Moalboal Trip and Canyoning Adventure

I've already posted a bit about this on Facebook about this trip but also want to record it here...

Andrey and I took our first trip just the two of us since our 5th anniversary in summer 2007. It was really nice to get away and do something we wouldn't do if we had kids already. We found this adventure company and found paying for a day tour totally worth it. We may do it again as they have many other tours available - from trekking up a volcano on Negros Island to river climbing.

The trip was the perfect mix between activity and relaxation. We stayed in a quiet little resort that we pretty much had to ourselves. It's pretty great that this place is only a 2.5 hour drive away. Am thinking we may have to get away a little more often. It's so refreshing to get out of the city every once in a while. We both realize how important it is for our relationship to have time away together and we are thankful for the opportunity to do that. It was like a breath of fresh air for our relationship and for each of us individually.

Here's a few shots from the trip. At the bottom is a short video of Andrey coming down the first waterfall. I'm telling you it was one of the funnest things I've ever done. A little scary but fully exciting and totally worth it. The guides were very experienced and not once did I doubt their abilities to lead us safely down the canyons. So fun!

Fair Trade Giving

Still looking for Christmas gifts? I have a few ideas. I know it's a little late but if any of you are leaving some of this to the last minute, you might find this helpful. If anything, it's something to keep in mind for next year or for any other gift-giving or shopping.

If you haven't watched this video, please do.
(I can't figure out how to imbed a video from youtube in my post. How do you do that anyway?)

Each year we have aimed to buy less and less. We've gotten it down to a minimum as both of our families draw names. We have been influenced by campaigns like Buy Nothing Christmas and the Advent Conspiracy, which have not caused us to give up gift-give altogether but have inspired us to change the way we think about gifts. We want to make sure the season is not lost in the rush to buy gifts just for the sake of pleasing others. We want our gift-giving to be thoughtful and used as a way to connect with family members that are far away. We have gotten better over the years in making the gifts something meaningful and serve as a way to connect with that particular family member in a special way and we've grown in our enjoyment of this way of gift giving.

This year, a new element has been added for us as we've aimed to make our gift-giving more beneficial to the needy in some way. Of course donations are always good ideas for gifts, and there are tons of options out there, but if you really want to buy and give something material to someone fair trade gifts are a responsible choice. I just discovered this idea this year and got really excited about it. We are gradually becoming more aware and responsible in how we handle gift-giving and purchasing alike.

Here are a few reasons to buy fair trade:

Fair trade products do not involve child and forced labor. I recently read a post on a friend's blog that had a link to this US Dept of Labor list of goods produced by child labor and forced labor. I thought I was pretty aware of how ubiquitous this type of thing was but this list really brought the issue very close to home as I don't think I had realized how many of the products we use often or every day involves child and/or forced labor. I think we all need to be aware of the impact our purchases have on the world.

Aside from the child/forced labor-free element to these goods, fair trade products give opportunities of economic self-sufficiency for impoverished families and communities around the world. Most of the websites I found have information on the producers so you can learn about the people and communities you are supporting by purchasing their products. There are millions of products out there that can be easily ordered online and make great gifts!

I have discovered numerous companies that have great fair trade products. There are also some organizations that have a more specific target, such as products made by trafficking survivors or those at-risk for trafficking. I'd like to share some of my favorites:

Companies that ship to the US and Canada:

Nighlight Ministries reaches out to sex workers in Bangkok, Thailand - many of whom have been trafficked internationally from Africa and Eastern Europe. For the trafficking victims they help them get back home and for local women interested in getting out of sex work, they provide training and jobs needed to start a new life. They make gorgeous jewelry. They rely on jewelry sales to keep their work going.

Ten Thousand Villages

SERRV

Urban Trader

Companies that only ship to the US (I think):

RIJI Green markets products made by trafficking survivors and those at risk of trafficking in a few countries. RIJI Green gives a certain amount of it's proceeds to IJM.

Trade As One

Global Exchange

Gifts with Humanity

Rest

As I get older I find withdrawing to rest becomes more essential to my well-being. I'm not referring to unhealthy withdrawal - pulling away from relationships and emotions. I'm referring to the opposite actually. Withdrawing from the world and our culture of doing, to a place where we are irrationally unproductive, still and present - present with our thoughts, our feelings, and most importantly the whisper of the Divine Voice within.

When I don't take time away to be still, quiet, reflect, listen, I find my tolerance to stress becomes less and I become tetchy and negative and not very nice to be around (Andrey knows this better than anyone, poor guy). As much as I don't like the person I become when I step away from that which centers me, I am thankful for this regular reminder to refocus, recenter, rest.

The fluid state of my spiritual and emotional life can be described as a pendulum that swings slowly between two extremes. Where I am at along this spectrum is dependent upon how I choose to spend my time. Simple as that.

On one end is a place where I recognize my desperate need for Christ and his presence, peace, strength and voice - and I therefore take time to withdraw, to be alone, to listen, to equip myself with truth. A place where I remember who I am and who gives me strength. It is a place where I choose to dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91). It is a place of thankfulness. It is a place where accusatory lies thrown at me by my own thoughts or placed there by an enemy that seeks to destroy, are ineffective. It is a place where I can give to others freely and generously, without expectation, because I know that my needs are being met by the Source of all things.

On the other end is a place where I have allowed myself to forget my desperation and constant need for Christ's presence in my daily life. I've taken on too many things and have allowed busy-ness to take over. I then begin the return to thinking I can do things on my own. I lose focus and begin to give out of my own strength and out of obligation, being led by expectations, the needs, which are all around and a self-preserving survival instinct instead of being led along the right paths by the good Shepherd. I then quickly become bitter and tired and obligated to do and be. I can not hear the voice of truth and I am more susceptible to accusatory lies about who I am and about my worth. My peace is gone and I feel like I've lost my center.

That's why I think practicing a Sabbath of some sort is so important. Now I am no expert at this, I am just continually reminded about it's value. Sabbath rest. Unplugging from the false messages of the world and even the church, about who we are, and connecting to the truth that says we are loved completely; that we were created for a purpose and it therefore behooves us to listen, otherwise we'll miss out on what that purpose is. There are things we must be alert to today, now, in the present. Things that God wants to speak to us. There are things that he has created in advance for us to do. Sometimes it's just learning how to rest or coming to an understanding that we are the beloved. But in order for us to see the things that he is asking of us and to be able to say no to the things he's not - regardless of need - we must be dwelling and remaining in Him.

I am the vine;
You are the branches.
If a man remains in me, and I in him
he will bear much fruit.
Apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

I am learning the importance (over and over again) of being in tune with my Creator. This starts with resting in him and leads to remaining in Him. How quickly I forget.

