I Give Up, so I Shall Blog...

Well it is 2:40 am and I have given up on this whole sleeping thing….I've been sick for a few days now, you know the head cold thing, fever included not to mention the 2 empty kleenx boxes (from only 2 days….)  on my floor and the three nose bleeds…and more fun stuff….I decided it's time to blog since it has been like a week. Christmas kinda happened, and with that came busyness yet so much awesomeness at the same time!

So I am going to share a little bit more about life in my homestay, it will be my attempt at painting more of a picture of what it was like for me to be living in the Filipino home.

Well I am not sure where to begin so I am just going to simply start at the beginning of what a regular day was like for Em and I and go from there.

The first morning there I was woken up around 3 or 4 am by the roosters and wasn't able to get back to sleep because of their constant chatter!  Yes those darn roosters! But I was determined that by the end of the week there I would be sleeping right through them. And I was successful, as the week went on I was woken up by them later each morning, and sometimes was even able to go back to sleep until Saturday when I actually only heard them once and slept right through! A day early even!  Even though I would be awake early, I wouldn't actually get up until about 6 or 6:30 when I would head down stairs to shower first thing. This was not a bucket shower thankfully but one with a large shower head that had great pressure! One of the best for my amount of hair! The only difference in this shower from at home (besides the wonderful pressure!) was that the water was not hot, simply for the reason that they, the Pacheco's, did not have hot water in their house. So obviously it was a cold shower, but I have to be honest in saying that I LOVED that cold shower every morning. Those few minutes were some of the very few minutes that I actually wasn't hot during the day and it was great!

Before my shower I usually saw Alex in her uniform before she headed off to school. Some mornings one or both of her parents were up but other's they weren't. It was nice to be able to say good morning to her and wish her a wonderful day before she headed off (which was usually before I came back out).

We ate breakfast with the four of us, S, Ariel, Emily and myself, around 7. Most mornings I was ready before breakfast as we would simply sit and chat until the university van came to pick us up. We had frosted flakes, fresh buns and ice tea (or coffee) most mornings. This is not typical for them, when I asked Ariel what they would usually have for breakfast he said rice. S and Ariel didn't eat cereal with us, they may have had a bun or two, but not cereal.

Are way to school was in the NWU van, for reasons I assume are because S works at the university with us, the cross cultural program, and they didn't have a vehicle themselves that we could all fit in. they only had a motor bike from what I could tell. Every morning and evening on our way to and from school,  we would pick up and drop off our leaders April, Debbie and John from the Tiffany Hotel where they were staying.

The time we arrived home on school evenings general varied on the day but it seemed to be around 6 or 7 ish. Some days earlier, some later. Most evenings supper was waiting for us on the table with the exception of the evening we had dinner out and the 2 dinners we had at the school. After talking awhile over and after dinner time, we would head upstairs to our room and do some journaling, homework or just hang out. An evening was spent downstairs with Ariel and another one was spent upstairs in our room with S. After Kelly came and joined us Emily moved downstairs into the family's room while Kelly and I had the bed upstairs.

The house was quite nice, no it wasn't a rich fancy house but it had a nice homey feel. It was lived in and there was life in the house, which made it a nice house, a nice home. Our room was upstairs, Em, and later Kelly, and I shared a mattress on the floor. It was actually one of the most comfortable beds I had over the whole trip! The family slept all together in a room at the bottom of the stairs. There was a bunk bed with a double on the bottom and a single on the top. That room also had a TV and A/C. The dinning area was beside the living room, divided by a wall unit, the kitchen was off the dinning area in it's own separate room. While the bathroom was off to the back of the house. It was a cozy house.

We had one free weekend with our homestay family in the Philippines, so we did what the family would usually do on a weekend, which is stay home and spend time together as a fam. S said that she wanted us to get an idea of how they live, and because their jobs and Alex's school keeps them fairly busy during the week, Saturday is their family day.  They spend time with theirs kids, talk, catch up, maybe play some games, and simply relax and rest.

Emily and I made the French toast for breakfast for everyone, and Ariel fried up some ham and eggs to go along with the toast! It was such a yummy breakfast! It was later then most cause it took us nearly two hours to cook it all. Their stove was not what we have in Canada. I would try to explain but I don't really know how….so I'll just post a picture instead.

After breakfast Kelly and I taught S how to play the Bean game! Which was so fun! We sat at the table for most a big part of the day. At one point S sent Alex to the corner store to pick up some Filipino snacks for us.  There were these cheesy type snacks and some other vegetable type chip/puff things. They're were pretty tasty! Granted, I only liked the cheesy type ones.

