I finally had a chance to pull some of my pictures together in video format...
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Differences
This morning I looked outside and saw about six inches of fresh snow on the ground. I put on my coat and gloves to shovel the driveway and couldn't help but reflect on what a different world I lived in last month. Gone is the heat that brought beautiful palm trees but also a constantly sweaty brow. I'll miss the delicious seafood but I'm glad to be able to drink from a water fountain again without worrying about getting sick. My office desk now has a model Jeepney that my friends from La Salle gave me: they knew how I loved their unique modes of transportation. However, it's nice to be back in traffic where I am comfortable driving--where busy intersections are always regulated by traffic lights.
The five weeks I spent in this Service Corps provided an interesting vantage point on the Filipino culture. We spent the majority of our time living in a working city, observing normal life around us and making friends with our clients and colleagues. It's a different view than you normally get while traveling around as a tourist (though we got that as well with our weekend excursions).
The aspect of the trip that impacted me the most was the level of poverty that was visible throughout our visit. We stayed in a very comfortable hotel that had nice amenities but within the block were shanty homes and little shops that didn't look like they'd survive a strong wind storm. This was the view throughout the city of Bacolod: some nice buildings scattered among crude structures. As we drove further from the city, life became simpler and in some ways more primitive: you'd see people gathered around the common water pump doing their laundry and bathing outside. Most jobs revolved around the sugar cane and rice fields: some men out manually stacking sugar cane in trucks to amazing heights while others were plowing rice fields with their water buffaloes. In most cases it was obvious that people worked hard to provide the basic necessities of life.
However, in most cases people generally appeared happy: they were quick to wave or offer a smile. They were kind and eager to talk. I loved the greetings of "hey Joe" they often gave me when I wandered into less visited areas: it was in surprisingly friendly terms (especially considering the view many people throughout the world have of Americans). My view on the level of contentment generally aligned with studies I've seen that show that money and happiness generally have no correlation.
The one exception to that rule is when the basic necessities of life are not met. Certainly, there were some people that have that problem. We saw some people with clothes that were little more than shredded rags. I also was impacted with Kooks' statement on the lack of medical care: for many people formal medical treatment is just not an option. It's hard to ignore the need for improved medial options when you're taking daily malaria pills. Undoubtedly, there is a need to improve the overall economic environment in the country.
The answer to moving up the economic ladder is no secret: education. The more I thought about their future, the more I became glad I was working with St. La Salle University. Much of our time was focused on addressing the Computer Science and Information Technology curriculum. Their focus was where it should be: understanding and aligning with current market trends to help make their students more marketable. They understand they are competing in a global market and have some catching up to do in order to compete with the US, India, China, etc. The only way to really drive economic progress in Negros and other areas of the Philippines is to follow the same model as India and invest in human capital--moving from their agriculture dependencies and towards services. I was glad to provide some market insight and get my friends at the university connected with IBM's academic resources, even though I know many of my colleagues in the US have lost jobs to students like these in developing countries. This experience provides a new perspective on the global market for me.
We're coming up on the Thanksgiving holiday in the US and I'm already feeling more gratitude for the blessings I have. I've enjoyed sharing some of my experiences with my family members: I'm married and have three girls and a boy. One thing I'm grateful for is the images of the Philippines that are etched in my mind. One vivid image that I'll keep is that of three beautiful young girls scavenging an empty lot looking for pieces of wood: likely helping with the preparation of an evening meal. I only got a quick look at them as I drove by, but they appeared to be at ease and happy to provide assistance to their family. This was normal life for them and they seemed quite content. Of course, I couldn't help but think of what a different life my three girls live. I'm thankful for a new level of understanding of the differences that exist in a corner of the world that now holds a special place in my heart.
The five weeks I spent in this Service Corps provided an interesting vantage point on the Filipino culture. We spent the majority of our time living in a working city, observing normal life around us and making friends with our clients and colleagues. It's a different view than you normally get while traveling around as a tourist (though we got that as well with our weekend excursions).
The aspect of the trip that impacted me the most was the level of poverty that was visible throughout our visit. We stayed in a very comfortable hotel that had nice amenities but within the block were shanty homes and little shops that didn't look like they'd survive a strong wind storm. This was the view throughout the city of Bacolod: some nice buildings scattered among crude structures. As we drove further from the city, life became simpler and in some ways more primitive: you'd see people gathered around the common water pump doing their laundry and bathing outside. Most jobs revolved around the sugar cane and rice fields: some men out manually stacking sugar cane in trucks to amazing heights while others were plowing rice fields with their water buffaloes. In most cases it was obvious that people worked hard to provide the basic necessities of life.
However, in most cases people generally appeared happy: they were quick to wave or offer a smile. They were kind and eager to talk. I loved the greetings of "hey Joe" they often gave me when I wandered into less visited areas: it was in surprisingly friendly terms (especially considering the view many people throughout the world have of Americans). My view on the level of contentment generally aligned with studies I've seen that show that money and happiness generally have no correlation.
