Balita (News)

Next week, we will be staying at a hotel for a couple of days for a conference (where we will find out where our permanent sites will be - super exciting!!) Then we will actually travel to these communities, start introducing ourselves, and start finding out more specific information about what we'll actually be working on while we serve.

But there's been a big change of plans. It should be that after all this excitement, we will all come back to where we've been staying in central Luzon to finish the final month of training. However, myself and four other PC Trainees are going to move to a new place, south of here a little bit I can't give the whole back story of this on a public blog, but suffice to say that there are administrative reasons for our moving.

Going through the process of confirming that we will be moving has been extremely stressful for me. Even though we'll be living with our next host family for only three and a half weeks, and it might seem like it's not a big deal, it's going to be a whole new town and family for me to adjust to, and I've gotten very comfortable living with my current host family. They are very saddened by the news that we will be abruptly departing.

At the same time, I have faith that moving to this new place will be ok. I'm going with my three buddies M, A, and J, and H is coming with us too. Where we're living now, people speak Kampampangan, but where we'll be moving, they speak Tagalog, so I think my language ability will improve more quickly.

Lots of changes are afoot, that's for sure.

Mt. Pinatubo

This past Sunday, myself and seven other group members went hiking at the top of nearby Mount Pinatubo.

In 1991, this long-dormant volcano had one of the largest eruptions in the 20th century. Tens of thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, about 300 people died, ash rained down heavily, and the nearby American Clark Air Base and Subic Naval Base were severely damaged and abandoned by the U.S. shortly thereafter.

Today, you can do what we did, and hire a 4 by 4 to take you up the bumpy, steep road to the mountaintop, hike through a passage to the crater lake, and then go swimming. The hike was short, at most two hours each way, and then we returned to R's host aunt's house for a big meal, tsismis ("cheezmeez," gossip) and relaxation.

Here are pictures of the lake, the bizarre landscape, and the 1991 eruption, as well as two of me with M, and then me with H and M.

Baguio

My friends A, J, M and I traveled to Baguio City two Sundays ago for a day trip and some respite from the oppressive Filipino sun.
The city was built by the Americans at the turn of the twentieth century, is considered cosmopolitan and progressive, and is a popular vacation destination for Filipinos who, likewise, just want a break from the heat.

Once we got there, we strolled through a park complete with a paddle boat-filled lake, visited a cathedral, and just enjoyed breathing in the cool mountain air. I even wore a sweater for a little while!

Photos

Here are some more photos from recent times. One of me all set to get on that long plane ride at LAX... man, we had so much luggage between the 64 of us ready to live overseas for two years (who would ever guess...) One of the skyline of Manila from our hotel during the first week of initial training. Two from a wedding we attended: one of some host family members in a pew, one of the bride and groom dancing (see the pesos pinned to her veil?) Three from my house: one of me with all the kids, one from one of the rare moments when nobody's home, and two of the cutest five year old kids in the world.

Santa Krusan

These are photos from Santa Krusan, a Filipino tradition associated with Catholicism. We participated in a formal procession through the streets of our town, accompanied by music. There's one photo of me and my escort, the others of me and my host family. My extended host family has also taken in three other PC Trainees at other houses around town, who have become close friends of mine and are in the last picture.