Epril is hugging my pillow at night in my absence. I find myself staring for long minutes at Epril's photo. But the one most affected by my sojurn to America by far is Tyson. He's been lying under the living room couch all day long, the very image of canine melancholy. I tried talking to him through Epril's laptop, but he doesn't make the connection.
I went shopping at Walmart today. I bought socks and a nice warm sweatsuit to battle against these Arctic conditions here in Florida. (Temperatures stayed in the 60s all day... even my coffee had a crusting of ice on it after only a few minutes.) I also enjoyed Walmart's grocery section which, I must say, puts SM Supermarket in CDO to shame.
I was right though: Epril and I are going to cut down greatly on expenses during this divergence... especially in food. Taking beer out of the picture (which I won't... but bear with me), my own food costs have gone down 50% since the price I pay for my expensive food has been cut in half. Since Epril now is not only not eating the expensive food that I was buying, but has switched to her locavore favorites like stinky fish and chicken intestines, her food cost has gone down by 80% or more.
But yes: I can't go out and buy a liter of San Miguel for 51 pisos ($1.20) now... but I did make myself proud by buying a 12-pack of Milwaukee's Best (the hairshirt of beers) for $7.50 instead of the two 6-packs of fancy-schmancy European brew for $9 each. (I might not do that again: some sacrifices are too difficult to bear.)
In addition to that, Mom and Paul are doing a splendid job of feeding me. I was generously provided my ham-and-swiss-on-wheat for lunch, as I had been dreaming of. Then for dinner there were salmon steaks with a maple-dijon glaze grilled on planks of freshly-cut cedar.
I went back to work tonight, but after an hour I couldn't stay awake and took a 2-hour nap. Then I was back to work until 3:00 in the morning. I fell just a little short on my own work goals for the day, but otherwise all is well there... seemingly.
Are you staying on the same shift (so you need to work nights in the U.S.)?
ReplyDeleteYeah... I'm working from late evening to late nighttime.
ReplyDeleteHi Jil- Glad to know you are settling back in to life in the US.
ReplyDeleteOur Childrens Home here in Talakag which Epril has visited with ELCI has recently formed a relationship with a church in Florida, First Baptist of Middleburg in Florida http://www.fbcmiddleburg.com/
I was wondering if it were posible for you to contact them as they wish to send student to the Home for overseas experiance.Maybe you could advise them from the point of view of you having lived in Mindanao and what your view of visiting Mindanao would entail for them.
Just a thought the contact in Midleburg would be Mike Gowens.
Regards.
Jim.
Hey there Jim,
ReplyDeleteI took a look: Middleburg is about as far away from where I am in Florida as London is from Aberdeen. So obviously I won't be visiting there in person.
What would you like me to discuss with them?
Hi Jil- Since the students have never been to the Philippines before maybe things like the living conditions of people who live in small towns and Barrios.
ReplyDeleteWhat to bring from home if they miss special food etc.And just life here in general.
With internet maybe they could ask you questions via online contact.
Just a thought.
Jim.
Jill,
ReplyDeleteJust a though for Jim... why not (Jim) use the internet, instead of ask you... The hide of some people.
Take the comment, as you wish Jim.
I don't see any problem with Jim asking me if I want to get involved in helping out the orphange. Obviously Jim knows that he can answer any questions there may be over the internet, but perhaps he is thinking that perhaps somebody closer would represent a more personal touch (and perhaps a personal visit if I were close enough... which I am not). I don't know why Jim's writing here asking such a thing would necessitate you getting all huffy about it.
ReplyDeleteJil,
ReplyDeleteDo not think my comments were huffy...just call it, as I see it. If your OK with the request....it's your time and life.
Well, "The hide of some people" sounds huffy... and then "take the comment as you wish Jim" seems to indicate that you are acknowledging that Jim might not appreciate what you had to say, but that you weren't going to allow yourself to be bothered by that fact.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying that what you had to say was inappropriate or that there was no point in what you had to say, but the tone seemed unnecessarily confrontational.
C'mon Girls,play nice!u guys sound like BITCHES!
ReplyDeleteJil- As you said of course I could answer any questions regarding life here in the Philippines but as you say since you are already there in Florida I thought it would be nice coming from a fellow American rather than a Brit.No matter what you do in this life it would appear you annoy someone but to be honest I don't care what the bugger says as he must have little to do all day other than make stupid remarks about this particular subject which he obviously knows nothing about.
ReplyDeleteJim,
ReplyDeleteRight of reply...
If you ask, somethimes people don't know how to say NO. If Jil agrees, its his time. From my perspective, nothing stopping YOU achieving the same aim. Always call it as I see it.