Sunday we went to their church, the Victory church on the NWU campus. Alex didn't come with us, she had to go to her schools church. She goes to a Baptist school and it is required for the children to go to that church once a month. When talking to Alex in the afternoon she told me she prefers to go to victory church than the Baptist church, by the sounds of it, the Baptist one seemed more strict.  We had lunch at home afterwards with S's Niece and Nephew's that were over for a visit, then it was time to pack up and head out… :(sad.

Now I haven't mentioned much of Altheo through this week. Since Theo is only two he doesn't go to school, but both his parents work, so the little guy stays at home with their neighbour who works for them, as a nanny/maid.  She would be there in the morning before we left for school and she would be there until after we had eaten dinner in the evening. We paid her some to do our laundry for us while we were away at school which was nice. She cooked most their meals, did the dishes, tidied up, looked after Theo and Alex at times too. She was a sweet lady that from what I could see, seemed to enjoy her job and do it well. It was definitely a different lifestyle to get use to, having a maid. Not that I got use to it, even in Thailand it was something different to get accustomed to. 

Another different lifestyle that I found different to get accustomed to was that of having a driver every where we went. Someone who came and picked us up in the morning and was there at the end of the day to bring us home. Someone who drove us to the mall for dinner and simply sat in the van in the parking lot waiting for us to be done what ever we were doing. It was strange having that extra body in the vehicle. A person that didn't talk to us, didn't join in conversation, that drove silently and only spoke when asking directions. It was strange having someone open and close the van doors for us, move the middle seat back and forwards so we could get in and out of the back. I would smile and say thank you and they (not always the same man) would smile back and nod. One evening one of the NWU drivers, was sitting in the back of the van with me, I tried to strike up a conversation with him but it sorta failed. I am not sure if that is because he wasn't suppose to talk to me, couldn't talk to me (possible language barrier) or simply chose not too…I really don't know.

The Pacheco's were such a nice family to live with! It was an amazing opportunity and experience to see a glimpse into their life and the way they live - the differences and similarities. I was only there for a short  5 1/2 days, I totally didn't get a full experience of their every day lives all the time! It was just a small small snippet, but it was a good one. I totally enjoyed my time there, living with them and trying to live like them so to say. It was a rich experience to live in this home, an experience that will never be forgotten and always be appreciated.

Thank you Pacheco Family!

Alex sitting on the front stoop of her/our home

thanks for the pic Kelly! :)

the stairs and living room

cooking french toast!

yum!

our bed!

Alex learning how to dress in a Canadian winter via Em's awesome video!

Mother and Son watch Saturday morning Cartoons together.

Kelly and Theo

the lil stinker likes to watch TV....and knows how to turn it on. After Em and him were turning the TV off and on, Alex finally unplugged the darn thing...haha 

S, my homestay mom and I

Ariel, my homestay dad and I

"Stepping into a National Geographic"

Through out the couple weeks spent in the Philippines we had some good times not sitting in lectures, :P whether it was with our families or as a whole group. On Oct 21, the last Thursday we were there we had a Social Activity at NWU. A "Get to know you" with the students.  The school set up the gym with tables, chairs and serving tables for  a dinner; decorating them nicely with table clothes, chair covers, nice dishes and fancy folded napkins. There was a live band (students of the school) performing for us most of the evening, a wee program and a lovely dinner. (well this was the night I ate squid without being aware of it and then sat speechless in disbelief for a few minutes after I discovered what I had actually eaten….) There was some interactions with the students, dancing and an all around good time with our newly made Filipino friends! What a great experience that was.

Being outside the classroom and visiting historical sight around Ilocos Notre was also definitely a highlight of the trip.  To step outside of classroom learning and into learning through experiencing the world under my feet and right in front of my eyes is definitely an amazing experience.  We learned about the Spanish Colonization period and the American Colonization period while stand right on the important land marks. We learned about these land marks as we stood upon it, or gazed at the old structure, or looking out at what was once a beautiful church but is not simply ruins from the war. To experience the world as my text book is like nothing I've ever experienced before. What an incredible way to learn.

For me, one of the top highlights of my time spent in the Philippines was Friday's educational field trip. We bussed to a Salt Making Industry, the windmills along the shores of the South China Sea and Kabigan Falls. The falls were amazing!

