this is Aileen (my "continuity"of care patient. except, she has become a friend over the past 9 mos.) and NOW we're counting down to 40 wks! She's "due" april 10, and i am so nervous (and excited)! This will be the first time I deliver one of my fRIENd'S babys...i do not know what i'll do if something happens and we have to transport. For now, I'm on-call all.the.time. waiting to get a text with ANY change in her state..false labour pains, bleeding, or that crAZy growth on her finger :S WhatEVEr she needs.

todAY we spent the morning doing free pap smears on any women who wanted it at our clinic. It went really well, actually! The girls from Cebu are very experienced with all of this, and have actually hooked up with a university in Australia and are currently starting research for the WHO for statistics of HIV prevalance in the philippines. At present, there have been no such studies conducted, so there are only estimates for numbers like this, if you can believe thAt. They're predicting prevalance will surpass estimations...scary. OUr clinic will start regular testing (on high risk patients) starting this monday. I'm excited to be as knowledgeable as these girls from Cebu...(Hilary was only 22 when she started her clinic on that island..she's now 26) It blows my mind to think about what she has established within the community she lives. Her and her husband, unlike our clinic, are the ONly americans around. That's gotta be pretty intimidating when first starting out.
this is my group: Tiffany, Sarah, Heather and myself as we set up for the clinic this morning. [we were just practicinggg.]

these pictures are of the birth my mom was able to witness.
Here are the clinical requirements for NARM (north american registry of midwives):
- well-woman exams/family planning sess.>30 - after this wkd, i'll have plENty, but none so far
- initial visits> 20 req'd - me, 0
- pre-natals> 55 req'd - me, 158
- labor observes> 20 req'd - me, 66
- newborn exam> 20- me, 15
- postpartum mom+bb checks> 40 - me, 27

so THIS weekend is going to be busy. A lady is flying in from Cebu (an island west of here) who runs a clinic over there. HER clinic does STD testing and paps on their girls, and she's coming to give us an in-service on all that so we can start doing it at our clinic (instead of sending our girls else where for testing). So friday's the class. and saturday is a free pap party at Mercy.
The filipinas at the clinic used to test for such things, but haven't for a while and I, for one, am excited about being able to do it again. Using a microscope again, it'll be like gr.10 biology class ALL over again! Actually, we aren't going to be doing the results on a regular basis. The government here will give free pap results for free, and we're currently trying to find a place that will give results on other things as well. And, lets be serious, i've been working with that area of a woman for 6 whole months..and NOW i'm going to be able to see insIdE! [hopefully this isn't too much information] I think most of you would dIE listening to dinner conversations around here, ahah. besides, i usually spare the gory details.

a blESSEd dAY of bliSS.

it started off the night beFORE. a movie night/sleepover is a RARity in the midst of an assignment, but the girls took a little time off to cElEbrate :D the next morning was an aMAZing breakfast - complete with frosted mini wheats and eggs with chEDDar chEEse (courtesy of my mom) She also left presents from my family and girlfriends back home, so opening those made me fEEl even more loved.


thEN we headed off to the dive shop, the club had conveniently planned an extra far dive for the day and when we arrived there was this big banner stretched across the front of the dive shop that read "Happy Birthday Jenna" haha. it.was.nuts! so fun.

these are most of the people i dive with...the group shot was not for me (i don't think) but the 'president' of the club suggested it for the carabou website (as you can see, they made sure they brought along the bday banner..) and thEN they sang happy birthday and started chanting "SPEECH, SPEECH" thinking i wouldn't have the guts to say anything. but i daZZlEd them with an on-the-spot, sugar-coated blurb.

the dives were amazing...the marine biology nEVEr gets old. The whole time i'm down there my eyes are darting every which way, trying not to miss a single colour or shape

The girls brought along books and such to read on the way to and from the dive sites, but i purposely forgot all my books at home. It was such a nice day and i just wanted to sit. and stare. and think. I gUEss turning 23 is supposed to make a person wise so i was TRYing to work on that!


