Samana!

Friday afternoon, I left for a 3-day weekend trip to Samana with Kelsey, a teacher at my school, and her friend April, who is a nurse with Students International in Santiago. April has a SUV, so we were lucky enough to be able to drive there-- it took us about 3 1/2 hrs to get there. April found a really nice and clean hotel, with air conditioning and wi-fi. Ah, priorities!! :-D

Saturday morning we found a restaurant to have breakfast, and our plan for the day was to go to the Bridge to Nowhere, and then go whale watching in the afternoon.

The bridge...

 The view from the bridge.... 

The view from afar... the bridge we walked across.... 

I don't have any pictures of what it looked like once we crossed the bridge, but you climbed up stairs and walked along a path there as well.

We made our way back to the main part of town, and headed out for whale watching.... 

It was really hard to get pictures of the whales, b/c they were farther away, and they moved really fast. We did see one baby whale breech-- which they come up out of the water, and saw a fin, but the rest of the time, we just saw the tops of them. It was still really awesome to see them up close. We were out on the water for about 4 hours. The tour was very informational, with giving a lot of acts about the whales-- in English, Spanish, French and German!

After we got back, we were pretty exhausted-- ate dinner at a restaurant, and headed back to the hotel. 

Sunday, we left around 9ish to go to Salto Limon waterfall, which is the tallest waterfall in the Dominican Republic. There are a couple of different paths (shorter and longer) to get there, but we took about a 45 minute path/hike up/down to get there. I didn't seem to take many pictures along the way, but it had a lot of pretty views along the way. 

We saw a smaller version of a waterfall along the way...

And these were some of the stairs going down, when we were really close to the waterfall (it was only when we got close that we actually had stairs.) 

And then we were finally rewarded for our trek...

By the end of the hike, my shoes were covered with mud-- and I thankfully had brought a pair of flip-flops to cross some of the water areas. We went back to the hotel briefly, and looked for a beach that we were going to go to, along with eating dinner there. Kelsey found Playa Anadel...

I had the best fish ever, and then afterwards we decided to go for a walk....

The pictures don't quite show all the rocks that I/we had to climb over, -- but it was not a sandy beach to walk on.....

When we finally got to the end (about 30-45ish min there), there was an absolutely gorgeous view...

 For me, it was an absolutely HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT that I did not hurt myself climbing over the rocks, and wading through the rocks, especially with my flip-flops that I wearing (I was wearing Adidas ones that were spongy and when I walked in the water, they were weighted down...). I've never been the most limber/coordinated person in the world, and the entire way I was praying, Please don't let me hurt myself!!!  :-P
Needless to say, by the end of that, I was completely exhausted, but felt very accomplished for doing that!!
Monday morning we drove back, and stopped at 2 dams along the way. One of the dams was called Hatillo, and the other I forgot to write down. Some more pretty views...

Can't have a complete trip without a pic of a cow.... :-D 

All in all, I had a lot of fun, and it was awesome to see new parts of the country--- though today (and I was yesterday as well), I'm pretty sore from all the hiking I did!

On a slightly different note, I'm still working on the whole Amazon thing.. It's still not resolved... ;-( 

The Saga That Never Ends

In the saga that never ends, I called Amazon on Monday, b/c I was still getting emails from the seller's account-- and also from people that had ordered shoes. In all, (I think) they sold 9 pairs of shoes!! I asked them to delete the seller's account-- one of the ladies told me to go to the seller's account and delete my account there, but I get a Chinese symboled page... She asked me if I could change the language to English... Um, all the symbols/letters are Chinese. I can't exactly change it to English!! They couldn't delete the seller's account, b/c there were charges on it. I asked them to just delete my whole Amazon account, and they couldn't do that either, b/c of the seller's charges!!! Needless to say, it is beyond frustrating. They're investigating, and I'm just waiting to hear. I got another email from a buyer wanting to know where their shoes are, but I'm not about to reply to them.... I was on the phone with Bank of America for 45 minutes today (20 of them being on hold...) b/c they said they needed to contact me. I had them mail my card to my Florida address, and b/c of the different address than my mailing address, they have to verify it. I understand they have to go through all these measures, but I was transferred 5 times just to get it all figured out!!!