The one exception to that rule is when the basic necessities of life are not met. Certainly, there were some people that have that problem. We saw some people with clothes that were little more than shredded rags. I also was impacted with Kooks' statement on the lack of medical care: for many people formal medical treatment is just not an option. It's hard to ignore the need for improved medial options when you're taking daily malaria pills. Undoubtedly, there is a need to improve the overall economic environment in the country.
The answer to moving up the economic ladder is no secret: education. The more I thought about their future, the more I became glad I was working with St. La Salle University. Much of our time was focused on addressing the Computer Science and Information Technology curriculum. Their focus was where it should be: understanding and aligning with current market trends to help make their students more marketable. They understand they are competing in a global market and have some catching up to do in order to compete with the US, India, China, etc. The only way to really drive economic progress in Negros and other areas of the Philippines is to follow the same model as India and invest in human capital--moving from their agriculture dependencies and towards services. I was glad to provide some market insight and get my friends at the university connected with IBM's academic resources, even though I know many of my colleagues in the US have lost jobs to students like these in developing countries. This experience provides a new perspective on the global market for me.
We're coming up on the Thanksgiving holiday in the US and I'm already feeling more gratitude for the blessings I have. I've enjoyed sharing some of my experiences with my family members: I'm married and have three girls and a boy. One thing I'm grateful for is the images of the Philippines that are etched in my mind. One vivid image that I'll keep is that of three beautiful young girls scavenging an empty lot looking for pieces of wood: likely helping with the preparation of an evening meal. I only got a quick look at them as I drove by, but they appeared to be at ease and happy to provide assistance to their family. This was normal life for them and they seemed quite content. Of course, I couldn't help but think of what a different life my three girls live. I'm thankful for a new level of understanding of the differences that exist in a corner of the world that now holds a special place in my heart.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Travels
We were so glad that my parents offered to fly out and watch our children so that Maralee could join me in the Philippines. Her ten day trip evaporates quite quickly when you calculate three days of travel time: with the three days she spent in Bacolod, we are left with only four real days to see some sights. We considered traveling south in Negros to Apo Island, a world class diving site, but felt it would be interesting to see some other islands. Many people suggested we go to Boracay, a small island where the premiere beach resorts are located; however, we wanted something less commercialized—I was intrigued by the island of Palawan.
To get to Palawan we needed to fly through either Manila or Cebu, so I booked a flight to Cebu and we decided since we were there we’d spent a day on Mactan Island—where they have beach resorts and nearby islands you can explore. We arrived in the morning and spent the afternoon island hopping: one of the locations we went snorkeling had fantastic blue coral and a great selection of fish. We had lunch at a “floating restaurant” just off the coast of one island—sounded like a cool option but we found it to be an overpriced tourist trap. We really enjoyed our stay at the Maribago Bluewater Resort that evening but were a bit surprised to see poverty levels similar to that in Bacolod in areas surrounding the luxury resorts: I guess I was hoping that higher rent areas would translate to better opportunities for the local work force.
For dinner we headed to the Magellan and Lapu Lapu monuments. Then northern tip of Mactan Island was where Magellan was killed by Lapu Lapu in his famous trip around the world. One of the monuments takes a politically correct approach of having one side honor Lapu Lapu’s victory while the other hail Magellan’s voyage. Near the monuments are markets where you pick fresh seafood and have it cooked for you: we had the best crab!
The next morning we headed off to Palawan which is often referenced as the last frontier of the Philippines. Of course, with only three days on the Island we only had time to stay on the beaten path. We arrived Sunday and enjoyed attending the local LDS church services and having a tri-cyle rider take us around the city of Puerto Princessa. The town is advertised as the “cleanest and greenest” city of the Philippines—they have a zero tolerance for littering with jail time on the third offense. The policy certainly was working—the town was significantly clearer than any I saw previously. The views of the mountains and coast provided the tropical view you would see in a postcard.
Monday morning we headed off to Honda Bay for more island hopping. We had a great day jumping between pandan, snake and starfish islands. We enjoyed the beautiful beaches and snorkeling. That evening we enjoyed a meal at the popular Ka Lui’s—both the ambience and food were fantastic.
Tuesday was our big day on the island: we took a tour of the famous Subterranean River—an 8 kilometer cave right off the ocean. It’s a World Heritage Site and a finalist in the New7Wonders of the World survey. The drive to the cave took us through lush hills, by gorgeous coastal views and along interesting rock formations. As usual, the tour driver took the windy road like he was in the grand prix: not a good combination if you tend to get car sick.
When we got out of the van we were at a beautiful white sand beach and boarded a pump boat to get to the cave; cruising along the coastal cliffs felt like we were in another world. When we arrived at the mouth of the cave we were greeted by the local monkeys: one mother was looking after her baby.
The tour of the cave takes you into the first 1.5 kilometers of the cave via a boat paddled by your guide. There are no lights so one of the riders has a spotlight that is used to show off the various formations and bats in the cave. The largest room we entered was around 90 feet high. On our way back to the pump boat we saw several more monkeys and a large monitor lizard (I’d guess around five feet long).
