Sunday, August 28, 2011

August 28, 2011 Typhoon (and typing at the internet cafe)


there is a typhoon somewhere near and rain and winds are whipping us. it is wild. i love it. furthermore, it is cooler than ever. folks here say it is cold and sometimes have on sweaters, because it has dipped to maybe 82f. PCT's, of course, are just delighted, especially my friend, mike, who has a sweating disorder. life is just humorous, isn't it?
(sometimes, like today, i just don't have it in me to fight with this internet cafe computer in order to get caps out of it.)

Saturday, August 27, 2011

August 24, 2011 My First Solo Teaching


Ma'am Grace and Ma'am Ali
 It's umbrellas here, like snowboots in Minnesota.


My First Solo Teaching of an entire Public School classroom- Ever!

They are listening to me as I tell and draw the story of  Goldilocks and the Three Bears.


I'm having fun with a pupil as he answers a question. Pupils stand when they answer. Every time I enter the room they all pop to their feet and say, in chorus, "Good morning Ma'am Ali, God bless you!"


I'm listening very carefully as a pupil answers. The wall of windows and the enire wall to the hallway is all open so there is a lot of noise, which they are used to, but sometimes is a little distracting.


 What a gift to be able to draw this enthusiasm from children, especially when they are struggling through a language barrier. The flip side of that is the fear of taking them into the meaty/boring stuff. I know only too well how tedious school can be and I cringe at the idea that I would lead them into that.
 I told my counterpart teacher, Ma'am Grace, this, and told her how valuable her example and constructive criticism would be to me. She, in turn, is intimidated by my English and our American teacher training. We have been a great team! I will miss her.

August 17, 2011 Walk in the Country with Steve

In which Steve takes me for a walk in the country behind our villages.

I will just let the pictures speak for themselves. If you like, you can imagine me saying, as I did about every ¼ of a mile, “Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! This is so beautiful!”





 Tour of Bataan Peninsula

Do you remember those “Courtesy Calls” we made to the Barangay Captain, the teachers, the Principal, the Regional Director of Education, the Chief of Police and his staff, the Mayor,
the Governor and the Governor's Dog (kidding)?
One pleasant outcome of these obligatory extravaganzas was that the Governor, out of his gratitude to our service, extended an invitation for us to spend a day touring this region at his expense. To quote Jane Austen, “We hoped, rather than believed” that this would come to pass. Oh, we of little faith! Everyone came through! We left at 7:30 AM and returned that evening after a long, wonderful day of viewing 7 sights.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

August 21, 2011 Escape to Subic Bay


Note: Not all blogs are in correct order and sometimes I may add a picture later. Also, I'm adding titles now to help keep track. Thanks for reading. Love, Ali


Subic Bay Respite

I was feeling emotionally and mentally limp, so I did something daring. I betook myself to the beach to meet my friends! What was daring about that is that it was spur of the moment and I wasn't well prepared.
I set off for the big city with a pathetic amount of local language and even less pesos. I hopped the first bus, which turned out to be an expensive one because it had air-con. The conductor was nice, though, and when he saw my concerned look- or maybe it was when he heard my Tagalog- he felt sorry for me and gave me a discount. Wow! Things were definitely looking up!
 And then- a little bonus- I was sitting in the front of the bus and a movie was being shown: House Bunny, a Hugh Heffner movie about a loveable bimbo who becomes housemother to a sorority of misfits. I enjoyed all 35 minutes I saw. Laughed right out loud. What do you think of that, DeMatteo children? Look what the PC is driving me to!
I sat on that bus, laughing at that movie and feeling the tinge of danger at my actions and just felt myself light up with the sheer joy of life. It just got better as the day went on. I had to walk about a mile for the ATM, it was functioning and I got some money! Just like that, money from an ATM! Then I found a bus to the shore.
My friend came running out when she saw me- doesn't that just make you smile when someone does that? And she led me to another friend waiting in the little cabana on the pleasant beach.
We are all training in rough areas with poverty and pollution. This beach is not pristine, but it was beautiful to us! We drew deep breaths of the fresh air and sucked in the view and the coolness of the ocean air.  When I waded in and let myself fall back into the ocean I just exhaled from sheer delight!  It was a delicious afternoon! It was a spiritual experience - so I canceled plans to go to mass. I kid you not. That's what happens when you indulge in Hugh Heffner movies.


