December 17, 2008 - Pune, India

As I have been in India for a week now, I figured it was about time I wrote a blog post about my experiences thus far. My trip from the United States was long, but comfortable, as I was fortunate enough to travel in Business Class for the long legs of the trip and was spiritually hyped from an amazing Baha'i conference in Portland the weekend before I left. When I arrived in Mumbai, my flight was over an hour late and it was the middle of the night. Customs and immigration were a breeze and I was soon exiting the airport to the awaiting mass of people, only I did not see the people who were meant to meet me there. After much searching to no avail I positioned myself near the exit next to a European man who was also waiting. After some time waiting in the humid night air, I spotted Nicole's fiance, Vikram, amongst the people waiting. I rushed over relieved to have found my party. We made our way to Pune from Mumbai, which is a good 3 hour drive. We are now staying in Pune at Degra, Vikram's sister's, apartment in a beautiful apartment complex, or society as they are called here, on the out-skirts of town. So far we have been kept relatively busy, mostly enjoying the amazing food and shopping for outfits for the 3 wedding events. The food is so amazing that I could speak of it for hours and hours and I have been fortunate enough not to fall ill to the sickness that most people connect to India, most likely because Nicole and Vikram have only let us drink sealed bottled water and have only taken Emily and I to restaurants they know are clean. We spent a full afternoon in a sari shop, sitting on cushions and drinking tea and being presented fabric after fabric until we found the perfect one for each of us. It was an excellent experience and I felt like a princess. Emily has fallen sick to the flu, though, and has unfortunately passed it on to Nicole and Vikram. This has prevented us from doing much these past few days, but I have been fortunate enough not to catch it as well. Emily and I have purchased tickets to Delhi to visit the Baha'i Lotus Temple for next week, but first Nicole and Vikram and two of Vikram's...interesting...friends are taking us to a beach town far from here for a few days, where we will be residing in cabins on the sand. I am looking forward to these two trips very much, as we will be taking a famous Indian train to Delhi and will be taking a sleeper bus (yes like the Knight Bus in Harry Potter) to the beach town.
Some interesting facts about India that I have learned here are as follows:
-each state has a very different culture and native language
-India contains the most motorcycles in all the world and the most motorcycles in India are in the town we are in currently, Pune
-every 30 seconds there is 1 death and 3 injuries due to motorcycles or scooters
Some things I have noted about India are as follows:
-there is still a very strong British influence, such as spelling and pronunciation of some words and the driving on the left-hand side of the road, yet there is also somewhat of a hatred towards the British and a denial of its influence
-the beggars are the most aggressive that I have ever seen
-the famed Indian accent is just how everyone who speaks English, which is a majority of the population, speak and they even bob their head while they talk
-men and boys hold hands and pinkies in the streets and it is not considered homosexual in any sense, and in fact homosexuality is very much looked down upon.
-there are rickshaws everywhere (which are tiny three-wheeled vehicles that are used as taxis) and they are incapable of reversing.
-there has recently been a large Reggaeton influence on the music from India, especially in the Bollywood music and music videos
-there has been a complete degredation in Bollywood and much of it is Western corruption and influence - there never used to be even any kiss scenes or much skin shown in Bollywood movies, but now there are skimpy clothes and even sex scenes

December 4, 2008 - Ronan, Montana Home

As I sit here reflecting on the last few months of my life - those spent in the Dominican Republic, I am overcome with emotion. I have met some very amazing people and without them I am sure I would have had a extremely hard time adjusting to my new, somewhat temporary, life in Santo Domingo. Though there were times where I seriously considered entering my credit card and buying a ticket home early, or times when I was stressed to the max and would scream "I ****ING HATE THIS COUNTRY!!!!!," I know that the amazing people that I had the privilege of spending every day with were the reason I stayed and stuck it out. The simple acts of venting to eachother, laughing together, gossiping together, reminiscing on the lives we left behind in our respective homes, crying together, or even fighting with each other, I would not trade for anything. As I have said before, we were 10 people thrown into a seemingly endless ocean and we were forced to cling to one another to keep from drowning. In clinging to one another, we forged great friendships that I sincerely hope we can keep alive, even now that we are not all together anymore. I believe that I experienced more of the Dominican Republic in the last 3 and a half months, spending my time almost solely with American students, than I ever did living in the country for 8 months, spending my time almost solely with Dominicans. This is, most likely, due to the fact that the American students shared my yearning to travel around the country and experience and see as much of it as we possibly could. This was not as possible during my previous 8 months in Santo Domingo, as most Dominicans do not share in this urge to explore their own land. I am so appreciative of all the trips I was able to partake in and all the different parts of the country I was able to experience. I would not trade these memories for anything, for they are truly priceless. Though I will be returning in January, as will a select few of my classmates this semester, it will definitely not be the same without the rest of the group, our family. Thank you, each and every one of you, and I sincerely hope we can maintain the friendships we formed from afar, for we truly were like a family these past 3 and a half months.

