Our cute neighbors Mimi and Jonjon playing at the beach

Here we are with our friends and the ocean in the background

Bambam - isn't she beautiful?

The "Amazing Book Corner" at Scott's school - the start of a library! Before Scott (and your generous donations) the only books in the school library were ancient college textbooks (it's an elementary school)! Scott has been requesting and organizing children's books for the school and reading aloud in the classes. For the first time students are able to check out books and read for pleasure!

Our new kitten, Charlie

I (Erin) recently visited a school in a remote village in the mountain town of San Remigio. To get there we had to cross the river by riding on a small balsa, or bamboo raft pushed by a local man in his underwear against the current. It was a good day for me. Here are some photos of the experience.

Here I am ready to cruise across the river
Some curious kids posing with their "kana" visitor
The new classrooms under construction at Baladhay Elementary School
My coworker, AnnMarie's, supercute daughter Toni, posing with the vegetable plants growing at the school from seeds donated through Save the Children

From Erin

Life is Good. . .

It feels good to type that and mean it. For some reason today feels right here. Life in the Peace Corps is, of course, a rollercoaster of emotions. And unfortunately, it seems like I have spent a disproportionate amount of time in the downward loops of the ride since arriving here. But, today, life seems right. Riding my bike to the market today in the safety of the early morning cloud cover, cruising along the ocean, passing the people bathing their children at the water pumps, sweeping their little dirt yards and shouting, “Morning,” I didn’t want to be anywhere else. As I rode home with my backpack full of fresh vegetables down our long dirt road, I felt content realizing I finally know where to go, what to buy, how much to pay, and how to carry on conversations with the people I meet. This feels like my life. That may sound strange, but for the most part, this experience feels like, well, an experience; just this thing we’re doing for two years, before we start our "rea"l life. I spend so much time noticing what’s different and frustrating and lonely, I don’t really realize how much I have adapted. But today, riding my bike along familiar paths, being greeted by familiar faces, I knew this is real life and I am thankful for it.

Ringing in the New Year, it was strange to think we will spend the entirety of 2007 here in the Philippines. Nothing will really change, no huge events to look forward to, no moving, no new jobs, this is it. This is our life. At first I was sort of depressed thinking about that, but today I am content. This is our life and it is good. Our life includes killing giant spiders and wiping lizard droppings off our bed before we sleep, it includes scrubbing our laundry by hand, taking cold bucket baths and struggling to convey our thoughts in a language we don’t always understand. It’s waking up with the roosters and sleeping with the mosquitoes. Our life is often lonely, frustrating, and not at all what we expected it to be.

But our life is good. It is listening to the waves hitting the shore at night, it’s riding our bikes to and from work, it’s buying fresh fruits and vegetables at the market and receiving flowers and seashells from neighborhood children. It’s sharing stories with other volunteers and writing letters home. It’s playing uno and building playhouses out of rocks and shells. It’s stumbling over our words, but eventually communicating in full sentences. It’s trying to help, but often feeling useless. It's tricycle rides, "hey joe's", fiestas and roasted pig. It’s simple. It’s beautiful. It’s difficult. It’s real. It’s life, and I am thankful to be living it here.

ERIN:)