7 Kids, 12 Days, 1 Typhoon

So, we've been watching 7 children while their parents are traveling to the US to get training in some new roles.

The joke that we hear every day is that WE are the ones really getting the training. But the kids are great and Uncle Dan and Aunt Ellen enjoy getting to know all of them more.

Yesterday, we were hit by a typhoon, so I had to go into "hurricane survival mode" to make sure we were all safe. There hasn't been a typhoon this strong in Manila in the last 11 years, so we weren't too sure what to expect.

The kids thought I was a little crazy for making them drag everything into the house and for loading up on ice and water, but it was all I knew to do before it made landfall.

The storm was strong, but no major damage was done to their house. We avoided going crazy by doing homework, coloring by candlelight, and building indoor forts to play in.

The house is still without power right now (I'm typing this at Faith Academy, which is running on a generator), and we don't know when it will come back.

Hopefully we'll get some typhoon party pictures up soon!

-Uncle Dan

What Time is it in the Philippines?

Manila

Some people have told us that they really would like to call us on our Vonage phone, but they don't want to accidentally call us in the middle of our nighttime because of the time-zone difference.

That's OK! Trust us, it took us awhile to get it the times straightened out, too:

• When we wake up, you're having dinner
• When we start work, you're going to bed
• When we eat lunch, it's midnight for you
• When we get home, you're starting to wake up
• When we go to bed, you're arriving at work

So, if you ever get the itch to give us a call, but don't want to risk waking us up in the middle of the night, then just use this nifty clock. There is another one down the left side of the page, under the "ARCHIVES" section--it'll always be there.

Oh, and if this is your first time hearing about the Vonage phone, you basically pick up your phone and call a 10 digit number, just like you normally would in the States. The call goes to Charlotte, NC, so your long-distance bill will only reflect a call to there. (Of course, if you live in Charlotte, it's a local call!) Then it automatically gets routed through the internet, and our phone rings. You wouldn't even have any idea we weren't in the States if we hadn't told you! If you don't have the phone number, then send us an email and we'll send it to you.

Team Update: Summer 2006 Graph

OK, so I put this graph together using Excel. I wanted to illustrate the total number of people in the country at one time AND the number of people on each team. Can you figure it out?

(Click on the graph to see a larger image.)

3rd Grade Begins!

My last semester at Faith began the beginning of August, so we have already done quite a bit in 3rd grade! I have eleven dynamic, energetic, bright students from Korea, USA, and Germany! We are a diverse group that is having a lot of fun learning already! Here are a few pictures from our first couple weeks!

Faith Academy celebrates the opening of every school year with a flag ceremony and parade of flags including a flag from each country that is represented at the school! We are also celebrating the 50 year anniversary of Faith Academy as you can see on the front of the school!

Some of you may remember us mummifying chickens last year. Well, the tradition continues! Here we are preparing our chickens to be salted. :)

Dan's Daily Commute

Benjamin Franklin was once quoted as saying, "In this world nothing is certain but death and taxes." He should have added commuting to that short list. Almost every day, I drive into SIL's Manila center where I stay in constant communication with team leaders from around the world. On an average day, the trip will take about 1 hour...one way. So, I thought I might throw out some random pictures from my daily trip. In no particular order.

The workers in this truck probably have the best attitude of any of my fellow commuters!

"death, taxes, commuting, AND McDonald's"

Next time I want to complain about my own ride, I'll remember these guys.

The Halo-Halo Principle

In the Philippines, halo-halo is the treat to have on hot day. Kids, adults, teenagers...everyone loves this concotion. Take a bowl half full of shaved ice, add some condensed milk, Jello, sweet beans, shaved coconut, an assortment of tropical fruits, a strip of flan, and top it off with a scoop of ice cream. Now you've got halo-halo. Once it is served to you, take your spoon, and mix it all up until it's one big bowl of sweetness.

OK, I'll admit, it's not my favorite dessert. Filipinos tell me that it's because I haven't gone to the right restaurant. I've gotten it at Chow King in downtown Manila, and I've gotten it handmade out in some remote areas of the country. So, I feel like I've gotten a pretty good cross-section of the dessert. It's still not my favorite.

However, when I do an orientation to the Philippines for a team, one of the last things that I do is take them on a field trip to get some halo-halo. The big reason for this is that I want them to try to understand something that is very unique about Filipinos--but more than just eating bowl full of mixed sugary treats.

You see, halo-halo literally translates to "mix-mix", and you see that reflected in the physical landscape. An open-air market will be situated right next to a high-scale mall, or a mansion-type home nestled between some lower-income housing.

More importantly, "halo-halo" can represent an attitude of acceptance--the dessert itself has evolved over hundreds of years, and has influences from the Spanish, the Chinese, and the Americans.

Here's an interesting quote about halo-halo from SEAsite, a section of Northern Illinois University's website that is dedicated to Southeast Asian culture:

"To say that Filipino culture is primarily Western is like taking the ice
cream as the main ingredient of the halo-halo, thereby missing the Asian
substance of the whole mixture. Likewise, to say that Filipino culture is
essentially Eastern is the same as taking only the Asian tropical fruits in the
halo-halo and failing to drink the melted ice cream in the mixture."

My Little Sister Is Engaged!!

As of a couple weeks ago, I am going to have a new brother!! My sister Anne and her boyfriend Cory became engaged! On August 17th Cory proposed and they will be married on May 12,2007! Yippee!! We are thrilled and love Cory very much. (though we still continue to make sure Cory knows what kind of crazy family he is getting himself into!)


Anne and Cory have set up a really great website with pictures and lots of fun information about themselves and the wedding. Check it out at www.coryandanne.com

Team Update: Discovery 2006 Wrap-up

Well, the Discovery team is now back home. I had a great time debriefing with them during their last week in the Philippines (Ellen had already started teaching, so she couldn't get away). They were a great group, and we enjoyed getting to know all of them. One of the members, Andrew, made a movie that brings together a lot of the pictures taken. It's a little grainy, but only because it had to be shrunk down to work over the Internet. Watch Andrew's Movie here!