27 January 2013

Hermana here.  It was lovely to skype our family yesterday as they celebrated Grandma Ron's birthday.  Mom would have been 92 this month...although I'm very certain she would NEVER have admitted that.  I often wonder what she's doing.  Preaching the Gospel, dancing, loving people, making them laugh, enjoying her life hereafter.  I miss her greatly.

Today we went to a little barrio (ward) outside Santiago called Hato Del Yaque.  We had to giggle through the hymns.  Bless their hearts, they sang with gusto and if they could just find a pitch and stick with it, but no, everyone had their own plan.  The leader had a strong voice and was leading everyone astray.  No pianist of course.  There's an electronic piano sitting there and you just have to push a few buttons and the hymns will play themselves.  But no one knows how to push the buttons I guess.  That's another course for me to teach at the Institute maybe. I could call it "The player piano player piano player course!"  :)  I was determined if I sang loudly enough, I could get a few people around me to come with me on a pitch close to the real thing.  Bill was just trying to follow the leader (and it wasn't me) but the leader started so high that I couldn't even sing the alto without being in the heavens.  By the 3rd verse of "I'll go where you want me to go" most of the congregation had dropped down an octave and it became abundantly clear that they were doing it their way so I settled for harmonizing above them.  After a rather heroic effort, I gave up the fight and remembered, we aren't here to change them after all, just love them!   

I'm always fearful we'll get called on to speak without notice and sure enough, I heard the words "The Familia Partridge"  and something about being invited to speak next (and the end of the world...)  OK, I'm starting to hyperventilate, I lean over to the head of the Familia Partridge, bat my eyes, smile sweetly and imploringly whisper, "You'll do it, right?"  Of course he will!  He loves to speak!  (News to you, right?)  I'm so not ready yet!  He did a great job, of course, and made the audience laugh...oh, that's my goal someday.  Really, I've been paralyzed to even get up on fast Sunday to bear my testimony but I set a goal to be ready by Feb 1st.  

During the class with the young singles today, I had an amazing experience as the teacher was talking about the First Vision and sharing her testimony as well as reading words from the prophets testifying of the reality of the First Vision.  I understood enough that I suddenly felt an overwhelmingly powerful witness to my heart, in Spanish, that it was true!. I've had that sure witness many times in my life but never quite so suddenly and unexpectedly...and in Spanish.  Such a sweet experience.

It is true.  I know it with all my heart and I'm going to be ready next time to share that knowledge, from my heart, in Español.  

Well, be careful what you say out loud.  Tonight, we were invited by President Douglas to a conference in another city, San Francisco (no trolley cars or sour dough...sorry.)  The President and his wife were both prepared to speak.  The Stake Pres welcomed us and asked Bill to also take a few minutes.  (Whew)  But at the close of the meeting, he called me up to bear my testimony.  I didn't even have time to hyperventilate.  I couldn't pass it off this time, Billy had already spoken.  So, I just went up and shared the tiniest little baby steps testimony, but it was from my heart, and it was in Spanish!  And, I'm still breathing!.  I feel like I've just taken a giant leap forward!  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...:)

26 January 2013

This last week, we were out driving around the town, probably  going to purchase something we needed, and if I was a swearing man, I  would swear that they were out to kill me.  I was driving down one street, going as fast as traffic, then all of a sudden, on front of me, across two lanes of traffic comes a car, stopping directly in front of us.  We both, me and the car next to me, slammed on the brakes and barely saved our car and life.

Then we were driving, a few minutes later, and a car was coming directly toward us,  same lane,  light ablaze and heading for us, going quite fast.  I didn't know where to go, just panicked, and you can imagine how Bonnie reacted. Finally, like the game of "chicken" they swerved off to the left of us before we "met."

Then this other driver pulled out right in from of us on our way back to our apartment.  This driving  down here is: you have to expect the  unexpected and then prepare for it, for it will probably happen.

As we were talking to our new land lord/lady where we will be moving next week, she is from New York, but is a Dominican.  She was raised up there so has some semblance of sanity about driving.  We were talking about the driving and she explained the way they drive like a demolition derby.  People don't learn to drive down here.  There is no test about driving.  They just go into a place, plop down some money and get a drivers license.

