General Update

I thought you might enjoy an update on what is going on in a few different areas of my life. So here goes . . .

Work: Big change here. You may remember our principal, Mrs. Aurora Leon, who lost her son last November. Last week she was informed of her transfer to Regional Science and Math High School in La Trinidad, Benguet . . . effective immediately! So, here it is less than three months before graduation and she’s transferred. It’s a promotion for her but my goodness . . . talk about overwhelming life changes! Yesterday was her last day at our school; it was heart wrenching. She cried. We cried. She said, “It feels like everything I love is being taken away all at once” (first, her baby and now the school that she started six years ago). God must have big plans for her.

Her replacement until the end of May is the head English teacher, Mrs. Jane Ngolab. DepEd assigned her as Teacher-in-Charge. This means she will handle all the Principal’s duties (a full-time job) plus teach all her classes (a full load). And here’s the kicker . . . she gets NO EXTRA COMPENSATION. And a little aside, she’s pregnant!

As for me, I’m working hard and enjoying it. I love teaching the remediation class twice a week. The students are shy by nature and polite by school indoctrination, but they are opening up and talking more all the time. I’m enamored with them. Next week, we will be having a meeting with the parents to hand out evaluation cards and let them view their students’ work and ask questions – a group parent/teacher conference . . . and I’m playing the part of a teacher –Yikes!


I have one more module to write for now. Then I will revise some of the early ones and compile them into a binder, prepare a report on our pilot class, and submit it to the Division Office where it will be made available to other schools in Benguet. Sounds good anyway. We’ll see.

Peace Corps: This week I went with my Regional Manager to assess a couple potential sites in my area for a new volunteer. One was a high school and it doesn’t look like they will get a volunteer. The other site was the Mayor’s office here in Kapangan. A volunteer may get assigned there. That means that come next June, I might have a site mate. I hope it happens. It could be fun to have another American to share this fishbowl with!

Host home: The biggest change on this front is that I had a bookshelf built for my room. A local furniture maker built it out of pine. It’s beautiful and gives me room for all my books, movies, toiletries, etc. It’s funny how much a 4’x6’ shelf can enhance the quality of life in an 8’x10’ room. I’m lovin’ it!

Attitude: Best change of all. I finally got tired of feeling bummed out. I realized that this period of my life is very temporary and will soon end. If I spend my time here feeling sad about all that I’m missing, I will be filled with regrets when it’s over because I missed the unique joy of this experience . . . AND missed everything at home! So, my new year’s intention is to fully experience and appreciate this time . . . so that I will have happy stories to share! And I’m pleased to report that I’m feeling much happier :-).

Naragsak ay biag ya pipiyan da kayo!
(Happy life and love to all of you!)