Christmas Plans 2009

Our holiday plans are coming together. Andrey and I recently decided to take a trip together the weekend after Christmas. Since it is just the two of us, and frankly because Andrey's parents gave us a little Christmas money, we have decided to make use of that free weekend and get out of the city. I really need a break from the city. Lately the noise and traffic have been affecting me more than usual. Part of it is that December just seems crazy around here. I'm not sure if it's just my perception or if traffic really is worse but it sure seems that way. And there are times when I find a very low tolerance for uninvited noise in our home. Every evening lately we've been listening to a marching band in our neighborhood practicing for Sinulog (huge annual event coming in January). I've gotten used to the marching band and even can kind of enjoy it but it means I can't have a podcast on while I'm cooking in the kitchen or music or any other kind of competing noise as it's just too much. Well the last few evenings there has been the neighbor's radio again. I don't think they realize how well it carries into our house. I couldn't take it last night I had to go hide in our bedroom with the aircon on and some classical music to get away. All that to say, I'm really, really looking forward to a break!! Even if for two days.

We will be staying in Moalboal, a beach zone about a 3 hour drive from Cebu. We have just booked an adventure tour - Canyoning at Montaneza Falls. This is very out of character but we realize this is the kind of thing we'd never find on our own. We watched this video on YouTube and thought we'd give it a try. Both of us ache for some activity in nature, which is seriously lacking in the city and is hard to find elsewhere as well. We recently read about this action adventure company in the Lonely Planet. They've been around for a long time apparently and have the reputation of being very professional and have really fun day tours. We're going to learn how to repel for the first time!

We were trying to decide between this and going to a different island where this isn't much to do. We decided this may very well be the last trip we take just the two of us without kids so we want to do something we probably wouldn't do if we had kids. I'm pretty sure we wouldn't take a young child canyoning down a river valley!

I'm working on Christmas Eve, then Andrey and I will have the day on Christmas to relax and have a nice meal together to celebrate. Then we go away for 2 nights. We both are off work till early January.

On January 1st, Andrey's aunt, uncle and three cousins are coming to see us in Cebu after they spend Christmas in Taiwan. Fun! Coming from freezing Saskatoon, their dream is to go to the beach so we'll be taking them to Bantayan Island for two nights. We spent our 5th anniversary on Bantayan in 2007 and loved it but haven't been back since. For the photos of that trip go here.

I know, we really have nothing to complain about and I am really quite thankful for this upcoming opportunity to travel but I also have been a little home sick these days. It being Christmas and all, I find myself aching to be with family and our closest friends (who are like family). Last year we had Andrey's parents here. The year before we were in Mexico with dear friends, Dana and Andrew. This year will be a bit different but enjoyable nonetheless. Just feeling the distance a bit lately. However, we have much to be thankful for and enjoy, in the present.

Merry Christmas!!

Tasty Tacos

Finally, a recipe!

I have realized recently how satisfying it is when I make something that is healthy, delicious AND takes only 30 minutes or less to make. This recipe fits the bill.

Since living in the Philippines I've had to make tacos less often because tortillas are not available and must be made from scratch. Although easy to do, it takes a little time and thus defeats the purpose of throwing some tacos together for dinner in a hurry. I also usually have to make my own salsa and cilantro isn't always available so that's another deterrent.

Well, this past week I found some decent-looking whole wheat tortillas at the store so I bought about five packs to stock up and try them out. Turns out they are pretty good! Too bad there is no guarantee they will ever show up at the store again. That's just how it goes. Also, this week, cilantro has been available and tomatoes, too. So I've made tacos a few times this week already.

Easy Vegetarian Tacos

Elements:

Tortillas (preferably whole grain)
Grated cheese
Salsa (store-bought or home-made)
Creamy black beans
Stewed winter squash

For the black beans:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
dried ground cumin
dried cayenne or chipotle powder (unfortunately I have to leave out the spicy parts due to my stomach issue but ordinarily I would add something spicy)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves of garlic
splash of vinegar

Method:

Heat oil in small sauce pan, add onions and green peppers to pan and saute till soft. While they are cooking add a little salt, ground black pepper and a few shakes of cumin (my favorite spice!) and whatever spicy element you choose. Add the black beans and mash with a potato masher until creamy. Add about 1/4 cup of water or broth while you are mashing. You don't have to mash it completely, just 1/2 to 3/4 of it till you have some chunky black beans in the midst of creamy black beans. Add more liquid, if needed. Bring beans to simmer. Add two cloves chopped garlic and heat together for few minutes. Turn off heat and add a splash of vinegar.

A note about garlic:

Adding garlic at the end of a recipe preserves more of the flavor and the nutritional benefits. To maximize the disease-prevention power of garlic, mince it at least 5 minutes before cooking it. Chopping garlic activates enzymes that convert allantoin to it's active state. Allantoin is the powerful chemical in garlic that it's anti-disease properties are attributed to. Eating onions and garlic daily reduces risks of cancer and other diseases. Onions also should be chopped and allowed to sit for a few minutes before cooking, for the same reason. This also applies to broccoli. Different plant chemicals, but same idea behind it.

Stewed Winter Squash

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cups winter squash, chopped into small cubes (I use something like acorn squash here because it's available year-round; whatever orange winter squash you have available is fine)
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup water or broth
salt
1 tablespoon of honey or maple syrup

Method:

Heat pan to medium-high in a large skillet, add squash and onions and sautee for few mins. Add water (or broth), a few shakes of salt and the honey or maple syrup. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes, till squash is almost completely cooked. Uncover and continue to simmer till liquid evaporates and squash is soft but not overcooked. Taste and add more salt and/or honey, if needed. Squash should only have a hint of sweetness.

Salsa (in case you want to make your own, this is how I make mine)

Chopped tomatoes
Fresh lime juice
A huge amount of chopped cilantro
Chili peppers (if you don't have a stomach problem like me. I miss spicy food!)
Finely chopped white or red onion
A few shakes of tabasco or Mike's hot sauce or whatever you have on hand
About a tablespoon of veg/olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix and let sit at room temp until ready to eat (I usually make the salsa first, then set it aside so the flavors meld together)

Other filling options: (on the next night I made this filling to augment what we had leftover)

Chicken & bell peppers (our old stand by)

Sautee sliced onions and bell peppers in hot oil, add chopped chicken, add salt, cumin and pepper, sautee on high heat till cooked. If you use a large enough skillet, the chicken, peppers and onions will start to char and get browned like when fajitas are served in restaurant. I love this. The key is not have a too-crowded pan and high-heat. Sometimes I add about a tablespoon of tequila for flavor and to help scrape any bits off the pan before serving. Can also squeeze a lime over it at the end, then it can be called margarita chicken. Yummy!

So easy!!!

