An Update

La Trinidad

I wake up in the morning to the sound of a hundred roosters crowing incessantly, broken up by the sound of wild dogs, and the vendor who cries out the kind of bean he’s selling. I have to walk for a little over five minutes along a twisting path to get to the nearest road, through the maze that is my neighborhood of Bayabas in Baranguay Pico of the city of La Trinidad. Beyond the sea of houses is a city dealing with pollution and poverty. Though cleaner and better off than the parts of Manila I visited during the initial orientation, and despite constant efforts of the local and municipal governments, there are some things that simply take time to fix.

Jeepneys, vibrant (and often as not gaudy) public transportation vehicles made from old World War II jeeps fill the streets along with trucks, SUV-taxis, and the occasional privately owned car. There seems to be a seller of cheap candies, fruit, or instant coffee packs everywhere I look, even outside one of the windows of my room.

Beyond La Trinidad I can see green, lush mountains whose peaks are covered in fog and cloud. Though the streets and main thoroughfares are devoid of all plant life, the neighborhoods are rife with what is to be exotic trees and vines.

 The neighboring city of Baguio is the summer capital of the Philippines because of the temperate weather, in fact  I have hardly sweated since I’ve come to the north (with the exception of my work out time). It is however, the rainy season that lasts from June to October most of the time, and most days have seen heavy rain. I put my rain jacket and rain boots on, and with my umbrella in hand I go about my business.

I have found the people here to be a wealth of knowledge. My host family in particular have helped me understand what I see every day, and make sense of the rumors and stories I’ve heard. These helpful hints range from anything to telling me the dangers of Kalinga (a province where we Peace Corps volunteers are strictly prohibited from going to), to how the community has reacted and responded to the new mayor’s push for a more ecologically friendly city. The answer to the first was black magic (aka, they put one of any number of poisons in your food, each with its own purpose from giving amnesia, to making you lethargic), the answer to the second was that about half the people now recycle, the other half still going about their old habits.

What Am I Doing on a Daily Basis?

I get up in the morning around six. I bathe with rain water mixed with boiled water which I dump over my head using a dipper. I eat breakfast which, like every other meal, is composed of rice, steamed vegetables, and some form of meat whether beef, chicken, milkfish, spam, or hot dog.

I am still in training (and my title right now is Peace Corps trainee), so most of my day is studying. In the morning from eight to noon we study language with our LCF (language and cultural facilitator) Ester. There was a statistic I learned a long time ago that most of the world’s languages would be gone in the next fifty to hundred years. I believe my studies in Ilokano have shown me exactly what that statistic meant.

Ilokano is not the native language of most people’s in the north. It is the language they use to understand each other.  The language itself has spattering of Spanish, English, and Tagalog (the main Filipino language) that often makes it seem as much as a combination of languages as much as it is a language onto itself. I am seeing though how Ilokano is taking over many of the other languages that once dominated parts of the northern Philippines. However, it in turn seems to be falling prey to Tagalog and English.

So far I have been finding Ilokano much easier to learn than Mandarin, and I do feel confident that so long as I continue to study outside of class with my host family, that I will be prepared to work somewhere where English may not be widely spoken (unlike La Trinidad, where most people can speak at least some).

I then have technical training from one to five from Ani our TCF (Technical and Cultural Facilitator). These classes are much more varied, as we can do anything from touring a local organization, to learning new activites and skills, to overviewing Filipino law in regards to the rights of a child, to interactive days where we work with local school children or even the community leaders (more on this in just a sec).

After that, I head back home where I generally talk to my host family for a couple hours, sometimes studying Ilokano with them, or going back and forth sharing things about our own cultures or experiences. I’m starting to use more Ilokano with them, and hopefully by the end of August I can hold conversations just in their language. I have several books they want me to read such as “Where There is No Doctor, A Survival to Medical Emergencies in Rural Areas” and “Resiliency”, a book about some Filipino street children who managed to succeed and overcome their situations through different forms of resiliency.

