Pampering in the Philippines

I have recently returned home from a day of Manila pampering(an early birthday gift from Ian)

Started out with a hair cut from Fix Salon on commonwealth Av. It is a mid level hair salon chain. They say that they do nails and other such things, but I would recommend you stick just to hair cuts. It takes about and hour, you get a nice hair wash and blow-dry as well as the haircut. They did a great job and the hair cut is under P200( $4 USD)

Fix Salon is inside a small commercial center and just one space over is a nice nail salon where I got a mani-pedi package for p300. They women do a nice job, the paint is of average quality and the space is set up a bit awkwardly, but comfortable. 

Next I went to Dr.Estebans Cosmetic Surgery & Dermatology Clinic. I had a personal consultation with the Dr, and an amazing facial. The facial come with a short neck and shoulder massage with the whole process lasting around an hour. It costs p550 and comes with a free bar of soap! You can e-mail them at estabanjoseph@yahoo.com

I than literally walked next door to Lay Bare Waxing Studio. They have waxing package deals starting around p700, you can also have individual waxing done. Lay Bare offers a customer loyalty card and for ever four visits you get a p100 discount.  Lay Bare is another mid level chain. The one near Shopwise on Commonwealth is in need of an interior paint job, that aside, the women were very professional and did a good job (not 100%). During the waxing they have the AC on at a really nice temperature, and each space has a TV on the wall so you can watch a music video and be a bit distracted ;)

I am now home feeling very pampered and just pleased with my whole experience.  All in all it cost around p2500 or $50USD and consumed about 5 hrs of my day, really a great time!

Cerealicious Katipunan development

Since my last post about Cerealicious on Katipunan, I have been heading over there ever few days for another amazing cereal creation. This morning I was on my way out and was in a bit of a hurry but knew that I wanted to have a great start to my day with a cerealicious breakfast. The sign says they are open at 9am, the sign lies! I was so disappointed when I went over there at 9:10am to see it closed, when I asked the girl working she informed me that they did not open till 10am! I would suggest that you ovoid making any plans to go to ceralicious since the hours change, however if you do pass by and they are open enjoy (because it is still yummy), the last hour they are open they will make you feel super uncomfortable, as if they wish you would just hurry up and go home, so if its after 8pm just take your amazing treat to go.

Since the above post was published in december, the cerealicious location has posted new hours in what I hope is in response to my previous entry. I went over today to have the creation of the month a play off of the movie Pocahontas. It was very satisfying. Ian ordered a garlicky chicken sandwich that was without question good, but not amazing. 

MRT Improvments

Dear MRT,

I want to thank you and let you know that I appreciate your exorbitantly low price. As well as your existence in Manila. I enjoy how quickly you transport me from point A to point B all encompassed in a smooth and ACed car.

As women in relationship I believe so many things about you are perfect, but first I need to improve you;

• Please don't have your pre-pay cards expire, its petty and stupid
• Please install metal detectors and do away with counter preforming security guards
• Please increase your price so you will have extra money to spend on my comforts by having your escalators repaired
• Please add an extra train that runs after 10pm, your very last train is always so full and sometimes I want to come home after 10pm, even just 11pm please?
• Please create a formula to decrease the number of people per train so I don't worry about you de-railing during peak times
• And lastly please finish your line, so your connected both at Taft and Monumento, ending at North Ave is annoying

Thank you and love!
Laura

Pizza in Manila

Ian and I love pizza and have been trying pizza through Manila. Here is our evaluation thus far...

Yellow Cab : A Filipino chain that makes a good pizza. It is not Italian however it tastes like a standard American pizza, if there is such thing. They have sit down and deliver options at most locations. The pizza price is around 500 a pizza, and soda is only sold by the can. If you sit down, your pizza will be out reasonably fast and while you wait they have magazines and newspapers to read. If you have delivery, they do sometimes get backed up and it might take a while.

Greenwich : Just crap. The toppings taste strange and un-fresh, the sauce is extra sweet, the cheeses tasted like plastic. The prices are fairly low, 300, and they have fountain soda and juice. The restaurant is very fast food feeling. Also provide delivery as well as sit down

Shakeys : A Filipino chain that is a nice pizza restaurant. The sit down area is very family restaurant feeling. The pizza is a thin crust that costs about the same as Yellow Cab around 500 a pizza. They also offer delivery. Soda is sold by the glass or pitcher, also serving fruit juice and coffee. They make a good root beer float and have a yummy looking sandwich. Good fried chicken too. Service leaves something to be desired.

Pizza Hut : Not as awesome as the US, however they offer a much more classy sit down atmosphere than in the US. The pizza is a bit expensive 600, the taste is the same as in the US. They have fruit drinks, coffee and soda.

Cibo's : Just awesome. Filipino chain started by a Filipina woman who studied in Italy. The pizza serves two people, costs around 400 and is made with just amazing fresh ingredients. Huge beverage selections and a delicious looking non pizza menu. The restaurant itself has the feeling of a nice lunch cafe. They also have great service and are open on Christmas!

Organics helping Pacific agriculture

I have often expressed that the world needs more good news. Today while doing some research for my potential thesis, I came across the article below and it made me so pleased, I felt it only right to share it!

