For Those Who Can't Cook

Platano Maduro. 

One of my favorites.  Yesterday Juana taught me how its done.  Its so easy.
This might be the start of something very bad for my waistline.

1) Buy ripe plantains; the riper the better.

2) Peel & slice into strips.

3) Fry in a pan with olive oil over medium-high heat until light brown.

Waa-laa.  Deliciousness in 10 minutes.  

Perfect as a dinner side and sweet enough to eat for dessert.

{First batch that went straight to my gut}

The Best Country in the World

Within the last two weeks, not one, not two, not three, but maybe 6 or 7 customers have told me "this is the best country in the world" when talking about the Dominican Republic.

Some reasons why I usually say crazy person in my head:

-I am told that it isn't safe to walk a couple of blocks away.


-There are no traffic laws and drive-through liquor bars exist so that you may literally drink & drive.


-A few days ago there was no running water at work due to Hurricane Irene which never even arrived.


-The inequality between social classes is amazing, as life in the capital is similar to the cost of living in the US, while many salaries are only about $150/month.


Ok yes, the people are friendly.  Ok yes, the country is beautiful.  Ok yes, the fruit is delicious.  But as for me, I'm a tough crowd.  To be perfectly honest, its going to take some more winning over than the sunshine and pristine beaches.

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All the strangers I meet tell me that I'll soon understand what they mean about their love for the DR; they tell me that I will grow to love this country.

But what defines a great country?  

If its happy people, then the DR certainly wins in my book. 

We Have a Home

Me contemplating.  Apartment Hunting.

It's ours!  I don't know how long contract-signing takes in island time, but I hope we can move in this weekend.

The apartment is furnished, which is great because the unfurnished ones here don't come with stoves, refrigerators, or washing machines.  Ours has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, high ceilings, and access to the whole rooftop [mega perk for my sun obsession].

AND its only 4 minutes away from work, which means I can feel less guilty about the chauffer boyfriend dropping me off at 6:40 AM everyday.

Boyfriend's complaints:  

There isn't a walk-in closet and the stove looks old.

I didn't know I was dating a woman?  He also isn't pleased that we don't have a TV, so I guess he can reclaim some of his manhood.

Some ideas from Pinterest, my greatest source of procrastination: 

For the technologically obsessed boyfriend

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I love monograms.  Time to start collecting our corks.

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I'll be the girl stealing paint chips at the hardware shop.

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We Almost Have a Home

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Apartment, really.  As everything runs here at the pace of a snail, we are hoping that by Monday the dueña [owner] will know that yes, we want it! and that no one steals it from us first.  Getting excited too soon, I started browsing through my For the home Pinterest board and I realized how obsessed I am with maps.

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Ever since I can remember, my uncle had (and still has) a huge world map hanging in his room at my grandparents' house - every place he's traveled to has a small dot sticker to mark the spot.  Even when I was probably too young to be fascinated by travel, I always thought that one day I'll have a map like that, too, and I always hoped to travel to as many places as he had pegged.

Today I found this scratch-off map on Pinterest, and boy do I want it!  

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Am I a total nerd?  Other than a tacky collection of shot glasses, how do you incorporate your travel memories into your home? 

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Keep Calm, Brew On

"To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest."  - Pema Chodron

I've, somehow, survived 5 days of the new job.  Two words to sum up my week:

cultural. differences.  

Here, you don't need to wear a hat [part of your uniform] if you've visited the salon within the last week.  Here, its ok to chit chat on the phone with your amor while ringing up a customer.  Here, its ok to gossip about the new girl [me] and stare her up and down while she is standing a mere 5 feet away from you.

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Part of me thinks I bit off more than I can chew - starting Monday I'll be implementing new standards and revolutionizing the way that all CARMEL stores function.  I'm determined to balance CARMEL, respecting Dominican culture while adding my Americana customer service and efficiency.  

I know that some days will be more stressful than others, but I'm up for the challenge.  As for the difficult days, I'll try to keep in mind this quote: 

"Finish every day and be done with it.  You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can.  Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense." - Unknown