"Tabaco Road"

Well...last I left off I had just been assigned my permanent site, Tabaco City, Albay. Fast forward two weeks and I am now sitting in my new kwarto (bedroom) at my new host family's bahay (house) in Tabaco City.  But hold on...I won't jump the gun and wrap up a crazy two weeks with just a few sentences.  With "black bear" (as I have been dubbed by my fellow "man cavers"...more than fitting for me, wouldn't you say Aunt Patti and Uncle Butch?) its always a story.

So let me first cap off my time in Sabang. We finally opened our park on Tuesday September 11. What a thrill! It was so rewarding having what seemed like hundreds of kids thoroughly enjoying themselves on our hard work over the previous week. We even got the kids involved by having them paint their hands on our mural. If you haven't watched it yet, check out this video my fellow CRMer Zac made documenting our work through training: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uloU0w1at1o&feature=g-user-u. As promised earlier, some pictures of our finished product...

Before...

...and after

Murals designed by our group artist, Ms. Rachel Figgs

Leaving a lasting impression on Sabang

Though we were so proud to have finally finished our community project, our LPI, or language placement interview, was the following morning so there was no time for rest  I'll cut to the conclusion of this one...I got an intermediate high mark in Tagalog, thereby passing my LPI! Having essentially finished training after the LPI, our wrap-up beach bonfire was next. Great getting to talk to our whole group about our likes and dislikes over the past 10 weeks. Our handog sa host pamilya was our last activity before leaving Sabang. All of the host families came out and enjoyed games and food for a few hours. Laughs were shared and pictures were taken. It was tough saying goodbye to families that take you under their wings for 10 weeks. We truly appreciated all they did to help us transition into the Philippine lifestyle. I hope to visit Sabang again before my service is over. Sadly, two of the CRMers weren't able to attend these last few festivities because they had come down with dengue (YES that's 4 CRMers with dengue during training...7 total in 271). This story has a happy ending though...

...they made it back for swearing-in! We arrived in Manila Sunday morning and were treated to a tour of Intramuros, the "walled city" of Manila. Very interesting tour that I would recommend especially to history buffs. We were given a bunch of training wrap-up talks and volunteer introductions leading up to swearing-in on Wednesday at the U.S. Embassy. The night before, a bunch of us went out to the mall to buy barongs, an embroidered Philippine dress shirt (very mahal, or expensive). The price was worth at as we all kept it classy for the ceremony. Afterwards, we hit up a bar called the Hobbit House, which was owned by a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) and staffed by midgets. Truly a sight! The swearing-in ceremony itself was held in the grand ballroom in the U.S. Embassy. We were greeted by the U.S. Ambassador who sadly told us that President Obama would not be in attendance today (saw that one coming..but it was worth a shot). For those of you who have not seen the Youtube video, check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iMLKqzWH5o&feature=g-user-u. I can personally say that hearing my name called and later taking the oath to swear in as a Peace Corps Philippines Volunteer was one of the proudest moments of my life. I was overcome with pride in my country, excitement for my future steps, and accomplishment in what I, and my fellow volunteers, have done over the past 2 1/2 months. I also had a lot of adrenaline running through me as our CRM group was about to perform our skit (hopefully this too will be up on Youtube soon). Blew the roof off the Embassy with a little Mambo Number 5 mashup. Upon returning to the hotel after a brief reception, there was rioting occurring down the street due to recent religious outbreaks. Everyone was fine, but we did have to remain in the hotel for a bit. Didn't stop us from going out later that night tho! Our TCFs and LCFs had planned a club night after swearing-in, despite some people having to be up in the wee hours of the morning to leave for their permanent site. Fantastic last night together with some great people!

