…don’t make gluten lemonade.

That wouldn’t taste too great.

Why am I bringing up gluten??? Great question! My stomach is asking the same thing.

If you know me at all, you know my body rejects anything with wheat or lactose in it. I’m not a happy camper when I accidentally eat it.

I ate out with some teacher friends on Sunday night and wasn’t as careful as I should have been. Let me note that my reaction was no one’s particular fault.

Anyway…

Want to know the advantage of being in bed for two days???

You can grade your 64 students’ papers/tests/quizzes while watching Gilmore Girls and drinking ginger tea all day long.

I feel the best when I am productive, so knowing I am being somewhat “on-task” makes me feel better even when my abdomen is screaming “I hate you!” at the same time.

All-in-all, these two days have been bitter-sweet: moderately productive, restful, contemplative, and painful. I am starting to feel better, though.

I made a list of all things (big and small) I have learned in my first month of being here. I’ve been here a month and four days, y’all. *So cool*

1. Because tomatoes are scarce, some ketchup is made from bananas with red food coloring added.

2. Divorce is illegal.

3. When it rains, it rains and rains and rains.

4. Blackouts are called “brown-outs”.

5. Filipinos are very flexible.

6. Robinson Grocery has a theme song.

7. When you ask a local a “yes” or “no” question, “yes” doesn’t mean (s)he is answering your question, it means, “I acknowledge you are speaking to me.”

8. Being on time can sometimes be perceived as impolite.

9. You soon become the all-mighty authority on everything grammar related when you are a native English speaker. (Not complaining–you all know I love correcting grammar.)

10. “What do you think of Donald Trump?” is a common question.

11. The chaotic roads actually have an established order…you just have to know what it is.

12. Some phrases such as “my clock is fast/slow…”are foreign here, and discovering why no one knows what you mean makes for a wonderful bonding moment.

13. Teachers wear different colored uniforms every day.

14. If you offer food/help/time to someone, you must ask 3-4 times before you get a “yes.” (S)he is making sure you are not only being polite and actually want to be generous.

15. I get asked if I have a boyfriend, how “young I am” and/or whether I want to get married almost every time I meet a new person.

16. Everyone thinks they have poor English but speaks better English than they give themselves credit for.

So there you have it folks: 16 things I’ve learned so far.

One more note: I need to approve any comment you make on this blog. That’s why you won’t see it appear right away. Don’t worry, though. I see it right away and you will soon after.

It’s about 5am CA time now. Have a great Tuesday!