language training

Well this is a challenge. I have had 2 weeks (Dalawang linggo) of lessons and feel very much like I will come home speaking English. I find it much easier to write and read. It is all the new sounds and the number of sounds that are packed into one phrace needless to say my days of lessons are busy with resting my brain, and practicing, and making up sentences. There are guards around the neighborhood were the office and language lessons are and I think they are quite amazed by my attempts of good morning!! (magandang umaga!) Well this week I have moved to a house a little further out with another volunteer that works in Manila. I will only need to stay for the 2 weeks of language and then I am off to Puerto Princesa to really get settled in for the year. It has been very nice to have a home to stay in the last few days. I cooked my first meal in 4 weeks! It is so easy to get supper planned because on the way home you pass all the little street venders with tons of vegies and fruit to pick from. I'm loving the food. I haven't been brave enough to buy meat in the street so I may be quite the vegetarian cook when I get home. There will be lots of fresh fish and sea food in Puerto Princesa but I'm not sure if I'll be brave enough to buy it. Did I say it's hot!! yes! Hot in the morning, afternoon, middle of the night!! There is technically no hot water for showers but it heats up an it's own in the piping I think and even trying to take a cold shower is a challenge at this moment. (this is the hotter of the season, yes the seasons are hot and hotter) I also here it will be slightly cooler in Puerto Princesa because of the sea breeze. Well other than being hot and polluted. (I've given up worrying about my lungs). It is an amazing place. I quite enjoy my little jeepney ride in the morning. Packing in the back of this little bus. It has it's general route and they continually come by. Just have to wave it down, pay 7-8 pesos (about 20 cents?) and off you go. there are some set stops but if you call Para it will stop right were it is and off you jump. I got a bit lost in the new neighborhood this afternoon but people are so friendly there is no problem finding help (even men ask for directions in this country. I noted this my first few hours in the Philippines because the taxi driver stopped about 6 times to get directions when I first arrived. It was one of my first obvious culture differences. Men ask for directions!!) Well you may be wondering what the pictures are about. some of you may have heard about the Easter Friday tradition that occurs in one of the provinces of the Philipinnes. (this tradition is not encouraged or condoned by the church -disclaimer) To give penance or to show appreciation for a good year, or to ask for healing, some men in this region go through a ritual of flagellation. They have their backs cut (the bald man in the white t-shirt) and then with there face covered, they walk down the street to their church flinging a whip onto the wounds to cause more bleeding. well just see the pictures, the van is covered with blood spatters. Overall it seems hard to understand but it has been going on for about 50-60 years. Since the church has been more vocal about discouraging it participation has gone up. Hard to say maybe hundreds of men do this. Some just carry a cross. There is also a picture showing the real Crucifixions. This year there were about 8. Some people, mostly local but some foreigner, choose to undergo the reenactment of caring the cross and then being nailed to the cross. (for you rehab people, yes I checked and they place the nail strategically to avoid damage to ligaments and such). It is hard to really describe the day. For those that do it, they feel they have had healings and obviously some benefit. Some do it yearly. Well just check the pictures and you can read about it more if you want to if you check out web for Philipinnes, Crucifixion, flagellation? The dutch network is there yearly to report it.

other pictures:

There are also 2 pictures from my visit to Makati; which is upscale Manila.

I had a very nice home made meal and got this nice view. I met a dutch couple who had questions about malaria drugs (by the way the doctor in Puerto Princesa say I only need the anti Malaria if I an going out of the city. All that talk about dreams and depression!!). I also met this other dutch volunteer in the picture with me. We are out at an outdoor community event having a cold one. My big night out (till 9:30 I think it was).

Take care (ingat)

P.S. sorry about the sideways picture

Mabait na Kaibigan (kind friends)

HI I have an array of pictures. Most of the beach pictures were taken on a boat trip with the staff from Bahatala on a staff day to Cocoloco Beach. The evening beach picture is at a local beach in Puerto Princessa. I will spend many days there as it is convenient and the owners are very kind.

Well as you can see I am working on Language, day 2. It is very challenging and I will spend a lot of time in the next few weeks studying. (The pictures of me are just to show you all that I am really here!! after all this time waiting.)
There are a few pictures of in Puerto Princessa, (city hall and the street outside the hotel I stayed at for the week).

corrected links

Well my week here in Puerto Princessa is finishing; for 5 weeks I will be in Manila. I am still working on getting some pictures onto the blog when I have easier Internet access. I corrected the link www.katjack.net (it is net instead of com) Kat is a lady I met early in the week. Her web site is very interesting and I look forward to getting to know her better when I return. The other link is to the Bahatala, the clinic I will be working at. I am getting very excited about the work and people I will be involved in. www.britishpalawantrust.org.uk
I had a spell of being home sick this morning but a nice afternoon at the beach has helped. I will have to work hard at finding things to keep me active and in shape. I am a bit nervous about walking and running just anywhere as there are snakes and traffic to contend with. I have not seen a snake yet but I do have a bit of extra phobia and hypersensitivity to stories about the cobras that live in the area. (The first time I actually see one, I will have a story to write about I am sure).

