Frank something, my dad the baseball player, and Bruno.

Basically, Amanda went to her first concert the other day. Maybe it doesn't count as a concert. Maybe it was simply my first festival. Maybe a festival is bigger than a concert because it is a bunch of concerts together. Either way, I am on a roll with my doing things once, and then never doing them again. I went to my first something and I had a good time even though I fell asleep on a floor that contained used beer cups. 

Santo Domingo hosted the Presidente Festival over the weekend on October 4, 2014 and I had tickets to go on Saturday. My good friend Susi said it would be fun, so I said I would go because really, it's not that hard to get me out of the house. If you tell me there is an event I am most likely going to tell you I'll be there. 

Obligatory list of things Amanda learned about concerts: 

1. They don't start on time. 

2. The headliner comes out last. 

3. They go for a really long time. (I hear this is only sometimes)

4. The event planners constantly taunt you with the idea of the one guy you want to see. 

5. Beer tastes better at a concert. 

6. Dominabros don't want to dance at concerts even more than they don't want to dance at clubs.

7. I will fall asleep even if my father the the baseball player is blasting some song I don't know. 

8. Event planners will use a giant fireworks display to wake you up before Bruno at 12:10

9. Bruno still won't come out until 12:30 and you regret the 20 minute nap you missed

10. By 11 you will already be thinking about post concert donuts your friends picked up. 

11. Concerts are yet another compass, pointing to my inevitable vida as a grandmother. 

Overall I was VERY satisfied. I've fallen asleep sober in clubs and still had a good time I think I can now say the same for concerts. 

Better list because it's a list of all the socially unacceptable weird places I've fallen asleep:

(Note these all take place after 20:30, the exact moment I tire every night. 

1. Movie theaters

2. Bars

3. Dance Clubs

4. House parties

5. Friends houses

6. Strangers houses

7. Openings to movies I've waited over 3 months to see

8. Plays

9. Bowling alleys

10. Parks

We should also note that I woke up at the very latest at 8:30 the day after each of these events. In reality, I would put money on 75% of the time I woke up before 7 a.m. 

Insert pictures of me looking fly. I was able to borrow a dress from a friend. I was worried about it being too short the entire time I was prepping (Remember I am a grandmother at heart), but I was rocking it by concert time (Because I showed it to no less than 4 girlfriends to get opinions beforehand). 

 My girls and me before the concert. 

.and below we have me and my face before the concert.

I will also include this picture of me with the craziest of eyes, because well, if I don't include it here it will never be seen by anyone ever and I can't let the photo feel so useless. 

So there you have it. A post that was kind of about my time at a concert. 

Oh, and just as an FYI the lineup was Frank Reyes, Daddy Yankee and Bruno Mars. 

(In that order, because I don't want to confuse you the way an event planner might :-)

Cow poop

I've watched the same cow poop on my morning run for the past three days. How does the cow know that I am about to run? Also, how does a cow walk, chew, hold its tail really high, and poop all at the same time? 

Tambien, is that diarrhea or is it just falling really far? 

Nail Salon

I went ahead and did something super Dominican, and by "Super Dominican" I mean "Something really girlie that I just happened to do here so I am going to call it Dominican"… I got my nails done acrylic-ly.

I'd post a picture,  but whatever.

True to form I thought about this move for about 3 weeks before I went through with it. One of the girls in one of my classes does nails and her salon is right across from where I teach the class each day. I decided to go ahead and give her some business.

We made plans to start at 5 so naturally she was there at 5:45. It took an hour and a bit. I don't know if that is as long as it takes in America… I have only had it done once before and I wasn't as happy with the results as I was here.

The girl made them pretty short without me really having to tell her and she didm' file the tops of my nails down too much. That was nice…

I left them in a basic french, because that's the kind of person I am, but I did let her put a little flower on one nail on each hand. When I turned around and spoke with Julianna and then turned back around she surprised me and was putting glitter on my nails… whoa girl, but in the end I like them….


