Like this:

Oh microfinance, what am I to do with you? I’m starting to feel like these interviews are getting a little repetitive and kind of boring. I hear the same answers again and again how they love the solidary model and then I sit and watch in the meetings as they complain about being in solidary with each other (aka lending to their group members when they can’t make a payment). It’s frustrating that they just can’t tell me about those experiences when I ask them directly about them. Either they are just saying what they think I want to hear to appease me, or they actually think that they aren’t able to critically analyze the problems that they have. Today I finished talking with two women telling me how much they trust each other and have no second thoughts when they lend to each other, only to see about 10 minutes later that they are all complaining that the one woman doesn’t have her payment complete and they all apparently “can’t” lend any to spot her until she makes it up. I guess the best I can do is just take notes and write up about it later.

Mmmhh this Presidente is so cold that it hits you like when you dive into a swimming pool for the first time. Or, according to Jordan, “this Presidente is so cold it makes you want to slap your mother.” Delicious.

Yesterday I went to El Conuco, a traditional Dominican restaurant where they dance on a bottle, with the CIEE group. Or at least that was the plan. They were supposed to arrive there at noon after learning how to use public transportation during the morning but by 1:30 still hadn’t arrived. So I ended up having to eat without much of the group since I had a hair appointment at 2:00 (well, it was at 2:30 but they told me that I should actually arrive at 1:30 since I have a significant amount of hair. That’s true, but not a WHOLE HOUR’S worth of extra hair compared to the other Dominican women that they serve… seriously?). So yes, my hair no longer changes color half way down the strand. I’m much more rubia again. And, it’s straight (well, now it’s straightish since it’s been a day by now and my hair and this climate does not allow for any sort of straightness, despite the intense Dominican blower experience).

This afternoon I went and had lunch with Belkis and her new student (Danitza). I could tell that she was really happy to have me back and prepared me a super delicious lunch according to my recommendations (rice, beans, pollo guisado, and salad with lots of avocado as requested). I really enjoyed being back there and still felt quite at home. That house is truly like a second home to me. Her and I sat around talking for a while afterwards and then when I said I had work to do and wanted to take a nap she told me to do it there. I preferred to just sleep in my own bed so I headed back. After stopping by the copy place to participate in the last day of their 2×1 sale on black and white copies, I took my first nap here which was phenominal. I made myself an awkward dinner of a hard boiled egg, random vegetables, cottage cheese, and papaya. Then Skim Ice and a chocolate wafer since I hadn’t had my sweets for the day. I try to make my meals well rounded, but it often ends up in random combinations. I will enjoy being back in the US and enjoying cooking again.

Also, my big realization of the day was that I leave in about two weeks, not this Thursday. I had been doing calculations about how many more interview copies I would need and only figured through Thursday since I seriously thought that’s when I was leaving. I knew the date though, and realize that with today being the 30th that there was no way that the 12th fell in the following week. It made me feel brilliant. I’m mostly happy that I have another week since I’m truly enjoying my time here. I guess I just got caught up in the fact that the interns and Jordan were leaving this weeks so I just assumed I was too. That’s false.

Tonight is the Brugal Merengue Festival. Should be fun but wayyyy too crowded. Luckily we can walk there since it’s on the Malecon so if it ends up being too much I can just head home. I was supposed to see Alexis y Fido tonight in a cave (would have been awesome!) but the people I was going to go with failed.

*Title inspired by Jordan who said he didn’t want to pay for more toilet paper since, “I have tissue packets.” Made me laugh really hard.

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