14FYCE Day Two: Land Grab Struggles and Long Beans, Part One

After joining in with the Gabriela Network's 1 Billion Rising March, that took on an impressive array of issues of which I will blog about later (out of order/sequence of our trip), the Foster Youth Cultural Exchange had the privilege to meet Marco of Sinag Bayan, a cultural arts group run primarily by youth and young adults in the less privileged parts of Manila and the surrounding areas.

The 9 of us were loaded into a van once again, with Chen in the front passenger seat and our steady driver from the night before (whose driving skills and miraculous ability to overcome traffic stress would have wowed any and all Americans I am sure).  We had earlier been visiting Veteran's Village to hear from local community organizers about the work they are doing to support their village's many needs and we also got a tour of a village set up on the bottom of a huge garbage dump primarily by scavengers who make their living by recycling plastic bags, cans, bottles, paper and re-using pillow stuffing to make new pillows that we saw being sold in Manila and other places in the Philippines.

We had met with scavenger families, the younger members of our groups had been flocked by children from the village and taken dozens of photographs and later shared lunch with our hosts at a street restaurant that I couldn't tell if it was a street food stand or a restaurant...it was a mix of both.  The food was tasty and was perhaps our first taste of authentic Pinoy food.  I am guessing that the only thing we could describe accurately was rice.  There was a fish.  And we were told there was chicken and pork.  And bitter melon.  But essentially we ate Filipino food, food that we could not compare to American Asian food.

By the time we picked up Marco at a bus stop, it was mid day and once he was in the van we began climbing into the mountains.  We stopped for water to make sure that we had enough.  Chen and Marco were insistent and later I understood more why.  It would have been totally inappropriate for us to ask for water from these farmers who have to haul everything into the farm land that isn't grown there.  There is little plumbing to speak of, so if one of us needed water or became faint, it really needed to be our problem.

As the bus climbed up the hill, we learned about the land grab struggle we were about to see.  The rich family that owns the land that these farmers have lived on for generations, has decided to build a train depot on the land.  Their plan is to kick off the farmers, destroy their farms, and displace hundreds of families including enough children to fill a good number of classrooms that are built into the farming community we would visit.

The families have started "evicting" people, which includes tearing down properties, burning land and even in a few cases physical direct violence.  The entries to the farm areas, which are in constant harvest, are now "protected" by armed security guards.  Our story was that we were visiting Chen's uncle.  Indeed we were!

We were fortunately allowed to pass through.  Perhaps this was another time when our "You don't look like a group of Americans" really worked for us.  9 in total, we included: a native Hawaiian, a mixed race Chinese woman, a Portuguese/Italian guy with the last name of Rodrigues, a Latina from central Valley, A dark Latina from Los Angeles, a buzz cut short haired white androgynous woman, a blonde white woman and an average size Latino from Sacramento and another wavy haired Latina from Monterey.  Only Reba looked "white" in any conventional sense.  They simply could not read our group as American.

Our van had to carefully navigate the road which was not paved and had lots of chunky and at times sharp rocks.  I asked Chen if we should get out and walk and she said, "later, you will."  When the van went as far as it could, or to the spot that Chen and Marco suggested, we got out and walked.

Our gangly group included a personal trainer, someone who runs regularly, a multi black belted martial artist, an average healthed woman and a few of us who were carrying extra weight and maybe weren't in tip top shape.  What this means is that the 12 of us total were walking in different groups as we went up and down the mountain to the farm.  Not knowing where we were going, it may have seemed farther to some of us.  Having pass through an armed guard may have also put a few of us at dis-ease.  And actually meeting the elder uncle, who was in his 70's and trucking up and down those hills faster than any of us, was, well, a trip.

We arrived at the farm, greeted by the most adorable puppies that I wanted to pick up and hold and hug and snuggle with.  But I didn't for a few reasons.  First, no one was playing with the puppies.  Second, they were really really small, and their mother was wandering around and she might have misinterpreted my cuddle session as potential harm and bitten me...and mostly, well, because of the risk of rabies.

Seeing hungry dogs and cats all over Manila was hard.  Seeing children barefoot and underfed but with smiles wide as sunshine on a rainy day was confusing.  And not being able to hug a puppy when I actually really wanted some comfort, was especially hard.  After seeing so much poverty and experiencing a tiny moment of what the third world means (inadequate plumbing, small spaces, horrible pollution, loud noise at all times of day, etc) I yearned for an embrace.  I would have melted into those puppies.  The fact that I couldn't made the ache I was feeling inside echo.  I had learned a new form of hunger and need.  I wish that I would have asked for a hug that day.,  I should have.  To be continued...

