July 1- July 16:

Randomness at its finest- thoughts and happenings of the past few weeks, here we go.

I will begin with the brightest of the bunch- my new running shoes. I ordered a new pair of nike shoes and had them shipped to my parents house. They sent them to my friend Karen who was home in the states to visit her family. When I ordered them the color selection I chose was heather gray and coral. However, when I walked into Karen’s apartment this past weekend I had no problem SEEING my shoes sitting on the table. They were practically glowing. My friend Edmund even joked about them glowing in the dark. I guess coral is now neon pink. I was not particularly looking for another thing to make me stand out when I run the pavement of my community, but hey, guess that is what life gave me. And actually, to my surprise… most onlookers did not even notice my new shoes when I ran the past two days. Guess my hair and eyes are brighter than the neon pink swoosh sign. I felt like I was running faster though! Even in the states, buying a new work out item gave me a nice boost of motivation, and the same thing happened here.

Now, let’s move to my classroom. The final output for first quarter (yes, believe it or not 1^st quarter is almost over!) is an interactive story. Each group has a different story and we are going to have a Storytelling Festival next week. The other day I posted a short story titled, “The Flock of Birds.” It is just a simple, easy to understand story that I used in my lesson with them about how to use gestures, facial expressions, voice change, and tone to better effectively tell a story so that it is more interesting for the audience to listen to. After my demo and practicing in pairs I asked for volunteers to come to the front and have a go. My students tend to get REALLY nervous when they are front and center so I was trying to help ease their nerves before the big storytelling festival. At first, not one single hand went up. No one wanted to volunteer. Then I decided to say, “Chique and Christel, come on up!!! Thank you for volunteering.” I clapped and the class cheered. After they fabulously read the story, we all gave positive feedback. For the first couple pairs I initiated the encouragement and chose pairs who showed skill during the practice time. However, after a few pairs had gone… more and more students began raising their hands. Students who I can never hear when they speak in class were speaking louder than they ever did before. Students who appear to be the shy ones transformed into comedians in the y spotlight. Some students added gestures that were perfectly chosen. My eyes were looking at them all in amazement. These are the moments that I live for. The activity ended up taking a lot longer than I had anticipated because everyone volunteered… every single student!

Last weekend I went to Lipa City, Batangas. I had made plans with Karen to go visit her so that I could pick up my fancy running shoes. However, there was an added bonus to the already exciting weekend. Karen and a few other volunteers have devoted a lot of time to helping out an organization here in the Philippines, Visayan Forum. Visayan forum seeks to raise awareness about human trafficking and modern day slavery. There were events scheduled for July 13 and 14 that I was able to be a part of. The groups of people that I spent the weekend with were truly inspirational. When a group of people get together who share the same passion and advocacy commitment to a very important cause, it is awe-inspiring! This issue is so important here in the Philippines because it is common for Filipino people to seek out jobs overseas and opportunities in country to raise money for their families for various personal reasons. It is a heart dart to hear stories about young woman and other victims who thought they were beginning a new life journey that would help their family and themselves but abruptly learn that the opportunity was a lie. I can’t imagine the feeling of going from “this is a dream come true” to tears racing down their face praying for rescue. The events aimed to spread knowledge about how victims are sought out and convinced that the opportunity presented will benefit their life. Through presentations, dances, information, conversations, and mixing ideas, many young youth were reached and educated. They were taught not to be gullible and that if it is too good to be true then it is probably is not good at all. One important issue dealing with human trafficking as a social problem is that many people are not educated about the cause. For me, the greatest thing about being a part of this is that we were working to help prevent tearful situations from becoming reality. After going back to site, talk about what I did over the weekend has spurred many conversations about the rights of children, human trafficking, leaving the country, and this is just the start to what I plan to do to continue to raise awareness and help combat human trafficking.

