The Americans Have Arrived

I'm in Dumaguette City (spelling?). We arrived Thursday (your wednesday) and met our host family. I'm am so spoiled, because my host family is awesome. My host mother (Mama) is a retired dentist and owns two homes. She is single but can some how afford air con (AC), a shower, flushing toilet (big deal here) TOILET PAPER!!!!, and a washing machine. We also have a houseperson (maid) that does the laundry and cleaning. Mama cooks because she's a very cautious woman. I have a host sister, Raylynn. She is 24 and works in Publishing. Raylynn lives at home and will not move out until she is married. My host nephew is 4 and his name is Denzel. I really love my family. They are such warm and caring people. I have adjusted well, at least into the family. Not so outside of the balay (house). Still a lot of staring and pointing. Many men declaring their love and proposing. I take it all in stride. The people here are used to foreigners because of the college, but we still draw a lot of attention.     I begin co-teaching Tuesday and can't wait to begin. I look forward to telling you all about it. Oh, and I am no longer learning Tagalog. I am learning Visayan--the language of the Visayan island region. I know my site in 3 months will be around here somewhere. I wish I could stay in Dumaguette, but that will never happen. I am so in love with the Philippians and the people. Everything and everyone are so wonderful. I am truly in paradise. No really, I am. I have a cocunut and mango tree growing in my backyard! I would love to post photos, but it may not happen. It's been hard to find internet access for my lap top. Right now I'm in an internet cafe with a few of the other education volunteers. No Wi-fi here. It is not common. I have two little Filipino boys watching me type this blog. They are very cute. But I think everyone is about ready to leave and I don't know my way around well enough to find Junob (where I live) on my own. Hope all is well with everyone back home. Miss you. Siege, ayo ayo! (okay, take care)

More to follow...

Dumaguete City

Wow, I just read the previous post and I saw all the errors. Sorry about that. I was very distracted while typing that one.

Just wanted to let you all know that I know where I'll be for the next 3 months...until November 9. I will be in Dumaguete City located on the island of Negros. It is the most beautiful city in all the Philippines, so I'm told. It is a college town, so they have everything...all amenities, beautiful beaches, wealthy families (yay host family!) and indoor flushing toilets. YES! The city is nicknamed The City of Gentle People. I'm so excited. Apparently I got the deluxe site because of my knee surgery three years ago. I had no idea that day would guarantee me the best placement available. But it did!     I meet my host family tomorrow about 11 am. We'll eat together at a host potluck and then go to our individual homes. I'm excited but also very nervous. I hope they like me! :-)

Facts: The island of Negros is approximately located down south, but not where the terrorists are. I'd tell you more but everyone is standing next to me yelling "Jess, Jess" because I'm just so damn popular here.  Gotta go. Don't know when I'll be back again. But when I am, oh man. It's gunna be interesting. Later bloggers.

More to follow...

A Day in the Life...

i didn't think it was possible to find each day better than the last, but I do. Yesterday, Monday, has been the best so far. I'm just going to walk you through each moment because I loved yesterday.     My roomates, Lynn and Angela, and I were up with the rooster at 4 am. Its been that way every day. The guys named his Harold, I named him dinner. :-) We're all plotting to get him.   After breakfast we began session at 8:30 and asked many questions about the Philippines and culture. Church and State are not seperate here and the Catholic Chruch, according to the panalists, owns much of the land and govern much of the country politics. In fact, they excommunicate any politician who opposses them and then that politicians approual rate goes down so low they lose all power.     We broke into our projects-mine is Education. We also have Costal Resource Managements and Child, Youth and Family coordinatiors. Discussed our goals and learned we heed to create lesson plans for we will be teaching on our own. High School (secondary) by the way. I'm excited to begin, but freaked all the same about curriculum. I may need to call on you friends at the CCE! :-)      Session ended at 4 and children from the Children Abuse Center had prepared several dances for us. They were so cute! Afterwords they came up to us and played with our hair, giggled each time we spoke, and laughed at our attempt at Tagalog. They taught us a dance and a new game. The boys brought some of us girls, me included, yellow flowers. They made me bend down so they could put the flowers in my hair. I felt so accepted at that moment. The kids are great, they accept you immedietly and try to teach you as much Tagalog as they can. Like our numbers... isa, dalawa, tatlo, apat, lima, anim, pito, walo, sigam, sampu... There is no sense of privacy here. We're on display and free entertainment for the next 27 months. I wish I oculd say more but I do not wish to offend my new host country. Fun questions for when I return. I will tell you that having white skin here is ideal. It's considered beautiful. On the way to the hotel Saturday night I saw a "Skin Whitening Boutique", a lot like our tanning salons, which they consider very strange. Love to explain more, like the Mall of Asia (the largest mall in Asia) and the fact that Jason and Garrett are freaking me out about eating cats, but it's time to party. Gotta go do Videokee. Later! Peace.

More to follow...

I'm HEEEERRREE!

