Dressing for Christmas

      We are glad to be in a country where the Nativity is an important part of Christmas.  There doesn't seem to be any problem or objection to honoring the Reason we celebrate the season.

We have seen many sets displayed in stores and as just seen in the park.  Even at our work place, a government building, we have in the entrance hall a colorful Christmas tree and a beautiful Nativity scene.  Above is the outside entrance--notice the wreath?

 Isn't this beautiful?

Then there is the entrance at the Archivo General Nacional (National Archive) .

Then, last, but certainly not least--the one at the temple.

Again Feliz Navidad!

One of the scenes of the Nativity in the park~

  Down the street from our home here and across from the temple is a beautiful city park, complete with paths for jogging and an area where there are regular exercise sessions going on often.  There are art lessons and a playground for kids.  However, this year, starting Dec. 1 it is almost a fairyland of lights!  It must have gillions of lights!!  They wrapped the tree trunks with the lights.  So I want to include a few pictures of some of the lights and scenes we saw.  Had to pick carefully from the many that I shot.  You will at least get a glimpse of what strolling around the park on a warm December evening showed us.  Sorry about all of you who are freezing, but this is our way here of being in the Christmas spirit!

Scene as you walk into the park!

 Life-size figures remind of of the reason we celebrate!

Here are just a few more of the pictures of the park wonderland~

      This is a "street" of houses all lit, with various decorations.  The saluting soldier is a real guy so you can see how big these houses are.  Someone asked him to salute for a picture.
      I know this will sound strange to you in the cold weather, but we are going with our senior missionary group to have a picnic in the park tomorrow night and then walk around a little and enjoy the night with lots of strolling families.  They are having nightly entertainment, like ballet, musical groups, etc.  We saw the Sugar Plum Fairy dance.  Oh, and of course, there was Santa, as shown here~~~

Turkey in the Botanical Garden

   It isn't easy to come by a turkey here in the Dominican Republic.  Chickens--in abundance!  You also don't find lemons or the sweet oranges that come from some of the states.  You can get green oranges that sometimes turn sort of orange, but they are used for juice with a little sugar and water.  A couple of weeks ago we visited the Botanical Garden here and we did find a turkey and a peacock!
   

Oh I guess I didn't mention that they were in iron!

The garden was very lush with plants from all over the world--Africa, Hawaii, Australia....  Who knew there were so many kinds of palm trees?  You can ride around it on a little train and see almost everything.  Then let you off for 10 minutes to tour the Japanese garden, which is quite impressive.

We saw some birds there, but catching them for the photo was difficult.  Be sure you click on this one to enlarge it so you can see the bird.

Then there was the HUGE clock.  It is the round circle in the back and says 12:15.  When we were closer, we couldn't get the clock all in the picture.

Farmer's Market

  Here is a disclaimer---if you have just eaten, or if you plan to eat in the next few minutes, you may want to wait to see these pictures.
   We have been to the Farmer's Market several times and have purchased fruit usually.  Yummy mango!  This time we went on beyond the fruits and vegetables and also saw the meats and spices.  We did not buy any of these meats, although some of them looked just fine.  I was surprised we didn't see many flies or other such around them.  First I will show you a colorful veggie  tower.

    Did you see the chicken feet?  Did you see the goat on the right side of the bottom picture?  People do buy these, I'm sure.  Look how much is there!

Sugar!

     Especially at this time of year we all like our sweets.  We like that sugar!  Thought you might like to see where some of it comes from.  Growing sugar cane is a big deal here.  On the road to Quisqueya, the branch we attend for church, there are sugar cane fields.  The other day we noticed a HUGE machine turning into the road by the cane field.  Earl thinks it is the cane cutter.  Must have been expensive to bring that here because it is so big.  It probably put a lot of people out of work too.  I don't have a picture of that, but here is one of the cane field.

In front you see squash growing on the left.  You may enlarge to see the cane better.

Then, you may want to chew on a piece of cane.  Don't try going into the field to get it.  You could get shot.  However, you can buy a cane from one of these guys selling it.  Seems a little tough to me.

I Love the Coca Kids

 We have in our branch a family with lots of kids who are bright and fun and good workers!  Yesterday we had a craft day for which I was supposed to be teaching a craft.  Well, I bought supplies and planned some things.  They were simple ideas.  I had made fans for the branch a few weeks ago when it was soooo hot we were all melting the Sunday before.  They were well-received and appreciated.  Then I was asked to make some for the Primary presentation in December--in rojo, amarillo y azul!  The Coca girls and Hermana Miller, the Primary president--and my friend--came.  We were there about three hours.  Earl only had to come in and translate twice.  We spoke Spanish, a little English and a little French and used some charades!  Those girls just took off with making the Primary fans and then the Christmas paper chains.  Then Anyelina freehanded some bells and cut them for decorations.  So her younger sister followed the idea.

                   

                             

   

Maybe you can tell that the "craft room" is open air.  It is where the men meet on Sunday while we have Relief Society inside.  The hot melting day we all met in this room.  I think it would have been a garage in a house.  There is an ornate bar door on the front, locked.  

