Dominican Barber Shop Lingo: “Degradado,” “Rayas,” and Tipping
From Botched Buzzcuts to Barber Shop Mastery I still remember the day I landed in Santo Domingo a decade ago. I was twenty-three, heat-struck, and stu
Dominating Dominican Dance Floors: Bachata Requests in Spanish
Sweat, Strings, and My First Bachata Request I was twenty-three, newly landed in Santo Domingo, and already dripping with the sticky Caribbean heat wh
Doctor’s Visit in Bogotá: Describing Altitude-Related Symptoms Like a Local
Ten years ago, when I first left the humidity of Santo Domingo for the brisk plateau of Bogotá, I assumed my island-conditioned lungs would handle th
DIY Board-Game Hacks That Turn Conjugation Drills into Party Fuel
Caribbean nights in Santo Domingo often end around a plastic domino table. One muggy Friday my friends dealt tiles while I spread my Spanish workbook
Dinner-Party Diplomacy: From Santo Domingo to Medellín, One Table at a Time
I still remember the first time I tried to host a “proper” dinner party in the Dominican Republic. I’d only been on the island a few months, my