Save the Fish…and the Tadpoles

This summer was more productive than I could ever imagine. Thus, I didn’t have time to document all the exciting things that happened. All I can say is, I had to sleep in places/not sleep, encountered a TON of cockroaches, and saw more body parts of fellow PCV’s than I expected. Overall, I would rate the summer a success. I’m really happy with the work that I did, and more importantly the relationships I made with other PCVS. My summer included, CampLead,an Elementary Camp, 5 teacher trainings and  2 workshops. Essentially, no time to write a blog, so this one will be the highlighting story from each summer event.

NOMET/ Teacher Trainings

The whole gang, Peace Corp Volunteers from all over the Philippines gathered for a Mobile Teacher Training

As far as Peace Corp is concerned, it seems that my batch, 269, is very large in comparison to other batches. I have heard in other countries that batches are as small as 8 and usually up to 60-80. Our batch was 140+, the highest number brought to the Philippines. With that being said, it means that there are a LOT of PCV’s around. Although we are all relatively close, bus rides, boat rides, and jeep rides away we don’t get a chance to meet in large groups. NOMET was the answer to all of that.

It felt like a family reunion in a way, mostly because PCV’s are a lot like family. Each of us are assigned different topics and we train teachers on the topic. When I did my first two teacher trainings the numbers were smaller, around 50-150 for the 2 day training. However for NOMET there are around 500 teachers, meaning we have many topics for them to learn from.Jaron and I did two teacher trainings back to back in Antique, and our topic was Remedial Reading.

RemedialReadingis a difficult subject to teach because most of the teachers are brand new to the idea, thus its broken down into 2 sessions. After the 4 days, I don’t think I ever want to talk about Remedial Reading again. NOMET has 4 schools in a row. At each school teachers from the surrounding areas come, and then we transfer to another school and 1hr plus away.

My topics for NOMET were Microsoft Word and Researching. The benefit of teaching MS Word is that there is usually an air conditioner inside of the classroom with the computers to protect them. The negative side, is that there is an air conditioner inside of the classroom and its really hot outside so people will sign up for your class just to be in air conditioning and they have no desire to learn. Unfortunately for my students, I was very sick. So sick, that the air-conditioning bothered me so I had it off. I lost my voice the majority of the day, and would preserve it for the moments when it was time to teach. Almost like adrenaline, I would be able to talk because I wanted to teach so badly.My partner Evelyn, we taught MS Word and Research Fun and Games.

Teaching Research, we talked about Plagiarism

Researching was not as popular as MS Word, but still very important. My partner and I taught about plagiarism, because here in thePhilippinesstudents often turn in copy and pasted work from wikipedia or other sources. Teaching teachers how to help students write in their own words is more difficult than you would think. However I really enjoyed it. The highlight moments of NOMET were not actually teaching, (because I felt like crap the whole time) but instead the moments were we could be ourselves. On the weekend before the transition to the next school we played games like Mafia, and Monopoly Deal. We danced, ate pizza and just hung out. Even though we were sleeping on a cockroach invested school floor with thin pads and mosquitoes attacking us despite the layers of OFF, it was wonderful. Data Base WorkshopThe Data Base Workshop took place inManila. I had to leave NOMET early in order to attend. Being in Manila provided the opportunity to help at a school clean up, called Brigeda Eskwela. Every school across the Philippines has a clean-up campus week before school starts. USAID and the US Embassy adopted a local school by providing supplies. They invited PCV’s to help pain the school. It was an amazing opportunity because painting reminds me of home, and I met workers from USAID who really left me inspired about my future opportunities.

Painting the School for Brigeda Eskwela

All that Habitat for Humanity came in handy, teaching the kids how to get paint on their clothes... haha

PCV's doing an event with USAID and the US Ambassador of the Philippines

Usually in our trainings we get to bring one counterpart, but in this case I had the chance to bring two; Margot, the computer genius at my school, and Jerome the Barangay Captain and PTA President. Margot had never been on a plane before or out ofIloiloarea, so for him it was a huge deal to come toManila. When he came he said he didn’t have a desire to travel, but when he left he said he couldn’t wait to come again, and that pretty much summarizes the Workshop. I was really proud of my counterparts, they participated and brought up excellent points and we all made action plans for our communities. The highlight moment for me was taking Margot to the Mall of Asia. MOA is bigger than any mall that I have been to inAmerica, and that’s saying something. Now can you imagine someone from San Miguel seeing one? Inside there is an ice skating ring with fake snow falling, Margot had never seen anyone ice skate so we watched the people glide and spin across the glass. Then I took them to a “Mexican” food place, which is as close as we are going to get here in thePhilippines. They didn’t know what to order, so I ordered them random things I thought they would like. Margots full name is Margorito, and so we decided to get Margaritas, something he had never tried. Watching someone try something for the first time, or stop and recognize something that you just think is ordinary really changes a persons perspective on life. Surrounding my neighbors house are rows of Hibiscus, I told my mom and she asked me if I ever stop and look at them, and the truth is I don’t. Tropical flowers have become my habitat, and watching Margot and Jerome eat Mexican food, or Margot watch snow fall has made me re-evalaute the things that I forget to see.   Elementary School Camp  

