Ahh, here is my second of four blog posts with some fun tidbits about the DR. This post is dedicated to the things that are 'different' from life in the U.S. Enjoy!
Watch out boys and girls! It's Shel with a machete!
I do my own laundry in a bucket, then hang them on the line to dry. We cannot flush toilet paper (I forgot once and had to fish it out, ha!), there are no hot water showers, but that is a relief because it's so hot here. The electricity goes out almost every day (a very common occurence), which means no water – sometimes halfway through a shower when I've just shampooed! It's funny though – the electricity went out in the grocery store and everyone just kept right on shopping in the dark…
Milk here is all powdered, so we have to boil water and pour it in the mix, then let it cool overnight. Traffic laws are virtually non-existent, yet everyone seems to abide by a strange code of ethics. One-lane roads become four-lane roads, and people drive where they want and pull out when they want. Motorbike taxis are very common. I have seen FOUR people on one motorcycle – including a woman holding a baby!
Everything is an instrument, and every person is involved in singing with a tambourine, shaker, or clap!
Street vendors are more common than 'stores.' I have seen vendors with phone cards, avocados, pineapples, computer chargers, empanadas and sa-chi-chi's (like corn dogs), Coca-Cola, and even toilet paper. They walk down the streets and people come out of their homes or make a transaction out of the car window. Talk about convenience! Who needs a trip to the store when your local street vendor can provide you soap & tp?
