An Island Zoo
O)t P-day on Palawan in Taytay. Pretty cool. It's pretty cool.
One thing I was worried about was that Taytay would be lacking in many of the amenities I had become used to in Manila. But actually, it isn't really. We've got running water, electricity, and a pretty good selection of food and also a department store, so I'm not really lacking.
There are not nearly as many people... I think the entirety of Taytay is 6,000 population or so... but there are a lot more animals!
The tricycles here in Taytay are different than on manila. These trikes look like space shuttles! If you are reading this on the blog, my mom has a picture of one that she can probably post for you. They are a lot bigger here. There are hardly any jeepneys. When there are, they don't travel around town, they're just passing through. Shuttles generally take you from Taytay to another location in Palawan.
There are some interesting animals here. One is the carabao, which is sort of like a cow, but both males and females have large horns, and the horns go back towards the neck rather than straight up and out. They often have a species of white bird with them. My companion tells me they are friends. Apparently, when the carabao step bugs come up out of the ground, and the white birds like that. There is also a type of large lizard here called a tuko, because that is the sound it makes. I've not yet seen one...
There are monkeys, dogs, cats (very few), native variety of chickens, a native variety of skunks(!), scorpions(!), frogs, normal lizards, all sorts of bugs (I've seen a HUGE beautiful butterfly. that was cool), pigs, goats, and... I think I've said them all.
Rice here is local. I like it.
We watched general conference in Tagalog... that was excruciating... not because it was bad, but even though I've been here a year, I could only get a general idea of what was being said in each talk. The translators have to speak fast, and still struggle, because it just takes longer to say things in Tagalog than it does in English. Like, for instance, if I said:
Through the love of God, we can become free from the burden of sin
it would be
sa pamamagitan ng pagmamahal ng Diyos, tayo ay maaaring maging malaya sa pasanin ng kasalanan.
16 syllables to 34 syllables. It's a lot more organized than it seems though. It's an amazing language.
The little kids were outside catching grasshoppers. Then, to make sure they didn't run away, they tore off the back legs and wings...
They fed them as well...
Then placed them on the back of a very young, and very squeamish little girl who destroyed them by screaming shaking and running.
I felt bad for the little guys.
The people here are even nicer than they are in Manila. It is a newly formed branch, so they are still trying to figure things out. But I'm happy to serve with them. It's really cool to see the growing church!
That is about it for the time I have...One thing I was worried about was that Taytay would be lacking in many of the amenities I had become used to in Manila. But actually, it isn't really. We've got running water, electricity, and a pretty good selection of food and also a department store, so I'm not really lacking.
There are not nearly as many people... I think the entirety of Taytay is 6,000 population or so... but there are a lot more animals!
The tricycles here in Taytay are different than on manila. These trikes look like space shuttles! If you are reading this on the blog, my mom has a picture of one that she can probably post for you. They are a lot bigger here. There are hardly any jeepneys. When there are, they don't travel around town, they're just passing through. Shuttles generally take you from Taytay to another location in Palawan.
There are some interesting animals here. One is the carabao, which is sort of like a cow, but both males and females have large horns, and the horns go back towards the neck rather than straight up and out. They often have a species of white bird with them. My companion tells me they are friends. Apparently, when the carabao step bugs come up out of the ground, and the white birds like that. There is also a type of large lizard here called a tuko, because that is the sound it makes. I've not yet seen one...
There are monkeys, dogs, cats (very few), native variety of chickens, a native variety of skunks(!), scorpions(!), frogs, normal lizards, all sorts of bugs (I've seen a HUGE beautiful butterfly. that was cool), pigs, goats, and... I think I've said them all.
Rice here is local. I like it.
We watched general conference in Tagalog... that was excruciating... not because it was bad, but even though I've been here a year, I could only get a general idea of what was being said in each talk. The translators have to speak fast, and still struggle, because it just takes longer to say things in Tagalog than it does in English. Like, for instance, if I said:
Through the love of God, we can become free from the burden of sin
it would be
sa pamamagitan ng pagmamahal ng Diyos, tayo ay maaaring maging malaya sa pasanin ng kasalanan.
16 syllables to 34 syllables. It's a lot more organized than it seems though. It's an amazing language.
The little kids were outside catching grasshoppers. Then, to make sure they didn't run away, they tore off the back legs and wings...
They fed them as well...
Then placed them on the back of a very young, and very squeamish little girl who destroyed them by screaming shaking and running.
I felt bad for the little guys.
The people here are even nicer than they are in Manila. It is a newly formed branch, so they are still trying to figure things out. But I'm happy to serve with them. It's really cool to see the growing church!
Next week,
Elder Streeter
