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I must’ve been living in a bubble the past couple of days. I didn’t realize how devastating Hurricane Katrina has become until I launched my browser today. I’ve had minimum TV viewing, web surfing, radio listening and newspaper reading as I prepared for the kids’ first day of school, which was today. Here are a couple of quick links to places where we can make donations to help in the relief efforts:

Red Cross
Salvation Army

Here’s how our kids are doing so far here in the Philippines:
• They’re enjoying themselves, especially in Bataan where they had many cousins to play with.
• All of them have so far endured prickly heat, insect bites (mosquito, ant and spider - only during the times we were too tired to apply Off at night), motion sickness, diarrhea, and a short bout of the flu.
• My oldest son has started saying “Aray!” (complete with rolling R’s), instead of “Ouch!” when hurt. He’s also learned to say “Tama na!” (Stop it!). Sure looks like he’s gotten into rough play here, but I assure you, it’s all in fun.
• The baby’s gotten attached to some of my aunt’s maids.
• They’ve enjoyed many modes of transportation: plane, tricycle (man-powered and motor-powered), jeepney, horse, kalesa, bangka, and private van (with two families and a couple of maids crammed in).
• All of them have warmed up to their older cousins that we stay with. They get along so well, especially when playing video games together. Their cousins, who are well-behaved boys 10 to 15 years older, give me a glimpse of how my sons will be several years from now.
• I discovered that my five year old is scared of getting on escalators. He cries out to me and his mom to hold his hand before getting on one. Kung sino pa ang taga-States, siya pa ang parang “promdi.” Hee-hee. He should get used to it by the time we get back - we spend so much time in malls here!

Bataan is where my wife’s mother’s side of the family lives. Their ancestral home is situated right by the highway. Several surrounding home structures house a good portion of the clan. The arrangement is semi-communal. The living situation is not as “luxurious” as what we’re used to in our home base in Manila. I must say however that everything anyone ever needs to live comfortably can be found here. In fact, water is plentiful - it is pumped from a deep well. This is where we were re-introduced to bathing by tabo and flushing by baldi.

In Bataan what they lack in luxuries they sure make up in other respects. My wife’s many cousins work together well. They help each other prepare and cook the daily meals. One does the clothes wash, another sweeps and mops and another washes dishes. They keep their humble abode nice and tidy daily. Puts our place in the States to shame really.

Highlights of the Bataan leg (6/23-6/28) of our trip are:
• My son’s fifth birthday bash which had a two-day preparation time. The kiddie games and videoke singing were a hoot.
  
• A visit to the family’s palaisdaan (fishery). The kids loved feeding the bangus (milkfish).
  
• A day at Raven Resort with all the cousins.
  
• A day trip to Subic and Olongapo.
   
  Dolphins and the world’s smallest owl at Ocean Adventure in Subic.
  

Just got back from watching SWEIII:ROTS! Thanks to Fandango, the wife and I were able to get tickets for the 9:10 a.m. show at the local cineplex. We breezed right in at 9:00 a.m. and got some decent seats. I had the misfortune, however, of sitting beside one of the loudest guys in the theater (he was even humming along to John Williams’ score!). It’s good he quieted down eventually.

Did I like Revenge of the Sith? Let me just say this: don’t believe the hype! This way, with lowered expectations, you may actually be floored by the film.

Pre-movie bonus: the trailer for The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was shown. It can be seen here (it’s not up on Quicktime.com yet). Our sons will surely love the movie adaptation which is set to start showing on December 9. I read the book to them - a chapter a night - just last month (with a fake British accent and all, heh).

The San Francisco Chronicle pairs two Filipina women for today’s Food & Dining section’s Rent-A-Grandma series. Reading the article made me not only crave for some home-cooked Filipino dishes but it also made me look forward to our next family gathering.