I can just see it now.  Some young kid, or old kid, or anyone is out shopping.  The pick up some candy, put a few apples in their cart, purchase some butter, and even some ice cream, and the run over to the aisle and pick up a drivers license and put it into their cart.  Then he remembers to buy one for little Tommy.  "But mommy, Tommy is only three years old."  "That is OK, if we but his license now, we will save money, for think what the prices will be when he turns ten."  They go to the check out and pay $100 pesos for the privilege of driving, and of course another $100 for little Tommy.  They run down to the corner shop, purchase a 1936 Ford with dents, scrapes, and scratches, and square wheels, and start drive their groceries home.  Of course they have to figure out where the gas pedal is and the brake, but after that, what else is there to learn?  They just go, drive on whatever side of the street they want, what is that green/red light?

That explains a lot about the drivers down here.  That is probably why I often  think someone is out to kill me.  Of course they will kill me and Bonnie would be snatched out of harms way by those angels that are always around her.

 Here is a picture of a cute little girl that just left on her mission.  She is 21 and always came to my and Bonnie's classes.  She cried to realize that we would not be here when she comes home.  Her dad is a regional authority and she is such a wonderful young lady.  Mom borrowed her violin a few times in the past few months.

21 January 2013

First, about vacations.  I know missionaries don't usually have such things but we CES missionaries are a privileged lot I guess.  With breaks in our assignment at the Institute and the beckoning ocean only a short drive away...well, you get the picture.  Or you will when I get them all uploaded into Flickr Dropbox.  For now, here's a few choice shots of the hard-working Elder and Sister P...enjoying the 2nd half of their Christmas break. 

An ancient stone carving of Elder Partridge's face!

Nothing like the power of the ocean!

Santo Domingo was fabulous!  We loved the Temple most of all.  

We did several sessions and some initiatory work as well.  It was different for me to be the one who needed the language earphones.  Bill followed along in Spanish.  What a sweet experience!  We stayed in the little casas next the Temple for people like us who want to attend the Temple.  We met several wonderful couples (there are more than 40 senior couples in that area - Temple missionaries, office missionaries for 2 missions, humanitarian couples, music couples, medical couples, psychiatric couples (I should have stopped them long enough to lay on a couch and lament my cockroach phobia!)  and of course all the many Caribbean Area office couples and Area Presidency.  Many of them get together weekly for FHE and they eat and play games together and go sight-seeing together a lot.  We were slightly jealous as we are the only senior couple now in our mission because our mission office couple went home and no one is here yet to take their place. 

Elder Partridge adding my 2 Cents worth.  I met Elder Cornish, member of the Area Presidency, and was talking with him.  I lamented on what Bonnie just said in purple above.  He replied that he loved our city.  It is cleaner, slower paced, and less crime.  (Santo Domingo has 3 million people, Santiago -  our city - has about one million.)  He also said that he would love it, being the only senior couple in the area, as we are.  He said the area needed us, and we could do so much more good being the only couple here, rather than one of 40 couples. Change of thinking processes here.

We met our friends from Lindon, the Eickbushes and had dinner with them overlooking the ocean, went shopping, touring the old colonial city, the cathedral (reminded me so much of Europe.)  We got to spend part of a day on a beach nearby just walking and drinking in both the peace and energy of the ocean.     One very good thing for me was to talk with Kent Rappleye, our CES Area Coordinator who assured me as I told him of my struggle with Español, that though it is good for me to try and it would bless my life, my learning Spanish would never be as important to me as the young people here learning English will be to them.  He said learning English can change their lives forever.  And that was confirmed yesterday by Elder Russell M. Nelson who spoke at our Caribbean Area Stake Conference broadcast.  He admonished the parents to "encourage your children to learn to speak English.  It is not only the language of international commerce but it is the language of the restoration."  So I'm not going to stress so much about it.  I am learning and understanding much more every day. 

So we filled up our "buckets" with sea shells, memories, a little residual sand in our flip flops (more exfoliating...), lots of pictures, new friends and energy for the coming semester.  And we needed it as we've jumped head first back into our real lives, teaching, mingling with wonderful students, planning activities, making treats, and answering the beck and call of our director..."Hermana...Elder!..."

But we do love it.  Started teaching right away.  No one came to my directing class. So I practiced on Billy and we danced to Mark Anthony singing "I Need You." (One of the songs I chose to help them "feel the beat" during the first class.  We'll see if anyone comes this week.  My little choir class is going to be challenging.  5 students came.  (It's normal for the first week to be slow we're told.)  I tried to determine their vocal ranges, very difficult when generally their pitches are all over the range but I'm determined to "round them up and bring them in so they can learn to listen to each other, and sing on pitch together in unison.  A daunting task.  We're going to "start at the very beginning, a very good place to start."  I've got to learn to say "do re mi" instead of C, D, E and so on.  Who knew that I tune my violin to "la."  And who knew I'd get to do what I love the most and what makes me forget to eat...music...as a full-time missionary! 

