Trevor: Monday, June 4, 2007

D-1, my living quarters

The view from the school

My room

After about two weeks at Tom and Diane's house, we've moved over to the Mapa School and Farm, in Tupsan Pequeno, Camiguin. The school is up on the hills and overlooks the ocean. The view is absolutely stunning.

The school is made up of a cluster of small buildings. These huts are made of wood, with woven bamboo walls and nipa (palm leaf) roofs. There are two rooms in each of the living quarters huts. One room is for teachers and the other for students. I'm sharing a room with a teacher named Wilvin, he teaches the English classes for the upper-level (grade 4,5, and 6) students. I'll be sitting in on some of his classes this week, and the plan is for me to teach some of the speech classes.

It's a very simple lifestyle here compared to the US, and it is a drastic but welcome change. To be woken up in the morning by the sunlight at 5 am is certainly a new experience. The food staple is rice, and it anchors every meal here. I'm missing air conditioning, but the sea breeze provides a welcome substitute whenever it's blowing.

The kids are amazing, and seem to welcome every opportunity to speak English. I've befriended a deaf student named Leo, who Tom and Diane found in the market. They have no idea where he comes from. He has picked up sign language very quickly, and I communication with him with what little sign I know. Anirose, the principal of the school, has given us handouts on sign language, so hopefully my abilities will improve. Classes begin tomorrow, and I'm excited, as it's my first day of school too.