Sunday Mornin' Coming Down

Sitting at the internet place in Center Mall in Baguio City. Just got a haircut and can still feel the shorthairs on my neck and down the back of my shirt. I went to, yet again, a different beauty salon in search of a good haircut. This one appears to be okay . . . but the true test will come in the morning when I wash and comb it. It was a razor cut this time. Interesting. We'll see.

It's hard to believe it has been almost a month since I last updated this blog! I have been incredibly busy so that makes time really whiz by. My primary project, the reading remediation program, is winding up so I've been busy finishing modules for that. March 7th will be our completion celebration. We will have a short program where the students will sing a song for their parents, my co-teacher and I will sing the praises of the kids and parents, we will hand out certificates of completion and the student's final evaluation cards. Hopefully, it will all go well. I will also need to compile all the modules into a binder and write a final report for the Division Office at the DepEd and submit it so they can determine if they want to share the modules with other schools.

The other thing that has had me busy the last two weeks is preparing a presentation for a Teacher Training Seminar that I am going to participate in. The seminar will be in Bicol, the southern most part of a peninsula off the island of Luzon. And it isn't until the end of April, but the due date to submit our presentations is tomorrow. So, this past Thursday I went to Manila to work on my presentation in the Peace Corps office on Friday and Saturday. I was able to complete it, so I felt SO productive. Woohoo!

I am also hoping to participate in another Teacher Training Seminar called Tudlo Mindonao where teachers from Mindonao go to Cebu City for a two-day workshop. I have applied to be a presenter at that T.O.T. but haven't heard if I am invited yet. If I get to do that, I will be traveling to Cebu City in early April for a training and again in late May for the seminar. Which means that my trip home would be pushed back to the end of May.

In June there is another training. This one I will attend with my counterpart and we will design another project. I will take the librarian from our school to that together we can design our library development project. That will be my focus for next school year. I don't know the dates on that training yet, so that could also affect my trip home. The bottom line is, I just don't know yet WHEN I will be coming home for a visit . . . only that I WILL be there as soon as I can!

I miss everyone so much. But I am adjusting to life here, slowly but surely. It's hard to believe that I have been here for 10 and a half months . . . that's almost one year!

Last Thursday when I went to Manila, it really hit me. "I am adapting to this place and learning how to get around on my own!" This was how my Thursday went: I got up that morning and took a jeepney into Baguio (two hours). Then I walked to the Victory Liner bus station and boarded a bus to Pasay City, Manila. That was a seven hour ride. When I arrived in Manila, I walked several blocks to the LRT (which I had ridden before, but never alone). I had to ask for directions, but I made it. I rode the LRT to a street in the area of where I was going to stay. Then I deboarded and walked about a mile to the Pension Natividad, where I checked in. I went to the dorm, put my things down, rested for about 30 minutes and walked to the mall. I decided to see what movies were playing, so I walked to the top floor, checked the signs and decided to see "Munich". I went to the counter to purchase my ticket and ran into three other Peace Corps Volunteers who were in town for a meeting. One I knew and two I got to meet for the first time. We all went to the movie together and walked back to the pension together afterwards. It was a good day. Ten months ago the thought of going to Manila on my own and not taking a taxi was terrifying. Now I've done it. No biggie. Life is good.

Well, it's time to go catch my jeepney back to Kapangan. Next week is our baranguay fiesta in Central, Kapangan, so I will be introducing the guest speaker . . . the mayor of La Trinidad. Wish me luck. They told me I can speak English, so I should be okay . . . whew!

Take care and please send some emails! Biglove to you all. xoxo