The last thing on our tour was a guided river tour through a mangrove forest. As we went through the forest we saw poisonous snakes sleeping in the trees, more monitor lizards and some cool birds. Maralee and I both agreed our day was the most exotic travel we’ve ever had.
That evening we flew back to Manila and wandered around the Mall of Asia: the forth largest mall in the world. I was amazed that a mall of that scale would be so close to the poverty I saw when driving through Manila five weeks ago.
To get to Palawan we needed to fly through either Manila or Cebu, so I booked a flight to Cebu and we decided since we were there we’d spent a day on Mactan Island—where they have beach resorts and nearby islands you can explore. We arrived in the morning and spent the afternoon island hopping: one of the locations we went snorkeling had fantastic blue coral and a great selection of fish. We had lunch at a “floating restaurant” just off the coast of one island—sounded like a cool option but we found it to be an overpriced tourist trap. We really enjoyed our stay at the Maribago Bluewater Resort that evening but were a bit surprised to see poverty levels similar to that in Bacolod in areas surrounding the luxury resorts: I guess I was hoping that higher rent areas would translate to better opportunities for the local work force.
For dinner we headed to the Magellan and Lapu Lapu monuments. Then northern tip of Mactan Island was where Magellan was killed by Lapu Lapu in his famous trip around the world. One of the monuments takes a politically correct approach of having one side honor Lapu Lapu’s victory while the other hail Magellan’s voyage. Near the monuments are markets where you pick fresh seafood and have it cooked for you: we had the best crab!
The next morning we headed off to Palawan which is often referenced as the last frontier of the Philippines. Of course, with only three days on the Island we only had time to stay on the beaten path. We arrived Sunday and enjoyed attending the local LDS church services and having a tri-cyle rider take us around the city of Puerto Princessa. The town is advertised as the “cleanest and greenest” city of the Philippines—they have a zero tolerance for littering with jail time on the third offense. The policy certainly was working—the town was significantly clearer than any I saw previously. The views of the mountains and coast provided the tropical view you would see in a postcard.
Monday morning we headed off to Honda Bay for more island hopping. We had a great day jumping between pandan, snake and starfish islands. We enjoyed the beautiful beaches and snorkeling. That evening we enjoyed a meal at the popular Ka Lui’s—both the ambience and food were fantastic.
Tuesday was our big day on the island: we took a tour of the famous Subterranean River—an 8 kilometer cave right off the ocean. It’s a World Heritage Site and a finalist in the New7Wonders of the World survey. The drive to the cave took us through lush hills, by gorgeous coastal views and along interesting rock formations. As usual, the tour driver took the windy road like he was in the grand prix: not a good combination if you tend to get car sick.
When we got out of the van we were at a beautiful white sand beach and boarded a pump boat to get to the cave; cruising along the coastal cliffs felt like we were in another world. When we arrived at the mouth of the cave we were greeted by the local monkeys: one mother was looking after her baby.
The tour of the cave takes you into the first 1.5 kilometers of the cave via a boat paddled by your guide. There are no lights so one of the riders has a spotlight that is used to show off the various formations and bats in the cave. The largest room we entered was around 90 feet high. On our way back to the pump boat we saw several more monkeys and a large monitor lizard (I’d guess around five feet long).
The last thing on our tour was a guided river tour through a mangrove forest. As we went through the forest we saw poisonous snakes sleeping in the trees, more monitor lizards and some cool birds. Maralee and I both agreed our day was the most exotic travel we’ve ever had.
That evening we flew back to Manila and wandered around the Mall of Asia: the forth largest mall in the world. I was amazed that a mall of that scale would be so close to the poverty I saw when driving through Manila five weeks ago.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Farewells
It’s Sunday night and I’m now already two Islands removed from Negros. The past week has been a bit of a blur. Tuesday evening the goodbyes started: Charles was kind enough to host all of us and several clients in his home for our farewell dinner. He promised an evening with Lechon, the traditional roasted pig, the last time he hosted us and sure enough he delivered a wonderful meal which included the crispy-skinned delicacy. The evening finished with karaoke: the Filipino’s love to sing. Before we left, we were told to get ready to sing but luckily for us our one and only request came just a few days before leaving—only a few of our team members sang.
We didn’t get back from the party until close to midnight and I had a few things to take care of before heading to bed. So when the alarm went off at 4:30AM to pick up Maralee from the airport, I was tired but excited to have her join me. This is the longest I’ve been away from home since I’ve been married and I’ve certainly missed my family. It’s been fun showing her around over the past five days.
Wednesday we starting wrapping things up with La Salle University: we shared information on IBM’s academic initiative to help provide a long-term link with the campus and IBM. Jaydip and I also gave a summary presentation reviewing our deliverables over the past four weeks and suggesting some next steps for moving forward. At the close of the meetings they surprised with a delicious chocolate cake and presented us with La Salle University jackets: so we are now officially “La Salle-ians”. It’s been a real pleasure to work with the team.
