March 2009 here, there, everywhere!

My HIV/AIDS Education and prevention seminar at my high school.

My counterpart, Madel, and I opening our workshop. She needed to do most of the talking because it was all in Visayan.

The kids playing "baby elephant". A game that shows what HIV's affect is on the immune system.

Myth/Fact condom game.

Julie and I hanging out in at the pension in Iloilo.

Sara and I dancing the night away in Iloilo.

Justin, Marlo, and Sara.

St. Patrick's day in Manila! May Lynn, Megan, and Me. May Lynn is the only one wearing green!

Justin and Megan.

Jeff and Megan drinking green beer!

Beautiful Target Island, Mindoro.

Dom in the mangroves.

Note: when going rock climbing DO NOT wear Old Navy flip flops. Not a good idea.

Snorkeling!

Dom's host brother rock climbing.

Some of Dom's host fam.

Ahhh....life is good.

Akon balay (My house)

My new apartment! Mine is on the first floor.

My apartment! I really like it because you have to go through a gate, a screen door, and then the actual door to get in the house. I feel very safe.

Living room. My curtains and pillows were made by the home ec teacher.

Kitchen

Stove and fridge. Stove was the previus PCV's and my school let me borrow my ref.

My C.R. with flushing toilet :)

I have a shower head!

but I still prefer the bucket.

Going upstairs...

Second bedroom/living room. My couch folds out to a bed! Visitors welcome :)

My room. My host family let me borrow my bed. :) They are so sweet!

My closet

Dresser my host family let me borrow for my bedroom.

Host family's house

Flushing toilet.

Kitchen

Living room

Dirty kitchen.

LC and my host mom in the dirty kitchen.

My host brother and host mom.

My room!

The other side of my room. The door leads into the bathroom. Very nice :)

The cute puppy poster in my room...

Little sitting area.

Wash area outside my host family's house.

First meal, corn and coke, in my new house with Grace and Charlie.

Host Mom, Host Dad, and Charlie.

Grace and I at dinner.

Oysters, green mango (sour mango), and peanuts.

Yummy scallops

End of 2008

Rachael, Shauna, and I out in Boracay. Sorry, not many pics from the trip because the weather was not very pretty. But we had a fabulous time anyway!

Neighborhood kids singing Christmas carols at my house.

YAY for starbucks!

So there is a starbucks in Bacolod now!

Justin and I danving the night away with our families.

I went to visit my host family from Bacolod the weekend before Christmas. This was taken before our night out at the Disco. (My host mom loves to dance :) )

The boys turn to makeup the girls.

Lipstick game: The girls are blindfolded and have to put make-up (just lipstick) on the boys. Then they switch and the boys makeup the girls.

All of the food I was given (notice 3 plates and 2 cokes) after just 2 parties. I went to 4 parties...I was sooooooo full!!!

Newspaper dance game. The kids have a partner and they have to dance around a newspaper. When the music stops each pair has to stand on the newspaper. After each round the players have to fold the newspaper in half. It is really funny to watch!

Kamatis (Tomato) game. The kids have to keep the tomato held between the two of them while they dance around to music and try not to drop the tomato. It's really funny!

One of my first year classes' Christmas party.

My friend Grace's niece, Princess :) She thought I was a fairy, ha-ha, so she wanted a picture with me.

Fish drying rack. The racks go on forever down the beach.

Fishermen carrying in their catch. (Roxas is the seafood capitol of the Philippines)

Boat race in Roxas.