Monthly Archives: June 2015
Scholastican Leadership Training in Baguio
I recently returned from a three-day Student Leadership retreat to the St. Scholastica’s Convent in Baguio City, which is a 6 hour drive north from Manila. Baguio is located high in the Cordillera Mountains, and as such, it’s about 20 degrees cooler there than it is in Manila. Baguio is known as “the summer capital … Continue reading
More Observations!
I’ve talked previously about the awful traffic here, and there’s no denying it’s bad – the other day I almost got run over on the sidewalk by a chain of motorcycles who had driven up on the sidewalk to try to get around a traffic jam, for example. But in a way, Filipino drivers are … Continue reading
What I Learned from Buying Pants
I think the thing that’s given me the biggest up close and personal uncomfortable culture shock so far has been shopping for pants. I didn’t bring any pants with me, because this is the Philippines. But pants are more appropriate for work environments here than some of the other things I brought, so I set … Continue reading
Food and Public Transportation
Food here includes a lot of tropical fruits, vegetables, and seafood, although pork and chicken are also quite popular. And every dish is eaten with rice, even breakfast food. The way dishes are prepared varies hugely on the region the person making it comes from, as it’s done a little differently everywhere. There are also … Continue reading
The Culture of St. Scholastica’s
Kelsey and I are doing our internships in the Student Affairs Office (SAO) of St. Scholastica’s College (SSC), or “St. Scho.” It’s a prestigious Catholic school for girls, and includes an elementary, high school, and college. It was founded in 1906 by German Benedictine nuns, and nuns still teach and reside on campus (in full … Continue reading
Getting Acclimated to Manila
I’ve been here for a couple days now, and I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of things, or at least know what to expect in certain places. I’ll share here some of what I’ve learned so far, a “Filipino Culture 101” kind of thing: The Philippines is an archipelagic nation, and there’s … Continue reading
The Layover and Arrival in Manila
***I wrote this on a word document last Saturday and I’ve been waiting to upload it, but internet connection for me has been difficult to come by*** I left Chicago with a group of 9 other girls at 8:30pm Chicago time, and arrived in Dubai at “7:10pm” the next day after a 13 hour flight. I … Continue reading
Hello, World!
I am a student at Illinois Wesleyan University majoring in Sociology and minoring in Women and Gender Studies. Due to the generosity of the Freeman Foundation and Illinois Wesleyan, I got the opportunity to do a study abroad internship in Manila, Philippines for the summer where I will be interning in the Student Affairs Office … Continue reading