Just some thoughts...
7:58 PM
For this blog I just wanted to let you know some of my thoughts and reactions to some things I have experienced. I’m not complaining I am just making some observations and giving my thoughts on the subjects. I really don’t have any answers to these issues; I just wanted to put them out there. Hope you enjoy reading them.
The reason why I started thinking about all these things are because today I was riding a tryke home with an older white man. He asked me why I was here and I told him I was with the Peace Corps. He said he didn’t know that was still around and told me he was living here, and had been since he had retired. He worked for an international organization out of California and hadn’t been to the states in some 20-odd years. It got me thinking why would someone want to live abroad for the rest of their lives? Is it because they can live more comfortably with the conversion of American dollars, are they running away from something, did something happen back in the states that was so bad they didn’t want to come back? The answer I don’t know, but I do know that living overseas was one of the main reasons I joined PC, but I could never see it leading to me not returning to the states. Sure I love traveling and I love learning about other cultures, and seeing amazing sights in other places, but I will always return “home.” I love the U.S. too much to stay away forever. Texas is my culture and I could never turn my back on it forever. I have too much worth living for in the states, and I would hate to miss out on all of it. Of course I have my complaints, but I love our freedom, the way things are run, our food, etc.
I also wanted to talk about was a student’s story. I have been co-teaching off and on during training and was able to hear one of my student’s life-story. She is either 11 or 12 years old and is living with her grandma, whom she doesn’t like because she is “too strict.” I don’t remember where she said her mom is, but she is not around and her dad works overseas so he can provide money to their family. She was telling me how she missed her dad terribly and how she hardly ever gets to see him because he is always working. He works in New Zealand, doing what I’m not sure and it’s really not important, but the fact that he would work overseas is admirable. I like the fact that he would sacrifice so that he can provide for his family, but at what costs is he doing that? He practically never gets to see his family. I know he is probably making more over there than he would here, but is it really worth it??? I don’t have an answer, and I don’t have any kids so I don’t know what I would do in that situation, but it just got me thinking.
Something else I have observed is how there are so many interruptions in the school day and in the classrooms. I have only been at the school a few times, but seriously every time I go to my classroom I never know what’s going to be thrown at me. Sometimes I have a lesson prepared and we don’t end up doing it because the class is not ready, which is the most logical and settling reason, but when you don’t get to do a lesson because more than half of your class has been pulled out for a girls scouts meeting or because the teachers have a meeting during class time or there is some type of assembly, it’s a little frustrating. I know in the states we have interruptions in the classroom, but there is no comparison to what I have seen here. I have noticed that ANYTIME students can put on a performance they will. It’s nice being able to see their culture and how creative they can be, but when it is taking away from class time its kind of annoying. I believe that when a student is in school they should be learning, and I can appreciate breaks from time to time as I think anyone does, but it doesn’t seem like to me that the majority of the time here is spent on teaching/learning. I know the students are learning, but it could be so much more. Whenever I am in the classroom the students are really attentive and it seems like the classroom runs smoothly, but I always wonder, what is it like when I’m not here? I was not able to visit the school for a couple of weeks, because of other training requirements, but when I returned it didn’t seem like the students had moved on much.
On a happier note, while I have been here I have been able to make some amazing friends, and hopefully they will be life-long friends. Several of us PCTs have been able to take trips together and have had plenty of time to bond with one another. I have really, really enjoyed my language classes and really enjoy my cluster’s company. Last week I was feeling under the weather and I really appreciated my cluster being there for me and providing me with a laugh or two.
I have also been thinking a lot about our permanent site. The more I reflect and think back on my site, the more I start to like it. To be honest I was not impressed at first. I wasn’t feeling good and I was having a hard time staying positive. I am feeling all better now and have been able to really think about our site. We are going to be living in a small rural town, but I am excited about that. We are only an hour or so away from a city with a mall and a cinema, which is important to me, and a bigger grocery store. I like how convenient bigger towns/cities are, but sometimes I want to be in a smaller place. I want to be where there is less noise, traffic, congestion, etc. I will be able to experience that at my site. I am also really excited about where Ryan and I will live once we are able to move out on our own. Our supervisors have already picked a place out for us, and showed the outside of it to us when we arrived at our site. It looks like a brand new house on the outside and I am sure the inside is just as nice. We will find out more once we get there, but for now I am pretty stoked about that!
Lastly, I would like to comment on how hospitable Filipinos are. Anytime I am in a new place, or traveling somewhere I don’t have to be stressed out because anytime I get lost, confused, or go the wrong way, I know a Filipino will help me out. They are always willing to give you directions, or help you get a tryke. It is such a nice and welcoming feeling.
