tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6521138567272279602024-03-17T05:28:56.006-04:00What about your saucepans?"The adventures of an expat in the Dominican Republic"Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.comBlogger323125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-5204804194076962212019-11-29T16:22:00.000-04:002019-11-29T16:22:10.813-04:00Birthday monthAnother busy month. November is the month of birthdays. Mine is on the 19th and Danilo's on the 24th. For the last few years we have done nothing on our birthdays, in fact we have also been known to totally forget them! However, this year the date, 19th November was in the diary as Danilo was due in court in Puerto Plata on the north coast, for the murder trial. I also had to go to act as interpreter for the client. At the last hearing the judge ruled that as the client did not have a Dominican identity card, she obviously couldn't speak Spanish. Conversely those that have a DR identity card, <i>cedula,</i> obviously can speak Spanish. There is zero logic in this, but hey ho, I was the appointed interpreter.<br />
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So we set off at 5 am, and made it to Puerto Plata with no hiccups. All hearings are given the same time to appear, which is 9am, and you check the list outside the courtroom to see what number you are on the list, to give you some idea what time you will go in. We weren't on the list. On checking, Danilo discovered that they had rescheduled and not told us. The hearing was now moved to December 10. Obviously it was more than a little annoying, but I couldn't be too cross, as the client had brought me mushrooms as a birthday present, and her friend bought me a massive bottle of rum.<br />
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Danilo had to wait for some paperwork, so I took the opportunity to go over the road to Jumbo international supermarket, and spend the birthday money mum had sent me. On entering, my brain injury came to the fore as I was completely overwhelmed, and had no idea what to do, standing in the middle of the shop, trying to work out what to do. Eventually I sorted myself out, and within no time at all I was in paradise. Real steak (to go with the mushrooms), baking potatoes, dips, pitta bread, real cheese, real bread. In addition, I met a lady there who had brought me horseradish, bisto and spices from England. And to top it all, on the way back home, we stopped at Maimon, and Danilo bought me a fish for my birthday!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birthday presents</td></tr>
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The next few days he was away, working on more cases so I stuffed my face with baked potatoes, slathered in real butter and horseradish, rare steak and cream pepper sauce, and a pile of mushrooms. Pure heaven and a total change from mashed plantains and a tin of sardines.<br />
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As you know, we have no car, not had for a year or so, but stepson number 2, Alberto has one, so we borrow that when we need to go off on legal work, and usually stepson 1, Dany drives. This is what we went to Puerto Plata in. I sit in the back, naturally, but it is very uncomfortable as someone wanted to make the car higher off the ground, so it didn't hit the speed bumps, and took out the shock absorbers I think. Anyway, the end effect is you bounce all over the place sitting in the back which makes for a very uncomfortable ride. Add to that the radio blaring at full volume - at least it is the news and not terrible music, telephones pinging every two minutes ,and the usual scary Dominican driving, overall it is not an experience I enjoy at all.<br />
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Danilo was due to leave to go to Santo Domingo a couple of weeks ago, at night, and Alberto was on the way to pick him up, when he hit a cow. The cow bounced onto the bonnet, hit the windscreen, slid over the roof, bounced off the boot and fell off. It sat dazed for a while then got up and ran off. The car is damaged but driveable, although the windscreen is cracked. The journey was delayed while Danilo went to where the car was and the search began for the owner of the cow, who legally, has to pay for the damage to the car. He was eventually spotted and hauled to the police station, along with the cow, to discuss the settlement.<br />
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Then this week, we had another court case to go to, and once again I was the interpreter. This one was in Gaspar Hernandez, even further away, on roads which were even bouncier. We had planned to leave at 5am but Dany arrived early in the car, as we had to go and pick up Alberto's father in law and take him to the bus stop to go to Santiago as he had hurt his leg. On the way to pick him up we had a puncture and had to change the tyre, so it was all a tad stressful until we got well on our way. Dany uses Google maps and listens to the instructions, so it is now much easier not to get lost.<br />
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We arrived at the court house well before 9, and sat outside on the ubiquitous plastic chairs until eventually our turn came at around noon. Danilo was the lawyer for the victim, and I was translating for the victim, but the defense lawyer asked for me to be removed, as how did he know I was translating properly. Danilo said it was because he didnt want the victim to know what was being said! Anyway, the judge disagreed with him, so I stayed, and stayed and stayed. The supposedly 10 minute hearing went on for over an hour, and at last it was over, and once again the case went in our favour. Danilo hasn't lost a hearing yet.<br />
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He was then off to Santo Domingo again,it was agreed to drop me off in Santiago, from where I could get two buses home. This time, he said he knew how to use Google maps and he could set it up rather than Dany. We needed to get to what we call the <i>rotunda </i> in Santiago, which means roundabout. It is where the buses for Mao leave from, and there used to be a roundabout there, many years ago, but it is now traffic lights. For some reason we seemed to end up going around and around Santiago, until we realised that Danilo had put in the location as <i>rotunda</i> and nothing else, so Google was sending us to every roundabout there was. Hey ho. Eventually I made it home.<br />
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And finally, I have read three great memoirs this month. All about Africa and all by the same author, Val Poore. I really recommend these, she has a great writing style and I had no idea Africa was the same as the DR in so many ways. Shouting not speaking, friendly and helpful people, issues with water and electricity. Excellent books, and it has increased my knowledge of South Africa by loads.<br />
They are all available on Amazon and would make a great Christmas present!<br />
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-54823268560104383772019-10-24T14:14:00.002-04:002019-10-24T14:14:57.361-04:00Lindsay the ParalegalIt has been a busy couple of months. As Danilo is now a fully fledged lawyer, he is working on lots of cases, and making court appearances, together with his all important pom pom hat. This is a picture of him about to go into the courtroom in Puerto Plata.<br />
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Many of the cases he is working on involve expats, and so I find myself working as a paralegal, explaining everything to the clients, and acting as a bridge between the two, collecting evidence and statements, translating documents in Spanish to English for the clients, so I can add the role of paralegal to my job description.<br />
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When foreigners go to court in the Dominican Republic, by law, if they do not speak good Spanish, they are entitled to a legal interpreter. However, there are few legal interpreters around, and although the court pays them, it is a paltry US$20 a day more or less, plus, they have to wait months and months to be paid. Hence, they often state they are too busy to attend, especially if they can earn more elsewhere on that particular day. But if the hearing date comes around, and there is no interpreter, or they were booked but then don't turn up, the hearing is cancelled and another date set, which can be very frustrating.<br />
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Some courts allow the expat to bring their own interpreter, but the interpreters usually charge US$100 for the day. If Danilo is the expat's lawyer, then he offers me free as part of the package! So on top of my other work, I now operate as a free interpreter for the cases Danilo is handling.<br />
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As well as working hard as a secretary/paralegal, I am also getting on with book 3, which has good days and bad days, depending on my memory, but is around two thirds written now – well the first draft. I am pleased with the way it is going, so I hope you enjoy it when it comes out – eventually!<br />
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As I think I have mentioned before, I am a member of the We Love Memoirs Facebook group, and I will be in the Spotlight on this coming Sunday, 27 October. This means that from 9 in the morning until around 6 or 7 at night, I will be answering any questions the members want to ask me. I did it a couple of years ago, and it was great fun. If you would like to join in, or just listen to the conversation then you can become a member <a href="https://web.facebook.com/groups/welovememoirs/" target="_blank">here</a>. It is a lovely group, with great conversation and lots of free memoirs to be won as well.<br />
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We are still in avocado season at the moment, and look at these two whoppers we had.<br />
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A German PhD student came to stay for a week to interview the locals about getting old in the Dominican Republic, as her PhD is on retirees in the Dominican Republic and she wanted to understand how the locals approach retirement and whether it was different from the expat viewpoint. She interviewed all of my neighbours and each one gave her gift of something.<br />
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These avocados were one of the gifts, and she left them for us. Having eaten them, and they were delicious, I am hoping the pits will sprout and grow and in 10 years or so we should have a tree!<br />
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Finally, the animals are all fine, and Grumpy Grace, the mangy boxer pup who turned up here nearly a year ago now, is now into selfies!<br />
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-86366558807128760852019-09-15T11:08:00.000-04:002019-09-15T11:08:07.671-04:00The sad sad tale of the Guatemalan worry doll<br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">When I was in the UK for Christmas last year, my mother gave me, as one of
my Christmas presents, a Guatemalan worry doll. I had zero idea what it was – a
tiny tiny doll, in a little sack, and the message on it said that you put it under
your pillow at night, and it takes away all of your worries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">On returning home, I put it in the beside drawer and forgot all about it
for a few months. Then I found it and did some research.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Worry dolls (<i>Muñeca quitapena</i> in Spanish) are small, hand-made dolls that
originate from Guatemala. According to legend, Guatemalan children tell their
worries to the worry dolls, placing them under their pillow when they go to bed
at night. They then sleep peacefully through the night, and in the morning,
their worries have gone. You are then supposed to caress the doll, as it now
has your worries, and if you caress it, it stops it being in pain due to your
worries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The story of the worry doll is a local Mayan legend. The origin of the <i>Muñeca
quitapena</i> refers to a Mayan princess named Ixmucane. The princess received a
special gift from the sun god that allowed her to solve any problem a human
could worry about. The worry doll represents the princess and her wisdom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The worry dolls are made of wire, wool and colorful textile leftovers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The face is usually made of cotton, or
cardboard or clay. They are usually dressed in traditional Mayan style, clothes
made with wool or <i>aguayo</i>, a traditional Guatemalan cloth ,and the size of the
dolls can vary between ½ inch to 2 inches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixxQFRACGZqxtH_wudj20TCwGCNT8f6mSccZKoar3CL-u4fdk8p9YnU8ykJUuGHXmyaTg96tyjOYB7oELPn_Xb8se66fIlI8GsYi1ZcOMnGecuT0Q50y02RYCkG2HJgY1_E_mw3zDb_M/s1600/guatamalendoll3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjixxQFRACGZqxtH_wudj20TCwGCNT8f6mSccZKoar3CL-u4fdk8p9YnU8ykJUuGHXmyaTg96tyjOYB7oELPn_Xb8se66fIlI8GsYi1ZcOMnGecuT0Q50y02RYCkG2HJgY1_E_mw3zDb_M/s1600/guatamalendoll3.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">The dolls are usually kept in bags, mine was in a tiny sack, or some are in
boxes, and they often come in boxes of 6, one for each day of the week,
allowing rest time, to get over the worries they have absorbed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXwsO9Zfn7K0dBEVAlxXvXxLfQpu9yAiD4toV-76o5xzNMXx6CGDG064q2qGu_RIAs-1EZz4Jxq26VJoA9MF3X-seAW8JerG-B06bjPeUXWUW33B3Gn9e9Nf66dIvKcmdk7ZvXhvtBzI/s1600/guatamalendoll1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="349" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXwsO9Zfn7K0dBEVAlxXvXxLfQpu9yAiD4toV-76o5xzNMXx6CGDG064q2qGu_RIAs-1EZz4Jxq26VJoA9MF3X-seAW8JerG-B06bjPeUXWUW33B3Gn9e9Nf66dIvKcmdk7ZvXhvtBzI/s320/guatamalendoll1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">They usually come with the following instructions:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Concentrate on your concerns or problems when you go to bed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Tell the doll what you want them to take away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Put the doll under the pillow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">Caress the doll’s tummy a few times so that your sorrows don’t hurt it, and
in the morning, they’ll have disappeared!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">So, I decided to
give it a go, and unbelievably I had night after night of worry free sleep. Not that I worry a lot, but any worries I do have, appear much worse at 2 am.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Then, I went back
to England, to help mum after her operation, and on my return, Danilo seemed as
if he was trying to tell me something and then stopped. In the end, he came out
with it. He told me he didn’t know how to tell me this, but when I was in
England he was convinced I would die, or the plane would crash. I asked why on
earth he thought that, and he said someone was trying to kill me (for a change!).
