Books Books Books

Well I don't have a TV, and when its rainy season there is little else to do. I've read a good share of books since I've arrived. I thought it would be fun if I posted a list of books I have read since I have been here in the Philippines. Many of you probably won't care, which is fair enough. Quickly in my defense, I don't have a vast collection to choose from. What I find, is given to me, or mailed to me is what I read. I have read some amazing books. I have also read some utterly shite books. If you look at the list I'm sure you will agree. If your interested I put the link under "links," its also just below. The list is fairly complete. I didn't start it until after my first two months, so I had to pull a number from memory. Due to this i'm sure I left out one or two. Also I tend to go long spans of time without writing the names of books I've read down, thus I could have forgoten a few others. Like I said, its close to complete and I'll try to keep it that way.

http://lloydbanwartbooks.blogspot.com/

Fiesta.....Baby

The big two fiestas. Well for me at least. The first was the weekend after I arrived in the Pines. I get all the way back to my house on the morning of the 19th of September. That afternoon I was already at a cockfight, and winning lots. What a great day. But has luck will have it two days later, Thursday, I lost it all on another cockfight. The next day, the 22nd of September was the Municipal Fiesta. I ate a lot, seeing my stomach was fully expanded from America I could fit double the food. After that I had a two week wait for the really crazy one. Most the pictures below are from my Barangay (village) fiesta. It was intense. Three days of drinking and eating. Oh and three nights of drinking and eating. It was over this past Sunday. Everyone was tired. It was a fun time as the pictures will show you. My landlord killed 3 pigs (I helped with two), a goat, and multiple chickens. We also went through many many cases of beer and bottles of Tanduay (the local Rum). Enjoy the pictures.

This is the view I see every day while I "go to the bathroom." It has nothing to do with Fiesta what so ever. I just wanted to put it in a blog somewhere.

This too, is not from fiesta. However it very well could be. The other white guy is a volunteer from the next batch after mine, Ian. He is located about a 20 minute jeep away from my place. Lucky for me he is a wicked guy, to be honest I was a bit worried when I found I would have another volunteer located so close. Turned out all good. This is from my friends birthday party and it was Ian's first time killing a chicken.

Now this is Fiesta. To be exact the Barangay Damalisan Fiesta. This picture was taken after the events in the next two pictures.

I have no idea what I was thinking. But to me it seemed like a perfectly reasonable and smart thing to do. Everyone was already drunk, all day eating and drinking. About 11:00 at night. I decided to teach my friends how to play flip cup. The old guy (my best friend here's dad) smoked me.

One of his few misses.....

I don't know....It was fiesta.....

Ian eating goat brain. It took him 20 minutes with two spoons to get into that thing........

Home was good

Whooooaaa. I'm back in the Philippines. That was one crazy month. I know it has been some time since my last update, I do apologize. Upon returning to the Pine's I had my Municipal fiesta, than my Barangay fiesta, all mixed in with the catch up work I had to do as well (wasn't that much, but it was still catch up). See the next blog for pictures of my Fiesta. They were a good time. As for my time in America. As I quickly noted before I left the states. It was great. After a few weeks of reflection I still have that view. I am not going to make this blog very long and dragging. Nor will I get upon a soap box to preach. However I will do a little run down of the things I loved, was shocked by, and didn't miss at all.

Firstly the things I loved. As you will see below in the pictures. I loved seeing my friends new babies. The scary thing is is that these are not all of them. I didn't use my camera like I should have while I was home, I was in to much of a daze to worry about missing anything while messing around with it. (once again I will submit my request for anyone with fun pictures of our nights or days out while I was home to send them my way). I loved eating. I know I know, this is nothing new for me. But lordy! I think I gained almost 10 pounds while I was home. When I came back to the Philippines everyone, bar none, said two things to me once they saw me. You got fat. Where is my pasalubong?(gift). One word, beer.....variety is the spice of life. Of course this blog would be incomplete without saying my big congrats to Steph and Derek. Congrats! Your wedding was awesome. Steph was gorgeous and Derek didn't look like he did in his first passport picture (that's a damn good thing, right D?). The threads for the wedding party were awesome. The bachelor party was killer, I never knew I could get SO sore playing paint ball! Another thing I loved while being home that I had no idea how much I missed was hot showers. To me they seem like such a luxury, one luxury that I would prefer not go without. I don't care if its 90F outside. A hot shower is nice. I'm sure there is more stuff I loved and am leaving out but the thing I loved the most, or a more appropriate word would be, appreciated the most, was how much all my friends and family went out of there way to see me, or create time to see me. It was touching. No matter how close of friends and family I make here in the Philippines, I have doubts upon finding people that could top you all. What can I say? I was home.

Some babies.......

Upon getting off my plane in the Twin Cities to catch my plane to Chicago, and after customs gang raped me, I officially entered the United States of America. Two things hit me at once like a train. I mean no offense to anyone but these two items do really stand out to me. One, people talk on their cell phones a lot....I mean A LOT. I know I am the worst myself at this, but its what I noticed. I got out of customs and remember thinking, wow everyone is in conversation, but upon further inspection I realized that no less than 60% of the people were on their cell phones. What's wrong with interacting with the people around us? The second thing was, people in America are fat. I'm not talking fat like me, I'm talking waddle waddle fat. It was mind blowing. Our country has a problem, and it needs to be addressed. There shouldn't be 8 year old kids that can't even break into a jog, let along a alarming percentage of them. Later that day, after finally getting into and out of Chicago (getting out almost took longer than it did to get there), Myself and my friends Pete and Kyle stopped at the brat stop for a beer. While sitting there, sipping my beautiful Guiness in a slight ecstasy, I noticed there were nine TV's in front of me. Nine. Each roughly one to two feet from the other. How many stations you may ask. One. Nine TV's, one station. I was slightly confused, until I remember I was in America. Excess is the norm. On that note, I won't elaborate to much, but my Dad and Mom went out shopping. I accompanied. They stopped at Walmart. Walmart....Holy Jesus of Mary. I had forgotten such things existed.

Greg, enjoying his corn

The first week I was home I was in a state of bliss, shock, happiness, and more. The second week this initial wave started to fade away and some things did start getting to me. The speed of life that everyone held. The constant questions about my future, and everyone else's for that matter. It seems that almost everyone was worried about tomorrow while forgetting about today. It sounds so typical. Second rate "Ask Jane" stuff, but its true, today is all we have. From where I was sitting in the States, everyone of my friends and family had it pretty damn good. With all that said, I'm utterly and completely happy I decided to come home for the 17 days I did. It was a big trade off for me, but one that was very worth while. I already miss you all, and can't wait till we meet again. Either on this side of the pond or the other. To all of you take care and keep me updated on your lives! I love hearing all stories, even if you think its mundane. Mundane to you is a world away for me.

Peace

Chris, after D and Steph's wedding, at the new Gyro place by Pete's place. He may have been happy....