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I say every so often, mostly as a joke, that I have a list of things that I absolutely MUST experience here in the Philippines. Some of the things are legitimate (visit Corregidor Island and the Bataan Death March site, visit the site of the battle where Magellan died, eat balut, etc.) but a few things just get added on once they've already been accomplished, like get pickpocketed. One of my students suggested to be, jokingly of course, that if I had not had getting picked on my list, then it wouldn't have happened. :-) But, a new bizarre add to The List just made its appearance: spend two nights in the hospital.
The story begins, I believe, a week ago, Friday, February 13th. I had just attended a conference on ecological responsibility in Makati and was making my way home in the hot afternoon sun. I chose the wrong method of transportation and wound up taking myself quite far out of the way. So this exposure weakened my immune system, which was then assualted full-bore by a virus carried by a visitor from the regional office in Singapore, who happens to be staying in the guest house next to me. By his experience, it should have been one of those twenty-four-hour, what-was-that-I-don't-care-because-I'm-better-now sorts of things. But for me it was rather different.
Compounded by an insanely-cold cinema on Saturday night, Valentine's Day, I was already well on the way to Sickville by the time I got home late Saturday. Sunday I was into a full-blown head cold with body aches and fever. As I tried to sleep it off, the fever kept breaking throughout the day on Sunday, lathering my body with sweat and creating the ultimate physical problem that resulted in hospitalization--dehydration. I simply was not able to drink enough water to combat the loss of fluids through sweat, and in truth even water would not have fully done the trick.
I went to the ER for a checkup on Monday night and got and even more fearsome word, that I might have contracted Dengue Fever, one of the dreaded, and quite often deadly, tropical diseases around these parts. I was told to come back to the hospital on Wednesday to have blood work done again to see if the measurements would have fallen into critical levels, so I went home and shuffled around like an old man. Every muscle ached. It was hard to raise my arms to elbow level, let alone above my head. So friends began to look after me, come visit me for lunch, and so on. By Tuesday night I made the decision to cancel the rest of my classes for the week, which sent torrents of well-wishes pouring in from my students, seeing as how this was the first many of them heard about my illness.
When I went back to the hospital on Wednesday, we got the Run Around Sue treatment for a bit, which certainly didn't help my mood. When we finally got to see a doctor, she took one look at me, heard me speak about three sentences, and confined me to the hospital with severe dehydration and, ultimately, a urinary tract infection. They set up an IV with fluid replenishment and did another blood test. They were not able to definitely rule out Dengue Fever until Thursday morning, which was a great sigh of relief. I did feel almost instantly better and by Thursday I felt I could go home, but the doctor wanted me to stay because of the low saline content of my blood. So stay I did, fitfully trying to get comfortable in a hospital bed, trying to eat, and being unsuccessful, Filipino hospital food. Eventually I gave up and just ate the fruit and crackers that people had brought me. By that time, even the smell of the food from the dietary area was turning my stomach. I was visited by the president and by one other faculty colleague, as well as several times by my girlfriend, all of which warmed my heart.
Getting discharged was a difficult matter. The doctor said on Thursday that she would release me on Friday morning, but apparently she did not communicate this to the nurses, for they did not seem to know about this. It seems she has residency at several hospitals and clinics in the area, as to most Filipino MDs. But eventually she came by around 4 and released me even faster than she had admitted me. I am due to go back next Friday for another pee-in-the-cup routine, but other than that it appears that I am up and out of the woods and on the way to full recovery.
Thanks be to God that it was not Dengue, which would have confined me to the hospital for a minium of six weeks and destroyed my plans to go to the States next week. Thanks be to God for caring friends and coworkers who went out of their way to comfort me. Thanks be to God for medicine, and for the ability to pay for it. And thanks be to God for recovery. One more thing checked off The List.
Showing posts with label Filipiniana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Filipiniana. Show all posts
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Keep Door Close at all Times
The title of this post is a sign noticed at the Manila East Medical Center as I was being discharged yesterday. It's amazing how the lack of one letter can make a perfectly normal statement into a completely incomprehensible one.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The fastest district superintendent election I've ever seen
Yesterday at District Assembly, the Metro Manila district elected a district superintendent. I wanted to go and watch because I've seen superintendent elections (well, one anyway) in the States and I was curious to see if it would be anything like my previous experience.
