General Musings

First of all, I would like to say thank you to everyone that has helped me on my trip... whether it was giving me directions, moral support or the occasional tw0-beer, I had a great time and wanted to thank you again, even though I could never thank you enough.

Secondly, over the past 48 hours of traveling I have had the opportunity to reflect on my trip a bit and have determined that it was one of the greatest decisions I have made.  Aside from the fact that I learned an exponential amount about microlending and microcredit (which was the initial goal of the trip), I learned even more about a different culture and some of the circumstances the people of the Philippines face from day to day.  Even though the area I went to is considered one of the poorest (over 70% under the poverty line), I need to remind myself that this is the case.  The people of the area, Loan Officers, Branch Managers, Clients, strangers, etc, are not as concerned with the day to day struggles that they face, but you wouldn't think of them as struggles by the looks on all of the person's faces.

I was channel surfing on one of my last days in Catarman and came across a commercial that was on a travel station in which the tag-line was "it's not the places we go, but the people we meet".  This could not be more true.  It was a great trip and I hope to keep this blog up and keep everyone up on my various projects for Fundacion Grameen Pilipinas.  Truly rewarding and life-shaping... thank you.

Jon

Wednesday, March 10, 2009-“Going for a Walk=Getting a Free Massage”

One thing that I haven’t commented on in a while is the food here in the Philippines.  It is described as very rich (due to Spanish influence) and very tasty… both of which are quite true.  Today was possibly one of the best meals I have had while in the Philippines and it was fairly basic.  It was green beans and onions cooked in a coconut oil and extremely good.

After lunch, I got a text from one of the Loan Officers at the branch saying that there were free massages at the Branch… she was the second person in about two hours that had mentioned this to me, I was not sure what it actually meant though.  It turns out, it was actually free massages from massage therapy student who were doing OJT… or “on the job training”… I got some pictures… and it was good.

On a side note, or a main note, whichever way you would like to think about it, I am closing in on the end of my trip and have a lot going on over the next few days.  I am not sure I will be posting anything until I get to Korea where I will be spending 12 hours in the airport… so, that being said, I just wanted to let all of you know that have appreciated all of your support and emails, they all mean a lot to me.  To everyone in the Philippines, thank you for all that you have done for me!  It has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience and it would not have been possible without all of you making it a trip of a lifetime.  Salamat (thank you)!  That being said, I still do have four full days here and I am looking forward to a great last part of my week.  I am sure I will have plenty of stories to tell once I get to Korea, but until then… keep your ears to the grindstone…

Jon… out!

Monday and Tuesday, March 9th and March 10th, 2009- “Jeepney’s are Just Plain Fun”

I am not sure how much I have talked about Jeepney’s, but I am going to indulge you a bit now that the novelty of riding in one has run out, I was ready to observe some of the intricacies of the auto-transport:

A Jeepney is a bus with a Jeep Wrangler-like front.  It is loud and old, but it is not short on character.  Every Jeepney has it’s own flair on it.  Many of them possess the symbol of their favorite NBA team or NBA teams (it is better to cover all of your bases) and there are colors galore coating the outside, but all done in a coordinated fasion… greens, purples, reds, oranges, oh my.  The inside is decorated by various accessories, including “God Bless Us” signs, wood-paneling and, the main decoration, people.  The most people I have seen on one is about 35.  It is impressive, because the Jeepney probably comfortably seats 15 or so.

There are people crawling all over the thing… sometimes on the hood, but always on the roof.  I should have known what I was getting myself into when the person sitting across from me made the “sign of the cross” when they sat down.  Also, the person sitting next to me fell asleep on my back while I was riding… it was pretty funny.  I felt a bit flattered that she felt that comfortable next to me (she was older, probably 50).  One person actually got on the bus and their was not a seat for her to sit in… that didn’t stop her… she sat on a strangers lap… I would assume this is not an infrequent occurance… as neither of them seemed to be phased whatsoever. 

I was wondering how this form of transportation was possible and how there wasn’t massive corruption in collections on the Jeepney runs.  I was under the assumption that a Jeepney was a Provincial operation and was governed like the operations in the United States.  Not that I was really concerned with the issue of collection, but my worries were put to rest when I was told that Jeepney’s are entirely a private operation.  My main concern was due to the fact that the “conductor” (person that collects the money) is very far removed from the driver (I would assume that these positions are interchangeable, unlike the railroad)… the conductor hangs off of the back of the Jeepney for the entire ride and looks to confiscate money from potential free-riders.  Speaking of which, free-riders have the most dangerous con in all the game.  The free riders wait for a bus to come to a stop at their stop and then as the bus is ready to go, the Jeepney accelerates and the free-rider jumps off the top of the Jeepney and lands in a casual gate as if they are just a passer by… I have seen it a couple times… the most classic was the most recent when a kid (probably 15) jumped off the top while a guy was carrying a log by the jeepney, he proceeded to grab the end of the log and “assist” the transporter until the Jeepney passed… I am pretty sure the conductor knows when these things happen, but it is still entertaining to watch.

As I have said before, about really any form of transportation in the Philippines, Jeepneys are no exception to the “size-constraint” they pose for a person of greater than 5’ 8”.  This problem is further compounded when Julian and I are sitting next to eachother.  Both of our knees extend well across the “center-boundary line” which is non-existent and is really more of a suggestion.  Our heads hit the top of the Jeepney on every bump, but it’s just okay (that’s what they say here… it’s priceless… that joins my sayings, along with two-beer and one-glass).  Jeepney’s are a blast, and if you don’t have any other experience in the Philippines, you have to have one of these!

I was actually thinking if anyone wanted to join me in starting a Jeepney company in Kansas City, let me know.  I have many ideas, including having mannequans bolted to the roof to simulate the people that actually ride on the roof of the one’s here.  In addition, the Jeepney’s have their own unique horn for warning… I came up with an idea a long time ago that there should be different horns you can press for different situations… but I’m pretty sure that this would be against the USTA (if that is what it’s called)… not the Tennis Association.  Anywho, if I come up with anything else regarding Jeepneys, I will let you know.

Sunday, March 8th, 2009-“A Mini-Barahay”-I probably didn’t spell that right… and JEEPNEYS!

On Thursday of last week the Victoria Branch had invited Julian and I to the beach for a fiesta on Sunday, so we happily agreed to attend.  After some preparation and apprehension about riding a Jeepney by ourselves, we were off (more on Jeepney’s in a later post)!

The beach was a bit different experience than the beaches we were at before.  It actually had about a hundred people playing in the water and kids and adults alike frolicking around like they were, well, kids.  There was badminton, volleyball, intertubes, food and no two-piece swim suits.  The group of people we were with were interested in hearing the differences between going to the beach in the U.S. and going in the Philippines.  This is a segment I like to call “sames and differences”:

Same:  There are people at the beach in both the US and PH.

Different:  The majority of the people in the US know how to swim, PHs do not for some reason… I have mentioned this before… pay attention!

Same:  There is food at the beach in both the US and PH.

Same:  Trash receptacles are not observed as existing in either place.

Different:  Two-piece swimsuits are common in the US, in PH whatever you happen to wear that day is fine!

Same:  Sand gets everywhere.

Different:  I am very white… they are not….

Overall the beach was a great time and it was very relaxing to go out into the crystal clear ocean…  In addition, we “planted” many chicken bones in the sand and I hope to come back to find that they have grown into a full chicken (just a joke… see “trash receptacle” comment above).  Julian headed back to the ranch and I prepared for church.