Thursday was a local holiday: to celebrate Negros’ independence from Spain. The history behind the holiday is great: the locals on the island were short on artillery but strong on whit. They painted rolled-up palm leaves and bamboo sticks to look like guns and cannons. Then, they marched their large number of “armed” troops to the Spanish headquarters and firmed the real arms they had. After a few people died, the Spanish decided it would be better to surrender than face a large number of casualties.
With the day off, Maralee and I had fun visiting the local sites: back to Mumbukal (the mountain resort) and the old sugar cane plantation homes (including the Ruins). Friday morning I introduced Maralee to my friends at the school and had our final goodbyes-- I’ll certainly miss working with these guys.
Early Monday morning, there was a terrible fire not far from our hotel: in fact it was in the Baranguay where I played basketball. A candle started the fire and the adjacent shanty homes all were burned. It was the largest fire they’ve had and, tragically, sixteen people were killed. Friday afternoon, Maralee and I visited some families that were relocated to live in a nearby elementary school. In talking to one of the ladies, they felt lucky to be alive—a neighbor saved their life by knocking on their door. It was yet another reminder of how different our lives are from so many people in the world; we were glad to be able to provide some assistance to the families.
That evening, we fittingly had our last meal together at Imays restaurant. We ordered quite a feast, so much that no one had room for our customary dessert—halo halo (coconut filled with fruit, jello, ice, etc.). When we got back to the hotel no one was quite ready to end the adventure. We sat in the lobby and talked for a while, having trouble admitting that it was over. Finally, we gave our goodbyes, hugs and bissous—this life experience had come to a close.
We didn’t get back from the party until close to midnight and I had a few things to take care of before heading to bed. So when the alarm went off at 4:30AM to pick up Maralee from the airport, I was tired but excited to have her join me. This is the longest I’ve been away from home since I’ve been married and I’ve certainly missed my family. It’s been fun showing her around over the past five days.
Wednesday we starting wrapping things up with La Salle University: we shared information on IBM’s academic initiative to help provide a long-term link with the campus and IBM. Jaydip and I also gave a summary presentation reviewing our deliverables over the past four weeks and suggesting some next steps for moving forward. At the close of the meetings they surprised with a delicious chocolate cake and presented us with La Salle University jackets: so we are now officially “La Salle-ians”. It’s been a real pleasure to work with the team.
Thursday was a local holiday: to celebrate Negros’ independence from Spain. The history behind the holiday is great: the locals on the island were short on artillery but strong on whit. They painted rolled-up palm leaves and bamboo sticks to look like guns and cannons. Then, they marched their large number of “armed” troops to the Spanish headquarters and firmed the real arms they had. After a few people died, the Spanish decided it would be better to surrender than face a large number of casualties.
With the day off, Maralee and I had fun visiting the local sites: back to Mumbukal (the mountain resort) and the old sugar cane plantation homes (including the Ruins). Friday morning I introduced Maralee to my friends at the school and had our final goodbyes-- I’ll certainly miss working with these guys.
Early Monday morning, there was a terrible fire not far from our hotel: in fact it was in the Baranguay where I played basketball. A candle started the fire and the adjacent shanty homes all were burned. It was the largest fire they’ve had and, tragically, sixteen people were killed. Friday afternoon, Maralee and I visited some families that were relocated to live in a nearby elementary school. In talking to one of the ladies, they felt lucky to be alive—a neighbor saved their life by knocking on their door. It was yet another reminder of how different our lives are from so many people in the world; we were glad to be able to provide some assistance to the families.
That evening, we fittingly had our last meal together at Imays restaurant. We ordered quite a feast, so much that no one had room for our customary dessert—halo halo (coconut filled with fruit, jello, ice, etc.). When we got back to the hotel no one was quite ready to end the adventure. We sat in the lobby and talked for a while, having trouble admitting that it was over. Finally, we gave our goodbyes, hugs and bissous—this life experience had come to a close.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Danjugan Island
Just got back from a wonderful weekend. Waya from ABV made all the arrangements for the team to travel to Danjugan Island: a small island run by a conservation foundation. The group took over running the island nine years ago in an effort to restore the damaged coral and protect the marine life.
The first thing I did after arriving was snorkeling in the clear, turquoise-colored water. You could see that the efforts to conserve the island have had some success: areas that had been clearly damaged were starting to come to life. In some places you could see chunks of coral gone--dynamite fishing has been a big problem in the Philippines.
In addition to the wide varitey of coral, some of the highlights of things I saw were jumbo clams, tiger fish, trumpet fish, flying fish, and puffer fish. I also saw a huge fish, about 5 ft in length, with a large mouth and giant lips. He seemed interested in me--staring with his mouth open for a while: maybe he was trying to figure if I would fit in his mouth.
