Rainbow Families Foundation Newsletter - March 2002

March 2002

There were many accidents in Cabarete with the windsurfers and parasailers. One man was blown into the electric lines and killed. Many other broken bones. Everyone is sick with gripe (cold). I mentioned before I was feeling a sore throat and cough and then it worsened. My friend called his doctor friend and named a medication for gripe. I told him all my symptoms. It's amazing to just go to the pharmacy with the name of the medication on a piece of paper and you get what you want, given you know the name. The drugs are made in Mexico. I am sad to say the container is not yet released. The customs subdirector in Santiago was in the hospital for a week, got out and in the office for half a day and was taken back to the hospital. Haven't spoken to Grimaldy the past couple days to learn if he is out. Anyway, no one knows where the paperwork is but him and they don't want to discuss business with him while he's sick in the hospital.  It's unbelieveable. I think they've agreed to negate the penalties for the container being in the shipyard for so long.  Hopefully I'll hear something today. Grimaldy's father thought he was doing the right thing to get his friend involved who works in customs at the airport.  Instead it has been a stumbling block. Had the paperwork just gone directly to Santo Domingo and not Santiago first I think it would have been faster. People want to help but the buocracy slows everything down.  Plus, they are having elections and all the government officials are involved in that. Hopefully the new elected officials will make things better. The customs paperwork has been misplaced between the Santiago office and Santo Domingo office. Grimaldy has made many calls but the person who is now responsible for the paperwork hasn't been in the office when he's called and they are not allowed to make long distance calls. Late Friday I asked one other person to call the Santiago office because they know someone who works there.  Hopefully the papers will turn up this coming week.  President Hipolito was in Monte Llano today to inaugurate the new school.  Grimaldy, Andres, Andres' friend (who is the customs director at the airport), Mayor Manollo of Monte Llano and I went. There were many people. We were hoping I could speak to the President. In the meantime, I prepared a letter to give to him to ask his assistance.  It was really just a media opportunity for the President with so many people.  We waited 4 hours for his arrival in the beating hot sun. He was supposed to come at 2 PM and came after 6 PM.  It was quite a circus.  Didn't get to speak to him, nor anyone else but my letter was handed off to him.  Grimaldy is faxing a copy to the Customs Director, Sanchez Baret in Santo Domingo on Monday. The man with the skin disease is loosing his fingers. My friend who brought the container of hospital beds was told by the Director of the Puerto Plata hospital that if he ever needs anything to call him. He called the Director and is scheduling a surgical consultation for the man. I need to learn when Jacobo is off work next so we can schedule the appointment and take him. Also, don't think I mentioned this before but the cellular phone does not work in digital here. So, it didn't work most of the time.  I bought a digital cellular and am buying calling cards from a company called "Orange" rather than Codetel. The service works pretty good most of the time.  I don't know what I can say about the delays in customs. It is beyond my control.  I can only press everybody so much and especially in the Government offices, the more you call the less they want to help.  In my letter to President Hipolito I asked his advice as to how to make the process easier to help the people in his country.  I don't know if he'll respond but it was an opportunity since he came to Monte Llano.  The mistake, I believe, was when Grimaldy gave the paperwork to his father's friend, who is the customs director at the airport, to hand deliver to Santiago.  It should have gone directly to Santo Domingo.  I regret this happened. I wish there was a better process to clear the customs tax exoneration. This has been good experience for me and given me a sense of making a contribution to society rather than working in jobs that were so stressful, unfulfilling and verbally abused.  I have worked for the majority of time since I was 16.  Perhaps I feel that this is the opportunity I needed to get a sense of self satisfaction, instead of always trying to please someone else.  Well, the customs director in Santiago is out of the hospital and back to work. However, the papers have been lost. He says he gave them to the Santo Domingo office and the Santo Domingo office said they don't have them. Grimaldy has been trying to find out who he gave them to. Unfortunately the phones in Monte Llano have been out and he has been delayed in contacting De Leon once again. I think I mentioned that I passed off a letter to President Hipilito when he was in Monte Llano on Saturday but never got a call from him. So, today we went to the Governor office of Puerto Plata to ask their advice. The Governor's assistant is preparing an original letter once again. We'll pick it up tomorrow. We went to the customs office at the shipyard and the director there said to use the official copy that I have in my possession to recreate the package. He basically said there was nothing he could do since authority was required by Sanchez Beret, director in Santo Domingo.  So, if the letter from the Governor is ready tomorrow we will hand deliver the package to Santo Domingo on Monday.  I will pray that they will expediate the processing under the circumstances.  Grimaldy's father's friend thought he was helping but really screwed things up royally. I have found a private doctor to see the man with the skin disease. However, the doctor left the country and will be back this weekend. Hope to take care of this as well.  The weather has been warm during the day and cool and windy at night.  My Spanish is getting a little better but I still need help to get around.  A couple is coming from Canada tomorrow and I will pickup a donation from them at their hotel. Not sure what they're bringing. When I brought the container it was inspected by customs and paperwork was ready to take to Santo Domingo for the director to approve tax exoneration. Shortly afterwards, Grimaldy and his friend went to Santo Domingo for his friend's business first, then if time permitted, to take the paperwork to the customs office. Unfortuantely they didn't make it to the customs office. The following Friday, Grimaldy's father and his friend (who is customs director at the airport) took the paperwork to Santiago customs office since they were going there on other business. The customs director in Santiago got sick and was in the hospital for about 2 weeks. During his time in the hospital no one knew where the papers were so when he got out of the hospital he said he gave them to the office in Santo Domingo. Santo Domingo has no record of receiving them as they stamp every document that comes in. Grimaldy has been trying to learn who specifically he gave the papers to but he is never in the office.  