Friday, August 27

The shelter where we house a lot of our clients invited me to serve as the resource person for one of their trainings they offer to staff.  It was a huge honor to be asked, and I was very grateful to be given the opportunity to help those who directly serve our clients (house parents, social workers, admin and medical staff).  I will get to do 2 "batches" of people, so I completed the first batch today...discussing trafficking sensitivity, counseling techniques for victims of abuse, self care, and behavioral management strategies.  They were so open to learning and really seemed to gain a lot form the experience, which was so encouraging for me.  I am looking forward to next week. 

Monday, August 23

It was kind of crazy tonight...I ended up spending a long time at the gym while wathcing live coverage of a bus being hijacked in Manila.  This whole time I convinced myself all crazy political unrest and super dangerous/random crimes happen in the South....and never thought it would happen here.  It's kind of rocking my world...but it's not about me.  I'm safe and sound.  My heart goes out to the families of the victims of this tragedy.

see news article here

Friday, August 20

Some of the other interns and I escorted one of our superstar attorneys to the University of the Philippines today.  We presented to one of the law classes in order to get some students to sign up for an internship with IJM.  The lawyer we were with is always so eloquently spoken and intentional with his words, I was so proud of the job he did.  At the end of his presentation he gave us the opportunity to gush over the work of IJM, as well.  I love "selling" the work of IJM to others, it always makes me so excited and reminds me of why I do what I do.

Afterwards, we got to tour the campus and I had isaw (chicken intestines) round 2.  This was definitely much better than the last time I had it....probably because it was properly cooked, and I may have had several pieces.  :)  Yes, I realize it is chicken intestines...but apparently UP is the place to go to get the best isaw.

Hair Problems

So for the past few months, every time I shower my hair just....falls out...everywhere....all over me....all over my apartment...all over my clothes, where I feel it on me but can't necessarily find it.  It sometimes is a little disturbing, but it's also good to know it's not just me....aparently it's a normal thing.  The other interns complain about it too, and there are tons of shampoos and conditioners out there to prevent "hair fall."  There are a few theories out there that I've heard to try to explain hairfall....one being that the water here is just really intense somehow, or another being that the extreme changes in temperatures (being so hot outside and so cold inside malls/offices) make your hair not know what to do, so it just falls out.

Personally, I have a shedding dog theory....that it just gets so hot here that your body wants to do whatever it can to get rid of anything that might make you any hotter...like a dog. Shedding.  Who knows.  I just hope my hair is not too thin by the time I get back to the States.

Saturday, August 14

The social workers and I helped to lead an orientation today involving social workers from all over Manila today. We have been seeking out volunteer social workers to help during rescues so that our clients can get the maximum attention they need...so we helped to train them in what to expect and how to deal with clients during rescues.  The staff did a wonderful job.  I have so much respect for them, as they pretty consistently have 6 day work weeks to meet the schedules of others and clients, so I am honored to help in any way that makes their life easier.

I stopped by a nearby mall halfway through the training to run an errand and had to take the following picture outside.

No, it is not a taxi stand....a tricycle stand.  Tricycle - a form of transportation here which is basically like a cart attached to a bicycle or a motorcycle.  Some can actually get pretty fancy...I've seen one with a blacklight in it.

I, however, took a taxi to get home tonight, and had some frustration with the taxi driver on the way back to the office.  I get so irritated when they ask for extra money just because I'm a foreigner, or say there is going to be a lot of traffic so i should pay extra or they won't take me at all....i want to tell them they are a taxi driver in Manila...what do they expect? Traffic is everywhere....sometimes I can brush that stuff off, but tonight it really irritated me....and I was just exhausted.

Friday, August 13

This afternoon I got to spend some time with a client that I have been working with on her insomnia.  She has reported having trouble getting to sleep since high school, and it has lately been affecting her work, her ability to pay attention in school, and I think a reason why she has been consistently sick over the past few months.  She came back this week so excited because she had implemented everything we had discussed, and has been able to get to sleep by 9pm every night.  She reported her dad kept saying he didn't believe she was the same girl, and felt like she was a new person.  She was so excited, and so committed to helping herself get better.  Her dedication to the process is revealed by the fact that she has to leave at 10am to get to our meeting place by 1:30pm.  Such a sacrifice and a wonderful encouragement to me.

On a different note...I relived 4th grade tonight by going to the Boyz II Men concert with some friends.  In case there was any question before, they are definitely men now...but dance just like they did back in the day.  It was really fun/funny, and a nice break from all that has been going on.

