This past week we had our MST (Mid-Service Training) –
October 22-25. The venue was at a new place that our batch had never been to
before, but both batch 269 and 271 had been there for various things. It was at
Lima Park Hotel, just north of Lipa, so about an hour from my house. It was
actually kinda convenient to be so close and not have to travel or anything,
but also not going any place new. For Peace Corps it’s good because it’s so
close to Manila. After our conference we all have to go through our mid service
medical which includes a physical exam at the office from the Peace Corps
doctors and the dentist. I actually don’t have my appointments until tomorrow,
Monday. PC only paid for me to come to Manila for the day on Monday, but I came
Saturday just to spend the weekend in Manila with friends. I think MST was the
most enjoyable conference for me, the actual presentations part of it at least.
I learned some interesting information and hopefully can take some of it back
to site with me. It’s a weird mix of emotions going through the week and
discussing our accomplishments in being here over a year now at site and having
just less than a year left at site. Really makes me start thinking about how
it’s really not that much time left at site. I need to get everything
accomplished that I want to do and need to get busy working on it on while I
still have time. Batch 269 tells us how the 2nd year flies by so fast. I can’t
imagine because I thought the first year just flew right by.
I’ve been working on a World Connect Grant now for about 6
months…. I just found out last week that it wasn’t approved the first review,
but they gave me 5 revision questions to answer and submit by Oct 31. Once I
submit those revisions, more like clarifications, then they will review it
again and hopefully my project will get approved! And if it gets approved I
feel as though I still have time at site to make things happen and get the
teachers and students using the computers and projectors. I think once the
teachers learn how to use the projectors; they will be fighting over who gets
to use it that day. It can make some things so much easier in the classroom.
That’s at least what I hope to accomplish. If (When) I get the grant I will be
able to purchase 8 laptops and 2 projectors for the teachers and students to be
able to use. Crossing my fingers!
September 28-30 – Karen, Pam, and I went to Marinduque to
visit Gina and Catherine. We spent the first night hanging out at Gina’s place
and then went over by Catherine’s site and went to a smaller island off the
coast called Maniwaya. It was definitely a very small island and not much
there. We stayed at a resort that both Gina and Catherine had been to before.
We just hung out, walking around the beach, playing in the water, swimming in
the pool, and just hanging out. All of our meals there consisted of fish and
rice and the few snacks we had brought with us. The day going to the island my
stomach had been upset, so was a little worried about that. I bought some
medicine at the drug store and seemed to be ok. On the boat ride home, I
started to feel a bit queasy. We went into town to get some burgers and I sat
down thinking, oh my I can’t eat anything. I tried drinking something though,
and then I said, umm where is the restroom, and took off running. I made it to
the bathroom just in time for my first vomit in the Philippines! It took over a
year… and finally happened. I felt better when I came back to the table, but
still wasn’t going to eat anything. Then we went to get the jeep back to Gina’s.
Well we missed the last jeep so we had to hire a tricycle to take us. It was
about a 45 minute ride. I asked to sit in the sidecar on the outside, just in
case. I fell asleep for a little while and when I woke up I was feeling bad
again. Pam was sitting next to me and I told her, ok if I hit your leg then
please tell the driver to pull over. Well so then I felt it coming, I hit Pam’s
leg, and she started yelling para, which means to stop. The driver pulled over
right in front of a group of men sitting and drinking on the side of the road.
I look around thinking crap where am I going to go. Luckily there was a tree
over to the side, so I ran over to the tree and vomited there. The driver told
me I needed to take medicine for motion sickness. We got home and I drank a Gatorade
and ate some crackers. I don’t know what the deal was, but thankfully I felt
fine the next day. And the next day we had to travel back home. Even though I
had a few minor setbacks, I still had a great time!
So many people know about this, but I haven’t made it
public. My Mom found out when she was here visiting and my friend Dayday told
her about it… because of course I wasn’t going to tell her. Ok, it all started
back last October 2011. I got home from school and my landlord’s nephew was at
the house visiting. I was meeting a teacher to go to her house, so I was in a
hurry, but met him, talked for a minute, and then left. Well that night he came
to the teacher’s house to walk me back to my house and he asked me for my
number. I should have known where this was going when that night he had already
text me 3 times and called me twice. So this is fine, a crush or whatever, but
the thing that makes it weird is that he’s a seminary student to become a
priest. Well aren’t priests not allowed to get married? I’ve asked him about this
and his answer was just that just because he’s in seminary doesn’t mean he will
become a priest. So in seminary, they aren’t allowed to use cell phones. So the
only time I ever hear from him is on his once a month leave when he’s at home,
or when there is a break like summer or semester break. I think I have seen him
4 times in person… Twice at my host families house, once we just happened to
see each other in town, and he came to my school this summer when we were up
there working. I don’t think I’ve returned any of his texts since this summer
when he came to my school. I still continue to get his monthly texts and this
past week was semester break. Over the break he first text me to tell me he was
on break, and then text me at least once a day, normally 2-3 just to ask me how’s
my day, tell me good morning, or good night. I never did reply to any of these
messages. Then towards the end of the week I got some really good messages…
“Where ever you are, whatever you do, I’ll be right here
waiting for you.”
“Imprinting on someone is like when you see her around,
everything changes. It’s not gravity that pulls the earth down or something. It’s
her. And she’s all that matters.” Twilight
Wow huh?? I still haven’t replied to any of his text
messages…..
