Things I love about the Philippines, #11

Last night Dennis and I went out on a date and I remembered something else that I love about the Philippines.  No, I haven't run out of material, I've just been super busy lately.  :)

First, we went to Dairy Queen and got a little treat.  The fact that there is Dairy Queen here at all is a pretty cool thing about the Philippines, but the best part is yet to come!

Then, we walked down to the movie theater and bought our movie tickets.

Then, we went INTO the movie WITH the food we bought outside of the theater!  Yes!  It's true!  At many theaters here it is A-OK to buy whatever you want and bring it in with you.

You want a burger?  Why not?  A grocery bag full of chocolate?  Sure!  Steak and salad?  Go for it!  But they may draw the line at a rolling buffet, I don't know.

Things I like about the Philippines, #10

This post must begin with something I actually dislike about the Philippines, but I promise it will turn into something I like shortly.  :)

There are not any public libraries in the Philippines.  This was a horrible discovery for our family as we are too cheap to buy books at a bookstore and spent hours upon hours at the library as a family in Canada.  I grew up going to the library about once a week and walking home with a stack of at least 10 (or 20, or more) books tucked in my arms.

So it was a sad, sad thing to not have libraries available to us here.

However, we've discovered two next-best things.

1.  Bookstores where it is ok to sit on the floor and read, read, read.  I'm not sure if it is encouraged or just tolerated and we don't ask... but lots of children sit around the kid's section and read like this so we assume it is ok.  And the girls love it.

2.  The "Booksale" store, located in regular malls, which sells affordable, used books.  The girls often spend their allowances at this store.  (Sorry, I don't have any pictures of this store!)

Let's just say that libraries are high on the list of places to go when we visit North America!

Things I like about the Philippines, #9

Filipinos are generally wonderfully creative and artistic.  One of my favorite things about living here is their love of music and their lack of inhibitions when it comes to singing.

There are two sides to this coin (think karaoke at midnight) but the part that I love and would like to emphasize is that it is perfectly acceptable to sing out loud almost anywhere.  One time I was riding along on a jeepney when suddenly the guy sitting across from me burst out into song.  Loudly.  I was the only one who looked twice.  

Many times I've been shopping in a store and a sales person in the same aisle as me suddenly chimes in with the music playing on the loud speaker system.  They have no qualms about that at all. 

I decided to experiment with this.  I was curious what people would do if a foreigner, who already sticks out like a sore thumb, burst out into song in the grocery store.  The answer?  Nothing!  They didn't even look twice.  I love that!  Now I don't have to feel weird about humming along to the radio or singing a song of my own.  

Now, isn't that refreshing?  Who cares what other people think?  Enjoy life a little!  If your heart feels like singing, then sing!  We should all learn a lesson from the Filipinos on this one.

You may be wondering what happens if the person who is singing along can't carry a tune.  Nothing.  They are welcome to sing too (think karaoke at midnight).  :D

Things I like about the Philippines, #8

I took this picture a long time ago knowing that if I ever blogged about things I like in the Philippines this would have to take place among them.

There are many varieties of bananas available here in the Philippines and they are all are quite flavorful and delicious- very sweet and just the perfect amount of tang.  Even a very ripe, brown-turning-almost-black banana is quite good (according to Dennis and others anyway, I don't really eat brown bananas no matter where I am, banana-snob that I am...).

If you try to eat a banana here when it is too green you will know it right away!  There is a Tagalog word for "unripe fruit taste" that is especially appropriate when eating a green banana.  It is super dry and pithy tasting and almost turns your tongue inside out.

I know ripe bananas are good here, but who better to tell you the difference than someone who recently went from 'here to there'?  Bee, my sister-in-law, lived with us here in the Philippines for two years and has now returned to Canada.  When she ate her first banana back in Canada she couldn't believe the difference.

Here's what she had to say: "Eating a banana that was yellow here tasted something like a green banana there... kinda pasty and a bit bland."  She said it would take her awhile to want to try a North American banana again.

