PLYMOUTH, A GREAT COLLEGE TOWN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

 Hello, everyone,

In 2009, I had the opportunity to travel from my country, the Dominican Republic, to New Hampshire, USA. I went there to participate in the Summer Writing Institute at the Plymouth State University for the first time. The PSU is a higher education institution located in Plymouth, a beautiful college town in New Hampshire, USA from which I treasure unforgettable memories. Acquiring knowledge on writing and meeting great people during the experience will accompany me forever. Also, it has helped in my writing projects a great deal. A good example is my book El Autoaprendizajede Inglés (The Self-Learning of English).  I hope you all enjoy the images I share here.

Plymouth State University welcomed me to its beautiful campus and I just loved it.

I will never forget the reading and writing journeys in the Lamson Library.

I never thought I would have so great moments at Robert Frost’s house. He is one of my favorite poets.

Here is the University Police Station. They do a good job to guarantee people security.

In many beautiful mornings, when walking from my apartment in the university campus to the Laundromat or the pharmacy, I passed by the Town Hall on Main Street.

Besides the easily noticeable beautiful flora in the area, its fauna is great. This blue jay is a good example.

Squirrels are also part of how varied its fauna is.

Not all was sharing knowledge with other writing teachers in Plymouth. Playing Horseshoe with Sam and Max in Angie’s yard in a beautiful afternoon was part of the cultural exchange that resulted from the event.

Dancing my typical music, Merengue, with my friend, Gret, was another experience of cultural exchange.

Sharing with Gret and Barry at the Thai Restaurant on Main Street was a great part of the Summer Writing Institute grand finale.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 2021

An English Literature Class Analyzes Ropa Cara By Camilo

Hello, everyone, 

This time, I share a summary and an essay on the song, Ropa Cara by the Colombian singer songwriter, Camilo Echeverry. These two pieces were written by my English Literature class student, Lidia Mercedes. They are a sample of our teaching-learning process in the 2021 first semester. In order to get my students into literary analysis, I usually choose a song in Spanish, our official language in the Dominican Republic. I make sure the story behind the song is evident. Later, they explore the song, discover it and tell that story in a written summary. After that, many of the students brainstorm about general topics they think the song is about and tell the rest of the class the reasons for their choices. Right after that, they do the same with subtopics and support their ideas with evidence from the song lyrics or the story behind it. Finally they choose one general topic and three subtopics from the resulting lists and write down a five-paragraph analytic essay.

Summary on Ropa Cara by Camilo Echeverry

     The song, Ropa Cara, written by Camilo Echeverry is about a man who meets a girl on social media. She demands that he wear designer clothes. He starts to dress in expensive clothes for her. He reflects and realizes he is not that kind of person, so he decides to go away from her. 

Essay on Ropa Cara by Camilo Echeverry

     The song, Ropa Cara, written by Camilo Echeverry is about vanity. Vanity is an exaggerated expression of self-pride or feeling of superiority over other individuals. A vain person seeks to be admired by others and tends to have a derogatory treatment with people. Vain people like to show off their successes. They take care of their image in an exaggerated way and show their material goods with excessive pride. They need to be flattered and attract the attention of others as well; therefore, they surround themselves with people who are at their same level or higher. Nowadays, examples of vanity can be seen on social media, since those are means by which individuals can share their day to day activities. Thus, it is easier for many people to pretend to be what they are not, or pretend to have what they do not just to impress others.   

     First of all, toxic love is clearly noticed in Ropa Cara and it is characterized by behaviors that are emotionally or physically damaging to someone. Toxic love damages self-esteem and drains energy. Some of the characteristics of toxic love are insecurity, self-centeredness, dominance, control, and much more. An example of toxic love could be when in a relationship one of the partners tries to change the other to an excessive degree either physically or emotionally. Toxic love is shown in the song when the girl demands that the man change his way of dressing, and he starts wearing expensive clothes to please her. 

     A second issue related to vanity is identity loss, which is described as a process in which a person loses his/her essence seeking self-worth or approval from others. An example of identity loss could be when someone who has low self-esteem gets into a relationship. This kind of person will always seek and depend on his/her partner’s acceptance preventing the real them from being out there. Identity loss is shown in Ropa Cara, when the man forgets the things he is taught at home and starts wearing expensive brand clothes for the girl’s approval, but that is not the one he really is. 

