On one of my final journeys on a jeepney in Cebu I spent time listening to a group of young girls chatting away. It started with ‘Don’t worry terrorist are even on vacation, its Holy Week’ but the conversation went on. Before I knew it they started talking about why Asian women look younger and how healthier they are compared to the Western society.
I have heard some interesting conversations on the jeepney, two weeks ago involved the colour of my eyes, that I think went on for atleast 10 minutes before one of the guys finally asked me what colour they were. When I told them, he laughed at his mate and told him he must be colour blind before I knew it half the jeepney were staring into my eyes to see what colour they thought they were!
I will certainly miss the random conversations, comments and questions that I have heard or been asked during my time in the Philippines.
Some of the comments or questions I have been asked here in the Philippines include:
- You look like Jennifer Lopez or is Angelina Jolie?
- Are you Ukrainian, British, American or today it was Dutch?
- Are you single? Why are you single?
- Does it worry you that you are old and still single?
(everyone gets married young here and many would have atleast two kids if not more by my age!)
I have struggled with the old Western men who have often started conversations in random places, the worst more recently was sitting next to me on the plane over to Manila there was no escape route! I have gradually learnt to not even make eye contact with them or even acknowledge. Today, I manage to turn my back on one!
I bided farewell to the Braille Center last week, I enjoyed every moment. Whilst completing my end of assignment report I began to realise that even though it felt like I hadn’t, I had succeeded in many ways. The workshop was my biggest success, with 30 people attending the workshop on the curriculum and assessment tool that I developed. We’ve manage to find new teachers and have some stability with the classroom. I have been very fortunate to have gotten to know the students, their families, the teachers and adults of the Braille centre.
So as I begin the process of packing up my ‘shoebox’, farewell my friends and work colleagues and move onto my next adventure (whatever that will be) I will remember the community feel the Philippines has, the smiles on the locals faces no matter what hardships they are faced and of course the Filipino time, that I do hope I’ll leave behind (or I will be running late to everything)
I certainly will miss Cebu City and hope to one day return.
I have heard some interesting conversations on the jeepney, two weeks ago involved the colour of my eyes, that I think went on for atleast 10 minutes before one of the guys finally asked me what colour they were. When I told them, he laughed at his mate and told him he must be colour blind before I knew it half the jeepney were staring into my eyes to see what colour they thought they were!
I will certainly miss the random conversations, comments and questions that I have heard or been asked during my time in the Philippines.
Some of the comments or questions I have been asked here in the Philippines include:
- You look like Jennifer Lopez or is Angelina Jolie?
- Are you Ukrainian, British, American or today it was Dutch?
- Are you single? Why are you single?
- Does it worry you that you are old and still single?
(everyone gets married young here and many would have atleast two kids if not more by my age!)
I have struggled with the old Western men who have often started conversations in random places, the worst more recently was sitting next to me on the plane over to Manila there was no escape route! I have gradually learnt to not even make eye contact with them or even acknowledge. Today, I manage to turn my back on one!
I bided farewell to the Braille Center last week, I enjoyed every moment. Whilst completing my end of assignment report I began to realise that even though it felt like I hadn’t, I had succeeded in many ways. The workshop was my biggest success, with 30 people attending the workshop on the curriculum and assessment tool that I developed. We’ve manage to find new teachers and have some stability with the classroom. I have been very fortunate to have gotten to know the students, their families, the teachers and adults of the Braille centre.
So as I begin the process of packing up my ‘shoebox’, farewell my friends and work colleagues and move onto my next adventure (whatever that will be) I will remember the community feel the Philippines has, the smiles on the locals faces no matter what hardships they are faced and of course the Filipino time, that I do hope I’ll leave behind (or I will be running late to everything)
I certainly will miss Cebu City and hope to one day return.
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