This recipe may seem a little strange but I'm telling you the combination of sour/spicy salsa, mild beans and slightly sweet squash is yummy! Andrey agrees. I got the idea to use squash from my favorite tacos in Seattle at a place called Aqua Verde. They have these sweet potato tacos with crumbly cojita cheese on whole grain tortillas and they are SO delish! I have no idea if kids will go for this as I have no idea about that yet.

The Morning After (first home birth)

Thankful for this moment
to ponder and reflect
on the occasion of an anticipated beginning

After a night that brought breath and birth
I contemplate the wonder and amazement
of an event that left me in awe

I've seen it many times before
but this was like no other...

At home, in comfort and security
with family and familiarity
she confidently and gracefully
surrendered to the strength of her body
from which life flowed

A highly-anticipated event
prepared for and prayed for
sought after and welcomed
the jubilant arrival of their son

This child, long-awaited and deeply loved
received gently into the arms of his mother
beneath the adoring, joyful gaze of his father
brought into the wholeness of an intact family
this new soul, carefully designed by the Life-Giver

i am deeply humbled
to have been witness
to such simplicity and significance

Lately and Some Venting

I've grown remiss once again with the blogging. Sorry about that. I just have more than enough on my plate lately and I'm trying to prioritize accordingly. I still haven't even posted about Thanksgiving! I still plan to share the recipes that worked out so well this year. I will get to that... For now I just have time for a quick update on what's going on lately.

Just yesterday I finally got word that I have permission to take the North American Registry of Midwives exam. Yeah! Today I will submit my written intent with my chosen test site. Once I get confirmation, which is expected by the first week of January, I can then make travel plans. On the intent form there was an additional test sight - Portland, Oregon. I had planned to travel to Eugene but Portland would be even better (closer to Seattle where I'll be driving from) and a really cool city to hang out in. Hopefully enough people sign up to test in Portland. For now I have to wait and see. I've been struggling to find time for studying but with this new development I'm starting to feel like I really must get serious. I've requested to only work one shift per week next month so that will really help.

I'm on call these days for my first home birth. Have I mentioned that? Our pastor's wife is due any day now (she's 39+ weeks) and I'll be assisting at her birth with a midwife friend who used to work at Glory Reborn and now lives in Hong Kong. She is in Cebu just to attend this birth. She delivered this woman's first baby five years ago. I'm really looking forward to it!

Tomorrow I'm teaching the second class in my series on Women's Health to young women and girls recovering from some really tough challenges in their lives. I have learned that most of them have already had a baby and one is pregnant. Tomorrow's topic is the female reproductive system and well-woman care. I continue to be shocked at how little young women know about their bodies in this country.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to pray with an 18-year-old girl who tried to abort her baby (unsuccessfully) after finding she was pregnant. She's in her 3rd year of college and the father is also a student who may or may not even know she's pregnant, as they are no longer in contact. She had absolutely no intention of getting pregnant. So why did she choose to have unprotected sex? Is it because she didn't know? Or did she know but didn't have access to ways to protect herself? I really wonder if she knew that getting pregnant was what happens when you have unprotected sex (among other things!).

Also this week we sent a 19-year-old woman for an ultrasound because the size of her belly did not correlate with how many weeks pregnant she thought she was. As it turned out she wasn't even pregnant. I saw this as an opportunity to discuss whether she had planned this pregnancy and if so, why would wanted a baby. She's single, only reached high school level education, and has no job. When I asked her she said that she wasn't planning to get pregnant but was happy about the idea of having a baby. Why? I asked her. With a childlike grin she shrugged her shoulders and said she didn't know why, she just want to. I noticed on her intake form that she had no history of using any contraceptives. I informed her of what she was exposing herself to every time she had unprotected sex and I'm telling you her face was as if she had never heard that you could get an infection or God-forbid HIV from having unprotected sex, not to mention get pregnant. I encouraged her to not have sex because men tend to use women in this way but if she were going to have sex, at least protect herself!

I also discussed what having a baby would be like. How much is costs and asked her how she would care for a child when she has no job. I told her how hard it is to raise a child without a partner and that God's plan for family is such because it is hard work! Babies need a father and a mother who have work to provide for them in the context of a loving committed marriage relationship. That is God's design and it is that way for a reason. As I shared she started to cry and told me that this guy she had temporarily hooked up with had talked her into having sex and she didn't really want to do it.

After you live in the Philippines and work with pregnant women for a while it becomes clear that men here just don't like to use condoms. Not single men. Not married men. They don't like it and so they refuse to use them. I mean, why would they? It's not their problem if their woman gets pregnant. It's not their problem if the asymptomatic chlamydia they are carrying is spread to god knows how many other women. And besides women will still have sex with them even without a condom so why would they use one?

One of the guards at the clinic the other day was wearing shirt that had a picture of a condom on a yellow traffic yield sign and a big X over it. Below it read, "Protection. What every man is afraid to see."

Back to the 19-year-old.... Trying to hold back my emotions I tried to explain to her how she has a right to make her own choices based on how she wants to live her life and that any guy that will be with her only if she's having sex with him is no guy she should be with!

I entreated her to take care of herself, to protect herself and to make good choices by thinking about consequences. Honestly, I told her, do you really think having a baby is a good idea? She agreed that it was not.

I get so worked up about these things! These young, ignorant girls living in a culture where men seem to have so much power! It's so frustrating because if only the women would step up and exert their own power, men wouldn't be able to take advantage of them as much. This all starts, I believe, with education. Education is power. How can we expect people to make good choices if they don't have information!?

And here is where I may get offensive to anyone who is Catholic or anyone who is against sexual education and information on family planning and contraception. I just get so pissed off that these issues are ignored in an attempt to not give approval to anyone having sex outside of marriage but the fact is EVERYONE IS HAVING SEX ANYWAY!!! Hello! And they are doing it without the knowledge of the consequences and are subsequently not protecting themselves and it is the women especially who suffer here as they are the ones who have to put their lives at risk to keep having babies and who's infections actually potentially damage their reproductive systems and can wreak havoc in their unborn baby's developing body. It is the men who can spread their seeds and infections without any apparent harmful effect. Argh!!!

Another t-shirt I saw on a man in the Philippines sums this up pretty well. It read, "Who are all these kids? And why are they calling me Daddy?"

So what do we end up with? Young, single girls trying to dangerously abort their babies. Unwanted pregnancies. Impoverished children who grow up malnourished and ignorant and uneducated who end up in the same situation as their mothers - young and pregnant. And the cycle of poverty goes on and on and on. I just want to scream!

There is this reproductive health bill in the Philippines that is very controversial and of course, the catholic church staunchly opposes it. Meanwhile the maternal mortality rate is not improving. Rates of STDs and HIV are creeping up and the population is growing very fast. If I remember this correctly, nearly half of the population are urban poor and living on less than $2 a day. Young girls are pressured to provide for their poor, struggling families and end up in sex work and eventually get pregnant. Mothers leave their children to work overseas, desperate for a way to climb out of poverty by being able to afford an education for their children. Broken families. And the entire nation suffers.