 

Organics: the key to helping Pacific agriculture conquer new markets

In the Pacific Islands, farmers have traditionally used organic farming methods, but because their produce was not officially certified, they were unable to enter the US$18 billion global market. Now, with the help of new regional organic standards, a growing number of island farmers are getting a good price for their produce in international markets, improving life for themselves and their families.
The 22 countries and territories of the Pacific Islands region include a mix of continental and volcanic islands, and low and raised coral atolls. They are island nations with small populations – totalling 9.5 million – scattered across an ocean area of approximately 30 million square kilometres. Less than 2 per cent of this area is land.
While outsiders may view the region as a palm-fringed paradise, life for the islanders can be difficult. The local economies are uncertain and slow-growing; domestic markets are small and poorly integrated.
But island farmers have a potentially lucrative asset: because of their widespread use of traditional farming methods, without the application of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, they have been using organic farming methods for centuries.
In recognition of the potential benefits of linking farmers to organic markets, a Regional Organic Task Force (ROTF) was set up in 2007 to develop and implement a new organic standard for the region. The task force is a public/private partnership that includes experienced organic practitioners, farmers, processors, exporters, organic inspectors, researchers and staff members of agriculture ministries and NGOs. The programme led to the establishment of the third-ever worldwide organic standard in 2008. There have already been significant changes at the policy level, as government attitudes towards sustainable farming have changed. This should lead to benefits for local economies, food security and diet.
Farmers making a profit
Mano Lami’s coconut farm shows what has been achieved.

Organic certification provides market opportunities for Pacific island farmers and their families

“Before we joined the organics programme we earned nothing,” says Lami. But when her farm became fully certified as organic, the growth in her family’s prosperity and standing in the community was remarkable. “When our farm was fully certified as organic and the prices [we could charge] increased, we noticed a huge difference,” she says. “We used the income to extend our house and can now afford to pay our electricity bills as well as make church donations. We used to rely on remittances from my children and relatives overseas, but now we don’t.”



Overcoming obstacles
Farming in the Pacific Islands is predominantly small scale, low in productivity and based mainly on family labour, with limited use of modern technology. Would-be organic producers face a variety of obstacles, including the high cost of certifying, auditing and compliance needed to meet international organic standards.
To overcome these obstacles, IFAD funded two projects, one to help establish organic standards for the region, and another to build the capacity of farmers to meet organic – and subsequently fair-trade – standards. The first project set out to develop regional standards through a locally owned process, and to negotiate acceptance of them with certifying bodies in other regions. The intent was to create a regional strategy and national plans to build a strong foundation for sustainable organic agriculture in the region.
Ten Pacific Island countries – working with the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Women in Business Development Inc (WIBDI), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Governments of Australia and New Zealand  – formed a Regional Organic Task Force to create the organic standard. The task force is backed by the recently-created Pacific High Level Organics Group, which draws on work being done by the projects to advocate and raise awareness for organic development at regional and national levels. The Organic Group was chaired by the Prime Minister of Samoa, with other members including the Presidents of both Kiribati and Niue and the Prime Minister of Vanuatu.
The task force has evolved into the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community (POETCom), reflecting the fair or ethical trade values incorporated in its work. Progress has been swift and the first Pacific Organic Standard was endorsed by Pacific leaders in September 2008.
Raising sails to conquer the Pacific
According to Ron Hartman, IFAD’s country programme manager for the Pacific Islands, organic products can help farmers overcome isolation from international markets.
“Thanks to the growing international demand for organic and fair-trade products, there is an opportunity for small farmers in the Pacific Islands to benefit from this expanding market,” he says. “But there are strict international requirements for organics, so products must first be certified to ensure that they can be exported to overseas markets and farmers can benefit from price premiums.”
Aleki Sisifa, Director of the Land Resources Division at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), says the region is in dire need of this kind of support. “The Pacific is facing the effects of climate change, degradation of ecosystems and the need to generate livelihoods to maintain islands’ populations,” he said.
According to Sisifa, the Pacific Organic Standard “aims to provide a vehicle for organic production, as a sector, to raise its sails and conquer the Pacific.”
Samoan coconut oil for the Body Shop
The Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tahiti and Vanuatu all have organically certified land now. Organically certified crops and products currently being exported from the Pacific include beef, coffee, cocoa, coconut (as virgin coconut oil), vanilla and other spices, nonu (local spelling for the noni fruit) and both fresh and dried ‘lady’s finger’ bananas).

Organic and fair-trade products improve income opportunities for local communities

As some Samoan coconut farmers have discovered, there is considerable international demand for organic products from the Pacific. In 1991, WIBDI was established to support income generation in rural communities in Samoa. It has helped Samoan farmers reach organic certification standards and has developed a market link with the Body Shop in the United Kingdom to supply organic virgin coconut oil from smallholder Samoan farmers.

The financial benefits for local families are considerable. More children are attending school and families are able to expand their businesses. But there are other advantages to organic agriculture.
“Organics is more about a way of life than about certification and export,” says Adi Maimalaga Tafuna’I, Director of Samoa’s WIBDI. “It is about health, ecology, fairness and care. We want more than just sound technical regional standards. We want to incorporate a Pacific feel that acknowledges our past as organic farmers and the changes that have happened. We need to acknowledge our smallness in marketing terms and also recognize our culture and develop a brand that acknowledges that – as a holistic organic system.”

Source: IFAD

http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/web/guest/region/voice/tags/oceania/organics_pacific

Cerealicious Katipunan

Cearealicious Menu

AMAZING Breakfast!

Enjoyed a short walk over to Katipunan Avenue this morning and found another amazing food spot in Quezon City.

Cerealicious on Katipunan

Let me introduce you to Cerealicious, claimed to be the first and only cereal cafe! This fun colored, fun ingredient breakfast place has won my heart. All of the combination's are creatively mixed with movie themes, This morning I ate The K After Tomorrow, and Ian had Harry Butter, Finger of Azkaban.

The combination's come in two sizes the smaller for p50 and the larger for p100. You will be satisfied after a small size, but your gluten will make you wish you had the large size =)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cerealicious Choices

The cold creamy base for these cereal creations is not too sweet or too tart, but really just perfect, good with the ultra sweets such as chocolates and marshmallow, but also amazing with granola's and fruits!

