Sunday July 11

Going out last night was a different experience.  Perhaps I was not so stressed about the totally unsafe condition of the Jeepneys anymore, so I was not thinking about bald tires, riding on a bench seat with no seat belt, facing sideways, or any of the other things that seem overwhelming at first.  It was like I could see individuals, not just commuters, jammed too tightly together.

Now perhaps because I don't understand Tagalog, I am falling into the universal human pitfall of trying to see meaningful patterns in my environment, but here is what I thought I saw:  A father with two handsom young sons, taking them somewhere on Saturday evening and teaching them how to behave properly in public.  He was using humor and his example, but also telling the boys if they were not getting it right.  No yelling or hitting, but a gentle and firm father's hand guiding his sons.  I smiled watching them.

A good looking man in his 30's was sitting across from me.  A very frail lady boarded the Jeepney, and we both helped steady her so she could get to a seat.  We looked at each other and smiled.  I imagine we were both thinking the same thing, that this is how men are supposed to act, and it does not matter where they come from.  I imagined recognition from him as one of the good guys, and I believe he also felt gratified to know I saw him as a man who does the right thing.  We smiled at each other again, and I felt a brother bond with him for that moment.

Perhaps I'm just projecting my Pollyanna view of the world, but then again, maybe my vision was clearer for my rose colored glasses, not obscured by them.

Today we went to the small local super market.  We got mundane things like soap and toothpaste.  We tend to buy food daily, based on what we think will taste good that day.  We bought 10kg of rice.  I got a small lesson on choosing rice.  Apparently the smell is important, and the 39p per kg variety definitely smelled better than the cheaper varieties.  Besides type, the place where it was grown is also important.  The rice guy at the super market scooped it out, and was only a few grains off when he put the bag on the scale.  He put it in a doubled plastic grocery bag.  The girls carried everything else, and I schlepped the 22 pounds of rice for about half a mile to the regular market.  Mr Belza does not work on Sunday, but the pork butcher in the next stall does, so we got about 3/4 pound ground pork.  Adjusting your brain to realize that RICE is the main component of the meal and that meat is a flavoring, not the centerpiece, takes some time.  We also bought a lot of veggies.  Jackie says that meat is cheaper, so she has not used any more vegetables in her cooking than are needed to flavor the meat.

We looked at recipes on the internet together before we went shopping, and I lobbied a little for some veggies.  Jackie is busy chopping them right now, so we will see at lunch what she came up with.  We have to compromise because some things I like and on Jackie's black list and squid and fish sauce are on mine.  Joan seems pretty happy with whatever Jackie cooks, although she makes excellent pancakes and egg sandwiches herself.  I think it is mostly about maintaining the cooperative relationship they have, so both feel they are doing their share, so they try not to get into each others' territory.

Lunch was outstanding.  It was like a California mix stir fry, and absolutely delicious.  Joan thought the veggies were not cooked enough, but I thought they were perfect Chinese style, just the right balance of cooked and crisp.  My tummy is very happy right now.

After siesta, we had some excitement.  The doorknob to the girls' bedroom broke, and they were stuck inside until the landlord came with a big screwdriver and pried the latch open.  I thought about trying to kick the door open, but then thought better of it (humiliation factor if unsuccessful, ya know) and waited for the landlord.  Fortunately the girls had their cell phones, but I think they ended up having to yell out the window.