Washington Heights

Ashley and I are living in Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC, NY for the month of July.  We are here for cross-cultural training.  I can't imagine a better place to study cultures and to prepare for cross-cultural work that NYC.  So far it has been an awesome experience for us. 

We were told that the community of Washington Heights where we are living is 75% Dominican.  To be honest, I didn't believe it until Friday night.  We have been walking all around where we live to go grocery shopping, to catch the subway, to do everything.  We have noticed many people of different nationalities, but it did not stick out as 75% Dominican. 

This was until we crossed Broadway.  (Yes, THAT Broadway.  Although THAT Broadway is really a few miles south.)  What we have come to find out is that Broadway (runs North-South) is the dividing line between Washington Heights and "Dominican" Washington Heights.  It was amazing.  Everything, except the road signs, changed.  Spanish is the language we heard.  The sidewalks were filled with people.  The music was different.  The color of skin of all around us was darker.  I felt as though I could have been in any large city in any Latin American country.

I cannot wait to go to language school and learn Spanish.  I am so excited to be able to speak 2 languages.

Dinner was a fun experience.  We went to La Casa Del Mofongo.  It was supposedly 'the place' to get Dominican food.  We learned that mofongo is plantains and pork mashed together and served with whatever you want.  I got mine with cod fish and Ashley got chicken.  Good food!  Our waitress had to get a helper to communicate with us because we don't speak Spanish and she doesn't speak English.

I know believe that Washington Heights is 75% Dominican.  I so much enjoyed our cross-cultural experience in this almost foreign country.