2:00 AM. Who is eating cereal? Fumble around for the broken headlamp…it’s here somewhere. Swear. That sound is much too loud to be crunchy cereal, besides, there isn’t any here. Light attempts to flood the room, failing miserably. Stumble out from under the “insecticide impregnated” mosquito net; manage not to tear it down. Cat. What are you doing? Go outside, pee. Crunching resumes. Grab the bit of tail out from under the cabinet, pull. Weak light reveals cat teeth embedded in a field rat’s head. Place the mess outside, firmly close the door, crawl under the blanket, forget to turn off the light.

While I’m not entirely sure how Kurt (named by my neighbor in memory of a former volunteer) came into my possession, though she clearly intends to stay. So long as the rat and roach population is kept in check I’m inclined to allow her free range. It is important to impress upon her that the proper place to eat rat heads is not near mine; I’m still trying to figure out how, exactly, one teaches a cat.

Christmas is approaching, though a Filipino would say that it’s been doing so since the months that end in “-ber” began. It’s strange to see Christmas lights, Santas, and fir tree silhouettes everywhere – totally incongruous with the weather. A lasting impression from the American colonial experiment. If the music blasted from the beds of slow moving pick-ups in the market are right, Rudolph summers in Batanes and mommy still kisses Santa Claus, albeit under a banana leaf. New Year’s fireworks are already echoing off buildings and mountainsides, reporting the imminent loss of digits with their explosive reports.

I feel detached from all the preparations and hubbub, though the feelings will change Christmas Eve. I’ve become something of a veteran of holidays in strange places. While those with whom I would most like to spend the days with are far away, my thoughts turn in their direction bridging the distance. Knowing that the same kindness is extended to me bolsters the sentiment. I do look forward to spending the holidays in my barangay, visiting with those who have made my time here special; a request for baked goods on Christmas day has been made, and I’m happy to oblige.

Last week was spent playing with mud in Malico; their oven is coming along nicely. My next visit should see its completion and indicate if previous experiences translated into a better product. I think it will and am excited to see the results. Imugan has begun preparations for their own oven; given the location it should be even more interesting. They have arranged for an inside placement which requires a chimney to control the smoke. Putting a chimney in an oven changes several factors and requires more thought than the simple design used for the previous two. I look forward to the challenge; even more, I am glad that the interest is high enough to follow through.

I should clarify something: my primary site remains here; Imugan and Malico are simply communities that have latched onto my interests and wish to work together. We plan work days about two weeks apart and thus far have used the time allotted effectively. The difficulty has been making this happen here, in Paitan.

Instructions arrived yesterday indicating how these last two years will, officially, come to a close. Aside from the paper work the process is pretty straightforward. One bit of information caught my eye: the fact that I could close out two weeks to one month early, and am in fact encouraged to do so. I don’t wish to focus on this possibility, when the idea of ending this chapter and beginning the next is such a tempting thought. These thoughts can distract me from my purpose stated earlier: to spend my remaining time, as much as possible, in the pursuit of positive and helpful activities. Building ovens, painting maps, procuring books. I will let things unfold as they will. This is generally the most honest approach, and applies now. It may at times be difficult to remember this, but I will try to so do.