It's Only Been a Week?

As you may have noticed, the procrastination continues!  I’ll skip the apologies and head straight to the juicy highlights of the last month.

Well, it’s official. I’ve been sworn in as an official PCV and oddly enough, it does feel different. My role is altered now; the responsibilities greater, the relationships formed more lasting…it feels good. The few days leading up to swearing wracked my nerves a bit because the reality of what’s to come over the next two years was beginning to finally set in. The PCTs were all together soaking up the lasts laughs and inside jokes over these four days and we embraced the friendship we’ve formulated in the last couple of months. The bond I share with my cluster mates from Dinalupihan is unbreakable and I am so happy to have shared so many joyful and not so pleasant moments with them. The US Embassy was as I imagined it, special and sparkling in its own way of regality and importance. Insightful thoughts were shared and if you were able to see/hear the live stream, I’m pleased you got to experience it too. 

I departed Manila along with the rest of the volunteers assigned to Negros early that Thursday morning and we arrived to the balmy island just hours later. My supervisor was waiting at the Bacolod City airport with a welcoming smile. Hours later I arrived at my new residence with the Caberoy/Becaro  Family. I’m beginning to see the bonds between the aunts, cousins, and grandparents and it brings back a familiar sensation. It’s comparable to that of my Mexican family. It reminds me of all the summers I spent at my abuelas house, anxiously awaiting my cousins to come over and play on the tile floor while the adults sat around the sala and chatted. Everyone comes over to enjoy a meal at my new host mother’s house and whether there may not be enough chairs to go around, there sure is enough food to be eaten. Bowls of steaming hot rice, piles of fresh crab, bbq’d fish, fresh sliced mango, and coconut straight from the tree adorn the table on a nightly basis. I’m positive I could really get use to this diet. But I’m going to miss a good brie and a jar of Spanish olives every once and a while. ;)

I’ve been in Cadiz City only a week now and a lot has happened. Just last weekend I went to the capital of the region to watch my host cousin perform with his dance troop. They’re incredible! Vincent is 11 years old and one of the most brilliant children I’ve ever met. His English is nearly perfect and eloquent at that. He’s excellent in all subjects; he’s an artist, a comedian, an athlete, and he obeys his parents!  He wants to be a scientist when he grows up but his mother said it’s not likely to happen because they don’t have the funds to send him to university to pursue his passion. Maybe I can change that one day? Anyway, he was performing for the Provisional Tourism Fair. I’m glad I attended because it was a great chance to see the cultural highlights that each city in the region has to offer. I grabbed as many pamphlets as I could and am anxious to get to as many celebrations as I can over the next couple of years.

Between the courtesy calls to the mayor and the Superintendent of the Division Office of the Department of Ed, I finally saw my real home, Cadiz West I Elementary School. Awaiting me was a beautiful banner at the entrance of the school and another welcome message on the chalkboard adorning the wall of the main school façade. I’m in love with the structure of the school. It’s original and has recently been restored. It’s very “Little House on the Prairie” and I feel cozy in its embrace. Each room is unique to the style of the teacher and as I observe each class I feel myself molding more and more to what will be what I live and breathe in the months to follow.

The teachers are ambitious and dedicated to the profession and see the need to provide their students with educational opportunities. However, I’m beginning to see gaps in the system; the overcrowding, the lack of resources, and classroom management that’s gone completely out the window. Underneath it all are the students that come to school on empty bellies and no shoes on their feet.  And here I am to help mold them. I’ve been dreaming about the projects I want to do for Cadiz West I. I’ve found two bare boned rooms in the upstairs portion that I envision as the library, colorful and inviting. It’s ambitious for sure, but no impossible.  I have fond memories of my library in Byeollyang, South Korea. It served as my classroom for five months and was one of the most attractive rooms in the school and I’d like to recreate it somehow at West I.

The walks to school aren’t tiring, just sweaty. I get the double takes from kids and elders alike but that’s okay. Cadiz is clean and nothing compared to the litter filled streets of Luzon. Miles and miles of sugar cane plantations line the freeway and the greenish hue of the palm trees sparkle. On my walk home from school this week I stopped to admire a teenage boy effortlessly climb up a coconut tree and get about 10 of them down by kicking them free from the bunch. Down they’d come crashing and roll into the streets. It was a neat site. I’d love to climb a coconut tree but I’m sure it’s somehow against PC policy. I walked a bit further down the street and caught glimpse of my first Christmas tree. Yes, a Christmas tree on the balcony of a two story house in the middle of September. What I failed to mention in my previous entries is that Christmas season begins September 1^st.  The music in the malls, the decorations in the windows, and even the tinsel and garlands from wall to wall all begin this early. It’s comical really and from hearsay, everyone has a Christmas tree by November. Move over thanksgiving turkey it’s time for the Christmas ham to make an early appearance! J

It’s only been a week and so far I’ve managed to do some incredible things like attend a 3 night 4 day conference with my school principal and every school principal of Cadiz. I jumped on the invitation to attend the seminar earlier in the week and good thing I did. DepEd decided to host it’s annual School Based Management Training (SBMT) at Mambukal Mountain Resport in Murcia. Just an hour outside the capital of Negros Occ, it offers a beautiful escape. In the heart of the jungle, Mambukal is home to the Flying Fox bat and a number of tropical plants native to the area. The hot springs are also a highlight of the resort and bring Negrenses alike to get away from the hustle and bustle of the busier cities. The sounds of the jungle at night are mysterious and equally calming. The first day of sessions was exhausting but I’m happy to have gained new insight on DepEd practices and methodologies. Today’s sessions were cut short and I got to do three things I’ve always wanted to do: zip line, kayak, and go swimming in a hot spring. The zip line was a short ride across a small pond but just as exhilarating as I imagined it to be. The kayak was equally fun and quite the workout. Thankfully I got to top off the afternoon with a dip in the pool with the other supervisors. Imagine that, you really can mix work and play together. As I floated in the tepid water, I admired the bats flying high above me. Their delicate skin translucent from the sun shining down on them exposing their intricate skeletal structure. It was fascinating! I later asked the guides how big they were up close and he said their wingspan can be up to 5ft!

I think I’ve accomplished more in the last week than I have in the last year! What a great opportunity to network and make connections with some great educators. It’s back to Cadiz in the morning. I could stay here in the jungle a few more nights but there’s always next time. Come and visit and I’ll take you here. ;)

Lastly, this is my new mailing address:

Cadiz West I Elementary School/Karla Piacentini

Cabahug Street

Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, Philippines

09297342377

I send you all the biggest hugs! J

Best of the best,

KP!