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It's amazing how 10 UK volunteers come to the Philippines together to make a difference, and we all come out with different experiences, and a whole new story. Between all of us, if you read our blogs, you probably wouldn't have known that we were in this together, because we all have different projects, responsibilities and host families.
Now there's 8 of us UK volunteers left, and there's 6 weeks to go. Today marks the halfway mark - and time is getting faster and faster.
For the past 2 days, we went away to Moalboal for our MPR - the halfway break. It was like escaping the city to paradise, it was the most beautiful beach I've ever been to. White sand, extremely high temperatures and palm trees.
We had a Filipino style BBQ, known as a 'boodle boodle' or a 'boodle fiesta'. Large banana leaves are placed on the table with the food on top; rice, chicken and pork, and everyone stands around the table and just eats, with their hands.
'What so I just pick rice up from the table with my hands and eat? And pick chicken up and eat that?'
'Yeah, if you don't want the whole chicken, you can eat half and then put it back so someone else can eat it.'
I found this extremely weird, but it was nice to have a taste of the Filipino culture.
We had volleyball matches, played water polo, a bonfire on the beach, with marshmallows and played a variety of games - it was great fun!
Walking on the beach felt like I was walking in the desert, I've never been to a place as hot as the Philippines! I'm extremely sunburnt, so sunburnt that when I woke up this morning, my lips were swollen so badly!
All the volunteers reflected back on their past 6 weeks and it's safe to say that we will miss the Philippines a lot. 6 weeks is not long at all, and it's scary to think that once we're back at the UK, we may never see some of the people we've met ever again.
Getting back to the host home was like it was back to reality, but 5 weeks left at my host home is nothing to me at all!
This upcoming week is 'half term' at the school I'm working at so it looks like I've got no work this week! I've got more time on my hands, and it's my birthday on Thursday, so more time to celebrate!
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