One Last Trip

My time here in the Philippines is coming to a close, so with our remaining time, we decided to plan one last trip. This time we chose the region of Palawan as our destination. Throughout our time in the field, team members continuously raved about the beautiful beaches, island hopping, and the underground cave. Some of the other Freeman interns were also planning trips to Palawan, so we asked them for help when booking tours. Once again, we waited until the last minute to plan everything, but somehow everything worked out. Because of this we couldn’t do the same tour as the other interns, but we made plans to meet up for dinner.

Our first day was a lot longer than I expected. Starting with a 7:00 am flight, we left our condo around 4:30 am. Based on our recent experience rushing though the airport, we didn’t want to be in a rush. Once there, security and check in were pretty easy and we extra time to relax before boarding. The flight was pretty smooth and uneventful. Our first issue arose when we arrived in Puerto Princesa and started looking for a Grab. We quickly learned there were no Grabs available in this region, so our best bet was a taxi or tricycle to get to the bus station. Luckily, we found a taxi that was willing to take us and stopped for breakfast along the way. Our bus was set to take us on a six hour bus ride to El Nido, which is known for its beaches and island hopping. Thankfully our bus had AC and made some stops along the way for lunch. When we arrived, we struggled to find our hotel because it wasn’t on the main roads but eventually made it. I noticed almost immediately, that El Nido had so many tourist from all around the world. It was pretty cool to hear all the different accents and languages while walking down the street. Our first night ended with dinner on the beach and preparations for our island hopping tour the next day.

Day two had another early wake up call, but this time we were excited to get going. Our tour guide met us at our hotel and took us down to the dock. There we learned our original tour package wasn’t available due to the weather, so a slightly altered one was arranged. We boarded our boat and met some of the other passengers. There were groups from the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and more. When we set sail, the weather wasn’t ideal. There was some light rain and the winds were pretty strong. The ride itself was pretty cold because of this but we were trying to stay excited for the first stop at the Blue Lagoon. When we arrived, we hoped right into kayaks and began exploring. Kate and I did pretty well navigating the choppy waters, and thankfully we didn’t tip the boat. Next, we headed to an area for snorkeling. It was pretty cool because we could swim pretty far, but I think the coral in Cebu was prettier. After this, we stopped near the Hidden Beach for lunch on the water. The fresh fruit was my favorite part. I think combined the four of us ate at least fifteen bananas. Our final stop of the tour was at Seven Commandos Beach. The white sand was so soft and the water was so blue. I think it was the most beautiful beach I’ve seen since being in the Philippines. On the island, they made the best mango shakes I’ve ever had. I was tempted to keep ordering them, but only got one. At this point in the day, the weather had cleared up, so we got to enjoy some sun before we headed back to the main island.

            When we got back from island hopping, we stopped for dinner a vegan restaurant called Taste. If you’re ever in El Nido, I would highly recommend. Their smoothie bowls were so cute and so delicious. Then we headed back to the bus station for our ride back to Puerto Princesa. I really wish we could’ve spent more time in El Nido exploring all the wonderful islands. The ride back to Puerto Princesa was a little rough. The winding roads were pretty scary at night, but we made it back at around 1 am. Because there were no taxis in sight, we took a tricycle to our hotel. We got a little lost along the way but eventually made it.

The best smoothie bowls I’ve ever had

Our second day consisted of a tour of the underground cave. The cave we would be seeing is considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Again, our tour guide picked us up at our hotel and we met our fellow passengers. This time the group consisted of a Korean family, a South African woman, and a fellow American from California. Our guide was really energetic and shared little tidbits about the area and its history on our drive to the caves. Once at the dock, we were spilt into smaller groups because the boats couldn’t us all. The four of us would be with the South African woman and the American man. We later learned that these two had met each other while traveling through Thailand, and now met up regularly at new destinations around the world. They were both pretty cool. The ride to the caves was nice and smooth. The island “dock” area was pretty much just a beach and you had to hope off the boat into the shallow water to get off. The cave tour started with a short walk through the jungle and then a quick briefing on safety within the caves. Then we boarded a small paddle boat and set off towards the cave entrance. Because talking should be limited while in the cave, we were given headsets that narrated our tour. The cave itself was like nothing I had ever seen before. The rock formations and the vastness of it are almost indescribable. I definitely understand why it’s considered a natural wonder. The boat ride back to the main island was a lot more eventful than we anticipated. First, we got stranded on the island for about an hour and a half because the weather took a turn for the worst. While walking to one of the huts on the island, a nearly missed getting hit by a falling branch. A heavy rain storm had cause the water to get really choppy. When finally boarded the boat back, the waves were at least 10 feet tall. A few times my stomach dropped as we went over them, but thankfully we made it back safe and sound.