He had cleaned all of the upstairs of the house, and washed the sheets on all
of the beds and had discovered a voodoo doll under my pillow, which looked exactly like me. He had carried
out extensive investigations and he could not find who had put it there, and hence,
he had no idea who was trying to kill me. But, he had burned the doll, so he
was sure the spell was now broken.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Adios, my beloved
Guatemalan worry doll. Rest in Peace. Back to sleepless nights for me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-91380717361691408862019-08-31T12:13:00.001-04:002019-08-31T12:13:23.409-04:00Sorry for the delayI know it has been months since I blogged, but really it isn't my fault. It is the fault of my brain! I am still having issues, and one of them is an inability to concentrate for a long period of time, and I can't multi task. I knew I should blog, but couldn't bring myself to do it, so just kept putting it off. Anyway here is the long awaited update!<br />
<br />
First, and most important, I have started writing book 3. It has been a slow process as writing is not coming as easily as it did before, and it is hard to write a memoir when you can't remember what happened! What I am now doing is not forcing it, just writing when I feel like it, and when I remember things, I write about them. This means it is pretty disjointed but I will pull it all together later - hopefully not too much later.<br />
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I have just returned from England, where I went as my 87 year old mother had a hip replacement a month or so ago. My sister took the first shift of a couple of weeks, and then I did the second shift, arriving back home in the DR yesterday. It's a long journey, as I have to get to Punta Cana in the east of the island first, which takes a day on 3 buses, then I spent overnight with a friend and then flew out the following day. Next step is to get a train up to near mother's house, where my aunt and uncle came to pick me up. It was lovely to be back in England again, where I ate like a horse, but also had to do the things which mum can't do, like washing dishes, pushing the trolley round the supermarket, washing and ironing. But it was still a lovely time, although my brain did funny things as usual. Mother told me that bottles go in the blue bin, which is the recycling bin (there is a green bin for garden rubbish and food, and a grey bin for everything else). Idiot me put a bottle of wine in the blue bin, which was half full of wine as brain computed bottles go in blue bin, not bottles go in blue bin WHEN THEY ARE EMPTY. Also we met up with lots of family members at a funeral, and I greeted my cousin by name, no problem, but I called his wife of 30 years by the name of his first wife. Ooops! I still forget words in both languages but a new symptom is that I have also started using totally the wrong word. For example if I need to go to the shop I say "Just popping out to the cheesecake" or something equally daft.<br />
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Still, all my mishaps are not life threatening, so fingers crossed things will slowly improve.<br />
<br />
The journey back was even longer as I boarded the train at 6.40 am, meaning getting up at the crack of dawn, and 20 minutes into the journey I had a message from British Airways to say the flight had been delayed by 3 hours. Deep joy not. But we were given vouchers for lunch. £5 for sheep class people, which was me, and £10 if you were in higher classes - obviously they have to eat better than the plebs. Given that a bottle of water was £2.50, there was not a lot left for food. Following 6 hours in Gatwick's non-smoking departure lounge we boarded, only to wait for another hour and then the pilot announced the plane was late as they were trying to fix the water - they couldn't and there was none. No tea or coffee and no water in the toilets, which meant the stewardesses handed out bottles of water each time someone used the loos. I did get a message on my phone when we landed saying sorry. So that's all right then.<br />
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The big news is that Danilo has been sworn in at the Supreme Court so is now practising as a lawyer. Hooray, at last. He is loving it and has been asked to join a local practice so he is over the moon.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-UfIsWkWMvCPVLNU7P5LzZfpQVC7WaDJ9XCkukNKZuiCmGRsh9jZ17fCV16DYY9hKNqo1aQS-gldVDMYWwkeE9e0gKx71WP6OqS7An_D2uX7BqrmtlN78ju64PTkDNq6Z1F8MevV6So/s1600/danilo+jura4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz-UfIsWkWMvCPVLNU7P5LzZfpQVC7WaDJ9XCkukNKZuiCmGRsh9jZ17fCV16DYY9hKNqo1aQS-gldVDMYWwkeE9e0gKx71WP6OqS7An_D2uX7BqrmtlN78ju64PTkDNq6Z1F8MevV6So/s400/danilo+jura4.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to be sworn in along with a couple of hundred other lawyers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMHH2z86ZCxQpW1MbaGTnONsZEa_oleUd16l35xujA1c9MQh2WgrOE6hgCmEjAb_3GSF3AnYD73UkYyo7K3jsT4qt0lJzsIPSlUhXBlrChq4T2of5F8f0sILSBPypQJbM-By1vMXz00I/s1600/danilo+juramen2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="622" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMHH2z86ZCxQpW1MbaGTnONsZEa_oleUd16l35xujA1c9MQh2WgrOE6hgCmEjAb_3GSF3AnYD73UkYyo7K3jsT4qt0lJzsIPSlUhXBlrChq4T2of5F8f0sILSBPypQJbM-By1vMXz00I/s400/danilo+juramen2.jpeg" width="193" /></a></div>
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He also is the lawyer for his first case, which is a murder trial and he is prosecuting and loves every minute of it. Here he is about to go into court - not forgetting his pom pom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34ZbG6SwocySYXh83Aes6vYcFJgQqC_JXYyHdo46y6cdJj8f8iAqxhL-77ZntvlvgDZF5C2NUMXg19le9IyXbocS4920qTIE-ggiKCLutcQNc_AIvx31kkW-hY-bKgH6yx8jUpG7q6iw/s1600/danilolawyer4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg34ZbG6SwocySYXh83Aes6vYcFJgQqC_JXYyHdo46y6cdJj8f8iAqxhL-77ZntvlvgDZF5C2NUMXg19le9IyXbocS4920qTIE-ggiKCLutcQNc_AIvx31kkW-hY-bKgH6yx8jUpG7q6iw/s400/danilolawyer4.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Dogs, cat, chickens are all fine and Grumpy is growing into a beautiful dog. They were delighted to see me on my return last night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8pIGya2_hSFLePB2pTf6EZgBADnSXxA_AFZ4ZH1gXkm6cUYEdETVk9qNysJltAcfRATEWFz2pSqnPHePfGDB2JekQzBCqqMCGDyKdbnKQQI5QUVQ8QjWTdt946c4Fc5Ee3YmFpTuqtc/s1600/100_2480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI8pIGya2_hSFLePB2pTf6EZgBADnSXxA_AFZ4ZH1gXkm6cUYEdETVk9qNysJltAcfRATEWFz2pSqnPHePfGDB2JekQzBCqqMCGDyKdbnKQQI5QUVQ8QjWTdt946c4Fc5Ee3YmFpTuqtc/s400/100_2480.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From this...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDZfJv-FUA6wnrc4yrhSvEBoWNxUScyMLXmWUigbcKd_4CrUtjI4JPxjHVFdVmRbvaxwYMx_bNcySwNJTrA3FXBCrK1JhG_YYVTqDSHDB5OqzPHHfd3fzpN-nXrRCtS0mzqmGG80NwJ4/s1600/grumps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="960" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnDZfJv-FUA6wnrc4yrhSvEBoWNxUScyMLXmWUigbcKd_4CrUtjI4JPxjHVFdVmRbvaxwYMx_bNcySwNJTrA3FXBCrK1JhG_YYVTqDSHDB5OqzPHHfd3fzpN-nXrRCtS0mzqmGG80NwJ4/s400/grumps.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To this!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The big event in Cacique was that my friend, la bruja Angela married her husband ( well they have lived together for 30 odd years but like most Dominicans they were not married). I was appointed to be official photographer as I am the only person in the village with a camera as opposed to a smart phone. It was a tad stressful as the priest forgot about the wedding so he was nearly an hour late once he was tracked down. He bore a remarkable resemblance to David Ortiz the shot baseball player. The service lasted two hours and people were constantly giving me directions as to where to stand, usually in very intrusive places like right next to the couple as they were getting married. I was literally dragged from place to place by half of the congregation. Here are a few of my (ahem) masterpieces.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORlYhi_6vdMzErFw-2lPcbrEJk461Ob14M3Sf-1w3yQ1gSgn5tCQIY2fUxLDEMZcWoPgXNKrEV8Do6dYwZgwzBkjVWMW40PNS8apKi5r8Qu6uCFBALcP5Bg1FaWwTo6cW5wPhshWgMFA/s1600/100_3314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORlYhi_6vdMzErFw-2lPcbrEJk461Ob14M3Sf-1w3yQ1gSgn5tCQIY2fUxLDEMZcWoPgXNKrEV8Do6dYwZgwzBkjVWMW40PNS8apKi5r8Qu6uCFBALcP5Bg1FaWwTo6cW5wPhshWgMFA/s400/100_3314.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catholic church, Cacique</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaYb_5pliDujNXbnYV2C36HBwJ_sxLoy_8JWTPxBEMNmOkm0Dpo5HyaVxLWHzrxIIxNLty2SOM6ppz4UajPTFAiZB8OlNmazELxkl5sxCz5KxO-fCyXEZWjNP7ddppiLufqYQzbdFwqo/s1600/100_3321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1158" data-original-width="1600" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaYb_5pliDujNXbnYV2C36HBwJ_sxLoy_8JWTPxBEMNmOkm0Dpo5HyaVxLWHzrxIIxNLty2SOM6ppz4UajPTFAiZB8OlNmazELxkl5sxCz5KxO-fCyXEZWjNP7ddppiLufqYQzbdFwqo/s400/100_3321.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artistic photo of bride waiting in air conditioned car - for over an hour until priest arrived</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVswK3WvJ6oF33bA9Xa3HQJHlahr7461ILMR2YUIx3WFSlUXlT-3ZBN3eSkBEBCyDYbl9kfMYrCejr39lrfUtbKivnwtMfQ2cwBZWTXoR2NrTik8wM2nC01rAXR-amiEVrBIa-fXP8ptA/s1600/100_3328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1250" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVswK3WvJ6oF33bA9Xa3HQJHlahr7461ILMR2YUIx3WFSlUXlT-3ZBN3eSkBEBCyDYbl9kfMYrCejr39lrfUtbKivnwtMfQ2cwBZWTXoR2NrTik8wM2nC01rAXR-amiEVrBIa-fXP8ptA/s400/100_3328.JPG" width="311" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JnNDY93NomY6ICjm2uQw-We6zM_3mw6n-XAfGA2Fezc9qHzClQ81m5Fda6KwGppC2Yf4gMws6JI3hVGkDcmz4BT41WbhiyowAAMYA_UEPTsluDJACRqsMMc_dW9r6U9b6_MxDR_192I/s1600/100_3392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1216" data-original-width="1600" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4JnNDY93NomY6ICjm2uQw-We6zM_3mw6n-XAfGA2Fezc9qHzClQ81m5Fda6KwGppC2Yf4gMws6JI3hVGkDcmz4BT41WbhiyowAAMYA_UEPTsluDJACRqsMMc_dW9r6U9b6_MxDR_192I/s400/100_3392.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Priest David Ortiz lookalike, bride and groom and witnesses</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLALQDYt88N3NZtyg3kHZQL_S6WS62csJIaeibpxaLExa90-SVY6lrf0IeSFjcYMFMN9vRk2vm5B55Q3Tl6WOMDTXhVPtnv7kbEqqsVG7nwySOPcHo-hT4WecPdacw4zjBrtorEIoOkI/s1600/100_3418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1600" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLALQDYt88N3NZtyg3kHZQL_S6WS62csJIaeibpxaLExa90-SVY6lrf0IeSFjcYMFMN9vRk2vm5B55Q3Tl6WOMDTXhVPtnv7kbEqqsVG7nwySOPcHo-hT4WecPdacw4zjBrtorEIoOkI/s400/100_3418.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing cake - no idea if it was real though</td></tr>
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<br />
The house is now full of goodies which I brought back from England including cheese, chocolate, Branston pickle, Oxo beef and vegetable stock cubes, Bisto gravy powder, horseradish and Walkers cheese and onion crisps. And even better, when I arrived home, my friend in the US, Grace, had sent me a massive box of goodies which had been topped up by Canadian friend, Robyn, so there was all of that to unpack as well. Loads of clothes, kitchen utensils, chocolate, tins of real tuna and mushrooms and loads more. I will be feasting for a long time!<br />
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Think you should all be up to date. If I leave it as long last time, please feel free to nag me!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-6408101659128834022019-05-29T13:26:00.000-04:002019-05-29T13:26:55.155-04:00Animals and booksIt has been a busy few weeks and I am pleased to say that my brain is slowly beginning to work a little better. I forget fewer words and have had no more coffee maker disasters.<br />
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There is a man who lives in Mao who breeds Great Danes and he wanted to bring a female Dane here who was on heat, to live with Goofy for a while. I said no, Danilo said yes, the dog arrived. She had only just started her heat as he wanted them to fall in love pre-bonking. Goofy predictably fell in love with her - her name was Matari - Lobo was not allowed to be with his best mate Goofy and fancied Matari as well so they had to be kept apart.<br />
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Grumpy was upset her boyfriend Goofy was with another woman so it was a stressful time for all of the dogs and me! No idea if Goofy did the deed, but Matari left after two weeks, leaving Goofy howling at the gate for a few days. Dogs are now back to normal - thank goodness.<br />
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Sticking with the animal theme. as you know we no longer have water delivered from the local water company into our cistern. So we buy it every couple of weeks from Water Man. You call him up, he goes to the river, sucks the water into his truck, comes to us and pumps it into our cistern. Trouble is, the river has more than just water in it, so this time, he deposited a frog into the cistern along with the water. I only realised when I saw the lid of the cistern propped open with a wooden ladder which Danilo had put in there for the frog to climb out.<br />
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Please note, the metal box in front of the WATER CISTERN is the box for the main electrics for the house. Please also note the prevalence of taypee sticking all of the wires together.<br />
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I thought this was daft until I Googled and found out that all over the place ladders are put in drains for frogs to climb out and what is more, frogs and ladders are used to forecast the weather as they only climb out of water and up ladders if it will be fine, and if it is going to rain they stay in the water! No idea if our frog climbed out, but the lid is back on.<br />
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Remember I said the todys were back - the gorgeous tiny green and red birds. Well they disappeared after a day and Danilo discovered they had unwelcome squatters in their little hole in the base of the tree - a family of tarantulas - mum, dad and lots of babies. He disposed of the squatters and the other day the todys returned! I just hope they stay this time. The female is higher up the twig as she has a little bit of black on her green wings.<br />
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Oh and even more news, I am a grandmother again! Ana and Alberto (stepson number 2) welcomed Adriana to the world a month early. Though a little small, 6.5 pounds, she is lovely and Danilo and I went to see her in Ana's mum's house, where Ana is staying for the 40 days she is "at risk". Not sure what she is at risk of, but most all women here have to be with their mothers for the 40 day period with a whole list of things they cannot do - like go outside, look at the moon, and they have to have cotton wool in their ears so the cold air doesn't get to their brains.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proud grandpa Danilo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ana, Adibel and new baby Adriana</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberto with his new daughter</td></tr>
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Mother's day is very important in the DR, but this year I had no visits from the kids as Ana and Alberto stayed with the baby and was Adibel's, number one granddaughter, fifth birthday. Danilo was on a course in the capital and returned in the afternoon, cooking me a massive sancocho for my Mother's Day celebration. We ate sancocho for a week.<br />
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Finally, as you know I love reading memoirs and this last month I have read two fabulous books, both brilliant and both different.<br />
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The first was by <a href="http://www.bethhaslam.com/about-the-author.html" target="_blank">Beth Haslam</a> and is called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fat-Dogs-French-Estates-Part-ebook/dp/B07KVMBHYB/ref=sr_1_4?crid=L4D71VHW0TGY&keywords=fat+dogs+and+french+estates&qid=1559147100&s=digital-text&sprefix=fat+dogs+and+french%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C240&sr=1-4-catcorr" target="_blank">Fat Dogs and French Estates part 1</a>.<br />
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This was my review on Amazon.<br />
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"I<i> was attracted to this book as the title mentioned the words Dogs and French – and I love dogs and love France. I was certainly not disappointed. The book describes the author and her husband travelling throughout France house hunting, well, estate hunting, to find their perfect home. They took their fat dogs with them.</i><br />
<i>The characterization of Beth’s husband, Jack, the dogs, and all of the French people and estate agents they meet along the way is superb. There are fabulous descriptions of the estates and the countryside and you really feel you are sitting in the back of the car along with the dogs. In addition, there are unexpected history lessons about different parts of France as well as interesting information about many of the towns and villages.</i><br />
<i>That in itself would be sufficient to make a good memoir, but what moves this book from good to great, and even fabulous, is the humour throughout. I started off smiling sometimes, then giggling occasionally and eventually was collapsed with laughter, even snorting at stages. It is so very funny I have not laughed so much in months.</i><br />
<i>I highly recommend this book, and I know I now have no choice but to read the rest of the series. I must admit I was concerned that they might not live up to my now high expectations, but having checked the reviews on Amazon – they are all five stars as well. Thank goodness! I can’t wait.</i>"<br />
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There are three more books in the same series so my next task is to get those. Really worth it, pure escapism, some learning more about France, and just pure fun.<br />
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The second was by <a href="https://www.ginadepaulo.com/" target="_blank">Gina DePaulo </a>and is called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1543964036?pf_rd_p=2d1ab404-3b11-4c97-b3db-48081e145e35&pf_rd_r=KSDH0N6DTG9PZMDP9411" target="_blank">Unopened Doors</a>.<br />
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My review says: <br />
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"<i>In brief, the author describes how she was victim of a mugging which caused a Traumatic Brain Injury and that in turn led to flashbacks of her childhood and a rape and near-death strangulation when she was 19. She then decides to revisit her attack of some 40 years ago and with the help of a Cold Case investigator she slowly unearths the past.</i><br />
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<i>The book is beautifully written and it goes backwards and forwards between the present and the past in a seamless manner. It is more than simply a memoir; however, it is a detective novel, it portrays life in the USA in the 1960s, and you really do find yourself transported back in time. In addition, DePaulo adds in stories of other victims of violence, rape and murder during the same time period in the same area.</i><br />
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<i>More than a memoir, more than a detective story, overall a truly excellent read. I defy anyone not to enjoy this book, which I was unable to put down as it draws you in from the very first page. In fact, this was the best book I have read in years</i>."<br />
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This book really resonated with me, having had a couple of near death experiences and now suffering from brain injury. But even if you have been lucky enough not to have those, I promise you will really enjoy this book.<br />
