Day 1: Hello Santo Domingo!

We just landed. It's beautiful, sunny, and hot! This is quite the contrast to the rainy 45 degree weather we left behind in CLE. As we arrived at the baggage claim, we were warmly greeted by Marta, a Caminante employee, who guided us through customs. Even though we are a large group, maneuvering through the airport was a breeze. As we left customs and exited the secure area in the airport, we were surrounded by a large crowd of people waiting for family and friends.  Sr. Denise quickly emerged through the crowd and welcomed us all with warm hugs.  Our hotel in Boca Chica, "Hostal Zapata", was just a 20 minute ride from the airport and it brought us directly to the crystal clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Within 15 minutes of settling in our rooms, we all took our first dip into the hotel "pool".  The first 2 hours in the DR have already surpassed my expectations. We are having dinner with Caminante at Sonny's restaurant tonight (a former graduate from the Caminante program). We are excited to meet the rest of the staff and get to know our new Dominican friends. If our first day is any indication of what's to come, then this journey is going to be even more amazing than we anticipated.  I can't wait for tomorrow...

Day 1: T minus now...

Our much anticipated departure date has finally arrived and in just a few hours we will land on Dominican soil. We met at the airport at 4:15 am, checked in, and have about an hour now before our 6:15am flight. Many had to hit the road by 3am, so needless to say, very little sleep was had by all. The feeling of a restful night is replaced by the excitement and anticipation for the journey we are about to begin. After a brief stop in Miami, Boca Chica will be our home away from home for the next 18 days. Santo Domingo here we come!
Here’s how we spent our last morning in CLE…

Dance like nobody's watching...

and that's exactly what we did on Tuesday night when the KC was filled with Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata music!  Many thanks to Santiago Morales, Diana Solano, Angel Gonzalez, Manuel Angel, and Hiram alum Ronaldo Chavez for (patiently) leading us through an evening of dancing. We had a great time and enjoyed a taste of the culture we'll be soaking in next week!  I look forward to seeing Team Caminante let their Dominican flair shine on the island.  

Here are some pics of our future contestants on "Dancing with the stars"....  :)

A little bit about dancing on the island...

While the DR has made historic contributions to the development of Salsa as a genre, Merengue and Bachata remain synonymous with the Dominican Republic. The cultural roots of Hispaniola fuel the history of this music and style of dances. Merengue, in particular, has deep-seeded roots in the political history of the island. This type of music and style of dance evolved significantly during the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, who held power from the 1930’s until his assassination in 1961.  

Here’s a little background on the history of Merengue: excerpt from History of Merengue Dancing |               http://www.ehow.com/about_6599216_history-merengue-dancing.html#ixzz1LYNsleaf

        

        Scholars debate the exact location where Merengue dancing was born. According to the Salsa & Merengue Society, there is evidence of similar dances in the mid-1800s and early 1900s in Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Colombia; however, modern Merengue is based on the Dominican style.

        According to the Central Organization of Latin American Dance Awareness (COLADA), Merengue came from a mixture of the African musical influence of newly arrived slaves to the island of Hispaniola and traditional French Minuet dancing. Modern day Haiti and the Dominican Republic were formed from Hispaniola.

        According to COLADA, two stories relate to the development of Merengue. In one story, because slaves were chained together as they cut sugar cane, they had to drag one leg along, which was done to the beat of a drum. In the second story, a war hero returned to his village with a wounded foot. The village, honoring his return, celebrated by imitating his dragging foot step; eventually a dance style was created.

       During a time of political upheaval in the Dominican Republic, Merengue dancing was a national symbol of resistance. Dominicans used merengue as a means of holding on to cultural identity during the 8 years of American occupation from 1916 onward, according to the Salsa & Merengue Society. Even the upper class infused Merengue into their formal parties. This resulted in a conjoined cultural identity and a union among the classes.

      According to the Salsa & Merengue Society, Trujillo's bid for the Dominican presidency in 1930 was strongly associated with Merengue music and dancing. Trujillo was able to infuse Merengue into almost every aspect of his campaign. He toured regions with Merengue musicians and Merengue bands were named after him, after he won the presidency. Trujillo was an avid Merengue dancer.

Jammin' to the beats of Carlos Jones and the PLUS band

Caminante Benefit Reggae Fest, a gallery on Flickr.

A special thanks to everyone who donated and came out to support the children of Caminante!
Carlos Jones and the PLUS band put on amazing performance! They have to be one of the best bands to ever play at Hiram. Just look at the images of the crowd... an awesome time was enjoyed by all! It was a serious dance-fest!!!

Thanks to our very own Sammy Adams for these amazing shots!

Springfest Weekend Finale = Benefit Concert Featuring Carlos Jones and the PLUS Band!

Don't miss the chance to groove with Cleveland's very own nationally acclaimed Reggae band AND help us raise money for the children of Caminante!

 May 1st, 4-6pm Martin Field House, Hiram College.  Tickets on Sale NOW!  $5 presale, $7 at the door.

Donations of school supplies are greatly appreciated! Crayons, markers, pencils, rulers, stickers, you name it - they'll love it!!! We'll be collecting donations at the door.

See you May 1st!!!  This will be the best ending to Springfest weekend yet!

http://www.carlosjones.com/

http://www.reverbnation.com/carlosjonestheplusband

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Count down to Boca Chica

I can hardly believe that in five weeks the Hiram group will be on a plane to Boca Chica. I can't wait to look into the eyes of the children as they excitedly listen to the science lessons presented by our very own Hiram students. In preparation for our awesome endeavors (science education, sustainability and health screenings), we will be raising money by holding a Reggae Fest featuring Carlos Jones and the PLUS band. Please spread the word to all your family and friends in support of our fundraising event. I expect that the whole experience of listening to the band play in honor of the children and thinking of what we hope to accomplish will bring tears to my eyes…..

Getting Excited!

Hello everyone! This is Aimee, part of the science group traveling to the Dominican Republic. As the time draws close to our departure, everything is getting very exciting! Lesson plans are starting to come together, and it looks like some of them are going to be really fun for the kids. We have lessons on plants, dental health, bugs, weather and lots of other fun topics. I'm sure we'll have plenty to do when we get there! I do worry a little about trying to teach our lessons in Spanish, but I know we'll be fine with our scripts. Most of us have at least taken Spanish before. Even if everything doesn't go perfectly (let's hope they do!) I think even just being there will be fun for them (and us!). I'm really looking forward to meeting the kids and the workers at Caminante. I've heard a lot of good things about them. Before this trip, I have had one previous experience teaching children in a foreign country, Tanzania. It was crazy getting there and even though we could barely teach them English (no one spoke English at the orphanage!), we still made great connections with the children and enjoyed our time. Language really wasn't as much of a barrier as we thought it might be. I'm sure that will happen here too (and I'm sure our lessons plans will go a little more smoothly haha!). I'm sure our nursing and micro-finance groups will be awesome as well!

BTW: Thanks to all those in the science class not going on the trip who have helped us out so so much!