March 13, 2011
Greeting from Dao!
A few days ago a mouse dropped out of a hole in the ceiling of my classroom while I was teaching and ran straight at me. Or rather, it sort of “hopped” toward me, which makes me think it was one of those kangaroo mice that like to eat sweet blonde American girls. My students had to chase it out of the room. I love them.
Other things that have made me realize I’m a “real” Peace Corps volunteer.
- Two days ago, as I walked into my bedroom, I saw a kuracha, or cockroach, run underneath my bed and my only thought was, “Well, as long as he’s underneath my bed and not in my bed, I guess that’s okay.”
- I spoke to a woman on the street about why I was not carrying a payon (umbrella) even though the sun was beating down. In the Philippines most people want to have white skin, and whitening lotion is a popular product in supermarkets. I explained that in America tan skin is considered beautiful, so in preparation for my trip home in two years I am trying to tan my skin to look like hers. She giggled at this.
- Last Friday I was introduced to a group of schoolheads with the beginning of the Gettysburg Address: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” I was not sure how to respond to this…
- Two weeks ago I was nearly attacked by two chickens while waiting at the jeepney station to go to the city. They were in the road, and in order to avoid getting run over by a motorcycle, flew out of the road and, coincidentally, right at me.
- Continuing with the chicken theme, a baby chick who lives in our outdoor kitchen pecked at my tsinelas (flip flops) and tried to eat them. He thought they were food. He also thinks I’m his mother. He loves macaroni and cheese.
- For a snack a few days ago I was given a “hamburger” (whether or not it has real beef is questionable), and when I saw the ants crawling all over it, I flicked them off and ate the burger. Ummm…protein?
In addition to all of these things, I am preparing for the many activities planned from now until the beginning of the next school year in June. In two weeks I will be flying to Manila for the Peer Support Network (PSN) training workshop. PSN is a support network consisting of current volunteers who provide a listening ear, advice, and counsel to other volunteers. I am excited to utilize some of the skills and knowledge I have gained during my master’s degree here in the Philippines, and I hope that my previous experiences will help me be a positive role model and empathetic listener. I have also been asked to be a resource for the incoming batch of Peace Corps trainees, who will be arriving in August. They will be able to email me with any questions regarding living and volunteering here in the Philippines, including such things as, “What is it like teaching in the Philippines?” and “How many bottles of my favorite shampoo should I pack?” (Little do they know they will quickly get over the shampoo thing. I don’t even shower every day). But I am very excited to share my experiences and help them with the transition from American to Filipino life.
Valentine’s Day was several weeks ago, but I cannot write this blog without briefly mentioning our celebration. Instead of holding class the students exchanged flowers they had bought at the canteen (i.e. the snack shack). In grade 6 everyone has a crush on a classmate, and at that age they are still cute, so it was pretty fun to watch them give flowers with handwritten notes attached to the one they love above all others J. What makes it even more fun is that everyone knows who everyone’s crush is. For example:
Me: “Hanz who is your crush?”
Hanz: Silence. (He is too embarrassed to tell me.) So of course, like any good American, I turn to his seatmate.
Me: “Who does Hanz have a crush on?”
Hanz’ seatmate and 10 other classmates who have been listening: “Margie!” (this is shouted in unison)
Margie: She says nothing, but turns rather pink. It’s adorable.
Thus, no one’s crush is a secret; everyone knows who likes who, and if more than one boy likes the same girl, and it is quite the drama scene. My favorite moment was when Charlo asked me (via his friend) to deliver a flower to his crush, Charice, because he himself was too shy. The note simply said, “Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you.” Not bad for a 12 year old boy.
Of course, everyone wants to know who MY crush is, and you cannot answer, “I have no crush,” because here in the Philippines, EVERYONE has a crush, even if they are married. Having a crush is like an extracurricular activity. So I tell them, “Piolo Pascual”, who is a famous Filipino actor, and quite beautiful. Then they want to know if I would marry him. My only thought is, “If someone that attractive and rich ever wants to marry me, I have no intention of turning him down.” Come on, people. Priorities.
On a more serious note, I am going to have a very busy summer. After our school graduation on April 5, the following week I will be attending a five-day language camp to improve my Hiligaynon. I am really excited about the camp, and while I am doing my best to practice and study on my own, it will be nice to have some formal training again, even if it is only for a few days. I am also in the process of organizing my first “out of classroom” project at my school. The teachers and I are hoping to have a facilitators training and journalism camp over the summer. The training will be for teachers who want to learn a) about the different types of journalism/journalism writing and b) how to teach journalism writing to their students. The idea then is to have a journalism camp for students facilitated by the teachers who have been trained on journalism techniques and teaching journalism to students. The tentative “theme” for the journalism camp is “Detecting” the Truth-Journalists: The Modern-Day Detectives.” We are going to have several “mystery” games where the students practice their interviewing techniques and “discover” the truth of a story, and hopefully (if the teachers agree) students will refer to teachers as “Inspector” throughout the duration of the camp. This means I get to be Inspector Mindi, which gives me an inordinate amount of happiness.
Finally, I will be participating in a large teacher training on Negros Occidental, the island directly below Panay Island, where I live. I will be leading a session on remedial reading, and co-facilitating a session on education and the environment. Approximately 2,000 teachers are expected to attend over the course of the two-week training (we will be moving around to different schools), so I am simultaneously nervous and excited. Remedial reading is a big concern for Filipino teachers and little training is available in this area despite it being a common struggle in schools, so I am reading a lot of books, talking to a lot of teachers, and doing my best to plan an interesting and beneficial seminar.
The hot fudge on top (I hate cherries, that’s why I chose hot fudge) will be having my friend Amber visit me in June! She will be here about 1 week, and we are planning a lot of beach and relaxation time. Amber will have just finished her medical board exam, and I cannot wait to see someone from home! We are both avid readers, so we will be spending a lot of time sprawled on towels on the beach, covered in sunscreen and wearing sunglasses, reading our respective books side by side. It is going to be the perfect vacation.
One last exciting piece of news: I attended church for the first time today here in the Philippines! I went to visit a fellow PCV for the weekend, and the two of us with a third PCV were invited and attended “Ikthus Iloilo”, a non-denominational Protestant church. I have been listening to podcasts of church services online, which have been very encouraging, but nothing can compare to worshipping and learning with other Christians. The pastor and his wife were both very welcoming and encouraged us to come back, so I hope that in the future when I am visiting I will be able to attend services. After nearly 7 months without a church, I feel renewed, at peace, and motivated.
Thanks to everyone who has been sending notes and words of encouragement! I was telling another PCV today that I am overwhelmed by the support I have received from family and friends, so please know that every word and prayer you send my way is felt very strongly, even though I am halfway around the world.
All my love,
Mindi
