consulting company that has helped design our time in Santo Domingo. They created a specialized workshop to introduce the teachers to the history, geography, and politics of the DR. They also designed an interesting "challenge" activity. We were divided into two groups and told to imagine that we were a consulting firm that was coming into the DR to do research on the quality of education here. What is our company's name, what is our logo, and what do we need to know in order to do a complete study on education quality in this country? We had a fascinating discussion about the many factors that influence a 
student's ability to gain access to a quality education, as well as the many obstacles that may get in the way. It provided a useful framework for our study of education throughout this week, including our first school visit which will happen this morning.We then had some free time to enjoy lunch in the Zona Colonial, but we were all caught in a torrential downpour. We're learning what rainy season really means here, as
you can never tell what the weather has in store. It could be beautifully sunny one minute and sheets of rain the next. Many of us were caught off-guard, but were able to join nicer weather in the afternoon for our walking tour of the Z
ona Colonial. We visited the ruins of the first monastery, the first hospital; we saw the first gates of the city (see group picture) and learned all about amber production on the island. Amber and larimar are two semi-precious stones that are quite popular here--the latter being a bright blue stone that can only be found on the island of Hispanola, we're told. We strolled down the first street of the settlement of Santo Domingo, Calle las Damas (Ladies' Street) and saw the first stone building built in the new world, the remains of Santo Domingo's fortress, and what's left of the city walls from the 16th century (as well as a newer wall that was built by Trujillo in the 1930s). Our walk concluded with a visit to the Catedral Primada de las Americ
a, the first cathedral in the new world, which lines Plaza Colon, a square dedicated to Columbus, which is today lined with cafes, shops, and Dominicans playing dominoes or feeding the pigeons.We had dinner at Adrian Tropical, a beautiful restaurant right on the Malecon, a stretch of road and sidewalk that lines the water near Santo Domingo. We enjoyed several typical Dominican dishes: sancocho (a creamy meat stew), mofongo (mashed plantains with crispy pork inside), grilled chicken with yucca and onions. Although some group
members chose to get to know the Zona more in the evening, the majority of the group took advantage of a unique opportunity to attend a benefit concert for Haiti. This concert just happened to take place while we were in town. What luck, as it featured some of the biggest names in Spanish-language music: Enrique Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, and Alejandro Sanz, to name a few. We sat among thousands in Olympic Stadium, surrounded by Dominicans who seemed to know the words to every son
g. We tried to imagine what the equivalent concert might be in the States. Maybe U2, Madonna, James Taylor, Sting, and Aretha Franklin? It was a HUGE deal and so much fun. The music was amazing, and people were seen dancing at their seats and having a great time. Now you know why I couldn't post to the blog until this morning--it was a late night.Today, we're headed to Escuela Brasil for our first school visit. We'll be sure to post some interesting stories from our first intercambio with Dominican teachers.
Photos: 1) Workshop with Entrena, 2) group picture with the Alcazar de Colon on the left and the first gate of Santo Domingo on the right, 3) "Las Damas" of our group posing on Las Damas Street, 4) Georgia D. and Aleida B. at dinner, 5) mofongo, 6) girls at the concert
Videos: 1) Anne Z. telling us about the activities of Day 2, 2) sample of Enrique Iglesias at the concert