November Babies

I thought I'd share a few pics of some babies and moms who delivered in November from the latest monthly baby party. Aren't they cute?

Disturbing is...

A poor, uneducated twenty-two year old single Filipino woman giving birth to a baby who's father is a 52-year-old American man she met online and who came to visit twice. He apparently stopped the "relationship" once he found out she was pregnant.

I helped deliver her baby boy last night. Disturbing.

I usually see couples like this in the mall here, with a very obvious age gap. Sometimes with babies. But at least the man is around. I wonder how common a story like this is. I fear it is all too common and it breaks my heart.

Women's Health Education

Last week I had the privilege of teaching women's health to seven young women living in a local aftercare shelter. Most of them are either victims of sexual abuse or commercial sexual exploitation. One of them is pregnant. The director, who is a friend of ours recently asked if I would come and share some nutrition and health information with the girls. I happily said yes.

I really enjoyed prepping for the class. I created a series of three classes on women's health, which include topics ranging from healthy lifestyle choices and nutrition to the female reproductive system to sex, pregnancy, STDs and abortion. I taught the first class last week.

I shared a little bit of my story with them during this first class and honestly, it was amazing how as soon as I started I suddenly had their rapt attention. They even seemed to sit forward in their chairs (there weren't nearly as interested when I was talking about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and the concept of cause and effect). I shared about the lifestyle I was living when I was diagnosed with cancer and how unhealthy I was - emotionally, spiritually, and physically. I was honest about my drug and alcohol use and how broken I was at that time. I shared about being a different person now and how having cancer was part of my "wake up call" which led me on a path to surrender to God's plan for my life and ultimately to healing and wholeness (not that the work is done; of course I still have a ways to go...).

I am saving all the really personal health topics for last. I want them to get to know me a bit and feel a little more comfortable with me before we discuss these things (thus me sharing a bit of my own experience). We're going to talk about the embarrassing and difficult stuff because I'm not sure they are hearing it anywhere else. It is such important information, essential to their well-being. Now motivating them to make the right choices is another thing but without information, how can they even be expected to make good choices?

On a quick side note...You'd be surprised at the level of understanding the women that we work with at the clinic have regarding how their bodies work. These are the women I see who are having more babies than they want, getting infections that they don't know about, and attempting unsafe abortions by ingesting & inserting pills sold to them on the street. (Have you heard of Cytotec? It can be very dangerous. I've heard of women dying from uterine rupture after taking it. Thankfully it appears that much of the stuff found in Cebu are just bunk pills because I have met numerous pregnant women who attempted to abort by taking a very unsafe number of these pills and/or inserting an unsafe number of these pills vaginally but nothing happened. If those pills were real, they would be life-threatening to some, but many times they aren't and so these women end up with an unwanted pregnancy being interviewed at the clinic and usually ridden with guilt and regret over what they did and now very concerned about the health of their baby.)

So after I opened up to these girls, they seemed to be really interested in me and wanted to know what kind of drugs I did, how old I was, etc... They noticed my tattoo and my nose ring and commented on it. I could see their minds turning. Here I am, perhaps in their minds, "a good, Christian girl," not only with a past but willing to share it with them - including the ugly stuff. I am still no expert on Filipino culture but something tells me that this is not common.

I'm really looking forward to spending more time with these precious young women and girls. You can tell some have had it really, really rough and now have a hard shell, which is clear by the tough act they put on. Others are shy and appear to have their childlike innocence intact, which is amazing to me. I haven't been through nearly what these girls have but I hope that by opening up to them about my life, they will find some additional hope for the future in what God will do for them if they seek him.

My hope is that they will come away with the understanding that God has a good plan for their lives and that he cares about our health - spiritual, emotional and physical. In Christ, they can look forward to wholeness, peace and joy, and abundant life. For Jesus indeed has plans to prosper them, not to harm them. Plans to give them a hope and a future.

Thanksgiving Week, 15 Years Ago

This week marks 15 years since I was diagnosed with cancer and had major abdominal surgery to find out where else the cancer was growing. I remember how unfortunate it was to have to have surgery the week of Thanksgiving, having to miss my favorite family holiday. But it was a different day then.

I was a different person, and my relationship with my parents was just beginning to improve after I had been estranged from them for over a year. In fact, it was my experience with cancer that I attribute the beginning of the reconciliation with my parents. As it turned out (and to my initial horror), I needed them and I couldn't do everything by myself. The entire painful seven days in hospital, not once was I alone. My mom and dad took turns so someone would be with me at all hours. As I recovered and during the months of daily radiation treatments when I couldn't work or go to school and therefore couldn't pay the rent on my apartment, they took me in and cared for me. I had already been living on my own for over two years and was used to taking care of myself, so for me (and my extremely independent spirit) this was really hard.

In time I asked their forgiveness and they did not hesitate to forgive and receive me. Our relationship has only improved since then and I am deeply grateful for their love. They loved me the way Jesus loves us - unconditionally and undeservedly. Like the story of the prodigal son. The father in that story didn't care what his son had done. He desperately wanted his son back and received him with open arms when he finally did return.

Looking back, I realize that having cancer was the beginning of the restoration and reconciliation that has taken place in my life since then. It is a good practice to look back every now and then and recall all that has happened and give thanks for the Lord's grace, mercy, love and goodness. Truth be told, without Jesus, it is scary to think where my life would be today.

I will exalt you, O Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
O Lord my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
O Lord, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.
Sing to the Lord, you saints of his; praise his holy name.
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning....
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever.
(Excerpts from the 30th Psalm of David)

Quick Report on the trip to Hong Kong

Our trip to Hong Kong last week was great. Really enjoyed the city in all it's efficiency, mass transit, cool/cold weather, lively crowds of people, and delicious food. We did quite a lot in our three days there. Took a tram to 'The Peak', hung out at Victoria Harbor, went to numerous street markets, saw the walled city park where the walled city used to be, hung out with friends at St. Stephen's Society, met and had lunch with Jacki Pullinger, joined in for worship with "the brothers" in one of the St. Stephen's homes, and connected with about nine Filipinos from Cebu that we know and love. The folks at St. Stephen's took really great care of us. It was a good balance between time with others and a time just the two of us exploring the city on our own.

One thing we noticed about the city was how efficient it is! Everything happens fast. You can use prepaid cards on the bus, the train and in many shops and stores. It takes about 1 second to pay for something. We never waited in a line in a store the whole time. The only lines were to get on the subway trains. Most people use the trains and the excellent bus system. So much so that as far as we could tell there wasn't much traffic on the roads. Didn't see any congestion or back ups in our three days there. Bizarre for such a small, yet extremely populated city. There are people everywhere! The crowds can be a bit overwhelming. But the buzz of being among the crowds at night in the street can be equally exhilarating. We walked and walked and wandered around many street markets in the evenings, taking it all in, trying to decide what and where to eat. All the lights, the noise, the people, the smells of steamed meat-filled buns and dumplings. The bright lights. Bubble tea. Dim sum. Did I mention the food was good?

