Back From Site Visit

Hi everyone!! I am in Baguio again so I have internet again. I actually found a spot near Saytan and will try to write more often. I have just had the busiest two weeks. We had our community mapping activity in Saytan which went really well. We were able to get really organized in just a couple of days and put together the whole thing. We had a great turn out and a lot of fun. It was good to get some experience of bringing together different community members. It was a workshop type thing and I may be having to do some of these types of things in my final site. This time I had the help of the other trainees but at my site Ill be all alone. So...we then had the Baranguay Fiesta that weekend. It was two days of festivities where the community presents dances, performances, games, sports awards, and speecehs. The four of us sang a song in Ilokano to the whole Baraguay and did different dances with our neighborhoods. The people loved it. They were so shocked to hear us singing one of their songs! So this past week we had our site visit. I went to Lamut where I will be for the next two years. It is about a 7 hour trip from Baguio. I arrived and met the principal of the school. We had a brief meeting and then he introduced me to my new host family. They are great. They had a peace corps trainee there before so they are used to American differences. Such as liking a lot of fruits and veggies, not eating the fat of the animals or the skin, and he even bought a shower head!!! I haven't used it yet cos its in the outside shower. My room is bigger than the one in Saytan which is good and they have 4 kids. 3 boys and 1 girl and a girl that lives with them while she is going to school. SO far I have only hung out with Bimbol, the 13 year old boy... he really helps me with the language and is really friendly. The mom is so great. Basically she gets me anything I want to eat and everytime weve been to the market she asks what I havent had yet and then buys it for me. I love it! I feel right at home and really feel like I will be comforatable with their family. That is so important.
About the job....I am doing a new sped program. I showed up at the school to find that there is no counterpart for me to work with. There is no sped teacher there yet. They dont even have a full class of kids. They are recruiting them right now. I spent much of my week helping with that. Actually, my mom sonia took me around to meet all the potential students. She went above and beyond because the principal is clueless. He thought I was coming with the funds to start the program and that I would be teaching the kids. He asked for the curriculum and when I met with some of the kids he wanted a diagnosis after 15 minutes of visiting. Clueless. However, I have explained to him that a diagnosis takes so much time and a qualified psychologitst or doctor. That I am a volunteer. All I bring is myself, no money and that I need to have a classroom teacher if the progarm is going to be sustainable after I leave in 2 years. They are recruiting children 7-20 years old with max of 15 students....but all for one class. That is such a wide range of kids and disabilities. And so far I am the only teacher. And Im not supposed to be. Im supposed to train the teachers. In the states there is usually a 2:1 ration of children to teachers in a sped class...including the associates. Here is looks like 15:1 that one being me. I go back on June 3 to Lamut and then school starts on the 5th. I am really hoping that things are more organized than that. I did make some progress before I left. And there is support in the capital. I am stressed but very excited. Alot is resting in my hands. I hope it is successful. I wish that I was working on a program that was more global...affected a bigger population, larger issue....but this is nice to have a small program that is very important to these kids. And the prinicpal is very nice. He asked me to call him tata pat. One disappointing thing is that Lamut is very hot and flat and little to look at. All the other 13 of us in the north are in sites with gorgeous mountains. Unbelievable beauty!!!! I went to Kiangan on Saturday where Jill is and it is gorgeous. A mountain town with winding roads and a cool breeze. Then on SUnday we met Adam and Stan in Banaue. Adam is in Banaue and Stan is staying in Sagada. Banaue is amazing. You should definately look it up on the internet. And Sagaada. Now back in Baguio....I am talking to everyone else adn they have amazing sites. So I went from being very excited about my job and family to being disappointed because everyone else has it 100 times better!!!!! really ...one of my friends is next to the biggest rainforest in the Phillippines. And Jill is going to be doing mountain trips for her jobs and hiking. But they have said they can invite me anytime. I do love it and am very excited. And I wasnt bummed before...if anyone was wondering. I have been having problems in Saytan with my host mom. She has more or less abandoned me and left me to cook by myself. A very long story. Its awkward. She got mad one time for us studying at the house and ever since its not been comfortable at all. At one time she even told people that she didnt want me there anymore. ahhh. I have so much to say!!!!!! I hope this is all making sense. Its been so long since Ive talked to anyone that I need to catch up. Hopefully this wont be the norm. OH, and I lost my cell phone...or it was stolen...big stupid thing...not being careful with it and very forgetful.
HOlly...it was right after I got off the phoen with you!!! And I was so excited about talking to you!!!
So here is my new number......09213235138....so same drill ....and call me ...i miss the calls. and if anyone would like to write me a letter or send me something. everyone keeps getting letters here adn i feel left out. send them to the address i sent you. and they will forward it to me!
i love you all....write me when you can and i will try much harder to keep up with the blog.

take care!!!!