The President of the country was in Monte Llano to inaugurate a new school. I hoped to meet him but the school was mobbed with the town people. I prepared a letter asking for his help and it was handed to him. This was last Saturday and I have not heard from him. After many more calls this week trying to track down the paperwork, today Grimaldy and I went to the Governor's office to ask for help. The assistant said to prepare another package so they are writing another letter and it may be ready tomorrow after 2PM for pickup. I have a second "official" copy of the customs inspection of the container. Grimaldy and I will drive to Santo Domingo on Monday and hand deliver the package and get it officially stamped.  There is a lot of detail in calls and messages left with many days waiting. The customs offices are not allowed to return phone calls so we've had to call each time, several times a day.  They are so unorganized here and Grimaldy tells me that the political party likes it this way to keep everybody guessing.  He has expressed many times his disappointment in this Government system.  Yes, I was hoping the process was going to be quicker this time.  Grimaldy's father's friend thought he was helping but in fact it has been the root of the problem.  They are very passive people and take people's word that they will try their best to look for the documents but days pass and they "didn't get a chance".  Very disappointment for me since I too hoped the process was going to be quicker. I am happy to report that last Thursday I went to the Governor's office to request that his letter get retyped and all the papers reprocessed.  On Friday the letter was typed but he had not been in the office to sign. You'd be proud of me since I spoke Spanish best I could and was able to get my message across.  His assistant tried to reach him on the cell many times to no avail. She said to come back on Monday but I said I wanted to take the letter to Santo Domingo on Monday.  I asked if she would sign the letter on his behalf since he had already signed the same letter in December.  She said she couldn't but gave me his cell and home numbers and the letter and said to try him throughout the weekend.  I remembered where he lived and went to his house. He wasn't there but left the letter with his wife.  She remembered me and said to come back tomorrow (Saturday). Her kids spoke English so they interpreted for us. Grimaldy was going to Puerto Plata on Saturday and offered to pickup the letter. He stopped by the Governor's house but the letter wasn't signed yet and he wasn't there.  Yesterday I was on my way to Puerto Plata to pickup Jacobo and Grimaldy called on my cell phone. He said the letter was ready and I told him I'd pick it up that afternoon.  Once again I went by myself to the Governor's house and got the letter. Today Grimaldy and I left for Santo Domingo with all the other paperwork in place.  We went to Sanchez Beret's office and spoke to a woman outside the office with security standing by.  Grimaldy explained what happened with the paperwork getting lost and my letter to President Hipilito.  She went away and came back about 8 minutes later.  She asked us to see a man on the 6th floor named Pancho, not Sanchez Beret, and Pancho was great help. It seemed she must have called him and he greeted us about 1 minute after we came in.  Grimaldy explained the delays and the lost package and my letter to President Hipilito. He said we needed a letter addressed to President Hipilito sent via Aduanas, Santo Domingo and attach with our package. He directed us to the street where we could get the letter typed.  Found an old man about 70 years old in a cubbie nook with an old manual typewriter. Sure wish I had my camera with me since it was quite a site to see.  Grimaldy explained what we needed along with some notes from Pancho. The old man proceeded to type the letter along with carbon paper for a copy for me. It was perfect except for typing "kirland".  It cost 50 pesos and his assistant walked us to the Taxation Building where the original was stamped and kept for later approval by the Taxation Director. She stamped my copy and we returned to see Pancho.  Pancho made a copy of the letter for me and put the package together. He said the office "downstairs" was having problems with the computer and couldn't process the paperwork today but to call him on Wednesday morning.   He gave us his phone number and extension.  Grimaldy and I both felt like he was expecting us and was eager to help.  We were very happy about the progress.  Grimaldy wanted to buy basketball shoes so we went to the mall and he got the shoes.  We returned shortly ago and I was so eager to report some progress to you.  Sometime in the next few days the Santo Semana starts "week of the Saint" and businesses will be shut down - like our Easter.  Grimaldy said this is the week of most accidents so have to be extra careful.  Corrina wants to make the cold bean soup that I love, it's like a tradition during this week.  She knows I love it.  Jacobo and family are all sick.  My other friends are fine.  I've been paling a couple times with two girls from England who I met last year. They have an apartment in Puerto Plata.  The doctor who was going to offer free services to the man with the skin disease has been out of the country. Still trying hard to get better treatment.  Jacobo said the sanitation department went to his home and said the man doesn't have a chance to live long.  Not sure how they can say this without any medical tests. I was hoping my next writing was to send good news. However, I couldn't wait for the good news to come any longer. I wrote two Monday's ago about going to Santo Domingo and starting the paperwork again. Pancho in Santo Domingo said the papers might be ready on Wednesday, 3/27.  Well that was wishful thinking. Thursday and Friday, 3/28 & 3/29 were holidays and customs was closed (Semana Santa - like our Easter). I went to the port this week on Monday and Tuesday and the papers were not there yet. Grimaldy called Poncho on Wednesday and he said the papers were in the customs director's office, Sanchez Beret. They won't give us the phone number to call there. They say if they gave the number to everyone that no one would get any work done. My friend who is providing the space has a friend who is personal friends with Sanchez Beret. He was going to call him in Santo Domingo yesterday and ask his friend to call Sanchez Beret at home and request the papers get signed. I will speak to him today and see what happened with the call.  Keep your fingers crossed.