Today was a fairytale of a day. It was everything you would expect to happen on a weekend if you lived in the Dominican Republic: the beach! It was actually my first time at the beach since I arrived here 1 month ago, and it was definitely worth the wait. The health volunteers went to Las Salinas public beach (all the beaches in the DR are technically public), about 30 min drive from our training site. The beach was post-card picturesque with the palm trees, clear turquoise waters and soft sand. To top it off, we had stopped at a nearby fruit stand and purchased ripe mango and papaya. I’ve discovered that true bliss is mango juice dripping down your chin on a beach in the DR. I don’t think I have been happier since I have entered the country. We spent the entire day playing in the water, sunning and eating fresh fruit. While there were other families at the beach, it was empty compared to American standards. I put on a bit of sunscreen and didn’t even get burned!

To top off the day, I make pancakes with my host family! The food here is nothing to write home about, so I thought if I showed the family what I like to eat, they might get a better idea of what to serve me. I had previously purchased some cheap pancake mix and honey in town, and made the batter. We then cooked the pancakes in a big pot over an open campfire-like stove in the backyard. The improvisation worked well. The pancakes came out well, and we smothered them in honey and ripe papaya. My family, especially the kids, LOVED THE PANCAKES. They told me they want to make them all the time. Music to my ears!

I went to bed content at 8:30pm full of food and tanned.

Other Updates:
• I went to a wedding party for the 16 year old neighbor who just got married. I also got all the gossip. Turns out, the mother isn’t happy with the marriage. I guess the girl stayed out past 8pm (and didn’t want to come home probably because the mother would hit her), and so by staying out overnight with the boyfriend, she is no longer allowed back home because she has semi-disgraced the family and thus has become “married”. The truly unfortunate part is that the mother brought the girl back from the capital to go back to school—however she won’t be going to school anymore.
• I received 4 of the 5 DVD’s Mom sent—thanks! The selection was diverse and the 9 other health volunteers were eager to watch the American movies. A movie night complete with popcorn has been planned for Thursday. I have no clue where the 5th DVD might have gone…
• Running. So I’ve talked a lot about my running, but it has become one of my favorite parts of the day. While many people run for stress relief or personal achievement, running in the DR is anything but a personal activity. I’ve found that my running in Las Tablas relies heavily on community involvement. Whether it is the young men who will run 100 feet with me down the street, or the old women shouting out “have you tired yet?” to the men telling me “step by step!” my running is largely motivated by the families sitting outside their homes on the main road, encouraging me to keep going. Women here do not run, or exercise at all, so my running is seen as an anomaly and entertainment for many from 6-7pm. I really enjoy the community’s support and I hope that I motivate other women to exercise a bit as well (my 14 year old sister has started to run!).