O.K...I finally made it back here. My "Tabaco Road." Since bus was my means of travel to Tabaco, I didn't leave until almost 8 pm Thursday night. Quick side story...while waiting for the bus to leave Manila, a few of us saw a fully nude child defecate on the sidewalk ride outside, no wipe, leave it there,  and then proceeded to approach (still naked) customers leaving the convenience store and ask for money. The things you see in Manila... Anyways, it was an overnight trip to Bicol, but at least I had other volunteers placed in Bicol along for the ride. I met my supervisor Arsenio in Legazpi City Bus Station around 7:30 Friday morning. He shuttled me straight to the office where I met my counterpart Markson along with other City Agriculture Office employees. I was then led to my new host family's house only a few blocks away. Following introductions and a brief meal, I had to hit the hay for a few hours before returning to work. My co workers gave me a brief tour of the city, including the shopping mall, John the Baptist Church, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) office, and the pier. Having been here 4 days now, I find Tabaco to be a great fit for me! A small but big city with just enough to keep you entertained but not enough to overwhelm you. It has a small mall and a Jollibee (a Philippine McDonald's). All eyes are on me now since I am the only American in the city, not to mention my height! The nearby Mayon volcano provides a scenic backdrop to this port city. Can't wait to check out the island part of the municipality which looks out on the endless abyss called the Pacific Ocean. My new host family has 5 kids ages 7-15. The kids speak the best English in the house :) It is a two-story apartment with a large veranda (I actually found an unfinished third floor yesterday offering even better volcano vantage points). My room is smaller but I do have a double bed, and there is a working shower across the hall (no people..that does not mean its hot). Despite the language barrier, my family has been more than generous and the food so far, thanks to my kuya, has been AMAZING!

Today marked my first full day at work and I was a bit overwhelmed at first because I was immediately thrown into the lion's den with projects. My anxieties have been relieved for the time being after speaking with Markson and understanding our project goals and outcomes. A little prying for information here can turn everything around! All in all, I am stoked about our potential projects for the next two years as they directly relate to my interests. I was also introduced to the Mayor and Vice Mayor of Tabaco today, and have already been invited to dinner at the Vice Mayor's house next week.

It's extremely encouraging to have so much support from the locals, after only 4 days of living here! My kuya's cousin told me the other night, "we are so proud to have you as our guest in Tabaco and know that you will help our people." The hospitality and humility that these people share is truly remarkable!

Hanggang sa susunod na beses!

You stay classy. Planet Earth.

Perceptions

One of Peace Corps' three goals is to promote/help Americans better understand other people and cultures. So far, I feel this blog has primarily encompassed my everyday life here so far, but I also strive to share some of the key differences and similarities that exist between Filipino and American cultures so that others can recognize and understand them from someone who has experienced both. Perceptions are commonly formed based upon media, word of mouth, etc., but having firsthand experience gives me the opportunity to clarify and explain for others’ benefit. During my first two months here, one in particular sticks out because they have already happened here twice: natural disasters. The southwest monsoon hit us about a month ago (see previous posts) and an earthquake rolled through Eastern Samar last week. As mentioned earlier, I was partially affected by the monsoon (loss of power due to a nearby landslide), while the earthquake wasn’t felt in my part of the country. Although they can be extremely dangerous and displace many of the environments they come in contact with, it is important to remember that natural disasters occur everywhere in the world and our “bubbles” often influence our perceptions of the outside world. Understanding that many differences may actually be similarities (for example, a typhoon is the same thing as a hurricane except it occurs in a different part of the ocean) is an important facet in life on many scales and levels.  

The wait is over

Since the start of my application process, I’ve been awaiting the day when I would know my permanent site for my 2 years of service. Last Sunday, August 26 marked the beginning of supervisor’s conference and at last, the wait was over…I am happy to say that I will be heading to TABACO CITY in the province of ALBAY in the Bicol region of the Philippines! Tabaco City is a 3^rd class municipality with a population of 125,000. It is located on the eastern edge of the Philippines overlooking the Pacific Ocean and is home to one of the top ranked coral reefs in the Philippines and nearby Mount Mayon (known as the "perfect cone" because of its symmetrical shape). Whale sharks are also close by and are a common attraction in the Bicol region! My supervisor, Arsenio Onrubia, is Tabaco City’s Chief Agriculturalist. As of right now, I will be working with him and my counterpart Markson in the Fisheries Department of the Municipal Agricultural Office (MAO). Can’t wait to get down there September 20^th…just hope dengue isn’t a problem in Tabaco!

Me with my supervisor Arsenio

I’ll back up a second…three weeks ago, I was diagnosed with dengue fever (I’ll let you do the googling of it). Basically, it’s a mosquito-borne disease that results in a high fever, rashes, etc.  Luckily, I didn’t get the brunt of the disease but was still taken to the hospital in Manila to be monitored. After 5 frustrating days (primarily because I was confined to my room), I was good to go but stayed in Manila for the night. I’ve never seen such a sprawling urban metropolis, even compared to NYC. Anyways, let’s just say that being sick cooped up in a hospital by yourself on the other side of the world makes you appreciate the luxuries you have back home and the sheer happiness of feeling healthy again! 

