Oh Lord stuck in Dumaguete again

I'm at the ferry terminal with J & A waiting with about 100 Filipinos.  There's a tropical storm advisory and all the ferries are canceled for the day (so far).  I'm not keen on drowning in a ferry acceident and those do seem to happen here a lot.  But there's hardly a breeze and it's only half an hour across the water....

Then again, if we get over there and a big storm blows in, we might get stuck and miss our flights.  That would NOT be cool.  Alana is laying on the brick floor with her eyes closed.  Jacques is reading my book Snow Crash.  We'll find out in about half an hour if the next ferry is running.

There doesn't seem to be much of a plan B.  I asked if there was a nice place up the coast, but apparently it's not the same.  Much more difficult (and dangerous) riding around on a scooter when it's mainland Php with all the traffic.

This morning I hung out with my favorite 6 girls, especially four of them are very dear to me.  I gave them all my business card and a US dollar.  They seemed pretty happy about that.  I just happened to have $6 in my wallet left over.

I also talked with Carmenia about sponsoring Joy.  I decided yesterday that was something I wanted to do.  I have to get it set up with the organization in the US, but I don't think it'll be any big deal.  Joy was VERY happy for me to do it.  Almost feels like I have a new daughter!  Not really, but there is that flavor to it.  I'll be sponsoring her for the next 4 or 5 years probably, helping her through college (Siliman if Carmenia has her way with me---that's three times as expensive and much much better).

But all that's out the window if our ferry sinks and I drown!  Or my plane blows up or crashes.  Whatever.  I told Krista if that happens to go ahead and sponsor Joy for me.

My got this plastic seat is hard.  There has been little in the way of comfort on this trip.  My bed at LCP was actually good.  But all the chairs and seats are hard, except for a few upscale restaurants.  People don't seem to mind but I'm skinny dammit!

Last night we watched Home Alone 2 with all the kids.  There are scenes of amazing opulence.  At the end the family has a giant Christmas tree with mounds of wrapped presents under it.  I can't help wondering how that registered for them.  They have very little in material goods.  I watched the girls washing clothes in a concrete ditch with water from a pump (the kind you work by hand).

Jacques tells me they all think America is this golden land of milk & honey.  And to some extent it really is.  We really can work our way up the economic ladder.  People still do it.  And life is so much cleaner and easier than here.  If only we could somehow appreciate it!

Update: I'm at Harold's Hostel about half a mile from the ferry terminal.  All trips have been cancelled for the day.  There's no going back to LCP.  The goodbyes just about killed Alana.  She hates crying, I think, and did a LOT of it this morning.

So here we are and the "typhoon" is pretty unimpressive so far.  Just a little extra breezy with most of the sky clouded over.  A plan B is starting to take form, if we can't get to Siquijor tomorrow we'll likely rent bikes and head down to a beach resort called Dauwin (sp?) with a great beach, snorkling or diving maybe (if it isn't raining from the typhoon).

I'm waiting in the cofee shop while they clean my room.  Lot's of waiting today!