Our final day in Puerto Princesa was spent exploring the city with a half day tour. We traveled to a crocodile conservatory which housed a mixed of baby and full-grown crocodiles. We learned that some of them had been captured in the wild due to their dangerous behavior, while others had grown up in captivity. Then we traveled to Baker’s Hill for a snack and some picture taking before ending the day at a few historical sights. Once again, this last minute trip was well worth the stress of planning it. I feel so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to explore this beautiful country a little more.

A perfect ending to my time in the field!

The teams celebrating Kate’s birthday!

After getting back from Cebu, we packed up once again and headed back to Ilocos Norte for our final field immersion. Instead of taking a 10 hour bus ride up the coast, we opted for the 1 hour plane ride to Laoag City. Getting to the airport was a lot more stressful than the last few times. When booking our Grab to the airport, we didn’t take into account how bad traffic would be on a Tuesday morning in Metro Manila. It took nearly an hour to book a car and about 45 minutes to get to the airport. We didn’t anticipate this drastic delay, so we were pretty frantic when we got to check-in and security. Thankfully, we made it with just enough time to board our plane. In the future, I think we’ll leave a little earlier to avoid all the stress. 

Our first exciting event of the past few weeks was Kate’s surprise birthday party! After mentioning her wish to have a Jollibee party, Ma’am JJ worked her magic and made it happen. We arrived thinking we were just grabbing a quick bite to eat but walked into a room full of our previous team members! It was so nice to see everyone again and catch up. We played games, danced, eat too much cake, and ended our night with a jeepney ride to our first barangay, Gabu Norte.

For this field immersion, we switched partners once again. I worked with Kate for the next few weeks. We were also reunited with my first sub-team. This week’s accommodations were unlike any we’d ever experienced. One of the municipal leaders was staying in Hawaii, so he let us stay in his empty mansion. We were definitely not expecting this. It was so nice having a real shower while in the field, and I appreciated every second of it. One night after data collection the team members asked what foods we had encountered throughout our time in the Philippines. It turned out, that I was the only inter that had yet to try balut. For those that don’t know bault is a fertilized duck embryo that is typically eaten with salt and vinegar. Balut was also a challenge on the show “Fear Factor,” so I was pretty scared to try it. It wasn’t as bad as thought it would be, and I finished the whole thing! To be honest, it tasted like a hard-boiled egg but was oddly crunchy. After this eventful dinner, the team began preparations to head to our next barangay and sub-team.

The view from our barangay hall

After our time with Sir Lyle and Ma’am Tess’ team we transferred to Piddig with Ma’am Reina and Sir Allain. Kate had worked with this team previously and had only positive things to say. Piddig was a pretty rural and our barangay hall was located in the middle of a rice field. Our time spent with this team was fun from the start! Within hours of our arrival Kate and I were taking part in high stakes Uno games with the team members. The loser had to eat a “BeanBoozled” jelly bean. Kuya Jayzon lost and ended up getting something rotten. After this we headed out to the field to locate respondents. While working with Ate Rai and Ate Rose, I attempted to conduct interviews with the respondents. It was a little difficult because of the language barrier caused by the Ilocano dialogue, but all the respondents were very patient with me. Ma’am Reina cooked for us while we stayed with the team. Everything she made was masarap (delicious) but my favorite dish was a pancit, which is a noodle dish. The team also had lots of tasty treats, like Banana Splits. This team was so kind and truly welcomed us. I really appreciated their willingness to let us help with data collection and including us with all their plans. On our last day with this sub-team we headed to a sunflower farm. One of the government officials invited us for a tour of the area. At the farm, they grow a variety of flowers and coffee.

