My Foray into the Philippines, Pt. 17a

I have decided to make this part 17 into two chapters because I want to post something right away and need some time to consider how to write about our mission trip to Nueva Vizcaya, which was very thought provoking and lesson engendering. I need to carefully construct my thoughts and reflections in order to make them clear for all of you and give a proper rendition of the two-day experience. We are nearing the end of this Filipino adventure. I have five weeks left, but only one and a half weeks remaining with the students. They have become like family and it will be sad to see them go although I am confident that they will do great things. I feel strong and centered on my purpose of serving the Lord Jesus Christ and get excited everyday for what I must do and for what is coming. I have a whole basket full of great books to be read, but with graduation coming, they are lying dormant, waiting for the right time to enter into my life. Glad to have a full schedule again, reminding me of my old life. The only difference is that my priorities are much different now and the stakes are much lower in terms of external expectations and much higher in the personal realm, which is a more conducive to creativity and relish. When I am the greatest critic and when Christ is my coach, no one can get me down, not even failure or disappointment. With that, let’s begin!

Panagbenga: Baguio’s Flower Festival

“I think half the Philippines is here!” One of the staff members remarked that it is so crowed in downtown Baguio that it seemed as if half the Philippines had shown up for this annual event. Filipinos love festivals and celebrations, so it is no wonder that people came from far and wide to visit Baguio during this fun festival. It is called the Flower Festival because of the big parade in which huge floats decorated completely in varied flowers ramble through the streets of the downtown area. I did not see this parade for two reasons. One, I do not like parades. I told a couple of the students this and they laughed at me, which is no surprise considering I used my driest and most sarcastic voice to demonstrate my scrooge-like disdain for such monstrous displays of wasted money and useless memories. (See I was not joking with the Scrooge comparison. I don’t like the fact that a city spends so much money on parades only to produce a effervescent thrill that people cannot truly enjoy because they cannot see properly or they have to jump through so many hurdles to get a good seat that by the time the parade comes by, they are only mildly excited.) Then, two, I went to Nueva Ecija since that weekend was my only free weekend. Oh, well, I am not disappointed.

The fun thing about the whole Flower Festival thing was the Session in Bloom, which lasted for one week and took place on the main drag of Baguio City, called Session Road. Booths selling food and crafts were set up in the middle of the road, so people could walk up and down on either side sampling the delicious treats and gazing at all the fun crafts and products from regions all over the Philippines. One of the staff members who is close to my age and I went together and had a great time, eating until we almost burst and laughing about our overconsumption of food and the ridiculous amounts of people. The difference with this part of the Flower Festival is that it was interactive. Not only did I see fun things, but also I got to participate, eating my way through the Philippines and their tantalizing array of food and delicacies. Of course, I gravitated towards the sweet side of the food, and my stomach gurgled its displeasure, so I ate some sweet corn in an attempt to assuage the sweets overdose.

At least we had a nice walk up and down the road, aiding in our digestion and adding to our fun. I am so fortunate to have good relationships with the staff. They are so fun and I truly enjoy hanging out with them. Sometimes I have to put aside my inclinations in order to gel well with them all, but I just figure that it is good to be able to know what unnecessary things can be laid aside when keeping the peace and making friends and what things must be tightly contained for self-preservation and posterity. Intercultural communication is certainly a challenge but is highly rewarding when all the kinks have been worked out. There remain a few wrinkles in my skills, but I have been diligently ironing and starching since October, and it’s looking pretty good!