MOUNT ARAYAT
One of my highlights from the last 3 months was when I reached the summit of Mount Arayat. Arayat is an extinct stratovolcano rising to the height of 1,026 metres. Due to its location in the flat agricultural region of Nueva Ecija, it can be seen for miles around, looming over all that surrounds it.
There was not a single day in Cabiao when the mountain didn't provide spectacular views. But when I looked at Arayat I didn't just see its beauty. I saw a challenge. It was mean
COMMUNITY FAREWELL
I think Elton John got it wrong when he penned the lyrics "sorry seems to be the hardest word", because "goodbye" is so much harder.
I've been living, working and partying in Cabiao for the past 10 weeks. 74 days to be precise. But it only takes 66 days to form a habit. Without even realising it I have established a whole new set of subconscious behaviours. For example, before arriving in the community, I highly valued my privacy and personal space. However, I have now beco
AN OPEN LETTER TO MY FILIPINO FAMILY
Dear The Messina Family, I cannot find the right words to express how grateful I am for the kindness and accommodation I received from all of you over the past 3 months. You have just offered me a house- but a home- and you have welcomed to me into your family with open arms. I never thought I would say this, but I actually feel comfortable and somewhat at home in a culture that felt so alien to me 12 weeks ago! Thank you for adjusting to me also, as I know ‘vegetarianism’ is
RIVER RAFTING
Nueva Ecija may not be by the sea, but it still has its fair share of natural beauties. One of these is in Minalungao. After a two hour jeepney ride out of Cabiao we found ourselves looking at a secluded river, set against the backdrop of a limestone valley. Now I know I've bragged about the beaches, but this really was on another level of picturesque beauty. For a while, I was sure I was staring at a giant movie screen, because the smooth white rocks and the glistening blue
DISASTER DANCE-OFF!
As part of our DRRM awareness raising activities we were expected to run a youth camp. Straight-forward right? Except the kids of Cabiao are quite trendy. To put it bluntly: life jacket-making isn't cool and as a result, the team have hosted a few not-so-successful events, purely because they have failed to engage the youth. Back at the drawing board and bashing our heads together, we asked ourselves what the youth actually like: dancing, music and parties. Jack pot. And that
SMALL TOWN SYNDROME
One of the downsides of volunteering in a close-knit community is that everyone knows your business. Cabiao always seems so much smaller that it actually is because everyone really does know everyone. For example, the lady who runs the coffee shop I go to, is the sister of one of the barangay secretary's I am working with, who is also a second cousin of my host-dad Teddy. Small world you would say? Except this kind of 'coincidence' has become a daily occurrence: everyone is-
AND FINALLY FOR THE FIESTA...
Do you remember me writing about being asked to be a beauty queen for the Santa Isabel fiesta? Well the role became a reality last weekend and I rode around the barangay on a carabao, awkwardly waving at the locals. If I'm honest, I had completely forgotten about the event: each day in Cabiao is always a bit of a random adventure, enough to provide distraction from diary dates. So early on Sunday morning, just as I sat down to Skype home, I was quite surprised to receive a ca
26-HOUR ROAD TRIP
Do you treat travelling as an adventure or a chore? Is it an opportunity to see the world or a pointless waste time?... I am one of those annoying people who loves the journey and even a short train ride into London has me bouncing about! (Of course my sustained excitement is normally dependent on whether or not I have found a seat. Preferably next to a window.) It does not matter if I am travelling by plane, train, car or bus- in my mind these are all vessels for adventure!
PORRIDGE PARTY!
With Filipino Time in play, there is no point worrying about the hour on the clock. Instead, I notice the passing of time by the amount of meals I have eaten (NB. This refers to meals that include rice. Anything served without rice, for example spaghetti, is considered a snack.) So when I've had two portions of rice, I know that the time must be somewhere between 11am and 5pm, because taking your lunch before noon is totally acceptable in the Philippines. It would, however, b
METRO MANILA
I have always been fascinated by cities. They are busy, overpowering and constantly in motion- working around the clock to keep up with the demands of the people. Metro Manila is another 'city that never sleeps' and the pace of life was in sharp contrast to the calm quiet of Cabiao. Like the infamous 'ice-bucket challenge', Manila overwhelmed my senses and made me feel both empowered and insignificant: I was simultaneously inspired and intimidated by the city. In my opinion,
COMFORTABLY UNCOMFORTABLE
I never thought I'd say this but after 8 weeks, the Philippines is starting to feel familiar.
On Tuesday morning I had an 'OMG I'm in the Philippines' moment, where I really realised where I was in the world. The street I was strolling down looked nothing like my hometown and yet the metal roofs, coconut-fuelled bonfires and rice covered concrete no longer took me by surprise. It has become a picture painted on my subconscious mind. Shades on and listening to Jack Johnson I
A GRAVEYARD GATHERING
November 1st is a very important date in the Filipino calendar. Yet until very recently I was completely unaware of the occasion. I was an All Saint's Day virgin. The first time I heard about it was when Kuya Teddy invited me to a picnic at the cemetery. (NB. It's 'brother' Teddy now- he doesn't like Tatay ('father') because he thinks it makes him sound too old!) I thought I must have heard him wrong because surely we wouldn't be eating food. In a graveyard. The day after Hal
LIFE IS LIKE SAILING
One of the highlights of mid-phase review was the surprise boat trip. I was shaken from my sleep (at 5am!?!) to find that there were two boats parked up on the beach. The captain requested that the lighter people travel in the smaller boat- so unsurprisingly we ended with a UK/Filipino divide! (I will never understand where all that rice goes!!) Luckily, our two separate 'ships' set off without sinking and sailed side-by-side under the mid-morning sun. I think turning 23 has
THE BEACH BREAK
I can't believe how quickly time is passing but I've now been living in the Philippines for over 6 weeks. As is customary of all ICS programmes we have to conduct a mid-phase review, in order to assess our progress in the community and consider where improvements can be made (it's another 'tick box' activity). As a team we have decided to do hold our mid-phase review at the beach and do all the important stuff before leaving- so in reality, mid-phase review translates to mini
THE WAKE SINGER
My host-family invited me along to the wake of one their recently deceased relatives. A wake is essentially a week long, food-filled funeral, where family and friends have the opportunity to say goodbye to- and celebrate the life of- their recently departed. Naturally, I was curious to find out how a Filipino funeral plays out by comparison to the standard UK ceremony... ...and there was, without a doubt, an emphasis on the celebratory side of things. Now don't get me wrong-