     Another issue shown in the song is materialism and it is described as the belief that money, possessions, and comfort are the most important things to obtain in life, with a disinterest in or rejection of spiritual, intellectual, or cultural values. An example of materialism could be when a person marries another just because he or she is rich. Camilo Echeverry shows materialism in his song when the girl only focuses on expensive clothes, but she doesn’t care about the man’s feelings and values.  

     To summarize the analysis on the song, Ropa Cara by Camilo Echeverry, it is important to point out that vanity is an exaggerated expression of self-pride or feeling of superiority over other individuals. Also, toxic love is a love characterized by behaviors that are emotionally or physically damaging to someone. In addition, identity loss is a process in which someone loses his/her essence seeking approval from others. Furthermore, materialism is the belief that money, possessions, and comfort are the most important things to obtain in life. Camilo Echeverry, through his song, wants to show people the things someone who is in love can do just for the approval of the person he or she is in love with. In my opinion, Camilo made a good point with this song, because it clearly shows that when people seek approval of someone they are in love with, it can cause them to lose their essence, and do things they never thought of doing. 

A BIT OF HISTORY THROUGH DOMINICAN HOUSES

 

Hello, everyone,

At the end of 2021 first semester, the pandemic due Covid-19 still continued. Therefore, my Composition I students and I kept on working online. Since March 2020, this mode of teaching has allowed students from different parts of the country to join the class. This semester, we continued working on the writing project, Historic Houses in the Dominican Republic. As always, I guided my students to do research about a historic house they chose. Simultaneously, they engaged in the steps of the writing process paragraph by paragraph in class. The result was a five-paragraph composition per student. This time, I share one of those papers with you all. I hope you learn a little bit of the history of the Dominican Republic by reading Sandra Batista’s piece. Which part of Sandra’s paper called your attention? Miss Batista and I will feel great if you leave a comment. 

MUSEO DE LAS CASAS REALES

(The Royal Houses Museum)

By Sandra Batista de la Cruz

            The Royal Houses Museum is an incredible place for Dominican history. This Museum is important in this country for keeping part of its past such as the evidence of some events that occurred a long time ago. Much information and antique items are found in this museum like furniture, classical weapons, and many other things. They are displayed in its rooms, so that people enjoy their visit and acquire knowledge about their ancestors and about the origin of each historical item inside this wonderful monument.

            First of all, The Royal Houses Museum is a colonial building and a cultural monument of Dominican History. This Museum was built in 1511 in the Zona Colonial (Colonial Zone) in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic by decision of Spain Crown, to hold meetings for military and governmental purposes. Besides, it was constructed with first quality stones to beautify its structure. This house has two interconnected buildings. Onen of them functioned as the palace of governors and the other as a royal court. It is divided into two floors that hold a total of twenty showrooms. The first is made up of different galleries that houses collections focused on discovery, conquest, and evangelization. On the second floor, there is the Audience Gallery, exhibitions on legislation, the Room of Family Life, arms rooms, etc. One curious element is found in this monument, the only shield of Queen Juana la Loca is displayed here. The things that are shown in this museum are related to the history of the Discovery, the Conquest, and the Spanish Colonization of Santo Domingo Island. This place opens from Tuesday to Sunday from 9AM to 5PM.

            In addition, The Royal Houses Museum is very interesting. It calls the attention of the public because of its eye-catching view. It is a really big house that covers a very long area. It has 2 horizontal lines of windows, showing that it has two stories, and it is also unpainted. In front of it, there are some palm trees decorating the area to give a little more color to its panorama. Another thing is that this house has many stains, apparently due to age. Every window is square and visually empty, just the holes on the wall are seen. The same happens to the doors, they look as if they were empty, too. All the windows have the same size, and the doors have a curve on the top. This house has many different geometric figures in its physical structure.