The island is an eco-tourism location: the rooms we slept in were open-air rooms with bug nets around our beds. Luckily there weren't too many bugs. The site had beds for 16 people and we filled up every one. Our room of five beds was filled with each of the IBM men. The first night I had trouble sleeping: we had a chorus of snorers--each time one would stop another would begin. Also, there were very large geckos that made an incredibly large noise; we thought for sure they were a bird until we got the details. On the island was also a bat cave with thousands of bats flying around. We understand there is a good-sized python as well that likes to fill up on bats every four days: luckily he didn't join us in our room.
Yesterday evening we went out in the owners yacht to visit the neighboring island. The small island is owned by a friend of ours, Maggie, in Bacolod--so we call it Maggie's Island. It has a beautiful beach for swimming that we enjoyed along with drinks and snacks--we were constantly eating. Just before sunset we cruised off to the backside of Danjugan to enjoy the sun going down and jump off of the boat.
As always, I enjoyed the ride to and from the location. It was about a four hour drive filled with lush hills, sugar cane and rice fields, villages and towns. I took some picture out the window and often got the attention of the locals--they loved to wave and yell out "hey Joe"--I love seeing their smiles. So many people live with so little, but most seem to be happy with life.
The first thing I did after arriving was snorkeling in the clear, turquoise-colored water. You could see that the efforts to conserve the island have had some success: areas that had been clearly damaged were starting to come to life. In some places you could see chunks of coral gone--dynamite fishing has been a big problem in the Philippines.
In addition to the wide varitey of coral, some of the highlights of things I saw were jumbo clams, tiger fish, trumpet fish, flying fish, and puffer fish. I also saw a huge fish, about 5 ft in length, with a large mouth and giant lips. He seemed interested in me--staring with his mouth open for a while: maybe he was trying to figure if I would fit in his mouth.
The island is an eco-tourism location: the rooms we slept in were open-air rooms with bug nets around our beds. Luckily there weren't too many bugs. The site had beds for 16 people and we filled up every one. Our room of five beds was filled with each of the IBM men. The first night I had trouble sleeping: we had a chorus of snorers--each time one would stop another would begin. Also, there were very large geckos that made an incredibly large noise; we thought for sure they were a bird until we got the details. On the island was also a bat cave with thousands of bats flying around. We understand there is a good-sized python as well that likes to fill up on bats every four days: luckily he didn't join us in our room.
Yesterday evening we went out in the owners yacht to visit the neighboring island. The small island is owned by a friend of ours, Maggie, in Bacolod--so we call it Maggie's Island. It has a beautiful beach for swimming that we enjoyed along with drinks and snacks--we were constantly eating. Just before sunset we cruised off to the backside of Danjugan to enjoy the sun going down and jump off of the boat.
As always, I enjoyed the ride to and from the location. It was about a four hour drive filled with lush hills, sugar cane and rice fields, villages and towns. I took some picture out the window and often got the attention of the locals--they loved to wave and yell out "hey Joe"--I love seeing their smiles. So many people live with so little, but most seem to be happy with life.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Health Report
It's early Thursday morning and though it's hazy outside it looks like we should have decent weather. So far, we haven't had too much rain since arriving in Bacolod even though we're still in the midst of the rainy season. However, I just noticed in my in-box there is another Typhoon warning for Central Luzon--which may hit Manila; hopefully, they won't see too much damage. Back in Loveland, my family has been busy collecting school supplies for children those impacted by the storms. They have pulled together lots of supplies and Maralee is now working on the shipping details. Thanks to anyone who has been able to contribute!
In my last post I mentioned that I've been limping around on a bad knee: luckily it started to feel better yesterday. I'm pretty sure I have a tear in my meniscus, and Brett (my physical therapist brother-in-law) gave the same prognosis over the phone. I'll get it checked out when I return home.
Speaking of medical care, last week I was talking to Kooks about health care in the Philippines. He said that the majority of people here are unable to afford medical services due to poverty. They have traditional herbs that they use to rely on for remedies. I asked what happens if that doesn't work; he said "they pray hard". If they have some money, a doctor would be the last option.
Today we plan on wrapping up our work with the IT Center at the school. Things have been going pretty well--yesterday we worked with them to install some software in their test lab to help improve their IT monitoring and management: we installed Nagios for monitoring and CVS for their development version control. Today we'll continue some of that work and try to get a wiki installed to help them with documentation. The IT guys seemed excited about the new tools and are eager to learn.
In my last post I mentioned that I've been limping around on a bad knee: luckily it started to feel better yesterday. I'm pretty sure I have a tear in my meniscus, and Brett (my physical therapist brother-in-law) gave the same prognosis over the phone. I'll get it checked out when I return home.
Speaking of medical care, last week I was talking to Kooks about health care in the Philippines. He said that the majority of people here are unable to afford medical services due to poverty. They have traditional herbs that they use to rely on for remedies. I asked what happens if that doesn't work; he said "they pray hard". If they have some money, a doctor would be the last option.
