Creepy Crawlies

There are lots of insects around.  Flies are omnipresent, but by taking out the garbage often, they don't seem to be a big problem.  We are on the second floor, and they don't seem to fly in the window that often.  The air resistance of screens is just too great, and we want every cc of fresh air we can get.  There are giant cockroaches, but I only see them one at a time, not in swarms.  I may get some boric acid to put behind the refrigerator, which is usually where they seem to come from.  There are tiny red ants that mysteriously appear in swarms if any garbage is left on the laundry room floor.  Joan's Clorox work seems to keep them at bay.  There is something that bites me on the knees and legs at night.  I have not figured out what it is yet.  It leaves a red bump, but doesn't really look like a mosquitoe bite, and I haven't seen any blood suckers flying around.  The little red ants bite, so maybe that is what is getting me while I sleep.  It or they got me again during my nap.  I'm thinking it is some kind of gnat.  Of course screens don't keep them out, so I'm afraid I'm on the menu for the foreseeable future.

I made friends with the girls' 15yo younger brother last night.  Like almost all Filipinos I've met so far, he is very insecure about his English.  I told him I wasn't here to judge, but that I wanted to hear what he had to say and communicate.  I tell all my friends here that they speak English better than they think they do and can communicate quite functionally.  We watched "Sixth Sense" together, and he enjoyed getting scared by the mumus. (ghosts)  I became his hero when I got my outdoor sandal and squashed a cockroach.  He hates and is scared of them.  He is a very nice kid, and I like him a lot.  I was just thinking how grateful I am to Gwen and all my UU* friends for helping me learn to appreciate all kinds of people.  We lose so much if we only get to know people "just like us."

*UU is Unitarian Universalist
In Charlotte, NC I attended Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church

If you'd like to know more about a non-doctrinal, non-dogmatic, all inclusive church, that is committed to social justice, check out   http://uua.org

We all slept later than usual, and it was dark when people started getting up from our siestas.  Joan has not felt well all day, and Jackie didn't seem in the mood to cook, so I suggested we go get something to eat.  McDonald's here has fried chicken, rice, and gravy in addition to the Big Mac, and HERE, McDonald's delivers!  Many other fast food places do too.  There are fleets of motor bikes with large boxes on the back, decked out in the corporate colors, and driven by uniformed restaurant workers. We went to the store by motorcycle taxi, and then walked home.  It was almost a pleasant temperature for a walk.  Because Manila is close to the equator, we don't have long summer evenings like you do in the higher latitudes.  It is dark by 7 here.  Many people run little convenience stores out of the front of their house.  Joan stopped at one on the way home and bought one cigarette.  They had a lighter tied to the security bars for the convenience of their customers.  Smoking is very common here, but no one smokes in stores or restaurants.  Jackie hates the smoke as much as I do, but Joan usually tries to go outside to smoke, so the house doesn't smell bad.  Joan says she would like to quit, but she can't.  Her rebel days left her with a habit she can't break.  I'm sure there is a lesson there some where.