Armed with my iCal and xPad, I set my
agenda and categorized memo the night before. I wanted to be
“productive” right from the beginning of my day.
Wednesday. 4-5am. In all directions, unending crowing stream from neighborhood roosters plus barking from all the pet dogs. I’m used to this by now. I grab my earplugs and eye mask (thank you, Southwest Airlines) and turn on the “A.C.” (air-conditioner) to further blur out the lively, morning sounds.
Ahh silence. I fall back asleep.
I usually wake up around between 6-7am, but I woke up late today, around 7:30am. I immediately go to my laptop to have a Skype meeting with the co-coordinator in Manila, and he said anytime between 6-8am (generally speaking, meetings in the PI are in a time frame).
Internet’s connected, but nothing is working. I check the wiring. Everything’s plugged, all the lights are on…
I wait, and decide to work on something else…
All the necessary connection lights are on I think, why is it still not working? Wait, the “Internet” light is dark. Internet’s down, even though my computer says it’s connected…
Back-up plan, I’ll call him from a landline. I pick up the landline, no dial tone. All the wires, everything is connected… I ask my Ate En-En for help. She doesn’t know why it’s not working either.
Okay, I’ll just text him to say I can’t meet with him this morning. But wait, my cell phone ran out of “load” last night. (“Load” is like pay-as-you-go, which is the plan that most people have here.) No load = no texting/calling anyone.
I get ready and set out to buy load at a nearby store. I was only planning to be there for 5 minutes, but the friendly store owner Sinoat starts to chat with me, which I’m very open to doing. What began as a conversational chat became a brim-stone and fire sermon, complete with passion, poise, and pointing. I listened intently, taking mental notes of a few things he was sharing with me.
Sinoat called me out on what I was wearing (shorts and a razorback tank top. My hair was up in a bun, thus exposing my back - this was my first time ever putting my hair up in the PI). He pointed at what I was wearing.
Text notification that I have more load.
I say my goodbye a little while afterward, and immediately, Sinoat puts his smile back on and says, “Okay thank you! We’ll see you soon!” I go back on the street, heading in the direction of my Uncle’s House.
Cars honking, dogs barking. Me maneuvering around people. Put on my sunglasses and open my umbrella. It’s not raining, but the sun is shining brightly.
I arrive back in the room and text my co-worker, apologizing for not meeting with him and send him my dog-ate-my-homework-but-I-swear-I’m-telling-the-truth text. He completely understands and replies with the usual smiley face. (Emoticoms are huge here.) Internet’s still not working.
Probably due to the weather, he texts back.
I take Sinoat’s suggestion and read my Bible. Always a good read. (Maybe this was the way I was supposed to start my morning…)
Look at my watch, 10am. I had a meeting and was going to be picked up at this time. He picks me up at 10:45, apologizing for being late.
“No worries! I was just working on other stuff.”
I’m getting used to it by now. Just a few modifications here and there. No worries. :)
Wednesday. 4-5am. In all directions, unending crowing stream from neighborhood roosters plus barking from all the pet dogs. I’m used to this by now. I grab my earplugs and eye mask (thank you, Southwest Airlines) and turn on the “A.C.” (air-conditioner) to further blur out the lively, morning sounds.
Ahh silence. I fall back asleep.
I usually wake up around between 6-7am, but I woke up late today, around 7:30am. I immediately go to my laptop to have a Skype meeting with the co-coordinator in Manila, and he said anytime between 6-8am (generally speaking, meetings in the PI are in a time frame).
Internet’s connected, but nothing is working. I check the wiring. Everything’s plugged, all the lights are on…
I wait, and decide to work on something else…
All the necessary connection lights are on I think, why is it still not working? Wait, the “Internet” light is dark. Internet’s down, even though my computer says it’s connected…
Back-up plan, I’ll call him from a landline. I pick up the landline, no dial tone. All the wires, everything is connected… I ask my Ate En-En for help. She doesn’t know why it’s not working either.
Okay, I’ll just text him to say I can’t meet with him this morning. But wait, my cell phone ran out of “load” last night. (“Load” is like pay-as-you-go, which is the plan that most people have here.) No load = no texting/calling anyone.
I get ready and set out to buy load at a nearby store. I was only planning to be there for 5 minutes, but the friendly store owner Sinoat starts to chat with me, which I’m very open to doing. What began as a conversational chat became a brim-stone and fire sermon, complete with passion, poise, and pointing. I listened intently, taking mental notes of a few things he was sharing with me.
Sinoat called me out on what I was wearing (shorts and a razorback tank top. My hair was up in a bun, thus exposing my back - this was my first time ever putting my hair up in the PI). He pointed at what I was wearing.
Text notification that I have more load.
I say my goodbye a little while afterward, and immediately, Sinoat puts his smile back on and says, “Okay thank you! We’ll see you soon!” I go back on the street, heading in the direction of my Uncle’s House.
Cars honking, dogs barking. Me maneuvering around people. Put on my sunglasses and open my umbrella. It’s not raining, but the sun is shining brightly.
I arrive back in the room and text my co-worker, apologizing for not meeting with him and send him my dog-ate-my-homework-but-I-swear-I’m-telling-the-truth text. He completely understands and replies with the usual smiley face. (Emoticoms are huge here.) Internet’s still not working.
Probably due to the weather, he texts back.
I take Sinoat’s suggestion and read my Bible. Always a good read. (Maybe this was the way I was supposed to start my morning…)
Look at my watch, 10am. I had a meeting and was going to be picked up at this time. He picks me up at 10:45, apologizing for being late.
“No worries! I was just working on other stuff.”
I’m getting used to it by now. Just a few modifications here and there. No worries. :)
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