The Life of an Elementary Student in the Provinces

Sometimes, I cook breakfast, but then the house ends up full of smoke. The only thing I know how to cook is hotdog and tuna. To cook it, you take it out of the fridge to defrost, then, when it’s defrosted, you add slices so it will cook from the inside. I cook it in a pan. You add some oil, let it become hot, and then you add the slices.

What jobs do your parents have?:

My mom works in the municipyo (municipal hall or town hall), and my dad is lagaw-lagaw (goes around, relaxes). He just does whatever he wants!

What time does school start, and what time do you go home?:

In the morning, I leave at 7:30 a.m., and then we leave for lunch at 11:00 a.m. Then, at 1:00 p.m., we return to class. After that, we leave to go home at 4:00 p.m, but if we have practice, we’ll leave at 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. Recently, we have practice for the fiesta (upcoming town festival). We learn dancing as part of a class, and we will perform at the fiesta.

How do you get to school? Are you allowed to go to school by yourself?:

Me and my mom have the same time to go to work and school, so we walk together. When we’re late, we take the moto (motorcycle). I go sometimes on my own if my mom’s not ready yet.

Where do you eat lunch? What is your favorite food?:

I eat lunch in mom’s office. My favorites are tuna, hotdog, fish, barbecue or sometimes noodles.

What language do you speak at school? How do you say "Hello" in your language?:

We speak English at my school, but Kinaray-a at home.

Pages