Jon is Going to the Philippines with Grameen

Monday, February 23, 2009

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!

Monday, February 16, 2009

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!