Today we plan on wrapping up our work with the IT Center at the school. Things have been going pretty well--yesterday we worked with them to install some software in their test lab to help improve their IT monitoring and management: we installed Nagios for monitoring and CVS for their development version control. Today we'll continue some of that work and try to get a wiki installed to help them with documentation. The IT guys seemed excited about the new tools and are eager to learn.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Flexible
Prior to heading off to the Philippines, I had the chance to talk to several IBMers who were in the Corporate Service Corps program. They shared their experiences and some advice: I remember one saying that you need to be "flexible". This has proved to be the case this week for me. The plans to head back to Manila were very slow in materializing. When the IBM team finally gave confirmation late Friday that the trip was still on, it became difficult to get the travel arrangements sorted out. I was supposed to fly out Monday but that spilled into Tuesday and this afternoon I learned that the agreement with the NDCC needed some more work and the project had been delayed. So, bottom line, I will now be in Bacolod for the rest of the trip.
I had mixed emotions because the Disaster Relief effort sounded like a nice project to be a part of; however, it's also nice working with the La Salle University and the rest of the IBM team. I need to rethink what I can do some of the additional time I have available. Tomorrow, I'll join Guillermo to help with the IT assessment we have planned at the school.
Today I spent the day at a seminar our team put on in conjunction with BNEFIT; of course, I was only a listener this time since I hadn't expected to be in town. One interesting thing about meetings here in the Philippines is they often begin with a prayer. I wasn't too surprised that was the case at the University, since it is a Catholic school, but it has been a pleasant surprise in other meetings. The link to religion here is much stronger than in the US. Approximately 80% of Filipinos are Catholic, and from what I have seen, Mass is well attended. The strong Christian influence makes the Philippines very unique in Asia.
On the first two Sunday's of my stay I was able to attend my church's services: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was nice to be able to get to meet the local congregation--it didn't appear that they were very accustomed to having visitors from out of the country. I've been quite impressed by the volume of LDS churches in the Philippines: it seems that most every town has a well maintained chapel. In Bacolod alone there are 15 wards. When I talk to others about they church they are all very familiar with the church and have positive things to say.
Yesterday during lunch Guillermo and I went to the local "wet" market to see what it was like. The best time to go would have been in the morning when there is more fish. But we got a good feel for what it was like (along with the strong smell of fish parts baking in the heat)--quite a difference then the European markets I'm accustom to. We also explored a local alley way and ran into a basketball court that had a large pickup game going on. We created quite a stir: all of the guys stopped the game and started yelling "hey Joe" (the name they give to all Americans). I couldn't resist and joined them for a brief game in my flip flops--which is the standard basketball footwear here. It was fun but I severely aggravated my knee--I've had pain and been limping ever since. Hopefully, this is a temporary problem but I may need to get a first-hand experience in local medical care.
I had mixed emotions because the Disaster Relief effort sounded like a nice project to be a part of; however, it's also nice working with the La Salle University and the rest of the IBM team. I need to rethink what I can do some of the additional time I have available. Tomorrow, I'll join Guillermo to help with the IT assessment we have planned at the school.
Today I spent the day at a seminar our team put on in conjunction with BNEFIT; of course, I was only a listener this time since I hadn't expected to be in town. One interesting thing about meetings here in the Philippines is they often begin with a prayer. I wasn't too surprised that was the case at the University, since it is a Catholic school, but it has been a pleasant surprise in other meetings. The link to religion here is much stronger than in the US. Approximately 80% of Filipinos are Catholic, and from what I have seen, Mass is well attended. The strong Christian influence makes the Philippines very unique in Asia.
On the first two Sunday's of my stay I was able to attend my church's services: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was nice to be able to get to meet the local congregation--it didn't appear that they were very accustomed to having visitors from out of the country. I've been quite impressed by the volume of LDS churches in the Philippines: it seems that most every town has a well maintained chapel. In Bacolod alone there are 15 wards. When I talk to others about they church they are all very familiar with the church and have positive things to say.
Yesterday during lunch Guillermo and I went to the local "wet" market to see what it was like. The best time to go would have been in the morning when there is more fish. But we got a good feel for what it was like (along with the strong smell of fish parts baking in the heat)--quite a difference then the European markets I'm accustom to. We also explored a local alley way and ran into a basketball court that had a large pickup game going on. We created quite a stir: all of the guys stopped the game and started yelling "hey Joe" (the name they give to all Americans). I couldn't resist and joined them for a brief game in my flip flops--which is the standard basketball footwear here. It was fun but I severely aggravated my knee--I've had pain and been limping ever since. Hopefully, this is a temporary problem but I may need to get a first-hand experience in local medical care.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Capacity Building
I just got confirmation that I will be headed back to Manila on Monday to begin work with the Disaster Relief project with the NDCC (the Philippine equivalent to FEMA). The timing is not a surprise but since it took a while to get the specific date finalized I wasn't sure if today would really be my last day working at St. La Salle University.
My last day with the client was a good one. I gave my third training session to the faculty and IT support team: two different Project Management sessions and one on IT standards (based on ITIL). Each presentation was a couple hours long, so much of my available time away from the campus over the past couple weeks has been spent preparing materials. The objective of the sessions has been to provide material they can use in their courses next year and share best practices they can implement in their on-campus IT support.
