Thursday, July 31, 2008

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

In the afternoon, dark clouds gather over the little mountain city of Bontoc. People carry umbrellas and walk with hurried steps, eager to reach their desinations before the rain begins. At first, there is just a sprinkle which serves as a warning to the remaining stragglers to either open their umbrellas or seek shelter. Then it pours, giving new meaning to the word rain. The wind howls around the houses. The sun may shine during this downpour, giving false hope to those who have not yet experienced the mysterious ways of the rainy season. Finally the rain lets up and children rush outside to inspect the puddles the rain left.

Love,
Adriana

Friday, July 25, 2008

Five Thousand and Some Words

Hey they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I know you want us to say something after our long absence. Well, I don't have a thousand words so I thought I'd show you some photos.
Thought you would like to see how blue the sky is. The landscape isn't gray, that's just one cool effect from my camera.
After the rain, there's always a rainbow.
No, we didn't put the gecko in the jar. He got in by himself. He's in a strawberry preserves jar, but we didn't have gecko preserves. We put him on the floor after he got in, so he got out safely.
Isn't this cool? I'm still trying to figure out what I did to make that flower look like that.
This is Auntie Flor, our kind landlady, making fried chicken. Annalise is watching, maybe one day Annalise will be making fried chicken herself.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Funny Tales

I was doing my school and Mommy found this cool thing when we were finding how salt was in the ocean. We found this funny Philippine tale and wanted to share it with you.


Why The Sea Is Salty

Many years ago, the sea tasted like ordinary rainwater. It was bland and tasteless. Fortunately, the people living in the islands knew about a friendly giant who kept mounds of salt in his cave.

The people would cross the ocean on their boats to reach the gentle giant's island, and that is how they were able to bring salt back to their villages, in order to prepare tastier meals.

One time, however, the ocean was quite rough and they could not sail out to gather salt. They eventually ran out of salt and the villagers no longer enjoyed their tasteless meals. They wondered how they could get salt again, when a child suggested they ask the giant to stretch out his legs over the ocean so that they could walk to his island instead.

The kind giant agreed, and villagers with empty salt sacks walked along the giant's leg. Unfortunately, the giant's foot landed on an anthill, and the ferocious red ants started biting the enormous leg.

"Hurry!" pleaded the giant, who strained to keep his itchy legs still.

As soon as the people reached the giant's island, he immediately withdrew his foot and scratched the itchy bites. The villages just smiled at how a giant could be bothered by tiny ants.

Anyway, the people got their salt and the giant again stretched his leg over the ocean. Immediately, the ants began biting his swollen foot. Once again, the giant asked the people to hurry up, but the heavy salt sacks slowed them down.

Besides, the people didn't believe that the tiny ants could really affect the giant, so they idly chatted away, and walked rather slowly.

Before the villagers could cross the ocean, the giant cried out and thrust his ant-bitten foot into the ocean. All the packed salt fell into the plain-water sea and melted.

The giant saved the people from drowning, but no one was able to recover the spilled salt. From that day onwards, the sea became salty.


Retold Stories Copyright © 2001-2005 by http://folktales.webmanila.com Photographs Copyright © 1998-2005 by Manuel Viloria. All Rights Reserved. Homepage globe is derived from the cover of The Mythology Class, Copyright © 1999-2005 by Arnold Arre. All Rights Reserved.

Where, Oh Where?

So you’ve probably been wondering “where have those beautiful girls been?” We’ll give you three guesses. Way down yonder in the paw-paw patch? Nope. In Never-never land? Nope. Give up? We’ve been without internet. We’ll try to bring you up to date so please be patient.