Maligayang Pasko!

Maligayang Pasko and Merry Christmas!!!

Pasko (Christmas) here begins the 1st day of September - I awoke on September 1st at 6am to Alvin and the Chipmunks singing "I Can Hardly Wait", followed (thankfully) by "Joy to the World" sung by humans. Joie, my host sister told me that Christmas here officially begins "with the -BER months".

So, Typhoon Juan was experienced with Christmas music (when there weren't brown outs), as was the Ms. Gay Pride parade and the leave-taking of my wonderful Paje Family in Olongapo.

My arrival here on November 13th to work with Taw Kabui on Palawan coincided with the children's intense rehearsal schedule for their Christmas stage performance at the Capitol on December 10th (phenomenal that these severely disabled children performed well in front of 400 guests - great experience for all).  Thus, except for the last 4 days of August, my entire time in the Philippines has been cocooned in Christmas. Or so I thought.

Nothing compares to the advent of December 1st: THE BER of the -ber months!  I haven't been to as many parties, events and celebrations in the past 5 years as this last month!  I hit the ground partying here - and, as in the States, parties are networking opportunities...I was the new kid on the block and excited about my NGO and took action.  So, Pastor Mon, his wife, Ofelia, and I were able to get the word out on the NGO and secured a lot of interest and commitments from social workers, academicians, health workers and foundations.  We were overwhelmed with the interest and the work 'we' need to do...I'm just so happy that I know how to do this and can show them!  The week before Christmas, we attended four parties, I think and this week probably another four.  We were able to attend a sumptuous dinner the Mayor  held for out of town dignitaries   

and I sat next to Mayor Hagedorn, whose focus on the environment has gained him mega awards.  Now, we hope, he will show interest in the plight of the Special Children here and support us! 

The food, you ask?  Lechon (an entire roasted pig in full view on the table), vegetable and pork lumpia, fresh grilled lapu-lapu or tilapia or yellow tail, chicken curry, meatloaf, radish and carrot salad,  lobster hollandaise in the shell, gargantuan hipon (shrimp); and sweets: agar-agar salad (seaweed),  maha-blanka (corn in a sweetened cornstarch base with coconut on top), flan, bicol (sweetened rice), ube (violet colored sweetened yam), buko salad (coconut), etc. etc.  Enough carbs and cholesterol to kill Santa Claus...just like home!

The gift-giving was different from American traditions - my Ustares family had everyone over for Noche Bueno (Christmas Eve) and we chowed down on spaghetti, chicken adobo, macaroni salad, seaweed (beautiful and really salty and crisp) and snails 

       (I couldn't believe it - I hunt for hours at the beach for shells (kabibi) and they are chowing down on these beautiful creatures - depressing to see all the easily purchased shells) and rice (ubiquitous at every meal and every occasion).  The gift-giving wasn't the main event, and not everyone gave (or got) a gift.  I couldn't figure out who got presents ('regalo' here), but I think all of the children got one and some of the adults - several people gave me presents and I felt guilty that I only had a few small gifts for my immediate family (which I gave them later). 

We feasted Noche Bueno and Brenda and I were to attend a women's group party on Christmas Day, so we put the left overs away for that.  I stayed up late doing some work and fell asleep around midnight.  I awoke to a great clamor at the locked gate around 6am - yells of "Merry Christmas"..and knew that teenaged Genesis would never wake up.  Jessa Mae let everyone in and I felt awkward joining since I'd not recognized any voices.  Finally, Jun came to get me  "Tita Deb!  Come out!  It's another party!"     Came out in my pj's to about 20 people chowing down on all the leftovers!  This also was another tradition - that no one told me about (I mean, why would they?)  Cousin Jethro said, "The termites have arrived" which I really liked!  Unfortunately, Brenda and I had nothing to take to the next party, but what a fun surprise!

So, at 9am on Christmas Day, about 25 women met at a local swimming pool (where there were tons of people - a tradition it appears) and had a gift exchange (I stuck to the 100 peso limit as instructed, but was embarrassed to see that others spent much more). 

These women have started an empowerment group and it was wonderful to watch.  Everyone talked about their difficulties and blessings and thanked God for everything.  Many tears and smiles.  Including mine when they accepted me as their "adopted Pilipina." 

The pool water was too cold and crowded to do real lessons, but I tried...and am determined to have Brenda, Ofelia and Glenda swimming before too long.  It is hilarious to see Ofelia in her woven winter cap, sweater and sweat pants, saying "Malamig!" (Cold!) when it's 24C (72F) outside, but maybe I'll get her in the summer.

Today is the 26th; my family is at church all day and I'm contemplating here in my room.  Thinking of all the blessings I have had in my life, and that this is an unlikely place to find happiness.  No hot water or shower or TP; seven sharing one bathroom; mosquitoes, tuko and frogs as roommates in an 8x8 room; unpaved roads of dirt/mud/rocks; hand washing muddy clothes with no dryer; no oven to bake my Christmas cookies (1st time in 30 years no cookies!!).  But, I'm needed and valued and accepted for who I am in an incredibly caring and loving culture.   Really, what more does one need?

Blessings to everyone in America, on this Christmas Day, 2010

76 Kalye Maunlad, Tiniguiban, Puerto Princesa City

This is the name and address of my new host family and where I will be living for the next three months. (And where you can send letters!)




