5.19.2010

woken up at 4:00am by the same dream i had a year ago. what is that dream? going back to the philippines and perhaps do peace corps there. i'm really starting to think about it and consider it. it's 6:00am now and for the last 2 hours all i have been doing is research on what is published online as to what is peace corps like in the philippines. ofcourse it's not going to be the same, as so the case here in paraguay when i did my homework, but i went through it anyway and gone over from the official peace corps site to glancing over volunteer's blog doing their service in the philippines. it's quite refreshing. i think that the last two hours is one of the firsts, that i actually took my mind off of everything and anything that i'm going through and experiencing here in paraguay. it's about a year now (the 27 of this month) since i left the united states to join peace corps, and i can only remember the joy and sorrow i left behind.

a very interesting blog that i came across with when i was browsing on people's blog was by this lady name julia. i remember being in the philippines in 2007, right after graduating from a university and heading back hoping to find work and use my education there. during those time, it came on the news that a peace corps volunteer was slain in sagada, one of the many mountainous provinces in the philippines. i remember my disappointment about it and being dumbfounded about it. just a shock really. then reading through her blog, is just something else. the lady seems to me went through some tough times, but some solid memories when she was doing her service. i dunno what got into me, but reading her blog just got me to do an update on this. it's just amazing the memories and remembrances that simple, yet important words, that we can leave behind. how it can set a great example for somebody else. to a point, it's really, what i think and feel, is what keeps us going, what keeps us moving... not money, not fame, not anything fancy. it's just the pure human spirit.

my pure admiration goes to her, julia. she braved it. i remember just being on that same hike as her and i can only imagine what had actually happened on the day her life was taken from her in that place.


to take it closer back home, on where i am at the moment, things are great really. 5 months in here at my new site, or i should say not new anymore. settling and getting along well, projects are starting, and i'm content and happy for the most part. everything is slow paced when it comes to work. the toughest part really is getting people together and make something happen. such example is the youth group we are forming, a library commission, and even sometimes at the radio station. so that's what's been keeping me busy lately. i was suppose to start my radio show this past monday, but with the rain and perhaps other responsibilities that my friends have, we couldn't pull it through and make the show happened. this next monday perhaps.

today is also my brother's birthday. for some reason, it has stuck in my head for some time now that he's 16. today, realizing that he just turned 18 sounds a bit troubling for me. in a sense that, damn, that's my brother and the last time i remember, we were struggling little kids with our snots coming out of our noses, or perhaps more so of him than me, thinking back and reminiscing the old days in the philippines. looking back and thinking of where he is now, what he's doing, what we're doing and getting out of the social and mental poverty, it's truly is a success story and one that i'm really proud and happy about. thanks to our mom, thanks to you mom. you made it all happen for us, giving us the lift and letting us go when you know you had to or needed to eventhough you know it hurted for you. we might not always make you happy, but i promise you that i or we can only make you feel proud.

so to you nette, happy 18th birthday man. you're a big man now.

2 comments:

  1. Glad to see you're constantly reflecting on your experiences. You always notice the things in life that some let slip by without care.

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  2. Thanks man! That's very encouraging. Light is not really light, unless you shed some... Just hoping I can help to wake up those who aren't and to be waken up by those who are up.

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