Rain, Miley Cyrus, Teaching, Money, and Tripping on Chloroquine

It's been raining here. A lot. Granted, it only lasts for like 5 minutes then is gorgeous again for another hour... but then it rains again. Apparently August/September is when the DR gets the most rain, so it should slow up soon.

Last night I went with two of my friends to the movies. Most of them were really scary or completely in Spanish, so we decided on La Ultima Canción ("The Last Song"), the newest Miley Cyrus movie. We had thought that tickets were only going to be 100 or 150 pesos (2.75, 4.12 USD). However, we didn't notice until we tried to buy the tickets that under the HUGE sign that says 100 and 150 pesos... it says Lunes-Miercoles (Monday-Wednesday). So the actual price was 350 (9.61). Oh well. We still saw it, but now we know to go during the school week...

I currently have two "jobs". One is technically volunteer, but I like to call it an internship because it sounds cooler. I teach English at a school 35 minutes (2 concho rides each way) away. I'm there for a total of 4.5 hours a week (2 days), which may not sound like a lot... but once you factor in travel time it really adds up. To be honest, I don't love it. One of the days I'm teaching with another girl from my group, and that's good, but the other day it's just me and 27 kids.

The thing is, each kid is at a different level. The average age is probably somewhere between 8-10, so none of them are fluent, but some know their colors/numbers/food/etc quite well. Others are just starting and know absolutely zip. Thus, I feel bad wasting the more experienced kids' time going over stuff they already know, but I can't leave the other kids behind.

Also, about 80% of them are there against their will and will either A. refuse to do anything B. be rude or C. fall asleep. I've begun bringing food as "prizes" for kids who do well on certain exercises, and that actually works out pretty well, but still... I can only bring so many Oreos...

My other job- this one actually pays me- I really do enjoy. Ish. I mean, let's be honest, after my first day in a classroom here I realized that I never want to be a teacher. At least, not as my "official job". But still. This one isn't that bad. It's at a school that's more expensive than the other one, and most of the kids have been there for years. I have one class of 10ish kids. While they do vary in ages (7th grade-freshman in college), they're all pretty well behaved and speak well.

Unlike the other school where I have no choice but to conduct the lesson in Spanish (no one would understand me otherwise), I am forbidden (it's like #1 on the list of rules) to speak Spanish in this classroom. Or anywhere on "campus". It hasn't really been an issue, because the kids speak well already and if there's a word that they don't know, I can talk my way around it.

However, yesterday I was trying to explain "going to" (as in, I am going to read, I am going to call you, I am going to start my homework) and they weren't really getting it. Especially in examples with like, "I am going to go to the mall". And I was so, so, SO close to just saying "ir a", which is what it is in Spanish. Like, it is more or less the exact same way they use it in Spanish, and I knew that they'd definitely figure it out if I said "ir a". However, we are really really NOT ALLOWED to say ANYTHING in Spanish. So I don't think they got it. I said it was more or less the same as "will", which is usually true, but still.

Money: I do get paid at this second job- 150 pesos an hour (4.12 USD). I worked 2.5 hours last weekend, and 2.5 hours yesterday, so yesterday I got paid 750 pesos (20.60 USD). Which felt like a lot, but it really isn't, by US standards. I've joked around with a few of my friends from home about my high paying job in the DR, but by DR standards I'm making a TON of money for a teenager/20-something.

My friends here and I frequent (actually, I don't think "frequent" is the correct word. "Live at" is probably better) this place called The Shell. Yes, the gas station. There's a café inside- it's actually where I'm at now, because there's internet- and we often get food or drinks here and just chill. Because we're here so much, we've gotten to know some of the people who work here. And I guess Dominicans are more comfortable sharing money details than Americans, because I had two people tell me (without me asking) that they're earning 40 pesos an hour. 1.10 USD an hour.

Okay so maybe some of you are thinking, "It's a gas station. Of course it's not going to pay well". But no, this is a classy gas station. With a café. It blew my mind. Minimum wage in NY and PA is $7.25, which is 263.90 pesos.

Anyway, enough money rants.

Last thing. While I'm down here, I'm taking a drug called Chloroquine. It's to prevent Malaria and all that business. Anyway, it has a couple of known side effects, only one of which I'm dealing with. I am having the trippiest dreams ever. No, really, they're NUTS. Some nightmares, but also just really really REALLY vivid dreams. I wake up each morning and it takes me a good 3 or 4 minutes to figure out where I am and to process that what I just dreamt wasn't real.

And I'm not making this stuff up. I Googled it, and there are people who actually have blogs dedicated to documenting their Chloroquine dreams. Anyway, the dreams are more interesting than scary, and as someone who has never really had vivid dreams in her life, I kind of like them. Except the ones where I'm like, shut in a box or getting mugged etc etc etc.