Filipinos seem more curious than they are. They are always asking each other, “Where are you going?” They don’t really care; they are just doing what Filipinos do (like we never really care how people are, we just ask because that is what we’ve always done, we rarely even wait for an answer). Since no one cares they have a simple response, “Dida la” which is Waray for just there.
Well, the moment we have all been waiting for. Where am I going? The answer: Just there. I’ve been assigned to Alang Alang, Leyte. It is just there, down the road from Palo. The town after Santa Fe (how cool would it have been had my site been Santa Fe, but alas that went to my other cluster mate, Holly). It is not near a beach. I’ve heard it is mountainous, but I’ve also heard it is not. I think it is the lowlands near the mountains. It is farming country, so lots of rice and maybe even coconuts. I’m sure they still eat fish and probably still have roosters everywhere.
Speaking of roosters, I think I may be escaping them. My host house is an older, single, never been married, women. I’m pretty sure that is not the type of person to have a dozen roosters in the back yard for Sunday entertainment. This could also mean other things. This could be my first doting Filipino experience, or it could be almost like a boarding type scenario. It could be a lonely Christmas while still being dry-docked. Or it could be just right. Very unsure about it at this point, fingers crossed.
And the supervisor. This is the one I have the least bit of bearing with. I have no idea what is going on with her. What she wants on paper is different than what she wants on any given moment. What she wants at any given moment changes based on what she hears others talking about around her. So hopefully I’ll be able to reign in the situation and meet my counterparts and figure what I’ll be doing.
I’m not going to be flying completely solo. Alang Alang has a volunteer that came last year, Debra. She works in the high school here and is quite loveable. We met here earlier when she was adopting another cluster in Palo. She is an older volunteer, which may be helpful when I am having a rough day and need my mom (even though I'm really not that type of person). She is there, and I mentioned the site near by in Santa Fe and the sites far away are on the beach and well worth the visit to see my cluster-folk.
It feels so good to finally know what I am going to be doing, now just get me there already!
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