On my way home from Lipa I got to watch the sunset on the boat. I normally do not take this trip so this rarely happens. I got up and walked to the edge of the boat with some of my friends so we could soak up the beauty. The perfect touch to the scene jumped in when about 20 dolphins came swimming along. They were all jumping out of the water, their silhouettes filling the night sky. One of those moments when you wish you had your camera but then again you do not. Sometimes I feel like I do not get the full enjoyment of something if I am because taking photos. It was nice to just watch and take pleasure in the once in a life time moment. I have seen dolphins three times now while riding to and from Marinduque BUT this time was definitely my favorite.

How have I been staying cool without a/c- my first tip is to drink too much water. I feel like I do not stop drinking water. This helps me to combat feeling dehydrated. For about two months now it has been hot, hot, even at night. What I do is use my malong (it is similar to a large thin scarf) to dry off after my bath. It becomes wet but not too wet. I then use it as a blanket for when I sleep. When the electric fan blows over me it feels refreshingly cool because of the wet blanket. I also use a lot of baby powder. My body has definitely adapted to the heat. Whenever I am in aircon (on a bus or in a mall) I am freezing cold and my skin always becomes really dry afterwards. I think the aircon also messes with my sinuses. Never fun. Let me just say I am looking forward to rain

I am starting to feel motion sickness because I am typing this on a bus. I will save the other random happenings for next time. For now, I am going to enjoy every second that Joseph is here!

"To work in the world lovingly means that we are defining what we will be for, rather than reacting to what we are against."  - Christina Baldwin

June 17th – 30th:

And, just like that… June has come and gone. My only wish right now is that the success and greatness that filled the days of June continue. I will begin my blog post with a comical little story for you. For me, it was not so comical at the time but now it is just hysterical. I actually do not really know if I should put this on the internet but well, it’s funny. So, when Joseph was here in January we met Tim and his wife (I would write her name but I will admit that I can’t remember it right now). Tim is an American and his wife is a Filipina. The come to Marinduque every now and then to visit friends and family. They just arrived in Marinduque last week. Before they came, Tim contacted Joe to see if there was anything he could bring me. Joe, the fabulous being that he is said, “Bring her cheese!”

I was riding in a jeep here in the island and randomly saw Tim walking down the road. I shouted the signal for a jeep to stop and hopped off to greet him. He may have been just as surprised as I was! He invited me to his house to visit and meet his daughters, and of course to pick up my cheese. After spending time with them, I came home. I was practically running down the street going home, I was completely overjoyed to have cheese in my hands. This was real sharp cheddar cheese. I ate grilled cheese, tomato, and avocado sandwiches for the entire week. Actually, I am still eating them. Okay, so why is this so funny? I was at school yesterday and my stomach started to hurt. Then it started to rumble. The pain and uncomfortable feeling seemed to get worse by the second. Luckily, the day was almost over. I rode my bike home, really slowly and wanting to cry the entire time. I could barely walk when I got home; I had to hunch over and take baby steps. When I got to my room I put down my things, and simply stood still as a statue, waiting to see what my body would do. Then, I f*rted, the loudest and hugest f*rt of my life! It literally blew me away. I guess that is what I get for having zero self control eating my delectable block of cheese.

Speaking of self control, I also have none when it comes to eating the Reeses that everyone sent me. I have always liked sweet things; I thank my mother for this. Everyone knows my mother has a secret stash of M&M’s or some sort of chocolate delight in her closet or desk drawer. I would sometimes walk in to her office in the morning there she was, with a handful, munching away. When I was in America, I would have something sweet every now and then, like a culver’s hot fudge sundae or a Mcflurry with the kids I nanny for. I had control over my cravings. However, now… the control is imaginary. The lady who lives with me is always commenting on how I eat really healthy but I also enjoy sweets. I love the fact that I can understand when people are talking about me, finally!

Okay, enough talk about food. I will move on to Sports Club. The second meeting was just as fabulous as the first. Some students expressed a desire to have a jogging club. So, jogging club is also part of sports club. I brought my friend from the community to club last week. He is 72 years old but in great shape. He talked to the participants about how important exercise is now and throughout a lifetime. Everyone was really listening to every word that he said. He made an impact on them. Some of my students wrote in their diaries, “Mam Gina brought a friend to sports club. He was 72 but he looked 42!” Then, they would do on to say, “I am going to exercise more so I can be healthy.” Every week I lead a warm-up and cool-down session. This coming Saturday some of the students are going to lead the warm-up. They wanted to Dance the Dougie as the warm up activity. I doubt this song is still popular in the states but it is a huge hit here right now! This should be a lot of fun! They are planning to incorporate some of the stretches I have taught them into the dance… I am anxiously waiting to see what happens when they blend dancing with stretching.

