I've Updated With Photos

If you look around a little bit you'll see that I've added some pictures. I've added quite a few actually and you should look around. There are even some from allllll the way back to when I flew into country. Anyway, I thought you should know.

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions for me or requests(?) let me know. I have some free time as of late.

Here's Me at Events I Don't Know Much About

I co-MC'd an event for Day Care Workers

I led a fundraising walk with my boss, left of me.

Walking with the best of them.

Posing with one of my CPs and PYAP, beneficiaries of the walk.

Children's Congress Dance

Sometimes the dancers get upset.

Just outside is some great beauty.

Inside, the kids and parents have varied experiences.

Angry Birds

I Rode My Bike Home In a Thunderstorm

I couldn't actually hear the thunder but the lightening was visible and striking. I had just finished my workout at my gym on the other side of town when I stepped outside to see heavy rain.

Rain in the Philies is intense. In the NW I've seen some rain and know the general idea but here the rain goes a step further. The time it takes you to go from dry to absolutely soaked is less than thirty seconds. That's exactly what happened to me.

After surveying the rain and seeing the locals clinging to the edges of the building I was in, I asked a restaurant staff for a trash bag. I put all of my belongings that were loose in the bag and did a quick tie off, putting it back into my pack. With my things protected and my helmet on, I stepped into the road and into the rain.

Moments later I was drenched. The rain was so bad that I had to remove my glasses as rain just steamed across my vision. Even without my glasses I could barely see as rain pelted my eyeballs, I was squinting my very best.

The ride started slow, as I couldn't see much, but I still passed people in vehicles. I'd slow down for flooded streets and some were so bad that at the bottom of every pedal my feet would be submerged. This didn't amount to too much trouble except on the roads with potholes, that was where I'd drop into water at my ankles while trying to right myself from the surprise.

Overall the ride was fun but it did come at a cost. I hadn't realized I had my laptop charger in my backpack and I found it at the bottom of my bag in a pool of water(my backpack actually held water). I almost knew for certain it was a goner but tried to dry it as best I could, swinging it to get water water out and hanging it to dry. Just today I bought its replacement, RIP.

That's biking in the storm for you.

I Got a Bike!

I finally bought a bike. Do you know how much I like bikes? Check these points out:

• My main form of transportation from 2005-2007 was a 1980's era BMX bike.
• I only a vehicle for a year and a half.
• Through University I only had a bike (and my roommate's truck from time to time(Thanks Hunter)).

I have a long history with bikes, one of my lesser known passions.

In the Peace Corps you're allowed Php12000 for a bike and Php1600 for a helmet. After getting to site here in Cabanatuan City I put my request in for my allowance. My Region Manager said he'd look into it but asked me to make sure I needed/really wanted on. After several more inquiring texts my RM knew I wasn't going to be satisfied til I had a ride of my own.

I wanted a bike for several reasons:

• Trike rides are the main form of transport here and it's expensive and more of a punishment. Php20-30 for an angry guy to begrudgingly haul you (slowly) to you destination.
• Walking is slow
• Expanded ability to explore surrounding areas without dropping excessive Php.

The first thing I needed to do was find a place to buy a bike. I went downtown with one of my counterparts to see what the local selection would yield. There are two more traditional bike shops and their selection spanned from wildly cheap to fakes. It was the fakes that blinded my briefly, I was staring at an S-Works frame that could be built up into a Php15000 bike, cheap for me. I did some simple research online and realized there was no way those frames were legit and therefor might not be as reliable. I was on a mission for a quality ride.

After a few days I found that there was a shop North of me in Guimba. After a few texts I figured out this was going to be where I'd buy my bike. I had my eyes on some for of Specialized HardRock.

A few weeks later I had my allowance in hand plus some extra (total of Php20000), headed to Guimba for bike buying. I walked into the shop and started rattling off specifications I wanted and was walked to and fro through the shop looking at various bikes. I originally wanted a Specialized but sound their selection was seriously lacking. I was directed to a few different brands and was left to weigh the costs of each. After a little bit of deliberation I settled for the 2012 Giant Revel 3.

I rolled out of the shop with a new bike and a sack of extras: helmet, tire pump, toe clips, bike lock, and tire fenders.

The bike is nice but very basic. It looks pretty fancy but actually has very basic some cheap parts on it. It's also incredibly heavy. I want to build into a Single-Speed bike but that's a ways off as I'll need some more capital. I've already sunk a lot of my personal PC money into it. I'm rich in bike, poor in Php.

So far I'd say it's great to have a bike. There are downsides though:

• Traffic is tight and aggressive. You have to be careful when on the roads.
• Constant comments like “when you leave can I have your bike?”
• I think people think I'm better off than I really am, thanks to my flashy bike.

I've had my bike for a week now and it's been great, even with the few downsides. I even have a spreadsheet that I input my rides into and calculate the money I save. One of these days It'll pay for itself. In about 160 rides, no time really.

Ants

I still have ants in my home. I may live in a pretty nice house but that does not exclude me from having a small highway run through my room. I've decided to let them pass.

Don't think I tried to be gone with them early. I hit several arteries with the spray bottle of 30% deet and watched them never go that way again. A half day later I'd see a new lane with the same usual high density. I'm not even sure what they're after.

I haven't seen them on my food or in the kitchen. They like the bathroom and they treat my room as a throughway to the bathroom.

One night they actually got onto my towel somehow, and unbeknownst to me. I finished up a shower and was half through drying myself before I started feeling small pin-pricks here and there. A moment later I'm plucking ant bits of my soggy self. Nice.

No problem, I just don't want them on my bed.