Maybe I Really Am Crazy

^{February 2nd, 2013:} 

Initially I was going to copy my sister’s idea of jotting some highlights from the previous year. However, after writing for a little while I realized that my successes do not paint pretty pictures in the life of imagination as well as weddings and babies do. Stories about killing my first cockroach, eating ants and sea urchin, and successfully learning how to flush the toilet after going #2 will surely not make readers say, “Aw.”

Seven months. Seven months. Seven months. Seven months are the two words that rapidly flash in my mind when I think about the future. At month 14, the finish line was far. At month 16, the finish line was far. At month 19 the finish line was far. At month 20, the finish line is a few steps away. This is what it feels like (really similar to the thought pattern I had when I ran a marathon). When I studied abroad for 6 months I was saying, “Holy cow I am going to be away for so long, 6 months, omg…, can I do it?” Now my heart is beating fast thinking about how short of a time frame I have left. February I will see hearts. March I will see balloons and graduation, and probably tears. April and May I will see sports equipment. June and July I will see Joe and more tears. That’s it!

What’s happening now? The new sports equipment marked a new bullet point on the list of Sports Club Accomplishments. Before school and during recess students are now able to check out equipment. The empty spaces of school campus are now filled with students, some shooting hoops, some volleying in a small circle, and some spread out allowing themselves to let the Frisbee sore as far as possible. One teacher said to me, “Ma’am, it is so great because my students who were late for first period after lunch are now rushing back to school early so they can play!” One student said to me, “Ma’am I am meeting with Emmerson (the captain of the Frisbee team) after school so he can teach me a new way to throw the Frisbee.” I am positive Emmerson’s activity could be categorized as youth volunteerism. Guess that is a new bullet point too. The members of sports club are now voluntarily allotting time in their day so that they can teach others about what they have learned from sports club. My counterpart said to me, “Ma’am Gina, I really see it now, I really see the benefits of Sports Club. I am going to make sure this continues after you leave.”

I have a student named Dale (pseudonym is used). You can find him in the crowd because he is the only boy with curly hair. His hair is short enough so that you can see the curl but it does not quite curl into a ringlet. He sits with his hands freely crossed in his lap, with his eyes constantly watching whoever is talking. His presence is a bit mysterious. He is eager to learn but not aggressive. Whenever he is called on his answer includes one word only. When we are doing assignments in class he can commonly by found working strongly with another student who helps him translate his Tagalog words. Yesterday, the students had to present their work individually. The day prior they listened to a description of a place, a seashore, and they had to draw what they saw in their imagination. It was Dale’s turn. He did not appear as nervous as normal; there was even a bounce in his step as he took center stage. His drawing looked effortlessly perfect. He lived near the sea and was familiar with what it looked like. He even added his own fishing boat to the drawing (even though that was not in the given description). He spoke about his drawing with confidence and then sat down with a smirk on his faced that silently screamed, “I am so proud.” As he left class that day I applauded him for his presentation and drawing. Later on, I used thumb tacks to display it on our student output bulletin. This morning, he smiled at me like he always does but he added, “Good Morning Ma’am.” I have a feeling we might hear more from Dale in English class.

As I am writing this I can see gusts of sand whirling by outside like mini tornados. I have been searching for the best way to express what is happening in my mind right now, and I consider the weather today perfect. It appears calm to the lazy observer (an acquaintance) but to the keen observer (immediate family/ best friend) there is a lot more going on than whatever originally catches the eye. I feel calm. I am running down the home stretch in my service. I have some upcoming events that I am really excited about. But, then there are the sand storms. The bursts of, “I need to do this and this and this and this before I go,” and “Wow, this happened at home, what am I going to do when I can’t run back the Philippines?” and, “I need to do more planning NOW.” Then, another short wave of calmness sets in as I drink a beer with my best friend. Next, the leaves start to dance and another sand storm is rapidly approaching, “Did I forget to do something? Am I going to regret not doing something?” The top sensation that helps me tackle my sand storm of emotions is success. In the past 575 days, a lot has gone wrong but a lot has also gone right. Many things have challenged me and many things have come with ease. A second has made me smile and a second has made me cry. Some ideas have been hidden as deep as possible and some ideas continue to glow. I guess a calm day with a few sand tornadoes is better than a hurricane.

