Work News

I will be working for an NGO called Revitalized Indigenous Cordilleran Entreprenuers, RICE. They are partnering up with a US firm, and many domestic agencies to do the Cordillera (the region of North Luzon) Heirloom rice project. Their website is www.heirloomrice.com From the brief info I have recieved so far, it sounds like I will be very busy doing workshops for rice farming coops on marketing and entreprenuerial skills. I feel very under-qualified but they say I will recieve all the training and resources to be successful as long as I have the right attitude. I have a lot of work on my hands and a lot of learning to do considering I have never taken a marketing or entreprenuership class. I'll let you know more soon. Ciao

Random Reflections

Back in beautiful, cool Baguio. Today I got back together with everyone in my region and we are all comparing our first 2 weeks with a family. Someone has rats and tarantulas all over their room and another is dealing with a cloud of smoke from burning trash blowing into their room. I got to say i think i got it pretty good. Most others are eating bait and pork wrine 3 meals a day. I found out that a lot of the secondary projects I will be doing in Banaue will be marketing the local products from wooden carvings at the local market to new grains of rice to possibly export. I am getting a rash all over the back of my neck and I got a car door slammed on my entire hand and I just got the most painfully numbing vaccination in my other arm so overall I am pretty useless right now. But hey thats life here. Last night I went to a concert to see this awesome rock band who sang in taglish called Couche. There was about 2000 ppl there and Im pretty sure I was the only white person there - it's still very difficult to go out in public here because everyone is yelling Ilokano at me and touching me and it definitely gets overwhelming. The past couple of days I have been running around my town inviting ppl to the meeting next week. And it is custom to drink some "wine" which is basically 80 proof gin each time I visit a home. I was smashed by the end of it in 90 degree humid weather and tripped onto a mound of red ants on my way back home 2 nights ago. ALright I apologize for this all being so random. I love all the comments everyonme is leaving - please keep it up and mom thanks for the birthday letter I just got it today. OK Bye for now

Leaving the Highlands

At Colorado Falls near my place

TO CALL ME DIAL 011639184513102

Hey i am in Agoo in La Union one of the oldest towns full of old catholic churches right now. I had my first pilipino beach experience the other day - imagine jeepneys all over the beach, as many bbq's as people, nipa huts crowded on top of eachother and thousands of people. I went to a wedding and ate a dish called Bloody Mary(pig cooked in its own blood - quite grainy tasting) and I am gonna wear a traditional dress for the upcoming fiesta where I have to sing an Ilocano folk song in basically a G-string in front of the entire barangay. I had my first meeting FINALLY with the barangay council and it went well. I am the leader for my training group so I had to do all the talking which needed a translator anyways later because I talked too fast - a lil excited. We set up a community resource mapping session for the 26th so that is definitely a step in the right direction. I have been doing a lot of hiking on my free time - there are some mountains close to where I live and it is only about 90 degrees there so its a nice break - there are all these suspension bridges that look like they were made in WWII. I am leaving for Bagiuo again on the 20th to meet the rest of our group so I am definitely looking forward to that. If you want to send me something, send me some candies like skittles and reese's or Merlot and brie would be awesome maybe some chard too.

New Pics

SO today I meet my host family - WAY NERVOUS. Her name is Florentina - she is a widow with 3 boys who are older and moved out. I will live with her for the next 2 months. My Ilokano is coming along well I can say "I like you" and "the food is delicious" which are very important statements. I met the mayor, the head of police, the heads of the dept of trade and industry and dept of social welfare and development. OOh my family is here I have to go.