And now I will see if I am one of those people who does the whole get them filled in in approx 3 weeks or not.


I may or may not keep you informed.

Cow poop

I've watched the same cow poop on my morning run for the past three days. How does the cow know that I am about to run? Also, how does a cow walk, chew, hold its tail really high, and poop all at the same time? 

Tambien, is that diarrhea or is it just falling really far? 

Don't go to the gas station.

When I get a ride home.

…when I pay for a ride home.

I really don't like it when the chauffeur goes to the gas station and then holds out his hand indicating that I need to pay for the gas.

My house is right down the street from the gas station.

Take me home.

I'll pay you the agreed upon rate.

Then you can go to the 24 hour gas station on your way out of my site using the money I gave you.



None of the above matters at all…
…other than to say I've found something to complain about.

In which I again… ask for money.

… Because I wouldn't want to be the only PCV not informing my friends and family that they can give me money.

… Because I know you love the idea of giving me money because…

Basically, for those of you who remember last years post… the volunteers down here use Thanksgiving as our time to get together for family time. Most of us can't go home because we go home for Christmas (I don't and won't this year… but ya tu sabes, most of my friends are.) The only problem is… ya tu sabes… money.

Some of you remember the post  where I explained how excited I was about Thanksgiving.

This year is a little different. I applied for and finally made it onto the baking team. I am SO excited. I looked forward to Thanksgiving down here before I even left for America. This means I am going to use some of my vacation days and spend a swanky week in the capital baking and making other people happy, which is really what makes me happy. Peace Corps friends are awesome and I am so excited to have our last Thanksgiving in country together.


So…. what can you do if you want to help the volunteers engorge themselves.

For one… there is a link if you would like to help me pay for my ticket. Just use this link…    and then send an email to pcdr.thanksgiving.com and let them know the money goes to my ticket. Also, if you want to help pay for my hotel for the night or anything else related to me you can email that address and they will make a separate pay pal link for you to help me out. 

Other than that, for those interested you can also help out the general fund.

I do want to emphasize that this isn't really a Peace Corps event. It's an event that the volunteers put on to bond with each other and not cry about not having their families around for Thanksgiving.

Advice

"Your computer's not going to get cold your food will. Stop working." -Seth R.

I guess I can be a hard worker when I'm working on something I love. It's Grita week again and I am working with a great staff. Wish us luck.

The first day of school

I was sitting in my living room studying Spanish when I heard a drumline. "What's going on?", I wondered. 

I went outside to see all of my neighbors waving and clapping. It was a parade. 

The drumline was leading and dancers followed. Behind the dancers students in their uniforms began to file in place. 

So that's what they do here in my community. On the first day of school a band starts at the top of the campo and makes way down to the school. As the line passes each students house they join the parade.

What a great start to the school year. 

My neighbors did mention that the group was small. Noting how few students actually go for the first few days of class.

I think I'd want to be at the first day of school every year if this were the practice. Then again, that really is my style. 

Because sometimes… monkey

Wouldn't we all like to know what's going on in this picture? 

I will let you know a few things: 

1. I am not wearing a wig. 

2. I am currently being a monkey. 

3. I am currently loosing to an elephant. 

4. I am currently winning at everything else. 

Hashtag, Go Team. 

Pictures of cute puppies

My front neighbor's dog had puppies and it is taking everything in me to remind myself why is would be an unbelievably bad idea for me to coger  a puppy right now. 

The tiny little nuggets continue to find their way into my garage and I don't have the heart to kick them out. Cuteness abounds. 

Sometimes they look really gross, but I still really love the idea of having a puppy. 

Also, I am kind of falling in love with the mom now that she is super skinny and pathetic. 

Really though. The little boy across the street needs to quit asking me to take one, because then I would have a dog to take care of and I am just not as ready for that as I thought I would be at this point in my life. I want to travel too much. 

Soon… My puppy will be waiting.