Sunday, August 13, 2006

This 'n That

Okay, time for another update. What have I been up to lately? As I mentioned last month, my counterpart and I went to a Project Design and Management conference in Los Banos, Laguna a couple weeks ago. It turned out to be the most useful conference I've attended thus far. The information was all about how to design and write a project from start to finish - useful stuff. The outcome for my counterpart and me is that we're going to start a library club at school. Should be fun and will give us a core group of students to train in the new classification system and help to promote reading and all the new books we've acquired.

So, as I was sitting here typing this blog I just got a phone call. Looks like I'm going to be a Resource Volunteer for batch 265 PST2 (pre-service training). I'm scheduled to teach a session on Remedial English for the Non-Reader. Woohoo. That will be Sept. 11 in Tagaytay, Cavite (which is close to Manila). Never know what's gonna happen next!

Back to the blog and what's been going on here . . . Last weekend I went to Sagada to celebrate some birthdays with other volunteers. I figured since Saturday was Tanner's bday that I should celebrate. I mean, I did "give birth" . . . so what the heck? That's a "birth"day of sorts! Anyway, we had a lot of fun. Good food. Good friends. A bit of beer. And a lot of laughter. Good times.

It is rainy season now and it rains pretty much every single day . . . but not til the afternoons usually. I knew that I enjoyed rainy days before I came here, but I have discovered after living in a country with a "rainy" season, that I really DO love the rain. The Filipinos think I'm crazy, but I still get a warm, cozy feeling every time it starts raining. Yes, it's a hastle to travel in sometimes. And I'm really irritated 'cuz I left my umbrella in Mt. Province last weekend. But overall, I love the rain. And besides, when it rains at night, the roosters and dogs are a lot less noisy and that's always a plus!

Oh, speaking of roosters and dogs. We have a new animal edition to the cacophony of noise I awake to outside my window every morning. It's pigs! Pigs, pigs, pigs. Grunting, squealing, pigs. Did you know that there are sounds that pigs make that are almost identical to some sounds that roosters make? I didn't either, but it's true. They do. It's a low-range squealing noise . . . Oh the things I'm learning in the Peace Corps. Only in the Philippines . . .

Okay, guess I'll close for now. Take care and be safe. Love to all *MUAH* (that's a big kiss:-)