A few cultural observations...

1. I believe I have said this already but toilet seats and toilet paper are considered luxuries here. I was warned that TP was not offered in all public places but the non-existant toilet seats was a suprise....i would like to know the reasoning behind that one. I learned to carry TP in my bag at all times and often wonder what the women do that come out of the stalls with no bag to carry TP. Do they just not wipe? Beverly(Richard's sis-in-law) said they might just wear a panty liner? And then I wonder what happens to those no-TP-women when they go to the sink and their is no soap??? or no water like in one mall bathroom? OK...enough of that mental image. Compared to here the US is a pretty sanitary place. Oh....and today Sophia went to a "public" CR-comfort room, aka restroom, bathroom- and we had to pay 3 pesos to urinate and 5 to "move bowel"which she didn't need to do thankfully...i was going to make her pay the extra if she did...hardy har har When we were leaving SOphia asked about "moving the bowl":). Oh....and you have to pour water into the toilet to flush. But since we paid to use this one we didn't bother with that. I figured that is what our money would go for!

The other day we were playing in an arcade. The games spit out tickets that could be redeemed for prizes. They had the normal toys and candy and trinkets but they also had rice cookers and portable-plastic toilet seats. Yep. You could play all day in the arcade and take home a pink or blue toilet seat. Nate said he wouldn't trade his tickets for one. No allowance for him!

2. Food. Food. ANd more Food. Everything is about the food. We eat all.the.time. I can't wait to get home and just have a bowl of oatmeal or cereal for every meal if I want! I look forward to feeling the growl in my tummy:) But I don't want to go home though....just not use to all this food! And if you don't eat you make the old people uncomfortable. The other day we were at a baby- baptism- party. My stomach was not feeling well. I did not want to eat anything just yet. But after 4 people asked me why I was not eating I decided to just get a plate of food because I was obviously making them uncomfortable. Plus I didn't want to tell anyone else that I was having cramps and diarrhea.,..or LBM as they call it here. I will let you try and figure that out!

So my picky Nate is having a hard time with all the different food.....which is causing great concern with our hostesses. I tell them not to worry about him. There is food here that he could eat but he chooses not to for various reasons. Granted that some of the food does taste a LITTLE different but come on! Just eat already! So they bend over backwards and then jump through hoops to make food he likes....but then they make that same food for evey meal. ONe evening Lola Nita made him a plate of spaghetti. Just noodles and butter...just like he likes. But he fell asleep just as we were getting ready to eat. I felt SO bad. She was so excited to present him with his food. I even prepped him on how to be gracious(something he isn't good at...yet) and say thank you... and to eat some even if he doesn't want noodles. I even tried to wake him up....but I knew that would make the situation worse...but I was going to try. Lola was OK and kept saying it was OK but I so wanted her to feel successful in feeding her guest....something that is very important to her. Something that is very important to most grandmothers! So I ate some of the noodles so her work wouldn't have been in vain. Then I figured they would wrap them up for the next day. Well wouldn't you know that Nate woke up and wanted those noodles....but Lola ate them so they wouldn't go to waste....and then when she found out that Nate wanted them she made sure he had them for breakfast this morning! They are so sweet and caring.

3. The sun is up at 5:30am. Not rising. UP. And the roosters start crowing at 3:30am. There are none here in CEbu(a very large city) but in Tangub(where the family home is) some roosters live right next door...spitting distance! Someone should inform the roosters that the sun will not be up until 5am!

4. Traffic. it is bad. Drivers. They are worse. No stop signs. Very few traffic lights. You have to be VERY aggresive to get anywhere. Big city buses(this Greyhound bus) pass small cars and motorcycles within inches of hitting them and even when another yellow bus is coming in the other lane. No seatbelts or speed limits....well there are but no one enforces them. I am not nervous while driving because our drivers all seem very confident....but I don't think I would be able to master this system!

I am writing down these observations as I realize them and want to post them to remember this wonderful cultural experience. Seeing RIchard's family in action does explain some of his quirky behavior...just what makes Richard...well Richard. He is one-of-a-kind and I sure love him!