A new kind of art

I will begin this post by copying a quote that I noted yesterday on Facebook:

"Being solitary is being alone well: being alone luxuriously immersed in doings of your own choice, aware of the fullness of your own presence rather than the absence of others, because solitude is an achievement." -- Alice Koller

I do this for three reasons. One, because I know there are friends reading this blog who have moved on from Facebook, two, because I love the quote so much and three, because I think the quote is so rich it deserves a blogpost all to its own!

I have read it at least a dozen times.  For me, the quote is almost perfect.  The only way I might change it is at the end, 'solitude can be a discipline, an achievement and an art.'  

I don't think solitude is always an achievement because for some, solitude without discipline could lead to destructive behavior.   I add the word art because I now know it is possible to be passionate about solitude and to me, art has always equalled passion and thus, has always been important to my definition of life. 

Since coming to the Philippines I have lost connection with a lot of the things I used to consider exercises in art... updating, managing and listening to my music collection (most of it destroyed due to a hard drive issue, but hopefully I have it backed up on a drive in Phx), the time I spend at the torch melting glass, cooking, and other things.  These activities have mainly been replaced by Living in Solitude.  Of course, living in solitude is much more than one activity but what I notice is that I grow more and more at peace with what is required to successfully live this way.  

A few ways I could describe the art I created before:  Chaotic, undisciplined, unmeasured, wild, defying categorization.  

To me, the art of solitude requires a different set of characteristics and they are interestingly (at least to me) the opposite:  Controlled, disciplined, measured, peaceful, organized. 

Hopefully, when I return to the US, I can bring these new art skills to bear in my life and hopefully, I will be the better for it.  In any case, this experience is unfolding riches to me, the likes of which I hadn't considered when I began this journey.

A recipe: Salted Egg

Step 1:  Find a duck
Step 2:  Steal an egg
Step 3:  Find a termite mound
Step 4:  Steal the dirt that makes the mound
Step 5:  Remove any remaining termites
Step 6:  Find Salt
Step 7:  Mix Salt with termite dirt at a 2:1 ratio
Step 8:  Add water to make a paste
Step 9:  Place egg in bucket and cover egg on all sides with salt/ dirt paste mixture
Step 10:  Place bucket in a dry place for 21 days
Step 11:  Remove egg from bucket and boil for 30 minutes
Step 12:   Place boiled egg in a bowl of water that has had food coloring (your color choice)
Step 13:  Let sit until egg is cool

Step 14:  Eat egg...... YUM!!!

the Mayors Office and more

Things just light up around here when the Mayor is in town!  When he's gone, the tv is on and folks sit around bored with nothing to do.  But when the Mayor is in town... well, the joint starts jumpin'!

The office utterly transforms.  People virtually line up to have an audience with him in order to ask for this, or that favor.   Whatever the result, there is typically something for the staff to do afterwards.. thus, printers start printing, people start writing, phones start ringing, etc. etc.  Since I have no formal office, nor desk even, I just sit in the lobby of the Mayor on a chair near the A/C unit and watch the door swing... it never has a chance to close with all the people coming and going.  No exaggeration! Right now I can count in my field of view 32 people!  And the room is not that large!

A bit about the technology in this office...   Yes, we have computers and printers and internet (obviously).  No copy machine.  Haven't seen a copy machine since Manila.  The printers are older version - few laser printers.  Anytime you want something printed you must print it from the computer...  thus, there is great use of the scanner.  No fax.  Yes, lots of work at the good old fashioned typewriter... going old school... and.... remember carbon paper?   Lots of carbon paper here!  Before coming here, I hadn't seen carbon paper in probably 15 years!  Dress is informal... jeans are ok.  No to shorts if you are working, but people who come to see the Mayor are in shorts, tshirts... anything goes.  No socks..... no hose.  By the way, I have no idea why PC told me to bring 7 pair of socks.. I haven't worn socks in 2 months!  Speaking of feet... most everyone wears flip flops.. but here they are called slippers.  You can find slippers being sold in every market and they cost less than $2.