This week I will be busy completing my report form for Peace Corps about everything I did the past three months. I am also going to write a letter to the Mayor of our town. The activity sports club is putting together for July is a 5K Fun Run/Walk. We will run from our school to the center of town! I am going to ask the mayor to donate snack and drink for after the event. To say thank you to the Mayor I am going to propose that we will hold a roadside clean up on the 5k path through town. This clean up will beautify the town and also help us with our plastic recycling goals at school. We are hoping the Mayor will run with us, too!

The comfort food that creates discomfort. What is my body going to do when I go home? Now, all of the veggies, fruits, rice, eggs, fish come from my neighbors.

Sports Club!

Ha.

Play together. Have fun together. Grow together. Life healthy together.

Ha again.

Recycling and Exercising... two of my favorite things!

June 1^st- 16^th: (The Beginning of the School Year and Much More!)

As I approach the one year mark of being here in the Philippines, I have been thinking about everything that my mind, body, and soul have been through this past year. I can hardly believe that this time last year I was dancing away at my Cousin Megan’s wedding and frantically trying to prepare myself for the adventure of a lifetime. I remember not being able to sleep at night because I was worrying about saying goodbye to the people that mean them most to me, and of course about whether or not I was packing the “right” things. Honestly, I don’t think I have the right words yet to explain all the changes that have happened to me. After jumping into the biggest cultural plunge of my life, I have experienced many things that I only hope more people would get the opportunity to experience. This life we live in is full of greatness, but sometimes learning about this greatness requires changes and challenges and those these are both scary. The greatest feelings I have right now are about how lucky I am to have a family, boyfriend, and friends who support and love me and that everything around me that used to appear odd, difficult to manage, out of the ordinary, and create challenges are the same things that I now love, appreciate, and embrace! There is beauty in everything.

My school year is off to an extraordinary start! Ah, I could literally jump for joy all around town! My new students already impress me on a daily basis and I am enjoying getting to know their different talents, hobbies, and more. One of my students is afraid of old doors. One of them asked Gemma (reminder- she is the one who I teach with) if I pee… yes, pee. One of them has a hidden talent in using recycled beads to make placemats. Gemma and I were also able to talk to the principal of our school and express our desire to have an English classroom. Last year, the teachers rotated. She really enjoyed listening to our ideas and thoughts about implementing the change. This year, the students are rotating every class period. We have been busy setting up the English Room! Pretty cool. I remember when my sisters and I would play school. Making worksheets was so much fun. I also would bet on it that somewhere in my notebooks in elementary school I wrote about how I dreamed of having my own classroom one day.

The SSG (Student Supreme Government) is really active at my school so I am working with them on two projects already this school year. The first one is Sports Club. We have our first get together tomorrow! We are going to meet every Saturday to play, learn about living a healthy lifestyle, and make new friends, jog, stretch, and wherever the wind blows us. We are going to focus on a different sport each quarter of the year- badminton, volleyball, basketball, and swimming! We are planning fundraising events like Senior vs. Junior basketball game, Race for Health 5K (Where the students would spread the word about healthy living) just to name a few. Our school has also become a recycling machine. We are cleaning and drying all plastic that is used to make bottle bricks. Bottle bricks are made by stuffing loads of non biodegradable waste into 1.5 liter soda bottles. We will use these bottles to make benches and tables around the school. We are also collecting used paper to sell.

I have always thrived when my life is busy. I am thriving now! Avocados must be in season too because I am seeing them all over the market. This makes me bloom even more.

To add about sports club- the first meeting this morning was just perfect! So many students showed up from all year levels, dressed comfortably with water bottle in hand! Indeed there were lots of laughs, sweating, and having a great time. It was so fantastic to see the smiles on their faces. I am certain that this club is going to evolve into something great. I even had a group of girls ask me today if they could start a walking/jogging girls club... of course I did not hesitate in answering... ABSOLUTELY! I am just bursting with excitement.

