My Cultural Experience

Two summers ago, I went to the Dominican Republic on a missions trip. While I was there, I encountered many things that were very differen than what I was used to in my community. One thing that was different was that there was no air conditioning. All day every day, we were hot and sweaty. The funny thing is that we didn't really care, and that after a few days of deing there we didn't even notice it. Another difference was the people around us. Normally, you can just listen in on any conversation that was going on around you, but there, you can't. I knew a little bit of spanish, but even if i tried as hard as I could, I could still only understand a few words of the whole convwersation. It reminded me of the spanish people that some into Sears, where I work, and try to buy clothes. They are completely surrounded by a language that they do not know. I never realized how wierd it was before and how awkward you felt speaking a language that the people around you did not know. Everywhere we went, we had to have a translator with us.
Another different thing there was the mood of the whole country. Everywhere we went, people were happy. Even when we went to the slums, which were houses as big as a bathroom stall in the U.S. that were made out of wood and housed up to 8 people, people were happy ans laughing. Everybody everywhere was nice. They would literally give you the shirt off thier back if you asked for it. They were also very free spirited. They went swinning in waterfalls and jumping off rocks naked and didn't care about what anybody else thought of them. A final difference was the appearence. Every house was a diferent color and had a different colored roof. If you went up to the top of a mountain and looked down at the city, you got an amazing view of a colorful town.
Overall, my experience in the Dominican Republic was amazing. I not only got to help the Dominicans out, I also got to learn alot about thier culture and morals.