October 21, 2008 - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

These last few weeks have been like a roller coaster, with ups and downs and twists and turns, and has left me clinging to anything and everything I can reach for support. I have had to make so many decisions recently that have pushed my settled feeling out of the picture and I am once again stuck in square one, struggling to get my life, or at least the next few months, worked out. I am convinced that God is pushing my decision making capabilities as far as they can possibly as a test, in order to cure me of my indecisiveness. So far I have not been capable of coming to a decision that I am fully satisfied with, so my indecisiveness is still here loud and strong. In the past few weeks, though, I have come to rely heavily on certain people I feel close enough to talk to, as well as music. The right music can provide me with so much inspiration and helps me settle my feelings and thoughts in order to read them and interpret them the best I am capable of. The problem, of course, is finding the right music. Luckily for me, though, I have found the perfect music to help me and keep me going, holding my hand and leading me through these tests.
The first thing that knocked me off my tracks this month was finding and moving into a new apartment with an American friend from class. The apartment is beautiful and furnished, which means less things to stress about in order to feel settled. However, we had to front a significantly large sum of money in order to get the apartment. If that were not enough, we then had to find a way to install internet and cable into the apartment in the most economically favorable way possible. Finally, as of yesterday, all these problems have been solved, making feeling settled much easier. We also have been in search of a third person for the apartment, as it is a three bedroom place, in order to split the costs between three instead of two. We were most fortunate this week to find a girl that works at our university from Belarus to fill the empty room. Fortunately, after clearing all these lists of tasks from our to-do lists, we are many steps closer to feeling settled in our new beautiful apartment.
Another thing that has been a very significant element of stress for me has been trying to figure out what I will be doing next semester. The original plan was to stay here for two semesters, the first semester in a private university taking some classes in English and some in Spanish in order to submerge myself slowly in the language rather than diving in the deep end, and go to the public university for the second semester, taking only courses in Spanish. This concrete plan was liquefied when I had a scare from my university in Canada. This scare was that I was not sure if I would be able to finish all the required courses necessary to finish my degree in the last two semesters I would have on my return from this year of study abroad, due to the fact that they all may not be offered in those two semesters. After, thankfully, clearing this up with my university and setting my original plan back in stone, another option for the next semester was thrown into the mix. This other option was an internship at the Baha'i Office of External Affairs in Washington DC for January to April. I read over the information on the internship and, it being work experience in a field focused on topics identical to my future career interests. I applied immediately, without haste, for it would be an amazing opportunity and would excellent on a resume. Unfortunately, this amazing opportunity makes a mess of my plans already firmly in place.
Due to this possible change of plan for my next semester as well as other circumstance, my concrete plans for winter break have now also started to crumble. My original plan was to go to India with some girl friends from secondary school to attend the wedding of one of our friends. I had booked a ticket to be in India for over a month, leaving about a week after school ended (in which time I would take a trip to Haiti with some of my classmates) for the semester and returning in the middle of January. Now, with an uncertain internship opportunity in the mix, these plans may jeopardize my being able to take the job if I were to be chosen. This led me to the idea of going home directly after my last final exam, getting home in time for Thanksgiving, as it is my favorite holiday, and spending a few weeks home with family and friends, getting my fixes of everything I am missing horribly here. I would then return to the Dominican Republic, only to leave for Puerto Rico right away to join some friends there for Christmas and New Years, after which I would return to the Dominican Republic either to attend university for another semester or would move to Washington DC if I were to be accepted into the internship program. These choices have added quite a bit of stress on my shoulders, causing me to think even less about my current university courses. As an incredibly indecisive person, these final decisions are the hardest of all the choices I have had to make since I arrived here in August. Both decisions hold great value for me and both contain experiences I do not wish to miss out on, but I know in the end I will have to choose one. This is my predicament.

