Match Day
Friday the Angeles Bahay Bata Foundation boys rugby team trained at Clifton College’s sports facility in Beggar Bush, Bristol. The playing fields are surrounded by a protected nature reserve. In the afternoon the kids visited Bristol Zoo, then returned to Beggar Bush for more training with the Clifton College boys XV that will tour Australia.
Saturday the kids went to Bath, site of the ancient Roman baths. They took a short walk around town (it was raining) then proceeded to the stadium. There were games and amusements on the field for kids rugby teams. The Bahay Bata boys trained and played some touch rugby before the Bath vs. Newcastle match.
The Bahay Bata boys are now supporters of Bath Rugby Club. Bath destroyed Newcastle.
Sunday there was a fund-raising Fun Day at the Clifton College grounds with games, amusements (They put teachers in the stocks and students could throw wet sponges at them–their version of our local perya attraction where you throw a ball at a target and if you make a bullseye the “mermaid” falls in the water) and more touch rugby. But before that there was chapel.
The boys wore Clifton College uniforms lent them by their hosts. And I just typed the same paragraph five times only to have it disappear I hate this borrowed PC with a passion bordering on amok! Die, Windows, Die.
Monday the boys went to the beach. Apparently it is a very British thing, going to the beach on a cold, overcast day. And not swimming–Weston Super Mare is not for swimming. I skipped that and stayed in the college. Then I walked around town and found the old cemetery.
Today, Tuesday, is Game Day. Bahay Bata vs. Clifton College, 12 a side, 1615 Bristol time.
* * * * *
I was talking to the kids’ chief carer Ate Mercy and she mentioned that what the boys at Bahay Bata really need is help with their conversational English. They can understand English and write English, but they’re not comfortable with speaking it because they don’t want to make mistakes.
Here’s an idea. Why don’t we assemble volunteers to go to Bahay Bata once a week or a couple of times a month to give classes in spoken English? They probably just need someone to practice speaking it with. Nothing formal, maybe we could just read a story to them or show a video and then discuss it afterwards. Does anyone want to join me? Sign up in Comments.
Answers to questions you might be asking, unless you wandered onto this site purely by accident >>>
May 10th, 2011 at 22:16
They look adorable in uniforms. And I forgive a couple of them for wearing trainers (this is probably the only shoes they have). Shame this kind of uniform is totally inappropriate for the Philippine weather.
And the jackets are too long for them (apart from one on the back right which seems rather short).
May 10th, 2011 at 22:18
Count me in :) Love this project :)
May 10th, 2011 at 23:58
Hi Ms. J, please count me in.
May 11th, 2011 at 01:07
nice idea :) i can help with the classes when i’m on vacation in december :)
May 11th, 2011 at 01:09
Yay for Philippine Rugby!
May 11th, 2011 at 05:45
I would love to join you and be a volunteer for the Bahay Bata kids.
May 11th, 2011 at 05:45
me!!! Count me in!! :)
May 11th, 2011 at 08:33
Count me in!
May 11th, 2011 at 09:59
I’d love to be part of that project if it pushes through. I need to practice speaking the language, too.
May 11th, 2011 at 10:07
The carers can start speaking to them exclusively in English.
May 11th, 2011 at 10:52
Good luck mga bata!
May 11th, 2011 at 12:44
volunteer.
ayan villafuerte.
May 11th, 2011 at 13:29
Nice idea about the tutor thing but I can help with any other stuff, not teaching :D
May 11th, 2011 at 13:31
After studying Spanish at Cervantes this is one thing I realized: you have to be really really good in your native language (English or Tagalog) to better grasp another foreign language. Napatunayan ko yan and that’s one thing I am telling people who are learning another language. If it’s bisaya then be really good at bisaya because that’s where you start to make sense of the meaning of another language when you start learning.
May 11th, 2011 at 16:32
Count me in on the spoken English tutorial thingy but I can’t do it weekly. Hopefully, Saturdays.
May 11th, 2011 at 22:01
i’ll join. i’m free saturdays and sundays
May 12th, 2011 at 18:41
This is great, thanks! We’ll set it up. Anyone else wants to volunteer, just sign up.
May 12th, 2011 at 21:22
I’m volunteering as well. :-)
May 12th, 2011 at 21:30
yorkie85: Unfortunately the team doesn’t have a budget for tailoring; the clothes were lent them by their host families. Their jerseys are not custom-made, either–they wear whatever fits (and the numbers do not correspond to their positions).
You would dehydrate if you wore those uniforms in the tropics.
May 12th, 2011 at 21:33
cdlaclos: The problem is that many of the current carers/teachers are not that comfortable in spoken English either, which is why we’re gathering volunteers.
Put it this way: With greater English proficiency, these kids have a better chance of getting athletic/academic scholarships to high school and college. They can get jobs and continue to play rugby. We would be helping to support our future national teams. They’re already winning now.
May 12th, 2011 at 21:38
julesmariano: Tough but we’re not discussing your difficulties in a foreign language, we want volunteers who are already fluent in spoken English.
May 13th, 2011 at 10:02
you went to Bath! did you see Jane Austen’s place?
btw, i forwarded the link to this blog to my volunteer friends in the Phils. they might be keen to volunteer for your project.
May 13th, 2011 at 22:10
roseriver: When I heard we were going to Bath I made plans to visit the Austen house and visit the sites of my favorite Austen novel, Persuasion. Now imagine me telling the coach and the children: Let’s check out Jane Austen’s house!!! It wasn’t going to happen. We only did guy things.