Coming to you LIVE!

So, back here in Lagonoy.  I was very excited this morning to open my email to find a great letter from USAID.  I had sent a rather open ended letter to FEMA asking for any and all help in supporting my mission.  I really had little hope that anything would come of it.  But,lo and behold, someone there forwarded my email to the right channel at USAID.  I received a perfect template for the development of a local disaster plan - and it is for the Philippines!!!   I am so happy!

It just goes to show, you win zero games you fail to begin.

This past weekend was great fun.  We ended up staying in the home of the barangay chief who invited me.  Eat, drink, laugh.... repeat!  This barangay and its festival (in San Isidro) was much smaller than the last.  There are only about 1000 people in this village.  Nearly all fish for a living.  Consequently, we ate fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner!  Fish and squid. Squid and fish.

On the way home, we ran into some rough seas and had to turn back.  The banka (small philippine boat with "catamaran" type wings) we were one had no cover, so subsequently we got completely soaked.  We finally made it to the port town we needed to reach to fetch our motorcycles and then we headed back to town...  Of course, it rained the entire way.  Twice we needed to hop off the motorcycle because the hills were too steep and the bike wasn't strong enough to make it up the hill.  So we walked in the rain until we reached the top.  Be flexible!!!

So, there we were... totally drenched and all I can think of is heading back home to shower (finally!) and snooze... but no!  We went to...... the local radio station!  Turns out that two of the guys I was with are local DJs and they had to file a live report.  Well, as soon as we make it to the station, I am introduced to the owner/ station manager and his friends.  By the end of our time together I had been asked to do a radio "promo" for the station!  There is one caveat:  I must do it in Tagalog... no english!!!   They also want to highlight me for an interview on the radio!  The owner/station manager and his friends were very kind.  One of the friends had even hosted a Peace Corps volunteer many  many years ago.... Noah Cohen?  If your out there, I met the guy you lived with!!!

Did I mention that these guys were pounding the gin?  I was astounded!   It was barely noon and they had pushed back two bottles by the time we got there and then, the americano arrives and all hell breaks loose!   Out of nowhere, there appears a giant vat of fresh fish stew, which we eat heartily!  More fish!!!!   Anyway, I have an open invitation to visit my new friends anytime I want and it sounds as if I have some radio in my future!