Life in the Compound

Wow, I can hardly believe it. I finally found a way to get to the internet two days straight! I guess the secret is to be brave and do it by myself. My friends and I had lunch and walked around town a bit after lots of meetings and language class this morning. They decided to go back to their baranguay (San Luis) and I stayed here in Solano to use the internet and I will walk home whenever I am finished. I live about 10 to 12 blocks from here. It's about 3:30pm and it feels like it's about 100 degrees outside! I'm sitting at a computer with a fan not far from me, so I'm only glistening (as opposed to sweating buckets like I will whenever I walk home).

Living at my host family home is really interesting. Like I said in my previous post, I live with a widow woman and her son, but's that just a small slice of the picture. We actually live on a property (they refer to it as a compound) where there are three other residences and a canteen out front, so there are many people around all the time - including children. Next door to the main house where I stay is Manong Norma's daughter and her husband and three children. They live in a very small house that looks rather dilapidated on the outside but is extremely clean and well furnished inside. The wife is a high school teacher and speaks very good English and her husband works in the Municiple Government offices. Her children are a son, age 11, a daughter, age 7, and another son, age 1.

Outside their front door and across the sidewalk is what appears to be a shack. Actually, it is the residence of Manong Norma's uncle who appears to be in his 70s. She told me he is a medicine man and that many people come to him for the herbal pastes that he makes and grinds with his teeth. He's a very interesting looking man, very dark skin, usually wears boxers and a fanny pack and walks around without a shirt. He is very stooped and has deep set, ancient eyes. I'm actually fascinated by him.

Over the storage building is another residence. This family live in what appears to be one room and none of the windows have screens or glass. They don't appear to have an indoor bathroom, so I think they all wash in an open washroom outside. There's a mother who is 39, who I really like even though she speaks very little English and it's tough to communicate with her. She works for Manong Norma in the canteen and she does people's laundry (by hand, of course). Her husband drives a tricycle (the main mode of public transportation here in Solano). They have three children, a daughter, age 15, a son, age 14, and a little girl, age 4.

Out front near the street is the canteen. It's a small store with a walk-up window where people in the neighborhood come to buy various items such as snacks, ice (whenever it's available), envelopes, etc. Manong Norma says that whenever my Ilokano is better she will let me work there some Sunday afternoon. I told her that I have "retail experience" so I would love to - Ha! (I knew all those years of furniture sales would come in useful ;-)

Manong Norma has a catering business and she also raises flowers in pots that she sells. The flowers all have to be watered twice a day. Last evening I went outside and saw her watering. I asked her if I could be helpful and so she handed me the water hose (she actually has a well on her property with running water, which is very rare) and told me to water flowers. I spent the next hour or so watering all the beautiful flowers. I asked one of the kids "How do I say 'I am watering the flowers' in Ilokano?" He told me and after I finally repeated it back correctly, I kept saying it over and over while I was watering. They just laughed and laughed, which made me laugh and laugh. I'm sure they're thinking "This American woman is CRAZY!!!" It was a hoot. It was the first time I actually felt like I had made a connection with the kids and I really liked that.

I could go on with my stories and descriptions for pages but I will close for now and share more later. Love to all of you.