February part 2 (OK I know it's March but??)

In February I was able to make one more field trip up north on Palawan. We saw many patients and also some beautiful sights.
The trip up involved about 800K of driving up and around the north part of the island. We saw some amazing sights (ocean views, tropical forests, little remote villages). The trip also involved challenging roads that were everything but completely washed out to construction and many times the roads were just very bad. I had to smile every time the road was referred to as the "highway". The picture of the amazing white sand beach with boats and palm trees was at a very remote barangay (little village). If you have live in a remote village, it might as well be in a place that looks like paradise!!
There are some pictures of the very famous place called El Nido (even amazing race had a stop here in one of their episodes, so I hear!) The area is amazing with hug limestone outcrops that jut out from the water and throughout the landscape. There are a few pictures of us on a boat trip amongst the cliffs. We even came across dolfins (sorry no pics, you'll just have to believe me!) The sun set shows the boat drifting off after we unloaded from our trip.
Also in the picture is coco fruit, coffee beans in bloom stage (they are in bloom for about 1 week and the flowers are so fragrant!! I love coffee even more now, the smell was nothing like coffee but it was the most fragrant flower I've ever come across).
My rock collecting continues - the inukshuk is overlooking the view from our cottage in El Nido.

Well it is now into March so I am officially home in less than 2 months. (May 2 to be exact)

Looking forward to seeing everyone but as you can see from the pics, there will be much to miss here so I am enjoying as much as I can in the next few months.

February Part 1

The Milo Marathon!! An amazing run held across the country. It's called the Milo Marathon because Milo, the makers of a very sweet chocolate flavored milk drink called a breakfast drink, sponsors the run and even though it's only 21 K, I guess that's close to a marathon? (there was also a 5 k distance and a kids 3 k). It was a grand experience standing around with the prerun crowd of over 10 000 participants (only a few hundred in the 21 k) Luckily the 21 k group got to start first. There is a picture of a small group of the dedicated women runners of Puerto; 7 in total for the 21 k. There would have been a few more younger girls but you have to be 18 to run. The challenges for me was I hadn't trained and was hesitant to even run. Luckily Ernie, the grand running motivate convinced me to run to at least finish. Well after experiencing the grand start, then finished in under 2 hours, and enjoyed a fun medal ceremony with Cheer leaders and a hyped up crowd; I can say its been my most exciting road run. There is a picture of my favorite running family. Ira, the eldest daughter got first, you can see her finishing (a friend held my camera but didn't get me at the finish line so you just have to believe that I did it!). The top three male and female finishers are invited to Manila in the upcoming year to compete against top finishers in other district runs. If they would bring me back from Canada to run I may have pulled a bit deeper to try to get 3rd. In the end I was very happy with my time and getting 4th amongst the ladies. (I'll have more pictures later).
With the run, a trip to Cebu for a VSO conferance on disability, a field trip to Northern Palawan, regular work, and worrying about my sister February was very busy (my sister is doing well now, I am very pleased to say). I have become extra anxious about seeing my family and friends at home with the worry and reflexions of the past month. I am working on finishing my time here with some useful "stuff" (whatever may inspire a health care system to help the many needing patients here) and at the same time savour the weather, beach, and many unique aspects of my day to day life.
Thinking a head a bit, I'm also needing to updating my resume. Anyone want a PT? I'm looking for something fairly casual - dress code of flip flops and tie die pants preferable!
The picture of the pool and city view are from the hotel in Cebu (nice pool but it was cold!! that's me the weather wimp complaining already). In Cebu I also had a field trip to another volunteers placement (He has a very cool job of working at a junk yard helping people with disabilities segregate, organize and maximize the financial potential of junk!! He makes greeting card from recycled cardboard and stuff). Also in Cebu I met a class of PT students. I shared a little question answer time and a little of what work in Canada is like. It is ironic that so many students want to work abroad. I emphasised to them that my job here in the Philippines has been my most enjoyable job in 20 years of work (20 years!! wow hard for me to believe I've been around so long!).
See you all soon. Ingat

Mt Pinitubo

I better write my stories before I come home. Heres a bit more from my trip in December. Travelling with some of the other volunteers we went to a place north of Manila, Subic Bay for a wedding and a bit of sight seeing. The trip lead to the coolest of my experiences here, so far; swimming in Mt Pinatubo crater. Here are some of the pictures of the hike, lake, and the 4x4 transort up. We sat in the very open jeep and by the time we got back we were completely coated in the white powdery dust. They call the rock ash lahar. It's great for making cement. Many of the little huts in near by villages were cement instead of the usual traditional materials of bamboo and grass roofs. The volcanoe erupted in 1991. While in the lake, although it is dormant, I couldn't help but think wow "front row seats" if she goes now!! As you can see in some of the pictures, the water was green like Lake Louis (I think I mentioned the swim in anouther blog).
As you can see we travelled by some typical rural events, pigs in a side cart, rice on the road, and a cementary at the road side. Rick got some very good pictures.
In the 4x4 part of the trip we stopped to pick up some hitch hikers? There was no question that we had room for them. The big guns they carried were good insurance for them that we would have room. (I asked Rick to see if they would let him take a picture as they hung on the back of the jeep, gun hanging at their side, flip flops on their feet but When the guy said no, we took no to mean no!).
My rock collection continues to grow to a state that even I have to admit that it's unrealistic for me to bring them all home, but I continue to collect!!

