Crooks? Or VIPs?

I may have mentioned that part of our responsibilities include dealing with problems the missionaries are having in their apartments, often at the assignment of the Sister Stucki. Some of the things on our list for the last two weeks:

• Elder needs new sheets; get some from storage and take them to him
• Sisters need a blender
• Elders' toilet isn't flushing; fix
• Sisters need a screen door on their apartment going to their laundry room, so they can leave the door open and get air circulation
• Sisters' door broke off hinge
• Elders having terrible problem with rats, including, the rats ran right over the sticky rat-traps, and tracked the glue all over the floor
• These need a fan
• These need an extension cord
• Sisters need bars on their windows; go pay 1/2 to the owner so he'll get it done.
• Sisters are being charged for garbage collection; it's not in their contract and they've never been charged before
• Sisters' charge for water has jumped tenfold; find out why

Besides approving new apartments, getting them into the Church system and getting the contracts made, signed, and notarized, and coordinating with Brother Base to get the new ones set up with the standard furniture, etc., and shopping for replacements to all that, the above are the things that fill our days. Today we thought the toilet was a pretty high priority, so we drove up to Santa Cruz, which turns out to be pretty much the farthest north of the mission. It took us over an hour to get there and when we turned down the street, we learned that it is a giant palengke or market, which allows vehicles through but with barely space to move, and certainly not to turn down any side streets. We finally got through and called the elders, and they came to get us (on foot) and took us back several blocks by another route.  We fixed their toilet, and left fifteen minutes late for our next appointment which was for signing a contract and getting all the paperwork for the new apartment.  What we didn't understand completely was that this was at the extreme opposite end of the mission, and took us another hour and 3/4 to get there, including time for some drama on the way.

You must understand that in the Philippines, there are lane stripes painted on the roads, but no one pays any attention to them. You will daily have someone turn left from the far right lane, etc., as well as have five or six lanes when there should be three or four. People basically do as they please.  IF THEY ARE FILIPINO. When a white guy finds himself in a left turn lane, and moves over to the straight lane, he is pulled over by a cop. In the Philippines when they give you a ticket, they take your driver's license and you have to go pick it up at the station house, often very far away.  We had been warned about this, and it was suggested we carry a photocopy of our drivers' license so we could present that, instead. However, when you are going into gated communities, your must surrender your drivers' license at the gate, and paper won't work.  So, when the pulis asked for David's license, I gave him the real one.  Oops.  He didn't speak much English, and we understood virtually none of what he said, except pick up driver's license at the station.  We didn't really have to play dumb--we were.  We kept asking him if he couldn't just let us pay the fine to him, and keep our license.  We probably corrupted the poor guy, because I doubt if that money ever sees the light of a government office, but we did finally talk him into taking the fine--Php2000! That's $50 US. But we were grateful, and headed on down the road.  He stopped us again a little bit later and moved some cones so that we could get into a different lane, and asked us where we were going.  David told him, and he gave us directions which we could not understand.  We subsequently missed the turn and ended up going about five miles further because we were on a causeway and there was nowhere to turn around. We finally got to the end and found a place to make a U-turn---and were met by the same cop, who pulled up beside us on his motorcycle and basically said, "I thought you were going to Las Pinas." David told him we had missed the turn, so he said, "I will escort you," and led us all the way to the turn-off. That was very nice because we were still unsure, but it was also creepy because we wondered if we were ever going to be rid of him!

Got the apartment signed and got back up to the office after 3.  We ate our lunch then, worked on paperwork, and then were invited by the APs to attend a teaching appointment with them tonight at 7, at the church by the office.  We decided it was too much driving to go home and come back, so went to a mall and did a little shopping.  We weren't really hungry since we had just eaten, so we each had a chocolate shake from a place called Cali Burgers, and got some pastries from a bakery.  Went back to the Church where David practiced the piano--he's been called as the Primary Pianist--only to be called by the APs (Assistants to the President)that the appointment had been cancelled.  It then took us an hour to drive home because everyone comes out at night.

Corregidor

From my earliest memory I recall the name of Corregidor, shaded with an awed lowering of the voice or with a grimace of anger.  My friends, predominanly the Larricks, often played war and looked for "Japs" to kill, and foreign, exotic-sounding names--Bataan, Corregidor, Luzon--were also uttered.

