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.