On Thursday I went with the "Thursdays for Others" group to visit the women's correctional institution. Here are incarcerated women walking around an open compound, going to school, making craft items to sell, dancing, and singing. They did not look too unhappy to be there as it was a very clean and positive atmosphere. I know they must be very lonely for their families, but the fact is that they are better off there than in the squatter's villages where they came from. I was totally amazed at the disparity of sentences for the crimes committed. You get death row for drug possession, 15-20 years for murder, even if it is self defense from an abusive husband, and one lady was there on 8 life sentences for fraud, which by all accounts she was probably not guilty of, but set up to take the fall for the real guilty parties. Pretty tragic stuff going on over here. They are quite talented ladies and make extra money by cross stitching, weaving the paper from telephone books into beautiful baskets, sewing, and making candles. Someone happened to mention that I was a teacher, so they cabbaged on to me and swept me into the classroom and told me I could come every day to teach them! I may be able to go some, but not every day! We were not allowed to take pictures.
I spent Wednesday shopping with Michelle and Lori at an area called Divisoria. It is huge and in a rather run down part of Manila, but boy were the prices good. We are going to have some clothes made while we are here so I was looking for fabric and boy did I find fabric. It was hard to make decisions due to so many choices! I found really nice khaki, black and denim fabric for 100 pesos (less than $2) per yard (or maybe it was meter!) So for about $30 Katie and I can each have skirts or slacks in every fabric. The seamstress will charge about 600 pesos ($12) a day to make them. We will just give her the items we own that we like and she will use them for a pattern.
Divisoria- Michelle in fun head dress from cool costume shop.
Tuesday was a study day for me, trying to get started on my project for my class. We had our third line dancing lesson and we are all ready for the hoe down next weekend! That is really good exercise!
Monday was class day with the first 5 presenters setting a very high bar for the rest of the class! I must get more familiar with power point and soon! Went to lunch at a great Thai place- I am really starting to love the varieties of food choices and now know what to order! Who would have thought that after my first two weeks here?This is Diane, and Jo (our instructer in Philippine History)
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