I realized just how deep my passion is for the Spanish language and how much I enjoy teaching. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I participated in the Service Learning program, which entailed taking five classes at PUCMM as well as an internship component with an NGO. All the classes, aside from my Spanish class, dealt with international and community development, and often tended to repeat each other. Midway through the semester, as I and my classmates became entrenched with our actual service work, the PUCMM classes began to seem superfluous, aside from the Spanish class. Additionally, educational standards are VERY DIFFERENT between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. For example, in the D.R. it is not expected that students will ever pose any critical questions to their professors. Thus a number of my Dominican professors were taken aback when I or anyone else would dare to question them.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a Dominican family, which could not have been a better arrangement in terms of cultural immersion and language acquisition. They live in a quiet, upper-middle class neighborhood in Santiago, which presented a nice relief from the hustle and bustle of the city as well as the barrio in which I did my service project, and they are just Americanized enough to provide students with a relatively easy transition from life in the States, and somewhat mollify the inevitable culture shock. However, I would often feel a disconnect between the barrio in which I worked, where I formed some strong bonds with various people, and the plush, Americanized surroundings where I would rest my head at night. All in all, I was mainly satisfied with my living arrangement. My Spanish improved ten-fold and I was treated unconditionally like a member of the family.

I already loved rice and beans before I came to the Dominican Republic, and so this love was satisfied on a daily basis. However, understandably, the typical Dominican meal of rice and beans accompanied by some kind of meat and salad becomes VERY repetitive. I am lactose intolerant and this was well accommodated for. Because Santiago does not have much outside influence, most restaurants in the city serve typically Dominican food, and the more international restaurants tend to be disappointing. The American fast food chains (McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, etc.) are very expensive and high-class, very different from their counterparts in the States.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Machismo is inescapable in the Dominican Republic. I mention this because six out of the eight people in my program were female and thus Dominican gender relations were an ever-present topic of conversation. After four months in the country I cannot get used to it nor appreciate it. Probably the only reason why I would not return here for such a long period of time.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Santiago is a safe city, you just have to be smart and not flaunt your relative wealth. In terms of health issues, I never had any major problems, and whenever I would get sick my host family would take care of me. Despite the Dominican Republic being a tropical and relatively impoverished country, the typical diseases (such as dengue, malaria, etc.) are easily avoidable/nonexistent.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

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