Traveling to the other side of earth to visit Abby for Christmas was also a reminder of what is important: Family, traditions, compassion, and love. What is not important: air conditioning, flushing toilets, electricity, traffic rules, child-safety laws. Abs was a fantastic tour guide, both in the city of Dumaguete and in the mountain village of Mabinay. She showed us the way to address people, the way they eat and how important family and kindness are. So instead of being stupid Americans, we had a small sense of how we should behave. She told us ahead of time that we were going to be representing her, 1st Presbyterian Church, PCUSA and Jesus. No pressure.
We arrived to the airport terminal in Dumaguete after many, many hours and many flights to get there. We left on a Friday morning and didn't see Abby until Sunday. It was SO, so wonderful to see her!! To say that we were exhausted was a true understatement. To say that I was confident in how to use a 'comfort room' would be a lie. One needs to carry ones own toilet paper. And "don't flush the paper". I'm sorry...whaaat? There aren't signs that make this directive, however, we had the "how-to" guide via Abigail prior to our arrival. I think I wish I hadn't known. Anyway....moving on. We drive to our resort. Which by even American standards was extremely nice! I could tell right away that even though Abby would enjoy this stay, she would also be feeling guilty about being there. We spent that afternoon enjoying the food and sunshine that the resort offered.
The next day we were treated to a tour of "the city" of Dumaguete. It was noisy. There were motorcycles and pedi-cabs and buses and cars and jeepneys. We visited the local market (wow! that was some funk!) We drank coke out of a plastic bag with a straw and tried the local delicacy of budbud. No thank you, I would not like any more of that - ever.
"everyone is soft inside" - lessons of a turtle.
As we were having lunch that afternoon, I noticed a little girl outside of our restaurant. She was dirty and had matted hair upon her head. She was hungry. She longingly looked up at the people who were dining outside near her. She was silently asking them to give her some food. They completely ignored her. I did not. I got up with some food from our table that I rapidly placed into a napkin and ran outside. Abby gave me quick instructions on how to address her so that she wouldn't be afraid. She graciously accepted the food that I had offered and within seconds of my departure, she lifted her arms up triumphantly and smiled. This, of course, reminded me of my kindergarteners. They need food, comfort and the assurance that they needn't be afraid. We are all just humans trying to get by in this thing called life. We are the same in that we have basic needs. We all need love and affection. The culture differences meant nothing at that moment.
"the slower you go, the more you see" - lessons of a turtle.
On Christmas Day we took a walking tour of the village on the mountain- Mabinay. We went down the dirt road, smelling the smells of Christmas in the Philippines. Cows and goats in the middle of the road. Roosters making their noises - constantly. Walking in the heat. Thankful for the clouds. We walked to the springs where the locals go to cool off and have fun. We walked to the public school and peeked into some classrooms. They looked the same as classrooms in the US. Just no air-conditioning or windows with screens. We ventured across the hanging bridge that looked to be older than my 102 year old grandmother. We watched some boys getting their water from a well pump by the school. We bought a water from the storefront of someone's home. It was water in a plastic bag. We had hoped to catch a pedi-cab by this point since my feet and back are no longer made for walking. We kept walking. Through a rice paddy and a sugar cane field. There was someone approaching us from behind ringing a bell. I could not figure out why he was ringing a bell. As he passed us, I realized that he was the ice cream man! He was carrying a cooler filled with ice cream. He would be delivering to the folks in the village from his cooler on his shoulder. Have YOU ever seen an ice cream man in between a rice paddy and a sugar cane field? We kept walking. We walked down a long road. I was barefoot. We saw children playing in their yards. We saw folks working in their garden. We saw women doing their laundry in a bowl. Had we taken the pedi-cab, we'd have never seen these gems. We would have missed the snapshot into the daily lives of these people. We went slow..and took it all in.
we are more the same than we are different - lessons of a turtle.
We just wanted to see our little girl at Christmas time! I was not counting on the transformation and humility that I would experience. The filipinos were truly the nicest folks I've ever encountered. Genuine and kind, Gracious and giving. Thoughtful and happy. They were just happy people. In what WE consider to be circumstances that are sub-par, they smile. They take care of those whom they care about. They take time to be...to just be. My take away?...be happy, be kind, be generous, be grateful. Thank you Abs, for allowing me the opportunity to grow in gratitude. Love you girlie!
Mom
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