Things I like about the Philippines, #7

This is something that definitely had to grow on me, but now I really just can't imagine life without it.

This, my friends, is halo-halo; a yummy dessert concoction made with evaporated or condensed milk poured over shaved ice and colorful ingredients including, but not limited to, a few different kinds of "dessert" beans (did you know there was such a thing?), gelatin, tapioca, sweetened fruits, pinipig (like crispy rice), leche flan (like custard), sweetened banana, chick peas, etc., topped with ube (purple yam) ice cream.

Take my word for it, it is delicious and everybody should at least try it once before they die.  It should go in one of those "1,000 Things to Try Before You Die" books.  I hope to try it 1,000 times before I die...  :D

Things I like about the Philippines, #6

Another thing I love about living in the Philippines?  Year-round flip flop wearing!

That's right!

Flip flops on Christmas.  Flip flops on Thanksgiving.  Flip flops to church *gasp*.  Flip flops to the mall.  Flip flops to the beach.  Oh, the ease of getting a family out of the door now compared to the snowsuit and boot-wearing chaos of yester-year....

Ah, this is bliss... 

Not to mention how cute they are on even the smallest of feet:  :)

Things I like about the Philippines, #5

Back in Canada I made all my girls birthday cakes.  It was fun and even though it sometimes was a little difficult for non-creative me, I usually managed to put together something presentable.

I've tried to remain creative here too... but the humidity and heat has gotten the better of me a few times and although I've had a few successes, the failures have been epic. For my sister-in-law's birthday I decided to just stick with a basic cake without any fancy shape cutting or tower building.

Yes, that is supposed to say 'Happy Birthday'.  Fail.

Anyway, I am happy to tell you about my discovery that for between $5-10 dollars I can purchase a beautifully personalized non-melted cake, and I don't even have to plan ahead.  I just pop into the local bakery and they hand over the personalized cake right on the spot.  Goodbye, cake anxiety!

This is perfect for the times when I don't have the time or energy to wrestle the tropical heat.  Yay!

P.S.  I did do a castle cake and a snowman cake for two birthdays this past April.  They turned out ok, but there was some stress and melting involved... and nothing looks nearly as nice as the cakes I used to do in cooler climates.  :(

Things I like about the Philippines, #4

This, my friends, is a stroke of genius.

These are small sample-sized packets of shampoo and conditioner sold individually or in strips.  Check out the picture of the sari-sari (road-side convenience store) below.

All those strips hanging from the line above the counter are small packets of shampoo, conditioner, dish soap, laundry soap, and even tiny boxes of just a few bouillon cubes.  Toothpaste comes in packages like that as well, and you can buy tiny sizes of deodorant, cologne, lotion, baby wash, vitamins... almost everything, just like the package of four diapers I wrote about earlier.  Most items here are available this way and it isn't expensive like the trial and travel sizes we used to buy in Canada or the U.S.

You can even go to the drug store and buy just one or two tylenol.  It is perfect for those headaches that suddenly hit and you don't really want to buy a whole bottle of medicine since you already have three at home!  :)

These packages are great for everybody- those who can't afford to buy a lot and also for those who don't really need a whole bottle of shampoo.  They are perfect for travelling, for sampling different kinds until you find something you like, or to get you by if you are in a pinch.  I love it!

Things I like about the Philippines, #3

Here's another thing I love about the Philippines.

You know those large plastic mascots and larger-than-life toys outside of fast food restaurants, toy stores or movie theaters?

Those are not just advertisements here or gimmicks to get children to beg their parents for a product!  Those are photo ops!

Gone are the days of quickly snapping a picture of the large plastic lego guy before someone sees me take a picture of something so childish and embarrassing.  Do you remember ever furtively looking around before posing with Ronald McDonald or that purple McDonald's guy (what's his name?)?  In my mind those things were always embarrassing.  Or maybe it was just me?

