May 23 - Just TEN stops today :o)

There’s puto for breakfast! We’ have one HAPPY Turner…. Because, as Turner’s telling us, “We’re in the Philippines and that’s where puto comes from.” But in addition to the puto there’s Tito Rudy’s special sinangag, cereal, isda(that’s dried and crispy) and more and more…

Geoff and I are leaving the older 3 kids with the 3 Ya-Yas of Ate Maita and Ate Karin. Totoy & I ride with Tito Rudy and Ate Karin and Geoff rides with Carlito. It's great time. I get to talk to my Ate Karin. Ate Karin and her husband(who environmental work has been published) are trailblazing environmentalists. I got to hear about their organic banana plantation (it was paid high praise by south american banana experts... cool!). Their next hope is to make their way to New Zealand.

… 1st, go to Taal to see Inay’s Ate Lourdes who’s husband recently passed away. It takes a few askings to find the house in the neighborhood without house numbers or street signs. Geoff is tickled with Inay’s Ate Dora. We have Coke and crackers and I have my first try at speaking Tagalog. Lola Dora understood me! I’m tickled with myself :o)

....2nd We visit Ang Basilika Ng Taal
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....3rd We have a most fabulous lunch.
...4th, We visit the site to where Tatay’s parish is being moved.

... 5th, Mt Carmel church… there’s a public bathroom there.

... 6th, We visit Lola Puring and Lolo Maure at the cemetery. I’m an emotional blob. Ate Karin explains to Geoff that without the locked gates thieves try and steal valuables from the deceased.

...7th, We visit the monument to Tatay’s alma mater and the cathedral.

...8th, we make our way(through asking) to the home of Lola Bating(One of Lola Puring’s 2 surviving siblings) She is a HOOT! A retired teacher. She can talk :o) Geoff wants to ask a question. Ate Karin wishes him luck in trying to get a word in. It looks like she’s with her youngest, Totoy, and his wife and kids.
...9th, we head back to Tito Rudy and Tita Ning-Ning’s. Us younger generations are departing so we must say our final “good-bye”s to Tita Ning Ning. I’m in tears, Tita Ning-Ning’s in tears. We(16 of us) get in 2 cars(4-door sedans)

...wha? I thought Tito Rody was joining us? Geoff is able to untangle himself from the Honda Civic to say “good-bye”s and “thank-you”s to Tito Rudy. So… all the kids, the ya-yas and Ate Karin go the the mall to watch Shrek 3 while Ate Maita, Boo(her youngest) Geoff, Carlito, Totoy and I go have coffee(or milk) and grown up talk. We girls have the universal experience of trying to discuss the challenges of finding balance in one’s life while keeping 2 2-year olds from wrecking a coffee shop. Ate Maita's got her hands full with 4 kids. Not to mention all their activities and the Kumon School that she owns. To add to that, her husband works in a different area and can only get home about twice a week.

Next, we head to the mall to meet with the movie gang…

Okaaaaaaay, why is mall security carrying a double barrel shotgun? After asking, it seems that after some terrorist activity in the country… this is common… a customer service I suppose. So we reunite with the kids… Thanks to the cheese popcorn Turner’s once white shirt is now more orange than the sunset. A definite sign of a good time :o) Now it’s off to Jollibee fast food! We have burgers, spaghetti(it’s a Filipino thing), and orange drink… topped off with ice cream and punctuated with trips to the Jollibee play area. It’s a wonder that we didn’t have a single vomit episode!

We say our farewells to the sounds of the cousins and Tias singing Happy Birthday to Totoy (he turns 2 on the 25th). We’re off for the 1 or 2 hour drive back to Tita Oyen’s townhouse.