About three weeks ago, I moved into a different section of town called Pangat. I found an entire house to rent (it’s huge) and now I have a bedroom, a writing room, and a large downstairs with a big kitchen and dining area. I even have two areas to sit in my living room. As soon as any Filipino knows I am living there, she’ll say: You’re in that big house, all by yourself? No one else is with you?
It’s a little scandalous, really, especially when my neighbors have three bedrooms for six people and a baby. But how can I explain that it was cheaper to rent a two storey house than to rent a hotel room per month? That’s a hard one. I usually just let them make their comments; then I change the topic.
But my new place is wonderful—not only do I have a kitchen so I can cook my own food, I live next to an Ifugao family and a Peace Corps volunteer. Now it’s like I have a whole new family—they’ve completely adopted Adam, the P.C.V., and me, into their lives. Every night I go over and have dinner and spend a portion of the evening just hanging out. The food's not the best--its usually some kind of meat, a vegetable, and rice. Usually a vegetarian, I try to pick out the meat, but there's not a whole lot I can do if I want to be polite. For the next six months, I'm honoring the culture over my own healthy eating habits, if only for dinner.
I thought I could introduce each person with just a snippet—but I realized they each needed their own entry and a picture. So far, my new family has been one of the greatest gifts of my time here. Even though our evenings are somewhat predictable: dinner, then t.v. watching and quiet chatting, then we go our separate ways—the Cappleman family has become a real source of companionship and an insight into the culture as well. They’re also helping Adam and I with our language acquisition—a source of humor for all of us.
It’s a little scandalous, really, especially when my neighbors have three bedrooms for six people and a baby. But how can I explain that it was cheaper to rent a two storey house than to rent a hotel room per month? That’s a hard one. I usually just let them make their comments; then I change the topic.
But my new place is wonderful—not only do I have a kitchen so I can cook my own food, I live next to an Ifugao family and a Peace Corps volunteer. Now it’s like I have a whole new family—they’ve completely adopted Adam, the P.C.V., and me, into their lives. Every night I go over and have dinner and spend a portion of the evening just hanging out. The food's not the best--its usually some kind of meat, a vegetable, and rice. Usually a vegetarian, I try to pick out the meat, but there's not a whole lot I can do if I want to be polite. For the next six months, I'm honoring the culture over my own healthy eating habits, if only for dinner.
I thought I could introduce each person with just a snippet—but I realized they each needed their own entry and a picture. So far, my new family has been one of the greatest gifts of my time here. Even though our evenings are somewhat predictable: dinner, then t.v. watching and quiet chatting, then we go our separate ways—the Cappleman family has become a real source of companionship and an insight into the culture as well. They’re also helping Adam and I with our language acquisition—a source of humor for all of us.
Sometimes I get a little wacky over there—here’s a picture of me with doll shoes on my fingers. Check out the other entries, which hopefully offer a small glimpse into the family life.
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