Journey to the Ocean

Monday was the big day.   We were going to the ocean!  The excitement wasn't just in the destination, but also in the journey.   To get to the ocean we would travel through the province.

T-Bob and Kitty took the back seat.  It was a full vehicle!

Heading out of the city we wound our way up, down, and around mountains.

Some of the nearby mountains contain marble, a common resource in the Philippines.  In this picture the white parts of the mountain are where it has been quarried.

A rustic basketball court.

A house on a mountain.  This home is definitely out in the country.

A breath taking view of a lagoon.

A carabao.  T-Bob snapped this picture at just the "wrong" time. :)

Pineapple groves.

A young rice field.

A carabao in a more mature rice field.

A horse grazing along the curvy road.   

A gorgeous gorge.  

A mountain waterfall.  Rainy season is just starting so most of them were still dried up.

These pictures  do not do justice to what we saw, but just give a flavor of the journey.   I enjoyed every minute of driving through a countryside that was totally foreign to my North American eyes.  My uncle stopped often to let us take a picture and just look as he navigated the roads.  Driving in the Philippines is never boring!

After almost three hours of driving we arrived at The Park.   

Monday was the first day of school for many Filipino children so we had the park to ourselves.  It was lovely.

My aunt packed a delicious picnic lunch.

Lunch time!  Yeah!

The tradition of Buko Pie for dessert continues.

The park was deserted except for a few chickens and spattering of chicks.  It made me feel at home.

The Pacific Ocean was beautiful.   

Whether from the beach or in the water I tried to soak in the view.  I wish I had a picture of the shoreline from the ocean, but I don't.   Several mountain ridges overlapped, each one going a little further out into the ocean than the one behind it.   Flame trees were mixed among the many palm trees that covered the mountain side.   The valley that the river ran through added to the contrast.    Looking out to sea I felt like a speck as I thought of the majesty of God.   He measures the waters in the hollow of His hand (Isaiah 40:12)!  

We crossed the river at its narrowest point and headed for the sandy beach.   Shortly after we entered the ocean we watched the rain move in and the sun disappear behind the clouds.   Soon it began to drizzle.   We laughed and said, "Now we're getting wet."   Once it began to pour we decided to head back to our lunch hut and get ready to go home.

 All ready to go!

Fewer pictures were taken on the return trip.   This is another rice field with beautiful mountains in the background.

A Flame Tree
My current favorite tree.

At the lagoon once again. 

O LORD, how manifold are Your works!

In wisdom You have made them all,

The earth is full of Your possessions-

This great and wide sea,

In which are innumerable teeming things,

Living things both small and great.

Psalm 104:24-25

~JoAn

The Three-Tiered Dishdrainer

 This post is a contest for my siblings and anyone who is interested in unusual kitchen equipment.

This is one of the first things I noticed when I walked into my aunt's kitchen upon arrival in my travel exhausted state.  Who wouldn't?  The next day I decided that I should send a picture to Paul as he is into this type of thing.   My aunt suggested I wait until it was full so as to show the drainer being useful.   I did wait and then I forgot to take the picture.  By the time I remembered Kitty and I realized how differently everyone stacks the drainer.   The reason such a large dish drainer is needed is because there are no dishwashers in the Philippines and no hot water.   All that means is that washing the dishes is a process.  My cousins and I feel like we spend a lot of time washing dishes even though we only wash a small percentage of the dishes.

#1

#2

#3

#4 (minus the plates)

#6

#5

The people who participated were...

JoAn

T-Bob

Fred

Kitty

Aunt Mir

Miss H.

The meals we ate were...

Skyline Chili

Macaroni

Pizza

Fish

Tacos

Asian Orange Chicken/Chicken Soup

Your job is...

To guess which drainer goes to which meal and which person.

Example:

#5 Kitty, Tacos

You will earn points for...

Each correct answer you give with the possibility of earning a total of 12 points.

Your reward for having the most points is... 

Dried Mangos!  Hand delivered to you from the Philippines.

Please submit your answer in a comment below.  The comments will be published after the contest.   The deadline is 11:59pm (EST), June 18.

~JoAn & Kitty

Random Tidbits

After the first several weeks of our visit being full of end of the year school events, the middle two weeks have been less intense (once graduation was over).    School ending for everyone, sickness, and a summer schedule have contributed to the decrease in activity.  I have compiled various photos from this time to give a taste of what has been happening.

