Diary

Rotary Club of Port Pirie

Diary entries of Simon Sypek

Wednesday 28th of March 2007 - 04:21:29 PM
Some Pics
Here are some pics

Chemistry teacher in Science High School	Host Chris and Simon at Discon	Tash and Host Mike Pearson

Wednesday 28th of March 2007 - 04:16:55 PM
Angeles
Well we are at our final place, Angeles City, party town. We were greeted by 15 rotary clubs at a lunch welcome party yesterday where there was dancing and singing. I meet my new host family, PP George, his wife, son, niece and nephew. After the meeting I was taken to a spa and was ‘forced’ to have an hour massage. I am really going to find it hard returning to Australia, I will no longer be Mr Borgy. Gotta go. See you soon.



Sunday 25th of March 2007 - 07:35:33 PM
123 Island Bay
Sorry readers, but I have found it difficult to find time or a computer in the last few weeks to add an entry. As my mother says, I am a man of few words so I will keep it brief. Today we visited 100 Island Bay, which is not quite correct because there are 123 islands in total. We drove for 2 hours to reach the bay, sat around for another hour in true Philippines style and then headed out in a small boat similar to the long boats of Thailand. First Island was the Governors Island which had a nice lookout and a few steps to climb, nice view. We the went to a cave and finally to a beautiful beach with white sand and clear water. We drove into a bat cave and swam around the island, enjoying the peace and quiet. We stayed around three hours, enjoyed a nice lunch and good fellowship. All-round a relaxing “day off!” Tash and I also got JollieBee on the way home!!!!! Cameral and Mango Sundae. YUM!!!! See you next time!



Saturday 17th of March 2007 - 08:40:32 AM
Education in The Philippines
It has been interesting visiting a range of schools in the Philippines as part of my vocational education. There seems to be a big variance in facilities and standards from town to town and even school to school. When I visited Pampanga High School, I was overwhelmed by the lack of facilities yet high standard of student work. In Subic, the Olongapo Science School reminded me of a typical high School in metro Adelaide, but again the students were dedicated and determined to succeed. In this school, the passing grade is 85%. The level of expectation is so high, and positions in the school so competitive. What I have observed in almost all schools is the respect that students have for their teachers. This extends from the importance that Philipino’s place on the extended family and community. Education is a path to a good job and a better life for their whole family, and teachers are the facilitator. I am learning so much, and realizing that I can do so much more back at home.



Monday 12th of March 2007 - 06:59:11 AM
Tarlac
We arrived in Tarlac yesterday at around 6pm after a 2.5 hour drive from Battan. We passed through Pampanga and it was great to see some familiar sights from our first few days. My new host is Liosia and she runs a beauty salon and a Bar and Grill, a very busy girl. Every person that I meet from Rotary either owns or runs some kind of business, they are very busy people. The last few days in Battan were very humbling and I think will have a major impact on my life for many years to come. The poverty was shocking yet the sense of community and the happiness in the faces of the children was inspirational.



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