paradise

Hi. Well I am in paradise (and just as I would suspect, computers don't belong here. I have been trying to get onto my page for the last 20 minutes and I am finally here. I can't get my pictures here so you will have to take my word for it).
I met the program directors and people in charge and they are wonderful. I think I will love working for this program and the people in it.
Although it is technically dry season we have had some rain which comes and goes without the weather getting cold. I have spent my first night here meeting some local artist at an opening ceremony for there art display. I think I will have to channel my unused soccer energy into some form of art over the next year. There is an annual art festival in April that I will have to miss because I will be in Manila doing language training. I am very disappointed because it sounds like the festival will be a wonderful show of local talent and indigenous tradition. Manila will seem very polluted and busy after this week in Puerto Princessa but I am sure the time to learn to speak a little tagolog will be worth it in the long run.
Although I haven't even seen the sea yet I love it here. I will get pictures up and running in a few days I am sure. I don't think my pictures will do the place justice so in the mean time I've included a link to a website made by a lady working on coral reef protection. I will hopefully out in this ocean soon.
I am also pleased to inform you that I have been very healthy and the mosquitoes are not bothering me much at all.
I am hoping that you girls back home (in Calgary today) are doing well with provincials. You know I have been thinking of all weekend and I will be checking the results my next computer day. Please send me any good updates. I have been told that soccer is very uncommon here but there is a big open field by the teaching clinic that I work at (need I say more)!
I have found out a bit more about Bahatala, the program I am working for, and I can't wait to start working. It is set up well but the demand are endless. I will keep you updated on that once I return from language training and realy get going.

Day 2

Hi, Just a few pictures so you know were I'm at. The second one is the front yard at the bed and breakfast place I am staying at. So far I share a room with a volunteer from Holland. It is great to get to know the other volunteers, The organization is like a family network. The last picture is the office were I am presently using the computer (It takes 10 minutes for each picture to be downloaded, that's why they are only 4 for now). The other shot is me on my little walk to the office (just so you know for sure I am here), it is only 5 minutes and I quite enjoy this little neighborhood. I am feeling very safe and enjoying seeing all the plants that grow here, (It reminds me of our living room at home, don't forget to water Rick!). A low and behold there is a soccer field. It's in pretty bad shape but I plan on taking a few shots this afternoon. There is a basketball court to the side that gets used more often. I am loving the weather. I am free all day today so I will walk over to the shopping center dawn the street and see if I can then find my way home. So far I haven't had too much in the way of jet lag. a little sleep in the afternoon and I'm feeling pretty good.

take care and hope you are doing well back home

Safe in the Philippines

Just a quick update. I am here safe and sound and in good hands. I will be spending the next week at the bed and bread house which is in a safe neighborhood, even a small soccer field down the street! The flight was long but actually relaxing. Got to Manila 5:00 a.m. Thursday, went for a bit of a walk, met some other volunteers and staff, and it's now about 11:00. I'm sure crashing is about to occur sometime today. I will have pictures next time.

Zero more sleeps

The count down for sleeps is done so a good bye to you my good friends is what I set out to do. I have had so much support that I don't feel like I am really leaving. Thank you.

Past volunteers report a very common trend. They say it is a normal to start with excitement that then crashes and becomes home sickness. This then settles into feeling content. I am at the excited stage (and very nervous stage today).

Growing up, I often wanted to just run away. This trip is my run away. A little more controlled than a hankie on a twig dream; (I'm caring about 100lbs of goods). My past run away fantasy was to go to California and live on the beach. I've never been to California but I had figured that with time, I could walk my way there. Well, today I'm happy I didn't run away, with a bit of patience, I still get to set off to a new life experience by the ocean.

The running away was to be by the ocean, but it was also about is leaving behind stuff. The stuff is an accumulation of routine, other people's agenda, and things that have become comfortable but no longer valuable. This stuff fills life so there is no room to accept the newness of life. So in keeping with my dream of the hankie and twig, I hope to be able to keep life simple.

I am very lucky that home is still here and will carry on being here. My goal will be to bring the simple life, that has room for newness, back home in a year. Because the stuff I leave behind is only part of the story, my running away is temporary. I am also leaving the people I love. To this I know I am not really gone, my love is still present.

I will be back next year.

Free for newness and blessed with my past I am ready.