[L, diary, ephēmeris] 1) BLOG

Inspired by one of my special FASCO friends, Dianna Dunn, who had expressed a strong interest in knowing more about the life here, why we dropped our anchor in the Philippines, I have just added the YouTube links to a four-part documentary that can be found under the above heading 'ARTICLES'.   The title is:  ANGKLA  and if you click on that title now, you can go directly there to view it. 

In the meantime, recently having spent a few days in Dumaguete because the car (OLD) needed new parts that ultimately weren't available, I wrote to my niece how increasingly happy I am here--when I pay attention to the big picture, instead of focusing on the small stuff, and continued: 

"...the ride home on the bus this morning was bliss...a funny sort, that's for sure, but I loved it.  Very rural, very basic--a bus full of people crammed together, jouncing down the long stretch of two lane pavement that is the only 'highway' around the island, with soft, warm, clean air blowing in the windows that look out on masses of green foliage--coconut palms, banana fronds, bamboo stands, fields of sugar cane or watery beds of rice--with brilliant colors from flowers, inventive house paints, neon clothes lines--and the blue, blue sky above strewing over-popped buckets of clouds everywhere...oh, it was wonderful...I love the people here, love seeing the children so proud to be with their parents, helping to hold things while moms hold smaller babies, no one crying or complaining because they have to stand in the crowded aisle, beautiful children...oh, all children are so beautiful; what am I saying!?    Am saying I'm simply glad to be here, amidst this simplistic life that is full of struggles just to get simple things done.  Definitely not for everyone, but I love it."