Names I've been called:
Rubia (referring to the fact that I’m white)
Americana (duh)
Ain (Dominican pronunciation of “Anne”)
Na (another Dominican pronunciation of “Anne”)
Annie (Dominican pronunciation of “Anne” when seen in writing)
Bebe (baby)
Mi amor (My love)
Mi vida (My life)
Bella (beautiful)
Bonita (beautiful)
Linda (beautiful)
Flor (flower)
Joven (youngen)
Niña (child)
Fea (ugly)
Oye (listen)
Blanky Anne (Whitey Anne. Oh, and now one of the Pedros has affectionately named his little
white dog Blanky Anne too—I guess I’ve made a lasting impact!?!)
Mija (Mi hija...my child)
Novia (girl friend)
Gringa (whitey mc whitester)
Mujer (Woman)
Preciosa (Precious)
Bonito regalo de Dios (beautiful gift from God)
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Microfinance Competition
This post is inspired by my friend Jon who sent me this question:
Kiva has US entrepreneurs now? I don't think that is helpful. Now your DR would-be entrepreneurs will have to compete against business plans by US citizens - who I would guess are likely better educated and funded. I'm curious as to what your perspective is.
My perspective:
During our three days of training here in DR, one of the main points that we emphasized is that Kiva is a competitive market. That is, we are posting profiles for real live entrepreneurs and we’re competing for loan funding. In reality, up until now, competition hasn’t truly been a problem. Esperanza International has been partnering with Kiva for 29 months and in that time we’ve only had two (I’m almost positive) loans that weren’t funded; for reference, 5,359 associates have been funded via Kiva.
Nevertheless, we don’t expect that to be the case forever. More and more microfinance institutes (MFIs) are partnering with Kiva and other MFIs such as Opportunity International are developing their own Kiva-esque lending model (http://www.optinnow.org/?utm_source=opportunity.org&utm_medium=promotional&utm_campaign=opportunity.org). Furthermore, growth of new lenders is apt to slow. As those forces converge, Kiva will become more of a competitive market. Expecting these changes, Esperanza and the interns are working to sharpen our competitive edge through the following ways.
Quality profiles:
A profile can be either for a group or individual entrepreneur. Since Esperanza follows the Grameen model of microfinance lending, the majority of our profiles are for groups. We do, however, fund some individual loans in special cases, but I believe you cannot take out an individual loan until you’ve successfully repaid a few group loans first.
In the case of a group loan, we interview one entrepreneur (usually the group’s coordinator) and write their story as a representation of all the entrepreneurs in the group. It’s important that the story make clear what the business is, how the loan will be used, what her loan history is, how her life has changed as a result of this loan, what her ambitions and dreams are, and how she intends to achieve them. We also like to add in personal details such as age, descriptions of the family and house, and hobbies. Kiva is about peer-to-peer lending and we try to facilitate as personal an experience as we can. Since lenders do assume risk, we try to make it clear how the entrepreneurs will be specifically be using the loan so lender can loan with more confidence.
To view Esperanza’s profiles, follow this link: http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&partner_id=44&status=All&sortBy=New+to+Old
Quality journals:
Part of the Kiva partnership requires every MFI to write at least one update per profile posted. These journals are mutually beneficial. They allow the lenders to see how their loans were used, what’s changed, what problems entrepreneurs have or have overcome, and what the plans are for the future. They build continuity for the peer-to-peer relationship and make the experience more evidently real. We try to update both with logistical information concerning the businesses as well as anecdotes and extra photos. The journals are also a prime way to increase lender retention and commitment to Esperanza. If a lender feels invested in Clara (the jewelry maker I blogged about), then they’re apt to lend to her again in the future. Similarly, they’re more apt to lend to people in the same organization because there’s a feeling of connected and focused impact.
In each journal, we post the link to the profiles of Esperanza’s other profiles so people can easily lend.
One of the joys of working with Kiva is seeing how easy they make everything. The interface to loan as well as to post profiles is straightforward and simple, which is important because red tape and confusing logistics can be easy deterrents.
Good pictures
In the past, some of our photos have been rather awful. Who wants to lend to a group of angry looking women with shadowed faces who are standing against a white wall!?! The profile photo is a key because it’s the first thing a lender sees. If a photo is mediocre at best, then a lender is not apt to click and read a potentially fantastic profile. It’s also a wonderful way for lenders to understand what life is like in the DR. We try to take photos in the communities and ideally in front of one of the entrepreneur’s businesses. For example, these are some of the photos I linked to in one of my journal updates: http://picasaweb.google.com/acherniss/LosLirios4#
Improving our field partner profile on Kiva
If you click on any Esperanza loan, you’ll see a link to Esperanza’s profile. I’m not personally working on this aspect, but I’m aware that our Kiva coordinator is working to make it clear how Esperanza functions and what makes it special as an MFI. Below, I’ve listed the primary points of distinction that Esperanza has. We not only try to emphasize these in the partner profile, but we also try to write about them in the entrepreneur profile and journals.
Women
Esperanza’s mission is: to free children and their families from poverty through initiatives that generate income, education and health, restoring self-worth and dignity to those who have lost hope. Like many other MFIs, Esperanza has found that the best way to do this is by targeting women as they make sure that the loans and profits benefit either the business or the family, nothing else.
Emphasizing Haiti/Haitian immigrants
Esperanza International is the only MFI that operates in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Interestingly enough, our Haitian profiles are always funded much more rapidly than our DR ones. This makes sense on one level because Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and people want their efforts to support the parts of the world that need it most. However, a large percentage of our clients in the DR are Haitian immigrants (about 44% in the Los Alcarrizos office). By emphasizing this point, we hope to increase understanding of the Haiti-DR relationship and draw more attention to Esperanza’s work.
Emphasizing Christian Organization
In terms of amount loaned, Kiva Christians is the second biggest group of lenders, proceded only by the atheist network. Thus, rather than downplaying the fact that Esperanza is a Christian organization, we aim to make that fact know as people like to support organizations and entrepreneurs who hold similar worldviews.
Emphasizing microfinance plus
While microfinance is one tool in the effort to end poverty, other tools are needed as well. Microfinance plus is everything in addition to microloans. For Esperanza this includes home improvements, health care, education, business training, and social mobilization. A lender might be more confident that an entrepreneur will repay and improve his/her life if such programs exist. http://esperanza.org/us/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=2&Itemid=5
Why?
It is important that we work on these aspects because up to one-third of our loan portfolio can be funded through Kiva. While neither Kiva nor lenders collect interest on their loans, the associated MFIs do. This decision on Kiva’s part was made for two reasons. The first is that to do so would have required Kiva to file as an actual bank, which would have taken a lot of time and was not necessary. Instead, Kiva is a 501(c)3 non-profit—it is significantly easier to register as such. The second reason is that Since Kiva is merely a platform, not a MFI, Kiva is ok with letting the MFI’s keep the interest from the loans. This interest allows the MFIs to cover overhead costs, counter inflation, offer microfinance plus programs, and grow.
In response to Jon’s question specifically:
In terms of the US lenders, I think it's great that we've brought microfinance and the Kiva partnership to the US as it's supposed to serve those who the regular financial system does not/cannot and those people exist the world over. While I think people will want to lend to their fellow Americans, there is an exotic/adventurous aspect of lending to a developing country...and I think that will work in our favor. Furthermore, in terms of impact per dollar, it is much greater in developing countries as the cost of living is lower and the need is generally greater. At the same time, Kiva is used all over the world, so the addition of the United States might not be that big of a problem. Furthermore, I think it's great that a family in Uganda can loan to a business woman in the US--it helps break down crucial barriers and it helps people see that there is need everywhere. AND, everywhere in the world, people are trying to improve their lives, the lives of their family, and the lives of their community "poco a poco."
Kiva has US entrepreneurs now? I don't think that is helpful. Now your DR would-be entrepreneurs will have to compete against business plans by US citizens - who I would guess are likely better educated and funded. I'm curious as to what your perspective is.
My perspective:
During our three days of training here in DR, one of the main points that we emphasized is that Kiva is a competitive market. That is, we are posting profiles for real live entrepreneurs and we’re competing for loan funding. In reality, up until now, competition hasn’t truly been a problem. Esperanza International has been partnering with Kiva for 29 months and in that time we’ve only had two (I’m almost positive) loans that weren’t funded; for reference, 5,359 associates have been funded via Kiva.
Nevertheless, we don’t expect that to be the case forever. More and more microfinance institutes (MFIs) are partnering with Kiva and other MFIs such as Opportunity International are developing their own Kiva-esque lending model (http://www.optinnow.org/?utm_source=opportunity.org&utm_medium=promotional&utm_campaign=opportunity.org). Furthermore, growth of new lenders is apt to slow. As those forces converge, Kiva will become more of a competitive market. Expecting these changes, Esperanza and the interns are working to sharpen our competitive edge through the following ways.
Quality profiles:
A profile can be either for a group or individual entrepreneur. Since Esperanza follows the Grameen model of microfinance lending, the majority of our profiles are for groups. We do, however, fund some individual loans in special cases, but I believe you cannot take out an individual loan until you’ve successfully repaid a few group loans first.