Currently on my list of things to do: 1) Help Mrs. Valdez get books for her own school. She and her husband are the owners of a private high school in my community. She is a student teacher at my school right now and has been secretly watching me work with the new books at our school. She finally got the courage to speak with me about how I might be able to help her and her school too. I have the e-mails sent and books should be on the boat next week! Let the magic begin. 2) I am busy getting the logistics put together for our Just Try It! Summer Sports Camp. 3) Keep trying new work-outs as I have already started to research about competing in a half iron man. Maybe I really am crazy. 

Our Christmas Cards made it to our new friends in America!

2013 Begins

January 2013:

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward” –Martin Luther King Jr.

            Moving forward changes us all. Before I went home to spend Christmas with my family many people told me that it would feel like nothing changed. However, after not seeing them for 1 ½ years, I saw changes.

My heart beat faster than ever as I searched for my love at the airport, love changes things.

I hugged my nephew for the first time, which was a change.

I introduced myself to my newest nephew, which was a change.

I walked up my parent’s driveway with tears in my eyes, change again.

I saw a sister who has grown into a stunning young woman, more change.

I saw a sister who has transformed her life with miracles, made me love the possibilities of change.

I hugged my little brother tighter than ever while wiping tears from his eyes, change.

I saw my pops with the largest smile on his face and he was up past 7p.m., I love change.

I saw my cousin with her husband for the first time, which was a change.

I saw my mother, my best friend, my strength, my motivation, my life teacher, and my eyes filled with even more tears; change helps relationships bloom.

I had many conversations with the curly haired angel who I call my niece; I never wanted them to end.

I saw my family, friends, and neighbors standing in my parent’s garage; ok… some things never change.

I did not want to sleep. I did not even want to eat (only at like 3 a.m. when it was lunch time in the Philippines). I did not want to be involved in drama. I did not want to stop hugging people. I did not want to stop talking to my mother and father. I did not want to stop talking, period. I did not want to close my eyes. I wanted to soak up everything. Then I passed out for 20 hours. I realized who really matters in my life. I did not want to go shopping. I was content just being around my family. Truthfully, I did not really want to leave my parent’s house. Everything I needed was inside, or outside if I mention the snowy hills. I know exactly who will be with me in the next steps of my life. And the “who” in my life story matters most.

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale

            I used to dream about watching my Sports Club kids all throwing balls at the same time. Thanks to a bighearted coach and gym teacher who made a donation, I got to stand on the stage of my school and stare out at 20+ balls/ frisbees flying in the air. Sports Club is more than an after school Sports Club now. My students check out equipment during their lunch recess. They are eager for more games, more ways they can play, more time they can play. After 1 ½ years of being stared at in my little nook in the world, I am the one doing the staring now. It feels really good.

“I’ve seen better days, but I’ve also seen worse. I don’t have everything that I want, but I do have all I need. I woke up with some aches and pains, but I woke up. My life may not be perfect but I am blessed.”

            I am blessed. A lot has happened over the past month, too much for me to process and display for the world to see. The other day I woke up with a heart ache from saying goodbye to my sister and my boyfriend. I have woken up happier. Now that I am back in Marinduque, I feel a bit better, the blurriness of tears has come and gone, and I am ready to run happily to the finish line of my service. I am blessed.

@home. from new bond to fabulous bond. 

love snow and siblings

the families newest miracle

"always by your side"

SPORTS!

The kids of Sports Club... waiting...

Some of the excitement after seeing the new equipment *more photos to come soon*

I hope we never take a completely normal family Christmas picture. 

The kids I nanny for in America made 200+ bags of stickers for me to give my students. These shiny gems can be seen all over campus now! What a neat little way to brighter someones life.

Hard decision.

It's more fun in the Philippines.

Perfect place to end any day.

Our Filipina Mommy.

Please excuse my not so good writing, my mind is already in America!

November 26^th- December 9^th:

Honestly, it is really hard for me to concentrate on anything right now due to extreme excitement. Six more sleeps until I fly home to Wisconsin.  

