Hello you all, my first lines from Manila.... wow, I finally managed to get to the Internet!
There are so many things to tell you, but I really don't know where to start... Firstly don't worry anymore, I arrived fine and safe. The flight was quite exhausting, 11 hours to Bangkok, then another 4 hours to Manila. I had some problems with my ears - because they did hurt while landing because, typically me, I got ill 2 days before starting my trip. But now I'm fine again, just because of the good medicine I have with me (DANKE MAMI!!). Getting out of the airport I felt like in the Tropical Palmhouse of Vienna. Really hot and humid. Well, after panicking 5 minutes, because I was afraid they forgot to pick me up, a little philippine woman came to me and asked: are you Stephanie from Austria? and I was like: juhu!!
Then we went to Bukas Palad with a VW Bus, but we sat in the back of the bus - like prisoners cars. The traffic in Manila is HORRIBLE! There are streets which have about 10 lines - try to imagine, cars, trycicles (motorbiketaxis), people, bikes, pedlups (biketaxis) and the famous Jeepneys (old american bustaxis)!!!
Chaos! Well, then we arrived and I we went to my small "house" - (keine Illusionen vom Traumhaus bitte ( ; )
The first thing that welcomed me were lots and lots of little kids running around me and saying "hello" and mabuhay (welcome) to the Philippines - really sweet. The next thing was a big beatle in my kitchen and a lizzard (Echse) in my bathroom. Yuck.
My house has 2 floors. Downstairs the kitchen with fridge (jiphie!) and a couch and a table to eat. and upstairs - very steep stairs (wie in der Almhuette ( = ) my bed and a little "bathroom" / bathroom is a watertab and a small WC(Wasserhahn wie fuer den Gartenschlauchauf Kniehoehe und eine kleine Kloschuessel ohne Deckel, Rand zum Sitzen oder Spuelung.)
You have a shower with a bucket and a pan (Eimer und ein Schoepfloeffel) and the WC works also with the bucket and the pan - you have to put water in the WC that it dissapears, and for the toilett paper you have a basket... Yummi.
Anyway, my moskitonet saved my life (THANKS MAMI) - because two days ago I had a cockroach attack (KAKERLAKEN ATTACKE!!! IGITT) It was soooooooooo horrible, Kakerlaken everywhere - no, ok, there were 5! But they are BIG! And disgusting - ihhhhhhhh, i killed all of them (hehe ( = ) with my insect spray and a shoe.
So at the moment they don't come back - they are afraid (grrrrrrr...). But Feli told me I should expect mice, rats, spiders (already saw some), lizzards and a lot of cockroachs. Well, that keeps life exciting! ( =
On the next day we went to Bukas Palad and I saw the Clinic, the Health and Feed Programme, the Adoption School, the Production (where they produce things like e.g. postcards to sell them on a Bazaar) I will work in every project for maybe one week and then they decide where I will stay finally.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Gerade hat mir das schei**** Internet alles geloescht, jetzt ist die Haelfte von meinem Text weg.
Ok, there is also a german girl here, Theresa, and she's very nice. We can talk about all our european problems and do a lot of things together. We were at the bay of Manila, today we went jogging at 6.30 in the morning, we went to the shopping center (the mass here is in the shopping center every hour) and in the afternoon we will watch a film with the other Gens. (Gen are the young people of the Focolare Movement)
So, we did a lot of things this week, I saw a lot of new things. Feli (about 45 years old,one of my neighbours, she works in the clinic) is really nice and we always eat together and watch TV in her house. (also german news!)
Everything is new, everything is different, one week passed really fast. Next weekend Theresa and I will go with Feli to her home for the weekend (she lives 3 hours form Manila in the countryside) and on Christmas Theresa and I will go to Tagaytay for 2 weeks - it is beautiful there, a lake, a Vulcan, lots of nature, and there is also a Bukas Palad and lots of young volunteers there. So Christmas will be really nice I think (also because Theresa comes too), so don't worry Mama und Papi.... ( =
I miss you all already, but I'm really happy here, and although somethimes it"s difficult here, I know it's the right thing to do and I'm happy. Theresa also travelled 3 weeks through Thailand so she will give me some advise...
The children are great here, very open and every evening there sit 15 or more children in my kitchen and talk with me or learn me some words in Tagalog (it's soooooooo difficult!!)
The people here are amazing, so happy with so little they have. But the poverty is impressive. You really have to see it. And everything is so cheap here. For example for good pair of shoes you pay 400 pesos, 6 or 7 euros. Or for a meal you pay 1 or 2 euros. The food is good here, they cook often for me, but they eat too much rice, so now I eat oat meal (Haferflocken) for breakfast and lunch.
As a European you're so special here, everybody looks at you and says: hello mam, how are you mam, you are so beautiful mam, you look like an angel mam... alles schon gehoert.
philippinos love white skin, the european face and blue or green eyes...
So don't worry about me, I'm fine here, (except the fights with the Kakerlaken), I will write again as soon as possible.
I can't tell you everything in one story, there are so many new things here... the smog in Manila is terrible, NO fresh air at all! It's stinkin everywhere, yuck. The traffic is terrible too!
I thank you all so much for your support the last weeks, without it I couldn't have made it. And sorry for all my tears (Mama, Papa, Kati, Flo....), but I was really sad to leave you all. ) =
I have such a great family, such great friends, I don't know what I would do without you - thank you for everything, you all gave me the courage and energy to do this and realise my dreams! I love you all so much!
Hope to hear from you all soon, all my love and thoughts
Stephanie