Life and Times of the Dominican Gringa

Political Campaign Noise

Posted by rdgringa on May 13, 2012 2 comments

The Presidential Elections are in one more week here in Dominican Republic. All will return to their home town, where they are registered, and get their black inked finger. Place your vote and get inked. Then all know that you voted.

All the different political parties are out in full force this week. They play deafening music as they set up their posts in the parks, plazas and street corners. People waving their flags, yelling, dancing and showing their support for their chosen candidate.

They drive around with large trucks loaded down with speakers. Not just a few speakers but the truck beds are filled with giant speakers playing as loud as they possible are able. No important if people and babies are sleeping, resting comfortably in their homes, or hanging out on the street. The speakers are no respecter of persons. It is so loud that I cannot hear the tv in my own home. Teli, the dog, runs for cover. My windows have vibrated a few times. I cannot believe how loud these speakers are.

Here are a few videos I took out my window.

Cerezas For Me

Posted by rdgringa on May 8, 2012 No comments

Ok. As you can tell in my Blog I love food. Most all foods for me are yummy.

This morning after I took Teli for her morning walk and was settling down to work a bit I heard from the street “Cereza, cereza” as the vendor was pushing his cart down the street. I wanted some of this yummy fruit. So I yelled out the window down three floors for him to wait.

I grabbed my cash and bounded…well not bounded but walk briskly…down the stairs. I heard Teli barking her “where are you mommy” bark because I didn’t even tell her I was going out and I didn’t say goodbye. But I had no time to mess around. The vendor awaited.

So I got his large tin can full two times. $30 pesos per can. Then I was back up the steps with my loot.

Teli was at the door greeting me like I had been gone for hours instead of minutes. I love my dog.

Cerezas for me taste like a mix between a cherry and cranberry. Tart and sweet. They are high in in ascorbic acid and have the highest vitamin C content among all the cultivated fruits. Here people drink the juice when they have a cold or sickness.

I made me some juice and am now enjoying munching on the fruit. Teli will not eat it which is good. More for me! Isn’t it just too beautiful?

Mango Time!

Posted by rdgringa on April 24, 2012 No comments

It is mango season here in Dominican Republic. I have been watching the trees in the park laden with mangoes. A soft green color just waiting for them to ripen.

It finally happened. They are ready for pickin’ and eatin’. Oh yeah!

I cannot reach the trees from the park. All the mangoes fall into the Marine base grounds so I got this young boy that lives somewhere around there to get me some. I gave him a large bag from the Colmado and Teli (my dog) and I waited for Jimmy to return.

He came back in about 20 minutes with a bag full of mangoes! They smelt sooo good. I gave him some money for it. He was happy and so was I.

I was told that Dominican dogs love mangoes. My Teli is a Dominican dog but she turns her nose up at them. I kept trying to give her one and she finally gave me the look telling me “Thats enough! I do not want a stupid MANGO!”

Now I had to figure out what to do with all these sticky fibrous amazing fruits. Posted on Facebook to ask friends and I took a few of their ideas.

I made mango salsa. It was really good. I would have never thought that a sweet and a spicy would go together.

I made mango ice milk ice cream and froze it.

I made mango smoothie shakes which I love with any fruit I have at the time.

I made mango bread.

Today Ill make a mango enchilada.

Who knows what tomorrow mango goodies we will come up with…

This was my breakfast – All Things Mango. By the way, that is not mango coffee. I had to put my foot down someplace.

Happy Easter Card

Posted by rdgringa on April 7, 2012 No comments

Happy Easter/ Feliz Semana Santa from my Family to yours.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

End of March Rain Starting

Posted by rdgringa on March 22, 2012 No comments

On this World Water Day it seems that we will have rain for the next 4 days, how ironic.
Do we really need it? No
Can we change it? No
So, here is what we do when it rains here in the Colonial Zone of Dominican Republic.
The view from my balcony right now.

The roads are filling with water. The pigeon is hanging out on the rooftop.

Politur abandons their motorbike and takes refuge in the Larimar Museum while the poor bike drowns.

The roads are wet. The large bus stops to wait out the downpour. The pigeon watches….

The motor bike passes, the humans are huddled under the porch of the Palacio de Borgellá hiding from the wetness. The pigeon is enjoying a free shower.

If you had a choice and you were not afraid of having to be “adult” or “grown-up” or “responsible” where would you rather be? Under the porch with the frightened hoards of humans or the pigeon on the rooftop enjoying the feeling of the water flowing down your back? I am with the bird!

Carnival 2012 Is Over

Posted by rdgringa on March 10, 2012 No comments

I love the Carnival but from afar. I am amazed at the creativity of the humans that design costumes and floats. Some of the masks are so intricate and imaginative.

I was nervous about going down to the Malecon in Santo Domingo to watch and take pictures. A few years ago my camera was stolen right out of my hand. I cannot afford this to happen each year. I had asked a friend to come and be my Guachiman but he could not make it. He said his daughter was visiting and in their barrio, near to Zona Colonial, they were having big problems with thieves and tigres coming in from other areas hoping to take advantage of and rob non-suspecting spectators. He said there were even gun shots. So he did not make it to be the guarding of my camera.

When I got to the spot where I wanted to take pictures I scoped the area for the police and there was a man inside the fence. I asked him how I could get inside and explained to him about my fears. He let me come in to the press area and take pictures. I was so grateful. He kept laughing at me at first when I lifted the camera to take a picture. I would check around me, making sure it was safe. He kept telling me it was not necessary and that I was safe inside the fence.

I stayed and took pictures and videos until close to dusk. I wanted to be back home in my own area before dark hit. I was so glad I left when I did. It took me forever to go 2 blocks. The people were jammed in tight. There was no sneaking through the crowds. I just pushed forward trying not to bump into too many people. I really am not into crowds.

One masked man stopped me and told me not to go down one street as there was trouble happening there. I asked what was happening but he was talking so fast in Spanish I could not keep up with his words.

I got home and all was safe. I only got hit on the butt once by a little boy with his rubber ball called a vejiga. I did come close a few times to being whipped with one of the latigo snapping masked creatures. I took Teli, The Dominican Dog, out for her evening walkabout. Came home and went to work uploading all the pictures and videos to share with the world.

Enjoy all the pictures of Carnaval 2012.

This video is one of my favorite troupes. They made me laugh they looked so silly.
Carnaval Dominicano 2012 Africanas on Stilts