A Day in My Life

Woke up early yesterday because I had a meeting across town.

Put on dressy clothes.

Waited for 20 minutes at the main street for an empty seat in the small sedans that serve as public transport in Santo Domingo (7 people in a 1987 Toyota Corolla is a typical "carro publico")

After finally finding an available car, began the journey with a not-small women nearly on my lap.

Traffic made the 10 minute trip take over 30 minutes.

Switched to another carro publico which would take me close to the meeting location.

Rode said car for 10 minutes (no large ladies on my lap this time).

Got off bus and began to walk to meeting location.

Walked for 20 minutes.

Arrived, just on time, drenched in sweat.

Waited for 45 minutes for the person to see me.

"How can I help you?" She asks.

I tell her.

"Well, I don't really know about that, but this person at a different place across the city can maybe help you" she responds.

I press for more info...surely she knows something that would be helpful.

Nope, nothing.

I'm out in under 10 minutes.

Begin the 1 hour crammed bus/walking trek back home so I can email this other guy to try to talk to him.


You win some, you lose some!

A carro publico in Santo Domingo

Some Lessons Learned

A master networker/researcher I am not, but I have learned a thing or two during my short time in Santo Domingo...


•Don’t be afraid to ask for a favor. I showed up in Santo Domingo with very few contacts, however, I know people who know people who know people. Through these long chains of connections I’ve been able to speak with some of the most important players in the sector I am investigating. The key is simply to ask for some help by those original contacts and run with it from there.

•Make friends however you can. For example: I recently made a really important contact while meeting with a group of “couchsurfers” in a bar.

•Learn to navigate the Public Transport System. When conducting research for a yet-to-be-established initiative with an almost non-existent budget, working cheaply is essential. It’s taken some time and a concentrated effort, but I have learned to navigate the public transport system of Santo Domingo, saving me plenty of money that would have otherwise gone towards taxis.

•Dress to impress. My current reality is that I am very obviously a foreigner, I am young, and I speak Spanish more like a street vendor than an academic or business professional. In light of this, I have to do everything I can to make myself look credible. Dressing like a competent professional is part of this effort. How much does wearing slacks and a nice shirt actually help build credibility? I can’t be sure, but I am certain that it doesn’t hurt.

•Be confident, but honest. In the midst of meeting a contact, shyness and insecurity are not what people want to see. It is important that I am confident that my project will work, and capable of making it happen. However, being honest about the status of the project, the difficulties faced, the areas of uncertainty, is necessary and helpful—if you’re talking to powerful people, they’ve gotten to that position because they are smart and motivated…let them understand your difficulties and help to come up with potential solutions.

The Networking Game

I’m here in the Dominican Republic to figure out how to best provide IT education services to the population. The demand is there, the technology exists, but access to services is lacking. Why? How do we fix the problem? Can we provide quality services cheaply enough for poorer people to afford, but still be sustainable? My mission is to find answers to these questions and to formulate an action plan accordingly.

At the moment, finding these answers is about talking to the right people in the right places and thus I’m earnestly involving myself in the networking game. In week 1 of the game I’ve found myself in the office of the executive director of a prominent university, speaking with staff of a government commission, in conversation with field directors of several NGOs, and having coffee with several university professors. These meetings have led to further contacts and future meetings, which will in turn lead to even more contacts and meetings. All will form part of the equation which leads to the final plan.

While the answers are still not quite clear, there is, already, a light forming at the end of the tunnel. My mind is spinning with ideas and possibilities. How will the puzzle pieces swirling around my brain form into a clear picture and what will that picture be? We shall see…