A word about the horse, turned beef again.  We cooked up that "punta de palomilla" today in the crock pot and it was totally wonderful.  Used a recipe Bec gave me for Mongolian Beef...ala PF Chang.  Now we know.  Why in the world did they name it "white horse" when wasn't Shadowfax at all, just ol' Bessie?   And she tasted mighty fine.  We gringos are learning...

Now  about haircuts.  I needed one.  Now!  I've been going to a little shop near the Institute with one of my students tagging along to help translate what I want.   The cuts have been so-so, but the price has been right.  They're never exactly like I want but my hair is thick, course and curly and easily hides mistakes.  I told Rocio, my student, that she should watch and learn to cut my hair herself.  She has been all over that idea.  I would love to pay her the 300 pesos I pay the salon which is only $7.50 but it would help her.  So after 4 months of watching the technique, we made a time for Saturday for her come over and try. I was washing my hair when Rocio called.  She told Bill her mom said no way.  "You need to be professional before you cut Hermana Partridge's hair.  Little did she know that I was ready to be a guinea pig (emphasis on the pig) for anyone.  (You know how you get to that day when you just can't stand it another minute!) So, in desperation I sent Elder P. down to the fancy dancy beauty salon in our apartment bldg to find out how much just a haircut would be - I just shampooed it and no styling needed (you know my hair is wash and wear.)  800 pesos he was told.  That's 20 bucks!  You know I won't pay that.  At home I usually go to the beauty school on half-price-for-seniors day and pay $3.50!     Entonces...(my new Spanish word for the month - it means So...) I figured why pay these people to give me a bad haircut when I could get Bill to do that for free!  So we got out the scissors and between the two of us, me holding my hair in back in sections, him cutting along the guide line of my fingers trying not to draw blood.  Here's the results.

Winifer Martinez, Nicole's Birthday Friend!

 Pretty good.  I did the front.  He plowed through the back.   For free!  We saw Rocio (my student) at church today.  She felt bad not coming because her mom wouldn't let her.  I showed her our work.   "Tell your mom if Elder Partridge can do this well, you will be wonderful!"  (But now I'm thinking...maybe we should just open a shop..."B&B's Haircuts for Cheapos."

18 January 2013

It wasn't, then it was, then it wasn't.  Final decision will be told Monday.  Remember when we bought a roast, thinking it was a beef roast.  Then we went home and read in the dictionary about words, and what they meant.  As I walked in the room, Bonnie said we had just purchased a horse.  We put it in the freezer and started to look for someone who would eat horse.  None of the elders would, no one we could find, even the natives would not eat horse.  (I  ate a piece of meat somewhere and I could have sworn that it was horse.  It tasted awful, but it was meat.  Maybe I have had a piece of horse?   Who knows.)  So, we went to a meeting with our director, and told him about the horse story.  He laughed.  He said that they DO NOT sell horse in this country.  (I Wonder????)  He said that the "palomilla" was just the cut, not the definition of the meat.  So it is now, officially, NOT horse and we are going to try to eat it on Sunday.  Will let you know if I start whinneying, or stamping my front foot, or what???  But it was, then it was not, and now it doesn't seem to be horse.  It is red, looks like a good cut of roast, but we shall see, for the verdict is still out.

Today is my mother's birthday.  She died 11 years ago.  She died a few days after the UGLIES of 9-11.  We are back into the swing of things.  I taught four lessons this week, and Bonnie taught three.  It was good.  She did great.   Monday is another holiday and thus we have another day of holiday.   Probably just to remain around the apartment.

Here is mom and I in front of Columbus.  We are the people, and the statue is one of Columbus, or his brother, I can't remember which one.  They are sure proud that Chris Columbus discovered America and he landed not far from where we serve.  He is a great hero here.  Well this about enough, for mom needs to put her bit in also.  I will leave it to her to blog about our  vacations.

15 January 2013

Well, we are off our vacation.  We went places, had a great time, have many pictures, and just have not had time to post them.  We are back at the Institute and teaching.  I taught today, as did my companion.  It was fun to get back, but there is much to do to get back on track.  

We have reported that almost everyone has an UZZIE, or a weapon for some reason.  Well here is a picture of a missionary who found one also.

Don't know what one would do with it, but our guard at the institute has one, let me borrow it.  Nice huh?

We are still waiting for approval or denial for the apartment we found.  It is just hurry up and wait.  That is our life down here.

I  have said before that I love the clouds down here.  Here is a picture of a few of them.  They are ever changing, but so beautiful.  