Bacud- Bacud is a small barangay just a short jeepney ride away from my house. After getting off the jeep you have to hike down the mountain side until you reach a flawless nook in the woods. The community reminds me of a campsite, although the campers are there for a lifetime. Mam Helen, one of the new student teachers at my house lives there. It only took about one hour for me to realize that this was my new favorite spot on the island. We borrowed a row boat to take into the deep water to see the corals. It was a relief to see coral that was still thriving. We paddled along staring at the land down under. I was with Joanne and Ayra in the boat. They were both afraid to be in such deep water because they were not confident they could swim. What if the boat tipped over? Just another situation in which it was mind boggling to me that people who live on an island cannot swim. They typical stay in the shallow water, whether it is fear of sharks or fear or drowning that prevents them from gliding into water deeper than their knees. Good motivation to keep planning my Summer Survival Swim course. There was a group of spear fishes who were startling to watch. With their handmade gun, fins, and goggles, they dove down under countless times. I got to hold the spear gun and it was a lot heavier than I thought it would be. The skill of spear fishing must take years to develop. The children also kept catching my attention. They would chase jelly fish and the small team of fishes even caught an octopus. Funny that when I went to the beach as a kid I played with plastic beach toys and here they play fish crabs, octopus, and jelly fish! The adventure ended with the chef’s special of eel, sea urchin, and oysters! So happy I am finally brave enough to try anything that is placed in front of me.

Gemma moving- Gemma, my counterpart, and her family have been building their new house. It was time for them to move but many things had to happen first. They needed to get one jar of salt and sugar. The salt and sugar would never be used it was just a token of good luck. Next, they needed a large sack of rice, again for luck and prosperity. Next, they needed to get a dwarf coconut tree. One of the students brought one to school one day for Gem’s. Finally I know the answer to my question- “Why do so many houses have a small coconut tree in the front?” They had to move before the full moon so it was crunch time. If they did not make the deadline they would wait until the following month. Phew! They made it and are now happily living in their new house.

Christmas cards- I have only been teaching two sections of second year, normally I teach four. However, because we have the student teachers, one of them is in charge of the other two sections. I had them do a special project because I was not going to be at school for two days. They had to make a Christmas card for a student in America! I asked them all to stand and promise me that they would complete the assignment because it would not be good for one student of the class in the states to not have a Christmas card. The all promised, with outsized smiles on their faces. I had listed down the names of the students in the class and each of them came up and got to choose a name. We had a brainstorm session about things they could tell their new friends about Marinduque and questions they might want to ask. Then, I left them on their own to complete the task in their own special way. Two days later I came back to school. Every student was present in class (which is rare) and every student had a beautifully designed card to give me. I almost cried. The other two sections heard about the activity so I now have two more sets of class names to give them on Monday.

Books arriving, box #2 on the way- After tearing away the tape, the excitement began. The “Oooo’s” and “Aaaa’s” and “look at this” and “look at that” and “wow!’s” were great noise to my ears. Some of the teachers wanted to bring one book home as a Christmas present. I had to assure them that they could all use the books but they had to stay at school. However, we are working on making borrowers card for each book. I am hopeful that the books with help teach my students about the wonderful life that lies beyond the island they were born on. I am hopeful that the story books will help their imaginations expand. I am hopeful that the remedial resources will help my students who lack motivation to learn, the pictures and color will capture their attention. This box was a sample set so we are scheduled to have a meeting next week before I leave so the teachers can choose the types of books they like and would use. We are able to request class sets which would add a whole new style of teaching. Box #2 is already on the way with more samples! In the meantime, we will enjoy the ones we have. There are 121 total and we are going to make a book nook in are classroom where students can come in and check out books before school or during lunch. We are also planning on making bean bags to add a touch of comfort to the reading corner.

The World Without Us, By Alan Weisman- Any readers out there looking for a good book to read- I highly recommend this one. The title says it all so just read it. There is one chapter in the book about plastic. I was in rage when I found out that the hand soap I use and the body was I use have tiny speaks of plastic in the mixture. Apparently, I have been exfoliating my skin with plastic. Why the rage? Because during the day I repeatedly telling my students to not throw plastic on the ground, to bring their bottles to increase their use of plastic and THEN I am going home and flushing plastic down my drain. The ingredient is polyethylene. Check your products people. The hand soap I use is from bath and body works, it is the gel like one. The body wash was one I bought here in the Philippines. Perhaps the foam hand soap from bath and body works is more environmentally friendly. I have no idea what to do with the remaining products that I have? I do not want to use them but I do not want to be wasteful either. Can plastic even exfoliate?