Touring the sunflower farm

Next, Kate and I traveled to Laoag City to spend some time with Sir Mac and Ma’am Jen’s sub-team. At this location, we met up with Mimi and Kenzie once again because a few excursions were planned for us. The local officials in this area prepared a day trip to Pagudpud for us and the team. The beach at Pagudpud was one of the prettiest places I have ever been. The soft white sand and clear blue waters breathtaking. Once we arrived, I was surprised to find my favorite dessert waiting for me. Ate Russ and I ran to the ice scramble cart and both order the biggest size they had. I have no regrets about this. After this, our day was spent relaxing, swimming, eating, and banana boating. I’ve been banana boating before but this time it was a little more intense than what I’m used to. Our driver went so fast that the boat was almost vertical at some points. Surprisingly none us fell off.

There’s nothing better than ice scramble at the beach!

Ready for banana boating!

Once we were finished with the beach, we headed to see the Bangui windmills. This is a defining feature of this region. Under the windmills we stumbled onto the white rocks next to the ocean. This area was so beautiful that it looked photo shopped. One thing I will definitely take away from my time in the Philippines is a better appreciation for nature’s beauty. I was lucky enough to experience so many different natural wonders throughout my time here and feel so blessed to have done so.

Windmills and white rocks!

After a nearly perfect day, we were headed back out into the field. For our final team, the NAMD interns would be split up once again. Kate and I headed to the barangay of Nalvo with Ma’am Kenneth and her team. This field immersion was unlike any I had before. Ma’am Kenneth knew Kate and I had been exposed to all the aspects of data collection by the time we were with her team. Because of this, she planned a few activities for us in the hopes of increasing our understanding of Filipino culture. On our first day, she took us to a salt processing plant. Here we saw how the seawater is boiled using rice husks and then processed for sale. This is a big source of industry in this barangay due to its proximity to the water. Next, we headed to a breeding facility to learn about livestock production in the region. We toured the facility and got to spend some time in the lab. Their facility manager shared the process of breeding native species with foreign ones. I found this especially interesting because it related to some of the courses I have taken at IWU. One of the most memorable experiences from my time with Ma’am Kenneth was learning how to wash clothes by hand. She attempted to teach Kate and I this Filipino cultural staple. She told us that almost every Filipino masters this chore while growing up. Kate and I tried our best, but we will definitely need a lot more practice. Ma’am Kenneth was very patient with us though and happily explained and demonstrated the process multiple times. Before leaving this barangay, one of our local aids pulled Kate and I aside for a quick chat. After thanking us for spending time in her home, she gave us both homemade pillows and a poem as souvenirs of our time spent in Nalvo. I was not expecting this and was moved by this gesture.

Ma’am Kenneth teaching Kate and I how to wash clothes by hand.

My final team with some of our local aids!

Our field immersion wrapped up with a despedida, which is basically a going away party with the almost every sub-team we worked with throughout the summer. The festivities were well planned and started with a feast! We had lechon, which is a Filipino delicacy of roasted pig and various side dishes. The pork was delicious and I enjoyed seeing everyone again. After lunch, we played some interesting and mildly dangerous games with the teams. Everyone got pretty competitive and that made it even more fun. The party ended with well wishes and karaoke. I was touched to hear all the kind words from the team members. One of our team members, Ma’am Jen, even got Ilocos Norte patches made for us. Each of them have impacted my life in ways, I did not think possible at the beginning of this journey.

Lechón feast!

The inters with Ma’am Reina and Sir Alain’s team!

Game time!

Sad to be leaving this wonderful place

Spontaneous Weekend Trips

Because we had a few days off, we decided to plan a quick weekend trip to Cebu to celebrate Kate’s birthday on July 16th. After frantically researching flights and tour packages with the help of our team members, we booked everything three days before we left.

Fire dancers at Happy Beach!

Once we got back to Bicutan from Marikina we had a few chores to complete before heading off. We dropped off our laundry and headed to the mall to pick up dinner. Once we got home, we hurried to pack and then headed back to the airport. Our flight left at about midnight, so check in and security were pretty easy. The flight was only an hour long and it wasn’t too bad. When we landed, we struggled to find a taxi to take us to our hotel but eventually got one. The hotel was about an hour away, and I definitely fell asleep in the taxi.

Our first day in Cebu was designated as a beach day. We hadn’t done a ton of research but headed to a beach about an hour away for the day. Unfortunately, that one was booked for a private event, so we hastily found another, called Happy Beach. This was marketed as a millennial’s paradise, and I would say that that was true. Basically, everything in sight was pink, including the pool! I loved it! We spent a relaxing day there reading by the water before heading back to our hotel for some much needed rest.