            It is important to note, that the Royal Houses Museum has a very beautiful structure and is well managed. It would not be good to remodel or change it because of its unique design. The people in charge have managed it well so far since they have created a defined schedule with specific hours for visitors to get to know this museum, including schools and university groups. This way, students can have a good experience and also learn about the history of their country, and the uses that were given to this museum in the colonial times. Occasionally, there should be some kind of artistic performances like dances, plays, singing, and others. All these could be done with the intention of attracting the attention of the public and making this place a little more interesting. These dynamic activities would help not only the guided excursions, but also give life to the historical events that occurred in this place in the past.

            To summarize, an extensive history is preserved in the the Royal Houses Museum. The whole place is unique. Also, people can enjoy different attractions in the entire monument. It is highly important to learn about the events of the past and much more this beautiful building offers.

San Francisco de Macorís 2021

 

 

TWO HISTORIC DOMINICAN HOUSES

Hello, everyone,

I had a very small Composition I class. Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, classes have been held on line at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo since March last year. Besides studying material on writing, my students and I worked on a writing project entitled HISTORIC DOMINICAN HOUSES. Previous to the semester start, I went into the Internet and made a collection of pictures with Dominican historic houses I found there. Then each student chose the one he or she liked. In order to write each paragraph, they did research about several aspects of the houses they had chosen. In class, I guided them to generate ideas by quick writing. After they had put in paper all the information they had in mind about each particular aspect of the houses, we continued with the writing process until each paragraph was ready to be typed. The result was an original composition about that particular house they had chosen. Now, I am sharing the compositions two of my students wrote. Do not hesitate and write a comment telling about which of the houses calls your attention the most. You could also tell us about your impressions about the information shared about the houses and the heroes they belonged to. My students and I hope you enjoy these compositions.   

                                MÁXIMO GOMEZ ‘S HOUSE IN BANÍ

By Briandy Polanco

          Máximo Gomez's house in Baní is a place where people can learn about the hero’s life. Also, it was made like the house of his childhood. Because of that, the house shows where General Gomez spent most of his lifetime. The house is important because of its historical value.

           First of all, Máximo Gomez's house tells important information about his life. It was inaugurated on November 18th, 2016 to celebrate his birth anniversary. The house was designed by Fermio Mejia who made a design similar to General Gomez’s mother's house. It is located in Baní, Dominican Republic.

           In addition, Máximo Gomez's house is an interesting place. It has three blue windows which are painted beige on their edges. There are also two doors the same color and style. In front of the house, there is a big entrance and a beautiful garden. The house is made of wood and its roof is made with cana (simple palm leave with fan shape). It is antique and it has a fresh look.

             Reflecting about Máximo Gomez’s house is a gratifying experience. By observing the house, people can appreciate its architectural structure and view. Another reason why people like it is because it is very different from houses nowadays. The house is serving its purpose because it is a famous monument. There are some things that should be renewed such as the walls and the roof. Visiting that awesome place is a great idea.

             In conclusion, Máximo Gomez’s house is located in Baní at the park that bears his name. It is a replica of the house where the liberator was born. Besides historical objects, people see the nationalist spirit that characterized him and that every Dominican should possess. Walking in the hallways in the house, people can notice that there is a piece of the General’s heart on each wall. Dominicans and foreigners cannot miss the wonderful experience of visiting that place when they go to Baní. Máximo Gomez’s house is a Journey along his life and his important contribution to history. 

THE MIRABAL SISTERS HOUSE MUSEUM

By Fior Encarnación

The Mirabal Sisters House Museum is a beautiful place covered with Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa Mirabal's memories. It is considered very important because it is a source of amazing human values. This Dominican house is remarkable due to it reflects Dominican women’s courage. It is a place where people can remember and keep the Mirabal sisters' patriotism alive.

Moreover, the Mirabal Sisters’ house shows interesting information. It was built in 1954 in Salcedo, Dominican Republic. This was the house where the Mirabal sisters spent the last ten months before their murder on November 25^th,1960. On December 8^th, it was formally established as a museum. The house maintains its original design and has only undergone modifications on the floors, ceiling and kitchen. On November 25^th, 2000, the remains of the Mirabal sisters and Manolo Tavares Justo, Minerva’s husband, were transferred to the pantheon erected in the garden, which was designed by the architect Rodolfo Pou. The place has four areas: the museum, the kitchen with a typical wood stove, and the administrative area, which includes a library and a cafeteria. This house has three rooms, in which visitors have the opportunity to appreciate the work made by Patria with her sewing machine.