Kumusta from the Philippines! I'm just outside of Manila in a beautiful "resort" where the water is one temperature: cold, the cockroaches are your friends and fish is whats for breakfast. It's perfect. I love it here. I'm sitting under a shady tree with my fellow PCT (trainies), who are all wonderful by the way, listening to the waterfall and the exotic birds. Friday was the longest day of my life. We were in the lobby at 3:45 and left LA at 8:30 am. We landed in Honalulu for a very short time and then made the 10 hour flight to Manila. We landed at 4:45 pm, made it to the "hotel" around 7ish and made it to bed by 10. Now it is 8 am and we begin our day in about a half an hour. Everything is so beautiful, you guys. I can't even begin to tell you how great it is here. I will post pictures as soon as I can. Just wanted to let you all know that I'm here safely and having the time of my life. Oh, one thing I need to write for legal reasons: ehm... "The views represented in this blog do not reflect that of the US Peace Corps." Alright, off to work. Later all! Babay!

More to Follow...

Counting Days...

Hi readers! Just 21 days before orientation. I fly to Los Angeles 8-12-08 from PDX at 11:00 to arrive at LAX at 1:20 p.m. where Kelly (my youngest sister) will pick me up. I'm going to spend the day with Kelly & Eric, plus our cousins, before Kelly takes me to the hotel at noon the following day. I'm so excited to begin this new journey in life. It's hard to say goodbye to those I love, but everyone's support has been appreciated. Mom and Dad are hosting a Bon Voyage party for me Aug. 2 at our home. It's an open house from Noon-4. All family and friends that wish to say goodbye are more than welcomed.

Saying goodbye has been difficult. I know it has been hard for most people to understand why on earth I would want to do something so extreme. It's easy to understand, really. I believe each of us has the ability and obligation to make a difference in the world. This is just the first stepping stone I am laying on my path to making the world a more peaceful place.

Many have asked about letters and care packages. All mail can be shipped to me in the Philippines at:

Jessica Strickland, PCT

US Peace Corps

PO BOX 7013

Air Mail Distribution Center

N.A.I.A.

Pasay City, Philippines

1301

Yep, that's the whole address. This address is only good through November, I believe. When my address changes, I'll let you know. Have a beautiful day friends.

More to Follow...

Blog Questions

Hello again,

Some friends have asked how to subscribe to my blog. Go to www.wordpress.com and create a Username and Password. Activate your account (it's free!) by checking your email and following the directions. Then, go to Google and type in the following: "Peace Corps A Traveler's Journal jessiegirl03". You should only get one result from your search. Click on the result. In the upper right-hand corner you will see in white a link which reads "Blog Info" Please click. Then click on "Subscribe to Blog" and follow the direction. Voulla! Now each time I post a blog, it will be sent to your email address and you will not have to check the website at random. Isn't technology grand?! But I am sorry about all the steps. Didn't realize it would take so much. All my best!

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

Hello dear friends,

The news I have been waiting 16 months to hear arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon, May 2, 2008. On April 3 I received the long awaited phone call only to hear disappointing news that broke my heart. I wasn't going to Africa. Due to my knee surgery 3 years ago, the Peace Corps felt that Central Asia would be a safer place for me. Central Asia is made up of Terkmenestan and Kazakstan and other countries of similar reputations. I was upset and confused and even hurt over the decision, but came to realize that where wasn't important. I did not join the Peace Corps to travel to Africa. I joined the Peace Corps to travel, gain life experience (become a better writer due to those experiences), and to make a difference in the world. So four weeks after my phone call, my letter arrived. My father picked up the mail like every other day and was shocked and happy to see the large packet waiting in the mail box marked Peace Corps. Now, out of all the ways I pictured finding out where I was going, I never imagined it would turn out the way it did. Dad called my sisters and my Grandparents to tell them where I was going, because he was able to read through the envelope as to my destination. I couldn't believe it. My younger sister called my cousin Ashely, who happened to be sitting in the passenger seat of my car next to me, and told her the news as well. So there you go. My Dad, sisters and Grandparents all knew the coveted destination. Armed with this knowledge, I couldn't possibly wait the 2 hour drive from Seattle to home to finally know the truth myself. So I called Mom who had just arrived home herself. She picked up the package, (after scolding my father) and looked through the envelope herself. She gasped. I said, "What? Where am I going? Georgia? Did I make it to at least Georgia?" My mother pauses, "No, you're going to the...." (I hold my breath) "The Philippines!" AAAAAAHHHHHHH! I screamed and my cousin instantly declared herself deaf forever. I was so happy I began to cry. My youngest sister decided that I had won the Peace Corps jackpot, proving that good things do come to those who wait. I am so relieved to finally know, to be happy where I'm going and to be blessed with such a lovely destination. Oh--and no, the Philippines is not in Central Asia. I don't know what that phone call was about. The Philippines is a series of islands in a tropical environment in the South China Sea. My departure date, which I learned upon my arrival at home, is August 13. I will begin orientation 8/13/08 in my stating city, which may be Seattle or San Francisco, and then leave from there for my 3 month training session in the country itself. I will live with two host families, but will not know where and whom until after training in November. I will be tutoring English in classrooms and orphanages, and will also help establish a library somewhere in the country. I will return to the states after my service November 2010, to those who are wondering. I still need to call the placement officer next week to confirm my whole-hearted acceptance of the assignment, and then it is official. I fill out more forms, but otherwise, I just wait to leave. And enjoy the moments shared with my family and friends. Thank you to all of you who have been waiting patiently with me. Your encouragement has helped keep my spirits high. I shall post again before I leave. Have a wonderful summer! More to Follow...