Camille Gloria

We are back in Bontoc and tomorrow the boys will leave for Manila. The visit to Libas was great fun. It was a forty five minute trip on motorcycles down a rocky road. We took two motorcycles with three people on each motorcycle. This is called riding Habel-Habel, and since the vehicles are going about the speed of a bicycle, it is relatively safe. Libas is a place way out in the country, and the green mountains and rice paddies are truly beautiful. There are no internet cafes or cellphone connections in Libas, and there are just a very few televisions in the town so people really interact in way you might have remembered if you lived in America in the 1950's. Asa would try to tell me that everyone was staring at me because I was the tall American, but actually all the girls were staring at him and at Elliot. And they were really staring. We stayed with Judith who teaches at Libas National High School. She is Glory's niece, and I had given some money to build a teacher's store room at her high school. Ha ha. Well, someone had to build that store room. I am glad it has no plaque with my name on it.

As soon as we arrived, the kids started to gather around Judith's house and look at us. So we juggled for them and then I played the flute for them and then we practiced Cebuano with them, and after it was clear that we were tired about twenty of the kids came in the house and watched a television program. Hey, they were not idly watching television. They were glued to it and really listening.

The next day I taught in a couple of classes, and the main one was Judith's classroom where they were studying biodiversity. This was a major success because that is what I had talked about with students two years ago, and Judith was really implementing some of the ideas of the Haribon Foundation which has big environmental education component. I even told them I would contribute some money so that they could continue with their project of planting epiphytes on the trees outside the classroom.

It was after class that everything became really fun. Asa and I showed the kids how to juggle, and then everyone crowded around asking for pictures and our autographs. A couple asked for Asa and Elliot's e-mail addresses, but since the nearest internet cafe is in Bontoc, this will not be frequent chatting.

One of the class leaders was a girl named Camille Glory. She and her friend would come up to me and laugh and say, "Picture with Daddy" and then while posing for the picture the other twenty or thirty kids would crowd around to be in the picture. Camille gave me a map of the Philippines and said that this was a "remembrance" so that we would not forget her.

Just like Queenie in Montalban or Caren in Payatas, it is easy to pick out some of the kids who are leaders. Everyone would follow what Camille said, and if it became too quiet she would point it out so that there were no uncormfortable pauses.

As I was walking down the path she told me that she really had never seen her father. Her mother worked in Manila so she lived with her aunt here in Libas. My friend Mike once came back from doing some volunteer dentistry (in Guatamela I believe), and he said that poverty is when you see a beautiful woman with two of her front teeth missing. This was the case with Camille Glory. She is a truly beautiful young girl, but you notice that she always keeps her mouth closed when she smiles. Maybe it is the lack of medical care here or maybe it is the success of Coca Cola or maybe it is both. poverty is when you see a beautiful woman with two of her front teeth missing.

-Zeus

Ikoy and Imelda

Yesterday morning we left Manila for Tacloban where we met up with the Niez family--Glory, Jay-Ar, and Christian. Before we left Manila airport one of the security guards asked me if I realized I looked like Chuck Norris, and I laughed since the day before someone had yelled out, "Jesus". I don't want Asa's parents to know who he is really traveling with so I won't say anymore.

Tacloban is a really nice city. Hey, everything looks nice when you have been in the streets of Payatas. The air is clean and there are more pedicabs and more people riding habel-habel which means you have three or four people on a motorcycle. The houses are much more spacious. The provinces are beautifully green and scenic.

This area of Leyte is noted for being the place where Imelda Marcos was born, and we saw evidence of her everywhere. We walked half the length of the San Juacinto Bridge which is the longest bridge in Asia (2 kilometers), we stayed in the Leyte Hotel, and we visited a museum where Imelda had once lived. All of these have plaques showing how Imelda had taken a part in their construction. You may have to wait to see the picture of Elliot playing the piano in Imelda's ballroom, or Asa sitting in Imelda's bath, or Jay-Ar sitting in Ferdinand Marco's place at the head of the table in the banquet hall. The immense wealth that went into this "palace" is obvious, and it takes a while to realize how this extravagance exists at the same time the great kids we taught are living in tiny cinder block homes. The kids we taught were poor materially, but they were so creative and talented and interesting that it is hard to think of them as poor.