Church in the Philippines is probably the biggest event of the weekend.  I am pretty sure everyone in the community attends at least one service.  Even in a town the size of Catarman (60K people) one of the main Catholic churches holds at least 6 masses on Sunday… one in English… so I go to that one… even though I am not Catholic.  Which brings me to my next point, I could probably go to the Tagalo mass and get the same out of it, because I just go for the relaxation and to focus on other things… that, and I can’t really understand a word the priest says (because the echo is bad, not his English).  In additon to this, I have determined a few things about churches in general:

1.     The priest or minister always chooses songs that are long when their homily/sermon is short.  Just so they fill the hour-alotment.

2.     The priest (in a Catholic Church) chooses to sing all parts of the mass when their homily is short.

3.     The congregation doesn’t like to sing along… it doesn’t matter if you are in the US or in the Philippines (who is the most vocally talented country I have ever heard), people just don’t like to sing at church.

4.     It is much easier to go to church here because I don’t have to put on a button up shirt and slacks… it’s like swimming, you just go in what you are wearing (for my mom, I did change after the beach to go to church though)!

5.     The church is usually the nicest building in the community (same holds true in the US).

6.     It’s on Sunday (sometimes Saturday, occasionally Wednesday, hardly on Tuesday, and masses are daily… follow?)

After church, we went out for a few drinks (me and some co-workers and sir Vivencio)… I sang “Great Balls of Fire” and called it a night… all was right with the world.

Saturday, March 7th, 2009-“Waterfalls=Jonfalls”

Wow, is all I can say (anyone that knows me, knows that that is not true… so here we go).  There have been many experiences on this trip that could only be experience if a local privied you to the information, this was definitely one of them.  Julian and I prepared for our trip to Lope De Vega and the waterfalls not knowing what to expect, but we prepared anyways.  Much like any day in Catarman that I decide to go outside, it was raining.  Unlike any other day in Catarman, I was told that I was to be the one transporting Julian and Diana to the mountains (luckily I had a motorbike).  This was the second (see previous post) time that this has occurred.  But I was up for a challenge… in the rain… with three people on a motorbike (two of which are a bit over-sized for a motorbike).

The ride was quite fun and I had a good time driving.  It took about an hour and twenty minutes, but it was totally worth it.  While we waited for our other companions to arrive, we mingled with Diana’s relatives.  I ate chicken intestine and Julian played basketball.  I stick with the food… Julian sticks with the athletics.  Once the crew arrived we were off!

Our tour guides (Diana’s cousins) were very nice and they charged a nominal amount (they didn’t charge anything, but I bought them some cigarettes) for a great journey.  The first part of the trek involved a 20 foot decent down about a 45 degree mud hill… I made it about halfway before my Caucasian feet gave way and I slid the rest of the way… it was kind of like skiing without skis… it was great!  The rest of the trek was pretty similar, trekking up and down hills, fording rivers… barefoot… all to enjoy the amenities at the end… the waterfall!

The waterfall was about 25 feet tall and had a pool about 20 feet wide… it was great!  The food we had packed had made the trek better than me and Julian and was delicious.  The Loan Officers we were with had prepared fried fish, bebe (clams) and green beans, rice, chicken and chicken intestines for our journey.  It was delicious and great after I performed two “graceful” jumps off of the cliff into the water.  One thing that should have been brought was mosquito repellant.  I think I probably got at least 20 mosquito bites while we ate (only about 10 minutes).  I only got it half as bad as Donna (loan officer) did.  I think she had that many on one leg.  It was really fun and our tour guides were great.

There is a saying “As sure-footed as a mountain goat” which I am changing to “as sure footed as a Filipino”.  It was impressive, they would trek from here to there with no problem, while Julian and I would carefully place our feet in every step and still ended up falling about 15 times on the way there.  The way back was much the same, but not quite as bad.

The drive back, however, was an adventure in itself.  I was employed to drive back (obviously), but it was turning to dusk and I was a bit weary about driving at night… especially when your headlight doesn’t work!  It was okay though, I am typing this to you today!

Friday, March 6th, 2009-“Mosquitos are a Cross Between A Criminal Investigator and Pit-bull”

I can explain.  They are like a criminal investigator because they can find any exposed area of skin.  I have worn long-sleeves and pants pretty much the entire time I have been here.  I have put OFF! on all parts of my ankles, wrists and neck.  Mosquitoes do an investigation of my body and then they can pinpoint the exact area of where I missed my coverage.  Once finding this area, they are like a rabid Pit-bull, relentless and with no-mercy.  Catubig may have been the worst of it (although I would be proven wrong on Saturday).  I got a mosquito bit on the bottom of my foot!  How does this happen?!

Anywho, the mosquito bites are just part of the experience.  I get about 5-10 a day, but only a couple really bother me, it’s just okay.  Friday, however, was a great day.  I realized before we left that this was going to be my last attendance of center meetings, so I was looking forward to taking in the experience even more than before.  I have been attentive at every meeting, but was looking forward to these even more.

It is funny what you get out of everything in life, but attending these center meetings finally hit me where I thought they would hit from the get-go.  One of the members at the first center meeting was talking about her business (or livelihood) and she had the most sincere look of concern on her face.  It was the most genuine and most fearful concern I have ever seen.  I thought to myself “this is why this program is here and this is why FGP is such a great thing”.  It hit me pretty hard, but gave me a new sense of energy to commit the rest of my trip to helping these people in any way that I can… in whatever capacity that is.

It was later told to me that the two centers we observed in the morning were extremely poor and considered some of the poorest in the country.  You would have never guessed it by riding through the towns.  While poor in goods and money, everyone had a grin on their face and they were all out and about working and doing various activities.  Like I said before, many of these people have a different livelihood than those on the coast.  For one, they do not have the coast, so fishing is not one of their livelihoods, so that has to be replaced with rice farming.  The Sari-Sari store is still prevalent, but their lives revolve around the farming of rice.  One problem the area has had since the 80’s and 90’s is deforestation.  The cutting down of trees can cause the ground to become less stable and cause for severe erosion.  As such, in heavy rains, the hills of Catubig and Las Navas become unstable and landslides occur often, causing death, destruction and devastation to the region.  This can leave the rice farmers out of business for quite some time.  This is just one of the many problems the region faces. 

The rest of the day consisted of riding back to Catarman on the back of Bimbooy’s bike with Andy sitting behind me… it was a bit tight… and tiring.  We got back to the Hina Branch and I was ready to go to bed after a couple of beers… of course.  We went to a local hot spot that was called Rancho Gloria.  It was quite different than any of the other bars we had been to before.  It was all open air (with a few exceptions) and was partially over water and very big.  It was quite fun and I was intrusted to take everyone back to their respective houses… this causes me to be the one to take three people on a motorbike back to Catarman.  Little did I know it was just preparation for tomorrow.

Thursday, March 5th, 2009-“A Full Day for Good Times”

Usually when I have a title like that it means one of two things… this post is going to be really long because a lot happened, or a post that is really short because I had too good of a time at videoke… well, unfortunately for you, this is going to be both!

The day started off with an hour motorbike ride to the Province of Laoang, the branch I was at for the previous two days.  The trip included a stop at one of the centers for Laoang to perform a CGT.  I am not sure what CGT stands for, but it is basically an overview of the history of NSCAP/FGP and the various products offered by NSCAP.  A CGT is performed for new clients and is used as a teaching tool for the clients to make sure they know what they are getting into, so there are no surprises… on either end.  It was the first CGT that I had attended, while it was in Tagalo, there was a cheat sheet that was in English, so I could follow.