Anyway, I do not need to worry about that anymore.  Here in the Philippines it is A-OK to have your picture taken with any old statue, larger than life toy, advertisement on the wall, movie poster or large cardboard cut out.  That is not embarrassing at all, even for adults.  And if your kids are cute enough, you may not be the only one snapping a photo either!  Not sure what to think about that part of it, but I do love that it is ok to enjoy the more childish things of life, no matter what age you are.  

 

Just look at the cute little "wanted"

I honestly had no idea that I had so many pictures of my kids with these sorts of things until I dug through the archives looking for pictures to go with this post!  Wow- not exactly practical or anything, but they do underscore my point.  :)

Things I like about the Philippines, entry #2

Thing I love #2

This thing is something I never knew existed three years ago.  I did not have a need for this item.  I did not wish I had one.

When I arrived and was shopping for household supplies I kept seeing these huge colorful basins on the shelves at the store.  They were very affordable but I still had my NA (North American) eyes and I didn't even know what they were for.

Soon I started noticing them everywhere, and I found out they had a name! Palanggana (pa-lang-ga-nah).


Now, we own three large palangganas and several smaller ones.  These things are the best!  They come in all shapes, sizes and colors.  We use them for laundry, sorting things, a swimming pool, a spaceship, a car, holding water balloons, a bathtub for Miss Muffet and bunch of other things.

It took me a long time to be able to say that word without messing it up or saying the Tagalog word for "name" instead, which is "pangalan (pa-nga-lan)." 

"Excuse me, what is your washbasin?"  :)

Things I like about the Philippines, entry #1

I've been wanting to write about the things I like about the Philippines for a long time.

Any time a person is going from one culture to another, or from one country to another there are things that are different.  But, as Dennis and I learned (and often mantra-chant to each other when the need to be reminded arises), it usually is "not wrong, just different!"  Some of the "new" things I like so much better than the old!

Here is my attempt to share some of those cool, different things with you.

Thing I love #1:

This is a package of four diapers.  Yes, just four!  These little packages are available all over the place, and they are often available at roadside stores (called sari-sari stores) or corner convenience stores.  

Have you ever been out and realized that you forgot to restock the diaper bag?  Now, I won't put all of you in the same disorganized category as me, but I can recall lots of emergency runs to the store while on a road trip or sightseeing.  Usually I'd have to buy a pack of at least a dozen diapers or more, and the extra diapers usually wound up hanging from a plastic bag on the back of the stroller.  Annoying!

Happily, here I can just buy a few diapers and be on my way!  Hooray for differences!

Wake-up Call

At breakfast this morning our family was talking about joy.  I've been struggling this week with being in a sort of mental funk- wanting to complain about everything and definitely not exhibiting joy.  It came in handy as I was able to use myself as the example to the kids of what happens when a person lacks gratitude.  Ha.

Anyway (moving on), it was a good conversation to have today because an hour or so later I found myself at our local government office inquiring about what is available for those who weren't able to graduate from high school and want to finish their high school education.  Even remedial jobs like janitorial, fast food, etc. require the employee to have completed high school and in most cases they must be working on secondary education to be employed in these jobs.

Education is highly valued here.  Most people cannot expect to get far with anything short of a bachelor's degree and in many cases, a master's degree.  And for the many who are unable to finish even their high school education due to lack of finances or other circumstances it is difficult to find the resources to complete their schooling even as adults.

I've discovered a program that will assist those in this category, however it is proving very difficult to find the right information from an individual who is willing to divulge it and I feel so sorry for anyone trying to do this without the resources I have available to me.  My heart aches for a friend who I'm trying to assist.  How would they ever be able to do this on their own?

It was the swift kick in the seat of the pants that I needed after my week of malcontent.

How dare I refuse to count blessings or turn a blind eye to those I could bless?

 "Give me back the joy that comes from being saved by you. 

      Give me a spirit that obeys you. That will keep me going."

