Happy Birthday Memi!

"Memi" is my nickname for my mom -- this is a letter I made for them today! It's her birthday on the 13th of September.

Happy Birthday Memi!

I will be writing this in English since I will be posting this email on my blog too (to save time)

We are currently in Eureka, California - and it's show day today. I have this short opportunity to use the Internet in the staff workroom! Yey! But I am also doing research about the Oregon Dunes because the cast will be going there tomorrow.

(I know I missed telling stories about Winston, Oregon -- but briefly, our days there were filled with activities for the Annual Melon Festival -- which was like a city fair with food and game booths. We performed at the Riverbend Park -- an open park venue! It was really fun performing in the open and for the first time AND being able to wear jackets! It's getting cooler now.. I also had the opportunity to walk over to a Filipino Restaurant and chat with the family. They are from Sta. Rosa, Laguna! I ate adobo and pancit and bought Boy Bawang!)

This week is my last week as an education intern and I can say that I am sad but relieved! Sad because I loved doing it and knowing about education stuff for the cast ahead of time, and relieved because I get to be a student again and just go with the flow. By tradition, the last week of internship is also called the "Intern Week" where the interns get to run the city and the staff will be there as "support". It has been fun being an intern and I really learned a lot -- I am sure if I get the time to really sit down and reflect on it, I will find out that I learned even more. I encourage all students in Up with People to try and get internships :-)

Since it's intern week , I had the chance to design and facilitate a workshop with the cast. It was confusing to work on something when we are moving around so much, but Jeremy (my partner intern) and I were able to pull it off. Thanks to my experience with AFI and AYLC (yey!) plus some grad school background, we have gotten great feedback for the Values Workshop! Some even say that it was the best workshop they had this semester, and I tell you we have had lots! But off course, it could still be improved and I promise I will work on it.

I think it is really cool that I am being forced out of my comfort zone everyday in this trip be it something big like speaking infront of a lot of people, or something really personal like living out of a suitcase, living with dogs, interacting with people you are uncomfortable with (honestly !) -- Something new everyday, something frustrating a lot of times--> but I feel like I have grown a lot during this first few months on the road, and I look forward to the challenges ahead!

Happy Birthday again Memi! I am sad that I missed Sam's 30th birthday (eek) and missing yours and missing Pepi's. Wah. I am having fun but I am also missing you all, and I wish you were all here with me to see and feel everything that I am going through!

I love you!!! Ingat kayo lahat palagi!