After the CGT, Dexter took me another 45 minutes or so to the town of Catubig.  Catubig is a bit different than the other Provinces because it is a land-locked province, unlike all of the other provinces I have visited, which have been coastal communities.  Due to the geography of the province, the livelihoods (or businesses) of clients were a bit different than those of coastal communities (more on that tomorrow).  The day was filled with many exciting adventures (all normal day-to-day operations for NSCAP employees), including a hanging bridge.  I don’t know if any of you out there have seen the second Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom (I only saw it once, not as good as the others and I refuse to even admit the newest one as an Indiana Jones), but there is a bridge that goes across a crevasse that is about a 100-foot span with a 100 foot drop… we did that!  Except there was water at the bottom of my drop, only about 20 feet to fall first…  The loan officers “let” me go first and I was off.  When I got to the middle, there were kids that were swaying the bridge back and forth, I could have sworn that I was going to flip over… but I stayed in one piece and my camera lived to fight another day.

After the bridge, we visited some clients and I asked them what they did with their loans and how it has helped them.  It was a good experience and I am grateful that the employees took me on the journey.  After the hanging bridge, we went to one of the Loan Officer’s house to have halo-halo.  Halo-halo is a staple in the Philippines when it is hot out (and it is always hot out).  It is a mixture of fruit, what seems to be jello/tapioca, ice, coconut, coconut milk, beans (yes, beans) and corn (yes, I said corn).  It is pretty good, but I would prefer a milk shake (no offense to the halo-halo, just my preference).

We got back to the branch and had a rest for a bit, Andy (the Branch Manager) took me out on his cousin’s scooter to show me the area and a bit of the town.  It was very nice and I am extremely happy that everyone is so accommodating.  I would not be able to see all of the various intricacies Northern Samar has to offer without all of their hospitality.  On the “tour” we went to a developing highway that is supposed to be completed soon.  It was a Thursday, but for some reason, there was no-one working.  There were, however, about 12 very large trucks ready for work, with no operators (you are probably picturing Thomas the Train right now, with the trucks as part people and part machine… it was kind of like that).

At the branch, the power went out and the workers were very worried for me because it was very hot in the branch during a brown out.  So, in order to cool off, I sat outside.  There were two kids that sat and talked to me for about 45 minutes and tried teaching me Tagalo.  One kid, who said he was in sixth grade, was very good at English and we had a complete conversation (as much as you can with a 10 year-old at least).  He taught me a few words and he was entertained by me, but not as much as I was entertained as I was… it was a good time.  Since it was about six and some of the branch workers needed to get some work done, they completed their work via candlelight, it was quite industrious (a word Andy used)… I told them it was a good way to cut costs at the branch, not to mention morale.  We went and had dinner a bit later by candlelight, it was very romantic (me and three guys and a girl).

After dinner, we went back to the branch for a bit and sat around and coversed.  I was about five seconds from saying I was ready to go to bed when Andy walked outside, closed and locked the door and said, “Are you ready to go?”  I guess so?  We ended up going to a client’s house that had videoke (she used the loan to purchase the machine).  She was extremely nice and obliged to me even when I wanted to sing.  I was a singing fool.  The first song I chose was “Country Road” by James Taylor.  I thought it was “Country Road” by John Denver, I was very wrong and made a fool of myself.  I followed with much more impressive renditions of “Hound Dog”, “Angels” and “Always a Woman”.  We had a couple beers (“one-glass” observed). 

Two terms I will use going forward... in the same sentence… “Would you like to join me for two-beer and one-glass?”

The power came back on and we all rejoiced.

Wednesday, March 6th, 2009-“Laoang is a Laoang Ways Away”

Tuesday I had the same motorbike ride as Wednesday, but for some reason Wednesday took it’s toll on me.  The motorbike ride is approximately an hour and fifteen minutes from Catarman, which is fine, but I was nearly exhausted from the previous day, but that wasn’t going to stop me from the occasional good times (which happen a lot in the Philippines, making them not-occasional).  Laoang was not short on these either.

The previous day we had visited the government offices of Laoang to get the proper business permits for NSCAP to operate.  While there, I am not sure, but I think I might have promised to marry a couple of the governmental employees… it was in the local dialect so I had no idea what I was nodding and smiling to… but one time I did it, they all busted out in laughter and Dexter (the Branch Manager of Laoang) said something to the effect of “They like you”… I said that I am just a different face in a different place… and that was pretty much it… I did manage to grab a picture of the engagement party though.  Very nice.

Lunch on Thursday consisted of lunch at one of the Loan Officers house’s.  It was very nice and I ate a lot… I could probably say that I have gained all of my weight back that I have lost since arriving here in one sitting.  I also met the son of the Loan Officer, he was probably 16 months old and was extremely cute.  He was old enough to show me the sign of respect.  I don’t think that this was covered in prior posts, but the local way of showing respect to elders (namely, family members) is to take their hand and, as you would go to kiss the top of their hand in a European culture, the Filipino culture puts the top of their (elder’s) hand on their own forehead (the younger person’s)… it is a great way to see the interaction between the younger and the elder… I think the kid just didn’t know who I was, so he did it to me, it was very nice.

Thursday was another fiesta for one of the daughters of a client.  The daughter had just been baptized and there was much celebration.  There was one difference between this fiesta and prior fiestas however… it was at 11 in the morning.  Lechon was served and goodness ensued and I was not famished anymore.  Also, a child at the fiesta showed me the sign of respect as well, twice in one day!  It must have been my luck day!  Upon returning the Branch, I noticed there was a parked Jeepney next to the branch, I had to take advantage of the situation so I took some pictures for your viewing pleasure… including one of me being the conductor.  More on Jeepney’s later.

Thursday night was another fiesta, including a trip to Dexter’s house with Bimbooy (I just realized yesterday that I was spelling his name wrong this whole time… sorry) and Sir Vivencio.  It was a great time with great food and brandy (and the “one glass” rule was properly in effect).  The night was good and I apparently promised to give my camera to Dexter after having one too many… luckily, he did not demand payment and, as  you would know if you took business law, the contract would not be binding… but that is for a different discussion that would probably put you to sleep… not that you aren’t already.

Tuesday March 3rd, 2009-“Links, Links, and More Links… and a Bit of History Correction”

First of all, I took the liberty of looking up some links for your viewing pleasure.  I highly recommend all of them, but if you only have a few minutes, I will put them in order of “must sees”.

Music:

Rivermaya (Band):  214 (song): Ricky Blanco (singer) http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=rico+blanco&aq=0&oq=rico+bla

Closer to You (song):   Toothpaste Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJqCKYaZuQE

Sponge Cola (Band):  Pasubali (Song): http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=sponge+cola&aq=f

Milo Commercial (played about every other commercial, the other one is the toothpaste commercial, see above): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4diSl3Rbi8

I will post some more favorites later, but soon to come will be the famous Jollibee theme song, WaWaWee, more music and much much more!

A bit of correction on History:

I read a little bit about Filipino history last night and wanted to set some things straight.  Apparently I was way off on say that there was a Prime Minister in the Philippines.  It is a democracy, so the leader of the nation is the President.  Currently, the president is a Female (the second in the short history of the country).  There were never any military coups to take over the government.  I had briefly read that there was martial law instituted, which is true, during the 1980’s in fear that the he was not being well-liked by his country and was worried the opposing political party would beat him in election (so, like any good president, he ensured his position by instituting martial law… good idea, right?)…

Sunday and Monday, March 1 and 2, 2009-“Coconut Tree=Tree of Life”

Sunday and Monday did not involve a whole lot of exciting news other than the usual.  I went to church and the Head Office, but other than that, nothing too too exciting, so I will take this opportunity to enlighten you on coconut trees.

