Rhymes Mean Good Times

First, a Snake Watch Update: 4! My latest came during a Community Outreach Feeding Program with the English club at my High School. It was a little guy, probably some sort of grass snake but it went right by my foot and scared the crap outta me.
Also, playing on my iPod: Voir Sur Ton Chemin...ironic considering my snake encounter.

A quick shoutout to Mallori for collecting Christmas cards from friends and family and sending me a wonderful little package of letters/cards to open on Christmas! Another shoutout to Sydney for sending me an awesome letter and 7 days of the LA Times crossword. I really miss doin crosswords and promptly destroyed the Monday in about 30 minutes...Tuesday's got me between a rock and a hardplace in the middle section and Wednesday's intimidating me worse than a math test but I've got LOTS of time to work on em', of course.

It's Christmas break for the schools here in the Philippines which means I suddenly have a lot of time on my hands. When time is plentiful and calendars emptyful I get to play around more. So I've revamped my blog and had some fun with Photoshop. I hope you like the new title and background. Both shots I took here in the Philippines and then tinkered and toyed with in Photoshop.

A side effect of time abundance is a lot of minutes absorbed with idle thought and recollection. After two weeks away from school I miss teaching my students which, quite frankly, is a promising sign since I'll be doin it for two years. I've put a month behind me teaching and so I thought I'd share one of the funner lessons we did.

My counterpart and I were teaching a poetry unit. We mixed the material from ancient Filipino poems to Shel Silverstein. Archaic thees and thous alongside limericks; one of my favorite lessons. I wrote a four stanza poem comprised of limericks about a bug named Jack. My students had to arrange each line of each stanza in the correct order, and then order all of the stanzas into a logical storyline. Here is the poem:

A Bug Named Jack
There once was a bug named Jack,
Who was sitting on a sack,
The sack got moved,
While Jack still snoozed,
Then he fell down with a SMACK!

Jack awoke with surprise,
To discover what he surmised,
In just one instant,
Jack was distant,
From home and so then he cried.

Jack dried his eyes and stood up,
And then found a small tea cup,
“This cup’s secure,
I’ll sleep for sure,”
Said Jack the bug in the cup.

Asleep, he was unaware,
As a whistle split the air,
It was the pot,
The tea was hot,
And Jack got away with a scare!

As you can see the poem, not exactly a literary masterpiece, doesn't really have an ending. So after sequencing the poem we asked the students to write the 5th stanza...what happens to Jack next. The poems they wrote always make me smile. Here are some of my favorites:

(A)

Jack flew away to a pound,
He heard a mysterious sound,
A frog on top,
Gobbled him up,
Jack was nowhere to be found.

(B)

So Jack decided to go,
And he fly away so slow,
And he go back,
Into the sack,
And he said to it “hello!”

(C)

Jack was walking on a lane,
He saw a man with a cane,
With a long black beard,
He was so scared,
Poor Jack the bug dead with pain.

(D)

Then he walk home very slow,
And then he saw a rainbow,
He run a distance,
With his resistance,
And Jack went home with a glow.

(E)

Jack go home and told his mom,
“What happen there?” ask his mom,
“I’m scared of sound
Cause it’s so loud!”
“Don’t worry I’m here your mom”

I've added a poll just below the 'About Me' section on the right-hand toolbar so you can vote for your favorite!

Masskara - The Winning Performance

I promised back in October in my blog post "The Big Kahuna" that I would upload the video of the Winning Performance from the Masskara festival if I ever found internet fast enough. Well I did and I have. So without further ado.



In case you have forgotten and don't want to peruse "The Big Kahuna", since that post is epicly long, I'll remind you what Masskara is. Masskara is the Festival of Smiles held here in Bacolod every October. Bacolod, the City of Smiles, has held this festival annually since 1980 and it's known for it's masks worn by participants, all of which are adorned with smiling faces.

For anyone of thinking of visiting Bacolod City...Masskara in October is a great time to come and see us!

The Best 63 on a Videoke Machine Ever

I'm not entirely sure where to start with this story so I'll just jump in from the beginning. I was roused from a nap by my host dad who tells me about an engagement party of a former student of his. He’d mentioned this previously but I’d forgot...you ever forget? Happened to me. He’d asked permission if I could come and they said suuuuure; so I was going. Apparently Filipinos don’t really do engagement parties either, my host family had never heard of one much less been to one. Not only that, but I had woken up at 5 am that morning in order to participate in a charity walk, sans breakfast mind you, and was quite tired by 6 pm and not at all enthused about the prospect of doin the meet and greet routine where we get the same five questions every time.

1) Are you a mormon?
2) Oh you speak Illongo?
3) How long have you lived here?
4) Are you single?
5) What do you think of Filipinos?