October 5, 2008 - Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

It is an interesting experience, being at an all-inclusive resort in a developing country. The resort is like an oasis of luxury and wealth in a dessert wasteland devoid of prosperity and sick with poverty. As a person who has always been very much against vacations spent at resort monstrosities, I was a tad apprehensive about spending a weekend involved in such a false cultural experience. I have been in the habit of pitying people who spend their vacations safely barricaded inside a resort's high walls. These kind of tourists never leave their comfort zone and never experience anything new and unknown, as the resorts are just a little piece of the United States, Europe or Canada placed on a beach in some other country. The tourists, fearing the "third world country" that lies beyond the resort's fortified walls, fail to experience the culture of the country they claim to be visiting. Some, though, do venture out to "experience the culture," but tend to do so through an expensive, first class tour company. This is no different from staying within the resort compound, for, though the tourists claim to see culture, they are not actually experiences. They are merely snapping photos from their safe, secure, air conditioned vehicle. This fear of the unknown is something that saddens me, as I am one who embraces the unknown and sees it as an adventure and an opportunity to grow and get to know myself better through experiencing things that are outside my comfort zone. This weekend, however, I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I took full advantage of all the amenities that the resort had to offer, from the fine dining to catamaran sailing to rock climbing to trapeze fun. I must say that I had quite a good time and it was nice to not have to pay for everything individually. If that had been the case, I most certainly would not have done half of the things that I did, but since it was all included I took full advantage. I also spent wonderful quality time with the rest of the people in my program, as we went to the resort for a program trip. It is amazing how well we all get along and I feel as though we were all thrown into an ocean without life vests and we have had to cling to each other to keep from drowning. Because of this we are, in a way, forced to be friends to keep sane in this country, but so far I have had a wonderful time with all of them and am very thankful to have them to experience everything with this semester. I would like to think that my weekend spent at the resort was on a different level and would like to think of myself as an exception to the type of tourists I previously described who stay the resorts and never venture out. I say this because I am already living in this country, and have lived here and visited here previously. I know the culture quite well already, so by staying at the resort I am not missing out on an opportunity to discover a new culture. Also, already being very familiar with the culture of this country, I can look at the resorts in a whole different light than the majority of the people there can. This means, of course, that I can see them as a destination for a random weekend of relaxation away from the chaos and noise of the city, as well as much of the rest of the country. By random weekend of relaxation I mean that it would not be a planned destination location, but, rather, simply a destination I would visit if I was able to find a good deal. I do not look at the resorts as something vital to my experience in this country and if I was never able to visit one, I would not feel as though it was an opportunity lost. I suppose that sets me apart from many people in the "Western World," although I would like to think of the young people of my generation as far more adventurous than they are given credit for and I believe there are many more young people that would like to experience a culture and a country by "roughing it," so to say, for they know that doing so will lead to a far more memorable experience. This must be the case, for backpacking through countries and continents has become quite the sensation for my generation in the past 5 to 10 years. This sensation, I hope, will continue to grow and more people will venture forth from their comfort zones to experience the ever connecting world around them.