Also, yesterday we went to a ball game.  
They have a team down here where many of the major league players of the states come and play during the winter and then return in time for spring training.  
We went and watched Manny Ramirez as the designated hitter.  It was quite a fun night.  Here is a picture of the mission president, with whom we went with.  He is a large fan of baseball.

President and Hermana Douglas.  Of course  since we went, they lost.  It was fun but extremely loud.  They are the Santiago Eagle, or Aguilas.  

I believe that is enough for me, Bon will add her six cents worth in the next day or two, for we are still very busy with the Institute starting and we teaching so much.

6 January 2013

Hermana here.

For those of you who saw the video of me buying fruit all by myself, here's why it took so long for me to buy a melon from our favorite street vendor.  OK...I've gone over and over my numbers..."let's see 25 pesos is vente y cinco, 30 - trenta, 40 - cuarenta"...etc. etc.  I had it all stored in my brain up to 100 pesos - cien.  I ask for the "dulce melon por favor."  He asks, "Un or do?"  I recognize that's Dominican for uno or dos?  I say uno.  My man chooses one...looks at it, feels it, smells it (I don't know, he might have even listened to it)...I trust his judgement so I nod and we're ready to make the deal.  I say, "Cuanto cuesta?"  How much?  He says, "Algo..."  Now, I'm thinking..."algo?  How in the heck much is algo?  How did I miss that in my number drills?"  So, I have that blank deer in the headlights look (I have that a lot!) and sheepishly ask again, "cuesta?"  He smiles and says, seten...Ah...I recognize that...setenta which is 70.  So I count out 70, he gives me the bag and I score!  I pump my fists and walk away an independent woman of means.  :) 

Back to the car, I ask Billy, "What in the world does 'algo' mean? Is that a number I haven't learned?"  Sir Bill smiles and says "Algo means some...(I thought that was algun) and he was probably asking in the typical Dominican way if I wanted something else.  But since I didn't see or hear the question mark at the end of that I didn't realize he was asking me a question.  So, my little brain has to concentrate, translate, meditate, investigate, conjugate and try to understand what the natives most often mutilate!  ERG! 

Next day my favorite whistling salesman comes down the road by our apartment whistling and calling out "AGUACATE!" with his basket on his head.  I was ready for him...I've been wanting to buy an avocado from him since I first heard his cute whistle.  I was prepared with 35 pesos in hand (plenty) and ran out of the apartment, down the stairs, out to the front gate, waved at him so he would stop.   We shook hands.  He's very tall.  He asked how my family was, (so cute) and I said, "muy bien" which I say to everything I'm asked.  He gets the basket down, there are lots of BIG beautiful avocados, some limes and oranges.  I feel an avocado, it feels good, I say Oy? meaning eat it today?  He feels it and nods and I take it and say "cuesta?"  He says, "cual."  OK, I thinking, "did he just mean cuar"...which would be cuarenta or 40 pesos.  I don't have that much and that's a dollar anyway...way too much.  Now, I'm prepared for a number - vente, trenta, etc, not cual.  "Ohhh, popeye, not again!"  So, I open my hand, he counts out all my pesos, smiles and says, "trentaycinco," (35) takes it all and away he goes.  I stand there perplexed and say, "gracias," and wonder what just happened and go back scratching my head, thinking "cual, cual ?..."  I relay the transaction to Sir Billy.  He reminds me that cual is "which." (I knew that...erg!)  He was probably asking which avocado I wanted.  I wanted the one I was holding, of course!  So he happily took all my pesos since I naively opened my hand and I paid 35 pesos for one avocado.  Highway robbery!  I bought one yesterday at the market for 20.  But it was BIG...and may I say definitely worth 88 cents.  It rendered 2 large dishes of guacamole...yes, eat your hearts out guacamole lovers...with fresh lime, fresh garlic, cilantro, cumin etc.  I'll focus on that!      

The big question is, "Will I ever get it?"  It seems my learning curve just gets steeper and steeper.  I keep saying to my tiny brain cells, "Come on girls, you can do it!"  And we just keep sliding down the mountain on our bum-de-lay-ee-tees!  But I am determined to climb or die trying!

Unrelated photos of our excursion to the beach on Friday.  Heavenly!  



 There it is...my ocean!

Notice the very cute hat!



What's the temperature again in Utah?

Yes, we got no bananas...oh yes we do!


Cute legs Elder Partridge :)


We finally got him in shorts and flip flops!              

Ahhh....the sea!  Nothing else quite compares.  So nice to be an hour away and have a break between semesters.  The rewards of CES! 

5 January 2012

My companion and I just visited a local merchant, entitled National.  We were talking about what we would have for dinner tomorrow.  Since we have not had any beef since we arrived here over four months ago, we decided to purchase a small roast.

