Tatlong linggo pagkatapos nang kami! May 60% score ko sa examen itong linggo. Noon linggo, may 33% lang. Conte conte lang! Pagod na ngayon. Mayamang gabi nanaood kami ang cine sa Will Smith. Umpisa kami ang weekend! Pahinga tayo sa Sabado.
Jason
We finished our third week! I got a 60% score on this weeks test. Last week it was 33%. Little by little! I'm tired now. Later tonight we're going to see a Will Smith movie. The weekend has begun! Rest this Saturday for all!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Intention
Intention
7/2 and 7/3 2008
I was interviewed today for an article on AFAP in the Manila Times Newspaper. Due out on 7/4/2008.
The reporter asked why I wanted to learn Tagalog or Filipino. I answered the best I could but I would have loved to be able to elaborate. By all measures, I shouldn’t be speaking Tagalog or Filipino at all. The use of other languages is actively discouraged in the US. It’s not that people don’t persist and keep their language, they do despite it all, but the main message is consistently speak “English” now, you’re in “America”. My Dad who was thrown into an unfriendly world here at 7 years old had to do it. Now he understands some, but bursts out into laughter whenever he tries to speak. That’s another story. But, suffice to say that my culture actively discourages speaking other languages in generals and especially in schools. That’s another story.
Back to intention. I think that we all start out with some tools and information from our families of origin and their collective experience over time. Some things we do and we don’t know why we do them. Many times it’s a product of what worked in the past for either ourselves or our family members. We learn habits. We also are in an society that values profit over people and seeks to maintain that idea with a logic of it’s own. Does anyone really say outright that they want other peoples lives to be more difficult? Not usually, but so many of us in the US want our retirement plans to mature, develop, and support us in our old age. We have money invested with companies and have given them permission to make money at all costs. That’s our agreement and even if that means mistreating people that get in the way of that goal here or overseas, that’s the goal. If you lost your job because the factory moved overseas or you had money stolen from you from a company’s policies, or if you loved one died in a hospital where they were short staffed of care, although making record profits,…. It’s all connected in the idea of profit over people. I hear a lot of people angry at our President and frustrated by the suffering he has help create, exacerbate and promote worldwide for US economic interests. And that’s valid beyond measure. What I don’t hear people talking or thinking more about is the system that he is serving and that we all participate in on a daily basis. If we can prioritize different things, like people, like our futures, like the beauty in our lives, and especially in the US, the idea of “how much is really enough to have a satisfied life” then I think that will lead to better world for everyone.
Yes, I will have to change my behavior. Move closer to work, create work closer to home…. And many more things. Not flying, not driving as much or at all, but don’t you think that we’ll have to do that anyway eventually.
Working for positive change in your own life is preparation for a realistic future. Like training for a race or studying for a test, would you want to be prepared for a challenge ahead and potentially help to shape the future or unprepared when the time comes to deal with reality (or at least your illusion bursting).
So, I shouldn’t be speaking Filipino, but I want that for myself. For many reasons, again another story, but with using my intention I have the opportunity to reshape my habits, my skills, even my brain (see brain plasticity article last month). And if I can reshape myself, which I am, I can reshape the way I move through the world and my interactions with others, the way we spend our time, and what we focus on and prioritize. And that shapes the world.
7/2 and 7/3 2008
I was interviewed today for an article on AFAP in the Manila Times Newspaper. Due out on 7/4/2008.
The reporter asked why I wanted to learn Tagalog or Filipino. I answered the best I could but I would have loved to be able to elaborate. By all measures, I shouldn’t be speaking Tagalog or Filipino at all. The use of other languages is actively discouraged in the US. It’s not that people don’t persist and keep their language, they do despite it all, but the main message is consistently speak “English” now, you’re in “America”. My Dad who was thrown into an unfriendly world here at 7 years old had to do it. Now he understands some, but bursts out into laughter whenever he tries to speak. That’s another story. But, suffice to say that my culture actively discourages speaking other languages in generals and especially in schools. That’s another story.
Back to intention. I think that we all start out with some tools and information from our families of origin and their collective experience over time. Some things we do and we don’t know why we do them. Many times it’s a product of what worked in the past for either ourselves or our family members. We learn habits. We also are in an society that values profit over people and seeks to maintain that idea with a logic of it’s own. Does anyone really say outright that they want other peoples lives to be more difficult? Not usually, but so many of us in the US want our retirement plans to mature, develop, and support us in our old age. We have money invested with companies and have given them permission to make money at all costs. That’s our agreement and even if that means mistreating people that get in the way of that goal here or overseas, that’s the goal. If you lost your job because the factory moved overseas or you had money stolen from you from a company’s policies, or if you loved one died in a hospital where they were short staffed of care, although making record profits,…. It’s all connected in the idea of profit over people. I hear a lot of people angry at our President and frustrated by the suffering he has help create, exacerbate and promote worldwide for US economic interests. And that’s valid beyond measure. What I don’t hear people talking or thinking more about is the system that he is serving and that we all participate in on a daily basis. If we can prioritize different things, like people, like our futures, like the beauty in our lives, and especially in the US, the idea of “how much is really enough to have a satisfied life” then I think that will lead to better world for everyone.