They’re not always in that order, but it’s pretty standard material. I went along anyways though. We arrived half an hour late, but the couple had yet to arrive and there were about ten people there out of five tables set for fifty. I was not enthused at that moment to be sittin there waiting for the party to begin whilst yawning away with bugs buzzing around like mad; you can imagine why… (venus flytrap). They had Lechon Baboy on the table though so there was at least the promise of good food.

The couple showed up eventually and they were very young and happy which was nice, although it inevitably led to this conversation:

Bride to Be (BtB): “Are you married?”
Me: “No, I am single.” (see the five questions we always get above)
Host Dad: “He has not found the girl yet” (chuckle chuckle)
Me: “Oh, I am too young to get married”
Host Dad to the BtB: “How old are you?”
BtB: “Twenty-one” (awkward laughter)
Me: “Maybe someday later.”
BtB: “Yes, you are enjoying life single” (awkward pause)
Host Dad: “He needs to find a Filipina, one who’s not engaged!” (extremely awkward chuckles)

I’m fairly certain this is a universal Peace Corps experience, and Especially in the Philippines. They love to throw Americans, and each other too, into awkward positions so they can laugh about it. It’s something you just smile and laugh along with because there’s no real other option.

People continued to meander in, seemingly as if by accident, and eventually the program began. They had the Groom to Be give a little impromptu speech to express his love, which started with a lot of smiles and laughter. It was in Hiligaynon so I was trying to follow but could only pick out snatches of the speech. I understood that their relationship began when she borrowed 20 pesos from him in High School. I was struggling to follow and then I realized that he’d paused, and was crying, and EVERYONE there was crying except me who probably had that stupid bewildered face you make when the teacher calls on you and you’ve got no idea what the tangent of the sin variable in relation to the hyperbole (Math was never my forte…). I switched from smiling face to sad contemplative face and tried to look somber. I still don’t know exactly what he said but it had a profound effect on the gathering. The Bride to Be followed with a similar monologue, of which I understood almost nothing but there was more laughter and crying again, and again I correlated my facial expressions.

After the speeches the couple had a dance together, to the lovely music of a videoke machine, and then the time came for the proposal. They wanted to use the mic but the only way to use the mic was to have the videoke machine playing a song. So he got down on a knee, they turned on a song, and he proposed. I really couldn’t believe it was happening…a proposal through/over a videoke song. Only in the Philippines. I thought it was hilarious and loved it. He scored a 63 on the song, which if you know anything about videoke you know is really really low, but hopefully he’ll do better on the Husband part right? Har har har.

Next was dinner and so for our background music on the night there was more videoke songs in the background. The first song after the proposal and going into dinner? My Heart Will Go On. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at this. Partially due to the cheese factor, but mostly because amongst my friends in the States a stirring verse of “Near, Far, Wherever you are!” was our go to move for awkward silences.

We left after dinner and congratulating the engaged couple. I really, despite my fatigue and misgivings at the start, enjoyed the night. The couple was extremely welcoming and gracious. I enjoyed meeting them and wish them the best in the future and it’s a fantastic story for me to tell about the time I went to a Filipino Engagement party.

Peace Corps Goal #3

3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

That is the third of the three Goals of Peace Corps. I have come to break this particular goal down into three parts.

1. Soaking up the culture
2. Sucking up the culture
3. Drinking up the culture

Soaking up the culture is where you're along for the ride and participating in activities that were unforeseen and unpredicted. You're in the Nike "Just Do It" mode. Example: Today I was at a Christmas party for my faculty and staff from work and we played a game where the gentlemen sat in a circle of chairs and placed an Eggplant in their crotch. Then the women circled the chairs while music was playing and when the music stopped had to snatch an Eggplant or be eliminated. Not much you can do except smile and wait until you're the last one sitting in a chair with two filipina co-workers dancing around in a circle waiting to snatch a phallic fruit from your crotch. Ahh Peace Corps, the things we do to save the World.

Can you see why this game would be funny?

Sucking up the culture is when something's really pissin you off but you just gotta sit through it. Like when you get 'Hey Joe, It's your birthday!' from random drunk people on the side of the street...or random not drunk people on the side of the street. Or a better example is a Mass I attended, where the entire student body/teachers/staff were present, and the Father gave a 15 minute sermon on American Christmas. How we have so much money, how we sit on our material comfort, how we don't have Jesus in school, how we have so much money, how we have forgotten Christmas is about Jesus and Mary, how we have so much money, and how Christmas is Meaningless in the United States. Rest assured, my friends, Christmas to me is not meaningless nor would I be a Peace Corps Volunteer if I was content to sit on my material comforts. Yes Jesus is absent from our schools, and yes Christmas to me is about family and loved ones. Unfortunately, this is part of Peace Corps. Promoting better understanding of Americans amongst people served (Goal #2 FYI), and also a part of why we are here.

