Friends:
My day began with a performance at Miriam College, one of the largest all girls schools in Manila. The Philippine Daily Inquirer (the Philippines’ largest newspaper), along with Scholastic Books, partnered to sponsor a reading and literacy promotion event for the preschool (co-ed) children. The children were so fun and energetic. They also loved to participate!
After my performance, I was interviewed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The article is scheduled to run in the Sunday (March 17, 2008) paper.
I was so impressed with the literacy level of these children. At 5 years old, many of them were reading! I could tell that the school and the parents worked closely with these children. Dreena del Mundo, the Principal of the Child Study Center, gave us a tour of the preschool facility. It was very impressive and well-equipped. This is one of their preschool classrooms.
I explored the playground and found the children that were in my audience playing. Here is a picture of me with some preschool girls.
Of course, the boys wanted a picture too so we took one on a “bus.” Too cute!
After my fun day with the students, my client, Meinard, took me and my cousin to The Fort, a mall area, for lunch. We ate at Gerry’s a restaurant specializing in Filipino cuisine. It was delicious (but very fattening). LOL Here is a picture of me and Katrin at The Fort.
The Philippines is so full of paradoxes. They have so many well-developed areas with “mega malls” yet the country still has such abject poverty. So many Filipinos struggle at making a living. Today, there was a transportation strike. Jeepneys and buses were not supposed to run, as a stand for higher fares. Still, I saw quite a few jeepneys in spite of the strike. They just couldn’t afford a day without pay. This is a picture of squatter housing.
Later that night, my entire family met me at the SM Mall of Asia, Asia’s largest mall, in Pasay City on Manila Bay, filled with shops and restaurants. It is rumored to take 7 days just to walk the entire mall. It’s HUGE.
We ate at a Japanese restaurant called Tempura. There were 22 of us!! My family had never eaten Japanese food before and I had fun watching them trying to master chop sticks. It was great seeing them again. Here is the gang, my aunts, my cousins, and my cousins’ children. The family has grown! There are four new children since I last visited in 2004, a new wife (my cousin Jug Jug’s wife) and a new fiance’ (my cousin, Shobe’s fiance’). Here is the gang. 
That is one LOOOONG table!
Mahal kita, pamilya!
When I arrived at my hotel, I was so exhausted, I collapsed in bed and got some GOOD sleep. Seeing my family makes me miss my own family even more. I love you Antonio, Soleil, Eliana, Mom, Clay, Papi, Jennie, Gary & Kids!
Until next time…
Warmly, Dianne
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GREAT PHOTOS
What a great trip – looks like your having a blast!