First Week in the Philippines!

In my first week here, I have:

Been uncomfortable

Changed my stance on seafood

Eaten delicious and not so delicious fruits I had never heard of before

Ridden a Jeepney

Ridden a bus on a windy road swerving through traffic

Felt sick and scared from riding the bus

Ridden on a tricycle/taxi type thing

Ridden a motorcycle for the first time (loaded down with bags for two hours up and down the mountains on paved and not so paved roads that wind around and sometime drop off down the mountain)

Conquered the fear/anxiety of riding on said motorcycle

Been sunburnt for the first time here on said motorcycle

Done some serious work on the Chaco tan

Showered in a stream

Showered in a bathroom where the shower was not separated from the toilet area

Taken a bucket shower (and had the water run out during said shower)

Slept on a thin mattress with a blanket

Slept on a wooden floor on a woven mat in a malong with no pillow (a piece of fabric sewn together at two ends used by Indigenous People)

Re-evaluated my standards and expectations of sanitation and hygiene

Climbed up and down and played in a series of waterfalls

Felt sore all over

Learned to live with dirt and sweat

Received two bead bracelets made by Indigenous children

Been uncomfortable in air conditioned spaces

Been comfortable in non-air conditioned spaces

Gone to sleep cold almost every night so far

Missed my family

Missed my friends

Missed my fellow YAVs

Received the first bad news from home

Pierced my tongue with a fish bone while eating (Uintentionally. Then I had to pull it back out. A bit traumatizing.)

Felt comfortable going without electricity or running water for three days

Felt refreshingly disconnected

Fallen in love with a group of people

Left that group of people

Learned that Christmas starts in the -ber months here...so September 1

Prayed

Journaled

Trusted different people, many of whom I don't know

Laughed and shared games and songs with different people

Almost cried for various reasons

Questioned my beliefs and understandings

Gained an understanding of Filipino culture and history and how the US has played a destructive role in it

Questioned where to go from here

Met some interns from Germany, one of whom will be working with me at National Heroes Institute

Learned a bit of Visaya, even though it is not the language I will be speaking for most of the year

Learned that less is more

Gone without and been ok

Learned that my home stay will be with my site supervisor's sister in Kananga, Leyte

Felt overwhelmed

Found richness in an area of extreme poverty

Received stares because of my skin, eye, and hair color

Learned much about the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and the awesome work they are doing here

Felt strengthened in my convictions because of UCCP's commitment to theirs

Experienced an entire grocery store stop for the Hail Mary at noon

Mostly recovered from jet lag

Felt full in a variety of ways

Felt lonely

Traveled from Manila to Davao City to Compostela to Tagum City

Not felt settled

Felt like an outsider

Experienced wonderful hospitality

Continued to discern God's call for me

Learned creative ways to communicate

Started building some amazing relationships

I'm greatly looking forward to the next weeks and experiences!