Our town fiesta here in Kawayan has finally passed. Every town here in the Philippines has their own fiesta which is like a big homecoming party. It was fun--there were several parades, a basketball tornament, a boxing match (yeah, sport!), and four nights of disco-dancing. But it was also kind of stressful and overwhelming. About 30 visiting priests, friars, other assorted guests stayed with us in the convent, and most of the work was centered around feeding, watering, and entertaining them without really getting to know any of them. I actaully did have a good conversation with an American ex-pat priest who has been here on the Island since 1962--for over half his life! He had a calm presence about him, and I enjoyed listening to his stories of the pre-Vatican II, pre-globalization days of old. Really another world. He recalled his own mother's death and the news of which reached his ear over a week after it happened, because the town's radio control man happened to be on vacation. It was all over by the time he found out, and he never went back home. He tried a couple times to live back in the States but could never last long there. Kind of like Bilbo Baggins.. some wounds never heal. Wonder if that will happen to me.
Anway, fiesta's over and now it's back to peace and quite, which is just fine for this province boy.
Yesterday, after last minute heated negotaions, we finally got the cash for our microenterprise, and now we're busy today buying pigs. oink oink
*new october pics up for your pleasure*
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Monday, October 17, 2005
range life
Oh boy, I just hit the ejector tray of the CD-rom drive on the computer im using with my knee and its definitely broken! ... im starting to sweat. How am i going to get out of this one? "umm, excuse me but ummm I think I just broke your computer...sorry." Maybe it'll just go away if I don't think about it.
Anyway, just got back from a weekend gathering/seminar on sustainable agriculture about 3 hours away in Leyte. I went with about 30 good-natured, thick-skinned farmers from our Diocese riding in the back of a flat-bed truck, but my only companion from our parish was Mr. Epitas, a nice grandfatherly fellow. It was hosted by Bennedictan Sisters who just opened up this huge institute / training center for Sus-Ag. I am finding that the Church here is really involved the intergral development of poor, that is, not only spiritually but physically. Being that the majority of the Philippine population consists of the rural poor, most of whom are farmers and fishers, sustainable agriculture is a main thrust of development work here integrating issues of ecology and social justice. it seems right on to me.
During the foundation ceremony of the institute, the sisters to my surprise brought out bags of money and started throwing fist-fulls of pesos into the throngs of farmers. I thought that was weird of them.
Another strange sight was seeing a cross-eyed stable man stick his arm shoulder deep into the rear end of a large Bulgarian buffalo. Apparently, using some special manipulation he's able to determine if the heifer is preg-o. These buffalo give good milk, and actually dairy production is a possiblity for our parish. The gubment will give us free buffalo; all we have to do is organize. The Philippines spends billions of pesos on importing milk from other countries, and is really trying to become self-sufficient. It will be a good source of income for our folks but will require a lot planning and work.
A few of us went to another seminar last week on egg production hosted by the Diocese, and this most likely will be our next project. the #1 requirement, said the speaker, is the love for birds. I can dig that! There's good market for eggs and our parish has some land we can use as a farm. Poldo knows birds and I think I can find the funds. Just hope i don't get the flu.
In other news, the fiesta of Kawayan, our town, is rapidly approaching and it's going to be carazzy! last night was the basketball open championship. still to come: boxing match, 4 straight nights of dancing, and countless slaughtered livestock!
be well my friends
Anyway, just got back from a weekend gathering/seminar on sustainable agriculture about 3 hours away in Leyte. I went with about 30 good-natured, thick-skinned farmers from our Diocese riding in the back of a flat-bed truck, but my only companion from our parish was Mr. Epitas, a nice grandfatherly fellow. It was hosted by Bennedictan Sisters who just opened up this huge institute / training center for Sus-Ag. I am finding that the Church here is really involved the intergral development of poor, that is, not only spiritually but physically. Being that the majority of the Philippine population consists of the rural poor, most of whom are farmers and fishers, sustainable agriculture is a main thrust of development work here integrating issues of ecology and social justice. it seems right on to me.
During the foundation ceremony of the institute, the sisters to my surprise brought out bags of money and started throwing fist-fulls of pesos into the throngs of farmers. I thought that was weird of them.