French fries aren't an automatic side for a burger here in the Philippines.   From my observation, most Filipinos prefer a ball of rice instead.

T-Bob and I have enjoyed getting to know this missionary couple during our time here.  They are the ones that do translation work.   They are currently in transition to move to an island further south in the Philippines, to learn a new language and translate the Bible.   Despite this busy time of wrapping things up locally and making plans, Mrs. Fleming has kindly given up several mornings to help show us around.

T-Bob getting "riding a motor bike" crossed off his bucket list.

One evening the Flemings came over for dinner.   Their son needed the car, so their only option was the motor bike.  I happened to be at their home that afternoon helping with exegesis.   So how did three people get from point A to point B with just a motor bike?  Well, Mrs. Fleming and I walked out to the main road and caught a jeepney to the entrance of our subdivision.  We started walking in and soon Mr. Fleming came behind us with the motor bike.   The two of us climbed on and off we went!  I was thankful that it was a short ride because the very back of a motor bike is slippery to sit on.  Riding a motor bike wasn't on my bucket list, but I still enjoyed the short jaunt.

A row of beautiful trees at school.

The last day of school my cousins were in line when the library opened to get a stack of books to read during the summer.  The whole family was glad to hear that the library will open up each Wednesday throughout the summer.

T-Bob bought a snack and chilled in the heat while the rest of us chilled in the air con. :)

Almost 6'4''!

To say that Fred was excited to see school end would be an understatement.  The day he took his last final we heard him singing at the top of his lungs as he opened the gate for my uncle to drive in.

 For those of you who are curious about the geometry marathon, the speed has slowed down drastically, almost to a stop.   It only comes out on days when there are no plans.

Rainy season is not here yet, but it is approaching.   We are thankful for the rain to break up the heat.

My quilt is back.   It is finished!!!  This quilt has quite a story which will be saved for another post.

Mom gave T-Bob a hair cut a week before we left, but he decided he needed it cut before we go home.   He always takes his business to the most local barber!

The final product.

Miss H. is trying to make the most of her short summer break.  This morning she and Kitty did a photo shoot.

Kitty

We do have plans to do some sight seeing and go to the ocean.   Unfortunately I held things up this week and got sick.  I am thankful to be on the mend now and hope to be back to full strength soon.   Miss H. and T-Bob have stayed healthy the whole time.  Please pray that they stay healthy.

A view of Manila.

~JoAn

The Family Celebrates the Graduate

A Flame Tree

High school graduations are not celebrated with parties here in the Philippines.  However, family and friends back home kindly sent cards and gift with T-Bob and me.   I kept them hidden until graduation was past and Fred had taken his last final.

Kitty is the head wrapper around here and was excited about helping.  She creatively wrapped some of the little gifts that weren't wrapped yet.   Then we had to decide what to do with the little gifts and the multitude of cards.   Kitty had a worn out shoe box and black paper, so she created the....

Our next dilemma was how to deliver the "Mysterious Black Box."   After discussing several ridiculous options, we decided to have the box be found prior to watching a movie.  

T-Bob sat back and enjoyed watching the surprises unfold.

One part of the surprise was even a surprise to Kitty.    A friend of ours made little prize rolls for each of our cousins.   Another friend tipped me off about how much my cousins enjoy Lucky Charms and how they can rarely be found (and always at a very high price) here.   So we put together the imported cereal and prize rolls into a family gift.   The gift bag was placed on the balcony behind locked doors.

We had an unplanned fix-the-couch group activity, so Miss H. was told to unlock the doors and get the bag.   She was tired and did just that, totally missing that the "Mysterious Black Box" was an unusual object in the drawer where the key is kept.

So we had an "open prize rolls" break to build the suspense of the "Mysterious Black Box."   

A big thank you to Dee for your thoughtfulness!

Kitty could not restrain herself and helped examine the tag on the box.

"What could it be?  I have enough shoe boxes."

She opened the box and the first card.   Then she realized what it was, "Awwwhh, am I going to cry?"

(I did catch this moment on movie for those of you who are interested.  That is why I don't have any pictures of the moment of realization.)

Reading cards.

In the middle of opening cards and gifts, Fred left and came back in with a thoughtful speech and a big hug for Miss H.   It was sweet.   

These hugs and speeches were going to be given after commencement if they were able.

Kitty followed his example.

Sisters!

Kitty made Miss H. a unique and special card.

Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma!

Proud parents.

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to making this evening a special surprise!   

~JoAn