What else...  oh, Ive wanted to comment on this.. as far as transportation goes there are few cars here in Lagonoy.  But lots and lots of scooters motorcycles, bikes and something called tricycles, which are for hire.  The tricyles are the german style motorcycles with side cars.  The tricycles come with motors, or without (you have to pedal those).  These are the taxi's around here.  The motorized trikes have a covered area for the passenger so that the rain stays out.  The motor less ones have a picnic umbrella that covers both the driver and passenger.  The motorless tricycles are called 'padjaks' and they cost 5 pesos to use (43 peso = $1).  The motorcycles here don't get much above 200 cc's.  I wonder why folks in the US don't use scooters as much as the rest of the world?  It certainly would save on gas, and if more people used them, it would be safer for all!  It certainly would save on gas cost and petroleum usage in general.

In other news, I got a nice text from a PCV last night.  Ive never met this gal, but we connected a few weeks ago via text thru another PCV who I do know.  Dani lives about 4 hours away in a town called Daet, and is friends with a PCV I met when I was at the PC office in Manila.  Daet incidentally, is the town that all the volunteers in Legazpi City have been evacuated to.  So now Daet is crawling with PCVs.. some with nothing to do since they've been displaced due to the volcano!  As long as Im talking about evacuation.... can you believe that they've evacuated over 60,000 from Legazpi City??  What a humanitarian effort that must be!  And they have just no idea when the volcano is going to blow... they just know it will and that it can happen at any time.  In the meanwhile, entire communities have had to put their lives on hold.  A remarkable thing, really.  (I think Ive mentioned all this before, but whatever....)

Anyway, I connected with Dani because I was looking to see if any PCVs go to Naga on the weekends, and if so, when that might be so that I could join and relieve myself from the utter boredom I sometimes feel on the weekends.  Plus, it would be nice to connect with some non filipino's for the first time in 8 weeks!

Well, it turns out Naga IS a weekend destination for PCVs!  Dani connected me via text with two guys who live in Naga who texted me last night as well.  They are Aussie volunteers and apparently are a ton of fun!  So, I just might be going to Naga this coming Saturday to drink beer with Aussies... look out world!!

Wanting what you haven't got....

is one of the most terrible vices you can succumb to.  It keeps one from true happiness.  You know the habit of making a wish whenever you see a falling star?  Well, ever since I was a teenager, whenever I see a falling star I always wish for the same thing... happiness.  Secret is out!

Well, the secret of happiness, it seems to me is to finally be at peace with what you have.

Nothing earth shaking here.. but still... the thought was brought to my attention yesterday with the visit of my Peace Corps Coordinator.  I will explain how this happened, but first a confession:  I have been a little jealous of the other PCRVs who entered the Philippines with me.  All have assignments that place them very near, or even on the beach.  Some, very close to world class resorts.  And although I have seen beautiful beaches, I have not enjoyed a "day at the beach",  let alone a weekend. The one beach that is near me was devastated by a typhoon this past July and is still an utter wreck.

Okay, so thats the confession... I have been wanting what I don't have.  Well, as I've said, my Peace Corps Coordinator visited yesterday and I think it's safe to say he left me completely amazed.  First, and most importantly, he was stunned that I had completed as much work as I have in only 2 months. I mean, Ive written a 50 page disaster plan, Ive prepared materials for a two day presentation on disaster preparedness, response and recovery, Ive met with all 38 barangay captains twice, I've done site assessments of many of the most rural barangays in Lagonoy and Ive gotten the complete support of my LGU in the process.  His comment to me was, 'Dan, do you sleep?!'

Then we went to my house and again, he was astounded that my living situation is as good as it is.  Fridge, Stovetop, personal plumbing,  AND A/C???   Apparently, this is rather unheard of in the Philippines.  Also, apparently, I more private living space than he has seen in quite some time.  Again, he commented, 'Wow, you are one lucky Peace Corps Volunteer!'

So, all that left me feeling pretty good about things.  I celebrated by spending $15 on groceries and other things  (deodorant, candles, a COLD bottle of Coke(!)).  I won't be able to spend any money today or tomorrow for all that extravagance, but hey.... I'm happy just the way I am!

This and that

So, yesterday I fasted.  Then, this morning I ate a bowl of oatmeal and went to work.  What should I find there? If you were guessing a full fledged catholic mass in the lobby of municipal hall, then congratulations!  I, for one, was a bit surprised.