I am not sure when I will get the change to sit down and write again so Merry Christmas to all! Enjoy the spirit, joy, and happiness that capture us all during this time of year.

Bila- Bila Festival (Butterfly Festival) There is a competition between barangays . This is my favorite festival! 

Books, books, books! Finally, they arrived! The wait was definitely worth it. 

Lunch in Bacud! 

Be Thankful.

November 19^th- 25^th:

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Of course there is no formula for success except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings.
-Arthur Rubinstein

What am I thankful for?

My family. We have gone through a battlefield of tears and other life adversity but because of love and faith we stand together today, holding hands and never letting go. Life without family is nothing to me.

My better half. You help me to experience really living, really going down the path of adventure and I hope our adventure never ends. Even though we are miles and miles away I still feel your love each day I wake up with the sun. We have a connection I used to not believe in. I am thankful for the north woods and because I caught your eye that day.

My friends. For my childhood friends, high school friends, Peace Corps friends, and all every other friend who I have crossed life paths with. The greatest thing about meeting a new person is you can learn so much if you only give the moment enough time to unravel into greatness. I am thankful I love meeting new people.

I am thankful to have crossed the line into my second year of Peace Corps service.

Because I now understand the beauty in change.

For tuna, wheat bread, bananas, local vegetables, and water because without you I am not sure how I would survive here.

For my French press. I can’t survive without coffee either. I found my morning love again.

For the quotes, “Even though we don’t got money, I am so in love with you honey.” This is mine and Joey’s song. It is constantly playing in my head as a reminder that love is more life changing than money will ever be.

Lastly, I am thankful to be alive. I am thankful for every breath I take. I am thankful that I allowed my true spirit to sore, to take on a world challenge, to extend my other hand, to experience something I would not understand unless I got the opportunity to live in it. 

Just when I thought I could not be more amazed? I am more amazed. Emerson, he is a born leader and coach although I was not completely sure he truly believed it. Last week, I was walked home from the market and saw him. He joined me. He started asking me about college and if I thought it was possible for him to continue playing Ultimate Frisbee in college. I looked at him, almost screamed but I caught myself, and in a loud voice said, “Absolutely!” He is my leader of the pack. Other students are creating a school newspaper right now and one of the articles is about Frisbee. They called Emerson into the room. He answered every question with enthusiasm and accurateness. I was amazed that he really read every sentence in the Frisbee handbook I had printed off for him. Now, mastering something is the first sign of a great teacher. No wonder his athletes are improving and mastering the sport at full speed. Watching them play you would never know they were beginners. Although, I wrestle with the thought of calling them beginners anymore. This week at Sports Club I watched them go through these new running and throwing drills. Before, they would use drills that I taught them in the first weeks. I had never seen the drills before though, these were new ones. I have not had time to ask him where they came from but that is not really critical in understand that this students of mine is an amazing one. He believes in himself, I know it now.

I am thankful that I found something to commit my time to here that benefits my students and community while simultaneously holding passion power in my life.

The interesting thing about now is that I am living one of the greatest years of my life all over again. I get to experience things that sent me down the spiral of awe all over again, the festivals, the bike rides, the sunsets, the laughs, the school celebrations, the seasonal fruits, and beyond. So far, to my amazement and somewhat disbelief I think the second time around has been better. What happens when something that you did not think could get any better does? It proves that in life, anything is possible. I have been reflecting a lot because I am comparing certain events of today to last year. The events have not changed much, but I have. I can speak Tagalog more confidently, I feel more alive because I exercise again, I have built friendships with last year’s strangers, I have old friends and new friends, I feel more comfortable, I feel more at home. I think these feelings are a result of the success of fully integrating me in a place that it extremely different from where I was born. 

Write your heart out!