I had a day off from school the other day for Independence Day (June 12th). I went to the beach, obviously. This was the only cloud in the sky and it is in the shape of a heart. Pretty spectacular considering I am loving every second of my life these days!

Go Turtles! A little artistic addition to making working with elements of short stories fun. This is one story map taking from the module we developed. My counterpart uses the module almost everyday, it makes me so happy.

Step one of the bottle brick project. Washing and drying all of the plastic waste at our school. We have separate bins for collection and students are assigned to clean it two days a week. Good thing the sun is hot! Woo wOO.

The rocky campus actually helps too because we use them to hold down the plastic so it does not blow all over the place. Recycling is fun!

Day One of Sports Club! Hooray! The mixture of students, the excitement level, the laughs... everything was just perfect!

Mayflower Festival

Introducing- Tita Ritz! She is one of my friends in Boac and the person who asked me to join  mayflower festival.  She is like a mother to me.

Right before the start of the parade. I was the leader. I was so happy to have these three students with me the whole way! 

Nicole, Gemma's Niece. She was an angel in the parade. 

When you experience something for the first time, the joy and smiles last a lifetime. I will never forget this day. There is beauty in everything.

Flowers.

Last Half of May:

Lately I have been going to the beach a lot to catch a break from the heat, search for creatures under the sea, and let my body stop sweating for a short while. Whenever I go there I bring my journal and a book to read so I can do both after I take a swim. I am writing this because I actually have been doing a lot of writing, just not on the computer! I felt like I had already written down all of my life happenings this last half of May to be posted on my blog BUT turns out it is only on private paper. I wish I could just copy it all but we all know that posting some things on the internet is not a very wise choice.

Random fact coming your way- My blog posts are a totally of 16,379 words! Oh, now, 16, 384! Ha. That is a lot.

During the week of May 8^th- 12^th I spent every day in Boac working on an English module. Shea, a volunteer on the island who I have probably already talked about organized a team to rock out some awesome English activities, exercises, etc. There were four Peace Corps Volunteers and four Filipino English teachers. At the end of each day my eyes hurt from staring at the computer screen but it was all worth it. We picked at our brains and remembered our experiences and compiled a giant resource of useable, workable, interactive activities that English teachers here in the Philippines can use to help them transfer all their knowledge to their students in a fun, interactive, engaging way. We did experience on slight, well giant actually, ‘OH CRAP’ moment during the development process but we stayed positive and figured out how to transform what we had. I think I was dreaming about this module the entire week.

The following week I had a few days to bike, swim, watch rocking new movies, read books (Denise, another volunteer, had about 1,000 e-books that I now have on my computer. I was able to put them onto my Nook so I have been reading away. Just finished Why do Men Have Nipples.) After that, it was time to think about the module again and put everything together so that we could print, replicate, and deliver to the teachers. Shea applied for a grant that provided us the funds to make about 50 copies of the module so that every high school on Marinduque would receive one. Shea spent the night at my house for three nights and we worked tirelessly to edit every activity, every page, about 5893208523 times. I have no doubt in my mind that we missed something but I do that we did our best. That editing stuff is difficult. The finished product is pretty spectacular. I think Shea and I both wanted to cry when we printed the first copy. Now, I am exceptionally excited to start the new school year so we can use this new resource, nothing creates a smile like a fun learning activity.

In the midst of dreaming about the module I also held computer training at my school. It was a week long course, three hours each day. I had 18 students, first year students and members of the school parent teacher organization. It was a great mix of students and parents and I even got to try out some of my new morning wake up dance videos with the group- nothing like acting wild and crazy before getting down to business. Each day I had an activity that would help them learn basics about different computer programs. We made invitations (one of the parents was actually planning to print hers and use them which is exciting!!!), posters (Do not litter, Ice for sale!, etc), we had typing races, and made PowerPoints showcasing the marvels within Marinduque! Each day we would work together to create something and then they could explore the programs on their own and ask me questions along the way. It actually worked our extremely well considering that every participant was at a different computer literacy level. At the end, everyone passed the test, received certificates, and thanked me for teaching them a thing of two about computers. I would say it was a success.

