Pics at the bottom...:)
I was finally here. There was lots of excitement running through my veins. It was almost a year ago since I was last here. Monica gave me a quick tour again, refreshing my memory of where things were. My office is located next to the baby room and across from the Pharmacy/Nurse's office. I began pulling things out to set up my office. I put many things up for the kids to feel welcome in my office. Things like posters and signs saying "You are somebody's reason to smile." I put up a couple of pictures of my family. When the kids came to visit they loved to look at all the things I had like these counting blocks. Of course now they are used for shooting practice and block wars. Don't worry, they are foam blocks. It is hilarious to see so many play the block war in such a tiny space! The laughter bounces throughout the room just as much as the blocks.
I've noticed one of the words I journal the most is adjusting. I realize this is a long process but the first couple of days where packed full of it. Let me list some things I had to adjust to:
-Toilet paper goes in the trash can, not the toilet.
-Finding the best time to take a shower- if there are a lot of people taking showers the water pressure was low and sometimes wouldn't even come out. ( now this has been fixed.. PTL)
-Figuring out how to eat the food. Lots of fish- served whole- pick out the bones and don't mind the lil guy looking at you with a smirk on his face.
-Plastic chairs (similar to lawn chairs) as furniture. This makes the body ache a bit. I learned to keep a pillow in my office, for support.
- The traffic- small roads, not many rules, and everything in the world seems to have a reason to be in the road. Like- trucks, jeepneys, cars, tricycles (motorcycle with side car-like a taxi), people, kids, animals of all kind, food drying (rice)....
- hot and sweaty most of the time because of the weather
-many critters as roommates
These are just some of the fun things I wanted to share with you. I will share more of my new experiences later.
Another thing I had to get use to was the attention. As I even write it I feel prideful. Let me explain my humbling experience. First off the staff at King's Garden knows how to do hospitality. They make you feel extremely welcome. I would have to say that I am use to getting things myself. If I need it I would make it happen. If someone else needed it, I would get it. Well here it's quite opposite. At lunch my plate and silverware would already be set out for me. If I needed something, someone would get it. The longer I have been here the more I can do for myself. But before they would just do it for me, instead of tell me how to do it. At first during lunch the staff would be very quiet. One day I was leaving the dining room and someone joked that they could eat now. I was curious as to why she said that. She said I made some of them nervous. Not in a bad way. I guess since I was new. The funny thing is I felt just as nervous! Other attention I received is curious stares. I'm pretty quiet and shy. When I enter a room I would rather not every notice I walked in. Here it's quite opposite. Being American I can't really hide my larger white figure. It's bound to be obvious that I came in. :) The kids really liked to study my features. I was told not to be offended by any English I hear. Things come out pretty blunt. This isn't out of rudeness but accepting how things are I would say. This can be hard on ones self esteem but eventually you just accept who you are. The kids like to pull on the hairs on my arm...I have more and it's a different color. Things like that.
Now that I have given you a basis of my life here more stories will come!
Thank you all for your support!
Ames:)
