Time has flown by and the end is near

By: Alexandria Rogers

InteRDom Correspondent, Alexandria, has completed three years of her Bachelor's degree in Sports Administration and Spanish at the University of Miami, Florida. She is participating in the 2013 10-week Caribbean Summer Program. You can read more about Alexandria and her participation in the Correspondent Program here.

With a little less than two weeks left in the country, I cannot believe my time here has gone by so quickly! While I am excited to see my friends and family again in the US, I cannot help but feel sad to have to leave the friends that I have met here, socially and at work, and this beautiful country that has been my home for the past 10 weeks. It feels like just yesterday I landed and was full of excitement on the way to my new apartment. Now, I am trying to take advantage of the time I have left and experience more.

This past weekend, two friends and I ventured to Cabarete and Imbert. We took Caribe Tours, the Dominican version of the US Megabus, which was a pretty relaxing long ride. Cabarete is a small ocean town on the north side of the country. The beach there is lined with restaurants and as you look out into the ocean you can see the many kite and wind surfers. We also stayed at a cute local hostel for only $20 (breakfast and dinner included). I will never forget Cabarete because it was the place where I took my first ride on a motoconcho*! Riding a motoconcho in “el campo” (definitely not in the city) was one of the last things on my to-do list, and I was so excited that I got to ride one! My friends were telling me that as they passed me by, all they saw was a big smile on my face. After staying the night in Cabarete, it was now time to go to Imbert.

Imbert is a mountain town in the north of the country. We traveled for about an hour in a guagua that was meant for 12 passengers but at one point, there were definitely 25 people inside! Once we arrived in Imbert, we then went to 27 charcos, which is an adventure tour that has 27 waterfalls and people are guided through them. After getting our life vests and helmets, my friends and I were introduced to our 17 year old tour guide. He guided us through the forest and after eating mangos and an hour of walking we arrived at our first waterfall. You could either slide down or jump off a pretty steep cliff, and even though I do not like heights, I decided to jump. I was so scared but I was so happy I did it. My friends and I completed the 12 waterfall tour and it was definitely an experience that other people should do! After our lunch buffet at 27 charcos, it was then time to head back to Imbert…which means…motoconcho time! I loved riding through the countryside!

As we arrived in Puerto Plata to return home, our weekend getaway came to an end.

*Neither the InteRDom program nor its parents institutions, GFDD and FUNGLODE, promote the use of motor-taxis or "motoconchos" as a form of transportation. Students are informed as to the risks of riding these vehicles both before departure and during their orientation to the program, and understand that in riding them they are doing so at their own risk.*

A Grateful Community and Dramatic Weather

InteRDom Correspondent, Alexandria, has completed three years of her Bachelor's degree

By: Alexandria Rogers

in Sports Administration and Spanish at the University of Miami, Florida. She is participating in the 2013 10-week Caribbean Summer Program. You can read more about Alexandria and her participation in the Correspondent Program here. 

These past 2 weeks since my last blog post have definitely been busy, both at work and socially. I am continuing to enjoy my time here and cannot wait for more that is to come! Last Monday, the San Diego Padres hosted a community event in Najayo, Dominican Republic. With the help of the community department of the MLB office in Santo Domingo, with whom I am interning, and the Real American Foundation, based out of Miami, Florida, 100 families were given clothes, shoes and other helpful supplies. Najayo is a small, poorer community in the mountains very close to the coast of the island about an hour west of Santo Domingo. I previously visited the same area to tour the San Diego Padres academy and have a meeting with community leaders but this was my first time interacting with the people of the small town. Now let's go back to the event which was perfect! The Padres academy is beautiful and even though it was hot, the nice ocean breeze seemed to cool things off. There was a multitude of people who received items and it was great to see the smiles on their faces and how eager or terrified the children were to take a picture with Boli, the MLB Education mascot. Some of the Padres players even took time after their game to help distribute items and take pictures with the families. For me, it was probably the largest community event that I have helped out with. At least 500 or more people were in attendance and after the day was done I definitely felt happy that I was able to work this event and give back to the people of Najayo. 

This past week, in terms of weather, has definitely been...how do I say...weird! First, there was Tropical Storm Chantal. Since most of the year I live in Miami, this was definitely not a concern for me. Instead of the storm I was actually worried more about 1) if I had to go to work, and 2) if I did, how was I going to get there especially since taxis in the rain are impossible to get and swimming through the flooded streets of Santo Domingo to get a carro publico was definitely not an option for me. Luckily, I did not have to go to work so I stayed home and...slept, watched the rain, ate, watched a movie and more rain, and by the end of the day I was so bored and feeling trapped in my apartment without the option of leaving. Besides giving me a cold, Chantal calmly passed through and I thought weather and natural disaster worries were over until...Monday, when a 5.1 earthquake hit a northern part of the island and remnants were definitely felt in the capital. Sitting in my desk and hearing someone say, "we are shaking", did not really phase me and I definitely did not think earthquake. Well, it was, and after turning on the news we were all stunned at what just happened. I have never been in an earthquake and never thought DR was the place to experience one. I mean, who gets a tropical storm and an earthquake within 5 days?! Dominican Republic.

A Look into Major League Baseball in the Dominican Republic

By: Alexandria Rogers

InteRDom Correspondent, Alexandria, has completed three years of her Bachelor's degree in Sports Administration and Spanish at the University of Miami, Florida. She is participating in the 2013 10-week Caribbean Summer Program. You can read more about Alexandria and her participation in the Correspondent Program here.

After a slow first week at work, these past two weeks have been really great! I am really getting to see an inside aspect of Major League Baseball and all that it encompasses.  I have had the opportunity to meet the assistant General Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, among many other people, along with visits to a few of the MLB academies. These MLB academies house Dominican players that have signed a contract with the specific team. While there, the players have the opportunity to play against other MLB academies, and if fortunate enough, have the opportunity to go to the United States to play in the teams minor league system and eventually progress to the big league. So far, my favorite is the San Diego Padres academy that is located in Najayo, Dominican Republic. 

