some thoughts

So, it's my last few days under the grant and I'm taking a few moments to pause. It's been a wild ride thus far and I'm not at a place where I can even think about what has happened these past few months. I'll keep this entry a little light and just share a few things from this past week.

A couple days ago, I went to the NAIA airport to pick up her friend who is visiting for a few days. It was the first time I had gone to the airport there to pick up someone rather than me being the one being picked up or getting dropped off. Let me just say, the people are the airport are pretty mean! It was a bit confusing as to where we should go to wait for the arrivals and the airport staff could barely muster up a grunt and point in the general direction of where we should go. I asked one security guard and he just pointed to the highway. How frustrating. When we got to the waiting area, they required you to pay 30 pesos to wait by the gate. You can tell Krystal and I had been here too long when we refused to pay that exorbitant fee. So there we were chatting on the curb outside some cantinas, eating hamburger buns with thin slivers of meat and waiting for Krystal's friend. Well, as Krystal says, even the government has to make money somehow. When Kristen got there, Krystal was ecstatic. They ran into each others' arms and shrieked with joy, causing stares from everyone around. We Americans arer so loud.

The other day I was in a taxi and the cab driver was trying to flirt with me. He asked if I had a husband to which I lied and said yes. I concocted this whole story about how my hubby worked at a bank. We're both from the province you see. He's from Lucban, I'm from Lucena. We'd met in college and had been married for a blissful three years. Children? no, we don't have any children yet. Why not? oh.. we're waiting to save up. Oh? well maybe there's something wrong with your husband and he can't produce any kids (maybe I can get your number and we can be friends and I can get the job done for your husband) *Sigh* Can I just pretend being single and being happy aren't two mutually exclusive things here?

Smoothies and city grit

I'd like to tell you a little story about my normal day here. I know mom has been a bit worried due to my lack of contact lately, but it's simply that I have gotten into a regular routine. I wake up around 8am and depending on how lazy I feel, I either get dressed and make lunch or run out the door with a slice of wheat bread and peanut butter.

Today was particularly lazy because I had been watching National Treasure last night. I also had this interesting dream about treasure hunting. go figure. So, I got dressed and packed up my leftover pasta for lunch and computer. Since I didn't wake up early enough, I didn't have time for breakfast so I dropped by the Fruit Magic down the street. It reeks somewhat of those Jamba Juice corporate places that are everywhere in the states but hey I can't complain. It's a bit healthier and quicker than the usual rice longganisa fare that's close by. Also, it's easier to drink on the go. There's something about mango smoothies that just make the day better. I usually walk to the jeepney station under the Katipunan overpass. Sometimes it's a death defying event and sometimes it's just a matter of crossing the street, depending on how fast the traffic is going. And then there is the occassional wind gust that makes the morning humidity bearable until you realize that along with it is handful of street dust. More than once I've been caught in that temporary swirl with my mouth open. Today it just managed to coat the smoothie container and straw in my hand.

I boarded the jeepney and was the last person before it departed for University of the Philippines campus. Now the positive to that is I don't have to wait too long to go home. The negative is that we're packed in like sardines. Filipinos don't really understand that not everyone is stick thin here and they pack an exact number of people on each side of the jeep regardless of how many larger people get on board. I was sitting on a couple inches of bench for the first mile before somebody got off. Oh, did I forget to mention that on your so very lucky days you'll be stalled in traffic next to a mac truck that belches fumes from an exhaust pipe directly pointed at your window?

I get dropped off at a UP jeep station to wait for the IKOT (that goes around campus) to a park that's near my work. This is an annoying stretch of street because it's usually filled with scattered trash, stray dogs and the two or three guys standing by the local carinderia who make catcalls at me. The situation is made even worse on those sticky hot days that have my shirt soaked in sweat in the less than quarter mile walk to my office building. Man I love the tropics.

Sorry folks, no pretty pictures for you. Perhaps I'll take some today for your future viewing pleasure

The Chinese Cemetery and Fulfilled Dreams

Yesterday, Nicole and I went to the Chinese Cemetery. It had been on my to do tourist list since I first perused my imported Lonely Planet Philippines book. I had invited Nicole to come with me and take pictures, but it always seemed that in the six months of her stay here, our schedules were always at odds. Either she'd be busy or I'd be gone for the weekend. We had been scheduled to go diving yesterday but due to some unfortunate circumstances we found ourselves with a free day. I immediately contacted Nicole and we made arrangements to finally go see the Chinese cemetery. Neither of us were
(pictured above, Millionaire's Row)
really prepared to go, and I had left my city map so with the quick help of google, we set out to find where it was. We enlisted the help of a guide, Jun, who took us through some of the history of the place, as well as some tidbits of interesting information. The cemetery was developed in the 70s and is apparently the only one of its kind. Rumor has it the Chinese just wanted to copy the cool Filipino tombs and make them ostentatiously fancy for their dead relatives. The houses of the dead include private bathrooms, benches and some even have dining tables, chandeliers and air conditioners for the relatives who drop by. A piece of land, and structure will set you back at least a million pesos and sometimes much more. For every structure, there were good luck statues, such as this lion, red symbols for longevity and and chimneys to burn fake money and incense for the dead. The mausoleums were well maintained by caretakers and are a frequent site for both family and tourists. Some tombs displayed colored paper to indicate that family members had dropped by to say hello. I really liked the place, and it seemed a place that invited the living to remember the dead and visit once in a while, rather than the foreboding dilapidated graveyards I've seen.









This pagoda below is part of a memorial for one of the famous Chinese Filipinos. It overlooks the Rose Tower terraces, which are like the rice terraces of the dead. The bodies buried in these terraces were all victims of the 1968 7 magnitude earthquake that felled the RoseTower in Manila.
Another memorial that is one of the central obelisks found in the cemetery. It's the bright orange wall you see on the left side of the globe.












This is the Children's wall where hundreds of children are buried, almost all under the age of 10. Families pay to have them entombed there for 12 years and afterwards, they have to either pay to extend the "rental space" or take out the bones. Many of the grave markers I saw were for children who died at childbirth. They didn't have enough time to make an impact on the world besides in the memories of their parents and the 15 year grave markers.

Eco Park

After the Aliwan Festival, Ryan invited some of us to accompany him to the Eco Park Dam for some photo ops. I really liked the place, but it seemed difficult to get there without a car. I remember when I was living in Fairview and I'd see it on the maps, but I never actually went there. Oh well, that's just another hidden gem in the city right? Roy, Jason and I piled into Ryan's car and went on a little detour. Found this sign that was quite amusing. We got into the park at around 4, after picking up some picniking food after the rain stopped.
Lots of picturesque scenery like the fishing pond and flower hill. Apparently it's a favorite for many wedding pictures, so we decided to model some out. Romantic at all?











After the picnic of cheese bread, chips and peanut butter, we walked around for a bit and I couldn't resist running off to the playground.












I love swing sets.















We cooled off a bit with some watermelon. It wasn't that sweet, but was still a refreshing treat. All in all I'd say it was a good day, despite the fact we didn't get a chance to stay that long. I would have loved to laze around and get some leisure reading done. Maybe we'll see if there's another lazy Sunday around the corner.

Aliwan Festival with new friends, May 3

On the weekend of May 3, I had planned to be in Donsol swimming with the whale sharks. My plans fell through, but the weekend was salvaged along with my fellow couchsurfers. We attended the Aliwan Festival, which I can't really explain what the festival was about, but apparently they were showcasing street dancers from across the nation to participate in a parade. So, with my trusty compact camera, I made my way to meet up with friends at Chowking (that's a completely different story) and we headed over to the parade grounds.

We got there a bit late, but still had some time to take pictures of the different floats and costumes. It's times like these I wish I had a fancier camera, well that and I was a better photographer. Fortunately, point and click photographers still got some fantastic shots during the time. I loved the colors and music.

Unfortunately, while we were waiting for the parade to begin, there was a deluge. My friends Amillah, Helen, Ange and I sought shelter under the awning of a sari-sari store along with some Igorot dancers. Although it caused a delay, the rain did little to dampen our spirits and eventually, some of the dancers came out and danced in the rain. The show must go on!







The little flower boys came out to dance in the rain. After a while, the performers regrouped and the parade began (about 2 hours later). They really amazed me. As we were watching them perform, some of the street dancers were barefoot and completely soaked through. Not to mention that the parade lasted for hours down the streets of Roxas Boulevard. Kudos to them! Unfortunately, there weren't as many spectators due to the rain, but they definitely missed out.

For more and betterer fotos, if you please to CLICK HERE

Cooling off in the mountains

For the third time in my first six months here, I boarded the bus to Sagada again. CATW held a young women's camp for university students as a training on gender issues. This time however, we took the route through Baguio instead of Banaue. The route is a few hours longer, but there are some gorgeous views and the road isn't as rough. Along the way, the bus stopped at different towns and women would swarm the buses selling their wares. How's that for service? You just reach your hand out the window, deposit a few coins and get soft drinks, coconut juice, snacks or even vegetables for the evening dinner.

I don't have any pictures of the actual camp, but the topics discussed were quite sensitive and I'd like to leave that more to memory. If you have any questions about it, I'd be happy to tell you in person.
The choice of venue for the camp could not have been more perfect. Although it was really cold in the morning, I think everyone benefited from the clean air of this little sleepy town. It's quite idyllic and perfect for those who need a little time away to think.

I stayed at the Sagada Homestay, which was a little walk away from the rest of the town, but well worth it. I had a balcony that afforded me a beautiful view of the mist that crept in the morning and the millions of stars that came out in the evening. The only negative part was that it was so dark I needed a flashlight to walk home and there were dogs that ran around and barked at me. It was definitely a test in courage.


After Sagada, I decided to have a daytrip in Baguio and fortunately for me, Ryan has a flexible schedule and was able to join me in my adventure. We started the morning with breakfast at Cafe by the Ruins, one of my most favorite restaurants ever. As its name suggests, it's built next to some ruins, but it has a character all its own. There's a section with natural lighting and some traditional art. I had some hot chocolate for breakfast and some delicious french toast with pure honey. I love the entire menu of the place, and if I had some extra time, I would have sampled all the food there.

Most of the day was spent at the ukay-ukay (thrift store). If you've never been there, it's absolutely amazing! Baguio is theoretically the strawberry capital of the philippines, but it should really be called the Ukay Ukay capitol.


I wish I'd taken pictures of it, but i was too busy bargain hunting for cheap clothes. Lately, I've been really dreading any sort of shopping because Manila malls suck out your soul little by little. I'd only be able to spend ten minutes in a shoe store before I go absolutely nuts. In any case, we spent the whole day poring through ugly weird clothes to find some gems. I spent a lot of money, but it was kind of ok because I was able to refresh my wardrobe without breaking my budget, and also finding clothes that were more my style.


During our shopping break, Ryan took me to Eat My Gulay/VOCAS. It quickly became one of my favorite places in the Philippines. We had to walk up four flights of stairs, through dark hallways, but when we got to the restaurant, it was like crawling out of the rabbit hole into Wonderland. The restaurant is built at the top floor of the building and the ceiling is a giant skylight. There are three levels and all sorts of eclectic furniture, art and handicrafts. Sort of reminded me of when I used to dream of living in a treehouse.






















Above left: Ryan playing with his new G9 camera. I suspect the only reason he agreed on this trip was to practice his photo skills.
Above right: Me soaking up the skyline of Baguio. It's quite polluted and busy outside, but from within the haven of the restaurant i didn't mind so much.

All in all the weekend was quite stressful. Gender issues always take an emotional toll, especially in the context of trafficking, rape and other violence against women. I'm really glad to have some time to myself to relax before getting back to my research. It's nice to know there are some beautiful things in this world.

Dive & Trek Part II

For the third week in a row, I was @ Mabini, Batangas going diving. This Sunday, I joined Ryan's groups for a daytrip of fun in the sun. Ryan was doing a special intro dive promo so a lot of people took him up on the offer. I joined along to go diving, along with a few snorkelers.
As always happens, I did not get much sleep the night before, so when Ryan picked up me and Krystal (Fulbright buddy), we popped into the backseat and promptly napped for most of the way to the resort. We were joined in the car with our friend Amillah, and new buddies Mikko, Alex, Victor & Ava. We took a boat to the resort, along with a couple families who were availing of Ryan's super fun summer deal.

The morning began with snorkeling while Ryan was teaching his class. These chicas were instantaneous BFFs. And yes, those safety vests are made out of styrofoam.











The resort has a house reef so as soon as you step down, you see all the colorful little fishies and corals you could ever want. This was Krystal's first time snorkeling so she was really excited to get up close and personal with the fish. Although the water was not as clear as the last time I was here, it still made for a great time.







I'm slowly making my way to "more experienced beginning diver", but this picture looks so badass hahah. You think I know what I'm doing :-D After a lazy dive around the house reef @ dive and trek, we borrowed a boat and dove at Ligpo Island. Unfortunately my dive buddy got a little sick so we had to abort the dive. It was still fun though, I saw a huge yard long fish and another lionfish to add to my picture collection I've gotten lazy with my picture posting, so all 100 some can be found here



I managed to convince Krystal to do an intro dive with Ryan after her asking many many "what if questions", like the probability of a cute jellyfish going crazy and attacking her. Wha-PAM! Anyway, Krystal got to dive in and luckily I was able to accompany them to take pictures. Krystal was a little scared at first but overall I think she had a great experience. Now maybe she'll get a little less annoyed when I start raving about my latest dive trips.
















I think we all had a really exciting but relaxing time that day just being lazy, snorkeling and having conversations over chocolate wafers and Milo. Thank goodness for beach chairs and portable speakers. One of the best feelings in the world is sitting on a balcony looking at the stars after a good day in the water and a nice hot shower.
And of course a big thanks to our resident superhero Ryan, who after just a couple hours of sleep that morning greeted everyone with a Morning Person smile that's both enlivening and annoying at the same time (especially before I've had my coffee). After managing our crazy crew, doing 7 intro dives and then driving us all home while we were all passed out in the car, I have concluded that Ryan is either awesome or insane.