Blistering heat...

FYI, the heat index yesterday was 114 degrees.

Prayer Request

The day ended sadly for the 6th grade today. One of my students lost her mother. She had been sick for awhile, so it was not unexpected, but that does not reduce the difficulty of this situation or minimize her pain. Please pray for her and her family. She has an older sister in high school at SCS and older siblings in college. May God's grace and love abound more and more in this time of grief.

First Days of School

It's been a few weeks since my last post, and school has officially started! On the first day of school (Tuesday, August 18), I must admit that I was a little nervous! I was feeling the 1st day jitters as we drove to school and I thought about my new class, but as soon as I got out of the car one of my students from last year saw me and ran across the parking lot to give me a big hug. All day long I was greeted with hugs, air kisses (Dominican greeting), and enthusiastic "Miss Long!"s, and I just kept thinking over and over again that this is why I'm a teacher. Now into the second week of school some of my old students are still dropping by my classroom, sneaking up behind me as they see me around campus, or waving from their classrooms. I know this will die down a little as they get used to 7th grade and their new teachers, but I'm still cherishing the relationships that I've made with them and just the opportunity to see them grow. They have middle school uniforms this year, and they look so old to me! Most of them grew over the summer and are now taller than me. :) I just have to accept that they're big 7th graders now!

Because our last few days of school were canceled last year due to swine flu, we had to do 6th grade graduation this past weekend. It definitely added extra stress to last week trying to get everything prepared, especially since my co-teacher and I had no idea what we were doing (we were both new to SCS last year), but things went off smoothly, and it was really nice to have the opportunity to reconnect and celebrate with my old students.

As I continue to enjoy my kids from last year, it really increases my excitement for this year. I know that I will get to know the kids in my class now just like I know the 7th graders, and I'm excited to learn and grow with them together. I have already had a lot of laughs with this new bunch, and I'm pumped for the year ahead! It's been a good first week!

It's Official!

So I know that you are all shocked...two posts in two days?! Definitely a record for me. :) My goal is to be much better this year, so I suppose this is my attempt at a strong beginning!

So today a group of us went to Santo Domingo (the capital) to get our residency. We were all at different stages of the process, but everything went very smoothly and all in all it was a successful day. These day trips to the capital are always funny days because it's just a lot of waiting around and not really knowing what you're doing. You just follow random people and they say, usually in words most of us don't understand, to stand here, give this to them, sign here, go there, etc., and we just kind of wander around like little ducks in a row. Silly, surprising things always seem to happen, like the day the lawyer took us to a copy machine outside under a tree...and yes, it was working.

Today was no exception for a lack of stories. Those who were at the beginning stage had to do a bunch of tests for a physical, and one was an x-ray. From the stories I hear, it was a very tiny room similar to a trailor and it was jam packed with people, in the traditional Dominican style. :) Not only was this room very small (smaller than the van we drove in that morning), but apparently the ceilings were also very short and so some of our teachers actually couldn't stand up straight inside it. So while they're waiting in this room one of the parts for the x-ray machine breaks so they have to wait even longer in this tiny, crowded room while they wait for the part to be delivered. Conveniently, it starts raining outside. Don't think sprinkles...think turential downpour. :) So no one wants to step outside, especially the Dominicans because they won't go anywhere in the rain (they swear it will make them sick) and remember, it's really hot down here. Then once they finally got the machine working people had to actually pass the x-rays from the technician to the lady at the desk because it was so crowded! It's stories like these that really categorize my funny, crazy life that I love so much. Basically, I just laugh a lot. So... after 3 days each filled with stories similar to this, I'm officially a resident!! Yay for being legal! :)

Beginning Again

Friday afternoon I got off the plane, stepped out into the 90 degree weather, and was once again surrounded by the strange familiarity of the place I've decided to call home. It truly is surreal to be back again, and I admit that I have a mix of feelings. In many ways there is so much that is right about being back, yet I am confronted from time to time with a feeling as though I don't really belong. I am still a stranger in a culture that is not my own, as I always will be here. When people ask me basic questions, I still usually respond with a confused look and a statement of "Lo siento, no entiendo," (I'm sorry, but I don't understand). And after a year, I'm still committing cultural fauxpas, even after only 2 days here! Like this morning in church I put my purse on the ground under my chair (as I usually do out of habit, apparently) and then remembered that you don't do that here. All the other ladies had their purses on their chairs. Oops! But as I get frustrated as my brain is struggling to remember the few Spanish words that I know, I think back to last year and how far I've come; how I know what to expect in many ways and how much I've learned. And as wonderful as last year was, I am glad to enter into this year with a little more wisdom, experience, and understanding under my feet. It's all a part of transitioning back, I suppose!

About a week ago I got an e-mail from my roommate informing me that our apartment had been broken into while we were gone. I was a little nervous to come back and discover what was missing, but it looks like we only lost a few really random things, like a lamp, a cell phone, and all my DVDs. We're also missing a few towels and some sheets, but we're pretty sure those weren't stolen - who would want our sheets? Haha... so we keep joking about the linen bandits. Really, though, I just feel so blessed because it could have been a lot worse! Nobody was in our apartment, all of our truly valuable things were with us, and...the stuff that was taken?....well it's all just stuff anyway. And now we have a brand new cage over our door, so we're probably safer for it. :)

It has been so great to see my friends again and catch up on the summer. I also ate some of my favorite things again, like Yogen Fruz and the most delicous mango, and that made me so happy! You haven't really eaten a mango until you've had one here. They're amazing. It's beautiful here and warm again (unlike the rest of this cold summer!), and this morning I was woken up by the sunrise over the mountains. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I pulled my mattress out into the living room because there's a great breeze out there, and when the sun woke me up I was so content. I also ran into one of my students from last year when we went for ice cream, and it was probably one of the highlights of my time here so far. All in all, it's so good to be back again and I'm getting excited about this new year to come. It really is a blessing having two homes! :)