Blogs from Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines, Asia - page 8

Last week, we went for another 6-hour bus ride to Bataraza, a town in southern Palawan. We took a walk into some bushes to visit lowlander tribes, as opposed to the highlander mountain tribes we visited last time. The culture is very similar to those tribes in the moutains, except that these people are mroe civilized. Clothes are normal, most of them can speak Tagalog and are either attending school or finished high school. It's mostly the customs and the values that are tribal, and the family system. Throughout our 3-day stay, us guys hauled logs down the hillside. These were pillar beams to be used for the construction of a new church, and were at least 3/4" in diameter and 10 feet long each. At one point, because it was raining, I had to do ... read more

There's not a whole lot that I could write about and grab any attention from this past week. It's been delightfully slow here. Last night we had a birthday cake and movie night for two of our aging residents. It was a fantastic hoot of a time. Anyways, on to more entertaining things... In exactly a week, I will beginning outreach phase. It's a vague term, yes, but I will try to describe it, at least what it will mean for me. First of all, we will be relocating to another part of Palawan for some time. Perhaps 2 weeks. Then we will fly to metro Manila and do some stuff there for 2 weeks. Then, we will fly to Vietnam and bus to Cambodia, each for just over a week. We will be involved with ... read more

Pictures: The Croc Farm Last weekend, three others from the DTS and I went to the crocodile farm and animal reserve. It was not half bad, despite the fact that the crocs were not in the wild but rather secured within the cold confines of plastic tubs and concrete walls. Obviously, this is where an endangered animal had to be to saved from the obliteration of it’s race, but I didn’t really sense the viciousness I hoped I would. I like to experience things for what they are, and viewing ferocious animals known for their instinctive wrath from the safe distant walkway overhead as they lazily waddled into the water seems like a half-experience. Perhaps it’s just that I don’t like the sight of a caged animal. Or perhaps they should have thrown meat at them ... read more

OK, I seriously do not have much to write this week. We learned how to study the Bible this week. We had team-building activities on Friday afternoon. I was mad at several people this week, and then God thwarted me for it afterwards. Severe sleep deprivation and falling asleep in class found their way into the week as well. We had a Summer Of Service team from Australia come and stay with us for a few days, so the extra 15 people made for an exceptionally busy base. I'm considering getting a tattoo. Perhaps in the dumpsite. I've gotten comments from people at home like 'I can't believe you are brave enough to do that' and 'I'm proud of you, I could never have the strength to do that.' Let me tell you, I'm neither brave ... read more

It's been a while since I've written, not because I haven't had the time, but because my last visit to an Internet cafe was a last-minute excursion. If I hadn't so many emails and messages to respond to, I would have written it there, but the computer access at the base is the only reason I am able to do as much as I do. So this is me pre-writing my blog to recap the past two weeks. Christmas and New Year's On December 24th, in the morning, the DTS helped the staff host a Christmas party for HANDS, one of our base’s ministries to help single mothers and of course their children. We had music, dance, games and food, which are pretty much inherent to any organized Filipino celebration, regardless of occasion. In the evening, ... read more