Happy 50th Peace Corps!

I traveled to Manila last weekend to visit the 50^th Anniversary celebration at the Mall of Asia. The trip alone was an adventure in itself, but I got a chance to see the other volunteers and watch some great presentations by some local dancers. The volunteers also had some booths with some demos of the projects they have been working on. I had a good time but was relieved to finally come back to the peace and quiet of my site in Mt. Data.

This week began the start of the 3^rd grading period. I’ve had a chance to work with  my counterpart and try and design a new format that will add a little structure to the otherwise spontaneous lesson planning I’ve been facing since I arrived.

Next week I’m planning a small workshop that will allow the community to come talk with me, find out what Peace Corps really is, and give the people a chance to express their needs and expectations from me as a volunteer. I’ve spoken too many of the locals here already and it seems that many farmers are looking for agricultural assistance and are interested in organic gardening. I know little about either, so I’ve been spending some time researching and trying to find the right resources to connect them with. If anyone knows anything about growing potatoes give me a holler!