May 26 - Kids' FIRST beach experience...

It’s time for a monster breakfast and some PI equivalent of Sesame Street. I’m not sure when we’ll be going to the beach so I dress the awake boys in their party clothes for later. Ronan has a “Lolo” moment and asks Tita Oyen at the breakfast table, “Do I look good?”

I wash a few clothes in the bathroom sink while regretting that I didn’t leave the rest of the dirty clothes with Manay Nori in Manila. Because, after just washing a few clothes… I’ve decided that everyone can just get around dirty for the rest of the stay in Irosin :o)

Today we go to Tito Eddie’s beach! We’re getting dressed. Tita Oyen’s house-help is packing lunch and climbing trees to get fruit for the trip. One young man returns with guavas and evidence of attack by some sort of worms. While Tita Oyen goes looking for something to treat the welts we get to take a peek at Tito Eddie’s clinic. When he’s in town the folks starting lining up as early as 6am for the free clinic he runs out of the house.

So it’s off to the beach! The pictures ALMOST say it all. I don’t have lunch photos of the freshly grilled fish, the steamed rice, or the fresh-from-the-tree mango and guava. Oh! I almost forgot, there’s also buko(young coconut) from the coconut trees on the beach.


Turner Tries to catch fish in a bag. Later, girls keep bringing Turner fish to put in his bottle of ocean water.


Ronan prefers to stay in the sand

The best nap ever...

OK... THIS is the best nap ever...

Time to clean off that sand...



After the beach…
It’s dinner at Ate Carol’s house. Cool house! It’s only 3 years old. Of course… more wonderful food and Totoy’s wearing the juice of another watermelon. The kids are also having fun playing games in the yard. Felicia tries to run the show… her older cousins are very wonderful and patient with her. Geoff enjoys drinking out on the patio with the kuyas. Of course with drink, there must be munchies(pulutan). So there’s chicharron(pork rinds) and dog meat. Geoff and I try some… Not bad actually!