MONTHLY NARRATIVE REPORT
October 1-November 1, 2008
It seems so difficult to put into words the experiences I’ve had in the past month or so. While I have kept a journal of all my activities, I am afraid my journal’s contents are for purely personal use and reference. I also fear that by putting my feelings and thoughts in writing, I will somehow lessen the “magic” of the experience. Suffice is to say that my experiences during the 10th FK Preparatory Program are those which we can be aptly described as beyond words, where the pictures indeed do not show it all.
However, I know that by sharing my experiences, I will help so many others gain knowledge or even perhaps inspire them to embark on a similar journey and support the campaign for clean air. So, here it is, my first monthly report as a participant in the Clean Air and Blue Skies Asia Project sponsored by FK Norway.
(Smile! Participants gather for one souvenir photo at the historic
Grand Palace in Bangkok)
(It felt so good to share my beautiful country
But the grueling schedule of the Preparatory Course was something I have been used to in the Philippines. The challenge of explaining concepts and things to non-English-speaking individuals was something I could manage. And expressing my thoughts and opinions to a group was something I did for a living. But nothing would have prepared me for the next highlight of this Preparatory Course, the home stay experience.
Unlike my fellow Participants who got a tan out of motorbiking and sightseeing in the Thailand countryside during their home stay, I got a tan out of working as a lemon grass cutter with my foster family.
View from the balcony of the house--my favorite
Shortly after I arrived in my foster family’s home around lunch time, they offered me “kayasath,” a sweet delicacy made up of crispy rice, sesame seeds and nuts. I was so hungry that I ate a lot of the kayasath offered to me. The daughter named “Pie” and I ate the kayasath at the balcony while the father and mother worked at the open air garage. After a few minutes the mother and father called their daughter to join them to help with their lemon grass work. Of course, I offered to help—otherwise I would have been the only one in the house not to be working! And so began my career as a lemon grass cutter—I cut the roots of the lemon grass such that only the sweet-smelling part of the stem is exposed! I also helped wash the cut lemon grass and joined the family in selling the same. I got so good at it that the next day, the family gave me “working clothes” so I could continue my work as lemon grass cutter. They seemed to like the work I have done and kept on saying “Di” meaning good. Indeed, there was a time the next day that they (father, mother and daughter) couldn’t keep up with me. They could not sort out enough lemon grass for me to cut—I was too quick for them! After lunch on my second day, the family refused my help already. They wanted me to just enjoy the rest of my home stay. They brought me to a Buddhist Temple where I saw the most number of monks in my entire life.
See the difference between the lemon grass
Another highlight of the Preparatory Course for me is the Digital Storytelling Presentation. And this is because the activity made me realize how committed I was to the cause of the environment. The topic of our group was environmental sustainability and I managed to provide the background poem for our presentation for under ten minutes! While I had some inspiration from the internet, the lines were mostly from me, from my heart—“will my children ever see the beauty of the sunrise and enjoy the endless summers of my carefree youth?” The pictures in our presentation were also mostly from my own personal pictures. I have the most beautiful pictures of nature from my travels –a testament to my enduring affinity with Mother Earth. Indeed, how can one love something that one does not know? My commitment to the cause of the environment began in my youth; in vacations spent in the white sands of Samar, playing under coconut trees. I love Mother Earth because I have seen it in its most beautiful state and I will do my very best to protect it.
Our success in our poster-making endevour was made sweeter by the fact that so many other Participants helped in finishing the same. Some shared practical tips; others lent their own private items. Many others helped attach our pictures and other items to our poster. In fact, shortly before our Presentation, I brought the kalachuchi or frangiapani flowers I have gathered that morning as final touches to our poster. I was immediately approached by the other Participants so they could help attach the flowers to our poster.I was so touched by that gesture of help from my friends. It was a truly fitting ending to a full 3 weeks of friendship, sharing, and caring.
Working on the poster with my groupmates:
Pong (from Laos) and Kikay (from the Philippines)
and my Vietnamese roommate Linh.
The most popular poster for picture-taking purposes.
