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. 

English teacher

As of Monday, I will be an English teacher.  This is a little scary seeing as I really don't know how to speak/write this language correctly.  From Mon to Fri next week, Ashley and I (and another couple and a mentor and some interns) will be teaching English to whomever comes to learn.  We may have some people who a close to fluent and we may have some that know only a few words.

We are praying that the Lord will bring 20 people from the community of Astoria (in Queens, NY) each day to take part in our free classes.  He may bring 5 and He may bring 50.  We will teach anyone who wants to learn.  We also pray that these people would be open to hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I will be leading the advanced class.  We expect there will be some students who are mainly there to practice their English.  This will provide time for us to talk and get to know each other.