We were out of the city by this point and had a bit of hike into the forest/bottom of the mountain area.  We saw a glimpse of the Philippines way of living in the country. There little houses, farms, rice fields, cows and roosters; the little children wondering around staring wide eyed at this rather large group of Americans walking around there homes.  We walked along this path through trees, along side and across creeks, up and down hills, around bends, carefully watching our step as rocks jumped out of the ground and onto the path. The trees were amazing! So different from our maple, pine, oak, birch and evergreen trees back here in N.A. There were palm trees and bamboo, and many different types of trees I've never seen and don't even know what they are named. The green is so rich, so beautiful. The air is clear, the dirt has a light red tinge to it, and the rocks, well nothing too special about them, they're just part of nature thus they're AMAZING! The mountains around were such a beautiful sight, breath taking at times. The view was like that of a picture in a National Geographic, except it was real, I was standing right there, that picture was my reality. The first time on the trip I heard April say this was on this hike, "it's like stepping into a National Geographic!" There couldn't be better words to explain it really. Words cannot explain this beauty I saw that day. It's like the beauty seen in a National Geographic. It's the pure beauty of our heavenly father's creation. In my opinion, this is the kind of beauty God intended for his creation. It is this beauty that was and is good. It is this beauty that we as humans have a duty to care for. It is this beauty that is breathtaking and has no words to do it justice. One can only stand there, in the 'picture,' in the moment, and try his or her hardest to file this image into their mind to remember for the rest of his/her life. It really cannot be explained justly. God's beauty is too incredible that I cannon even express truly what it is like. And this my friends, was the view before we even arrived at the falls.

The Kabigan falls were like falls I've never actually seen for myself. I've seen falls similar to those in movies, on nature shows, in National Geographic, but WOW! That was all I could say or even think when I laid my eyes on the sight that was before me. WOW! The thrill, the excitement, the adrenaline that that beauty gave me is indescribable. Part of me could not believe where I was standing or what I was seeing. God's creation is incredible!

The opportunity and memory of spending hat afternoon hiking in that forest and swimming in that pool of water beneath that stunning waterfall is one I will never forget and one I will always cherish. My words stop here, I can't continue to explain God's beauty.

I hope a few pictures will do some justice to this afternoon's beauty, to God's beauty.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters…. And God said, 'let the water under the sky be gathered in one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so…and God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'let the land produce vegetation; seed-bearing plants and trees on land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. And it was so…and God saw that it was good."

Genesis 1:1-2, 9, 10, 11, 12.

The Large (an affect from the recent Typhoon) waves of the South China Sea

April standing by...

The mountain view on the hike to Kabigan Falls

Creek along the hike

Photo cred: April

The Falls

Photo Cred: Julia Roebbelen

The Falls again

This time April's photo....

On the hike back

Photo: thanks April

standing in a creek on the way back.

Our nice post - swim look going on there...

April and I

it was a rough hike...both my flippys broke. I had to walk a large portion of the way back bare foot.

Julia Roberts and I at the falls :)

All creatures are Bright and Beautiful and The Lord God Made Them ALL

Out of the kindness of my heart, this a warning to all of you who ever find themselves going to the Philippines. I warn you of this because it took me greatly by surprise when I discovered this on my own. No one, out of the kindness of their heart, warned me of this small little aspect of this wonderful country.

This incident happened when we were sill in Manila. Saturday morning a few minutes before heading out for the day I went back upstairs to retrieve something from mine, Emily's and Cara's room. Well walking down the hall, just before I was about to turn the corner I spot this BIG UGLY creature scurrying across the floor towards MY room! OH MY WORD!!  Did it ever give me a start! I don't think I out right screamed but really the thing was HUGE! And UGLY! And GROSS! And headed in the direction of my room!! I was too much in a state of fright that I don't remember exactly who was with me or around at the time. But they 'kindly' laughed while they old me it was a cockroach in response to my high pitched question, "WHAT WAS THAT?" "a cockroach." "A what?!? No body told me there are cockroaches here!" OK so I don't remember exactly what happened, like I said, I was still in a state of fright, but it was probably something like that.

I like to think of myself as being pretty chill around little (and HUGE) critters, but that day kind of proved differently to me. That bug scared me so bad and made me so paranoid! I don't even know why. I decided to blame it on the fact that I was in culture shock, nobody warned me, I didn't know it was coming (I did say in a past post that the unknown scares me sometimes :P). "it is just a bug" they told me. "it won't do anything to harm you" "but crawl down your throat in your sleep" Emily adds… "they're more scared of you then you are of them." It's just a little harmless bug." Well for one, it is NOT little! The bugs where I come from are not that big! And harmless…HA! If you could see the size of those things, I am sure you would think otherwise!

Seeing that cockroach really had me worked up I tell ya, it took me about a half hour to an hour to recover. And I am not kidding or exaggerating. I remember being slightly surprised at myself for being freaked out so much because of it, but it just did. Some of my friends had fun teasing me saying, "So are you over that cockroach yet?" but I totally wasn't. *shakes head* After being on the bus for a little while and once the days activities began I was feeling better, my heart had slowed down it's pace and my body wasn't feeling so shaky and weak, (ok so maybe I wasn't too shaky or weak but it just adds some affect….).

But I didn't want to think about sleeping. Cockroaches like dark places and wet places. Well there was a bathroom with a shower in our room and we kind of used water in there and then when the light was off it was dark thus equalling wet and dark, just the way those critters like it! I didn't like this so much. Emily and Cara didn't mind, they had NO problem with those bugs. Emily did have fun teasing me and putting some bad images and scenarios of what could bes into my mind…. Not cool! I just couldn't think about sleeping in the dark with those cockroaches scurrying about the floor, especially after Cara told me she had seen one in our room!