In the case of a group loan, we interview one entrepreneur (usually the group’s coordinator) and write their story as a representation of all the entrepreneurs in the group. It’s important that the story make clear what the business is, how the loan will be used, what her loan history is, how her life has changed as a result of this loan, what her ambitions and dreams are, and how she intends to achieve them. We also like to add in personal details such as age, descriptions of the family and house, and hobbies. Kiva is about peer-to-peer lending and we try to facilitate as personal an experience as we can. Since lenders do assume risk, we try to make it clear how the entrepreneurs will be specifically be using the loan so lender can loan with more confidence.
To view Esperanza’s profiles, follow this link: http://www.kiva.org/app.php?page=businesses&partner_id=44&status=All&sortBy=New+to+Old
Quality journals:
Part of the Kiva partnership requires every MFI to write at least one update per profile posted. These journals are mutually beneficial. They allow the lenders to see how their loans were used, what’s changed, what problems entrepreneurs have or have overcome, and what the plans are for the future. They build continuity for the peer-to-peer relationship and make the experience more evidently real. We try to update both with logistical information concerning the businesses as well as anecdotes and extra photos. The journals are also a prime way to increase lender retention and commitment to Esperanza. If a lender feels invested in Clara (the jewelry maker I blogged about), then they’re apt to lend to her again in the future. Similarly, they’re more apt to lend to people in the same organization because there’s a feeling of connected and focused impact.
In each journal, we post the link to the profiles of Esperanza’s other profiles so people can easily lend.
One of the joys of working with Kiva is seeing how easy they make everything. The interface to loan as well as to post profiles is straightforward and simple, which is important because red tape and confusing logistics can be easy deterrents.
Good pictures
In the past, some of our photos have been rather awful. Who wants to lend to a group of angry looking women with shadowed faces who are standing against a white wall!?! The profile photo is a key because it’s the first thing a lender sees. If a photo is mediocre at best, then a lender is not apt to click and read a potentially fantastic profile. It’s also a wonderful way for lenders to understand what life is like in the DR. We try to take photos in the communities and ideally in front of one of the entrepreneur’s businesses. For example, these are some of the photos I linked to in one of my journal updates: http://picasaweb.google.com/acherniss/LosLirios4#
Improving our field partner profile on Kiva
If you click on any Esperanza loan, you’ll see a link to Esperanza’s profile. I’m not personally working on this aspect, but I’m aware that our Kiva coordinator is working to make it clear how Esperanza functions and what makes it special as an MFI. Below, I’ve listed the primary points of distinction that Esperanza has. We not only try to emphasize these in the partner profile, but we also try to write about them in the entrepreneur profile and journals.
Women
Esperanza’s mission is: to free children and their families from poverty through initiatives that generate income, education and health, restoring self-worth and dignity to those who have lost hope. Like many other MFIs, Esperanza has found that the best way to do this is by targeting women as they make sure that the loans and profits benefit either the business or the family, nothing else.
Emphasizing Haiti/Haitian immigrants
Esperanza International is the only MFI that operates in both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Interestingly enough, our Haitian profiles are always funded much more rapidly than our DR ones. This makes sense on one level because Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and people want their efforts to support the parts of the world that need it most. However, a large percentage of our clients in the DR are Haitian immigrants (about 44% in the Los Alcarrizos office). By emphasizing this point, we hope to increase understanding of the Haiti-DR relationship and draw more attention to Esperanza’s work.
Emphasizing Christian Organization
In terms of amount loaned, Kiva Christians is the second biggest group of lenders, proceded only by the atheist network. Thus, rather than downplaying the fact that Esperanza is a Christian organization, we aim to make that fact know as people like to support organizations and entrepreneurs who hold similar worldviews.
Emphasizing microfinance plus
While microfinance is one tool in the effort to end poverty, other tools are needed as well. Microfinance plus is everything in addition to microloans. For Esperanza this includes home improvements, health care, education, business training, and social mobilization. A lender might be more confident that an entrepreneur will repay and improve his/her life if such programs exist. http://esperanza.org/us/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=2&Itemid=5
Why?
It is important that we work on these aspects because up to one-third of our loan portfolio can be funded through Kiva. While neither Kiva nor lenders collect interest on their loans, the associated MFIs do. This decision on Kiva’s part was made for two reasons. The first is that to do so would have required Kiva to file as an actual bank, which would have taken a lot of time and was not necessary. Instead, Kiva is a 501(c)3 non-profit—it is significantly easier to register as such. The second reason is that Since Kiva is merely a platform, not a MFI, Kiva is ok with letting the MFI’s keep the interest from the loans. This interest allows the MFIs to cover overhead costs, counter inflation, offer microfinance plus programs, and grow.
In response to Jon’s question specifically:
In terms of the US lenders, I think it's great that we've brought microfinance and the Kiva partnership to the US as it's supposed to serve those who the regular financial system does not/cannot and those people exist the world over. While I think people will want to lend to their fellow Americans, there is an exotic/adventurous aspect of lending to a developing country...and I think that will work in our favor. Furthermore, in terms of impact per dollar, it is much greater in developing countries as the cost of living is lower and the need is generally greater. At the same time, Kiva is used all over the world, so the addition of the United States might not be that big of a problem. Furthermore, I think it's great that a family in Uganda can loan to a business woman in the US--it helps break down crucial barriers and it helps people see that there is need everywhere. AND, everywhere in the world, people are trying to improve their lives, the lives of their family, and the lives of their community "poco a poco."
Lightless Evenings
When the lights go out at night, I understand that that’s a bad thing. We have daily blackouts because not enough people “paga para luz” pay for electricity, which doesn’t mean they haven’t illegally accessed it (spider web networks of wires branch out from each power source). Thus, the power companies cannot afford to service all areas 24/7. However, it’s a catch-22 because who wants to pay for unstable electricity? While many houses have inversores (generators) they often don’t last long enough and are not powerful enough to serve as complete substitutes.
I know that when the lights leave, it’s a reflection of a lack of stability, that it reduces safety of communities, it diminishes the amount of time that people can work or study, and that once fresh food spoils. However, I selfishly really like it. I love the evenings when Rebecca and I eat our “romantic, candlelit dinners” and enjoy long conversations ranging in depth from trite jokes to philosophical ponderings. Last Tuesday evening, I spent an hour outside with aunts and cousins playing hot hands, making small talk, and counting satellites and lightning bugs. During the electricity-free evenings Nata and Ali (Nathaniel and Allen who two of Rebecca’s brothers who live with us) sing (or rather croon) and play guitar and drums, which are makeshifted together from the plastic sugar tubs that Yolanda (host mother) keeps in the kitchen. The drums make different sounds each night depending upon how much sugar is in the tubs. These evenings have a peaceful happiness about them and they’re filled with noises of bugs and bromas (teasing/jokes—not a perfect Spanish word unfortunately…it reminds me of sweeping).
While the Dominicanos pass this time with various little activities, there is a subtle annoyance with which they do so. That is, they would prefer there to be stable electricity. This differing reaction is one of the many things that distinguishes me from the locals. I’m not a permanent resident, so I see charm and fun opportunity in the blackout. Ultimately, this is my summer vacation and during summer I like to have those days where you’re not productive with things beyond reading, playing cards, and general goofing around. I know that in two short months I’ll be back into the never-ending craziness that is school and so I soak up every lightless evening. However, this is not the case for people who live here. That end does not exist.
Similarly, though I live amidst poverty, I will never be impoverished whilst I live here...or ever in my life most likely. I still have my same educational background, I have planned so I have plenty of funds to finance my time here (and back home), and in the case of an emergency I have contacts, friends, and family who will make sure that I both feel and am safe. This reasonable sense of security is one that distinguishes me from some of our associates and my neighbors. For me, fear and an inability to properly manage shocks are both key markers of poverty. Similarly, I have talked with several associates who recognize that they don’t have very much to their names, but they simultaneously recognize that their lives are stable—they consider themselves poor but not impoverished.
I know that when the lights leave, it’s a reflection of a lack of stability, that it reduces safety of communities, it diminishes the amount of time that people can work or study, and that once fresh food spoils. However, I selfishly really like it. I love the evenings when Rebecca and I eat our “romantic, candlelit dinners” and enjoy long conversations ranging in depth from trite jokes to philosophical ponderings. Last Tuesday evening, I spent an hour outside with aunts and cousins playing hot hands, making small talk, and counting satellites and lightning bugs. During the electricity-free evenings Nata and Ali (Nathaniel and Allen who two of Rebecca’s brothers who live with us) sing (or rather croon) and play guitar and drums, which are makeshifted together from the plastic sugar tubs that Yolanda (host mother) keeps in the kitchen. The drums make different sounds each night depending upon how much sugar is in the tubs. These evenings have a peaceful happiness about them and they’re filled with noises of bugs and bromas (teasing/jokes—not a perfect Spanish word unfortunately…it reminds me of sweeping).
While the Dominicanos pass this time with various little activities, there is a subtle annoyance with which they do so. That is, they would prefer there to be stable electricity. This differing reaction is one of the many things that distinguishes me from the locals. I’m not a permanent resident, so I see charm and fun opportunity in the blackout. Ultimately, this is my summer vacation and during summer I like to have those days where you’re not productive with things beyond reading, playing cards, and general goofing around. I know that in two short months I’ll be back into the never-ending craziness that is school and so I soak up every lightless evening. However, this is not the case for people who live here. That end does not exist.
