Week 37

Mr. Evans sent hard copies of the Buffalo News article which I received on Saturday and passed along to Ma Clem and Glen John. Ma Clem's daughter is a secondary school teacher and read the story aloud at the secondary school assembly. I'm not sure if this will give me more or less street credit.

I've been stocking up on my Dominican specialties in preparation for my first non-Peace Corps visitors. I was trying to buy cacao sticks to make cacao tea (the hot chocolate like drink that is traditional here) but cacao is scarce now. (Things being scarce secretly makes me happy, because I can say things like "You doe find soursop now- its scarce," although I join in with everyone else making noise about it.) I asked Ma Clem about where to find some and today when I went in the shop for flour she gave me a little bag of her own homemade cacao, cinnamon sticks, some type of leaves and a whole nutmeg! Have you ever seen a whole nutmeg? I wish that I had a working computer so I could show you.

When I told Ma Clem I have guests coming next week she responded by saying, "Sir kills his pig this weekend. You'll have stew pork." Best I never rent an apartment again because all landlords will pale in comparison.

Dominican phrase book: "You'll" You'll is used here as a question word. It took me a long time to figure that out and I used to just assume everyone was very bossy. "You'll call me in the morning." But in fact the person is asking a regrets only question. An answer is only required if you won't be calling in the morning. My speech is now heavily seasoned (as opposed to lightly peppered) with "you'll" statements. You'll all think I'm quite bossy when you speak to me.

Proper usage:
Me: I want to go to the action at Macoucherie today.
Friend: After I prepare lunch I will go.
Me: You'll call me before you bathe to go.

My seamstress finished my National Wear this week. I wore it to church. Pictures to come.