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.

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009-“Truly a Day to Remember and an Item I Forgot”

Mme Juneth escorted Julian and me to the province Lavezares, and the Branch that is located in the province.  We arrived at 8:30 to a smiling staff and “sweet-potatoque”… yes it is as good as it sounds and especially good for breakfast.  It is essentially a sweet potato (although not a sweet potato) quartered and then covered in a brown sugar glaze… then grilled… it is fantastic.  Needless to say, the day started off great.  After some discussions about micro-finance and the region (which I will discuss in a different post), Julian and I, along with the Branch Manager (Am) and Loan Officer (Fe), were off to the Biri Islands…. And a very popular site called “the Rock Formations” (I am not sure the actual name, but that is all the locals have called it).

The Lavezares branch is located approximately 50 meters from the boat taxi station so we walked to the dock to arrive at our boat.  The boat taxis, called “Island Express”, are about 10 meters long (or as long as a palm tree, because that is what they are made of) and a meter and a half wide.  They are a bit like a catamaran because they have buoy-type “skis” that extend out to the outside of the boat to ensure the boat won’t tip over.  They have an inboard motor and it does not lack in noise.  In order to get onto the boat you must balance on the bow of the boat for about one meter and the area is no wider than three-times the width of my foot.  You may be thinking this isn’t very far, but when you have your phone and camera in your pocket and the boat is bobbing up and down, you may have nerves kick in a bit.  I felt even more like a weenie when the crew-members, somehow, got a motorbike onto the boat with no problem at all…  it was impressive.

The boat ride to the island was extremely scenic and loud, but more scenic.  There were islands and palm trees everywhere.  I tried to take multiple pictures, but when I turned on my camera I had realized my battery light was flashing at me (an item I forgot).  I was quite mad at myself, but I figured I wouldn’t let this ruin my trip.  Plus, I was not too worried because the Branch Manager, Am, had a camera and Julian had a camera.  So, even though I wished I had mine, I figured everything was going to be okay.  On our way to Biri, about an hour boat ride, Am told me that they went to these Center Meetings (as they do every week) in January and the waves on the ocean were three times as high as the boat.  I am pretty adventurous, but I was hoping this was not the case for our trip.  The sea was calm that day and we were fine, so I just sat back, relaxed and took it all in.  One item to note, as many pictures as I can take and as much as I can describe this place (all of the Philippines), it can not even hold a candle to how beautiful everything is, or how nice the people are in person.  It is simply amazing how green and plush everything is, everywhere.  The water is a clean blue that you would only see in a painting (and you wouldn’t even believe it was real in a painting) and the hillsides are covered in palm trees and tropical greenery.

There were also some other items to see on the boat ride, like other people and a statue that looked like it was a statue of Mary helping Jesus out of the ocean.  It was impressive and looked to be a tribute to keep travelers safe in passage and a sign of respect to Jesus (again, it did not surprise me that there was a statue of this, as the culture is very religious).  I was surprised, however, to see this nearly a kilometer away from the nearest shoreline, just another surprise in how dedicated to faith Filipinos are. 

The people we saw were mainly on the docks when we would arrive at the different ports.  The first group we saw were about 10 kids jumping off of the dock into the water.  They all kind of looked our way (not knowing who was on the boat, nor did they care) and then sprinted to the other end of the dock.  They then turned around and sprinted to the water-end of the dock and did canon balls and dove into the water, waving their hands about in a manner that only kids do.  When the boat arrived, the kids dangled off of the sides of the buoys and climbed on board, just to inspect the oncoming goods (various feeds, snacks, vegetables, water, and a motorbike).  Once they were finished, the boat pulled away and the kids stayed on until they jumped off and swam back to the dock… I was entertained to say the least.

