Thursday, September 29, 2011

September 29, 2011 Oooops! I made some mistakes with the blog.

Hi everyone,
I was spending some free time looking back at my blog history and realized I had made a lot of errors in the early days when I was still getting the hang of it. I found that I had written blogs and tried to post them and couldn't figure out how to do it, or maybe it was the lousy internet connection causing my computer to freeze. At any rate, if you were all reading rewrites of the same blog, repeatedly, I am sorry. I think I fixed that. But in fixing that, the blogs I corrected all popped up at random places. Now I'm trying to fix that.
Also, I finally found out how to find all comments. I'd gotten some and not others. So if you wrote to me and I didn't answer I'm sorry about that, too, and let me know and I will respond promptly. I have intended to answer every single correspondence and I'm happy to do it. Just let me know. Take care of yourselves- everyone, everywhere.
Love, Ali/Mama/Aunt Ali

Saturday, September 24, 2011

September 24, 2011 In which I join the Boy Scouts of the Philippines

Girl Scouts of the Philippines. I'd never be this cute in the uniform. So I couldn't join them.
Actually, Rachiel told me the girls' day would be boring compared to the boys.She would know, she was the leader.

  
We Boy Scouts boarding Jeepneys.
 The men carried our two heavy kettles of hot rice and adobo, a spicy pork stew, the usual hiking food because it lasts in heat, which is a good thing because it was hot that day. We were all dripping sweat by the time we were to this point and it got steeper and steeper as we climbed. 
 


 Trees planted, crest explored, lunch eaten and games played. We sat and visited and laughed. Then what else? Gameboy, of course.

  Heading back down.
 John Ivan came part way back up the hill to meet me and held his walking stick horizontally for me to hold onto to help me down the hill. That's like a gazelle trying to keep a hippo from rolling down a hill, but by his manner it was clear that he stood between me and disaster. Another boy joined him and they walked the rest of the way, one on each side. They pointed out slippery spots and rocks to watch out for and encouraged me when I didn't slip. It is very slippery and there is actually a rope to help at one point.
 This little gentleman wouldn't leave my side. I was escorted all the way to the foot of the hill, where we entered a little village.  
Heading home, me and the boyz!

September 24,2011 How to make Saging Toron (Banana Rolls)

*******************************************************
 Saging Toron   

           Starring*****Maricar Paglicauan****        
    Featuring the Inimitable **Alice DeMatteo**
*******************************************************************************************************

Peel bananas and slice lengthwise.
Nibbling freshly steamed peanuts and butchi so as to stave off faintness from the heavy work.




Looking as lovely as possible, carefully separate wrappers by peeling apart.
 Sprinkle Turbinado over the bananas.
 Place a slice of banana on a wrapper and fold sides in.

 Roll the banana in the wrapper.

 One completed, uncooked toron.

 Add oil to a heavy wok or heavy skillet.
 Add a little sugar to the hot oil. As the sugar heats it will look like it is coagulating. Just ignore it and as the torons fry a little of the sugar will adhere to the outside of them.
 Add torons to the hot oil. Heat should be medium low. Torons should fry about 4 or 5 minutes until they are golden brown.
 Not too much oil, not too many torons at once.

See how happy this will make you! You'll be even happier when you taste these. A simple yet delicious Filipino treat! We have also made them with a little fresh pineapple in them and less sugar.
Best when eaten warm while they are still very crunchy.

Filmed in the Philippines. 
Produced, directed and filmed by Ali DeMatteo. All rights reserved.

September 19, 2011 Hold onto your hats, here's my welcome to the school!

Padre Imo Luna Memorial Elementary School (PILMES). That's where I was headed for my first day, but I had no idea how to get there, so Rachiel was coming to pick me up. I was waiting on the balcon for her when I heard a band. I leaned out over the gate and here comes Rachiel, leading the school marching band to greet me. My first exposure to pupils or faculty.
Welcome, Filipino Style.

Entering PILMES Campus.
Over 2200 pupils
Folk Music Group


Principal Ma'am Amy, Ma'am Ali, Barangay Capitan Disto- delightful man, and  Counselor...someone... whose name I really ought to know.
Rachiel told the crowd I could sing a Tagalog folksong so here I am, to the children's accompaniment.You should have heard the delighted response of everyone!  What fun!