Any ordained elder before the age of 70 (I'm not sure if there is a age floor) can be elected district superintendent. Whether or not the person so chosen accepts the election is another matter, of course. It is typical practice now to use the first ballot as a nominating ballot, then limit successive votes to those persons who received votes at first, in order specifically to prevent Billy Bob Joe Fred from not getting any votes until ballot 17 and then taking just enough to keep Rev. So-and-so from being elected. For the chair to declare an election, one candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes cast in any one ballot. This prevents the parliamentary move of a block of voters geting up and leaving the bar to protest a protracted or especially contentious election. I do not know if this unusual parliamentary move has ever been made, but I think it would be kind of foolish anyway, since it would cause a candidate to suddenly need 20 out of 30 votes--or something--instead of 126 out of 188. For that matter, if all the supporters of Rev. So-and-so got up and left because they and the supporters of Rev. Thus-and-such kept at an impasse, then all they would do is assure the election of Rev. Thus-and-such. And if there was agreement for supporters of both sides to leave in equal numbers, then why couldn't they just agree on a candidate...and so on.
When a DS was elected in Tennessee some years ago, it look eighteen ballots or something, and the person they chose wound up not accepting anyway. In my experience, and this may only be the case in the States, I don't know, one to four candidates may jockey for position at the top of the slate for a few rounds then the eventual winner picks up more and more steam as the voting goes along, sometimes rather limping over the 2/3 tape. But it was not the case here. On the nominating ballot, there was a clear, convincing choice at the top. The person eventually elected was nominated with 70 more votes than anyone else received on the nominating ballot. It only took three rounds to elect him. He was one of my students last semester, but I should think that if that had anything to do with it it was in spite of instead of because of, you know? I did not stay long enough to hear his comments to the assembly, and I haven't heard of anything strange happening like someone rejecting that clear of an expression of a district's will, but I'm sure that means there is a new district superintendent in Metro Manila. Congratulations and God bless.
Any ordained elder before the age of 70 (I'm not sure if there is a age floor) can be elected district superintendent. Whether or not the person so chosen accepts the election is another matter, of course. It is typical practice now to use the first ballot as a nominating ballot, then limit successive votes to those persons who received votes at first, in order specifically to prevent Billy Bob Joe Fred from not getting any votes until ballot 17 and then taking just enough to keep Rev. So-and-so from being elected. For the chair to declare an election, one candidate must receive two-thirds of the votes cast in any one ballot. This prevents the parliamentary move of a block of voters geting up and leaving the bar to protest a protracted or especially contentious election. I do not know if this unusual parliamentary move has ever been made, but I think it would be kind of foolish anyway, since it would cause a candidate to suddenly need 20 out of 30 votes--or something--instead of 126 out of 188. For that matter, if all the supporters of Rev. So-and-so got up and left because they and the supporters of Rev. Thus-and-such kept at an impasse, then all they would do is assure the election of Rev. Thus-and-such. And if there was agreement for supporters of both sides to leave in equal numbers, then why couldn't they just agree on a candidate...and so on.
When a DS was elected in Tennessee some years ago, it look eighteen ballots or something, and the person they chose wound up not accepting anyway. In my experience, and this may only be the case in the States, I don't know, one to four candidates may jockey for position at the top of the slate for a few rounds then the eventual winner picks up more and more steam as the voting goes along, sometimes rather limping over the 2/3 tape. But it was not the case here. On the nominating ballot, there was a clear, convincing choice at the top. The person eventually elected was nominated with 70 more votes than anyone else received on the nominating ballot. It only took three rounds to elect him. He was one of my students last semester, but I should think that if that had anything to do with it it was in spite of instead of because of, you know? I did not stay long enough to hear his comments to the assembly, and I haven't heard of anything strange happening like someone rejecting that clear of an expression of a district's will, but I'm sure that means there is a new district superintendent in Metro Manila. Congratulations and God bless.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
First New Year's Eve in the Philippines
I hear from everyone that New Year's Eve is a very festive, very loud occasion in the Philippines. A student told me last evening, in fact, that I'll be hearing fireworks explode throughout the day today (and indeed I have been hearing them steadily for over a week), but between 11:30 PM and 1:30 AM on New Year's Day, she said it will sound like we're in the middle of a battle. I'm actually looking forward to it. I'll be off in the mountains with a great view of the displays around the area, and then I'll get a ride back to the seminary after everything is over. It's too bad I don't have a camera to record it as best I can.
On the camera: I have ordered a replacement and it should hopefully get to my colleague in Kansas in time for her to bring it back in her luggage. If not, the husband of the one who described the battle (himself also a student) is going back to the States for some meetings in January and he'll be able to bring it back. So I'll be cameraless for as little as two weeks or as long as six weeks. No big deal. I'm really thankful for loving supporters (i.e., family).