The girls hung up the decorations they had made and then grabbed brooms and mops and went to work cleaning the whole building!  Nobody told them to do it.  Their brother came back with Earl when he went to their house to pick up some things.  He cleaned outside, sweeping, etc.  The chapel doesn't seem very big, but when you are doing the whole thing with a rag mop, it would be SO big!  No washing windows here.  There are no glass windows--just levers that open and close.

   After Angelo helped lock up, we took them home.  They usually walk.  It is probably a little more than half a mile.  Just the kids come.  Mom doesn't.  Dad comes some, but doesn't live with them.  Another day we stopped at their house, where you can get lessons in doing hair or in cutting squash.  They gave us this big squash from their yard.

  You notice that big knife?  The smaller boy actually cut the squash for us with it!
One of the greatest things about these kids is the huge smile!  I love to see them smile!

Post Card?

   No!  I actually took this picture a week ago!

So you see life isn't allllll crazy traffic here!

Transportation

   

      

      I showed you the yellow steps, now the yellow sign and car.  Everyday on the way to work we pass this dealership.  They also sell Porsches.  Now who would drive a car like this here in this crazy traffic I don't know. We did notice that the cars inside are bright yellow orange and red.  Maybe that will make them easier to see??   We did see an older grand Rolls Royce driving here one day and I wasn't fast enough to get the picture, but that would be rare and I don't know that we have seen any of these cars on the road.

      So, since we are again on transportation--and traffic, I will show a few more pictures of what we see everyday.  I don't have another great picture of the guaguas (bus with guy hanging out the side door to bring people in), but may yet.  Here are just a few shots.  They are real.

 This picture was actually in Puerta Plata, but could have been anywhere except we did see a lot of motos there.  Motos are often taxis, so don't assume that a girl holding on to the driver is his girlfriend or sister.  She may just be paying for a ride!

Just a couple of normal  scenes crossing a street or stopping at a light.  Unless otherwise directed by traffic police, most people do stop at lights.  Stop signs may just be suggestions and so are lane lines.

When we come home out of the traffic, Earl has to back the car into our little underground assigned spot.

     

Happy Half Birthday to You!

  Our volunteer interns at our work, Aubrae (left) and Ashley (right) are former missionaries having a true Dominican experience, living with a family here.  They are experiencing the true way of life for many people here- electricity only part of the time, bucket showers (stand in a bucket and pour water over yourself with a cup), local food, heat.  They both speak much better Spanish than we do--even Earl, so we have used their skills.  Yesterday they threw a Half Birthday Party!  Yes, indeed it was a surprise.  They have been planning it for weeks to have for "the Captain," as they call him.  Then last week they found out that it would also be Elder Dalton's half birthday.  The Daltons just joined us in the Junta digital work.  They are from Utah.  So, they asked me to get him to work a little late.  When we walked in, there were balloons, cake, signs, drinks and a chocolate candy bar (a whole one, not a half)!  Very festive!  So here are some pictures!

   In case you weren't sure, the hanging sign wishes Happy Birthday in Spanish and it is made up of "The Avengers"--super heroes, of which Earl is Captain America.  They dubbed Elder Dalton "Ironman."

Yellow Steps

  Since we have been here I have heard about the yellow steps in the Colonial Zone.  I knew that these led into a mercado (market).  Didn't know too much else.  We went today and you can see that the steps are very yellow.  We have a little granddaughter who would love them!  Inside the market are individual shops selling jewelry, trinkets, souvenirs etc.  Everyone wants you to buy and, of course, the prices are just for you, for family!  The art abounds--very bright colors, a lot of modern art, some ocean views.  I don't think it is my favorite art yet.  The jewelry, on the other hand, does appeal to me.  Larimar, a Dominican volcanic stone, is blue, so of course I would like it!  It is often combined with amber, also found here or conch shell.  So we had a little fun at the market.  Yes, I made a little purchase.

Feliz Navidad!

  Even though I don't like to replace that beautiful temple picture as the prime spot, it is worth noting that in the Dominican Republic Christmas season starts even earlier than in Kansas!  They don't do Halloween or Thanksgiving, so we are moving right to Christmas.  Our neighbors on our hall put out Christmas decor in September, as pictured below.  Then we went to PriceSmart and found they were ready for it.  Now the other stores are also.  There is some law that as of October 15th it is legal to put out Christmas lights, so on that day our neighbors put out these pretty blue lights right by our laundry room window.  That sounds strange, but it is the front balcony for them.  So we get all this pretty decoration and haven't had to do any of it!  Saturday I got the spirit, so bought some decorations--purple and silver--to put on our faux ficus tree and a nativity set for the table in the entry way.  I was soooo glad to see that here you actually find nativity sets!  This one was not expensive and we will leave it here, but it is good to have for the season!  It will have to be pictured later.

Legal starting October 15th!

We heard yesterday that temperatures in Utah were in the 20s and 30s.  So are ours, but we are in Celsius, which means that we are actually 75-87 degrees F.  

We are wishing everyone a very happy holiday season and we are especially glad to get to celebrate the birth of the Savior for even longer this year!