Saving the Birds
One of the common sites in my little barangay is a little old man who tries to sell live birds -- Tikling -- on the side of the road. He catches the pretty little things in the rice fields behind our village and strings them up by their legs (sorry, Catherine) and hangs them from a pole. Those who cannot afford chicken buy them from him for supper. He sometimes catches boa constrictors, too, and sells those for food. My little cluster met him the other day and rescued the birds. We paid him 150 pesos or about $3 for them and used our medical scissors to set them free. I am happy to report that they all lived, but sad to report that the man just went out and caught more birds! Our host families thought we were all silly and it became the talk of the neighborhood. Hey, at least we tried.
Such is daily life in my little barangay. On Wednesday, we will spend about four days at the hub site in Los Banos with the rest of our bigger group. I'm looking forward to some time away from the barangay. Lakeview Hotel looks like a four-star set-up now! They have flushing toilets and showers there. Toilet paper, too. Yippee!
Last night, I cooked dinner for my family. I cooked Hawaiian chicken and they liked it but then told me that they had something exactly like it in Filipino cooking, minus the pineapples. Oh well, I tried. Anybody have any ideas for good "American" recipes that don't have to be made with an oven (we don't have one!)? They family wants to try American foods and I hardly ever cook American dishes. All ideas welcome! I think they were surprised that I cooked. They think Americans really don't know how to do things like cooking, cleaning and washing clothes. They were surprised I knew how to wash dishes and that I would actually do that. The perception is that we are all rich, which of course is true compared to most Filipino families. One of my family members said he was surprised that a rich American could do these things -- don't we all have cooks, maids, etc.? Hmmm.
To prepare dinner, Ate Julie took me to the palengke, a market in the nearby town center. It was very cool. Live fish flopping about on tables. Veggies, fruits, a mango shake stand...chicken and pig heads. Very hectic, with tricyles rushing through the little alleyways, spewing exhaust all over the food. Yum. Ate Julie was teaching me how to bargain and how to ask for things and how to pay. I've got a lot to learn about doing simple stuff like this. I really need to practice my Tagalog. I'm having trouble remembering things. Alas....
Ingat (take care),
Julia
Such is daily life in my little barangay. On Wednesday, we will spend about four days at the hub site in Los Banos with the rest of our bigger group. I'm looking forward to some time away from the barangay. Lakeview Hotel looks like a four-star set-up now! They have flushing toilets and showers there. Toilet paper, too. Yippee!
Last night, I cooked dinner for my family. I cooked Hawaiian chicken and they liked it but then told me that they had something exactly like it in Filipino cooking, minus the pineapples. Oh well, I tried. Anybody have any ideas for good "American" recipes that don't have to be made with an oven (we don't have one!)? They family wants to try American foods and I hardly ever cook American dishes. All ideas welcome! I think they were surprised that I cooked. They think Americans really don't know how to do things like cooking, cleaning and washing clothes. They were surprised I knew how to wash dishes and that I would actually do that. The perception is that we are all rich, which of course is true compared to most Filipino families. One of my family members said he was surprised that a rich American could do these things -- don't we all have cooks, maids, etc.? Hmmm.
To prepare dinner, Ate Julie took me to the palengke, a market in the nearby town center. It was very cool. Live fish flopping about on tables. Veggies, fruits, a mango shake stand...chicken and pig heads. Very hectic, with tricyles rushing through the little alleyways, spewing exhaust all over the food. Yum. Ate Julie was teaching me how to bargain and how to ask for things and how to pay. I've got a lot to learn about doing simple stuff like this. I really need to practice my Tagalog. I'm having trouble remembering things. Alas....
Ingat (take care),
Julia
posted by Julia at 10:40 PM
3 Comments:
Poor birdies... Thanks for trying anyway! In Manhattan bird news, Pale Male and Lola have hatchlings. It made the papers. Maybe Americans are crazy?
Julia, I am 79 years old and lived in Manila for three years in the sixties.
I loved it and learned a lot of Tagalog. Verbs were hard. I can still speak some Tagalog.
I just wrote an article about the Tinikling Bamboo Stick Dance.
I taught my Girl Scouts in Boston how to do it. My husband was born in Manila. My three daughters look like him. I would love a reply from you. Pearl Torresyap
I'am a ranger in nevada and I always catch illegal hunters during the year, I remember one time they achieeve caugh one bear because I fall sleep, since that time I
buy kamagra to keep me awake all the time.
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