Yes, I will have to change my behavior. Move closer to work, create work closer to home…. And many more things. Not flying, not driving as much or at all, but don’t you think that we’ll have to do that anyway eventually.
Working for positive change in your own life is preparation for a realistic future. Like training for a race or studying for a test, would you want to be prepared for a challenge ahead and potentially help to shape the future or unprepared when the time comes to deal with reality (or at least your illusion bursting).
So, I shouldn’t be speaking Filipino, but I want that for myself. For many reasons, again another story, but with using my intention I have the opportunity to reshape my habits, my skills, even my brain (see brain plasticity article last month). And if I can reshape myself, which I am, I can reshape the way I move through the world and my interactions with others, the way we spend our time, and what we focus on and prioritize. And that shapes the world.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Aking Karawan, My Birthday
Humihinga Pa! Umpisa ang tatlong linggo sa itong AFAP programa ngayon. Conte conte ang buhay dito ay conte mabilis. Tuwing Lunes mayroon ang pagsusuli. Noon lingo ay machadong mahirap. Kanina umaga ang pagsusuli ay conte mabalis.
I'm still breathing. I began my third week of this AFAP program today. Little by little life here is slightly easier. Each Monday there is a test. This morning it was slightly easier.
Here are some photos from my birthday.
There was dinner, videoke, a trip to Manila for a massage and manicure/pedicure (my first manicure)... a fish market where we bought fish and took it to a restaurant where they cooked it for us. Thanks to my classmates for buying the massage for me.
Afterwards we visted the Mall of Asia before going home. The Jeepney terminal is pictured above.
more later.
jason
Monday, June 23, 2008
Utak na prito (fried brain)
Today... my brain was fried from trying to understand a movie about the parallels of Philippines Literature and History in it's different forms from precolonial till present time. Napaka malalim and I didn't understand a word of it during the 35 minutes we watched. At least I could see the pictures, but the rest was beyond me. A difficult lesson and one that I felt more despair over that usual. Before that we had our weekly test and 1/2 of it was far beyond me. People keep telling me to let the Tagalog flow out, but it's not in there in the first place. My brain is fried.
I'm sad, I'm frustrated, I need to do my regular crying thing... overwhelmed temporarily, I'm so happy to just rest and write in English- it's my revenge for the challenges of the day. I'm not sure it's helpful to think of it that way, but I'm just done for a while. Rest time for now. I'm just glad to be back in my room, done with dinner conversation, done for while with everything. There were no other students on campus, just us. The storm (Hurricane Frank)blew down a great deal of debris from trees and covered all the walkways. The many workers there worked hard all day and it was looking very clean at the end of the day. After class and lunch we switched to a different NGO. This one is the juvenile hall unit for elementary and middle school street children. We sang songs and played basketball with the younger ones. There was no hoop there, so Charity, who is leading most all of the activities there bought one and Ed, also part of our group, just holds it up during the game. The kids have scabies and other skin ailments. We disinfect with hand sanitizer after any contact with them, but I wonder if that is enough. Afterward, we sang songs and did some journal writing with the older youth. Tough tough lives.
After that we decided to join staff from the community NGO to help distribute government food rations to people affected by the big storm. We passes out about 200 rations, but of course ran short. I just got bit by an mosquitoes on my feet while typing. Eventually we made it back to the classrooms and our teacher gave us an impromptu head start on tomorrows lecture, which seemed like another lecture in and of itself. My headache was in affect by then. I get them usually from being out in the sun without my sunglasses, which I was today. They last about 4 hours. I still have it.
We have journals that we write in and I wrote about the challenges. My teacher is sympathizing with me, but also clearly showing where she can't handle my frustration or struggle.
I got a text message earlier in the day that the news team will not have the beauty queen host, but the writer, cameraman...and instead of coming tomorrow, they are coming instead on Weds at 12:30pm to interview me about the use of waste vegetable oil in diesel motors. It's the project that I initiated here, mentioned earlier in the blog. I had to give their names to our program staff so they can be allowed on campus to interview me.
Writing is such good decompression.
After a Jeepney and Tricycle ride, I am back with my host family, done with another great dinner and now in my room. My host Mom said that I was looking handsome, part of that was about me gaining weight and looking healthy. I'm definitely well fed here.
Now, just tired and itchy on my ankles, now covered in socks.
Some people in our group are going to Tagaytay tonight to drink (coffee they said, but I think more will be involved) and do videoke. Everyone else has so much more Tagalog in their backgrounds, minds and systems. I'm going to rest some and study some and then sleep. Also, I need every brain cell. I can't afford to be killing them with alcohol.
Yesterday I covered almost the first 60 pages of my grammar book, review and new stuff.