Here is the web site: http://www.cerealicious-ph.com/menu.htm

Teriyaki Boy Katipunan

I have a new restaurant find, and I realize that this blog is quickly becoming a food evaluation however I am ok with that. I think a HUGE part of being a student is eating, an equally as huge part of traveling is eating, thus the transformation.

Yesterday Ian and I ate at a wonderful restaurant. Teriyaki Boy. Its a fairly large chain in Manila, serving Japanese based fare.

You would guess that it is nothing special due to its strange color and lighting choices. Bright lights, with black and yellow striped decor. However a more fitting atmosphere would be something more sophisticated reflecting the truly delicious and well presented Japaneses dishes.

The prices are average for a sit down Japanese restaurant in Manila.
A California roll was around p150
All you can drink soda p100
Vegetable Crab Tempura p100

On our first visit  to the Katipunan location we had some of the best wait staff service since our arrival in the Philippines,on our second visit we were sat quickly and than ignored for 20 min, we ended up just leaving because the wait staff was ignoring us

Here is a the official link if your wanting to find a location: http://www.teriyakiboy.com.ph/tb/

UP Foreigner Registration

There is a great lack of clear information for foreign students at UP. I have the impressing at Ateneo has a better foreign student program and that after UP foreign student fees you will be paying almost the same price per term as Ateneo. That said I am glad that I am a UP student, so if you are thinking of trying school in the Philippines UP is a great option! I have successfully completed my second round of foreign student registration. This term was not as horrid as last term but still a long and unexciting process. It appears that they system and order of operations changes term to term but a few things remain the same.

Things to bring with you when you go to register

• ID, as many as you have, passport, I card, Student ID, driving ID
• copies of these ID's I would suggest 3 of each
• Snacks you will most likely be waiting a long time and wont want to sacrifice your place in line to buy food
• A book or some other distraction
• ID photos
• A long folder, the papers they give you are not the standard paper size
• Change for the jeep you are going to be going across campus several times
• Wet wipes for your face and arms most lines will not be in AC and its hot

Things that make registering easier

• Talking to the person next to you
• Asking the guard at the front of the building where to go 
• Do not worry about paying till after you get done registering, than wait a day before you go pay, it will make you more relaxed. 
• If you pay a day or two after the deadline there is no late charge
• wear cool comfortable clothes, but still somewhat nice looking
• its going to be hot
• you have to sit for a long time
• your Filipino classmates will somehow look very nice even in the heat

University of the Philippines

Have fun and good luck!




This is an outline of what to expect during your first semester as a international student at UP

1)      Find Ms. Ester Mendoza, get her phone number, she is going to help you a lot

2)      Go to the photo copy center at the back of this building/complex and get 10 copies of your passport, 6 of your most recent entry stamp, and 5 copies of your letter of admission. I know it seems like a lot but you will want them. This is going to be around 15 pesos

3)      Next you will need to go to the shopping center that is located on Katipuan Rd. In there you will find several stores that will take your photo for you. You are going to want 15 2x2 photos and 5 1x1. This will cost you about 100 pesos. Once you have them, always have several with you, people will want your photo for every form.

4)      While at the shopping center it will be a good idea if you buy a folder of some sort to keep all of the papers you are going to collect in order

5)      Once you have all of this you can return to Ms. Ester and she will give you a permission to study form.

6)      Take your permission to study form to the OUR (the registration / admission office). There you need to ask a student helper if you can speak with Jenn in admissions.

7)      Jenn will tell you that you need to go to your college or program to register, but that first you need to go online and update your profile and print out form 5A. She will give you your student ID number and a pass word.

8)      There are internet cafes at the shopping center as well as in near the OSA(where you found Ms. Ester). Various other building may have internet available however these two places are your best bet. Internet on campus costs around 10 pesos every 30min

9)      Once you have done this go to where Jenn told you to register and register!

10)  After you register you will be given your form 5, this is your key to life over the next week, so try not to destroy it.

11)  You will most likely be informed that you need to bring your form 5 to Jenn for assessment of how much you will pay.

12)  Once assessed you can head up to the 3^rd floor of the OUR to pay your tuition, it is cash only, they will however give you change if you do not have the exact amount.

13)  While you are in the building get in line for miscellaneous fees, there you can pay about 150 pesos for your student ID

14)  After you have the receipt for your ID go down to the second floor to the ID room to have your photo taken

15)  Now you need to go to the informatory / university health services for a series of exams. This will be free and they will tell you to come back in a few days to pick up your x-ray.

16)  At this point you need to go to a store and buy a good plastic container.

17)  Return to Health services to retrieve your x-ray and completed health form

18)  In order to receive your student visa you need to go the Bureau of quarantine and international health surveillance. It is located in metro manila next to manila hotel. On 25^th and Delgado St in the port area. The phone number is 527 4655 or 527 4654.  You need to bring a stool (poop) sample with you for your exam as well as two photos, your passport and your chest x-ray. If you do not have your chest x-ray they will take one there for 300 pesos. You can take public transit however it will be easiest to take a taxi. A taxi from the university to quarantine will cost around 180 pesos. Once you are finished they will ask you to come back in a day or two

19)  In a day or two return to quarantine to receive your results, be sure to bring your passport.

20)  Go to the photo copy center and make a copy of your results, you never know when you might need them

21)  Take your results back to Ms Ester along with your form 5

22)  Ms Ester has a friend who will process your student visa for you or you have the option of doing it yourself.  You will need to get a security clearance that takes about two weeks before your student visa will be processed and issued. Most likely this process will make your tourist visa stamp expire and you will need to apply for an extension …. All in all if Ms. Esters friend does this for you it will cost around 10,000 pesos, which you will need to pay in cash.