The primary objective of our Corporate Service Corps program is to build the local capacity, so training of the faculty aligns well with our mission. We're also sharing IT trends in the market to help with their future curriculum, performing an IT assessment and sharing some business planning recommendations. It has been a real pleasure working with the leaders of the University: their hospitality has been amazing and they are always very appreciative of the work we're performing. As I left the office they gave me a model Jeepeny and a rain stick--very cool. Finally, this evening Kooks and Shiegfred took Jaydip and I to dinner at a fun restaurant on the coast. I will miss working with these guys.
Tomorrow at 5am our team is heading a few hours south to enjoy the weekend at a beach resort. I'm sure we'll have a blast and since this may be the last time I'm with the team I will be making the most of my time.
My last day with the client was a good one. I gave my third training session to the faculty and IT support team: two different Project Management sessions and one on IT standards (based on ITIL). Each presentation was a couple hours long, so much of my available time away from the campus over the past couple weeks has been spent preparing materials. The objective of the sessions has been to provide material they can use in their courses next year and share best practices they can implement in their on-campus IT support.
The primary objective of our Corporate Service Corps program is to build the local capacity, so training of the faculty aligns well with our mission. We're also sharing IT trends in the market to help with their future curriculum, performing an IT assessment and sharing some business planning recommendations. It has been a real pleasure working with the leaders of the University: their hospitality has been amazing and they are always very appreciative of the work we're performing. As I left the office they gave me a model Jeepeny and a rain stick--very cool. Finally, this evening Kooks and Shiegfred took Jaydip and I to dinner at a fun restaurant on the coast. I will miss working with these guys.
Tomorrow at 5am our team is heading a few hours south to enjoy the weekend at a beach resort. I'm sure we'll have a blast and since this may be the last time I'm with the team I will be making the most of my time.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Contrasts
What a difference a day makes. Last night at this time I was feeling miserable; something I ate or drank got the best of me. Luckily the prescription the doctor sent with me seems to have done the job: I felt good enough to eat this evening and so far so good. Maralee read somewhere that 80% of travelers to the Philippines experience some level of sickness, so you can add me to the majority.
Tuesday night our team was treated to an evening at a local real estate developers home. It was quite a palace in a gated neighborhood. This was probably the nicest home I have ever visited as a guest: an elegant Asian-style home made from exquisite materials throughout. The dining room floor was rimmed with a pool filled with fish--to enter you cross a small bridge. The walls of the large sitting room in the back opened completely to create a wonderful atmosphere. However, there were a couple things that made me a bit uncomfortable during the visit. As we drove up one of the first things you see is a guard with a machine gun in hand. I was also unaccustomed to having so many hired people in the home to help with the arrangements.
The husband, Charles, is a member of an organization named BNEFIT our team is working with that is working to promote more IT jobs in the area. He has plans to build a huge office park with retail, residential and office space; even plans for a large convention center. He shared the plans with us while we were there--quite a vision considering the general business environment here in Bacolod.
After enjoying an evening of hospitality and a wonderful dinner, we headed back to our hotel. Of course, I couldn't help but think of the huge contrast displayed by this experience. Each day as we walk the streets outside of the gated community we see so many people with nothing in homes that look like they will collapse with a strong wind. It's a different world.
I hope Charles is successful in his plans for the business park. Certainly that would significantly add to his wealth; however, it would also bring many good paying jobs to the city. It takes people with vision and aspirations like Charles to help bring a new level of prosperity to Bacolod.
Tuesday night our team was treated to an evening at a local real estate developers home. It was quite a palace in a gated neighborhood. This was probably the nicest home I have ever visited as a guest: an elegant Asian-style home made from exquisite materials throughout. The dining room floor was rimmed with a pool filled with fish--to enter you cross a small bridge. The walls of the large sitting room in the back opened completely to create a wonderful atmosphere. However, there were a couple things that made me a bit uncomfortable during the visit. As we drove up one of the first things you see is a guard with a machine gun in hand. I was also unaccustomed to having so many hired people in the home to help with the arrangements.
The husband, Charles, is a member of an organization named BNEFIT our team is working with that is working to promote more IT jobs in the area. He has plans to build a huge office park with retail, residential and office space; even plans for a large convention center. He shared the plans with us while we were there--quite a vision considering the general business environment here in Bacolod.
After enjoying an evening of hospitality and a wonderful dinner, we headed back to our hotel. Of course, I couldn't help but think of the huge contrast displayed by this experience. Each day as we walk the streets outside of the gated community we see so many people with nothing in homes that look like they will collapse with a strong wind. It's a different world.
I hope Charles is successful in his plans for the business park. Certainly that would significantly add to his wealth; however, it would also bring many good paying jobs to the city. It takes people with vision and aspirations like Charles to help bring a new level of prosperity to Bacolod.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monkey
Today was a holiday in Bacolod City so we got to extend the weekend. Since most of the team hadn't yet gone to the Mambukal resort we decided to rent a van with a driver for the day and head in that direction; our friend Maricar Dabao was kind enough to make the arrangements.
