Monday, 15 January 2007

Ist entry, one week in.....

Before anything else, our apologies for both the delay in which this first post has arrived and the lack of photos included. We really want to include photos because they would be able to explain, more than words could, the sights we are coming across. Stefan forgot to bring the cable to transfer the photos from camera to computer. But never fear, that is coming along soon.

We don't want this blog to be a daily review of what we are doing each day. Most days from now on will be teaching, so much the same things each day. But, being a different country, with different people and cultures, there are a few things which will, on occasion, pique our interest and curiousity. These things we will write about.

The first thing that we have noticed is the disparity between rich and poor. We've always heard about it but witnessing it first hand is something different. On one of the main roads here (another thing we could write about!) there is a, what looks to be, brand new car dealership. Walk down the road 100m and there is a squatter settlement some 200m square.

The interesting thing is that, up to this point, we have not seen anyone seriously malnourished, lacking adequate clothing, etc. Some of the Filpinos we have met live in these settlements and that fact certainly flipped us out. So we can't understand it - what we see is simply so different to anything we're used to that we haven't got any answers.

Before this gets too long, we're better stop and be off to bed. After all, it is past 9 o'clock! Good night to all, hopefully the next post will come complete with photos.

much love,

Stefan and Lara

P.S. We wake up at 5:30am as school starts at 7am