June 22, 2007
Wait...What Just Happened?
Woah. Two years has officially come and gone and I can't even begin to try and write about everything going on right now. I took an amazing trip to Korea that I have yet to blog since it's been so hectic. I taught my last day of class today and over the course of the week had four different students break down crying that they'd miss me. I have packed up everything I can to take home. I have given out a number of gifts and received even more thoughtful presents from others. I am taking off tomorrow morning for Sichuan Province and Tibet and will only have 24 hours in Guangzhou at the end before returning to the States around July 20th. I'm about to shut off my computer for the last time in my apartment so, for now, this is it. I plan to blog my Korea trip from earlier this month, the trip I'm about to take, and then a couple of entries about re-entry to the States before shutting down this project. It's been a heckuva ride--thanks to all who are still checking in...
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June 4, 2007
Barnga
With my last lesson, I decided to play a game with my students that I actually played for the first time about two years ago at my PiA orientation. The game is called "Barnga" and is actually an example of cultural differences, more than it is a card game. After explaining basic vocabulary to the class like "dealer," "trick," "hand," and the four suits, I gave each group a list of the rules, stressing that talking would not be allowed starting in the second round. The rules I handed out were roughly as follows:
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May 25, 2007
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
Without actually going through every moment of the last few weeks, there have been a lot of changes a-brewing. Sometime around the first week in May I interviewed over the phone for a job, was made an offer, and decided to accept the position. I officially have a job for the next few years! It turns out I'll be working as Program Director for Princeton in Asia, the same organization that sent me here.
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May 6, 2007
Tagytay and Jamaican Patties
After an early breakfast we made one last walk over the rocks back to White Sand and hopped on a ferry to go back to Batangas. There were hordes of people arriving for the weekend but luckily our ferry was almost empty. Much like last time we left about twenty five minutes late, but we were in no major rush so it was fine. It was also somewhat comforting that our last few hours on the island were the only ones without a clear blue sky--better than when we arrived.
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May 4, 2007
Aninuam
We woke up at the crack of dawn on Thursday and took a cab over to another bus station in order to catch a bus to Batangas, a port city near the southwestern tip of Luzon Island. The three hour ride was uneventful other than the sub zero air-conditioning. Even though we had been warned about this by several folks, I was still caught a bit off guard by the frigid temps. We got off the bus though and my legs thawed almost immediately in the heat.
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May 3, 2007
From Jeepneys to City Walls
We woke up reasonably late and got our bearings. Taking Juliana's recommendation, we headed to Greenbelt Park, a massive shopping complex, for an early lunch. It seemed apparent right away that the Philippines was, indeed, a mall-driven country. Greenbelt was packed and it was barely 10:30am! I guess I can't blame them for flocking to the AC, though--Manila was hot. Anyhow, we walked around for a while and settled on a tasty looking Italian joint that served huge pasta dishes. Yum!
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May 2, 2007
"Save the Children!!"
In the infinite wisdom of those organizing classes for Chinese high schools, I was forced to come back from Jiangxi Province to teach for one day before going on vacation again. Or, at least, I thought I had to. Unfortunately I am not privy to the decision-making process when it comes to scheduling so I am often the last to know things. After surviving the torture box of a bus, I got back and found out that my services were not required. Alright then.
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