Funny Story

Here's a second hand story from another volunteer. First some background: Foreigners, especially white foreigners, are often referred to as "Gringos" by the Dominicans. Usually we just let it go and don't get too upset about it, becuase its really not that big of a deal. Sometimes, though, usually when one is already in a bad mood, it can be irritating enough to say something about it. So when this other volunteer, Galen, was called "Gringa" by a Domincan, she explained to him that she is not a Gringa, but that she is American and is from The United States of America. This confused the Dominican, however, and prompted him to question just who the Gringos are then. Galen then explained that Gringo is a term used by Dominicans mainly to refer to white foreiners. This didn't completely get the point across, though, as the Domincan then asked, "Well then, where are the Gringos from?"

This is just another example of the lack of knowlege about the outside world that often exists on this island. Sometimes I think we take for granted that we, as decently educated people, really have a global awareness that is not prevalent everywhere else. Even a basic level of understanding, like the fact that there are no people offically known as Gringos who all come from the same place, can be a rarity. The bottom line, I suppose, is this is another instance where I have to tell myself, "that's why we're here."

I hope everyone enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend, doing things like camping, going to a lake, grilling burgers, drinking beer, watching the Indy 500 or whatever. I, of course, did none of these things. OK, I did have a little beer.