Last day ....

It has been hard to find space and time to blog.  And now that the trip is coming to an end I am filled w unexpected emotions.  It is not that I don't want to return home, but there is this little cocoon that surrounds when one is traveling... It is an odd thing and maybe it is unique to me, but I have this opening that happens and a cocoon around it... Hard to articulate but this mental and emotional state allows for me to take in new things, new ideas new sights and sounds and sensations.  And it seals me in so that this is my "new now," and I can go with it and flow w it.

The flow over the last ten days has been about planes and jeepneys, tricycle motorbike taxis, vans, boats, etc.

We have met people I only imagined before.  We drank coffee offered by long bean farmers and learn to harvest and to hold the beans in our arms like we were cradling a baby.  We heard their "ask" when they said come home and tell people about the plight of the farmers fighting land grabs by greedy corporations.  We witnessed modern dance done barefoot in the dirt outside by two community organizers surrounded by children who read us poetry in their native tongue.

We were injected w the sounds of traffic and were driven by some of the most daring and skillful drivers (and last night by a frighteningly timid one).  We watched as young and old men peddled one two three and more around on little motocross box bikes w sidecars attached and learned to just breathe and believe when some of the most unbelievable near misses happened again and again.  All respect goes to real Philippine drivers out here.  In a word: damn.

We were hosted by amazing people.  Watched children work w large knives as they cut up fresh cassava to roast for us and we were guided by Chen in Manila and Rhea and Nody in Iloilo.  These women made us feel protected and they helped us get vans and jeepneys and enjoy delicious meals and meet with youth and groups we could have never connected with had we not been under their guidance.

Chen missed her Valentine's date to be w us while we were stuck in traffic and attempted to get home from the One Billion Rising march ... That adventure included vans, jeepneys, failed taxi attempts, walking... And was a wee bit stressful for our first day in the Philippines  :-)

Rhea arranged for us to meet children at a pre school where a youth advocate works and their staff prepared local delicacies for us to enjoy.  

We then got  to meet w local coffee roasters and to see some bad ass peer

Counseling via radio and text message!  For dinner she took us to a section of town being revitalized and where a stage w some great cover bands played some music and acknowledged us from the stage.  

She also took us to a true cultural exchange with a high school on an island famous for mangos.  The students performed for us, acknowledged us, dialogued w us and treated us like rock stars.  Amazing.

The cocoon is transforming and I am holding on.  More to say about everything , especially the learnings... For now I am feeling fortunate and grateful.

Internalizing love in the Philippines

Foster youth in the US grow up without enough of a lot of stuff.  We don't have enough safety.  We often don't have enough food, adequate shelter... Most of us miss out on a lot.  What we mostly miss out on is love.  

Today our hosts Rhea and Nody set us up to visit a high school in a small island off of Iloilo.  I thought we would greet a few people, hand off some school supplies we collected and just get a peek.  I couldn't have been more wrong. There was a program.  There was a meet and greet w the principle.  There were a number of performances: dancing and singing and one of the numbers like an epic Oscar's pageant!  

The youth were waiting for us when we rolled in on our rented Jeepney.  They waved and seemed excited.  All I could think of was how disappointed they would be when they realized it was just us and not anyone super special.  They waved from the street.  I clenched w nerves.  The student government lined the stairway to the principle's office and greeted us in unison as we past by.  We were escorted to seats in front of the incredibly lush and enormous outdoor pavilion where about 1,000 students were sitting in their blue and white uniforms.  The program started w acknowledging the Foster Youth Cultural Exchange- something that I am still getting used to.  They kept calling me up as the leader, which I am normally ambivalent about, but I went with it because they were showing respect and it felt like it was better to follow their lead.

Long story shortened.  They asked us to say a few words.  They made a welcome poster/chalkboard in beautiful script, they made us guests of honor as they performed song and dance, they offered us a token of appreciation in three beautiful baskets of local (and delicious) mango.  They cheered for us when we were introduced and fed us local delicacies on a beautiful table set on stage while the seniors were organized to hold dialogue groups with us.  There was a team of Girl Scouts who pulled our chairs in and out, made sure we had water and asked to carry our bags.  This enormous school rally was for us.  They essentially they treated us like rock stars.

