Amidst my own body issues there is an enormous feeling of comfort here. I think this is the people… They just keep moving when life happens. One foot in front of the other! Its amazing to watch their resilience. At the mayors office there was a job for so many people! One lady opens & closes the door, another brings snacks… they all wait patiently until they are needed and then they jump into action.
All of this causes me to question our American ways and how even I am very American. I love my home with walls and windows… I love being inside where I feel safe. I love my grocery store and take-out… But when I go home, what will I hold dear? What will I allow to move, from me? How will my world change?
A small house, 33 years ago, was gifted to me by a kind hearted and generous man who missed his daughter. 33 years later the little house is gone and has been replaced by everything I ever dreamed could fit inside of that little house… laughter, love, compassion, hope…. The house is now my symbol of the time between… I will not take Poppa Tony's house with me in physical form - now it lives in me and everywhere I go, is home… I am, home….
I am, home,
I am the wind that pushes the coconut trees
I am the fire that burns the air
I am the voice of the rooster calling to the wild geese
I am the lizard, upside down
in a world not of my own
I am the gentle breeze
bringing coolness to the skin
I am the fierce mosquito
leaving marks on the human landscape
I am the magical firefly
synching in harmony with the stars
I am the childs laughter
the community sings
the people smile
the air moves
I am of this place and yet not
my spirit remains here, and, there
I think it is better for me to live in many worlds
with more ways to think
live
be
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FRESH young coconut
BEST fried chicken, EVER
Homemade banana bread…. the smell… the flavor… wow...
Pork Adobo!!
the potato in the middle is called gaway - it is purple'ish and has a very starchy flavor.
Rice cake :-)
The food is never ending!!!! I feel like a hobbit living here :-)
YUM!
A down pour!!!! Now its hot with 100% humidity. lol
Look at the water just pouring of the tarp on the right
We rushed the laundry inside. :-)
from the hallway where my room is.
I miss these trees! What struck me about the rain is how loud it is on the buildings. Most building are covered in metal sheeting so it creates quite a noise level. I was talking with one of the workers, Berlito, and I asked him how loud it was during the typhoon. He said it sounded like bombs going off. The wind was so strong and it would come up and BOOM hit the house… He and his family survived by finding shelter space between two walls that had collapsed. They were freezing because they had no shelter from the storm. He said the bulk of the storm last 3 hours and afterwards they made their way to the community shelter. He said he made hot water to help warm the people who were shivering… Even in the midst of everything they are taking time to show compassion… This is a HUMAN trait people!! We all carry the capacity for great acts of kindness. Sometimes we just need a spark!
I was talking to Patrick about the Te of Piglet and how the Taoists practiced the idea of being child-like. Not to say we are childish, but that we look at the world with humor, kindness and allow our lives to flow rather than attempting to steer our own course. I love this notion!! I see it in play all around me. They are working hard, every day, but there are moments of rest, moments of play, moments of thanksgiving… They take time to appreciate what is given. Something that has been given to me is the warmth, depth and breadth of the people I have had the honor to meet and now call family. One of my treasured moments is around the television watching cartoons. No one laughs with me at home. They all think Tom and Jerry are old and boring, and that Bugs Bunny is just ridiculous… But I had several people watching them with me, laughing at them with me and just enjoying the moment!!! IT WAS AWESOME!!! :-)
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