Morning all
Another stinker of a day here and yet I have been unable to see the top of the volcano for the past couple of days. Hopefully I am going to go and visit the local volcano which thankfully hasn't errupted for a few months and then Mayon volcano next week.
Hmmm what can I tell you? Yesterday afternoon we went to mineral hot pools at the foot of the volcano - well so they tell me. Again I couldn't actually see the volcano and we were in sort of jungle foresty stuff so I just took their word for it. I was really surprised at how nice hot pools are despite the heat. I was standing on the side of the road while Nilda bought bananas and I got caught in an absolute downpour. I swear the drops of rain were like 5cent pieces. I love stanidng in the rain here. It is really refreshing and warm! The sound of my fan drowns out any night rain here but if you are a fan of heavy rain on your roof then Sorsogon seems to be the place to hang out.
I am continuing to get up at 4.30am which seems to be the nicest time of the day. The sunrises here are spectacular and there is a nice atmosphere sitting out on the porch listening to the neighbours waking up and washing and eating breakfast. Speaking of eating breakfast, we were sitting eating the other day and a bloody lizard fell down and hit me in the arm. I just about had kittens. One of the little pains in the butt is also hiding somewhere in my room and likes to talk to me in the wee hours of the morning but won't show his face...I know he's scared of me!!! I've taken to sitting outside at night with the dog watching the lizards climb around the light fitting. They are quick little suckers.
This morning I went and visited the local government primary school. This is the school that Maya, the little girl who lives with her Lola in Grace's backyard goes to. She has the most amazing smile but refuses to talk to me in Tagalog or English. However, in front of her school friends she is a different child and after coming to the gate to meet and bless me (a very sweet gesture done to your elders) she was more than happy to tell her friends that she knew me. Anyway, I was like show and tell which was hilarious because no matter how slowly I spoke to the little kiddies, my accent prevented them from understanding. It did provide them with a lot of laughs though especially when I asked them whether they had heard of rugby! Yeah, no-one told me that rugby boys here is a term for glue-sniffing street children so when I asked, of course most of them knew what rubgy was.
I spent quite a while with the 6th grade class who had met Cath last year. They agreed to sing tagalog songs for me if I sung NZ ones for them. What on earth are our national songs? I ended up being roped in to singing the national anthem in both languages in front of 40 11year olds. The first and last time I give a public singing performance. They did teach me the ocho ocho and another dance which is in fashion at the moment. They asked me to sing Avril Lavenge (spelling???) songs but sadly the only one I could even think of was skater boy and there is no way I am singing the two lines I know of that.
Speaking of singing, last night when I was bringing in the washing, I could hear the girls next door singing songs from High School Musical (not that I know them) but they kept singing the song, rewinding and then singing again. It just goes to show that no matter what you level of wealth or your language, crappy American telemovies are appealing.
Hopefully there are workers starting some digging and grading on the orphanage land today, although as is the Filipino way, they probably won't be ready to do anything for another week. I asked to do some digging or weeding or something on the land but given that I need an umbrella and a bucket load of water just to go down the street for a walk, Dad has politely refused my offers. Instead I am attending the 88th birthday party and then Grace and a friend of hers are going to take me street food eating tonight. So far my stomach has handled everything that they have given me but the real test will be the street bbq tonight. I'll let you know how I get on.
Right must away. It only 10am but the day feels half over already. Lots to do and I'm running out of days to do it all in.
Until next time,
Ate Torie
