the power of a notebook

Many months ago, I found the inspiration to find someone who would be interested in donating used notebooks and school supplies to my school.  The students (and teachers) here are barely given any resources and therefore have to pay for all materials they need inside their classrooms.  Already with many students coming from low-income families, …

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no news is good news…?

Hoy! Buhay pa ako (I’m still alive)! Just 5 months left here so enjoy this re-cap of the happenings the past couple of months… I started off the New Year with my family, after almost 18 months of being apart; it was so amazing seeing them again. We spent our time together in Palawan, island-hopping …

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building bridges

understand that there is a difference between knowing and understanding I recently had the opportunity to be involved with a program called Padayon Mindanao.  Padayon Mindanao is a USAID initiative aiming to train ALS (alternative-learning-system) teachers and OSY (out of school youth) through cross-cultural collaboration and friendship building.  Peace Corps is helping this initiative by …

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one year na!

It's my one year mark in service! I can't believe I've been living in the Philippines for one whole year, it feels like I just left home.  This year has sure been a memorable one, lots of new experiences, friendships and memories were made, but along with those it was also filled with some less-so-happy moments …

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planes, trains and automobiles

While this post isn't about your favorite Thanksgiving movie, we're talking all about transportation and how to get around in this island-filled country. In the Philippines, the most popular forms of transportation are motorbikes, tricycles and jeepneys.  Motorbikes are bawal for Peace Corps Volunteers, but many locals own bikes to get around.  If you are living …

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fire, fiesta & fun

Kumusta kayo? It's been a while since my last post, but since returning to site from training there were a whirlwind of events and activities, so now its time to play catch up! February We celebrated my municipality's local religious festival, Udyakan. Spanning over 4 days,  with a mardi-gras theme, there were fire dancing performances …

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in-service training

During the 24 months of service in the Peace Corps, you are brought together with your batch mates and staff for IST (in-service training), MST (mid-service training) and COS (end of service).  IST is the first time where everyone is reunited again since swearing in, our group numbers dropped as other volunteers left for medical or personal …

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