Hey all,
So far I have had an amazing weekend. Some big decisions are coming up for JP and I for next year and where we want to live, but we are narrowing down the options and getting close to making those decisions once we hear what the man behind the emerald curtain (Nokia) has to say. The highlights of the weekend were going to the falafel restaurant on Friday night with Doug, Stacy, JP, Rebecca, and her boyfriend Dante who is visiting from Peru, finding a delicious French bakery, going to IKEA, and going bowling yesterday, and today JP WINNING HIS FIRST RACE!!!
We went to Mirador Sur really early this morning for the race, JP biked and I took a cab, and when I got dropped off they dropped me at the wrong end of the park, so I had to walk the 5k to the race start. At first I was kind of bummed about it because I was afraid that I would miss the start (which I did) but as I was walking I really enjoyed myself. It's a hideously ugly park, but it was really quiet and it was really nice to be outside so early in the morning mostly alone and walk. I saw JP for the first time as he ran past me and yelled "They went off too early!". The whole race was kind of jumbled up, and I couldn't tell what place he was in, but in the end of the bike he rode by me and yelled "I'm winning!". When he started running I went the rest of the way toward the finish, and ran the last stretch as he did. We were both really happy. He always does really well in races but this was his first actual win. I was so proud of him. Now we are getting ready to head to La Vega, this other city, to see what's going on there for Carnaval, apparently it is the main city for it. For some reason they celebrate Carnaval here through February (sacrilege) but I am still planning on partaking in the festivities as long as they don't involve coffee which I gave up.
Later....
Okay so I just got back from La Vega where we went to some Carnaval festivities. I am really glad we went, it was crazy. There were a ton of people in ridiculous costumes which included but were not limited to men on stilts, children covered with mud, and a man dressed up as Osama Bin Laden with a fake gun pointed at himself. It was ridiculous. I am going to upload some pictures so you guys can see it.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Mom and Lauren Come to Visit
Hey all,
Last Wednesday night my mom and sister flew in to Santo Domingo to visit. They came in at 11:35 at night, and JP and I went to the airport with a very nice taxi driver to pick them up. While JP and I waited we played a game where we quietly guessed how much everyone in the airport weighed. My guesses, of course, were incredibly accurate and JP's were all very high. When they got here they were exhausted from a long day of traveling so we went to bed as soon as we got home, but it was really really good to have them here. When we got back to the apartment we didn't have power, (Welcome to Santo Domingo!) but miraculously our generator was actually working so once JP fiddled with it for awhile we were okay. On Thursday during the day JP and I went to school and they wandered around the Colonial Zone, got some catcalls from the men on the streets, had some Yogenfruz, which is delicious frozen yogurt, and had lunch. When I came back from school we went out to dinner at this restaurant on the boardwalk/ocean where they were introduced to some Dominican food, good and bad. My mom had some really good fish, they ate tostones, and my sister and I both had crab that was heavy on the sauce, heavy on the bits of shell, and light on the crab meat. Stacy and Doug met us there which was really nice because they all got to meet each other, and more importantly, sing their praises of JP and I to my mom which I didn't hate.
On Friday morning we took the 4 and a half hour bus ride to Cabarete on the north coast. We stayed in a small all-inclusive resort, the same one where Stacy, Doug, JP and I stayed in October. The first night there it rained, which made me nervous that they were going to have traveled all this way for a rainy weekend, but luckily it was the only bad weather we had. We spent the weekend eating, lying on the beach, jumping around in the waves, getting knocked down and dragged underwater by the waves, (my sister has the bruises to prove it) and eating more. It was great. Super relaxing. By Saturday night my sister was getting a little annoyed with all of us wanting to go to bed early and not do anything at night (if I haven't told you all I'm a old person now, worst), so on Saturday night we went to a bar next to the resort and hung out for awhile. They were having some weird fashion show for one of the stores in town (Miss Jay would have been horrified) and after that was over we just sat in some chairs on the beach and chatted. I was really glad that my sister had convinced us not to be lame.
