open air

With no air conditioning downstairs, our windows are open all of the time. The breeze is great, especially recently, since it's been very warm. But the downside is that lots of dust accumulates. As a result, our fans and window screens need frequent cleaning.

Meet Michael, our resident expert who dissembles the fans to keep them clean.



We like to hire some of the children who come by asking for jobs to wash the window screens. They love this assignment on a hot day!

Here Jeremiah, Mark and Dionisyu scrub the screens while Josanne and Jericho dry the car.

These children (and several others) were coming to our house at all hours,
as early as 7:30 a.m. and as late as 8 at night,
calling repeatedly at the gate,
"Ayo, Ate Babara!" (Hello, Ma'am Barbara)
hoping for jobs or food.

We finally learned enough Cebuano to tell them, 
'come only in the afternoons.'
 We think they understood our simple, inelegant message,
because our school mornings have been much more peaceful lately!