23)  Now that you have your student visa on the way you can take your medical results to the place you registered

Places to visit in Manila

To build off of my previous entry about getting around and interesting things to do in Manila I have several new thoughts.

Food

My new favorite restaurant in Manila is called Green. It is located in the Tomas Morato area, however it is off the main stretch and can be quite difficult to find. I have had a taxi driver know where it was but if you want to check it out (and you should) I would advise getting directions from their web page.

http://www.facebook.com/greensresto?v=app_2344061033#!/greensresto?v=wall 

Best smoothie I have found yet is a chain called Fuzion. I have seen them at SM North, GreenBelt and GreenHills. I am sure they have more locations than this.

 http://fuzionphils.com/fuzion/news_mediagallery.php

Ian and I went to I Heart Froyo the other night. It is located on Katipunan Av in Quezon City. The posted hours are 11am to 11pm, we were there around 10pm and they were open. Very good frozen yogurt I found it not too sweet more of a yogurt flavor, which i love! We got a large size with snickers and gummy bears for Peso 110. The place itself is very cute, it has a traditional Asian feeling to it, located on the second floor with a well lit stair case and fun colors on the walls.

I have also heard of these restaurants however have not had the opportunities to visit them yet, but they do look interesting.

Van Gogh is Bi-polar:  http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2945016&id=78957949878&ref=album#!/pages/van-gogh-is-bipolar/78957949878

Hobbit House: http://www.hobbithousemanila.com/

Floating Garden: http://www.gatewaymall.com.ph/main07.php?id=07garden

Xoxolat: http://www.xocolat.com.ph/location.html

Paris Delice: www.parisdelice.com.ph

Transportation

If you think that it can be done by some form of public transportation it most likely can. It won’t necessarily be easy.

From Katipunan to Commonwealth

Catch a Jeep going to UP

Get off the Jeep just before it turns into the UP gate

Find a tricycle going to commonwealth, most likely quite a few people will be getting off the jeep with you who also want to get to commonwealth that you can share the tricycle with

From Manila to Cebu

Super Ferry! Hands down my #1 way to travel in the Philippines, flights and buses are cheap but so is the Super Ferry.  Get tourist class and above bring some snacks and a good book or two and enjoy relaxing, chatting, random dining hall entertainment, island viewing and sleeping from one destination to the next. I would advise that you skip getting a shave at the salon; I met a guy who got a nasty cut from that experience.
http://www.superferry.com.ph/

I have not had many new discoveries about things to do or see. I did pass by the Magnet Gallery the other day. It is a small gallery on Katipunan that would be worth looking at for any art friendly individuals. http://www.magnetgalleries.com/viewArtist.php?id=74

I also hope to check out the La Mesa Ecopark in the Fairview area sometime over the next two weeks! http://www.lamesaecopark.com/

Camping Club

Ian and I have just returned from our first Philippine Mountain Climb with a camping club named Sweepers Mountaineering Club. We both had a great time, getting to know more about the Filipino active 20 something culture that exists here ! A HUGE THANK YOU to the whole club for giving us such a warm welcome and a great hike! This club is extra ordinary due to the inactive culture that is quite prevalent in the Philippines. The obesity due to poor diet and inactivity that the US is currently struggling with is begging in India and the Philippines, I hope that more clubs like this will develop.

Our hike started long before we started hiking with e-mails. The hike leader divided out group into three groups, from there each sub group did some menu brainstorming. Ian and I chose to abstain from the brainstorm being unsure what the protocol was. Our dinner and breakfast was decided upon and all hikers were asked to bring 2 cups of rice and 1 Lt of water to contribute to meal prep.

It was up to each hiker to bring as much personal water as desired, any snacks, and trail lunch.

The next round of e-mails was in regards to sleeping arrangements. People who had tents and would share voiced there extra space, and finally a sleeping arrangement proposal was distributed.

The morning of ....

Everyone was to meet at 8am at a 7/11 downtown Manila. The 7/11 is a great place to meet plenty of space out front and snacks inside! We had no difficulty identifying the group and upon introducing ourselves we were warmly welcomed.

In Filipino time we were all gathered by 930 and walked around the corner to catch an out of town bus. The bus aid at first wanted us to all board with our bags however upon realization that we were 20+ people and bags he opened the under bus hatch and we filled up the bus.

The bus ride cost under $4USD a person and I got a nice nap during the next 2.5 hrs.

Upon arrival at our stop we headed into a restaurant to use the bathroom, get sun screened up change into any hiking gear still needed. We than thought we might as well eat lunch here instead of on the trail. Ian and I had sandwiches and hard boiled eggs everyone else had box meals with rice and meat, several people had KFC that they pulled out of their backpacks. Next time we know =)

We loaded into several tricycles and got shuttled to the trail head. Trail heads here are as difficult to spot as in the US, thankfully our hike leader had been here before and knew where it was. Upon arrival we encountered a bit of difficultly with the private land owner whose property we needed cross and he was not sure he wanted us to. During the 30 min discussion/ negotiation everyone put on arm & leg covers as well as hats and neck covers. Several people opened up umbrellas to keep the sun off their skin. I had to smile umbrellas on a hike (?)

Once our passage was secured off we went, the trail was a bit muddy, very mosquito filled and oh so hot.

After about 10min the group stopped. We were still in the flat coconut field at the base of the hill. Our group wanted to make sure that everyone had drank water and was rested. After a 5 min break we did another 10 min walk and stopped again. At this second stop the group split, those who wanted to go fast and had some hiking skills, a medium group and a back group. On our hike there were several people who had never hiked before, making this division very logical.

