February 12, 2012 Musings on the Days Here

In the first months of my being here my emotions were fluctuating wildly. It was reassuring to see on FB that we were all going through this. Our PC literature also forewarned us of this, and PC has been supportive, but reading it and going through it are two different things.  The Peace Corps is wise in making applicants wait a year after a major transition such as death or divorce before being assigned. Homesickness for family hit me much harder than I, a stoic Pennsylvania German, would ever have imagined. On top of that were the deaths of Bob, Mama and Tracy and the turmoil and losses in our families. I don't think I could have made it through the early, difficult months if I had come here earlier. I owe my successful transition to all the good friends and family around the world who kept connected with me. I hope you have some inkling of what your messages have meant.

Here, in San Jose, I was put into the hands of  Rachiel Magtibay, my counterpart teacher. Before I even came she was working for me. She was given total responsiblity for finding a home for me; a critical undertaking. She also carefully chose a language tutor. Meanwhile she was coming to grips with the fact that an unknown AMERICAN (scary) was coming to work with her for two years (scary).  All of this for weeks before she ever met me. It was she who arranged the wonderful Filipino welcome to PILMES.  Day to day, Rachiel is no less whole-hearted. She is wise and kind and constant. She is nurturing and encouraging to me like a good older sister (I sometimes call her "Ate", the Filipino term for eldest, esteemed sister). She is also a consummate professional, as are all of the teachers on our Grade 6 team.

Each day we see each other amidst the sea of Grade 6 pupils. 6 classes, 50-60 per classroom. That's a lot of pupils- waiting for instruction, moving to another class, heading out for break time- the classrooms are all open to each other and students have to flow through them to get to another classroom. Over  the heads of the students we smile and nod to each other. When we get a chance we gather to chat or share food.There is a pleasant and encouraging camaraderie and loyalty. We support each other in every way we can. Being human we all do the supporting and we all do the needing. Like everyone else, I'm on both sides... I suppose every day. This is my work place. This is where I buckle down and focus on the professional mission- teaching, tempting, cajoling and playing with the children to entice a little more English out of them.

  At home I am among our family of seven, accepted and supported and treated like one of the family. I feel good-will and tolerance among the members of this family. This is a peaceful, well-run household. Good food at every meal where we sit down and eat together. After eating we may or may not linger to talk, after which we retreat to our own rooms. This big house allows a lot of space. I head up the massive wooden steps to the spacious upstairs and into my bedroom, my own personal retreat. When Denny, the Country Director saw my room he said, "Yes, this is perfect, I can see this would be hard to replicate." It is kind of like a revamped, second floor sunporch. It is at once cozy and airy- yes, hard to replicate. Here is where I retreat and take care of me. I have hours to myself every night to read, work on computer, etc. It is just what I need to rest from the highly social life outside of here. When Trevor was here he participated in all I did for one day and he asked, with wonder, if this was a typical day? He said the back-to-back activities were great but exhausting. Yes, both are true! I have good balance and it all works well. Again, so much of this is due to Rachiel. She supports me in whatever way I need. She promotes my experiencing every aspect of Filipino life that presents itself, but she also encourages me to rest and take care of myself. And so I am rested and ready to engage every morning.

I am rested, fed and dressed in my school clothes when I step through the gate onto the sidewalk. I have three blocks to walk and I savor them. I love the rustic texture of the hand-laid cement sidewalks, with the dog prints in wavy trails across the squares. I love the various architecture of the houses and the lush bushes and intense-colored flowers hanging over the fences and reaching out through the rails. I am kept busy avoiding dog messes- 5 months and only one misstep! The dogs and I always eye each other warily. They don't seem menacing but I give them wide berth. Locals are more cautious of dogs than I  and I figure they know something I don't. I did see an interesting doggy interaction last week. I was closing the gate when I heard terrible squeeling in the next block. I looked over and here's the scene: One dog mounted on another, trying to mate. He is desperately hanging on while his one ear is being pulled in the teeth of an attacker and another attacker has his back leg in his teeth and is pulling it out to the side and up. That was a lot of doggy drama! I couldn't figure that scenario out and I heard my mantra run through my brain, "All over the world dogs are trying to mate and being attacked, not your business", and I turned my back and walked toward school. About a block down and one over and I came upon several dogs looking bedraggled and tired and I realized this was the motley crew of the mating debacle. So they all survived.  On my daily walks I get to greet a lot of people, as most Filipinos do their errands on foot throughout town. I usually see the old lady, Iggy, across the street, and I see the various venders and then, as I get closer to school, the parents and children. I never tire of saying hi to anyone, especially the children. I love it when a tricycle buzzes by and I hear a little voice chirp, "Mam Ali!" and I peek in and see a little face beaming at me. I pass the cluster of snack venders at the gates of school and the parents tending to their charges.  I say hi to the school gate-guards and I'm back at work again. Happy, happy work.

My work keeps evolving and I'm doing remedial work now with groups of 5 English-illiterate pupils at a time. This is my favorite kind of work! At lunch Rachiel and I share the hot, fresh-from- the-fire food that arrives from her mother every day at lunchtime.  After lunch I'll head to my classroom again and before I know it another school day is ending and I'm retracing my footsteps past the dogs and people, over the story-telling cement and back home. But chances are before I get home my phone will buzz and there will be another invitation for a walk, or to make a native dish, or go to town... I always have two fleeting thoughts, simultaneously: "Good! Someone wants me to do something!" and "Aahh! I'll be able to rest later!" I remember being that way as a child and I guess I always will be. This whole set-up is just right for me.