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And for those of you who enjoy reading and enjoy reading memoirs, I really do recommend you join the <a href="https://web.facebook.com/groups/welovememoirs/?ref=bookmarks" target="_blank">We Love Memoirs Facebook Group.</a> Why? Because the members are writers of memoirs and lovers of memoirs. There are lots of free memoirs to be won, chats with authors, competitions where you can read memoirs and, the best thing, all of the members are lovely people!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-22997384272240718802019-05-02T14:11:00.000-04:002019-05-02T14:11:23.901-04:00Easter comes and goesFar too long again since my last blog post – I have no idea where the time goes.<br />
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All my brain tests were more or less normal, and I must admit the CAT scan was so impressive. For the price of US$50 you are seen immediately - the receptionist said I looked much better than last time! The results are available a few hours later and not only do you receive a written report but also photographs and a CD with even more photos on it. Here is my brain! Very impressive but Dr. Google was not very helpful in explaining what I am looking at.<br />
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Apart from the fact my brain looks like I happy face in some of the images, I have noticed no improvement in brain function. I am told it can take years so I am just getting on with it and adapting where needed. My worst performance is in the kitchen, maybe as it is there I do the most multi- tasking. As I mentioned before, my brain is like the internet – it goes slowly, and sometimes it totally switches off and I go blank – but only for a few seconds. I continue to do stupid things such as forgetting to put the cup under the coffee maker so the coffee goes all over the floor, or forgetting to put coffee in it and end up with a cup of hot water. I even put dried cat food instead of sugar in my coffee the other day. Cooking is a challenge to remember how to actually cook some recipes and I may remember one minute and then forget the next, so now I get all the ingredients out before I start. I have a wooden spoon next to my laptop when I am cooking, so I don’t forget and burn things, and a bag of washing powder when I am washing. I also write lists all the time when something comes into my head that I need to do, so I don’t forget. It is liveable with, just a little frustrating.<br />
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It has been a busy few weeks. The bookcase is finished – here is Danilo studying in his cow pyjamas.<br />
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We need more books to fill it up, but no doubt they won’t be long coming. He has started his Master’s degree in Criminal Law – which means I have been checking things on line and typing up his assignments so I am effectively also doing a Master's in Criminal Law. The university is the Dominican Open University and he is doing it part on line and part attendance so everything is done via the University website – which is appallingly slow and complicated to follow so it has taken me ages to upload assignments. I think I am getting the hang of it now.<br />
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Chivirico and Albert came for Easter week so we had to make <i>habichuelas con dulce</i> (sweet cream of beans), which I still loathe but it is essential Easter fare. Apparently I make the best beans that they, and Danilo, have ever tasted. Thanks to Aunt Clara's <a href="https://www.dominicancooking.com/979-habichuelas-con-dulce-sweet-creamed-beans.html" target="_blank">Dominican Cooking.</a><br />
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Knowing that they never eat vegetables at home, we had a mainly vegetarian week with vegetable chilli, dips of hummus and baba ganoush and home made naan bread.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids making naan bread</td></tr>
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We also had Irish stew without meat and served with buttered cabbage. Chiv was amazed seeing that I cooked “salad” as cabbage usually eaten in salad here.<br />
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When they weren’t cooking they seemed to be fascinated with the library so it was great to see them joining Danilo in reading.<br />
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In the meantime, life goes on as normal. As I am finding it harder to write shopping lists and keep forgetting things we need to buy, Danilo is taking it upon himself to shop without a list as he knows what we need, he says. This was one of his proud purchases last week.<br />
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Yes, that is a pig's tail. I cooked it by boiling it in water with various herbs and spices, onion and garlic and then roasting it in the oven. I ate the meatier end (bit closer to the body - and the pig's bottom) and Danilo had the tail itself. It tasted just like pork - but not sure worth doing again!<br />
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-33827803234204177662019-03-17T18:07:00.004-04:002019-03-17T18:07:49.745-04:00Aftermath of The IncidentSo here is the update on my current condition. I am still numb and a little swollen on the left side of my face, so I can’t smile and I dribble a bit from the left side of my mouth. It feels like you have had an injection from the dentist and I look a bit like a hamster on that side, with his mouth full of sunflower seeds.<br />
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According to Danilo, I am more grumpy than usual, so he calls me Grumpy 2 as opposed to the rescue boxer who is Grumpy 1. I also have memory problems. My brain is working as if it is connected to the internet, and I want to say something but have no idea what the word is – either in Spanish or English, but then, around 30 seconds later the internet comes back and I remember the word.<br />
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Given these issues, I went to see a neurologist. There are no appointments here, so the first time I went, he wasn’t there and nor was his secretary. The second time was around 10 am, and the secretary told me I was number 19. But he didn’t arrive until 2 pm, and our last bus home is at 6 pm, so there was no way we could get home. I asked her to put me on the list for the next day. No can do as you can only ask to be put on the list on the day itself. I had to go the next day at 8 am, to be put on the list for the afternoon. But she said I could phone as well. So, the next day I phoned at 8 am to be told I was number 6, and to get there at 2.30 pm. I did, and for some mysterious reason I had dropped from number 6 to number 8, but at 5.30 pm I got in to see the neurologist.<br />
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He said nothing could be done about my face, maybe it would improve in time, but maybe not. He told me smoking was dangerous for my health, and I replied that so was being shot and attempted suffocation and being beaten up. He shut up after that. He told me that I have a Traumatic Brain Injury, otherwise known as a TBI, and to have another cat scan and blood tests which I will do next week. In addition, he gave me a prescription for two anti-depressants. I am not depressed, but am taking the one which helps memory function which is helping a little but have not bothered with the other one, as according to Dr. Google it is for panic attacks, post traumatic stress disorder and erectile dysfunction – none of which I have.<br />
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In the meantime, Chivirico came to see how I was, and it was lovely to see him.<br />
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I went to see my American friend Grace, who comes to the country once a year with her Dominican husband. That was a lovely break and as usual she provided me with loads of kitchen equipment and baseball goodies for Chivirico and Albert.<br />
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In addition, my friend Heather was in the country, helping people in Consuelo, and she hired a car and drove all the way up here to see me. She brought the all-important Cadbury chocolate with her as well.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grumpy Grace loves her evening cuddles</td></tr>
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Danilo adores books, so he is building a book case along the whole of one wall in the living room and at last has put shelves in the utility room so the kitchen will be less cluttered.<br />
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Our spirit level has gone walkabout (nothing new there) so we had to check if the shelves were level using a peanut. If it rolled one way or the other, they were not straight. I think it must have been an odd shaped nut as they look a bit wonky to me.<br />
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In the meantime, Peggy, a Canadian lady has been staying for the last couple of months. She has around another month to go. Loves cleaning and mopping which is great for me, but we still managed a night out at the local bar!<br />
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-58496092993366330932019-02-22T16:48:00.001-04:002019-02-22T17:01:33.665-04:00Violence in the Dominican Republic - The IncidentI promised to tell you about what I call The Incident, which may also explain why I haven’t blogged much recently.<br />
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It was Tuesday, February 5 and Danilo and a Canadian lady staying with us were in his rustic gym in the back garden. She wanted to get fit and so after they had done their exercises in the gym, they would go for a 15- or 20-minute run. I heard them in the gym, but I was busy collecting articles to do the news for DR1 – the expat Dominican Republic forum.<br />
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It was exactly 9.30 am when I was interrupted by a lady messaging who wanted information about the Police Good Conduct report in the DR, and I was about to reply to her when a man slid open the patio door to the garden and walked towards me. I had never seen him before but in his right hand he had a gun, pointing at me. He stopped about 6 feet in front of my desk.<br />
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I didn’t have time to ask him anything before he started screaming “Don’t look at me” which he did several times. I asked him calmly what he wanted, and told him to calm down. I would have used the English saying “Don’t get your knickers in a twist,” but am not sure how that translates to Spanish.<br />
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He said he wanted money, and I replied that I had some but not a lot, and asked him not to hurt the dogs. I had one each side of me, just looking at him. I told the dogs to stay and shut up and stood up – he made me put my hands in the air – and went to the dining table next to my desk where my handbag was.<br />
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I reached in for my purse, which made him start waving the gun about, and was about to get the money out of my purse when he stopped me, so I put it down on the table. He then screamed at me to lie on the floor. I kept telling him I did not understand as I wanted to know if he spoke English and also, I had no idea why he would want me to lie down.<br />
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He pointed to the corner of the room behind the dining table and I sat down. He told me to turn around and lie face down, and put the gun to the back of my head. I asked him not to kill me. But there was no reply and he did not speak again. I took my glasses off and lay them next to me on the floor before lying down.<br />
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He then twisted both arms behind my back and sat on my back – there was no way I could move my arms or my body. I assumed he was going to tie me up. I should be so lucky. Then he put some sort of cloth or towel in my mouth and covered my nose with it as well and held it tightly in place with his hand which by now had a surgical glove on it. I could not breathe in nor out. A most peculiar and uncomfortable feeling. I tried to fight to move my head and my arms as I was desperate to breathe but each time I did, he smashed my face into the tiled floor. I tried playing dead (as I have seen that work on the television) and again he grabbed me by the hair on the back of my head and hit my face against the floor.<br />
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I had hoped there would be chloroform on the pad – but there was nothing, and I just wanted it over with. And then after around a minute, it was. Blissful nothing.<br />
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Meanwhile, Danilo and the guest returned from their run and he heard someone running through the woods. Danilo quickly approached the house on high alert and immediately saw I was not at my desk. He scanned the room and saw me lying on the floor in the corner, face down. He turned me over and my eyes were open but unseeing. He and the guest quickly put me in the car, unconscious and set off at speed for the hospital. Soon I began thrashing around, then talking nonsense and then the guest noticed a large baseball sized lump appearing on my temple. It grew and then opened showering her and me in blood and continued to bleed profusely. I was then able to say I had been attacked – until then they thought I had just fallen over – and I thought I might have been shot in the head.<br />
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At the hospital following x-rays and a cat scan it was confirmed I had not been shot nor did I even have a fractured skull. The lump on my head was drained, cleaned and stitched. My mouth was cut everywhere inside – no idea how and I was covered in bruises. I was admitted for twenty-four hours and the next day was home. The bruises have mostly gone now, but I have been left with neurological damage on my left side so I need more hospital visits and tests to see what is causing it and if it can be cured in any way. I am hoping just time will heal it.<br />
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You will be wondering how I felt during all this. Well I felt no pain at any time, but being suffocated is not pleasant at all. I have no idea how long it would take to kill someone but I don’t think I could have managed much longer. It appears he heard them coming back from the run before the deed was done, so smacked me hard on my temple with the gun, hoping that would do the trick. Takes more than that to get rid of me! I was pretty sure I was going to die and the only thoughts I had were that I hoped Danilo and guest would not return or he might kill them and I did not want him to hurt the dogs – which he didn’t. My overriding emotion, once I had worked out fighting him was not working, was total acceptance of what was to come – I just wanted the discomfort of being suffocated to be over quickly. So, I was much calmer than I would have thought I would be in that situation.<br />
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And the perp? It took me a few days to work it out. He looked Dominican but he didn’t. He dressed like a Dominican but he didn’t. He spoke like a Dominican but he didn’t. And I have never heard of Dominicans suffocating people. This guy had done it before – I felt like he was a professional. It turns out he was Venezuelan – there are tens of thousands in the Dominican Republic now, having fled from their country, and yes, he had killed by suffocation a few times before in Venezuela. It was a total random attack as he was scouting out houses which back onto the woods to rob. He thought the house was empty as he saw Danilo and the guest leaving on their run, hence he was surprised to see me, and as he did not want to be identified he had to dispose of me.<br />
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Several different police forces came from all of the surrounding areas. They were very pleasant but they took no forensic evidence at all, not my clothes, nor fingerprints, nor did they search the area. The local prosecutor was very professional as was the medical examiner who had to assess my injuries.<br />
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So, all’s well that ends well – and the current level of nerve damage is liveable with, assuming it gets no better or worse. I am very very thankful as the ending could have been very different. And it's another chapter for book 3!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around eight hours after the attack.</td></tr>
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-45906202118763312192019-02-20T12:30:00.000-04:002019-02-20T12:30:43.069-04:00Holiday in England<br />
Wrist slapping time as it has been over 2 months since the last post. I do have a raft of excuses such as being in England, followed by the flu, followed by what I am calling The Incident which I will explain about in the next blog post.<br />
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So off I went to England - alone, as there was no visa for Danilo and Chivirico. It was a long journey to the airport, around 12 hours on three different buses but it was simple enough and the long distance buses are very comfy with aircon, big seats and wifi so it was actually nice to relax.<br />
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I was met in Punta Cana by my great friend Ilana and her husband Pedro and spent a lovely night and the next day with them and Ilana's friends before being taken to the airport for the 8.30 pm flight. Fab flight and I had three seats to myself so I managed to sleep all the way to England. This was my first time on a plane for 12 years and they had certainly been upgraded with seat back TVs and loads of channels to choose from.<br />
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Mum met me at the airport and looked exactly the same as the last time I was in England some 12 years ago - how you go from age 74 to 86 looking the same I have no idea but just hope I do the same!<br />
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To be honest it was all a bit overwhelming at first. We stopped about an hour from the airport so I could get some coffee and smoke a cigarette - not necessarily in that order - and as I had no English money I asked mum for 10 pence to get a coffee. She laughed and gave me a 10 pound note - around US$13. I walked into the store and there was the coffee machine. First I had to choose what type of coffee I wanted and there were a million choices most of which I had never heard of - so I pressed cappuccino. Next, small, medium or large. Did that, got my cup, put it in the right place, out came the coffee and then it told me to use my App. No idea what the machine was talking about so I went to the cashier and she told me to use my App to scan something. I explained I had no idea what she or the machine was talking about, so I paid in cash (think around 2.50 pounds - bit more than the 10 pence I expected). What was it with all the Apps - they had invaded the country, everything was scanned or Apped or whatever - I think I was the only person paying in cash in every place we went to.<br />