November 12^th- 18^th:

I want to begin this post with a challenge for anyone who reads this. I want you to get a piece of paper and a pen. Yes, only one piece of paper. Then, write and send a letter to someone. An old friend, a teacher, a neighbor, a relative, someone who comes to mind that may need a surprise, someone who you miss, someone who you want to reconnect with, anyone… just do it! I am writing about this challenge because my Aunt Marlyn frequently writes me letters. I get one every few months. Every day that I get a letter is amazing in more than one way. Her letters spark a smile that lasts longer than an ordinary smile. Her letters bring tears to my eyes every single time. Her letters make me realize the magic in taking the time to write a special note. I should mention that my Aunt’s letters are typed, but on a type writer. Her mistakes cannot be erased, her words cannot be spell checked so it is pretty much the same as using pen on paper. And seeing the font of a type writer reminds me of my childhood so that’s pretty amazing too. However, the most delightful thing about reading her letters is I find out what really matters to her. On a single page, space is clearly limited, one has to choose words carefully, choose ideas carefully, and choose moments to share carefully. This makes each sentence even more exceptional. So, get your piece of paper and pen and write something. Send something special through the air and feel your heart beat faster as you wait for the reply. We all know this world could use a little more magic. Some may say writing is not magical, but I think it is. Make some magic people.

@School: This week my school community was introduced to 18 student teachers! The student teachers are all assigned a cooperating teacher and they will observe and practice teaching until March. This is their final step on the path towards being a teacher. Last year we did not have any in English; however, this year there are FOUR. I recently did a training with all four of them so it is neat to be reconnected and have the opportunity to spend more time with them. My counterpart and I have been assigned two who will work side by side with us the rest of the school year. Joanne, one of the student teachers is my age and I am really looking forward to getting to know her more and hopefully doing a lot of projects with her help. We just created a new display in our classroom: “Every Child is an Artist” – Pablo Picasso. We tacked up tons of student artwork. It was really cool to work with someone who shares equal excitement as I do in regards to making students feel powerful and proud. Sometimes when I look into my crowd of students it frustrates me to see their eyes wandering. But, when I see them gazing at their piece of work or the work of another student, it just lifts up my energy and touches my soul. Frustration does not even cross my mind.

            Also, the other day I walked into my Principal’s office and she was putting a mess of dentist supplies in the cabinet. Of course I was curious so I had to ask why. She told me that there will be a dentist coming to the school soon. Any student that wants to have a tooth pulled can on that day. It was one of those moments where I wished I had been more aware of my reaction because I probably looked scared. Then I thought about it and I do not even know where the dentist office is on this island. I think there is one but I could be wrong. The do not have the tools or medicines to properly fill cavities so when the tooth rots, they just pull it. When they have no teeth, they get dentures.

@my house: We have three new puppies. When I moved in there were 5 dogs. Two died. Now we have SIX. They are all really cute. Whenever I walk I feel like I am going to step on them. I love that they follow me around. When I am washing my clothes they try and hop into the basin. This is both annoying and totally comical. I do have a favorite one. His name is Coco Martin. Joe told me that I have to give me lots of attention to he can become the leader of the pack. I hope he grows faster and stronger than the others. Right now he is the smallest and cutest little ball of fur. Sometimes I want to sneak him into my room and cuddle but then I remember that I am allergic. I just give him extra attention during my free time outside.

Last week I also started doing P90X. I am addicted already. I never thought I would be so excited about working out in shorts and a tank top. There is a big open space in the extra room at my house which gives me plenty of space for activities. I also came down with a cold last week. I convinced myself to stop exercising for one day but then the next I convinced myself that I was ready to rumble again. Well, as you may have guessed it actually made my sickness reach a more severe level as I diagnosed myself with bronchitis. I got antibiotics and decided to take more than ones days rest. Being sick is really hard without a big comfy bed, a bath tub and chicken noodle soup. I try so hard to pretend that I am not sick when I start to feel the phlegm but realize now that maybe I should not do this.

