The Data Games

It's been a while since I've posted. It's the middle of Typhoon Season here, and we've already had 3 days cancelled due to the bad weather! It was exciting at first, kind of like when you find out there is a snow day, but I quickly discovered there isn't much fun you can have outside in a torrential downpour with wind blowing the tin roofs off of houses.

Thankfully though, when it came time for our school's scheduled intramural games, the sun shone down like a blessing of good luck for our athletes. The kids chose their sport and were ushered off to different areas to play. The best will represent our school in the District Athletic Meet, with the best of those moving on to the Provincial Meet. I was disappointed I didn't get to watch a single minute of the Olympics this year, but the spirit of our little school on the mountain made up for that.

WHO NEEDS SHOES TO RUN A RACE? In a land of steep rugged cliffs, deep gorges and slippery slopes, the Sawdust is the only place in Mt. Data  that the kids can run freely. Secluded by the hills and mountains, the screams and echos of laughter will guide anyone who wants to join in.

The Games began with the Search for Mt. and Miss Fit. This was a continuation of our Nutrition Month celebrations that got postponed. Each school club had a representative in the pageant which lasted all afternoon. 






Constants had to model different apparel, show a talent, and answer a question from the judges. 

There were ELEVEN different awards, from "Best Smile" to "Miss Coca-Cola" (body shape).

Friday morning began with a simple opening ceremony. They athletes took an oath and said a prayer to guide them through the games. After the formalities, the fun officially started with the cheer-dance competition. Each grade had to present a dance with full participation of every student. I quickly got over my  nervous feeling watching 11 year olds make three-tier pyramids on concrete, and sat back and enjoyed with the rest of the onlookers.

2nd Year

4th Year

3rd Year

"Grade 7"

Once the dancing was over (7th Grade won), the athletes all drained away to their various venues. Table-Tenis went to the 2nd year room, Chess players when to the 3rd year room. Badminton players headed up to the recreation hall, while the track participants climbed up the steep path to the Sawdust. Sepaktakraw players headed to the lower building and tennis players ran up to the elementary school. That left the rest of the students eagerly waiting for the most popular event and main attraction: Volleyball.

The favorite national sport of the Philippines, basketball, was removed from the district as a lost cause by teachers years ago. Despite the students passion for the sport, money just wasn't willing to be spent on a sport that the students couldn't advance in. As sad as that is, our students quickly found another sport to love. Attention turned to volleyball, with boys volleyball in particular raising the most spirit at our school.





Everyone waits for the upperclassmen to play. 3rd and 4th year boys attract the most spectators.

Of course, the fans stick around to see which of the girls will be most likely to represent our school at the Provincial Meet.

The younger classmen also take their turn to play. Although few of them advance, they hope one day to become a provincial athlete.

One of my favorite sports to watch is Sepaktakraw. It was hard for me to get good pictures so I encourage you to google it. The object is to get a small ball over a net that is a little smaller than the one used in badminton. There are three players to a team and once the ball is in play, a player may not use his hands or arms. While the game can be a little slow moving at times, it's incredible how they can use their feet to "spike" the ball over the net.

I enjoyed the days taking pictures and watching all of the athletes. I became DJ when students requested I bring out my laptop and play music over the loud speakers. They began requesting songs, and I soon had a huge pile of song requests and dedications written on every shred of scrap piece of paper that could be found. I assumed that only athletes would come on Saturday to play, but as it turned out, most of the students came to cheer on their classmates.

The Quest for the Enchanted Bamboo

Wild Orchid
overlooking Tipunan

.

At least, it should have been enchanted after what we went through to get it.


Let me back up and explain. One of my projects here is helping to build a Science Greenhouse. I planned this with one of my counterparts months ago. Our hopes are that we can build a greenhouse that can be used as a controlled environment to conduct experiments on plants and soil that are related to the science subjects. This is really great because it would relate to students interests as most of them are farmers. If we can show them that science can be useful for something in their personal lives, then hopefully they will become more eager to learn science. In order to build this thing as cheaply as possible, we decided to build the frame out of bamboo poles. And here begins Part II of Matt's Magical Adventures in the Philippines.