Our poster symbolizes our appreciation of nature’s beauty and
treasures and the realization of our responsibility to protect it
in all aspects of our lives [even in a simple task as preparing a poster].
There are hundreds of little other highlights of my experiences during the Preparatory Course—indeed, sometimes, it is just a fleeting moment, an insight from a co-Participant that touched me personally, a beautiful flower in a temple, a smile, an unforgettable dish in our lunch buffet. Due to limits in language and time, I cannot share them all. But I will keep them all in my heart always…I hope that what I have managed to share shall benefit many others...
October 1-November 1, 2008
It seems so difficult to put into words the experiences I’ve had in the past month or so. While I have kept a journal of all my activities, I am afraid my journal’s contents are for purely personal use and reference. I also fear that by putting my feelings and thoughts in writing, I will somehow lessen the “magic” of the experience. Suffice is to say that my experiences during the 10th FK Preparatory Program are those which we can be aptly described as beyond words, where the pictures indeed do not show it all.
However, I know that by sharing my experiences, I will help so many others gain knowledge or even perhaps inspire them to embark on a similar journey and support the campaign for clean air. So, here it is, my first monthly report as a participant in the Clean Air and Blue Skies Asia Project sponsored by FK Norway.
I arrived shortly after midnight at the AIT Conference Hotel in Pathumthani, Thailand on October 1, 2008. The man tasked to fetch me from the airport was late by more than an hour. I normally, would have been very upset and maybe, worried, while waiting at the airport . But I met a very nice lady and her little boy during the flight from Manila to Bangkok. By some stroke of good luck, the young mother and her child were also going to AIT to visit the boy’s father who was a student at AIT. When the father arrived to fetch them at the airport, they did not want to leave me until they were sure that I had a ride to AIT. They helped me contact Rey Calabdan, the Project Coordinator of the FK Preparatory Course, who happened to be their family friend, to ensure that someone was indeed going to pick me up from the airport. To this day, the Lims remain to be my good friends. I consider my encounter with them as the first highlight of my trip because the Lims reinforce my belief in the innate goodness of man. I have often traveled alone, and in all my trips, I have been the recipient of random acts of kindness from strangers. This trip to Bangkok is no exception. But whereas before, I had no way of establishing ties with those whose generosity I have benefited from, with the Lims, I have found lifelong friends.
After the Lims, I also met and befriended other people during the Preparatory Course in Bangkok. I will never forget my moments of shared laughter, fears and tears with my co-participants. To this day, Rachana Lem, of Cambodia emails me, to say “I love you, best friend.” I have helped translate class discussions and lessons to her during the Preparatory Course and I feel humbled by her affectionate words of appreciation. My roommate Linh from Vietnam also calls me “best friend.” So many other Participants still keep in touch. I never thought I would be this close to my co-participants. Now that we have parted ways, we are more vocal about our concern and affection for each other. Some like Shankar (from India), who seemed very shy in class, suddenly have the courage to write “I miss all of you” now. I pray that we will see each other again and have the chance to relive our memories of our days in Bangkok…
After the Lims, I also met and befriended other people during the Preparatory Course in Bangkok. I will never forget my moments of shared laughter, fears and tears with my co-participants. To this day, Rachana Lem, of Cambodia emails me, to say “I love you, best friend.” I have helped translate class discussions and lessons to her during the Preparatory Course and I feel humbled by her affectionate words of appreciation. My roommate Linh from Vietnam also calls me “best friend.” So many other Participants still keep in touch. I never thought I would be this close to my co-participants. Now that we have parted ways, we are more vocal about our concern and affection for each other. Some like Shankar (from India), who seemed very shy in class, suddenly have the courage to write “I miss all of you” now. I pray that we will see each other again and have the chance to relive our memories of our days in Bangkok…
(Smile! Participants gather for one souvenir photo at the historic
Grand Palace in Bangkok)
(Sharing one beautiful night in Thailand.