On Sunday we went to the beach for a bit, and for a minute I was sure we were going to die because this guy who looked like a mad scientist flew over our heads in some kind of contraption that could only be described as a high-powered fan strapped to a lawn chair which were attached to a large kite. made the long trek back to the city, and by that time I had started to feel sick, probably because I hadn't been boring the night before, and ended up having to stay home from school on Monday because I still wasn't feeling well. It was too bad because it is the first time I have gotten sick here and it was while they were visiting. We did end up walking around later in the day, going to eat pizza that evening, and buying the bootleg DVD guy out of all of his current movies before packing everything up and going to bed. It was really good to have them here. I wish they could have stayed longer.
Last Wednesday night my mom and sister flew in to Santo Domingo to visit. They came in at 11:35 at night, and JP and I went to the airport with a very nice taxi driver to pick them up. While JP and I waited we played a game where we quietly guessed how much everyone in the airport weighed. My guesses, of course, were incredibly accurate and JP's were all very high. When they got here they were exhausted from a long day of traveling so we went to bed as soon as we got home, but it was really really good to have them here. When we got back to the apartment we didn't have power, (Welcome to Santo Domingo!) but miraculously our generator was actually working so once JP fiddled with it for awhile we were okay. On Thursday during the day JP and I went to school and they wandered around the Colonial Zone, got some catcalls from the men on the streets, had some Yogenfruz, which is delicious frozen yogurt, and had lunch. When I came back from school we went out to dinner at this restaurant on the boardwalk/ocean where they were introduced to some Dominican food, good and bad. My mom had some really good fish, they ate tostones, and my sister and I both had crab that was heavy on the sauce, heavy on the bits of shell, and light on the crab meat. Stacy and Doug met us there which was really nice because they all got to meet each other, and more importantly, sing their praises of JP and I to my mom which I didn't hate.
On Friday morning we took the 4 and a half hour bus ride to Cabarete on the north coast. We stayed in a small all-inclusive resort, the same one where Stacy, Doug, JP and I stayed in October. The first night there it rained, which made me nervous that they were going to have traveled all this way for a rainy weekend, but luckily it was the only bad weather we had. We spent the weekend eating, lying on the beach, jumping around in the waves, getting knocked down and dragged underwater by the waves, (my sister has the bruises to prove it) and eating more. It was great. Super relaxing. By Saturday night my sister was getting a little annoyed with all of us wanting to go to bed early and not do anything at night (if I haven't told you all I'm a old person now, worst), so on Saturday night we went to a bar next to the resort and hung out for awhile. They were having some weird fashion show for one of the stores in town (Miss Jay would have been horrified) and after that was over we just sat in some chairs on the beach and chatted. I was really glad that my sister had convinced us not to be lame.
On Sunday we went to the beach for a bit, and for a minute I was sure we were going to die because this guy who looked like a mad scientist flew over our heads in some kind of contraption that could only be described as a high-powered fan strapped to a lawn chair which were attached to a large kite. made the long trek back to the city, and by that time I had started to feel sick, probably because I hadn't been boring the night before, and ended up having to stay home from school on Monday because I still wasn't feeling well. It was too bad because it is the first time I have gotten sick here and it was while they were visiting. We did end up walking around later in the day, going to eat pizza that evening, and buying the bootleg DVD guy out of all of his current movies before packing everything up and going to bed. It was really good to have them here. I wish they could have stayed longer.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Someone's Pregnant!
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT! After finally getting clearance to announce this on the World Wide Web, I am excited to tell you all that my friends Sarah and Sean ARE HAVING A BABY!
We went out of town with them 2 weekends ago, and I had a conversation with them at this beach that you see in the picture about when they thought they might have kids, and their answer was basically "anytime now" which surprised me a little, and then I found out 2 days later that they suspected all along that Sarah was already pregnant! Neither of them speak much Spanish, so they asked me to call their doctor and make an appointment, and then to come with them to the Ultrasound/Doctor's visit. I think they felt like I was helping out, but little did they know I was dying to go with them! I think I may have come along even if they had specifically asked me not to, I was so excited to see the baby and hear the heart beat. Sarah is my first friend who has been pregnant, so I am beside myself. Stacy is going to plan a baby shower for them before we all leave. Sarah's tentative due date is September 19th. Ah! I am so excited! (Thank you Sarah and Sean for giving me clearance to put this in my blog!
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