The other trainees and I might start to hang out once a week just to hang out and have some fun and relaxation, but that’s still in the works. We did see the final Harry Potter movie this last weekend, which was fun to watch (would have been lame to have to wait for two bloody years).

Oh, and I’m starting to work out like a champ too. The FitDeck cards I have are a lifesaver, and I fully intend to get amazingly agile and strong through my Peace Corps service. Why, cause I can, that’s why.

So… what things have  you done?

Not much happened at Initial Orientation in Manila. It was a great chance to meet all the other volunteers who came with and to make some bonds that will hopefully last even if we are too far away to see each other during our service save once in a blue moon.

Here at La Trinidad with pre-service training, we’ve actually had the chance to do some meaningful things. Our two main projects right now are the community project and the youth camp. The youth camp right now is starting with a series of tutorials. The five of us are basically thrust into a room with a bunch of kids after school ends and we have to come up with several games and activities to work with the children. One of the activities I ran (and came up with on the top of my head) was having the children name different forms of art. They came up with nine, and we took it away and our next tutorial was all about having the kids pick one of the art forms and present what they did to the whole group. I assisted another trainee in teaching nine girls the Do Re Mi song from A Sound of Music.

There’s also a handful or twelve to thirteen-year-old boys who I need to show up again so I can try to get it in their thick heads to do better in school. Crossing my fingers for that side project.

We’ve also been working with the neighboring Barangay (a Barangay is the smallest level of government in the Philippines, each one encompassing a neighborhood [a very large neighborhood]). With five different influential groups; the Barangay officials, the Women’s Group, daycare teachers and workers, the Senior Citizens’ Group, and youth leaders, we’ve run a series of activities to evaluate their community. Our next time meeting with them will be the community action planning where we develop a project with them to be implemented (or attempted to be implemented). We’ve seen the group dynamics, the resources they have, and perhaps most importantly, what THEY actually want to see done in their community. Crossing my fingers for this one too.

However, all this has been rushed so far, to show us what we will be doing at our individual sites over a much longer period of time where we’ll have the time to build relationships and be patient.

Last notes

As you may have guessed, the internet is not as readily available here. I’m also taking a guess that my permanent location will be the same. So expect less frequent blog posts, but longer ones. All I know right now about my site placement is that it will be community based. As opposed to center based where I would be working at a shelter or residential area, a community based job will still have an office, but my work will entail actually leaving my place of work and to go out into the community.

And just in case what everything said hasn’t implied it already, I am doing very well, and I feel more confident about my decision to join the Peace Corps now than when I did when I was even applying.

I'll get pics up as soon as I figure out the best way to put them on for your viewing convenience.

The initial stage ends

If you read my last post, you’d notice I promised pictures. I do have them, but it’s late where I’m at now, and I leave 5am my time, so I’m going to save those for a later time.

Some Quick Facts

·         Getting the runs in the Philippines is not fun. You live and die by the bathroom and have to take rehydration salts, which taste awful

·         Though the Peace Corps doesn’t pay me that much, they cover a lot of things from travel, to medical, to training, to all sorts of other small things

·         When you’re in the tropical rain forest, you learn to live with some bugs around. It’s not worth trying to kill every last one when there are uncounted billions just outside you door and in the trees beyond

Something Deeper

So before I depart for my main training area, I’m trying to reflect on what I’ve seen so far. The Philippines, or at least the few parts I’ve come across, are a mixture of the bright and dull, the glamorous and the downtrodden. The bus rides we’ve taken pass an endless river of Cocacola signs were a beautiful Filipina woman’s auburn hair slowly shifts into the carbonated beverage, but just over the bright red signs I can see several layers of open shanties. Just across from the Jollibee fast food restaurant is a whole section dedicated to shelters for differing groups of the underprivileged. Although it is easy to spot the glaring differences between these two extremes, I can only wonder if they’re not just as out of place in many of our own communities.