Our second day was pretty busy because we booked an adventure tour. We were up and ready to go at 4:00 AM. After about a three hour drive, we arrived at the dock. The first half of the day would be spent mainly in the water. Our driver dropped us off and we boarded our boat. We headed towards Pescador Island to snorkel with the fishes. The water was so blue and clear that you could basically see the coral at the bottom. Then we sailed to a near by spot to witness the sardines run. I didn’t really know what this entailed before seeing it, but it was incredible. To be honest, it was like Finding Nemo had come to life! The final stop on our boat tour was sea turtle watching. Again, this experience is a little hard to describe because of how beautiful it was. The turtles were a lot bigger than I was expecting. After the morning tour, we met up with our driver and headed towards Kawasan Waterall for our canyoneering experience. For those that don’t know canyoneering is basically jumping, swimming, and climbing through a canyon. The scariest part was the 45 ft jump into the water! It was terrifying but amazing!

Our final day in Cebu was a city tour. One of our team members, Jave, sent us a very well organized itinerary. It even had amazing restaurant recommendations and places to stop to buy souvenirs. We started the day with a delicious breakfast at Yolk Mabolo then headed to the Taoist Temple. Although I do not know a lot about the religion, I could certainly appreciate the beauty of it. Each section of the temple was more beautiful than the last and the views of the city were breathtaking.

We struggled to find a ride to our next stop because it was so high up in the mountains. After a few unsuccessful negotiations with taxi drivers, we finally found one that agreed to be our driver for the rest of the day. Once that mess was sorted out, we headed to the Temple of Leah. This “temple” was a lot different than the last. The Temple of Leah was constructed as a gift for its namesake from a loving husband. It was full of different artifacts and collectables that Leah had acquired throughout her travels. After taking a few too many pictures here, we headed to the Sirao Flower Garden. Supposedly, the locals call this “Little Amsterdam” but I’m not sure this is fitting. While they do have some windmills, I would say the nickname is a bit of the stretch. Aside from that, the gardens were unlike anything I had seen before. They were nestled into the mountains with complex designs that created beautiful pictures.

After this, we headed back to the hotel to pick up our luggage on the way to the airport. Although we didn’t get to spend as much time in Cebu as we would have liked, I would consider this weekend a major success!

Melting in Markina

This week’s field immersion was in Marikina. Marikina is located in the capital region of Manila. It’s about an hour from Bicutan, which is where I have been staying while in Manila. Being in Marikina was definitely a change in pace. The streets were always filled with people, carts, dogs, and motorbikes zipping around.

            For this immersion, we decided to switch partners. I would be working with Mimi while Kenzie would be working with Kate. During the first half of the week our two sub-teams were combined and staying at the same place. We stayed at a Co-op that was very accommodating. The place was huge and had a gym that we had access to. After data collection, a lot of badminton was played. Because we stayed at the Co-op, we did not have access to a full kitchen like we normally do in the field. Instead of cooking most of our meals, we ate out a lot. I kind of liked this change because I was craving something a little different than rice and pork. We also tried some of the local eateries. These are basically little shops set up along the street, that serve home cooked, authentic Filipino foods.

Badminton got very competitive!

            The actual field work was pretty similar to the providences, but the respondents were a little different than the ones encountered in Benguet. In the more urbanized areas, it seemed that the respondents were less willing to participate in the survey. The attitude was the exact opposite of this in the more rural regions I visited. Many of our potential respondents declined to participate in the survey or only agreed to certain aspects. For example, while attempting to locate one of the households to be covered, a local woman would not help us find the address and kept leading us the wrong way. However, those that were willing to participate in the survey were very kind and hospitable. While locating houses, I was fascinated to see how many people can live within such a small area. Some of the houses seemed to be literally stacked on top of each other. I don’t think I ever seen anything like it before.

            For the second half of the week, our two sub-teams split up and headed to different barangays. Mimi and I headed to Jesus De La Pena. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay at the barangay hall because it was under construction. Instead, we stayed a little further away at multipurpose building. Unfortunately, there was no air conditioning so we sweat A LOT! Other than that though the space was quite nice and the team made us feel right at home!

Practicing taking blood pressure!