The coconut tree is considered “the tree of life” for Filipinos.  It is called this because of its many uses, which include the entire tree.  The prawns of the cocunut tree are weaved into, the equivalent of, shingles for housing.  The coconuts themselves are obviously used for their milk, meat and even hollowed out they can be used as a bowl (or in the westerner’s case, a nice accessory for a Luau… coconut bra).  The part that surrounds the coconut, which I have deemed the husk, has the same visage as the husk of corn, but it is much more dry and sturdy, giving it many uses, including kinling to start a fire or mattress padding for a bed or even a pillow.

The base of the tree is very sturdy and is used to creat the many boats that traverst throughout the 7,100-plus islands.  The base is also used, like many other trees, for structural purposes in houses and small stores.

The roots of the coconut tree have long been a source ofremedy for the common headache or cold, thought I have yet to verify this finding, many of my co-workers have expressed great praise in the boiling of the root.

So, instead of bagging up all of those leaves and limbs around your house and giving them to your local disposal company for them to take it to a far-away place, maybe you can find a rightful use for your “unwanted” foliage.  Maybe create a compost , or mulch the leaves and sticks to fill in the holes in your yard… This has been a public service announcement from Jon Nixon, paid for by the Philippines government… just a joke.

Saturday, February 28th, 2009-“Rain, Rain, Go Away”

Today was a great day (now that I am writing this on Wednesday)!  At the time I may not have had the same sentiments, but time has given me some perspective.  But really, the day was great even when it was happening!  Julian and I received a text from one of the Hina Branch employees that they were thinking of going to the beach that day.  I was worried that I was not going to have the proper attire for the beach, as I still do not have any swim trunks… then I remembered the “proper” beach outing included anything BUT swimming.  So, we saddled up and we went to Duncalen Beach (the same beach that we went to with Mme Juneth).

Did I mention that I drove the motorbike there?  Cause I did.  It was the first true test of my skills.  I drove for about 25 minutes straight and only managed to terrify onlookers a handful of time (joking).  We made it there and we joined, unbeknownst to us, with the Branch Manager of Bobon Branch, Laarni.  This is the person’s birthday party I attended earlier in the week and the beach party was nothing short of the birthday party.  Complete with pancit (local noodle that is eaten during birthdays to promote long life… it also happens to promote the satisfaction of the palate… very delicious and I have it frequently, I have extended my life at least 20 years by the amount of pancit I eat), fish, chicken, rice, deserts and, the staple, San Miguel beer… not to mention great company.  I met Laarni’s uncle, Albert, who was in town for vacation, but was currently working in the Middle East as a chiropractor.  He spoke very good English  and was a pleasure to talk to.

Upon arrival, the Hina Branch pawned us off to Laarni (they did not really pawn us off, they were going to get supplies).  I was then formally introduced to the Filipino tradition of sharing one glass between the group during drinking sessions.  I have not really received the formal reasoning behind this, but I do have my theories.  First of all, I have not received the formal reasoning because I usually start drinking and after a couple, I just don’t care… but one of these days I will get it out of them!  Alright, here is Jon’s ideas of why this occurs, there are many:

1.     The use of one glass keeps the dishes down to a minimum and makes drinking sessions much more enjoyable to clean up… i.e. it would not be a big deal to just throw the cup away.

2.     It puts pressure on the person who is drinking to finish quickly because other people are waiting, causing the drinking time to be significantly enhanced.

3.     It also promotes responsibility between the group, nobody can drink more than their lot… they are given a drink and then it passes to the next person, you cannot take seconds.

4.     Taking your time is not an option (see number 2)

5.     It is a sense of community where you only share one glass, and it really does spark more conversation for some reason, I don’t know why (see previous comment regarding “after having a couple”)

The real reason is probably due to something a bit more dramatic, like symbolizing the passing of the one cup at the last supper or something like that… I will get to the bottom of it (the reason, not the glass) and let you know.

After the drinking session, I decided it was time to swim, in my khaki shorts… so I did.  After going out into the ocean about 50 meters and still with the water only up to my waist, I grew tired and turned around.  It was quite refreshing and I had to swim while I was in the Philippines or I am sure I would get made fun of if this did not occur (getting made fun of is something I am willing to accept, as it occurs daily).

After the beach, we decided that it was time to, what else, go to Video-Cinqo (videoke).  Filipinos call videoke “Video-Cinqo” because it costs five (Cinqo) pesos to play a song.  I am not sure what they will call it when the price goes up, probably just video-cinqo still.  We went to a town that was fairly close, San Jose.  It is the hometown of one of the Hina Branch staff, Albert, so he know his way around.  I had also spent a few days in San Jose, but by no means could navigate… I was still driving (don’t worry, the “drinking session” above included actually two-beer and took place over the span of three hours).  Video-Cinqo was fun and I actually found a couple of songs that I could sing… fairly well… not possible, I know.

We departed San Jose around 11 o’clock and headed back to Catarman (approximately 45 minutes away).  When we left, I noticed the gas-light was on and so I stopped the Loan Officers in front of me (Diana and Donna)… Diana cordially turned the gas-intake valve to the “emergency” stash… little did we know that she “accidentally” turned it to the “off” stash… why this is even an option I do not know… but Julian and I puttered out after about 5 meters… causing me to honk the horn continuously, praying that Donna would turn around and come save us in the middle of the pitch-black highway.  Well, it wasn’t quite pitch-black… we managed to run out of gas right in front of the only house within 100 meters that had a group of about 20 people standing outside, wondering what the h*ll these two foreigners were even doing on their street (just kidding, they didn’t say anything, but they did chuckle a bit at us… I have to admit, even I was laughing… terrified of being left, but laughing nonetheless).  As if our troubles couldn’t have gotten worse, we had more to come…

I could think of a hundred things that would be worse than what happened next, but it was still quite comical and miserable at the same time.  It started pouring down rain as we reached the halfway point.  It was raining so hard that the wallet in my back pocket was drenched by the time we got home (even the money was soaking wet… and, yes, I took my wallet out when I went swimming).  It was quite funny and Julian let me borrow his hat so I could see while I drove, it was a life saver, considering I could not see a thing before he put it on my head.  We arrived back in Catarman drenching wet and, for the first time in the Philippines, I was cold.

Friday, February 27th, 2009-“The Life of a Pedi-Cab Driver***”

This is just to give my friends back home an idea of the life of the Pedi-Cab driver, if there are any corrections to be made, please enlighten me!  Thanks.

Since the average time to get up in the morning is around 4:30 A.M. due to the extreme number of roosters in the area, a pedi-cab drivers morning starts very early, as there are many clients that need service that early in the morning.  The pedi-cab driver goes and gets his/her (although I have yet to see a “her”) pedi-cab from the storage unit they use for the night time.  This storage unit is typically rented by the owner of the pedi-cab, who may/may not be the driver.