It's a challenge to keep defining success by my own measures when I'm being evaluated by theirs. I'm already getting a great deal out of the experience and I'm speaking with more and more confidence each day. I made it this far and it's not like they are going to send me home for not being at the same level as everyone else. I did have that fear the first day. This is a good chance to repattern my study habits and fully apply myself at learning and resting and going after my dream of Filipino fluency. It the chance to keep reaching for a bigger mind. All of the concepts from Brain Plasticity and thoughts around rewarding effort vs. success come to mine. See earlier blog from 2 months back.
J
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Isang Linggo (1 week)
I’ve completed one week of immersion study. I am getting more comfortable with the immersion process and also adjusting to life here. I think that riding on the back seat of a motorcycle/tricycle as we navigate thorough between Jeepenys, busses, people, and other tricycles is fun. I look forward to filming a segment and posting it later. There’s a big storm here now. It’s Sunday and one of the first free days we’ve had )to study). This trip is affording me the opportunity to rewrite and improve so many of my habits around school and study. I making the most of this opportunity by really letting myself fully pursue my goal of increased fluency. My host family is amazing. Papajack is the father and does most of the cooking. It’s so good. We joke about him doing a cookbook and take picture of the food. If there’s energy, I’d like to collect some recipes and learn to cook some dishes.
What else? Oh, another interview with the newstation GMA 7 next week. Ricky is bringing the host- Miriam Quiambao, (Former Miss Philippines 1999) here to where I am for the interview. She has a show on GMA 7 and we should be able to explain more of the social and environmental possibilities of our project. Babalik ako sa nagaaral ngayon. Back to studying now for me.
Jason
What else? Oh, another interview with the newstation GMA 7 next week. Ricky is bringing the host- Miriam Quiambao, (Former Miss Philippines 1999) here to where I am for the interview. She has a show on GMA 7 and we should be able to explain more of the social and environmental possibilities of our project. Babalik ako sa nagaaral ngayon. Back to studying now for me.
Jason
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Pinoy Aboard Veggie Car story GMA 7 - Manila
We got in the TV news. Ricky and the folks at Gammad Auto in Lipa City were interviewed for a story that fell far short of our hopes. Here is the print article. There is nothing of the social or environmental implications of our work. Oh, well, conte conte lang. Little by little.
Another reminder to me that revolutions are not built by waiting for mainstream news teams to think your idea is timely or important. They'll catch on eventually later when things have built more. Now, we need to work out supply issues and get people who are reselling oil as carcinogenic cooking oil to sell it to Jeepeny Drivers instead where it is much less carcinogenic.
In other news, the SF Municipal Transporation Agency surveyed a 30% increase in the number of people biking to work since 1 year ago! That's just beautiful! Read the Reuters story here.
Bikes outnumbered cars on Market street earlier this week! Wow!
Time to get back to rest, chill and drill, that's my mantra. I am far behind everyone else in my language program, but I just keep saying to myself that this is fun, this is cool, and getting more used to the absolute discomfort of learning so much all at once.
Jason
Another reminder to me that revolutions are not built by waiting for mainstream news teams to think your idea is timely or important. They'll catch on eventually later when things have built more. Now, we need to work out supply issues and get people who are reselling oil as carcinogenic cooking oil to sell it to Jeepeny Drivers instead where it is much less carcinogenic.
In other news, the SF Municipal Transporation Agency surveyed a 30% increase in the number of people biking to work since 1 year ago! That's just beautiful! Read the Reuters story here.
Bikes outnumbered cars on Market street earlier this week! Wow!
Time to get back to rest, chill and drill, that's my mantra. I am far behind everyone else in my language program, but I just keep saying to myself that this is fun, this is cool, and getting more used to the absolute discomfort of learning so much all at once.
Jason
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Dito sa Filipinas
Dito ako sa Filipinas. May isang araw sa mga pagsasanay sa Tagalog. Hindi ko alam sa "immersion" ako o sa "drowing" ako. Oo, mahirap ang wika, pero humihinga pa ako.
Babalik sa study ngayon.
At din, may newstory sa GMA & dito sa Ricky sa Pusod. Nagconvert kami ng sasakayan siya sa maneka para tumakbo ang motor noong meirkoles. Manood ang newstory sa isang ora sa TV.
Jason
I'm here in the Philippines. I had my first day of Tagalog studies today. I don't know if it's immersion or drowning. Yes, the language is difficult, but I am still breathing.
And also, there was a new story about Ricky at Pusod. We converted his truck to run on vegetable oil last Weds. I'll watch the story in an hour.
Jason
Babalik sa study ngayon.
At din, may newstory sa GMA & dito sa Ricky sa Pusod. Nagconvert kami ng sasakayan siya sa maneka para tumakbo ang motor noong meirkoles. Manood ang newstory sa isang ora sa TV.
Jason
I'm here in the Philippines. I had my first day of Tagalog studies today. I don't know if it's immersion or drowning. Yes, the language is difficult, but I am still breathing.
And also, there was a new story about Ricky at Pusod. We converted his truck to run on vegetable oil last Weds. I'll watch the story in an hour.
Jason
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