Psalm 51:12 (NIrV)

Churches

One of the things I often tried to imagine before we moved here was what church here would look like.  I didn't even know what city life looked like let alone what churches were like here, but I tried to imagine it anyway.  I think in my mind's eye I imagined a small group sitting in a circle or something.  I don't know.

Our first Sunday in the Philippines we visited a church called Christ's Commission Fellowship, or CCF.  They told us it was big.  It was big.  Super big.  It actually reminded me very much of the big churches back in Canada or the US, complete with something like 6 services on Sunday, small groups, a lively children's program and excellent music.  The pastor delivered a wonderful and convicting sermon in English and we thoroughly enjoyed the air conditioning.

CCF

We wanted to visit some different places so we soon went to a small place located only about 5 minutes from our house.  It was small, around 50 people or so, one service before and after which there was much chatting and goings on, (by the way, can you tell I've been reading Robinson Crusoe which was written in the 1700's and now my conversational English is suffering for it), a homespun band with heartfelt singing and a sermon in Taglish, which is a combination of Tagalog and English that is commonly spoken around here.  The people were so friendly and we loved it right away.  However, since there were already two foreign families attending there we were advised that perhaps three families would affect the church's ability to minister to their own Filipino congregation because of its small size.

Then we visited yet another church.  This time even the name of the church was in Tagalog, Kapatirang Kristiano sa San Juan or KKSJ for short.  Friends of ours who are seasoned missionaries drove us there our first Sunday as it is located about 10-15 minutes from our place by car and off the beaten path of public transportation.  We were welcomed there right away and we decided to attend there regularly. 
The congregation numbers around (there's that old-English influence again, oh brother) 200 people, so it is quite a bit larger than the small one we had visited before. 

The language spoken there is less Taglish and more straight Tagalog, although there was enough English mixed in that we were able to understand some things even at the beginning.  The church is brethren in origin, so their meeting is patterned after that.  They have three services on Sunday morning: first an adult Bible study, then a communion service, and finally the preaching service.  We usually are able to attend the last two. 

Right before I had the baby our family was asked to sing...

and one verse was even in Tagalog :)

We've really enjoyed attending there and although at the beginning it was a little hard to communicate we have started building friendships there.  If you think of it, you can pray that our friendships will deepen because as those of you with small children know, Sundays are hard for little kids and their parents.

Squeaky attended DVBS at our church... completely in Tagalog!

The songs that they sing are a mixture of Tagalog and English.  They have a whole hymn book there with traditional hymns translated into Tagalog which they sing to the tunes we are used to.  They also have a song book that has more modern worship songs in English.  Along with that they also use power point to display the words of the songs they sing and display the outline of the sermon.  The sermon is always delivered in Tagalog, which is great for Dennis and I and our language studies. 

Sometimes the girls get to sing on stage with their class

The older girls have a little Sunday school class that they go to.  At first everything was in Tagalog and they mostly just played around and were shy.  Then some people got together and decided to offer an English Sunday school for our kids along with several other children who either know or want to improve their English.  So that has been super great for the girls and they enjoy going there now.

The little girl whispering to her friend in the picture on the right is the same age as Button.  She and Button get along beautifully and each have said to their parents that they wish they could understand each other better.  It is so sweet. 

A Pleasant Surprise

This morning I set out on a mission to pay a bill. This was my first time paying and I wasn't sure how to do it. I went first to a nearby supermarket to a payment center but they couldn't accept payment for this particular bill there. So I asked where I should go and they mentioned a payment center in a mall not too far from here. But with public transportation it would have taken me about two hours to pay at that location. The guy in front of me in line was still standing there and offered another solution- there was an office nearby that he thought could take the payment.

I walked over to the office with my umbrella up. No, it wasn't raining- using an umbrella as a sunshade is a common way to combat sunburn and heat exhaustion here. Things have been fairly warm this past week as we get closer to hot season.

