Life in the Philippines

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were one? Ok so it’s a teasing headline.  I know of no plans to bring a Sonic franchise into the Philippines but having had Sonic today I sure would like to see it. I dont eat at one often but I do enjoy it. For the summer Sonic has added Sonic Chillers, which are the limeades with soft serve.  So imagine a Cherry Limeade, with some vanilla soft serve topped with a slice of lime, some cherries and whipped creme. Yummmmm

This is a bit long in coming, I intended to get back to showing more pictures from when I went to AF Basic Training graduation weekend at Lackland AFB. But I got caught up in so many more things on going that I didn’t get back to the picture files.  I’ve had a few discussions recently with folks asking about BMT so I thought I would get a few things up over the next few days to give an idea of  what the trainee’s life is like. The picture above is a typical basic training bunk at Lackland AFB. Not exactly the queen sized bed my trainee was used to, but when you are one of 50 you get your minimal space to reside in.  And yes, even those who are not bed makers before they go in will be by the time they leave.  Well either that or they swapped the duty off with someone else and may have done something in exchange for someone else making their bed.  BMT like military life counts on teamwork so even though all beds are made, it may not be your trainee’s job to get it done.  The small white paper in the center is a 341, which is a form used by instructors to write up something. It can be either good or bad even though having a 341 pulled usually brings back not so pleasant memories for most!

When we first arrived we were concerned that Duchess might get in the pool without us being around.  We should not have worried, she has no love loss for the pool. Odd since she likes a bath, but she just does not like the concept of being in the pool. But of course you know it had to be tried out, just to see what she would do.  It didnt take her long to paddle her way over to the side and say “Let me out of here!”

And then she had to do the Basset Hound water shake:

And as you can see, there was no happiness on her face afterwards. We definitely don’t have to worry about the Basset Hound and the pool at this house!

Last month when I was in Korea I picked up a souvenier or two. At one of the shops the sales lady was insistant that I needed to see the Wedding Ducks.  I’ve always had a fondness for carved ducks so she made a sale.  She told me they were Wedding Ducks and were to symbolize many years of happiness ahead.  OK, I’ll go for that. Can’t hurt to add a little more good karma to the odds.  After getting home I did some reading about the ducks and there are many stories about them.  One says there is a rope around the female ducks bill to remind her to be quiet in her Mother in law’s house.  Another tells of how the duck carvers only carved so many sets to give to couples and they were selected by the father of the bride to carve the wishes for longevity in the marriage.  Others tell stories of how the bride catches the ducks and other things at the weddings to predict things about the marriage.  Regardless of which, if any, of these is true I think they are beautiful carvings and we love them.

I never thought much about monsoons, or rainy season because I have never lived in a region where it impacted day to day life.  And I guess here it doesn’t for the most part.  The Filipinos take the rain in stride and move on.  They keep working, or wait for it to stop raining and get back to work afterward.It actually has not rained much in the last few days but a week or so ago rain was all there was. And it is hard rain. The first time I heard it I thought it had hail in it. Now that would be pretty odd since the temperature was in the 90s so the chances of chunks of ice falling from the sky are slim. The sad part about the amount of rain received is that many  houses flood even with small amounts. The drainage is inadequate and water stands in the worst of places. So as I lay in bed at night and the pouring rain is hitting the roof, all I can do is wonder how many people are worried about how high the water is rising. I am sure they have dealt with it so long that they probably lose less sleep over it than I do. Of course, from that thought my mind goes to how many children are living on the streets and dealing with the hard rains. It’s a tough thing to think about. I know it happens in so many places in the world but it just seems that somehow, there should be a way to end the cycle of so many living in such poverty. Rainy Days and Mondays….