The Schedule of Camp, I did team building, drama, and sports

At group sports, they learned how to play "Bacon"

Teambuilding

The memories from this camp are too many to share. Unlike the Camp LeadI did earlier this summer, I was in charge of  Team Building,Sports and theater. When you imagine sports at a camp I imagine balls, and equipment and big fields to play on. Instead we had a small space, with 2 small balls, 1 mostly deflated, and it was all we needed. We taught them American games such as tag, capture the flag, bacon, soccer, a version of basketball, relays and created obstacle courses. By the end of each day it was fair to say that everyone was exhausted.

Running Relays

The highlight moment was when one of the Sports kids took interest in adirty pond area.

The student who started it all...

They had just come out of the environmental seminar and they wanted to save the fish. I went over to the pond and together all of the kids I was in charge of decided that we were going to save the fish and clean their environment.

saving the tadpoles

We all tried to catch the fish and put them in a safe bucket, we scrubbed and worked hard as a team, using cups and our hands to empty the water. I didn’t have a camera, but when we were almost done and the water was clear again another PCV took pictures. I can’t really describe the amount of team work, or how I felt about these kids after that day, but it was beautiful.

We saved the FISH!!!!! Best day of Camp!

Anyways, those were my favorite moments from summer. Thanks for reading, Lysette and as an extra bonus for reading this far…im including an embarrassing picture of myself dancing on stage

notice the child starring at us in the background-- i am not afraid to be a dork. haha.

Earthquake in the Philippines

At approximately 4:47am on Tuesday I started to feel dizzy. Could my bed possibly be shaking? Am I dreaming? Is this an…. Earthquake?

Earlier the previous day I had started a new work out plan, after eating breakfast I got sick and started vomiting, believe me, you don’t need the details. The cause now is something I’m still unsure of, maybe it was working out too hard, maybe it was drinking unfiltered water at the mall, but the best news is, it hasn’t happened again.

Although, I wasn’t sick for the rest of the day,  I was scared it would happen again (it sure wasn’t pretty, excorist style) so I stayed home from school. Confined to my room and afraid to eat I started watching a new show called Breaking Bad, which I can fairly say is more than an addiction. I have 3 seasons of it, and I doubt they will last me long. I did a few other things that day, but nothing worth remembering.

Suddenly it was night. I fell asleep quickly, which is very unlike me, by 10:00pm. I woke up at 1:30 am wide awake, but still closing my eyes. I fell in and out of sleep, and its usually when I am in this phase that I dream. I love dreaming. Your brain is still slightly working because your aren’t all the way asleep, yet you don’t have control. I wish I could remember my dreams, or at least remember to write them down.

Anyways, 4:47 came, and I thought I was dreaming. Then I thought, UGH- I’m going to throw up again– and then I stood up. I pressed my hands on my bed, and realized I wasn’t dreaming. I threw on more clothes and went into the hallway, where my host mom was there about to knock on the door.

Conversation:

Me: “Is this a…”

HM: “Yes”

Me: “I think I have felt it for over 30 seconds”

HM: “It’s been a minute, don’t be scared, we have earthquakes in the Philippines”

Me: “I lived in Southern California in the 90s, we had drills at school to practice getting under our desks. My mom used to take the pictures off the wall to protect them because we lived on a fault line. My sister and I would eat our after school snacks under the table. I’m okay, but are we in a danger of a Tsunami?”

HM: Lets listen to the radio

Me: (The radio is in Illongo, I understand about every 10-15th word) Did I  hear the numbers, 6.2, 1 minute and 20 seconds?

HM: Yes, no Tsunami warning

My thoughts: Here I am sitting in my pjs in the dark listening to a radio I can’t understand. I’m used to CNN special reports, and being able to call all my loved ones. Its the first time I really really felt like I was in a foreign place.