After mass, they served chicken and spaghetti - this at 9:00am.

In other news, I was wondering about yesterdays holiday.  Turns out that they were celebrating "an important day for our muslim brothers!"  Thats all I got.  No national holidays for the muslim faith in the US, I notice.

Here is an interesting tidbit...  I may have mentioned that the husband of my landlord is an engineer of some sort... I think electrical.  Not much work for him in Lagonoy, but he IS employed at Toshiba.  Every 6 months or so, he travels to Saudi Arabia and works there... then, he takes a few months off, returns to the Philippines and then repeats the cycle.  Well, he was just about ready to leave for SA but he had a terrible accident.  Somehow he broke his arm and needed to have some rebar surgically placed to repair it.  I saw the X-ray and this is a pure compound fracture.  Anyway.... the interesting thing is that he had this surgery just over 2 weeks ago....  and the man has no cast!  And I saw him last night riding a bicycle!!!  I ran up to him amazed.  He told me that his doctor encouraged him to exercise, so that was what he was doing!   Talk about pain tolerance!!!  Amazing.

Tomorrow is a big day. Meeting with all 38 barangay captains and I get to present some of the stuff Ive been doing.  I'll be asking them to help me collect some risk assessment data.  Ultimately, I want to combine this empirical data with some mapping that I want to have done.  I am astounded that the municipality, for all its land use planning and GIS equipment, does not possess individual maps of each barangay.  They have a map of the area (all 38 barangays) but that area us huge.  They have nothing at the local level.  My goal is get these individualized maps and then overlay them with the vulnerability data.  Hopefully then, the land use plan can be updated to restrict building in these areas.   Sounds simple, right?   Anyway, this meeting is going to be prep for a more important meeting on 9/22 - 23.

On Thursday, I am going to be visited by the Peace Corps!  Yep, my PC coordinator is coming on over to check on my situation here.  I am excited!  He is looking to see about more placements in the future in Lagonoy, Goa and perhaps San Jose.   I just may join him!  So, that is something to look forward to as well!

San Francisco...

A little about my neighborhood:  I live in the barangay of San Francisco.  Rather upscale, I would think for Lagonoy standards.  It comprises an area of roughly four square blocks.  At the end of my street there is a sort of raised covered stage area where on most nights people gather to watch tv.  In San Francisco a lot of people have tvs and even booming stereos.  However, they still gather in the evenings to watch tv at the stage as a community.    If you look in the picture you will see a sort of cabinet in the wall on stage.  Thats where the tv is.  There are lots of kids running down the street playing games during all this.  dogs barking, roosters... you get the picture.   Assuming it isn't raining, the streets are FULL of people once the sun goes down for about 2 hours, give or take.

The little hut you see in the photo is a sort of community sitting area.  There are four of them in my barangay and every night they fill with (mostly) ladies who sit and chat about who knows what.  These huts are useful if you are going from here to there and suddenly the rain starts pouring down.  Or, if the sun is shining too hot, the huts can be a place to cool off.  A nice idea, I think.

I fell into one of these huts last week - close quarters - and found myself with a group of young ladies.  Lucky me!   We started talking (such that it was) and I soon began getting the vibe these women, probably about 6 of them Im guessing around 21 or so, were lesbians.  So, I asked.... and yes, in fact, I can now report that homosexuality is alive and well in Lagonoy, among both gender groups!  They were really quite nice and soon the rain stopped and I went on my way but not before I got the obligatory "which one of us do you think is the prettiest??"  Well, I haven't lived this long and not learned that the only proper answer to that question is, "well, I think you all are equally beautiful!"  And they were.

In other news, it seems that San Francisco is having another festival tonight.  A stage has been erected down the street and I can already here the booming dance music.  There will be dancing tonight I am sure!  The music at these events is always the same, some spanish 'cha-cha' mixed with lots of rave music and the occasional korean rap tune.  Every now and then, some americano pop, but not too much.

