PORK REALlY ISN'T KOSHER!!

During the last week I downloaded a few movies to show the kids

that would visit over the coming weekend.  So Friday night I showed my all time favorite Disney movie

"Old Yeller."  I had my doubts that they would appreciate this classic but I have always had the idea that kids are kids.  A good classic is always a classic just have to turn off the game boy for a few minutes.  Really  

I made this a big movie night thinking popcorn would be nice also.  I hadn't realized that my guests had never popped popcorn.  They were kind of laughing when I showed them the bag of unpopped kernels.  I think they thought the strange man from the USA wants us to eat that." That's popcorn in his country!" I think they were saying.  I got out the popping pot, added oil, and then just 3 kernels.  My way of making popcorn.  The top of the pot was clear and I asked one of the kids

 if they wanted to watch.

  I don't think they really were sure what they were suppose to watch.  Most of the kids had walked away.  One of the kids was looking at the sizzling kernels and as the first one exploded, she jumped but quickly looked back again.  The next two kernels exploded and the biggest toothy smile went from one ear the other.  I opened the pot and covered the bottom with kernels.  The little girl turned to me and smiled calling her sister to come quickly from upstairs.  They stood there looking in the pot, and then the explosions started. 

 To see two so excited about popped corn was really quite enthralling.  You couldn't help but smile loudly.  Not of course at the corn, but at the sheer innocence at there new discovery. A memory to last a lifetime.  Old Yeller starts with a very hokie old song. 

"Old Yellerrrr Old Yellerrrrr greatest dog in the land, Come back Yeller" on and on...  Fast forwarding over the weekend, versions of that song permeated the silence, all from little Filipino voices singing for the last 72 hours.  

Watching the kids watch the movie was another one of those moments where its hard not to smile.  Eyes wide open, little hands reaching into the popcorn bowl, then hands

rhythmically dropping one or two pieces of popcorn in there mouths.  Never taking there eyes of the screen. They really loved that movie, and I was really surprised when I came down the steps the next morning and they were all waiting to watch it again!  Old Yeller still watched and loved after all these years!

It has been days since I wrote anything here.  I have been experiencing the most incredible bouts of not being able to sleep.  The minute I fall asleep, any sound wakes me and then takes me forever to fall back to sleep.  So focusing has been really hard.  But I will push on, for the one or two who reads this.  I have been spending a lot of time here at the house.  The regular tourist things have been done, and now everything takes on a more regular routine.  I enjoy this part of my journey.  Just listening to everything, watching, going grocery shopping, all the basics that all of do.

 Just doing it all in the Philippines.  

If any of you out there have access to used, and sure it can be new clothes also, please think about putting it aside for me. Shoes, sneakers, sandals are also in great need.  Winter clothes are not needed.  It is extremely hot here.  I am going to try to collect as much clothes, shoes and children's books as I can.  Not as a one time thing, but as an ongoing enterprise. Children's clothing are in great demand here.  Even adults need everything here.  Kids are running around naked all the time.  The ones I have seen are mostly under the age of 3.  

I have plans to return around the middle or end of February. That's my plan anyway.  If you put anything aside I will try to pick it up when I return.  Or we can make some kind of arrangements.  I have no dates set for anything, nor do I even know where I will be living at this point.  I do know that I will leave this house around the 13th of January, and will head to this little house I rented on another island.  The house sits up on a hill, and you can see the ocean from all sides.  Looks amazing!  The island is much more of vacation spot for most.  Many resorts and beach bars.  Not anything that I enjoy, but the owner of the house told me that "for people that know there way around there are many many little deserted stretches of beaches."  The house come with its own expert, lol.  So I'm so looking forward to this next part of the trip.  It's still over a month away but time has just been flying here.

In the mean time, and for the next month  a few of the kids that I have taken "in" have birthdays.  We will try to celebrate as much as we can.  Christmas is coming and none of the kids have had a Christmas tree, so that is another little project.  I'm going to teach them to string popcorn, and make paper chains to decorate the tree. I've never had a tree, but what a perfect time to start. Then of course New Years, and what I found out yesterday was really interesting.

I was reading an article in the newspaper, and they were talking about taking it easy over the holidays, it can and usually is a very dangerous time here in the Philippines.

The article started talking about not eating to much pork, which is a huge favorite here. 

The article went on to the abuse of alcohol. Which I dare say, alcohol is abused way beyond our abuse in the USA.  But here's the kicker. There are no drunk driving laws!!  No roadside sobriety tests, no legal limit.  Just get hammered and off you go.  If your weaving down the road, as long as you don't harm anyone it's all Kosher!! Accept that thing about the pork, that ain't Kosher!!