We decided to get social tonight. My kids were a little lukewarm on the idea, but I helped them think of some friends they could invite, and we set up a Zoom party. They've got 3 friends playing Psyche with them, and they seem to be having fun doing something. We'll have to ask them after they're done if it's more fun to play a game together or to just call and talk to someone on the phone. But it's good for them to see someone other than their siblings.
My big struggle of the day is feeling bad for my friends in the Philippines. I think I told you about this a few days ago. They are on lockdown - more strict than ours - but since they don't have internet in most homes, they don't have school of any sort. They're just in the 1 bedroom house with no yard with their kids and no internet all day. Gosh, it sounds tough!
So we thought it would be fun to mail them a game to play! I wrote to my friends and got their addresses. Then I went to Amazon to order, and nothing was available to ship to the Philippines. After some investigation, I figured out...there's no postal service right now. Nothing can be delivered.
I was so disappointed! I already told my friends I wanted to send them something, now we were all going to be disappointed. I literally spent all day trying to figure out a way to get something to them.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I struggle with the inequality between our lives. Why is it fair that I live in a big house with lots of nice stuff, a nice yard, fabulous internet, wonderful schools, beautiful roads and no giant scary cockroaches and spiders? (Ok, fine, they have mangoes and coconuts...which cancels out the cockroaches and spiders.) I'm no smarter, better or more righteous than they are. There's no reason that I should get an easier life than they do. And yet, every day, when I make choices that are ridiculously normal to the people around me, there's a part in the back of my brain that recognizes how morbidly extravagant that is compared to my friends who are just trying to get by. And I have no power to change the situation. But every once in a while, I try to overcome the difficulties of sending things halfway around the world, and at least help out someone stuck in their house for a month with no internet. So I do feel really bad that my effort was foiled.
Anyway, sa mga kaibigan sa Manila, mahal ko kayo. I'm sorry mahirap ang buhay ngayon.
As I was messaging some friends today, one of my friends was online, and we ended up chatting for a bit by video. It was so fun! But seriously, weird to be talking to someone out loud in Tagalog. Whenever I got a word that I struggled with, guess what - my hands started drawing what I was trying to say. That didn't do any good. I used to use all the words that you use in Tagalog when you don't know the word you want. I've lost the habit, and have put in hand gestures in that part of my brain. So after I got done with the phone call, I mentally practiced saying "kuwan" and "mag-ano" - I'll be ready next time. Grabe, I need more Tagalog practice!
On to less brooding thoughts, it rained yesterday for the first time since we've been stuck at home. This interrupted our exercise plans. So instead of going to play tennis, we stayed inside and did Just Dance on YouTube. I enjoyed myself, but SOME of my kids have a B.A. (Bad Attitude) about dancing. I should have made them go out and play basketball if they didn't want to be in with us. Today was lovely weather, but I realized we couldn't all go to play tennis. We have 4 rackets, and the other kids go play on the playground. But since Jane had a fever, we can't play on the playground. So I stayed home and did Just Dance with the two little kids while the 4 older kids went and played tennis (without touching ANYTHING.) It worked.
For FHE last night, we had some lemons that we made into lemonade. The idea was that life had handed us something unexpected and somewhat less desirable than some other options...but with some work, we could still make something nice with it. And I'll tell you what - fresh lemonade tastes better. Somewhat ironically, we also had Baked Alaska for dessert - Lillian had been working for several days to make one, and it didn't make any sense to put it off. So we had lemonade and Baked Alaska. And it was fabulous :) We did note that with all this staying at home, we generate a LOT more dishes. Not only because everyone is home, but because if you don't have anything else to do, you might as well do some baking! Fortunately, we're exercising, so we have some room for those extra calories!!
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