Of course, we could have just bought the poles. We were offered a set of bamboo for p100. Whoa! That's like $2.50! But if we could get it for free by walking, then that's what we would do. It would be worth a nice little hike if we could save some money. Or so we thought. It was told to us that if we were willing to walk a few kilometers, we could cut our own bamboo and carry it back for free.

See the peak in the distance? That's my house.

And so, one of the teachers told us to meet him one bright and sunny morning in the far-flung village of Tipunan. I met the students at the school and we started our trek. I assumed we would simply follow the national highway to the little road that wound its way down to Tipunan. It's a long walk but mostly down hill. There are no rides passing along the road, so anyone wishing to go to (or leave) Tipunan must hike.


Almost immediately the students veered off into the bushes along what revealed itself to be a narrow path. Down, down, down we went. Every now and then we would pop back out at the national highway before the students cut off onto another invisible pathway. As it turned out we were simply cutting the curves of the highway, saving us distance and time.

Arabica Coffee Beans

Eventually, the students who were leading (so much for my chaperoning) wound there way behind a house, down a slippery trail, and onto a dirt road. We walked for nearly 2 hours passing very few people along the way. Those we did see passed us slowly, hands clasped behind their backs, and dirty cloths around their necks to shield them from the sun. They seemed to be concentrating on putting one rubber boot in front of the other in absolutely no hurry whatsoever. We practically galloped by them as we charged down the mountain. 

Native bananas

After a while, we finally reached the bottom. A river rushed past and we crossed a rickety hanging bridge. Natural vegetation was scarce. Nearly everywhere I looked I saw rows and rows of cabbages or potatoes. We all resisted the temptation to jump into the river and cool off, and decided we had better keep moving so we could meet Mr. Pakipac and find the bamboo.


It took us a few more minutes to wind our way into the village of Tipunan. We found Mr. Pakipac's house which was nestled behind the high school. In order to finish our work before lunch, he offered to take us right away to the bamboo grove. I was pretty tired, but agreed we should just get it over with.

Mr. Pakipac shows us the bamboo.

And then we hiked what seemed to me another mountain just as tall as the one we just came down. Up, and up. And up and up. This time there was no road, or even a dry trail. We scrambled up slick mud stairs that had slowly given into a steep slope leading up to the peak. The sun beating at our backs, we climbed breathlessly to the top.


We nearly dropped once we reached the top, but Mr. Pakipac marched straight to a small clump of bamboo and started hacking away. We formed a sort of assembly line; some students cut, others removed the leaves, and the rest passed them down the mountain. After we cut 12 long bamboo poles we headed back down. 

Stripping the leaves off the poles.

At one point I slipped and instinctively grabbed for something to hold on to. However, the only thing around was razor sharp "knife" grass. One of my fingers was sliced open and started gushing blood. One of the students saw and ran and picked some leaves from the side of the trail. I'd seen these before because they are everywhere, and I had always assumed that they were just weeds. So, you can imagine my surprise when he mashed them up and pressed them to my finger. The bleeding stopped instantly!


However, before I could properly thank the student, my attention was caught by something even more amazing. We had reached the a break in the trail and decided to follow a road back to the village. It was longer but not as steep and slippery. Just as I was looking up to ask about this incredible plant that had saved my life, I caught a glimpse of a carnivorous pitcher plant hanging on the cliff above the road. I had never seen on before! And as I looked closer, I noticed there was an entire colony of them! Another student, seeing my interest, walked to the cliff and uprooted a small plant, and handed it to me to grow in my apartment.

Pitcher plants

While waiting for lunch, we decided to
help the community and add to our bottle bricks!
Demonstrated here is the "Igorot Squat."
See if YOU can sit with your butt suspended and
your heels flat on the ground...

After lunch came the hike back up the mountain. We decided to take the road, rather than the trail. Again, it took 2 hours, this time all uphill. I learned why the farmers I had seen before were walking so slowly. Near the end it was all I could do to place one foot in front of the other. But thankfully, just as I was regretting again and again under my breath for not forking over the p100, we reached the national road and it began to rain. The walk back home was easy after that.