We went to three Center Meetings in Biri, all of which we travelled to by boat, and all of which I will describe in a later post.  It was quite an experience and we got a taste of a true island nation.  After our second Center Meeting, we went to the Biri “Rock Formations”.  The rock formations are situated in a remote part of one of the islands and are only accessible by dirt bike.  Our driver was extremely talkative and very nice.  He was also very good and, with me and Julian as passengers, did numerous fishtails and traversed through muddy waters and even the beach.  We stopped at the end of the beach and we could see the rock formations, I assumed we were just going to take a look from there, but (darn it, I am always thinking) Am immediately told me to take my shoes off and get in the water.  I took my shoes off and got in the water, then, our driver, gave me his sandals and said that I would need them… we walked to the rock formations, wading in knee-deep water.  I was not prepared for that, but we did it anyway and it was a great time.  Like I said before, pictures cannot do anything here justice, the same held true for this instance.  Julian and Am took a lot of pictures, but now that I have the pictures on my computer, it just isn’t the same.  I will post some so you all can see them!

At the rock formations, the rocks were very slippery and first I ate it (fell down) and then Julian slipped and fell, twice.  I commented to Am, “stupid foreigners” making fun of myself and Julian.  Both of us are fine, but our pride is tarnished.  After the rock formation we got back on the dirt-bikes and headed back to the town proper.  We arrived at the next center meeting (our final one) and I gave our driver my mailing address.  He was a very nice guy and invited Julian and me into his home before the Center Meeting for some water.  His home was very nice and I enjoyed his company. 

On our way to the final Center Meeting there was a basketball court with a few local young men playing basketball.  I was feeling risky after my endeavors at the Rock Formations, so I spotted up for a 12-foot jump shot (jumping is not my strong suit), one of the guys passed me the ball and I nailed it!  So, currently, I am 100% from the field while in the Philippines.  That was the first time I have shot a basketball in about 3 months, but I plan on playing a lot more when we get back to Catarman… maybe I should just try to stay at 100%?  Nah, I won’t.

Upon returning to the Branch, in which we arrived at 5:30, we sat down and Julian and I talked about various social and popular issues for a moment.  I was starting to tire, but could only imagine how tired Julian was.  We ate dinner and Julian retired.  I stayed up and talked with the Loan Officers.  All of them were very nice and spoke very good English.  We discussed various issues including Barack Obama and his policies and the differences between Republicans and Democrats.  We also talked about Missouri a bit and the “wealth” of the United States (more on that in a bit).  One of the loan officers, Christine, had heard that I was coming to the branch and Sir Bembooy told her I was from Missouri (which I was surprised he remembered).  She surprised me when she asked, “You are from Missouri, right?... and the Capital is Jefferson City?”  Wow.

The rest of the night was spent playing a new card game that I learned from one of the other loan officers, Kristel.  I think it was called “I win”, but I am not sure… just kidding.  It was fun and I have had a great time at the Branch so far.  One of the most enjoyable parts is my new “nickname”.  It is only a “nickname” (in quotes) because it is a term that everyone uses for their older brother (everyone is a brother or sister), and since I outdate most everyone here by a few years, they call me by “kooyah”.  It is endearing that they call me this, I feel like the culture is growing more and more on me everyday, with every little part added each day.

Monday, February 15th, 2009-“Jon Scares Grameen Employees… and the new Intern Arrives”

Hello everyone, today was a pretty uneventful day, other than me striking fear into the hearts of the NSCAP employees and the new Intern arriving.  First things first.  I had mentioned that I had done a cost analysis, well the cost analysis that I preformed was based on a program that Grameen offers.  Without getting into details, in about 10 years this program could be costing NSCAP a lot of money (based on some assumptions, obviously).  The Grameen employees told me later that this scared them, much in line with any work I have done in the United States.  It was a good day and I think they liked the discussion we had, but there is still some discussion that needs to be made and some conclusions to be reached (as I said before, we have some time to work with, but the sooner the better).

Before I left everyone’s heart palpitating, I met the new intern with Grameen, Julian.  He is from Australia and is 18 years old.  He just finished his high school education and was going on to try to attend university in the United States… pending acceptance.  He is extremely smart, but also extremely tired.  He had stayed in the Manila Airport Hotel and agreed with me that he would have been better off just staying in the airport itself, because he didn’t get a wink of sleep.  He has been up for two days straight and, even at 18 that can wear on someone.  He definitely has energy about learning micro-finance and offering various insights into the program.  He has read quite a bit about micro-finance and I look forward to learning from him, and hope I can teach him a few things… but, as he is probably smarter than me, that may be minimal.