On our first day, I helped locate some of the households of our respondents. When a household is located, a short interview takes places. During this interview basic demographic information of the family is collected. This helps the researchers better categorize the respondents and the data being collected. Unfortunately, we had some issues locating our respondents. Some were either not home or were unwilling to participate.

An early celebration for Kate’s birthday!

The next morning my day started bright at early at 4:00 AM. This is a typical wake up call for the team members while in urbanized areas. Because the respondents must head off to work or school quite early, the team members must conduct their portion of the survey before this time. Our first family came to the health clinic for anthropometric and biochemical components at approximately 5:00 AM. Anthropometric component include height, weight, hip, waist, and middle upper arm circumference measurements. The biochemical component includes a blood draw and collection of a urine sample to test for micronutrient deficiencies and more. Then because of the nature of city respondents, our next two families did not show up. After contacting them, they said something had come up. I’m not sure if I believe this…

Some of our sub-team with the largest shoe in the Philippines!

            Our team members also managed to arrange a small city tour before we left! Marikina is the shoe capital of the Philippines, so naturally we had to do some shopping. We headed to the Shoe Museum. It has the largest shoe in the Philippines. I tried to take some funny pictures with it, but I’m not sure if it worked out. The museum also houses a portion of the former first lady’s shoe collection. At one point, she had over 3,000 pairs of shoes. After our visit we headed back to Bicutan to get ready for Cebu!

FNRI Seminar Series!

All the Illinois Wesleyan FNRI interns at the Seminar Series!

Once again, here is another post that is a little late due to lack of service. I never realized how much I take WiFi for granted until now. Anyway during the week of July 1st, I attended the Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s annual Seminar Series with my fellow IWU interns. This was the 45^th annual Seminar Series! This event aims to highlight breakthroughs in nutrition research and give those interested the opportunity to educate themselves on the changing nutritional status of Filipinos. The event had a large range of attendees including barangay health workers, nutritionists, entrepreneurs, marketing experts, media personalities, and more.

The NAMD interns with Ma’am Chona!

Ma’am Chona is one of our supervisor. She helps ensure our deployments in the field are well coordinated and successful! She is kind of like one of our second moms here. During the Seminar Series she presented some her research based on the findings of the National Nutrition Survey. She explored a variety of topics. One of these was the connection between neck circumference and hypertension among the Filipino population. Of all the presentations, I attended throughout this event, this was one of my favorites. It was cool to see the data that we are helping collect applied in relevant research.

All of the IWU interns were invited to the Stakeholder’s Dinner following the Seminar Series. It was surprisingly fun! I thought it would be extremely ceremonial and tedious but everyone had a great time. I was surprised to see Tito Mon there! He sat with us during dinner, and I enjoyed catching up with him. It was interesting to hear from the various partners of FNRI. The organization has partnerships across almost every sector and each has the same goal; to improve the nutritional status of the Filipino population. I especially enjoyed hearing from one entrepreneur who partnered with FRNI after witnessing the devastating effects of malnutrition first hand. While working in the field, she met with a family that had lost one of their children to malnutrition. She also met a family in the same region, with seven kids. Of these seven, only one boy had enough energy to make it to school due to their lack of food. Malnutrition and food insecurity can have a devastating effect on a family and community. The work that FNRI does has a great impact on reducing this.

After dinner, the party got started. Everyone in the room was dancing and singing along with the live music. Someone even taught me a little ballroom dancing, but I wasn’t very good at it. We were basically tricked into Zumba dancing for about two hours to live music. I really enjoyed the event, and it was clear why everyone works so hard at FNRI.

Baguio, Beaches, and Blood Pressure

Sorry for the delay in posting…I have been in the field for most of my time here and haven’t had as much access to WiFi as I thought I would. That being said, here’s a slightly dated blog entry from June.

I just finished my second week in the week in the field, and it was just as eventful as the first. The summer really seems to be flying by. After surviving Mount Pulag, we headed back to the twin cities of La Trinidad and Baguio to meet our next sub-team. I was a little sad to leave our first team because they started to feel like a little family away from home.

The area was a lot different than the other barangays we had just experienced. It was like a small city that was a lot more urban. Unfortunately, our second sub-team didn’t have a lot of households to visit, so we did not spend a ton of time out in the field. Many of their designated households declined the survey due to busy work schedules that could not be changed. We did get to explore the city more with this additional free time though.