                                                                                     The academy is situated on top of a mountain and views of the ocean are always in sight. Along with the ocean view, the academy is equipped with a batting cage, 3 baseball fields, a large weight room, locker room and very nice dining facility While I was there, I also got the opportunity to sit and watch a little bit of the game between the Padres and Chicago White Sox. Even though there were definitely less than 100 people in attendance, I could definitely feel the energy from the people and became excited as I was watching my first Dominican baseball game. 

This past weekend was the Major League Baseball RBI tournament in which baseball and softball teams from Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Curacao all come to the country to play in a 3 day tournament. The winners of the senior and junior division will travel to the US to play against other teams to decipher who is the world champion. I had the opportunity to work with the softball teams from Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. The weekend was filled with early mornings but it was definitely a great experience! I got the opportunity to set up and prepare for the event in the early morning and also watch the softball game, which was a best out of three series that the Dominican  softball team won. This was my first time ever  watching a softball game and I loved the enthusiasm of the people. There were less than 40 people watching but with the music and chants they made, one would think there were a lot more. I have seen videos of Dominican League Baseball and I was very surprised at all the energy that was present for a little league game! Watching baseball and softball is definitely a different experience in DR than watching it in America. There is so much passion among the people and it definitely makes the game a unbelievable experience! 

Living the Life

By: Alexandria Rogers

InteRDom Correspondent, Alexandria, has completed three years of her Bachelor's degree in Sports Administration and Spanish at the University of Miami, Florida. She is participating in the 2013 10-week Caribbean Summer Program. You can read more about Alexandria and her participation in the Correspondent Program here.

 
I have now been in Santo Domingo for two weeks and I have nothing but good things to say! The people are some of the nicest people that I have ever met and from what I have seen the country is beautiful. Upon landing in the country, I was so excited and took so many pictures on the drive on the way to the apartment. While driving, I was definitely surprised at how busy Santo Domingo is. There were definitely a lot more people and cars than I expected. After about a 30 minute drive, we arrived at the apartment: my home for the next 10 weeks. It is really nice and comfortable and while standing on the balcony, you can even see the ocean. The upcoming week would be orientation in which we did a tour of the colonial zone, got the opportunity to ride a "carro publico" and "guagua" and ultimately got the chance to meet our employer. 

My 1st weekend in the Dominican Republic was definitely full of adventures. My friends in the program and I traveled to Boca Chica to go to the beach. The weather was perfect! It was not too hot, there was a nice breeze and the waters were so clear. That whole week, all I thought about was fried fish and coming to the beach I was so happy when they had it on the menu! "El loro frito" was the best and freshest fried fish ever and along with my passion fruit juice, I spent the whole afternoon relaxing on the beach. Overall, my first full Saturday in Santo Domingo was perfect.

The next day, after being invited by our tour guide in the colonial zone, we went to the town of

Yamasá which is about an hour north of the capital. There, we celebrated the festival of the Guillen brothers who took on the task of keeping alive the art of the Taíno Indians who once inhabited the island. In my short time here, I have learned that Dominicans love to party. This festival was an outdoor party with food, music, people, artwork and traditions everywhere. It was definitely a great experience and since it only happens once a year, I was very happy that I could experience it. 


After a weekend full of excitement, Monday came, and it was my first day of work. I am the Community Affairs and Education Initiative Assistant for the Major League Baseball offices in Santo Domingo. Interning with the MLB is definitely a dream opportunity for me and so far, my first week has been great. The people in the office are very nice and willing to help me improve my Spanish. Working a 9-5 is definitely a new experience for me and tired is not the word to describe how I was feeling after my first week on the job. Let’s just say that almost every day last week I was going to sleep before 10pm. As I settle into my work routine, I am excited to actually stay up past 10pm.

I am really excited for what is to come this summer! I cannot wait to experience more Dominican culture and have the best time working at a place of my dreams!

Beginning of an Internship of a Lifetime

InteRDom Correspondent, Alexandria, has completed three years of her Bachelor's degree

in Sports Administration and Spanish at the University of Miami, Florida. She is participating in the 2013 10-week Caribbean Summer Program.You can read more about Alexandria and her participation in the Correspondent Program here.

By: Alexandria Rogers

Only two weeks are left before my journey to the Dominican Republic begins and I could not be more excited! I have always wanted to visit the country and having this opportunity is definitely a dream come true! I cannot believe that as the hours and days tick away, I am one step closer to experiencing not only just a beautiful country and great people, I will also be doing an internship of my dreams. I will be interning with the baseball headquarters in Santo Domingo and being a Sports Administration and Spanish double major, this is exactly what I want to do. I will have the opportunity to become fluent in Spanish by the end of the summer along with working in baseball, one of the most popular sports in the world and definitely the most popular sport in Dominican Republic. I cannot wait to have the opportunity to meet new friends, experience a new culture and way of life and have the best summer of my life.

As time gets closer and closer, I cannot help but think about how my time will be there and the experiences that I will have. The one thing that is stopping me…PACKING! I am definitely an over packer and in my mind, I believe that I do not have enough clothes. I am shopping for additional items, that I probably don’t need, and trying to think of a way to pack them all! I also want to bring an additional bag to Dominican Republic so I can put souvenirs and anything else I buy in that bag upon returning…needless to say, I may be a little bit of a shop-a-holic. There are exactly 13 days before I leave, and even though I want time to go by slowly so that I can spend time with my family and friends, I also want the time to speed up so I can live the Dominican way of life and meet new friends! I am ready and excited for my new journey!