The long day begins by patrolling the streets for prospective customers.  Granted, I have not been up this early, so I do not know how busy the streets are this early in the morning, but will soon discover.  The day continues with the driver patrolling the streets looking for customers.  A typical ride in Catarman is about 200 meters and costs anywhere from 3 to 5 pesos (although they typically charge me more because I am a foreigner… not a big deal).  It takes about 2 minutes and then the customer is dropped off and another customer, hopefully, is picked up.  There are two approaches to being a pedicab driver.  The first, is what I have just mentioned, patrolling the streets and actively seeking out clients.  This way is probably the way to get the most customers, but it is also the most risky to get customers.  It is very happenstance how a driver gets a customer, being in the right place at the right time plays a major role in the income generated by this method.

The second form of generating business is to form a queue (line) at some of the “hotspots” around Catarman.  These hotspots are few, but there are always potential customers.  The only problem with this method is that there are always other pedi-cab drivers waiting for these customers.  At times, the line of pedi-cabs can stretch to 50-long on either side of the runway (one of the hotspots) and no queue is really formed outside the bus terminal, but there are many many pedi-cabs.  While this is a sure-fire way of getting a consistent amount of business, I would assume this also has the least amount of turnover of customers for the drivers… possibly 25-30 customers per day, whereas, the other method might generate up to 50 customers per day.

The pedi-cab driver cannot afford to take a day off, considering their daily income is only about 100 to 150 pesos or about 2,800 pesos a month (just below the minimum wage line of 3,000 pesos a month).  They work seven days a week and they are always seeking out new business and work very hard.

To give you an idea of the pedi-cab driver population I will give you some food for thought.  I have been here for over six weeks and I have not had one pedi-cab driver that has been the same, that I know of.  The ages of the pedi-cab drivers ranges (from what I believe) is 12 to 65.  There are some pedicab drivers that look like they played college basketball (they are very tall and muscular) and some that look like they might be a horse jockey (very small and thing).  There is no question on their strength however.  Every pedi-cab is the equivalent of a beach cruiser with only one speed.  There are many inclines in Catarman and pedi-cab drivers are able to ascend them with little struggle (although some struggle more than others), even with a passenger (or three) on the bike.

All of the pedi-cab drivers are very nice and talkative (even though their English and my Tagalo are limited), but we converse on my way to my destination.  The typical day for a pedi-cab driver ends around seven p.m. (a 14 hour day).  There are some, probably 30% or so, of pedicab drivers that last through the night and work until 10 or 11.  I would assume these are the younger pedi-cab drivers that do this, as they would have more energy.

Pedicabs Themselves:  Every pedicab has three wheels, two of which are the bike and one is located on the side car.  The side-car has a cover over it to shield the passenger from the rain and sun.  The driver is typically seated well above the handle bars (I think so they can generate more power) and is typically not covered.  Some, pedi-cabs, however, have a self-made cover that protects the driver from the rain and sun.  Since the drivers are not protected from the sun, they typically wear long-sleeved t-shirts to avoid skin diseases.  As a way to help pedi-cab drivers, the current Congressman of Northern Samar, Paul Daza, gave a gift to all pedi-cab drivers and habal-habal drivers.  It is a long-sleeved powder blue t-shirt that displays the slogan for the Congressman: “Progess & Development for Nothern Samar”.  The “P” and the “D” in progress and development are the initials of the Congressman, very clever.

Each pedicab has it’s own unique flare to it.  Some are the same (I would assume these are the ones that are leased by the driver), but the majority of them have something unique to them.  Some of them have covers for the driver, some are painted with a unique patern or colors.  Some have accessories that distinguish their bike from other bikes.

Me in a pedi-cab:  I have probably said this in a prior post, but pedi-cabs are not meant for a person of greater than 5’ 8”.  For the first few days upon arriving in Catarman, I tried to lean back in the pedi-cab (like you would in a normal chair), but quickly found out that any bump we hit in the road would result in the crown of my head being wrapped by the top of the side-car, quite painful the first time.  Recently, I have found that leaning far forward in the seat (with your elbows on your knees) is the most comfortable way to sit.  While bumps are still very common, the “hitting of the head” is minimal.  As far as bumps are concerned, the pedi-cab drivers try to avoid the pot-holes as much as possible, but some are inevitable.  The pedi-cabs do not have shocks of any sort and some of the speed bumps in Catarman feel like I am am going to fall out when we hit them.  In addition, I think it my be planned so that some of your change falls out of your pocket when you hit the bumps.  Kind of like having a really comfortable couch only to have all of your change fall out of your pockets when you lie down.

All in all, the pedi-cab is a major source of transportation.  Due to the extreme weather and heat, it is not ideal to walk everywhere.  Thus, instead of like in a major U.S. city where taking a taxi is prevalent, people take pedi-cabs.  It is convenient, fast and sometimes quite an adventure!

***All recollections of pedi-cab drivers and income are just observations by me, with no real factual amounts.

Thursday, February 26, 2009-“Wearing Red=Not a Good Idea if You Don’t Want Attention… and Other Things”

I bought a shirt the other day with the advice of one of the Loan Officers at Hina Branch, Donna.  It was red, I did not think anything of it, so I got it.  I wore it out around town yesterday and had numerous people ask me if it was my birthday… since it is nowhere near my birthday and I thought people had an uncanny knack for guessing peoples birthdays (it wouldn’t really be a knack since they were way off), I just replied “No” and went on my merry way.  After the second time this happened, I texted Donna and told her that I was unaware why people were commenting on my birthday.  Come to find out, from Bembooy, that persons who wear red are either celebrating their birthday or are part of a rebel group… I was neither… unless my last trip to the bars included a pact I was unaware I made… just a joke.

One other thing to note, I was in my local eatery where I frequent daily, it is very good, and I was watching WaWaWee.  I have touched on this game a bit before, but one of the games within the game (kind of like Plinko is to the Price is Right) is the “Hip Hip Hooray” game… (if you YouTube this, you should by the way, it is hysterical, it is actually Hep Hep Hooray)… if you don’t recall, not that big of a deal, but you should still YouTube it.  Anyways, one of the girls that was working at the eatery had just happened to turn it on and I proceeded to watch.  There were many contestants during this portion of the show, around 20 and one of them was noticeably different than the others, he was a tall white guy.  I thought, “I wonder how he got picked to be on the show?” but my questions were answered when the hostess (lady with pink hair) stopped everything when she saw him and proceeded to hug and smooch him up, she then introduced herself (common practice in the Philippines is to hug and kiss, then actually introduce… only a joke, this is not common practice).  So she asked the tall white guy where he was from and he said that he was from the United States… no big deal, it’s a pretty big country… she asked what city and he said, “I’m from Kansas City, Missouri”… are you kidding me!  This was hysterical.  Here I am, watching TV thousands of miles from home and there is a guy on the local (Manila) show from Kansas City!  I was intrigued to see how long he would last… he lasted about as long as it is taking you to read these sentences…  I think I might try to get on the show when I go back to Manila… why not?

I had some tuba with some co-workers later that night and had a great time conversing with them and learning a bit more about the intricacies of the organization, as well as the intricacies of trying to plan around wives… just kidding.  I found my new favorite hamburger in town and it is in an unexpected place… the Coffee Hub.  While having the best cup of coffee by far, they also have great hamburgers, whodathunkit?  Instead of dipping a doughnut into my coffee, I will now dip a hamburger.

