Negros sweet Negros

Weeks five and six of training-

This Past week brought me my first ever win in a running race. Coming in third place running ten minute miles, I was ushered to the winner’s lounge at the 34th National Milo Marathon. Funny thing is that I was chatting away with another runner not trying to race at all. I crossed the finish line and thought that I was one of the last ones, just happy to not have been cut off for time. As I cross the line before even walking ten steps I get a card put on me, my thumb painted a fluorescent color and I am ushered to the results tent. I had no idea what they were doing with me and I was dying of thirst so I walked away to go pick up my bag and head home. After finding me and guarding me so that I wouldn’t walk away again, I am told that I was the third place winner of the women’s 10k. I about dropped on the ground with laughter. After confirmation I am ushered onto stage with the top ten where I am handed a large plaque and get to stand on a podium like the Olympics.



One of our cluster mates, John is back in Dumaguete after having Dengue for the past two weeks. We are all excited to see him come back! Heres a picture of the people that I spend 44+ hours a week with. Clockwise from Left to right are: Myles (our technical teacher), David (he's staying in Dumaguete with me), Dan, Claire, Sarah and Fe (our language teacher).

My cluster mates and I have been volunteering at Little Children of The Philippines and orphanage where we have been tutoring kids in English. I worked with the girls and had a blast! The last two nights of tutoring we took a break from reading books and played charades, did dances and laughed a lot. Here are two of the girls showing off their dance moves.


There is a thing in the PC called Resource Volunteer where a volunteer from a previous batch flies in for the week to answer questions and be a resource to new volunteers. Ema arrives from Samar today and really has been a light to what these two years might be like.



The next weekend brought an adventure to a local waterfall which is the tallest that I have ever seen. It was beautiful and goes on my list of things that I can stare at for hours and not get tired of.
The following day a bunch of volunteers went to Apo Island, which is a top destination for diving in The Philippines. It is about a thirty minute drive and a forty-five minute boat ride from where I live. So consider that an incentive for you all to come and visit me here in Dumagute. Snorkeling revealed some cool varieties of coral, purple starfish, and Sea Turtles.

The view of Negros Oriental from Apo Island

We also ventured to the other side of the island called Negros Occidental to meet our supervisors and find out our sites for the next two years. Turns out I am staying in Dumaguete for the next two years. There are five others staying in the city and three on the outskirts of the city so I am surrounded by a number of volunteers. I am psyched about this because I will not only have a great social network around me but also the possibility to collaborate with other volunteers on communit projects. I will be working at Negros Oriental High School a Provincial High School which means there are about four thousand students. I am excited to start my new post in November!

Jacque and Alanna, two of my favorite volunteers who I get to spend the next two years with!