Drinking up the culture is quite simply San Miguels, Tanduay, and the eternal pursuit of a Happy Horse.

35 Pesos Never Felt So Goooood!

Snakes: 3…I do live in a pretty big city now. Considerably bigger than Gainesville…but with about 10 less starbucks.
What’s on my iPod: Triple Double – Girl Talk

THANK YOU THANK YOU MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT HAVE SENT LETTERS AND CARE PACKAGES. DAD, BRITTANY, ADRIANA, DIANA, CHADSKI…I LOVE YOU GUYS. Within the next week I will be mailing six letters back Stateside so hopefully you’ll have something to write me back about…!

Taking a step back it’s impressive how I’m developing adeptness for rolling with the traumatic upheavals in my life. At the end of August I was pausing, before stepping onto a plane that would take me to the other side of the world, and contemplating the words of the volunteer next to me ‘Well, here it is. No turning back’. I don’t think such am obvious cliché’s ever blown across me with such force, I felt like a sky diver except instead of stepping off of a plane I was stepping onto one. Four months ago I was lying in on my bed at my first Filipino host family trying to get a moment to absorb everything around me feeling overwhelmed. A month ago I was done with my training, swearing in with the ambassador, and moving to a new island/province/city/family. Yet I’ve hit the ground, perhaps not running, but at least walking in stride. My first month at site was a mystifying mixture of mind numbing boredom and bum busting busyness.

I immensely enjoy my work. My school is a beautiful place to work. The agricultural program here has many environmental initiatives so the school has many trees and gardens that make an amazing environment to work in aesthetically. I teach first year English, four sections a day over a span of five sections of classes. My co-teacher and I have developed an extremely successful relationship. I am, after less than a month, completely comfortable lesson planning and teaching with her. I only observed classes for one day despite planning to observe for two weeks when I arrived at my school. I axed the observation period for two perfectly acceptable reasons. 1) I was bored out of my mind sitting in class doing nothing except watching a normal class and texting under the desk. 2) I felt comfortable diving in with my counterpart and beginning co-teaching. We just finished our unit on poetry and we mixed together like heat and humidity. We taught traditional Filipino poems like Rice Planting Song and we taught some of my favorites like Shel Silverstein and Limericks. So far one of the greatest compliments and high notes I’ve had in the Philippines was my counterpart texting me after a lesson that I designed saying “thank you for sharing your activity today with our class. I really appreciate such an enriching activity”.

I enjoy walking around my campus almost as much as I enjoy my students

I candidly confess that my days are not doled out exclusively to my new site. I’ve actually travelled on every weekend since swearing in, although this weekend I am staying in Bacolod. I have become competent on travelling via boat, bus, van, trike, and jeepney. I consider myself competent after destroying a trike driver in a barter. I know it’s a standard Peace Corps language measuring stick but still it feels gooooood. He wanted 50 pesos for a ride from the pier to the central market. I bargained him down to 15 pesos, the price I wanted, to the glee of the other trike drivers around there that were laughing at him. Not only am I confident in travelling on public transportation between islands and cities in a 3rd world country, but I enjoy doing it.

Your run of the mill Filipino jeepney

I spent my Thanksgiving at the High School of another PCV that generously volunteered to host twenty plus PCVs. American cuisine was consumed, stories were swapped, stallions were sucked down, and we were back at home amongst Americans. As far as Thanksgiving vacations go it was the macaroni to my cheese…because there was macaroni and cheese there for dinner.

Unrelated to my blog, but this is such a good picture. Bowling in Iloilo City

Okay, if you’re not into the volunteer parts of this then skip this section…it’s pretty boring lists of projects I’m going/hoping to do down the road; not very entertaining material to the casual reader, but important to me. I have a couple of projects on the horizon. I plan on travelling to a large teacher training on Panay and I will be the head facilitator for an English pronunciation session. My linguistics background makes me especially easy with this topic and I’m excited about teaching it. I will be doing a charity walk (at 5am mind you), a community outreach with the English club, and a tree planting project next week. I’m also beginning to try and organize the Philippines to participate in a PCV-organized International Writing Olympics. This is still in the early, early conception stage as it hasn’t been done in the Philippines before but I’m hopeful I can organize it!

Okay so I know that my blog’s become narrative and boring. I’ve been busy. I will make a big effort this month to get more posts up that are more entertaining and interactive. I didn’t want this blog to be a typed chronicle in bland diction that’s only marginally interesting despite subject matter. More/Better/Entertaining blogs to come, I promise!