Josh and Scotti, my really awesome volunteer-mates, and I
have decided to make a Bohol bucket list – the things that we need to do while
we’re here. We inaugurated our list by going hiking behind the Tarsier
Sanctuary in Corella, just a few km outside of Tagbilaran. Since Circus went to
Thailand a week and a half ago, I could have felt like the 3rd
wheel. Before we were both “couple friends” but now it’s me and them.
Fortunately, instead of falling into 3rd wheel friend category,
we’ve actually taken a lot of time to deepen our friendship, talk about things
that nourish and fulfill us, explore spirituality, become more vulnerable and
whole hearted together, and do something uniquely Filipino.
There’s an expression here which is a little peculiar. It is
“hobble-hobble” and it means to ride with 2+ people on a motorbike. If you’ve
explored 3rd world countries, you’re probably familiar with this
economic and environmentally friendly way to travel. I experienced it for the
first time in India with my friend Erin and our music instructor back in 2010.
The peculiar thing is that “hobble-hobble” means pigs having sex. Perhaps it
refers to what 3 or more people on a motorbike look like or how awkward you can
feel. Whatever the reason, the term is colloquial and just means motorbike carpooling,
not the pig thing. Circus had an IDEA motorbike while he was here and helped me
get to work and wherever else I needed to be. Now that Circus has traveled to
Bangkok, Josh and I go to work together most mornings and he generously gives
me a ride most other places as well. Sometimes, though, all 3 of us are going
to the same place and they just tell me to hop on. So we’ve gotten into the
habit of “hobble-hobbling” together. Josh is the only one of us who can drive a
motorbike so he’s DD. Scotti sits in the middle as she is, well, tiny, and I
sit in the back. Often with my heavy backpack full of groceries or driving over
the less-than-paved roads I feel like I’m about to slip off, but we’ve been
safe so far (knock on something for us please!) On Sunday after a late morning
home-cooked tofu and potato brunch and a lazy game of pinochle, we grabbed some
snacks and sunscreen and drove up to Corella for our hike. We got a lot of
strange looks and loud greetings on the way as we must have been quite a sight,
three white people smashed onto a 125cc motorbike. Josh is a very careful
driver, fortunately, and even the biggest of Bohol potholes doesn’t faze him or
us. I would be happy to grab a multi-cab, bike, or trike to get around, but
they kindly offer and I happily accept. We’ve fully admitted our ridiculousness
and fully embrace it.
Next on the Bohol bucket list is something truly unique…
ICM or the Island City Mall is just a few minutes from the
IDEA Office and the Dao Diamond Hotel, where Josh and I work and Scotti teaches
Filipino Sign Language (FSL) class to the new employees 3 days a week. We
regularly patronize the supermarket and restaurants in the mall. Just inside
the basement entrance is a stage which has nightly entertainment such as talent
shows, singing contests, a Mr. and Miss Teen Bohol Contest, and even…exercise
classes. On Tuesday and Friday evenings, a local entertainment company sponsors
a Zumba class taught by a beautiful Filipino woman who shakes it with pride to
inspire the large crowds of people who both participate in the free classes and
stand by watching. It never fails that I find myself at the mall for food on
Tuesday or Friday evenings and am always amazed by the brave folks who
participate in a public exercise class for all to see. This Tuesday was no
exception as I left work early to go use the internet at the Buzz Café since
the electricity at the office was out most of the afternoon. As I ran
downstairs to grab some peanut butter from the supermarket, I passed the
enthusiastic Zumba participants and decided what would be the next item on our
bucket list: Mall Zumba. This morning we stopped for petrol on our hobbling way
to work (and had an impromptu dance party to the Filipino pop music playing at
the petrol station) and I mentioned to Josh and Scotti that we would all be
doing Zumba at the mall this coming Friday. Their faces lit up and we dove into
an emphatic conversation about putting together fantastic outfits, strapping on
a “go-pro” camera to film the whole thing, and how we might well be the center
of attention in the mall. Josh, by the way, is 6’5” which makes him the center
of attention all the time, no matter what he’s doing.
To answer the question you’re probably wondering, I don’t
know how long I’ll be in the Philippines. The administrative and organizational
work I’m doing is still supporting IDEA’s relief work on Bohol and the typhoon
relief we’re doing for our deaf schools and families on Leyte, and I’m happy to
be filling that need. I’m considering some options for the next 2-6 months which
will most likely start in Thailand meeting back up with Circus. (He is in
Bangkok reporting on the Thai political unrest firsthand. Check out his
facebook page for inspiring updates and photos.) I’m also intentionally staying open as things
do continue to unfold beautifully when I relax my habitual grip of planning.
Spontaneous and exciting emails keep appearing in my inbox and helping me to
remember to just be in the present. Again and again.
I’ve had a realization about disaster relief work the past
few weeks as well. I keep asking myself why I often feel exhausted and stressed
when I’m just sitting at a desk most of the day doing administrative work. I
have severely loosened the criteria with which I assess my daily productivity
and am much more at peace with the little pieces of the puzzle that move along
slowly, in Filipino time as they say. And the answer I have come up with is
that by nature, relief work is always 10+ steps behind. The starting line of
this work is so far in the red that even on a calm day it’s hard to come up for
air. Even with the relaxed Filipino attitude, the figures of families that need
assistance that we talk about in meetings are daunting and it is hard to
imagine enough work happening to fulfill it. Ever. It becomes hard not to get
cynical, something I try to be very aware of. While I do feel passionate about
disaster/trauma relief work, I know that I need to do it in moderation, like a
limit of a few months and only once a year.
To counter all that, here are some things that make me
smile: I’ll happily report that I’ve been laughing a lot, smiling and joking
with the IDEA administrators at work, staying positive about what IDEA can
accomplish and not taking ownership of a larger contribution than I can
realistically make. I left work at 4:15pm today to take part in a world-wide
meditation led by my yoga teacher in Thailand and didn’t feel an ounce of guilt
for it. And I’m excited to have a play-date with a 5 year old whom I get to
babysit on Saturday morning. I also get to teach 70 deaf high school students
every other Saturday with Scotti. We’re tackling trust-building activities,
creative play and focus games, self-awareness, group appreciation, self-worth
and confidence, drama, courageous action, and positive communication. Plus, I’ll
throw in some yoga asana and relaxation techniques after the students come to
trust me a little more thanks to Karli, a deaf yoga teacher in Australia who
sent me a deaf yoga DVD.
Happy Lunar New Year!
May your intentions for this year be clear and lucid, bringing you
manifestations of truth, beauty and a more vast and deep consciousness. And warmest
congratulations to those entering or finishing their Yoga Teacher Training or
who have committed to deepening their practice in other ways this year.
Glad you decided to
jump into the rabbit hole with us.
No comments:
Post a Comment