ABC's of the Dominican Republic
Dear Gilbert 6th Ward,
Hola from the Dominican Republic. My dad told me that I needed to write a message for the ward newsletter. You all know that my sister Ellie, just got called to a mission in Portugal. This caused my dad to send her the ABC's of Portugal in an email. I figured that I would do the same. Over the last 22 months, I have learned to love this island and the people that live here. Here are the ABC's of the Dominican Republic from my point of view.
A- Ágora Mall is a mall that was in my third area and my one and only time in the capital. Santo Domingo. After spending so much time in the campo or rural areas of the DR where there was very little resembling America, I was surprised when I walked into the 6-story mall I was honestly shocked at all of the American shoes and stores they had. The DR has incredible economic diversity.
B-Bandera. La bandera is the comida typical of the Dominican Republic: rice, beans and chicken. This is a staple and people would say "the day a Dominican didn't eat la bandera they would die." Safe to say that I have eaten la bandera almost every single day on my mission.
C- Colmados are one of my favorite things about the Dominican Republic. A colmado is a small store on every corner and street. Dominicans love efficiency and so they do a lot of their shopping here. Colmados sell a little bit of everything, soda, glue, pens , crackers. They're the best. They also have free delivery all you have to do is send them a text and they'll send it on their motor asap.
D- Doña doesn't really translate well to English but it's basically an older lady probably 50 and up. They have many defining attributes, they can cross even the craziest Dominican streets so if you want to cross just find a doña. They always are on their front porch and when you can hi they said Adiiiiooosss. They always complain about how hot it is and how their back hurts but they will never let you help them clean the house. The member doñas always take amazing care of the missionaries.
E- Empanadas are basicly fried tortillas with stuff on the inside. They generally have the following ingredients, Jamón y queso, huevo (a personal favorite) pollo, queso alone or sometimes there's one called el completo where they put them all together. Empanadas are really hit a miss, you have to find a good stand and then you're set.
F- Feriado is the word for holiday in Spanish. In the DR there are holidays almost every week. The people love to get together and celebrate. Many times of my mission I asked the people what the holiday was and how it came about and they often would know. The most popular holiday is probably Semana Santa or Holy Week.
G - Guaguas are the most common form of public transportation. A few things to know about them. They always look like they are about to fall apart but they never do. There is always room for one more person and nobody has any respect for personal space. People like to to yell at the driver and tell him all the things he's doing wrong and they very rarely have good ac.
H- Habichuelas con dulce is the most famous dessert in the country although I really do not like it. It's basically beans with milk and a bunch of other stuff boiled and blended together. It is very popular to eat during Semana Santa. I spent all of Semana Santa pretending that I was lactose intolerant.
I- Iglesia - the Spanish word for church. The people in the Dominican Republic are very religious and love God. When asked how they are doing most will respond saying "bien gracias a Dios" (well, thanks be to God). They even have the Bible in their flag. The the DR this is a church on every corner and they are always filled with people. They have a very interesting way of preaching with lots of loud music. It is often difficult for people to understand sacrament meetings because it is so different from what they expect. If a people can understand the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ they will be baptized.
J- Juego, The Dominican República is well known for its many different kinds of natural juice. Everyone here knows how to make a nice fresh juice. My personal favorite is jugo de cereza. The cherries here are very different and so amazing. Pineapple juice is also always a good option.
K- kreyòl is the 2nd most spoken language in the DR. Because of conflicts in Haiti many Haitians flee to live in the Dominican Republic. It is a very hard life for them as they are faced with racism, a new language, constant fear of immigration and many other trials. As I served in areas heavily populated by Haitians I can to learn a little of their language and that they are some of the nicest people.
L - Las Matas de Farfán was my second area in the country. I spent 6 months in this area and came to love it. It is a small town close to the border of Haiti. I knew almost every street in this area and I loved the rural nature of this area. It is well known for the Haitian market that it has where you can by many American products that people have donated to Haiti. In Las matas I learned how to be a missionary and love my mission.
M- the DR is well known for its traffic and above all for the moto. Most people can't afford a car and so they buy the second best thing - a moto. This is basically a small dirt bike or similar motorcycle. I was never sure if moto drivers were the best drivers or if they were the dumbest. They always drive super recklessly but they never seem to crash. At the same time, if you asked someone who had a broken arm what happened: nine times out of ten it was a moto accident.