A lot of what the Peace Corps has done during this initial orientation is not to just give us an overview of what’s to come (though in all honesty, most of what’s to come is dependant upon my final placement), what seems to be the most important thing is the bonds the volunteers have made in just a week and a half. The hours have felt like days, and the days weeks as the change in environment, the constant presence of one another, and the common pledge to the Peace Corps have brought us together. Wherever my placement is, I’ll probably be only a few hours away from the next couple volunteers, and chances are I’ll depending a lot on them as well as the other way around when times get rough, and let’s just cross our fingers that it doesn’t hit us all at once.

Our last activity for our initial orientation for the 28 CYF volunteers (one of us did decide to go back home) started with us writing our names on a piece of paper and taping it to our backs. We then went around and wrote one compliment on each other’s sheet of paper. The vast majority of people wrote funny or something akin on mine. In some ways I would’ve wanted a few more words that alluded to the questions I asked, or covering some of times I was serious, I think it’s a good thing being known for my humor. First of all, it might mean that I’ve finally figured out a way to be funny (perhaps a comedy tour is in my future? [no, it is not]). More importantly though, I think the thing that’s brought we trainees together the most is the times we’ve been able to laugh together, and I know some of the moments that stick out in my head the most is the funny comments and games my peers have come up with.   

Tune in sometime later, and I’ll try to get those pictures up, and I’ll talk about La Trinidad and the northern Philippines.

Ready, Set...

So, before I tell you about the Philippines, another couple of disclaimers and an embarrassing story to my character.

Disclaimers

1)      I will not be including any political opinions in this blog. The rules of the Peace Corps are against it, which is fine by me. After all, I am a representation of the US government now, and will be in a place that has seen few, if any, Americans. It’s not my place or my privilege to let my political bias hurt the organization. That’s not to say I can’t talk about politics at all, just that it will be from an objective, educational standpoint.

2)      Still don’t have an idea yet about internet availability. Until Wednesday, I’ll have steady access. After that, I do not know, just as I won’t know my internet accessibility over the main two years of my service until the three months of pre-service training are over.

Embarrassing Story

My parents dropped me off at the airport with two hours before my flight was set to leave. I was in the security line when I realized I forgot my laptop. Yes, of all the things on my packing list, I forgot my most expensive item, my best organizational tool, and my only means of communication to all of you. So, my parents had to (and by had to, I mean in the goodness of their hearts) drove back home, got it, and with a little luck, and me running a good leg in the airport, made it to the plane with about five minutes to spare. With that thrilling start to my journey, things only looked up.

The Other Volunteers

I was a bit apprehensive about meeting all the other 58 volunteers. I didn’t know if it would be one big pissing contest to see who could speak the most languages and who had started the most organizations, or if it would be a bunch of people so focused on helping the Philippinos that any interaction to them would be a distraction. Thankfully neither has been the case, and I’ve found a really great group of people. As different as we are, I’ve never found a group where I found it so natural and easy to sit down and have a conversation whether I had talked to them all the way from LA to Manila, or whether I hadn’t even learned their name yet.

This first week and a half we’re all in a campground run by the IIRR (International Institute or Rural Redevelopment). We’re getting orientation together as well as some initial training such as the basic phrases in the languages we’ll be learning, as well as the overview of the Peace Corps’ strategies and tools we can use for our two plus years. It’s been nice to spend this brief time getting to meet the people who will be going through the same experiences as me, as well as get a few fundamentals down before getting into the thick of things.

Of the volunteers, here’s the breakdown

	Tagalog	Cebuano	Ilokano	Total
Education	16	6	8	30
CYF	16	8	5	29
Total	32	14	13	59

At the top are the three languages. Tagalog is the main language in the Philippines, and the volunteers for it will be doing their training a bit south and east of Manila. Cebuano has a heavy Spanish influence and will be located within the heat of the Philippines, in the middle islands. Ilokano is up north where there are mountains and an actual winter. The education volunteers are teaching English as their main job (though their personal projects can be very different) and CYF stands for Children, Youth, and Family Services, focusing on the underprivileged (which I am a part of). There’s also CRM (Coastal Resource Management) though there are none in my group.

