After getting through my first full work week in the DR, I was more than ready to relax over this past weekend. My coworker and I left the office on Friday and walked to a nearby vegetarian "Indian" restaurant. Let me tell you! I've never in my life had such delicious food for so cheap! I literally got three large sides, plus dessert for less than 200 pesos (or $5.00). They served maduros (sweet plantains), different cauliflower dishes, eggplant, habichuelas blancas, and so much more. The restaurant was supposedly an Indian cuisine, but aside from the outdoor sign and a few indoor decorations, nothing about the place screamed "Indian restaurant" to me. But that was no disappointment, the food was great, and I can’t wait to go back.
Later in the afternoon, my fellow intern and I decided to bake some sweets. We had gone grocery shopping earlier in the day, and decided to make several things from scratch. For the two dinner parties we planned to attend over the weekend, we made buckeyes (or peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate) and an apple pie.
Friday's gathering was my first time socializing with multiple coworkers outside of the office. Many people came and some even brought their family members too. We enjoyed the most incredible Mexican dinner, filled with gorditas, chimichangas, gelatin con mango (jello with mango), and a dessert called bon bon that contains lots of marshmallows. Everyone seemed to bring a bottle of wine to the party, so I was glad my friend and I were able to provide a little variety to the spread with the buckeyes we made.
On Saturday, I went to the pool with coworkers for a bit, and in the evening we went to our second party. Our host grilled shrimp and chicken in her backyard (which btw is very rare to find in Santo Domingo), and we also munched on plantains, pesto pasta, cous cous, and salad. For dessert, everyone enjoyed our homemade apple pie and some of the leftover peanut butter balls from our Friday baking endeavors.
Sunday was then the perfect day to relax. No dinner parties, no major plans, just time to wind down before the start of another week. I woke up early to go for a run in the local park. The weather was just perfect (hot, but not humid, and with a little breeze), and so I was able to get in a solid 7 miles. After returning from my run, I went with my friend/fellow intern and another coworker to Juan Dolio beach. Juan Dolio is located about 45 minutes away from Santo Domingo, and it is one of the cleaner beaches in the area. The water is crystal blue and quite shallow by the shore. Since we arrived early, we were able to grab one of the last cabanas on the beach. We spent the day just taking in the sun, walking along the shore, and enjoying the waves on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately my face is pretty burnt from lying out for too long, but I had such a great day regardless! After coming back from the beach my coworkers and I watched Meet the Fockers. And although it is utterly irreverent and probably not the best movie to watch with such company, we still got in some good laughs!
Tomorrow begins another work week, and I'm looking forward to it. This will be the first full week that I have a computer to work off of, and I can’t wait to get started with my first few projects!
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