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Maligayang Pasko!
We've been celebrating Christmas since September 1st. Well, at least that is the official start to the season here in the Pines. We have had months of Christmas music at the mall and we've been admiring the parols (star-shaped lanterns), and Christmas lights around town for weeks.
Part of the holiday season is a basketball tournament sponsored by our local government. Steve was recruited by the team in our neighborhood (the Rockistas) and they've won all but one of their games. He's also lucky because the Rockistas are a crowd favorite, and the teenage girls watching the games are a lively bunch. They will always yell when the other team is taking foul shots and tell them to "uwi na" (go home now). 
There are a lot of places to get uniforms made around town, so every team has customized uniforms with their team logo and name.
The festive spirit really took off with our town's Lambayok Festival December 10-12. There was a beauty pagent, parade, boxing match, singing contest and dance competition. 
Students from local high schools competing in the street dance.
Simbang Gabi started December 16. This is a daily mass at 4 a.m. or 7 p.m. We joined others from town at mass this week. There was singing, a message and communion. There was only standing room in the back when we arrived, but it was fun for us to join so many people from our community.
After Simbang Gabi there are a lot of vendors outside the church selling bibingka. It is a rice flour cake made in a banana leaf on a small clay burner that has a fire burning underneath and on top. This woman is using coconut husk for fuel.
The bibingka cake is usually served with salabat, a sweet, strong ginger tea. 
Celebrations officially began at school this week with a dance competition. Each class had to create a dance and then compete for various small prizes. The songs are almost always something with shocking English lyrics, but the kids don't understand and they like the beat.
Yesterday we had a very lively party with my class of 40+ students. The party included games, eating and the kids' favorite: the gift exchange. These girls are playing the "don't drop the apple while you dance" game.
In the afternoon my co-teachers and I attended our town's teachers' Christmas party. The low-point of the afternoon was doing a performance in which the other teacher's and I danced the tak-tak mo, kili-kili and other local favorites in front of the other teachers. Living here certainly helps with issues related to public speaking and performing. The high points of the afternoon were merienda (snack time) and winning glasses in the raffle.
Today we attended one of my co-teacher's weddings. Donna is one of the sweetest people we know and we were very happy to be with her and Sath on their big day. 
The teachers from my school - my Filipino family.
Part of the holiday season is a basketball tournament sponsored by our local government. Steve was recruited by the team in our neighborhood (the Rockistas) and they've won all but one of their games. He's also lucky because the Rockistas are a crowd favorite, and the teenage girls watching the games are a lively bunch. They will always yell when the other team is taking foul shots and tell them to "uwi na" (go home now). 
There are a lot of places to get uniforms made around town, so every team has customized uniforms with their team logo and name.
The festive spirit really took off with our town's Lambayok Festival December 10-12. There was a beauty pagent, parade, boxing match, singing contest and dance competition. 
Students from local high schools competing in the street dance.
Simbang Gabi started December 16. This is a daily mass at 4 a.m. or 7 p.m. We joined others from town at mass this week. There was singing, a message and communion. There was only standing room in the back when we arrived, but it was fun for us to join so many people from our community.
After Simbang Gabi there are a lot of vendors outside the church selling bibingka. It is a rice flour cake made in a banana leaf on a small clay burner that has a fire burning underneath and on top. This woman is using coconut husk for fuel.
The bibingka cake is usually served with salabat, a sweet, strong ginger tea. 
Celebrations officially began at school this week with a dance competition. Each class had to create a dance and then compete for various small prizes. The songs are almost always something with shocking English lyrics, but the kids don't understand and they like the beat.
Yesterday we had a very lively party with my class of 40+ students. The party included games, eating and the kids' favorite: the gift exchange. These girls are playing the "don't drop the apple while you dance" game.
In the afternoon my co-teachers and I attended our town's teachers' Christmas party. The low-point of the afternoon was doing a performance in which the other teacher's and I danced the tak-tak mo, kili-kili and other local favorites in front of the other teachers. Living here certainly helps with issues related to public speaking and performing. The high points of the afternoon were merienda (snack time) and winning glasses in the raffle.
Today we attended one of my co-teacher's weddings. Donna is one of the sweetest people we know and we were very happy to be with her and Sath on their big day. 
The teachers from my school - my Filipino family.
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