Cheesedog N' a Waffle

Climbing a coconut tree.

Yesterday was water safety training. Because we are living in an archipelago, and chances are we will be on a boat at some point, the Peace Corps felt it was necessary that we all know how to inflate our life vests properly. So, we all loaded onto the buses and headed to the beach. They took us out in groups on small boats called bankas where we inflated our life vests, jumped in the water, floated around, and climbed back on. I’m sure all the locals were all laughing at the ridiculous Americans spilling onto the beach in their bright yellow life vests.

The only other time I’ve had the chance to leave the camp was to go to the mall. It’s nicer than most of the malls I have been in at home, complete with Dunkin Donuts, Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, Ace Hardware and lots of other American chains. Also, I’ve realized the Filipinos love snacks and are masters at making them. A popular one in the mall was a hotdog wrapped in a waffle. I opted for the German Cheese Dog Waffle and was immediately hooked.

Yes, there are hotdogs made out of tuna.

I’ve been told I need to give more details concerning the people and food. I’ve been pretty isolated here so far but most of the Filipinos I’ve met are short, smiling and extremely friendly. They use eyebrow wiggles when communicating and love fried foods. And going back to food, rice is a staple and eaten at all 3 meals of the day. Snacks are eaten in between. So far, meat is the main course, including lots of pork. To drink there are various kinds of juices (usually Tang or Kool Aid). The best is the fruit. The bananas, mangos, and pineapple are the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. I’m sure once I meet my host family I will have a clearer perspective on things and will have lots more to share then.