As best I can tell, Lagonoy has no real sit-down restaurants, as we know them.  Goa does, but Lagonoy hasn't gotten that far it seems.  Instead, women cook and bring little tables to the curb outside their house and they place the food in these pans with glass covered lids. If you want to eat, you point to the dish of your desire and pay and she will dish out the food onto a plastic plate. There will be a table close and some chairs too.  Yes silverware, napkins are very very rare.  The lady you see in the picture is there on that corner every night and she sells bbq pork.  Smells good, Ive never tried it.   Personally, I don't indulge in the roadside food much.  One, I typically don't care for the taste and two, Im wary of the food itself.  I mostly cook my own stuff instead.  A basic diet.  Tonight, I will be making vegetable curry w/ rice, for example.  Maybe a mango to finish it off.

As far as drinking, no real bars either.  There is one place down the way.. a little tiki joint... where sometimes the owner will have live music.  And when that happens, he will sell beer.  You can only buy the beer as a 6 pack though and he serves the six pack in a metal bucket filled with ice.  I had a bucket with Carlos last night.  While the women sit in their little community huts, the men tend to gather at some food stand and will sit in chairs and drink Gin.  A shot at a time.  Often, when I am walking on my nightly garbage run, I am asked to take a shot with the guys... and of course, I oblige. I mean, I want to be friendly right??

Accounting for a day in a life...

So, here I am in the Philippines and I swear, sometimes I feel like a monk!  I am changing, folks!  I have developed so many routines!!!  Those of you who know me well understand that, up until now Ive not been big on a lot of routines in my life, preferring instead a more... uncharted course!  But here, the routines aid my sanity.

For example, since I have arrived in Lagonoy, I have recorded every single thing that Ive eaten.  I maintain a list!  Ask me what I ate on Sept 15th, I dare you!  I think its one of the reasons incidentally, that I am shedding pounds - knowing that I have to log the details keeps me honest!  Another thing is cooking, food management and cleaning activities.  Because of the outdoor kitchen situation, I have to be meticulously clean with my cooking before, during and after preparation.  Of course, this is because of the insects and animals that love to feast on what I leave behind.  I have to thoroughly clean IMMEDIATELY after I finish eating or the area becomes overrun with the little guys....  Food storage must be tightly controlled.  I use the fridge (love the fridge by the way) as a sort of food vault since the bastards can't get in there.  The canned goods, of course, can stay outside.  Here's a frustration:  It seems as if this part of the Philippines has yet to discover zip lock bags!  What I would do for a box of zip lock bags and an ice machine!!  And then there is the issue of garbage.  No garbage trucks in Lagonoy!  People here burn everything in little piles outside of their house.  (It was the same way in Antigua).  I don't do that.  I have found a public trash basin about 2k kilometers from my house at the Lagonoy bus station.  So, every night I take a stroll through the neighborhood with my little bag of garbage and I deposit it there!  (In a future blog I promise to talk about these walks as they can be very cultural!)  Laundry and food runs to Goa are now routine and because I have to be careful not to exceed my $7/day, I have to keep very tight track of what I spend.

My evenings involve a bit of time unwinding with a book, then I eat, clean and if I have internet access, spend some time on the internet, youtube etc.  I am typically asleep by 9p and awake at 5a.   Quiet mornings are spent with a cup of coffee, perhaps some oatmeal (cereal is too expensive) and fruit, cleanup, then about 30 minutes playing a computer.  To work by 8.  Pretty basic living here folks!  But I have to say, the experience of living this isolated is a good one.  

Work goes well.  I've completed a draft disaster plan for Lagonoy... It still needs data but I have time to get all that.  This week, I attended a Forest Land Use Planning workshop that including a session on GIS mapping.  Of course, a lot of the workshop was spoken in Bicol so I didn't understand a lot of it, but I was asked to the podium for a brief presentation on my efforts thus far and how they tie into land use planning issues.

So, here's an interesting thing I discovered this week:  there are a lot of people working in the municipal building who have not been paid for their employment since August!!!  I guess the money for the 3rd quarter ran out a bit early!  And there is no hope of getting any of it because.... its gone!  Of course, some get paid...  but others don't.  Presumably, all will be well in October, as there is a 4th quarter budget and for now, the money is there.  I have heard that Christmas is tough though every year because not only is it quarter end, it is year end as well!   So, I guess the xmas bonus is "off the table" for me!!