Ian and I joined the front group and off we went, our group started off as about 7 people however three of them decided to stay back and the four of us pushed on. It was HOT and STEEP and HUMID. Partway up the hill our group took a break and one of our group mates shared jelly snacks with us, similar to the energy jell that's common in the US. As we snacked we were able to take in the excellent view of the villages and farms below us. Feeling a bit of a sugar buzz off we went again.

It did not take long for the sugar buzz to subside and the hot humidity to begin to wear on us again. Than on the horizon I spotted an older man coming down the trial. To our extreme fortune he happened to be the head coconut collector on this hill and he had several bags of coconuts already collected and 3 boys who would happily climb up the trees and get us more. What good fortune! We told him that our whole group would want some and he lead us to where the boys were collecting. 10 Pesos (that's about 25cents in the US) got us a fresh off the tree coconut cut open and fully amazing. After drinking the coconut water the boys cut it open so we could eat the coconut jelly with a "spoon" they carved from the outside of the coconut. This was easily the highlight of my hike. The four of us in front got a great refreshing rest as the remainder of the group made it to us. We all were in great spirits talking, enjoying coconuts, and looking out at the view.

At this point we had less than 1/4 to go and off we went. The landscape changed as we neared the top tall grasslands began to surround us. Soon all I could see and hear was grasslands, truly beautiful. Upon reaching the summit a fresh cool breeze greeted us and photo opportunities were taken =)

At Camp ...
Our group took up all of the camping space at the summit, tents and clothes quickly filled the landscape. Cooking groups got out stove and begin dinner prep. As an interesting side note, open fire is completely banned in the Philippines. During dinner prep a few things note worthy occurred.

Most the group went in their tents and put on nicer cleaner clothes. Baby wipes came out and baby wipe baths. The women of the group had hair brushes and makeup that they had brought with and our group transformed from a dirty sweaty hiking and camping group to looking like TV stars.

While the transformation was in place an amazing sun set began casting a breath taking gold light on the mountain and the grasslands began to glow. The only word I can think of to describe it is magical.

Dinner was a Filipino sweet and sour dry fish, significiantly more gourmet than I would have done!

After dinner everyone attempted to fit under a common tarp for "socials". Socials are were everyone plays mind puzzles while one shot glass is passed around. I was exhausted and excused myself by 11pm. Everyone else stayed till midnight or one.

That night I slept very well, word to the wise it will get cold on top of a mountain even in the Philippines, I did not believe it but next time I think I will bring one more item of warm gear.

The next morning we had a deluxe breakfast of salted eggs and tomatoes, rice, dry fry fish and nescafe! Tents came down, stomachs got filled and pictures got taken and off we went.

The end....

Going down was was hard, the mud was slippery and filled all the grip on your shoes, everyone fell at least once, I slid a good portion on my butt. The highlight was the coconut guy was back and we all gathered to have some refreshing coconuts again!

At the end of the hike there was a shower and everyone pulled out another set of clean clothes and shower stuff. Ian and I said our goodbyes and got a jeep back to the bus stand and a bus back to Manila.

A night out in Quezon CIty

An account of a night out in Quezon City

Last night Ian and I decided to have an evening out. We started by walking over to UP Ayala where we had Sushi at the Red Kimono for dinner, neither of us eating excessively we had three delicious rolls and amazing spicy egg plant that we shared. Drinking water, because its good for you in the Philippine heat! After that we ran a few errands at UP Ayala before going into the Coffee Bean for a white chocolate blended coffee and a African tea latte.

From here we walked back to our house to drop off the things we got during our errands and than continued to walk over the the Greenhouse Grill. The place advertises live music during the week, we were there during the weekend however and did not get to experience the live music. The food looked good, your traditional set of Filipino dishes to choose from. The atmosphere was enjoyable, nothing spectacular, but enjoyable.

We than walked next door to Spaholic, to get foot massages. This place is newly opened. We both enjoyed the AC and had well done professional food massages. After the massage they served us hot tea, a nice touch. The amount charged to us was not the same as the price stated on the list and mid foot massage the space next to us filled with people who came to chat with the owners and cook food taking away from the tranquil atmosphere that the spa is working towards. Overall both of us enjoyed it, but we will try a different spa next time.

We than walked next door to the Treehouse Restaurant. I was a bit disappointed to see no sign of a real treehouse, however once I forgave this it was really enjoyable, a decent sized water garden sits on the side of the restaurant, attentive staff, good looking food, yummy home made chips, nice tables. I will be back some time for dinner! We than decided that it was time to head home, on the way we stopped in the Korean Mart where we got some wafers, chips, ginseng drink and cheese stick to eat during our at home movie watching.

We made it home happy and awake. It is really nice to be able to walk for a whole night out, it is not as taxing as using transportation. The areas that we were in for the most part had good green spaces, providing a much higher quality of air than you find in other areas of manila.

Below I have priced out our evening

Sushi (for two) 13USD
Specialty Coffee (for two) 6.50USD
Four Beers 3.25USD
Home made chips and dip1.50USD
Foot reflexology massage(for two)14.25USD
Snacks 3USD

Total: 41.50USD

Using a 45:1 peso to USD exchange rate



Here are the web links the places that we went

Greenhouse Grill
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Quezon-City/GREENHOUSE-Grill/201284991920

UP Ayala
http://upayalalandtechnohub.blogspot.com/

Treehouse Restaurant
http://www.mytravelguide.com/restaurants/profile-79604905-Philippines_Manila_Treehouse.html

NGO theory UP

One of my courses at UP is on non profit organizations and their role in public administration. Below are some thoughts I have had from the discussions in my course.

Our recent discussion has surrounded the different levels or generation of NGO's

The first generation is
The second
The third
The fourth, is a generation that is still considered to be a theory, however more and more groups are able to identify that they are operating at lest partially if not fully in this generation.

