Cap day 3
Student Trip Blog
Hello Peopleee!! Its Kimberly and Joaquin, your leaders for the day.
Today was immigration day and we spent some time in a Batey, which is a small community of Haitian immigrants all across the Dominican Republic while also learning about the reaity of Haitian immigrants in the DR and how they are being systemically oppressed by the Dominican government. We got to meet the children and talk to them about their lives and got to visit the local market, where we bought different types of jewelry made by people in the Batey. Afterwards, we spent our afternoon and evening in both the ocean and pool at the hotel we stayed at near the Batey in Sosua.
Okay so today i had to wake up at 5:40 because i had wake up everyone in my beautiful girls only villa plus nacho, We ate breakfast at 7AM and left for the bus at 7:40, it was a long bus ride of 3 hours, Its super hot and humid in Sosua but gorgeous beaches 10/10 would come again, clear blue water with lovely scenery, after we hung out at the pool till dinner, i got to see the most stunning sunset, a memory ill burn into my brain forever. I love everyone here so far, i’ve had so much fun and everyone is so funny im not ready for it to finish yet, i miss my family, my man and my apple music. -Kimberly
It’s Joaquin. Today felt like a wrestling tournament to start the day. Wake up at 5:20, regret every decision I’ve made in my life, lead a group of my peers. We basically pushed all our everyday activities up an hour. We had a long bus ride to Sosua, which wasn’t terrible. But I like long rides. Once we got to Sosua–or the local area– we spent time in a Batay which is a little Haitian community. There are many across the island. After, we spent the afternoon at a beach in Sosua which was pretty fun honestly. I found a really cool rock which I WILL in fact be taking home. Yadda yadda, anyway, today was really fun overall and I enjoyed my day. To my mom, don’t be too hard on Alex, to my dad, I hope the Giants aren’t too frustrating, and to my little sister, get off your iPad and go do something. I miss wrestling so when I come back expect me to try to find one beat the streets or offseason/preseason work at school. I miss coach Gil’s funk roll lessons for me. Tell Tia Nena and Tio Andres I’m thinking about them and hope they’re doing well. Listen to my music playlists if y’all think about me. – Joaquin
Comments (6)
Winifher
Hello Joelle! We love your pictures at the beach and are so happy you enjoyed your time today. We miss and love you so much and your dad is sorry he missed your call. Everyone seems so wholesome and sweet and I’m so proud of you for having a positive attitude. Can’t wait to read what yall are up to tomorrow!
Wini
Ms Harpreet
Big love and shout out to Krishika, Krishav, Lyla and David!
I am so proud of you for embracing this adventure. We love you at Impact and can’t wait to hear about how you grew and learned on this DR adventure. Way to go, Krishika for being first LD!
And to all the students,
Step out of your comfort zone and try new things. Explore and embrace the culture, land, food, people, as well as new friends from GG to the fullest! I hope this trip expands your understanding of the world around you and you can develop to be even stronger leaders than you already are! Home life is always waiting for you….but this opportunity is once in a lifetime, so say yes to new friendships, cultures, and adventures!
And my last shout-out to Mr Aguilar! Thank you for encouraging me to join GG. Panama was an experience I’ll keep close to my heart always.
Kent Murray
Joaquin, you make me a proud papa. Your smile reflects your spirit. These experiences are priceless and to see you with all these wonderful people both in your crew and in the communities you’ve visited will be memories that will lift you the rest of your life. Blessings. PS. White Sox done good.
Miguel Velazco
Thank you, Kimberly & Joaquin, for setting the pace & leading the team—those long, early mornings! And thanks to the GG team for sharing the great pictures.
One thing that really stood out from yesterday’s conversation on immigration is how different citizenship laws are around the world. While the U.S. and most countries in the Americas generally grant citizenship to anyone born on their soil, many countries in Europe and elsewhere require a parent to be a citizen or legal resident.
The Dominican Republic’s 2013 Constitutional Court ruling was especially unusual because it applied its interpretation retroactively to 1929, affecting the recognized citizenship of tens of thousands of people born in the country to parents who were not considered legal residents. Visiting the bateyes helps put a human face on what can otherwise seem like just another legal or political issue.
It’s a good reminder that behind every law are real people and real families. Keep asking questions, learning, and seeing the world from different perspectives.
Lorena (Joaquin's Mom)
Baby Boy! It’s so good to read your words. What an amazing day! Soak it up, my love. What a privilege to be of service to others and I know when you do this, you do it from the depths of your heart because that’s just who you are. Te amo, Mi Niño!
Alex
HI Joaquinn. I fixed your rubber thing for the Xbox controller and glued it on😼 Also saw wait wait don’t tell me live😛😛 Also also I got you the panda pet in Fortnite but I haven’t gotten you the new sprites cause I haven’t really been playing Fortnite. Also also also I haven’t been on my iPad the whole time, I was also on your Xbox so yeah🤔 Additionally, I haven’t some rather unfortunate news to tell you. I shan’t go to arroyo because they were at the maximum capacity. Aww so sad you don’t get to have a high school year with your epic baby sis☹️🥺😔 😼😛 Oki bye😼