The choir sang two songs, first, "Yahweh, I Know You Are Near", which is such a moving song, and then they sang a beautiful and touching song called, "Welcome to the Family" and that was the end of my composure. 


Teachers in their Regulation Monday School Uniform.
There's a different uniform for each day of the week and it is strictly observed.
Spanish-Era Folk dance
Caribbean Dance Troupe
Dancing with the pupils
 Dear little primary graders acting out plants and trees coming to life and traditional Filipino life on the land.. 
Rachiel and I
I will be teaching the 6th graders, so each of them gave me a rose and then took my hand and touched it to their forehead for the traditional greeting and blessing. This is the common, day to day greeting anywhere.The younger pupils then rushed forward for me to touch them. Take a very vulnerable emotional state, add an overwhelming outpouring of gratitude and affection and welcome and....you can imagine. That's OK. They knew I got what they meant to relay to me. All of you support this program, without which none of us would be here.  You all share in this gratitude.
Another Traditional-Dance Troupe who ended their dance, and the program, by escorting me to the school museum, one of their projects. The program had lasted 2 hours. 

Then, in the afternoon I made the courtesy call to the Mayor. Incidentally, the Mayor calls us the"Peace Corpse". My counterpart was mortified to hear him repeatedly saying this. She said she kept imagining zombies.


Finally, back home and relaxing with Ate Norma.




She donated some of the flowers. The rest she put at the altars here at home.
This is the upstairs altar. On the right is a full sized statue of a Saint, complete with cloth gown and a veil.                      

Friday, September 23, 2011

September 19, 2011 Good-bye, Good-bye, Good-bye Colo


Good-bye to the citizens of Colo, who always smiled and always stopped to talk to me even though they knew my Tagalog would be an assault on their ears.  
Jo who ran the Internet Cafe out of her house, sitting behind the counter on her white, plastic chair, her little one-year-old climbing around on the white, plastic chair beside her. 
Good-bye to the Crossing Guard at Colo Elementary, who took his job very seriously, treating me and every other person like I was the only one to cross the street that day. And who also paused from his task to relieve himself along the street when necessary. Of course, because that's what men and boys do. Of course.
Good-bye to the owners of the Sari-sari where I bought my cell phone "load". To the many people who greeted me sunnily whenever they'd see me striding along the main road to class. Back and forth at least 4 times a day. Regardless of the many times Amy would tell me, "Slow down, you're walking faster than anyone else in the Philippines!" I still walk fast. But THEY didn't seem put off by my VeryFastAmericanWalk, regardless of what you may say, Amy.  But who knows, maybe I missed seeing  them pulling their children back from my path like mothers  do when a semi is barrelling down on them. I haven't noticed it but I guess I wouldn't- I'm too busy barrelling along.
To all the adorable pupils at the school who came running up to say hello whenever they saw me. Amazing, joyful, humbling, to have such unguarded affection shown me.  
To the man who walked the streets every morning and evening calling a drawled-out version of the word "Balut" which is what he sold (hard-boiled, fertilized eggs). And to the man who rode the streets every morning before daylight, honking his Keystone Kops kind of rubber ball with the tin horn on the end. The nasal sound of that honk meant freshly baked "pandesol", little clouds of yeast rolls. (Too bad, but Ate quit buying from him because he was late one time too many. My pandesol were from the nearby Sari-sari.) 
Then there is the man who peddled his cart along the streets in the afternoon, offering homemade ice-cream in sugar cones. He announced his presence by trilling a typical bike bell, the kind that are metal and thumb driven. 
Good-bye to the families I'd pass and exchange greetings with, each family busy with daily outdoor chores, like bathing children, weeding, plucking chickens, cutting Lolo's (Grandpa's) hair. 

Good-bye to everyone on my family compound. The Ate's, the Kuya's, the bata (children), the dogs, hens, roosters and everyone else. 
Making Lumpia Shanghai. You'll be glad I learned to make these when I give you a taste.

