Floods in Narra & Other Matters

January 17, 2011

5:38 AM Dad: Hey William

William: hey!

5:39 AM Dad: Have time to chat?

William: sleep well?

sure

literally

nothing has happened since we last talked

Dad: Yes, sorry I crashed out on you

William: not at all

5:42 AM Dad: I'm trying to convert my life to the morning; in the evening I generally too tired to do much more veg out in front of idiot TV. In the morning I feel like doing something.

5:43 AM William: hey

I have to go eat

be back in like 10/15

Dad: Let's talk photography; but with one caveat - I'm ..... OK

6:18 AM Dad: Finished?

7:42 AM William: hey sorry

I walked out of my room

and there were a dozen marines on our porch hanging out

Dad: No Problem

William: and they coerced Dad to come drink with them

they have automatic rifles

Dad: Ha-ha

William: so I was inclined to say yes

I'm still not really sure why they're there

6:43 AM Dad: Good idea

William: they are here for flood relief?

I think?

what’s up about photography?

though I should go back out in a minute

6:44 AM Dad: Looting probably; ask if you can take their photos and get names and units they'll love it

William: that’s probably true

Dad: Go we ca talk later

William: this morning was an extreme case

everyone looked really sad

but usually Filipinos love pictures

alright

love you

thanks

Dad: I hear you

6:45 AM Love you too

6:55 AM William: and just like that

they're gone

into the night

7:02 AM William: dad?

7:03 AM Dad: I'm here

They may have been there checking on you.

7:04 AM William: I don’t think so

I think one of them is related to the Teopes

7:05 AM Dad: Oh, that makes sense.

7:06 AM So what happens with the school, I imagine you'll be doing clean up for a while.

7:07 AM Any sign of water receding?

William: I don’t know

I haven’t been since this morning

where I am there’s not flooding

my town goes

7:08 AM National Highway

Narra Ave.

Rizal Ave.

are the main roads parallel to the national highway?

and up until Rizal there was flooding this morning

Dad: Back to business; names and approximate ages; so we can get appropriate small gifts.

7:09 AM William: oh

Herman Teope

55

Hermanita (no joke) Teope 50

Dad: That's good

William: Reynante, 13

Carmela 10

7:10 AM Dad: Great, thanks; would they like something with something typical?

7:11 AM William: whatever

they'll love it

7:12 AM Herman wears that national cathedral hat a lot

7:13 AM Dad: Ok, so no problem with something that is obviously American. Do you need any rain gear?

William: not really

since they're appalled that you would go anywhere when it’s raining anyways

7:14 AM and I have a rain jacket

Dad: Because I have ponchos I could send

William: that's alright

Dad: Ha-ha, American ways are different

William: though I did think of you when the marines all threw on ponchos to leave

7:15 AM true

7:16 AM Dad: Ha-ha, I do have gear coming out my ears!

7:17 AM So tell about language, do you use Tagalog at home?

William: yes

all the time

they don’t do much English

but not much at school

7:18 AM though my co-teachers are easing into more Tagalog

I’m slowly getting better

but need to put in more effort

7:20 AM Dad: Great, you have Rosetta Stone that may help.

William: yeah

I need to start using that again

I keep intending to....

Dad: Also kind in mind language learning is not an even learning curve - you can go for months with no seeming progress and then all of a sudden make great leaps forward.

William: right

same with Spanish

7:21 AM Dad: It is hard to get started, I'm having same problem getting back into French and Spanish.

7:22 AM William: yeah

I would have more incentive

but my Tagalog is serviceable at home

and not needed at school

but since I’m staying with the family

to deepen our relationship I need to get better

7:23 AM Dad: And broaden social contacts!

William: yes

of course

7:24 AM Dad: You will, it takes, you can only work at it and be patient

7:30 AM Dad: I am glad you are staying with the Teopes for the time being; it will be good for language, the Ernie, and you will eat better. And despite lack of privacy you will be less lonely.

7:31 AM William: definitely

less lonely

it makes a lot of sense

I was so ready for my own place less than a month ago

but now I’m in no hurry

I spoke to martin in Nicaragua

he’s in the same boat

7:32 AM Dad: How does he like Nicaragua?

William: I think he likes it

the beginning of teaching for him has been spotty

7:33 AM Dad: Do many people speak Spanish in Narra?

William: no one speaks Spanish in all of the Philippines

contrary to reports that a few people speak it

no one does

Dad: Does he like his posting in Nicaragua?

7:34 AM William: I think so

I haven’t heard much about the place though

I think he was hoping for south America

but is happy

7:35 AM Dad: Yea, I've heard that after a hundred years of American involvement't in the Philippines only the very old speak Spanish.

Are you still glad you are in the Philippines?

7:36 AM William: yeah

I mean

at first

I didn’t love this country

and some times I feel the culture is kind of shallow

7:37 AM but I like it more and more

Palawon is less of a, excuse Dad, but clusterfuck

the people are a bit more with it

Dad: Good to hear.

7:38 AM William: and Filipinos are SO nice

and it is beautiful

so I could’ve done worse

I do often think about the fact that I had a choice between this and eastern Europe

and how different they are

7:39 AM Dad: I understand, Manila is a typical developing world city; dirty and everyone hustling.

William: yeah

it’s crazy

even Zambales was kind of nuts

Olongapo I hated at first

but it grew on Dad a lot

7:41 AM Dad: Ok, explain the places, I thought you were in Subic for training; what was Olongape?

William: Subic is complicated

it’s sort of like los Angeles i.e. la city, county, metro area, etc

there's subic bay

then there's Subic Freeport

7:42 AM which is the old us naval base, now a giant mall sort of

most people think of this when you say Subic

that is attached to Olongapo

a large city

on the other side of the bay is subic town

where I was

much smaller

and we weren't even in the center of the town

but about 2 km away

7:44 AM Dad: And that was Zambales, right? Thanks that clears it up.

William: right

the province is Zambales

Olongapo straddles Zambales and Bataan

as in the Bataan death march

7:45 AM Dad: Ok, some of this I knew but could put it together.

Thanks

Tell me about the food.

7:46 AM William: food is good here

lots of really fresh fish

here

tons of rice of course

occasional meat

Dad: I know a lot of veg. But what kind and how are they prepared?

7:47 AM Much seafood?

William: everything grilled

or fried

lots of seafood

and it’s so good

what’s new at home though?

7:48 AM Dad: Sorry I missed the earlier fish reference.

Well let's see, Rob and Vickie had to put Haley down.

7:49 AM They are both taking it very hard.

William: I’m talking to rob now

7:50 AM Dad: Rob is putting in new bathrooms for the Ivory’s.

Good on Facebook?

7:51 AM Nora is in Galway and has started a Blog.

7:52 AM Andrew is busy with work and girlfriend.