Tag Archives: party

Bringing in the New Year 2011

Posted by on January 7, 2011 1 comment

>Another New Years Eve has come and gone. I was to go to a friend’s home in Sosua for the event but I got a cold (or the gripe as they say here in DR) so I decided to just stay home and suffer alone.

There were a lot of events happening in the Colonial Zone area. I decided to go to the little get together that the neighbors were having in the little parking lot near my office. This way I didn’t have to stay out late.

I went home to rest up for a while. I had to force myself to go out. Once I’m home all comfy and cozy I hate to leave. But about 11PM made myself go to the party.

As I was walking out the door of the building where I live this giant rat ran out from the gutter. He (or maybe it was a she, I didn’t bother to check the gender) was a monster, at least 20 pounds with giant snarling teeth and a tail that was a 1/2 mile long. Really, he was a normal sized rat as rats go but when you see one it always looks bigger than it really is. I did a little jump and an ooohhh! when he startled me. He jumped too. He ran into the wall and then turned around and ran right over my foot. I was jumping, not high mind you as my body won’t do that these days but I was jumping quite exuberantly for this ole gal. Doing the old eewwhhh hand gestures as I was walking up the street and giggling to myself. To myself as no one saw it and there was no one to share the yuck with. What a yucky feeling it was too. Then I started to wonder if there was a tradition somewhere that a rat running across the feet on New Years Eve was good luck. I searched the Internet and couldn’t find anything about this so I decided to pretend that it was a good sign even thought I was pretty disgusted with the rat on my foot thought.

So, I got to the Colmado near the parking lot. Everyone was there starting out the night. I had a beer and sat with the neighbors. Midnight came and everyone hugged and kissed and turned our heads up to watch the fireworks. Then we moved on to the parking lot where they set up a stereo and had good music going.

We were all talking and dancing and having a good time. But my cold got the best of me. At about 1:30AM I had to go home and get into my own beddie-bye. I had a good time. I didn’t run into many crowds and got to hang out with my friends. I’m getting too old to go where there are tons of people partying and getting rowdy, at least in my mind I’m too old for that stuff. I got home before everyone got crazy and too drunk, which is just what I like.

New Years Eve 2010 Party

Posted by on January 7, 2010 1 comment

>My friends at Hostal Nomadas in Colonial Zone had a little party for some friends and guests.It was nice and calm, just the way this old gal likes it. We danced, drank, ate some great snacks and barbecue and had some jello shots. At midnight the fireworks (fuegos artificiales) started and we had a great view on the third floor patio overlooking Zona Colonial.

This is a video of the fireworks with the Juan Luis Guerra song “Ojala Que Llueva Cafe En El Campo” playing in the background.

Feliz Año Nuevo to all!!!

My 49th Birthday

Posted by on November 25, 2008 2 comments

>Well, as usual I’m behind on writing on my blog. Can you regular readers please forgive me (It’s not easy when I’m this old to remember everything) and for the non-regular readers maybe you should become regular readers so you could accept this little apology with the regulars.

My daughter (I’m her second mom, we are not blood even though it seems like it sometimes), Janna and her mom Xio made me a little birthday party in the Parque San Jose in Colonial Zone. I’m not really into celebrating my birthday. In USA I usually went camping to hide from all the party people. But here there was just no place to hide and I didn’t want to disapoint my Janna.

It was fun. I even got some pineapple upside down cake and little fancy sandwiches. Thanks Xio, Janna and my neighbors for the party.

I just cannot believe I’m 49. Almost 50! DAMN! I remember when my grandparents were 50 and I thought they were soooo old. Now that I’m almost there it just doesn’t seem that old anymore. funny how perspective changes.

Another Party in the Street

Posted by on December 21, 2007 1 comment

>This party was between Hostos and Duarte here in Colonial Zone. The aea is really narrow so all the people were really packed in. All the neighbors were there and we had a great time. Good dancing and music by Los Hermanos Rosarios.
Here are a few videos I took of the dancing. Oh, if only I could wiggle like a Dominican! jejeje

The song that is being danced to is called “ROMPECINTURA” roughly translated it is break the waist. The song got the people really wiggling.

Don’t you just love Christmas Dominican style??!!

I have pictures I have taken around Santo Domingo and Colonial Zone Christmas 2007. Take a look.

The Week of the Big Move

Posted by on December 18, 2005 No comments

The final week to be in USA arrived. Everything I had left at the flea market I sold for $50. I didn’t sell my Mobil home so I abandoned it. I sold my shed I built for $1000. All my credit cards had a forwarding address. Had my accounts all in order. All bills paid up. All was ready.

Preparing Sniffy, my humane society dog and best friend. I gave her a breed, a Miniature Barrel Shepard, because she didn’t have one and I didn’t want her to feel bad about that. I got her her flying crate filled with her favorite blanket and her cat bowl. All labeled. She had her traveling pills to relax her. She had all her stamps from Dominican Republic. She was already a Dominican citizen. I took her to the Vet for her papers to state she was healthy for the flight. When we came back to my parents house. My mother was sitting in her room. I went in to tell her Sniffy was all ready. She started crying,”Sniffy is going to die on the plane, she won’t like it there”. She cried over the dog! She never worried if I was going to be OK (this was a family joke for a long time)!

My friends had a going away party for me at the old local bar. My friend, Patty, took a video of it and I’ll cherish that video forever. It was a good time. An end to one life and a beginning of another. When a person moves all the promises of keeping in touch and visiting are forgotten in time. With the exception of a handful of special friends we have all lost touch. But its all OK. Memories of past times are always good.

My family also had a going away-Birthday party for me. It was a sort of picnic in the yard. Then we did a family dinner. It was nice. When we left the restaurant I hugged my grandparents good bye. I’ll never forget this in all my life. When my grandfather hugged me, and he hugged me tight. He whispered in my ear to go and do what I dream. Don’t worry what anyone says about what I do. Then he said, in a broken voice “I’ll probably never see you again. I love you”. It took everything in me not to cry. I didn’t want to break down in the parking lot. *My Pappap is now 93 and I have seen him again. Even when I think of this now I still feel tears welling up.

The day to leave came. Billy Jay and my dad took me to the airport. My mom didn’t want to go, she didn’t want me to go and didn’t want to cry in public I guess. I had Sniffy, the dog, who weighed about 80 lbs. I had my 2 check in suitcases which I weighed to make sure they were exactly the correct weight, I had my carry on piece of luggage, correct weight. I had 2 a large plastic tote box filled with my computer and all that went with it. Got weighed in but it seemed that the scale was a bit off. They let the luggage go but I had to unload some of the things out of the plastic tote. No fax machine and a few other things. Standing there emptying out the box with all the cases and the dog barking in her cage surround me. I’m sure I was a sight to be seen.

So all was done and proceeded to the line to enter the airport. Hugged and kissed my dad and my son. I didn’t cry. It was hard not to when my son and dad both had tears in their eyes. But I did it. Even as I had to stop to get my carry on luggage checked out. I had a box with all my jewelry in it. There was porcupine quill jewelry, coon peckers, a few coyote teeth. Not your normal jewelry pieces. They inspected, questioned and let me through. As Billy Jay and my daddy looked on.

As I flew away from USA I didn’t feel sad. I was so excited to start a new life in Dominican Republic. Then when I saw “my island” I cried, as I always did and knew I was home. The Dominicana Gringa has arrived!