Julian and I attended my favorite local hot-spot and conversed about many things, including the intricacies of cricket.  As I may have mentioned, I watch cricket quite a bit on the TV, but didn’t really know the rules.  I was enlightened.  All in all a good day, but I can’t wait for tomorrow when we make the trek to Lavezares and the islands of Biri… more to come!

Note to the Followers

Hello Everyone!!!  Thank you again for following my blog!  It is much appreciated, I like writing it more than you like reading it... I am sure of that.

One thing, however, is that I am going to be gone for the next week and will not be able to update my blog... don't worry, I will be updating when I get back, but just so you know.

Salamat (thanks),

Jon

Sunday, February 15, 2009-“Day of Rest…?”

Well, the day started off normal… double Yum and fries at Jollibee… but ended very differently.  I was sitting in my office at Hina and minding my own business, getting some work done… and Sir Vivencio comes knocking at my door.  He asked me if I wanted to enjoy a drink with him and Bembooy?  I happily abliged but went to church first, of course.

We had a local Brandy at Bembooy’s mother’s restaurant and I thought the night was over… I should stop thinking for the remainder of my trip (when I am not at work, of course).  I thought I had the Filipino culture down, at least the drinking… Go out for two-beer and have an appetizer… well, I was introduced to six-beer!  Yeah, I said it… six-beer!  You get six beers (or three two-beers) and an appetizer for 280 pesos (or about $6)… it is phenomenal.  They didn’t have the calamaris so we had to get the pig intestine again… it was fantastic.  Some of my fellow co-workers joined me and Vivencio at the bar (Bembooy was grounded) and we proceeded to stay out until Richard crowed… that is my equivalent of “till the cows come home”… and kind of rythmes.

It was a rather fun evening even though there was no videoke (now I am asking for it!).  I had to present my cost analysis on Monday, so it was a bit rough, but it was worth it and I had a good time.

Also, to note, today was the first day the it hasn’t rained since I have been here… I kind of hope it rains again… it was about 95 degrees with humidity… I was sweating quite a bit (more than my typical).

Saturday, February 14, 2009-“Valentine’s Schmalentine’s”

Well, the day started off great!  I slept in (until 6) and decided today was the day that I was going to get a lot of work done… well, I did… then I got sick again… but am okay now.  Since the day had really nothing to note, I will comment on some of the other things that I have been meaning to get to in prior posts.

Tv-More of the Usual, with a Philippino Twist

Soap Oprahs here are the same as in the United States.  There are long dramatic pauses after something “monumental” happens.  Riddle me this:  If it is so monumental to stop the show and play climatic music, then why does it happen every 10 minutes?  If it is monumental, then it probably doesn’t happen that much… but it does on TV.

Of the 20 channels I get, four are American movie channels (I should say movie, because they don’t all play American movies, I am watching Wayne’s World right now however).  Six are music channels, including an “audio only” channel.  It is great to hear David Cook on four-second delay also.  Just kidding, I love how music is a central part of their culture, it seems to make people happy all the time… side note: there is NO Nickelback or Slipknot here, which I am very thankful for… so no hate music, so that is a major plus.

There are a few channels that always play basketball, local and NBA.  It is either basketball or sport fishing for sports.  Other than there is one channel that constantly has India vs. Sri Lanka in cricket… I think I have watched it 20 times already and still have no idea what is going on.

There are American sitcoms and Filipino sitcoms; they have Deal or No Deal and Pinoy Fear Factor.  The do have this one game show that, whether the name is this or not I don’t care, is called “Hip, Hip, Hooray”… I don’t care because that is the whole game… it is very entertaining.  One person says “Hip, Hip” and then they move the microphone to the next person and they have to say “Hooray” (with hand gestures).  There is not method to the madness, but there are about 20 people that start the game and only one winner… I am anticipating Brett’s would take this country by storm (I shall try to introduce it at my next two-beer).

