While Josh & the kids were at Baha'í winter school in December, they met a joyous family there who insisted we visit them sometime in the future. Soheil, Maureen, Nasim and Rouhanieh opened their home to us for five days a few weeks ago. 'Twas a splendid time spent all around.
Poor planning on my part left us with an almost-dead camera battery, so our photolog lacks a great many experiences including a wonderful dinner with many local Baha'ís,
junior youth group, a 4-hour cupcake making extravaganza with a
lovely local baker,
RUHI study circle, and general merriment. Here's what I did manage:
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We drew our favorite animal and talked about pets we had. Chicken was a popular one.
We understood later (see Zora's photo below). |
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Teacher Rouhanieh prepping the next activity.
Josh was able to substitute teach twice during that week. Always good to be back in the classroom. |
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| View from atop the English Center. San Juan, you are beautiful. |
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The fam. And one of the only shots of my ever-active Max who I never seem to catch with my camera.
We forced him to sit for this one under threat of no ice cream. |
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| We ambled about town. |
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| Checked out the local stadium. |
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| Yeah. That's a white castle (No John, not the fast food joint, but an actual castle) in the background there. |
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| Wandered by this gem of a house/clinic. |
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| We visited this neighborhood just outside town several times. Sun sets as a girl runs back home with her treats from the colmado. |
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Camera was slyly just above my purse as I walked by and snapped this shot of a cock fight.
In the middle of the street. Men yelling and circling as the crowd grew. |
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| We sat outside a local Baha'is' home, watching neighbor girls play marble games and invent new dance moves. |
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| Zora jokes with a local Baha'í youth as we wait for a devotional gathering to start. |
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He shared some just-picked-cherries from the tree behind them.
Fat eggplants were growing here as well, in stark contrast to the quarter size one that's been in our garden for the last month. |
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That thing in her hand is real. It had two friends. And they lived in the house we stayed in. Pets.
I lived in fear of squashing one the whole week. They had names, after all.
Zora, however, was thrilled to have something to love & squeeze while she was away from Danger. |
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| Rouhanieh, me (too much Persian tea?), Zora and Nasim say goodbye on our last day. The doll, who sings about giving kids shots, was a gift from the girls. I have the lyrics memorized. |
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| Zora did her hair as part of the long bus ride back home (7 hours travel time) with a clip she made in San Juan. |
Thank you to all of our hosts in San Juan de la Maguana!