Thus far in my research I have found three different variations of the fourth generation organizations:

1. The first is the discourse on taking what is good from the existing structure and eliminating what is bad to form the new world. These groups demonstrate little commitment to any established structure. This can be seen in the world social forums discourse
2. The second is the concept of working with the established structure and through them realizing the change. This can be seen in the direction that Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement is going
3. The third is the idea that complete destruction is the only way to move forward
   

I have been thinking that perhaps organizations are like trees

Starting off at the roots are a wide and diverse group of people and networks that come together at the base of the tree creating the first generation.

Moving up the trunk the organizations grow into second and third generations

Around the fourth generation they really began to branch out. I am finding the fourth generations who believe in a new world keeping the good parts of the old, those who seek a new world utilizing the existing channels, and those who seek to destroy all that exists to start new.

All of these levels of organizations work together to better the world in some aspect, just as a tree can clean the air, provide shade, fruit and so on.

Within the fourth generations I believe seeds will be planted for new trees, some the same others diffrent.

like NJ

On my way to see some fish in the ocean I made a comparison that I wanted to share

Philippines .........................................................................NJ

Girls love designer or fake designer bags.....................same
Way too many crazy drivers..........................................same
A very large Asian population........................................same
Toll roads have e-pass ...................................................ez pass
Toll roads have fast-food/ fuel plazas...........................same
SO many shopping malls................................................same
outside the cities it is beautiful farm area....................same
A large population lives at home during college..........same


I also wanted to share that I believe an ant family is trying to create a home under my "j" key

Hope everyone has a great evening

Getting around in Manila

I want to change course a bit in my writing for this entry. After living in Manila for about 5 weeks, I have come to two conclusions.

1. Manila appears to be void of interesting things, however this is false
2. As an outsider getting around in Manila can be overwhelming, however with a bit of faith it is quite doable

Interesting things exist however they are hard to find. Thus far I have found that:

• The National Museum is really wonderful, and if you go on Sundays it is free
• Mall of Asia has an ice skating rink, its about P400 to skate, but free to watch
• Green Belt 1 has a live theater in the same area as a movie theater
• SM North has a great rooftop area where you can sit and enjoy
• Roxas Av, has a lovely beach promenade that is enjoyable to walk especially around dusk
• Quezon City circle has occasional exhibits and always a lively group of park goers on Sundays
• UP campus is lovely to walk and has amazing street food (2.2km around the sunken garden)
  
• Tomas Morato statue is a good landmark to adventure near by, some nice shops, restaurants, salons and night life.
• UP Ayala is quickly becoming a favorite place, three coffee shops and sushi!
  

I feel that it is important to note that three of these locations are connected to a shopping mall, so it is quite probable and easy to find yourself spending an inordinate amount of time in the mall while you are here in Manila, however if you are willing to just accept that fact and take note that its the Philippine way, you can enjoy what you find.

In regards to transportation.

The metro, train, rail system(call it what you may) is known here as the MRT or LRT.

The routes are a bit disjointed, this is because they are still building the complete system however no one seems quite sure when it will be finished.

The MRT overlaps both the LRT1 and LRT2 and LRT1 &2 overlap, so you can get around the whole system.

Every station should have a map and be well labeled, i have not found any without these two things. The station attendants as well as security guards and fellow travelers will most likely be able to help you if you have any questions.

Be warned that the line to buy tickets is quite long. If you are going to be in town for a few days and plan to use one line often it will be faster for you to buy a stored value card for 100p. During rush hour lines can take up to 45 min, if you can ovoid it stay off the metro during rush hour its packed.

Do note that the LRT and MRT use different cards. The cost per ride is based on starting station and ending station but the high end is 15p or about the equivalent of $0.30 USD.

The very front of each train is reserved for women, and ladies do take advantage of this its quite nice.

The trains are all AC

Mostly they operate from 530am till 10pm

The web sites are mildly useful

The Jeeps or Jeepneys are great fun and a full adventure. If you want to try them, and everyone should, you need to know the name of a landmark (this can be any big place, a hospital, school, church, shopping mall) near where you want to go, than just start asking, if where you are going is a common location you might get lucky and find a jeep that says the name of the place in the window or on the side. Typically a ride costs around 10p. If you ask the driver he will make sure that you know when you get to your stop and even point you towards the landmark you used to get there! Jeeps run quite late (at least till 2am)however starting around 10pm the drop in frequency.

Another form of a jeep is more like a big SUV that has seats in the back, these are AC and typically a more luxurious ride, however they will cost you about twice as much.

Buses are much the same as jeeps however they go much further distances, you can get AC and Non AC with prices that match and you just need to ask around to get the one you want unless you know the area you are going and than look for the sign. These run most of the night, I am not sure if they ever stop but I have had no problems with them up till 2am

there are pre-set stops for these three and a little asking can get you to a location where many of them will be.

Taxis are reasonable compared to the rest of the world, but expensive compared to the jeeps and buses. Make SURE to have the taxi driver use his meeter otherwise you will get ripped off. They also should have good AC, if not find another taxi. In general if you have a choice take the newer looking taxi, the companies give the new cars to the best drivers. At many places there are pre set taxi stops where you just get in line and wait for your taxi. A good thing to keep in mind is to lock your door once inside, everyone here says it safer. I have also found that frequently my taxi driver says he knows where we are going but we end up driving around for a while trying to find it, just be prepared. They run all night just make sure you call ahead if your going to need one at a set time.

Tricycles are little pods attached to motorbikes, they have selected zones they can operate in but within that zone they can go wherever you would like. The are less expensive than a taxi and faster than walking. Pre-discuss the price before you get in, normally they are honest about the prices except in the rain or late at night! They run all night however its common to find the drivers asleep if your out too late.