When I arrived at the office I found the line for the teller. There were at least 35 people ahead of me and I have heard lots and lots of stories here about people waiting for hours to pay bills. I resigned myself to my punishment because I knew I had left this bill payment to the last minute.

A guard came over and asked me if I was waiting for the cashier. I said yes, and then he asked to see my bill. I was flustered but did what he asked. I thought he was going to tell me I was in the wrong place. He surprised me by taking the bill from my hand and escorted me past all the people to the front of the line. As they gawked at us he explained, "Kasi buntis siya," which means, "Because she is pregnant."

I was embarrassed as I paid my bill but so very grateful not to have to stand there and wait for an hour or two.

Caroling

We were surprised a few days ago when the little gaggle of neighborhood girls invited Squeaky and Button to go around with them and carol. Now, I'm sure that for most of you Christmas caroling conjures up some images:

people of all ages

boots and mittens and scarves

stomping to warm up feet

standing on dark porches or outside front doors

singing while your breath freezes in the air

carols set way too high to reach those high notes

a few cookies and some hot chocolate afterwards... perhaps?

It's a little different here. Aside from being in a tropical climate where the normal caroling attire is shorts and flip flops, caroling here is typically only done by children and they do it every night- sometimes for the entire month of December until the 25th. Our neighborhood children started it just over a week before Christmas instead of on Dec. 1. Here, it seems to be a little money making venture for the kids. They expect candies and pesos after they sing. Usually one person will collect the money for the group and it is divided up amongst the carolers at the end of the night.

I've noticed that they basically sing 2 or 3 little songs, the most popular being "Joy to the World," "Jingle Bells," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Most of them carry little plastic instruments of some variety and joyfully play along. At the end they sing a little thank you song before they run off giggling to the next home.

Thank you, thank you

Ang babait ninyo

Thank you!

"Ang babait ninyo" translates into, "you are kind." Kindness is based on whether the person at the house gave them candies and money or not. If they don't give enough then the song goes like this:

Thank you, thank you

Ang babarat ninyo

Thank you!

...which translates to... "you are so stingy."

Visit to the Ga'dang, Part 2: the hike

Early on Monday morning we got up (early as in 4:30am), ate breakfast and loaded up into a couple of vehicles to make our way out to the "Waiting Shed." The Waiting Shed is a little shelter with a roof and three rough wood benches that makes the trailhead for the trail to our friends' village. It took an hour to get up there. I would have really enjoyed it had it not been for the nervous twisting of my stomach as I anticipated the long, arduous hike ahead of us. The mist was lifting off the mountains as the sun rose. We were praying for an overcast, cloudy day rather than a sunny one... but it sure was beautiful.


When we arrived at the waiting shed a bunch of the guys from the village were there to meet us. They had brought their carabao (water buffaloes) out earlier that morning and the guys loaded them up with all the supplies to be taken into the village.

The hike into our friends' village generally takes them about 2.5 hours. It took us 4.5 to get in and 3.5 to get out. This was due to a number of things: lots of mud, lots of kids (we have 3 and our friends have 6) and some out-of-shape adults....

So, soon after loading the carabao we set off down the trail- double socks pulled high, rubber boots on and water bottles slung around our necks on straps. Squeaky was able to climb on a carabao right away. The other girls were a little scared at this point but soon warmed up to the idea after slogging through the mud. It only took them a few steps to be convinced but unfortunately it took a little longer to hail a carabao.

Button surprised me the most. As our most dramatic child I had anticipated a struggle with her on the trail. I thought that she wouldn't handle the mud very well and would be terrified of the carabao. I failed to remember that her strong character could also serve her in a positive way. From the very beginning she was convinced that "It will be hard Mommy, but God will give us the strength to take each step." She was my little motivational speaker and encouraged me by her good attitude and perseverance.