To round out the viewing pleasure are about 5 channels that are Christian stations.  If I haven’t already heard (bird is the word), the Philippines is 90% Christian, and they are active practitioners.  I was at church and the whole mass was full of people (about 1,000 people).  So, it is no surprise that a major percentage of their television stations are Christian stations.  I watch them sometimes, one is a Christian Music station by the way (blending the two most popular things in the Philippines), when I am working… but usually watch the Die Hard Quadrilogy which is on frequently.

So, that was my day… pretty eventful… naaaat!

Accomodations

I did not put this in my blog at first, partially because I forgot, but partially because I thought I wouldn’t have another option.  There are plenty of options in Catarman and a lot of Beach Resorts that I could choose to stay at, however, I did not know this upon arrival.  So, here we go (for Joel, I am rocking back and forth in my seat right now, pretending I am watching the Patriots play the Eagles):

I was on the cusp of my first night in the Hina Branch.  I am not sure if I described the branch, but will now.  My sleeping quarters are small; I can touch all four walls at the same time.  The kitchen works, but I don’t think I will use it (I am not sure if I can know what to cook here).  All in all, it is a humble accommodation from what I am used to in the United States. 

That being said, I was on the verge of biting the bullet and staying in a hotel that was recommended by my predecessor.  I decided to give it one night in the Branch and see how I fared.  Upon going to bed, I was reading “The Price of a Dream” and, in one of the later chapters, the author begins to talk about relief efforts and foreign aid.  He goes into a diatribe about how the contractors who come from different countries to work on these “rehabilitation” contracts for the country.  He continues to talk about these contractors time in the foreign country.  He doesn’t use the word “sheltered” but he might as well have.  He told about deluxe accommodations and air-conditioned rooms in Bangladesh and the acclimation period for workers.  It was interesting to read to say the least, but hit home pretty hard.  He stated that these contractors have the best intentions in the world before arriving, but they are so caught up in not changing their comfort zone that they don’t get in touch with the people at all and their vision is lost…  namely because they aren’t experiencing anything first-hand.  They are not walking in the crowded streets with all of the poor people they are trying to help.  They are getting carted around in their SUV’s from place to place and getting out at their destinations and complaining about the heat for ten minutes and then getting back into their SUVs.

I am not saying that I am a greater person than these contractors by any stretch of the imagination.  I am saying that I found it ironic that I was on the verge of making a decision to go back to what I am used to on the first night I was here.  I am very glad that I decided to stay in the branch.  I love it here.  I walk everywhere and meet a lot of locals and have made friends with some of the shopkeepers that are close.  It is not what I was used to, but it is beginning to become what I am used to.  Also, by no stretch of the imagination, am trying to say that I am “in touch” with the people of Northern Samar.  I have no recollection of a “brown-out” happening in Kansas City, but here it is just one thing that happens daily.  Over time, I may feel like I can equate to that, but I don’t know the hardships these people go through daily.  This is why I am so glad I decided to stay at Hina Branch, it is a taste of reality for me about the daily lives of the people of Catarman.  I just hope I can learn more to help and learn more about everything.  That being said, I am ready to go eat!

More Pictures!

San Jose Branch Staff
The "Body Hub" crew in an intense match of Badminton
The "Coffee Hub" gang
"Coffee Hub" gang (continued)
The dirt bike experience... we had already bailed out at this point
Members of FGP at our destination
The "cutest" kid in Northern Samar

Friday, February 13, 2009-“Testing the Limits of Friday the 13th”

The day started off with a poor twist.  I closed the door behind me at Hina Branch and realized I didn’t have my keys so I was locked out.  I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened.  I always have about 40 pesos in my pocket (which are change) so I always think that I have my keys… and I usually check before closing the door, but today was the first day I hadn’t.  So, I had to text some co-workers to come let me into the branch.  The morning, other than that, was pretty eventful, I had caribou (water buffalo) for breakfast, with rice.  I rode in a Jeepney again to San Jose (which is a gorgeous place).  And we rode in a “haka-haka” (I am not sure that is the name, so if someone from here could correct me that would be great!).

