Baluuuuuuut!

It’s the food the country is famous for, and for us volunteers, a passage of acceptance into the Filipino culture. In the early evening and into the night you will hear men calling up and down the streets selling balut. It is usually kept warm in a pot, and upon payment, one will often be offered a pinch of salt or splash of vinegar. But the best part is choosing your balut. It’s like those Wonderball chocolates we used to eat as kids. They all look the same on the outside, but on the inside you never know what surprise you’re going to get.

Balut are eggs which contain a partially developed duck embryo. If you ask, the vendor will usually tell you how long it has been maturing…usually 15-20 days. Opening a young balut will contain a very young fetus, while those that are 20 days old may contain feathers and small bones.

They are sold kind of like hard-boiled eggs. After softly tapping the top of the egg to crack it open, the juice is sipped out. Then, half of the egg is peeled off and you get to see what’s inside. Add a pinch of salt and a bit of vinegar and it’s ready to eat! I tried it a few weeks ago, shortly after I arrived in La Trinidad.

Life here has sped up insanely fast. I no longer wake up from roosters or barking dogs, and I can't even imagine eating a meal without rice. I just wouldn't know what to do with the food on my plate if there wasn't rice to mix it with. I'm enjoying the sun during the day and fall asleep listening to the thunder storms that roll in during the evening.

Co-teaching is slowly getting easier. I arrived just in time for second quarter which incorporates drama into the English plans. Most of my time in front of the class is spent waiting for the students to quiet down from consistent outbursts of laughter, most of which are caused unintentionally (example: let's count how many times Sir Matt can break a single piece of chalk, watching the pieces fall to the floor, until it is down to the smallest nub). But teaching so far has been a blast and I'm looking forward to my permanent site.

Hosting a PACA workshop at the high school with
students and members of the community. Can you spot the "Matt Fan?"