McDonalds

I would be lying if i told you that everythign has been great. Yesterday was very tough and i cried a lot. The school where I am interpreting has a special ed class that wanted me to help teach. I didn't want to and was trying to turn the teacher down several times. Finally she asked me if i could for only 20 mins. I agreed. She told me to teach them english and then she left. I was not sure what to do because they were all talking in Waray Waray and I already don't understand them but then you add the mental disorders on top of it. The teacher didn't come back for and hour and 15 minutes. It was horrible! I have no patience for 15 MC Filipinos. Also i came here to be with the Deaf so I had to miss the Sophomore science class to be with the MC kids. I was very upset. I think everything jsut caught up with me. I came back to my placement and I cried a lot. There was a party for on e of the volunteers that left today and I went but I ended up leaving because I cried. There is one volunteer who makes me smile all the time because he is Irish. So anytime he says anything he makes me smile because he has a thick accent. But he talked to me a lot last night about Deaf around the world and it really made me feel better. He is great. But tomorrow he is going to another Island here in the Philippines to volunteer for a month. He has been here for a month already and he will come back to Tacloban for one more month. So at least he is coming back But I am trying to get involved more with things that are going on now that the time change isn't effecting me much anymore. As i said before they us French Sign Language here. As I had prayed and sobbed over to my Jesus it has come pretty fast to me. Today was great with the Deaf kids. I spent about an hour and a half praying and preparing for the day. It went very well. The students in science were able to really learn what the lesson was about. The teacher said taht it is the first time they ahve finished a quiz and gotten every answer correct. I ddin't give them any answers but i made the question very clear to them. I was so proud of them. They learned the Water Cycles today. Everywhere I go the boys sing that stupid song, " You're way too beautiful girl" When i get home I don't ever want to hear that again!!!! After interpreting today i met another volunteer at Mcdonalds. Her name is Monica and she is from New Zealand. We went and looked at the different shops. There is a lot of stuff that is really interesting to me. Also i like to bargin! I rode my first threewheeler yesterday. It is just a motorcylcle with a fancy side car and roof. Also today i rode my first bike. It is the same set up but with a bicycle. It was alot of fun. I liek that the best but it is very slow and costs the same amount of money. It is 25cents american everytime you get on a vehicle. The Mcdonalds here has everything. They ahve chicken wings, breasts, rice, spaghetti, and everything we normally have. But all the meals are at least 1/3 of the size of american mcdonalds. even the soda glasses are very small. Their large is smaller than our small! But that is good. then i won't be eating a lot i guess. it is so hot that i am not very hungry anyway. i drink a lot of water. My homestay buys mineral water for me. It is one of their requirements. OHHH... so everyone here wants to have white skin. They have whitening lotion. like our tanning lotion. they think i am crazy when I explain to them tanning beds and our tanning lotions. It is kind of ironic.
It is wednesday afternoon 4:30. You guys can email me about what is going on. it is nice to hear from home.

toni.ripplinger@gmail.com