the boat trip went from 8-5 and after we went to a favourite thai restaurant of mine. This is the best because everyone texts everyone, and all the students (well most) come together from whatever they were doing that day to share in a birthday meal. Here in the philippines, it is customary to treat everyone to the meal...and therefore i had lots of texts saying "i want to come to your party..hah. jokes lang" [because the filipinos know that is NOt practiced in canada...much the opposite actually]

gUESs whAt?! (mom, no telling.)

yeah. mary has always been the smartest girl I know. she's right...the chicken was actually wrapped up in a life preserver and not ONlY on the boat for a ride...he was the guy's lUNCh for the day, talk about frESh! Whenever we go scuba diving we stop at this amAZing beach for a picnic lunch. Everyone packs their own, and thIS time they killed and grilled chickEns. mmm, where ELse can you get freshly killed chicken to eat? (except for in Beamsville, that is, b/c I can remember my brothers letting chickens without any heads run around the backyard)

thIS saturday is an extra long, extra cool boat trip. a "club dive"! Yes, i am now a certified diver and also a member of the carabou dive club. This saturday we're going to travel around the island to dive where there are caves and such! (i've never bEEn on the other side of the island!) It should be inCREDible.. and incredible doesn't even beGIN to describe!

wedDINGs.

FIRST OFF, I'd like to give the biGGESt, moSt excitEd CONGRATULATIONS to my dearest CHristine Martens, who just got enGAGEd to Bradley Morgan! The date's been set AUGUSt 3rd...ohh my, that's so so soon. i'll come home to everyone married off with houses, and big bellies (couldn't BEE a more perfect time to return!) I know Brad'll throw a fun wedding..and whAt an amAZinggg wedding party!

NEXT, i have some news from here also. Leah Drayer, an mk (missionary kid) is ALSO getting marriEd...to a filipino (brianna, you'd be in lOVe, he's got dreads halfway down his back!) and she's asked ME to stand up with her. Yes! I'm going to be a bridesmaid, yet again! I cannot wait. We're having our dresses custom made. THe tailor just drew up my dress before my very eyes while I described it to him...cool huh. They're coming along nicely! The weddings April 21st. Here are a few pics of the fittings (and dreads..)
the other maids.

Well, I guess my vacation is coming to a close. What a whirlwind of activity, Jenna doesn't sit still for long. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of keeping up until last night when she ran up several flights of stairs (she didn't know where the elevator was and didn't think it important). I climbed the stairs OK just not as fast!!! We were on our way to an Italian restaurant. We have also eaten at a French establishment and Thai food, and a Mongolian Grill; a few filipinos homes for lunch, lots of seafood. Look out gourmet club - we are going to try some new dishes!!!
Jenna asked me what was the highlight of my trip. We have done so many varied and different types of things; mountain resort, beach resort, VERY poor and rustic filipino home for lunch, very rich filipino home for lunch, a day on the ocean with scuba divers - no I did not dive - lots of swimming and so on. However as I contemplated her question- I realized that the highlight was the night I went with her to work and watched her deliver an adorable and oh so tiny baby girl. The mother was awesome and it really was something to see - my baby delivering a baby!!!
I told Jenna how much I was going to miss her and her life here and she was quick to point out that my time here hasn't been exactly how she lives. She is after all a poor student - walks everywhere, doesn't eat out except for b-day celebrations, certainly doesn't frequent resorts of any kind and keeps her nose in the books when she is not at work. In fact she is starting to get behind in her schoolwork so I guess it really is time for me to leave. My flight leaves Davao at 6:45 p.m. Monday, I will be in San Francisco 7:30 p.m. Monday, and in Buffalo 10:30 Tuesday a.m.

it's only been a week.
i HARDly think that amount of time consistutes 'a lazy blogger'.
beSIDES..it's been a whirlwind of activity this past week.
i'm entertaininggg!
PLUS - the highspeed at our house has no speed right now, scratch that, it's not even working at ALL.
and these are the reasons I have not written to you.
please accept my dEEpest apologies (woodzy and dear michelle)...
and NOW.
for some reason the pictures aren't uploading from my computer so I cannot even show you all of the excitement my mom and i have had. I will do my best to describe it all now. And post pictures for you when it starts working.

