Happy Fairy Birthday!

Fairy Annalise
Today, Annalise turned 6. She finally got her fairy wings. She’s been waiting 6 years for. Annalise has a new name Flower Fairy.

Love,
Alexie

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

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.

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.

Goodbye Traptows!

Goodbye Traptows! (4 of whom are crazy Canadians the rest of which are not so crazy Canadians)

We had spent a few days with our friends from Canada in Baguio. They gave all us girls umbrellas. We needed them because it rained every afternoon there. They share the house with some of our Filipino friends who own a sari-sari store which is like a small snack store. They also live by a pool with freezing cold water. (We swam in it anyway.) They also had HOT showers. (Thank you, thank you, and thank you!) The crazy Canadian part is that Jesse and Ben are also trying to make us wrestle them and we always win! And Xander and Josh have always been crazy! We’re just teasing them you know! They were excellent hosts! They took us swimming; they showed Mom and Dad the best places to shop and Mrs. Traptow gave us books! CLAP! CLAP! HOORAY!

Home, sweet, Bontoc
We are now home. The bakery underneath us only bakes cakes not bread and meals. Our house is wonderful. We have two bathrooms; EACH one has a western style toilet. I have my own room. It has yellow walls and a horse picture on the wall. Sounds like I got lucky! We have two geckos (always a necessity in my opinion). We have a living room, a kitchen and a laundry room.
Our landlady Ata Flor is very nice. Yesterday she invited us to lunch at her bakery. She has come every day to see if we need anything. She has chickens. There is a papaya tree in the courtyard. Papaya is a year- round and very delicious fruit. Her husband teaches algebra, calculus, physics and geometry. I have a scary feeling about how this might affect my math classes.

This little family went to market….
Yesterday I saw a monkey on the top of a jeepney. No, he was not in a cage.
We went to market to get food and pots. We had two Filipino guides. Everything is sold by the kilo here. Besides food, we bought 2 buckets, several pots, and two laundry baskets. You should have seen us coming home. Two Filipino strangers asked to help though.
The rice didn’t turn out so well. We’ll have to keep trying.

Fun Facts
Yesterday I tried some food cooked in pig’s blood. It was good.

There was a lady selling snails in the market.

Monkey is an insult here.

Bike Trikes and Rice

I miss my family and friends. I want to come back, but I am making new friends here. I want to say I love you.

Butterflies are my second favorite, favorite thing. It is my nickname, too.

There is lots of rice. That is my favorite food (it is) in the Phil – i – ppines .

My favorite book is Fancy Nancy. The Fancy Nancy book I brought with me is Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris. I haven’t read it yet.

We were going to the YWAM office. We went in a bike trike (that rhymed). There were 4 of us in each one. We had 2 friends with us.

Grandma, I am doing great.

My cousins, I miss you. (I do!)

I wish I was with my team from last year. Then I could be with Abby. Abby is 5. I am going to see Abby in a couple days.

Love,
Annalise