Maunlad means "progressive" in Tagalog, though the kalye dead ends at our neighbor's house.




The barangay of Tinguiban is about 15 kilometres from Puerto Princesa City (PPC), the provincial capital of Palawan. It's a 10 minute walk on dirt/rock streets (on a sunny day - you don't want to imagine a rainy day) to get to the National Highway, where you can catch either a 'multi cab' (costs 10 pesos) or a 'tryke' (costs 40 pesos) to bayan (PPC).

Although you can see tourists in PPC, this is a residential area, and I've seen no other whites here, and everyone stares at me wherever I walk - especially when I walk with my host 'mother' Brenda who is 4'7" - what a pair we make! And the transportation is even smaller here than in Manila - the multicabs fit perhaps 10 Filipinas, but my legs are so long that I extend far beyond half the width of the cab, and I consistently hit my head getting in and out...almost blacked out once because I hit so hard!!

And everyone speaks Tagalog...except me. If I am expected to participate in a conversation, I literally start sweating - no bullets yet, but dramatic. Yesterday I was in an air conditioned office watching the Pacquiao replay and two men were talking and including me. I sweat profusely, but managed to mumble enough correct words to get by - whew!!

The Ustares family with whom I live is lovely - Mario, 49, Brenda, 38, Genesis, 16, Jessa Mae, 14, Jane, 5 and Joanne, 4. Mario is the younger brother of Ofelia, the wife who, with her pastor husband, founded the NGO for Special Children called Taw Kabui, where I work. They all belong to a 'born again' Christian church, and the parishioners all adopted Taw Kabui as their church mission and staff the school. Quite amazing people. They are devout: daily church services at 4am and Sunday from 9-5pm. I've told them that I am Unitarian, and although they don't recognize that here, they haven't pressed me too hard (yet?) to join them. I have taken to reading the Bible occasionally, which pleases them. My main problem with religion is the hypocrisy and the destruction caused by those in power. And, it is the same here, although the people I've had the privilege of living with here in the Philippines are the best people I've met in my life - true to their convictions and practicing what is termed "Christian" values. Charity, even when they have little to give; bonding together to help each other; checking in with each other; humble; accepting of others with different beliefs; supporting family and community members who are somehow incapacitated, etc. Wonderful, wonderful people.

The size of my room shrank a bit from my Olongapo digs - there's room for a single bed and a table and fan. It looked like this when I just visited the first time. However, now that I've moved in, it's messy most of the time! I haven't figured out how to keep all of the papers, medical kit, toiletries and clothes organized with only 1 hook on the wall and only one table - much of my stuff fits under my bed. But I'm working on it! I feel badly that I have kicked Genesis out of his room - he now sleeps on a bed like mine in the large kitchen, but he has never said a word - even that this was his room.

The roof is very tall, although everything is open - no ceilings on the rooms and the 10 foot walls stretch up reaching for the 20 foot high roof. Mario has done a lot of work on the property - the kitchen is completely remodeled and stands alone and lockable.

There are no ovens here - the stoves are propane and like hot plates. There is an open area between the kitchen and the rest of the house where we grill food, wash pots and hand launder the daily laundry (a story of its own). At the back of the property is the living area and CR (comfort room). I haven't had a hot water shower since arriving in the Philippines - all are 'bucket' showers with cold water - but at least the water is from a faucet and I don't have to pump it. Mario has laid beautiful tile floors in the entry, my room and the CR, although, again, there are no ceilings in any of the rooms and only temporary flooring - Mario put a ceiling in my room a few days ago, so now the moths don't swoop in, and most of the frogs and centipedes stay out (although I do like finding the tiny baby frogs). My (unscreened) windows abut a swamp that fills with the most amazing frogs...well, yes, and mosquitoes too...and the noise is incredible after a rain when they are happiest!

I've now been here about 3 weeks and am - dare I say it? - happy. I truly enjoy the people I'm around and feel that I can really help these folks out. I'm a wealth of knowledge for them because the Philippines is so far behind the US in learning disabilities. I've written a script for a video that I'll start filming tomorrow with a potential investor from Colorado who is very interested in helping us; I've completed much of the teacher training curriculum (specific disorders, how to teach SPED and special therapies); and we've written a proposal that we're praying gets funded for a donation of used computers and equipment with which we'll stock the new office and teacher/parent Resource Center that a group of us are building in late December - Wow!!

I haven't bought a bike yet because of the sharp rocks in the roads here, but when I find a place to rent in the next couple months (surrounded by mostly paved roads!), I will explore to my heart's content. As it is, I've swum in the South China Sea and boated the Underground River cavern, where I saw this 4' long monitor lizard.

The entire family (20 of us) took me to White Beach last week, where I swam for literally 3 hours in luxury. And, the family is planning to take me to their family homestead in Bahile about two hours north for Christmas - for an adventure I only hope pans out!

All of this and I enjoy the people I'm helping and am making contributions in an area I care about and which makes a huge difference. There is so much poverty here - even my middle class family has just enough to put on the table - there are no feasts and I have gone slightly hungry a couple of times. But it doesn't really matter - the smiles are everywhere and people count their blessings and adore their families. And are so accepting of me - how could I not be happy?

Blessings to all!