The “haka-haka” is a dirt bike that has an extended seat so you can have more than one passenger.  In our case, there were three passengers on the dirt bike, and the driver!  It was a typical motorbike ride for the first few minutes… then it got interesting… the road ended.  I thought that this meant that we were arrived at the center meeting… assumptions are killing me here.  We ended up going through the mud road for about 20 minutes and occasionally exiting the dirt bike so the driver could get unstuck and we would walk to the next “dry area” and get back on and we would proceed until we got stuck again.

Until this point, I had seen these dirt bikes all over the place and wondered why the drivers were all wearing galoshes while riding the bike.  These questions were answered rather quickly when, on the first “dump” of the passengers, I ended up with mud halfway up my pant leg.  It was quite fun and I hope I get to do it again while I am here.  I have video of it and am not sure if I can post it on here, but I will try.  We arrived at the center meeting to a group of women and a few children.

At the meeting, the women were all rice farmers or sari-sari store owners… or both.  In addition to these businesses, some women were hog-fatteners.  This became apparent as soon as we arrived.  A pig, who was not having a good Friday the 13^th, was squeeling and trying to shake loose from the three men who were holding it down.  I will spare you the details, but it was quite a welcome at the meeting… I got a few pictures… I will not post those.  The women were some of the best clients for Grameen and all were present and paid their loans.  They were all very nice and I enjoyed their company.

The children that were there were the three cutest kids I have seen since being in Northern Samar, and all of the kids are pretty flipping cute.  One of them, who I dubbed as the cutest, I tried to get a picture of him (I did get one), ran from me as soon as I made eye contact with him and then hid behind his mother the entire time during the center meeting.  He would poke his head out and make eye contact with me again and then hide again, as if to play peek-a-boo.  I am keeping up my reputation for scaring small children… even across the globe.

The rest of the day consisted of eating, working and raining.  I did go out with a friend from the Provencial Government and enjoyed some barbeque, beer and singing.  This was not videoke, it was the real deal.  I got on stage and sang to the crowd, who was very involved with making me a better singer, because anything helps.  I sang “Leaving on a Jet Plane” (again) and “Country Road”… I enjoyed “Country Road” much more because I could really get into it and I have sang “Jet Plane” four times since being here… I freeze up when people ask me what I want to sing and I choke and say…”Leaving on a Jet Plane!”  I will do some research and find some songs that I would enjoy singing… and I will take suggestions!

General Comments-Jon Rambles… again.

I went to the coffee shop the other day (see some of the pictures!) and I talked with Paul, the owner, a bit.  He was nice to talk to and I made a comment about his shirt, which was labeled “Arizona”.  He said his cousin gave it to him and he looked forward to visiting the United States.  I asked if he wanted to go to New York or Los Angeles, but he surprised me when he said he wanted to see the cowboys and experience the wild wild west (something I can do!... minus the guns) and hike the mountains and visit the canyons.  I found it ironic that many of the people in the places he was talking about would love to come visit his town with the beaches and the ocean.  I guess when you are surrounded by it all of the time, you just want to see something different, regardless of whether you live in the Rockies or on the Pacific Ocean.

Thursday, February 12, 2009-“I Celebrate Stephen’s (my brother) Birthday in Style… Among Other Things”

First off, this post is going to be long, I am stating that now, because today was just a full day… and I am not even done with it!... yet.  Well, if you may or may not know, which I would assume the majority of you reading this already know, but today is my brother’s birthday… very exciting… especially if I was in Sydney, but I am not so I celebrate without him anyways.  I went to the local liquor store and purchased a bottle of the finest they had… Johnny Walker Black and am having some currently (another reason why this post may be a little long).  Additionally, yesterday was my pal Bembooy’s birthday, I told him he was in good company.  Or maybe my brother is in good company, the latter is probably more accurate.  So, tonight Bembooy (pending his wife’s approval) and I are going to have two beer and I am going to introduce him to American whisky… or Scotch.  Before I get to that, however, I have to tell you about my day… very exciting.