Our first stop was at Tam-Awan Village: Garden in the Sky. This place was a cool mix of a garden and an art gallery. The galleries had a mix of modern and traditional pieces of artwork scattered throughout the garden. There were so many areas to explore. I spent too much time wondering throughout all the areas and in the gift shop. Our second stop was at the Dominican Hill and Retreat House. This abandoned hotel is supposedly haunted and did feel a little spooky. The building itself has served a variety of purposes throughout the past. At one point, it was a seminary for the Catholic Church. We headed to the Botanical Gardens next and had an interesting experience. When we arrived, a few locals approached us asking to take pictures. After the pictures were taken they asked for 50 pesos from each of us! We’d been scammed but at least the pictures came out ok. Rainy season is no joke. Within 15 minutes of our arrival, we got caught in a huge downpour. Our final stop of the day was at my favorite place in the world…SM! We explored the new mall and tried some local strawberry shortcake. I would highly recommend it if you’re in the area.

Ice Scramble aka my new obsession here in Ilocos Norte! Masarap (delicious)!

After we explored the city, we headed to another providence called Ilocos Norte to met our new sub-team. This area was drastically different. For starters, it was so much hotter than Benguet, but the tradeoff was the beaches. Again, our team stayed in the municipal hall. Thankfully this one was only a 5 minute walk from the beach! On our first day there, Kenzie and I convinced the team to go for a swim. The water was so warm and the waves weren’t too bad.

My new team had so much energy! It was clear that Sir Arvin and Ma’am Jen loved to have fun with their team. For the field work, I got paired with Ate Jen. She was amazing and really helped me out. When we went out to the houses she taught me how to weigh food and better explained the interview portion of the survey. Another day in the field she arranged for me to help some of the researchers with the anthropometric data. This meant I got to take height and weight of the respondents. I also practiced taking blood pressure but was too scared to actually try it on a respondent. I was convinced I would mess up the data. My team was so inclusive and willing to help me learn! I really appreciate all the patience they had with me while I was still figuring things out.

A traditional Filipino spread served on banana leaves.

My week ended with a celebration of Jersy. She was a member of my latest sub-team but would be leaving the field. Because of this, Sir Arvin and Kuya Mike prepared an amazing over the top feast as a final send off to her. The team seemed really sad to see her go. They are like a little family unit. I am starting to see why all of our teams love their jobs so much. Seeing the connections and importance of this survey first hand was really humbling.

A Week of New Adventures!

Sorry for the delayed blog post…I have spent the past thirteen days in the field with little to no connection to Wi-Fi. My first week in the field was definitely eventful and not at all what I was expecting. After spending our first night at the university center in La Trinidad, Kenzie and I said our goodbyes to Mimi and Kate. We would be splitting up for the next five days into two groups and traveling to different sub-teams in the field. We traveled to different barangays (similar to small towns in the US) in the providence of Benguet. Benguet is a mountainous providence, and we were repeatedly warned about how chilly it was there. After spending the last few weeks in Manila, I was excited for some relief from the heat; turns out that “chilly” is actually about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

The view from our drive to the first barangay.

            My first day in the field wasn’t as scary as I was expecting. For some reason, I thought I would have to hike up a mountain to get to our site while carrying all of my luggage and the team’s equipment. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case. Sir Lyle and Ma’am Tess would be accompanying us on our journey to the first barangay of Tublay. The drive up the mountain was interesting to say the least. Some of the roads were so curved, I thought we were going to fall right off the mountain. Even though this was a little scary, the view made it worthwhile. Being so high up, it was like we were in a sea of clouds.

            When we arrived at the local health clinic, we met our amazing first sub-team. Everyone was so welcoming! As soon as we arrived, we were offered some delicious food and rice. Rice is eaten a lot more often than I thought. Kenzie and I both headed out into the field to start working after lunch. I headed out with Ate Hope to one of the respondent’s households. We hopped in the truck and drove about fifteen minutes away when we pulled over on the side of the road. There was a small path that lead to the house. Because it was so steep and narrow, we would have to walk the rest of the way. Going down to the household was too difficult, but the way back up was brutal. I was definitely not ready for a hike on my first day. At the household, Hope interviewed the respondents asking them for a 24 hour food recall. She also weighed the food served to better understand how much the family consumed throughout an average day. I was amazed by the generosity of the respondents. Before leaving the home, they insisted we take at least 6 bunches of bananas that they’d grown with us.