Similarly, though I live amidst poverty, I will never be impoverished whilst I live here...or ever in my life most likely. I still have my same educational background, I have planned so I have plenty of funds to finance my time here (and back home), and in the case of an emergency I have contacts, friends, and family who will make sure that I both feel and am safe. This reasonable sense of security is one that distinguishes me from some of our associates and my neighbors. For me, fear and an inability to properly manage shocks are both key markers of poverty. Similarly, I have talked with several associates who recognize that they don’t have very much to their names, but they simultaneously recognize that their lives are stable—they consider themselves poor but not impoverished.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Guaguas
It seems that every city here has a street called “Calle Duarte.” While this repeat of street names is common all over the world, it certainly lends itself to some confusion. Last Friday, having figured out the bumming rides from friends and taxi madness, I decided it was time to try public transit on my own. Buses (here called “guaguas,” yet another perfect Dominican word) run routes throughout the entire country. You do not have to wait at a bus stop to catch a guagua. Rather, you simply wait on the side of the road and wave to indicate you want a lift. Each guagua has a cobrador and every cobrador I’ve seen is male and can be as young as ten. The cobrador collects money for the trip and operates the door. Unlike American buses, the door remains open during journey and the cobrador often hangs out (literally…he just holds on with one arm) yelling at people to get on the guagua. While this hasn’t happened to me, I’ve heard of people who’ve been pulled onto a guagau without even wanting a lift. That being said, it wasn’t hard for me hail a guagua because usually the guaguas do the hailing.
Being extra responsible, I asked the cobrador if this guagua (which was the correct number—route 23) would be going to Calle Duarte in Santo Domingo. The cobrador, the sole passenger, and the driver all said yes and I climbed in. I started in Los Alcarrizos, which is in the region Santo Domingo, and the destination of this bus is Santo Domingo (the capital) in the region Santo Domingo also. Of course the route also starts and ends on a Calle Duarte. So, when I asked my question, it was technically correct that the guagua was headed to Calle Duarte in Santo Domingo…it was just at the tail end of the trip rather than the beginning. After that brief mix up and a short five-minute guagua ride, I caught another guagua going the other direction and made sure to clarify “la capital Santo Domingo.”
After a bumpy one-hour ride, I navigated from my first guagua to my second, which would take me to San Pedro where I would spend the weekend with a group of interns. Of course, when I arrived in San Pedro I noticed that the main street there is also Calle Duarte. I traveled three and a half hours and went from Calle Duarte to Calle Duarte to Calle Duarte!
Even though I’m comfortable traveling alone when I know where I am going, I prefer to have at least one travel buddy. While alone, my guard is definitely up, I try to look purposeful and content to be alone, and I give off a bit of an ice queen impression that basically says I’m not interested in being your friend. Contrary to thinking this is harsh, I think it’s very necessary and smart. I’m a young “rubia” who sticks out like a sore thumb and by behaving as such I can avoid a good deal of extra attention and unwanted help. However, when I’m with one other person, I still try to remain on guard, but I feel freer to wave, make small talk, and be generally more chipper and engaged in my surroundings.
Being extra responsible, I asked the cobrador if this guagua (which was the correct number—route 23) would be going to Calle Duarte in Santo Domingo. The cobrador, the sole passenger, and the driver all said yes and I climbed in. I started in Los Alcarrizos, which is in the region Santo Domingo, and the destination of this bus is Santo Domingo (the capital) in the region Santo Domingo also. Of course the route also starts and ends on a Calle Duarte. So, when I asked my question, it was technically correct that the guagua was headed to Calle Duarte in Santo Domingo…it was just at the tail end of the trip rather than the beginning. After that brief mix up and a short five-minute guagua ride, I caught another guagua going the other direction and made sure to clarify “la capital Santo Domingo.”
After a bumpy one-hour ride, I navigated from my first guagua to my second, which would take me to San Pedro where I would spend the weekend with a group of interns. Of course, when I arrived in San Pedro I noticed that the main street there is also Calle Duarte. I traveled three and a half hours and went from Calle Duarte to Calle Duarte to Calle Duarte!
Even though I’m comfortable traveling alone when I know where I am going, I prefer to have at least one travel buddy. While alone, my guard is definitely up, I try to look purposeful and content to be alone, and I give off a bit of an ice queen impression that basically says I’m not interested in being your friend. Contrary to thinking this is harsh, I think it’s very necessary and smart. I’m a young “rubia” who sticks out like a sore thumb and by behaving as such I can avoid a good deal of extra attention and unwanted help. However, when I’m with one other person, I still try to remain on guard, but I feel freer to wave, make small talk, and be generally more chipper and engaged in my surroundings.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Money, Money, Money
I am quite money conscious. I like to know how much I have, how much things cost, and how much I spend. At home, I save all my receipts and file and record them and I keep track of my cash versus credit spending. And, if I lose a receipt, I can usually go online and check my records to double-check my purchases. Here in the DR, I am able to keep track of my purchases only because I’m unusually motivated and perfectionist about recoding every peso on the notepad I carry with me everywhere. Personally, I enjoy my experiences and purchases most fully when I am aware of all the financial details. When I don’t have them, I worry or feel like I’m living in a minor state of denial.
But this requires a conscientious effort on my part because this is a cash/receipt free (go green?) economy, so I must record immediately. Also, most things don’t cost very much and so it can be tempting to write off these purchases and taxi rides as negligible. But when everything costs a little bit, those negligible costs quickly add up and pretty soon you have no idea where your money has gone—se fue el dinero. Now, this is a tad frustrating for me, but I imagine that for many (those who travel and live here) it is an obstacle this is not overcome—the activation energy is just too high. Also, everyone owes everybody else 50 pesos here and 50 pesos there. The philosophy seems to be that it will all come out even in the wash, which is quite contrary to my monetary philosophy—I think one person consistently ends up chipping in more.
Amidst this relaxed approach to money, I can imagine that starting to save and financially plan for the future must be like trying to change the rhythm in which one’s heart beats. However, this change is crucial with respect to microfinance. When you receive a loan of $100, every peso counts…and so you need to meticulously manage and budget every peso. One of the things Esperanza emphasizes is that all of the money from the loan must go into the business and that it is best to use your profits either for the family or to further expand your business. This might seem obvious, but I’ve visited innumerable houses where there is a dirt floor, a leaky roof, and satellite cable. There is a difference between needs and wants and while it’s certainly ok to have wants and to fulfill some of them, there must be a sense of prioritization and proportions. In econ, we talk a good deal about consumption smoothing…that when you have money, you don’t spend it all; and when you don’t have as much money, you borrow a bit. Thus, rather than spending in high peaks and low troughs, your quality and stability of life is more constant. The tendency here, however, seems to be to spend when you have money; the idea of being forward-looking consuming doesn’t seem to be programmed into families and communities. Esperanza aims to help associates understand the concept of consumption smoothing and prioritization via their business loans and, ideally, their children can grow up with different philosophy instilled in their hearts and minds.
Finally, one major difference between micro and regular finance is the use of cash. In the standard banking system, we use checks and credit cards and move numbers from one account to the other. Microfinance aims to serve those who the regular system does not and it’s all done in cold, hard cash. This means the loan officers must make daily trips to a bank that is twenty minutes away because you don’t want to be carrying around thousands of pesos. This effort and the visits that loan officers personally make to each community we serve represent some of the costs associated with the reality of microfinance.
But this requires a conscientious effort on my part because this is a cash/receipt free (go green?) economy, so I must record immediately. Also, most things don’t cost very much and so it can be tempting to write off these purchases and taxi rides as negligible. But when everything costs a little bit, those negligible costs quickly add up and pretty soon you have no idea where your money has gone—se fue el dinero. Now, this is a tad frustrating for me, but I imagine that for many (those who travel and live here) it is an obstacle this is not overcome—the activation energy is just too high. Also, everyone owes everybody else 50 pesos here and 50 pesos there. The philosophy seems to be that it will all come out even in the wash, which is quite contrary to my monetary philosophy—I think one person consistently ends up chipping in more.
Amidst this relaxed approach to money, I can imagine that starting to save and financially plan for the future must be like trying to change the rhythm in which one’s heart beats. However, this change is crucial with respect to microfinance. When you receive a loan of $100, every peso counts…and so you need to meticulously manage and budget every peso. One of the things Esperanza emphasizes is that all of the money from the loan must go into the business and that it is best to use your profits either for the family or to further expand your business. This might seem obvious, but I’ve visited innumerable houses where there is a dirt floor, a leaky roof, and satellite cable. There is a difference between needs and wants and while it’s certainly ok to have wants and to fulfill some of them, there must be a sense of prioritization and proportions. In econ, we talk a good deal about consumption smoothing…that when you have money, you don’t spend it all; and when you don’t have as much money, you borrow a bit. Thus, rather than spending in high peaks and low troughs, your quality and stability of life is more constant. The tendency here, however, seems to be to spend when you have money; the idea of being forward-looking consuming doesn’t seem to be programmed into families and communities. Esperanza aims to help associates understand the concept of consumption smoothing and prioritization via their business loans and, ideally, their children can grow up with different philosophy instilled in their hearts and minds.
Finally, one major difference between micro and regular finance is the use of cash. In the standard banking system, we use checks and credit cards and move numbers from one account to the other. Microfinance aims to serve those who the regular system does not and it’s all done in cold, hard cash. This means the loan officers must make daily trips to a bank that is twenty minutes away because you don’t want to be carrying around thousands of pesos. This effort and the visits that loan officers personally make to each community we serve represent some of the costs associated with the reality of microfinance.