February

After getting a few suspicious emails from Amazon, Wed night I tried to login to my account to change my password-- I then discovered that they could not find my account... there was an email address ending in 163.com, and I figured out that my account had been hacked. I called Amazon Thursday morning, while also checking my credit card, and discovered that I had 2 transactions on my card that were not mine. :-( They took the card off the account, and are working on restoring my Amazon account. I took an Uber home from school Thursday morning to get my credit card, and as we were turning the corner, discovered that I had forgotten my apt keys! So, we went back to the school, and I came home and got my card. Returned to school, spent several minutes trying to find a number where I could get a hold of someone... finally they answered, and waited 15 minutes to talk to someone, and then another 30 minutes going through the process of getting a new card, and getting the charges off my account! When I got home from tutoring I downloaded 3 different programs, and finally got a malware remover- to check my computer.... and I thought everything was fine... S Though it was a pure coincidence where I got two emails from Paypal-- and thought that they were fake-- I tried to login to my Paypal account with what I thought was my login/password-- did the recovery password reset, and then couldn't login. I called Paypal and they said everything was fine with my account! Friday night I called Amazon, b/c I couldn't get on the account- the 1st phone call got me on the account, and they told me to reply to the seller account and tell them I didn't want them. When they sent me a reply email account, it said to click on the link for seller headquarter's and I got a Chinese symboled tab that opened! Called Amazon  back, and while I was on the phone I clicked on the seller's link and I got a Chinese symboled page again! Evidently they can't close the seller's account, b/c they are investigating it. Long story short, I won't be using Amazon for a very long time!! I did another malware scan and AVG scan and my computer came up clean, so I think my computer is okay.

On the school front, Paula and I have settled into our new schedules, and I've been helping with her in figuring out the SST protocols and routines. Fridays are still probably the most chaotic days with having Reading Tests for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade, but I do have her help with the 3rd grade tests, so that has been a big blessing! The SST department is always trying to improve itself, and we're talking about next year, and being able to provide the support to our students, with the staff that we have.
Thursday and Friday the student's do not have school, while we have inservices at school Thursday and Friday morning. Monday we don't have school for the DR Independence Day. Plans are still coming, but I think that I'm going north for the long weekend....

I've been continuing to tutor at Leonela's 4 days a week Monday through Thursday with 6 students preschool, Kinder, and a 5th grader. I've gotten pretty proficient with using Uber, with having to take it from school and home those days. Though I think I have found a parent at my school that picks up her students late enough for me to leave school on Mondays and Wednesdays, so that will at least help with having to take Uber so much. Besides being at SCS, working with Leonela has pushed me professionally as well, b/c they have been multiple occasions where she has asked me about a student, or I've helped her with something, that I have to do research in trying to figure it out. Or I've had to remember something I've learned/used to help her. After I finished my Master's, I said I would never do any more schooling, but this past year has actually made me want to pursue my Doctorate in Special Education. I started researching schools, and I would have to do an online degree, which limits my options. I found Liberty University in Virginia that I'm fairly certain that I would want to do my degree with.... It's just a matter of making the jump of doing it... and not cringing when thinking about the debt of graduate school... My previous degrees are all paid for, and I'm fortunate to not have any debt except my car loan. So, we'll see...