A few weeks ago I was reading an advertisement from National and they were advertising about the good quality of roast they had, brought in from the US.  So while we were there we looked at their roasts.  Bonnie asked me what certain words meant, and of course, since those words were not in the vocabulary of a missionary, I told her I didn't know.  It was probably a loin, or a prime rib, or something.

Well we arrived home and I went next door to purchase a few rolls from the bakery.  There is a bakery on many corners, and one right next to our apartment. 

As I walked in with our rolls, Bonnie said, with a sort of smirk, and a little smile, "We just bought a horse."  She had the dictionary in her hand and I just started laughing.  No, we won't eat horse, and don't know what to do with it, but now we don't have any Sunday dinner tomorrow.  Oh the blessings of being in a third or fourth world country.  Anyone want a bite of a horse?

1 January 2013

Well last night, it happened.  We were invited to dinner at our director's house.  We ate at his house for Christmas Eve.  We had copious amounts of meat, salad, and great stuff.  I stuffed myself.  Well, last night, we showed up and all they had was lasagna.  Since they knew I didn't "appreciate" cheese, they made a whole large dish of NO CHEESE lasagna.  On the outside, I was so gracious, thankful, and smiling, but on the inside, I was screaming that it isn't ONLY the cheese, it is also those crazy noodles.  I mean, they  made this lasagna out of four foot wide lasagna strips, almost an inch thick.

Well, perhaps it wasn't quite that large, but they were large noodles.  What could I do?  I thought of Euphrania, and figured I better eat at least one piece.  I looked around and thought I would wash it all down with two gallons of water, just barely being able to eat it.  Then to my surprise, there was nothing to drink on the table.  Strike one on that idea.  So then I figured I would try to mix it up with potatoes.  They did have some of them.  So I, with my lasagna-smile, ate a square of it.  Washed it down with potatoes.  Interesting.  Then as we were getting ready to leave, they "threatened" to send it home with me.  I graciously refused, thanking them profusely.    You can see the LARGE dish of the noodles and stuff with the white disher-upper.  Next to the lasagna, you can see one redeeming quality of the  meal, Jeri's rolls, made by my companion.  They were great..

My 2 cents...Here's the cheese less lasagna just for Bill next to my rolls.  I was proud of him for being graciously miserable.  I think our next mission should be Italy, don't you think?










Here is Sister Cordova, one of the sisters who ate with us.  She's from Peru.  She spoke excellent Spanish until she started telling a story and lapsed into the Dominican slang, speaking faster and faster and neither of us could understand anything she said.  I did hear something about a visa and her grandmother (and the end of the world...:)  When they get going it seriously sounds like blah, blah, blah, blah, blah to me....Oh, will I ever get it?

 

We thought it would be loud last night at midnight, but it was mildly calm.  All we heard were multiple gunshots.  The rest were out drinking and being hung over.  This morning when we went walking around our park, where there are usually at least 10 - 20 people, there were NONE.  They were all either still drinking or sick or throwing up.  So, no one was walking, we had the park to ourselves.  Of course since it was mildly raining, that may have been another reason why no one was there, they hating rain, afraid of rain, and fearing that rain would make them sick. 

So, here we are after our walk, and Bonnie keeping her hair for a "wedding."  You know she won't get married in an ugly  hat, is this an ugly  hat?  More from her, coming. 


 Well, today starts a new year.  The whole of 2013 we shall be serving here in this country.  It is a joy being here with my  beautiful companion.  We are learning, growing, and appreciating many things,  especially each other.  I have felt recently, one of the main reasons we are here is to learn Spanish.  We both need to be very fluent in our Spanish, for "other' things coming.  Time will tell what they are. 

(3 more cents...As to the Spanish, refer to the blah, blah, blah above!)  If it happens, it will be nothing short of a miracle for me.)



 



Yes, this most definitely constitutes an "ugly hat."  The quote about not getting married in an ugly hat is from Popeye, the classic with Robin Williams, one of our family favorites.  Sometimes when I look around I think I'm seeing "Sweet, sweet Haven..."   I use that ugly hat quote a lot especially when I'm forced to wear such as this.  But now that I look at the picture, at least my sweat rag matches my outfit.  What I really need is one of those plastic rain bonnets my mom used to wear.  Tied under the chin.  Remember those...most attractive. :)  Lots of women here wear plastic bags on their heads.  Oh my...they do hate the rain!

I do love the moisture in my skin here but my curly head could do without the humidity.  But "them's the breaks" as my brothers would say. :)