We pretty much did a lot of walking and a lot of eating. The cooler weather was fantastic. Apparently there are numerous well-kept hiking trails in and around HK. It is quite easy for us to fly there from Cebu. There's a direct flight, only 2.5 hours. I think we'd really like to go back again sometime and make sure we get in a long, at least a day, hike during the cool season.

Hong Kong

I only have a minute but wanted to quickly say that Andrey and I are going on a short little vacay tonight to Hong Kong. We'll be there till Sunday. We've been wanting to make a trip there for some time now. Our church community was started by a team from St. Stephen's Society 10 years ago and so there is quite a lot of connections with it still. There is a group of youth from Cebu in Hong Kong currently on a gap year ministry training. We're really looking forward to learning more about St. Stephen's, which grew from a ministry started in the walled city in the 1960s by Jacki Pullinger. There's a book about her called Chasing the Dragon. It's a pretty fantastic story if you have the opportunity to read it.

11 months...

It's been 11 months since we were approved by the adoption board of the Philippines. Up until yesterday we hadn't heard of anyone else getting matched who were approved the same time as us. Yesterday I heard that a couple in the US (the husband is Filipino and they have no children) were just matched with a 9-month-old. Guess when they were approved? December 2008. We were approved in December 2008.

I think (I think) this means that our application is out there. Available. Up for grabs. This is big. I think.

In the past few months, since I became part of an online group for families adopting internationally from the Philippines, I've vacillated between thinking we might get matched soon to thinking it might be a while yet. I heard of families who waited more than TWO YEARS to be matched and many and what seems like the majority have waited around 18 months. I just wish I knew when it was going to happen! It's driving me a little crazy. Not that I'm feeling really really antsy and impatient yet. I'm not. I mean, of course I am ready and really, really want our chil(ren) to join our family but I know that we haven't been waiting that long and there are just so many families out there that have waited much longer than us that are still waiting. But the stories of some getting matched really soon and then the stories on the other end of the spectrum just screw with my head, back in forth. From excited to relaxed. From impatient to patient. From anticipating the phone to ring any minute and wishing it would, to planning something months down the road and feeling pretty sure we won't have kids by then.

Do I just keep doing what I'm doing, knowing that it could change at any moment but not expecting it to. Or should I be living my life as if it will be any time. If so, what should I be doing? What will I look back on and wish I was doing RIGHT NOW. At least in this moment I'm in the "It could be soon. It might be soon. What if it's soon?" mode. Maybe next week I'll be back to the "It's not gonna happen for a while so just chill out and wait" mode. I can't seem to find a middle ground.

Today's Births & Thoughts

It was a busy day at the clinic. We had prenatal exams all morning. Then we had two births just after lunch, 45 minutes apart. No anemic patients. No IV fluids needed. No meconium-stained amniotic fluid. No hemorrhage. Just two, refreshingly normal births. I realize how much I enjoy those when they happen. Truly a joy.

A not-so-great part of the day was examining a 16-year-old patient who came in complaining of pain in her lower abdomen. She's 32 weeks pregnant. The most common reasons for this are a UTI, normal pregnancy-related discomfort, or premature labor. I was pretty sure it was probably one of the first two possibilities as we quite often get women, especially first-time mommies, coming in thinking something is wrong when it really is just normal, practice contractions or normal, pregnancy-related aches and pains. But to be safe, I needed to rule out premature labor just to make sure. So I routinely had her get ready for a quick internal exam not thinking much of it.

I was shocked as I could immediately feel the baby's head because it was so low in the pelvis, and her cervix was at least 5 centimeters open already. I think I may have even gasped. The baby's head felt soft - not the typical well-developed, hard bones of the term fetus skull. I really wasn't expecting this and of course, neither was this teenager. Poor girl. I told her my findings as I discovered them and she looked at me and said innocently and ignorantly, "Is that bad?" I had to tell her that yes, this was bad and we have to transport her to the hospital right away. The really sad thing is that I know the baby is probably not going to make it. They don't have money for a private hospital and the public hospital does not have any incubators. We had to send her there anyway. Just terrible.

You know, I have seen and heard of some pretty tough things at the clinic over the past two years but for some reason this today made me feel more sad than usual. I'm really not sure why though. More than not knowing why this story makes me feel sad is the perplexity at why I don't always feel such sadness with the other tough things I've experienced. Like when my patient's baby died (at the same public hospital) after it's cord became pinched between her head her mom's pelvis in labor and the hospital didn't even do a C-section to save the baby. Again, this is what being poor in the Philippines means. No money + emergency medical need = no care + unnecessary death. I remember feeling numb about that experience. I wasn't there when the baby actually died although I did listen to the baby's heart beat slower and slower with each contraction. That was awful as I was so helpless to do anything about it.

Well who knows why you feel some things more than others? We are human after all. I think we just can't go through life feeling everything, otherwise we couldn't function. But the opposite end of the spectrum isn't good either - never feeling anything and disconnecting from the pain around us. So I'm thankful for the sadness I felt today. I want to strike the right balance of feeling. I want to be affected in some way by the suffering I see, and I want it to make me feel at least a little uncomfortable. That way I am more likely to act. It just feels right to have to deal with it, struggle with it, ask hard questions. Examine myself and my own calling and abilities. I may not always be able to do anything but many times I will be able to do something and will hopefully have the courage to do it. On the other hand, if I let myself shut off, I fear I'd become a hard-hearted person who loves being cushy, comfortable and complacent. Where's the adventure in that?

Whatever comes...

Do you ever just sit down to blog because it's been several days but you don't where to start because your head feels all jumbled and busy? Well there you go. That's how I'm feeling right now. I figured if I just start writing, a post will come. I'll give it a shot.

I sent off my NARM application today. That feels good. There was quite a bit involved in getting it together so it is quite satisfying to have it no longer in my hands. Hopefully, it's not missing anything and I'll get word in a few weeks that I am able to take the test. I'll go ahead and make travel arrangements at that time. The test is in Eugene, Oregon so that means I'll get to see my friends in Seattle, where I will fly to/from. My mom is going to meet me and then drive with me to Oregon. I'm so glad she's coming and I won't have to make that trip alone. It will be good to have some moral support before the test. Afterward I'll spend several days in Seattle to celebrate and relax and enjoy being with my dear friends there. I love going to Seattle! Oh yeah, that's happening in February.

