Normalcy of the Dominican Republic

Spring Break has started out with a bang and a lot of puddles. The rain has definitely made itself present this week, and with the rain came the citywide blackouts. I went to a birthday party lit only by candles and well-placed headlamps and yet it was a success. Not having power, can definitely be an inconvenience, but it also can be a  blessing. No internet, forces people to be present. We were all there together eating food and enjoying company without feeling the need to check facebook messages or get online and there is something so freeing in that. 

Today is one of the first times we don't have running water, which is kind of ironic with the torrential rains we've had the past couple of days. Feels like we get to experience life as it were a hundred years with last night lit by candle light and today filling buckets of water to use to wash dishes.Not complaining, it just makes things like running water and light bulbs seem even more impressive.

My roommate has her family in town this week and with that comes the realization of things I've normalized over the past two years that really aren't normal for the United States standards. Here are a list 

1. Noisy Streets- I remember the first nights I came here and not being able to sleep because of the roosters, dogs and motos that were constantly driving up and down the street outside my window. I even had to play music on my headphones to try and block out the noise. Now, I no longer am aware of the constant noise until someone new comes and complains about not being able to sleep because of all the ruckus outside. It's amazing what you get used to.

2.  Dish Soap- Here in Jarabacoa, we use Axion as our dish soap and we wash our dishes in cold water. I forget how odd that is until someone comes and points it out.

3. Washer and Dryer-  A Dominican Washer and Dyer is definitely something that took some time to get used to. The old fashioned centrifuge definitely takes some balancing, but you always feel a little more successful when the motor finally kicks into gear. I forget that in America, you just have to click a button.

4. Traveling the streets by moto- It's weird to remember a world where the majority of people drive around in cars,where here there are probably at least three to four motos to every car you see. 

5. Dominican Pesos- Dominican Pesos have become more normal to me than U.S. dollars and after handling the heavy pesos coins, U.S. currency feels fake because it is so small and light.