As I discover more ill do my best to update you

=)

Life when your open to it

NCPAG

As most of you know I got accepted into grad school and have departed India to the Philippines. While I have not started to volunteer here I have encountered many interesting organizations. This is a list of a few, if any of you want to come do a volunteer stint here, housing is abundant and cheep, as is transportation and food!!!




Hands on Manila ~ http://www.handsonmanila.org.ph

Red Cross ~ www.redcross.org.ph

Philippine rural reconstruction movement ~ www.prrm.org

Poverty action ~ http://poverty-action.org

While I have been here getting into school mode, Ian has been finishing up his visa in India before heading over to Cambodia where he is going to work with an orphanage called Harmony Farms ~ http://oneworldfamily.net

life has been really wonderful and we are excited about whats to come!

India is .....

Ian and I have been developing simple ways to explain to people what India is like, a few that we have so far are...

India is ....
a place that takes a big spoon and stirs you all up
a completely different world
a developing nation with third world sectors
beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

ill try to post more as we think of them.

loves

Bag milk

Ian and have rented a two bedroom apartment in the French quarter of Pondicherry for three days. The decision was made while we were staying in mallapuram in a super budget under renovation roach infested place that had regular two hour power outages. While the hotel was one of the worst the 40 degree c temperature's as well as the outbreak of cholera and swine flue made going out a bit of a gamble. If those factors were not enough to get us into a nicer place when we both started developing sever rashes we packed our bags and changed towns. Town changing was not too complicated, tho if we had less stuff we might have been able to squeeze on the first five buses, but bus number six was fine. We passed through coastal farmland that was beautiful, mid west on the Atlantic coast, with palm branch huts. It was easy to imagine how much damage this area suffered during the tsunami. As we were travailing along the first rains of the season started. Three thoughts on that 1 rain creates such wonderfully fresh cool and clean feeling air 2 it's awesome when you bus fare guy gets out to repair the windshield wiper with twine 3 the lack of sufficient if any drain system creates widespread flooding mixing the sewage up even more. Just as the rain was dying down and the lighting was taking out power lines we walked into a French restaurant owned by a pleasant elderly French man and inquired about a room. That is how we ended up staying in this apartment. It's about 20 usd a day but it has wifi and a kitchen. The wifi is great, I am making this post using the I touch and we have no need for Internet cafes. The kitchen is also great giving us control of our food prep sanitation. Yesterday we went to the
market and bought lots of fresh food to eat while we are here and this morning I had my first encounter with bag milk. I was able to open and poor it just fine however I do not understand what to do with the milk remaing in the bag. My solution was to put the bag in a bowl so the opening was up and put the bag in the fridge till Ian wakes up and he can use the rest. On a side note is was so lovely having cold milk to poor over fresh cereal and into my hot coffee:) we belive the our rashes were most likely heat rashes since they have been getting progressivly better since we got ac. I hate to admit it but it's possible that south India really is too hot this time of year.

Port Blair

Hello Everyone,

Sorry that it has been so long since I last wrote. Its been busy, I will also say sorry in advance since I have very little sleep in my system right now so this might jump a bit. We left Dharamasla after a wonderful last day at the local swimming pool. A pool that is just slightly above freezing, since it is all fresh mountain spring fed =) I was extra sad to say good bye to all my friends and hope that I will get to meet them all again some time soon. We did however hit our first bump in a while when an ATM ate Ian's spare bank card just before we got on the bus =( We went to the Bank of American in Delhi only to be informed that while they have the same name and logo and web site they are in no way connected to the Bank Of America in the US, SERIOUS?!?!?!?!? Outside of the bank Delhi was nice, we stayed with some friends of mine who live in Delhi and they showed us some of the local flavor, much better than being on our own. We then got on a 1.5 day train ride to Calcutta. Its a fun city we both enjoyed it very much.

Most of our stay was spent trying to figure out the shipping corporation of India to get boat tickets to Port Blair. What we learned is that:

• office is near millennium park and taxi drivers know where that is. 
• The office is closed on Thursdays as it is a holiday.
• You need to bring a copy of your passport and visa as well as a passport sized photo when you go to buy tickets.
• Cash only for boat tickets.
• Arrive early and give yourself two days to stand in line because it will most likely take that long.

There is a restaurant/ Bar called limelight just down the road from the office that has cola floats, and they are what you expect cold cola with a scoop of ice cream on top... only 70rs

After all this education we went to super travels and bought plane tickets. Than visited Mother Teresa's nunnery, quite peaceful and refreshing before a 5 hour shopping experience 3 hrs packing 2 hrs sleeping and than the airport. Today we are going to visit an old jail and try to get boat tickets for tomorrow to Neel island and than on to Havelock. I most likely will not be back on the internet for about the next 3 weeks while I enjoy this tropical paradise and try to find a place to volunteer at, I wish you all the best!!

Laura

a bit more about Dharamsala

Hello!

Life is well and good here in Dharamsala. In some ways I think we could spend our whole time in India in this town. My various activities have kept me overwhelmingly busy and I have a handful of other activities I would love to be doing that I just cannot seem to find the time for. What the Tibetan people are going through is just mindboggling, in so many ways I cannot process it.

I have befriended a local woman about my age that fled Tibet less than a year ago. In order to get here she had to walk for 11 days across the Himalayas, and not hike during the day, they would hide during the day and hike at night. Most of her group was hiking in thin cotton flats instead of winter hiking boots, and all of them did not have food for more than 6 days. Once she arrived in Nepal she was put on a four day bus ride, the buses here are like school busses in the US, only twice as full and twice as old. Since her arrival in India she has been waking up around 5 every morning to study English, she attends 6 hours of English lessons a day and frequently will ask her teachers to go have tea with her so she can have more practice. Her day ends around 1130 pm when she prays and than goes to bed. A really wonderful person and I are so grateful that I have had the opportunity to become her friend. The really mindboggling part is that her story is one of relative ease she was not shot at or interrogated, she did not have to spend a night in jail and have all her items of any value taken, she did not get too severe frost bite all things that many of the Tibetans here had happen.

