Vivo en Santo Domingo, Pantoja

Well, I am living with a family in Pantoja, a suburb of Santo Domingo. Training is hard when it comes to the Spanish part, but the rest is fairly easy. Total immersion into the language may be the "best" way to learn, but it is very frustrating when you can´t even talk to the people living with you. I am by far the worst at Spanish, everyone else had to pass a language test before coming, but since they switched my program so late I did not...I probably would not have passed. I feel like I miss a lot of information because I cannot understand the language. The country is beautiful and the streets are dirty. My family is nice, the Doña, Ramona, runs a little store out of the house. Her daughter and her two grand children live there as well. Her daughter is a teacher and speaks a little English, she is very helpful. The man upstairs speaks pretty good English and says he gets an English newspaper!! Hopefully on Monday I can know a little more about the world. Anyway, off to try and navigate a very loud, confusing city, speaking a language I barely grasp (I am not alone, other volunteers that speak Spanish are with me, thank god.)