Today all of that was reawakened and brought much more forcefully to my understanding.  For my children, who probably have not much of an idea what Corregidor was or meant, it is my  understanding that it was the first major battle the US ever lost.  I could be wrong about that, but after McArthur left the Philippines, Japan sought to dislodge the remaining Allied forces from the island of Corregidor in Manila Bay, to open the bay for their use.  They had just toppled Manila.  Their plan to conquer Philippines was thwarted by the courageous forces under Jonathan Wainwright who held them off for five months. The Japanese had taken Singapore in two weeks. The fall of Corregidor, and thus the Philippines, occurred pretty much simultaneously with the Bataan Death March.

We and the Paines left the dock in Manila Bay at 8:00 this morning and rode a ferry boat over to Corregidor Island, just over a 1 1/2 hour trip. We then boarded a bus with a guide and began our tour of the Island.  We toured for about an hour, then had an early lunch, I'm sure to stagger us with the other buses. Lunch was very good and typically Filipino.

After lunch we toured for another two hours.  I'm not going to give a history lesson here, but it was a very moving day, looking at the bombed-out shells of American/Filipino barracks and gun emplacements, etc.  One barrack is entitled the "Mile-Long Barracks" and is the longest barracks in the world, housing 8,000 soldiers. It is very easy to see how this could have been considered a perfect posting before the war--beautiful jungle trees, flowers, ocean breezes, etc. When we saw the tunnel 8,000 injured soldiers and medical staff  lived in for that five months, with often no more than two hours of electricity for lights and ventilation a day because the Japanese kept bombing the generator, we also found it easy to see how heaven could turn to hell.

After the ferry ride home, we had an hour to rest before meeting the Thelers at a restaurant, Caruso's, for dinner.  It was a wonderful Italian restaurant where they make all their own pasta.  We had a really nice evening, the three couples visiting and enjoying the great food.

Good-Bye to the Burts

A senior couple that has been serving Member and Leader Support over on Palawan finished their 18-month mission on Wednesday. The tradition here for going-home missionaries is a trip to the American Cemetery with the president, then in the evening, a dinner at the mission home* with all the senior couples.  I don't know exactly how this works for young missionaries yet.

 President and Sister Stucki and seven senior couples gathered at the Mission Home and had a delicious meal of barbeque pork sandwiches, unusually good baked beans, corn on the cob, salad, watermelon and pineapple. For dessert there was poppy seed cake and ice cream. It was good to get with other senior missionaries and share "war stories" (often about driving) and experiences.

After dinner we retired to the living room and sang a hymn together. I played, Elder Northrup directed. After prayer we had testimonies from the Burts and the Stuckis, then sang another hymn and had a closing prayer. We did not know the Burts, just meeting them tonight. They are from Cardston, Alberta, Canada. I wish we had had the opportunity to get to know them better; they seemed really great. After final good-byes and a little apartment  business with President and Sister Stucki, the evening was concluded.

*For any readers who are not LDS, the Mission Home is the home of the Mission President and his family, but it is also the place where arriving and departing missionaries come to and leave from, and where one of the MP's offices are. He has another at the Mission Office, which in this mission is in a separate location.

The Church

The Church here in the Philippines was begun because of the testimony and tenacity of a sister.  Her husband and she had been stationed here during the war, and remained to help afterward.  She worked very hard to get the Church here, and due to her efforts, a chapel was built here in the 60's.  That chapel was the Buendia Chapel, built out in a large, grassy area far from much else.  Today, that is the chapel next to the mission office, and the one that we attend. Notice the change in surroundings.

The main gate to the Buendia building and the mission office, off of H.V. Dela Costa, a very busy street.

The chapel. To the right you can see another curb; that is by the mission office which shares the parking lot with the chapel.

Trying to give a little scale.

Another view, with Elder Northrup helping to give the setting, no longer a pastoral one!

And a close-up,, just for fun.

Random pix

We got our rug and two new small tables last week, and added the Philippines map this morning. We think our decor is complete!