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I stayed for three weeks. I spent time not only with my mum but my aunt and uncle, brother, sister and brother in law, cousins, friends and it was quite simply the best holiday I have ever had. The food was out of this world, all the things I cannot get here, and I managed to put on 10 pounds in weight! Rather than telling you all about it in words, here are just a few of the pictures I took over the three weeks.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqLkYS0-3IlV654d5fmssI-tQNERBKCkHNQTXAOx7QBSk5yqUvq2EkYMIesLNm3-enu4FUlwGpaOsQWvy9qifXYeZKpfKA19kYX4RlRj7RpydReTKHQc727mQMBN4OWhL6LWR8MN3Weg/s1600/100_2688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1600" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqLkYS0-3IlV654d5fmssI-tQNERBKCkHNQTXAOx7QBSk5yqUvq2EkYMIesLNm3-enu4FUlwGpaOsQWvy9qifXYeZKpfKA19kYX4RlRj7RpydReTKHQc727mQMBN4OWhL6LWR8MN3Weg/s400/100_2688.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh raspberries and cream</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSdqnBNhyphenhyphen2USC6KQ1th_DYDxEedonmk8ryeZqvG2JUOqOErI1JaXIxnIISlborTBz7lEz-FM85luh1OkjU7oZj7i4rvjGkqXorWqTYAZyZ_-7qH3TlBv7EF632NOB6QIoRmNldpd2G7w/s1600/100_2683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="1600" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxSdqnBNhyphenhyphen2USC6KQ1th_DYDxEedonmk8ryeZqvG2JUOqOErI1JaXIxnIISlborTBz7lEz-FM85luh1OkjU7oZj7i4rvjGkqXorWqTYAZyZ_-7qH3TlBv7EF632NOB6QIoRmNldpd2G7w/s400/100_2683.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roast lamb, sprouts, new potatoes, peas, mint sauce!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr-phctfq3xFG8L6Vt0z57j926GZrVY05nVfMVS51TT0jwSNFpDayjF_z-u2_Fd1EBgWP9T31QAlbBRYWHiNQLd_fLchvETIQ4v_Pb8m5ESqGaFujNXVj1wPdlZO-DlRkaUUyBigdKk4/s1600/100_2704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHr-phctfq3xFG8L6Vt0z57j926GZrVY05nVfMVS51TT0jwSNFpDayjF_z-u2_Fd1EBgWP9T31QAlbBRYWHiNQLd_fLchvETIQ4v_Pb8m5ESqGaFujNXVj1wPdlZO-DlRkaUUyBigdKk4/s400/100_2704.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">English breakfast!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddLTB0_ZohX7U_4QkX50FEFb1ZaRfDlZnI5UCZaro-gUD1BSKQOfA9mf1lqEqLg-IAyAqPdk9X5t0axHnKLNKbVt0Uk4ZaRktQQEHAvLy8P11YPNWncXrI8jsVZgOid12oul3X0-rfXU/s1600/100_2716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddLTB0_ZohX7U_4QkX50FEFb1ZaRfDlZnI5UCZaro-gUD1BSKQOfA9mf1lqEqLg-IAyAqPdk9X5t0axHnKLNKbVt0Uk4ZaRktQQEHAvLy8P11YPNWncXrI8jsVZgOid12oul3X0-rfXU/s400/100_2716.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The local town, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH-snYk9lWjJnBtsyOZB0aCW2-V8rGDrs2EmlfuSgoa0xvSQZ0MYnyHZuZtolb2lHbjvPiorwjm5CK7Q_UgAH90k9qRsTFG6D7pXndxlnyvA_ojVzzJOFifCM_v7BPScu9ly_fjmiRow/s1600/100_2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimH-snYk9lWjJnBtsyOZB0aCW2-V8rGDrs2EmlfuSgoa0xvSQZ0MYnyHZuZtolb2lHbjvPiorwjm5CK7Q_UgAH90k9qRsTFG6D7pXndxlnyvA_ojVzzJOFifCM_v7BPScu9ly_fjmiRow/s400/100_2652.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mother's cutlery drawer - so organised!<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaauluG3EqeKZj4o-Gz15WH74KSeeOizN8KJgoUqlaOA6VVtiuq_9570o2uuApfP7O_Q0Bx0Ooeay0QoLWag0ZYpP56EspWU3hy9bq8vz-Jw9YhGUYSGC7jMF5Aq-Qe5bct8gXuo3VTI/s1600/100_2994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1600" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaauluG3EqeKZj4o-Gz15WH74KSeeOizN8KJgoUqlaOA6VVtiuq_9570o2uuApfP7O_Q0Bx0Ooeay0QoLWag0ZYpP56EspWU3hy9bq8vz-Jw9YhGUYSGC7jMF5Aq-Qe5bct8gXuo3VTI/s400/100_2994.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sister's spice rack - alphabetical order of course<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D7JgIl9XlT_71EJDMX30xog8xTmkK1FTpycY5ps0NGWhhxr0fGJ9cWwbrEjGJI-3Zz61vqIMDvspRoG_GUh2VjRB0RhgQYnH32Mbgj-3fvy8K7xxLHMq96RskgpGzZL6SUxPZQBB4bQ/s1600/100_2690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="840" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D7JgIl9XlT_71EJDMX30xog8xTmkK1FTpycY5ps0NGWhhxr0fGJ9cWwbrEjGJI-3Zz61vqIMDvspRoG_GUh2VjRB0RhgQYnH32Mbgj-3fvy8K7xxLHMq96RskgpGzZL6SUxPZQBB4bQ/s400/100_2690.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mushrooms!!!!!!!<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukTwsGDzgtfSmgnEAihNCDbfybkhQ7j_cfdoMf3AYDqsvbZcrnHQm8725Up3vkGih-ACA9KrkyRPDZbk6aNIBxUzzM_t4V946SGo4rqDdpdJU7FUhgRJirsjBaM42r3uwjrw6XxfxqaQ/s1600/100_2729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiukTwsGDzgtfSmgnEAihNCDbfybkhQ7j_cfdoMf3AYDqsvbZcrnHQm8725Up3vkGih-ACA9KrkyRPDZbk6aNIBxUzzM_t4V946SGo4rqDdpdJU7FUhgRJirsjBaM42r3uwjrw6XxfxqaQ/s400/100_2729.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">House in mum's village. I had forgotten how beautiful England is.<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyq4_P0DMgDEeGB58hkHs0cZv7u9shgOXRdnOxe5KxfHjzoXeDmWuO5JOn9kai2YBMx8yHztJ6UooHQaIW8fbfG0iy4OXvEbenPF6qkxu-vxpqtiRpoJ4n27pFAzxYugrRtj7jZ5hFdg/s1600/100_3055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyq4_P0DMgDEeGB58hkHs0cZv7u9shgOXRdnOxe5KxfHjzoXeDmWuO5JOn9kai2YBMx8yHztJ6UooHQaIW8fbfG0iy4OXvEbenPF6qkxu-vxpqtiRpoJ4n27pFAzxYugrRtj7jZ5hFdg/s400/100_3055.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local pub in Houghton where I spent many a misspent hour in my youth!<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIQ5BLlHBF5nBwNDxfb8lYL6euR7y2itVI70icsSGciqWxYRLlz4768hZzAOe0ANz2bKVjZuIxNbIIVDwYen-M6VMh-iJaDzxhaPiM47NvHoM1oflkCN6_Ef-D33KmX8dgITUAbDSg9I/s1600/100_3059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSIQ5BLlHBF5nBwNDxfb8lYL6euR7y2itVI70icsSGciqWxYRLlz4768hZzAOe0ANz2bKVjZuIxNbIIVDwYen-M6VMh-iJaDzxhaPiM47NvHoM1oflkCN6_Ef-D33KmX8dgITUAbDSg9I/s400/100_3059.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another house in the village I grew up in, Houghton<br /><div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRbht4ZQKNMMlfZSDMibDZfOaYuqnE9Dly7tN7ja2IHrXoNfX_zbiNfq-IXETS5QG91fiFP9iczMSYe5IeAxRtIzDGjQZLOdKrkYO5yHLw9ypwjkm-yAFO9nHut5cMPKsd-tZ_0rpZr0/s1600/100_2815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWRbht4ZQKNMMlfZSDMibDZfOaYuqnE9Dly7tN7ja2IHrXoNfX_zbiNfq-IXETS5QG91fiFP9iczMSYe5IeAxRtIzDGjQZLOdKrkYO5yHLw9ypwjkm-yAFO9nHut5cMPKsd-tZ_0rpZr0/s400/100_2815.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frosty Christmas morning in mum's back garden<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKElLd_JfQARPxxHvsb2BYuxnMTNWb-jXAOeT1X9WrkVmI3rIqTpzDd87H24X0u34udE-IaIwGd-2o6xximkszbKOtcXBrOEjIvjVO1BDgjuz4XyvxEd7D-c7GaszpHc4Sf79kYhcwp6Y/s1600/100_2838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1529" data-original-width="1600" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKElLd_JfQARPxxHvsb2BYuxnMTNWb-jXAOeT1X9WrkVmI3rIqTpzDd87H24X0u34udE-IaIwGd-2o6xximkszbKOtcXBrOEjIvjVO1BDgjuz4XyvxEd7D-c7GaszpHc4Sf79kYhcwp6Y/s400/100_2838.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas lunch including PARSNIPS and Yorkshire pudding. Beef barbecued by brother in law, Gary.<br /></td></tr>
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I went through a whole range of emotions in England - not sad ones at all. It was so lovely to be with family and I had forgotten how much I loved them all. It was also interesting to compare life in England with my life in the DR, and rather than explaining it here, please do go to J<a href="https://janetgivens.com/meet-lindsay-de-feliz/" target="_blank">anet Given's website and blog</a> where I have done a guest post for her on how I felt. When you are on the site, do check out the other blog posts and the rest of the site ,as Janet is a well known writer and author and I know you will enjoy browsing. I came across her when I read her book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/At-Home-Kazakh-Steppe-Memoir-ebook/dp/B00UC543MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550679431&sr=8-1&keywords=janet+givens" target="_blank">At home on the Kazakh Steppe</a> which is about her time in the Peace Corps when she did just what I did and gave it all up and ended up in Kazakhstan. Fabulous book and well worth a read!<br />
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In a few days (I promise) I will blog again to keep you up to date. In the meantime, here is Grumpy, the mangy boxer who turned up here a few months ago. Not mangy anymore!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoKuWMLOI1Pf40RgazYjBXeOx54mFbzJBQieURT9lisaG4Ek77l734DnnWxm6S428qDUq-5zHIWIrFY5hd9PvSZ-fuW9bom3XJ_qB8I2zbvSzcdpd2jzURL0DHTxqAlxu5dtXrh6C84o/s1600/grumps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="960" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoKuWMLOI1Pf40RgazYjBXeOx54mFbzJBQieURT9lisaG4Ek77l734DnnWxm6S428qDUq-5zHIWIrFY5hd9PvSZ-fuW9bom3XJ_qB8I2zbvSzcdpd2jzURL0DHTxqAlxu5dtXrh6C84o/s400/grumps.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-33237818549696499102018-12-02T15:47:00.000-04:002018-12-02T15:47:24.514-04:00Week from hell followed by a tiny ray of sunshineLong time not blogging again. Apologies. November was a bit of a disastrous month, but with an uplifting and rewarding ending.<br />
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It began with both Danilo and Chivirico having their UK visas denied. Danilo as they did not think he would come back – most odd as why would a Dominican lawyer want to stay in the UK and why would his wife who works and lives in the DR want to stay there as well, and Chivirico was denied as Danilo would not be going and they seemed to think he would be going unaccompanied and forgot I was going. No right of appeal or review or question or anything so we will try again next year. It was really really disappointing but in the meantime I am going on my own for three weeks and cannot wait to see everyone and eat British food for the first time in 12 years.<br />
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Next problem was the goats as we have had a terrible drought and they did not have enough food. We would buy hay to supplement their food but there was none, due to the drought, so every day Danilo had to go off with his machete and search for food for them. We did not want them to be hungry so in the end we had to make the difficult decision to give them to daughter in law’s father to look after. He has a little farm next to a river so there is always plenty of food there for them. I do miss them though.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubSS6rM9zKOVsy-m1eBDecsoa1qysoECN6X2f6BW58XX64F7YEcVgDpfO9QDHZ8KgKCV7AmnQCcWH7GZJ_pE7DuivEy1aG4uax0yKuT8L0irSfHex3tRiuDstXz8NwEm0hiWbc9juwYM/s1600/100_1928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhubSS6rM9zKOVsy-m1eBDecsoa1qysoECN6X2f6BW58XX64F7YEcVgDpfO9QDHZ8KgKCV7AmnQCcWH7GZJ_pE7DuivEy1aG4uax0yKuT8L0irSfHex3tRiuDstXz8NwEm0hiWbc9juwYM/s400/100_1928.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adios Bahama, Harry, Chilli Pepper and Oregano<br /></td></tr>
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Now we have two empty paddocks, and Danilo is busy thinking what animals he can keep in them, animals which don’t eat as much as goats. Every day he comes up with another suggestion. We have gone from horses, cows and donkeys, through llamas, ostriches, peacocks – so far nothing there but I am sure some animal will have moved in by the time I return from England.<br />
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Next trauma was Rasputin, who hated Goofy with a passion. He would bark and growl at him but Goofy just ignored him, until one day he had had enough and attacked Rasputin. We hoped it would be a one off but it happened every time they were together, so, sadly, Raspi had to go for his own safety and our nerves. He is now happily living in Mao and has been renamed El Rubio. They send us videos of how happy he is so all is well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_7Ifhhyz62YY2eeE1z7p4hCXypFG1jpCV2R1rYZd-KheCgUWgoBAtttGcCr3xpQpX6rny8l-XQmdIe9tLWLqwFcXPvzm5PTAdu8Dlh_4F-XaooDKvUSzgvjr5ZRi8ms9BJkYYPNKUDY/s1600/100_1533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_7Ifhhyz62YY2eeE1z7p4hCXypFG1jpCV2R1rYZd-KheCgUWgoBAtttGcCr3xpQpX6rny8l-XQmdIe9tLWLqwFcXPvzm5PTAdu8Dlh_4F-XaooDKvUSzgvjr5ZRi8ms9BJkYYPNKUDY/s400/100_1533.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rasputin and Goofy in happier days</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Then, the traumas continued. I was sitting at my desk working at 3 pm and Danilo was off working in Mao. The local mayor starts shouting for me at the back wall. I went outside thinking now what as the goats couldn’t have escaped as they weren’t here any more. He starts talking about the big dogs - Lobo and Goofy the Great Dane. I said they are here and turned round and they were nowhere to be seen but the gate was open. He says they are in the street and the Great Dane was hit by the truck which delivers our water. I grabbed two leads and rushed out up the road where Goofy was lying on the verge and Lobo was looking on from the other side of the road. The truck has hit Goofy hard in his back end they said and threw him across the road. A crowd of people were gathered and said they would stay with Goofy as Lobo took off running down the road. Eventually running through people’s houses and yards I cornered Lobo and took him home. I ran back to Goofy. He couldn’t move. I asked the locals to call 911, not sensible as it doesn’t operate in our area, but a guy then turned up with a wheelbarrow. He said it was canine 911! Everyone was too scared to lift him. He had no obvious sign of injury but he wouldn’t move. I called Danilo who said he was on his way and I sat on the ground with Goofy's head in my lap. We waited. The crowd increased covering the road and slowing down all the cars. Danilo arrived in Alberto's car. Goofy still wouldn’t move. The boys and Danilo lifted him gently into the trunk of the car and drove him home. They opened the trunk and.....GOOFY JUMPED OUT AND RAN ALL AROUND THE GARDEN. Slightly lame in his front paw and that was it. What a bloody drama queen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L7gSQxsUYlZvu_4CyTLzLVIfFl0pFlFs61nTju0DC4D8QHh9S5oYlDg4DaQpgofO5cPL1n1NC1T1-dOkbWKwVP7tksG6zxCttDotniRJaumtyNmEViGaud8Q9JPbVXVN_4e6B0cQV_M/s1600/100_1522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9L7gSQxsUYlZvu_4CyTLzLVIfFl0pFlFs61nTju0DC4D8QHh9S5oYlDg4DaQpgofO5cPL1n1NC1T1-dOkbWKwVP7tksG6zxCttDotniRJaumtyNmEViGaud8Q9JPbVXVN_4e6B0cQV_M/s400/100_1522.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Great Escapees</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Just after the Goofy incident, one morning Danilo yelled at me that there was a baby boxer dog in the garden. She was tiny, covered in mange and starving – you could see every bone in her body.<br />
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We gave her some food and water and expected her to disappear. She didn’t.<br />
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She moved into one of the spaces under the balcony. So we bathed her and with the help of some friends began to treat the mange. As we began the treatment her fur began to fall out and she moved from under the balcony to the back door.<br />
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Slowly she began to put weight on, the mange went and she moved into the house.<br />
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Grumpy Grace is now growing her fur back and is an established member of the family!<br />
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-88145805985859866122018-10-25T14:53:00.001-04:002018-10-25T14:53:49.535-04:00We Love Memoirs<br />
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While waiting to hear if Danilo and Chivirico have visas for
the UK, as I have not heard a squeak so far and it has been 10 days, I thought I would take the opportunity to tell you about some
memoirs<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have read.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I love reading memoirs as I learn about situations and
locations I have never experienced. In some cases I can empathise as have been
through the same or similar. I also think it helps me to become a better memoir writer as
I can learn from others who do the same as I do, try and honestly and
engagingly entertain and educate at the same time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I am a member of a FB page – <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/welovememoirs/" target="_blank">We Love Memoirs</a> – which is a
lovely group of people and the admins lets you know when books are free or heavily
discounted on Amazon, and you even have chances to win books. Here are some of
my favourite ones which I have read recently and when<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I reviewed them I gave them all five stars. They will take you around the world, from America to Bali, from Greece to the UK, from Ireland to the Dominican Republic.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Rash by Lisa Kusel</span></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdbfqiLY6kAdhvInn4LBrquVEbXud9GeXVO3_Qp2tSzONXmGVgacUnXuiEk81OGX-obZ8bf7LpJqC27LeR5aYERW0UrByGVfGWrUVEgiPpG12V2dG9kqlZLlRFwRAvEiNnx4ChE8KYrk/s1600/rash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="349" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbdbfqiLY6kAdhvInn4LBrquVEbXud9GeXVO3_Qp2tSzONXmGVgacUnXuiEk81OGX-obZ8bf7LpJqC27LeR5aYERW0UrByGVfGWrUVEgiPpG12V2dG9kqlZLlRFwRAvEiNnx4ChE8KYrk/s200/rash.jpg" width="139" /></a></div>
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This book is about an American couple leaving their old life
behind and moving to Bali.</div>
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I don’t know exactly what to say about this book, apart from
the fact that it is fabulous on every level. It draws you in from the very
first page as it is easy to read, exciting, emotional and involving and once
you start reading it is impossible to stop.</div>
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Those who have left their home countries for pastures new
and different, as I did, will identify immediately with the author’s
discontentment with the familiar and search for something further afield. But
the grass is not always greener on the other side and the challenges faced with
living in a third world country as opposed to a first world one are beautifully
chronicled and truly brought to life.</div>
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There is a stark honesty as the author describes her
feelings and emotions towards her husband and the way of life as she comes to
the realization that even though she has what she thought she wanted, life is
never that simple.</div>
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This book should be required reading for every single person
thinking of leaving their homeland for the promise of Paradise. Highly recommended.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Survival and Arrival by John Fahey</span></b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIv45hrPeRQdh9jwSoiwo46_NwaHIBIfnmrQZ4j9EqBVTJc61FNGOfYcA3s5TVbp0MQbPPfHhY4CQ8Khi2LM8pyjBYwfr1QErEXXRICjnde9Y8IxgYP5CrPQSe8V5266tXwhohfqRDnhs/s1600/survival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="218" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIv45hrPeRQdh9jwSoiwo46_NwaHIBIfnmrQZ4j9EqBVTJc61FNGOfYcA3s5TVbp0MQbPPfHhY4CQ8Khi2LM8pyjBYwfr1QErEXXRICjnde9Y8IxgYP5CrPQSe8V5266tXwhohfqRDnhs/s200/survival.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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These are two memoirs, the first Survival is about the author’s
time growing up in the north of England with an abusive father and I loved the
book but it ended all too soon. It is beautifully written and the memories came
flooding back. School dinners (or lunches) with fish on Fridays. The mangle for
squeezing the water from clothes. Underground toilets and making a coal fire
with newspaper. What hit a chord with me was that whatever happens to us,
whatever education you have, the person in the end will emerge from all of the
disadvantages and be what they are capable of being. The other thing was that a
simple act of kindness from one person to another can have a lasting effect and
can change a life – living in a third world country with extreme poverty, it
has made me realise that the little things we do for others can change lives. I
wish the author all the best (I want to give him a big hug), and I really,
really loved this book.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtN8sbMM5HcJQAZ0FfBIq6RMaXDujxXBHfAAhlQUTm-WOkEAhjlBReSj9gwkHnXsBSskJBpCOJsLvtaiQEBL4qfCY70z9v1NBta1uONzcrxxKQUakKxNqJSuO2uK1dOzoK4kNV7Mv0Boc/s1600/arrival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="314" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtN8sbMM5HcJQAZ0FfBIq6RMaXDujxXBHfAAhlQUTm-WOkEAhjlBReSj9gwkHnXsBSskJBpCOJsLvtaiQEBL4qfCY70z9v1NBta1uONzcrxxKQUakKxNqJSuO2uK1dOzoK4kNV7Mv0Boc/s200/arrival.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>
