July 17, 2011 In which we are arrive in Colo, our training site for 2 1/2 months

We pulled into another barangay, this one larger, more permanent, and it extends back into the countryside further, maybe several blocks. We are in Colo! This is where we are to serve and train for the next 2 months. We are earlier than expected, so our host families have not arrived yet, but a very nice woman greets us, explaining the situation and introducing herself as Lillian, the Barangay Captain's Secretary.

Barangay Captain: think Andy of Mayberry in the Philippines. Whenever there is a dispute, like someone steals someones fighting cock, he is called in, Lillian in tow, to work out resolution. Lillian records it: Manny stole Roni's rooster, Manny replaces the now dead cock and promises to pay 3,000 pesos in addition or his 4 dogs will be confiscated. So Lillian is in the know, here.

She says she wishes she could offer us chairs, but they are locked in the Barangay Hall, here, and the captain hasn't arrived with the key. She looks at all these hot, sweaty, tired Americans and calmly walks over to the locked door and pries the nails out of the lock and opens the door. Doesn't that seem like something I would do?

Chairs are handed out and we sit in the shade, waiting for all the host families to arrive. Eventually, we were welcomed by representatives of the community and we formally thanked them for welcoming us into their community. Representatives from our group spoke a return thank you.

I was so exhausted, at this point, that everything seemed dreamlike. We had been through so much activity and emotion and were only now at the culminating point: I was stepping into the life of a family I had never met, in developing-world conditions. I could not fathom what this would be like. I was very grateful for the chair. And my fellow Trainees, and the shade of the tree we were under. And Lillian in charge..But I really did feel a little orphaned. And to add to that the Host Families had started to gather around us, talking to each other quietly as they looked us over. What were they seeing? Well... hot, sweaty, tired and and hungry! Americans, as it was now midday and we hadn't eaten since 6.

Finally, all Host Families had gathered.

The Barangay Captain arrived and gave a brief speech of welcome. Then our side gave a couple of speeches of gratitude. We played a matching game to pair up with our host families. I'll be with Lillian, the lock hacker!

Then, thankfully, we all had merienda, which this time was a thick rice pudding you eat with your hands. It's like a very stiff pie filling without crust.  And we had water! 
PS I will load some pics as I can. It is very difficult with the equipment and internet here. Ali

July 17, 2011 In which we bid good-bye to Base Camp and the other trainees

We had the same good breakfast as usual: rice, hot-dogs, eggs fried hard, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, fresh rolls and butter that tastes homemade.

By seven we were on the bus and heading to Bataan with our Filipino Education Specialists, Sam and Christy.

Beautiful rice-paddy and water buffalo countryside in the background with occasional barangays(villages) clustered right up against the road, ramshackle style, like a sloppy clump of little Monopoly houses. Most of the houses are about the size of a one-car garage with an attached veranda about the same size with a roof over it. Sometimes the roof is thatched and sometimes it is corrugated steel. People sleep and eat in this veranda. I saw a little boy still sleeping in the curve of his hammock. A grandmother tending to a baby, a father carrying his child. Families are close and everyone helps everyone- you can easily see that even by just driving past. By the way they smiled and waved it seemed they would have welcomed us right in, too.  

Approaching Manila. Gray, acid haze and high rises. Manila out the window of the bus  wasn't that interesting to me, except for one huge billboard, all green and declaring “I absorb air pollution!” It is covered with plugs of a stiff plant that stuck straight out, like hair implants.

Emerging from Manila and back into clear air and farmers in their rice-paddies and with water buffaloes lounging here and there. Every once in a while I've even seen a yoked water buffalo pulling a cart. I hope to get some experience with that. The land is pretty flat still but we are beginning to see low ridges in the far background.

Bathroom break at a modern gas station. As expected, no toilet paper, no toilet seat and no soap. But there is a little hose afixed to the wall beside the toilet. Think about that. The look on your face is probably like ours. We carry and trade toilet paper and hand sanitizers like legal tender. But I've never been cleaner. Actually, toilet paper is not nearly so clean when you get the hang of this. But secretly, I will always be fond of a toilet seat.