At work I have been working on numerous tasks and I actually feel like I am accomplishing something… before I just felt that anxious feeling that I was learning but not doing anything, now I am actually accomplishing tasks and, like God said, “It was good.”  For someone as powerful and all knowing, you would think he/she would have indulged themselves a bit more (I am going to guess God is not into the self-indulgence), but maybe God doesn’t ramble as much as I do… a straight-shooter.  I could imagine that a conversation with God would take about two sentences and then you would be enlightened much more than in the 432 posts I have written… maybe I should shorten these up a bit… then again, that is probably not going to happen.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009-“Jon vs. Badminton… Badminton-1, Jon-0”

I had my first experience with badminton a couple of days ago.  It was a far cry from my glory days back at 5212 Belleview (childhood home).  Me and my two siblings would set up the badminton set in the yard and it would take much longer to set up than it would keep us entertained by playing.  We got out the shuttlecocks and raquets and we would hit the birdie back and forth to eachother, seeing how high we could hit it… then we would probably see a basketball lying in the distance and pick that up, look at the badminton set and the basketball, contemplate for 2 to 3 seconds which one we would rather play, and then Stephen would steal the ball from my sister and we would spend the next 20 minutes trying to steal the ball back.  In our mind, this was more entertaining than putting the badminton set back in the box, this still holds true (who wants to put the game back in the box?).  Little did I know that I would be waging full-scale war in Catarman on the badminton court nearly 20 years later (just kidding, the game is very friendly). 

One of the guys from the Coffee Hub was, well, at the Coffee Hub earlier in the day and I had expressed interest in playing that night… so he happily offered and I met them at the court (right next to Coffee Hub) after dinner.  I should have been paying more attention when I noticed that they guys were stretching before we played.  I thought, “It’s badminton, why would I need to stretch?”  I should have taken the necessary precautions.  Now two days later, my legs are extremely sore and I cannot bend over and touch my toes (I’m actually not claiming that I could ever do that, but you get the idea).  I warmed up with Milian (one of the Coffee Hub workers), she was telling me about prior visitors and occasionally “smashing” the birdie right back at me.  A smash is the equivalent of an “overhead” in tennis, but due to the close proximity of badminton, it is much more intimidating (Andy, I know exactly what you are thinking right now, so hold it).  The guys showed up for the real match (Milian told me that she does not play actual matches, so she would leave for the match) and we started.  I thought I got the hang of the game in the warm-up, but I was far from it.  I think I was the cause of 90% of the lost points, but it was all in good fun and I had a great time.  I did get better towards the end, but still have quite a ways to go.  I am looking forward to playing again and I can see why they love to play the game.  It is a great exercise (even though, at first, you may not think it would be) but more importantly it is a great time hanging out with friends.  That being said, I am going to try to stretch out for a minute before I try anything drastic.  

Tuesday, February 24, 2009-“Introducing Mardi Gras to the Philippines Cannot Be Done by One Man”

When I got up this morning and told the Loan Officers at Hina that it was Mardi Gras all I received were blank stares (really, pretty typical when I talk to receive blank stares, whether I am in the US or the Philippines, people always don’t quite understand me, follow?).  I indulged the unsuspecting staff on the traditions of Mardi Gras and how it is a very festive time and a celebration before the Lenten Season.  Since the majority of the population is Catholic, I thought it was tradition that Lent was a time of sacrifice, but it turns out, the only thing that is given up here is meat on Fridays (fish is okay).  I could tell I had my work cut out for me, so my preparations began.  I was going to have Mardi Gras one way or another.

…

Turns out my efforts were futile and even Sir Vivencio would not (“could not” would be more appropriate) join me for Mardi Gras.  But, however, I was able to attend a fiesta for one of my fellow co-workers.  It was her birthday (I did not bring a gift as I was invited five minutes before the start of it.  Even if I did bring a gift, I probably would have brought something for 10 year-old boy (see prior birthday story if this does not make sense)).  Laarni was turning 24 (I think) and she is the Branch Manager for the Bobon Branch (also known as the Rainbow Branch).  Her mother had prepared many dishes, all of which were fantastic.  She had shrimps (I stayed away after my recent bout with crab), pork, chicken and sweet potatoes that aren’t really sweet potatoes.  She had all of the people over from the Branch and family members… it was quite fun and was probably more appropriate than Mardi Gras… not probably… it was.

It would drive my father insane, but the light switches are backwards here… up is off and down is on.

Had another round of tuba last night and it was good.

Monday, February 23, 2009-“Waking Uuuup Is Haaaard to Do… unless you are in the Philippines”

There is no thing that Filipinos would rather do than videoke… it is simply amazing how much their culture sings and listens to music.  In the United States, many people listen to music and we always have it on in our cars and iPods are always going, but it is more of a passive listening… not as an active listening that Filipinos do.

Which brings me to my next point.  Many things in my time here have waked me up in Northern Samar, namely roosters (Richard), rain, and the occasional chirping of a lizard (another one bit the dust today, by the way).  There has been one recently that has been of great surprise and that is of a girl in a house behind me that videokes at the ripe time of 5:30 until about 7.  She is very good, but really?  5:30?  I guess it is better to be woken by her than by Richard, but it is astonishing how early everyone is out and about here.  I would say the average wake-up time for Filipinos (going back to the rooster thing) is around 5:00 am and their sleep time is around 11 pm.  It is very impressive how much energy they all have and I just hope it rubs off on me.  For example, I have started working for 8-10 hours a day (sporadically) for an entire week (I know, an anomaly!) and I am pretty tired by week end, but all of the bank workers are still raring to go and ready for the weekend…  there must be something in the water (that I can’t drink)… maybe I will try it one of these days… ssssiiiiike.

More Pictures!

Lavezares Branch Staff (minus one)
Julian goes to work in Biri
Statue of Mary pulling Jesus out of the ocean
Sunset on the way back from Biri

Saturday and Sunday, February 20-21, 2009-“I Am Getting Old”

There were the days when a week of travel and different foods would not get me down and I was raring to go for the next adventure, but I am growing accustomed to this “getting older” thing that I hear so much about.  Granted, I still have a lot of energy, but I definitely need the weekends to rest.  It was a very relaxing weekend and I learned a lot about Northern Samar and the history it has in the Philippines.  Paul, the owner of the Coffee Hub, is a bit of a history buff and seems to know a lot about Filipino history and the role America plays in the forming of independence for the Philippines.

As I have stated before, the Philippines were “discovered” by Magellan (even though it was already occupied by the natives) in the early 1500’s.  After this, the Spanish decided to colonize the country and the many islands and introduce the European culture to this part of the world.  Magellan was then killed by Lapu Lapu (the national fish) one of the Filipino national heroes.

After many years of trying to gain independence (I need to probably research this a bit, because there are a lot of eras I am missing), the Philippines gained some sovereignty from the Spanish around World War I.  At this time, it was the United States that had a major hold on the Philippines and Filipinos waged war on the United States to gain their clear independence.  Unfortunately for the Filipinos, the American technology was too much at the time and the Philippines would have to wait to become their own nation.  During World War II the Philippines played a key role in the war between the Americans and the Japanese.  The Philippines were allies with the United States and fought side by side with Americans (just 30 years after the war between the United States and Philippines).  After World War II the Philippines were granted sovereignty and became their own nation.

 As a sign of respect to the role that the United States played in their independence, not to say the respect was needed (as the U.S. did have a war with the Philippines in their own territory), but the 100 peso bill has an American flag on it.  I did not particularly take note of this when I looked at the bill, but Julian pointed it out on his first day here and thought it was strange.  I was happy to find out the answer to why it was there and was proud of our recent history with the Philippines.

NOTE:  Not all of the statements above may not be true facts or the proper timeline, I am just going off of memory here people!  Give me a break!  Just kidding, enjoy!