The first obstacle of the hike was the mud. After the typhoon and torrential rains of the proceeding weeks the hike was like trying to walk through a knee high chocolate cheesecake. Our boots kept slurping and slucking and getting stuck. Button and Winnie lost their boots many times. We were covered in mud after the first few minutes on the trail.

(An interesting sidenote: I was able to witness some of the locals walking this trail on our way out. They were not covered in mud and managed to emerge at the waiting shed looking nice and put together- ready for a day in town. I do not know how they do that.)

The second main event was the crossing of a river. It was about 15 minutes into the hike and the water was higher than usual. It actually felt good and refreshing as we waded across and carried our boots high above the water. The men from the village helped get the kids across so that none of the little ones had to wade. The water was up past our hips.

On the other side of the river we all put our socks and boots back on and prepared for the main challenge of the hike: the BIG HILL. I'd say the Hill is 1/3 of the hike. So if the whole hike is 3 hours, you'd spend an hour of it going up this hill. We spent 4.5 hours on the hike so you do the math. It was a killer mountain. We're talking slippery mud, sharp incline and never-endingness.

This is where Button surprised me the most. By this time Winnie had hopped on a carabao and was riding up in style, but Button was determined to climb her mountain. She stayed by my side and climbed that thing. Finally, when we were about 5-10 minutes from the top a guy came by on a carabao and offered to give her a ride. We encouraged her to take it, but she said, "But I have to go to the top! Mommy said I had to climb the whole hill." I released her from that commitment and she finally got on the carabao.

Here are some beautiful pictures from that hill.

Some of the rest of us: I can hardly believe I'm including this absolutely horrible picture on here. See my little trooper girl? She's wearing her daddy's socks pulled up to her knees because she was getting some blisters.

My poor little Squeaky. She had to walk up part of the hill. It was about at this point that she started getting sick to her stomach. She'd walk a little way, then throw up. Walk a little, throw up some more. When she finally was able to climb back onto a carabao she was so weak she could barely lift her foot over a rock on the trail.

She continued to get sick over and over while the carabao driver gently patted her back and helped her lean waaaaaaaaaay out away from his carabao. She told me later that she knew he wouldn't understand her English. "I didn't know what to say to him, Mommy, so I just kept saying "Para, po. when I needed to throw up." Para, po means "Stop, sir" in Tagalog. She also felt bad for him because he had a lot of difficulty getting his carabao to stop each time. It always took a long time for the carabao to listen. So Squeaky said, "I just kept saying to him, 'I'm so, so, so, so, so pasensya.'" Pasensya means 'sorry' in Tagalog.

Here we passed some people working in their rice fields.

After that hill we just kept plugging along the rest of the way, stopping when we needed a rest. That's probably why it took us a million years to get there.

I don't have a picture of the funniest thing that happened. Right as we were entering the village we crossed a section of the road that was horribly muddy. It was always a guessing game to know which side of the road to walk down. Which side would lead to getting stuck and which side had a way through? So at this particular section I definitely picked the wrong spot to go. I got stuck. Mud up to the top of my boots- stuck, stuck, stuck.

I tried to pull my foot out but was unsuccessful. Not only that, but I lost my balance and fell down in it. It is pretty hard to get up out of mud like that. Dennis stood beside me, partially stuck himself and yanked on my arm. At this point several girls from the village trotted by in their bare feet and didn't seem to have one single problem with the mud. They were laughing. And it was funny. I can't remember how I finally managed to get up but I know it included walking in the mud in my socks.

Stay tuned for the final installment of our adventure.

Visit to the Ga'dang, Part 1

Last week we embarked on a Philippine adventure. For months we've been planning to visit our friends who are living in a tribal village in Northern Luzon. At first our visit was up in the air due to my various illnesses that kept me out of commission for over a month. Eventually we went ahead and booked our plane tickets but a huge typhoon interrupted our plans once again. Finally we rebooked our tickets for November 5 and prayed that things would work out.