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Luckily Survival was followed by Arrival which tells the
story of the author’s arrival in the United States and what it was like being
an immigrant during the time of the Vietnam War. I loved the comparisons
between UK life and USA life at that time, and being an immigrant or expat in
the Dominican Republic from the UK, I could relate to the similarities of some
of his experiences.</div>
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The book is well written and the author is obviously highly
intelligent, whether from describing chemical experiments in the search for new
drugs, or his introspective thinking into the behaviours of those around him
and revealing his own personal demons. While I only have an O Level Grade 6 in
chemistry (scraped pass), I still found the descriptions of the experiments
interesting, recognizing the names of several drugs used today, and found it
fascinating to learn about the whole long process to get a drug to market.</div>
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Almost as powerful as his first book, educational in more
ways than one, and very honest and frank Arrival is also emotional and I found
myself tearing up at times, which is not something I do often.</div>
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I am eagerly waiting for book 3, as this book just stopped
suddenly before I expected it to, leaving me very much wanting more.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Kilo of string by Rob Johnson</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
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When I read a memoir I want to be educated and to be
entertained. This book by Rob Johnson does both in spades. A Kilo of String
chronicles the lives of Rob and his wife Penny as they move to Greece and their
daily life there with all the challenges it presents. Living in the Dominican
Republic, I was amazed at the similarities between the two countries in terms
of the culture, corruption and slow pace of life.</div>
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As well as educating me in the Greek language, lifestyle,
farming olives and many thing Greek what I loved about this book was the
entertainment. I had a fixed grin on my face from the first to the last page,
with several chuckles, snorts and guffaws as I was reading it. It is quite
simply hilarious and the author writes brilliantly with an excellent dead pan
sense of humor as well as a truly warped imagination which makes A Kilo of
String a delightful book to read.</div>
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I really hope there is a sequel as it ended far too soon and
I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to escape from the daily grind
and howl with laughter for a few hours.</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Mile 445: Hitched in her hiking boots by Claire Miller</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV32Qa4JX4rxVYryX0RpzPC5BwMzTYZdE2bVFl9K_yqXTHgjHbiB5dhUVDHKqjzy_GL4jB0MDhl0uZnhG-735kaHw1rkTaZXsT8nqm_rdDX1qekmx9jQ9Ok-qbOhWWmSujGMhieMyuMz0/s1600/mile445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="237" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV32Qa4JX4rxVYryX0RpzPC5BwMzTYZdE2bVFl9K_yqXTHgjHbiB5dhUVDHKqjzy_GL4jB0MDhl0uZnhG-735kaHw1rkTaZXsT8nqm_rdDX1qekmx9jQ9Ok-qbOhWWmSujGMhieMyuMz0/s200/mile445.jpg" width="136" /></a></div>
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This book is
about a lady to decide to walk a famous trail in the United States and I was
addicted to it from the very first page. That addiction continued to the last
page. The writing flows easily, you feel like you are being told a story
sitting in a pub over a glass or two of wine. The descriptions are perfect,
allowing the reader to see, feel and touch the surroundings without being over
dramatic or over flowery, and the wry sense of humour is sprinkled throughout.
The characterization brings each of the different people to life so it is not
just about the author but you get to know the people she meets along the way.</div>
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For me a good memoir should educate as well as entertain and
this book certainly does that as I learned so much about hiking and the trail
and its surroundings. Would I do it? Never, but kudos to the author for having
done so.</div>
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The love story between the author and her husband is
touching and realistic and I loved the realization that when one becomes two
there is a need to adapt one’s own wishes. I could understand Claire’s dilemma
when the decision was made to leave the trail as throughout the book we are waiting
for the finish line to be reached. However life is not about the achievement of
goals but the journey and the realization of this is one of the moments when
the book, for me, satisfies another key element of an excellent memoir which is
to make one think and realize the different paths we can all take, should we be
brave enough to follow our dreams, and keep on going wherever life takes us.</div>
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Highly recommended, easy to read, thought provoking,
educational and very enjoyable.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Joan's descent into Alzheimers by Jill Stoking</span></b></div>
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I wanted to read this book as I knew little about
Alzheimer’s and wanted to learn more, and this book does indeed provide an
education about Alzheimer’s. However, it delivers so very much more. It
describes not only the sufferer but also the role, feelings and emotions of the
caregiver in a refreshingly honest way. What I found amazing, is that somewhere
along the line, the book stops being simply the written word on a page and
sweeps you up into feeling you are actually there in the scenes. You can picture
the locations, see the people, feel the emotion, stress and frustration and
from then on I was unable to put this book down. Living in a third world
country there are no nursing homes, no facilities for caring for those with
Alzheimer’s and no social services. As well as the beautifully written story
itself, I found it amazing and appalling that in a first world country such as
the UK, even though on paper the facilities exist, they do not operate in an
efficient and caring way and this book shows you the distress and the
frustration this causes to both the author and her mother, Joan.</div>
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But this book is not simply about Alzheimer’s, it is also
about the author’s relationships with her husband, her parents, her son and her
brother with just the right amount of detail so as not to detract from the key
element of the story</div>
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An excellent book, written brilliantly and honestly, which
delivers educationally and emotionally and which I highly recommend.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Coconut Latitudes by Rita Gardner</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilX2i-f1jiznSp3vYE6spxZLQYwLUfsPgnTg_wVcxvmEZQPNyb2i6uNrNXzlH6EoeWo-z4hBgA3hHqml7NJ9yJ5mend-mi-8l0-NxE5rYmEZ9q1HGc3ORxQRS1kgTHScjQbP6qdf99eFo/s1600/coconut+latitudes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="129" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilX2i-f1jiznSp3vYE6spxZLQYwLUfsPgnTg_wVcxvmEZQPNyb2i6uNrNXzlH6EoeWo-z4hBgA3hHqml7NJ9yJ5mend-mi-8l0-NxE5rYmEZ9q1HGc3ORxQRS1kgTHScjQbP6qdf99eFo/s200/coconut+latitudes.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
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I was attracted to this book as it was a memoir about the
Dominican Republic, where I live, and also took place during the era of the
dictator Trujillo, a time in history I am also interested in.</div>
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The book is well written, you are not only transported by
the author back in time but also you feel you are actually there in the north
east of the Dominican Republic, the sights, the smells, the food, the
atmosphere all come to life. The book has many levels, reading it is like
peeling an onion, each time revealing more information, about the country,
about being an American in the DR with the pros and cons that brings, but also
about family life and the traumas and tribulations that brings, along with the
damage that family relationships can cause.</div>
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There are some shocking moments and revelations and one
cannot help but think how different life might have been had the author been
brought up on mainland USA surrounded by like peers, rather than on a semi
deserted coconut plantation.</div>
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The Coconut Latitudes also leaves one with questions, why
did this happen, what happened to her or him. I enjoyed it and would recommend
it to anyone interested in the Dominican Republic.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds by Nick Albert</span></b></div>
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And now off we go to rural Ireland.</div>
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Nick, and his wife Lesley are in a situation I am sure many
will identify with, living in the stress filled, fast paced England, like
hamsters running round a round in a wheel. They decide to move to Ireland and
the book covers their journey to find the perfect house and then to begin their
new life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The writing is lovely and the characterization is excellent,
not only of the people but even the dogs and the chickens come to life with
their own personalities. There is humour throughout, making the book impossible
to read without smiling.</div>
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The book flows beautifully and as well as being a great
story, it is also full of interesting information about Ireland so as well as a
fun and interesting read it is also educational.</div>
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I really enjoyed this book, and would love to meet Nick’s
wife, Lesley as I am sure we would get on well! Now I can’t wait for the sequel
and luckily Nick has just written a follow up memoir which I haven’t
read yet called Fresh Eggs and Dog Beds 2.</div>
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Hope you enjoy reading some or all of them - will let you all know about the visas as soon as I do!</div>
<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-38035601074171716012018-10-21T12:37:00.001-04:002018-10-21T12:37:45.063-04:00Visas and Island Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The visa applications took for ever. One each for Chivirico and Danilo. You apply online, pay US$200 each and set up an appointment at a visa centre in Santo Domingo. No longer are they issued at the British Embassy, which is a shame as I have friends there. Once the online application is done you have to get all of the paperwork together - birth and marriage certs, proof that Chiv is at school and Danilo graduated from university, house title deeds, utility bills, sponsor's invitation letter, 6 months of bank statements, proof of income, proof you will return to the DR etc etc. I was printing for days. Everything in Spanish has to be translated into English by a legal translator so my friend Olga did that for me and I printed them all out.</span><br />
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The day before we set off for the capital on the bus - Caribe tours.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRxJ9oJhOPjsPsovcLi5d674w5JWJd1_vkzaBWBJ7p8rukNIebBBrUDUurgui8f06QT_ATLxZlAi5XFQDxsSQ1JImCHlghEMSAGXuoJJ7em1nT8f2HwKmBE5VRRmEF7sNoBWd2uvrjUU/s1600/100_2384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1600" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRxJ9oJhOPjsPsovcLi5d674w5JWJd1_vkzaBWBJ7p8rukNIebBBrUDUurgui8f06QT_ATLxZlAi5XFQDxsSQ1JImCHlghEMSAGXuoJJ7em1nT8f2HwKmBE5VRRmEF7sNoBWd2uvrjUU/s320/100_2384.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chiv at the Caribe tours bus stop</td></tr>
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We decided to stay at a hostel in the Colonial Zone, owned and run by fellow Brit, Chris. We had chatted a bit over the last few years. I wasn't really sure what to expect - thinking it would be long dormitories and somewhat basic but when I checked out the web page for <a href="http://islandlifebackpackershostel.com/" target="_blank">Island Life Backpackers Hostel </a>I was surprised that there were double and triple rooms as well as rooms of all different sizes and some had private ensuite bathrooms.<br />
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The hostel was charming. Formerly a 400 year old colonial home it has been beautifully restored and still has lots of original features.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5CdpO44r0HbXW_ay3nXZzWU6OhNP1wlL7nJmJkypc_dWf6R9wSxHQzGYcXp1s_9XJLFJJ23EI4AxMjn1aEfHPRYB0rceYOL6QiQ4AyRLeN4y1QIcO4J_y4d5ZV31BxISsHZ1ialihbc/s1600/100_2389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib5CdpO44r0HbXW_ay3nXZzWU6OhNP1wlL7nJmJkypc_dWf6R9wSxHQzGYcXp1s_9XJLFJJ23EI4AxMjn1aEfHPRYB0rceYOL6QiQ4AyRLeN4y1QIcO4J_y4d5ZV31BxISsHZ1ialihbc/s400/100_2389.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The courtyard</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ5W3hoH9LlIqfGJtqhUCNHOzbgf04cPB1G4OE8gyayBfmId2NnH7PGoglpwmXjqqPI1OFD7BdVweDUwBQhyphenhyphen9MVvu_d0kuUY1W1MVjdtCWfoPA2nHfcESSNvsa1LoV_CD1CaS2V_Vxhs/s1600/100_2390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ5W3hoH9LlIqfGJtqhUCNHOzbgf04cPB1G4OE8gyayBfmId2NnH7PGoglpwmXjqqPI1OFD7BdVweDUwBQhyphenhyphen9MVvu_d0kuUY1W1MVjdtCWfoPA2nHfcESSNvsa1LoV_CD1CaS2V_Vxhs/s400/100_2390.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our room was the first door on the left</td></tr>
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The room we had, had a double and single bed, great quiet aircon and a lovely bathroom with a powerful shower and piping hot water.<br />
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But what makes Island Life so special is the atmosphere. Not a stuffy impersonal hotel but a casual, comfortable and very friendly place. When you walk in, you go straight into the bar which is just like a traditional English pub.<br />
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Chivirico took no time at all to make himself comfortable with a coca cola before beating Danilo at pool.<br />
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In addition to the facilities, Island Life has its own resident Great Dane, Schumacher, who is very well behaved as well as being enormous. Chivirico took charge of the camera to take snaps of him - this is the only one which isn't of his bottom - the dog's bottom not Chiv's.<br />
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It was great to finally meet Chris and we chatted late into the night.<br />
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So there you have it. Island Life is certainly a great choice for somewhere to stay in the capital. So many interesting people from all over the world to talk to, friendly and helpful staff, fast wifi and everything you need for a comfortable stay.<br />
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Before continuing with the visa story, we had a couple of hours to kill the next morning and given that Chivirico had never been to the Colonial Zone, armed with my camera around his neck off we set to explore. I will just post a few of the pictures he took, as there were loads!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Juan Pablo Duarte's house and museum</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ferry to Puerto Rico</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top of the Pantheon<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chiv and the Choo Choo train which tours the Colonial Zone<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christopher Columbus</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of El Conde with Danilo's back on the left!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvf-iloYlg_PcT78bNDXpjQqrr3dgvDY41JBAiEVNa_SOVI_E6bf2BR7dV12jZAemSffjfXodtbNLT6sPD1hvsgw-80c_F83DYEpc7NP286FPqTaqn2E24zLxTrAuMqO9xRnEqNms6DH0/s1600/100_2432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvf-iloYlg_PcT78bNDXpjQqrr3dgvDY41JBAiEVNa_SOVI_E6bf2BR7dV12jZAemSffjfXodtbNLT6sPD1hvsgw-80c_F83DYEpc7NP286FPqTaqn2E24zLxTrAuMqO9xRnEqNms6DH0/s400/100_2432.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Puerta del Conde where independence was declared and my back and Danilo's back</td></tr>
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Tour over, it was back to the hotel to meet up with Olga who brought her stamp and stamped and signed the myriad of translations.<br />
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Then off to have some lunch and taxi to the visa centre which is in a residential area of the city. We arrived early, said goodbye to Olga and sat down in a freezing room with very squeaky chairs to wait. No photos as they are not allowed. We were early and eventually went in and handed all of the papers over to be scanned to somewhere. A note on the wall said the decision would be made at the British Embassy in Colombia and if granted the visa would be issued in Jamaica. Danilo and Chivirico had their photos and fingerprints taken and surprisingly no questions were asked. So much for all the rehearsals.<br />
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Now we have to wait, not sure for how long but the website says 85% of decisions made within 15 days. There is no way of tracking the applications, but we have the Fedex receipt so once the passport starts going somewhere we can track that. At the moment it is not moving!<br />
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Then back to Santiago on the bus, this time Transporte Espinal as the last Caribe tours one had gone. We then had to get another bus to Esperanza when Danilo's sons met us and brought us home. Unfortunately we were minus the camera as I had left it on the bus, or, as the Dominicans would say, which I prefer, the camera left itself on the bus.<br />
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Quick phone call to Transporte Espinal and the camera had returned itself to Santo Domingo, so once again my "go to person in Santo Domingo" Olga, picked it up and put it back on Caribe Tours to Mao where Danilo picked it up! What luck! Now the waiting continues.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-67752884323058272452018-10-03T13:52:00.000-04:002018-10-03T13:52:26.538-04:00Danilo the lawyerA busy month as usual. The sad news is that Zelda aka Baby Girl and the Flying Dog died having bitten a cane toad. Danilo heard barking in the middle of the night and came down to see her with a cane toad in her mouth. She dropped the toad and did her usual jump over the wall. I went to find her when he told me what had happened but it was too late she was already dead. RIP. She is missed.<br />
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We decided to keep one of the puppies. She was the only female and was born without a tail. Her name is Barraquita (Danilo named her and he calls her mum Canguru, the Barracuda). She is super cute (aren't they all) and is trying to make her ears stick up in the air, but not quite there yet. Oddly she has green eyes.<br />
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The main news this month is that Danilo graduated and off we went to the ceremony which was held in the basketball court in Mao.<br />
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The students sit downstairs on plastic chairs and the guests on the concrete steps around the sides. The steps were around 3 feet high so walking up and down them was a challenge and now all of the neighbours who went to the ceremony, as several people here graduated, are hobbling around with sore legs - yours truly included. It was very very hot and very hard on the posterior.<br />