I’m jumping around a bit. Fast forwarding to the end of supervisor’s conference last week, I was finally able to snorkel! The CRMers took a field trip down to Mabini, Batangas, near the Verde Island Passage, home to some of the best biodiversity in the world. I’ve never had the opportunity to REALLY snorkel before and I hit the jackpot on my first go! I’ve never seen so many fish in my life (Nemo’s and Gil’s all over) and the various corals were amazing! Getting SCUBA certified and purchasing an underwater camera are musts while I’m here. After heading back to Quezon City for the night, we visited an urban poor/alternative livelihood site the next day. Just when I thought the week couldn’t get better, it did. Brief recap: Buklot Tao (united people; the alternative livelihood organization) has community members collect used juice boxes which they use to make various bags for sale; and they provide garbage cans to families which they collect every few days and turn the collected waste into compost which in turn is used to harvest their own crops (they also are getting involved with rainwater catchment systems for their crops). A truly remarkable organization that is also promoting climate change relief and natural disaster awareness to those most affected within their community (predominantly squatters along the river).

Twin Rocks at Mabini, Batangas

Organic gardens at Buklot Tao

An urban poor settlement in San Mateo, just north or Manila. 

In 2009, a typhoon struck the area which caused water to rise above this bridge (over 30 feet high!)

About 10 days left here in Sabang…can’t believe how quickly the time flew! Right now, we’re in the thick of things with our community youth park. The grand opening is scheduled for next Tuesday.  Thanks to the help of the community and a nearby resort, many of our materials were donated along with labor. It’s been stressful trying to build a park in a week, but things seem to be coming together. I’ll try and post some before and after pictures with my next post! We also have our youth camp this Saturday, our language proficiency interview (LPI) next Thursday and Friday, and then our handog ng host pamilya (AKA our host family goodbye party) next Saturday before leaving for swearing-in on the 16^th. So much to do in so little time…the work and parties are endless!

Hanggang mamaya!

One month in...and the rain continues

Between the lack of internet at my training site and the heavy monsoons that have been in the area recently, I've been out of the blogosphere the past few weeks. I am now three weeks into PST. A typical day consists of a 5 AM wake up call by either roosters, dogs, or kids, followed by breakfast and a bucket bath, then on to four hours of language class, lunch time, fours hours of technical training, dinner, a brief period of relaxation, and then bed. I have 10 people in my host family: my mama and papa, three sisters (ate..pronouced 'ah-tay'), two brothers (kuya), two nephews, and a niece (in addition, I also have four sisters that live elsewhere, including one in Austin, TX and one in Toronto). I also have 3 cats and 2 dogs, one of which had 7 puppies the other day...3 litters in 3 years, this dog has been on a mission. My papa and kuya J.R. are fishermen and farmers. All in all, my family has given me a great set-up with my own good size bedroom with an adjoining C.R. (comfort room or "bathroom"). Much more than I was expecting! The food has been fairly tasty, with meals consisting of chicken, pork, fish, vegetables, bananas, and LOTS of rice. Staple meals include adobo, tinola, pancit (noodles and veggies), and whole fish (complete with head, tail, eyes, etc.). But NO meal is complete without rice!

View from Sabang

My house!

It's safe to say that our typical daily schedule has fluctuated quite a bit over the past few weeks though. The southwest monsoon (habagat) hit our province extremely hard and many of our sessions were interrupted/suspended due to the heavy rain. I've never seen or heard rain this hard in my life..especially when living under a tin roof! My site was probably the best off of the three training sites though. Both of the others were evacuated and some volunteers were actually stranded in a two-story house in their town for 40+ hours due to the 8 feet of water below. Luckily everyone is safe now and some volunteers have been able to return to their host families. My site was actually evacuated on Friday but not because of the flooding. A nearby landslide destroyed 5 power lines so we are without power and water in Sabang (the lack of drinking water caused us to be evacuated). We are all hoping to return soon so we can continue work on our community projects. Currently, the CRMers and myself are in the process of designing a CRM Plan for the municipality of Morong, as well as a youth park for Sabang. Our group had a community merienda yesterday to engage the locals and gather resources for the project. Probably our best day yet! Great to see the community, espcially the kids, rally behind our ideas. Besides the park, I'm also hoping to get some chain-link nets for their basketball court (I still have yet to play here because of the rain...).  Can't wait to get started (before and after pictures to come)! 