I looked at my own travel plans to come to the States in March. It looks like I can get a great deal for a flight to Nashville in the end of February, returning the first week of March. I'm still hoping and praying for support for my friend to come along. I've sent out a couple of appeals, but we'll see how that goes. Of course, we don't even know if he'd be granted a visa, since the US has seemed to tighten its controls on persons coming from the Philippines, even with American sponsors and for short-term trips. We'll see. Keep praying.
I'm going to try in the next few weeks to set up links to show people how they can help, but I haven't figured that out with Blogger yet. I'm sort of treating this blog like the standard "missionary newsletter," and so this is one of the things that goes into that kind of document. Anyhow, prayer is the most important means of support. Partnering is, of course, another. But that's all I'll say. I promise.
On the camera: I have ordered a replacement and it should hopefully get to my colleague in Kansas in time for her to bring it back in her luggage. If not, the husband of the one who described the battle (himself also a student) is going back to the States for some meetings in January and he'll be able to bring it back. So I'll be cameraless for as little as two weeks or as long as six weeks. No big deal. I'm really thankful for loving supporters (i.e., family).
I looked at my own travel plans to come to the States in March. It looks like I can get a great deal for a flight to Nashville in the end of February, returning the first week of March. I'm still hoping and praying for support for my friend to come along. I've sent out a couple of appeals, but we'll see how that goes. Of course, we don't even know if he'd be granted a visa, since the US has seemed to tighten its controls on persons coming from the Philippines, even with American sponsors and for short-term trips. We'll see. Keep praying.
I'm going to try in the next few weeks to set up links to show people how they can help, but I haven't figured that out with Blogger yet. I'm sort of treating this blog like the standard "missionary newsletter," and so this is one of the things that goes into that kind of document. Anyhow, prayer is the most important means of support. Partnering is, of course, another. But that's all I'll say. I promise.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Prayer
Manalangin tayo!
Panginoon, maraming salamat po sa araw na ito.
Maraming salamat din po sa Anak ninyo.
Maraming salamat din po sa Biblya ninyo.
Maraming salamat din po sa simbahan ninyo.
Maraming salamat din po sa buhay ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa pamilya ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa mga kaibigan ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa trabaho ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa mga estudyante ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa mga titser ko.
At maraming salamat din po sa lahat ng ibinigay ninyo sa akin. Amen.
Panginoon, maraming salamat po sa araw na ito.
Maraming salamat din po sa Anak ninyo.
Maraming salamat din po sa Biblya ninyo.
Maraming salamat din po sa simbahan ninyo.
Maraming salamat din po sa buhay ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa pamilya ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa mga kaibigan ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa trabaho ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa mga estudyante ko.
Maraming salamat din po sa mga titser ko.
At maraming salamat din po sa lahat ng ibinigay ninyo sa akin. Amen.
Corregidor Island
Took a day-trip out to Corregidor Island at the mouth of Manila Bay yesterday. Corregidor has been one of the principal fortified places protecting the capital city from attack by sea for hundreds of years. One of the many things we learned on the tour was that the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922--signed by the United States, the British Empire, the Empire of Japan, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy--specifically prevented the United States from improving the fortifications on the island, which would indirectly lead to the island falling to the Japanese, after a five-month battle, in May 1942. Against an attack from the sea Corregidor was well prepared, including the so-called "invisible guns of Corregidor," batteries that raised up to fire at approaching ships then were lowered again away from counterattack for reloading. However, against an attack from the air, such as that executed first by the Japanese and then by the Americans retaking the island in 1945, Corregidor was largely defenseless.
I am a history buff. Even though history as such is not in my academic interests, nevertheless my field is--in a manner of speaking--about history, and so it is natural, I think, that I should be enraptured by discussions of historical kinds of things. I am particularly fascinated by military history, which I think is unusual because there is not much in my family history in the way of proud military tradition. True enough, my father served in Vietnam, but you would be hard-pressed to find any significant heroics on the battlefield coming from the Modines. Perhaps this is because we ultimately come from the neutral country of Sweden, which seems more interested in fortifying its countryside with saunas and ski lodges than artillery installations and foxholes.
