The Ghosts In Our Machine Poster

This is an amazing production asking the question “Are animals property to be owned and used, or are they sentient beings deserving of rights?”

Please visit the web site The Ghosts In Our Machine.com and view this interactive video production. It is amazing. Be prepared to be touched beyond anything you know, especially if you have a heart and care about the creatures we have been blessed with in this world http://www.theghostsinourmachine.com/interactive/

With the exception of our companion animals and a few wild and stray species within our urban environments, we experience animals daily only as the food, clothing, animal tested goods and entertainment we make of them. This moral dilemma is often hidden from our view. Quote from the World Animal Awareness Society

There were at least 6 motorbikes with police and at least 5 police vehicles speeding down the road. Every police person in the area was standing in the street along with all the money change guys and many of the neighbors. All yelling and making a ruckus.

It took a little bit for my camera to turn on but these are the pictures I got out my window.

There was still lots of commotion so I decided to be a Dominican and go to the street with my neighbors and see what was happening because I could not see down Padre Billini to Calle las Damas from my balcony vantage point.

They said a thief was caught. I asked why did it take so many police to catch a ladrone. Then I got the story. Men (I did not get the answer as to how many men there were) robbed a Colmado, from what they said, in La Altagracia, but not really sure. The police caught them and brought them here. They were in a white truck and all the police were escorting them to the station at the Fortelaza Ozama. I still did not understand why they had to have so many police and then block off the street where they all were with the thieves and their truck.

Then it was explained to me that these bad guys were very dangerous and had weapons. The police had the guys outside of the truck, not sure what they were doing to them, I did not really want to stand around and gape at them.

So here I am back at my puter sharing the action. On the spot reporting from the Dominican Gringa. Many of the neighbors are still on the corner looking down the street and discussing the event amongst themselves. Teli, my brave dog, is hiding under her favorite shelf in the bedroom.

Shoeshine Boy, Money Changers and the ChuChu

This is a normal day in the Colonial Zone. The money changer guys are rubbing their index finger and thumb together at all passing vehicles hoping to find someone who has money to exchange for pesos.

The neighbor kid is out on most Saturdays shining shoes to get his own spending money for the week. He goes to school on the weekdays. If he is in the mood he goes out on the weekends to make a little extra cash. A little entrepreneur. His family does not let him out to work on school days.

The man that owns the gift shop across the street is getting a shoe shine while greeting a friend walking by.

The ChuChu Colon is passing by with its speakers on telling our history to the tourists in their own language. The train conductors helper gets out at every crossing to make sure the coast is clear for the train to enter the intersection.

There are some beat-up road blocks on the corner ready for who knows what reason.

A typical afternoon in my beloved Colonial City.

Her hair was standing up on her back. The growl got bigger as Teli jumped to her feet. She was in full attack mode it seemed. I sat up as well.

There is a divider blocking the door from my view. First thought is that someone was hiding behind the divider. I was starting to grab my stick I keep by the bed. Teli jumped off the bed and ran into the living room, my viscous attack dog was a chicken.

I was alone with whatever it was behind the divider.

Just at that second the light in my brain lit and I realized what was happening. I laid a black scarf on top of the divider earlier today. It did not belong there.

Teli came running back in and jumped onto the bed still growling, a deep frightening growl. I bet that scarf was scared to death of Teli ready to attack it.

I grabbed the scarf and threw it down on the bed next to where she was standing. She jumped up in the air, all for feet off the bed. Frightened. Then she gave me a look like what the heck looking from the scarf then to me a few times. Then the brave dog sat down while sticking her nose into the offending piece of black cloth. All was safe and she was happily throwing the scarf into the air and playing with it.

Teli with her scarf

My guard dog saved me from the big bad scarf, that is, after she ran away in fright. She had her bad scarf and laid down again and I returned to my Kindle. All was safe and sound.

Have I mentioned lately that I love my dog Teli? (Teli wrote her own version of this story on her blog The Dominican Dog Blog)

I went into a store, I will not mention the name, to get hair dye and soap. I figured I would see if they had any bras in my size that were inexpensive. They will not let you try on the bras any more in this particular store (which I understand why now) so you have to stand there and try it over your clothes.

The girl came to help me. I found one I liked than saw that the price was way more than I wanted to spend so I told the girl thanks but I did not want to buy it. She went on to ask me how much money I did want to spend. I told her and she told me to wait. She came back and the little security thingy on the item was gone. She told me to go into the dressing room and put it on and I could just pay her the money that I wanted to spend. I could not believe it.

She was telling me to put the bra on, give her the money and for me to walk out of the store with me wearing it! She wanted me to steal the bra and give her money to do it.

I kept telling her no. She held my arm and told me it was OK. So I figured I would ask her if I could pay her with a debit card, which I knew I couldn’t. She told me I had to give her cash. I told her I did not have any cash, which I did. She said told me to go to the cash machine in the store and get the cash. I told her my card was from USA and it would not work in that machine, which it does work in that machine.

I just wanted to get out of there. I was not going to steel a bra. I was not going to pay her for the bra when it did not belong to her. I was not going to go to jail for steeling a $20USD bra. Then I thought that I should tell the managers what she was doing. But I didn’t. I just went on to the next store to buy my food all the while thinking about girl almost forcing me to take that bra.

The last week I have noticed more little crabs running around everywhere. I thought they were roaches at first until I got a closer look. They were all hanging out at the drain area where all the Colonial Zone waste water enters the sea.

Hundreds of tiny crabs dot the cement wall.

The crabs are always making little crab holes in the sand hear to the water line but a few days ago they were way up from the line. They were running around, not hiding in their little hidie holes like usual. For me this was a baffling mystery. The mystery was solved yesterday.

