Teeth is it!

Part of my annual physical exam today was a visit to the dentist. After she announced to the entire room that I had 2 cavities that need to be filled, we had this interesting conversation:

DENTIST: Where are you from?

ME: Quezon City

DENTIST: No, where are you originally from?

ME: Quezon City

DENTIST: Where were you born?

ME: Uhm... Quezon City

DENTIST: But you have foreign blood, right?

ME: My grandfather was Spanish. Why do you ask?

DENTIST: Because your teeth aren't typically Filipino. 

Gosh! After being told I look like a foreigner so many times, it's very unusual to hear that my teeth look foreign, too.

Giving and Receiving

Yesterday, our 2-week seminar finally culminated with the awarding of certificates and a farewell luncheon for our foreign participants. 

I'm glad that I took part in this seminar. Not only did I gain knowledge, I also gained 12 new international friends, and 6 new local ones.

I couldn't let my new international friends leave without something that would remind them of the Philippines. So, I gave them souvenirs that were distinctly Filipino.

For the ladies, embroidered fans were the perfect reminder of the hot weather they experienced in the Philippines.

The embroidery on the fan is very intricate and beautifully done. The material is jusi, and the embroidery echoes the traditional barong design. I'm sure Sanija will love this since she's been looking for a Filipino fan since the start of this week.

For the gentlemen, I bought shot glasses with Manila and Philippine motifs. To make it more local, I bought banig boxes as container.

After giving the gifts, I was surprised to receive some local items from my International classmates as well. They're uber thoughtful.

Sadeesh gave me Green Tea from Sri Lanka. He mentioned that this is their premium brand back home. I'm sure it's great since Ceylon used to be the tea capital of the world. Bela then gave me a hanging ornament which is for good luck.

 Bela also gave me a ready to eat dish from India. She found out from our other classmates that I'm a huge fan of Indian food, so she gave me this authentic meal from her hometown. I hope I find Naan bread to go with this. And finally, the keychain came from Pabu, and she mentioned that it's one of their national symbols in Nepal.

Through this simple act of giving and receiving, we now have more things to remember each other by, aside from all the fun photos and wonderful experiences that were shared the past 2 weeks.

Disturbia(rt)

During our visit to the Modern Art exhibit at the National Museum, my classmates and I found ourselves in front of this very haunting and disturbing painting.

It was entitled "Drowning" and shows a family of 8 as they're submerging in floodwaters.

According to the description, it's an antithesis of the usual images of drowning. When people drown, they're usually in a state of panic, disarray, hands flailing and trying to hang on to anything they can put their hands on.

But if you look at the painting, the drowning family is calm and serene, as if trusting and waiting for someone to save them from death. You can even see the mother's hand as she clutches a rosary.

It was so disturbing, we left the gallery all pensive and quiet. And it took us about an hour and a half before we could talk about our feelings about the painting.

Now that's one powerful piece of art.

A day at the Museum

Yesterday, I decided to bring my classmates and one of our instructors on a mini-tour around Manila. 

Since our seminar started, all they've seen was their hotel, our school, Harrison Plaza, and the occasional trip to MOA or Roxas Boulevard. So, I promised them that I'd bring them to some of the more interesting historical sites in Manila.

And one of the places where I took them was the National Museum of the Filipino People.

Since I was in High School, I've always enjoyed going to the National Museum. And it provides a good snapshot of our history and culture - which they asked me to explain a lot of. Thank goodness I was attentive during our Kasaysayan 1 and 2 classes.

One of their favorite parts of the museum was the exhibit of the Philippine Art Awards.

They really took the time to study each piece and discuss among themselves. Also, they were impressed at the quality of creativity and the technical skill that went into each piece. 

And that's just the modern art. When I brought them to the National Art Gallery, they were even more impressed.

I should take my classes here next time. 

International School

For the past decade or so, I've been on the teacher's side of the classroom. And I really enjoy imparting knowledge, as well as getting insights from my students.

But this week was different. For the first time in a long time, I find myself sitting on the student's chair, listening to lessons on Gender, Sports and Media.

Because SSC played host to this regional learning event, I was given a slot and will play student for 2 weeks. And it really feels like being back in school. There are recitations, presentations, groupings, deadlines - everything I miss about school. (And I suspect, it's also everything my students dislike!)

What makes this class even more interesting is the fact that more than half of my classmates are foreigners. They come from as near as Indonesia to as far as Bosnia/Herzegovina. It's such a diverse class with different personalities, quirks and experiences.

It's been a while since I was last in a set-up like this, and I must say, I'm enjoying it. Whenever we have lunch or coffee breaks, I try to sit with different classmates so that I can get to know all of them before the 2-week seminar is done. 

Of course, there are some challenges to face while trying to do this task. First, there's the problem of language. Second, there's the problem that's more olfactory in nature. Harhar.

After being in this set-up for a few days, I think I now know how Mark felt in IUJ.