The entryway into Sabang.  Every barangay has one

Presenting our youth park to the Sabang community

It's still hard to believe how fast time is going...at this rate my two years will be over before I know it! In two weeks, we have our supervisors conference where all of 271 will be meeting up and learning where we will be placed for the next two years! But for now, we are soaking up our weekend together in Subic. We are all looking forward to returning to our sites, but its nice to be able to catch up with people and unwind, especially after the traumatic experience some went through last week. Hoping to get to the mall today with some of the gang (lord knows I need a razor...mine got fried at IIRR and my "mane" is growing thick). Tempting to let it grow...swearing-in stash bash with President Barack Obama (hopefully)?? Stay tuned!

Last day in Cavite

Another whirlwind of a week. Today was our last day of center based training at IIRR in Silang, Cavite. Tomorrow I depart for my training site in Sabang, Morong along with 12 other CRM (coastal resource management) and 11 education volunteers! Although I will definitely miss the hospitality here in Cavite (AC, showers, etc.), I can't wait to get to my training site, meet my first host family, and truly begin immersing myself in the Philippine culture! Our language teachers (LCFs) kept quite a bit hidden from us regarding our families, although I have been told that we will be practically living on the beach! Unfortunately, I have also heard that there is no wifi in Sabang, so my communication might be fairly limited for the next two months (there is an internet cafe in the poblacion, or town center).  

Some quick hitters for ya...Filipinos love to eat!! We typically have 5 meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as 2 meriendas (snacks). The food has been quite good, particularly the fruit and fish. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to try fresh coconut water. Also, there are no knifes here. Filipinos only use forks and spoons, typically using the spoon to pull apart the meat, fish, etc. Takes some practice.

Philippine ice cream, known as "halo-halo!"

Freshly shaved coconut

The driving around here is out of control! Cars are constantly passing each other on 2 lane roads (there really aren't any major highways here). As we drove to Catalagan on Tuesday for our CRM field trip, there were countless times where I was flabbergasted by the way cars/motorcycles/jeepneys zip in and out. It also takes much longer to get from place to place around here. It's very common for random people or livestock to be crossing the road throughout your route. The Philippines collectively is only roughly the size of Nevada, but with an ever-changing terrain and 2 lane roads passing through town after town, places seem like they are much further apart.

I mentioned on Tuesday we took a trip to a current Peace Corps volunteer's (PVC) site in Calatagan, Batangas. Some current PCVs dub this area the "Beverly Hills of the Philippines." A very beautiful place. We were lucky to have a clear, sunny day to tour around a mangrove nursery and sanctuary and visit a local NGO, CAPS Ocean. It hasn't been so nice the rest of this week. Today it has been raining heavily all day because of a nearby tropical depression. If it rained this much back home, places would be severely flooded (especially Charleston!).

CRM 271 at the mangrove nursery

Nice spot for lunch

Loving life!

The next two months will definitely be intense as I have language and technical training sessions 6 days/week...but it will all be worth it come September 19th when I officially swear in as a Peace Corps volunteer!

Stay tuned for updates from Morong. Wish me luck!

Magandang hapon America!

Well it's about time...my first post from the exotic land of the Philippines! After almost a full day of flying and an hour and a half bus ride through the crowded, windy streets, I finally reached my first Filipino destination (the IIRR compound south of Manila) approx. 12:30 am Monday...12:30 pm Sunday for those of you on the east coast. After a brief snack, I settled into my single bed for a solid 5 hour snooze.  The adventure has begun!

Touched down!

Where to begin on this roller coaster week. Staging (basically 5 hours of PC overviews, paperwork, and ice breakers) took place in San Francisco, CA, my new favorite city. Finally got to experience an in-n-out burger and fisherman's wharf before meeting up with the 69 other volunteers in batch 271. A truly incredible group of people. Putting a group together that share a common purpose/goal is a great way to meet others that share your beliefs and passions. Although we are all unique and come from all over the country (Massachusetts, Florida, Kansas, Montana, and Washington to name a few), all of us have been able to find common ground in one another and mesh extremely well. It's sad to think we will all be splitting up next week as we depart for our training sites...but I will get to that later.

