Guess what? We are 9 years older

I haven't written a post here in 10 years.  These days I'm a fan of the crappy rough draft mentality, namely that it's better to write something shorter than nothing at all, you've been warned.

Brief update: I proposed to my girlfriend and we got married in our backyard. We had a bicycle parade to the reception area with 40 of our family and friends.  It was a great party with many performances and a 19 day honeymoon in New Zealand driving around both islands in a camper van on the other side of the road (from the US).
Fast forward - and it has been a fast journey looking back, it's 2018 and our marriage is a source of learning, challenge and appreciation.  We have 2 amazing children and though sheer stubbornness, remembering to breathe and determination we've been raising them to understand and speak Tagalog.  These days their language skills in English (which they speak most often) go beyond my Tagalog, but I continue to do what I can.
My 7 year old son helps me teach bicycle education and my 4 year old daughter helps me keep my improvisational skills alive as I personify her teddy bear "Cuddles" during our play time together.

After 2008 I created a bicycle education program that is a SF Bay Area wide bicycle education machine, helped build the San Francisco Safe Routes to School Program, launched and later led the largest single city "Bike to School Day" in the US and got fired from the successful program I helped to build.  Leaving the work to others to continue I took my shattered identity home and realized that what I earned in my former position would mostly go to pay for our childcare needs and with our second child soon to arrive the role of Stay-At-Home Dad was a better option for everyone.  My wife was and still is jealous about me being able to be home with the children.
With my newfound role and great support from my nearby Mother-In-Law who did childcare for us a couple times a week I was able to join Toastmasters and teach at a Coop Nursery School for both of our children.

I continue to teach bicycle education occasionally on the weekends and have just launched my first online "Teach your child to ride" a bike class for parents at www.mybikeskills.com.
More often I teach Vinyasa Flow yoga here in SF.  Currently I teach 3 classes each week at Yogaflowsf.com.  It fits in well with our family schedule and with Lola's (Grandma's) help I get to surf once a week.   Here's a video of me surfing, the act of which contains some of the most satisfying experiences in my life.   It combines challenge, learning, making decisions in the moment, exercise and develops my sense of humor.

Thus, I would like to welcome us both back to this blog.  We'll see WHAT... unfolds from here. 

In appreciation,
Jason

Ordinary survives

A very smart ally of mine recently suggested that I consider the idea that I am no different than anyone else. While this may seem somewhat obvious to some people on the surface, there's more for me in looking deeper at the idea that there is nothing uniquely special about me. Because I grew up without many role models that looked like me in the media and the fact that I wanted so badly to be like successful young (mainstream white) people I saw on the TV and in the schools growing up, I was initially resistant, thinking that I was something special was a survival strategy that served me well. The more I began to think about it and ponder over then next few weeks, the more it makes sense to me.

For a long time, there has been special merit or privilege given to those "special" people. In fact, most of the exploitation and mistreatment in the world by one group to another is based on the idea that the oppressing group is in some way more "special" and justified in taking the resources and or humanity of the other group. You can see this in the Catholic Church with the concept of "original sin." In short, everyone is born bad, but some people can do something about it, redeem themselves and then deserve everyone else's stuff, land, resources, or genetic potential.

Last week, it occurred to me that our whole economic system is based on the creation of this "specialness" or lack of it. Most advertising and or propaganda aimed at getting you to buy things is telling you that in order to be "special" and deserving of attention, love, rest, sex, a vacation, or whatever you are supposed to want in a given minute- you must have special things. Mark Twain said something to the effect of,"beware the pass time that requires you to have a whole new wardrobe. " Billions of dollars are spent each day to get you to think that ordinary is horrible in order to get you to buy stuff or act a certain way to get more resource directed your way.

And in school, no one around me told me to just get a "C" and call it good. Everything is based on competition and being above average, above ordinary. Where are the recycled T-shirts that proudly say "average" on the front?

In addition, I survived by making myself useful...

What happens if you are not useful?

What happens if you are not more deserving of riches than anyone else?

What happens if you are not demanding everyone around you reaffirm the idea that you are special on an ongoing basis every day? What if we didn't have to compete for limited resources among us- fighting over the crumbs thrown our way? What could we accomplish together if we were able to just show up and go from there?

I always hear the argument against socialism or anything vaguely different than our twisted version of capitalism (that doesn't count true costs), that there would be no incentive to excel if people had it too easy. I'm rethinking that. Besides, it seems to me that competition is based on rules that different sides agree upon. There's more cooperation in competition that is usually acknowledged.

Would we really just sit there and do nothing useful, nothing special if there was not an economic and or social pressure to compete with everyone around you? Maybe, I wouldn't make the ultra rich and miserable richer.... It's like the Jewish tradition of Shabbat. Just rest and reflect... that's different than the Israeli and US govt's tradition of waging war on people to destabilize the reason... that's another post.


Maybe....
I don't have the answer, just the question...

Back into the Mix

I've made it safely back and am now getting back into the fast paced rhythm of the SF Bay Area.
Thanks everyone for your cheers this summer.


