Some people say that the entire world lives in New York and in the last year, I've learned that there is a lot of truth to this. I'm learning every day about a part of the world that loves plantains, that loves to bachata, that loves to kiss on the cheek, that loves to live life without shying away from it. A part of the world that calls me 'mi amor' every day. The Dominican Republic, for as much as I had been concerned in years past, was a tourist destination for cruise ships. However, the
quisqueyanos will quickly tell you that the real Dominican Republic - the raw beauty and true flavor of its country is in the center of the island, miles from the sandy, blue beach resorts.
Almost a year ago, I had the opportunity to not only see a glimpse of this beautiful country but also to learn much about it's rich and troubled past with Haiti -- and the downstream effects of that on the healthcare provided today. As in many countries worldwide, there is a huge lack of resources and poor access to these resources especially for the poor. Despite this, there are still lots of beautiful individuals and organizations working to help the neglected, whether it be orphans, the HIV populations, or undocumented civilians working in the sugarcane fields.
The part of New York that is often called "Little Dominican Republic" has much of the same essence of the DR and often the same types of beliefs/perspectives when it comes to healthcare. There is a ton of air traffic from NY to the DR, so seeing the health system in the DR sheds a whole new light on our patients' beliefs/perspectives here at home. Hasta la proxima vez!
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| Santo Domingo |
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| Men sit around and play chess or dominoes - both in NY and DR |
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| Blurry but perfect |
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| At a school in the Sugarcane plantation |
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| this little doll |
Till next time,
-S
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