Vote for Pedro
I once watched a movie where all three sons and the father were named Moe; It was a very long time ago, so please don’t ask me the title. They distinguished the sons by calling them Big Moe, Mil’ Moe, and Lil’ Moe. On a similar note, we have neighboring family in which the father and three sons are all named Pedro…because a last name isn’t enough of a familial identification. They distinguish between the four via middle names Pedro Louis, etc. There’s a little sister too and, while this isn’t her name, everybody calls her Pedrocita. We joke that everybody here is named Pedro and I have been part of a conversation in which two Pedros were talking to each other about a third, yet absent, Pedro. For those of you who are familiar with the film Being John Malcovich: “Pedro, Pedro Pedro Pedro Pedro; Pedro, Pedro Pedro Pedro Pedro, Pedro.”
And then it all clicked together
As I mentioned in my last post, my Spanish dramatically improved between Friday and Sunday, almost as if by magic. I told one friend that it was as if I was injected with a “now you can speak Spanish” shot. While it’s certainly not perfect, I find I can understand more and more. Now I laugh when a joke is actually told, rather than laughing because I know there was a joke that I missed (I can still hear the swooshing noise it makes as it passes over my head).
Likewise, my interviews have been going a lot better too. During the past school year, I had the privilege of taking a community-based research class as well as a qualitative research class at Stanford. During these classes we designed studies and conducted practice interviews. While many students were wary of their ability to conduct a strong and worthwhile interview during for these classes, I had no worries and was quite confident in my ability to ask meaningful questions and keep my mouth shut while I waited for people’s responses. However, I reached the Dominican Republic and all my interviewing confidence went out the window. I felt my confidences and skills in these areas had evaporated. I love language and like to be nimble, clever, and thoughtful with my words. In English, I think I can do this pretty well. Yet for the first three weeks in the Dominican Republic, it felt like my tongue was wearing cement boots and I was thudding along. These discomforts and lack of security also came through in my first interviews. I could sense the women trying to take care of me like a small child and many mistook me for 16 or 17. This added insult to injury, as I received simplified answers and became dubious of my ability to actually receive the information that could help me accomplish that which I intended to.
Thus, when Sunday rolled around and I had magic Spanish skills, I was immensely relieved and antsy to put my skills to the test. I now feel more in place and capable. This internal boost has filtered through to my external self--even my very same clothes seem to fit and look better. At the advice of another intern, I now conduct the one-on-one interviews away from the group. I am also very clear and upfront about who I am, what questions I want to ask, and why I am interested in these questions, microfinance, and (most importantly) the woman with whom I am speaking. That being said, I am not a cold ice queen. Rather, I maintain my usual chipper tone but now with more purpose and direction. I have found that my taking on a more dominant role creates an environment that seems stable and controlled and, as a result, this week’s interviews have been (all in all) incredible. Instead of people asking if I’m sixteen and want a lollypop, people are asking me if I have a husband and kids, to which I emphatically reply “No.” Their sensing that I am a mature and capable also elicits deeper responses, making the experience even more meaningful.
This general sense of strength and purpose has permeated my home life too. Last night, after we enjoyed a romantic candlelit dinner (those happen sporadically when the lights go out), Rebecca and I played a few hands of a card game called Casino. She had patiently taught me the rules during the first week and I’ve finally figured out a pretty solid strategy. After we finished, I was playing a hand of solitaire when Wendy, the adopted five-year-old who lives with us, wandered over and started saying random numbers. It soon became clear to me that Wendy did not know her numbers. She can count—that is, she can look at the five of diamonds and count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 5! But she cannot look at just the symbol and identify it as a five. This disturbed me, as in my mind a five-year-old should know these things. Even if parents have minimal education, they can teach their children numbers, letters, and basic words. They can instill in them a desire to learn and make their children feel intelligent so when they enter the classroom they are prepared to do well. Well, it seems that the philosophy is that learning takes place in the classroom.
Using the deck as makeshift flashcards, I separated out all the cards 2-5 (2-9 might be a bit overwhelming). I then began showing them to Wendy. We made a game of it and timed how long it took us to go through this little deck. At first, I let her count and shout out the number. But, as we practiced more, I started to cover all but the symbol, making her identify the number on her own. She grew a little bit frustrated, but I was able to help maintain an upbeat tone, celebrating her profusely every time she got one right and insisting that she knew the right answer when she thought she didn’t. Additionally, Wendy is one of those kids that trips over a step, goes sprawling, and bounces back laughing rather than hurt or defeated, so I’m not that worried about discouragement.
I love teaching. I readily embrace the challenge of figuring out how best to help someone else grasp and understand a concept, usually cementing that concept even better for myself as well. While I often grow tired and go to bed around 10 or 10:30, Wendy and I stayed up until 11:30 working on flashcards. We were both thoroughly engaged. The best part was that the TV was blaring behind her and while it normally sucks her in, she completely tuned it out and focused on the other task at hand. When we went off to bed, we made plans to “do more numbers tomorrow.” I also surreptitiously tested her to figure out what her alphabet skills are. Unfortunately, they seem to be weaker than her number ones.
As I went off to bed, my mind began to churn. I’ve thought a good deal about education in the past. I believe fairly firmly that one’s early experience with learning and school lays a strong foundation for the rest of one’s life. People flourish with praise. So, if they go to school and are told they are smart and capable, they’ll become even more so. Unfortunately, I think the converse can also be true. Thus, even though Wendy might learn her ABCs and numbers in school this fall, it would be better if she already had a grasp of them before she started…this would increase her chances of being identified as one of the “smart kids.”
Likewise, learning (especially this kind) does not need to be done from a desk or be boring. It can be done in the form of simple games. Wendy is incredibly competitive and I intend to use that to our advantage! I also intend to begin informal lessons in the evening with her and some of the other kids who hang around. They’re different ages, but I’m confident I can keep each one occupied with a worthwhile activity that is individually challenging. There are some random paintbrushes lying around, so I’m going to use those tonight to do water painting. My mom used to have Emma and me use water and paintbrushes to make pictures on the cement when we were little—we thought it was tons of fun and mom thought it was a great way to paint sans mess (she fooled us a lot when we were little). This will be a cheap and easy way to practice writing letters and numbers and will ideally capture their attention. I’m excited to try this exercise and to develop other ones over the course of the summer.
Likewise, my interviews have been going a lot better too. During the past school year, I had the privilege of taking a community-based research class as well as a qualitative research class at Stanford. During these classes we designed studies and conducted practice interviews. While many students were wary of their ability to conduct a strong and worthwhile interview during for these classes, I had no worries and was quite confident in my ability to ask meaningful questions and keep my mouth shut while I waited for people’s responses. However, I reached the Dominican Republic and all my interviewing confidence went out the window. I felt my confidences and skills in these areas had evaporated. I love language and like to be nimble, clever, and thoughtful with my words. In English, I think I can do this pretty well. Yet for the first three weeks in the Dominican Republic, it felt like my tongue was wearing cement boots and I was thudding along. These discomforts and lack of security also came through in my first interviews. I could sense the women trying to take care of me like a small child and many mistook me for 16 or 17. This added insult to injury, as I received simplified answers and became dubious of my ability to actually receive the information that could help me accomplish that which I intended to.
Thus, when Sunday rolled around and I had magic Spanish skills, I was immensely relieved and antsy to put my skills to the test. I now feel more in place and capable. This internal boost has filtered through to my external self--even my very same clothes seem to fit and look better. At the advice of another intern, I now conduct the one-on-one interviews away from the group. I am also very clear and upfront about who I am, what questions I want to ask, and why I am interested in these questions, microfinance, and (most importantly) the woman with whom I am speaking. That being said, I am not a cold ice queen. Rather, I maintain my usual chipper tone but now with more purpose and direction. I have found that my taking on a more dominant role creates an environment that seems stable and controlled and, as a result, this week’s interviews have been (all in all) incredible. Instead of people asking if I’m sixteen and want a lollypop, people are asking me if I have a husband and kids, to which I emphatically reply “No.” Their sensing that I am a mature and capable also elicits deeper responses, making the experience even more meaningful.
This general sense of strength and purpose has permeated my home life too. Last night, after we enjoyed a romantic candlelit dinner (those happen sporadically when the lights go out), Rebecca and I played a few hands of a card game called Casino. She had patiently taught me the rules during the first week and I’ve finally figured out a pretty solid strategy. After we finished, I was playing a hand of solitaire when Wendy, the adopted five-year-old who lives with us, wandered over and started saying random numbers. It soon became clear to me that Wendy did not know her numbers. She can count—that is, she can look at the five of diamonds and count 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 5! But she cannot look at just the symbol and identify it as a five. This disturbed me, as in my mind a five-year-old should know these things. Even if parents have minimal education, they can teach their children numbers, letters, and basic words. They can instill in them a desire to learn and make their children feel intelligent so when they enter the classroom they are prepared to do well. Well, it seems that the philosophy is that learning takes place in the classroom.