The reason why I started thinking about all these things are because today I was riding a tryke home with an older white man. He asked me why I was here and I told him I was with the Peace Corps. He said he didn’t know that was still around and told me he was living here, and had been since he had retired. He worked for an international organization out of California and hadn’t been to the states in some 20-odd years. It got me thinking why would someone want to live abroad for the rest of their lives? Is it because they can live more comfortably with the conversion of American dollars, are they running away from something, did something happen back in the states that was so bad they didn’t want to come back? The answer I don’t know, but I do know that living overseas was one of the main reasons I joined PC, but I could never see it leading to me not returning to the states. Sure I love traveling and I love learning about other cultures, and seeing amazing sights in other places, but I will always return “home.” I love the U.S. too much to stay away forever. Texas is my culture and I could never turn my back on it forever. I have too much worth living for in the states, and I would hate to miss out on all of it. Of course I have my complaints, but I love our freedom, the way things are run, our food, etc.
I also wanted to talk about was a student’s story. I have been co-teaching off and on during training and was able to hear one of my student’s life-story. She is either 11 or 12 years old and is living with her grandma, whom she doesn’t like because she is “too strict.” I don’t remember where she said her mom is, but she is not around and her dad works overseas so he can provide money to their family. She was telling me how she missed her dad terribly and how she hardly ever gets to see him because he is always working. He works in New Zealand, doing what I’m not sure and it’s really not important, but the fact that he would work overseas is admirable. I like the fact that he would sacrifice so that he can provide for his family, but at what costs is he doing that? He practically never gets to see his family. I know he is probably making more over there than he would here, but is it really worth it??? I don’t have an answer, and I don’t have any kids so I don’t know what I would do in that situation, but it just got me thinking.
Something else I have observed is how there are so many interruptions in the school day and in the classrooms. I have only been at the school a few times, but seriously every time I go to my classroom I never know what’s going to be thrown at me. Sometimes I have a lesson prepared and we don’t end up doing it because the class is not ready, which is the most logical and settling reason, but when you don’t get to do a lesson because more than half of your class has been pulled out for a girls scouts meeting or because the teachers have a meeting during class time or there is some type of assembly, it’s a little frustrating. I know in the states we have interruptions in the classroom, but there is no comparison to what I have seen here. I have noticed that ANYTIME students can put on a performance they will. It’s nice being able to see their culture and how creative they can be, but when it is taking away from class time its kind of annoying. I believe that when a student is in school they should be learning, and I can appreciate breaks from time to time as I think anyone does, but it doesn’t seem like to me that the majority of the time here is spent on teaching/learning. I know the students are learning, but it could be so much more. Whenever I am in the classroom the students are really attentive and it seems like the classroom runs smoothly, but I always wonder, what is it like when I’m not here? I was not able to visit the school for a couple of weeks, because of other training requirements, but when I returned it didn’t seem like the students had moved on much.
On a happier note, while I have been here I have been able to make some amazing friends, and hopefully they will be life-long friends. Several of us PCTs have been able to take trips together and have had plenty of time to bond with one another. I have really, really enjoyed my language classes and really enjoy my cluster’s company. Last week I was feeling under the weather and I really appreciated my cluster being there for me and providing me with a laugh or two.
I have also been thinking a lot about our permanent site. The more I reflect and think back on my site, the more I start to like it. To be honest I was not impressed at first. I wasn’t feeling good and I was having a hard time staying positive. I am feeling all better now and have been able to really think about our site. We are going to be living in a small rural town, but I am excited about that. We are only an hour or so away from a city with a mall and a cinema, which is important to me, and a bigger grocery store. I like how convenient bigger towns/cities are, but sometimes I want to be in a smaller place. I want to be where there is less noise, traffic, congestion, etc. I will be able to experience that at my site. I am also really excited about where Ryan and I will live once we are able to move out on our own. Our supervisors have already picked a place out for us, and showed the outside of it to us when we arrived at our site. It looks like a brand new house on the outside and I am sure the inside is just as nice. We will find out more once we get there, but for now I am pretty stoked about that!
Lastly, I would like to comment on how hospitable Filipinos are. Anytime I am in a new place, or traveling somewhere I don’t have to be stressed out because anytime I get lost, confused, or go the wrong way, I know a Filipino will help me out. They are always willing to give you directions, or help you get a tryke. It is such a nice and welcoming feeling.
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