By the time I got home, it was cold, and I promised my self I would heat some water for a warm bucket bath. Little did I know I was about to walk in on the beginning of a 3 day brownout and would have no electricity for the next few days.

Focusing on the Good

Before I start, I just want you all to know I can cross off what was possibly the most challenging goal on my list. Yes that's right, I successfully cooked a PERFECT pot of rice! Even though it was just a little pot, it was soft and fluffy and not a single grain was scorched. If I can do that, I can do anything.

Time here at my site has become what in the back of my mind I was secretly trying to procrastinate. But, there is no denying it now. What I'm doing every day is - Full. On. Work. Not the easy, leisurely work I imagined as a volunteer, but full-time, stress-filled, dedicated work. I love it, but I sure am tired at the end of the week. This school year, I've taken on the full responsibilities of a Filipino teacher and then some. Arriving to school every day before 7:30 and staying until 6:00. Managing 5 classes and three after school clubs. Plus developing a remedial course while tutoring two students after school. My week is booked solid, and I didn't realize how busy I've been until today when I realized it was the first day I've had to myself in the past two months.

For the most part, I feel increasingly more accomplished than those first few months of service. I'll admit there were days when I was wondering how much good I was actually doing, if my service would even make the tiniest bit of difference. There were times I felt my community didn't appreciate all the work I had been doing. In fact, there were days I wanted to shout, "Hey! I'm a volunteer. There's nothing holding me here because I'm hear on my own free will! I'm dong more work than you and I'm not even getting paid for it!" 

I'm sure other volunteers have had similar thoughts. They creep up on you and it's easy to dwell on them and let them worm their way into your head. It was scary how fast it happened and I had to constantly remind myself of the reason I came here in the first place.

When school started, I was afraid it would bring the same stress as last year. The first week was frustrating because the kids wouldn't behave. It's hard to find that balance sometimes between "friend" and "teacher," and I was having a really hard time trying to keep class fun, while holding the respect of the students.

There was one day, when it was just too much. Two periods in a row of misbehaving students and I slumped into a chair in the office while waiting for the coffee to heat. Two other teachers were also in the office gossiping about their classes. All our class sections have names, and in this case, they were upset with the Dhalia class's behavior. Finally, one of them proudly stood up and declared, "Dhalia, you are not enough to ruin my day!"

What a wonderful phrase! It was at that moment I realized that the negative thoughts I had been thinking only bother me because I let them. Since then, it has become my personal slogan to myself. When there is something that would bother me, whether it be students or co-workers, I just smile at them and think life's too short for you to ruin this day for me. It also opened my eyes to all the students who are behaving and the teachers who do care. It's sad that out of a group full of good people, it just takes one to create a bad impression of the whole. Thankfully I have come to see the good impressions before the bad ones. Seeing the good in other people makes life easier on yourself.

Until next time,

Matt

Photos:

1. Mt. Data Calla Lilly 

2. Woman standing in rice fields

3. Grilled fish wrapped in banana leaves

4. Class hike

5. Spider fighting

6. Barangay clean-up in lower Bauko

7. Things got a little crazy in a game of SPOONS when charcoal got involved

8. Provincial Athletic Meet

9. Welcome sign on my first day at site

Grow Your Goals

Wow, I have been running nonstop! School is going great and I'm really enjoying teaching 5 sections of English, as well as help out with the English Club and Achievers' League. I was also asked to help out two students in a remedial program. We have a lot of fun a few days a week singing on the guitar, trying to untangle the crazy rules of the language (although it seems that there are more exceptions to the rules than there are rules), and have a good time. I also conducted one training on the Understanding By Design theory and, this past week, two fellow volunteers visited me at site and helped me conduct two trainings that I can knock off of my goals list. 