September 21, 2008 - Santiago, Dominican Republic

It has taken me longer than I had previously anticipated to post another blog. This is not due to a lack of events to recount, but rather the lack of time and motivation to sit down and put my thoughts in order and translate my experiences into words. I will attempt to do so, although I feel as though I still lack the motivation. One experience worth recounting that happened since my previous blog post was that I went with the majority of my class to a beach outside the city. We met at the school, and after an hour of waiting for everyone to arrive, we took a public bus, or guagua, to the area of the city where larger buses leave from to other areas of the country. We quickly came upon a bus that would drop us off at the beach. Once we were on the road and approaching the beach I went to the driver to remind him as to where we would like to be dropped. He nodded, signifying his comprehension, but apparently he did not understand. Around five minutes later I look out the window and I see we are driving past the beach I had asked him to stop at. We are in the inside lane, going quite fast, but I yell out, "CHOFER!! DEJANOS AQUI!! AQUI!!" He slams his foot to the brake and pulls to the side of the road. As we exit the vehicle, quite shaken, he chuckles at us. Though the ride there was interesting, the beach was beautiful and we spent most of our time diving through the large waves and playing frisbee. We all grew quite hungry, so myself and another girl organized for a man to drive us to the nearest place that sold food. This happened to be about 2 kilometers away, so we squeezed on to his tiny motorcycle and made our way there. Once the food was ordered we climbed back on the tiny bike and made our way back to the beach, trying to juggle the many bags of food the whole return trip. After a sufficient amount of hours on the beach we made our way to the highway and waited for a public bus to stop to pick us up. We did not have to wait long and we were soon back in the city. We hired a very run down van to drive us all home, paying the driver a fair, yet very low amount of money to do so. Over all, it was an eventful, interesting day.
I have spent the last few weeks looking for a new apartment. A girl in my class from Texas has been living in a hotel for the past month and is in need of a room mate. I get along with my current room mate, but I feel as though she is not comfortable with me having people over, as she made clear to me one night when I invited a few friends over. I am not comfortable living like this. It is mostly likely a cultural difference between us, but I know that living with my classmate will be much more comfortable and home-like for me, not to mention I will not have to buy furniture for me room. We shall see what happens, but I am hoping for a place where I can feel as at home as possible in.
Another experience worth noting is our class' visit to a public school in a poor, northern sector of the city. We went to the school to play games with and give treats to the youngest age group of children. It was blisteringly hot that day and the school had very little ventilation. I know I received some definite heat stroke in the few hours we were there. In the classrooms, the children were very well behaved and we all thoroughly enjoyed singing and playing with them. They seemed very grateful for the treats they received and sang songs for us in gratitude. During their recess, though, the children transformed into crazy, overly energetic animals. They surrounded every one of us, begging for us to repeatedly take pictures of them, asking us the same questions in English over and over again, pinning us against the walls to get our autographs or email addresses, or jumping up on us trying to climb up onto our backs and shoulders. I have never felt so overwhelmed in my life. The amount of chaos during those 20 minutes was much too much for me to handle. Although, even with heat stroke and the chaos with the children, it was still an excellent and memorable experience. Later that evening a small group of us made our way north to the city of Santiago, the second largest city in the country. The bus ride went by quickly and was very enjoyable. Once we arrived in the city we were picked up and some of us were driven to Cabania. The best definition of what a cabania is, is a hotel that you pay by the hour and provides its customers with utmost privacy. In other words, it is a hotel to bring prostitutes or mistresses. However, it was the cheapest place to stay in the city, so we packed four of us in the room (3 girls on the bed and 1 boy on the couch in front of the door). It was quite an experience, fully equipped with condoms and lubricant in a basket on the table, a mirror on the whole of the wall next to the bed, a horrible singing man all night outside our room, and our own garage. In the morning, after little sleep (due to the singing man), we were taken to a house (which had absolutely spectacular views of the mountains and the valley) and fed breakfast, then whisked off to a water park outside the city. We spent the entire day on the water slides having a blast. We then returned to the house where we were fed breakfast. We decided to stay there that night, a room of seven with one bed (3 on the bed and 4 on the floor). We took a short nap upon returning from the water park. Upon waking, we all began to make ourselves presentable to go to a club in town. This process was quite long as it was nine people sharing one shower. Once we were all ready we headed into town, first grabbing a quick bite to eat, then made our way to a club. We were met there by two other friends from Santo Domingo and some of their friends. The club, the music, the dancing, it all became tiresome quickly, so we headed home within a couple hours of arriving. In the morning we took our time getting up and eating breakfast, then we were taken back to the bus station and sent on our way back to Santo Domingo. It was a very enjoyable trip!

