Upon arrival to Pambujan, I was invited by all the male teachers to attend the Regional Boy Scout Jamboree that week. I’ve seen some other scouting events in the past here, and wasn’t too impressed. Then again, I was only there for a short time. I’m happy to stand corrected. Although it took some time to convince me of their Boy Scout ways.

It’s part of Filipino culture to start something at 9 and then really start at 10ish. This applies to everything except scheduled means of traveling. This is totally up to the discretion of the driver, and they usually leave 30 minutes to an hour early. I was on a plane that left 1 hour early two weeks ago, and my supervisor missed the plane because she showed up on time. So when you come to visit, show up early, and then have no expectations or plans for that day. Just show up when you do, eat, drink and rest. Travel days are actually pretty good for just that. You are expected to sleep for the rest of the day.

So the first day of Boy Scouts, I was to meet the group of men at 7:30, they showed up at. . .? 8:30. Then they left me because they were all on motorcycles, and I can’t ride those because of Peace Corps policy. So I walked a half mile to the bus terminal, and sat in a van for 40 minutes while we waited for the van to fill up. In a 9-person van, they will fit 15. Always room for one more!

I showed up to Scout City and mamasayada (walked around, favorite Filipino word). Some how this group of men left an hour before I did on motorcycles, and still managed to show up an hour after I did. I really didn’t mind. I got to walk around and enjoy the beautiful venue. I also met some other young men that were helping to organize the event. They were Eagle Scouts too, and we had lots to talk about.

Eventually when the other men showed up they began hauling wood and other materials up a steep hill made of slippery clay. Then we began to construct a stick framed structure that we would drape several tarps over to keep the rain out. This structure reminded me of something that I really wanted to build in my backyard when I was 11. Building our fort took up the main portion of that day.

The following day, boys showed up and acclimated themselves to the camp ground for the first part of the morning. In the afternoon the boys got together to practice songs, hip-hop dances, and some instrumental pieces to be performed later that evening. I was very impressed. I know some Filipino boys would be happy to come to the states, and give hip-hop dance lessons to our kids. I have complete confidence in their ability to teach and dance. I’m blown away by the synchronized Ga-Ga slides, and fluid Justin Beaver arm-bops.

The next day the boys moved around camp and went to different activities such as a zip-line (using a rope-harness technique taught to us in Search and Rescue classes), A hike that leads scouts down steep slippery trails, dodging spiders, wasp nests, who knows what else and a rope spanning the width of a pond to be used to cross the pond (Filipinos can’t swim, fortunately it wasn’t that deep), next comes a mud crawl, followed by another mud crawl. Those guys are troopers. We had so much fun. I stayed out of the mud, but enjoyed everything else. There were also some team-building activities, and a community project that involved cleaning up trash on the beach.

I spent the night at Scout city that night. I went for another mamasayada sa bukid (mountain) at night, and at one point found myself completely surrounded by fireflies. It was so cool! There were so many, I was actually a little intimidated. That night as the boys slept, the other men and I drank and shared stories. I got a lot of language practice that night. Visayan tends to flow so smoothly when I’m drinking. During the night, strange noises filled the air, the moon lit up the ground and surrounding foliage, and nothing that I know of crawled into bed with me.

It was a great experience and a good way to get to know some of the other teachers at my school, and some of the students that I will be working with. Kudos to the Boy Scouts of the Philippines for having a good time, giving the boys some great experiences and being so involved with the school.

Siget, Makadi ako sa dagat, para maglalakat ngan magbibiling la. Sanglit, mayada kamo malipayon ka kulop, ngan magsurat san-o magbibiling sin pagtrabajo! (Okay, I’m going to go to the beach for a walk and look around. So, you all have a great afternoon, and write when you find work!)

xoxo

Litson! Litson! Litson!

I used to be a good person before I came to the Philippines. They've turned me into a murderer. In the spirit of Halloween, All Saints day and Dia del Muerte. I decided to take part in a Filipino food dish called litson. It's a pig roasted on a spit. Feeling inspired by my grandfather who was a butcher, my friend Adam who bit the head off of a lizard and spit it at me, another friend Joel who hacked at a chickens throat 6 times to try and kill it, and Jerimiah for breeding pigs, I wanted the experience of slaughtering a pig.

I was able to find a host friend that does this for other people on the side. Lando is a handyman that finds work where ever he can. When it's raining on our house, Lando is the man on the roof trying to stop the leaks, when septic issues arrive, Lando. If there is a big party coming up and the family needs help cooking all the food, Lando's wife (BeeBee).