Good-bye to you Christopher. You truly were a host "brother" to me from day one, when you sat down by me in the living room, settled in and started talking like you really meant it. You never stopped acting like a brother. No matter how many times I made you talk to me. Thanks for playing our own version of Scrabble. (Tagalog words get double points. I learned "sawi" means "heartbreak". Played it across a triple and got 6 times the points!)
Thank you for helping me rig up ways to catch the rain dripping into my room. Thank you for cleaning and rearranging my room when I was gone to Supervisors Conference. Thank you for this message you left me on my table, made from our Scrabble tiles and the shells you brought me from the shore.

This is what I saw when I returned from a week away and walked into my room:
                                    
  Rachelle, notice the card?
  
Good-bye to you, the whole wonderful, warm and fun and funny community of people who showed up for the "Handog sa Host Families". I will always enjoy remembering with what gusto you played Musical Chairs! My kind of folks! I loved watching you, Ate, (Barangay Captain Secretary, mind you) win Musical Chairs by shamelessly cheating and pulling the chair around and straddling it. You fought like the fighting cocks you raise, Ate Lillian! 
note to all: see the video of us PCV's playing. It's on Facebook at this point. I'll try to move it here. 
Most of all it was hard to pack up my little nesting space in your house, Ate,  and say good-bye to you. It meant so much to me when you  managed the 3 1/2 hour trip to Island Cove so you could see my Swearing-In. You were mentor and became a dear, reliable friend.

 Here's to you, Ate!
                                            At Swearing In.

Thanks to kind and strong Jersen, my host bro-in-law. It has been a pleasure watching you be such a good husband and father. Thank you for making me a skirt, for altering my blouse and for mending my clothes. Good luck with your upholstery business. I'm glad you were willing to use your customer's Jeep to load all my luggage and drive us to the bus at 6:00am. Thank you, also, for staying and helping the bus drivers haul the overload of luggage around to get it all stored in the back of the bus.
Good-bye to always helpful, sassy Apple, and to the good cook, Bernadette. Good-bye to Jeffrey, who was a silent but pleasant brother. Ate was right when she told me in the beginning that wherever I was, you would be somewhere else to avoid the possibility of having to speak English.
It was hard to say good-bye.
But I did, and headed off for Counterpart's Conference. That week went by in a blur as we worked and had fun with our fellow trainees. Excitement and emotions mounted as we counted down days to Swearing In.
Then that wonderful night was over.
Celebrating with Amy after swearing in


Little parade of a few of us PCVs and the Host Families that rented a van to see our Ceremony. We're heading for the van to see them off, back to Colo. Ate is in red, Amy in blue with her host family.




We said good-bye to them, and Richard, Amy and I climbed into a van with our counterparts and a few others to head to Batangas.
I was enjoying the pleasant conversation but also feeling myself gradually shrinking at the prospect of being deposited into a new family, a new community, a new school. What would all this mean to me? What was I facing? 
Now my timidity was taking over and I really didn't want to step out of the van when the few hour trip was over and we pulled up to my home. I did though, of course, and Amy got out with me to be friendly. The teachers and Amy and I walked onto the balcon and the family was there waiting to welcome me. They surrounded me and greeted me and welcomed me. I felt nothing but warm hospitality. Still, I felt the same way I had on my first day in Colo.Shaky and a little weepy. 
I asked Amy to please just leave because I thought it would help me to stabilize a little. She did and I was drawn in to have my first meal with my new family. After that I rested. That regimen seems to be the only way to help myself in times like this. Eat, rest, breath, pray. 

What was ramping up my anxiety was the specter of the big welcome at the school and my future role there. Without knowing a thing about my school or anyone there, I knew that the welcome would be profuse.
I felt a little panicky at all this emotion, but I tried to believe I could just walk through it a step at a time and hopefully I would be feeling more relaxed as time went on.
I have found myself pondering if I can really trust all this goodness people are showering me and each other with. I am practicing standing still, taking some deep breaths and breathing in the goodness of people. What do I have to loose? And what do I have to gain??? Breathe, just breathe.
And unpack. And get some sleep.