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Each of the different degrees, ie law, accountancy etc had a different coloured tassel on their mortarboards.<br />
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There was a procession of the faculty, accompanied by a brass band and the singing of the National Anthem as well as the University Anthem. It was due to start at 10 am and was only an hour late starting which is good by Dominican standards.<br />
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Then after very long speeches the students all lined up to go and receive their degrees from the Rector and have their photograph taken. Danilo was number 169!</div>
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Once he had done his bit I escaped to the relative cool outside and eventually met up with the rest of the family - it was impossible to find each other inside the stadium.<br />
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All in all it was an emotional day. There were so many proud partners and parents, many had congratulatory balloons and bouquets of flowers. Getting a degree here is a very big deal as it involves a lot of sacrifice of both money and time. Interestingly 75% of those graduating were women.<br />
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The other big news is that we have applied for visas to the UK for both Chivirico and Danilo. It took me 6 hours to complete the on line forms and pay US$400. Next step is to get all of the papers together and get those in Spanish translated by a legal translator. Then we have to hand the papers in and have the interview on 16th of this month at the Visa Application Centre in Santo Domingo. We should find out a couple of weeks after the interviews if they have been approved. Then it is England for Christmas - first time back for me in 12 years. I wonder if it has changed.<br />
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-39880538740629643502018-08-19T17:01:00.000-04:002018-08-19T17:08:54.377-04:00Trip to the river and animal update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Apologies for the delay in posting. I blame the weather. It has been appallingly hot which stifles my creativity and even worse we had no water for 8 weeks.<br />
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The water is usually delivered every second Thursday by pipeline into the cistern from where we pump it into the house on demand. Recently the odd Thursday has been missed which has meant we had to buy it from a water truck. This is a little old man and an even older truck with a tank on the back and he fills his tank with water from wherever he can find it and delivers it to us at a cost of RD$600 which is around US$12. But then the water stopped coming completely - the water people said a pump was broken but word on the street was that battery chicken farmers paid to get extra water so they diverted our water to them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water delivery truck</td></tr>
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It would be a pain to have to buy water, but at least it was an option - until it wasn't when old water man's pump to pump water into his truck broke and he wasn't delivering water. After 6 weeks he fixed his truck and we were on the long list for water delivery. After 7 weeks he delivered a truck load to us and the following week the street water arrived again. Let's see if we get it again this week.<br />
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Meanwhile no rain and the high temperatures continue. Said water man mentioned to Danilo that one of the places he went to get water was just outside Moncion, the mountain town 11 kilometres from us, and was called La Meseta. He said it was no distance at all, so Danilo said we should go so that I could have a relaxing day. Ha! Chivirco was with us for the weekend and we haven't seen him much as he had his tonsils and adenoids out during the school holidays, and he loved the idea of the trip. So, as the only car we now have is my faithful old jeep, we checked water and oil, and prepared to leave. The jeep wouldn't start so Danilo hit the battery terminals with a rock and hey presto it started.<br />
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We put some petrol in at the local gas station which is a <i>colmado</i> with beer bottles full of gasoline so we put in a couple of Presidente bottles to get us to Moncion where we put two gallons in and then set off for La Meseta. I knew where it was as I had looked at the map but Danilo had to ask every person he saw to check we were on the right road. The road was appalling - a single carriageway dirt track with big rocks, and every time we had to stop, which was a lot, the jeep stalled and would not start. We have no aircon so the car was full of hot air and dust and I was trying to drive with one foot on the brake and the accelerator so it would not stall. Each time it stalled it was, out of car, lift bonnet up, hit battery with rock, go again. Also when it stalls, the steering doesn't work so we blocked the way for several cars as we were stuck in the middle of the road. Then I couldn't change gear and we discovered we had no clutch fluid, so that was yet another struggle to try and get the car in gear. On the way there we passed water man, who I could happily have strangled by then. Every person we asked how much further they said "<i>alli mismo</i>" which means just there. They all lied.<br />
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Eventually we reached the river after 2.5 hours, so much for being very close. Yes it was very pretty.<br />
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Chivirico and Danilo stripped down to their underpants and went for a swim, and loved it as the water was freezing cold and the river had a sandy bottom. I don't tend to join in these river dips as they just put their clothes on top of their soggy knickers for the drive home, and I don't do soggy knickers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iEwjne1FyqKzR-vXWzDgHD6XwNJOACrmmpKcz2e-7PDumTs65gxvCRBRW7v3uiuzCFr5vgFXVRN8-rDqS8cPvJjBNVmOG7xouuqtCSIxEMlYktCPgiHniD-qHiKs8LWHNcQDUA-1Udk/s1600/100_2224.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3iEwjne1FyqKzR-vXWzDgHD6XwNJOACrmmpKcz2e-7PDumTs65gxvCRBRW7v3uiuzCFr5vgFXVRN8-rDqS8cPvJjBNVmOG7xouuqtCSIxEMlYktCPgiHniD-qHiKs8LWHNcQDUA-1Udk/s400/100_2224.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eat your heart out Mark Spitz</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFj-xNChSr2cOfrpWF2lZZegLFDzJSA2xSDsAev1u6RNP4gr1g8zR0bqP5VRliM8nWdjKlkPURCFoY6DR7dgDLKA_W2ALYv9ssb2sMh_vZ_SlbtkQUHKNaB85xGnXv9Xy2b3f0_hcHzw/s1600/100_2225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFj-xNChSr2cOfrpWF2lZZegLFDzJSA2xSDsAev1u6RNP4gr1g8zR0bqP5VRliM8nWdjKlkPURCFoY6DR7dgDLKA_W2ALYv9ssb2sMh_vZ_SlbtkQUHKNaB85xGnXv9Xy2b3f0_hcHzw/s400/100_2225.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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We were not sure if the jeep would make the trip home so we didn't stay long, and we were hungry. It seemed to take less time coming back but that didn't stop the jeep conking out again several times. I was never so pleased to be back - I could see us breaking down in the middle of nowhere.<br />
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The other news is that 6 weeks ago today, Canguru, who for some reason is now called the Barracuda, gave birth to five puppies, one tailless female and four males. All doing well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaV2P2BORmPBLSuyrHFLHD_FfqEhsMOzFExlZ95RqD5OIyww0Kz16MmefQwseWXH2WLiUN0IE8o7t_lfOGx-gemEJtxX_vaWFT5yItznsrV0cuqmwZrn5Pt4NAMrMlSu_7fi42cwNlQ74/s1600/100_2061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1319" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaV2P2BORmPBLSuyrHFLHD_FfqEhsMOzFExlZ95RqD5OIyww0Kz16MmefQwseWXH2WLiUN0IE8o7t_lfOGx-gemEJtxX_vaWFT5yItznsrV0cuqmwZrn5Pt4NAMrMlSu_7fi42cwNlQ74/s400/100_2061.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first born about 5 minutess old</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xXhSupAQcP4ZmQbYSIp5zCH8BPb-M_2-oG9-BemJq5JiHrskZOIHZHWTRql3PwqAhgpijvUlN_U0PMvaLh01P520oOMHNOY5UXCxYfrmVlu7PDT2iVUqx1aj456elzA6xBSlfP6U7OI/s1600/100_2116+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1600" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xXhSupAQcP4ZmQbYSIp5zCH8BPb-M_2-oG9-BemJq5JiHrskZOIHZHWTRql3PwqAhgpijvUlN_U0PMvaLh01P520oOMHNOY5UXCxYfrmVlu7PDT2iVUqx1aj456elzA6xBSlfP6U7OI/s400/100_2116+%25282%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 weeks old</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxBsnLgdIRQXp92dlF2Dms-PJ-MnQTt_PU7ZAn0lCBaUvxOZVicHvWBrLU4fxmmo_kF-nEqxh0zuMjfzBWuO3mMaPTO6P7tuFxxtN_yhcU0idbD_DylcTPiLp3Mk-6h7S4Yg-SM5ciU4/s1600/100_2185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1219" data-original-width="1259" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOxBsnLgdIRQXp92dlF2Dms-PJ-MnQTt_PU7ZAn0lCBaUvxOZVicHvWBrLU4fxmmo_kF-nEqxh0zuMjfzBWuO3mMaPTO6P7tuFxxtN_yhcU0idbD_DylcTPiLp3Mk-6h7S4Yg-SM5ciU4/s400/100_2185.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5 weeks old<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU5aZBH0uvWbutJ9dFxKKU4FOsLJ1z9_N1IQ3n9ZRDbl1G4gyfk0Omcl7B0sLBAJv7VdiKMeCCXRy9m6wLaWK6Ev8R_ZBRR7r6pxPo3cUtP9GxBODhYV7MgOtiMCbsf5w7c4U4k-Jpzo/s1600/100_2208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1600" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU5aZBH0uvWbutJ9dFxKKU4FOsLJ1z9_N1IQ3n9ZRDbl1G4gyfk0Omcl7B0sLBAJv7VdiKMeCCXRy9m6wLaWK6Ev8R_ZBRR7r6pxPo3cUtP9GxBODhYV7MgOtiMCbsf5w7c4U4k-Jpzo/s400/100_2208.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for their tea</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">The other news is that Danilo decided that the nasty horrid geese were now <i>manso</i> which means docile. And given that the word for goose is <i>ganso</i> we supposedly have <i>gansos mansos. </i>They had been waking us up every morning as their pen is under our bedroom window and these geese make an appalling noise. So, unbeknown to me he let them out in the back garden. They seem pretty calm and he can go out into the back with no problem. They don't like me though which means I rarely venture into the back garden and when Zelda does her flying off the balcony stunt they head for her too. They also escape often at around 5 am and wander around the campo - although I don't think have attacked anyone yet - I wouldn't trust them an inch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Two of our goats sadly died, Maggi and Picante - no idea why, and Harry, one of the twins did his duty and we have two pregnant goats, Oregano and Chilli Pepper. Both have a couple of months to go.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Oh, and finally, which I nearly forgot, Danilo has finished his law degree and the graduation ceremony is at the end of September, so that is something to look forward to. Once he starts work I will start on book number 3! Promise the next episode of the blog will not be as long coming. We also have Christmas to look forward to and this year, for the first time in 12 years, I am planning to go to England and assuming he gets a visa I will be taking Chivirico with me, which will be great fun. Danilo will stay home to look after the animals.</span></div>
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Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-59579965415958073332018-05-20T11:32:00.000-04:002018-05-20T11:32:45.405-04:00The flying dogApologies for the delay - I can't use the excuse I have been very busy, but have just been pottering and the time seems to disappear.<br />
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I was invited to speak at a conference by Live and Invest Overseas which meant going to Santo Domingo, and I also wanted to do a book signing there and I wanted to see friends of mine, Grace and Nany who were to the west of Santo Domingo for a couple of months. I really don't like going to the capital but needs must and I could kill three birds with one stone. So off I went on the bus as normal. The book signing was not very well attended but it was great to see a couple whose wedding I sorted out years before in Juan Dolio, plus my Dominican friend Olga and I did sell a few books.<br />
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The following day it was off to the conference, then the bus to Grace and Nany's and the following day they brought me home in their car laden down with goodies for us and baseball gear for the team Chivirico and Albert play for in Esperanza. They had collected loads of gear and shipped it to the DR and had been donating it to teams of kids around the country.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0WGFPxGFVlr8WvI7xeflLViUfVRbS31ctKM_-AsyHwjXuGYdlN8Rh4n3Jjk9SmWWtuM_r3ynSPwuey8Bu7pLRDo9PZmxkdrStiOZXRIcl3vsf1CUP8ZKQmXTVhyphenhyphen2jqXy3qBfVkraDT0/s1600/chivalbertbaseball.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0WGFPxGFVlr8WvI7xeflLViUfVRbS31ctKM_-AsyHwjXuGYdlN8Rh4n3Jjk9SmWWtuM_r3ynSPwuey8Bu7pLRDo9PZmxkdrStiOZXRIcl3vsf1CUP8ZKQmXTVhyphenhyphen2jqXy3qBfVkraDT0/s400/chivalbertbaseball.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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They made hundreds of children around the DR very happy.<br />
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While I was away I had been asking Danilo how Zelda, the new dog, was, as although she was fine with me she was not quite as comfortable with Danilo. I had been told she needed socializing - whatever that meant, and every time we had a visitor, she would shake nervously and not leave my side.<br />
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We messaged on Whatsapp daily, and I would ask how is Baby Girl, which is what I called her, and never had a reply, so I had a horrid sinking feeling. But when we drove into the front yard, Nany, Grace and I, there she was running around ..... and she saw the car, ran towards the 8 foot wall around the yard, and sailed over it. I have never seen anything like it.<br />
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Danilo then explained that every time someone arrived - and when I am away he is never alone, as the family always visits - Baby Girl had left for the land next door. He had then left the front gate open and waited for her to return, which she always did when everyone had left or was asleep. She refused to come in the house, so he fed her outside and went to bed, and when he got up in the morning she was asleep on the couch and would then leave again for her little spot in the next door field.<br />
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He tried closing the front door so she couldn't jump over the wall, so she jumped 10 foot down off the balcony. He closed the balcony doors and she jumped over the breakfast bar and 10 foot down out of the kitchen window. This dog could be an Olympic champion.<br />
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Once I returned we were back to normal and she sat near me in my office.<br />
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But last week, I told Danilo to close the front door of the house as the dustbin men (garbage men) come early on a Friday morning and they open the gate, drive in, collected the rubbish and drive out, so I don't want the dogs outside when they arrive.<br />
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I woke up early, around 6.30 to hear a commotion outside and the dustbin men yelling about a flying dog. Danilo had closed the front door but Baby Girl was outside and refused to come in, so he closed the door but opened a window, which was only five feet above the ground, so easy for her to jump through! However, she spent the night outside but when the dustbin cart drove in - off she went and flew over the wall. I got up and as soon as they left she was sitting at the front gate waiting to come in. Now the whole village is talking about the flying dog. Nothing can keep her in. If I go to feed the goats she flies off the balcony to come with me - and comes straight back with me with no problem. If I am not around and she leaves, she never goes far, just to her little spot in the next door field and as soon as I return then so does she.<br />
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Meanwhile we have a new member of the family in the shape of a carrao or limpkin.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNswz4vwVyxFjl-7rG8EYgfDSNp5e5sE4zzoGdVHP4jigtGT_NTU0XVWl8_8IjNgrEfRlNEuvlG-5UKhZmB688bWszutQiQpO0uTpGyLo4zbtaGlPG_JOJ9y8Gq9axfR3zERTMtzGcWWI/s1600/100_1845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1446" data-original-width="1600" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNswz4vwVyxFjl-7rG8EYgfDSNp5e5sE4zzoGdVHP4jigtGT_NTU0XVWl8_8IjNgrEfRlNEuvlG-5UKhZmB688bWszutQiQpO0uTpGyLo4zbtaGlPG_JOJ9y8Gq9axfR3zERTMtzGcWWI/s400/100_1845.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mr and Mrs Limpkin have moved in which is fine apart from the noise they make at dusk and half the night, and we also have a pair of todies nesting in a little tunnel under a tree trunk next to the geese.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4RZFXu45vJcYLV77X3nQ9slhIwslLCKUyWtKXKdYoGZ0Br93XMpPD5YlX73-wRnu2_1UOQTNPJ-5_NzwiBhpjhdgkezMzXVeu-194i0kzkmJAFDiTtxfjKAL3FGzyJuWJE3r_ye9mao/s1600/100_1941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4RZFXu45vJcYLV77X3nQ9slhIwslLCKUyWtKXKdYoGZ0Br93XMpPD5YlX73-wRnu2_1UOQTNPJ-5_NzwiBhpjhdgkezMzXVeu-194i0kzkmJAFDiTtxfjKAL3FGzyJuWJE3r_ye9mao/s400/100_1941.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Can you see one of them on the left of the picture, sitting on a branch a bit more than half way down?<br />
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How about if I enlarge it?<br />
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And even larger....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rH-Nv79D7BbGbxiRI_MZaq_G98N08LO36ajyG6OlyLtlFk9wZGlbPmJi4qfJiR2naN2yymxfXyOiA6pNyzC_NCWL2PDtfHKszmsz2piHCzRqvaPuhAJ7g17kgoYRIMk7bEUamdgqqV4/s1600/100_1941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="361" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-rH-Nv79D7BbGbxiRI_MZaq_G98N08LO36ajyG6OlyLtlFk9wZGlbPmJi4qfJiR2naN2yymxfXyOiA6pNyzC_NCWL2PDtfHKszmsz2piHCzRqvaPuhAJ7g17kgoYRIMk7bEUamdgqqV4/s400/100_1941.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And this is a professional picture (not mine!).<br />
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They are so cute but hard to see as very tiny - around the size of a wren if not smaller. I can't wait to see the babies. I spend ages waiting with camera poised but so far haven't managed a really good shot. I am definitely becoming a twitcher!<br />
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-43982375815994715172018-04-04T16:43:00.000-04:002018-04-04T16:43:14.123-04:00CompetitionsI don't win competitions. Never. I don't win raffles either. I don't know that feeling of "OMG I have won!"<br />
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But I am good at coming second. This is my certificate for coming second in the Girls High Jump at my junior school in Singapore when I was nine. Given I was only 4 foot nothing at that stage you may think it was a miracle - mind you I think there were only three entries.<br />
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Amazing that I have so little from my past - no degree certificates, few photos, no saucepans (which I now miss terribly seeing them on Masterchef every week - they are using MY saucepans), but I still have this certificate.<br />
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At senior school I came second in the public speaking competition, and I won the David Renton prize for being good in all subjects but not good enough in any single one to win the subject prize.<br />
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You see the pattern here?<br />
