Still Raining

The weeks go by really fast. Monday-Friday we have language from 8am-12pm then technical training from 1-5pm sometimes later. We are exhausted by the time we get home but we have homework every night. My family has been very encouraging in helping me learn Tagalog and the neighborhood children like to come by and help me study as well. Here the typhoons are striking hard. School gets cancelled often which in turn cancels our daily tutoring sessions but I have been assigned to the first grade. I am hoping this will force me to use a lot of Tagalog since the first graders don’t know any English yet.


On Saturday July 28th we conducted a Literacy Fair. We had four stations music, art, sports and story telling. Our primary goal was to show the children that learning can be fun and creative. My group ran the music station so we wrote a song to the melody of “Call Me Maybe” and performed it with a silly dance for the kids.


We joined the Peace Corps to help
But we’re learning as well
We’re coming our of our shell
But you’re in my way


We just can’t wait to meet
All the people and see
All of the Philippines
But you’re in my way


We got off the plane
And all the Jeepney’s came
Peace Corps a lot of training
And it just keeps on raining


Hey I just met you
And this is crazy
But we’re learning
Tagalog Baby


Ano sa Tagalog?
What did you say?
Cause we’re still learning
Tagalog baby


After we performed the song we split the kids into groups where they made up a song and dance about various subjects in school: Math, Science, Music, Reading, English, and Filipino. Everyone here loves to sing and dance so our station was really popular and everyone seemed to have a great time. By the end we were all exhausted but received great compliments from our sector manager and many community members. We served over 200 kids!


Last Sunday was my day of rest. The weather was horrible so I spent the entire day in bed reading Wild. It was a great novel about Cheryl Strayed a woman who hiked the Pacific Crest Trail by herself back in 1995. Her journey was accompanied by a memoir detailing her difficulty in facing her mother’s early death, her failed marriage and the self destructive behaviors that followed. It was a great female empowerment story and very inspiring so read it!


I am building great relationships with a lot of my fellow cluster mates. We are getting more comfortable in this community and it’s beginning to feel like home. My lack of internet access has been good for me but I do miss talking with my friends and family. Although I’m sure you are all getting on fine without me, I think about you a lot and wonder how you are doing, and what’s happening in your lives.


After another jam packed week of language, training and community organizing on Saturday August 4th we conducted an all day Life Skills Camp focusing on Leadership, Self Awareness, Communication and Decision Making. I was assigned to Self Awareness so we led some fun activities that helped kids realize their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the impact of their actions on others. During one of our snack breaks I was pulled away by one of the host mom’s who wanted to introduce me to my ‘many suitors’, who think I am very beautiful. Not even kidding. I literally had to shake the hand of like five different men who all introduced their selves to me. It was mortifying.


I spent Sunday with my host family. We hiked out to this amazing waterfall which required wading through a knee deep flooded river with huge rocks. I slipped at one point and banged up my shin but my adrenaline kicked in and I got right back up and kept climbing. Afterward we walked down to my host grandma’s house (who lives at the family rice farm), and joined a bunch of extended family for a huge delicious lunch. There was a hammock and it was heavenly.

Things I’ve Gotten Used To:


-Ants crawling all over the dinner table.
-Bathing from a bucket of cold water.
-Having at least 10 mosquito bites at any given time.
-People speaking with their eyebrows.
-Lizards scaling the walls of my room.


Ongoing Adjustments:


-Riding in the Jeepney is still pretty terrifying.
-Lack of personal space and privacy.
-Being constantly stared at.
-Carrying an umbrella everywhere.