I’d like to share with you a recent survey I just completed for the Peace Corps DR’s bi-annual magazine called the Grinto Grita. Each finishing volunteer has the opportunity to submit this in the hopes their legacy and/or thoughts/ideas will live on in the memories of younger volunteers who read the much anticipated magazine with vigor. I’ve edited this version for understandability to the friends and family back home but the unedited version comes out next week!
Name: Bronwen “Bea” Raff
Nicknames: Tiguerasa, Lambona, Bolera, Chapiadora
Where are you from in Nueba Yol?: Potato country
Site location: Underrated beachfront property on the farthest forgotten corner in the northwest
Program: Health
Project assignment: Create and graduate a women and youth group, then make them sustainable
Project reality: Everything but the kitchen sink: Concerned community member, doña whisperer, compartir superhero, test kitchen for doñafood, tiguere trainer, token guest weddings, baptisms and funerals, first aid/sex-ed/aerobics/English teacher, crazy condom-giving blondie and stove building master.
Most useful thing brought into country: Transition lenses and my deep knowledge of Dominican culture from SB 2k11 #integrated
Least useful thing brought into country: A solar shower and clothes for a two-year camping trip
Best "I-know-I'm-in-Peace-Corps-
I felt most integrated into Dominican culture when: When I could sit comfortably in silence for hours, tell which plastic chairs were high quality, eat cow foot without gagging, rock a crop top and litter casually.
Most memorable illness or injury: That time after Thanksgiving 2013 when I needed an extra day at the Yu for medical purposes and begged six people to stay with me in the world’s smallest single room for moral support only to find out later that my technical diagnosis was “dry eyes.”
Most Dominican habit you’ll take home with you: Wearing vibrant combinations of leggings, crop tops and lipstick. Saying fuakety, fua,cla, waa and pran to tell animated stories. WhatsApping Jesus quotes, turning up my music way too loud, saying GOD BLESS YOU and GREETINGS to full rooms and buses, drinking road sodas, giving candy to children and taking rides from strangers...oh, wait, half of these are illegal in America.
Most beautiful place in country: 1) El Moro, Montecristi: because it’s our own private beach and where I learned to love my bffs Julie, Andy and Lauren. 2) Top of Pico Duarte: even in the rain at 5am without being able to see ten feet ahead, making it to the top of the 79thhighest mountain in the Carribbean is a beautiful thing. 3) Whale watching in Samana because even though it’s a slow sport, any time I’m in a boat with Grel, good things happen. 4) The red bridge in Santiago: because it means I’m going to Dante’s house 5) Anywhere in a private vehicle with air conditioning because this whole island is one big paradise!
Most creative way you killed time in site: Plucked my eyebrows, adopted a “daughter” and spent months curing her insatiable case of lice, snorkeled in the reef, gossiped with my doñas, voice-noted Chaz/Grel/Andyx2/Jessie/Sofia/
Best transportation story: It was the night I should have died. I was on the 25A bus route on my second week in country and realized we were not on a 10B bus route and wouldn’t be able to get off at the gas station because the bus was heading up the overpass, not under. So, only two days after learning that you can scream “LEAVE ME HERE” to get off a bus I tried it out in the middle of four lanes of traffic at 10pm. Everyone on the bus said, “ARE YOU SURE WHITE GIRL?” and I replied, “¡YES, STOP!” which was, of course, in the middle of traffic on the freeway in the dark. No one on the bus thought I’d make it through the night, but I’m still here!
What Spanish word or phrase have you made up during your service and what does it mean?: When I don’t know the correct tense or ending, I mumble really hard so I sound like an unintelligible native and no one notices I actually have no idea what I’m saying.
How have you changed during your service?: Physically: I’ve got better flow, shave my legs and wear lipstick. I can wiggle really good and my butt jiggles more. Practically: I’m better at sweeping, killing spiders, reading and speaking Spanish. I spend less time washing my hair and more time drinking coffee #priorities Personally: I can take on the world baby!
If your service were a book, what would its title be?: Tigueraje for Dummies.
What are the top three books, TV shows, movies, podcasts, or other media you would recommend?: Books: My Beloved World by Sonia Sotamayor, Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg, TV: The Mindy Project, House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. Podcasts: Serial, Yoga Downloads and the Ted Radio Hour.
What are you glad you did here?: From the top: 1) Made my mistakes in Community Based Training 2) Embraced country Spanish 3) Did a 30-day challenge to stay in site (twice) 4) Made Dominican best friends 5) Grew to love children 6) Started a secondary project that fulfilled me and not just my Peace Corps requirements 7) Ate fried cheese when I wanted to 8) Climbed Pico Duarte 9) Became “pure Dominican” and 10) Blogged It Home.
What do you wish you had done here?: Got notches cut out of my eyebrows, learned all the words to the Dominican National Anthem (not just half), tried harder to convince my family to visit and learned to cook rice and beans.
What will you miss six months from now?: The endless music, dancing and drinking. The confidence and flow of a tiguere and dressing like a tiguera. Fried bananas and fried cheese as an acceptable and nutritious meal. The predictability of Dominicans. My beach, my family, my people, my communities, my daughter, Gissaury. The concept of greeting people, giving things and sharing time as legitimate ways to spend a day of work.
What will you appreciate more six months from now: I will appreciate a dating population that has teeth and can read, AC, dishwashers, kale, being able to drink shower water and using something other than bug spray for perfume.
Advice to a new volunteer: Unlock your iPhone and get Whatsapp ASAP. Perform at the Thanksgiving talent show. If it’s tasty, enjoy it. Go to the salon often and always bring a beer. Get fake nails at least once. Learn to dance salsa. Love this country with all your might! Build your self-confidence and take risks because there’s no better time and place to do it. Don’t become stuck-up or checked-out – kick ass ‘til the end. Appreciate the moments when you transition from surviving to living to loving your life here!!!
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