Casave or Chocolate?

!Que Lo Que? It’s already been a full day in the Dominican Republic!! We just had Culture Day where we learned about local cultural history at Bohios Campo Anil (red heart emoji), we took a bus trip to their beautiful preservation. First we learned the history of campesinos, chocolate, and casave. Then we got the opportunity to relax and mingle around their gorgeous pool, with a delicious home-cooked meal for lunch. The meal consisted of different kinds of arroz, ensaladas, habichuello, cerdo, pollo, and platanos fritas. Afterwards, we took a trip to the supermarket, buying all sorts of trinkets and snacks. Before dinner, we had dance class. We learned traditional dances like merengue, bachata, and salsa! Our instructor told us a heartwarming story of how he met his wife though the language of dance. He was rejected three time before she accepted the dance! (laughing emoji, crying emoji, red heart emoji).

In the mornings, we typically go over the question and quote of the day. For today the question was about how art and dance ties to preserving local customs, traditions, and its’ importance. Our response to that was that art and dance is limitless, when it comes to expression. Our quote, “When you learn something from people or from a culture, you accept it as a gift. It is your life long commitment to preserve it and build on it” – Yo Yo Ma. The Glimpses’ interpretation was that we saw people build upon their traditions by letting their dances and music evolve through time. We noticed how their recipes and traditions were passed down, letting future generations learn more about their heritage; at Campo Anil, although their coffee making process changed as the decades went by, the significance and quality of their coffee remained just as rich and loved within their community.

To close this off, what we have experienced today goes to show that cultural identity can be preserved even if its specifics have been modified over time. Art and dance has brought communities together, helping to share diversity amongst people of any background. Us Glimpsers were honored to be able to be educated about the history and customs in Jarabacoa, the City of Eternal Spring. As leaders, we are proud to have led this adventure and broaden the global perspective as a team!

Sincerely,

Andin Solomon (orange heart and chocolate emoji) & Natalie Goh (coffee emoji and orange heart emoji)

Note from the GGLs:

Hey families we are working on getting a drive with pictures set for you. The internet is just really slow, so we will share that link as soon as possible.