On Friday, we held an all-day training for our school's Supreme Student Government. It's almost the same as  Student Council would be back home. The students are elected by the student body and are expected to organize activities, school projects, and act as liaison between teachers and students. Our training introduced them to Robert's Rules and the basic elements of a parliamentary meeting. We also discussed the roles of officers and the expectations of the organization. The second half of the day was focused on project development, and we discussed creating some school unity through school spirit, and prioritizing a list of projects the SSG can begin to work on. The kids were great and I hope they'll be able to use some of our advice. The next goal (cross your fingers) is that our students can now go and lead the same training at the other schools in our district.

The next day, we conducted a Classroom Management training for the teachers at my school. We even had some guests come from another school. It was a day filled with learning about teen behavior, how to react to different situations, and make the classrooms better for everyone. We had the teachers do all kinds of insane activities that were very entertaining to watch. We even ended the day by teaching them the Electric Slide!

Both days were very successful, and I had a great time watching the teachers and students get excited about their future plans to make the school better. Hopefully I'll get to see some small changes take place before I leave. But already this year the teachers seem to be trying extra hard, and their effort is being rubbed off onto the students!

Cooking for One

As sad as the title sounds, I've actually been rather enjoying the challenge of preparing my own meals! In college I had my own tactic which involved cooking mass amounts of food at a time, freezing it or throwing it in the refrigerator, and living for the next week, popping the leftovers into the microwave.


Here however, I lack the luxuries of modern appliances, such as a refrigerator, freezer and microwave. In fact the only appliance I have in my apartment is a gas range that is fueled by a portable tank.


Next challenge: Let's see, will I go to Safeway, Walmart, Fry's, or Albertsons to get my food? How about none of the above! The nearest supermarket is three hours a way, and the nearest village market is a 30 minute drive. Since I'm too lazy to even go to the open market, I've taken the hand I've been dealt, and stick to my site.


My host aunt owns a small sari store and sells basic necessities like individually wrapped one-time-use shampoo, sugar, salt, canned corned beef, AAAAANNNNND a freezer filled with chicken, pork and hotdogs! So, once a week I stop by on my way home from school, buy some meat, take out a portion, put the rest back (I've persuaded her to let me use her personal freezer), have her update my tab, and head home.


As far as veggies go, living in the middle of cabbage country, you think it would be easier to get fresh vegetables. However, since everyone here manages there own garden, there isn't a lot for sale. So I'll make an announcement in class and hope that a student will bring a sack of potatoes or carrots the next day, and I'll pay him the trading post equivalent. Thankfully, during school days there is another little sari store that sells lowland vegetables like beans, garlic, ginger, and sometimes if I get lucky, pineapples!


When it comes time to cooking a meal, I usually just throw together whatever I have around. First the rice goes on the stove, and then I look around my kitchen for the rest. This morning I threw some chicken in the frying pan with some garlic and fresh ginger. I splashed on some soy sauce and, just for the heck of it, added a heaping spoonful of sugar. To my amazement, I created a perfect Teriyaki Chicken!


Breakfasts used to be oatmeal and eggs until, let's face it, it seemed pretty wimpy without rice. And so I gave it up. I still manage a pot (french press) of coffee every morning, but I usually fry the leftover rice from the night before with some green beans and potatoes and it gives me the energy I need until merienda time three hours later!


I did a little quick math, and decided that if I were to eliminate meat from my diet, I could eat for less than 30 pesos a day. That's less than $0.70! For example, rice costs 30 pesos per kilo (two lbs) which will last me at least a week. I bought a kilo of green beans the other day for 20 pesos and they have lasted nearly two weeks! Eggs are 7 pesos each, and salt costs 15 pesos per kilo. Two pounds of salt for 35cents! The rest of it pretty much goes towards coffee, which is still absurdly cheap compared to what we pay in the States (Around $5 for two lbs).


As for the rice, I'm still working on that perfect pot. But it should be soon. I've been getting lots of practice. It's a little bit tricky when you don't have any measuring utensils, but I'll reveal that little secret when the time comes.


P.S. Anyone watch the Pacquiao v Bradley fight? It was practically a holiday off here to watch it, although the mood died down pretty quick after the results...

