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?