Using the deck as makeshift flashcards, I separated out all the cards 2-5 (2-9 might be a bit overwhelming). I then began showing them to Wendy. We made a game of it and timed how long it took us to go through this little deck. At first, I let her count and shout out the number. But, as we practiced more, I started to cover all but the symbol, making her identify the number on her own. She grew a little bit frustrated, but I was able to help maintain an upbeat tone, celebrating her profusely every time she got one right and insisting that she knew the right answer when she thought she didn’t. Additionally, Wendy is one of those kids that trips over a step, goes sprawling, and bounces back laughing rather than hurt or defeated, so I’m not that worried about discouragement.
I love teaching. I readily embrace the challenge of figuring out how best to help someone else grasp and understand a concept, usually cementing that concept even better for myself as well. While I often grow tired and go to bed around 10 or 10:30, Wendy and I stayed up until 11:30 working on flashcards. We were both thoroughly engaged. The best part was that the TV was blaring behind her and while it normally sucks her in, she completely tuned it out and focused on the other task at hand. When we went off to bed, we made plans to “do more numbers tomorrow.” I also surreptitiously tested her to figure out what her alphabet skills are. Unfortunately, they seem to be weaker than her number ones.
As I went off to bed, my mind began to churn. I’ve thought a good deal about education in the past. I believe fairly firmly that one’s early experience with learning and school lays a strong foundation for the rest of one’s life. People flourish with praise. So, if they go to school and are told they are smart and capable, they’ll become even more so. Unfortunately, I think the converse can also be true. Thus, even though Wendy might learn her ABCs and numbers in school this fall, it would be better if she already had a grasp of them before she started…this would increase her chances of being identified as one of the “smart kids.”
Likewise, learning (especially this kind) does not need to be done from a desk or be boring. It can be done in the form of simple games. Wendy is incredibly competitive and I intend to use that to our advantage! I also intend to begin informal lessons in the evening with her and some of the other kids who hang around. They’re different ages, but I’m confident I can keep each one occupied with a worthwhile activity that is individually challenging. There are some random paintbrushes lying around, so I’m going to use those tonight to do water painting. My mom used to have Emma and me use water and paintbrushes to make pictures on the cement when we were little—we thought it was tons of fun and mom thought it was a great way to paint sans mess (she fooled us a lot when we were little). This will be a cheap and easy way to practice writing letters and numbers and will ideally capture their attention. I’m excited to try this exercise and to develop other ones over the course of the summer.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Entrepreneurs/Esperanza/Kiva
One of my primary duties here at Esperanza is to post Kiva profiles of entrepreneurs whom I've interviewed. Along the same line, I write polished stories that Esperanza can use during the coming months to best communicate with donors. It's also wonderful because these interviews overlap perfectly with my research project, which is to learn about the impact of the training programs.
Below, I've posted two of these (hopefully) polished stories:
Title: Not Deterred
Esperanza International utilizes the Grameen model of group lending. Each group consists of five associates and each member is responsible for the loans of the other. So if one defaults, the other four associates must pull together to payback that portion. Some groups bond together and embrace the potential for solidarity and growth, while others seem to resent this increased responsibility and even fail to cooperate occasionally.
Unfortunately, Ruth was originally a member of such a group. Often the tension at these meetings in palpable and it would be understandable if even the most responsible and enthusiastic associates became disheartened with the microfinance experience. But this is not the situation for Ruth.
While she successfully paid back her first two loans with the original group, Ruth took control of the situation and found a new solidarity group. She recognized that her slightly sour first experience did not have to be her only one. Rather, she acknowledged the good she had received and sought to improve her partnership with Esperanza through a new solidarity group. Ruth is excited because she has great hope for this new group (Encuento con Jesus 4). She shared that it is directly evident that these women are ready to flourish with the opportunity that microfinance provides and are simultaneously ready to be dependable group members.
Likewise, Ruth is personally excited for her prospects. When she took out her first group loan in February 2008, Ruth ran a tiny colmado, a small store that sells primarily durable goods and foods such as rice and potatoes. Almost a year and half later, Ruth now runs a cafetería where she sells a variety of lunch foods including fresh juices, fried chicken, empanadas, and tostados. Currently, Ruth is unable to satisfy the demand of her customers (certainly a good problem to have); thus, she will use this loan to purchase more primary materials so she can expand the amount of food she produces and sells with her mother.
Not only has Ruth invested in her business and the education of her two children (4 and 6), but she is also investing in her personal education as she is taking classes in the capital three to four times each week. While she is currently between terms, she hopes to resume her studies in August.
Most impressive, however, is the joy and confidence with which Ruth describes her family, her goals, and her future. While she has great visions of business growth improved education, and home improvements, she smiles about how she and her husband are saving and working “poco a poco” (bit by bit) to make these dreams real.
Title: Artist at Heart
Clara is a bright and engaging fifty-year-old woman. Resting at the base of the tropical hills of the Los Alcarrizos barrio (community) La Pared, Clara lives with her husband and two grown sons.
To call Clara anything less than an artist would be a misnomer as she is a talented craftsman of jewelry. The bracelet, necklace, earring sets that she makes are both unique and beautiful. While she has occasionally sold her products in the past, this is the first time that she is trying to truly scale her efforts. She is moving her sporadically lucrative hobby to a developed business venture. One of the main barriers that prevented Clara from previously scaling her work was a lack of capital. She simply did not have the means to purchase the supplies she needed to make her jewelry. With the first loan she took out in June 2009, she has purchased these materials from a supplier in Santo Domingo, the capital, which is about an hour away from her home.
Clara sells her jewelry from her house and her sister’s salon as she figures women who just had their hair done will be feeling beautiful and will be more willing to purchase jewelry to complement their new style.
Clara is excited for the opportunities that this loan will provide. She thinks it is wonderful that her hobby is becoming her profession and looks forward to a life that is more stable, tranquil, and peaceful.
Additionally, Clara is incredibly dedicated to her community. She and several other women in her Bank of Hope are running an afternoon program for children during July 2009. This program meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2 PM until 5 PM and aims to expose children to the arts. One of the most striking impacts of microfinance is the affect it has upon the children of the associates, exposing them to better education and a life of more opportunity. This program that Clara is helping run indicates that she and her fellow associates understand this influence and are eager to work as facilitators of change and growth.
Below, I've posted two of these (hopefully) polished stories:
Title: Not Deterred
Esperanza International utilizes the Grameen model of group lending. Each group consists of five associates and each member is responsible for the loans of the other. So if one defaults, the other four associates must pull together to payback that portion. Some groups bond together and embrace the potential for solidarity and growth, while others seem to resent this increased responsibility and even fail to cooperate occasionally.
Unfortunately, Ruth was originally a member of such a group. Often the tension at these meetings in palpable and it would be understandable if even the most responsible and enthusiastic associates became disheartened with the microfinance experience. But this is not the situation for Ruth.
While she successfully paid back her first two loans with the original group, Ruth took control of the situation and found a new solidarity group. She recognized that her slightly sour first experience did not have to be her only one. Rather, she acknowledged the good she had received and sought to improve her partnership with Esperanza through a new solidarity group. Ruth is excited because she has great hope for this new group (Encuento con Jesus 4). She shared that it is directly evident that these women are ready to flourish with the opportunity that microfinance provides and are simultaneously ready to be dependable group members.
Likewise, Ruth is personally excited for her prospects. When she took out her first group loan in February 2008, Ruth ran a tiny colmado, a small store that sells primarily durable goods and foods such as rice and potatoes. Almost a year and half later, Ruth now runs a cafetería where she sells a variety of lunch foods including fresh juices, fried chicken, empanadas, and tostados. Currently, Ruth is unable to satisfy the demand of her customers (certainly a good problem to have); thus, she will use this loan to purchase more primary materials so she can expand the amount of food she produces and sells with her mother.
Not only has Ruth invested in her business and the education of her two children (4 and 6), but she is also investing in her personal education as she is taking classes in the capital three to four times each week. While she is currently between terms, she hopes to resume her studies in August.
Most impressive, however, is the joy and confidence with which Ruth describes her family, her goals, and her future. While she has great visions of business growth improved education, and home improvements, she smiles about how she and her husband are saving and working “poco a poco” (bit by bit) to make these dreams real.
Title: Artist at Heart
Clara is a bright and engaging fifty-year-old woman. Resting at the base of the tropical hills of the Los Alcarrizos barrio (community) La Pared, Clara lives with her husband and two grown sons.
To call Clara anything less than an artist would be a misnomer as she is a talented craftsman of jewelry. The bracelet, necklace, earring sets that she makes are both unique and beautiful. While she has occasionally sold her products in the past, this is the first time that she is trying to truly scale her efforts. She is moving her sporadically lucrative hobby to a developed business venture. One of the main barriers that prevented Clara from previously scaling her work was a lack of capital. She simply did not have the means to purchase the supplies she needed to make her jewelry. With the first loan she took out in June 2009, she has purchased these materials from a supplier in Santo Domingo, the capital, which is about an hour away from her home.
Clara sells her jewelry from her house and her sister’s salon as she figures women who just had their hair done will be feeling beautiful and will be more willing to purchase jewelry to complement their new style.
Clara is excited for the opportunities that this loan will provide. She thinks it is wonderful that her hobby is becoming her profession and looks forward to a life that is more stable, tranquil, and peaceful.
