Banjovi

(Photo by Derek Soriano and his fancy-dancy cellphone.)

This picture is from a week and half ago at the Oarhouse. Derek dubbed Stephen "Banjovi," and I am sure all of you see the resemblance. We've been going into the Oar in Malate (Manila proper) every Friday night, which often means fighting brutal traffic; but it's worth it. If you look closely you can see me in a blue and green striped shirt in the background talking with some folks at the bar. After a week of work, it is really nice to just leave everything behind and drive into a place where no one teaches, let alone at my school, and therefore no work can be discussed. Common interests here include photography, farming, music, and politics--all topics of conversation that are a nice break from curricular development and photocopying. (In my 13 years of teaching, I have become quite the expert at the workings of photocopy machines. I can clear almost any jam, change toner, and replace staples as fast as any Indy pit crew. I'd still rather be able to change a tire on my car, a more useful skill in the real world, but there you go.)

We certainly live out in the 'burbs, but strangely enough, I like the location because there is actually a fair amount of green space around. Having our shipment arrive and our apartment decorated like a "mini-me" version of our old place at Groton has helped a tremendous amount. I promise to post some pictures of that and our truck, christened "Willie" by our friend Sol, an avid Willie Nelson fan. We asked her what we should name it (every good truck needs a name), and she answered us faster than we actually finished the question. Apparently, for a long time she's felt that someone's car needed to be named Willie,and we've helped make that dream a reality. Our work here is done, people.

Overall, everything is going really, really well. Though I am most definitely a foreigner (a tall white woman with curly brown-red hair sticks out 'round these parts...bet you didn't know that), ironically I feel more at home here than I have almost anywhere else in the world. The Philippines is adventurous, friendly, varied, challenging, and easy-going all at the same time and in just the right balance. Aspects of my life that were lacking have been found, including a life outside the school. For the first time in a long time, I do not feel anxious about where I'm NOT; rather, I'm really happy to be right where I am. Though I am worried that this is just the honeymoon period, the truth is that right now I am working as hard as I anticipate ever having to--I'm coaching this season, I'm teaching new classes and getting to know a new school, and I'm dealing with a lot of "moving in" and "setting up house" details that need to be resolved just once. The second semester I teach many of the same classes all over again (they are only one semester long), so I will only have one new prep among my five classes. More time for the farm, for the Oarhouse, and for joining a boxing gym. Wow, a life! Pretty crazy stuff, huh?