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When I started writing, I entered writing competitions and would rarely get even an acknowledgment that they had received my sweated over prose. Most didn't answer, I was never told that the results were out, never told "Never mind, better luck next time". So I gave up on competitions.<br />
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Until the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/welovememoirs/" target="_blank">We Love Memoirs Facebook page </a> published information about a competition for travel writers, and undeterred by previous failure I decided to check it out. It is on Fred's Blog and the competition entry requirements are <a href="https://www.fd81.net/competitions.html" target="_blank">here </a> They didn't seem too difficult and each month a winner is picked for five months and wins US$50 and at the end, the overall winner gets US$300 which is a Lot of Money.<br />
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The last line for my entry came to me as I was feeding the goats and then all I had to do was to fill in the 900 word blank page before it, which I did over a few days, and nervously I submitted my entry together with the requested photo and short bio.<br />
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Well you could have knocked me over with a feather when within minutes I had an email reply thanking me for my entry, Saying "I love your story"and promising me the link when it was published in a week or so.<br />
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The link duly arrived as promised and if you want to read my entry it is <a href="https://www.fd81.net/lindsay-de-feliz-2018.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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And then, out of nowhere, the announcement of the winner arrived in my inbox. I realised I could now start another one for April and scanned through the message:<br />
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<h3>
"<b><u>Find out who won the March competition</u></b></h3>
<b><i>Many thanks to the 22 authors and writers who entered their travel stories in the first part of our 4th</i></b> <b><i>Annual Travel Stories Competition.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>Each and every entry was brilliant and they covered such a wide spectrum of travel writing. Thank you all so much for getting involved.</i></b><br />
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<b><i>As you can imagine, the selection of a winning story was extremely difficult, but ……..</i></b><br />
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<b>MANY CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR MARCH WINNER</b>"<br />
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and then it said<br />
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<h2>
<b>Lindsay de Feliz and her story Consequences.</b></h2>
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You have no idea how I felt - amazing, fantastic, emotional, running around the living room announcing my success to the goats, geese, chickens and dogs. At last I had actually won something.<br />
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So any of you who love travel writing give it a go. I have already submitted my entry for this month, The overall competition runs until July 31st, 2018, so there are still another 4 opportunities to enter your 500-1000 word travel stories in the April, May, June, and July competitions.<br />
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Take the plunge and good luck!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com43tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-34378102210191213082018-03-26T18:15:00.000-04:002018-03-26T18:16:50.348-04:00Visitors galoreSince the beginning of the year, Wasp House has had many visitors.<br />
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First ones of the new year were Rosa and Catherine, American who lives in Sosua and Virginia and Canadian Brit who lives in Canada, with frequent trips to Sosua to visit her Dominican husband. Both always come laden with goodies and this time was no exception. I should point out that Danilo calls Rosa "Awesome" as she taught him the word, but surprise surprise he can't say it properly so he calls her Orso, which means Bear in English. Hence she is known as Bear.<br />
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They didn't stay for long, but we had a great time, even though they made me walk all the way to the village centre in the sun (crazy gringas).<br />
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The next visitor was a Danish orthopedic surgeon and his Dominican wife who came for the afternoon so that he could learn about the house buying process here from Danilo, and hot on their heels was Sandra from Canada, who I had come to know via Facebook and she was a fan of my books.<br />
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Sandra also came laden with amazing gifts for her four day stay and I was a little concerned as I knew she didn't like spiders so I was hoping that the tarantulas kept away. I was also concerned as Wasp House is not five star luxury, or even one star really. It is more like glamping - I did warn her!<br />
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Unfortunately it rained solidly for four days and Wasp House is not good in the rain, as it floods and feels damp. Plus there is little to do here in the rain. Poor Sandra did not have to put up with tarantulas, but she did get a nightly visit from our resident rat, and when a bat flew through the living room - that was it. She had to cover herself up from top to toe!<br />
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Just after Sandra left I went to Santiago to talk to a group of communications students studying at PUCMM - the top university in the country. The talk was to be in English as it was as part of their English course and their professor, Melanie, was a friend of mine. Different expats had been invited to talk to them.<br />
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The students then had to make a television programme and a radio programme about their favourite speaker - which was yours truly and so a few weeks later the students and Melanie with a few kids and the odd boyfriend and husband all descended on Wasp House.<br />
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Danilo took charge of Melanie's delightful children and kept them busy.<br />
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Following all the videoing, photographs and chatting we all headed up to eat goat in the local goat restaurant. Here are some of the students with Danilo and I sitting outside the restaurant.<br />
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And the final visitor was just a week ago.<br />
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Here she is en route with her chauffeur.<br />
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Zelda is a one year old Great Dane/German Shepherd cross whose owner had to leave to return to the United States, so the delightful Easton, another friend, offered to drive her here to come and live with us. She has settled in beautifully and is adored by one and all.<br />
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Including the 17 year old cat, Zebedee.<br />
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And apart from all of these visitors I have been crazy busy with two major writing assignments which have now been submitted.<br />
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In addition I was a guest on a pod cast by Billy Atwell about facing your fears. If you want to listen to it and hear my voice it is <a href="https://www.livingbeyondyourfears.com/linsday-de-feliz-fear-courage-emotions-feelings-trauma/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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And last but by no means least, I met a lady called Madeline Sharples via a Facebook page called We Love Memoirs which is for people who love memoirs and who write them, and it is a fabulous group of people. I read Madeline's memoir, called Leaving the Hall Light On and was totally blown away by the story and her writing. She then was kind enough to read What About Your Saucepans? and asked me to write a guest post for her blog which you can read <a href="http://madelinesharples.com/archives/8023" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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If you would like to read Madeline's book you can buy it from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Leaving-Hall-Light-Disorder-Surviving/dp/0982579489/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522101810&sr=8-1&keywords=leaving+the+hall+light+on" target="_blank">Amazon</a> in Kindle and paperback - I highly recommend it. This was my review on Amazon:<br />
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<i>"This is a very hard book for me to write a review on. It is about a subject which I have no knowledge of – a bipolar son who commits suicide. I don’t know anyone well who suffers from bipolar or anyone close whose children have committed suicide so I could not identify with the author or the book. But OMG this was a brilliant book, one which I could not put down. Leaving the subject matter aside, which is heartbreaking, touching, tear jerking and emotional, it is the raw honestly of the writing which takes your breath away. I had no idea a memoir could be so honest, so stripped to the bones, so completely revealing without any glossing over the subject matter in order to just keep that little bit of privacy and secrecy. And that honesty makes this an amazing piece of writing, which I loved. It is peppered with photos which really help the reader to understand and then there are the poems. Personally, I have read many poems in memoirs, most of which I just skim over. But there is no skimming over these, and I have never read or appreciated such powerful poetry. Congratulations Madeline Sharples for a fabulous work of writing both prose and poetry."</i><br />
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-75310039380562931252018-03-14T15:48:00.000-04:002018-03-14T15:48:59.331-04:00Esneaky esnakeYet another animal story.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago, Danilo comes into the house holding some weird thing in his hand and explains to me that it is a snake skin. Where there is a snake skin - there is a snake, so off he goes on a snake hunt. Or a neesk hunt as snake is neesk in Danilo English. He is naturally wearing special neesk hunting gear - pyjama bottoms and tennis shoes.<br />
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The snake skin was found next to the wall, which in true Dominican fashion, although it has been built has not be plastered nor finished on the top. And the snake was living in the wall as you can see when I was looking down from the top of the wall.<br />
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So Danilo's plan is to get the snake out of the wall and keep it in a snake house. These are Boa Constrictors who live in the woods next to the house and they kill the chickens. But we don't want to have to kill them, so it made sense to just keep it in captivity.<br />
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Next stage is to get it out of the wall, so armed with essential snake hunting tools consisting of an oven glove and barbecue tongs the work begun.<br />
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The neesk did not appear to want to come out so a bigger hole had to be made.<br />
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He looked all warm and snuggly in there but eventually the barbecue tongs were put to use.<br />
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By this stage Danilo also had a T-shirt wrapped around his mouth and nose as (and I never knew this) snakes estink to high heaven.<br />
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And there is snake. around six foot long Boa. He/she was then placed in a large metal drum with wood and blocks on the top so that it couldn't escape.<br />
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Two hours later snake had gone. Houdini snake. Now here we are a couple of weeks later and another snake is living in the wall. Apparently not the same one. This time it is staying there undisturbed!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-52352698426396973512018-03-03T12:14:00.000-04:002018-03-03T12:14:55.772-04:00Goosey goosey ganderGoodness over two months since I last blogged, where does the time go to.<br />
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Here is a swift update on campo life in the Feliz household since Christmas.<br />
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The new year got off to a bad start as I came downstairs on the morning of January 1 to find Meg, our oldest dog, dead on the floor. No idea what happened as she was fine when I went to bed - I assume a heart attack. RIP Meg who was a very faithful dog and well loved.<br />
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The rest of the dogs are all fine and doing well as are the goats.<br />
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However, Danilo decided he wanted geese. I said no, and as usual he took no notice of me and I should have realised something was up when he arrived home one day with Dwendy Saya. They each had a goose in a sack.<br />
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I must admit they did look pretty so he filled a big washing bowl with water and set them and the bowl down in the back garden below the balcony.<br />
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They seemed quite happy, didn't make too much noise but the peace was not to last long. The next morning they were not there so it was all hands to the pump to go on a goose chase. I should mention at this point that he did not pay for these geese. He was given them as the man had to get rid of them as they were so vicious. This was not mentioned until they disappeared and he was concerned about the whole neighbourhood being beaten up by geese.<br />
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Danilo and Saya went out hunting and luckily a neighbour caught them just before they made it onto the main road. Geese were duly returned and locked up under the balcony until we came up with a plan. Danilo was going to build them a pen but in the end we decided to put them in the overgrown vegetable garden as that was already enclosed, so in there they went.<br />
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However it was obvious the washing bowl was no substitute for a pond, so we got them a paddling pool instead. Which they adored.<br />
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It took a whole 24 hours for them to puncture the paddling pool, so there was no choice but to build them a proper pond.<br />
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So now we have very happy geese. They are still very nasty geese, attack anyone who goes near them, not only by biting them (and their beaks have serrated edges) but also by smacking them hard with their wings. They are also very noisy and if anything moves, such as when the chickens and roosters fly down from the trees in the morning, they make one hell of a racket. No idea what the plan is for these geese - Danilo talks about getting them a female or two to breed more nasty geese.<br />
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Personally I am googling roast goose recipes for Christmas.<br />
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-16687126102646947032017-12-26T15:01:00.000-04:002017-12-26T15:01:46.556-04:00Continuing story of the balcony and goatsRemember where we were with the balcony? It was yellow and green, but we ran out of yellow, so clever me used turmeric as that is yellow - but it turned red! So Danilo had a cunning plan. He painted it green with white stripes.<br />
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So now the balcony looked like a tennis court, or a ping pong table. By this stage I had given up caring what it looked like, and then we became aware of the nuclear missile launch by North Korea. "What on earth has that to do with our balcony?" you ask. Well here is the nuclear missile being wheeled out.<br />
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Spot the similarity?<br />
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So we had to change the floor as according to Danilo we might be mistaken for a Korean nuclear missile site. I did try explaining that geographically there was a slight difference between us and North Korea but the change had to be done. So back to red we went, and so far, red it has stayed.<br />
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Of course, the painting was done in what were brown flip flops.<br />
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Anyway balcony is now more or less finished and I love it. We just need some more furniture and plants and solar lights and it will be perfect - until it falls down.<br />
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We do have some furniture - bar stools so that you can sit up, drink and look over the garden,<br />
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And this very interesting Dominican seat made out of the fibres in the leaves of the banana plant - so apparently it can be out in the rain. There are four depressions for people to sit in - and surprisingly it is comfortable, but you all have your backs to each other. So I assume it is for people who don't like each other, who don't want to talk to each other, or maybe it is a Whatsapp chair where people sit and chat away on their phones?<br />
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We have had a problem with El Criminal, the male goat who arrived a couple of months ago.<br />
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He would escape constantly, but would come to the back door, so I would go back to the paddock with him and prepare to open the gate, and then he would jump over the 4 foot tall barbed wire fence. When I went off on book tour, he would still escape but would make the rounds of the neighbours, eating all of their planted yuca and anything else he could find. So to save paying thousands of pesos in damages we bought more wire and increased the height of the fencing in the paddock to 6 feet tall. Did it work?<br />
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Yes, for 24 hours and then he would still escape. He would jump from a standing start - as if he had springs on his hooves. So, he had to go. Stepson number 2, Alberto came and collected him, and exchanged him for a pregnant lady goat called Chilli Pepper.<br />
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She is very cute, very tame and doesn't jump. Not sure when the baby or babies are due but it shouldn't be too long I don't think.<br />
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I hope you all had a good Christmas - here it was the traditional Dominican family Christmas with me cooking the supposedly traditional British Christmas dinner on 25th. However due to the oven not working (rats ate the insulation) we decided to have paella instead which you can cook on the top part of the stove rather than in the oven. Then a day before Christmas my mum bought us a new stove which is fabulous but we stuck to the paella plan. Here we are all eating Christmas lunch, stepsons, dwendy, foster kids, granddaughter and of course Danilo.<br />
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Wishing you all the best for the New Year - who knows what delights (and disasters) it will have in store!!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-83321181973146099392017-12-12T17:39:00.000-04:002017-12-13T08:37:32.467-04:00Lindsay and Chivirico on tourSo off we went on book tour, Chivirico and I with 100 books in tow – some of the old one, “What About Your Saucepans? “ and some of the new one “Life After My Saucepans”.<br />
