a van to fit everyone. An extra
expense, but well worth seeing these kids live it up.
A trip to the mall was what they wanted, complete with a first time ride in elevators and
escalators for the three younger ones. You'd think they were at Disneyland. The looks alone
were worth the trip.
First up was 45 minutes at "Funtastic," in reality little more than a hodge-podge of used
arcade games. No matter. They had a blast. I doubt any of them had played air hockey,
motor cycle racing, or whack-a-mole before. The best 1000 peso (about $25 US) investment.
Another possible first for most of them: Domino's pizza. We figured 2 large pizzas would
result in extras, but they scarfed it all down with nary a crumb to spare.
Next up: roaming a nearby toy store. The indecision was exceeded only by that for sandals.
Such torture. They scored several balls, slime in a barrel (don't ask), toy cars, and a
Monopoly game.
Then it was time for clothes shopping. Turn about is fair play, as I was the one being
tortured. Maria and her older sister, Vanessa, must have spent 45 minutes wandering the
shoes racks looking for their favorite pair. Minds changed like the wind. The boys? Mom
picked shirts out of a pile and they nodded without hesitation. Kind of like adult men and
women when it comes to shopping, wouldn't you say?
What they didn't have was a decent and moderately inexpensive backpack for Maria to keep
her school supplies. It became an Oddysey. Two malls and several street vendors later, we
located something. The girl has particular tastes. Any old backpack just won't do!
The last part is always the hard part: saying farewell. The kids had ear-to-ear grins with their
new toys. Mom was simply relieved and very grateful for the help. She told me that when I
give, I get double in return. Knowing the satisfaction in giving Maria hope for a better life, I'd
say her Mom is on the right track.
A special thanks to Yaseni for her translations, humor, and dedication. It was a very
satisfying trip, in large part because of her hard work. I hope to see her, Altagracia and
Maria again soon. Maybe in about 18 months.
I'll be blogging again about my visits soon enough. Five Colombian kids await. I'll be sure to
write about my experiences right after Christmas and the first few days of 2012.
Best wishes from the Dominican Republic!
I had another rewarding day today in the Dominican Republic. Spent time with Maria Esther,
a somewhat shy girl who lives with her family on the outskirts of Santiago. But first the set
up...
Made my way down to the hotel lobby at 9:00 AM sharp and hung out in the lobby waiting for
CI to arrive. Fifteen minutes later, I decided to wander outside and see what I could see. A
couple minutes later a vaguely familiar man, Francisco, introduced himself. His English was
as rudimentary as my Spanish (I need to fix that someday....). We were able to communicate
enough for him to tell me that he was going to be my driver for the day.
We waited anxiously for Yaseni to make her appearance. The poor woman doesn't have a
car, meaning transportation to and from her destinations tends to be a hit-miss proposition.
She finally emerged from a taxi at 9:30 and we were on our way.
During the trip to Maria's place, Francisco relayed to Yaseni his interesting morning. It seems
that his 20-year-old niece has been dating a 50-year-old man (who was staying at the same
hotel as I was)and announced their intention to get married. I guess this is not an uncommon
practice in these parts, though I characterized it as something akin to "cradle-robbing."
We had enough time for me to also explain the opposite, in which "cougars" prey on
unsuspecting young men. Yaseni found the term interesting, but not as fascinating as her
attempts to set me up with a mute. I think she's joking. At least I hope so!
Once in the barrio section of Ato del Caya (sp?), the paved roads turned to dirt, mud and
rock. It was a sign that we were approaching Maria's home. Not much has changed since my
last trip. The house is still the same and the father works next door in his auto body shop.
What has changed is the kids growth. Maria is probably 5"7" now, 5' of it legs. The girl is
probably not more than 80 lbs soaking wet. In fact, her four siblings are all rail thin. Maybe
they're tired of rice and beans for every meal. I even pulled out my Blackberry and did a
Google search for pictures of Julia Roberts. Maria resembles the actress in many respects,
and when she found out who she was, she got a little embarrassed, but I found it hysterical.
My previous visits did not include all of the siblings. I always offer to bring the entire family
along, so I can't remember why it hadn't happened previously. No issues this time around.
Mom wrote five separate letters to the respective schools asking for the day off. Everyone
was present and accounted for, which meant the need for a van to fit everyone. An extra
expense, but well worth seeing these kids live it up.
A trip to the mall was what they wanted, complete with a first time ride in elevators and
escalators for the three younger ones. You'd think they were at Disneyland. The looks alone
were worth the trip.
First up was 45 minutes at "Funtastic," in reality little more than a hodge-podge of used
arcade games. No matter. They had a blast. I doubt any of them had played air hockey,
motor cycle racing, or whack-a-mole before. The best 1000 peso (about $25 US) investment.
Another possible first for most of them: Domino's pizza. We figured 2 large pizzas would
result in extras, but they scarfed it all down with nary a crumb to spare.
Next up: roaming a nearby toy store. The indecision was exceeded only by that for sandals.
Such torture. They scored several balls, slime in a barrel (don't ask), toy cars, and a
Monopoly game.
Then it was time for clothes shopping. Turn about is fair play, as I was the one being
tortured. Maria and her older sister, Vanessa, must have spent 45 minutes wandering the
shoes racks looking for their favorite pair. Minds changed like the wind. The boys? Mom
picked shirts out of a pile and they nodded without hesitation. Kind of like adult men and
women when it comes to shopping, wouldn't you say?
What they didn't have was a decent and moderately inexpensive backpack for Maria to keep
her school supplies. It became an Oddysey. Two malls and several street vendors later, we
located something. The girl has particular tastes. Any old backpack just won't do!
The last part is always the hard part: saying farewell. The kids had ear-to-ear grins with their
new toys. Mom was simply relieved and very grateful for the help. She told me that when I
give, I get double in return. Knowing the satisfaction in giving Maria hope for a better life, I'd
say her Mom is on the right track.
A special thanks to Yaseni for her translations, humor, and dedication. It was a very
satisfying trip, in large part because of her hard work. I hope to see her, Altagracia and
Maria again soon. Maybe in about 18 months.
I'll be blogging again about my visits soon enough. Five Colombian kids await. I'll be sure to
write about my experiences right after Christmas and the first few days of 2012.
Best wishes from the Dominican Republic!
September 2003
