I’ve never really traveled outside of New York City except to its neighboring cities. A few months ago I visited the Dominican Republic and that trip has forever changed my mentality. Since I was a little my parents always taught me that in this world there is a good and there is a bad. Never would I have imagined that the unexplainable also existed. The unexplainable consisted of things that even the most imaginative mind would not be able to postulate.
Upon my arrival to the
Dominican Republic I was very anxious to eat all different kinds of foods. Foods
that you would never in a million years taste in New York. First I started with
fried fish, handpicked straight from the clear blue sea. Later on that day my
family prepared an endless and irresistible feast. The dishes consisted of beef
tripe soup, oxtail, fried pork, and a traditional rice that is prepared just
for Christmas day. For desert we had cream of beans, rice pudding, and many
other delicious treats.
After eating all of that
food I was beyond sick to my stomach. I didn’t allow my stomach to process the
change in seasonings or even the rapid change of drinking water. I found myself
in the emergency with an unbearable pain and non-stop vomiting. The doctors
told me that there was not much they could prescribe me and that I needed to
let the virus run its course. I thought it was kind of obscured and a hospital
in New York would have given me just about anything.
My grandmother had a better
idea. She took me to a woman who everyone referred to as a “Santera”. I had
never met that woman before that day but she seemed to know more about me than
anyone else in that town. She asked me to lie on the bed while placed her hand
over my stomach and began to mutter words in a language that I had never heard
before. After she was done she gave me a list of rules I needed to follow in
order to fully recuperate. Next day when I awoke I felt better than I had ever
felt. Until this day I still don’t understand what that woman did but whatever
it was, it WORKED!
The term “Santera” derived
from the word “Santeria”. Santeria is a form of voodoo used by many people all
across the world. Some people use Santeria for good causes and some use it to
harm others. In Santeria a person idealizes and worships a saint or sometimes
various saints and offer sacrifices in exchange for the needs or wishes. If the
person conducting the voodoo does not hold up his/her part of the sacrifice
then the spell is reverse upon them (“Santeria”).
Growing up in New York City I’ve
never encountered a Santera or anything similar. I’ve most come across a lot of
fortune tellers or palm readers who 9 out of 10 are not very credible. I believe
maybe Santeras here in New York are a bit more precautious because it’s such a
diverse place and not everyone here share the same beliefs as the people in
third world countries. Maybe if there were a Santera here in New York City I’d visit
her for back pains!
Work
Cited
“Santeria Religion”. Santeria.
8th of June 2012. Ruben. www.santeriareligion101.com. 9th
of February 2014
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