Natalie and Lucy at Subic Bay
Aaaaah!
About time to catch a Jeepney home.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

August 20, 2011 Tour of Bataan Peninsula

 Tour of Bataan Peninsula
Do you remember those “Courtesy Calls” we made to the Barangay Captain, the teachers, the Principal, the Regional Director of Education, the Chief of Police and his staff, the Mayor,the Governor and the Governor's Dog (kidding)?One pleasant outcome of these obligatory extravaganzas was that the Governor, out of his gratitude to our service, extended an invitation for us to spend a day touring this region at his expense. To quote Jane Austen, “We hoped, rather than believed” that this would come to pass. Oh, we of little faith! Everyone came through! We left at 7:30 AM and returned that evening after a long, wonderful day of viewing 8 
different sights. We didn't realize how trapped we'd felt here until they took us out of the cage for the day. 

I've already written about how moving the history of WW II and Bataan is to me.  I think feelings for my country and everyone who has served in any capacity is very real and deep because of how my parents raised me. Mama used to show me her scrapbook, and talk about the family's experiences during WWII. She told about seeing the trains go regularly through Erie, loaded with servicemen on their way to war, hanging out the windows waving and throwing letters to be mailed to loved ones. My love of my country and a sense of what we owe service people was so great that from the time I was little parades made me cry. 
I was talking with the knowledgeable, thoughtful young Filipina tour-guide in the museum and we were sniffling together through it. The site of the memorial in the picture is roughly where the soldiers hunkered down to fight what they knew was a futile battle. From this vantage point you can see the ocean surrounding this Bataan Peninsula. 
 Me, in front of one of two walls telling the history.
 The memorial, which is a hall and has an altar in front of the stained-glass windows. Every April 9 there is a festival and mass and commemoration. American veterans still come.
Resistance Memorial. 

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

August 10, 2011 Supervisors Conference, Island Cove, Cavite

So here we are, the principal of the school to which I've been assigned for the next two years, Amelia Ilagan, and me on the left and another volunteer and principal.

I have another month before I move to that sight, but we spent days training together in preparation.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

August 9, 2011 Supervisor's Conference

Well, here I am in Island Cove, a lovely resort near Manila. Our entire batch is here, gathered from several training sights around the Philippines for this, the highly anticipated Supervisors Conference. The purpose of this event is to reveal where we will be assigned and who will supervise us.
We arrived yesterday and, as usual, started right in working. Later in the day, with great fanfare, we found out where we will be living for the next two years! I will be in San Jose, Batangas. Check out the Location at the bottom right.

I will be working with elementary teachers in various grades. I met and have now spent hours in training with my supervisor, Amelia Ilagan, who is the principal of the school I'm assigned to. She is smart, pleasant, friendly and tiny! I don't feel tall in the US, but all a sudden I feel like Paul Bunyan's mother! I'll post a pic when I can, but that won't be today because I am in my hotel room...

...with diarrhea.

Now, I know that is probably more than you feel you needed to know but I feel the need to tell you... This is out of control! Literally. Have any of you read "All Quiet on the Western Front"? Do you remember how Hemingway describes, very effectively, how bodily functions became shared experience? A bonding, if you will? Well, it is like that here because you aren't necessarily given a choice. I was sitting on a couch in the outdoor (Thank God for it being outdoors!) and visiting with Lonnie, a man (of course it couldn't be a female), when nature called- or rather, freaked out. I asked Lonnie to get me a towel and then give me privacy to get to my room. I just slipped my plastic notebook under me and waited for him to return. When he did he just said, "Hope you feel better soon. I just finished with that, myself." And pleasantly walked off to lunch.

Those of us stricken today figure it was the food from last night. Our favorite suspect is the Pork Menudo. Another stricken young woman cocked here head and said, sadly, "And it was so delicious, too!"

Anyway, I will now get a nap. A rare luxury. Have a good day.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

August 7, 2011 Hanging out with the Host Fam


Greetings everyone. I know it's been a while since I wrote. Hello to everyone out there! Here is my host family and their previous PCVolunteer, Jerica. She is such fun. She's just finishing her 2 years. From right to left are Kuya (that's what I call him, which means "Oldest Brother"; his name is Ronnie and Ate ("Oldest Sister"), whose name is Lillian, then Jerica, PCV, then Christoper, 20, and Bernadette, 22. They are in the back porch/room of the house. You can see the laundry and one of the 4 family homes in this little family compound.




Here I am with my two Host Fam grandchildren, Quincy and Noah. They are providing me with all the hugs I'm missing from all of you back home.
A big bunch of bananas fell from our tree prematurely. See them hanging to ripen? They were delicious. Lots of fruits and vegetables here that we don't have. Yum!