Sunday, I introduced Julian to “two-beer” for the first time.  It was not the same “two-beer” that I was introduced to, but he is only 18, so we will have to work our way up to the actual two-beer.  It was a good time and Julian is definitely noticing how nice the local population is.  Until next time…

Friday, February 19, 2009-“Is it 200 degrees in Here or is it Just Me?”

Friday morning was a great morning filled with food and Center Meetings and Client visits.  I only attended one Center Meeting, but it was a great one.  Again, I am starting to open up with the clients and am really getting an understanding of what they want out of the program.  I also am appreciative of them being so open and understanding.  Of course, everyone wants more out of services they receive, but there is a related cost to these services.  I tell them that their suggestions are great, but we will have to look at what the costs will be for that added service.  They agree and continue with suggestions and are very polite and equate all services to their personal lives.

At the Center Meeting, it was one of the client’s birthdays, so they had a mini-fiesta for their friend.  They had cokes and pancit (for long life) and they even broke out the tuba for me (it was quite early).  The food was delicious, but I was starting to feel the effects of the crabs the night before.  I fought through it and had a great time at the meeting.  We then went on to visit a client who was in the business of hog fattening.  She was on her first cycle (Php 4,000) and was stating that this was not enough to raise an entire litter of hogs to their maximum potential.  She has to sell off half-fattened pigs at a lesser price in order to cover her costs for raising additional pigs.  This is the dichotomy of the Grameen way.  While they want to give as much as they can to the poor (one side), they do not require collateral, so they don’t want to give too much too soon if a client is unable to pay the larger amount (other side).  This is a struggle that any microcredit organization has, especially one as new as FGP.

After the meeting, I started to feel the sickness coming on, but needed to fight through it until we got back to Catarman, which, I luckily was able to do.  I got Julian and I some more antibiotics and continued back to the Branch where it was approximately 250 degrees… I am not sure I have sweat so much in my life.  One of my friends from the provencial government saw me on the street and said hi, he commented on how much I was sweating, that is pretty bad.  So, I recovered the rest of the day.  It only took me a day to recover this time, maybe I am starting to get used to the food here!  Since I am writing this on Sunday, I can tell you that I am fully recovered now… aside from the 10 pounds I probably lost in the last two days… in due time!

I got back to the Hina Branch to find the Hina Branch Staff doing some Spring-cleaning.  They were trimming their trees and vines and by the time they were done I am not sure they had any vines or trees left, but they did do it!  I got some pictures of them hard at work… I also (since it is my home) grabbed a broom and helped sweep for a bit, I didn’t get any pictures of that, but one of the Loan Officers did… so if you really want proof, I could probably get it for you.

Thursday, February 19th, 2009-“Filipino Energy=7x American Energy”

I have had long days in my existence, days that I probably should have cut in half by sleeping for a few hours or sitting down for five minutes… today was not one of those days.  Julian and I had a great day with the assistance of the FGP employees.  The day began at 5 a.m. with sweet and sour fish and coffee for breakfast.  We needed to take a Jeepney to the town of Allen and then head to Victoria via tricycle… with our travel companion, Am.  It was about an hour and a half ride, which was not short on entertainment.  First of all, the Jeepneys are not meant for people over 5’ 8” and Julian is probably 6’ 2”, so while I am quite uncomfortable in a Jeepney, I could not get over how hunched over Julian was the whole ride.  I will skip to the good stuff, because this is going to be a long post.

We arrived at the Victoria Branch to open arms and, of course, smiles.  They were all very nice people and all stayed at the Branch every night.  One item to note, the atmosphere at NSCAP is one of camaraderie and friendship.  It is almost like the workers were friends’ first and then co-workers second.  They all stay in the same living quarters and see each other every day, all day, and don’t seem to mind it the least... quite spectacular.  They enjoy having guests and at Victoria Branch they scheduled a “day of fun” for Julian and me.  And fun it was.

First, Julian and I boarded a boat that took us to the island of San Antonio.  The boat ride was on the same type of boat that we were on before on the way to Biri Island and was a very pleasant ride.  We arrived at the island and there were many people waiting on shore (not for us, but waiting for something, I would assume).  The tone of the island was a bit different from the rest of Philippines because the people waiting on shore, males, did not have the warm, open look on their faces (but by no means disgustful) that the rest of the Philippines has.  I have a theory why:  First, the island of San Antonio is a resort island and typically the persons that come to the island that are foreigners on vacation.  The foreigners that typically come to the island, I can only assume, do not pay the same respect to the locals that they deserve, but rather just come and spend money and sit on the resorts all day… not meaning to be disrespectful, but some people may take offense to this “invasionism”. 

Like I stated before, San Antonio is a resort town and this was to be where Julian, Bembooy and I were to spend our weekend, at a resort.  I believe I have already stated that I was a bit weary of going to stay at a resort, but my feelings were confirmed right when we stepped onto the resort.  It was extremely nice, don’t get me wrong, but that was part of the problem.  Julian agreed (in a discussion later), that this was not the purpose of our trip.  The resort had a very nice beach and cabanas (air conditioned).  It had a staff waiting on you and all of the amenities that you would expect at a beach resort.  Within about 10 seconds I had made up my mind that maybe this was not the best way to spend one of my weekends trying to alleviate poverty… I do not regret my decision one bit (although it would have been nice to sit on the beach for a bit… but I can do that in Catarman, or anywhere on the island).  I am very happy that the thought of Julian and I staying there was in the plans and appreciate that Mme Juneth wanted us to see a resort while we were here, but in the long run, I think we would have been cheating ourselves if we decided to take the offer.

Next, we went to a Center Meeting and learned the most at a Center Meeting that I had learned yet.  I finally opened up and asked the right questions, such as, “What would you like to see offered by FGP?”  It was extremely rewarding and I learned what the clients of FGP truly want out of the program.  After the meeting, we continued back to the Branch and thought we had the remainder of the day to rest and take it easy… again… wrong.  We got back to the Branch and we had another adventure in store.

Some of the Loan Officers had already returned from their morning meetings and had the day planned for us.  The ringleader, Abba, told me and Julian to get ready because we were going to get some “boku”, or baby coconuts.  I thought that just meant we were going to the market and were going to pick up a couple to eat for the day… you guessed it, I was wrong.

We boarded the tiny boats in the same fashion as we board tricycles and habal-habals (dirt bikes), with way more people than there are seats for.  Abba, who I dubbed in my mind as my Filipino Maria, was our tour guide to the remote residence where we were going to get boku.  For those of you that don’t know Maria, she is a spark plug, full of energy and extremely nice, all of the time, Abba was exactly the same.  She was also about the same size as Maria and had the same look to her… anyways; I thought it was kind of funny.  We got to the remote residence and watched one of the guys climb the coconut tree to claim our prize… he climbed it barefoot and it was very impressive.

We ate baby coconut, which isn’t as sad as I thought it was going to be (if you don’t get it, that was a joke).  The juice of the coconut (or milk) is very good for the kidneys and I had a swig, it was sweet and I can already feel the difference!  There were a couple of kids there that were very interested in the size of Julian and me, but when I would approach one, they would scamper away and then come back when we weren’t looking.  Eventually, they warmed up to me and I gave one of the kids my sunglasses to wear for a bit, it was a highlight.