Yesterday I had to say goodbye to my site mate, the marvelous Shea Johnson. We went on this 5 hour hike to the center of the Philippines with three jeeps full of students and teachers from her community. The sky was bright blue all day. Every step of the way created a new and exciting view. From the top we scoped out some white beaches and small islands that I did not know existed so near to me but will soon explore them to a greater degree and from a closer perspective. We danced down the mountain and picked up plastic along the way. We shared stories, life goals, ideas, and lots more for the whole adventure. I am truly going to miss you but I am thankful that you have been here with me for the past 16 or something months. You are an inspiration, a risk taker, a brave soul, a marvel, a great dancer, and I can’t wait to see you in the states! Rock on girl. Never forget the dolphins… Miracles are real. 

When one gets sidetracked from life...

November 5^th- 11^th:

“It is good to get sidetracked from life.” Those are the words that best express why I have not written in a month. Honestly, I have been procrastinating sitting down to write this with fear of being overwhelmed by my own thoughts. But then, I have never really been one to be afraid of a challenge, so here I am, ready to write. However, now that I am sitting here, prepared to type and type and type some more I am having trouble pinpointing where to start.

How am I feeling these days? I am feeling great. Lately, a lot of my mind energy is focused on home. How excited I am to see and hug the people in my life that I miss so much. The rest of my brain power is going to developing a way to help my sports club become sustainable and my new found project of developing an Awareness Club to help educate teachers and students in my community of things in life that really need to be widely known facts. Topics like teen pregnancy, human trafficking, bullying, domestic abuse, suicide. These things are never talked about and it is mind boggling to me. Karen has some contacts in the states that have given us some great resources which will serve as our starting block as we jump into this race to be aware. I have also been talking to a Peace Corps staff member who has been helping me get my hands on some materials that are going to be useful in the months to come. Yes, this will take months.

Where have I been? My weeks away from site started at MST (Mid- Service Training). Yes, we have now officially crossed over the half way mark and into the world of second year of service, the place where we talk a lot about our projects and gossip about miscellaneous nonsense instead of about each other’s sites. The most effective MST talk for me was one about volunteerism at site. I realized that I was already doing things that can classify as volunteerism; I just did not know what to call it! How cool. So, now I have the manual and hope to use it to help my students in sports club realize that they are doing more than merely exercising their mind and body. My students who are leaders and teaching others about sports and encouraging them to join are actually practicing ideals that fall under volunteerism. I have known for awhile now deep down in my soul that I have a great group of youth that I am working with. Before I go off on a tangent about that let me stick to the “Where have I been?” After MST, we all went to Manila for our medical- dental and physical. I thought that I was going to escape out of the dental office without having them tell me I need to floss more but then… at the last second, “Oh, and please try and floss more!” Seriously?!?! I almost made it! I floss every day. I thank everyone around me for that. The site of decaying teeth has lead me into the life of regular flossing. But, apparently I still need to floss more. After medical and dental I met up with Karen, Pam, Ed, and some other volunteers and we went to Howzat for two nights. Howzat is a sports bar near Manila. I felt with every particle in my body that I was in America. We were slamming beers during the all you can drink hours and eating cheese sticks, burgers, and nachos. Howzat was the beginning of the “I am spending way too much money” journey that consumed my life for the week to follow. More on this in the photo section of this post. After Howzat I went to Lipa with Karen for a few days. This is when we started our talk about the awareness club and started to gather information. Then, it was off to Puerto Galera, Mindoro! We were ready to enjoy beach, sun, beers, friends and everything that comes along with that great combination of awesomeness. The first night we were bound to stay with another volunteer but miscommunication of some sort put us on the wrong boat. We got dropped off in the sand a few hours away from where we were supposed to be. NOT the worst place to get dropped off at. It was already dark to we changed plans and met up the Ben, the volunteer, the next day for an all day excursion under the blistering sun. The beers started early and ended early, I think we were all in bed by 7pm. We spent a few days enjoying delicious homelike food, laughing, and swimming. The whole time I was in awe about the fact that I had only met these people one year ago, and one the day prior, yet somehow they are like family to me.