N- Baní has an n in it right?? Anyways Baní was my second to last area and I loved it. The area was so much fun and the members are some of the best. Baní is known as the mango capital of the world and the mangos there are good. So many people would give us mangos and we had more than we knew what to do with. In Baní there are so many things to do like bikes and beaches and baseball. This is also where a lot of the MLB players live. It's the perfect mix between the capital and the south.
O - Ocupado said by cutting off the last half of the word. In the Dominican Republic most people won't even say they speak Spanish they'll say the speak Dominican. That is because the Spanish here is very different from Spanish in other parts of the work. "Ss" don't exist and any word that ends with - pado well that part just gets cut off. They also speak very fast with poor grammar they also have a ton of slang and words that are only used here.
P- Peloteros, is the word for baseball players. The Dominican Republic is well known for its baseball and the baseball fields are always packed with kids. Baní, my fourth area, was especially recognized for its baseball. In Bani, many well known players live during the off-season. these include: Ketel Marte, David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerro Jr, Miguel Tejada and José Ramírez to name a few. I actually had the opportunity to meet Jose Ramirez and get an autographed baseball card from him.
Q- Quemar, which means to burn with explain the weather here. When not raining(see below) the summer heat is almost unbearable. It's not a dry heat like we have in Arizona but instead, it's a humid sticky heat that leaves sweat dropping down your face and soaking your shirts. Going inside actually makes it worse because if you go inside and there's no fan the heat gets even worse inside the block tin roof houses. Most Dominicans walk around with umbrella to protect them from the heat.
R: rain is the other half of the weather cycle here in the DR. From the months of May-November the DR is hit by constant rain storms that cause it to rain probably 4 times a week. The rain is nice but beware if it only rains for a little and then the sun comes out the heat will double. The rain also causes a lot of flooding, especially in the capital where the drainage system is very poor.
S- Sancocho is a famous stew made in the DR it is eaten with rice like all dishes. It normally has potatoes carrots like 7 different kinds of meat (bones includes) other vegetables like corn and stuff like that and finally la sazón dominicana. This was one of my favorite meals that I had.
T-Tigres are, the gangsters of the streets these are the kids that walk around in their oversized pants and have their hats off to the side. They normally have fake chains and Jordan's. They're also normally nice and respectful to the missionaries.
U- Untimely. I love Dominicans and they have my heart but man time just does not matter for them. If you ask a Dominican what time they want to meet up it's best to add 30 mins onto that time. It was fairly frustrating trying to plan our days because we would have a great day planned with lots of confirmed visits and then everything would fall to pieces.
V- Bocina is actually spelled with a B but in Spanish that doesn't really matter. Bocina is the word for speaker which is a prized possession here. All people poor or rich have a giant speaker where they play their music all night. There are 4 main types of music, bachata, merengue, salsa, and dembo. My personal favorite is bachata. Dominicans love to dance and listen to super super loud music. One of the things that surprised me most when I got here for how loud the music was and how late they played it. It is normal for a colmado to play music until 2 or 3 in the morning.
W- Warriors Pizza is a small pizza shop out in Las matas that definitely should be copyrighted for stealing Nintendo Warrior. The pizza really isn't that good but was the best we had. The best of all if it was that every Tuesday and Friday they had a deal that was 350 pesos for a 12 piece pizza and free delivery and so every time they had that deal we would buy pizza and man it was good. We even started a pizza box tower that got to the roof while I was there.
X stands for carritos. Well it doesn't, but because I don't know of any words that start with an x, I am going with it. A carrito is another form of public transportation here in the DR. It definitely is the most uncomfortable as a carritos is a super old small car that doesn't have AC or really anything comfortable about it. 4 people are crammed in the back and 2 sometimes 3. Then they take off driving as fast as they can. It's always an exciting trip.
Y- Yaroa is one of my favorite foods in the DR, it is fries with chicken on top and then two types of cheese and then it's covered with ketchup and mayonnaise. It's really good although it doesn't always sit well with the stomach.
