Hola mis Amigos in Los Estados Unidos

We have been here five days and have experienced so much of the Dominican Republic. My host family is lovely and cannot do enough for us! The weather has been cooler than Hagerstown, MD, yet the mosquitoes at night are an issue. I learned this the first afternoon on our tour of the campus. I looked down at my right leg and there were 6 bugs just hanging out there. I swatted each away but they got a piece of me! My legs are a mess. I now put the bug spray on each day at 4pm and before going to bed. The homes here do not have screens on the windows, so I spray them as well. My meals are divine, especially lunch because I can walk over to the restaurant that Juan Jose and Rosanna own called the House of Maria that is named after their daughter, Maria Jose. Everyday some of the students join Janet, my house mate, and I for lunch. A full plate of rice and beans with 2 pieces of chicken and fresh avocado and a beverage is three dollars! A real switch from the prices in Iceland! Rosanna makes us fresh fruit smoothies in the morning in addition to coffee and hot chocolate with cinnamon. I was not sure if I would come back 10 pounds lighter or heavier! Now I know the answer! Our 2 classes have been intense due to the fact they are ALL in Spanish. The culture course is very interesting yet hard to follow. Now I know how our ELL students feel when beginning school in the US! This is definitely developing a sensitivity on our part as teachers to our second language learners. Our class of 19 is a very diverse group! We have a Speech Pathologist, a Doctoral student, an undergraduate student from England, who is going to teach me the Arabic alphabet, a male social studies teacher from Long Island, 2 females with Dominican background and various teachers of all levels. This weekend we are off to see Santo Domingo,the capitol. There is an are called the Colonial Zone which is very old and comparable to Old San Juan. Off to read a chapter for my Graduate class and journal. Buenas Noches!