Also, the Mirabal Sisters House Museum is an interesting house. It has a big garden with beautiful red flowers. On the top of the house, people can see a Dominican flag. It has two big doors and outside the house, there are two white benches where people can sit and enjoy the view. Also, the house is surrounded by many trees like coconut trees and others.

In addition, the Mirabal Sisters  House Museum has a positive influence on Dominicans. People like this house because it is a place where women’s values stand out. It is a treasure for Dominicans. It is a place where people who like history go and enjoy the story of Mirabal Sisters' lives. Since this is a peaceful place, they can go there with their families. Each part of this house tells something interesting about those Dominican heroines. The political participation of the Butterflies (their nickname), one of the most interesting historical events in the Dominican Republic and all over the world, covers the house. People consider that the Mirabal Sisters House Museum is one of the most beautiful houses. Students from all over the country are taken there. They really have a good time in the house. These are many reasons that make the Mirabal Sisters’ home remarkable.

To sum up, the Mirabal Sisters House Museum shows the Mirabal Sisters' most relevant aspects and was established as a museum due to its great influence and importance in Dominican society. It is a beautiful and cozy house, which has details and qualities that make it unique and incomparable. It is like a chest that contains the feelings, tears, and happy moments that characterized the Butterflies. These have permitted their memories to remain intact in Dominican society. It tells the world that values are the most important because they are part of people’s identity.

Santo Domingo 2021

JUST A LITTLE OF COSTA RICA

As far as many people are concerned, Costa Rica is full of wonders. Just one entry is not enough to show them all. While pursuing my TESOL CERTIFICATE at Centro Espiral Maná (Mana Spiral Center), I had the chance to explore a little of its northern rural area. The few things I saw made me want to come back and continue exploring this magnificent treasure in Central America.

It was the rainy season and seeing the Volcan El Arenal (The Arenal Volcano) was not that easy because of the fog.  Fortunately, I could take a picture of this wonder in Costa Rica. This volcano is located in La Fortuna District, 8 kms away from La Fortuna City. 

During that month of hard study, I could visit Ciudad de la Fortuna (La Fortuna City), which is in San Carlos canton, in Alajuela Province. Fortuna is translated into English as fortune. Before the Arenal Volcano eruption in 1968, El Bohío was a town to the east of the volcano. The eruption destroyed some towns to the west. Fortunately, El Bohío was not touched by the eruption. Due to that, the town’s name was changed into La Fortuna.

The wonderful learning experience at Centro Espiral Mana helped me improve my English teaching practice.  That place is an educational institute in which mostly English is taught. It is located in EL INVU (Instituto Nacional de Vivienda y Urbanismo), a rural community in Peñas Blancas. I had the opportunity to share with students, other English teachers and trainers from other countries such as Mexico, Chile, England, and Argentina. The experience was full of professional development and integral growth.

A spiral is the logo of Centro Espiral Mana. This one, made with plants, is as natural as Costa Rica. 

These are my fellows at work. They are a group of English teachers from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and Chile. 

Like in millions of Latin American and European people, soccer seems to flow through the blood of The Ticos (Costa Rican people). That is why a plaza -as they call the soccer field- is commonly seen.

I saw a great natural diversity, which includes colorful flowers. My lens and I found this one very beautiful.

We could see interesting mammals such as this sloth, which visited us one morning when my classmates and I were as busy as always. All of us enjoyed the pleasant interruption and the cute animal became our pet for a while.

I could see many insects such as this grasshopper.  I saw it when I was taking a relaxing walk. 

Also, during my relaxing walk, I found this beautiful butterfly getting nectar from a beautiful flower. In fact, my classmates went on a trip to the Botanical Garden. When they came back, they told me they had seen a very interesting butterfly farm. That is one of my places to visit in my next trip to C.R.

Finally, the best way to end any kind of event is enjoying the hot springs near The Arenal Volcano. They reach 45 Degrees C. However, once you have been in the water for a couple of minutes, you do not want to get out of the pond.

