mostly pictures

already back in romblon! rhey won't be here for the last two weeks of october, so this is my last chance to come and volunteer with SIKAT this month – so i figured i better come and take advantage of the free accommodation and internet while it lasts :) and to help SIKAT out too, of course.

giant clam transplantation last week was fun! it's a pretty easy process: literally you go down, find the clam, pick it up, put it in a crate, and take it to the surface. then, we make measurements of length and height, identify the species. on the next dive, take it into the sanctuary, place it on the ground, and leave it there.







on our way out to the second dive, these dogs from the barangay started following our boat and they swam so so far with us! i was terrified they were going to drown, but the other boat turned around and went to save them.





we also placed a marble cross underwater where the clams were at the sanctuary. this is something i don't really understand, but the filipinos are a very, very religious (catholic) people, so i guess they want that known underwater too? religion is a subject i try to avoid while i'm here ... it would really not go over well for me to tell someone i don't think i believe in god – or that the god i believe in isn't at all conventional and doesn't follow any religion. i've thought about telling people that i believe in love, however they want to take that, but have been too scared so far :)





and on the first dive we saw this really cool frogfish (what we americans call anglers"):





there isn't too much to report from long beach. i had a good weekend – got a lot of little things done that i needed to, etc etc. ate wilma's birthday was on saturday, so we threw her a party – and no filipino party is complete without heaps of food (including this one):





i also had a bit of a diving adventure on the island off my house that i won't write about here. if you want to know details shoot me an e-mail – it's just not something i want to write for the general public.

i've also finally taken some pictures of my house, and although they don't capture it (pictures never do), i thought i'd post them anyways. so, welcome to the home of wilma motin and cecile, kenneth, and genevieve juantas:



[the house. store out front]


[bathroom. yup thats it]


[kitchen]


[living room]


[my room]


[long beach street and the house from the other direction]


and for good measure, here's a picture looking over the fish sanctuary and carmen bay: