Bahala na: Back to Barotac

Been keeping busy here in the Philippines, both at site and traveling around the region. Last Friday, I celebrated my counterpart's birthday in Nueva Valencia. We ate and drank at his boarding house in Nueva Valencia with some of the other cowokers from my office. Riro's wife and baby came to Nueva for the weekend, so it was fun hanging out with them too. After dinner of fish and rice (and home-made eggplant hummus, compliments of this guy) and a couple long necks of Tanduay, we all went over the plaza. Friday nights in the plaza are back in action. Sometimes there's a live band. Sometimes it's a talent show. But there's always a "disco disco," and I'm very happy that Friday nights in the plaza are back in full swing.

Friday nights in the plaza are definitely one of my favorite parts of Nueva Valencia. Most volunteers need to meet up with other volunteers in a city to be able to party party but not I. I love being to stay in Nueva Valencia, have fun with my friends, and see various people from the community. People will talk about those Friday nights for days, and everyone there is very happy to see me. People are always calling me over to have a beer or take a shot with them. I've met a lot of people that way: we volunteers call it integration through T5. It's amazing how common that is here, and it's always a lot of fun. Typically, you sit down with a barkada (i.e. drinking circle of friends) and chat in Illongo. Speaking the local language is always easier after a couple of drinks, and the locals are usually more comfortable speaking English as well. And after just one gathering, you're set. They say that in Filipino culture, once you befriend a Filipino, you are friends for life. I have seen that time after time.

Saturday night I went back to Stacey's house, in the neighboring municipality, and hung out with her and her host family. It was our little going away party for her, since she was leaving for the U.S. She's going home for her brother's wedding and will be home for a month. We brought with her a suitcase full of pasalumbong (i.e. gifts), and I only hope she'll come back with as much!!

On Sunday, I spent the day with my host brother, Justin. I found out there was a big cockfight derby in town, so I thought whom better to accompany me than Justin. When I asked my friend Pedro, who was one of the derby promoters, what time was the cockfight, he said "aga" (or morning). That's as much as I could get out of him, but when Justin and I showed up to the cockfighting arena at about 9AM, we were told it didn't start until 1:00. So, I decided to take Justin to the beach with me in the meantime. When I told him, "lets go to the beach," he asked, "can I come too?" I guess he didn't realize that was the point.

I see why Logan always had so much fun beating me up in the ocean. I finally had my turn with Justin. He was a real trooper and enjoyed being picked up and thrown around in the water. I taught him how to float on his back (he's a very fast learner), but he was more interested in playing than learning how to swim properly. Next time! He was pretty comfortable in the water and enjoyed climbing up my back to leap off and didn't mind being flipped around underwater. It was really fun. Afterwards, I took him to lunch and then to the cockfight, which was a exciting to see, but you really need to bet to make it fun. And since I didn't have much money, and didn't really want to show off my gambling skills to Justin, I didn't participate. Again, next time! We left after an hour or so, and I passed right out when we got back. He really wore me out!

Then this past week, I went to the Iloilo State College of Fisheries (ISCOF) for a presentation. A few months ago, I went Barotac Nuevo with my counterpart for his town fiesta. While there, I had an interesting conversation with a professor at ISCOF. I realized that the fisheries students, who are the future fisheries workers of the LGUs all around the Philippines (and future Peace Corps counterparts), don't really learn about coastal resource management (CRM). They learn all about fishing and aquaculture practices but not about CRM. In case you're not sure of the difference, the concept of CRM is that coastal resources need to be managed and regulated. Without CRM, then you're allowing people to extract all the resources at their will. With the current condition of those resources in the Philippines (and all around the world), unrestricted fisheries access leads to a decline those resources that are available over time.

The professor and I then came up with a plan to invite as many Peace Corps volunteers that could make it to give a presentation about CRM. I also promised the friends I had made that week that I'd come back for the barangay fiesta in August, so we combined the two events into one. Elizabeth, Stef, Rob, Elliott and I all made it last week for the presentation. Not surprisingly, we were taken care of very well. We were given a spare room in a boarding house to make our own, and we were fed at every meal. Although no arrangements for that had been made, we weren't surprised. Particularly since it was fiesta, so much food was always available. And when we went out for the fiesta, most of our Tanduay was paid for as well!

The presentation itself was a huge success. We were welcomed very kindly to the school. It was obvious how appreciative and excited the professors and students were to have all of us there at their school. I believe the quote was something like, "Thank you Lord for sending these volunteers to us." After the presentation, when answering questions, it was clear how engaged the students were with our presentation and also how happy they were to have us. The first student asked how he and other students can help us with our projects, one professor asked for us to come speak about marine pollution in his class, and we were invited to give the same speech at a fisheries institute somewhere else in northern Panay.

It was fun being back in Barotac. Many people I had met the first time remembered me and were excited not only that was I back but also that I brought friends. Our hosts were great, and my counterpart and other friend from Guimaras came back as well. We've been in this country for a year now (surpassing the 1-year mark last week), but to the people in Barotac, we're still very new, very strange faces. As we were walking through the main street during the fiesta Stef aptly described, "It's like we're walking in our own parade." Although the attention can be overwhelming, it was fun to see how excited the whole barangay was that the Kanos were in town.

Hanging out on Stacey's porch with her host family.

Apple and Jinky. Apple works in Saudi, but he's home visiting this month.

Riro, my counterpart, me and Rob.

Poogy face.

Elizabeth, me and Mac Mac.

Rezzel, Elliott, Elizabeth, Me, Riro, his wife Alyza, Mac Mac (Rezzel's husband), and Rob.

Enter Roy, aka Superman

Coming out of our boarding house, where we stayed for the week. There were not pads on the beds, screens on the windows, fans in the bedroom, or seats on the toilet, but nonetheless we were very thankful to be given a place to stay. Peace Corps living!