Photo taken during the Participants’ Boat Cruise)
(The look of glee in seeing old friends. Photo
taken shortly after Home Stay when the
Participants saw each other again after 3 days
and 2 nights with their respective foster families)
(The sunny day could only be matched by the
sunshiny smiles of the Participants as they savor
their brief time in the seaside resort of Pattaya)
When Tao (Participant from Thailand) and Rada (Participant from Cambodia) arrived in the Philippines where they were both assigned, I toured them around The Fort Global City, which is a modern shopping and entertainment development in Manila. Dennis Locanas, a fellow Filipino Participant who was still awaiting for his visa to Malaysia at that time, joined us.
(It felt so good to share my beautiful country
to my fellow Participants! Photo taken in
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines)
Aside from the friendships I have established during the Preparatory Course, I also treasure the values, insights and knowledge I have gained.
First, the Preparatory Course itself was a highlight. The Preparatory Course, fun as it may have been, was a grueling activity-laden challenge. Sessions started promptly at 8:30 AM everyday (yes, even on Saturdays and Sundays), and ended mostly around 6:00 PM. While we had 30-minute breaks in the morning and afternoon sessions, these were sometimes working breaks; with most of the breaks shortened to accommodate lecturers who usually extend beyond the time allotted to them. There were also assignments, especially during the last two (2) weeks, which the Participants had to do outside of class hours.
The activities during the Preparatory Course challenged both the mind and the body, and required the physical, mental and often verbal participation of all the Participants. Most of the activities in class sessions were done in groups—and since not everyone spoke English or spoke very little English, there was the extra challenge of explaining the mechanics, objectives, and concepts of the activities to them—all under time pressure (since the activities were to be done within a specific time limit.) Those who spoke English (including myself) had to explain to them in every possible way we could think of, like body language, loads of examples, and the use of simple and common English words which they may possibly understand. The participation even of the non-English speaking participants was just as important as the English-speaking ones so we tried our best to hear out the opinions and inputs of the former, no matter how difficult. We learned that they had valuable insights, if only they were given the chance to express their thoughts and feelings.
But the grueling schedule of the Preparatory Course was something I have been used to in the Philippines. The challenge of explaining concepts and things to non-English-speaking individuals was something I could manage. And expressing my thoughts and opinions to a group was something I did for a living. But nothing would have prepared me for the next highlight of this Preparatory Course, the home stay experience.
Unlike my fellow Participants who got a tan out of motorbiking and sightseeing in the Thailand countryside during their home stay, I got a tan out of working as a lemon grass cutter with my foster family.
My foster family consisted of the father, mother and their 18-year old daughter, who has stopped schooling and who has opted to help her parents in their lemongrass work. I reckon that my foster family is not poor. They have a vast tract of land, with two prawn ponds, 3 motorcycles, a small truck, and a “longhouse” whose floors were long planks of solid hardwood. All around their vast tract of land are lemongrass, which they sell for 2Baht per 1 ½ kilo. Here are pictures of my foster family’s farm:
My foster family owns the land to the right and
left of this dirt road. At the end of this road is
their farm house (see wooden structures ahead).
The open-air garage is where we do our lemongrass work.
The house to the right of the garage is the home of my foster family.
The open-air garage is where we do our lemongrass work.
The house to the right of the garage is the home of my foster family.
View from the balcony of the house--my favorite
spot for eating and writing in my journal.
Shortly after I arrived in my foster family’s home around lunch time, they offered me “kayasath,” a sweet delicacy made up of crispy rice, sesame seeds and nuts. I was so hungry that I ate a lot of the kayasath offered to me. The daughter named “Pie” and I ate the kayasath at the balcony while the father and mother worked at the open air garage. After a few minutes the mother and father called their daughter to join them to help with their lemon grass work. Of course, I offered to help—otherwise I would have been the only one in the house not to be working! And so began my career as a lemon grass cutter—I cut the roots of the lemon grass such that only the sweet-smelling part of the stem is exposed! I also helped wash the cut lemon grass and joined the family in selling the same. I got so good at it that the next day, the family gave me “working clothes” so I could continue my work as lemon grass cutter. They seemed to like the work I have done and kept on saying “Di” meaning good. Indeed, there was a time the next day that they (father, mother and daughter) couldn’t keep up with me. They could not sort out enough lemon grass for me to cut—I was too quick for them! After lunch on my second day, the family refused my help already. They wanted me to just enjoy the rest of my home stay. They brought me to a Buddhist Temple where I saw the most number of monks in my entire life.
