Welcome to the DR2010 Ning!

This is a special site dedicated to informing, connecting, and educating the community that is the Dirigo International Service Club.

Here you will find forums full of helpful information, groups to organize the different roles of the community, photos and videos of the Dominican Republic, and a connection to Profesor Midence. A little further down the page, he shares his wisdom in the form of Letters from Midence.

Please take the time to click around and absorb as much of the information as you can before we leave in April.

Ms. Beane

snippets from Dirigo High on Vimeo.

Letter 1, sent February 21, 2010.

What is Culture Shock?

Most anthropologists, psychologists and sociologists would probably agree that “culture shock” is something that happens when a person or a group goes from one cultural setting into another, generally very different, cultural setting. It can be from a highly sophisticated, technological society into a stone age jungle (obviously an exaggeration but possible in this day and age).

In the Dirigo School case, we will be seeing young teens and adults from a rural setting in Maine, visiting an urban/rural setting in the heart of the Dominican Republic. So much of what they see will be exotic, strange or downright weird. Given the near instant change, once they step out of the airport everything will be different, let’s take a look at how this affects people.

1. Physical. Apart from medical issues, which we will try out best to avoid, the total immersion in a foreign language culture is trying on the body. You can expect to be exhausted most days. This comes from the fact that most of your stimuli--visual, oral and aural—will be strange to you. (There will be the occasional really funny signs that will get your attention--we saw on that said Supermercado Viagra!~!) and they are to be enjoyed.

2. Mental. Because everything is so strange, and your frame of reference is so distinct, you are constantly making comparisons or judgments that are taxing your brain. At the same time you are trying to understand everything that is going on. This is stressful and needs to be taken care of with deep breaths and a “Margaritaville” laid-back attitude. The real “mañana” attitude. After all, this is the place that taught the world about the hammock!!

3. Social. Most of the young people that you will be in contact with in Santiago will be well versed in the latest Top 40 on VHS or MTV. However, in the countryside—as in Punta Rucia or in Los Marranitos, they are quite isolated from cable television and the real, outside world and need to have their situation understood. Their lives are much harder and simpler, but they do have hopes and ambitions that need to be addressed. As the “outsiders” we will be objects of curiosity, at the beach we will be seen as sources of money or “things” ; in Los Marranitos we will be visitors who will work alongside of them. We do not have to be superior in any way.