Additionally, Clara is incredibly dedicated to her community. She and several other women in her Bank of Hope are running an afternoon program for children during July 2009. This program meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2 PM until 5 PM and aims to expose children to the arts. One of the most striking impacts of microfinance is the affect it has upon the children of the associates, exposing them to better education and a life of more opportunity. This program that Clara is helping run indicates that she and her fellow associates understand this influence and are eager to work as facilitators of change and growth.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Taxi Success!
This weekend I joined some other friends in Santo Domingo. And, a week after my semi-traumatic cab ride, I had the opportunity to try the routine again. This time, I told the cab driver the name of the city, barrio, street, and three major sites nearby and we agreed upon the price prior to climbing into his car. We were having a lovely little chat about his family, my reasons for being in the DR, and music when he started mumbling about how far our destination was “lejos, muy lejos, lejos.” He started to complain about the distance and the price of gas and amount of time he was sacrificing and he told me the ride was going to cost more. Last week, I would have felt bad. This week, I truly felt no feelings of remorse, not even the slightest pang. I agreed with him saying that “yes, Los Alcarrizos is far” and I quickly followed it up with “but I told you where I live and we agreed upon a price before we left.” The rest of the journey was an interesting mix of lively conversation and bantering about the length of the trip and abstract price increases. When we finally arrived, he tried to raise the price by 100 pesos, he even tried to engage another Dominican in the debate, who seemed to get a kick out of our exchange. I stood my ground, took on the driver and the rando, and paid him the amount that we’d initially agreed upon. Once I placed the money in his hand, his tone completely changed and he was friendly and not a bit bitter. Later, I checked with my host family and confirmed that I didn’t overpay either! And, rather than feeling exhausted and beaten down by our verbal jousting, I felt invigorated and proud. Take that Dominican taxi drivers!
We were in Santo Domingo to celebrate the Fourth of July, a birthday, and a few Esperanza employees who are going to/back to the states for graduate school (four in one). While most people came in on Friday, I didn’t make the trek until Saturday morning. Now, my friend Patricia called me Friday night to make sure I was going to the celebration too. She then invited me to return with her to Los Alcarrizos to spend the night at her house and go with her to church in the morning. Looking forward to seeing those friends again, I readily agreed. However, Patricia never showed up to the party. So, at 9PM on Saturday night, I gave her a call. I calmly asked her where she was and she, equally tranquil, said that she was in her house. I asked if she was going to come to the party. She said no. I said that we’d miss her. She asked me if I was going to go to church the next morning; (laughing uproariously at this in my head) I said probably not. I was not about to travel back to Los Alcarrios at midnight and I certainly wasn’t going to wake up early after our four-in-one fiesta.
Now, my plans had completely changed. I had my extra clothes and toiletries with me, but I hadn’t reserved a place in the hotel where we normally stay, as I hadn’t planned to spend the night in Santo Domingo. Fortunately, some of the more permanent residents let me crash on their floor. People had told me that here plans are not really plans; that plans are more like possible activities. Quite honestly, I was not too distraught by this change as I was having a fun time and wasn’t eager to go back to Los Alcarrizos that same night.
The same girls I stayed with have adopted a kitten. Another Dominican word is “chin” which means “a bit” and “chin chin” means “a very tiny bit” and it’s often used to describe how much food or drink you want. Now, since I’m a guest, my using “chin” doesn’t seem to actually change the amount I’m served. Typically, if you want a very small portion than you say “chininin” or something like that. I just add in’s until I feel I’ve made my point. Again, it’s one of the phrases that I’ve adopted into my permanent vocabulary…like many Yiddish words, there are many Dominican words that are meant to span several languages (Aaaa, I just had a terrible picture vectors and linear algebra…curses math 51) I encourage you to say it and use it freely; it’s simply perfect! Now, back to my original story, the girls named the kitten Chin Chin, which is one of the best pet names I’ve heard in a long, long time. Chin Chin, though she lives up to her name, is quite aggressive. She’s definitely a mouser and is quite expert at catching insects too. Truly a young huntress, toes and elbows seem to be among Chin Chin’s favorite objects of attack.
After a night of dancing, we returned to the apartment. Since I was sleeping on a mattress on the ground, I was a bit afraid that I was going to become Chin Chin’s next prey. However, I have no idea whether or not Chin Chin nibbled my toes or not because I conked out into a deep, deep sleep, which was certainly needed. Outside my bedroom window at home, there is a cage with probably thirty birds and they begin to sing promptly at 5:30 every morning. The birds rarely wake me. However, the birds wake the dogs who begin barking and los perros wake me… it’s kind of a “there was an old lady who swallowed a fly” chain reaction.
I particularly appreciate these weekend adventures because I can hear about everybody else’s successes and complications. They help me gauge my experiences and make a game plan for the coming week as how to best improve and challenge myself. Feeling much rejuvenated from this weekend’s gallivant, I returned home to discover that my Spanish had vastly improved, almost by magic. I had two separate hourish conversations. And, when I went to church, I understood pretty much half of what was said with respect to content, whereas I typically only catch words. When talking about literacy, we often refer to different phases. The first is recognizing and understanding letters, the next words, the next sentences, and the next stories. The ultimate form of literacy is reading and writing about abstract ideas and themes. I feel like this summer is a crash course in Spanish literacy. The first several weeks were literacy with respect to basic word and sentence comprehension and now I’m transitioning into abstract ideas. Even though these two conversations were more complex, I was far less exhausted after them. Rather, I was quite enthused. Normally, I’m excited because I simply understood what someone said. However, now I become excited because I am engaging with content that I find to be genuinely interesting and challenging, which I realized I’d been missing (in both senses of the word).
At the close of my third week en La Republica Dominicana, I am increasingly happy that I am here for eleven and not, say, four weeks. It’s also particularly wonderful that I’m in the same community for these weeks because I can continually deepen both my social and work experiences and can easily compare one week’s progress to the previous one!
Con mucho amor,
Anne
We were in Santo Domingo to celebrate the Fourth of July, a birthday, and a few Esperanza employees who are going to/back to the states for graduate school (four in one). While most people came in on Friday, I didn’t make the trek until Saturday morning. Now, my friend Patricia called me Friday night to make sure I was going to the celebration too. She then invited me to return with her to Los Alcarrizos to spend the night at her house and go with her to church in the morning. Looking forward to seeing those friends again, I readily agreed. However, Patricia never showed up to the party. So, at 9PM on Saturday night, I gave her a call. I calmly asked her where she was and she, equally tranquil, said that she was in her house. I asked if she was going to come to the party. She said no. I said that we’d miss her. She asked me if I was going to go to church the next morning; (laughing uproariously at this in my head) I said probably not. I was not about to travel back to Los Alcarrios at midnight and I certainly wasn’t going to wake up early after our four-in-one fiesta.
Now, my plans had completely changed. I had my extra clothes and toiletries with me, but I hadn’t reserved a place in the hotel where we normally stay, as I hadn’t planned to spend the night in Santo Domingo. Fortunately, some of the more permanent residents let me crash on their floor. People had told me that here plans are not really plans; that plans are more like possible activities. Quite honestly, I was not too distraught by this change as I was having a fun time and wasn’t eager to go back to Los Alcarrizos that same night.
The same girls I stayed with have adopted a kitten. Another Dominican word is “chin” which means “a bit” and “chin chin” means “a very tiny bit” and it’s often used to describe how much food or drink you want. Now, since I’m a guest, my using “chin” doesn’t seem to actually change the amount I’m served. Typically, if you want a very small portion than you say “chininin” or something like that. I just add in’s until I feel I’ve made my point. Again, it’s one of the phrases that I’ve adopted into my permanent vocabulary…like many Yiddish words, there are many Dominican words that are meant to span several languages (Aaaa, I just had a terrible picture vectors and linear algebra…curses math 51) I encourage you to say it and use it freely; it’s simply perfect! Now, back to my original story, the girls named the kitten Chin Chin, which is one of the best pet names I’ve heard in a long, long time. Chin Chin, though she lives up to her name, is quite aggressive. She’s definitely a mouser and is quite expert at catching insects too. Truly a young huntress, toes and elbows seem to be among Chin Chin’s favorite objects of attack.
After a night of dancing, we returned to the apartment. Since I was sleeping on a mattress on the ground, I was a bit afraid that I was going to become Chin Chin’s next prey. However, I have no idea whether or not Chin Chin nibbled my toes or not because I conked out into a deep, deep sleep, which was certainly needed. Outside my bedroom window at home, there is a cage with probably thirty birds and they begin to sing promptly at 5:30 every morning. The birds rarely wake me. However, the birds wake the dogs who begin barking and los perros wake me… it’s kind of a “there was an old lady who swallowed a fly” chain reaction.
I particularly appreciate these weekend adventures because I can hear about everybody else’s successes and complications. They help me gauge my experiences and make a game plan for the coming week as how to best improve and challenge myself. Feeling much rejuvenated from this weekend’s gallivant, I returned home to discover that my Spanish had vastly improved, almost by magic. I had two separate hourish conversations. And, when I went to church, I understood pretty much half of what was said with respect to content, whereas I typically only catch words. When talking about literacy, we often refer to different phases. The first is recognizing and understanding letters, the next words, the next sentences, and the next stories. The ultimate form of literacy is reading and writing about abstract ideas and themes. I feel like this summer is a crash course in Spanish literacy. The first several weeks were literacy with respect to basic word and sentence comprehension and now I’m transitioning into abstract ideas. Even though these two conversations were more complex, I was far less exhausted after them. Rather, I was quite enthused. Normally, I’m excited because I simply understood what someone said. However, now I become excited because I am engaging with content that I find to be genuinely interesting and challenging, which I realized I’d been missing (in both senses of the word).
