Day 54 Dumaguete, Cebu

Merry Christmas! Maayong Pasko!

This is probably the strangest Christmas I've ever experienced. We're sitting on the boat docks right now and we're stranded on Negros Islands southern portion (Negros Oriental -- the northern portion is Negros Occidental) just outside of Dumuguete City. Cebu island is a stones throw away by boat but the coast guard has shut off all maritime activity due to Typhoon Quinta. Ricky, his friend Buni, and I have no accommodations for the night and only enough money to feed the three of us for two more meals. We planned for only at three night visit, but the typhoon could leave us stranded for days.

The houses and little shops here at the docks are really run down because this area of the island was hit hard by Typhoon Pablo. Apparently Typhoon Pablo was the second deadliest typhoon in the Philippines since the late 1960s. Anyways, Ricky was talking to the captain of the fastcraft because he was moving his boat to a different location. He told Ricky when Typhoon Pablo made landfall here earlier in December, the entire area was covered in something like 4 feet of water. The captain said he'd come back once the coastguard gave the OK.

I did, however, have the most spectacular Christmas dinner! We started to get hungry so Ricky decided to knock on a stranger's door and ask if we could use their kitchen. Maybe this is just me, but I'm pretty sure it's uncommon for people in the US to just knock on people's doors and ask to use their kitchen. I talked to Buni about it and he told me in the provinces, it's okay to do that (in the major cities, not so much). There are however, unwritten rules when asking a stranger to use their kitchen:

1. You must provide food enough for yourself and the members of the house (at the very least, you must provide food for the children of the home). 

2. You have to help cook.

3. You must eat together.

4. You have to help clean up.

5. If you can, you must give a little bit of money. Usually the person allowing you in their home will initially refuse payment (as is the custom of the Philippines) but if you're persistent enough they'll generally accept it kindly.

A woman with two children answered the door and allowed us to use he kitchen. We already had with us a few kilograms of bulad (dried fish), so Ricky gave money to the children and asked them to buy eggs, noodles, and maize (corn grits -- often replaces rice when rice is not readily available). She helped us cook and then we all sat down and ate. Ricky gave her some money (she refused the first few times) and after eating she let us use  two bamboo beds and we slept outside under the stars hoping the coastguard would let us leave tomorrow.

This was one of the most humbling and gratifying Christmases I've ever had. This woman's house was obviously hit hard by Typhoon Pablo. Parts of the walls were held together with debris from the storm. The floor was dirt and there was no electricity. The fuel for cooking was wooden debris and she had two children to support. The fact that she was willing to let three strangers use her kitchen on Christmas (a time traditionally reserved for family here) and the fact that she even offered us a place to sleep was literally one of the kindest things I've ever experienced. We were hungry and she fed us. We were tired and she gave us rest. We were without family on Christmas and she kept us company. The amazing thing is, out here in the provinces, this act of kindness is the norm and not the exception. I'm continually amazed at how the people here are always willing to help others even if they have next to nothing.

Anyway, here are some pictures:

The Christmas dinner table.

Preparing food in the kitchen.

The family that let us use their kitchen

Christmas dinner!