It’s Been a Fun-Filled Few Days…

Selfy at the front gate!

So much has been going on lately, it’s hard to believe that it has only been a week since I last blogged! Fortunately, a lot of this stuff recently has been FUN!!

To begin with…BEACH time!

I mentioned this last week, but Santa Ana got the opportunity to go the beach last Saturday. Most eventful part of the morning: Anita stepping on a sea urchin and getting 5 spikes stuck up her toe. Yes, a mini-operation to remove them went down right there on the beach.

Chandaille and Anita (prior to the sea urchin incident!)

Carmencita and me!

Me and Madelon!

…And pooltime!

There is nearby pool that NPH has a membership too. We took the 15 kids who had made it to the final round of the USA trip competition there one afternoon as a reward for their hard work…

Playing keep-away with the ball...girls against boys!

Luis Manuel!

Wislina, me, and Estrella!

What a cutie, Mr. Mello! 

Talk about paradise!

And Ricardito!

And then us volunteers went on our weekend off to soak up the rays…

Nap in the sun!

Chillaxing!

Water slide time!

The sugar cane fields are on fire!

There has been an unreal amount of burning fields around here lately. From what I understand, after harvesting sugar cane, they burn the fields before replanting again. At night, you can almost always see a big fire somewhere off in the distance and there’s constantly ashes and soot flying around, not to mention the smell of burning. They just burned the sugar cane field across the street (or better stated, across the ‘dirt path’) from us, so the path leading to NPH looks a bit different with all of the black vegetation now…

Pre-burn...

...and post-burn...

Birthday outing for Santa Ana!

As an overdue birthday gift, I took both Lucy and Cristal to San Pedro for pica pollo (fried chicken…a Dominican delicacy, no joke) and some shopping! It was also quite the learning experience since these two girls have been at NPH for nearly 10 years each! We went on the public guagua (bus) and on motoconchos (motorcycle taxis). Madelon and Chandaille (the Haitian girl who is living in Santa Ana currently) tagged along as well and we had a great time!

Naturally Lucy wouldn't look at the camera... 

Pica pollo!! (3 pieces each, WHOA!)

Visiting Franyersy and Yocattia!

Yesterday, Avriel and I decided to take advantage of a day off to go to the capital and visit two of the kids who left NPH last summer and are now living with their family, one of which was a girl in my house. This is the second time we have gone and visited since they left, and this time, they seemed to be doing much better! We went straight to the barrio where they live…which is well-known for being one of the most dangerous and poorest barrios in the capital (and country for that matter). It was quite an eye-opening experience to say the least…they literally live on a hill where houses are stacked on top of each other. We climbed and weaved our way through the stairs up to the house where they live with quite a few family members…I don’t even know how they all fit! Needless to say, I think we covered some territory where relatively few foreigners have ever stepped foot before. After spending a little time there, we took the metro to a nearby mall to window-shop and get some pizza, our treat. It was really good to catch up with them and remind them of how many people care for them! An afternoon well spent for sure…

This is the view as you walk into the barrio...their house is towards the top in the middle...

At the metro station!

Franyersy and I walking towards the pizza place...he's turned into a man...he's so big!

The girls :)

The whole crew (minus Avriel who was taking the photo!)

Franyersy and Avriel!

Looking over the photo album we gave them!

Hasta luego! Love these two...

Volunteer Supper

One of the great things about making all sorts of connections throughout the country for fundraising and sponsorship, etc. etc. is that we meet some pretty generous people! On Sunday night, all of us volunteers were invited to dine at Pat E’ Palo in Santo Domingo, an amazing 5-star restaurant in the middle of Zona Colonial! Muchas gracias!! We really enjoyed the break from rice and beans! 

Avriel and I!

Guillermo, Christian, and Nelly!

Me and the Mad-machine...

And a couple last pics from the week...

Being doormen with Chico...

We're getting to know the goats that are always grazing on the road in front of NPH...we have even affectionately named the pregnant one 'Beach Ball...'

And last but not the least, the MAD snake I found slithering it's way into our kitchen first thing on Friday morning...thank you Leuris for coming to the rescue!!