Unforgettable

I’d like to forget…

• That these kids were dealt such a difficult deck of cards
  
• That there isn’t even enough money for Baby James to have diapers and the only attention he gets is when they take him out of the crib to spray it down
  
• How hard it was to see the kids curled up to each other on cardboard boxes sleeping on the floor. I ordered mattresses the next day, but the reality is that is only a temporary solution since the mattresses will wear out or the kids will have to go back to the conditions they were in before the Holding Boys Center (HBC) which as hard is it is to believe, are worse.
  
• That the plump woman working at the HBC was the only one who tried to grab two treats from me when the kids are absolutely starving
  
• That all the women “working” at the HBC nap and eat all morning long while there are 30 plus kids that could use their attention (and what they are paid for)
  
• How the employees took some of the toys home that I brought for the children
  
• What a rooster sounds like at 4am
  
• The children outside my window at 6am are waiting to go to work rather than school
  
• The gazillion mosquito bites that not only itch, but make it look like I have extra appendages because they swell so much. There was even one morning I woke up with my eye swelled shut and I felt like I had lost a fight to Tyson. Nope, just a mosquito bite.
  
• That I woke up with a little poo by my face which fortunately I learned was a gecko rather than a rat, but it must have been one BIG gecko
  
• That I am the only one who uses toilet paper when I shack people’s hands. Please don’t get me wrong though. The Filipinos are some of the cleanest people I have met as most of them shower a couple times a day, if not more.
  
• What hit my face as the guy on the motorbike in front of mine did a farmer’s blow
  
• That when flies eat they regurgitate what they last ate so you can only guess what they are leaving when they land on the brim of your drink
  
• How young some of the girls are with the older white males. Prostitution is big in the Philippines (as in many places, even the US). I walk past it every day and when it is two adults I get it. But when it is a young girl, I don’t.
  
• How a small number of greedy people have impacted the entire world
  

I absolutely love…

• My kids!!!
  
• When the kids come running to greet me every morning I walk through the gate
  
• How appreciative the kids are for the most simple things like a slice of pineapple or a trip to the internet café
  
• That so many of the kids are excited to learn and truly try
  
• How the kids look after one another
  
• The curiosity and friendliness of the kids everywhere I go. They get so excited with a simple smile and wave that it always makes me wonder how long they will remember me, if at all. I like to think forever.
  
• How friendly the people are and every person asks the same questions starting with “Are you single?” followed by “How old are you?” and a strange look when I reply that tells me I am definitely an old maid in their eyes. Then they ask where I am from and it is always followed by “Oh, Jordan” and then finally my name. And almost all have a brother, cousin, nephew, or grandchild to introduce me to. 
  
• How everyone, children and adults alike, want their pictures taken. I think I have already deleted over 100 and the number is continually growing.
  
• How huge their smiles are with, or without, teeth
  
• The fresh pineapple on every street corner. It is one of Ormoc’s biggest industries. 
  
• Fresh mango shakes and siopao from the Ikea diner (my favorite restaurant in Ormoc). Siopao is kind of like a doughy bun filled with a variety of items including egg, chicken, and pork. My favorite so far is pork and quite honestly, the only one I have tried because it is so delicious I don’t want to try any others.
  
• Green fields of coconut trees, banana trees, and rice fields as far as the eye can see
  
• The dirt roads lined with coconut trees
  
• The sunrise over coconut trees with a mysterious mist
  
• The nighttime sky filled with every star in existence
  
• Time has no relevance
  
• The men singing their hearts out with karaoke on love ballads, sober
  
• Not always knowing where I am going. Just when you think you are there you see something spectacular and appreciate that you are yet to arrive at your final destination.
  
• The weather since the typhoon passed. The temperature has been in the 80s and 90s with clouds and random downpours that disappear as fast as they showed up. Although the clouds and rain don’t always cooperate with the camera, I appreciate the reprieve from the sun on the hot afternoons. The nights cool down just enough to make it perfect for sleeping.
  
• How my host family has started to accept me. They let me in the second main area to see all the antique furniture, hung “new” curtains in my room, and cut down coconuts for me to try. I still have to eat by myself, but every once in awhile I get included with the family dinner. I am starting to think it is more of polite gesture than anything because they are overly apologetic for the kids being loud and messy. 
  
• That amidst all the chaos of traffic and no stoplights that I have yet to see any road rage. Also, horns are used as a warning to pedestrians or other vehicles they are about to pass rather than in anger.
  
• Wearing flip flops around the clock. I am still wondering whether the tan lines on my feet are really from the sun or all the dirt embedded in my skin.
  
• The wind on my face while I tour all the islands on a motorbike. How I wish I had my Vespa!
  
• How every day is so full of fun with the kids and adventure that I collapse into bed