So Where Will I Be, and What am I Doing?

So… I will be learning Ilokano, and will be up in the mountains where temperatures range year round from the high forty degrees to the high seventies. Not quite the tropical paradise I was expecting, but still a lot milder (and more humid) than Colorado. You may also notice that of the six cells above in the chart, I am in the smallest group. This is in part because no CYF volunteer has ever been in the region before. They’ve had education volunteers before, but I’ll be one of five trailblazing the CYF portion of the Peace Corps in the Philippines.

Right now I’m trying to fit everything into a day. Working out at six in the morning. Go to orientation and classes from 8:00AM to 5:00PM. Then it’s trying to study up on Ilokano, get to know the other volunteers better, and other odd job stuff like already trying to start a small project here at orientation, and writing up this blog post.

Some parting notes

I’ll try to have one more quick post before I leave initial orientation and head to La Trinidad. I’ll be taking a few pictures between now and then and will try to get those up. If you have any questions feel free to comment or e-mail me and I’ll get to them. I’m in good company though, and I’m feeling confident about the decision I made to come here.

Pre-Departure Thougths and Information

First a few service announcements

1)      If you have my phone number, go ahead and delete it after this coming Friday. I will not be using it while I am at the Philippines, and more likely than not I will get a new phone (a smart phone?) when I get back to the states.

2)      Do not plan to mail me anything once I get settled in as the Philippines is not known for having an honest mail service (aka they rifle through the mail and take what’s valuable)

3)      The next update may take two or three weeks. I don’t know what the internet service will be where I’m going, nor how busy/distracted/tired I will be. Once I’m over there and have a clear idea of internet availability as well as Matt Hirschinger availability I’ll let you know

Matt’s schedule for the coming weeks and months

Here’s a quick rundown of where I should be, and what I should be doing.

July 1^st: I fly out from Denver to Los Angeles. I have a half day orientation, where I’ll be rushing around trying to get the last bits of paperwork filled out.

July 2^nd: Leave LA for Manila in the morning

July 3^rd: Arrive at Manila… at night

Following two weeks: Two weeks of basic training in Manila

Following nine weeks: Live with host family in some part of the Philippines that I have not been told yet to finish my pre-service training learning the language, culture, technical skills, etc

Following two years: Start my official service in yet another part of the Philippines I am not sure of yet

September 9, 2013: Depart home and assume a parade and festival is waiting just for me

Pre-Departure Thoughts

In truth, I’m not scared of going to the Philippines. I’ve never been one to be culture shocked, and this is something I’ve seen coming some months away now. No, I’m just scared of making all my flights on time, and making sure all the paperwork is organized and ready to go. Oh, and riding a bicycle. I just hopped on one today for the first time in a long, long time just to get the feel again. I may need a smidge more practice when I get there. Or I need to invest in roller skates.

There are a few thoughts that have been going around and around in my head these last few weeks I thought I’d throw out there for anyone curious. No great epiphanies, just a couple ideas I’ve had.

The biggest one is the knowledge that the Peace Corps has been in the Philippines for the better part of fifty years. After all this time, there is still a need for Peace Corps volunteers (but to be fair, it’s not as is the US is without its needs as well). What I realize going into the Peace Corps is that although the primary goal is to build sustainable growth in the Philippines, whatever I do will not turn around the social problems facing youth in the Philippines. I may help dozens, or even many hundreds of individuals, but when I leave, there will still be ample room for the next person who will take my place.

This is a frustration I have run into lately a lot, particularly with people in the non-profit field, that for all the good work that is done, there is still so much more that can be done. Helping out the people does not always fix the social problems that led to people being in need.

