Ups and downs

All volunteers get hit with the pressures and stress of a new living and working environment, one in which they are forced to integrate with a new community that speaks a different language. For some this occurs in the first few weeks in country, while for others it could be a few months after arriving at their permanent site. Although all of us were taught to speak Tagalog during training, some are forced to learn a new language based on their site placement, while all of us face the challenge of speaking and listening to the language 24/7. This is a great way to practice and develop, but it can also lead to frustration especially when other volunteers are no longer nearby.

1 month ago I arrived here in Tabaco City. After spending last weekend in Naga (my first time away from site) relaxing with other volunteers from the Bicol region, including volunteers from Australia and Spain, I returned to Tabaco City on a high. Perhaps it was the lack of sleep from the weekend, but my spirits were soon deflated when the work week began. This week was Fish Conservation Week in my province and activities had been planned at Bicol University Tabaco Campus (BUTC).  My office asked me to give a short presentation and show two environmental documentaries to the students on Tuesday morning. The lack of planning that went into the exhibit placed me in a very uncomfortable and embarrassing position. Everything worked out fine, but still I left feeling frustrated about the way things had gone. The day brightened as my basketball team won our first tournament, and I finally hit up a Tabaco City resto bar (with live music and dancing) afterwards with my teammates. However, my irritation continued later in the week when I was asked to begin working on updating the CRM plan for the city, a project I have excited about, but one that typically takes months to accomplish as it involves collecting data and involving the local community in the planning process. The miscommunication and misunderstanding of languages coupled with the lack of planning (something that is critical to me) was stretching my limits. I am very good at adapting to unique and uncomfortable situations, but for the first time since arriving here in the Philippines, I was feeling the stress and anxiety of being alone in a new environment where English is understood but rarely spoken, where time is NOT of the essence, and where common Western goods are often luxuries. But…it is also a place that emphasizes the importance of family and hospitality, a place where you will never go hungry (especially during Fiesta), and a place where buying load for your cell phone can ultimately lead you to a new group of friends. Which of these two groups is more important in the grand scheme of life?

     

I am trying to continually “accept the things I cannot change,” while also remembering the common PC phrase “the toughest job you will ever love.” Each day brings a new set of surprises, and learning to embrace them allows one to lose the stress or anxiety that often grips him/her. It’s important to remember where you came from, but just as important not to worry where you are going. Slow down.  Take things one day at a time.  Bahala na!