With cock fighting, motor bike riding, videoke singing and having two-beer it is hard to believe that the people of Northern Samar have time to have more kicks… but they do.  It is called bus-riding.  A bus here is called a Jeepney (I will include a picture at some point), but it is just a Jeep front with a bus back.  You may say, “what fun is this?”  I can answer.  First of all, the bus is loaded to the gills, then, if you are so daring, they overflow the bus.  People are crawling all over the outside of the bus like ants, really big ants.  They are on top of the bus, they are hanging from the back and the sides, it is very impressive.  The last equation to this “Jeepney Riding”, which I equate to volcano leuging (spelling?), would be that the bus does not stop.  It slows down, but does not stop for experienced riders.  Luckily for me, they stoped and I was able to board the bus and have a seat inside.  The operators of the bus are the bus driver and the token collector.  The token collector reminded me of those train operators you see in the movies that hangs off the side and checks up and down the track while people board at the last second.  Except this train operator hangs off of the back of the Jeepney with one arm.

Other than that, the day was a typical day (later in this post I will discuss about my night of debauchery with the fellas).  I went to a center meeting with some of the people of the San Jose Branch.  It was very interesting and my first experience with a disgruntled customer (I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but I could tell she was perturbed about something).  We also had a spectacular view from the top of the San Jose Branch.  San Jose is a very small town, probably half of the size of Catarman, but it has a very proper looking “main” street.  It had buildings up and down the street that were about two stories high and it reminded me of New Orleans’ French Quarter (ironic that the Philippines was mainly developed by Spanish).  I learned a lot about the branch and what types of issues and successes they have had over the past year.  I look forward to tomorrow and going to another center meeting, as well as riding in another Jeepney!

Also, on my way to getting water, I was greeted by approximately 20 little kids who I had met a few days prior.  These were different kids than the “peso” kids, but they were just as enthusiastic.  When I had met them, they just said, “Hello, what’s your name?” and I responded, “Jon”; a frenzy again.  Then today, when I was walking on the street, they all gathered around me and yelled, “Hi Jon! Hi Jon!”  I asked how they were in tagalo and they laughed and responded, “Good.”  They could probably tell I was still learning.  It was a treat and I appreciated that they remembered my name.

Well, the night wasn’t like previous nights out in Catarman.  I actually got home at a reasonable time.  I did take over the bottle of Johnny Walker to Bembooy’s mother’s restaurant.  I met one of Bembooy’s long-time friends, Noah, who worked as a salesman for Nestle Corporation.  He was happy to join us for a few drinks, but admitted he had to work the next day, so Bembooy and I finished out the night… and the bottle.  I met Bembooy’s mother and family, very nice people and I will visit her restaurant again!

More Pictures!

Jeffrey and Laarni do some work... I think
The Ladies of Gabon Branch (Jeffrey is busy performing the orders the ladies had politely asked him to perform... fetching water, food, doing their laundry, etc.)
A neighbor of the "tuba" maker proudly displays his rooster (this is not Richard, but the way.  I am not intrigued by him... he is lucky if he gets a "hi" from me in the morning).
The "tuba" maker and client of NSCAP.  She also weaves hammocks and sells them.  I think it may not be a coincidence... thoughts?
Some members of NSCAP at a Center Meeting.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009-"I Blush"

Today has been much of the same.  I went to a Center Meeting this morning and was, again, greeted with open arms.  It is funny to visit different centers because they all have their own personalities.  For instance, today was much different than yesterday.  Yesterday, all of the woman would ask me questions yesterday.  Today, they all said they were very shy and did not want to ask questions.  They were shy?!  I didn’t notice, but I am extremely shy when it comes to center meetings.  While they are all very nice, I would rather them open up to me than me ask, what may be, intruding questions.  However, one thing is very consistent at every meeting… they all ask me within the first two questions if I am single.  I smile and am flattered, but happily answer that I am, but am committed.  The look of disappointment is widespread (just kidding).