I have now finished initial orientation (IO) and have begun my language and technical training. IO basically consisted of more paperwork and pertinent background information on the Peace Corps and the Philippines (medical issues, safety and security, diversity, language, etc.). I have now been learning  the national language, Tagalog (or Filipino) for 2 days. After a bit more studying today, I have officially dubbed myself malaking gwapo (the big handsome)! Maybe it'll catch on with the Filipinos! I certainly stick out like a sore thumb here...we took a jeepney (old US military jeeps left over from WWII that are frequently painted and decorated) to the mall yesterday, and being a 6'8" white American in a country where the average height is ~ 5'2" - 5'4" caught me a lot of attention.

Home for the first two weeks: IIRR in Silang, Cavite

A jeepney: one of the biggest modes of transportation in the Philippines

The heat here hasn't been too bad, but that could be because I am still enjoying the luxury of air conditioning and working showers (soon I will be resorting to a bucket, or so I am told). The humidity is very intense and it often feels like I am trying to penetrate a wall. I can't say I've seen anything like the rain storms here though. We are currently in the beginning of the rainy season, which typically lasts into December. I thought Charleston was bad in terms of pop-up thunderstorms, but when it rains here, it POURS! And there doesn't seem to be a pattern to them...just 60% chance of rain in the forecast every single day.

Although this week has certainly been an adjustment, from getting over jetlag to starting the weekly malaria pills to the 6 am wake up calls and 10 pm bedtimes, I already had some unique and amazing times. We have a pool on site and a dip here and there hits the spot especially in this heat. There is also a basketball court where we've been fortunate to get a few games in (I've also learned that basketball is the primary sport in the Philippines and that every town, in addition to the town hall and church, has a basketball court!). Wednesday night we had an epic dance party organized by the one and only Magic Zac! Awesome to see ~ 40 volunteers, including some of the older folk, rocking out to "Teach Me How To Dougie" (in Tagalog) and "The Macarena." I also saw a massive black spider the size of my hand as I was walking around the IIRR grounds. When it rains, the footpaths literally come to life as insects, beetles, etc. try and find shelter. More on tap for this week, including fellow Charlestonian and PCV Laura and I working on a "Rec Room trivia night" for our batch.

This "little" guy was surprisingly hard to spot

Lots more to fill you in on but I'll save more for future posts! Next Sunday I will be leaving for my training site in Sabang, Morong, apparently right on the beach. I will try and post again before leaving since I've been told there isn't wifi there (although possibly an internet cafe nearby). I also plan on uploading some photos soon so keep an eye out here and on facebook.

Ingat ka! Paalam!

One more day!

Well the 4th of July has arrived...ironic because it is my last day of "freedom" before taking off for San Fran tomorrow morning for staging. This month home in "Canada" (insert joke from 432 or Brody) has flown by! I'm glad I've had so much time to spend with family and friends all over the Northeast. Last hurrahs in Boston and Atlantic City were memorable! Thanks again to everyone that was able to be there! As my departure date has crept closer, my excitement and anxiety has certainly increased...but it still doesn't feel like I am leaving the country for 2 years. Maybe once I hop on that 12 hour plane ride to Tokyo (followed by a 4 hour one to Manila!) Saturday it'll actually sink in.

As I sit here at my kitchen counter typing out a few final thoughts, I can't help but think of my friends and family, the people I will miss the most. I'll try and keep this updated as much as possible and hope to have some sort of internet connection at my site(s) (otherwise I will have to resort to internet cafes). My Verizon service will be suspended as of Sunday though so any calls or texts after that will not be received. Anyone with an iPhone can still get in touch with me during my service via the apps Tango (free international calls and video calls) and Whatsapp (free international texting). I also have a Skype account that I plan on using if you're into that, but a forewarning...I will be 12 hours ahead of you so plan accordingly!

Well...gotta get back to packing. So much to cram into this last day. 24 hours from now and I'll be on my way. Can't wait to start my new adventure! Wish me luck on the other side of "the pond"!