Don't worry, I still haven't put the two together…yet! But the bugs were definitely out in force several nights ago. I don't know what was going on, because I usually have a few spiders and roaches hanging out as I'm getting ready to turn in for the night, but on this particular evening (after a day no different from the ones before in insufferable heat, as far as I can remember) as I was reading by headlamp in my mosquito net, I had to remove a small cockroach from the inside, and check for holes so the higher than usual number of creepy crawlies wouldn't get in. Earlier in the night, reading on the porch I was focused on a orange and black spotted beetle, whose sheer size and sound-making capabilities were enough to make me a bit uneasy, when along came a huge brown praying mantis (stick-bug) to join the party, and before long I was dancing all over the place to rid the inside of my shirt from gnats and other small, bothersome chewers. Needless to say that night of sleep wasn't the best I've had in country…
Turns out my theory of cooking as bonding holds water. There's something about feeding people, providing nutrition with something you made with your own hands, that brings a certain satisfaction and comfort between the cook and those who partake in the final product. On Friday night, Mamín's (my host mom) daughter, her husband, and one month old baby arrived in time to partake in a huge pot of vegetable soup we had made together that ended up feeding people. To those of you who are familiar with my minestrone, it wasn't quite the same without the pesto, but was immensely satisfying to be able to recreate the basic flavor in a "town" (and I use the term loosely) where it's hard to find items as basic as potatoes.
Because today is Dominican Mother's Day, several weeks after the American version, I decided I would cook again for Mamín and her daughter - I'm getting pretty creative with campo food! And as tribute to the special day, they made a big lunch and even followed it up with chocolate from scratch, which will be combined with milk and sugar to make a delicious drink - that will, along with bread, probably serve as my breakfast AND dinner for the next 2 months. At least I'm starting to put back on a few of those lost pounds with this new carb. and sugar heavy diet!
We made another abonero (compost pile) yesterday, and although my crew was significantly smaller, later, and less enthusiastic than the first round a week ago, we managed to pull it off. Two hours, many bug-bites, machete blisters, and ankle scratches later, we had a hip-high pile in my host parents backyard…which promptly shrunk and compacted under today's torrential downpour, complete with hail (really an incredible sound underneath a zinc roof). As I worked to dig holes, drive stakes, and pile on the layers of dry leaves, green leaves, cacao shells and manure, I quickly became mud-splattered and sweaty. The Dominicans, who are generally a very clean people, helpfully reminded me very often that I had "tierra" (earth) all over my neck and shoulders, and seemed puzzled that I had resigned myself to wait until the end of the activity to wash it all off at once. They seem amiably puzzled by the dirty American, but at least I'm developing a reputation as a hard worker! And it clearly makes that trickle of a shower, routed through small pipes from the nearby cool aqueduct, that much sweeter to first be covered in filth.
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