In a couple of days I’ll be taking off for Santo Domingo, DR (and my RT airfare from PHX was $353… so I couldn’t NOT go). I am eagerly looking forward to spending a few days in the Colonial Zone before wandering around a bit more en la ciudad y los campos. Yes, I am brushing up on my español. The foundation of it came from Senorita Bliwas’ 9th grade Spanish class at Wilbur Wright Junior High School in Milwaukee in 1972-73. It was honed during the summers of the early/mid ’70s when I used to work with Mexican migrants in the fields of central Wisconsin. It was latent for decades before I moved to Phoenix and then it came in handy again. Taking French at ASU a couple years ago did not help my Spanish but I suppose gave me a wider breadth of communication ability.
But the last couple of months I have been garbling an apparently plausible version of Spanglish which I hope will get me by while I am there.
I keep hearing about the heat & humidity there. Let’s see, its supposed to be in the 80’s while I am there, with breezes off the Caribbean. Here in Phoenix its been 105-109 with no Caribbean, and therefore no humidity. I call it a draw. And frankly, I LIKE this weather here. I sit outside when its 106 with a cigar and a scotch…as Jimmy Buffett sings, “I’m the King of Somewhere Hot”. So bring it on.
Other than that, like these folks in Santo Domingo….I’m happy…