At the close of my third week en La Republica Dominicana, I am increasingly happy that I am here for eleven and not, say, four weeks. It’s also particularly wonderful that I’m in the same community for these weeks because I can continually deepen both my social and work experiences and can easily compare one week’s progress to the previous one!
Con mucho amor,
Anne
Food, Glorious Food
General rule: anything that can be fried will be fried. I am certainly not complaining, fried food is ever so tasty. My fried food experiences: ham, onions, platanos (fried platanos are called tostones and are WONDERFUL with ketchup, which is spelled in innumerable ways here), salami, empanadas, potatoes, chicken, beef, and eggs. I had had fried eggs at home in the States. No, no, no, no. Those were not fried eggs, they were pan-fried eggs. To truly fry an egg, you must crack it into hot oil!
My favorite food thus far is mangu (sp?) with fried/vinegar-doused red onions. Mangu looks like mashed potatoes but is made from platanos duros, which are basically green bananas that have been boiled. Mangu with the vinegar onions is absolutely fantastic; this is another Dominicanism that I will certainly adopt.
The juices here cannot be beat. The best is when my house mom makes fresh mango juice in the evening and puts it in the freezer. Then, in the morning, some has turned icy and the juice has turned into the best slurpy that every graced the face of the earth.
We typically have rice with every non-breakfast meal. While people warned that I would become tired of rice, I don’t really think I will…I happen to really like rice. However, I do develop a minor case of the hiccups (called hipos here!) each time I have rice, so I average hiccups two to three times each day. (For those of you who are worried about my odd condition, worry not I fully intend/will get checked out upon my return). Quite frequently, the rice is served with habichuelas, a bean mix that you pour on top of the rice, which is good too. The crispy rice on the bottom and sides on the pot is frequently served as different dish “arroz con con.” While I love chipping away and snacking on con con on my own, I find that I don’t particularly like a whole plateful of con con…too much dryness. It’s similar to my Lucky Charm experience. Freshman year I made a side comment about how the best part of Lucky Charms is the marshmallows and I couldn’t figure out why the other part even existed. One of my dear, dear friends heard this cry and ever so thoughtfully gave me a Tupperware full of just Lucky Charm marshmallows for my 19th birthday (one of the best/most creative gifts I’ve received in the past few years). Well, like con con, it was simply the wrong context. I just didn’t enjoy a container full of solely marshmallows as much as I did just picking them out of the mix.
While there is some meat served with each meal, the meat, which is quite flavorful and tender, is typically more of a side rather than a main dish. Similarly, vegetables are few and far between. Normally, I avoid tomatoes at all costs. Here, I readily embrace them. Interestingly enough, they are often served green; their flavor and scent is not as strong, which works in my favor for sure. My previous experience with fruit and vegetables is singular in nature. That is, you only eat red tomatoes. You only eat yellow bananas. Here, green tomatoes and platanos are used to make different variants of the same dishes, or new dishes entirely.
Coffee. First of all, it is NEVER served cold, which is interesting because people are constantly commenting “hace mucho calor.” Secondly, people drink it all day every day. Thirdly, it is served in small portions…none of this tall, grande, vente madness. Coffee comes in one size “chin.” Thirdly, there is no such thing as too much sugar and coffee is always best when supersaturated with sucrose. For reference, last week, I was handed a Dixie cup of coffee. After I finished it, I looked at the bottom of the cup and saw a good centimeter of sugar coating the base…think about the proportions! I told my host family “no es café con sucre, es sucre con café. ”(For further reference for those of you who are familiar with Autumn’s unhealthy relationship with coffee and sweetener: she would not have to add a single grain). Finally, there is Calvin and Hobbes comic in which Calvin is depicted as a hummingbird and in the last panel we see that he’s drinking a soda. I think of that exact cartoon every time I have my chin de café.
I love coconut dishes, particularly desserts. One of my favorites is German chocolate cake, primarily because I like the coconut based frosting, and by primarily I mean solely because I always eat around the actual cake. Last week, my host mother made, from scratch (her husband literally opened the coconuts with a machete in the morning…a machete is a standard kitchen tool here), the equivalent of this frosting as a dessert. Can you say true love?
Typically, breakfast is a small meal and lunch and dinner are larger, though dinner is served later in the evening (we often eat around 9ish). It’s hot during the day so se fueron our appetites. In general, there is very little to no snacking.
Tangentially related, I just signed up for the Rock ‘n Roll half marathon in San Jose in October http://www.rnrsj.com/home.html and I encourage anyone who’s in the area to sign up too. There are bands every half-mile and it sounds like it will be a complete blast/it will get me running as soon as I get home August 29th. Very few things motivate me more than money I’ve spent!
Mi comida es tu comida,
Anne
My favorite food thus far is mangu (sp?) with fried/vinegar-doused red onions. Mangu looks like mashed potatoes but is made from platanos duros, which are basically green bananas that have been boiled. Mangu with the vinegar onions is absolutely fantastic; this is another Dominicanism that I will certainly adopt.
The juices here cannot be beat. The best is when my house mom makes fresh mango juice in the evening and puts it in the freezer. Then, in the morning, some has turned icy and the juice has turned into the best slurpy that every graced the face of the earth.
We typically have rice with every non-breakfast meal. While people warned that I would become tired of rice, I don’t really think I will…I happen to really like rice. However, I do develop a minor case of the hiccups (called hipos here!) each time I have rice, so I average hiccups two to three times each day. (For those of you who are worried about my odd condition, worry not I fully intend/will get checked out upon my return). Quite frequently, the rice is served with habichuelas, a bean mix that you pour on top of the rice, which is good too. The crispy rice on the bottom and sides on the pot is frequently served as different dish “arroz con con.” While I love chipping away and snacking on con con on my own, I find that I don’t particularly like a whole plateful of con con…too much dryness. It’s similar to my Lucky Charm experience. Freshman year I made a side comment about how the best part of Lucky Charms is the marshmallows and I couldn’t figure out why the other part even existed. One of my dear, dear friends heard this cry and ever so thoughtfully gave me a Tupperware full of just Lucky Charm marshmallows for my 19th birthday (one of the best/most creative gifts I’ve received in the past few years). Well, like con con, it was simply the wrong context. I just didn’t enjoy a container full of solely marshmallows as much as I did just picking them out of the mix.
While there is some meat served with each meal, the meat, which is quite flavorful and tender, is typically more of a side rather than a main dish. Similarly, vegetables are few and far between. Normally, I avoid tomatoes at all costs. Here, I readily embrace them. Interestingly enough, they are often served green; their flavor and scent is not as strong, which works in my favor for sure. My previous experience with fruit and vegetables is singular in nature. That is, you only eat red tomatoes. You only eat yellow bananas. Here, green tomatoes and platanos are used to make different variants of the same dishes, or new dishes entirely.
Coffee. First of all, it is NEVER served cold, which is interesting because people are constantly commenting “hace mucho calor.” Secondly, people drink it all day every day. Thirdly, it is served in small portions…none of this tall, grande, vente madness. Coffee comes in one size “chin.” Thirdly, there is no such thing as too much sugar and coffee is always best when supersaturated with sucrose. For reference, last week, I was handed a Dixie cup of coffee. After I finished it, I looked at the bottom of the cup and saw a good centimeter of sugar coating the base…think about the proportions! I told my host family “no es café con sucre, es sucre con café. ”(For further reference for those of you who are familiar with Autumn’s unhealthy relationship with coffee and sweetener: she would not have to add a single grain). Finally, there is Calvin and Hobbes comic in which Calvin is depicted as a hummingbird and in the last panel we see that he’s drinking a soda. I think of that exact cartoon every time I have my chin de café.
I love coconut dishes, particularly desserts. One of my favorites is German chocolate cake, primarily because I like the coconut based frosting, and by primarily I mean solely because I always eat around the actual cake. Last week, my host mother made, from scratch (her husband literally opened the coconuts with a machete in the morning…a machete is a standard kitchen tool here), the equivalent of this frosting as a dessert. Can you say true love?
Typically, breakfast is a small meal and lunch and dinner are larger, though dinner is served later in the evening (we often eat around 9ish). It’s hot during the day so se fueron our appetites. In general, there is very little to no snacking.
Tangentially related, I just signed up for the Rock ‘n Roll half marathon in San Jose in October http://www.rnrsj.com/home.html and I encourage anyone who’s in the area to sign up too. There are bands every half-mile and it sounds like it will be a complete blast/it will get me running as soon as I get home August 29th. Very few things motivate me more than money I’ve spent!
Mi comida es tu comida,
Anne
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
There and Back Again
I find the American-Dominican intersection to be quite fascinating. For example, a common business for Esperanza associates, or Dominicans in general, is to sell clothes. Often these clothes are purchased for cheap in Santo Domingo in large packs from the United States. I don’t know if these clothes are goodwill discards or department store overstocks. Nevertheless, it’s easy to recognize these clothes. In church on Sunday, Rebecca’s very friendly, incredibly sweet yet rather goofy aunt was wearing a t-shirt with a playboy bunny logo. A few days later, another person was wearing a shirt that said “Keeping it Real: Silicone Free” across the chest and a loan associate came to the office wearing a shirt that read “If you think I’m a b#$@% you should meet my mom” (though it was not censored). Part of me thinks it’s sad and the other part kind of wants that shirt…as a joke Mom, as a joke! It became evident that the woman wearing the silicone shirt did not know about its meaning when she purchased it but did learn what it meant at a time prior to my seeing it. In fact, she joked about it saying it was true! First of all, I liked this encounter because I saw that she wasn’t supremely clueless. Rather, she liked the shirt and recognized that, to most people in the DR, it’s just a cute shirt.