2nd Semester Changes

Since coming back from Christmas break, there's been some major changes in my schedule and student's that I work with... along with me adding tutoring after school at my friend Leonel'a school Monday thru Thursday, which involves me not getting home till 7 every night. As a result, I definitely have more to keep me occupied.. and busy!
We had 2 para's leave the SST program at the end of the semester-- one that moved to the States, and the other that took over for the Spanish Teacher that was also moving back to the States as well. Those exits made changes in hiring an additional SST teacher that works in Elementary with me, (who was a student teacher here last semester), Everg, the para who I shared my room with, moving to the other SST building, and taking over online classes. I was sharing the Elementary caseload with another SST teacher, but with the changes, Paula and I now have all the Elementary students. It's been great having Paula, but I do miss seeing Everg every day, as she and I have become very good friends. To help with training Paula, she and I are sharing the schedule, and it has resulted in me doing push-in's, so I get to be in the classrooms with my students-- where as before I was only doing pull-outs.
Last Monday I started tutoring at my friend Leonela's school, Leo's Endless Opportunities. Leonela runs a 3-5yr old preschool, as well as doing homework help and remedial tutoring. I'm tutoring 3 preschool/K students for 30 minutes on M/W from about 4-6;30, and T/Th I'm tutoring a 5th grader for an hr, a K and preschooler for 30 minutes till 6:30-- I use Uber to go there and home, so I've gotten pretty good at using them! I need to keep a journal telling about my "travels," because I've had some interesting drives with the driver's not knowing where they're going or getting lost. LOL It has made for long days, b/c I leave my house at 6:20 a.m. and don't get home till 7:00 P.M.!
I am also trying to finish my taxes, which has been another new experience. I received an extension for them -- I couldn't finish them until January (something about a residency thing- it's still kinda confusing for me!) When I went to finish them last week, I couldn't find my 2015 tax return that I had started-- I could only start my 2016 return. I found out that the H&R Block offices have been closed until Monday, so I have to wait until then to try and get any help with figuring out what to do....
The mornings have been cool enough that I need a jacket every morning when I leave. I'm still hot-blooded enough though, that I haven't needed it once I've gotten to school-- but there was one day after I got back from break that I needed a sweatshirt after I got home from school!

The Backpack Saga

So, yesterday after school I took an Uber (car service) to Bravo grocery store. I got my groceries, and then took a taxi that was parked at Bravo (which I've done a million times before) to my apartment. I got up to my apartment with my groceries, and was going to get my tablet out of my back pack when I realized, I don't have my backpack here. It's in the taxi!! I had thought of, "It's gone. Can't get it back." I messaged my friend what had happened, and she said-- Go back to Bravo! So I quickly called an Uber to go back to Bravo (and that's always when it feels like it's taking foreeeeever.). I went back to Bravo, and with my Google Translated message, showed the taxi driver (the car I took wasn't there) my message, and he said he would help me. There were other taxi drivers standing around the parking lot-so he asked them if they knew where he was, and also through the walkie-talkie. My friend had also mentioned that there are video camera's there, so they can check that as well to see which one was there. I mentioned video and after awhile (all of this in jumbled Spanish and hand motions), they said they had found him, and my understanding was that he was coming there. I stood and waited with 3 of the taxi drivers. And twice I asked them with Google translate if he was coming (b/c I still wasn't entirely sure). They used Google translate with Spanish, but it wasn't exactly translating accurate (lost in translation). Somehow through the process I figured out that one of the drivers who was helping me, wanted to take me to him. So I got in the taxi with him. We turned out of the parking lot, and he had been trying to use his phone, but the battery was dead, so he wrote the number on a card, and wanted me to dial it, while he called him. There was no answer, but he continued driving-- we drove about 5ish minutes to another area where there were a whole bunch of taxi drivers waiting. I figured he was there, but the taxi driver said to where there, b/c he was coming. Less than 5 minutes later, the taxi driver pulled up with my backpack!!! I had mentioned to them that I had my Tablet in there, so even before I took it, both of them said to check to make sure it was there, and it was. The taxi driver that had driven me there took me back to my apartment-- and I paid him a lot extra for what he had done! B/c he didn't have to drive me-- he very well could have just made me wait for me to come.
Only in the DR.... Crisis averted. Lesson learned!!!