HM: Its okay, you can go back to bed. Leave the door open in case anything happens. Expect aftershocks.

Me: Okay thank you.

I immediately texted my parents, I needed them to know I was all right. Then I texted everyone who I knew who lived close by to make sure they were okay.

Surprisingly, not everyone was woken up, but everyone was okay. After I got the last response from one of my friends, i imagined the people in Japan. I had so much time to react, and I still moved slowly. It breaks my heart thinking about what they have gone through, so I wanted to dedicate this blog to the people in Japan, and say that you are in my prayers. Because I was scared. I was scared that a Tsunami could come, it was a very long earthquake and I didn’t know where the center was. I was scared for Jaron because he lives on an Island smaller than mine and he lives in a Nipa Hut.

I then touched the walls of my room, and I prayed some more, because I was grateful. After the fear and worries came a calmness.

And thats how I am calm. Calm and grateful. Grateful for my life experiences and all the opportunities I have had. Grateful that it was only earthquake with no damages, and that all my friends are okay.

In those moments, you suddenly think of all the people who mean the world to you, and to those people, thank you.

And to you,

Thanks for reading,

Lysette

Peace Corp Philippines documented in the News!

Hi All,

I decided to post the two articles that are out right now. I have come to view this blog as a journal in some way and I want to remember the highlight moments,  being featured at my University where I did my undergrad and in the local paper back home.

If you have already read them, don’t worry about reading them again. After re-reading the articles myself , I just want to highlight my favorite part in case anyone reading this is a future volunteer. This was asked in the Tribune article,

 What were your goals when you decided to go, and did they change once you got started?

When you decide to do something like the Peace Corps you set out thinking you are going to change the world. When you get here, you realize that changing the world isn’t exactly what you thought it would be like. Instead, you realize that focusing on one student, one classroom, one teacher, one year level, one school and finally one community is about as much of the world as you are going to change, but it is way more important than I could have ever imagined.

Anyways, here are the links to the articles

The Press Tribune:

5 Questions: Roseville high grad joins Peace Corps

http://granitebaypt.com/detail/181979.html?content_source=&category_id=&search_filter=Lysette+Davis&user_id=&event_mode=&event_ts_from=&event_ts_to=&list_type=&order_by=&order_sort=&content_class=1&sub_type=&town_id=

The Catholic University of America:

Lysette Davis, B.A. 2009, Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines

http://www.cuatoday.com/s/817/internal.aspx?sid=817&gid=1&pgid=1473

also– i didn’t get to pick the picture on that one, sorry about it <3

Thanks for reading,

Lysette

4th of July in the Philippines, cue Katy Perry and Firework please

Happy 4^th of July!

This is the second major Holiday that I have been away from home that is not celebrated in thePhilippines, the other being Thanksgiving.

My American family would have you know that 4^th of July is one of my favorites, and even at 22 I had my dad buy sparklers for me to enjoy when I got home from a friends wedding. I doubt I will ever stop loving those things, spelling your name, and watching the dark sky brighten with light, transforming what seems to be a mere sparkler into a magic wand of some sort. (ps Harry Potter is coming to thePhilippines).

 This year however, as you know I’m in the Philippinesinstead. I didn’t expect to miss 4^th of July, but of course I did. I still dressed in red, white and blue to school, just in case anyone knew of the American holiday. I’m disappointed in myself that I didn’t plan some sort of event at my school,  but I had been away from my site for most of June and couldn’t think of anything to do.

 Luckily, the American Association of the Western Visayas President texted me and invited me and a few other Peace Corp Volunteers to a Potluck. After school I met Jaron in the city and we went to the party together.

 What to bring to a potluck in the Philippines?? (oh and on a budget). The first food I think of when I think of 4^th of July is Watermelon. Here in thePhilippines they have an array of melons, and one of the best things I have ever tasted called Yellow Watermelon, and let me tell you its good. When I was in training I looked forward to it everyday. In fact if I lived on my own I think I would heavily invest in Yellow Watermelon stock because I would eat that much of it.

 However, when I got to the grocery store……NO WATERMELON!!! What bad luck! Jaron and looked through the “American” isles deciding what to bring. We settled on Tostidos, above our price range, but chips seemed acceptable.

 Then we had to take a taxi to our destination. Two things PCV’s never do, take a taxi some place or buy expensive food.

 We rolled up in the taxi, and I no longer felt like I was in thePhilippines. It was better thanMalibu, or the nicest houses near my hometown inGraniteBayfor those of you are reading this. No Joke. Mansions.