Last Saturday was May Flower Festival. This is the parade that my friend Tita Ritz asked me to walk in as a Sagala a while back. Signing myself up for something where I did not really know what I was getting myself into gave me a peculiar feeling when the day of the event arrived. It all started with a cup of milo (like hot cocoa) at Tita’s house and with an unexpected long conversation. Another Sagala (her name was Mona) was also there with her family. They live in Manila but were in Marinduque for the festival. An awkward hello turned into a friendship and the conversation lasted almost two hours. I plan to visit them next time I go to Manila. After lunch, I had to get my hair done at the request of Tita. This made me feel like I was getting ready for the prom only my hair looked horrible afterwards. There was just too much hairspray! Later I realized that my hair did not matter because I guess when you are a blue eyed blonde wearing a fuchsia pink dress covered in roses nobody really looks at your hair. Saying yes to having my hair done was one thing but I did battle the bright blush and Barbie pink lipstick. Even though everyone told me it would make me look more beautiful I suppose that the lover or natural colors in me had to turn down the opportunity. I actually did end up wearing lipstick though. Another lady had a less vibrant shade of lipstick, so I dabbed a tiny amount on my lips. After hair and makeup, I put on the gown. Next up –shoes. Tita actually found a pair of small wedges that fit my long wide feet. It was a miracle that they fit my feet.

Then, we went to the cathedral to line up for the parade. There were many angels and sagalas that would walk in the parade to celebrate Mary May Festival. We each had a different name, “Queen of Peace,” “Queen of all Nations,” etc, and I was “Mystical Rose.” I was happy that Gemma and some of our students were there to walk with me. Two of the boys had to carry the ark of flowers that went over my head. I have never had so many eyes looking at me before. There were many familiar eyes though which helped me remain comfortable. Guess I have my talkative personality to thank- helped me recognize random faces in the crowded streets. The ark and bouquet of flowers that were made for me were breathtakingly stunning! Filipinos have a true talent in adding a touch of beauty. We walked around town for about 1 ½ hours. About half way through a Grandmother and a little boy started to walk with us. He reminded me of the little boy from Big Daddy. This is because he dressed like him and was wearing sunglasses. He was so shy at first but by the end of it we were high fiving and sticking our tongues out at each other. This kid, even though he may never know it, helped me smile the entire way!  It got dark while we were walking to one of my students had to carry a flashlight gone spotlight so that everyone could see my dress. After the parade I really regretted wearing those wedge shoes. I have not worn heals in over a year and walking so long in them up and down hills made my feet hurt really bad. Ouch!  So, after avoiding the glowing pink lipstick, the parade, having my picture taken a gazillion times, gaining a foot ache or two, meeting new friends, the day was over. I actually had to repeat the process two days later where my principal lives. She invited me to be a Sagala in her town, so I spent all of Monday at her house.

Now, I am a busy little teacher preparing everything for the first day of school- June 4^th! I hope you all have a sweaty, fun summer just like I did! 

A few snapshots

This is in Gasan, Marinduque. I went there for the day to visit a new friend of mine, Quienne. Her and I were buddies when I went to Palawan. It was a full day of splashing, playing with hermit crabs, learning about fisherman, eating fresh fish, and more!

Halo- Halo or " Mix Mix" in English. This is the treat of the summer!

Puerto Galera. Peace Corps Girls, Peacing! 

Puerto Galera, Sunset watching after language camp.

Puerto Galera. This is part of the woven collection that the tribe makes. Every piece was  unique and special.  This darling child is just in the photo because she is so cute!

Playing Cat's Cradle... this brought back lots of memories from my childhood. 

Break time at the top of the mountain! We were at Trevor's (the one in the middle wearing a red hat)  site.

*Sorry I have been lacking on photo uploads. It takes a long time to upload each photo.
Sending hugs to everyone- Gina.

Under the sea... down where it's better.