Where did Jan go?

Hi, I thought I would take advantage of some of Rick's photography to show you a little more about what Puerto is like. I realized that although things are very different here, I have become very accustomed to much of what goes on. Watching Rick absorb the newness of the place and people was really interesting. I think traffic and work safety standards amazed Rick; coming from the background of teaching defensive driving, the appearance of lawless driving was something. (look close in the one picture and you will see that there are vehicals from all 4 directions in the intersection). When there are no lights people just make their way, traffic adjust, no one gets too excited, and everyone seems to get were they are going. They do this sometimes against great odds! What about the visibility many tricycle drivers have? Does it count if you can see most of the road?
Rick doesn't have pictures of the many safety infractions he saw (like welding without goggles, standing on high scafolding with no safety gear, unorgaized cluttered work sites); Rick will be telling stories at his work for quite some time.
More about the pictures. There is a place called Bakers Hill that started as a little bake shop but now it is a very popular resteraunt, shop and has a playground area for kids. It's very odd to see bugs bunnie and friends (including Marilynne Monroe) hanging out in the middle of what seems like no were. Although the setting doesn't feel Philipinno they do serve a great Halo Halo (famous sweet ice drink filled with other sweet stuff).
Just up the road is a place you can get a great view of Honda bay and the Mountains looking north. (1 seniory pictures)
I have pictures of Kamarikutan, the gallery restaraunt were I took my lessons (I've showed pictures from here before, it's hard to capture the feeling in pictures, but I'm trying). I like the sign about the Bamboo, the sound of the bamboo in a bit of wind is very cool, the stalks rug against eachother and it is a creeking noice. The first week Rick was here, there was an opening (Even a cerimonial opening that Rick got to participate in). Check the sign, my name is last on the list with the other Artists; with 4 pictures framed I had my first showing with the local artists in town. How exciting is that! I had the option of putting a price on them but I opted for Not For Sale, it's like there priceless that way!! So I'll come home with the pictures to show you all at some time. You will have to look at them and make nice conversation about how interesting and inspiring they are or my feeling will be hurt. I'm spending some regular time drawing and it is very relaxing, even when I work on portraits. My first attemps at portraits were drawing myself from the mirror but I realized that I move too much and I've resorted to drawing from photos.
The pictures are from the first part of our holiday, early december (I don't have any pictures of the later part yet). I will work at getting them because that will include pictures from the volcano lake we hiked up to than swam in. It was amazing because the water was green like Lake Louise (only it was warm to swim in). The water was really boyant even though it was fresh water. I always find the water so tempting to swim in in Lake Louise (minus the minus temp) so getting in the crater lake was like fullfilling that dream.
- White Beach as the sun sets, a few cool shots of boats in the sunset (not something I see every day at home)
-There's a picture of the Jeepney loading for Sabang, Rick was amazed when he counted over 31 people in, and on the jeepey as we headed out. As we sat crowded in the back I had to break it to him not to get too comfortable! we had a 3 hour trip (barring no flats or other travel mishaps that are very common) and the jeep would pick up many more people on the way. Anyways it's a fun trip because on the way at a quick stop they sell things like roasted garlic peanuts, bananas (fried and sugared) on a stick, a pancake in a bag, (did I already write about this? I do love pancake in a bag! I probably told you this at some point but the repeating just emphasizes how cool these things are)
Well the picture of the road shows the country we travel and the cliff behind the trees is of one of the limestone cliffs that tower in the area. The boat is headed for the 45 minute tour into the cave. We go for about 1.5 Km, it's very cool. We hiked to the cave in the protected forest park. the hike is about 5 km as a round trip but even at a stead pase it takes about 4 hours with plenty of up and down. So far it is my favorite place to go when I have time off (as fast as time is going, I hope to make it out there again). This Saturday is already working out to be busy with a fun tennis tournament and picnic with local tennis players. It's my first attempt to actually play (I hear in real games you can't let the ball bounce 2 or 3 times and you have to hit the green box, that sucks, I think I'll see a lot of love in my games!!). If weather permits I plan to sail in the afternoon. The sailing lady is wondering whats up. I hope I remember what to do when the kids say Tak mam!
I better pick up my blog writing. at this rate of 1 a month, I will be home in 3 more stories. take care Angela