For the application I had to determine total numbers of birth experiences including births I delivered, assisted or actively participated in, births I observed, and births that were transported to hospital. It's quite interesting to see it quantified and I thought I'd share what I've gotten to experience in two years at Glory Reborn so far.

Births I've observed: 14
Births attended as an assistant midwife: 41
Births attended as primary midwife: 32

I wonder what these numbers will look like in another year?

Here's some fun news - Andrey's sister had a baby girl last night. I don't know many details yet but hope to get them soon. This is a pretty big deal for our family. Mike & Lisa haven't had the smoothest road to becoming parents and God knows Andrey's Mom & Dad have waited a long time (patiently) to be Grandparents. We are so, so happy for our family! This is quite the significant event and even though it's been hard being so far away while it took place, we have been able to be in pretty close contact and feel like we participated. Part of that was because she was overdue so we were constantly praying and calling and eagerly checking email to see if there was any news.

I am a little too busy for my liking these days. I have a feeling these next few months are going to go by very quickly. I think I might ask for a slightly lighter schedule at the clinic, especially while I'm studying for this test.

I've been thinking about Thanksgiving lately. What I will prepare. Who will come. The nerdy trivia we will do. I'm getting excited. I love this holiday. I just wish I could invite everyone! I think I'll put our Christmas decorations up soon. Of course in the US we never did this till after Thanksgiving but it's been Christmas here for months already so I'm willing to budge by a few weeks. Strangely, I found myself enjoying the Christmas music in the grocery store today. Weird, I tell you. This is not like me. I was just in good spirits. And I was finding Thanksgiving/Christmas-type products. There's already Butterball turkeys and canned pumpkin and cranberry relish on the shelves. Well, the turkey was in the freezer. Anyway, I realize that a happy part of these holidays for me is the food prep involved in them and how naturally, a trip to the grocery store to buy all the stuff needed is a big part of those memories of past holidays for me. I recall trips to the store with my mom and buying tons of butter and potatoes and granny smith apples, and yams and the cart being super full. My mom always cooked for huge crowds around the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. It's just how it's done and I love it.

I'm also trying to be a bit more prepared this year so I think I'm not feeling stressed at all and am hoping it will continue. I am learning that this is key to enjoying the holiday season, especially as it relates to gift-giving. It seems we've waited till the last minute in years past and I'm determined to do it differently this year. So far so good.

I made pita bread this week. That's a first. How delightful to pull it out of the oven to discover the air pocket formed like it's supposed to. Okay, well only some did but it was still very exciting. We enjoyed them hot out of the oven with some home-made hummus, feta, cucumbers and fresh basil from the garden. (We're eating a lot of basil lately.) Tonight I roasted some red peppers and plan to make a chicken filling for the leftover pitas and of course, some more fresh basil. I think we'll have some salad on the side. Speaking of which, it's time to get dinner together. Andrey will be home soon and I'm getting hungry.

I really want to try to blog more about food and share recipes that I try and like. I put a lot of time and thought and effort into what we eat each week that it would stand to play a bigger role here. I do promise to share some of the Thanksgiving recipes I mentioned before. So look forward to those.

See, I knew something would come if I just started writing... I'm determined to keep this frequent blogging up. I am continually inspired by my blogging mentors. Unfortunately though I think that the more often I blog, the less interesting my posts may be as they are sure to include more day-to-day details of life. Oh well, hopefully there's something interesting in it for you. If not, you can always skim. ;-)

Old Boyfriend and Facebook

So a few months ago an abusive ex-boyfriend of mine from high school added me as a friend on Facebook. Have any of you experienced having the most unlikely person strangely add you as a friend that leaves you scratching your head? I certainly had to scratch my head and wonder what would inspire this guy to do this and then proceeded to ignore the request. Soon after, a friend of mine emailed me saying this guy had tried to add her as well and she was like (I'll put it into nicer words), "What the heck!? Is this guy crazy??" She then reminded me of a day that she stood up to him after he was pushing me around and yelling at me at school. I hadn't remembered that but thanked her for sticking up for me.

Then, this guy tried to add my younger brother as a friend on facebook. My brother, shocked and outraged, called to tell me and told me how tempted he was to respond to him saying something like, "Aren't you the guy that used to beat my sister up physically and verbally? Aren't you the guy that egged our house and tore up the landscaping in our front yard with your truck? Why would I want to be your friend?" I told him, go ahead and do it if he wants to.

Months go by. Then yesterday my brother called me to tell me that it has been bugging him so bad that he just had to finally respond. He did, and then he emailed his reply to me so I could see it. It was AWESOME! I won't copy it here because I haven't asked his permission to share it but the point I want to get across is that my sweet brother really gave it to this guy. It started out like what I wrote above and then he went on to explain the damage he had done, not only to me personally but to our family and our home (which is true). He told him that he'd pray for him and that he hoped he'd changed and is a different person now but that he would not be his friend on facebook and "not even in real life" if he were to see him. He ended it by saying he hoped he had gotten help so that he didn't treat anyone else the way he treated me.

Well done, brother! This was so sweet and it made me feel good that my brother felt the need to do this. We just can't figure out what would motivate this guy to add us as a friend. Does he not remember? I've already forgiven and moved on a long time ago but it doesn't mean I want to connect with him in any way. I find it bizarre. Facebook is bizarre, in some of the connections it brings. Some undesirable connections can get a little too close for comfort.

Saturday Morning

It's Saturday morning already (my favorite part of the week)! This week has flown by just like last week did. November is proving to be feeling much busier now that I started preparing for the NARM (midwifery certification test). I don't have a ton to share this morning except that how impressed I am that Andrey is making me breakfast right now. The kitchen first smelled of coffee and now it's smelling like garlic. Andrey's making us an omelet and it's looking like I want to eat it soon. He's throwing in some leftover roasted potatoes and even harvested some fresh basil from the garden. Impressed, I tell you. And thankful. I love my husband and I love Saturday mornings.

These are the days we are both trying to appreciate. We just know that Saturday mornings will be one of the things we look back on and say how much we miss. That is, Saturday mornings pre-kids. So enjoy it, we will.

I just got home from work actually. I was quite happy that the clinic was quiet last night and we all got some sleep. I was hoping for that actually. Ok, breaky is ready. Will post more later.

Monday Morning

It's the start of a new week. Monday morning and I have big plans - big, as in lofty. I've made a schedule for my NARM exam study preparation and I'm a little worried I won't do a very good job sticking to it but I'm going to try. I plan to spend 9 hours a week studying - 3, 3-hour sessions - so by 9 this morning I need to be hitting the books. I've always done better with a little structure so here's hoping it goes well this time around when I have a pretty big test to study for and truly can not afford, in all aspects, to fail and have to take again. So here we go...

