Hey guys!! Today we learned about immigration between the Haitians and the Dominicans starting with a 6:00 a.m wake up call. Then, at 7:15 am we headed towards Onaney Gourmet’s restaurant for breakfast where we ate cereal and a banana. When we were finished with breakfast we had a socratic seminar separated into 2 groups discussing our personal perspectives and perceptions on immigration. When finished we took the guagua ( bus ) to the Elias Piña Museum, which took about an hour and fifteen minutes while we were getting pretty lit on the little road trip we had. When we arrived we met Jason whom filled in for Julio as our tour guide. Once we entered the museum we were split into two groups of 10.Throughtout, the tour we saw how both the history and cultures of Haitians and Dominicans. We learned about their relationships, carnivals, rituals, gods, handmade carry ons, and even their lifestyles. Later on, we left towards the Mercado Binacional, where we were able to see what products, food, and clothing the Haitians sell. It was very similar to a flea market. However, since we are foreigners and they were able to notice we were different in the way some of us dressed and spoke, we did received attention because we were all in a line just walking around. It was surprising to see they made profit out of very simple things like rice, beans, fruits, laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc. Next, we took the guagua towards the border. Which took about 10 minutes from the Mercado Binacional. We couldn’t get through in the guagua so we did have to walk past the guards. Which was a made a less complicated due to the captain whom accompanied us throughout the trip. Unfortunately, we could not go through the gate, but we did get a little background of why we weren’t allowed. For or our own safety and to not be in the way of the locals who were trying to get to places. After visiting the border, we had lunch, food provided by Sheila’s at the VIP restaurant. We encountered a few locals and served them the bunch of food we had left over from lunch. Once done eating, we headed back to the hostel to prepare for our English classes at the Liceo ( School ). Two hours later, we made our way to Onaney Gourmet’s for dinner. After a long day, we had our nightly meeting back at the hostel to discuss and wrap up the day. Thankfully, on such a day our group stuck together, showed respect, and followed directions. Being the leader del dia for both Robyn and I (Noemi) was a little stressful, but we relate to the immigrant life and carried on with our day.
Leader of the day sounds stressful yet rewarding responsibility. Because of my previous work with youth, I learned that young people grew through such experiences. We are glad to hear that GG provides unique experiences to all of you.
BESTFRIENDDDD!!!!!
I’m so glad to hear that you are having a great time learning so much about the different culture and lifestyle in the DR. I can’t wait for you to get back so we can go out for boba and share our experiences that we had on our trips. Call me when you can *(408) 307-1601)*. Make sure to take a lot pictures because I have a lot to show you. Be safe and make sure to keep having fun because before you know it you will already be on the plane coming back home and you will miss everything you’ve seen on your trip and everyone that you have met while there. See you really soon and let me know when you get back. I will probably still be camping but don’t forget to text or call me so we can hang out.
Love,
Jojo
Meme! Congrats on a successful day! Immigration Day is such a powerful day to be la lider del dia and I cannot wait to hear more about your trip. Miss you!