I couldn't even go in our room in the daylight without being paranoid.  For example, I needed to get something from our room that was by the head of my bed. Well in order to get to it I would have to walk on the floor in the small isles between the foot of my bed and Cara's cot, and between mine and Emily's bed. It was narrow enough I couldn't really see around my feet and it was dark under the beds... Do you KNOW what that means? SO I had a plan. I opened the door to our room, turned on light before walking in, walked quickly to the end of my bed, hopped onto it, walked across the bed to grab my journal off the ledge, turned around walked back over my bed, jumped onto the floor and scurried out of the room, (leaving the light on behind me :P) Yup I was paranoid, not exactly proud of these moments but hey, a gurl's gotta do what a gurl's gotta do.

So for the sleeping situation, my hero came and rescued me from my anxiety and whisked me away from that dark wet room…into a light room!

My dear friend, and also one of the leaders, April, opened up her room to me! She, like me, was paranoid of those cockroaches, so she slept with the light on! YAY! And because she had a double bed I just slept with her for the next couple nights we were at the Villa Estela. It was amazing! I was still slightly uneasy, but it was better than being in the dark.  Thank you April!

So just so you know, there are cockroaches in the Philippines, and this was not the end of my adventures with them… yes, there is more to come!

The first night upon entering her room for the first time, April came across someone who already occupied her room. Well this is who it was and this is what happened to him. April smushed him and there he stayed on her floor the whole stay at the Villa Estela. haha

Kelly Cara and I at Fort Santiago

In a Calesa for a ride around the old city Intramurous.

From Back to front and left to right: Emily, Myself, Moriah, Jen, Kelly and Sarah

Just to show what a Calesa is. A small horse drawn carriage, yes we squished 6 of us plus the driver in that little thing 

Myself at Kabegan Falls

A tree I really liked on the hike back from the Falls.

I LOVE the trees in Asia!

April, my hero, and I eating Halo Halo at the end of our Historical Tour on Saturday. Halo Halo is a famous Filipino dessert that has anything and everything in it from beans, to candy, to fruit. you name it and it has probably been put into it. It's a cold ice drink/food thing.... 

Home is where the Heart Is

That small island (slash the many islands, 1, 107 to be exact….) called the Philippines was our first stop. After 40+ hours of traveling we arrived at the Villa Estela in Manila  on Wednesday oct 14 around 8:40 pm.  I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to be horizontal, I didn't even care what the bed was like, or what the room was like. I didn't even want to eat the meal the guesthouse had prepared for us. SLEEP, that was all….

The flights weren't to bad for me. I slept most of that long one, about 8 out of the 15 hour flight. The last flight from Hong Kong to Manila was about two hours - complete with turbulence and lightning flashing in the night sky around us.  That was probably the one I felt the worse on, but I was really thankful for how well my body reacted to the long hours on the planes and the longer hours of the complete traveling time.

The Philippines, where do I even begin?

We spent two weeks here, Wednesday to Sunday we were in Manila. Bright and early Thursday morning we began our first lectures which continued into Friday. We finished the week off with some historical visits, museums, a trip to the House of Representatives and ABS-CBN TV station. It was a full week even though it was only half the amount of days, but it was great! This trip was about the academics…not just the experience :P

After an amazing church experience on Sunday Oct. 17, we prepared ourselves for the long drive to Laoag City up in the province of Ilocus Notre . This was about a 10-12 hour drive, but there were some fun times with the whole lot of us on that bus!

The cross cultural part of our program had already begun the moment we entered the country and dove right into lectures and 'field trips', but on Monday the 18th our homestay program began,( despite the near by typhoon that, thank the almighty Lord, missed us). I was slightly nerves and uncertain about the homestay program. I didn't know what it would be like, at all. I woke up on Monday morning not knowing where I would be that evening or who I would even be with, strangers, I was most certain about. I would be with strangers that I may not even be able to communicate with, in a home that would be quite different from my own, being fed strange food, sleeping who knows where….the list of uncertainties went on. But only until I was told that I would be staying with S and her family, then it wasn't so bad, just knowing someone from the family I would be with eased my mind immensely.

