In a few hours a bus will take me to the next step in my life. It is kind of fun not having to determine what I do next, while still knowing it will be an amazing adventure. Like Alice in Wonderland! Down the rabbit hole again!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
July 17, 2011 Lucy, Lonnie and JFK
Two friends I only met July 2, and now can't imagine ever not knowing, Lucy and Lonnie. They are with the program called Children, Youth and Families, which focuses on addressing social concerns. We all trained together for a week, but then they left for the city, to further train.
In the background is another friend, Pam. We're in Education together and will leave this AM for Dinalupihan, Bataan, where we will live with Filipino host families and continue training. We'll be spending Monday making "Courtesy Calls" on local officials such as the mayor, so that we will then be able to enter the schools for Practicum (sort of Student Teaching). Our time for the next while will be divided between working in the schools and language drill.
In the background is another friend, Pam. We're in Education together and will leave this AM for Dinalupihan, Bataan, where we will live with Filipino host families and continue training. We'll be spending Monday making "Courtesy Calls" on local officials such as the mayor, so that we will then be able to enter the schools for Practicum (sort of Student Teaching). Our time for the next while will be divided between working in the schools and language drill.
Most of the time I am either too busy or tired (or hungry!) to think of it, but all of the sudden last week I was struck with, "! I'm in the Peace Corps!"
Friday, July 15, 2011
July 15, 2011 In which we demo a lesson
We're studying exhaustively so that we will be prepared to teach English. Anxiety was really high this morning because we each had to present, in front of the group, a lesson plan we'd written. Now that we're done with that there's a general sense of relief around here. We went swimming, ate and are just hanging out.
Sunday we leave for the next stage of our training and will begin staying with a Filipino host family.
Once there, we'll begin studying Tagalog intensively. So far we've only had "Survival Tagalog".
Sunday we leave for the next stage of our training and will begin staying with a Filipino host family.
Once there, we'll begin studying Tagalog intensively. So far we've only had "Survival Tagalog".
Monday, July 11, 2011
July 11, 2011 Ocean Safety Training
Water Safety Training!
5:00AM Breakfast
7:00AM Board bus for the ocean
(I just put the times here to impress you with our sacrifice.)
We rode about an hour, and all along the paved, 2 lane roads were impoverished villages, crammed right up against the pavement. It was Sunday, early AM, but people were out and bustling. They smiled and waved and called greetings as we went. It was like looking into peoples living rooms.
Once at the ocean, we were to demonstrate our proficiency to save ourselves in an ocean emergency, As per our instructions:
We donned my gov't issued life vest and inflated it.
We waded out into the ocean and climbed into an old, beaten-up island outrigger, along with 10 others.
We went out from shore about 20 yards.
We dropped off the boat into the foaming brine, first off one side, then the other, so as not to tip the boat. Our vests have little lights on the shoulders, which alight as soon as the vest gets wet. We looked like bobbing ETs.
We gathered and linked arms to practice awaiting rescue, then broke and swam back to the boat and climbed back into the boat, the edge of which is about 3ft above the water. Getting back into the outrigger boats-imagine manatees climbing into a pick-up.
I did it! Cool!
5:00AM Breakfast
7:00AM Board bus for the ocean
(I just put the times here to impress you with our sacrifice.)
We rode about an hour, and all along the paved, 2 lane roads were impoverished villages, crammed right up against the pavement. It was Sunday, early AM, but people were out and bustling. They smiled and waved and called greetings as we went. It was like looking into peoples living rooms.
Once at the ocean, we were to demonstrate our proficiency to save ourselves in an ocean emergency, As per our instructions:
We donned my gov't issued life vest and inflated it.
We waded out into the ocean and climbed into an old, beaten-up island outrigger, along with 10 others.
We went out from shore about 20 yards.
We dropped off the boat into the foaming brine, first off one side, then the other, so as not to tip the boat. Our vests have little lights on the shoulders, which alight as soon as the vest gets wet. We looked like bobbing ETs.
We gathered and linked arms to practice awaiting rescue, then broke and swam back to the boat and climbed back into the boat, the edge of which is about 3ft above the water. Getting back into the outrigger boats-imagine manatees climbing into a pick-up.
 |
| The beach we trained at. |
I did it! Cool!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
July 9, 2011 Enjoying plants at Base Camp
Bananas! Growing wild on a tree! The sight of this made my day!
Birds of Paradise
Love, Ali
 |
| Constance and I |
Love, Ali
Sunday, July 3, 2011
July 4, 2011 Leaving LA, arriving at Base Camp, Cavite, Philippines
Happy 4th of July!
Well, we left LAX on July 2nd and have traveled through many time zones and many moods and have had about 5 hours of sleep. I am sharing a room with Amy again. She's about my age, from SC. I slept well but woke often, listening to the sounds of animals outside. Something chirps and grunts and I've never heard anything like it before. If only I weren't so tired I would have been more curious.
Off to breakfast, which smells garlicy and delicious, and then we have a whole day of training sessions. We're hearing that our group of 60 was to have been 2 or more times that but got cut because of budget.
Hey! How is MN running? Are you in fact shut down?
Enjoy some John Phillips Sousa for Mama and me.
Below: Excited to be boarding at LAX to head to the Philippines.
Our residence while at Base Camp for training
Before everyone gathered for breakfast. (wifi-Peace Corps, Philippines, 2011 style!It is extremely unreliable, though and my best hope is to catch it about 4AM, which works well for me since I wake up about 3 every morning.)
Well, we left LAX on July 2nd and have traveled through many time zones and many moods and have had about 5 hours of sleep. I am sharing a room with Amy again. She's about my age, from SC. I slept well but woke often, listening to the sounds of animals outside. Something chirps and grunts and I've never heard anything like it before. If only I weren't so tired I would have been more curious.
Off to breakfast, which smells garlicy and delicious, and then we have a whole day of training sessions. We're hearing that our group of 60 was to have been 2 or more times that but got cut because of budget.
Hey! How is MN running? Are you in fact shut down?
Enjoy some John Phillips Sousa for Mama and me.
Below: Excited to be boarding at LAX to head to the Philippines.
The view out Amy and my room.
Friday, July 1, 2011
July 1, 2011 In which I fly into the next two years of unknown
First day over. Flight went well from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. The meetings today taught me that all the conflicting emotions I'm feeling are common to everyone. We all have anxieties and aspirations over everything. What will I do if I don't like the food? What if my Filipino colleagues disapprove of me or my work? Will I learn the language? Will the family I live with accept me?
Finally, at 7, we finished for the day. A bunch of us walked about a mile to an In'N'Out Burger for supper and had a good, relaxing talk about what this PC process has been like so far.
I'm rooming with Amy, from SC. We set our alarm for 7 and have to be down in the lobby by 8. We fly for 12 hours to Tokyo and then 4 more to the Philippines. We're supposed to "dress comfortably but make a good impression when we land"!
Finally, at 7, we finished for the day. A bunch of us walked about a mile to an In'N'Out Burger for supper and had a good, relaxing talk about what this PC process has been like so far.
I'm rooming with Amy, from SC. We set our alarm for 7 and have to be down in the lobby by 8. We fly for 12 hours to Tokyo and then 4 more to the Philippines. We're supposed to "dress comfortably but make a good impression when we land"!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)