Classroom Time, Community Project, & Some Food!

We finally got back into our classrooms for a few days!

2 pupils using their beautiful cursive to answer questions

Ma'am Limin teaching her class

Ma'am Limin

The kids are constantly turning around to look at me!

Always staring!  They're cute, though, so it's OK! :)

To begin our Community Project, we met with a group of teachers, student representatives, members of the PTA, the Principal, and our Technical Adviser to get their input and find out what the school needs.  We all came to a consensus to implement a Waste Management Program for San Ramon Elementary School.  After the meeting, the 6 of us (Trainees) were able to come back to By the Sea and figure out how and what we were going to do.

With the budget that is provided by the Peace Corps, we are going to provide the school with 3 sets of trash and recycling receptacles.  In addition, we're trying to start a campaign that will encourage students to hold themselves and others accountable for the upkeep of their campus.  We were considering making a visual campaign complete with signs, slogans and maybe a mural, about keeping the campus clean and properly disposing waste.  Instead, we decided to get the students involved and have them compete in a poster making contest and a slogan writing contest about our program.

Kathryn conversing with the Student Council before our presentation.

Chris, Karla, & Chelsea joking around while the teachers file in.

We held another meeting with members of the student council, teachers, the principal, and our adviser to introduce our program and how it will work.  We started by introducing ourselves and the concept of the "Peace Corps Community Project", then we showed a Prezi to go over the rest.  We showed them pictures Kathryn has been taking of the immense amount of trash all over the place, and especially after the flood.  We included pictures of nice, clean beaches and water that is not polluted with "maraming basura" (lots of trash) to show them what is possible.  In our preparation for the presentation, we came across some information about something called the "Pacific Garbage Patch" and felt we needed to mention it in our talk.  Basically, (if it really exists), it's a huge "island" of trash in the Pacific Ocean.  We read conflicting reports about its size--some said the size of Texas, some said twice the size of the States.  Either way, it's something to think about... click on the link for the Wiki page.

Chris presenting.

Hunter doin' her thing.

Karla during the presentation.

We introduced the Poster Contest and the Slogan Contest and the students and teachers seemed to be interested and excited about it.  The Student Council representatives are now responsible for going to all the classrooms to tell the school about the contests.

After our presentation, we went back to Diwa Street to visit our host families!  We started at Karla's family's house because they wanted to have us all for cake to celebrate her birthday.  They had a spread of talapia, shrimp, rice (of course), and cake for us but we had to decline since our own host families were expecting us.

Fresh, fried talapia served on a banana leaf!

Fresh shrimp!

Karla and her host parents, at one of her many birthday celebrations

This is the lunch that was awaiting me at my host family's house!  Chicken adobo is one of my favorite dishes so far!  It's made with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, pepper and bay leaves.  Filipinos also make a mean pork adobo.  Upon a quick search, I found this recipe.  Not sure if it's any good but it looks similar to how they make it.  Might be worth a try! :)  

Rice, fried chicken, chicken adobo, bananas, and banana catsup

Note: Banana Catsup is DELICIOUS! I know some PCTs don't like it, but I love it and, personally, I like it better than American ketchup!  As you can see, my host family has plenty of it.  (It also makes the ridiculous amount of rice a lot easier to eat).

The next few pictures were taken on Diwa Street as I was walking to the staff houses to load up the van to go back to Olongapo.  The house across from the staff house lost its wooden fence in the flood.  Earlier, I posted a picture of the pile of wood scraps with a kitten on top.  Now, the fence has been replaced with a new one-- one made of recycled mattress springs!  Yet another example or Filipino resilience...

The repaired fence!

Dinalupihan aso

In case you couldn't tell yet, I like animals and photographing them, so you'll just have to get used to all the pictures!  It doesn't help that cats and dogs are EVERYWHERE.  However, only a few look clean enough to get close to or pet.  This little black kitten is a regular at By the Sea and is very skittish.  It's been getting closer to us recently since we've been feeding it.  So cute!

By the Sea pusa

Hunter having a stare down with the kitten.