I gave Lando the p4,000 to buy a pig and other supplies down at the market. A Filipino can get a better deal on a pig than a lanky white dude, so I didn't go. I can't even buy a mango without having to beg for the same price that everyone else pays (I won't get into this). He went down to the market at 3 in the morning, because that's when all the good pigs are still there.

Around 1 in the afternoon, some friends came by and we went over to the slaughter site, Lando's backyard. The little guy was only 3 months old. I guess that's all it takes to taste good.

I think the hardest part of the whole process was holding the pig down and tying up his legs, and then driving the knife into his throat. The phrase screaming like a stuck pig has some validity. It took about 5 minutes for the pig to finally die. We collected the pigs blood in a bowl while a knife was in it's throat for soup, and kept all the other internal organs for other various dishes. I didn't use any of them, but apparently they are worth decent money Maybe next time I will learn what to do with the rest of the pig.

The rest of the cleaning was interesting. We poured boiling water over the pig in order to separate the top layer of skin from the pig and some of it's hair. After that, we spent a bit of time shaving the pig, and cleaning the outside of the pig before we dove inside. Gutting the pig went swimmingly. I'm not going to get into too much detail. Lando did a great job of showing me around, and making sure I didn't get into anything that would cause a stink.

After the pig was cleaned, we shoved a bamboo pole through it's body in a way that could only be done if all it's insides were missing. Then, I got to show off my sutchering skills (Brodie you would be proud). I zipped the little guy up, covered him in coka-cola (to make his skin crispy and sweet) and then put him on the litson, and turned the pig for about 2 hours.

It tasted great, and I had a good time doing it (Shannon, if you're still reading at this point I'm proud of you!). And the whole process took about 5-6 hours. It was a little slow because I didn't know what I was doing, but I'll get faster.

On another note, I'm going to Manila in a couple of days to attend my swearing in ceremony. This is when I will go from being a trainee to a full on volunteer. Who knew it took so much work to just become a volunteer. After the conference, I will move to Pambujan, Samar where I will live for the next two years. I'm enjoying my last few days here with my host family. I have really come to love them. They are such great people. The Nicolaraios have really made me feel at home. It's hard to leave another home and another family again. It was hard enough the first time.

I'll keep you posted on my where abouts as the time goes by. Thanks for all your comments, and for taking the time to read my blog. It's a highlight in my day when I hear from people back home.

Love ya all!

Kelly

Things that crawl in the night

I'm not sure that I've ever seen a spider whose eyes actually have a reflection when they are looked at with a light. After getting some pictures, I ran down to the kitchen, and grabbed one of those clear plastic glad tupperware tubs (you know, the ones with the blue lids). I was going to trap it against the wall with the tupperware, slide a piece of paper under the spider while it is calmly behaving. Then, transport it somewhere else. Like, anywhere but my room. The tupperware wasn't big enough.

I go to trap the eight legged beast, and it starts running all over the place. Its really fast. I end up having to chase it all over the room trying to herd it with my insufficient Tupperware and a pair of starchy underwear. I eventually corral the spider over towards the screen door and it starts moving up the door jam (I've heard from others that these things jump, far). I could hear its feet tapping on the wall. The spider moved closer towards the screen door and actually tried opening the door. I saw the door move ever so slightly, but it was not able to open the door enough to squeeze out. Maybe if it ate a few more children or a baby carabao it would be strong enough to open a screen door by itself. So naturally, I helped it out. I mean, I am in the Peace Corps doing good things, so why wouldn't I help a spider move out of my room. This really was a large spider I'm still impressed and scared! The next morning it was gone, but my shoes had moves a few inches to the left of where I had put them.

The next creature I wasn't as kind to. A few weeks ago I had just returned from class and I wanted to get out of my long pants, and into something a little more comfortable (like my ice suit). I went to my dresser door and wasn't paying to much attention to what I was doing. Nor did I pay much attention to the small thumping and patting against my chest. I looked down just in time to see a mouse make it's second attempt to tackle me. It leaped out of my dresser and onto my chest and began to run up my body. (I hope you're smiling). It didn't make it that far (only up to my collar bone) up before it fell to the floor and scuttled away to a corner in the room. I went to get Roger (host brother) to see if there was a mouse trap in the house that I could use. His response was that we needed to call the police because there was a trespasser in the house. After we had a little laugh, Roger got a broom for me and we went up stairs to do the dirty work. With a little team work we made the rest history.
A few nights later after feeling pretty comfortable in my room once again. I woke up to something tickling my neck. Bigger than the usual ant. I grabbed my own throat and chucked the unknown creature across the room. I turned on the light and looked for a few minutes to find this tickle bug, but there was no luck. I assumed that I threw it so hard against the wall that it dissipated into nothing. So I went back to sleep. An hour later I felt the same tickling sensation on my leg. After crawling on my leg, the cockroach had settled down against the wall long enough for me to turn on the light, grab my tsinelas (flip-flops) and smash the living existence out of it. I slept much better after that. I woke up 30 minutes later to roosters tuking. That was a longer day than most.
Those are my best animal stories for now. Fortunately, all the creatures were pretty small, but the creep factor is right up there with best of them. For the record the mouse wasn't that bad. More startling than anything. It was a small mouse. The spider was much bigger.

