Breaking News

"Cabarete trip huge success!"

"Volunteers find accommodation for New Years and enjoy themselves so much they stay extra night."

"Extra night comes to haunt volunteer as he is irreparably scarred with horrific bug bite unawares in hotel bed."

"Volunteer aggravates bite, located on lower back, by squeeeezing it with hopes of release."

"There is no release, and bite only seems to gain strength from attempts on its life."

"Victim has trouble sleeping on back, leaning back in chairs, and receiving pats on back."

"Pain moves into the deep muscle, maneuvering in bed becomes troublesome, seeks council."

"Caring friend in community forces Volunteer to call doctor.  Prescribed antibiotics."

"1 day into medication.  No improvement."

"Volunteer curses bug gods.  Blames karma for past centipede murder."

"Volunteer contemplates another round of squeezes, but becomes squeemish at the thought (A rare occurrence for the victim as he has always been a fond picker-squeezer."

"Volunteer becomes expert in tucking in mosquito net and sleeps on his side, backfiring on years of training at 'back sleeping'."

As you may have noticed, my thoughts are consumed by this bloody bug bite of mine.  I will post pictures, and you will understand why.  You'll all understand...

What else is new?  I've been desperately trying to figure some things out with my cacao farmers, but I am the only one who finds the matters to be of any import.  Who cares about long over-due bills that jeopardize the future of the association.  A small matter, already resolved.

The Holidays are on the rise.  People are decorating - Christmas trees, wreaths, lights.  It's similar to home, down to the torrential downpours , the temperature of course the main outlier.

I checked out the two vacant houses eligible for me to move into.  They're both decent.  One is definitely better - bigger, cement floor (other has some dirt floors) nice patio area, private, outdoor bathing area, nice latrine (thanks to the volunteer who lived there 5 years ago and built our splendid aqueduct), water, a light bulb (so I'm assuming electricity) and a single outlet!  Even a little covered kitchen area outside where I hope to build a clay oven (finally, bread other than hotdog buns, and maybe some pizzas, too).  Only problem is there are currently some Haitians living there.  They are on there way out, heading back to their country to see their families, or so I'm told, and it sounds like they aren't going to return.  That's all good and well, but I want to make sure I'm not going to be living there for a few months, settling in, building my stove, and I get a group of displaced Haitians at my door.  I couldn't allow myself to displace anyone from a house, especially people who journeyed here through God-knows-what kind of conditions, leaving everything behind to work their ass off in this beautiful, tiny campo.

Big Christmas plans have all fallen on the 22nd.  In the morning, I'm to head to Fundacion, the little town nearby where I had 5 weeks of training, to eat chicharrones (A traditional Dominican dish of grilled pig skin) with my old host family there.  They will slaughter the last little piggy of their litter early that morning and enjoy him for lunch.

That same afternoon, the cacao association in my site is having a holiday celebration at one of the member's houses.  We all threw in some doe to supply the affair with refreshments, but I plan on bringing the heat.  Kimmel heat.  I've got two over-sized bottles of cheap whiskey and I plan on doing my family proud by liquoring up these polite little farmers with a taste of the Homeland!  Admittedly, I see the drink doing better in cold, winter conditions, but one must make-do with what one has.

If I don't get back to you by whatever holiday you celebrate, Happy...whatever holiday it is that you celebrate!