We are still living at the pink house, although we are getting quite tired of the stairs. I think we packed quite well because at this point all I wish I had brought was more old cooking magazines. I gave my one away to some friends who had me over for dinner thought it would be great to give one to each person who cooks for me…. Something ill note for next time =) I think it is about time for me to go eat some breakfast, best to everyone!

Laura & Ian

what we are doing with our time!

I realize that my postings have been anything but helpful about the question of what are we doing, really?? So I will attempt to answer this. In the morning I take a Buddhist philosophy class, spend my day time teaching English in a variety of settings, large classrooms (40+), small conversation classes (2-3) and one on one lessons. Most of my students are Tibetan refugees, although I do have a few from Thailand and Korea. My evenings are split between working at a shop that is involved in micro financing the refuge community, attending awareness events held at LIT (the main organization I am working with) and writing articles for the LIT newsletter. Ian is doing many of the same things. We have been taking turns being ill, getting everything from food poising to colds but we hope our immune system will be stronger because of it. We are staying at a cute place called the pink house in upper Dharamsala. It’s a wonderful town and would be happy to recommend it to anyone, as well as share our travel arrangement experiences with anyone who is thinking of traveling in India! We typically have 1.5 days of free time on the weekend creating our main adventuring and getting whatever daily tasks solved that we did not have time for during the week. We both really love the Tibetan culture and are going to look into getting visas for Tibet when we leave India.

I hope everyone is well

Laura& Ian

A weekend adventure

Hey everyone!

India is going quite well. We have both had a cold however we are feeling better today and went on a nice adventure. We started our morning eating breakfast at peace café. It’s a cute place not far from where we are staying. While at breakfast we had the pleasure of sharing our table with a lovely Canadian girl. She runs her own wedding floral business in Vancouver and tries to do everything organic and/or local. After breakfast she joined us as we walked about 1km to the local church. This church was the only building in upper Dharamsala that survived the earthquake 1905 and is quite stunning. However it is also in great need of repair. We all donated a small amount; however it seems that the church really is in need of a sister church to help them raise money. While visiting the church we walked around the cemetery where we saw a horse, several monkeys and the burial place of the second viceroy of India who died in 1863. The three of us walked back to town and said good bye to our new friend. Ian and I than headed on a wandering. This led us to the next neighborhood over, even closer to the Himalayas. We got to see the areas swimming pool, did some shopping, and then walked another 2km up into the foot hills to look at a waterfall and go to a café that is tucked in the awesome foothills. The waterfall was not much to speak of however it was interesting to see the hundreds of monks washing and drying their clothes along the river at the bottom of the fall. We were able to walk past on of the largest shale piles I have ever seen, for those of you who were ever at EWA it makes the shale pits there seem like a baby kitten. The café we visited was perhaps 1/3 of the way up this mountain that gives climbers their first access to the snowline if heading into the Himalayas from this direction. We had lunch at a restaurant that had gray rock for a floor, this makes loads of sense here because most places with western floors end up being slanted, and saw the cutest puppy ever. I really wanted to bring him home however Ian said no =( Our last stop for the day was at a little shop on the edge of town. It was sketchy as could be, we got out as fast as we could and decided that we had enough adventure for the day.

I hope all of you are doing wonderful!

Laura & Ian

A few more thoughts while I wait for the bus at an internet cafe

The other morning we woke up and saw a large ox outside our window, noted how interesting it was to have a large ox on a city street in Delhi, and than chose to go back to sleep, still suffering from jet leg. Several hours latter woke back up and looked out the same window and where the ox had been earlier was now replaced by a man getting a shave... wondered about this and than went out shopping. Sometime that afternoon we got back to the hotel and one more time looked out our window, now the ox was back and a new man was next to it getting a shave.

CNN in India is way more interesting than in the USA. They seem to have WAY more things to cover, so they do not loop the stories every 15min like they do in the US.

Stray Dogs: After working with ACS in San Antonio my interest in animal populations and how it relates to overall development has increased greatly. I can not tell you much about the stray dogs yet, except that they exist. This photo journal captures what we have been seeing http://www.straydogsofindia.com/

Cheep plastic straws, think about how soft straws are in the USA, now think about how soft plastic wrap is... the straws here are more like plastic wrap

India coke tastes different than coke other places. Also a common practice to reuse coke bottles so many times that you can have a bottle that is easily 15 years old. Best recycling ever!

Arriving

Our adventure thus far…
Our adventure started at 5am where we drank some juice and got ready to depart. Chirs and Eli accompanied us to the air port and wished us all the best. Checking in with United was horrid, the woman at the counter was as un helpful as could be and told us that our tickets were not in the computer and that we would need to contact the web site that we caught out tickets through. 20 min later while I was working my way through the computer phone system trying to get in contact with a person the United check in woman told me never mind they are right here…. Seriously???? I am happy to report that from there on we had smooth sailing! Air India was fantastic, large seats, personal TV options and meals!!! Our brief layover in Germany was spent mostly on a bus that drove us out to the plane, but I can say I have been to Europe now =) Our hotel pick up was waiting at the airport and ready to take us on the most extreme driving experience that we have yet to be on, the whole airport area is under massive construction due to the fact that they are building a whole new rail metro in the airport area. Our 20 min ride to the hotel was more like a theme park thrill ride than a car ride, however we arrived safely and have enjoyed our air conditioned room =) Today we adventured out to a near by market and got ourselves a bit of local wear and are now back at the hotel looking for afternoon ideas!!