Another strange sight was seeing a cross-eyed stable man stick his arm shoulder deep into the rear end of a large Bulgarian buffalo. Apparently, using some special manipulation he's able to determine if the heifer is preg-o. These buffalo give good milk, and actually dairy production is a possiblity for our parish. The gubment will give us free buffalo; all we have to do is organize. The Philippines spends billions of pesos on importing milk from other countries, and is really trying to become self-sufficient. It will be a good source of income for our folks but will require a lot planning and work.
A few of us went to another seminar last week on egg production hosted by the Diocese, and this most likely will be our next project. the #1 requirement, said the speaker, is the love for birds. I can dig that! There's good market for eggs and our parish has some land we can use as a farm. Poldo knows birds and I think I can find the funds. Just hope i don't get the flu.
In other news, the fiesta of Kawayan, our town, is rapidly approaching and it's going to be carazzy! last night was the basketball open championship. still to come: boxing match, 4 straight nights of dancing, and countless slaughtered livestock!
be well my friends
Friday, October 07, 2005
3 More Years of This
chuggin' along here. It's been 3 months to the day since I arrived in Biliran. no profound or senti reflections. the chapter continues.
Yesterday, I spent a few hours visiting and measuring the pigs we dispersed last month. I found myself elbow deep in pig stuff, and stinking like it. All for the greater glory, I suppose. Most of the pigs looked "pretty good" according to common sense, but one looked "sick as hell;" all small and weak. The owner is afraid to give it medicine because the same thing happened to the last pig she had, and after she gave it meds it died. I doubt this woman can pay us back if/when this one dies, but it's a learning experience.
The loan for the feeds hasnt come through yet, but hopefully this week. There's also been talk of some "Korean Technology" of pig raising that is sustainable - ie does not involve expensive, non eco-friendly commercial feeds. still don't know the details. bobbi, you're Korean. u know?
I've also been asked to lead the forthcoming "Pastoral Social Action Team." Not sure it's a good idea to accept, with the methodology of international community development and me still being new here, but what the heck, sounds cool. it will involve more money matters (microcredit) which has the potential to help the people here rise out of their poverty, but also the potential to adversly affect relational dynamics. (These uncomfortable dynamics are already at play. Being from the States, it's common knowledge that i have more money than my friends here. Many are not afraid to ask, and it's a constant stuggle for me to decide 1) who and who not to give to, and 2)when and when not to give. I've tried to stick to several policies which have failed, but such are the ambiguities of life I guess.)
Youth groups have taken a back seat with all this other work. Feel kind of bad, but I find that its really difficult to break the language barrier since the kids here these days speak less english than the adults. I think for now it's best to stick to hanging out and going on outings to mountain or sea.
Yesterday, I spent a few hours visiting and measuring the pigs we dispersed last month. I found myself elbow deep in pig stuff, and stinking like it. All for the greater glory, I suppose. Most of the pigs looked "pretty good" according to common sense, but one looked "sick as hell;" all small and weak. The owner is afraid to give it medicine because the same thing happened to the last pig she had, and after she gave it meds it died. I doubt this woman can pay us back if/when this one dies, but it's a learning experience.
The loan for the feeds hasnt come through yet, but hopefully this week. There's also been talk of some "Korean Technology" of pig raising that is sustainable - ie does not involve expensive, non eco-friendly commercial feeds. still don't know the details. bobbi, you're Korean. u know?
I've also been asked to lead the forthcoming "Pastoral Social Action Team." Not sure it's a good idea to accept, with the methodology of international community development and me still being new here, but what the heck, sounds cool. it will involve more money matters (microcredit) which has the potential to help the people here rise out of their poverty, but also the potential to adversly affect relational dynamics. (These uncomfortable dynamics are already at play. Being from the States, it's common knowledge that i have more money than my friends here. Many are not afraid to ask, and it's a constant stuggle for me to decide 1) who and who not to give to, and 2)when and when not to give. I've tried to stick to several policies which have failed, but such are the ambiguities of life I guess.)
Youth groups have taken a back seat with all this other work. Feel kind of bad, but I find that its really difficult to break the language barrier since the kids here these days speak less english than the adults. I think for now it's best to stick to hanging out and going on outings to mountain or sea.
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