As I mentioned before Andrey returned from Manila on Friday evening. He flew out just before another big storm blew through Luzon. Apparently flights later that night and the next morning had to be canceled. I'm happy he made it out of there. Unfortunately the storm did more damage and flooding in Manila and other areas that were hit in the last two storms. Thankfully there were few fatalities. I think they were a bit more prepared this time around and were able to evacuate people in certain areas. It's crazy that the Philippines has endured three, large storms in five weeks and we haven't experienced much of anything in here in Cebu. It makes it hard to imagine what going on there.

Andrey is home from work today due to the All Saints/All Souls holiday. It's pretty big around here, celebrated on November 1 and 2. Most Filipinos travel to their home provinces in order to visit the graves of late relatives with the rest of the family. The graves are washed or painted. Candles are lit to usher the spirits from purgatory to heaven and piles of leaves are burned so they smoke near the grave to keep bad spirits away. A meal is eaten and food is offered to the relative. If you ask me it's a very spiritually-dark holiday.

Yesterday we were reminded of just how big the occasion was. The streets felt empty. Traffic was very light. After church we went to the mall to run a few errands but it was closed! The whole mall! Wow. I had no idea. That's when you know it's a big holiday in the Philippines - when the mall is closed. It's almost unheard of.

I have a few random photos to share from the weekend (as you can see it was an exciting one!)

Time to defrost the freezer?? Got this done on Saturday. I clearly put it off for a long time... NEVER buy a non-frost-free ref. It didn't occur to me when we made this purchase (obviously).


Do you like my fur coat? Gerald loves to pick the least convenient place to relax. He is seriously right up against my neck and face. Nice.
Have a great week everyone!

Learning and Teaching

Andrey's coming back tonight. Yay! He's been in Manila all week for meetings. I really prefer having that guy around and I'll be happy to pick him up from the airport later.

I worked last night and was delighted to get to rest for half the night because Tuesday night I was up till 5 a.m. with an 18-year-old first-time mama whose baby's father is considered 'unknown.' I find it sad on so many levels. The good things about this birth included a beautiful, precious little baby girl named Allyson and the fact that I felt really confident managing her labor and delivery. I'm starting to arrive at this place I couldn't imagine before. A place where I feel like I might actually know what I'm doing. There are still many-a-births when I don't feel this way but the number in which I do feel confident is increasing. I'm starting to feel like a real team member who contributes nearly as much as the nurses and midwives I work with that already have many years of experience.

The past few days I have been looking through tons of charts at the clinic of past births trying to find births that I either observed or managed and needed to be transported to hospital. I haven't kept of record of these because I didn't think I'd need to but turns out the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM) wants to know these in addition to the births I attended - delivered or assisted - as part of my application for the licensing exam. So I've been looking through charts. I found a few things that surprised me. In the past 5 months or so I have had the opportunity to instruct a couple of our newer staff-members (nurses getting trained in midwifery). There was a day when we had several births and Hilary was busy in the other room when a patient progressed faster than we expected and it was just me and one of the newer nurses in the room. Next thing we knew the baby's head was out and it's cord was wrapped around it's neck loosely. She panicked a little and I got to talk the her through what to do and I was surprisingly calm and relaxed (probably because cord wrap isn't that big of a deal, I may have reacted differently if it were an emergency or something serious) and was able to talk her through it instead of just taking over.

Then there was another birth I had forgotten about when a different nurse was handling the birth and she had trouble facilitating the birth of the baby's body after the head was out. I was able to instruct her and then stepped in to get it done after being instructed to do so by the supervisor on duty.

The reason I am mentioning these things is that I realize that I LOVE teaching! I love it! Who doesn't like to feel like they know what they are talking about? It's a good feeling and I'd love to do more of it. This is perfect as far as midwifery goes because there is a saying in midwifery (actually it's Midwifery Today's motto) - "Each one teach one." I have often thought about what it would be like to work as a midwife in another developing country on my own and how that would likely include training local midwives. There is a part of me that thinks it would be hard to not do births myself but I think I could really enjoy teaching.

One thing that has come out of becoming a midwife that I didn't expect is coming to understand and appreciate the significance of my father's two-decade career as a paramedic. When I took the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) class recently it occurred to me that this was the kind of stuff my Dad did knew how to do and did for so many years when I was a kid - handled trauma cases and managed a rescue car in a busy city, worked on a CareFlight helicopter. And then my Dad told me that he used to teach the PALS class. Wow! I had no idea how amazing my Dad was! I mean, I knew he was pretty great but I had no idea how skilled he was medically.

When I was a kid and somebody in my family got a bad cut or gash (usually one of my brothers), my mom and I immediately knew they needed stitches and always felt quite disappointed when my dad would say something like, "Na, it's fine. Just throw a butterfly bandage on it and it will be fine." My mom and I would usually think he was crazy and that he just didn't understand the seriousness of the laceration or we felt that the accident required more pity and babying (because that's what we would have wanted). Well, now I understand! It really wasn't a big deal and if it really were, it would have been handled appropriately. And even if there was a lot of blood, of course it wasn't a big deal considering the things my Dad saw and handled all the time at work. Sorry I underestimated you, Dad!

It's been so fun lately chatting with him about emergencies and trauma cases and growing as a care provider faced with these things or the possibility of these things. I love hearing his stories about starting out as a rookie and then growing into a confident paramedic that was able to sleep in the rescue car because by that time he had seen just about everything and was able to confidently slip in a few zzzz's on the way to a call. I learned also that he did quite a lot of teaching after he became an expert in his field. My Dad is extremely patient, kind and encouraging and I can clearly imagine him teaching a younger paramedic on the job. I feel like I may have some of these same skills. My mom is pretty great with these things, too. She teaches nurses to do ultrasound in pregnancy crisis centers around the US. I have seen her in action (she trained the GRC staff last year) and she's a great teacher, too - very patient and encouraging - so I've had great models.

My dad retired from the City of Tampa Fire Rescue department after he herniated two discs in his back from all the lifting over the years. I think these kind of jobs have a shorter life span than other careers and from what I can tell, most paramedics don't work as long as my dad did. I still don't know how he did it. I have a lot of respect for paramedics (like my friend, Melissa!), but I know I'm not called to that career. I am quite satisfied with the possibility of the rare, serious emergencies that midwifery brings and needing to be ready to handle them effectively should one arise. I never saw it before but given the careers of my parents, this midwifery thing seems quite appropriate. I never knew I'd get such enjoyment out of medical stuff but as it turns out some of my favorite things are poking people with needles to hook an IV or spending an hour suturing!!! Ha ha! The immediate, tangible result is so satisfying!

Exercise and Iron Deficiency

This week has flown by and it hasn't included even one occurrence of exercise. Hmph. I was doing so well for a while there but I have yet, once again, fallen off the wagon. I feel pudgy and weak just thinking about it. I know my body can't change that quickly after a week of no exercise and a few weeks of sporadic exercise but it's amazing how powerful the mind is.

