Trevor: Wednesday, June 14, 2007

The Usual Suspects

Some of the younger guys

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been in the Philippines for almost a month, and that our time here is a third over. The summer has flown by so far, and I’ve adjusted to things here far faster than I thought I would. 5 am wakeups, rice at every meal, cold showers, living with kids, and somewhat of a language barrier are not things that I would consider normal compared to my life in the US. However, they’ve become part of the daily routine, and I’ve come to enjoy all of these experiences.

Steve and I are picking up sign language, and we are learning for Archeline, a deaf teacher at Mapa. She can read lips extremely well, and can even use her voice to say some words. We’ve learned colors, days of the week, the alphabet and a whole bunch of useful expressions, such as “be patient,” “later,” and “correct.” Sign is difficult because it doesn’t just require knowledge of the signs, but linking them together as well. Hopefully the coordination will come with time.

The Department of Education has an office at the Central Elementary School in Mambajao, and Steve and I are going there soon to get a copy of the Math and English curriculum for grades 1-6. Hopefully, we can apply that to what the teachers here at Mapa are already doing and create a greater consistency of topics from year to year.

The teachers here are extremely well-liked by the students, and as I’ve said before, they share a bond unlike any teacher-student relationship I’ve ever seen. It seems as if this connection translates to the classroom as well, as the teachers are more in tune with the habits of individual students.

I’m beginning to shoot some footage for my documentary, and Steve and I will be going to Tom and Diane’s tomorrow night so that we can wake up early the next morning to observe a doctor who is coming from the mainland to treat some of Diane’s patients, mainly handicapped children. Hopefully I’ll get some good footage of this aspect of Family to Family’s work.