To explore the Spanish version of this entry, please, go to:

https://maxhumano.blogspot.com/2020/07/un-poquito-de-costa-rica.html

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2020

A MEMORABLE ARCH

Hello everyone,

With great excitement, my wife and I drove south from the noise in Santo Domingo, capital city of the Dominican Republic, on Friday, 20^th, 2019. San Juan de la Maguana, my beloved home town, waited 187 kilometers away. Our aim was to celebrate our wedding anniversary. As always, we were eager to feel the fresh breeze of Christmas season there, whose temperature drops from 25 to 20 degrees C.

As soon as we arrived, we made plans to take a walk around EL ARCO DEL TRIUNFO (The Arch of Triumph). We went there after dinner.  This time besides the colorful lights, the traditional decoration included high technology. Ruth got so excited with its beauty that she recorded a video and sent it to my sister in Spain. Navidad sin mi Madre (Christmas without my Mom) by Tomás Santana (known as El General Larguito) was heard as background Typical Merengue music.

The Arch of Triumph is located in a circle not too far from the entrance of the city. It is surrounded by The Hotel Maguana (Maguana Hotel), built in 1948; the Parque Duarte (Duarte Park); the Palacio del Ayuntamiento (Town Hall Palace); and the Palacio de Justicia (Justice Palace). All this is in the cross formed by Avenida Independencia (Independencia Avenue) and Calle San Juan Bautista (San Juan Bautista Street). Lots of memories come to my mind because I spent most of my childhood on that street, just five blocks away.

Let me share a Little bit of the arch’s history with you. In 1939, the dictator, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina and his companions passed through an arch built for them in the intersection formed by Avenida Independencia and Calle Colón (Colón Street). It seems that arch inspired some residents to make the beautiful arch we have now. The project was managed by Guillermo Prince who was considered the father of construction work in San Juan de la Maguana in those times. He was accompanied by Mr. Mendoza, the master builder. They hired workers from all over the province. The Petty Majors were in charge of hiring the bricklayers they needed.

Whenever my wife and I have the chance, we travel to what has become her beloved San Juan, take day and night walks around The Arch and enjoy some of the events that are held around it. I hope you enjoyed this journey through one of the most important places in San Juan de la Maguana, The Arch of Triumph.

To see the Spanish version of this entry, go to 

https://maxhumano.blogspot.com/2020/04/recuerdos-del-arco.html

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 2020

ON A PLAY BY A DOMINICAN PLAYWRIGHT

Hello everyone,

When I was writing the general plan for my English Stylistics course at Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, UASD in the Dominican Republic, I decided to include literary works in English written by Dominican Authors. I found poetry and narratives. When it came to drama, it was a little bit difficult to find such kind of plays. Fortunately, a friend of mine helped me contact Reynaldo Disla, one of the most important playwrights in the country, which permitted me to use his play Sparks and Ash, the translation of Un Drama Psicológico Norteamericano by James Edward Parsons. Besides the United States, It was published in the Dominican Republic by Editorial Galipote (Galipote Editorial).

Front Page of the Play

Reynaldo Disla,

The Playwright

Back in the second semester of 2018, I had my students read the said play. Then they did radical revision by changing it into a brief narrative. Among all those narratives, the one written by Sandy Pichardo called my attention. What do you think about the narrative written by Sandy out of Reynaldo Disla’s play?

Take a look at the brief narrative

SUMMARY ON SPARKS AND ASH BY REYNALDO DISLA

By Sandy Pichardo

The play, Sparks and Ash, written by Reynaldo Disla is about Eddie who reads a script and drinks whisky. Then, he throws the glass on the floor. After this, Rosemary asks him to control his temper. Then, he hits her on the face. Later on, she tells Eddie that she wants save their relationship and he tells her that their marriage has been a mistake. After this, he gets out of the apartment. A few hours later, he returns. Rosemary asks him to tell her the truth about where he has been. He confesses that he has cheated on her. Then, he asks Rosemary for the divorce. When the play is over, Eddie asks for some money to the director. Rosemary asks him for part of the money. Eddie asks Rosemary what she wants the money for. She tells Eddie that she needs to wash her hair. Eddie replies her that she wants to look good for other men. Then, she calls him imbecile. Later on, Eddie pulls her down to the floor. Rosemary manages to shake him off and asks him to get out of her way. At the end, Eddie tells rosemary that the play is over, but she tell him that she is not acting. After this, they give the audience advice on marriage.