August 31, 2008 - Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic

I am sitting in paradise at this very moment: beautiful sandy beaches stretching out as far as I can see, clear turquoise water lapping at my ankles, few people to block this beautiful view, and brilliant sun caressing my face. I am in a town called Las Terrenas, located on the peninsula or Samana, which is the most beautiful part of the country that I have seen so far. I came to the peninsula for the weekend with my new room mate, Raquel, to enjoy a weekend full of sun (especially after the week of horrendous rain caused by hurricane Gustav), beaches and clubs. That turned out to be exactly what we got, despite some minor condensation early on Saturday. It was a weekend of adventures indeed. Our choice of travel to the peninsula was a public minibus, or a guagua, completely full of people. Although the driver was relatively slow, especially for Dominican standards, and made far too many stops along the way, we eventually arrived into the town of Samana in under 3 hours, thanks to the newly constructed highway that now replaces the previous 5 hour route. Upon arriving, we were greeted by the mother of Raquel's friend. She quickly whisked us off along a very steep dirt path that led to their charming house atop a large hill beside the city of Samana. From the house and its property, there were absolutely spectacular views of the marina, the bay, the surrounding tiny islands (including Cayo Levantado, which contains the first Bacardi beach), and the mountains protubing in the distance. Once settled into our room, we were fed and filled with drinks. Raquel's friend, Marta, arrived home from work via motoconcho, or a motorcycle taxi. We were then fed once more, as it was dinner time, and we proceeded to get ourselves ready to go out dancing. Once that was accomplished we squeezed into the tiny car and made our way down into the town of Samana to a local bar where Marta's co-workers were. We stayed briefly, although longer than we should have, for there were no other people there and it was quite the bore. Once we had escaped the place, we made our way down the rough, winding, hilly road to Las Terrenas, a good 45 minutes away. We had only been driving about 15 short minutes when Marta hit a deep hole in the road at an inappropriately high speed, and our tire decided it could take no more. We pulled to the side of the road, looking around for someone to help us poor, helpless women change the extremely flat and bent tire. This proved to be more difficult than expected, as we had been stranded in a rather remote area, with only a few houses around. As it was around midnight, though, the lights in the houses were extinguished, making it all the more difficult for us to find help. We, however, were showered with luck, as 3 men appeared out of the darkness to assist us (sketchy i know!!). After replacing the flat tire, we bestowed up them our utmost gratitude as well as a small amount of money. With a new tire and a rush of adrenaline from the whole experience, we continued on our way to Las Terrenas. Upon entering the small town, I knew exactly why we had driven all this way: more people and better night life. Samana, on the other hand, was greatly lacking when it came to a night life. We parked the car along side the beach and made our way from bar to bar, dancing if the music was good. We finished off the rest of the night in a extremely nice club, decorated with funky sculptures, paintings, lights and furniture. Although it lacked a large crowd, the ambiance and the music made it wonderful. We danced, they drank, many pesty men came to bother us, leaving me quite irritated. Finally, after escaping the grasps of a group of Dominican guys, we made our way back down the rough, winding, hilly road to Samana. The only excitement on the return trip was a cow laying in the center of the road at the top of a hill, which we missed very slightly. By the time we finally reached the house it was well past 4 in the morning and we each fell asleep very quickly. Unfortunately, the power went out early that morning, meaning the fan was not able to perform its function. Not only was it far too hot to sleep, but with no fan came many mosquitoes. Luckily, it started to rain, producing a fresh breeze to cool us, allowing us to return to our dreams, although Raquel got quite a shower on her face through the open window. When we finally awoke from our slumber, there was a nice hot lunch on the table, equipped with salad, rice and fried fish (my mother's favorite). After fully extinguishing our hunger, we packed our bags and made our way back to Las Terrenas. The rain had stopped and the sun had emerged, making for a very pleasant drive. With the sun shining brilliantly, we arrived at our all-inclusive hotel, where we would be staying for the night. This being my first all-inclusive experience, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a small hotel, with the buildings wrapping around the pools and gardens. Marta's mother knew the owner of the hotel, so we received a very nice deal on the price of our room. We put our bags in the room and headed to one of the pools as soon as we had completed the check in process. The swim was just what the doctor ordered, a cool, refreshing experience. We remained by the pool side until the sun began to sink behind the roof tops. We, then, went on a trek to town in search of cigarettes for Marta. Once the mission was accomplished, topped off with a cherry of meetings three attractive Italian men, we returned to the hotel in time for dinner. The three of us practically cleared out the entire buffet before our stomachs told us they could not take any more. We meandered on back to our room to take a short nap before getting ready to hit the dance floor. Upon waking, my stomach told me it was in pain and that it would not permit me to go anywhere. While the other two changed into their party attire, I donned pijamas and submerged myself into my bed, with a movie playing on the television. It would be a relaxing night in for me. Early the next morning, on my standards anyway (9 am), I slipped out of the room in nothing but a bikini and shorts, making my way to the beach. I first stopped to get breakfast from the buffet, choosing to have a protein-filled omlet. I exited the hotel and crossed the street, sinking my toes into the warm sand. I walked a short while along the beach before finding a tranquil place for me to sit. So here I sit, the waves lapping at my feet, the sound of which is so peaceful. I let myself fall victim to my thoughts. Though I am in paradise at the moment, I am plagued by the visions of poverty that I witnessed throughout this trip. I know I am not a wealthy person by any means on American standards, but how the majority of the people live in this country amazes me, astounds me. How can they live with so little, and yet still be utterly happy and generous in life? I know I most certainly take for granted things I have and the opportunities I have been given. I am also a person who has had trouble being selfless when it comes to many things. In that I am nothing like the people of this country, especially those that reside in the countryside, who are constantly giving and giving and expecting little or nothing in return. There are many differences between life in the country and life in the capital city, such as the tranquility of life. In the city people are constantly in a rush to get somewhere, in the country people sit and visit with each other, taking in life, relaxing, enjoying their time with their neighbors and friends. People in the city are always in a search for more: more money, more time, more work, etc. In the country, the people take what they have and use it the best they can. Life is much simpler in the country, and I find that preferable. I often ponder if I would be capable of living as so many do here, with tiny homes, no transportation, little material things. It would certainly be difficult for me, especially as it is so different than what I am used to, from where I come from. After much thought on this topic, I slip back into the hotel. I head for one of the pools, a refreshing difference to the sandy, salty beach. I remain by the pool side until it is time to check out of the hotel. I return to the room to put my things in order. Before checking out, though, we return to the buffet to eat our lunch - our final included meal. After yet again eating as much as our stomachs have the capacity for, we check out. We do not, however, leave the hotel, for we proceed to refresh ourselves in the deserted pool and take in some sun before our journey home. A smile comes to my face, a symptom of the contentedness I feel. All in all, it certainly was a wonderful trip.