Monday, August 9

This is how I know I am getting more acculturated...more assimilated...more acclimated...what's the word to use here? I ate crazy looking fish all weekend...and never took a picture with my own camera.  Fortunately Daria, the new communications intern, did....so I thought I would post some of the delicious food (I promise I'm not being sarcastic) I got to eat this weekend...if anything so Amy can see it cause I know it grosses her out and that entertains me. :)

This is Tilapia. 

...Looks much different when it is served in the U.S., right?  This is a straight up....fish out of the water, that has been cooked.

This is boneless bangus (with my tilapia in the background)...otherwise known as milkfish and is officially my favorite thing to eat here. Seriously.

Something a little more fun and appealing....here you drink buko straight out of the shell, then they slice it open so you can scoop out the coconut on the inside.  It's refreshing. :)

Thursday, August 5

IJM celebrated another estabishment closure today. I accompanied the IJM team the last time there was a closure, only having to leave early for another meeting. When I left, one of the lawyers promised me it would happen again...and it did...this time closing the first massage parlor IJM Manila has ever done. It was really creepy going inside..looking much like a brothel. The beds were not like massage beds, but regular flat beds for sleeping...or other things, and dirty sheets were all over the place.

We went in broad daylight when the massage center was still open. The girls still looked so young, although we knew they were adults from the previous rescue. The staff there was very calm and accepting of what was happening...I think they expected it. It was incredible to see our partners lock/chain up the doors for good...with a big open sign also in full view....and also to see how excited the local officials and police officers were to be doing such a good thing. It was a blessing to be a part of, although Corey is requesting I don't go on any more in order to be safe. We are now officially out of closure signs and need to buy more. One of our attorneys says when they first bought the signs a while ago, they thought they were buying too many but bought them in faith knowing that if they had these signs they would be put to good use. Now we have to buy more!

Tuesday, August 3

Adobo is a delicious filipino way to marinate and cook any kind of meat (mainly chicken or pork). I've had pork adobo several times while I've been here, and strongly encourage visitors to eat the same when they are seeking out a tasty authentic filipino dish.  I'll tell them "go with anything adobo and you'll be good to go."  Well, I tried to cook tofu adobo tonight and....it just wan't the same.  I'm not sure I'll do it again.

Sunday, August 1

I started feeling sick on Friday and came down with a fever, which was very unfortunate considering Friday was the monthly Staff Care Day I am in charge of and Leah's Despedida.  So there were planned events all day long.  Edgar was so sweet and offered to take over for me, so I ended up going home early to try to rest so that I could wake up early on Saturday and go assist in conducting our Parenting Effectiveness Seminar.  This seminar has been something I have been working on for months, and was so excited to see it come to fruition, however it turns out I had to stay in bed and miss it.  The positive side is that I was not going to be the one presenting, as it would be best for the presenter to speak tagalog, so my job was done.  I prepared all the materials and modules for the social workers so all they had to do was present.  I was happy to hear that the training was very effective, especially during the portion where we had the children and parents write letters and then read them out loud to each other.  From what I hear, it was a very emotional moment for them both.  The social workers are now planning on using the training and taking it to several parts of Manila so we can help parents and clients in several different areas, so that makes me feel good.  My next module to work on is a career readiness module for our clients to complete before entering into the workforce and pursue a livelihood. I am feeling a little better every day...although I'm still not 100%.  I was really hoping this would just be a 24 hour thing...


Happy birthday Corey :)  Next year I promise to make an extra large yellow cake with chocolate frosting.

Wednesday, July 28

Happy birthday daddy. :)

Tuesday, July 27

My supervisor, a social worker and I are part of a ME Team in the office that is supposed to engage mega churches around Manila in partnering with IJM and helping pursue justice.  We presented today to a group of 20 pastors of a church who has satellite churches all over Manila.  I think at first they were a little apprehensive as to what we would be expecting of them, but as we shared the vision of IJM and how the church could play a role in fighting against human trafficking, it was incredible to see how motivated and pumped up the team of pastors became.  We went well into their lunch break, as they asked question after question, and they have invited us back to present to several other groups within their church.  I am very much looking forward to this partnership as the church seems so excited to do what they can to send us referrals, and support us.  They ended the meeting by praying for us, and we left feeling so proud to be a part of the organization we work for.  The presentations end up being such a good thing to do, not only for the fact that it creates partnerships, but because it helps us to really appreciate and be reminded of why we do what we do.