Later on, in the second semester of 2019, besides having them write narratives out of the play by Reynaldo Disla, I had my students analyze it in terms of main topic, subtopics and its connections to societies in general. This discussion resulted in five-paragraph essays. Among them, I liked the one by Genesis Martínez the most. I hope you all enjoy it. Which of the topics discussed by Genesis called your attention? Why?

Now take a look at the essay

ESSAY ON SPARKS AND ASH WRITTEN BY REYNALDO DISLA

By Genesis Martínez

          The play, Sparks and Ash, written by Reynaldo Disla and translated by James Edward Parsons is about marital problems. They are responsible for many divorces nowadays. They do not come alone; they are caused by many different situations in which the following can be included: Unfaithfulness, jealousy, stress, lack of intimacy, monotony, boredom, economical problems, weak communication, family matters, changes in life´s style and beliefs, misunderstanding, and mistreatment. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)´s National Center of Health statistics, roughly 3,000 couples in the U.S. get divorced each day well over 1 million per year. The 20-25% of these people is divorcing for the second, or even the third time. Twelve million U.S. families were headed by a single parent during 2000. Marital problems can be prevented and solved. It is just a matter of couples´ attitude toward their problems. Small details make the difference in a relationship. People should start telling their boy or girl how much they love him or her, worry a little bit more for his or her things, show affection through kisses, hugs, and words, share happiness with him or her, and struggle together in order to strengthen their love day after day.

          An issue that is affecting families all over the world and is connected to marital problems is children abandonment. It is one of the biggest mistakes parents can ever make. Some parents abandon their children by giving them to someone else, leaving them totally alone in the street or simply by not paying them the attention they need. This situation is caused because of the irresponsibility of some parents and the lack of love toward themselves and their children. Also, some parents want to blame their kids for their marital and economical problems. However, they must be aware that their kids did not ask to be born and they should have thought twice before getting married and having kids. A way parents with not enough resources to support their kids to avoid children abandonment is giving them in adoption to someone who really wants to raise a child or take them to an orphanage. Children abandonment is found in the paly, Sparks and Ash when the son of Eddie and Rosemary is immersed in drugs.

          Another problem society has is domestic violence, which is a type of aggression that takes place at home when the husband hits the wife and the kids or vice versa. There are two types of domestic violence: verbal and physical. The first happens when people insult themselves through words. The second type of violence occurs when people hit each other. Unfaithfulness, drugs and alcohol, desire of power or control, cultural beliefs, and jealousy can be mentioned among the causes of domestic violence. A way domestic violence can be solved is through psychological intervention. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience physical violence by their intimate partner at some point during their lifetime. At least 5 million acts of domestic violence occur annually to women aged 18 years and older, with over 3 million involving men. Domestic violence is shown in the play, Sparks and Ash, when Eddie and Rosemary insult each other during the whole play.

          Besides, another trouble that can be found in society is jealousy. It is the distrust a person feels for another, mainly in a relationship. Jealousy is caused due to lack of confidence in others. For example, in the case of a couple, jealousy happens when one of them is being flirted by somebody else or when he or she spends more time doing other things or with another person than with  his or her couple. Another example is when, in the labor sphere, an employee gets a higher position or is recognized as the employee of the year. Sometimes, jealousy can be normal, but some others it is dangerous. People must be careful when feeling jealous because if it is not controlled, it can cause many misunderstandings such as verbal and physical violence. Jealousy says “present” in the play, Sparks and Ash, when Eddie asks Rosemary about Arthur, a friend of her.

          To conclude marital problems happen very often in many couples around the world. Connected to them is children abandonment, which is a sad reality that affects many kids every day. Also, domestic violence has destroyed many families and increases because of the absence of love among couples. Besides the said problems, jealousy is a sign of insecurity and weak self-esteem. The message Reynaldo Disla wants to teach human beings through the play, Sparks and Ash, is that respect should go over disagreement in marital life. I agree with the author because people must be aware of their imperfections and, as a result of that, tolerance is a great value that allows people to appreciate the others´ attitude and opinions, even though they do not agree.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 2019