I suppose I should introduce S, you see, I've already known her for a few days at this point of the trip. Well to start, S is amazing! She was the leader from NWU of the Cross Cultural and Homestay Program . NWU stands for Northwestern University, it  started as the first private non-sectarian educational institution of Ilocos Notre as Northwestern Academy in 1932 and has evolved into this university, (see this link for more info on the school - http://www.nwu.edu.ph/ ).  It has partnered with St. Stephen's University the few trip previous to this one and will continue to do so in  the future. S is a big asset to what happens once we arrive in the Philippines. She was with us every day, went where we went, made sure everything went as smoothly as possible and cared and worried about us just as much as our leaders from Canada. She was with us right from the start in the airport, so I'd seen her around, gotten to know her a little bit the first few days in Manila so it was such a relief to me to know who I would be staying with. We spoke on Monday before going to her home that she had a husband Ariel, a 12 year old daughter Alexandria, (Alex for short) and a 2 year old son Altheo, (Theo for short). This too provided me with some excitement, KIDS! I love 'em a lot! She told me that Alex was a little bit shy but Theo wouldn't stop talking to me, about Mickey. This was true. Alex was quiet but sweet, Theo was talkative, energetic, happy and sweet. Ariel also was very kind and interested in mine and Em's lives and Canada.  Many meals that week were spent talking with each other about our days, our lives, theirs in the Philippines, ours in Canada. We talked about our school, they talked about theirs (NWU). We talked about our plans for after University, our life's hopes, dreams and prayers, as they shared with us theirs - which actually includes CANADA! :D

It was such an incredible week going to the Pacheco's home every evening, . It felt so much like home there, for the time being. Home is where the heart is, and that week, my heart was in the Pacheco's home. Theo was always a bundle of joy to come home to, excited for us to play with him, or simply to listen to his chatter. Alex gradually began to talk more to Em and I as the week went on, and our conversation with our Filipino mom and dad over meals continued to allow us all to know one another more and more each day. Conversations were not only over the dinner table, we sat in the living room area and talked or upstairs in mine and Emily's room for some late night conversations; there was comfort enough to be vulnerable with one another.  All those uncertainties before coming into this homestay were washed away quite quickly. S and Ariel's hospitality  and kindness towards Emily and I (and eventually Kelly who came to join us later in the week) was amazing. They were always asking if we had everything we needed, if there was anything we wanted, or if there was anything they could do for us. Most times Emily and I responded that we were good, had everything, but thank you. Yet S and Ariel would continue, "are you sure, there must be something?" It proved even more to us what amazing people the Filipinos are. 

The food was not an issue either. They asked us what we liked to eat and what we didn't and they went from there with what they bought for us. We made a deal, we were allowed to have an American breakfast (of frosted flakes and milk) but we had to have a Filipino dinner. This worked just dandy for me! Frosted flakes are my favourite! I learned later on in the week from S that poor Ariel lost sleep the first night we were there because of our choice for breakfast. You see, they had no bowls. Ariel was fretting over what we would eat our cereal out of because they didn't own cereal bowls. Such a simple thing in our mind, but for them, it seemed to be a worry. But it was no big deal at all. We would have been fine with eating our cereal out of a cup. But S and Ariel were able to find two medium sized glass serving bowls, so this is what we ate our cereal out of most mornings and it worked just fine:) This one incident was just another way that I was able to see the care that S and Ariel had for us. It was another way that I saw how much they wanted Emily and I to be comfortable, to be at ease and to have a great time there in their home as well as in the Philippines as a whole. They really did want the best for us, they wanted us to experience what life was like in their home but also to not feel way out of place, which we weren't at all, or at least I wasn't. I've been speaking for Emily a lot here, but I think I am under the impression that she felt similar to the way I did there.

I mentioned earlier that Kelly had joined us at the Pacheco's, which definitely added some more awesomeness under this one roof.  Unfortunately Kelly had sprained he ankle while practicing her Irish dance to perform for the NWU students at the Socialization evening with them. S, to make Kelly more comfortable, decided that she should come to our house to be with Emily and I. We also were closer to the hospital than her previous homestay, and we made a trip there just to make sure that nothing was fractured or broken, X-rays were needed to do so.  Kelly's ankle was simply badly sprained but she was in pain and needed to stay off of it. And since the three of us were originally grouped together for the trip, (unfortunately a friend of ours had to drop out of the trip making the group an even number) it was fantastic to have Kelly with us! Even under unfortunate circumstances.

The week with the Pacheco's was amazing! And I will never forget that family and the kindness they showed towards the three of us. I will never forget our conversations,  our fun times and the love that I felt towards this family. I will never forget how much of family they felt too me. They will always be my Filipino family even if we only spent a few short days with them. As we left their house on Sunday (oct 24) I felt that it was too soon. We were just getting to know each other. We needed more time! Our relationships were just only beginning.  There was so much more potential for us together. Why must we go so soon? It was bitter sweet.  It was hard to leave them and the comfort I had found amongst them and there home, but there was also a sense of excitement for the new adventures to come in Malaysia, (and some fear as I was leaving my comfort zone yet again, even though that comfort zone had just formed). And there was the question, would I ever see them again? When would I see them again? Would it be back in the Philippines someday, or in Canada? Would I ever see little Altheo grown up? Would I ever see sweet Alex as a teenager or adult? Would I ever see what God has in store for my new little siblings and my 'adopted' parents? I'd only known this family for a week, but it felt like it had been so much longer and that we knew each other so well already, yet we still had so much to learn of and from one another.