To be very honest, I felt so relieved when the family refused my help already. I was so tired and my hands hurt. It seemed that there was no end to the lemon grass that we had to work on. After a huge pile was done, the mother will bring another pile of freshly harvested lemon grass anew. But I couldn’t complain—not when the father of the house woke up before sunrise to work on the fields and eat his dinner past 9PM after a long day of back-breaking work . I couldn’t complain when the mother, possibly twice my age, was tireless in working in the fields gathering lemon grass and clearing the farm of weeds. I never saw her rest beyond ten minutes in a day. How could I not help when their 18 year old daughter, so sweet and innocent, was also working under the sun? And how much did we earn for a hard day’s labor? Just over a 100Baht or 2-3US dollars since the price for lemon grass was 2 Baht per 1 1/2 kilo and we only had 77 kilos during my first day there and a little less than that on my second day.
My home stay was a long way from where I came from. It was a truly humbling experience. But it was an experience rich in life’s lessons which I will always treasure.
My home stay was a long way from where I came from. It was a truly humbling experience. But it was an experience rich in life’s lessons which I will always treasure.
See the difference between the lemon grass
still untouched my skillful hands (left) and
lemon grass with roots and stem cut to perfection.
Another highlight of the Preparatory Course for me is the Digital Storytelling Presentation. And this is because the activity made me realize how committed I was to the cause of the environment. The topic of our group was environmental sustainability and I managed to provide the background poem for our presentation for under ten minutes! While I had some inspiration from the internet, the lines were mostly from me, from my heart—“will my children ever see the beauty of the sunrise and enjoy the endless summers of my carefree youth?” The pictures in our presentation were also mostly from my own personal pictures. I have the most beautiful pictures of nature from my travels –a testament to my enduring affinity with Mother Earth. Indeed, how can one love something that one does not know? My commitment to the cause of the environment began in my youth; in vacations spent in the white sands of Samar, playing under coconut trees. I love Mother Earth because I have seen it in its most beautiful state and I will do my very best to protect it.
The last highlight of the Training Course for me was our Country Presentation where the Participants were required to make posters of their respective host countries—the do’s and don’ts, the culture, the people, the must-visit places, etc. in the country. Again, this was a realization for me about the passion that I have for the environment. Our group, the Participants going to Vietnam, was the only group which did not request the organizers to purchase any material for our poster. Consistent with our desire for environmental sustainability, we wanted to just make use of the “left-overs” of the other groups; we wanted to borrow; we wanted to recycle. And because of the generosity of the other Participants, we succeeded. Ours was one of the top contenders for “Best Poster,” losing to the winner by just one vote. We also made used of Nature’s own works of art—the beautiful things we see all around us which are free—leaves, flowers and twigs—consistent with our environmental advocacy.
Our success in our poster-making endevour was made sweeter by the fact that so many other Participants helped in finishing the same. Some shared practical tips; others lent their own private items. Many others helped attach our pictures and other items to our poster. In fact, shortly before our Presentation, I brought the kalachuchi or frangiapani flowers I have gathered that morning as final touches to our poster. I was immediately approached by the other Participants so they could help attach the flowers to our poster.I was so touched by that gesture of help from my friends. It was a truly fitting ending to a full 3 weeks of friendship, sharing, and caring.
Working on the poster with my groupmates:
Pong (from Laos) and Kikay (from the Philippines)
and my Vietnamese roommate Linh.
The most popular poster for picture-taking purposes.
Our poster symbolizes our appreciation of nature’s beauty and
treasures and the realization of our responsibility to protect it
in all aspects of our lives [even in a simple task as preparing a poster].
There are hundreds of little other highlights of my experiences during the Preparatory Course—indeed, sometimes, it is just a fleeting moment, an insight from a co-Participant that touched me personally, a beautiful flower in a temple, a smile, an unforgettable dish in our lunch buffet. Due to limits in language and time, I cannot share them all. But I will keep them all in my heart always…I hope that what I have managed to share shall benefit many others...
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