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Favorite Food This Week *from FNRI canteen* : Chicken Apritada with Rice <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Crossing the street was a tad intimidating at first, there\u2019s a lot of traffic and they won\u2019t stop for pedestrians to cross, you just kinda have to go for it. The first few days the guards at the DOST compound were nice and helped us cross the busy road by standing in the road and stopping the oncoming traffic. Now I can cross the street with confidence. Speaking of things I\u2019ve learned on the road, I think I\u2019ve mastered umbrella etiquette now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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Walking Home towards the Bicutan Interchange Pedestrian Link Bridge <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.iwu.edu\/freeman2022-jtran1\/files\/2022\/06\/IMG-7895-768x1024.jpg\")
*Home* Entrance <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Because the Philippines is near the equator it is very hot and so they use umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun here. Due to my black hair, I would rather not risk getting overheated, so I use my umbrella every day. At first, I was clumsy and may have accidentally hit a few people with my umbrella but now I know how to safely pass through crowds of people holding umbrellas (either lift or lower your umbrella so both sides can pass through).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday (the 15th) my coworker friend invited Sarah and me to go see Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness at the SM Bicutan Cinema. Sadly, by the time we got off work, it was POURING. The streets were FLOODED, we had our umbrellas but that didn\u2019t stop the flooded streets from pouring into and over our shoes. That was the first time I had ever experienced that magnitude of rain and flooding (which is common here since June-November is rainy season in the Philippines) . Because of the flooded streets, I got to ride my first tricycle (a motorcycle with a small cart for passengers to ride in).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nOn Thursday (the 16th) night, I decided to do laundry. Unfortunately, the hose on the washing machine broke which drained all the water before it could properly wash my clothes. Ate Malou saw the hose break while doing her laundry and went down to our unit to inform us. She also offered to help me wash my clothes, let me borrow hangers, AND helped me hang up my clothes. When I got back to the unit I honestly got so emotional while telling Sarah what had happened. I never expected someone to show me, a mere stranger, such kindness. The whole situation reminded me of when my aunts used to help me when I was younger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
-\u201cAte\u201d is the Filipino word for older sister. –<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sarah\u2019s supervisor invited us to her hometown, Pagsanjan Laguna, for the weekend. On Saturday (the 18th) Sarah and I went on a boat ride to Pagsanjan Falls where two boatmen guided us over rocks and heavy currents to reach the falls. Afterward, we went out for lunch with Ma\u2019am Cean and her husband at this Chinese-Filipino fusion restaurant that overlooks the river. They also took us to the church they got married in and Ma\u2019am Cean\u2019s brother\u2019s coffee shop. In the states I would have never imagined to visit the hometown of someone who’s considered my supervisor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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On The Way to the Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.iwu.edu\/freeman2022-jtran1\/files\/2022\/06\/IMG-8041-768x1024.jpg\")
The Cave Behind Pagsanjan Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.iwu.edu\/freeman2022-jtran1\/files\/2022\/06\/IMG-7986-1-768x1024.jpg\")
Rocks and Dragonflies on the Path <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.iwu.edu\/freeman2022-jtran1\/files\/2022\/06\/IMG_8006-768x1024.jpg\")
Pagsanjan Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.iwu.edu\/freeman2022-jtran1\/files\/2022\/06\/IMG-8116-1-768x1024.jpg\")
Honeycomb Latte at Ma’am Cean’s Brother’s Coffeeshop <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.iwu.edu\/freeman2022-jtran1\/files\/2022\/06\/IMG_8168-768x1024.jpg\")
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish Church<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\n I never thought I would be bonding so much over my love of Korean dramas in the Philippines. In the Philippines there are a lot influences from Spain, China, and America which is reflected in their cuisine and architecture. While their entertainment preferences appear to be heavily influenced by Korea (there is a lot of kdramas on Philippines Netflix that is not offered in America). On the way to Pagsanjan we passed three Korean restaurants and even ate Korean Barbeque in Los Ba\u00f1os on Friday night. The advertisements here also have celebrities and idols from Korea, I’ve seen NCT Dream (a kpop boy group) on an advertisement in SM Bicutan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Second Week Takeaway: Filipinos are dedicated and hardworking. I thought my walk to work was intense but hearing how my other coworkers get to work. I am quite thankful our residence is close to FNRI. While putting on makeup in the bathroom for her meeting, one of my coworkers told me she takes two jeepneys to work. My other coworker told me it takes him two hours to commute by bus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\nTill next week, Jess \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hello again! This week marks my first official full week of working in the Philippines. This week has gone much smoother than last week. I can feel myself adapting to the way of life here. I won\u2019t lie, the heat … Continue reading