Questions Anyone?

I'm pretty sure I drank tea in the exact spot the photo on my blog was taken. It is paradise here.

      Filipinos are very curious about us, naturally. They point and stare (which is not considered rude here). They also run in front of us to take our pictures (which is really weird). I now know how the stars feel about the paparazzi. I have no idea how many times my picture has been taken or how many times people have stood outside the gate at my host family's home just to get a glance of me, but it happens. A lot.

    I had my first class yesterday and I was only there to observe. I thought I would walk around and familiarize myself with the school I will be teaching in for the next 9 weeks. (Junob National High School). My presence didn't go unnoticed. Students (11-16) ran out of their rooms to stare and giggle. They were to shy to speak to me, which is another culture gap. I, however, was not shy. I smiled at the students, said hello (in English always at school), and tried to get them to open up. They laughed some more and covered their faces with their hands. A teacher I met last week approached me and asked me to visit her class. The students I have previously been trying to talk with all followed me to the classroom and hung outside the windows (no screens, just bars) to listen to what I had to say. When I entered the classroom all the students stood up and clapped. The teacher introduced me and as if on cue all of the students turned to me and said "Good Afternoon Miss Jessica!" I was a little taken aback and my response was lame. All I said was good afternoon, students. I walked up to the front of the class and told them a little about myself. I was nervous at first but, as you all know, I wasn't shy. I smiled and encouraged questions, teased the kids.... they are all so sweet. They were so worried about messing up their grammar that they wrote down their questions first and double checked to make sure they had it correct. This made me want to laugh-out-loud, but I reigned it in. Now, in the Filipino culture, personal questions and privacy does not exist. They want to get to know you as fast as they can and it is considered a privilege to be friends with "the American." The first question, of course, was "how tall are you?" I told them I was 6 ft. and love to play basketball. I assured them all I would play a game with them whenever they want. Moving on to questions such as "Do you have a boyfriend?", "Will you get married?", "Tell us about your family", "How much do you weigh?!!!" (No, I didn't answer) "How are the Philippines different than America?". "Would I ever eat a dog/horse/cat?", "What is my favorite Filipino dish?", "What is America like?", "What was high school like?", "Did I have a boyfriend in high school?", "Was he hot?", "Why did I come to the Philippines?", "What really is the Peace Corps?", "How long would I be in the Philippines?", "How long would I teach at Junob?", "Would I stay forever?", "What is my religion?", "Which of the boys was the hottest?" Oh my goodness.... it never ends. I gave them my email address for further questions. I expect I'll really regret that decision, but it's okay. They are all dear and I told them that the Filipino people are all warm and wonderful, which they are. When I finally made it to my class (second year, like sophomores, but they are 12-13) they were just as curious. After class they all waved and told me they were excited that I was their teacher and couldn't wait for me to return. I find myself feeling the same sentiment. :-)

More to follow...