I will start after our wkd at Eden.
Monday: mom and I had her first birthroom shift...there was only one labouring woman so we just read basically the entire shift from 6am to 2pm. [yeahh, i read 2 novels that wkd, kinda crazy] jUST after we endorsed the lady to the next shift - "HEAD visible" and she started pushing. Luckily mom was able to get in on that, and saw her first birth!, it was fast though, and i wasn't the one delivering, but...she saw it!
Tuesday: i have prenatal appts. all morning, so mom came with me to those. I tried to impRESS her by using this new language.
WEd/thurs: we went to Paradise Beach Resort, and stayed in this little hut! mmm.
Fri/Sat./Sun: we ventured out, 2 hours south to 'the province' (what WE would call 'the country') to Makilala where my supervisor Mayflor lives. Only we forgot sunscreen, and after spending saturday at a resort with all natural spring pools and waterslides, etc. I was burnt to a little crispy. [yeah, i got burnt and mom didn't..doesn't seem to make sense seeing as i'm the one who lives in a tropical country only, she wasn't as drawn to the waterslides] We had a really good time with May's family though. and i EVEN learned how to drive Arex's motorcycle this time. He told Rose to take me out and practice getting it into second...pfft - we were cruising towards the sun setting behind magnificant mountains in no time (in fourth :P)...SARE, motorcycles are the ONly way to go.
It.WAS.AMAZ.ingg.
here's a pic of my moms greatest adventure...riding on a motorcycle with four other ppl

EDEN - "naturally.."

is the motto that is splashed across the entrance to every site and attraction at the mountain resort my MOM took me to this weekend. Ironically enough, this nature park (found 3000' above sea level) is 95% man-made. Logged over in the 70's, they rebuilt the lost environment planting almost every tree found there today, making Eden the only pine forest in Davao [the pine sure reminded me of the cottage...mer]

the sITEs were incredible. We had dinner last night over-looking the core of Davao City, illuminated. This is a picture of something they referred to as "Rainbow Pass", because the arches are home to a number of coloured flowers.

We went swimming, and i went HIKinggg (yeah, i could've been of the bruce trail, except for the bamboo and the spiders bigger than my hand..), and we saw filipino deer and thought of Grandpa, took the hour long taxi ride up and back and thought of Dad (haha, you would've had your foot through the floor for SURE) the guy was nuts.

Eden is also a major supplier for the local grocery stores of Davao. Here is a picture of the lettuce, but they also have fruit orchards and vegetable gardens and herb gardens...it was really cool to see it all, and even bEttEr to try it all at the buffets.

The resort also had this amAZing bird sanctuary...i really believe sesame street had a character that looked like this. THIS bird was cRAZY scary, made a even stranger sound, and was bigger than me :|

they ALSO had pretty peacocks everywhere. but, only ONE white one. Mom thinks it musta been mating season because the males were CONstantly displaying their muscles, haha - it's not working too well for this poor guy (as the girl pecks aimlessly at the ground..)

uhh. so. this is..somewhat.embarassing. bUt we found a hat that suited Gramma's collection of unique cottage apparel and so HERE is a little present for Gramma ;)

a blog. from my mom..

Well I made it - 38 hours of travelling - 28 of those hours in the air - the rest sitting in airports. Read a whole Karen Kingsbury book, watched several movies and slept surprisingly well (surrounded by kids for the longest flight). Everything went oh so smoothly - thanks to all who were praying. Jet lag hasn't been a problem but then I AM ON HOLIDAYS - doing not much and enjoying it. Jenna's doing a good job of looking after me, but then look who she had as a teacher!!!
We have already enjoyed a massage - just incredible and only $4.00; went to the market this morning which brought back memories of my stay in Sudan; and have just made reservations at a mountain resort for Sat/Sun- the room will cost us $25 for both. I can hardly believe these prices. Yes, I said mountain- Jenna is looking forward to snuggling into a sweater and me - well, it sure is hot here - but not unbearable. Jenna's house is equipped with lots fans.
The food is good, real good. We enjoyed an incredible breakfast of fresh fruit and freshly shredded coconut. They have these machines that do the shredding at the market while you watch. Jenna took me to Banok's for barbequed chicken - a specialty. Here is a pic of the chickens barbequeing on a spit.