This little guy thought he was hiding from me

I was looking at the crabs running around and there was a man sleeping under a palm tree on a piece of cardboard. I was thinking about how he would have those crabs running all over him very soon when he jumped up grabbing his pant leg and shaking. I wanted to snicker as what I was thinking seemed to have happened but I kept my snicker to myself.

The man finally took off his pants, stripped down to his boxers, and laid back down. I went over to him and asked him if he had crabs. Then I did laugh because I heard my self ask a stranger if he had crabs…

Anyhow he started to explain to me about these little alien looking creatures and why they are all over the beach.

First he said they are not Cangrejo (crab in Spanish) they are called Jaiba. They come up onto the beach way above the water line to lay their eggs so they are not washed away and they have the warm sand to incubate. I kept telling him to repeat the name jaiba so I could remember it because my brain has a hard time remembering stuff.

Finally Fernando was finished jogging around the beach and he came over. Then we were talking about the turtles and this laying on the beach said he was on a beach somewhere on the island and a giant turtle came out of the water. He said it was so big that he sat on it and it walked with him on its back. It was a giant sea turtle and he said that the people protected it and its eggs. I was hoping he would say that so I didn’t have to go on about protected creatures.

So anyhow, I learned something new about the yummy crabs that I love to eat. They lay eggs in herds. They lay eggs far from the shore line. They are called Jaiba here. oh, and do not lay on the beach with baggy clothing when the crabs invade unless you want to get crabs (in your pants). LOL. I do need to remember this.

A Jaiba up close and personal

We were told that we are not permitted to take the dogs to the Fortaleza Ozama any more in the mornings so our little morning dog group and the 3 Dogeteers (like the 3 Musketeers but doggie style) had to find a new place to play.

We now go to the Playita at Montecino. We have to cross the pedestrian bridge over the Malecon which wasn’t easy at first as Teli was afraid of it. Then one day when Teli saw her friends Blanco and Lula crossing she overcame her fear and now she crosses without me having to carry her.

This walk is a bit rough for me somedays. First I have to go down the three flights of stairs at my apartment.

Teli looking down from the stairs

Escalinatas Las Damas

Bridge over the Malecon

Stairs inside Montecino

But all the stairs are worth it when I see Teli playing and running and enjoying herself.

Teli and some of her friends

Teli, Blaoco and Lula. The 3 Dogeteers

Now I have to get ready to take Teli out. It is 6:30AM and she keeps looking out the window and then looking at me. She is telling me to common mom, its time to go out and play.

Sand in my shoes. Sand in Teli ears. A little sweat but it is all worth it for my baby

“El MOTOCONCHO”

Mucho amor de su papí.

(Do not be angry with me Yoel. Your dad made me do this. Happy Birthday!)

My big plan was to go to the other side of the Rio Ozama and go to the yellow and black lighthouse on the point. We never made it there. The plan changed.

Teli hates to go where she does not know and she hates to go up on Calle las Damas. She loves the part where the nuns’ houses are. We go there almost everyday. If we have head the opposite direction and go toward Plaza España she jumps and tries to tell me not to go this way. This day she did not get her way. She had her way the day before; this day was my turn to choose the route. I got my way and we went on our walk to parts unknown.

We went down the stairs at the end of Calle el Conde and to the main road that heads into the city, Avenida George Washington, better known at The Malecon.

Stairs at the end of Calle El Conde

Don Diego Terminal Santo Domingo

Casa Reales and the Capilla los Remedios from Don Diego Terminal

Alcazar de Colon from the Puente Flotante

Teli on the floating bridge

The Puente Flotante gears

Selling fish at Rio Ozama

I wasn’t really sure where to go as I haven’t walked that way for so many years so I just kept going until I saw the sign for the San Souci Port.

There was a small shaded park in front of the road to enter the port. The park could have been really nice and inviting but, sorry to say, was in really bad shape. This is not a good representation of the country considering this is where people who come to visit us via the sea see when they leave the confines of the terminal. My opinion, this park should be nice and clean as it is the first park many visitors catch a glimpse of. It should be inviting for people just wanting to walk or sit for a bit in the shade. I tried to make the pictures I took look good but really the park needs some serious attention.

Park at the entrance to Port San Souci

Bench in park as entrance to Port San Souci

Port San Souci

When we passed the Marina Bartolome Colon I wanted to enter to take a few pictures but the security stopped us so I just took a few pictures from the entrance.

Plaza Marina Bartolome Colon entrance

Plaza Marina Bartolome Colon

As we were walking a Taxi I know passed the opposite direction. Did he yell hi to me? Noooo. He yelled out the window to Teli. Same with another car that passed. The people inside did not yell out to say hi to me. They yelled Telis’ name. The famous Dominican Dog lol.

We crossed the floating bridge again. We were back on the Colonial Zone side of the road finally. We entered at the Puerta de las Atrazanas into the old ship yards and headed to the shelter of the Navel Museum (which is still closed for remodeling).

Shelter at the Naval Museum

Entrance to the Naval Museum

Calle General Cabral nice graffiti

Calle General Cabral and Fuerte Carena

After the rain stopped and we were finished talking to Chino Teli and I headed down Calle Isabel la Catolica. There was a group of College students with cameras making a film in front of the Juan Pablo Duarte Museum. I had to stop and see what was going on. The students were making a film about Duarte, one of the founding fathers of Dominican Republic, answering the question “What if Duarte was returned to his country today?”.

Filming at the Duarte Museum

Teli and the Anime Cat at the German Dominican Center

Teli in her corner Colmado

Teli home with her bone on the sofa

Here is a little map of our walk-about.

Map of our Walk-About 3-17-2013