Its been a busy week. Since there is nothing here resembling a photocopy machine, everything I produced for the presentation had to be printed from the computer printer. This was a slow process. Since we wanted and needed to save paper, we first printed everything on one side, flipped it around in the proper position and then printed off the backsides. I made some assessment forms, a typhoon tracking exercise, extra typhoon tracking maps, a very cool brochure that I had translated into Tagalog. A nice presentation.... But it was slow going on the prep side. This was compounded by the fact that everything I create is done on a mac and then has to be converted to Word, Excel or Powerpoint. And that can be a struggle. Sometimes the conversion works well, and other times it doesn't. Plus my mac is showing signs of age and sometimes doesn't do the things I want it to. I am down to only one USB port that has a mind of its own on when it wants to work, or not.
In the end, we had a great two days, meeting with barangay officials from all over Lagonoy and discussing disaster management topics. The way has been set now for the next round of work: namely getting my draft LGU Disaster Management Plan finalized and approved, and also to develop a template Local disaster plan, so that each barangay captain will have a plan to use for their communities. Im thinking at least one more official meeting, probably with the Disaster Management Council members at the LGU level. There is work to be done getting officials at our level to realize what their roles should be following an event.
Found out yesterday that the monsoon has officially changed course; this was confirmed yesterday. We have been experiencing a bit less rain overall and I thought I had noticed that temps had been cooling a touch as well. Seems i was right. For roughly half the year, the Philippines gets its monsoon from the Southwest bringing hot and muggy weather. When this monsoon meets up with the warm westerly winds coming off the Pacific we have a recipe for typhoons. Now, winds have shifted and are coming from the Northeast. This is an annual weather event, and apparently, we can now expect relatively cooler air with less rain overall. The Westerly Pacific winds still are out there... and a typhoon is never out of the question until the end of November, they say... but I am enjoying a bit more blue sky than I had in the last couple months. Welcome!
So, its 4:30am here (Saturday) and all I can hear outside is this child singing somewhere on some loudspeaker. A lonely, single note organist is in accompaniment. Someone must have had a party last night and didn't invite me!! No worries, Thursday night was a big night in town. Turns out, every year about this time the Mayor throws giant party at his house and the entire town is invited. So, of course I went to that! There were hundreds of people in his compound and hundreds more at the "battle of the bands" competition outside his walled off fortress. Of course, as soon as I arrived, I was ushered to the dinner table where I ate with the Mayor, his wife and two sons and other important Lagonoyian folk. (I was offered the pig blood soup, but in a sure show ignorance, I graciously declined - twice! I mean, I just can't do it.... it looks like... well it looks like pig blood soup! I am told it is very tasty but I think I will continue to pass. Anyway, after all that I headed outside where the real action was.... and sat down with a few of the guys. Soon, the Pilipil brothers (Mayors sons) were on either side of me and what lands in my lap but a liter of Jack Daniels! Oh dear, I had already been tuning up with the boys on some ginebra and now the Big Guns were being pulled out!
All I can say is that I made it home all in one piece. When I awoke this morning at 11a or so, I saw that somehow I had kicked my plastic bucket somehow and it was broken in about 30 pieces... not sure how that happened. I also have a bruised rib... not sure about that either. Anyway... I checked in with the Administrator yesterday to see if I had done anything to embarrass myself and he assured me that the night was all in good fun and that everyone still loves me! Whew!
I do remember two distinct conversations I had last night though. One, was with the elder son of the mayor who lives in Manila but who is clearly pining to be the NEXT Mayor of Lagonoy once his fathers term is up in 2016. I was curious about his motivations.... Im sure he owns millions and has a successful company in Manila, a wife there, a family. Why would he want to take the gamble to become Mayor? His comments were very insightful. In short, he feels that since he is able, he is compelled to do his civic duty and give back to Lagonoy a little of what Lagonoy has given him.
Good stuff.
The other conversation was with the Administrator. He wanted to know under what circumstances I would stay on in Lagonoy working on this disaster project. He told me earnestly just how lucky they all felt to have me working with them and that I was a perfect fit! That felt really good, I have to say. I assured him that my stay will be for only 6 months due to the obligations and loved ones I have left in the US but I urged him to continue to work with Peace Corps because the next volunteer they bring in may very well be better than me!!! He is going to look into that.... so that is excellent news as well.
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