Single Step Journey

Smile Bus

Today getting stuff set up for Sunday’s dental day (kids get free checkup and cleaning from dental students.) We are making a “Smile Bus” poster. I have to make certificates of participation for all of them. That is a big big deal in the Philippines, getting a certificate for EVERYTHING.

Looking Forward

In Manila last year, the typhoons washed out a community that the Peace Corps has since re-established in Laguna, on the East coast of Luzon island. They’ve got a a 10-day training camp coming up and need a community planner to participate. I feel honored to be invited and look forward to doing something diffferent and away from Dagupan City for a while. Although, I’m not sure what to expect. It could be anything from meeting with community leaders to beautification projects. They’ve built a school for 1700 kids, which may be the only permanent structure in the community, so we’ll operate out of the school. 

I’m also looking foward to achieving my one year mark with the Peace Corps on August 20th. Maybe I will make it to 27 months after all. I was admittedly miserable here for a while. I’m so relieved to have my own apartment now. Living in such close quarters with other people was really getting me down.

I got a pool membership at an embarrassingly fancy resort near my place. I don’t need so much luxury, but I do love to swim, and the PC doctor advised me against swimming in the YMCA pool. The resort pool is like paradise in comparison, although on the weekends it becomes a full-blown Filipino water park from hell— blaring smaltzy 70s music and banana peels everywhere. Luckily, I already wear ear plugs for swimming.

Totems of Respect

The kids punch and kick each other constantly, having never known anything but violence at home or on the street. Their behavior is only reinforced by the staff, who punish them for hitting other kids by giving them a smack! I created a project to introduce them to the idea that violence is not benefical to anyone. I helped the kids create a cardboard totem pole with cut-out totemic tribe animals to glue on. Each animal had an inscription: “I respect myself,” “I respect others,” “I keep my hands to myself,” etc. This project also introduced them to the culture of the Ifugao, a mountain people of the Phillipines. Strangely, the staff had never even heard of the Ifugao. It’d be like growing up in Florida and having never heard of the Seminole indians. The ignorance here continues to astound me.

Hot Dogs in Everything

I had dinner with my original host family the Saplans on Saturday night. They proudly made me pasta Filipino style, with sugar and hot dog in it. I made them sangria, which they just love but absolutely cannot drink. They get giddy and silly even though I water it down with juice and ice till it’s practically just fruit punch. They are pleasant, happy folk when sober and become laughing puddles with just a few drops of sauce in them. Even the suggestion is enough for them.  It was a fun evening. I put them both to bed 9 pm, wrote them a thank-you note and went home!  

Who Knew?

I have returned to Philippines, after a few weeks visit in the States, with renewed resolve to tough it out and stop complaining. After all, this is what I want. 

The kids went nuts when I came back. I felt a little ashamed about my own ambivalence towards my service, as they adore me so much. 

Today and next week we’re holding a “camp” for them before school resumes in June.  I’m bringing some plastic animals (zoo animals and dinos) that I’ve been saving for the occasion, and some fabrics and pans to make mountains and lakes for them to play in. I havent done this for them before because I have such a mixed age group and the older children will want to play too, since they have never had toys to speak of. But today the bigger kids will be playing races. I’ll just have the younger ones which makes for less conflict. 

The kids are all very good at heart, but their deprived background can make them unpredictable (pushy and combative). They get most excited about books. Even a mild-mannered child will kick and bite to get to hold The Gingerbread Boy or the Ugly Duckling. I also found a used Lady and the Tramp pop up book and they go nuts over the Siamese cats.  It really almost started a riot. I don’t bring that one any more. Who knew?