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."