Field Trips and Frisbees

In the midst of some serious report card writing, I took my class on a field trip this Thursday to IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) as part of our unit of inquiry comparing the past, present and future. There were two and a half classes, three teachers, two drivers, three security guards, one counselor, and at least 14 parents in all. The morning we were scheduled to go was a mess: rain dropped from the skies like there had never been rain before. I thought surely that the trip would be cancelled. I arrived at school, and low and behold, we were still a go. We gathered on the busses and started the two-hour drive to IRRI, rain pelting the windshield, cars crawling along the road and children happily playing with their electronics (I don't even know what they are called anymore, there are so many new ones out there and I am reminded how completely outdated I am). We arrived at the museum, where my class was scheduled to visit first. Each student had a clipboard and a booklet to fill out, so off they went on a scavenger hunt, trying to find the items from the past and record their observations. An hour later, we boarded the bus to exchange places with the other class in the fields. The weather still loomed over us, but there was no more rain. We pulled on our long stockings, or went barefoot into the muddy rice patties. Up to our knees (or waists) in mud, the kids had a blast planting rice stalks, pushing a plow, helping a carabao plow the field and threshing stalks of rice. For an hour, these kids, who have maybe never in their lives gotten dirty, were smiling and laughing as they trudged through the mud, splashing it around and falling on "accident." After the students had showered up and were on the bus headed back to school, the rain poured down again and the kids relived their mud memories in joyful, yet quiet (imagine that) conversation. I must say, this was one of the easiest and most enjoyable field trips I have ever been on.

On Friday afternoon, about 14 of us gathered on the ES field for a game of Ultimate Frisbee. Not that I have ever played and not that I am any good, but we spent one and a half hours passing, catching, diving, flicking, sprinting, covering, counting, gasping, scoring and sweating. It was a great workout, but only shows me how out-of-shape I am, even after committing to the gym three-five times a week (okay, zero times this week, but that's because I stayed late doing report cards!). The heat and humidity are not to be taken lightly as heat stroke can come on faster than you'd ever think. You really have to pace yourself when engaged in an outdoor athletic activity here. Or maybe it's just me. Nonetheless, after our exhausting game of Ultimate, we merrily drove ourselves to the 1-2-1 Bar in Makati for some hard-earned slushie drinks and the best french fries ever. Now, if that's not a great way to end a workout, I don't know what is. Ha.