Kids and....

             How could I not mention the children and youth??

             I so wanted to bring many of them home with me!!

One comment that I believe all the team would agree with me on, is that we could not determine ages of children, youth or adults by simply looking at them.    Children we might guess at being 5 years old were really 7 years old.   Adults that I thought might be 80 years old were only 70 years old.       All of us would agree, however, that we loved the people, no matter their age!

Since it seemed we were  in middle to lower income areas, I know I was surprised at how clean the children seemed to be kept, despite no washing machines or hot water (unless heated in a pot).   Bare feet or flip flops were the rule, except for children off to school in their uniforms and more substantial shoes.

I saw children playing with sticks, using a stick to roll an old motorcycle tire.  I saw a very few kids with bicycles.   Older youth and adults liked to play basketball.   I saw basketball courts  all over in communities!   Some had concrete floors and pretty good hoops, others were merely a dirt floor and one hoop.   Basketball seemed to be THE SPORT.    Toys?     I did not see children with toys.  Well, the children who received shoeboxes at New Life Community  Church,  generally got a small toy in them.    One home Liz, Donna, and I were in with  Beth--the home of a coworker of hers--the youngest child had toys there.  (doll, coloring things, a play kitchen, I believe).       These kids would truly enjoy McDonald kids' meals toys.    I did see a toy department in shopping malls, but I reckon it is that small percentage of wealthy families who can afford any number of toys for their kids.   It inspires me all the more to really pack those shoeboxes full for Operation  Christmas Child through  Samaritan's purse, and to squeeze in some kind of toy!!   

Many of the children were pretty shy around me (us) as 'strange' Americans.They generally enjoyed having their pictures taken with us, though.   I wish I could have visited a few schools, considering my background in education.  Oh well, next trip, eh?   Of course, Sarah and Marj were the popular ones that EVERYONE wanted to have their pictures taken with!!   Aw, youth!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of school.   I gleaned that the school days roughly went from 7 AM to 4 PM.  Due to the typhoon and many schools closed for weeks and some still damaged,  children from a badly damaged school were going 7 to noonish and another group of children from the school not quite so damaged were going noonish to 4 PM.   Also, they were going to school on Saturdays to make up for days the schools were closed.    Grades are K through 10--no junior high as we think of it, so graduating at 16 and going on to college.   Some areas are beginning to adopt a junior high, so graduating at 18 and then going on to college.    Generally children have around an hour at noon to go out for lunch, or perhaps a family member picks them up to take them home for lunch.   Someone with a food business near a school will do well.

I also saw various universities and colleges; I even saw one that had dormitories; and a neighborhood that had "for rent to female student"--so an enterprising family could make extra money renting a room to a student, too.

I'll mention an adult sport that Filipinos enjoy (and Hmong and Mienh!):  cockfighting.   I took some pictures of cock "farms" and I think I got a picture of an 'amusement park' which was actually an arena for cock fighting.

   It appears to be a centuries old sport, popular in ancient Persia,  Greece, and Rome.     Apparently it is pretty important in the Philippines.   Of course, folks are gambling on the birds as to which will win.   Gambling is an issue with  card games, as well.