August 21, 2008 - Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The last few days have been quite busy for me. When I arrived on Sunday I was very warmly welcomed and greeted at the airport by some fellow Bahais. We proceeded to take the well-worn (in the sense that is is very well used, yet in very good condition) road into the city of Santo Domingo. We all agreed that hunger had set in, so we set off in pursuit of sustenance. After satisfying our appetites with some wonderfully greasy, yet delicious fast food, we made our way to my temporary place of residence. Once my bags were set down in my room and I had made the required salutations, I flopped down on my bed and was out like a light during a black out. My light remained out and the black out persisted for a good 19 hours. When I finally came to, it was early afternoon on Monday. I drifted into the kitchen to find a most wonderful sight: a large prepared Dominican lunch, fully equipped with rice, beans, platano, salsa, fried fish, and of course avocado. It truly was a sight for sore eyes, especially as the amazingly delicious Dominican food had been my downfall when I lived in the country previously, causing me to gain over 20 pounds. Once I had consumed as much delectible food as I possibly could, I set out to meet a Dominican girl who could potentially be my room mate for the duration of my stay in the country. Having spoken to her previously online, meeting her in person was quite easy and her apartment was everything I was looking for. Once the meet and greet had come to an end, I made my way to a bank to open an account. The bank had unfortunately run out of the paperwork required to do this, so I proceeded to 2 other banks, both of which informed me that I would need 2 or 3 letters of recommendation, 1 of which had to be from my bank in the U.S. Feeling fully worn out from this long ordeal, I went in pursuit of a cell phone. Without a bank account, however, this was a pursuit in vain. I went on my way back to the house on foot, not realizing just how far of a walk it would turn out to be. After meandering past about 15 long city blocks on one of the major city roads, I turned up onto another road in search of the house where I was staying. Finding the house turned into quite the wild goose chase, as I had forgotten the name of the street. I walked around the neighborhood for over half an hour, up one street, down another, more or less going in circles. Finally, on the brink of collapsing and completely drowning in sweat, I found the house. The next morning I had orientation and a Spanish placement exam for my university program. I was a bit wary, as I had no idea how many students there would be. Upon meeting the director and the students, however, all my reservations disappeared and I felt very comfortable. After class finished, I continued on my journey to find a cell phone, accompanied by a fellow student. After over 2 hours at the cell phone store (it took much longer than was necessary due to computer problems one after another), we each emerged with phones in hand. I then treated my fellow student to his first taste of public transportation in Santo Domingo, which, unfortunately, proved to be quite an unpleasant experience for him, as his other phone (a brand new Blackberry Pearl) and the 2000 pesos in cash (about 60 US dollars) in his pocket were stolen. With this news in mind I made my way to the house as quickly as possible, trembling ever so slightly for fear of being robbed myself. When I arrived home I showered and changed as quickly as possible and went to the 19 Day Feast at the Bahai Center downtown. It felt quite strange to be back there for Feast after being away for over 2 years, but it was very nice to see everyone again and to see that nothing had really changed. The next morning I started class, getting there via public transportation. After class I went with some classmates to one of the nearby local beaches, accompanied by family members of one of the girls in my class. The weather was perfect, the water was warm and clear, and the company was great! We rode on a banana boat around the beach, getting thrown off 1 or 2 times. When the sun began to droop down below the horizon, we loaded up the car and headed back into the city. Returning home, I bathed and changed and those of us that went to the beach met up at a bar/lounge relatively close to my house. The music was loud and the dancing was very fun, although it seemed as though we were some of the only people making use of the dance floor. I returned home that night triply exhausted, from the beach, the dancing and the hour.