I offered a few words about what FYCE is but really what was most important that I say was that they made us feel so special today that perhaps the years of loneliness we felt in foster care were treated today because their love and attention was like a make believe experience.  So full.  So unexpected.  So deep.

To feel love and appreciation like that, esp from strangers in a country outside of the US, was an  experience that I was absolutely not prepared for...

I could not help but feel special.  I mean they just really made us feel like visiting dignitaries!  And so something moved inside me...I had a feeling that I could never once again feel the same way I had before.  Because today I was appreciated and valued and people that I care for and appreciate were by my side, up on stage, being asked their perspectives, and equally treated as special.

Once you are loved deeply do you ever have to return to your old self that felt neglected or ugly or not good enough?

And once you have been treated so well by strangers could you ever forget about it and not pay it forward?  

Not me.  Love got Into me today.  Loneliness received an antibiotic.  And my education about how to be a good host went up 10,000%.

The Foster Youth Cultural Exchange will go on.  We are forever grateful for this day today.  I know it healed me some.

Well yesterday was a great day and today is going to be pretty awesome as well. Im kinda just taking it all in and trying to acknowledge my own emotions toward what I'm feeling. I've never seen anything like this and kind of in shock with it all. Today is going to be a good day

Well it's Friday and the first day of being in Manila! So far so good. Im super excited to learn new things while out here. Kate, Ipo, Eli and I took a walk around the neighborhood this morning and it was definitely an eye opener. To walk around and see the living conditions and yet everyone who lives here is so happy definitely makes me greatful for what i have. Time to head and find some food.

Counting Down the Hours

A few weeks ago I received my Typhoid and Hepatitis A shots at the Walgreens in Marina,CA. My total for both the shots came out to $208. I received my paperwork for the shots and after I was administered the shots I asked the pharmacist if there were any side effects that were not mentioned in the fact sheets for the shots. Mid sentence, the pharmacist fainted. Not only am I traumatized by shots, but his incident didn't make my experience any better. 

I'm currently on the CalTrain to San Francisco. I have my backpack filled with books and snacks. I'm glad I brought my book light this time (it's usually something I forget). I also brought luggage with me. Luggage consists of one large suitcase filled with shoes, clothes, hygiene products, vitamins, some pens, pencils, and toothbrushes I plan to donate, and other necessities for the trip. Jennifer, the case manager for Path+ (Peacock Acres Transitional Housing 18-24 year olds) and our new CYC Monterey Chapter supporter drove me to the San Jose Diridon station. She commutes to Salinas for work so she brought me to the station on her way home after work today. I anticipate arriving in San Francisco at 9:01pm. I plan on taking a cab from the station to Kate ( our CYC Regional Coordinator)'s house. 

Kate is one of the other 8 people traveling to the Philippines. We depart the San Francisco airport tomorrow at 12pm so Kate and I will travel together from her house to the airport for our morning flight.

I'm nervous, anxious, and excited. I currently have a cough and some congestion. I think and hope that these symptoms are just the vaccinations kicking in. Over all, I think I'm as ready as I can be for this trip. Who else is ready? 

This Ain't No Charity Work, This is Community.

Good evening beautiful blog followers...or perhaps just to myself if no one is following...lol


Wanted to say a few words about cultural exchange work.  Some folks have asked if we are doing missionary work.  There are three words that answer that question.

No No No.

Our group of 9 does include religious people, spiritual people and perhaps some neither (haven't asked everyone about this to be honest).  But we are not a religious group and we have no spiritual message to deliver to the Philippines as a group.  What brought us together is our desire to travel, learn and make connections outside of the United States.  We know that we will be asking groups to give us knowledge, time and energy and we will in turn give what we can: YTP t-shirts and water bottles,  school supplies and money and if asked, we will talk about our work in the U.S.

Because travel is intimidating, expensive and requires a lot of logistics, most foster youth never get out of the U.S.

Our group makes travel more possible for foster youth.  It is the first international trip for many of our young adult travelers.

And while we do want to feast our eyes on beautiful sights (beaches, mountains, architecture), we mostly want to meet with people who are doing work in their communities under circumstances similar and different from our own.

We want to know how they do it, why they do it, how they collaborate, fund, ignite and continue the work they do to make communities better in the Philippines.

We want to meet feminists, youth organizers, community based folks, laborers, radicals, government workers, everyone.

We are going to expand our world view.  We will look at the body postures people hold, the tones in which they speak, the texture of their skin, the strength of their analysis.  We are going to listen and learn.  We are hoping to build community around the world.  That is not charity work, that is social change.