October 11, 2010

First letter From the field

Hello, I live! I am here in the Philippines.

To start, ill would like to say my worms count is 0.

Okay well,

I’ll give you a little run down what’s been going on. I landed in Manila, (can’t remember when), and when we got out, I my first thought, that it wasn’t as hot as I thought it was going to be. (It was still hot, but yah). We got in a van to head for Angeles. I think 3 hours. Melina reminded me of Egypt. Crazy traffic, (I’ll talk more about that later I think), and hot. Less sand thou, and more green and less heat then Egypt.

Any who I got to the mission home, and we stayed there a night. Oh hey, you know that joke (or whatever) that is like where you shake hands with someone, you live in a house, I live in a box.... you use toilet paper, I use my hand. Well... the box thing isn’t true here, (they have house thingys, with water and electricity, usually a TV too), But... I haven’t seen any toilet paper since I have been here. Maybe I am just not looking good enough, but.... not sure what I should be doing... yep, somehow I manage. I guess that enough of that. (Actually, in my apartment here (Balare) there is a toilet paper holder... no paper though. there is hope)

The next day we met the rest of our 'batch'. We met up and got our new companions. My companion is, elder Natrual. He is Philipino. Pretty sweet. Speaks English pretty good, which is mostly good. Anywho, we are assigned in Balair (daliinasdfgsgkhsf (some city that starts with d)).
-well the problem with that is that from Angeles, it is the furthest zone. (Most awesome too) [It’s the zone way in the top right corner of the map, at the beach]
so it’s a 3-4 hour drive to Carbonotion (the middle) (or something), and then 4-5 hours past there to Balare.
-the other problem (well kind of), is that elder Cook from the 12 apostles was coming that Saturday, to meet with the stake leaders, and then with all of the missionaries of our whole mission. so if we were to go all the way to Balair, then we would have to come right back. So we stayed in carbonotion for a couple of days.

Anywho on Saturday we saw Elder Cook, and shook his hand. Um, then that night, we stayed in Carbonation.

Anyways, by Sunday night we it made it to my area.

Ok now some stories.

Um ok the traffic is pretty sweet here. So I have only see lights by the mission home, in a richer area. (But those lights are sweet; they even beat the ones in Argentina. (Sorry dad) they don’t go red, yellow, green... but they have a counter that sits next to the light. when its green, or when its red. so everyone knows exactly when it’s going to turn green. pretty sweet)

but besides those, no lights. No stop signs. Really. Um they drive on the right side of the road... kind of. Mostly it’s like Mario cart. Just kind of weave in and out of your side of the road. Some times when the driver trys to go, and then realizes that a bus is coming. Then it’s Not like Mario cart. Quickly tries to get back in to his lane. Dying is bad.

The highest speed I have seen is about 30-35 miles an hour. Add that to just stopping and going/ dodging people and cars... its gets slower. I messed with some numbers and it looks like on average cars are going about 20-25 miles an hour. Yep like Mario cart again.

Tricycles are sweet. It’s a motorcycle, with a side car attached. Pretty much they rock. Pay like 15 cents and they will drive you somewhere. Crazy drivers. But I haven’t seen an accident yet. Kind of like going to Disney land, but without seat belts, and... More rad.

Um, the heat has actually been worse than it was the first day. But it’s not that bad.
It’s pretty nice. Sure you’re wet a lot. But it kind of feels good. Comfortable feeling.

So you know that feeling you have on a Thursday in the afternoon, it’s the summer going to play Frisbee in a hour, and you thought about changing your shirt, but you still got inside-out and backwards left, and last time you were playing Frisbee that week your were wearing a sweater. You also thought about showering, but you took a shower on Sunday, and you know water polo is going to be on Saturday, and that counts (right?).
Um, well that what I get at about 12, when we go in to our apartment (we can’t be out between 12-2, too hot). And if we don’t shower then, and wait till 9pm, you get that feeling like it’s been a week past that last one, and water polo was canceled, and you get up late for church on Sunday, so still no shower, and if you aren’t going to shower you might as well, just wear that same shirt again. Kind of like that. Feels nice... well at least... familiar.

Um, well today is P-day. Yep. We went to the beach. That was cool. I took a picture my house. In Oregon. Well I just needed a bigger zoom on camera. Mummy yep.

Oh, how the mail works here. Don’t send packages. Or if you do, well don’t. I’ll have to pay a ton on taxes on it. They say if you write "birthday present" or "missionary supplies", that customs might not tax it... but meh. I got too much stuff anyways.

For paper mail, it goes to the mission home, and sent to me. Somehow.

1827 Gumain Street, Redwood Villas
Clarkfield, Pampanga 200 Philippines.

Well it looks like the post office picks up the mail for the week on Mondays (which is my P-day)... so I missed it. I might send some stuff, but not sure... maybe next week.

Oh ok so on Friday, I went and talked some "real" people for the first time. It was this older lady from the ward. Was pretty fun. But... ha-ha. When she was talking to me and raised her eyebrows quickly, creped me out real fast. (Here they do that to say, hey, or yes, or something.) That was funny. I knew that already, and did that with friends at the MTC... but that was the first time an older lady did that to me. Ha-ha.

Um the people are really cool. They eat rice all the time. Which is cool because I like rice. my companion thinks I am weird because I will eat rice plain.( reminds me of freshmen year in high school where I had 2-3 boxes of rice everyday for lunch)

oh tuna is still nasty.. Just throwing that out there.

Well, hmmm. I’m rad.

Elder Dickinson