Funny, it wasn't exactly the smooth sailing trip we had in mind. For one thing it started pouring rain, we're talking monsoon rains, up north in the area where we were planning to go during the few days before our flight. Our friends who live there had been in Manila for a month and were planning to fly up the day before us. They'd be there to help show us around since we'd never really been outside Manila. Sadly their Thursday flight was cancelled due to flooding on the Tuguegarao runway. By the next day the runway was fine and our flight went off without a hitch, leaving us to manage the new territory on our own, sort-of. The people at the NTM flight base took us under their wing and helped us out.

It was amazing to fly over the area on our way in. The place looked like a bowl of muddy soup. I thought maybe I could see where a river wound around the city, but mostly it just looked like some houses floating around in a sea of mud. As we came in closer for the landing I could see neighborhoods full of water and people wading in waist-high water.


Most of the hotels in the city were flooded and the ones that weren't flooded were completely full. Happily, there was the home of a furloughing missionary family that hadn't been flooded and we were able to stay there. Our kids enjoyed the books and toys at the house!

The next day our friends were supposed to fly in early in the morning. Their flight was delayed and they ended up arriving in the afternoon. They picked us up and we all climbed into two vans with all our stuff and set off on the hour drive up the windy mountain roads to Tabuk. We were all very happy that the contents of our childrens' stomachs stayed within them.

We arrived at a very nice hotel in Tabuk in time for a delicious supper and a little romp (for the kids) around the pool area.

We stayed at the hotel for an extra day to ensure drier roads and trails into the village. Our girls enjoyed playing with their friends and swimming in the pool at the hotel. It was relaxing. We also paid a visit to the local palengke (market) to buy some fruits and vegetables and a pair of bright blue rubber boots for me.


There had been reports of the river on the trail being too high to cross on Saturday, so we waited until early Monday morning to make the long hike into the village.

Squatters

For the past week and a half Dennis and I have been involved in "Immersion Excursions" to aquaint us with our new home. One of the language school teachers, Beth, has been taking us around the city and letting us get an insiders perspective on her culture. It has been fascinating and we have thousands of pictures.

It is hard to know what exactly to say about it. Can I just say that it is nothing like Canada or the U.S.? Does that mean anything at all? I just want to bring people here to see it all for themselves. Pictures don't adequately describe it. I can't describe it.

Today our friends the Castagnas took us to a place where squatters live along the Pasig River. These people are living on government land, too poor to live anywhere legally. They are the lowest of the low here. They try to eek out a living washing clothes for people, or selling a kind of charcoal ash they make out of coconuts. They survive on eating the plants that grow in the river (see the pictures below), something I would consider inedible, and rice.

Last year their homes were wiped out by the floods that gushed through during the typhoons. In lots of places only rubble is left. Sometimes fires are started intentionally (not by them) in order to burn their homes and to force them out.

So, Dennis and I went down there this morning with three others. Of course we were the center of attention. I often wish it weren't that way, but we just can't hide. This isn't unusual, we stick out no matter where we go. So amid stares I soon discovered that I could smile at them and they would smile back. Not rocket science, but sometimes I almost feel paralyzed by this culture gap.

All along the road are little tiny booths and shops. Some are made of concrete, others are formed from bits and pieces of metal and board, cloth and cardboard. Between the shops about every 30 feet are long alleyways. In these alleyways are openings into homes. So behind one street of these little booths hundreds of people live.

One thing that really struck me was that the people living there were so friendly. They didn't look on us with suspicion or distrust. Instead, they welcomed us and tried to make conversation. The friends we were with are fluent in Tagalog which helped immensely, but I just wished I could talk to them more than smiling and saying "hi" over and over.

We handed out some candy to the kids.

Dennis and I explained where we were going to our girls. I took lots of pictures with them in mind and showed the girls when we came home. Squeaky immediately filled a bag with her things that she wants to give to them. I thought that was precious and am trying to figure out a way to appropriately cultivate that spirit of giving in her.