Ikoy, a kid we met at the spot where MaCarthur returned, really did seem poor. He was selling balot which is duck eggs with the duck about to hatch. I had taken a picture of him with Christian while Christian ate some balot. The balot sells for 12 pesos and Ikoy had his container of eggs with him. He looked pretty sad, and when we talked to him he had a sort of glazed look about him. I guessed that he was about eight. After buying several cups of mango shakes, I decided that Ikoy needed more sales so I decided to buy some balot myself. Well, the balot tasted pretty much like a hard boiled egg with vinegar and salt. Everyone is impressed if a foreigner can eat balot so I did my best to impress people. Ha ha. We started to talk to Ikoy. Although he was in fourth grade, he was not eight but twelve, "dose" he said. I gave him a large bill and told him to keep the change, and although I didn't notice it, Glory pointed out that he was very happy.

The kids we have been teaching are poor, but they realize the importance of education, and most of them look like they have a chance. Ikoy looks like a kid who doesn't have much of a chance. I wonder what will become of him and if there is a chance he will happy in life.

By the way, I hear that Chicago is up in the mid 90's. We have nice cool weather here with light rainfall each day. Everyone should come to the Philippines in August for relief from the hot humid conditions of the midwest.

Thank You Letters

We went to Payatas and to Montalban today, and the students said Goodbye to Elliot and Asa. Elly Yoot is how they pronounce it, and Asa is pronounced Ah sa. The kids there were terrific. When they sing, they choreograph it with hand motions. It was really amazing to watch. We told them how much we appreciated it, and we gave more juggling performances. I finished off with a song called Metamorphosis which seemed appropriate for kids who live in an environmnet that is so harsh.

There are many kids we will remember. It girl named Caren was really an outstanding student, but she had had to drop out of school for two years and was only now returning. There was no money to allow her to continue her schooling in the provinces. We received many thank you letters including one from Loujesa Becarra. I will include it here:

Dear Sir Zues
First of all I would like to say, Thank you. Because you are very kind for me and you can teach me how to solve the problem in math. Do you know Im so happy because if you cannot come inour place I don't know what I can do in my assignment, Because it is so very hard. Sir if you are in Chicago dont forget me, Im Loujesa Bacarra the funny girl who meet you and pls. you will always pray me, because I want to come in your place. And I want to graduate in college, but I don['t know if I can study, because our parents have no money to support me. And I pray you also that you can give God always a strenth and a long life. Do you know you are so very big-big help for me. Thank you very much!!! Miss you!!! Always take care! God bless you!!
From: Loujesa Bacorra

In the afternoon we took tricycles to Montalban which is in the provinces. We served food for 140 kids. Elliot scooped that much rice. It wasn't much money to feed them all, and we could see they appreciated it. Elliot taught the younger kids and I taught the high school kids including one called Asa. Afterwards the girls taught us Tagalog and gave Elliot and Asa many "remembrances". Elliot was told that he looked like a famous movie star except he was better looking. Ha ha He is so modest now.

Taglish

This is another story written by one of the students. As you can see, it is in English and Tagalog or what Sterling calls Taglish not to be confused with Cebuanish. We have left mispellings in.


My name is Mariel A. Padigos
Ang Pangalan ko ay si mariel Padigos.
I am 13 years old
Labing tatlong taong gulang
I live in Lansones St. Payatas Quezon City.
I am in grade six
ako ay nasa ika anim na baitang sa Paaralan
I have two little sisters
ako ay may dalawang nakababatang kapatid.
Their name is Emarie and Emarsil
Ang Pangalan nila ay sina Emarie at Emarsil
My Father's name is Mario Padigos
Ang pangalan ng tatay ko ay si Mario Padigos
He is a carpenter
Siya ay isang Karpentiro
My mother's name is Elsie Padigos she is full time house wife
Ang pangalan ng nanay ko ay si Elsie Padigos isang maybahay
Our House is near the creck
Ang bahay namin ay malapit sa creck
Our house is two story with one room up stair
ang bahay namin ay dalawang palapag na may isang kwarto sa itaas.
We have one electric fan up stair and one sailing fan down stair.
Mayroon kaming isang electric fan sa itaas at isa sailing fan sa ibaba.
My favorite activities are playing badminton,reading books, watching TV, walking,
Ang mga paborito kong gawain ay mag laro ng badminton, magbasa ng libro, manood ng TV at mag lakad.
I always do this activities with my friends,namely, Princess Lyka,, Carla and Mary Jane.
Palagi ko itong ginagawa kasama ng mga kaibigan ko na sina Princess, Lyka, Carla And Mary Jane.
My favorite songs are Through it all and With all I am.
Ang mga paborito kong kanta ay ang Through it all at With all I am.