I got to play tour guide since this was my second visit. This time we went further in the hike (to the sixth waterfall instead of the second) and we enjoyed the swimming and thermal (or as they call it "dipping") pool. The weather was great and everyone enjoyed themselves.
On the way home we took a detour and headed over to the Pandanon Valley Resort. We all enjoyed the drive through the scenic countryside and we played around in the river. Guillermo and I had fun walking up stream through the rapids and on the boulders. However, my highlight of the resort was when a ran into a group of monkeys near the parking lot...very cool! . Our day of running around ended by viewing "the Ruins" in town: an old mansion that was burned to the ground in 1945 in order to prevent the Japanese from using it to their advantage during WW2.
Tomorrow it is back to work: we have a couple meetings and I need to finalize a presentation I'm putting together for a lecture on IT Standardization based on an ITIL framework for Wednesday. We have a busy week ahead of us and next week it still looks like I'll be returning to Manila for the Disaster Relief work.
On the way home we took a detour and headed over to the Pandanon Valley Resort. We all enjoyed the drive through the scenic countryside and we played around in the river. Guillermo and I had fun walking up stream through the rapids and on the boulders. However, my highlight of the resort was when a ran into a group of monkeys near the parking lot...very cool! . Our day of running around ended by viewing "the Ruins" in town: an old mansion that was burned to the ground in 1945 in order to prevent the Japanese from using it to their advantage during WW2.
Tomorrow it is back to work: we have a couple meetings and I need to finalize a presentation I'm putting together for a lecture on IT Standardization based on an ITIL framework for Wednesday. We have a busy week ahead of us and next week it still looks like I'll be returning to Manila for the Disaster Relief work.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Flying Foxes and Giant Poppers
After a week of going from the hotel, to the University, to dinner and back to the hotel it was nice to have a chance to get beyond our five block radius and see a little of the Island. In fact, our exploring started a little earlier than planned when our friends at St. La Salle University (Kooks, Jeff and Shiegred) took us out for an excursion to the mountain resort of Mambukal once we finished our morning meetings. We had a fantastic trip. I loved getting out to the country side and seeing the fields of sugar cane and rice. I was fascinated just observing the locals in their daily routines from our the van window: transporting the sugar cane, placing the rice on the roads to dry, catching a nap in the back of a tri-cycle, working in the road-side shops, etc. I would have loved to stop many times and capture the scenes on film.
We arrived at the lush resort and the first thing we noticed were the "flying foxes": the nickname they give to the enormous bats hanging from the trees. There were hundreds hanging from the trees.
We enjoyed another delicious lunch (some more great seafood) before exploring the resort.
After lunch, Duke, Janna and I played batman by taking the zip line ride which had only opened a couple weeks earlier. We got a great view of the lake and terrain from above. Then we all headed up the trails to the first two waterfalls. It was great to get some fresh air and enjoy the view. After the falls we took a quick look around the rest of the resort before heading back home.
The rest of my weekend was spent enjoying the MassKara festival. It's the largest festival of the year for the Island of Negros. It was started 30 years ago when the Sugar Cane industry here took a big hit: they decided to have a festival with smiling masks and bright colors to demonstrate their optimism for the future. Friday night we enjoyed the Electric MassKara: there must have been a couple hundred thousand people filling the streets to see the various team dance on four stages with their costumes and lights.
Saturday and Sunday I went to the town plaza to see the street dance competitions. Most of the Barangays (or districts) of the city had a team of 50 dancers with elaborate costumes, props and giant poppers that sent streamers in the air. The reigning champion went last and they put on quite a production. We didn't stay around to hear the final results but I'd be quite surprised if they didn't hold on to their crown.
We arrived at the lush resort and the first thing we noticed were the "flying foxes": the nickname they give to the enormous bats hanging from the trees. There were hundreds hanging from the trees.
We enjoyed another delicious lunch (some more great seafood) before exploring the resort.
After lunch, Duke, Janna and I played batman by taking the zip line ride which had only opened a couple weeks earlier. We got a great view of the lake and terrain from above. Then we all headed up the trails to the first two waterfalls. It was great to get some fresh air and enjoy the view. After the falls we took a quick look around the rest of the resort before heading back home.
The rest of my weekend was spent enjoying the MassKara festival. It's the largest festival of the year for the Island of Negros. It was started 30 years ago when the Sugar Cane industry here took a big hit: they decided to have a festival with smiling masks and bright colors to demonstrate their optimism for the future. Friday night we enjoyed the Electric MassKara: there must have been a couple hundred thousand people filling the streets to see the various team dance on four stages with their costumes and lights.
Saturday and Sunday I went to the town plaza to see the street dance competitions. Most of the Barangays (or districts) of the city had a team of 50 dancers with elaborate costumes, props and giant poppers that sent streamers in the air. The reigning champion went last and they put on quite a production. We didn't stay around to hear the final results but I'd be quite surprised if they didn't hold on to their crown.
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