We coach each other through some of these processes. Kind of like explaining to someone exactly how to clean a baby's bottom and change the diaper without benefit of a demonstration. A bonding experience.

Back on the bus.

Heading south into Bataan Peninsula. Christy and Sam stand up and with sad faces tell about the WW II events here. Allied troops were abandoned with no supplies so they called themselves “The fighting Bastards of Bataan” and fought hard, but eventually fell to the Japanese. (The critical supplies were diverted to Europe.)

The Japanese were brutal and instead of using the truck convoys at their disposal, they made the sick and starving men march through the heat for weeks. Civilian Filipinos  would try to help at their great peril. It is fascinating and overwhelmingly morbid and you can google it.

New Mexico had a lot of soldiers here so many families there were touched by this. Every year, in Alamagordo, NM, “The Bataan Death March” marathon is run over White Sands Dessert. New Mexico Military Institute participates and my children had the chance to run.

We drove about ½ hour in a subdued mood, through beautiful countryside with volcanic mountains in the background, shrouded in clouds.

July 17, 2011 Welcome to Barangay Colo, Dinalupihan, Bataan

We pulled into another barangay, this one larger, more permanent, and it extends back into the countryside further, maybe several blocks. We are in Colo! This is where we are to serve and train for the next 2 months. We are earlier than expected, so our host families have not arrived yet, but a very nice woman greets us, explaining the situation and introducing herself as Lillian, the Barangay Captain's Secretary.

Barangay Captain: think Andy of Mayberry in the Philippines. Whenever there is a dispute, like someone steals someones fighting cock, he is called in, Lillian in tow, to work out resolution. Lillian records it: Mani stole Roni's rooster, Mani replaces the cock and promises to pay 3,000 pesos in addition or his 4 dogs will be confiscated. So Lillian is in the know, here.

She says she wishes she could offer us chairs, but they are locked in the Barangay Hall, here, and the captain hasn't arrived with the key. She looks at all these hot, sweaty, tired Americans and calmly walks over to the locked door and pries the nails out of the lock and opens the door. Doesn't that seem like something I would do?

Chairs are handed out and we sit in the shade, waiting for all the host families to arrive. Eventually, we were welcomed by representatives of the community and we formally thanked them for welcoming us into their community. Representatives from our group spoke a return thank you.

I was so exhausted, at this point, that everything seemed dreamlike. We had been through so much activity and emotion and were only now at the culminating point: I was stepping into the life of a family I had never met, in developing-world conditions. I could not fathom what this would be like. I was very grateful for the chair. And my fellow Trainees, and the shade of the tree we were under. And Lillian in charge..But I really did feel a little orphaned. And to add to that the Host Families had started to gather around us, talking to each other quietly as they looked us over. What were they seeing? Well... hot, sweaty, tired and and hungry! Americans, as it was now midday and we hadn't eaten since 6.

Finally, all Host Families had gathered.

The Barangay Captain arrived and gave a brief speech of welcome. Then our side gave a couple of speeches of gratitude. We played a matching game to pair up with our host families. I'll be with Lillian, the lock hacker!

Then, thankfully, we all had merienda, which this time was a thick rice pudding you eat with your hands. It's like a very stiff pie filling without crust.  And we had water! 
PS I will load some pics as I can. It is very difficult with the equipment and internet here. Ali

PC Trainees, waiting for our Host Families to arrive for the Welcome Ceremony.

Lucky me! Lillian Dela Cruz is my "Host Mother".

July 17, 2011 In which we are extremely tired from training

I submit this as evidence...

Finally, Lesson Presentation!

My roommate for the last two week, Amy.

Sarah, Erica and Monette, a few of our instructors. They are excellent teachers and models. Sarah and Erica are PC Volunteers and Monette is an employee of PC Philippines. 

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!

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.

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!"

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".

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.

The beach we trained at.

I did it! Cool!