Last Day In Taguig

Today was our last day working in Taguig, our second Habitat site. We have been working at this site for two weeks now and it was hard to leave because we bonded with the workers so much. Most of them are right around are age and are always down to joke around or teach us some tagalog (or admire the only 3 females on site, i.e. Jenn, Holly, and Korina : ) This site was different from our last because we were making concrete interlocking blocks (CIB..see pics from the previous post) that fit together like Legos to make three story townhouses. The work was definitely harder than our first site, but the friendships we developed easily off-set soar muscles in the morning. Since today was our last day, we threw a little party for the workers and even did a skit for them: we sang "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" in tagalog, then acted out a Filipino joke, and ended the show with a little dance. It was fun for them to witness our obvious lack of talent : ) And then we played volleyball with them, Filipinos vs. Americanos. We are all going to miss those guys dearly.

Oh, the team finally ate BALUT (the 17-day old aborted duck embryo featured on Fear Factor)!! This is how it happened: last Friday we went to visited the Mayor of Taguig, a stand up guy, and it came up in conversation that we wanted to try Balut before we leave the Philippines. He raised his eyebrow and ten minutes later an aid brought a bowl of eggs to the table. We cringed as a group. Korina was first to go and gagged, then Poyang and Holly who took it down like champs, then myself gagging almost the whole time, and finally Jenn, who liked it! If you can get over the whole eating an aborted duck embryo with potentially a beak and feathers, it really does just taste like egg : )

We have one last site to work at as our trip is coming to end all too soon. We appreciate all of your prayers and can see their effects everyday. Our hearts and prayers go out to the DR team, we think of you often.

God Bless,

Paul , Poyang, Jenn, Korina, & Holly

(the picture is of Korina eating the Balut!)