Being open to change

Caramoan disaster conference cancelled because of the threat of Typhoon Ruby which is expected to hit just south of Lagonoy on Saturday.  Well, how about that?  I thought that the threat of a typhoon was over, but here you go... Ruby expected landfall on 12/6, 13 months since Super Typhoon Yolanda hit this country.

Hopefully, it will shift direction at the last minute like the last one did.  We will see.  So now my weekend is open with only heavy weather to look forward to...

Speaking of changes in plans, Ive decided to take another direction with respect to my trip to Palawan.  Typically, when traveling for recreation, I prefer to keep my itinerary roughly planned, with no hotel reservations.  Heck, Jean and I did our honeymoon to Ireland that way and it worked out well!  In this case, I am booking hotels in advance for the most part.  This pegs me to certain towns on certain dates and that makes me a bit nervous.  I mean, you never know... anything can happen and then Id be forced to pay for another, likely more expensive room in different town.  But my experience in Lapu Lapu spooked me a little bit.  I didnt like arriving there with no plan and no known place to lay my head.  I guess Im getting old!  In this case, I do like the comfort of having a planned trip.  Plus, from a practical side... because Northern Palawan has very spotty electricity, I really can't be sure they accept credit and my cash is limited.  Booking the room online in advance allows me to pay with credit and do the research to uncover cheap, but nice places.  So far, Ive found two places that run about $30/night.  Both are cottages located on the beach, one in Port Barton and one in el Nido.  I was trying to get a tent in a campground at a spot that is supposed to be just out of this world - the place is called "Thelma and Toby's Island Camp Adventure" - but they are booked solid.  Disappointing, but "Cassandra's Cottages" looks pretty darned inviting as well.  Check them out by doing a google on "Cassandra's Cottages and Port Barton".

But enough of that.  I an pressed to write today about the senses I experience here in Lagonoy.  There are things here that the senses cannot deny.  The senses that define poverty:  the sounds of roosters in the morning, of pigs being slaughtered, the sight of naked children running in the neighborhood and the smell of shit in the street.

There are also other senses, however, and I choose to focus on them.. the sense of community that I witness.  The openness and trust to strangers that is palatable and rarely betrayed.  The experience of walking down the street and seeing just so many smiles - I tell you, it lifts the heart!  There is a sense of joy here that I cannot explain to someone who has not seen this.  The singing!  The laughter!  The dance! As an american, I had every reason to expect that these notions of decency and community were gone forever, but here they live and serve as a testament to define the progress that can be regained in our own culture.   I just hope that we, as americans, finally wake up and realize that there are still lessons to learn and that some of them begin with a kind heart and an extended hand to our neighbors - regardless of their skin color, religion, or social standing.