Many of the kids that come to see us live near the creek. It is a pretty messy creek and there is a lot of standing water and garbage in it. Most of the kids live in houses with two rooms, and although they come dressed nicely they have lots of problems with tooth decay. One of the people here told me that his aunt died of asthma yesterday at the age of 51. It is not surprising because the air is very polluted from burning material at the dump and from exhaust from jeepneys and tricycles.

A note to Danny. I have been performing our songs for the kids each day. They clap so they think the like our music. Yesterday they followed my playing with an extended song which had about ten verses. Kids here really seem to like to sing.

Sirens

We went to the Manila Hotel last night to see Diane Sison sing. Diane has a really nice voice, and I know that if I lived in Manila I would go see her every Wednesday night. Everyone in our group loved her, and when she heard that Asa was not here with his parents she offered to be his nanny although she admitted her fees as a nanny would be rather high. When I told everyone that Asa was here looking for a wife in the Philippines, she offered that she was available, but I don't think her boyfriend knows this. Diane sang a lot of the songs that we requested, and my favorites were Route 66 and Freddie Aquilar's Anak. I wish she would record a CD!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the meantime I will have to listen to Ester Hana's CD until it wears out.

The Manila Hotel is a very historical place. It is the spot where General McArthur stayed when he was in Manila. By the way, we will be going to Tacloban Sunday. That is where McArthur returned when he said, "I have returned." For those who are interested in knowing why he chose that strategic military spot, I have it on good authority that he came there because his Filipino girlfriend lived in Tacloban!

Before we saw Diane we had dinner at the Hotel. The food looked nice, and tasted good, but my favorite food in the whole world is what I buy on the streets. Remember to put that on my tombstone when I die of gastroenteritis. ha ha

"HEY JOE!"

The Many Names of a Tall American Tourist in the Philippines

After just a few hours of being in the Philippines two things became very clear to me. First of all when Zeus told me that we would be giants here he wasn't kidding. Secondly even if we spoke fluent tagalog we would still stick out. Not only are we tall, we also have extremely light skin compared to them. The main reason that we stick out is because of Zeus. Many times we will be walking down the street just like everyone else and someone will shout, "Hey Joe." which is the name for all Americans here. Overall Zeus is always the one to atract the attention because, "The audiences here are great." Zeus has been called everything, Santa Claus, Chuck Norris, Charles Braunson, Lolo (Grandpa) One name that we have been given more recently is The Jugglers. One of the first things we do when we arrive in a new place is look for an audience to juggle for. Many of the times I will be teaching students and I will turn around and see Zeus pulling out his tennis balls and teaching a group of high schoolers to juggle. Most of the time there is really no reason to stare at us other than the fact that we're American but as we found out after a couple of hours that is a good enough reason.

-Asa

Observations

Every day in the Philippines we get rain. It usually lasts for half an hour or so and last night the internet connection went out so we couldn't tell more about what we are doing.

So here are just a few observations.

It is wonderful teaching here. The kids are really really poor, but they are so eager to learn and they are wonderfully polite. When I meet the younger ones, they take my hand and put it to their forehead. This is a kind of blessing called Mano. I usually work with about six kids at a time, and Elliot and Asa take the same number. When Sterling is here, she helps a fourth group. We start with their school lessons which are usually very abstract, and then we develop some of our own lessons. Yesterday, I asked them all to describe the two largest cities in the Philippines and most did not know. Then I asked them if they knew where I came from and they just said America. Most had never heard of New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, but several boys did know who Michael Jordan was. The kids here have long attention spans, it is amazing to see anyone every cry or whine. One day we went to the mall and saw a kid crying, and I told Sterling and Elliot that he must be an American. ha ha

The textbooks are so abstract that I had Elliot come up to me one day and ask me what an indefinite pronoun was. I know I should know what that is, but it eluded me and all the adults I asked afterwards. I am sure it is a good thing to know about, but I am not sure if it helped the fourth grade student learn to write better in English or Tagalog. However, I should point out that many of the kids can write very well in both English and Tagalog. So we are spending a lot of time trying to get the students to write stories or descriptions. I am also doing my best to get them to understand what some of the applications of math concepts are.

I haven't told you much about the organization that we are working with. James Kang, Elliot's dad, hooked us up with them last year, and Flor is the person coordinating our activities. The title of the organization is Mission Ministries Philippines, and they work developing "holistic churches, that have a preschool, a drugstore cooperative and a livelihood project ot help finance the church." I have gotten interested in a goat raising project that is being started in Montalban. I am talking with Sterling about how we could integrate the financial aspects of this into the math curriculum there so the kids can see that positive and negative numbers and interest rates are not just academic topics.

Well, I have to get to work. I will write more tonight.

Ayo ayo (That means bye),

-Zeus