Post-boku we went back to the branch and prepared for our next endeavor.  We were going to a client’s site to see what they were using their loan for (a standard process for new loans).  This client had a fish and crab farm, which she used the loan to purchase baby crabs to put into the farm.  It sounded very exciting and, as they say, half of the excitement is getting there!  Whoever “they” are, they are typically correct.  We boarded a tricycle (a motorcycle with a side car) to get to San Isidro. 

Did I mention that the entire Branch (and then some) went to the meeting?  I don’t think I did.  We fit 10 people onto the tricycle (which “comfortably” seats 3).  We had three people in the sidecar, three people on the back seat of the motorbike (not including the driver), two people on top of the sidecar and one person hanging of the back.  It was impressive to say the least.  When we arrived at San Isidro, I asked one of the Loan Officers if that was some sort of record (it had to be!), he hesitated to answer and then pointed at a tricycle and said, “No”.  The tricycle heading towards us was filled with school children.  Based on my estimate, there had to be at least 13 people on the tricycle.  There were three children on top and two children hanging off of the back, three on the back seat, the driver and at least four in the sidecar… I was no longer impressed with our feat, but wanted to recruit four more people to our efforts just to say we held the record… we had bigger fish to fry though.

We arrived at the entrance of the client’s business to see my worst nightmare.  There was a pen of about eight roosters all lined up next to eachother (I definitely got a picture).  As near as I can tell, roosters pretty much feed off of eachother.  When one crows, another crows to show off for the hens.  So, since these roosters were in such close proximity of each other, I could hardly imagine that they were doing a “round” every morning to wake up the locals.  I kept my distance and prayed for sweet dreams that night.

We went to the client’s business via a bamboo raft.  The bamboo raft was one of those rafts that you might see Huckleberry Finn riding on.  There were no seats however, and you had to stand while the driver pushed a long bamboo stick into the ground to propel us.  It was a balancing act and, since Julian and I had cameras in our pockets, was a bit nerve-wracking.  I gained my steady and actually had enough balance (which, if you know me, is quite impressive that I had any) to become the assistant driver.  Once we reached the other side of the “pond” and we trekked along man-made “dams” between the river and the fish farms.  The dams are about three feet wide and three feet above the water with random palm trees that have to be maneuvered during the trek.  This walk was at least a kilometer and half, but was well worth it.  At the end we got to watch the client’s husband fish for crabs and one of the client’s children took a liking to my camera and me.  I would like to say it was just me, but I think he was definitely more intrigued by my camera.  He wanted me to take a picture of everything… so many pictures that my battery died halfway through the journey, but I still got a lot of pictures.  On the way back, the kid tried to teach me some tagalo, but I am not sure that I retained any of it.  I humored him and repeated everything that he said, I think he enjoyed it and it took my mind off of potentially falling into the river.

The next part of the journey was back to the Branch for a rest, so I thought.  There had been mention of going to the beach, but since it was dark at this point, I was pretty sure that we weren’t going to the beach (I gotta stop doing that… thinking).  We arrived back at the branch and within 5 minutes the Loan Officers and Branch Manager were ready to go again… to the beach!  It was another 10-person tricycle ride to Buenos Aires to a “resort-type” beach.  I am not sure it was actually a resort, but there were very nice cabanas and lights on the beach, so I think it was.  The experience and scenery were breathtaking to say the least.  We got into the water and, even in the dark, I could see the bottom of the ocean.  I floated on my back and could see hundreds of stars in the sky.  It was an experience unlike any other.  I tried to take a picture of the stars, but the aperture of my camera is not as adjustable as some (allowing you to take very good night time pictures).  This is a memory that I will take with me for a long, long time.

At the beach we played some games and Julian introduced us to a game that I still have no idea who is the winner… I can’t explain.  Also, something to note, I am not sure the consistency of this, but the majority of the Loan Officers could not swim, so they stayed relatively close to the shore.  Julian made a comment that it is ironic that I am about 2,000 kilometers from the nearest ocean and I know how to swim, but they are an island nation and the majority of them don’t know how to swim.  I am not sure why this is the case, maybe it is because the water is so salty and buoyant that it would be near-impossible to drown if you were paying attention (knock on wood).

We went back to the Branch and had a bucket shower and changed into some dry clothes.  We also had some crabs for dinner and Julian ended up getting sick (like I was the first week I was here) and I was short to follow the next day.  I am not sure if it was the crab that made us sick, but whatever it was, it did not feel good… more on that later.  It was a great day and I was looking forward to what Friday had in store!

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009-“Cooking In the Philippines… Check”

Wednesday was a fairly uneventful day, I did not go to any center meetings and I did a lot of work, but I did aid in the completion of dinner!  I was in charge of cooking the fish (fish is called “isda”, but the name of the fish was Lapu Lapu, the famous guy that killed Magellan)!  It was very good and the girl that was in charge of making dinner made it into sweet and sour fish.  It was very good and I have pictures to prove that I did something.  Other than that, there was not a whole lot going on during my Wednesday… we ate and talked.

It was a very good dinner, but, unfortunately, Julian was still feeling the effects of not sleeping for two days and he retired early.  At dinner, the Lavezares Branch Staff continued to probe me with questions and ask me about various parts regarding my culture, including if we had anything that was similar to a “fiesta” in the United States.  Here, a Fiesta is a gathering of the entire municipality to celebrate for a week.  The timing of the Fiesta is the same week as their respective municipality’s patron saint (which I am not sure how this is determined).  There are 24 provinces in Northern Samar, so there are quite a few parties that happen in a year!  Just to give you an idea of the structure of the country and the similarities to the U.S.

Philippines            United States

Country            Country

Province            State

Municipality            County

Barangay            City/Town/Village

 

So, Fiesta Time equals Party Time, no doubt about it.  The most equivalent event I could think of was that of a County Fair (at least in the Midwest).  The more notable differences between a Fiesta and a Country Fair is that EVERYONE attends a Fiesta and only a select amount of the population attends County Fairs.  Since the distance is much greater for the areas between towns in the U.S. it is much less likely for someone to make a trip to a County Fair.

The staff told me of the various aspects of a Fiesta, which is a weeklong event to celebrate their patron saint.  There are many mini-fiestas within the Fiesta that are parties at familial houses.  This can include lechon (roasted pig), fish, fruits, baked goods and much song and dance, but more importantly, catching up with family and friends (which seems to happen frequently here).  There are parades and the streets are full of people and excitement.  Since fiesta-time is such a big deal, there is much preparation and expense involved with the festivities.

Every family in the municipality feels obligated to throw a mini-fiesta for their family.  This can come as a great burden for the family and can be a cause of concern for FGP/NSCAP and clients.  In order to properly mitigate the use of funds for fiestas (much against the 10 decisions), NSCAP does not loan to persons in that district for a few weeks prior to and after the respective Fiesta date.  In addition, there are many other concerns for staff including: trying to collect payments during fiesta (they try to collect the week before or after), invitations to fiestas (up to the staff member to accept or not, but typically don’t), safety during fiesta time (bank workers mush be back to the Branch by no later than 12), etc.  The staff workers spoke very highly of the Fiestas and they told me to be careful about attending one (if I did), as I am obviously not part of the barangay and people are very protective of their traditions, but if you are good friends with a person that invited you, then it would be okay and you should have a great time.

It was a great cultural lesson and I look forward to learning much more!  In addition, one of the Loan Officers (Kristel) proceeded to beat me handily again at that card game she taught me the previous night, not very nice of her, but it was fun.  Julian and I are off to Victoria Branch tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to another Branch visit, but have had a great time in Lavazares.  I wish I could spend a week at each Branch, but time does not allow.