I had nothing but night shifts in October - usually two a week. I'm not complaining because that isn't that much work but it's been busy lately and nearly every night shift has been demanding physically. My night shifts have been spaced close together - for example, Wed and Fri or Tues and Thurs. When they are close together like this I just don't get that rested after the first shift before I have to do it again, which pretty much leaves me extremely unproductive for about 3 days. I try to sleep for a few hours after being up for all or most of a night but I can't always fall asleep. Usually my head is aching from the delay in caffeine intake. I'm forced to wait till after I try to sleep. Even with a little sleep I just feel like a zombie on those days (is this what having children is gonna be like??)

Anyway, that's my excuse for the poor exercise this month. Lame excuse but most excuses ARE lame. Oh well. November is a new month and I'm working about three shifts a week with many of those day shifts plus a few half days just to help out during prenatal exams. I must try to get back at it. I feel so great when I do and now that I'm not as anemic as I used to be, exercise isn't as much of a chore or as painful (for years I always gasped for air and my heart raced even with mild exercise). I had no idea that was due to iron-deficiency anemia all those years (some nutritionist, huh?). Now I feel "normal" for the first time in years. I can exercise and not feel like I'm gonna die the whole time. I used to have to DRAG myself to do anything active before but I don't feel like that anymore. It's a new day. That, in addition to watching the Biggest Loser. That has seriously motivated me. I just keep thinking, "If they can do that then I really have no excuse!" And because I see them pushing themselves beyond their own perceived limitations, when I do get to the gym I try to really push myself beyond what I would normally do. Man, I really gotta get back at it. This is only going to get worse when I have kids. If it's this hard to stick with it now I'm really going to be in trouble later.

On a quick side note - I've tried numerous iron supplements but none made me notice immediate improvement as much as Floradix Liquid Iron + Herbs did. I felt so much energy when I was taking it and my CBC saw a greater increase in hemoglobin than when I tried other supplements containing the more absorbable forms of iron (Fumarate and Gluconate). This supplement has no synthetic iron - only iron-rich herbs. So awesome. I just wish I could get more! Can't buy it here in the Phils unfortunately and it's not the easiest (or cheapest) thing to ship.

And just so you know, I'm not wanting to exercise to lose weight as I'm at a healthy weight and have no need to lose. I've stayed at this weight (+/- 3 pounds) since I got married 7 years ago. My body likes this weight. My thyroid has been balanced for years now and weight stabilization is a benefit of that. I haven't had to change my thyroid medication dose for over 5 years. I am exercising because it is essential to being healthy and essential to retain the muscle mass that increasingly wastes away as you get older and to keep metabolism working the way it should. Plus, it is essential for decreasing the risk of cancer (and many more diseases!) - especially estrogen-related cancers. I have a higher risk of breast cancer because of the radiation therapy to my chest in 1995 so I want to counteract this as much as possible and diet and exercise are things within my control. I do pretty well on the diet end but I've always struggled to keep a regular exercise routine.

I really like the gym I go to. I just don't like having to drive 15-20 minutes each way to get there. But seriously, no excuse. Must get back at it.

War on Mice

For the past couple of months we have gone from never seeing any mice or mice poop, to seeing mice poop in increasing amounts all over our kitchen as well as half-eaten food, to seeing actual mice scurry away when we enter the kitchen. My scalp itches just thinking about it.

My scalp always itches when I think about rodents or roaches or maggots. And no, I don't have dandruff. I just feel like I want to barf when I think of these things, much less see them taking over my kitchen! So I bought some traps and strategically placed some peanut butter on them.

The result? Three mice in three days. I got photos of the last two. Oh so proud. First I hunted, then I killed. Oh and I forgot to mention that Gerald caught and ate one last week. Andrey and I were so proud of him! It's like all our wildest hopes and dreams for him were realized the day he ate that mouse. We just wished he would have done it a long time ago and would have been smart enough to catch the other three!

Oh don't think I don't see you! It's ON little buddy!

Ah ha! Gotcha! (insert evil laugh)

Oh the delight when I heard yet another loud snap in the pantry. I was giddy with excitement.

Gerald's hunt last week. Sorry the photo is blurry but you can see how Gerald has him trapped. I wasn't home but apparently Gerald played with the mouse for a while before he finally chomped him up for dinner. Crunch crunch crunch.

Cute photo of Gerald in my closet just to get the icky mice thoughts out of your head so it will stop itching - a bit of a cleanser for the mind.

And since I'm on the topic of Gerald... He was "castrated" this week. When I called to make the appointment with the vet I couldn't think of the word for getting a male cat fixed and didn't know what word was commonly used here so when the woman on the other end of the line asked for clarification I fumbled around unsuccessfully for the right word and said, "Uhh... Umm... I want to get his balls cut off!" "Ahhh, you want your cat castrated?" she said. "Yes. Yes. Castrated. Right. When can I bring him in?"

The surgery was a success and little Gerald was gingerly walking around for the first day at home. It was hilarious watching him stumble around as the anesthesia wore off. So entertaining. I even tried to get it on video and then I caught myself from being so ridiculous. Let this further confirm our readiness for children. This cat is getting way too much air time and attention. You should see how Andrey holds him like a baby and even bounces him in his arms. He's worse than I am!

Day Trip in Search of Nature: Photos

I said I'd post the photos in the movie I recently published. I just wasn't happy with the quality of the video and I wanted you to see the shots. Not that they are all that great but they give a little snapshot of Cebu and of some of the scenes we see as we drive around town. The latter shots are from our latest attempt to discover some nature near the city.

Cebu City streets not far from home...

Would you buy one of those "minute burgers"? Buy 1 take 1! (Buy 1 get 1 free) I love the phrases here. Another favorite is the Filipino equivalent of "all you can eat," which is "eat all you can." It really does mean the same thing but I find it interesting how the latter has a slightly different meaning that conjures up pictures of competitive gorging, as in "eat all you possibly can before somebody else eats more than you."

The ubiquitous rice shop (and other necessities in single-use portions - shampoo, laundry soap, etc...) Who knew there were so many different varieties of white rice?

"Wanted Boy"
Translation: handyman wanted

Scenes on our way out of the city and driving up the mountain....
Nothing says Philippines like a Jeepney!


Cow on a hill (I wish there were more than one so I could say Cattle on a hill)

Chapel

Kan-Iring Nature Park: after our drive up the mountain we noticed slightly cooler air but unfortunately there's only one trail, a 1-km loop. Most of the following shots we got because we ventured off said trail to do some exploring. The park staff were not pleased with us for that.

The beginning of the forbidden trail
We see some pretty farmland in the distance

A bit closer

Some small, pretty things along the trail

Once we reached the big tree and with the help of our zoom, we got these shots of a flower farm...