The view from the multipurpose hall.

            After visiting a few other households, we headed back to headquarters for dinner. For the next few days, headquarters were at the city’s multipurpose hall. The city officials were so generous in offering us this place for the night. I knew we would be sleeping on the floor but wasn’t as prepared for the bathroom situation and the bugs. In many of the places there isn’t a formal shower, so a bucket is used instead. I’m trying to get used to the bugs that will also be sleeping with us throughout this journey. Kuya Rich calls them our friends. However, these new “friends” really enjoy getting caught in my hair, and I’m not sure I like that…

            We relocated to another barangay later in the week. Our second barangay was still in the mountains but was less rural than the first. Unfortunately, I was sick our first day there, so I spent the day resting while Ma’am Tess looked after me. Thankfully, I was feeling the next day and was back out in the field. We met with the local mayor for a curtesy call. He was honored that we had selected his area for the survey. While we were staying there, we experienced an earthquake drill. These are drastically different than any I have experienced in America. All the major governmental buildings were evacuated into the town square. Search and rescue teams were even sent out to locate those unaccounted for.

Kenzie and I with some of the nursing staff.

            Kenzie and I spent of one of our afternoons with some of the local nursing staff. Again, they were all so welcoming and invited us for coffee and banana cake. We chatted about the differences in our healthcare systems and different approaches to education in our countries. Nurse Lydia has a focus in public health. This really interested me. She shared how one of the biggest challenges they face is educating the population because many are located in rural or secluded areas.

I’m not sure how but we made it!

            Our week ended with a hike up Mount Pulag. Some of our team members joined us, and we met up with Mimi and Kate. Mount Pulag is the third highest peak in the Philippines. We had decided to do a sunrise hike, so this meant we would need to leave our campgrounds by 1:00 am. I thought the hike would be a lot easier than it was…certain parts of the trail were quite steep and slippery due to the rainfall. On the way up we couldn’t really see anything but the little spot lit up by our flashlights. That made it a lot harder. I kept slipping and rolling my ankles, but thankfully I didn’t fall. The trail was pretty uneven and the incline varied a lot, so my knees also started to ache. Just when I thought there was no end in sight, our guide told us we were only 100 meters from the top!

The team at the top!

            The view from the top was definitely worth the waking up early for. We got to see the sun rise through a sea of clouds over beautiful grasslands. It was so pretty that it almost looked faked. We spent about an hour up top just taking everything in. In total, the hike was about 6-7 hours. At times it definitely felt longer, but it was so worth it!

            My first week in the field was a big adventure. Parts of the week were pretty challenging, but I really enjoyed the work we were doing! I can’t wait to see what else this beautiful country has to offer.

Exploring the City!

A lobby display at FNRI.

         On Thursday we left Los Baños and headed to Bucitan, Manila where the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) is located. Tito Mon picked us up and we decided to take a more scenic route. The mountain roads were winding but beautiful. Traffic wasn’t bad until we got into the city. Rush hour is a little crazier here in the Philippines. Because our apartment was being cleaned, we stayed at FNRI in the dorms for the first few days. The dorms were nice but a little creepy at night because we were the only people left in the giant office space.

The view from the FNRI dorms.

            Once we arrived, Tita Czarina greeted us for orientation. This summer there are seven interns working at FNRI in a few different divisions. I will be working in the Nutritional Assessment and Monitoring Division (NAMD) mainly in the field. In this role, three other IWU students and myself will travel throughout the Philippines conducting nutritional surveys. There are multiple components to these in-depth surveys, but I am most looking forward to the interview portion with each family. I think this will be a great way to learn more about the different cultures here. Tita Czarina gave us a full tour of the office, labs, and production plant. At FNRI they research and develop fortified products to better meet the nutritional needs of the population.

The traffic I cross on the way to SM.

            After our tour and some general orientation, we began exploring the city! I think what shocked me the most were the roads and pedestrians. The streets are incredibly crowded with people, stray animals, and vendors that it can be difficult to maneuver. A lot of times you walk right next to a motorbike speeding by. I’m trying to be safe and so far, so good!