This is our least favorite intersection, and we drive it at least twice a day! Those towers on the left are our apartment complex; our building is the one on the right. This street leads to the Mandaluyong-Makati Bridge, which we must take over the river to get to and from home.  The mission office is about six blocks behind us in this picture. If you look closely you can see five lanes converging into two. There are probably four legitimate lanes, and one more because wherever a vehicle can squeeze in, it will! This is not counting motorcycles, which go anywhere they can fit.

I've been trying to photograph jeepneys. They are local buses, and they are ubiquitous. I also think of them as Philippine folk art.  They are outrageously decorated! And, 98% of the time, have religious pictures or scriptures on them. I think the Philippines is also 80% Catholic, and there are evidences everywhere. There are lighted billboards inciting people to pray, forgive, serve, whatever. I saw my very first filthy graffiti yesterday, so it isn't nearly as prevalent here as in the US. Anyway, jeepneys are how most people get around, and they are, indeed, everywhere.  And, a nuisance to drive around!

Passengers generally get on and off through the rear opening.

Just a shot down a sidewalk.  The Vulcaninzing shop is on the corner, and on down the street are other shops that people generally live behind.  I've wanted to take pictures of actual homes, but it's very hard to be discreet, and I don't want to offend.

The big sign we often see when out and about.

A not very good view from a skyway, basically an overpass that allows cars to move over large areas quickly.  We were on this one by mistake yesterday, and actually ended up out at the airport while intending to deliver pillows to the MP's home. Sister Stucki gives each new missionary a pillow, and it's our job to buy them.

Temple

Fourth ward temple night was Thursday, so we decided to go. The temple here is interesting; maybe I've shared before. The two session rooms seat 24 each. There is no chapel, so you wait in the endowment room. Because the temple is small, there can be much demand.  We were there by six, so got a ticket for the 7:00 session. The first time I went, last week with the Relief Society, as soon as I was dressed I went to wait for the sisters I came with, but the workers kept trying to get me to go on in. I didn't, but they were very worried about it. Lo and behold, we all got in, and the session started five minutes early.  Thursday night, there were enough there that they ran two concurrent sessions, so that left five seats empty in ours. Then, they started ten minutes early. I guess if no one else is waiting, they go ahead and start. But that doesn't explain why they were rushing me to get in there the other day when they started early!

I have bought a new camera, since I left my charger somewhere, but it's still a point-and-shoot, so my pictures are not wonderful, but here are some:

 The south side of the temple.  With no tripod, we have to take double pictures to document! Maybe we'll learn to stand in different places and photoshop!

 Moroni and "Holiness to the Lord" are not actually on the temple, but on the spire out front.

                                                              Beautiful windows.

 We don't know what this little building is on the temple grounds, but it was pretty.

                               The Philippines Area Office across the street from the temple.

                                                       Elder Northrup at the temple

                                                        See the itty bitty crescent moon?

The nights here are wonderful. You can't see all the city grime and wrenching poverty, and can see pretty lights on buildings and feel the warm, tropical breezes. It would have been fun to go somewhere after the temple for pie or something, but it took us a full hour to get home as it was.

More driving in Manila

We had planned to visit apartments in Pasay, but it turned out that those missionaries were to be in for interviews today, so we were left with an unplanned morning.  A package showed up in the office for a missionary in the Cavite Mission, so we volunteered to drive it down. It turned into a three-hour adventure, largely because they have things here called "flyovers" where ramps take you up and over a busy intersection.  We didn't entirely understand the GPS instructions, so made one intersection three different times before we found the right route! Repeat that at a couple more huge intersections, and you get the idea.  We were driving quite a distance, anyway, to a city called Alabang, if you want to look it up.  The mission home there is in a secured subdivision where you have to surrender your driver's license at the guard house, to retrieve when you leave.  A very beautiful subdivision, though, one that calls up what I used to think of when I heard "Philippines"--lovely tropical architecture, lots of palm trees, wide streets--in short, a very wealthy subdivision.  I would be most happy to live there.

Home by noon, then contractors (this is a loose term) arrived to install bars in our and the Thelers's windows. David went up to their apartment and sat with the workers until about three, when they showed up here to do ours.  The quality leaves a little to be desired, but we now have bars on our front windows. They left shortly before five to return tomorrow for touching up the paint.  We ate and then took a walk on the beautiful roof of our building, where it was cool and tropically romantic, probably because it was dark and you could see all the city lights around. Must be away early tomorrow.