Z- Silla, I couldn't think of a good word for z and so I went with s which is basically the same in Spanish. Every Dominican rich or poor has a set of plastic chairs. They are super fragile and are often held together by a few staples. Dominicans love to sit outside their houses and just watch the world pass by. Most people outside because it is much cooler outside than it is inside the house. I taught hundreds, probably thousands of lessons, sitting on these chairs.
B-Bandera. La bandera is the comida typical of the Dominican Republic: rice, beans and chicken. This is a staple and people would say "the day a Dominican didn't eat la bandera they would die." Safe to say that I have eaten la bandera almost every single day on my mission.
C- Colmados are one of my favorite things about the Dominican Republic. A colmado is a small store on every corner and street. Dominicans love efficiency and so they do a lot of their shopping here. Colmados sell a little bit of everything, soda, glue, pens , crackers. They're the best. They also have free delivery all you have to do is send them a text and they'll send it on their motor asap.
D- Doña doesn't really translate well to English but it's basically an older lady probably 50 and up. They have many defining attributes, they can cross even the craziest Dominican streets so if you want to cross just find a doña. They always are on their front porch and when you can hi they said Adiiiiooosss. They always complain about how hot it is and how their back hurts but they will never let you help them clean the house. The member doñas always take amazing care of the missionaries.
E- Empanadas are basicly fried tortillas with stuff on the inside. They generally have the following ingredients, Jamón y queso, huevo (a personal favorite) pollo, queso alone or sometimes there's one called el completo where they put them all together. Empanadas are really hit a miss, you have to find a good stand and then you're set.
F- Feriado is the word for holiday in Spanish. In the DR there are holidays almost every week. The people love to get together and celebrate. Many times of my mission I asked the people what the holiday was and how it came about and they often would know. The most popular holiday is probably Semana Santa or Holy Week.
G - Guaguas are the most common form of public transportation. A few things to know about them. They always look like they are about to fall apart but they never do. There is always room for one more person and nobody has any respect for personal space. People like to to yell at the driver and tell him all the things he's doing wrong and they very rarely have good ac.
H- Habichuelas con dulce is the most famous dessert in the country although I really do not like it. It's basically beans with milk and a bunch of other stuff boiled and blended together. It is very popular to eat during Semana Santa. I spent all of Semana Santa pretending that I was lactose intolerant.
I- Iglesia - the Spanish word for church. The people in the Dominican Republic are very religious and love God. When asked how they are doing most will respond saying "bien gracias a Dios" (well, thanks be to God). They even have the Bible in their flag. The the DR this is a church on every corner and they are always filled with people. They have a very interesting way of preaching with lots of loud music. It is often difficult for people to understand sacrament meetings because it is so different from what they expect. If a people can understand the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ they will be baptized.
J- Juego, The Dominican República is well known for its many different kinds of natural juice. Everyone here knows how to make a nice fresh juice. My personal favorite is jugo de cereza. The cherries here are very different and so amazing. Pineapple juice is also always a good option.
K- kreyòl is the 2nd most spoken language in the DR. Because of conflicts in Haiti many Haitians flee to live in the Dominican Republic. It is a very hard life for them as they are faced with racism, a new language, constant fear of immigration and many other trials. As I served in areas heavily populated by Haitians I can to learn a little of their language and that they are some of the nicest people.
L - Las Matas de Farfán was my second area in the country. I spent 6 months in this area and came to love it. It is a small town close to the border of Haiti. I knew almost every street in this area and I loved the rural nature of this area. It is well known for the Haitian market that it has where you can by many American products that people have donated to Haiti. In Las matas I learned how to be a missionary and love my mission.
M- the DR is well known for its traffic and above all for the moto. Most people can't afford a car and so they buy the second best thing - a moto. This is basically a small dirt bike or similar motorcycle. I was never sure if moto drivers were the best drivers or if they were the dumbest. They always drive super recklessly but they never seem to crash. At the same time, if you asked someone who had a broken arm what happened: nine times out of ten it was a moto accident.
N- Baní has an n in it right?? Anyways Baní was my second to last area and I loved it. The area was so much fun and the members are some of the best. Baní is known as the mango capital of the world and the mangos there are good. So many people would give us mangos and we had more than we knew what to do with. In Baní there are so many things to do like bikes and beaches and baseball. This is also where a lot of the MLB players live. It's the perfect mix between the capital and the south.