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Danilo had a case he was working on in Puerto Plata, so he was able to take us to Sosua in the car, where we set up at<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Midtown-Sosua-bar-restaurant-492805227433297/" target="_blank"> Midtown Bar and Restaurant.</a><br />
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It was lovely and we had a good corner spec where Chivirico set everything up. He was on commission of RD$50 per book sold so he was keen to make sure all went well.<br />
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The guests began to arrive although most seemed to want to see Chivirico rather than me!<br />
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And soon our little corner was full! Many of the guests were from the <a href="http://www.dr1.com/" target="_blank">DR1 forum </a>and it was great to meet them.<br />
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The food was lovely – look at the size of that prawn cocktail.<br />
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And they served amazing cheesecake.<br />
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Chivirico had never eaten cheesecake but that was quickly remedied.<br />
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What was even better is I met some new friends, lovely people and sold around 25 books.<br />
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We then moved on to Casa de Compai an amazing apartment complex owned by a friend of mine. It has recently been expanded to include 6 more beautiful one bedroomed one and a half bath apartments.<br />
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I should point out I took lots of photos to include in this blog, but Chiv was in charge of the camera and lots appear to have been inadvertently deleted!<br />
<a href="http://casadecompai.com/" target="_blank">Casa de Compai</a> are apartments to die for. Beautifully fitted out, granite surfaces, fab beds, amazing bathrooms, piping hot water, all the mod cons you could ask for in the kitchen including full stoves with ovens, microwave, blender, coffee machine and a pool and flat screen tvs and and and... Plus the owner John Kumpel is a lovely guy as is his great dog Shadow!<br />
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Then it was off to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/tabernaelcondesosua/photos/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank">Taberna El Conde </a>for an amazing dinner, meeting more lovely people and selling more books. This is my favourite restaurant in Sosua - the food is to die for and it has a lovely ambiance.<br />
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The following day another friend, <a href="https://meemselle.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Meems,</a> took Chiv off to play in the Pitch baseball batting cage in Sosua which he adored.The Pitch batting cage isa new addition to Sosua and is sponsored in part by the Pedro Martinez and Hermanos Fondacion. Not only is Pedro GOD, this is a wonderful thing for Sosua kids...and visitors.<br />
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Meanwhile I went to have my hair cut and coloured for the price of two books, by the amazing Julia who has a salon in Plaza Valentina in Sosua.<br />
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I am sure her camera is dodgy as not a wrinkle in sight but I loved the new hair cut and colour.<br />
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Then back to Midtown for a great lunch before we caught the 1.30 bus to Las Terrenas. RD$350 each which is around US$7 and a couple of dollars for the book bag and off we went on the four hour journey. Chivirico spent the whole journey talking to the conductor (cobrador) and we talked about Christmas. He said he wanted Father Christmas to bring him a boogie which I eventually realized was a buggy. He also wanted a Samsung phone like mine – but a newer version. I explained that sometimes Santa Claus worked in mysterious ways and when we arrived in Las Terrenas, Dan was there to pick us up – in, guess what, a boogie! Chiv was beside himself and even more so when the next morning Dan took him for a long drive along the beach and even let him drive.<br />
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We spent the night at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/danandmantyshostel/" target="_blank">Dan and Manty’s guesthouse</a> in Las Terrenas which is an amazing place and full of people from all over the world, mainly backpackers. It is large and feels just like home with a lovely massive terrace where people hang out, chatting, drinking, eating Manty’s amazing food, using the wifi, reading or watching TV.<br />
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We sold a couple of books there, then off to bed after Chiv had spent time with Dan.<br />
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The next morning Chivirico hung out with Dan and I met my friend Helen for lunch and she took 15 books off my hand, buying 5 straight away and selling another 10 within 24 hours!<br />
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Then it was off to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OneLoveSurfshack/" target="_blank">One Love Surf shack</a> at 5pm for the final selling/signing event. Great bar/restaurant on the beach with a lovely laid back vibe and I got to sell and sign even more books and meet lots of great people. And guess what? Bahama and Harriet who came to visit a few months ago, when the baby goats were born, were there to say goodbye as they go back to the US soon. And Santa worked in mysterious ways when Bahama gave Chivirico a brand new Samsung phone. He will have to get it unlocked but I have never seen such a happy child.(Sorry it won't turn round!)<br />
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We caught the bus home at 6 am, meaning getting up at 5 am, and Chiv played with his phone all the way back. Danilo picked us up in Esperanza and by noon ish I was back in Wasp House with ecstatic dogs, cats and goats!<br />
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All in all a great time. Chivirico had a lovely time, I and he met old friends and made new ones, 61 books sold, we ate like Kings and Queens and stayed in lovely places. Now back to reality,Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-18733349005531539572017-12-02T14:32:00.001-04:002017-12-02T14:32:45.060-04:00Reminder I am on Spotlight Sunday tomorrowJust a quick reminder that tomorrow I will be appearing on what is called Spotlight Sunday on a Facebook Group called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/welovememoirs/">We Love Memoirs.</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/welovememoirs/"> </a>It is a lovely group of people from all around the world who enjoy reading memoirs and who also write them, although if you are a writer you cannot promote your work, apart from if you are invited to be in Spotlight Sunday. So on Sunday December 3, I will be on line on We Love Memoirs all day answering questions. People can ask whatever they like so it should be a fun day. If you want to join the page before then so you can ask me anything you like, just click the link above to join the site. We will start at 10 am Dominican time. Here are the other time zones: UK 2pm / CET 3pm / AKST 5am / PST 6am / MST 7am / CST 8am / EST 9am / AST 10am / UYT/GMT-3 11am / EET 4pm / GST/GMT+4 6pm / IST 7.30pm / MYT/GMT+8 10pm / HKT 10pm / JST 11pm / AWST 10pm / AEST 12am / ACDT 12.30am / NZDT 3am /<br />
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Following that, Chivirico and I will be getting ready for our book signing tour, starting in Sosua on Thursday 7, followed by Las Terrenas. I will post pictures the following week.<br />
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Now I must get back to sorting photographs for tomorrow to post during Spotlight Sunday. See you there!!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-26193136298182033352017-11-25T13:57:00.000-04:002017-11-25T13:57:16.429-04:00Balcony and BooksThe saga of the balcony continues.<br />
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Number one dwendy, Saya, who calls himself the maestro has been doing the technical work with lesser dwendies mixing the concrete etc. I told him he should wear shoes or boots as people were telling me that concrete was bad for bare feet. This was the result when putting the final skim of cement which we decided to colour rather than laying ceramic tiles which would have been expensive.<br />
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The "shoes" were flip flops and socks which wasn't exactly what I meant.<br />
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The colour was to be yellow and green, to blend in with the sun and the garden, but they didn't have enough for the last quarter, so danilo decided to buy more yellow and add it the next day. However, he still didn't have enough so clever me suggested turmeric. However, what neither of us knew is that if you add turmeric to cement it turns red!<br />
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So it now looks as if it was the location for a mass murder. Danilo says he has a plan, but I have no idea what it is nor what colour the balcony will end up.<br />
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As I mentioned last week or so, Chivirico and I are off on tour to promote and sign my books, but before then I will be appearing on what is called Spotlight Sunday on a Facebook Group called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/welovememoirs/?fref=nf" target="_blank">We Love Memoirs.</a> It is a lovely group of people from all around the world who enjoy reading memoirs and who also write them, although if you are a writer you cannot promote your work, apart from if you are invited to be in Spotlight Sunday. So on Sunday December 3 I will be on line on We Love Memoirs all day answering questions. People can ask whatever they like so it should be a fun day. If you want to join the page before then so you can ask me anything so just click the link above to join the site. I am not sure of the exact time yet, but will let you know as soon as I know.<br />
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And even more book news. Life After My Saucepans has been chosen as one of the top ten expat books of 2017 which I think is pretty amazing! The list was compiled by the <a href="https://www.expatbookshop.com/" target="_blank">Expatbook shop</a> and Expat Nest. You can read the full list <a href="http://www.expatnest.com/top-10-expat-books-2017/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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So just a reminder, for those who live on the north and north east coasts of the DR, Chiv and I will be on tour with Life After My Saucepans and What About Your Saucepans? in Sosua on Thursday December 7th at Midtown Bar and Restaurant from 2 pm to 6 pm. I will be having dinner at Taberna El Conde at 7 pm if anyone wants to pop in there.On Friday evening from 7 pm I will be at Dan and Manty's Guesthouse in Las Terrenas and on Saturday at One Love Surfshack in Las Terrenas from 5 pm till 7 pm and probably later! Early next year it will be Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. <br />
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Hoping to see you there!<br />
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<br />Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-26364035638116302822017-11-19T16:38:00.002-04:002017-11-19T17:38:50.256-04:00Dead rats and geysersThe good news is that the balcony is still standing! The wood was taken out from under the plato and it didn't fall down. Now it is being plastered (with cement) and the next stage is for the non rottable (is that a word?) wood to be put in for the railings.<br />
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Last weekend we had a visitor. Meems, American, and fellow <a href="https://meemselle.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">blog writer</a>, came from Sosua where she lives and Danilo had arranged for Chivirico to be here too. We had a fabulous weekend helped by the fact she came laden with wine, chocolate and real American steak. She also bought me a very special gift of a limited edition picture of A Woman of Valor in Hebrew. Here is it in English.<br />
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When someone comes to stay there is lots of work to be done. Dogs have to be bathed, house has to be mopped, beds have to be changed. On the Monday of the week Meems was due to arrive on the Friday, the hot water stopped working. The tank is situated outside at the side of the house and you just flick a switch for 20 minutes and hey presto, hot water.<br />
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After three days of nagging Danilo said he had fixed it as some wires were wet but asked Saya (Number one dwendy) to finish the job off on the Wednesday, which he did. Thursday morning I am preparing to mop and noticed there was no water in the cistern. I assumed that the lads had used it all in the plato making but as the street water was due to be piped in that day I wasn't too concerned - although to mop, you need water.<br />
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Danilo told me a pipe leading to the water tank had broken itself (Dominican speak, no one ever breaks anything, things break themselves) so off he went to Moncion to buy some new pipe. He came back, fixed the pipe and I went for a shower. My shower lasted all of 30 seconds before the newly fixed pipe fell off and the water stopped. Danilo redid the pipe. This time when he turned the water on it didn't even last 30 seconds before breaking. So all the water had to be turned off - luckily the cistern was filling up by now, but we had no water in the house.<br />
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The next day, still with no water, Danilo bought a metal pipe and that seemed to work, until he had a shower, forgot to turn the water heater off and obviously the thermostat isn't working and the release valve on the top of the tank opened sending fountains of hot steam up to the top of the house. At least now we have (boiling) hot water and water in the house for mopping but you have to remember to turn the hot water off after 10 minutes or we have our very own geyser.<br />
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Meems arrived to a clean house and I was going to cook pizza for dinner. I opened the oven to switch it on and was faced with the appalling smell of decomp as they say on the crime shows on TV. I slammed the oven shut and yelled at Danilo to start the barbecue. I assume there is a dead rat under the oven but we can't get it out so until we can the oven is unusable.<br />
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So we had a useless water heater (fixed), a useless oven (not fixed) and then the fridge packed up (fixed by fridgeman).<br />
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A new goat was delivered by Alberto. His name is El Criminal, and apparently he is a young Boer goat, bred for meat. He has no horns and is furrier than the others and seems to be fitting in well. Here is Danilo carrying him to the paddock in the rain.<br />
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And here is El Criminal in all his glory<br />
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Finally, the book signing tour is sorted. I will bring copies of Life After My Saucepans and some of What About Your Saucepans? and will also sign any you might have.I will be starting it in Sosua on Thursday December 7th and in the afternoon will be at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Midtown-Sosua-bar-restaurant-492805227433297/" target="_blank">Midtown Bar and Restaurant </a>from 2 pm to 6 pm. I will be having dinner at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tabernaelcondesosua/" target="_blank">Taberna El Conde</a> at 7 pm if anyone wants to pop in there.On Friday evening from 7 pm I will be at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/danandmantyshostel/" target="_blank">Dan and Manty's Guesthouse</a> in Las Terrenas and on Saturday at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/OneLoveSurfshack/" target="_blank">One Love Surfshack</a> in Las Terrenas from 5 pm till 7 pm.. Early next year it will be Santo Domingo and Punta Cana. Obviously I cannot go on the road without a bodyguard, so Chivirico will be coming with me. Hopefully as many people as possible will turn up for a chat!Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-652113856727227960.post-4835703194593593802017-11-07T12:01:00.000-04:002017-11-07T12:01:16.609-04:00And it's Platoday.Today it is Platoday. In other words the day the <i>plato</i> - or concrete floor is laid on the balcony. The last time we had a <i>plato</i> done it was on top of the guest house in Juan Dolio and I remember it distinctly as it was the day I was shot - July 21, 2006. Here's hoping history doesn't repeat itself.<br />
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Laying, pouring whatever you call it, the <i>plato </i>is a major job. First wood is put over the walls they built out of block and underneath the wood there are posts made from tree branches.<br />
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Here is Danilo sawing the wood, with a machete and hammer. Yes that is an electric saw behind him but apparently it burned out. It was attached to this... not sure why.<br />
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Anyway so now all the wood is laid and Danilo has to have a little snooze, as only Dominicans know how. He can sleep anywhere and anytime.<br />
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The next job is to make a sort of web of iron bars - <i>varilla</i> - to give the concrete strength and stop it breaking I am told.<br />
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We have tubes which will go in place for electric wiring so we can light the balcony and other tubes (well Gatorade bottles) which will allow the water to drain off it.<br />
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You can see the piece of wood at the top of the picture which is leading into the house. Next to my desk. Where I am working.<br />
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So what happens it that the guys at the front are mixing cement, gravel, sand and water.<br />
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They take their shoes off so as not to dirty their shoes - sort of home made concrete boots.Then they wheel the cement in the wheelbarrow through the living room, past my desk, onto the balcony and tip it out.<br />
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Please note my new desk with its signs which say"Be Quiet" in Spanish, <i>callate</i> as I spend all day long saying that, plus a picture of my mum saying"Be Quiet" as she always says that to Danilo (although he did ask me why she was saying Biscuit). The middle sign says <i>La Jefa</i>, the boss, just in case anyone forgets.<br />
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The wheelbarrow goes down the ramp and usually it falls over by itself and tips the cement out. Meanwhile, Saya (number one dwendy for those of you who read What about my Saucepans? ) sort of smooths it out, as it will have tiles put on top, and I would rather they are not wonky. It gets smoothed using a piece of wood which you can see at the top left of this picture<br />
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So here is hoping it will work. I have a sneaky suspicion that underneath the balcony it is dripping cement out and we have to wait 9 days I think before all the wooden supports underneath and all of the plywood is taken away. Then it is the moment of truth to see if the concrete stays in place - and for how long. Given past experience I cannot say I am feeling 100% confident.<br />
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Watch this space as they say.Lindsayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10032023667222395286noreply@blogger.com4