In Waray-Waray, people say hinay-hinay. The direct translation means, slowly-slowly. What they mean is to go carefully on your way and be safe.

So, slowly-slowly and watch out for spiders!
-K

Pambujan, on the Rocks

I've been trying so long to get to the computer and write down another post. But one thing after another keeps coming up. For such a slow pace of life, the day sure gets filled up quickly. I continue to wake up a little before 5 and go running. I've found a great loop that takes me west of town. There is a small road that looks like a driveway that I take to get off the main highway. After I run down the road a ways there is a suspension bridge just big enough for one person. It looks a little sketchy, but I know you would cross it too if you were here. The rest of my run winds through some rural villages, banana trees, coconut, papaya, and mango trees. There are also some huge fields with carabao. The sun is rising as I run along, it's a great way to start the day.

Last week I went to Manila for a conference and to find out where my final resting place is going to be in the Philippines. The conference was fun. We were held up at an amazing hotel with a aviary, hot showers, A/C rooms, great food and a bar. It was a very nice venue. Peace Corps treats us well.

So for the next two years I will be living in Pambujan, Samar. Samar is the island north of Leyte (which is where I am now). The town is pretty small. Maybe 15-20 thousand people. There are 4-5 paved roads, the rest are sand. The only vehicles in the town are motorcycles. There are vans and jeepnees that leave the town to go other places. My next host families house is only 2 blocks from the beach. The beach itself is very nice. Its wide open, not many trees. The water is clean and so is the sand once you get away from the main spot where everyone hangs out. It's beautiful.

Near Pambujan, there are small islands near by that host white beaches, coral reefs, fruit bats, snakes, and other good stuff. There are also other Peace Corps volunteers near by. Which is nice. They spend time together having dinner parties, going scuba diving, spelunking, and organizing workshops for the community.

While I was visiting Pambujan, I woke up to go for a run and the host family insisted that my host brother be my kasama (a person who looks after you, a chaperon). They were very adamant about this. They want to make sure that I stay safe. He ended up just turning around a little ways in, and went to the basketball court. Don't blame him. Running is hot and exhausting over here, even at 5 in the morning.

On my way back into town I saw a small group of boys waving a large pole up near a power line. My first thought was "Good God, it's Franklin reincarnated, I've found the diamond in the rough" as I got closer I noticed that they were trying to get something out of a tree. As I ran by I saw the boys wiping their arms and hands in a peculiar way. They weren't panicked, but it looked like they were trying to get something off of them. So I stopped and walked back to see what they were doing. Turns out they had accosted a herd of spiders. The spiders were about quarter size, quick moving and crawling all over the boys, and a small twig they cut down from the tree.

As I stood there and looked at them, the spiders continued to crawl all over their arms, neck and chest. They didn't seem too concerned about the arachnids. They were focusing more on the large two legged creature that stood in front of them. We exchanged names and had a small conversation in Waray, and then I was on my way. I never did figure out what they were doing with the spiders. It was very entertaining though. Its good to see what kids do to keep themselves occupied when there is no T.V. I met another boy training a dove that he caught. He said he would teach me how to train a dove when I come back. So more on that soon.

I had an interesting day yesterday. Our language group went to Tacloban (biggest city in Layte and Samar. 40 minutes away) to practice language skills amongst the locals. We were to go on a scavenger hunt to find certain places and information using the Waray dialect. We were on our way to the post office.

Now you should know this first. There are two lanes on the roads in the Philippines, but all three of them are used. People drive in the middle of the road while other vehicles are still on the left and right of them. It took a while to get used to this Grande Theft Auto style of driving. While the cars are driving around with reckless abandon, people and dogs and old men are crossing the street whenever they choose. Usually causing the drivers to slam on their brakes or swerve. Its very manic. It's amazing that I never hear anyone swear or look frustrated.

