Finally Some Time To Write

I honestly don't know where to start.  The first week is already over.  I can tell you that the flights from Dallas to Seoul and then to Cebu were uneventful . . . long, but uneventful.  I didn't get any photos from inside Cebu airport, but should have plenty of time to take photos on the way back to the US.

The ferry (fast cat) crossing from Cebu to Bohol only took about 70 minutes.  I had a Korean college student sitting beside me.  She was very excited to be able to practice English with an American, so she talked my ear off during the entire boat ride.

FastCat from Cebu to Tubigon

The van ride from Tubigon to Sierra Bullones (pronounced too-BIG-on and Bul-YUN-aze) was amazing and a bit overwhelming.  I expected to see the things I saw . . . but not to the extent that I saw them.  I expected to see a few nipa hut-style houses -- but they were everywhere.  The traffic was ridiculous, with motorcycles, tricycles, buses, "multicabs", pedestrians, bicycles, and, yes, water buffalo.  Dogs and chickens wander around in the middle of the streets, the center line is a suggestion only, and two lanes really means "as many vehicles wide as you can fit them!"  It's okay to park in the middle of the street while you visit with friends or unload your vehicle.  Some vehicles are fast, some are slow, and the water buffalo (called caribow, not cariboo) meander aimlessly along the side of the road.

I confess that I have been in "sensory-overload" since arriving in Bohol.  So many things to see, so many people to talk with.  The "house" we are staying in is actually very nice, with reasonable cots and mattresses with mosquito netting draped over the top.  The shower is a steady "cold" and the toilet . . . yup, it's a squat toilet with a tabo to rinse with.  Some of the Americans have elected to use toilet paper and keep plugging it up . . . the drain system just can't handle it.  Everyone snores, so I fit right in; he who falls asleep first, wins!

The "house" is about one kilometer from the work site.  There are usually plenty of rides leaving from there to the church building, but I usually walk, just because I can.  There is a secondary and elementary school along the way, and my walk coincides with school time.  I say "hello" to every school kids I see, with mixed results. Some cover their faces and laugh, some just smile, while others will stop and engage me in a full blown conversation: "What's your name? Where are you from? Where are you going? Why are you walking?" and so on.  Today, three boys were walking behind me, trying to keep up.  Every time a motorcycle would drive by with one of their school mates on board, they boys would yell, "He's my father!" and then they would all laugh.

The "house"

All the block has been laid for the church, and the "plaster" is being applied to the sides.  When they say plaster, they really mean a coat of mortar applied to the walls and then smoothed out, leaving the finished product to look surprisingly like poured concrete. We have over 18 pastors from other Filipino churches who are doing most of the work.  It's not because the Americans are lazy . . . I've moved plenty of concrete blocks from one place to another (literally hundreds), but the Filipinos are experienced in their style of block laying.

The food has been crazy-good!  Anyone who says that Filipino cooking is bland or unexciting hasn't eaten what I have!  I keep trying to convince them that I'm trying to lose a few pounds, but they keep shoving the food in front of me.  I haven't tried Balut yet, but I did eat some kind of critter that I had to dig out of a sea shell.  Plenty of fish of different varieties, fresh fruit such as banana, mango, papaya and others.  All of the food is fresh from the market, purchased in the early morning while all of the workers are dragging their butts out of bed and standing in line at the CR (comfort room) to practice their tabo-technique.

Novilinda, the "cook"

There is actually so much to write about that I will probably need to divide it into 3 or 4 weeks worth of daily articles after I return.  I have many photos and one of the other men is planning on sharing his photos as well, so there will be no shortage of good pics.  I'm actually in the dining room of my hotel here in Tubigon.  I taught school today in Panaytayon and then spent a couple of hours visiting with the youth of a local church.  Tomorrow I will go to the market to purchase some school supplies for the youth so that they can finish up their school year (ending the last of March).  I am curious to see how much (or how little) the supplies cost.  My room is actually very nice and only costs about $32 per night.  I will be looking forward to not competing with the other "snorers" tonight.

The "hotel"

Well I am going to wrap this up for tonight, but will have a new article tomorrow.