Update

For all of you that actually check my blog I am terribly sorry that I havn't written sooner. A lot has been going on here, which is why I havn't had a lot of time to use the internet. I came back from my three month training and my host family had finished my house! So the next day I went out and for 500 American dollars I managed to get a bed(not the most comfortable one mind you, but I have convinced myself that a bed is a bed...and maybe they have such thing as foam pads in this country:) a table with chairs, an oven, a fridge and a propane gas tank. I think it was a steal. Although they probably think that I am a sucker. So I moved in, and learned a few lessons about electricity in the process. All my outlets are two prong and the holes are the same size. Well my fridge is a three prong. As I looked on in dread, my host dad tried to convince me that the third prong really isnt necessary and proceeded to cut it off. Amazingly enough he was right and the fridge still works. Who would have thought? Then, some of my chargers have the prongs that are two different sizes. Which obviously dont fit in the holes. After being told several times that I was just not pushing hard enough, and that maybe I just didnt understand how to plug something in, my host dad wised up and bought me an extension cord...with the two different size prongs. Again, my doubt kicked in. But he just filed down the edges of the larger prong and voila-it works! I am not sure how safe my house is electricty wise now, but at least it works.

The other big thing that happened was Hurricane Dean...or I guess I could say not so big thing;) We got called in on Friday and had to be in the capital by 6:00 that night. It was a category 4 by the time it reached here, and it was said that although it was 100 miles south of us, that the arms of the storm were reaching out over 200 miles. Obviously there was a little bit of concern. So they put all the volunteers from this side of the island in the Barcelo hotel in Santo Domingo. Which has a pool, air conditioning, a casino, gym, three meals a day and most importantly hot showers. It was not a hardship. Although Peace Corps kept apologizing that we couldnt leave the hotel and that is was such an inconvience for us. I was just thinking-oh my god, how long do you think I can stay. When they kicked us out yesterday at 3 I was a little devastated (apparently there is such a thing as a dry hurricane and it barely even rained here). I wasnt ready yet to go back to the campo. So I checked myself into a hostal here. I decided that I am easing myslefy back into the campo life since the hostal doesnt have hot water or air conditioning. Hopefully now it wont be such a big shock going back today.

Photos

The pool, and thats the humidity foggy up the photo.
Pool bar during a bout of rainpoor.

The casino at the hotel-a little small. Only had Blackjack, poker, roulette and slots:( But I really shouldn't complain

Hanging out at the Barcelo pool:)
Joe, Stephanie me and Kevin at Pizza Hut

My new house, this is my study.

And my kitchen. Anyone who has a blog have any idea how to turn the photos around? I havnt quite figured that out yet. Sorry

This is the ceramic cook stove that we all built during our three month In- Service -Training. It's supposed to cook cleaner and use less wood. But it also takes about 2 and a half days to build and is a little complicated. I'm thinking I might research the easier to make, and cheaper solar stoves.