Day 3 History & Culture Day

Hello Families and Friends!

Today the Global Glimpse Leaders, Faith Martinez, and I, Kimberly Chin, were the Leaders del Dia (Leaders of the Day) in which we focused on the History and Culture of the country.  We began our day with a light breakfast of juice, cereal, yogurt, and fruit.  Then we jumped right in to a quick history lesson about the Dominican Republic.  Considering that I am a history teacher, I was more than happy to deliver a mini lecture beginning with the native population to its independence from Spain.  In doing so, the Glimpsers were able to show their historical and geographical knowledge of the area and gain a greater understanding of its economic development, complex diverse population, and issues that the DR continues to face today.

Later in the afternoon we boarded a bus and headed to the city for a tour of the town. We began at the Cathedral of San Pedro where one of our project coordinators, Katherine, explained the significance of the church, statues and monuments, and murals.  After experiencing and observing the sights, sounds, and people of the city, we ended the tour at an ice cream shop where we were all treated to two refreshing scoops.  Before we headed back to , we stopped at a mural of well-known baseball players from the city and took some pictures.

Back at the accommodation, we ate some lunch of rice with corn, pork chops, plantains, and a green salad.  Immediately afterward, Faith led a mental warm-up regarding music, dance, and culture to prepare them for the afternoon activity.  Students then had a few hours of free time to relax and re-energize.   Some took this opportunity to pick up treats at the local corner store, take a nap, and read a book, while others continued to socialize and play games.

The afternoon activity was led by Angelica, a dance instructor, who came to the accommodation to give the students a dance lesson, where they had the opportunity to learn some new dance moves and get out of their comfort zones!  Becoming semi-professionals in Dominican Republic’s traditional dances, bachata and merengue.

To finish off the day, students ate a yummy dinner of hot dogs and french fries to prepare us for tomorrow’s fun activity! Stay tuned… After dinner, we all had our nightly meeting where “the passing of the torch” took place dubbing Tatum and Quinn as our new Liders Del Dia! See you tomorrow!