I'm doing...boobs.

So I haven't updated in a long time but I'm not going to apologize.  I don't feel like I have that much interesting stuff to share with you, which is probably why I haven't felt the need to find decent internet to tell you. I've already been at my permanent site for 5 weeks but there isn't too much to say about my work so far.  For whatever reason I haven't actually taken a picture of my school, but I do have a few of my students.  

Me with some of my fourth year students at our Christmas party.  They put cake on my nose.

The school itself is super small; while officially we have about 600 students enrolled I wouldn't be surprised if only 300 or so are actually there on a daily basis.  Some big problems hurt the already difficult educational situation in this country, truancy being one of them.  Lots of my students have problems with drugs and alcohol, difficult home lives, poverty forcing them out of school, having to work long hours at night for their families, and all-around lack of motivation to do well in school.  One of my favorite students has already opened up to me about how her mother doesn't give her breakfast or money to get to school in the mornings.  The living situations of some of these people are really unlike anything you'd ever see in America.  But for some reason my students still smile at me and are excited to be at school.  
Anyway, MERRY CHRISTMAS if you're reading this.  And God bless you for being interested in what's going on with me here.  I'm settling into a pretty good routine with my host family and I'm really hopeful that they'll let me stay with them beyond the required 3 months.  Cher, the 3-year old I live with, is absolutely adorable but a little bit of a terror sometimes.  She's the one who coined the phrase, "I'm doing...boobs."  She also likes to come into my room and directs me to draw whatever she feels like.  Such as, "Draw a long beautiful hair" (complete with tossing her hair behind her shoulder movements), "Draw the dead people in the cemetary", and "Draw the boy throwing up. BLOOD."  Oh, how sweet.

I gave her that shirt for Christmas.

At first I was a little unsure about whether or not they really welcomed me and would give me the independence I'm used to, but the past few weeks with them have been comfortable.  I was worried they wouldn't let me go running by myself, but after the first time I did it alone they stopped saying "You should have a companion with you" and just let me go.  I can now officially get to Starbucks, SM mall, the port, the grocery store, the government center where I run, and the post office all by myself.  That doesn't sound all that impressive when it fits into one sentence but I'm learning here! I did get lost trying to transfer jeepneys last week but whatever.  I don't have any interesting pictures from where I'm living now because I haven't really thought to take pictures of the city or anything.  It's basically just like a Philippine city to me, which I understand isn't very useful to you.  I do have this, though, which is just a creepy picture of one of the mannequins that used to be sitting outside my house.  My family used to own a boutique in the city and are trying to get rid of their excess shop supplies and stock.  

Other than that, some volunteers are meeting up in Boracay for New Year's, which I'm excited about.  I'll actually get to spend some time in a "tropical paradise".  You'd think it wouldn't have taken four months for that to happen, wouldn't you? I'm just glad it's finally happening and I'll get to (hopefully) relax a little bit.  My host family even gave me a huge straw hat and see-through knit dress for the trip! Well, I'm going to get offline now and head home.  I think I actually can get home without going completely out of my way and having to ask a Mang Inasal door guard how to get there.  Wish me luck!