Snapshots of life in the D.R. -- March 2013 - Month 21 in the D.R.

This month, instead of writing about particular experiences, I just want to take the opportunity to post some photos highlighting some fun and interesting aspects of life here in the Dominican Republic. Hopefully this will give you a little snapshot of daily life in the D.R. : )

We do laundry by putting the small plastic washer/spin-dryer in the bathtub. (So that when the water drains out of it, it doesn't pour all over the floor. If you know Anali Martin you can ask her about this washer. She's an expert. :) )  Now, why in this photo I'm washing laundry by candle-light, I'm not sure.  We do actually need to have electricity on the days we use the washer! :)  But sometimes our electricity goes out and the generator fails and then... out come the candles!

Motorcycles are the primary means of transportation for most families.  Here my little neighbor boy is trying our other neighbor's moto on for size.  Luckily his mom and I both agree -- at 6, he's still too young to drive.

But he can dream... :)

This IS a reasonable number of family members or friends to put on one moto (motorcycle.) :)

Actually, if that guy in the blue shirt didn't have that black back-pack in front of him, they could totally stick another toddler or a baby in his arms in there -- no problem.  Then again, to do that they'd have to make a new plan for the white jugs of some house-hold liquid that he appears to be carrying on both sides.

Classy women in dresses or skirts often ride side-saddle on motos, legs elegantly crossed -- for example, if they're on their way to church.  Since I'm not nearly so classy as this, I ride sitting normally, wearing jeans. :)

If you're on a moto in the rain, it's only polite to share your giant umbrella with the driver. 

And...Though it's generally sunny and hot with blue skies here in the D.R., when it does rain, it POURS!  Here you can see the sun still trying to shine down on the little yellow church where we were holding our field clinic in Negro Melo in January 2013. But wow -- look at those black storm crowds rolling in and taking over!  The guy standing on the chair on this side of the church is quickly tightening the ropes on the tarp over the waiting area as the wind begins to blow and the rain starts to fall.

Here in the D.R. it can be sunny with blue skies on one side of a building, and pouring down rain with black sky like this on the other.  This has happened at my house a number of times.
The storms roll in  -- and often back out - pretty fast. The strength of the rainstorms here is wonderful. They bring a brief respite from the heat, and the drops drum like music on the tin roofs. The power of the downpours definitely make me pause to think about the unparalleled strength of their Creator!