Tita showed us our way to SM, which is a super mall. SM has become my second home over the past few days. They have literally everything you would ever need and amazing air conditioning! Even though the walk is short, the heat still gets to you. At the mall, we tried J Co. Donuts. A few interns from last year said it was a must try and boy were they right! There were so many options that I couldn’t choose. I’m debating on trying every kind throughout my time here, but that might be too much sugar for me…

On Saturday, we moved into our apartments. What I thought would be an easy 15 minute walk, turned into a hot and sweaty hour. After leaving FNRI we made it about half way to SM and then got lost. Because we didn’t have data on our phones, the GPS wouldn’t load after a wrong turn. This resulted in us going in circles for a solid 20 minutes in 99% humidity. Some of us decided to take a Grab, which is basically an Uber, while the rest continued walking. We were waiting for the Grab for 20 more minutes because it was stuck in traffic. Thankfully we found a taxi and were finally on our way. Once we got into the taxi, our driver told us we were literally down the road from our apartment. At the time, we didn’t realize our apartment is only a quarter mile from SM. Although the ride there was short, I definitely think it was worth it. Ironically, the others that walked beat us there.

We spent the next few days relaxing, shopping and getting ready for our first trip. The NAMD girls will be heading out on to the field. For this trip, we will be spending thirteen days in the Benguet. Benguet is northern mountainous region. During those 13 days, we will be living and working in small villages and communities. In each community, I will be assisting the team while we complete the National Nutritional Survey. Also, the locals say it is a lot cooler. I checked the weather and cooler to them means about 80°F. While this isn’t exactly how I would describe a “chilly” day, I’m definitely looking forward to some relief from the heat. Because the region is a little more rural, I may not have Wi-Fi while there. This might be my last post for a while, but once I’m back I’m sure I will have a lot to update you on! Wish me luck!

Long Flights and Orientation

Our Hello Kitty Themed gate in Taiwan!

My trip is finally underway! This week has been a whirlwind, and my journey as an Illinois Wesleyan University Freeman Intern has finally begun. My flight headed for Taiwan left from Chicago at midnight on Monday. This was my first international flight, and I was a little nervous. The idea of being stuck in a tiny metal box for fifteen hours was daunting. I was happy that the majority of the other interns were on my flight, so I would have people to talk to. Our plane was Hello Kitty themed. Just about every aspect of the flight had some reference to this. Even our silverware was Hello Kitty! On the flight, time passed surprisingly fast. I was able to watch a few movies and get some much-needed rest. Once we arrived in Taiwan, we had a short layover and then off to Manila. I was surprised how easy it was to go through customs in Manila. For some reason, I thought it would be a much more difficult process and that something would inevitably go wrong.

            After going through customs our group was greeted by Tito Mon. He is Professor Amoloza’s brother. I was pleasantly surprised by the friendliness of everyone I encountered. They all seemed to be so accommodating and patient with all my questions. The ride to Los Baños was my first exposure to Filipino driving. It seemed that many of the drivers do not follow the basic rules of the road. Cars, trucks, bikes, and pedestrians speed by each other with little care. Horns were constantly honking while drivers inched around each other.

The University of the Philippines Los Baños

            Los Baños was the site of our first round of orientation. All the interns staying throughout the Philippines this summer were together. In the morning, a few of us explore the University of the Philippines Los Baños campus. The campus was beautiful and had so many exotic looking plants. I was surprised by the number of people outside playing games or just sitting. Even though it was early in the morning it was still so hot! I was not ready for the amount of humidity here. I was sweating as soon as we stepped outside. I’m really hoping that I adjust soon.

After our walk, Kuya Al and Tita Vicki gave us a crash course on Filipino culture and the language of Tagaloug. I am struggled quite a bit while learning the language. It turns out it is very difficult for me to pronounce some of the common words because of their unique sounds. I keep practicing though.

Our first Jeepney ride!

            For dinner that night Tito Mon took us out to an authentic Filipino style restaurant. In the Philippines, the traditional way of eating is with your hands. This took some getting used to but by the end of the dinner I think I was doing pretty well. For dessert we all tried Halo Halo. This is a drink like concoction that you mix together. I actually really liked it! While the food was good, the coolest part of the night was taking the Jeepney. A Jeepney is kind of like a city bus but a little less regulated. They are old Jeeps from the war that have been converted. I wouldn’t mind using them as a more regular form of transportation. Orientation at the Food and Nutrition Research Institute starts soon, so stay tuned for more!

The floating tables at dinner.