However, I do take peace in knowing that I’ll be giving it the good ol’ college effort, and that much of what I’ll be doing in the Philippines is learning so that I can more effectively work towards finding sustainable solutions in whatever future career I choose (such as pharaoh, or quarterback for the Broncos). What I would like to think though is that the humility of knowing there are limits to what I can do will only push me harder.

The other thought I’ve had recently is an issue what I personally call ‘more but less’. Specifically, that there is more in the world, more information, more methods of communication (such as this fancy shmancy blog), but that since there is more, it is easier for us to get less out of it all. Because there are more news sources, we can choose one or two that agrees with our own political sentiments, ignoring opinions and viewpoints that we would otherwise have to be exposed to if there were only a few news sources to choose from. Because we have so many ways to communicate, we often forego other forms of communication such as speaking face to face. Why meet in person when we can talk on the phone? Why talk on the phone when we can text? Why text when we can check each other’s facebook profiles twice a year, if even that often. So it is that although we have so much more information to choose from, that we have some many more tools at our disposal, there are even greater pitfalls in the forms of singling out a mere single opinion in the seas of knowledge, and having so many technologies at your disposal that you use the easiest (but not necessarily most effective) tool.

Some food for thought.

Catch y’all later.

How I Joined the Peace Corps and Thank You's

This first post may be a little long, so I’ve tried to give a header to each section, that way people can read what they want.

How it All Began

I graduated from college May of 2010 with a BA in International Relations and minor in Writing. I had the mindset that since I paid my dues and got my college degree, a job would fall into my lap, naturally. It turned out not so, as even in a good economy the places I was looking at working wanted more experience. On top of that, all the hourly wage work I was looking at to fall back on thought I was overeducated, as well as not having enough experience in their field whether it was the restaurant industry, landscaping, or even retail (yes, I was told at one point they wanted more retail experience). The summer of 2010 was a lesson in humility where I accomplished virtually nothing, and finally I turned to my Plan B, which was the Peace Corps.

My reservation about the Peace Corps, which kept me from applying earlier, was the 27 month commitment. That’s a long time to be away from family and friends, and even though there is a lot of good work to be done abroad, the same can be said on the home front as well. However, all those non-profits and government agencies wanted a minimum of two more years experience than I had, and the Peace Corps, along with many other things, was just that. The Peace Corps is everything I’m looking to do at this point in my life, the only thing it’s lacking is all of you.

Luckily we live in the age of communication technology though, and can only hope this blog, along with other forms of communication from e-mail to skype to smoke signals can keep me in touch with you all.

My Application Process

The first step was to fill out a fairly lengthy application process online on the Peace Corps website. There was some medical questions, a number of questions of asking why I wanted to join, assuring them I wasn’t running away from financial obligations, my resume, etc. On top of that I needed three letters of recommendation. I gave the Peace Corps their respective e-mails, and they were sent their own questions. What the question were I don’t know, and what answers were given, I don’t know either.

The next step was the interview with a Peace Corps recruiter. Mine was in Thornton, Colorado which was about an hour’s drive away. He didn’t have an office as apparently the Peace Corps have closed some offices down so they can spend the money on other things, like getting more volunteers. The interview went well. My buddy who joined the Peace Corps a month ahead of me told me to memorize their ten core expectations (all of which basically say don’t be stupid), and I told him how the experience I had through the Boy Scouts, and other things made me prepared. I also assured that I’d be fine with whatever diet my host country had, as well as be all right with whatever drinking policy said country had as well. He nominated me, and then in about a week I got the next set of paperwork.

I had to fill out a lot for a background and medical check. Fingerprints, immunizations, dental, eye exam, all of this took a little bit of time to get together, but I got it filled out. I had to resend one bit of the medical exam. When I said I took Claritin, I didn’t specify that it was just for mild seasonal allergies and they wanted to know exactly why I used any medication, including over the top. (For those of you nosey nancys, Claritin is the only thing I take, and even then only sporadically).

