Week three of Page's Crazy Funhouse!

What is there to say at the beginning of week three...?

I am booked. In much the same way as I was booked in the Summer of Lost Dreams, every weekday I have work to fill my time and every weekend I have fun, crazy things planned! Here is the breakdown so far of my weekends here:

June 3-4: Went snorkeling in clear, beautiful water. Ordered my prescription snorkeling goggles. Got sunburnt.

June 10-11: Went on a site visit to Barangay Misibis in the Municipality of Tiwi. It was a crazy bushwhacking adventure hike through the wild jungle, complete with leeches, almost falling off of cliffs and fresh coconut milk from frshly cut coconuts (no diarrhea...yet).

June 17-18: Visited some volunteer buddies on the nearby island of Catanduanes. They have what we refer to as the "Peace Corps Mansion"; they have Air Conditioning, Cable, Internet, a beautiful kitchen and they live literally 100 yards from the beer distribution center for the island. Needless to say, our cross-cultural experiences this last weekend were limited to lying around drunk in their room watching most of the second season of Lost from Anthony's computer. There is not much to do on Catanduanes but believe me, we did less.

June 24-25: Going back to the snorkeling site with more people, more food, more booze and more sunscreen.

July 1-2: There is a big party at the house of a volunteer who has been here for a year already. She has a cute little nipa hut on the beach where we are going to eat and drink a ton and probably shoot off some fireworks. The first thing she said when we mentioned the idea of fireworks was that we should ask the local police chief...if he wants to join us...

July 8-9: 2 days of SCUBA training!

July 15-16: 2 MORE days of SCUBA training!

July 22-23: 1 more DAY OF scuba TRAINING! Then one day of coral reef investigation...aww shucks, that almost sounds like work...

July 29-30: Climb a nearby volcano (Mt. Isarog) with the local outdoor shop. It is a heavily forested volcano that has people living on its slopes, totally cut off from the outside world. I have met some villages like that already and they seem to get along fine, their kids just wear less clothing.


In general, projects are coming along. Aquinas University Foundation has me sizing pipes and designing bridges for the water project in Tiwi that I visited. I think they are going to have me manage the construction of that once the design is finished...this project really is a trial-by-fire for my engineering skills. "We need this, do it." "But, but, but, okay i'll do it (translation: I really don't know how, but I think I can find it out if you have the internet here...)"

As far as cultural experiences go, I think I stuck my foot really deep in my mouth for the first time since I have been here. My boss, Felix, took me out with his Barkada (buddies, aka. drinking circle) and we got to talking. The first subject any Filipino will seriously broach with you is the subject of marriage. I am not married. I am currently a single male (soltero in Bikol). Of course, that is an unacceptable status for someone my age, so they ask me if I thought any girls who work at Aquinas University Foundation are cute... I made the mistake of giving them a name. Now, due to the third party system of telling everyone else ALL OF YOUR BUSINESS, I think both she and I are going to be getting pushes from those around us to marry (because you don't date here, you marry).

Whatever. I am not marrying anyone anytime soon.

Ta ta for now, I have to leave this office of wonderfully free internet before they lock my ass in here and I am unable to makaon nin sakuyang pamanggi (eat my dinner).

Peace and Peace Corps



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