Anyhow, Corregidor was the site of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's famous line "I shall return!" The General was ordered to Australia by President Roosevelt, and beginning in the summer of 1944 he was in charge of a campaign that came west and north from a base in Australia to sytematically retake the lands conquered by Japan, achieving ultimate victory in September 1945. I said to my girlfriend that it would have been very interesting indeed to have taken this tour with some of my Japanese students, of which there are currently four at the seminary. The tour guide was obviously slanted in his presentation in favor of the American and Filipino side of the story, but this was not in any respect a weakness. A quite knowledgeable guide, he did have a couple of funny lines, including asking after the difference between the Filipino and American soldiers depicted, arms around each other's shoulders, helping each other, in front of the Pacific War Memorial. When no one gave the "right answer," he said it was simple, really: "The Filipino is the more handsome one!"
The memorial itself is so constructed that the sun on May 6 at noon is to shine directly on the "memorial altar" inside the structure. Futher, on that day the sun rises and sets exactly through the openings in the side of the building. This is one of several features designed to remember May 6, 1942, the day Corregidor fell to the forces of Imperial Japan. Some others are meant to recall February 26, 1945, the date of the final liberation of Corregidor; and March 7, 1945, the date Gen. MacArthur finally made good on his promise that he would return.
One of the most interesting things our guide said was to quote from memory the announcement of the fall of Bataan Peninsula (April 9, 1942) on the Voice of Freedom, as well as the communique' issued by Gen. John Wainwright to President Roosevelt the day before the official surrender of Corregidor and the rest of the Philippines to Japan. The fall of Bataan was also the beginning of the infamous "Death March," which was designed not only for brutality, but also to provide a long line of human shields as cover for the Japanese refortification of Bataan in order to continue their fight for the Philippines. The commanding general of Japan had promised the emperor to deliver the Philippines in 50 days' time, but the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" and the guns of Corregidor held out for an amazing five months against overwhelming odds. Corregidor did not hold as much strategic importance for the Japanese in terms of defending the Philippines as it had for the Americans and Filipinos, but it was still important enough--for military as well as sentimental reasons--to warrant a separate attack when the Americans came back to retake the Philippines. Today it is one of the prided tourist locations in the islands.
Next I want to see Bataan...
I am a history buff. Even though history as such is not in my academic interests, nevertheless my field is--in a manner of speaking--about history, and so it is natural, I think, that I should be enraptured by discussions of historical kinds of things. I am particularly fascinated by military history, which I think is unusual because there is not much in my family history in the way of proud military tradition. True enough, my father served in Vietnam, but you would be hard-pressed to find any significant heroics on the battlefield coming from the Modines. Perhaps this is because we ultimately come from the neutral country of Sweden, which seems more interested in fortifying its countryside with saunas and ski lodges than artillery installations and foxholes.
Anyhow, Corregidor was the site of Gen. Douglas MacArthur's famous line "I shall return!" The General was ordered to Australia by President Roosevelt, and beginning in the summer of 1944 he was in charge of a campaign that came west and north from a base in Australia to sytematically retake the lands conquered by Japan, achieving ultimate victory in September 1945. I said to my girlfriend that it would have been very interesting indeed to have taken this tour with some of my Japanese students, of which there are currently four at the seminary. The tour guide was obviously slanted in his presentation in favor of the American and Filipino side of the story, but this was not in any respect a weakness. A quite knowledgeable guide, he did have a couple of funny lines, including asking after the difference between the Filipino and American soldiers depicted, arms around each other's shoulders, helping each other, in front of the Pacific War Memorial. When no one gave the "right answer," he said it was simple, really: "The Filipino is the more handsome one!"
The memorial itself is so constructed that the sun on May 6 at noon is to shine directly on the "memorial altar" inside the structure. Futher, on that day the sun rises and sets exactly through the openings in the side of the building. This is one of several features designed to remember May 6, 1942, the day Corregidor fell to the forces of Imperial Japan. Some others are meant to recall February 26, 1945, the date of the final liberation of Corregidor; and March 7, 1945, the date Gen. MacArthur finally made good on his promise that he would return.
One of the most interesting things our guide said was to quote from memory the announcement of the fall of Bataan Peninsula (April 9, 1942) on the Voice of Freedom, as well as the communique' issued by Gen. John Wainwright to President Roosevelt the day before the official surrender of Corregidor and the rest of the Philippines to Japan. The fall of Bataan was also the beginning of the infamous "Death March," which was designed not only for brutality, but also to provide a long line of human shields as cover for the Japanese refortification of Bataan in order to continue their fight for the Philippines. The commanding general of Japan had promised the emperor to deliver the Philippines in 50 days' time, but the "Battling Bastards of Bataan" and the guns of Corregidor held out for an amazing five months against overwhelming odds. Corregidor did not hold as much strategic importance for the Japanese in terms of defending the Philippines as it had for the Americans and Filipinos, but it was still important enough--for military as well as sentimental reasons--to warrant a separate attack when the Americans came back to retake the Philippines. Today it is one of the prided tourist locations in the islands.