 Jaron and I suddenly felt embarrassed of our chip contribution. We tired to hide it in his bag, should we kept the grocery plastic bag on? Take it off? It was so silly, but the place was that nice.

 The event was at the club house, it had a live band, a huge pool, an indoor basketball court (first one I have seen here) and about 20-30 members of the AAWS. The members from AAWS are mostly PhilAms. They have lived inAmerica, become American citizens, but returned to thePhilippinesto retire.

 I met many people from the east coast, but of course to no surprise, there were many who once lived inCalifornia.

 The event including singing of the American National Anthem and America the Beautiful; they invited Jaron and myself to sing American the Beautiful but I quickly informed them I was a really really bad singer.

 Still, it felt good to hear the songs. My favorite part of 4^th of July is the fireworks, and nothing is better than when America the Beautiful is playing in sync with the show. It makes me think of Sandlot, andWashingtonDC, and nights in my driveway all at once. I remember learning that song when I was little, it says, “Amber waves of grain” and I remember being so proud of my sister because her name was in that song. It’s funny how little kids think.

 Anyways, our chips were a success as they quickly disappeared. Being Vegetarian, my options were rice, bread, and chips. Real healthy.  But, they had brownies (I guess that really doesn’t add to the health thing either)!!! And they were delicious!! It had been so long since I had a brownie.

 The best part of the night was the connection we made with a Professor at University of the Philippines. He is American, and married a Filipina and lives in Villa, a few towns over from me. He had books in the back of his car, and his wife and Jaron drove me to my house to drop off the books. It made me feel like 4^th of July had a whole new purpose. Also its really cool to be driven in a car!  

 It gave me the drive to do my library project, especially because I have about 30 books in my host familys front room. I also felt really inspired in being able to work with others in the community to make things happen.

 For example, the Professor told me about a organization that helps cleft children. Groups such as Operation Smile have come toIloilobefore, but have not been able to perform any operations because the children aren’t healthy enough for the surgeries. They have to be de-wormed, and properly nourished among other things. The organization has a data base that identifies the children before the medical missions comes, and brings them to a healthy state so they can perform operations. When one of the medical missions came a few years ago, they could not perform one operation. However, they came again last year and thanks to this new organization they were able to do 88 surgeries. I talked to teachers at my school, and they already know of people that can go on the list!

 Now time for something funny: When Jaron comes to my community we give each other literally a High Fiven when we see each other, we don’t touch each other because that is the standard. When Jaron helped by carrying the books in the house we waved goodbye and as he was heading to the car my host mom said, “Aren’t you going to kiss her goodbye? go kiss her!” And Jaron and I didn’t know what to do. I said, “she said it was okay come kiss me.” And he came back to my porch, and  pecked me goodbye. Haha. We were both redder than I have ever been before, and my host mom and I laughed for a good 20 minutes after they left. It was a great ending to the night. You have no idea how much I appreciate the little things, and the laughs that come with it.

 During the AAWS event they also celebrated all the birthdays in July (which was one girl) and all the birthdays in August (I was the only one) with a cake. I had an entire room sing happy birthday and blew out imaginary candles. It was not something I expected, and it made me realize, my blog is almost 1 year old! I started it the day after my 23^rd birthday.

 In May I only wrote one blog, in June, none. So much has happened, so many things I want to share, but the month of June didn’t go as I expected.

 If I learned anything about blogging since I have been here this last year, is that this blog is already way too long.

My goal for July is to catch everyone up with things that happened this summer. I will be writing blogs about the really life moving challenges and experiences I have had. And because I’m publicly saying I’m going to do it, expect a lot of blogs this month, and by a lot a mean more than May and June! Haha.  

 And before I end this special blog that is special in recognizing an American holiday, I have to include a sappy paragraph, because well, its me.

 I just wanted to say, that before I leftAmericaI didn’t appreciate all the systems in place such as programs, schools, and organization. Working in the school system here, I had no idea how valuable Elementary School was, the options and choices I had in my classes in Middle School and High School, and the preparations I received in order to go to college in my dream location.  I don’t think as Americans, we appreciate the value of Education, as its quite impossible to realize the blessings we have until you have seen something different.  I never realized how lucky we are to have freedoms, to be able to search whatever we want on the internet, to have internet accessibility, to be introduced to so many cultures, and to be able to pursue any dream we want. Success or failure, we still have the freedom to try, and more importantly the freedom to learn.

 Happy 4^th of July!

 And as always thanks for reading,

 Lysette