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First Interviewer
Elena Bernal
Relationship: Grandmother
Age: 67
Nationality:  Spanish and Native Dominican

Answers Only

I don’t longer work but my occupation was selling this that was unusual to everyone to the town.  Also working in the fields.  Taking care of my corp.

I never got to go to college because during my time college was only available in one part of the country in the capital Santo Domingo.  Even though I did get to learn to read and write a 4th grade grammar.  Because I was taught by a Lady that visit our town and made the first School in Mao.  Since the day I had met her I wanted to be a teacher.  I didn’t succeed in this because my parents thought that it was a waste of time in my life.  they always told me that it was not going to be useful, but I continue to study until I was in forth grade and my parents decided to take me out of school.

If I would had chosen the career of being a teacher I would not basically be influenced by those more closer to me like Family members.  But by the young Lady that came to my home one day and asked me if I wished to learn how to read and write.  Even though I learned a little before of how to read and write by my father, but she gave me a spirit of learning more.  Like to read and talk different ways.

Did my occupation influenced the way I think about money and family?  Well in a certain way probably, but in second place I was mostly influenced by my own family.  Some things did change. Like the way I felt about money, because I was raised with every a silver spoon with out the need of working ever in my life.  Until I got married, and then had my children, then I divorced my husband the father of my children that I felt like I had nothing in life to survive with.  My mother was totally upset with me by leaving my husband.  She said that a woman married her husband until death and stayed with him until he were to die.  This is where I learned that money was the only solution to my problem.  Without money I could divorce the man that one day was my husband, I couldn’t give my children the best education.  I couldn’t receive any money from my family because I would not show them the lesson I wanted to teach them, that a woman didn’t need the help of a man to survive and be the one that she could be.  I also learned the family wasn’t does that were called by you mother, father, brother, and sister, but hose that will help you get up when you needed a hand.  Not those that saw you suffering with out any reason.  My whole think of life changed during this time.  Even though money to me was not something of obtaining power or material things but for a better education, and alimentation for my future one my copies, my children.

My family history has influenced who I am because they have made me the hard working women I am.  The strong woman I believe I am.  Because they did make me pass thru a hard time but I did learn from this example a great experience.  they also help me learn what I know now in life from everything I live din life.

My challenges in life are to see my family succeed through society.  Because I have tried to bring them to the highest point but I can’t just place them there they just have to try them best to reach there.  I want my grandchildren to be what they want to be.  I want for my family to obtain again the power we had when our ancient ones were great that power.  Also to maintain myself alive to see as much as I could see.

In a time I would have to make decisions I usually try to think back to the past and see if there is something similar I passed through.  If not I try to dealt with it. Not try to let this destroy my life.

The way I had been raised did influence in my morals because I was thought to never do to others what you don’t wish that it were to been done to you.  I believe that is the reason I don’t have problems with others around me.  Never to talk to those who are older than you, also made respect to my image.  I was taught that what ever I though t was wrong or that I would be questioned about I should not even try to question this thought.   Or even try to do it.

Some of my morals in life is that if I commit something wrong I should ask for forgiveness.  Also that if I did something that was incorrect I should regret it.  Not try to hide the mistake done.  I should never try to disguise the truth.  But bring it out to the light like it was told to me.  I should never do any thing that was going to hurt does around me but that will bring happiness to me.  Because I lived with those around me not with myself.

Am I in my job because of the pay or because I enjoy it, is a question that will be hard for me to answer because I was in my job because I needed the money and it was the only thing available for me during this time.  It was also a honest job.  I never enjoyed it.  I would only enjoy it when I would think what satisfaction it brought to my life.

Money to me is just something to satisfy my need. To obtain it I would need to first find it or buy it and the only way is to work and find the dollars.

I am able to work with others but I have the same problem that runs in my family that if it is not done my way I prefer to do it myself without the help of any one.  I have learn to accept this because when my children would do things in a certain way I would not like it but this was the only way they could know how to do certain things.

I think that this question I cannot answer because my time is now short I cannot chose what I wish in life because I mostly already did most of it.  Now instead is the time I should start think of what I have done.

Trace back and see if I have achieve it if not let it for those to come to see a different solution.

It  was easy for me to express myself to others but now in days it is harder for me to express myself especially to my family members like my children because I don’t want to hurt them instead I keep to myself or express it in a silent way that it may not be such a big impact as it would be if I would express it like I wished.

No, I didn’t chose the type of career that my parent wished for me to chose.  Their career was for me to be a house  wife that would only wait for her husband to come home and attend him.  I would not even attend my children as much as I did because I would have to instead let it be taken care from the nanny like I were. Until I learn who was my real mother when it was probably to later.  Because I would think probably think like her  and I would not be like I am.
 

Religion is very important in my life.  I am Catholic.  I try to go to the Sunday meeting it is like a need for spiritual food.  Every time there is a need, inside the church  I feel like if is was filled-in.  If it was satisfy.

Skills that describe myself are House chores because I love to work at home instead of working in the outer place.  I also love to cook.  Any people say that I have good hands to cook.  They say that my hands have a special touch when cooking.  Which I believe that we all have when it is time to cook.  My daughter Juana says that she wishes that she could learn how to cook yellow sweet plantain.  With Cinnamon sticks and power.  That is the best touch for them.  I also love to wash clothing, especially white.  Because when it time to see them all hang they all look beautiful while a touch of sunshine.  I also believe that one of my best skills is that I could always be the one to help other in a hard situation.  Whether it is a problem or a bad situation.

What motivates me I life to do special things for others and myself is when I think about how when I help others we also succeed I love to see that smile on everyone when they see that they could do.  I guess that that is what motivates me.  Not to hear a thank you because I think that we all should help one another.  Instead picking which one to help.  We should all have the feeling of seeing other happy like others do when they see us.

The type of job atmosphere I was surrounded when I was working was a like a time of hot weather and at the same time enjoying it.  By see us all finishing the job that we mostly spent every year taking care.  Because my land was a land that produced sugar cane.  Since I have been living in this country I miss my land even though that what I love from this place is the night by seeing all the lights at night.  Also that the electricity doesn't ever leave.  We have a all time light system.  Not like back in my land that the light comes and goes. But this place reminds me of all the work during the week day until late in the afternoon when we would all come home to make dinner and talk over with the family what we did and then take a shower to fall asleep again.  To then do the same thing the next day.  Until the night of Friday the we finally rested well to do all the house work in the weekend.  Decide on Saturday night what was going to be done on Sunday morning before going to church to then go out and visit neighbors that were sick and others to go out and have fun.  My job atmosphere was a 24 hr one.  Because I had also the job of my family that it is a all year  job.  A TENSION SURROUNDING.