So back to the story. Apparently we picked the only "No Jay Walking" zone in the Philippines when we decided to cross the road. Two people with whistles and a backstage pass came running after us and cited us for jay walking. We had two options, we could pay 200 pesos or volunteer 1 hours of community service (I thought that was the funny part) So we decided to do the volunteer service (is that double dipping? Do I get something extra for that?)

We were escorted to the social justice building and were sat down. Now the funny part. Holly (age 65), Alex (age 24 and cute) and me (just me) were sat down. Holly was let off because she is a senior citizen, and Alex wasn't written up either. I'm not sure why, and neither is she. But I've got a sneaky suspension. So it was just me that got the fine. I guess being cute and white doesn't get me much in the Philippines :)

Our supervisor was with us at this point, and she was talking with "the man" trying to point out the obvious that we were serving their country, volunteering for 2 years, saving children, ending world hunger, and stopping whale abuse. But they didn't care. Justice must be served! So we ended up paying the p200. The best part of the whole thing was that the office was air conditioned. That was the highlight of my day yesterday. Being bit on the neck by a cockroach in my sleep last night was not the highlight of my day.

There are more stories to come. But I've got to head off to school and save children. Thanks for reading and posting comments. It makes my day every time I read a new comment. It's good to hear about what's going on back home. Love ya 'all!

Hinay hinay!

Kelly

Tuk-Ta-Laok (Cock-A-Doodle-Doo)

Even the chickens speak a different language over here. Who knew. Next time you are feeling ambitious, you can teach your neighbors chickens how to speak Waray-Waray. Tuk-Tu-laok! However, it all sounds the same to me. There are roosters all over town. The roosters are tethered to a stake in the ground and usually have a roost within 3-4 feet of there stake. The roosters are very much loved. A lot of time I will see men walking around with their roosters in there hand (don't take that the wrong way). They are very proud of their roosters. After church on Sundays, they take their roosters to "Sunday School" and have cock fights. It's a very popular past-time. Maybe one of these days I'll have some documentation of "Sunday School".

The new strange food item you see on the slide show is. . . You guessed it, and century egg. That's what an egg looks like after it's been covered in horse manure for 30 days. This egg didn't smell as good as the last one. Oh well, when in Rome. I mean Palo. If I had to pick between the century egg and balut, I'd go balut, hands down.

There are a couple pictures of my host brothers. Noel is in the picture with me. The other picture that looks like it was taken at the same place (because it was) is of Roger and Francis. Roger is the older one. We spend a bit of time together. He cracks me up. He's pretty witty and speaks good english. Most mornings he will be up playing some form of Lady Ga-Ga type music, and it's bumpin. The other day it started at 5:30 AM. Right now I'm listening to Justin Timberlake. You got it. . . I'm bringing sexy back! You think the neighbors would hate us, but they are up at 5:15 playing the Carpenters and The Doobie Brothers.

The night that picture was taken, Noel treated and bunch of my friends and myself to a night on the town. First we went to a bar that had live music, and I got a chance to get up in front of the small crowd and sing a few songs with a guitar. It was nerve racking, but fun. After that place, we went to the top floor of a hotel, and got into a VIP room with A/C and enjoyed some San Miguel Beer, and sumsum (beer munchies). It was a great night. Thanks Noel!

Next week, I find out where my permanent site will be. I will also get to meet my supervisor, next host-family, and cooperating teacher as-well. On the 4th of October, I get on a plane to fly up to Manila, and then spend a couple of days working with my supervisor before we go to our site.

It's all going great. Everyday gets a little easier and I keep having fun. I still miss everybody at home though, so know that I'm thinking of you.

Take care

Kelly

In the Swing of Things

It feels like I'm starting to get into a little bit of a routine after being here for only a month. It feels like a lot longer. Everyday there are new things to take in. Last Saturday I was walking to the Saturday market with my Nanay (host mom), and there was a god awful screaming sound coming from a block away. What ever the creature was experience must have been horrible. I we got closer to the sound. It was a pig with a prison shank stuck in it's throat and 3 grown Filipinos holding it up while it bled to death. Nanay and I walked on and the pig kept screaming.

Once we were at the market Nanay led me around the market telling me what different things were. behind my back she would put her hand up by her mouth and whisper "Peace Corps" while pointing at me explaining to the people who were talking to her. If there has been one unforgettable experience in Palo so far it's been going to the market. There is everything from used clothing, hand-made machetes, fruits and vegetables (prutas ngan utan), weird chunks of meat that have been deep fried to hide their identity. They all taste the same. The several city blocks that the market consumes are covered in blue tarps to help keep people out of the sun. The best time of day to go to the market is around 5 in the morning. The meat is still fresh, and it's cooler out.