The Pacheco's truly made my stay in the Philippines an AMAZING experience! I have learnt so much from the way they live and their kind and generous character. What a blessing they were to me.  I was blessed to be placed in their home.

S says that she always gets The BEST homestay 'kids', I say that I got The BEST homestay family!

Thank the Lord!

Gabe, April, and I at Paoay Church In Ilocos

Emily and I in Intramurous

Kelly and I at Fort Santiago

Group shot on the SOCCER field at NWU

The Pachecos

Alex, Theo, S, Myself and Em

sorry no Ariel in this one :(

Myself, Rosie and Moriah sitting in class

I LOVE lectures SO much!

At the House of Representatives

Some very excited school children wanted their picture with us

Cool shot from Hong Kong

back to front: Myself, Emily, Kelly and Sarah

We had a day lay over at the Hong Kong airport so we went out on a bus tour of the city.

Leaving On a Jet Plane

I do have to admit I wasn't that thrilled about going to Asia as the time crept closer and closer. I was at school in New Brunswick during intensive  classes learning about where I was going and a little bit about what I was getting into. The stress of the work load was weighing quite heavy on me and the anxiety about leaving on a jet plane, headed to the other side of the world, increased as the days got closer to Oct 11.

Each day as I sat in class learning more and more about these places I was going I realised how different they would actually be from what I was use to, from what I am comfortable in. But I also felt like I didn't know enough! I didn't know everything, I knew a lot but hardly anything at the same time. Much of it was what I had to experience myself, it wasn't something I could learn out of a text book. That is one of The main purposes of these travel terms of SSU, it is too experience the different cultures for yourself as an individual. It's to bring a text book alive. It's to make those places on a map not just a place on a map but a place with real dirt beneath our feet, a place where real people live, a place where life actually happens. After this trip the colours and shapes of the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand aren't just another coloured shape on a world map, they're places that I've walked on. They're places I have touched, I have seen, I have smelt; they're places I have experienced.  A textbook truly couldn't tell me what I was going to experience. Friends who have been on a previous trip could sort of give me an idea of what it would be like, but not enough.

A friend of mine asked me one evening back in September,  what are your biggest fears for this trip? My biggest fears were a few things. I was unsure on how I would do on the airplane. In the past I'd get sick, not stomach sick but my head would be spinning  along with a pounding headache, I'd feel faint and wouldn't be able to sleep. So the thought of spending 15 plus hours on an airplane was not a pleasant thought. Some advice I was given was to take graval and drink alcohol and I would be good to go :P Another fear was what kind of food I would be eating. I have a low tolerance for spice, it's something I can't help thus it limits what I can eat. And simply the fact that I didn't know what kind of strange food would be put in front of me on a daily bases made me anxious. And yet another thing that made me unsure was what my home stay families would be like, where I would be living and with what kind of people they would be. These are three of the ones that really stick out to me now. I can't really pin point what freaked me out the most about the trip, I was just quite unsure about the whole thing to be honest.

I didn't like being unsure about traveling. I've always wanted to see the world, I love traveling and seeing new places. I love to experience history and to take in new sites. I've always thought about the places I could go, but Asia never really was one of them, not until SSU came into my life. And then I still didn't really think about it until September when all this information , these dos and don’ts ect were being told to me. But hey, I got through! Even though it was hard to get on that bus in the parking lot at SSU or onto that plane leaving from Toronto when nothing in me really wanted to step on that plane, I still got on and I still made it through the two months in Asia. It was by the grace of God and the prayers of many, that I was able to make it and with a smile on my face even (well for the most part). I simply took it one day at a time.

Janell

It's always a Joy!

Final (school) Blog from home

I am not a person that enjoys not knowing. I strongly dislike the unknown, I am uncomfortable with It, frustrated with it, it exhausts me and even scares me at times. I struggle when I don't know; I search and sometimes forget to be patient and trust. When I say the unknown I mean the not knowing what time we're leaving, where we're going, how my friend is really feeling,  and what God has in store for me this day, week, year, for my life. Most any unknown I do not enjoy. But, I've learned that for me, living in the unknown is a huge challenge for me. In my opinion challenge is one of, if not the greatest, opportunities for growth, and for this, I appreciate every challenge that comes my way, (even if at the time I want nothing other than to escape from it).  If you have any idea what the Asia trip is like, you will know that it is very much the unknown, in the big and small ways.  Most of the two months I spent in Asia, I was living outside of my comfort zone, WAY outside.

