Back in the 'Pines

My trip home was better than I had even hoped . . . just not long enough! I really enjoyed being back in the states and hanging out with family and friends. I especially loved playing with my baby Abey! I think the biggest "culture shock" I felt back in the states came when I was driving on I-40 to go visit Elanor and Gary. I noticed that people kept passing me. To me they seemed to be flying. I looked down at my speedometer and realized I was going a little less than 50 mph! Hello. It made me realize just how slow paced life really is here. In the Philippines I am rarely in a vehicle moving more than 35 or 40 mph . . . and usually they are going even slower than that! I must admit though, by the time I left I was once again use to the fast-pace of America and speeding with the best of them!

Thanks to all of you who made me feel so loved. And for those of you that I didn't get to see . . . Sorry we weren't able to connect this trip. Another day . . . another time.

When I returned to the Philippines I met up with three other volunteers and we took a little 3-day trip to the island of Bohol. There we saw the Chocolate Hills, a mangrove forest, and the world's smallest primates: the Tarsiers. After that little mini-vaca, we took a super ferry back to Cebu City, Cebu to participate in Tudlo Mindanao (a teacher-training seminar for teachers from Mindanao). The training went really well and I had an excellent time there. I think it was my favorite PCV experience yet. I really enjoyed presenting and being with other PCVs as well as meeting a lot of teachers from Mindanao. It was nice to see a mixture of Muslim and Christian teachers and to observe how they interact. We were in Cebu for a little over one week.

We took a 6 am flight to Manila on May 28 and on the 29th I had a dental appointment (teeth cleaned - no cavities :-) Right now I'm in Laoag, Illocos Norte at Tom Peng's site. I came here with Lubna and Tom to celebrate Tom's birthday with him. I'll go back to Baguio on June 1 and probably get back to site on June2.

I have been away from site for over a month and I wish I could say that I am really anxious to get back. That's not so much the way I feel. However, I'm going to go back refreshed from my visit home and hopefully things will be better than I expect. We'll see.

I will close for now. Just wanted to post an update that I made it back and I'm safe and sound. It's time to go eat lunch, and as usual . . . I'm starving :-) Take care and know you're in my thoughts.