I did get a lot of work done, and plan on posting more about the center meetings and the various people I have met, but right now I really have to think about going to bed.  It has been a long week and I have much more to come.  I hope all is well with everyone.  Email me or comment if you get a chance!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009-“Scooter Riding does not equal Motorcycle Riding”

In my days, I have encountered some pretty intense and uncomfortable situations.  I have (not to toot my horn, but…) skydived, cliff jumped, spalunked, driven a motorcycle and driven in Ireland, but I am not sure I was prepared for this.  Motorbiking!  I don’t think that I would have been so bad initially at it if it weren’t different from a motorcycle, but, much to my dismay, it is.  There is no clutch and the gears (which are on the same side as a motorcycle, luckily) work a bit differently.  The starter is a kick-starter and the wheels (most importantly) are about 2 inches wide (not the most stable, kind of like an oversized mountain-bike tire).  Also, when driving a motorbike, honking is much like breathing… at least it occurs as often.  Now, I ride a bike quite a bit and I ride a motorcycle quite a bit, but NEVER combine the two… that, in combination of the driving “rules” in the Philippines, could have equaled disaster.  Did I mention that I had a passenger too?  Well, I did, and I have never had a passenger on my motorcycle before, the person didn’t know that at the time, but I informed her later… she was surprised to be alive… just kidding.

It was a bit, we’ll say, sketchy at first, but after about 5 minutes I got the hang of it… and it was smooth sailing.  Now that I was used to driving the motorbike, why not really test my skills and start drinking?  Cause that is what we did next, at 10:30 in the morning.  Since arriving in the Philippines, in Manila, I had been introduced to many types of alcohol… actually only San Miguel, but was interested in finding out what the locals drank… turns out it’s San Miguel.  When they run out of San Miguel, they drink their native alcohol called “tuba”.  I had heard of this tuba and thought it was strange that a culture so enamered with pop-culture music would enjoy the tuba (instrument) so much.  Again (9-year-old birthday), I was way off.  Tuba is a locally processed drink that involves the fermenting of coconut milk (which is rather abundant here).  While fermenting the milk they put some of the husk of the coconut tree into the milk, givin it a reddish color.

Seeing that the tuba was a red color, my brain immediately associated it with a cranberry juice taste (again, in my mind I was thinking that is what it was going to taste like).  Also, in my mind, I was thinking that this was going to taste a lot like coconut milk, with a sweet and smooth taste.  I should stop assuming anything while in the Philippines, or just think the exact opposite.  The tuba tasted kind of like a cranberry juice with a majority of vodka in it.  Mme Juneth later told me that she drinks tuba sometimes, but she mixes it with Coca-Cola… I could see why.  It was pretty good, but I am not sure I could drink a gallon of it (tuba comes in three sizes… gallon, three gallons and six gallons).  I joked with the vendor (who is a NSCAP client) that I was going to buy one six-gallon container and work would be easier.

One thing I forgot to mention was that I visited another branch today, Bobon Branch.  It was very nice and the staff are just as cordial as anyone else in NSCAP.  I also went to Center Meetings and, again, was welcomed with open arms and took a lot of pictures.  On the way to one of the meetings, I saw one of the cousins of Mme Juneth, who I had met at the beach, I waived and said hello, he waived back with a big smile.  I was on a motorbike (passenger) so I couldn’t stop, but it was nice to see him.

The Bobon Branch residence is very nice as well and I think that I am going to stay there in a couple of days while visiting another branch.  We had some very good food for lunch and I had my first banana since I have been here.  Jeffrey, a loan officer, informed me that they are the largest exporter of bananas in the world… I smiled and thought to myself “well this one won’t be exported”… I devoured it.

More Pictures!

Yesss... there is videoke!!!
Mme Juneth Miranda, Me, Sir June Miranda and Uncle Miranda!
Some kids at the beach... the kid on the left is my favorite... I am not sure what he is doing, but it's hysterical... click on the image to see the large image!