How did I feel once I was back at site? I felt like I need to detox. It is hard to write out every detail here displaying exactly why I felt this way. At site, I eat relatively healthy because I really have no alternative, I exercise, and I drink lots of water. During my sidetrack, I ate really good food but probably a little heavy in the cheese and fat category, I did not exercise as much, and I drank lots of beer. There is a splurge if there ever was one. Good thing my mother taught me how to not diet. I love the fact that I enjoy living a healthy lifestyle; however, when moments come into my life that drive me to eat unhealthy and live without restrictions it feels good to not feel bad about it. I did just start doing P90X again. Triple whoa, my body immediately felt better. Now, if only I have some recovery drink mixture, one thing on my list of to get when I am back in the land that has everything. In other news, seeing the students and teachers and neighbors at my site was great. Those kinds of smiles are really magical. Especially from the people who thought I had gone home forever and then they realized I was just on vacation. We have two new puppies at my house too. Just more chaos. I may live on a farm. Oh, we also had a consolidation drill for Peace Corps. It is a drill that ensures that all volunteers are accounted for and safe. We would use our consolidation point in an emergency situation. I got home Sunday night, and had to pack up an overnight bag again on Monday to head to the consolidation point. We had to stay overnight together- Catherine, shea, and myself. I thoroughly enjoyed the hot shower and night of wi-fi once last time. Now, I am back into the way of life where internet happens only once a week. Today, I was completely overwhelmed again, my mind was racing, and I really felt like I was going to fly out of my seat and I was not even drinking coffee.

So, cheers to normalcy again and detox! Enjoy the photos, xoxoxo.

My first sailing race. It was neat to see the race boats blowing by after they turned around at half way pt. The journey was pretty intense. A 3 hour adventure with lots of beer breaks. Every time the crew jibbed or attacked or whatever else, a beer was the reward. 

The moment when I thought to myself, "I am so lucky." I found myself thanking my family and friends who supported my crazy but heartfelt decision to join Peace Corps. The sole reason why I am where I am today. 

With the captain and other crew members. Dale, the captain is from Australia so we had lots to talk about straight away. They are sailing around Marinduque soon so I hope to catch up with them for part of their trip. Another crew member was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the '70s! We really enjoyed sharing stories and it was great to have a good listening here, someone who understands without explanation. Volunteers are really all connected in such a special way. 

Some more new friends that I met at the hostel after the sailing race. I had to stay an extra night (no complaints about that). It really felt good to  be on my own and simply enjoy the beauty that lies in meeting new people. Some would say it is strange that we can connect and take jager bombs all within on only hour of meeting each other... I say it is awesome. Bong, the one at the far left, invited me to sail with him again Dec. 8th! I can't wait. 

I would me lost in this part of the world without these two! 

Detox. 

Beach. This is the beach we did not really intend on going to. OOPS! We happily excepted the wrong turn.  

I <3 YOU!

Howzat. The sports bar we started at, open 24 hours with great food and drink. I took a lot of pictures of the food but I figured I would save those for my own keeping. I will definitely go back!

I took this picture yesterday. My mother sent me this awesome book about seasons of the north. I brought it to school because we are studying poety and a lot of the poems are about seasons. The pictures really helped me to teach my students about why poets write about the wonders of a changing season. After living in summer for their whole life, it is hard to imagine the changes so I really enjoyed showing them. More books are on a boat heading to my school AND  I can't wait. After seeing their eyes grow big and the questions spill out over ONE book, I am not sure how I will handle the fabulous happenings that will soon come from having like MORE THAN ONE book. 

When Change is Ordinary

October 1^st- 7^th:

            To begin October, I traded my hives for some sunburn and heat rash. I was just telling my regional manager here about my hives and she said, “Well, at least you are still laughing!” I am laughing now but at the time it was really not a fun situation. I was not sleeping very well because my allergies were acting up so I took some Benadryl. The next day I woke up with a great sensation to itch and itch my leg. I had hives on the upper part of my leg. Weird. My hydrocortisone was gone so I used the only other anti-itch cream in the medical kit- caladryl. I applied so much of that pink liquid I probably went a little overboard. I was eager for relief. Initially, things seemed to be improving. I went to school but after a few hours the itchiness was back. I wanted to take my pants off so badly that I decided to leave school early. I rushed home and immediately took my pants off quickly noticing that the hives had turned into one large severely itchy hive. It was horrible. Overtime, the caladryl made it worse not better. I think I had an allergic reaction to the –dryl ingredient in the two medicines, whatever that may be. Nurses of the Hesiak family, any thoughts? So, I slowly walked to the pharmacy, slowly because I was attempting to do the impossible, aka not sweat. Sweating worsened the itch. I bought more hydrocortisone. I basically put the entire bottle on my leg. A few days later, I finally got to stop talking to myself about why I should not itch. Phew!

