When Life Feels Like a Fiesta: Month Four in Jagna

I would be remiss if I didn’t start off this blog discussing Jagna’s highly anticipated St. Michaels festival. It was so exciting to witness Jagna prepare and transform for the fiesta! It reminded me a lot of preparing for rodeo season in my hometown of Houston, Texas. I didn’t realize how nostalgic I’d feel until I saw the large Ferris wheel, the games for both adults and children, and the concert at the Calamay Stage at Jagna Plaza. What a time! One thing’s for certain – Jagna knows how to throw a party! The day of the fiesta started out with an invitation to Prince’s home where I enjoyed plenty of delicious food, including lechon. In my previous blogs, I mentioned having lechon before, but this was my first time seeing the whole roasted pig – an experience I won’t forget! Later in the day, I joined the crowds for the parade, watched the festival dances, and, of course, ate more food. 

Another exciting event this month was the celebration of Teacher’s Appreciation Day. It was truly touching to hear and receive such heartfelt admiration from the students about how the teachers at CVIF have impacted their lives. The program was full of fun, laughter, games, and awards. To my surprise, I won the “Best Dressed” award – something I had no idea I was a contender for prior to the program! I honestly just couldn’t decide what to wear to the program and ended up choosing my favorite dress, haha. The celebration continued the next day at Canuba beach with the senior high school teachers of CVIF. To say that this beach day was fun would be an understatement – and yes, there was lechon and yes, I ate my fill of it!

Teaching at CVIF is still so exciting, and I am constantly impressed by the students’ questions and engagement. One of the highlights during this month’s biology class was their Performance Task, where they were assigned to model either DNA, RNA, a protein, or the cell membrane using recyclable materials. I was absolutely blown away by the level of creativity, artistry, and understanding they showed in their work. I am very proud of each of their models. These should seriously be placed in a museum!

During my 4^th month, I also had the chance to visit to Dumaguete. I had an amazing time strolling along the Rizal plaza, passing by Siliman University, and admiring the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral. The food was also very lami! I even made some new friends in Dumaguete that I met at a karaoke bar my last night there (Hi, Joanne and Sandro!). We ended up having a great time singing, laughing, and talking about life. It’s always a joy when I get to meet to new people!

I also went dolphin watching and visited the Manjuyod White Sandbar, north of Dumaguete. I’ll will never forget how close the dolphins came to the boat (as if to say hello, haha) and stepping onto the sandbar to see countless sand dollars and starfish. The entire experience felt mystical!  

I spent another day in Valencia where I visited Pasalubong Falls, a sulfur vent (which smelled like rotten eggs by the way), and the Tierra Alta lighthouse in all its glory. I was fascinated by each of these visits – especially the Tierra Alta lighthouse since its Greece-inspired design reminded me of my trip to Greece back in 2017 with my best friend, whom I miss very much.

Aside from traveling, I have also had so much fun continuing to build local connections, whether it’s being invited to dinner by the Bernidos, having a girls’ day (Hi Remelyn and Zosia!), or visiting a friend at a coffee shop (Hi, Arnold!). It’s a wonderful reminder for me to continue cherishing all of my friendships.

What an amazing Month #4 it’s been! On to Month #5 where even more adventures – and possibly more islands to visit – await!

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