Living through the Asia trip pushed me. It pushed me beyond what my limit was, it stretched my limit to new areas of exploration, adventure, knowledge, emotions, friendships and my spiritual walk.

Through the grace of God I was able to let go some of my fears and embrace the experiences and challenges that were placed in front of me.  I have been challenged all the way through from the intensive classes during the month of September, constantly through the two months abroad and now this past week trying to write papers as well as process what I have experienced and how it has changed me. I have been challenged academically, emotionally, relationally, physically, and spiritually, frankly, I am exhausted. But as difficult as it has been, I believe it has all been worth it, well it will eventually all be worth it.

To finish I just want to say that I don't believe I can take credit for how I handled everything that came my way during this experience. It wasn't me that tackled the many barriers along the road through Southeast Asia, it was God working in me, it was ALL God.

James 1:2-4

"Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for JOY, for when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything."

My hope and prayer is that you too shall see the opportunity in challenge and not let challenges keep you from living the life God wants for you.

Blessings,

Janell

Originally Posted on SSU Blog December 14

Verbal Vomit

Blog from Thailand

I'm sitting on a balcony in the warm sun, I can hear the familiar sounds of birds chirping and passing vehicles on the road near by. Nothing really out of the ordinary, right? Wrong. Warm sun I say, well it's nearly December and where I come from the sun is not this warm at this time of year. And hearing a foreign language come from the loud speakers of passing vehicles is not ordinary. Not to mention that three Buddhist temples can be seen from this balcony alone.

I'm in a place where I've experience so much. So many sights, sounds and smells. How do I even put it all into words? It's not even possible.

In the last three weeks I've felt God's omnipresence in a Thai Lana Church, but I've also felt him lacking in many Buddhist temples. I've sat in many lectures on the eighth floor of the humanities building at Chiang Mai University. I've lived with a Thai family for two weeks - I became a Canadian daughter, granddaughter, big sister and cousin to a Thai family just as they became family to me. I've spent a few days in the mountains in a Karen Hill-tribe Village. I've climbed a mountain, eaten rive for breakfast, lunch and dinner - not to mention that bug I had for a snack. I've seen God's incredible creation in the mountains, jungle and animals. I've fed, pet, sat on, ridden elephants. I've seen them walking along the street or crossing a river in the mountains. Elephants have become 'normal' so to say. I've jumped into a river at the bottom of a waterfall and let the current take me down stream a little ways. I've sat upon, stood on and even steered a bamboo raft down a river. I have walked through so many markets. I've experienced and taken part in Loi Krathong festival.

I've been challenged. I've had hard times and good times. I've cried till I've been nearly sick, I've laughed till I nearly wet myself. :P I've seen other's hurt and other's joy. I've felt other's pain with them and joined in other's laughter.

Great conversation.

Special friendships.

Incredible growth.

This is an experience.

I don't even know where to start.....

Janell

Originally posted on SSU blog November 30 2010

Country Girl Gone City????

As I sit outside in the central area of the capital city, Kuala Lumpur (KL) of Malaysia I am surrounded by the sounds of city life. I am settled at the corner of the YMCA facing the crazy traffic filled streets. I’ve been trying to imagine the noise of passing vehicles, honking horns, squeaking breaks, chattering people, and crowing crows to be the calming sounds of the rapids of  St.Croix river at Dover Hill. The wind here is the fresh breeze of nature, the ledge I am sitting upon is that of the rocky edge of the river, the constant flow of traffic and passing people could be the river right? No, this is not my peaceful, calming and beautiful spot at Dover Hill, this is KL.

The breeze is hot, muggy, polluted and smells bad. The ledge is dirt with  garbage, chewed gum and who knows what else. And those loud passing vehicles simply add to the noise, pollution and craziness of city life. This is no peaceful river, this is city.

It is a city where I see people of all kinds – Muslims, monks;  Chinese, Indians, Europeans, Australians, North Americans; Men, women and children walk the streets. Those that are deaf, blind and mute are seen living independent lives. Colourful dress, multiple languages, and diverse cultures are seen all over. The streets are lined with markets, coffee shops, convenience stores, restaurants and  roadside stalls. There is something or someone on every corner. The noise and business doesn’t stop – lights don’t go out and stars are scarcely found. This is city, this is KL (in a nut shell).

It’s been quite the fun and adventurous experience for me living in the bustle of city. I’ve never spent more than 4 days in a city. This has almost been a wholly new experience for me – city and Malaysia life. There is always something to do, somewhere to go. It’s been a learning experience, of city and Malaysian culture. I’ve enjoyed our stay here. But I am a country girl and could never really get used to or enjoy city life.  But I appreciate this experience.

