50 Lessons I learned (or was reminded of) in the Philippines [continued]
11. The first time I use any shower other than my own, the odds are I’ll use it wrong. The shower at the orphanage had a lower and upper nozzle. Something I did with the water heater (which I didn’t need in hot weather anyway) caused the water to not come out of the shower head. Day 1, I bathed on my knees under the lower faucet. You do what you gotta do.
12. Mattresses at Philippine orphanages are superior to my Macau mattress…at least the one I got to sleep on was superior. Thank you for a week of good rest and back padding.
13. When you sit down on the floor in the presence of toddlers, it translates into ‘please jump on me,’ and you thus become a playground. I had a fabulous tickle fest with about 5 children at one time.
14. When babies are malnourished, they lose all things not essential for survival like hair and personality. These babies don’t just need to be loved on, there are deep issues that genuinely AWESOME people work with and face to help correct each day. It’s a long process, unlike what the movies and fairy tales imply. Dealing with orphans and the abused on a daily basis takes real sacrifice, and seeing a long term goal.
15. Fords exist in the Philippines, and certain young women get really excited when one they purchase arrives. Brit needed a vehicle for taking babies to the doctor, etc. because public transportation is hectic and dangerous with a kiddo (especially a sick one). I got to be with Brit on the day of this big event!
16. Spicy vinegar is used alongside of soy sauce to flavor rice in the Philippines. There are actually peppers (and maybe onions) in the bottom of the bottle, and it is delicious.
17. “Mabaho” is ‘stinky’ or ‘bad smell’ in Tagalog (the language of the Philippines). The 2 teen girls in our room taught me some Tagalog words phrases, and for some reason this is the first one that they taught me. Haha, were they telling me something?
18. Oatmeal covered fish is not as weird as it sounds. I had this sandwich with a yogurt cilantro sauce and buttery-cheese drizzled nacho chips when we went out to eat with Brit, her boo, his friend, and Jordan (who also works at GH).
19. Jeepneys are the most popular form of transportation in the Philippines. They are old U.S. military vehicles that have been turned into flashy bus-like transportation. It cost us about 8 Pesos ($.20 USD) to ride in one….and you need to know what you’re doing to ride in one. They can have loud music, Catholic themes, advertisements, the owner’s name carved in the ceiling, neon colors, etc. Seen here (sorry they're a little blurry because they were driving):
20. Hi-Top grocery store has more American food than Macau grocery stores. I was tempted to bring home more baking stuff. An interesting thing I bought and tried: Roast Beef flavored corn chips.
No comments:
Post a Comment