To My Loyal Readers…
As I look over the past 19+ months of entries, I find that I have been slacking in the last 6 or so months. I’ve been looking at the reasons why this is happening and have come up with a list to explain my once a month appearance on my website.
So, without further ado, here is the top ten list of reasons Jody doesn’t write anymore…
10. Yes, Jody finally has work to do and is putting in many hours working on implementing a developmental curriculum at her center, which will also be implemented nationally next year. Jody and Erin (another volunteer at an RSCC) held a training of trainers workshop October 25-27 for staff of their centers.
9. The new addition to her host family is taking up a lot of her time too. Jody likes holding the itsy, bitsy baby and spending time with the new mommy.
8. Another volunteer kidnapped Jody for a holiweek (instead of just a holiday, we have holiweeks here!) for her despedita (going away party). I think Jody and Erin might officially be groupies of a band called Wise Track in Manila…Erin more so than Jody. They can’t remember the number of shows they have seen now.
7. Fantasy Football is a popular way to occupy time and it’s among the volunteers too. Somehow Jody was suckered into the PCV league. After a very slow start, she has started to become a force to be reckoned with…her team is 3rd out of 8 (and she is already in the playoffs!).
6. Her mother emailed exciting news that Jody’s parents are for sure visiting! The only question is when? January? February? Who cares, they are coming! Now she’s getting plans ready for their visit.
5. Jody is too busy playing with her 4 year old host sister and teaching her fun English sayings like, “You’re so crazy!” and “Hang loose!”
4. Thanksgiving is upon us and she is the vegetable girl again. The logistics of buying and transporting 50 pounds of vegetables on a 6 hour bus ride is an enormous task!
3. Everything feels like the norm to her so when a random man on the street says, “Hey mama, I want to impregnate you!” or seeing a crippled, homeless guy getting his only crutch stolen by two men, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.
2. Other volunteers regularly ask her medical advice since Jody’s mom is a nurse and has passed on her medical knowledge. Hey, when you’re in Peace Corps, everyone’s a medical expert! Jody ends all of her diagnosis and medical expertise with, “My mom’s a nurse and this is what she told me.” This validates everything.
And the number ONE reason Jody has been incognito is…
She is stranded in the CR (bathroom) due to an un-diagnosable foreign microorganism attacking her gastrointestinal system.
Well, there are my reasons. This update comes a bit early compared to the last time I wrote; mostly because my mom made a comment that I may have lost a lot of those who were following my updates. Hopefully this is not the case! I still miss everyone back home, but as I said in #3, everything really does feel normal (and yes, both of those events have happened!).
There are still times when I get the feeling of, “Holy crap! I’m in the Philippines, half a world away from my friends and family in Minnesota and the rest of the United States.” Like when I’m watching the band I talked about. They play at a place on the famous street called Roxas Boulevard in Manila. It’s an open air area, the band is on the stage and in the background is Manila Bay with ginormous ships anchored in the distance.
Until next time! If I don’t get on here until December, I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving. Take care!
So, without further ado, here is the top ten list of reasons Jody doesn’t write anymore…
10. Yes, Jody finally has work to do and is putting in many hours working on implementing a developmental curriculum at her center, which will also be implemented nationally next year. Jody and Erin (another volunteer at an RSCC) held a training of trainers workshop October 25-27 for staff of their centers.
9. The new addition to her host family is taking up a lot of her time too. Jody likes holding the itsy, bitsy baby and spending time with the new mommy.
8. Another volunteer kidnapped Jody for a holiweek (instead of just a holiday, we have holiweeks here!) for her despedita (going away party). I think Jody and Erin might officially be groupies of a band called Wise Track in Manila…Erin more so than Jody. They can’t remember the number of shows they have seen now.
7. Fantasy Football is a popular way to occupy time and it’s among the volunteers too. Somehow Jody was suckered into the PCV league. After a very slow start, she has started to become a force to be reckoned with…her team is 3rd out of 8 (and she is already in the playoffs!).
6. Her mother emailed exciting news that Jody’s parents are for sure visiting! The only question is when? January? February? Who cares, they are coming! Now she’s getting plans ready for their visit.
5. Jody is too busy playing with her 4 year old host sister and teaching her fun English sayings like, “You’re so crazy!” and “Hang loose!”
4. Thanksgiving is upon us and she is the vegetable girl again. The logistics of buying and transporting 50 pounds of vegetables on a 6 hour bus ride is an enormous task!
3. Everything feels like the norm to her so when a random man on the street says, “Hey mama, I want to impregnate you!” or seeing a crippled, homeless guy getting his only crutch stolen by two men, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal anymore.
2. Other volunteers regularly ask her medical advice since Jody’s mom is a nurse and has passed on her medical knowledge. Hey, when you’re in Peace Corps, everyone’s a medical expert! Jody ends all of her diagnosis and medical expertise with, “My mom’s a nurse and this is what she told me.” This validates everything.
And the number ONE reason Jody has been incognito is…
She is stranded in the CR (bathroom) due to an un-diagnosable foreign microorganism attacking her gastrointestinal system.
Well, there are my reasons. This update comes a bit early compared to the last time I wrote; mostly because my mom made a comment that I may have lost a lot of those who were following my updates. Hopefully this is not the case! I still miss everyone back home, but as I said in #3, everything really does feel normal (and yes, both of those events have happened!).
There are still times when I get the feeling of, “Holy crap! I’m in the Philippines, half a world away from my friends and family in Minnesota and the rest of the United States.” Like when I’m watching the band I talked about. They play at a place on the famous street called Roxas Boulevard in Manila. It’s an open air area, the band is on the stage and in the background is Manila Bay with ginormous ships anchored in the distance.
Until next time! If I don’t get on here until December, I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving. Take care!
posted by Jody at
5:23:00 AM
