One Year

Dear Friends,

Today marks the one year anniversary that I have been
living here in the Dominican Republic. Just last
December I was with my brother, Arnold, Scotch
and some more friends at the Pink Tea Cup in the
Village, eating,drinking, and being "merry". Now as I
sit overlooking the magnificent vista of the Malecon
in Santo Domingo, I am humbled by what I have learned
this year. I will list what I have learned in no
particular order and no explanation is necessary.

-You can't get something for nothing
-Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it
-You can have fun with only 100 pesos
-Their is nothing more important than happiness
-Internal fortitude and strength is a wonderful gift
-I can live without hot water
-Desperate times will show who your friends are
-Sometime you can't explain or understand love, the
same goes for forgiveness
-A kiss from a puppy or a hug from an old woman can
brighten any bad day
-Friends can be your family when you are far away
-Warm weather and sunshine can always sooth the spirit
-Real men do cry and show emotion
-Patience, patience, and more patience
-Trust your heart everytime and it will not fail you
-Listen to the only voice that matters, your own

Thank you for all of your kind words, comments and
support this past year. I hope the next year here
will teach me even more.

All the best,

Byron

Por favor, Gracias, and Permiso

I am learning to adapt here in the DR, but there are a few things that still annoy me about this island. Many people have no concept of saying please, thank you or excuse me. I have been in situations where I have been literally pushed out of the way by men, children and even old ladies. This can happen at the grocery store, waiting for the public car or even just walking down the street. Maybe it is my American values or my southern gentility, but I get really upset when
someone invades my space or pushes me for no apparent reason, other than because someone else wants to be in the space where I am.

Now don't get me wrong, many people do say thank you, but not enough for me. While at work I do not have these problems. These situations seem to happen while I am
walking the dog, grocery shopping or at a club hanging out. The please, thank you, and excuse me siuation is small potatoes compared to the standing in line situation. Dominicans do not believe in waiting in line. I was at the store last night and while standing at the counter speaking with the clerk, a man came in the store, stood next to me nudged me out of the way and started speaking to the clerk also. I gave him a "look", he looked at me and kept speaking. I guess the evil look I gave the man was noticed by the clerk because the clerk looked at me, as if to say, please continue, I did so and paid for my beer and left the store. As I was leaving two young girls entered the store and gave the man the same treatment, that he gave me and it did not seem to bother him. I guess he was used to this common behavior. The few places you wait in line here are the bank,immigration, and the bathroom at JDs. In those first two places guns are involved so people seem to follow orders and directions when ammunition is involved.

When these situations happen I am learning not to get my panties in a bunch and just chalk it up to that's just the way things are in the DR. Now when I say "Dominicans", I am speaking in general terms, I don't believe all Dominicans are rude, just a minority who I come into contact with.

THE BITCH IS BACK!

Hola Friends and Family,

I'm back after a few weeks of resting and recharging my batteries. Thank you for your comments during my absence, they were warmly appreciated. Anthony and I were having one of our regular chats yesterday and he told me people were asking if I was OK or was I eating cat food on Conde, since I have not been on the scene for a few weeks. He told me to start writing again, so here I am. Where should I start?

I started a new job with a new company. I am the Quality Supervisior for an American company here in Santo Domingo. I was mildly surprised that I got the position, because over 100 people applied for the job. This is a great gig and I have been enjoying myself. I supervise about 50 Dominicans. They are all hard working and talented people, that surprised me at first, but most of them have lived and worked in the states or should I say--New York.

Richard and I have moved into a cool new apartment. We are in the process of making it into a home. The place is very Dominican, so it is going to take a few months to Americanize it for me. We have had highs and lows designing the interiors for the apartment. The highs come when want the same thing in a room and the carpenter can make it a reality. The lows come when we fight over a color or where a piece of furniture should be placed. Richard is very handy, his father taught him about plumbing so he handles all of the renovation in the bathrooms. (Please no jokes about him fixing my pipes, I hear them everyday!)

Miss Eve Harrington is now living full time with us and it is sheer joy. I wake up to her wet nose and cold tongue in my ear every morning. Richard has a dog also, a cocker spaniel named Sissy Martini, she will be joining the household soon.

Since October, Richard and I have been Friday or Saturday night regulars at JDs. Early on it was getting real tired, the same music and that tired, tired, tired, drag show, but things have changed. Around the beginning of November Anthony and I were eating some chicken and drinking beer and just shooting the shit. Anthony suggested JDs should have some new entertainment---strippers and new dynamic drag queens. I concurred and said if they have it on Saturday nights, they should call it "Sexy Saturday's". Low and behold 2 weeks later, Sexy Saturday's was born and it has been popping ever since. Last week reminded me of the old JDs, packed to the gills with old friends, new friends, and fine ass boys. The strippers have been top notch but, the drags queens leave a lot to be desired. I hear improvements are on the way, so stay tuned.

Christmas is on the way and that will mark my 1 year anniversary here in Santo Domingo. I can't wait. I'm going to have a little gathering to celebrate the occasion, nothing like the Pink Party, but close. It's really good to be back writing about the DR. I feel energized and I have a lot to say. Also, my crew will be taking some road trips in the next few weeks, so stay tuned for places off the beaten path.

XOXOXOX