Salsa, Travel And A New Lifestyle That Inspires

OK! Screw it! Over the last weeks I have been trying to somehow write a mid-term evaluation of my internship in the Dominican Republic. Yet, I couldn’t really get my head around things. I was always changing my mind and over thinking my conclusions. Now it’s already July and my Birthday is coming up so I decided to re-arrange everything all over again. I will give you guys an overview of my internship when it is over, to have a complete picture! Period! 

The few of you who actually read my first entry about the Dominican Republic might have felt that I was a little out of spirits. True, I was really missing Korea and feeling homesick. The culture shock had struck and together with some personal family problems I was beginning to get really unhappy and lonely. When I re-read my last entry the other day, I was shocked at how negative my writing and thoughts had been. Luckily, I forced myself to get out and do things. Let me assure you that for now my adventures have turned my new life upside down, backwards, forwards and inside out again by 105.9%. So, I'd like to take this opportunity and present some of the most enjoyable things which inspired me in the last months.

#1 Salsa!

Yes, indeed, I started a Salsa class. Some of you might wonder why not Merengue, the 'national dance' of the Dominican Republic. Well, every day I came home from work, I passed by a Salsa School right next to my place. One day, I decided to check it out and entered. There were people practicing and it looked amazing, plus I liked the music and wanted to go out more because I was getting bored of all of those Mexican telenovelas on television. I am the tallest girl in town and there is no one in my class who is not at least a head shorter than me. Usually I am not bothered by my height but when learning salsa, I realized that it could be an obstacle for the man when leading me. The first two lessons were a complete disaster and I really tested the patience of my salsa teacher because I barely managed to make a turn in the right direction. Hence, and by no surprise, I felt a little out of place since I was the complete opposite of those bootylicious, sweating salsa chicks you know from Dirty Dancing. At that point my mind switched into stealth mode. When I realize that I am not good at something, I want it even more and I can get really ambitious. I am not the best, of course, but I won't give up either. Even though, I must have fulfilled my cliché as a ‘gringa’ completely, class was getting more and more fun after the first weeks. It's so different from what I remember of my last ballroom dance classes in Germany. Back then there weren't enough men in class, so I had  to replace them by dancing the male part. It really sucked. My school, SalsaCubanaRD, is the complete opposite. They even organize weekly salsa parties where you can practice your new moves. This helps me a lot because the atmosphere is relaxed and you are enjoying yourself while practicing. For now I can dance basic Cuban style salsa and some figurines!

 

If you are interested: SalsaCubanaRD has a website and a YouTube account.

#2 Travel! 

As one of my greatest passions, it was unavoidable to discover the Dominican Republic while travelling. Yet, when I asked for advice, everyone told me not to do it alone. I am not talking about ‘all inclusive’ hotel resorts where people go on vacation for two weeks and never leave the premises. No, I mean exciting individual and alternative travel. Well, if you don’t have a car, such as me, you are a lot less flexible. You either use ‘Caribe Tours’ a good local Bus Company or you look for a travel agency. Being used to superb infrastructure and good public transportation from Europe, it really bothered me not being able to catch a train and then look for the best hostel in the area and maybe meet some fascinating people along the way. On the other hand, places not being well connected must mean that they are not that touristy, I thought. Further, it is also dangerous to travel alone due to ‘atracos y deliquentes’(see my last entry). So, what are the alternatives? I found a cheap Dominican travel agency that organizes trips to different tourist hot spots in the country. They are called Skapate Tours. Don't be discouraged because something is not they way you are used to. I did met fascinating people on the way or in the Bus after all. As long as you keep an open mind and are friendly to the people, you'll be amazed by all the different characters you meet.

27 Charcos

Hidden in the mountains around Puerto Plata lies the Rio Damajagua. After a 40 minute climb up the hill, you slide, jump and swim your way back down over 27 naturally formed waterfalls through the river.

water slides formed by nature!

Beaches 

Although Santo Domingo might not be the best place to go if you are looking for fabulous white sand beaches and palm trees, a little further to the east or west you encounter these within no time.

Isla Saona (Photo's by Thea)

This cute little Island in the south-eastern part of the Dominican Republic is a government protected nature reserve. It is well known for its marvelous beaches and untouched nature.

Piscina Natural / Natural Pool

Sailing to Isla Saona!

#3 Latino Lifestyle Fiesta!

The part of me that was in culture shock when I first came here simply couldn’t handle the completely different cultural attitudes. I got so customized to Korea that I couldn’t deal with the direct temper of Dominicans. While in Korea everything has to be done ‘bali bali’ (quick, quick), people ‘REALLY’ take their time over here. For example, when I am going grocery shopping I have not yet seen any cashier who is in a hurry to rush your groceries through (maybe that is just a personal observation though). Adding to that my Spanish skills need polishing. They got better with time, however I don’t know many of the creole slang words or people simply speak as fast as the speed of light. Hence, you might understand my confusion at the beginning of my stay. At this point I like to admit that I feel completely different now. I enjoy taking my time to do things and I like the way people tell you what they want directly. When you go out to party on the weekend, you get asked to dance. Even if you don't know Merengue or Bachata people will try to teach you. As with every big city, there are spots you shouldn't go to at night, especially not alone. So if you take care of yourself and keep these things in mind, you can have the time of your life and even better.

As always, thanks for reading! Comment! And Follow me on Twitter!