Another interesting culture crossover: I was in an office at a church and spotted a ceramic figurine of Jesus playing with several children on one shelf. And, on another shelf, there was a boxer clad Justin Timberlake marionette! I didn’t have the opportunity to ask about his origin, but I did get a kick out of the juxtaposition.
This past weekend I enjoyed in the northern coast at a beach town called Las Terrenas. One of the loan officer’s husbands had business in Santo Domingo, so I was able to tag along Friday morning and get dropped off at Esperanaza’s central office where I joined up with two other summer interns. From there, we three took a 2.5 hour bus to the Samana (accent on the last syllable) province/peninsula, which is famed for having some of the best Dominican beaches. I had intended to do some concentrated reading on this trip; however, the landscape was too impressive to focus on my book. We spent pretty much the entire bus ride passing through tropical mountains and farms. The lush green is truly astounding and, throughout the entire trip, I kept taking in deep breaths, letting my soul just soak up the surroundings (Anne of Green Gables style; or I guess Anne of Green Cherniss style as one of my friends coined).
At the end of the bus ride, we met up with four other Esperanza volunteers/employee/compensated volunteer and traveled via rickety truck through a steep yet breathtaking passage to the Las Terrenas beaches. In appreciation of transportation everywhere, we sang I’m on a Boat, which, thanks to Autumn’s (college roommate) and my dedicated practice sessions, I can sing all the way through complete with attitude.
The weekend was very relaxing and was basically filled with beach (both night and day swims), food, and conversation. I tried conch for the first time and, sitting 15 feet from the ocean I couldn’t help but feel a tad like Lord of the Flies, though with more girls and less war paint and violence. I found the weekend to be centering as well because I was able to learn in person about the first week experiences of the other interns. It’s quite an impressive group (in terms of travel and Spanish experience and universities of origin) and I have a lot to learn from these folks. Basically I came away with a new confidence in how to approach my office work, which has paid off in significant ways during the past few days.
Returning from this weekend adventure was much more difficult than the outbound venture. Arriving in Santo Domingo was easy, but from there I had to help one of my friends find her homestay…she’d only been in the DR four days and did not yet know how to find it. Then, I was to take a cab from Santo Domingo to my homestay in Los Alcarrizos. My friend’s host helped me call a cab and I climbed in. Now, the cab driver didn’t actually know where in Los Alcarrizos my street was. While this was a bit disconcerting, I was more eager to get back than anything else so I just went along with it. Besides, I knew the name of the barrio (small community subdivision), street name and number, and major landmarks. However, when we got to Los Alcarrizos the cab driver just started yelling out the window asking people for directions. We received several sets of bad directions and got lost for a bit. I live on a dirt road and there is an easy way (the only way I’d traveled in the past) to enter and a hard way (the way the cab driver chose). He was getting really frustrated with the road ruining his car and with me because I didn’t know where we were or how to really get to my house and didn’t speak perfect Spanish. I was stressed, a bit panicked, and feeling stupid and self-conscious. I was on the verge of breaking when we found my house and parted ways.
Upon reflection, I had no right to feel that way with respect to the driver. I had given him all the information that a local would have given and it was reasonable that I did know that there were two barrios with the same name and streets right next to each other. In general, people here give drivers a lot of grief; it’s expected. However, I did not feel justified to do so due to my lack of perfect Spanish. But you know what? My Spanish might not be perfect, but it’s good enough for these situations. I now know that I will be more direct and forceful in these situations in the future. Ah, travel learning is so interesting and so much easier in retrospect…I believe the expression is twenty-twenty hindsight.
While that taxi ride made me feel completely like and outsider, those feelings quickly faded as I reentered the community (and after a centering phone conversation with my older brother). I have only lived with Rebecca for a week, and yet I am friends with the neighbors and the members of her church. I can ask them specific, informed questions and verbally banter and tease. Likewise, I feel I’m becoming less of a burden and more of an asset at work. The learning curve has been steep, but I’m finding I can travel the route rapidly.
Additionally, I’ve noticed I learn Spanish words much more swiftly. To say I’m desperate for new words would be an overstatement, but my vocabulary is not incredibly well stocked. During the first week, I would ask for a word, use it, and promptly forget it. However, my retention is quickly improving. I have more and more hooks upon which to hang my Spanish words. Also, I’m adjusting to the new environment so that familiarity might be aiding my learning process as well. That is, I don’t have to worry about breakfast or motoconcho routines and so I have more mental space for words and names.
Another interesting culture crossover: I was in an office at a church and spotted a ceramic figurine of Jesus playing with several children on one shelf. And, on another shelf, there was a boxer clad Justin Timberlake marionette! I didn’t have the opportunity to ask about his origin, but I did get a kick out of the juxtaposition.
This past weekend I enjoyed in the northern coast at a beach town called Las Terrenas. One of the loan officer’s husbands had business in Santo Domingo, so I was able to tag along Friday morning and get dropped off at Esperanaza’s central office where I joined up with two other summer interns. From there, we three took a 2.5 hour bus to the Samana (accent on the last syllable) province/peninsula, which is famed for having some of the best Dominican beaches. I had intended to do some concentrated reading on this trip; however, the landscape was too impressive to focus on my book. We spent pretty much the entire bus ride passing through tropical mountains and farms. The lush green is truly astounding and, throughout the entire trip, I kept taking in deep breaths, letting my soul just soak up the surroundings (Anne of Green Gables style; or I guess Anne of Green Cherniss style as one of my friends coined).
At the end of the bus ride, we met up with four other Esperanza volunteers/employee/compensated volunteer and traveled via rickety truck through a steep yet breathtaking passage to the Las Terrenas beaches. In appreciation of transportation everywhere, we sang I’m on a Boat, which, thanks to Autumn’s (college roommate) and my dedicated practice sessions, I can sing all the way through complete with attitude.
The weekend was very relaxing and was basically filled with beach (both night and day swims), food, and conversation. I tried conch for the first time and, sitting 15 feet from the ocean I couldn’t help but feel a tad like Lord of the Flies, though with more girls and less war paint and violence. I found the weekend to be centering as well because I was able to learn in person about the first week experiences of the other interns. It’s quite an impressive group (in terms of travel and Spanish experience and universities of origin) and I have a lot to learn from these folks. Basically I came away with a new confidence in how to approach my office work, which has paid off in significant ways during the past few days.
Returning from this weekend adventure was much more difficult than the outbound venture. Arriving in Santo Domingo was easy, but from there I had to help one of my friends find her homestay…she’d only been in the DR four days and did not yet know how to find it. Then, I was to take a cab from Santo Domingo to my homestay in Los Alcarrizos. My friend’s host helped me call a cab and I climbed in. Now, the cab driver didn’t actually know where in Los Alcarrizos my street was. While this was a bit disconcerting, I was more eager to get back than anything else so I just went along with it. Besides, I knew the name of the barrio (small community subdivision), street name and number, and major landmarks. However, when we got to Los Alcarrizos the cab driver just started yelling out the window asking people for directions. We received several sets of bad directions and got lost for a bit. I live on a dirt road and there is an easy way (the only way I’d traveled in the past) to enter and a hard way (the way the cab driver chose). He was getting really frustrated with the road ruining his car and with me because I didn’t know where we were or how to really get to my house and didn’t speak perfect Spanish. I was stressed, a bit panicked, and feeling stupid and self-conscious. I was on the verge of breaking when we found my house and parted ways.
Upon reflection, I had no right to feel that way with respect to the driver. I had given him all the information that a local would have given and it was reasonable that I did know that there were two barrios with the same name and streets right next to each other. In general, people here give drivers a lot of grief; it’s expected. However, I did not feel justified to do so due to my lack of perfect Spanish. But you know what? My Spanish might not be perfect, but it’s good enough for these situations. I now know that I will be more direct and forceful in these situations in the future. Ah, travel learning is so interesting and so much easier in retrospect…I believe the expression is twenty-twenty hindsight.
While that taxi ride made me feel completely like and outsider, those feelings quickly faded as I reentered the community (and after a centering phone conversation with my older brother). I have only lived with Rebecca for a week, and yet I am friends with the neighbors and the members of her church. I can ask them specific, informed questions and verbally banter and tease. Likewise, I feel I’m becoming less of a burden and more of an asset at work. The learning curve has been steep, but I’m finding I can travel the route rapidly.
Additionally, I’ve noticed I learn Spanish words much more swiftly. To say I’m desperate for new words would be an overstatement, but my vocabulary is not incredibly well stocked. During the first week, I would ask for a word, use it, and promptly forget it. However, my retention is quickly improving. I have more and more hooks upon which to hang my Spanish words. Also, I’m adjusting to the new environment so that familiarity might be aiding my learning process as well. That is, I don’t have to worry about breakfast or motoconcho routines and so I have more mental space for words and names.
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