You know you're in the Philippines when . . .

Today as I was walking into town so that I could use the internet, it dawned on me that I'm really here. And here are just a few things that finally convinced me that I'm not in Oklahoma anymore. . .

At our official "Welcome Dinner" I had to fish a Junebug out of my water and I flicked about 20 other bugs off the table.

In my room, I'm thankful for the lizards running up the walls because they eat the mosquitoes.

Walking into town, I passed several rice fields with people wading up to their knees in mud and water slinging seeds from a bucket because it's planting season here.

On the same walk to town, I passed two water buffalo. They're big, but not any bigger than an Oklahoma bison.

When I shower, I don't have to hurry before the water gets cold - it's always cold - I have to hurry because I'm sharing the shower with at least 10 to 15 mosquitoes (all wanting to "taste the American" I imagine!)

And last but certainly not least . . . I know that I'm in the Philippines because today I got passed by a tricycle (motorcycle with a sidecar - for hire) carrying a live pig as its passenger!

It's an adventure, for sure.

For all of you who are wondering where I am and how I'm doing . . . I am in Northern Luzon in the province of Nueva Vizcaya, in the city of Byombong. I have been here since last Thursday. I've been staying on a university campus with a group of 19 other Peace Corps Trainees and a training staff.

Tomorrow we divide into smaller groups and move to individual communities to begin our community- based training. I will be living with a host family in San Luis. It is near the city of Solano. In San Luis, four other PCTs will be staying with other families and our language teacher will be there as well. In the mornings we will have structured language classes. We will be learning Ilokano. In the afternoons we will go into the community and practice our language, meet people, organize community meetings, etc. It feels a little overwhelming, yet exciting. I'm ready to learn some of the language so that I can speak to the locals in their local language.

I do miss my family and loved ones and your thoughts and prayers are extremely important to me. They keep us very busy, however, which helps keep me going.

We have almost as many meals as meetings. At 6:30am we have breakfast. At 10am we have merienda (sizeable snack). At noon we have lunch. At 3pm we have another merienda. And at 6:30pm we have dinner. In between all those meals we have meetings. It's been exhilarating, but it will be nice to get to the host family site and experience what Filipino homelife is like.

I'll close for now. Keep those emails and letters coming (even though we haven't received any mail yet). And I'll write back and update this site everytime I have the opportunity. Love to all!