Janell

Originally posted on SSU blog November 07 2010

Living in a Broken World

Blog from the Philippines


This is a country where poverty and wealth live side by side - quite literally, and I have found this difficult to accept. It was in Manila where I found this especially evident. All through the visits to museums and historical sights I've learned the Philippine story, and it hurts. There has been so much corruption, so much pain. But as I step out onto the hot streets of Manila or look through the glass window of the bus, I see it doesn't look much better in it's present state. Sure the government has improved, the city has built itself up again since the WWII bombing but there is still so much poverty. The streets are lined with squatter houses. Cardboard is used as houses or simply beds. People are wandering about the streets trying to make a living selling sunglasses, hats, fans, marionettes and the like to anyone who will even show the slightest interest. The river too is lined with squatters. This has had a major affect. Once a beautiful clean river, it is now polluted because those living there have no where else to dispose their garbage.

These few short sentences hardly begin to describe the sad sights of this Mega city. Next to this poverty are massive buildings of businesses, offices, banks, shopping malls and more. There is so much wealth living alongside those living on $10 a day or less.
How can this be fixed? I found myself wondering, how can I help? how can I fix this? What can I do to make a difference? My only answers were hopelessness. Nothing will fix this problem immediately, nothing I can do will fix it. I became so discouraged as I looked out at the flooded streets of Manila I couldn't help but shed some tears. As the rain came down and I watched the people and array of vehicles make their way through the water filled streets I felt so hopeless. So useless. So discouraged. Where is the justice? God where are you? your children are suffering.
I am living in a broken world and it hurts.
But despite the destitution the people here are all smiles. They seem to be so happy and content with life. They're so friendly and willing to lend a helping hand. For them, this is life. This is how they live and they may not even know any different. Even though life may be hard I sense that these people still live in a positive attitude. This to me is a reestablishment of the saying "money does not buy happiness."
After finding some encouragement, I still wonder what I can do to help, how I can make a difference, and how I can live justly.

Janell

Originally posted on SSU blog October 22 2010

Just a Little Bit to Start

Recently, I returned back home from a trip to Southeast Asia. Many friends and family have asked me about my trip since I've gotten home., although it’s not something I can easily sum up. For one, 2 months is a long time, second I experienced SOO much in those two months, and third, I don't rightly know how to sum it up yet (if that will ever happen, I am not sure).  So I thought about starting a blog - this blog, to simply share about my trip, rather more of what I am doing after the trip, what I am thinking and how the trip has affected me. My hope and prayer is for this blog that I will be able to share some stories and experiences as well as share how I have been affected by what I've experienced. I also hope that this blog will also serve as an update of what I am up to these days and the days coming. I am looking ahead to May when I will be off on yet again another trip - Europe this time. I hope that I will be able to use this blog during that trip to keep my family and friends in the know how about my where abouts.  So you may continue to read my blogs and check in on me once in a while if you please, if not, that is totally cool with me as well.

Some have called me a world traveller, I am here, there and everywhere. So I am starting this blog so as those I love ( and hope you all love me too :) ) can know what is going on in  my life wherever I am. Isn't technology great?

How about I start this by first explaining the purpose of my trip to SEA (Southeast Asia). Well, the purpose was for school, a travel term what we (SSUers) like to call it. I went with 27 other students and 3 leaders (a fourth to join us in Thailand).  We were gone for 8 weeks and travelled to the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand (and a lovely stop at the Hong Kong airport before and after every country :P). Most of us were second and third year Liberal arts students from St.Stephen's University located in well St. Stephen (go figure :P) New Brunswick. We are the smallest university in Canada! YAY! And what's even more awesome, we're a liberal arts university! No math, no science! Even better…it's REQUIRED, yes required (you have to get special permission to get out of…) to travel two terms abroad to gain a B.A. degree from the school :) and the best part of all! It's a non-denominational Christian University - a small family community working for the glory of God!

Ok so maybe that turned into just talking about my school, but it's kinda a vital part of this trip and my life - thus is must be included.  Before the trip we had a month of intensive classes (after having school work to do over the summer…).We had three courses before the trip in class - SEA History, World Religions, and Cultural Anthropology. The last two courses we finished before we even left but wait! They have a part two! So during the trip I had the same history, and more world religions and cultural anthropology.

While we were gone we studied in some universities there. Lived with home stay families and experienced the culture for what it really is. We lived amongst the people, experienced their daily life, their religion, and their way of living. While we were experiencing this we were learning about it in the classroom or onsite. For example, a history lesson about Wat Si Chum in Sukhothai, Thailand while we are standing in, on and around Wat Si Chum in Sukhothai. Couldn't get much better than that can it?

Any ways, I don't want to make this too long. I will try to go into more detail later on.

 By the way, I am totally open to questions, specific questions or not so specific. It may make it easier for me to pick what to share! So just write a comment, send me an email or fb message and I will try my best to answer.

The next four posts will be the blogs I had to write for school while away and one after I returned home.

Blessings in Christ

Janell