May 1^st -7^th, 2012:

The month of May began in Puerto Galera, Mindoro at language training camp. Peace Corps separated the language trainings by region so there were nine volunteers who met together in Puerto to enhance and practice or Tagalog skills. We stayed at a place called Stairway Foundation. This foundation is owned by a Danish man (I can’t remember his name) and operated by many other enthusiastic people that work together to help educate others about Child’s Rights. The foundation has many goals- primarily to take streets kids from the major cities (like Manila) and bring them to a safe place where they can interact, explore, learn, grow and hopefully create a better life for themselves.

Language training was intense but definitely not as intense as it was during initial training. It was actually a relief that I could follow a Tagalog lesson for 8 hrs in one day- guess that is a good sign my Tagalog is improving. I definitely still have a lot to work on but I like knowing that I am more comfortable speaking Tagalog to well, anyone really. There are a lot of times where the switch to Tagalog just comes naturally now. I get request more classroom vocabulary. On a standard day in the classroom my counterpart and I only speak Tagalog; however, some basic things are good to store in my memory just in case I need to clarify something to get the students back on the learning road.

On the third day of classes we actually took a little adventure as a group. There is a PCV who lives close to Stairway so we planned to take a hike (seriously) to his site at the top of the mountain. Along the way we had to speak Tagalog and interact with the native tribe that occupies the land. The hike was about 1 ½ hours… up a steep trail! We all looked like we jumped in a pool when we reached the top. The PCV who lives there, Trevor, is a rock star for making that trek over and over again. I like a good hike, I actually love a good hike like that but I can imagine it would be difficult to complete over and over again. The view from the top was one of the best I’ve seen here so far! The children who were there were shy at first but then they started to warm up to us, giggle, and run like crazy as we chased them around the school yard. Karen and I were chasing them and she was splashing them with water- they loved it! A little surprise water fight can create so many laughs. Later some of the girls were playing cat’s cradle; boy was I happy that I remembered some of the moves… I played this game for hours on end as a child.

We also got to hear the story of the women who live on the mountain. To make a living, they sell eggplant and other vegetables in the market and they also weave baskets, backpacks, earrings, bracelets and more! To make one backpack- the woman said she worked on it for 4 hours a day for one month! The woman all had such great dedication to their craft and their final products were all stunning- picture perfect handicrafts.

Before we hiked back down the mountain we stopped to see the farm and to eat an afternoon snack. We had planned to just have coconut as the afternoon snack; however, there was a little extra something cooking in the oven. A volunteer who works for Stairway lives at the top of the mountain too and she builds ovens and she is an amazing break cooker, yes… bread. I don’t think I have ever tasted more scrumptious bread in my life. If was fresh from the oven too which made every bite that much more satisfying. Now only if I had some olive oil, sundried tomatoes, and avocado packed in my backpack.

The hike back down was less strenuous. During language camp we liked to end our day with a trip to the beach to watch the sunset, maybe have a beer. After the camp was over, a few of us decided to stay an extra night in Puerto. Trevor helped us to find an affordable place to stay. We stayed at a hostel called Badladz… we were pretty bad, just joking. That morning we had a beer at 9am and hiked down this hidden pathway to find a double sided beach! It was the perfect place to chat, soak of the sun, and go for a dip. Later that day we took a boat to go scuba diving…. Ahhhh! We completed a crash course in scuba safety and learned about the gear and then we were off. The second my air tank hit the water and my body splashed in after, I felt like a fish. I just wanted to swim away and explore but I had to follow instructions from the dive master. We had to pass a three skills test underwater before we could begin our trip under the sea. The trip was grand from start to finish and we even saw a sea turtle along the way. I did not want it to end! The days awesomeness did not stop there because that night we had Mexican food for dinner… like REAL Mexican food with beans and spices and everything nice. After dinner we also went out for a drink to celebrate Amy’s Birthday a little early J. Great day to be alive. The next day we woke up early, went to the beach, ate some REAL pizza at this Italian restaurant where I had to force myself not to buy sausage and cheese by the ton, and then we got on a boat to head back to our homes. That’s all folks!