O - Ocupado said by cutting off the last half of the word. In the Dominican Republic most people won't even say they speak Spanish they'll say the speak Dominican. That is because the Spanish here is very different from Spanish in other parts of the work. "Ss" don't exist and any word that ends with - pado well that part just gets cut off. They also speak very fast with poor grammar they also have a ton of slang and words that are only used here.
P- Peloteros, is the word for baseball players. The Dominican Republic is well known for its baseball and the baseball fields are always packed with kids. Baní, my fourth area, was especially recognized for its baseball. In Bani, many well known players live during the off-season. these include: Ketel Marte, David Ortiz, Vladimir Guerro Jr, Miguel Tejada and José Ramírez to name a few. I actually had the opportunity to meet Jose Ramirez and get an autographed baseball card from him.
Q- Quemar, which means to burn with explain the weather here. When not raining(see below) the summer heat is almost unbearable. It's not a dry heat like we have in Arizona but instead, it's a humid sticky heat that leaves sweat dropping down your face and soaking your shirts. Going inside actually makes it worse because if you go inside and there's no fan the heat gets even worse inside the block tin roof houses. Most Dominicans walk around with umbrella to protect them from the heat.
R: rain is the other half of the weather cycle here in the DR. From the months of May-November the DR is hit by constant rain storms that cause it to rain probably 4 times a week. The rain is nice but beware if it only rains for a little and then the sun comes out the heat will double. The rain also causes a lot of flooding, especially in the capital where the drainage system is very poor.
S- Sancocho is a famous stew made in the DR it is eaten with rice like all dishes. It normally has potatoes carrots like 7 different kinds of meat (bones includes) other vegetables like corn and stuff like that and finally la sazón dominicana. This was one of my favorite meals that I had.
T-Tigres are, the gangsters of the streets these are the kids that walk around in their oversized pants and have their hats off to the side. They normally have fake chains and Jordan's. They're also normally nice and respectful to the missionaries.
U- Untimely. I love Dominicans and they have my heart but man time just does not matter for them. If you ask a Dominican what time they want to meet up it's best to add 30 mins onto that time. It was fairly frustrating trying to plan our days because we would have a great day planned with lots of confirmed visits and then everything would fall to pieces.
V- Bocina is actually spelled with a B but in Spanish that doesn't really matter. Bocina is the word for speaker which is a prized possession here. All people poor or rich have a giant speaker where they play their music all night. There are 4 main types of music, bachata, merengue, salsa, and dembo. My personal favorite is bachata. Dominicans love to dance and listen to super super loud music. One of the things that surprised me most when I got here for how loud the music was and how late they played it. It is normal for a colmado to play music until 2 or 3 in the morning.
W- Warriors Pizza is a small pizza shop out in Las matas that definitely should be copyrighted for stealing Nintendo Warrior. The pizza really isn't that good but was the best we had. The best of all if it was that every Tuesday and Friday they had a deal that was 350 pesos for a 12 piece pizza and free delivery and so every time they had that deal we would buy pizza and man it was good. We even started a pizza box tower that got to the roof while I was there.
X stands for carritos. Well it doesn't, but because I don't know of any words that start with an x, I am going with it. A carrito is another form of public transportation here in the DR. It definitely is the most uncomfortable as a carritos is a super old small car that doesn't have AC or really anything comfortable about it. 4 people are crammed in the back and 2 sometimes 3. Then they take off driving as fast as they can. It's always an exciting trip.
Y- Yaroa is one of my favorite foods in the DR, it is fries with chicken on top and then two types of cheese and then it's covered with ketchup and mayonnaise. It's really good although it doesn't always sit well with the stomach.
Z- Silla, I couldn't think of a good word for z and so I went with s which is basically the same in Spanish. Every Dominican rich or poor has a set of plastic chairs. They are super fragile and are often held together by a few staples. Dominicans love to sit outside their houses and just watch the world pass by. Most people outside because it is much cooler outside than it is inside the house. I taught hundreds, probably thousands of lessons, sitting on these chairs.
There are the ABC's of the DR. I have loved my mission and the chance I have had to learn to love this place and learn about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the opportunity to share this love with you.
Elder Jonah Greer
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