On the way home from the market, we walked by the pig scene, and in the 20 minutes that we spent walking around was long enough to clean the pig and shove a bamboo pole through it's body. They will then put this pig over a deep concrete pit with a fire in the bottom, and roll the pig back and forth for a few hours until the pig is done. When it's ordered at a street vendors or at a fiesta it's called lechon.

My week days are filled up with language training and technical training. The language training is fun but challenging. I bought some envelopes the other day using the native language, and felt pretty proud of myself. Technical training is what it is. and that's all I have to say about that. The last couple of weeks I've been teaching twice a week in a 6th grade class. There are about 42 students in the class on a full day. The students have great handwriting and there English is impressive. We have a great time together. I've really been enjoying my time with them. I look forward to being with children on a daily basis.

Back to the food scene. It's easy to find things to eat that aren't "normal" Last week I ate belut. Balut is a duck egg that has been boiled a couple of days before it's due to hatch. Inside the egg, is a little duckie. It tastes a lot better than it sounds. A little salt and Tobasco will make anything taste like salt and Tobasco! I also ate a century egg. This is an egg that has been covered in salt, then clay, then horse manure, then buried in the ground for a month. After a month it is finally rotten enough to eat. The whites are brown and the yolk is grey. It tastes like a yummy salted hard boiled egg. Just takes longer to get, and it's covered in horse poo.

Till next time. Thanks for checking my blog. I read your posts several times. It's nice to hear from you all. Siget, Paghinay (Take Care)

Palo, Leyte

I moved in with my host family last week. My Nanay (mom) has a nice house and with her lives with Roger, her 50 year old son, Christine here 17 year old grand niece who is in high school and has been very helpful in teaching me Waray ( I think she knows more about the English language that I do) ( Not saying much I know). Francis, her 24 year old grand nephew. A small group of people come and go, most of which are family that live nearby.

My days are pretty slow. When there is nothing going on, I play my guitar, or read. I'm really enjoying the slow pace. It's too hot to go any faster. It's hot and humid, but definitely tolerable. It's been fun walking around town. There are 4 other women in my Peace Corps group. They are the only other white people in town. I feel like Owen Wilson! Everybody that we see is very friendly and interested in us. Especially the kids. There was a small posse that followed us home tonight from the market. I'm super impressed with their English skills. I'll find out more soon when I start working in the schools.

Language training started today. I'm learning Waray-Waray. This translates to Nothing-Nothing. So what am I learning. . . It's actually coming along pretty well. Our instructor is doing a great job. I think Aaron Santi has been talking to her about posting objectives. We are working in a small room with pretty tile, and about 4 fans going all the time. It's a very intimate setting.

Thanks for all your comments and emails. I appreciate the thoughtful words. It helps!

Love ya 'all

Siget, tubtub sonub

Kelly

ps - I heard from one of the Peace Corps volunteers that her daughter was able to see her house on Google Earth. I'll find out more details, and get you in on the loop.

20 hours later!

I made it safe and sound! There was a short meeting in Philadelphia for a day, and then a 20 hour flight to Manila. There was a short and much needed layover at Narita (Tokyo). Everybody I have met so far is absolutely great! Even the people I haven't met are nice. This week we are staying at a resort just outside of Manile. It's got an animal area with monkeys and aligators (great combo), there is a water park, amazing food, music, and karaoke. At the end of the week I go somewhere to meet my host family and start the language training. Tonight while I was out for a walk, I saw hundreds of large toads, fruit bats, gecko like lizards, and trumpet fish. Most of the water where we are at is very polluted, and there is a lot of garbage on the streets. It's mostly shanty towns surrounding our resort area. Despite the impoverished area, people seem to have good spirits, and are very friendly towards Americans.
At this point internet access is pretty spotty, and I don't imagine it getting any better, but we'll see. I'll also try hard to get some pictures up soon. I haven't been very good about taking pictures, but I will get better.

I miss you all very much, and you're on my mind. Take care and I'll look forward to hearing from you.

See ya,
Kelly

Still in town

I haven't left yet, let's hang out!

I leave for the Philippines on the 19th of August. I'll spend 2 days in Washington D.C. for a quick debriefing and then sent to Manilla, which is the capital city of the Philippines. I'll spend 3 months with a host family in the city. During the 3 months in Manilla, I will be getting language, culture and job training for my placement that is still unknown

I'll update from time to time, and do my best to keep this blog current.

Till then, take care

Kelly