Week 2

April 26th: Flight Touch Down! Drive to Labayug, Pangasinan.

April 27th: To Ilocos!

April 28th: Baybay! Santiago Beach

April 29th: Church and  Getting To Know The family (To Candon!)

April 30th: Infinity Wars  San Fernando, La Union

You'll have to excuse me if i skip details. I've written this entry twice now and something has always happened when I try to save it. Either the app crashes or I press the wrong button and it exits without saving (which is annoying because it automatically saves most of the time). Now that I've gotten that off my chest. Let me begin.

  Whoa! I can't believe I've been here a week already! It'll be a 2-3 hour drive home so I figured I'd try to write this again right now. So far we have a wedding to attend and we need to get my papers in order but my mom hasnt been feeling good. I hope her health improves. I'd hate for her to deal with being sick for the 2-3 weeks shes here for.

  Turns out my goal is to go to The University of Nothern Philippines

  Major changes I've dealt with so far are traffic laws (which are still bad but they exist). There still isnt a seat belt rule for anyone except the driver and front passenger. There are also more police to enforce the laws and dont think I've seen a single beggar. Vans and cars are more frequent. The seats are comfortable but still uncomfortable for more than an hour trip (which is literally anywhere). Roads are better but the road to San Emilio is worse than Bell Street back home lol. (Think dirt road and holes while going down hill or up hill).

  Two years passes by so fast! The last time I was in the Philippines was in 2015. Now that I'm here the kids are older and I can actually spend time with them. Not that I babysat them in the past but I didnt get to talk to them and take them places like the mall.

  Today i got to watch a movie with a group of kids. There should be some pictures coming up in the queue (which im trying to do but the app sucks and my phone doesnt like viewing webpages). Hopefully, I can get my laptop set up soon. For now, all i'm doing is uploading photos to my Blogger and typing captions and tags as I go then when i get connection i can post one. Im trying to limit my text post to once a week. It give less for y'all to read and for me to Babble lol.

  Overall, I miss home. But Im excited to be in the Philippines. My skin is okay except for the heat rashes but after two weeks we'll find out if I can do this. Three months at a time is the goal. School also might be free soon. The government is trying to pass a law for free education and honestly, I think it's a good idea! What better way to invest in the younger generations than free education. If people dont like it then they dont have to go. If they go and find that it isnt for them then that's okay as well.

  My end goal is to be a teacher and make enough money so that I can tutor kids for free or based off of their family's wages to where they can afford it. People ask me why I want to tutor specifically and not teach a classroom. Well, that's because I know it's impossible to teach 30 kids the exact same way in a 45 minute to an hour class. Why do I say I know instead of I believe? Because I was there. And any time I bring it up to people who ask they always admit some sort of problem when they were going through school. Whether it's their own personal problem or someone they know.

  Right now I'm dealing with a language and culture barrier between me and my family. I STILL fight the culture barrier with my mother so I dont feel that I'll win that battle but the language barrier I can at least do something about by learning their language and listening for words and phrases.

  Language wise, I have to thank my Brother In Law Jason (Manong [mah-nahg] Jason). It's ironic that the person who has taught me the most Ilocano and Tagalog is my White American Brother in Law. He also taught me how to drink but hey... That's not bad when being raised by some who's Irish. Unlike my Uncles I can hold my liquor.! (Lol) (Also dont ask me where it goes because I dont know. I have a high tolerance. I can thank my Dad's side of the family for that).

  Before I left I tried to write a prologue and failed miserably. So here's a little about my family. My dad's name is (Sergio Balaneg Compal) and my mom's name is Helen Gallardo Compal. My dad is from Labayug, * Pangasinan and my mom is from San Emilio, Paltoc, Ilocos Sur. I have two sisters. Girlyne Compal White and Lynn Compal. My whole family is artistic in their own ways. My dad own Miller's Family Haircutters. He can draw and write. If any of you have met him you also know that he's sarcastic funny.

  Mom works for the base currently but she can sew (with no hand!) Both my parents can sing and my mom is also book smart. If you've met my mom she probably acts really nice to you and is rude to me. She also makes jokes but a lot of them are bad humor jokes like racial jokes. (Which is still funny). Something you may or may not know about my mom is that she graduated bible college and is a legal Pastor.

  So far on this trip I have spent more time with the Gallardo side of the family (my mom's side). I'm still learning names but I dont think I'll ever get spelling right. There are K's where the C's would normally go and D's where the J's go. Lol.

  I'm picking up on the language slowly but thankfully they understand some Spanish being from Texas (North of Mexico) Spanish is helpful. However, their Spanish is Spain Spanish so there are differences.

Ex:
Viente - Spanish
Biente - Ilocano and Itneg

  Another major difference is that there is more technology. More of my family have cellphones and mobile wifi. Kids are getting lost on their phones playing games and being on Facebook. It doesnt help that Facebook is free with the sim cards that's here. The two major sim cards are Smart and Globe. I have a Globe sim card. I get Free Facebook as long as their is a connection (mobile or wifi). If i want to see pictures I have to use data which I'm not sure how it works because I currently have no load on my phone and I can still see Facebook pictures. Lol.

  Think of cellphones here like tracphones except yoh use whatever phone you want as long as it's unlocked to use any sim card you'd like. Facebook calling and messaging is easier then calling or texting. The message may take 10-20 minutes to reach the person your texting. Whereas a facebook message depends on the connection of the phone data or wifi wise.

  FYI this was supposed to post on April 30th and my app said that it did but when I checked the laptop it didn't show that it existed so here you go. I had a photo uploaded to this post but this'll be the 4th attempt for me to post these words to you and I don't think I'm going to try anymore lol. I still need to write you all an update for this week so. This'll have to do. 

Email: Lusterdragon72@gmail.com (Title your email:Forward Flight)

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Thanks y'all. Tune in next week!

Shinar