Rain, Rain, Rain

With living and teaching in the Midwest, I was guaranteed to have a few snow days every year. With living in the Caribbean, it is a bit different to be getting hurricane or 'rain days.' Last year the Dominican Republic was having a drought, and we were praying for rain. This year we're having torrential rains, and we're praying for the rains to stop. The area where I live in Santiago (and also our school) has not been affected much by the rains-- though there are a lot of people with leaky roofs, and b/c of the dampness, there is mold that has started to appear in some apartments. In other areas of the country, and some that are even on the outskirts of the city, there is massive flooding, mudslides, and many people are displaced from their homes. There will probably be more repercussions from all the rain, later as well.
Monday we didn't have school b/c of the rains that had been affecting the area-- the schools were closed, but b/c we have an Accreditation Team here, the staff came to school for the morning. A Team of several school personnel (from Caribbean countries and also a Supt. from the U.S.) were here visiting from Sunday through Wednesday, which is a pretty exhaustive process that is done every five years. There are a lot of preparations that have to be done beforehand, even a year in advance, and then they come to observe the staff/campus and interview the community, teachers, staff, parent's, and student's.
We had a few days relief from the rain Tuesday through Thursday, but then starting last night it started raining again. It has been raining almost all day today. With having an outdoor campus, it does make it somewhat difficult for teacher's and student's. There's never been more of a need to make sure you have an umbrella! Just walking to Specials (Computer, P.E., Art, Music, etc.) or lunch can be a feat with the rain, b/c the classes have to walk outside in the rain. With days like today, the Specials Teacher's have gone to the classes, which makes it safer. Everything is wet here, and with all the tile, it makes it a lot easier to slip and fall. It's things like that you wouldn't ever think of being a issue. It has also been weeks since student's have been able to have soccer practice, b/c the fields have never been dry enough to play. The people that are from here have said they have never seen it rain like this ever before. Please pray for Santiago and the country, as this has affected many, and will affect them for a very long time to come, especially the economy with the crops and buildings. Our school nurse has given us warnings of being watchful of our tap water as well, when it comes to brushing our teeth or cooking with it. We have never been able to drink the water, but with all the rain that has come, it could affect the safety of the tap water in other ways.

Every year it seems that October is the 'magic' time, when the chaos at school slows down, and things start to fall into place. It's when schedules start to become more consistent, and you start to have an idea of what you're doing. Many times I've found myself saying-- Can I just fast-forward to October??? With Special Education/SST, it is very common to have your students more than one year, which is a really nice thing. You get to know your students, and it seems like that 2nd year you're able to prepare for them, and know exactly what you're doing with them-- and their skill level. When you have a new student and you don't know them, or how they learn, it takes a period of time to figure out what strategies/curriculum programs are best for them. And also, b/c my time with them during the day is usually relatively short (30-60 min), it takes awhile to get to know them personally. For some student's, being out of their classroom, and having to go work with another teacher they don't know very well is intimidating. So for some of my student's I have to spend several weeks/months getting to know them on a personal level-- what they're interested in, in order to have them respond to what I ask them to do. For some student's it's really easy. For other's, it takes sometimes a long time to break their "shell" and see their true personality. This year I have only 2 returning student's from last year, so it's been a bit of a learning curve getting to know my students.

This year I have found myself struggling a bit, with having the distance of being away so far from my family. In the past I've lived 7 hrs away from my family, but it was always within manageable driving distance to see them. My family has been having some health issues, which has made it hard to be here away from them-- and not being able to see them makes me feel a bit helpless-- though I know that God is watching over them. A few weeks ago my dad, who is a rancher, was kicked by a cow, and fell and tore his hamstring/tendon in 3 places. He was out in the pasture, 20 miles from town, when it happened, and thankfully, there were several other people there with him. The Dr thought that he was going to have to have surgery to fix it- b/c the muscle was away from the bone-- but a 2nd Dr said that he wouldn't need it, and instead would just have a brace and crutches for it to heal. 5 years ago my dad was mauled by a bull and he broke 6 ribs, fractured his sternum, had 2 punctured lungs-- was in the ICU for over a week, and in the hospital for almost 2 weeks. He thankfully recovered from that,-- but with going through something like that before-- and then having this happen-- it makes you think about the past. He has slowly been healing, and has noticed improvements every day.