Double blog II: The Falls of Sioux and more Manilla Madness!

So, the second Double Blog is here! Hip Hip, Hurray!
…
Thanks for cheering… *Sarcastic glare*


So, anyway, let’s start with Sioux Falls, South Dakota!
That’s right, another South Dakota! This is the only state (except for Denver, which included staging), where we went to two cities to! (Remember last double blog, Aberdeen, South Dakota?)
Let me try to do all of this systematic for once:

Host Family:
I was hosted with my hostparents Dee and Larry. Besides to that, I was roomed with Laura B., another UWP student from the USoA. We had some good times! We watched some movies (Alvin and the Chipmunks, The last Assignment (or whatever it was called)), and Dee reminded me of my own grandmother from time to time. It was really a pleasure to experience that =)
Also, at the last 2 days of our stay, their granddaughter stayed with us. It was so cool to spend time with all of them!
Oooh, oooh, we went to this weird but cool cinema thingy where you practically lay down on your back in a chair, and they played the movie on the roof! It was so strange, but it was cool at the same time! We saw a little documentary about mummies. Totally cool! What was the theater called… I can’t remember… Cinedome? Cinemadome?... Hmm…

Regional Learning:
Okay, this was maybe one of the cooler Regional Learning’s of the trip. At first, we did a scavenger-hunt through the city. We found a Dutch store “Het Hoekje”, which was placed at a streetcornmer. They even sold Stroopwafels, but at such a high price… And they weren’t even that high quality (gotten a bit old)… Anyway, I didn’t buy any.
All in all, the scavenger hunt was cool, and you actually got to see a part of the city, which doesn’t happen all the time during this tour.
The second part, however, was even way and way better! We went to visit the Falls where the city was named after: The falls of the Sioux-Indians. They were so amazing! I sat near the water, staring at the fall for so long. An hour? You could totally feel the spirit and the energy of the place. So amazing! I also saw an otter or beaver, sitting on a rock and diving in the water. Peacefull place. Beautifull. No words to describe it…

The Show:
Okay, normally I wouldn’t really mention the show. However, this was a special occasion. Because… with an audience of over 2200 people, this was the biggest show of Up With People in the United States since the turn of the millennium! Good Grief! Milestone!!! XD

All in all, another successful week!
But now, it’s time to go back to the present! (Well… a little closer to the present, a blog can never be present, since it’s always about stuff that already happened… Whatever…)
What I want to say is: Let’s switch to Manilla, where I currently am!

Hmm… Let me see where I left off last time…
*reads through archive*

Ah, yes!
Well, before I start, my hostdad Joujou wants to make a disclaimer:
“Make sure to tell the people in your blog that I don’t have the waistline of Jack Black! That would be such a disgrace.”

So, today (or yesterday when I will post this blog) was the last CI-day with our Gawad Kalinga group… It was such a sad depart! Kids were crying, people were sad that we were leaving… And so were we! The energy we had was so… pure and raw! Amazing! I totally fell in love with this place.
Gawad Kalinga-Taguig. If you ever get the chance to go there: Do it! Totally, you are gonna love it. Everyone with a little heart will fall in love with the place. Everyone is so nice, the work is honorable and… sigh… I’m just glad I got to experience all that.
Maybe one of the best times in my life. =)

Aaah, so, now, some typical experiences:

Let’s start with Balut. Balut is one of the delicate food-products of the Philippines. Everyone loves it here, and it’s called “the natural Viagra”, or so I was told. (Weird, Word automatically gives the word “Viagra” a capital letter…?) Anyways. I’m not gonna tell you what it is, so if you’re really interested, try to find some info yourself.
Why I won’t tell you? Because it’s too gross to put on a blog. Okay, I ate it, like you’re supposed to, but the majority of the foreigners that come here don’t dare to take it. I got it on tape, so maybe, I’ll upload that eventually!

Next: Jollybee! “It’s not a bee, it’s a friend!”.
Jollybee is the biggest fastfood-company in the Philippines! In fact, this is the only country where MacDonalds is NOT the biggest! And why? Because the Jollybee-burgers have more taste, and they have a cooler mascot: A bee that’s Jolly!
Ronald Mac Donald: “WTF OMG, how come that bee is more popular than me?”
Jollybee Owner: “It’s not a bee, it’s a friend”

Okay, insider joke…

Hehe, something really cool! Everyone (and I say, EVERYONE) you meet greets you on the street with a highpitched “Hello sirrr”! Oh, I love that! Totally worth the trip!
Also, the polite way to enter a sentence is by finishing it with “po”. So, “thank you po” is heard quite often!

What else… Hmm… I got my first manicure and pedicure here. But hey, what do you expect with a gay-couple as your hostparents. And they’re both diva’s to top it!
Hehe, I love them (no, not that way, just in the way that they’re cool!)

I know I have so much to tell! Damn… I don’t even know where to start! But I have to quit already!

Okay, one last thing: the skyline from my room is beautifull. I totally love the view of this city, both at daytime, and at nighttime!

Now, as a finisher: I hope my grandfather is doing all right. I wish him all the strength he needs in these hard times: I love you!

So, now, wave and say goodbye!
1… 2… 3…

Bubbayz!