Da Trip page 5

The seminar was the next day and I had to sit in on the most boring seminar in my life only some of which was in English. All the speakers were women and the first one ask me right off how old I was. She then ask Maricel how old she was. She asked Maricel if she really loved me. Maricel replied “I love Peter with all my heart, Mam.” The women speaker went on with a lecture of how some young girls would marry older men to escape poverty. I clenched my teeth and counted to 1000 and kept my mouth shut. After that it got quite boring, a paper would come up on the screen in English but all the talking was in Tagalog. Very little real information was given on family planning and a few of the couples were pregnant that was attending. There was one other foreigner at the seminar, he was from Belgium with his young gf from Cebu and he was busy telling me jokes coz we couldn’t understand what they were saying in Tagalog. After each break in the seminar we were canvassed for flower arrangement, JBF cakes, Eddie’s photo, Videos and assortment of wedding arrangements. We survived the seminar and went back to the Hotel. The ticket we received from the seminar says pick up your license Aug 8th 2003
While recuperating from my flue and kidney infections I was teaching Maricel how to ride the motor bike, I got her a learners permit at the police station and was teaching her how to swim while we had the pool. I had her use a snorkel and mask and she was floating, breathing with the snorkel and moving thru the water, is that swimming? Well it was a start.
Our fist stop on the bike was at her Uncles house, he works for someone who breeds chickens in Danao. For those unfamiliar with Cebu Island it is on the east side and half way between Cebu city and the Northern tip.
To be continued: page 5