First Day of School

School started this week! After working long hours for over a week prepping the grounds and helping tile the computer room floor, we were finally ready for Monday morning. Let me just say, that being a teacher doesn't make the first day of school any less exciting. Watching the students getting nervous, excited to use their brand new school supplies - it started to get me excited also!

The staff!

This year, the Philippines began a K-12 program, adding 2 more years to the previous 10 year education system. "First Years" became "Grade 7" and with an all new curriculum, we are all curious to see how things will go this first year.

This year I am co-teaching two sections of Grade 7, two sections of "Second Year" and the one and only section of Seniors. I'm also co-facilitating the English Club, the school newspaper, and the all-new Achiever's League. The AL is our attempt at an Honor's Club to encourage students to maintain high grades, render service to the community, and develop their leadership skills.



Principal weloming the students at the flag ceremony.

Students on the first day.

In other news, the rainy season has started! For a while, I thought it never left. But the recent downpours have reminded me the difference in dry, drizzly season, and typhoon drenching wet season. Weather has gone from comfortably cool to damp and cold. The upside is we can let up a little on our careful preservation of water fom the summer. Coming from Arizona, I thought I knew how to preseve water. You know,  turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth and all that. But when you have a few gallons a day to get through washing dishes, clothes, cooking and bathing, you'll realize how to make a bucket water last longer than ever before.

Family Tour

Earlier this month I was blessed with the opportunity to see my family when they came to visit the Philippines! Their two week stay didn't seem anywhere near long enough, but we made the most of their short time here. They got to meet my friends and see my community, try the local cuisine, and experience a culture completely different from our own. Since it was my vacation also, I got to see some new places also that I've been wanting to visit since I arrived last July.

Best cure for Jet Lag? Don't stop moving and don't go to sleep! They may have hated me for it at first, but from the moment they stepped off the plane I had them on the move. After an eight our night trip to Baguio, we ate some breakfast and packed the car we had hired for our first week in the Cordillera Region.

The first official destination was my site in Mt. Province. After a delicious dinner provided by my host mother, my parents settled down at the Mt. Data Lodge and my brother and our friend/driver JL came and slept with me in my apartment. The next morning, I gave them the tour of the school and took them to the shaky 800ft hanging bridge.

The haunted Hanging Bridge.

 After lunch we headed to Sagada. The following day we went caving and hiked to Echo Valley to see the hanging coffins.

In the cave in Sagada.

I forgot to mention the bit of technical rope maneuvering.

The hanging coffins in Echo Valley.

Keeping on the road, we made the drove to Banaue in the afternoon, stopping over in Bontoc to see the museum. Banaue truly is an engineering wonder; terraces on top of terraces are crafted into the mountains by hand and without the use of stones. An amazing irrigation system taps the water coming down from the mountain and channels it through the rice patties. We took a 3 hour hike which turned out to be pretty intense due to balancing on long stretches of 4 inch wide irrigation walls. However, the views were outstanding and beautiful.

World's longest balance beam.

Figures like these are carved from the trunks
of fern trees.

Traditional Nipa Huts in Banaue

From Banaue it was straight back to Mt. Data for two nights. On the way to Baguio, my brother John stopped and picked out his bolo (machete) knife that he had been searching for.

 We explored Baguio for one day. It was rainy, but my family got to experience the enormous Baguio Public Market- a maze of stalls containing produce, meat counters, souvenirs, tobacco, coffee, wine and thousands of other products. The next day we took the 5am bus to begin part two of our tour: The Lowlands!

Actually, we had one destination in mind: The white sand beaches of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. I had heard rumors about the beauty of this place and, having never been there, was willing to risk the 10 hour trip to see for myself. My family had requested we see the beach at least once while they were here, so this seemed like a good time!

The rumors were true! Pagudpud is a small town near the tip of Luzon. Although there are what seem like hundreds of resorts and homestays, the town still manages a local, small-town atmosphere. Clean sand, clear water, lined with palm trees. This picture-perfect place is somewhere I definitely want to come back to...

Local fishermen hauling in the nets.

I hope you enjoyed your vacation. I miss you guys!

NOT as good as MacDonalds but
that is up for debate.