On the Road: Part III

We arrived back in Manila in time to get new shoes for Tina's wedding. It was a small ceremony, but a good chance to see at least one side of my family and a traditional Filipino wedding.


back row: Ria, Mom, Aunt Eleanor, Uncle Bjorn, Aunt Sue, Sandra, Mario
front row: RJ, Len, Rico (groom), Tina (bride), me

On the Road: Part II

We got to Bohol, an Island in the south of the Philippines after a short flight (1 hour) on a short plane and got shuttled to Panglao Island Nature Resort. The cabins were nice simple rooms each with their own hot tub and the Resort itself had a good mix of pool tables, pool, beach and buffet breakfasts. We were only staying 2 nights, 2 days, so we made the best of it and went scuba diving at the local marine sanctuary. Not quite as nice as El Nido, Palawan from last year, but still a great getaway from Mexico City. Here's the Resort's man-made island during low tide (as seen from our cabin):



The second day we went to see Bohol's sites, including the famous Chocolate hills (they turn brown in dry season and look like they're made of chocolate). Despite the many myths about their origins, the books say these hills were coral reefs that were pushed up and then eroded down. There are hundreds of similar, almost perfectly symmetric hills scattered around the Island.

We also got to see Tarsiers at a couple of stops along the way. They're odd looking creatures, but you might be, too, when caught sleeping (they're usually up by night).

On the Road: Part I

After a frustrating date mix-up I began my 2 week journey to the Philippines and Thailand one day late, on March 23. Admittedly, it was not the best beginning and I left lots of work behind and lots to do ahead. I made the best of it, though, and had a good time overall. The following posts are selected moments from my trip.

Getting there:

1st stop, Los Angeles
I had a 10 hour layover in LAX from 11am to 9pm. It was a Wednesday, so I could only ask so much, but I did manage to get Rob to meet up for lunch. To kill the time, I rushed through customs and immigration and checked my bags straight through. Then, I tried my luck with the bus system and found my way to Venice beach. With my bathing suit in my handcarry and $40 USD to my name, I wandered the boardwalk, watched the waves and the graffiti artists, and finished my latest Harry Potter (in Spanish, thank you very much). It was the best layover ever. I made it in time for my 9pm flight and had no problem getting through the long trek that followed (Manila via Guam).


2nd stop, Manila
Ironic, I know. I arrived in Manila at 6am only to be met by my mom, aunt and uncle who quickly ushered me to departures for an 8am flight to Bohol. I guess it's never too early to head to the beach.

Why I do what I do

I may not have the complete answer ready and none so eloquent as those from the omidyar network discussion, but I got a taste of why I got into working with Ashoka.

After Argentina came the World Water Forum, where people from around the world came to show and tell their problems and solutions related to water. Ashoka sponsored a closing dinner for Fellows attending the Forum. We had 16 amazing people working on topics from women's rights to science education from India, Egypt, and all over Latin America united under the heading of "water issues." All introductions and discussions had to be translated into both English and Spanish, but that didn't stop many from finding kindred spirits in each others' work. If only we could do the same with the rest of the world....

Chilango vs. Porteño

I revisited Buenos Aires with new eyes. Last time I swept through, I had spent several months in Chile and adjusted fairly easily. This time, after a 13 hour journey from Mexico, I got a taste of the extremes of Latin America. I had almost forgotten that the accent, customs and many of the words are completely different and still needed a few days to adjust and understand. When I asked the hotel receptionist a question (in decent mexican Spanish, mind you) he asked if I understood Spanish. Go figure. Another humbling lesson in international relations and the need for personalized local solutions. I guess the process of adapting a US-based program for México has taught me a fair amount, but now that we're adapting the México program for Argentina and Brazil, I see all the more the complexity and consequences of globalization.

Anyway, I went for a week of work, but stayed with a friend for the weekend and had a few great experiences, which I will share by image:

1. Passing over the Andes in Late Summer:


2. A despedida de solter@ (bachelor and bachelorette party in one) with the cousins and me.












3. A leisurely day along the Rio de la Plata

Animated Inventor

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Alternative adventures

As part of my cultural assimilation to Mexico, I paid a visit to the Tianguis del Chopo, a market for music, clothes, graffiti tools, and accessories for the punk, rock, goth, ska and hip hop crowds. It's the place to find anything anti-mainstream. The Chopo used to be a gathering place for cultural barter, but is now mostly a market. Near the bandstand, though, people were exchanging videos and CDs. It was a good time and I had a great guide, Victor, who's well-integrated in the Rock and graffiti culture of Mexico City.




In the end, though, I only bought 3 CDs, which cannot be easily classified. None of them were Mexican, though (one French, one Afro-Latin group from LA). At least they're not all in English, right?