Jason

Laguna and back

For the last part of my trip I went to visit my family in Laguna Province. It's was difficult. They were helpful in many way, in some other ways not so much. One of my relatives and her husband were intensely interested in trying to shame me for not being married at my age, then using deep Tagalog words to highlight my lack of understanding, then following that up with a declaration that it was such a shame that I was trying to learn Tagalog, but that I would never really be able to grasp it like a native speaker. It was one of those things that is so petty and irritating that you don't figure out how many things are messed up about the situation till after it's over. I replied to her that by that reasoning there was really no point in learning anything new and people just shouldn't bother trying. I didn't say much to her afterwards and eventually she left. I figured it was just a matter of privilage being reversed, and now having the upper hand over the privileged American she just couldn't contain her desire to put me in my place. This woman is a teacher also. It's pretty obvious how effective she is or at least the system she represents. That's not to say that it's worst than it is here in the US. More so I'm saying that it was messed up and I'm happy to wish them a good life from afar for all time.

The rest of my family helped me with trying to get to the cemetery and the grave of my great grandmother and other family members. My grandfather here in the US probably won't be able to visit his mother's grave before he leaves this world and I wanted to visit symbolically for him.

My other cousin during this time told me that the water was fine and commanded that I drink it. Her family that visits from far away never had any problems so she concluded that the deep well water was fine. I asked her if she was sure and she was. I made a huge mistake and trusted here. Really I should have taken the extra effort to defy her and buy my own water.

The next day the fever and aches began. I went to bed early and mostly didn't sleep all night. I didn't know what was going on, till I realized that my body was reacting to a systemic infection. I thought maybe it was Malaria, I thought a lot of things in my delirium. Then next day I told them I had a fever and my Aunt just tapped my forehead with her palm and said I didn't. My cousin who told me to drink the water told me I was just upset. I found that funny. I know what happens when I get upset and it looks a little different. It's true that I was very uncomfortable there. I lacked an appreciation for the food and I was far outside of what was normally used to. True, I had gotten the hang of using the tabo instead of toilet paper, but there was just something about the place my grandfather came from that sours me in my bones. I don't really know, but maybe it's just the amoeba. They gave me a couple pills, one for headache and 2 for upset stomach and I got on the jeepney and the bus. I bought some water. The bus ride was long, but the kung fu movie they showed made my day. Then the bus broke down. We waited for another. Then I was stuck sitting in the isle for another hour till I got to Manila. I took a taxi and got back to Ipat's house. They took one look at me a took my to the hospital. I had a 104 fever and some loose bowels. 3 hours later, one IV of dextrose, 2 blood tests and another sample later I had my 4 meds and was on my way back to Ipat's and recovery. I had one day to rest before the 22 hour journey back to the US. I sent my family in Laguna the news that I was recovering and suddenly they were worried about me. My cousin expressed concern and also blame at the same time. I just wasn't use to the water. Yes, I think that was a given.

People in positions of relative power not being accountable for their actions was a common experience in the Philippines for me this summer. I bet if the Catholic Church and the colonial powers had been able to say- hey, I'm wrong, sorry, my bad... then I think some people here might have an easier time being accountable to others. There is a legacy of a lack of accountability here, however I do have faith in the power of a positive example. As long as it starts somewhere, eventually it will grow.

Jason

Pashal tayo

Pashal Tayo,








let's go around!

Pumunta sa Lipa tapos bumisita Arayat, Pampanga. Nakita kay Ricky and ng magulang ni Ipat.
Bumisita din kay mga risirtsr sa mantika sa Mapua Institute of Technology. Ginagamit ng mantika para tumakbo mga sasakyan sa pulis sa Makati.





I went to Lipa after Arayat, Pampanga. I visited with Ricky and Ipat's parents. I also visited with researchers from Mapua Institute of Technology. The are using vegetable oil to run police cars in Makati.

Sa Pampanga!

Pahinga ako para dalawang araw dito sa bahay nila Alon, Ipat, at Howie sa Maynila. Mabuti para nakita sila!

May bagyo Julian, pero hindi masahdong makas. Ok lang ang mga daan para sa biahe sa Pampanga at ng bahay ni Tita Lina ko. Aalis mamaya.


I've rested here for 2 days at the house of Alon, Ipat and Howie in Manila. Good to see them!

There's a typhoon, Julian, but it's not very strong. The roads to Pampanga to see my Aunt Lina should be fine. I'm leaving soon.


Visiting with Edward from Manila Playback Theater. I put on a workshop with him and their crew here back in 2004.
Jason

Tapos na ako ng AFAP!!!!!!

Kauusapan ako sa mga direktor ng AFAP para exit interview.
Pagod na ako. May trabeho sa book pa, pero malapit na sa wakas sa programa. Mayroon kaming graduation bukas. ....

Ngayon pupunta kami sa palenke para bumili ng mga malong para pasalubong at baka mga tsinelas.

I just spoke with the directors of AFAP for my exit interview. I'm tired. There's still work to do with the book, but the end of the program in close. We have graduation tomorrow.

Now we are going to the market to buy malongs for gifts for folks back home and maybe some sandals.

Ingat!!!!

Take Care!!

jason