            The greatest ending to a rough week was seeing Pam, Karen, and Amy! The three came to enjoy sun, water, and some cold adult beverages for the weekend. The first night we chatted endlessly about the wondrous things that we experience, attempting to cram what seemed like months of stories into one night of conversation. The next morning we woke up early and were off to Maniwaya (the same island that Joe and I always go to when he is here). Leaving my house and walking to town to catch the jeep was interesting, every step we took was like we walked into a room where conversations stopped and stares began. We jump started the day with two beers in Boac and then headed to the port to catch the boat. Our time spent on the island was perfect; we even lucked out with sunny days. During typhoon season, the rain always comes and goes. Cold beers in hand, sun in the air, surrounded by the great blue sea and mountainous Marinqudue… it was a great combination for much needed relaxation and carefree living with great friends. Karen and I got drunk and ate too much fish, makes for smelly fingers but lots of laughs! After all the fun, we came back to my house with sun burn and de-hydration. We spent our last night together drinking lots of water and applying aloe!

I have been living in Marinduque for over a year now. I wanted to put together a list of things that I have or have not done every single day for 365+:

·         I have not driven a car.

·         I have happily greeted a stranger or neighbor.

·         I have had a sweat mustache and sweat dripping down my legs at some pt. in the day.

·         I have listened to a conversation that I do not completely understand.

·         I have stared at a rice field and said to myself, ‘Whoa!”

·         I have talked to myself.

·         I have woken up with the sun.

·         I have not used a blow dryer to dry my hair.

·         I have spoken a few words of Tagalog.

·         I have rode my bike or walked to work.

·         I have used a bucket to take a shower.

·         I have not gone to a gym.

·         I have not walked on carpet.

·         I have smiled.

The “have not’s…” in the list are interesting because they are all things that were so mundane in my daily life in America. I would never really think about them unless, well… unless I was living on a small island in Marinqudue for over a year thinking about things that I used to do but I don’t. The “have’s…” have taught me much about myself and I have the people and culture around me to thank. I would almost never greet a stranger, but now it is an everyday thing. I would always drive to work, now I ride my bike despite people thinking I am crazy for wearing work clothes while happily peddling along. I would never talk to myself, now I do all of the time. Probably because there is still a lot I cannot say in the native language that just needs to be said. In America, I can understand every conversation that happens with me or around me. Here, I can get the gist of things most of the time now but normally there is a word or 10 that perplex me. Thinking of this has really helped me put myself in the shoes of my students. I try my best to talk slowly, repeat important details, use words that I know they understand, and involve them in what I am telling them so I can see the understanding happening. And really it does not matter what time I go to bed at night, as soon as that bright giant sun shines its rays to shine down the new day- I am up. The dogs, traffic, and roosters are just background noise now. They occasionally help put me to sleep. I guess that is called adaptation. There are plenty of other things that I used to do occasionally, and things that I never did that now I do occasionally. Good thing I am not afraid of change. Think about it, if you could trade something you do every day for something better, would you?

More on this in next week posts because I do not have time to write details now but the first shipment of books are on they way to my school! This is exciting for so many reasons. The process has gone faster than I expected which really excites me. Another exciting piece of news is there is a new grant available to volunteers to get sports equipment donations. AHHHHHH! I had dreams last night about my students playing sports with more than one volleyball, more than one basketball, more than one shuttle cock, more than one frisbee. Now, don't get me wrong we have the best time with only one but so many limitations can be lifted if we are able to get more equipment. And, the sports club kids want to have a frisbee tournament and are also brainstorming about planting a field of grass, haha. Ah, my mind is racing...

We celebrated World Teacher's Day on October 4 and 5. Teacher’s Day Photos:

My two favorite teachers! 

This dance was amazing. The also performed a hand mime spelling out messages to the teachers. I have a video but can't get it to load. 

Masaya Kami :)

So I never forget the relationship we have made, the smiles, the laughs, and the moments that fill my eyes with happy tears.