Easter Dinner at Nikki's

Nikki, one of my favorite undergrad classmates, invited me and a few other friends over to have Easter dinner at her house last Sunday. She (amazingly!) cooked everything we ate. We had ham, which they said was traditionally a part of Easter celebrations (and which I didn't eat, of course), corn with cheese, rice with beans and bacon (Nikki made a vegetarian version for me), Greek salad, baked beans, and sweet potatoes. Among all these, the sweet potato dish intrigued me the most. The American students said that it was a common dish in the US, and that the way Nikki prepared it was the way they usually ate it. She baked the sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top. It was unusual for me, but it was pretty good. Mostly because it had a lot of sugar. Then we had apple pie a la mode (More sugar). You can't get more American than that!

I think I've been lucky to have American friends who have given me a chance to see other parts of life in the US. I've heard that a lot of international students don't even set foot in American houses even if they stay to study here for years. It was great to see and taste food that they normally celebrated Easter with, especially since this holiday is very big in my country. I'm a very staunch believer in learning about other cultures through food ;)

Bye, Gil!

There was a farewell party for Gil last night at Bob's house, since he is leaving Columbia for good on Sunday. His Master's in Dispute Resolution is only two semesters long, so he's off tomorrow for what he calls a six-week "externship" in New York. After that he goes back to his little town of Ormoc, Leyte. Gil has a good heart and many friends, so this party was only one in a series of despedidas for him.

Gil and I are the only Filipino Fulbrighters who went to the same school in our batch. Knowing him has been a very interesting experience. He made me realize just how very different people can be, even if they have their country and the Fulbright community in common. Because after spending some time with him, it seemed these were the ONLY things we'll ever have in common.

Consider his comment about women and beauty which he reiterated during the party, where there were Americans, Iranians, and a South African. (I brought Felicity along as a witness to Gil's expected proclamations.)

Gil: I think that American women are more beautiful than Filipina women. All the students I see could be actresses back home! Filipinas mostly have inner beauty!

Me: (taking this as a personal insult, of course) I don't know about the women where you come from, Gil, but in Manila, there are many beautiful women!

He also had a comment about personal hygiene.

Gil: Did you know that we Filipinos do not like toilet paper?

Me: (thinking, now I understand why people think we still live in trees) I don't know about you Gil, but the Filipinos I know are on very good terms with toilet paper.

Felicity: I think Gidget wants you to stop using the word "we", Gil.

He expresses more views on hygiene.

Gil: The weather here is warm like in the Philippines, but here I noticed that clothes do not smell. Gidget, do you use deodorant?

Me: (to the group) That's it. From now on, I'm officially Taiwanese. I do not know this man, I've never been to his country.

Finally, as the party was about to end, he delivered the coup de grace.

Gil: Gidget, did you gain weight?

Gidget: (ARRRGHHH!) I hope you realize I'm never speaking to you again.

I hope he didn't get offended by these exchanges. It was just so strange to see how disparate our worlds are, despite coming from the same country and having a similar academic background. Don't get me wrong; Gil is a well-meaning good guy who will probably go straight to heaven on judgment day (definitely more than I can say for myself).

However, when he talks about his culture and his experience of being Filipino, sometimes I feel like we literally come from different worlds (I'm talking Milky Way here).

The Two Seasons of Missouri

I never thought I'd be so preoccupied with weather, of all things. But the weird weather (strange to me, at least) is really puzzling to me. I had heard that Missouri has very distinct four seasons. But I've been here for eight months, and so far I've only seen two, really. In autumn through winter it was freezing. And now, just a couple of weeks into what was supposed to be spring, it's already summer hot. I therefore conclude that just like the Philippines has only two seasons- wet and dry- Missouri likewise has two. Very hot, and very cold. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I Love Daylight Savings!

Finally, I can feel the arrival of spring (fingers crossed)! There are a few flowers now, and I actually hear birds chirping when I wake up in the morning. The temperatures are also higher, now ranging from 10-22 degrees Celsius (a big relief from below zero weather). The best thing is, they moved the clocks forward last Sunday because of daylight savings, so we get an extra hour of sunlight. So now, it's still bright even if it's almost 8pm.

I didn't realize how much the sun affects my mood. It actually makes me happy! I did realize that I was getting the winter blues a couple of months ago because it would be dark by four o'clock. Now, I feel more productive since I don't want to stay in bed all day. The sun was something I also took for granted back home, since the lengths of time where there was sunlight stayed pretty constant. I can hardly wait for the summer, with even longer days, and warmer climes!

What I Miss Most

I've been in Missouri for almost eight months, and I haven't really felt homesick. Of course, I miss Caye, my friends and family, and my dogs, but I've managed well so far, thanks to email, Skype, and iChat. What I've been missing aside from the people back home, surprisingly, is the sea (no virtual water will do). I never thought I would be imagining being by the beach or in the water so much.

The sea is something I've taken for granted, because it's always been a relatively short drive away. Now that I live in a very landlocked state where the ocean is a flight away, I find that I have a hankering for even a glimpse of a vast expanse of water. I've resolved to go diving more frequently when I get home, and find more time to stay near the sand, sun, and sea. The sea clears my mind, soothes my spirit, and gives me a sense of well-being. It's one of the advantages of living in my country, and I've never had a greater appreciation of it than I do now.

Spring is here?

Today is OFFICIALLY the first day of spring. I have long waited for this day, since I've been rather sick of this Missouri cold. I thought that spring would bring warmer weather. Well, last night, snow fell. And as I was walking to school this morning, there was more snow. Today's high was 0 degrees Celsius. I guess the weather here doesn't follow the calendar. I shouldn't have so easily believed the rumors that spring was on its way.

What Children Want To Be

While I was at the Columbia Public Elementary School, I saw some papers tacked onto the walls along a school corridor. Students had written what they wanted to be when they grew up on sheets of paper which they then posted. Here a few examples of what they wrote. (And they say there's no sufficient proof that media has any effects on the viewing public.)