Then after a few months of going through each step, waiting for things to be processed, getting everything ready, I was contacted by the Placement Officer, the one who would officially accept me into the Peace Corps. It was here I hit my first snag. I was told that although my campaign work, volunteer work, leadership, etc was great, I was not a competitive candidate as I lacked any specific experience for their fields of interest such as youth development, teaching English, the environment, etc. I considered the problem for a few days, and reached out to her again saying that I’d get the experience they wanted.

So, I started volunteering at a youth shelter in Denver. It was a month into it when I contacted the Placement Officer again, telling her of all the experience I was getting, and with the promise that I would continue volunteering there until I left, she invited me into the Peace Corps, to go into the Philippines for Youth Development from July 1^st 2011 to September 9^th, 2013. More paperwork and now here I am ready to go.

Tips for Those Who Want to Join

So for those of you who want to join, here are a few tips on what to expect.

1)      It can be a lengthy process. Be prepared for it to take over half a year from when you start the application to when you actually leave. Often it takes even over a year.

2)      Get experience with one or more of the specific types of volunteer opportunities they have. For most of them, they want three to six months.

3)      You can get the experience by volunteering. There is a shortage of jobs, but there is never a shortage of volunteer opportunities.

4)      Be patient. There are a lot of forms and red tape.

5)      Be flexible, especially with where you will go to. The Peace Corps goes to a lot of places with different religion, diet, culture, climate, etc.

6)      Let them know your commitment. They want people who want to be in the Peace Corps. Make sure that comes across each step of the application process

Thank You

I do hope anyone reading this blog, reads this part as it lists the groups and individuals who have helped and inspired me along the way. Naturally this list will be incomplete, but hopefully will cover most of you, and I can always add onto this list in future posts.

Thank you to the three people who wrote letters of recommendation for me; my best friend Sarah Jones, my former employer and friend Terry Hanson, and my best Professor from college Joseph Schneider.

Thank you to Drake Track and Field. I never once beat my high school times, mostly from lacking the mental competitiveness, but most my friends from college were there, and it’s instilled in me the desire to keep in great shape. (Right now I’m probably in the best shape of my life).

Thank you to my other friends and teachers at Drake. You know who you are, and should know what you mean to me.

Thank you to the Obama Campaign of 2008. To the staff: You all rock my socks off. Good luck this next election cycle, whether you all sign on again, or are pursuing other career paths that hopefully have more humane hours and far less stress. To my volunteers: Now that you’re running the entirety of Arapahoe County, you have the means and tools to not only kill it in Arapahoe, but spread your organization and success to the neighboring counties.

Thank you to the ciee Peking University group spring 2009. This was the first time I met so many people in one concentrated area of whom I shared so much in common with.

And thank you to my language tutor Qin Ying for putting up with me while I was at Peking University and for still staying in touch with me despite myself.

Thank you to the people I met at the Home Depot. It was refreshing getting your perspectives and getting to know you all. You’re rock stars to me, and I thank you all for putting up with my stunning humor.

Thank you to everyone at Brent’s Place. You are part of a wonderful organization, and it’s people like you who make me want to dedicate my life to non profits or other philanthropic work.

Thank you to the staff and residents at Urban Peak Youth Shelter. The staff, beyond being extremely selfless and giving, have given me the experience I needed to get into the Peace Corps. The youth have given me a better perspective on how to communicate and respect people, along with reasserting why I’m going to the Philippines in first place.

Finally, thanks to my family. The truth is that I grew up in a loving and stable household. Despite the snags I’ve hit along the way, I know I’m leaps and bounds ahead of where I would be because of being in a family that made sure I got good grades, was active in school, and who took me back in when I was out of college without a job. Without it, I’d be one of the people needing help, not one of the people giving it.