Sunday

We just got back from Santa Domingo and it turns out that there is a beautiful wedding being held at the campus-talk about picturesque; what a beautiful location for a wedding. The first picture is the view from our balcony of Santa Domingo and the next is our side of the table at dinner Friday night. From the top Left clockwise: Kristin, Me, Maggie, Shawn, Carrie.

Santa Domingo itself was fabulous as well. I feel like this country is giving me so much more than I to it; it's refreshing my soul. The weekend was just fun. Friday night CU took us out for an appreciation dinner and que wow; the food, the atmosphere was just phenomenal. I'll have to upload a pic. The internet is a bit spotty here so the photo uploading isn't the easiest. After dinner we all went out dancing till the wee hours of the morning. Myself and some of the other CIs came home much later 3:30am ish to find that our hotel door was locked. So we spent a half hour making all sorts of noise to get the guards attention to no avail. Ultimately we walked back to the hostel where all the students were staying and woke up the owner who after two phone calls to the guard walked down to our hotel and with a quiet knock to a door to the left of ours got the attention of the guard so easily that we were are stunned-mouths on the ground. So 4:30am we got back into our little rooms at the hotel and slept for a few hours before waking up and going to the beach.

For only 4 or so hours of sleep I apparently had way to much energy and while the other 7 CIs lounged on our chairs on the beach I floated in the salt water and soaked up some sun that way. One of the others did make it into the water for a little bit but I think I'm the only one who took full advantage of such quiet comfortable water. Some pina coladas later and we all got a little toasty in the areas where sunscreen was not applied as judiciously as earlier in the day. During this time our students took a tour of the city and did some of their shopping.

A nap and another splendid dinner followed by another night of dancing...this time we left a bit earlier :-) 2:30am instead of 3:30am. I guess there is a bit of a pattern occurring on these days where we don't work. Sunday was a day for a little shopping at the mercado. I bargained some bowls for Kristin and had a marvelous time and got her an excellent deal in the process. After that I felt like I was really awake.

Sometimes here I have just felt so quiet and I have actually felt challenged to talk to some of the other members of our group rather than just walk and enjoy the atmosphere. There is so much to absorb that I feel like I've really been at a loss for some of the standard conversation that fills so much of our days. Even some of the reflections that I mentioned earlier I feel like I am just absorbing so much that internalizing it is taking a bit more time.