Next I want to see Bataan...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sayang (too bad)
I took my last formal Tagalog lesson today. I am picking up the language well, but I simply do not have (or cannot find, or have not made) the time to study. I am pretty well a perfectionist, or I set high standards for myself at any rate, so I cannot do something half-heartedly. I want to be able to put my full effort into it or not do it at all. Throughout the ten weeks or so that I had these lessons on Friday mornings, I found I was sitting down late Thursday night cramming over my materials, which is simply insufficient. And even this past week when I was ill and canceled class, the extra week to prepare did not make me any better prepared. I still sat down late last night and crammed over my notes for a little bit. So my teacher gave me some good information about verbs and such, seeing as how it was the last session. I may try to pick it up again later, but for now I cannot. It simply isn't a priority, since the principle language is English within the compound anyway, and I can ply my friends for vocabulary and informal lessons. Sayang.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Driving and the big box
Just came off my first experience driving in the Philippines. Actually, it was my first experience driving outside of North America. I've driven in Canada some (and of course extensively in the States), but nowhere else. I had lunch with the field strategy coordinator and his wife, and he handed me the keys to drive back to campus. It wasn't a long trip, and there wasn't much traffic this time, but it was good. When I got to Tikling Junction (=asphalt death trap), I just got into the left lane and followed a large flatbed truck through the intersection. We figured, correctly, that no one would challenge the truck for position. If I just hugged its bumper, then I would come through Tikling with no problem. And that is how it was.
Oh, and the other big news is that the big box is on its way across Manila right now (we think). It is supposed to be delivered sometime this afternoon, estimated around 4:00 PM (90 minutes from right now). This has the majority of my library plus a few household items that will make me feel more at home here. I am hesitant to see what it actually looks like, and a little worried about it. But God has controlled everything else, so why should I suspect that this would not work out as well?
Oh, and the other big news is that the big box is on its way across Manila right now (we think). It is supposed to be delivered sometime this afternoon, estimated around 4:00 PM (90 minutes from right now). This has the majority of my library plus a few household items that will make me feel more at home here. I am hesitant to see what it actually looks like, and a little worried about it. But God has controlled everything else, so why should I suspect that this would not work out as well?
Friday, July 18, 2008
Learning Tagalog
I just had my first formal lesson in Tagalog, with a dear lady named Ate Susing. She gave me a lot of good things to practice and learn. I can only afford both in time and in money one session per week, but I think I'll still do well. Next Friday it will be at the same time, 7-9 AM, then once other students who had that time slot return we'll arrange some other time, possibly 4-6 PM one day a week.
Ate Susing said she noticed right away that I was not going to have similar problems to some other Americans she has trained. In particular: Tagalog does not apsirate the "T," so it is made more with the lips and teeth without the explosion of breath typical of English. I told her that Hebrew has both an aspirated (Tet) and an unaspirated (Tav) T, so I understood that difference. In addition, the linker "nga" (and I'm not sure exactly what a linker is, yet) is a guttural sound made in the nose, if that makes sense. The guttural sound I can do from my knowledge of German, so I just threw the throaty Germanic noises into my nose and I was raring to go.
I can get along well here with English, since it's the official language of the seminary, but that seems to be cheating myself out of an essential piece of the experience here. Even though some of my students have told me that English (or, at least "Taglish) is spoken by the in-crowd/snobs here, I think learning Tagalog will help me very much. Maybe someday I'll even be able to do a blog post in Tagalog. Of course, I'll have to translate it into English right away, but it would be fun to be able to do it in the first place.
Ate Susing said she noticed right away that I was not going to have similar problems to some other Americans she has trained. In particular: Tagalog does not apsirate the "T," so it is made more with the lips and teeth without the explosion of breath typical of English. I told her that Hebrew has both an aspirated (Tet) and an unaspirated (Tav) T, so I understood that difference. In addition, the linker "nga" (and I'm not sure exactly what a linker is, yet) is a guttural sound made in the nose, if that makes sense. The guttural sound I can do from my knowledge of German, so I just threw the throaty Germanic noises into my nose and I was raring to go.
I can get along well here with English, since it's the official language of the seminary, but that seems to be cheating myself out of an essential piece of the experience here. Even though some of my students have told me that English (or, at least "Taglish) is spoken by the in-crowd/snobs here, I think learning Tagalog will help me very much. Maybe someday I'll even be able to do a blog post in Tagalog. Of course, I'll have to translate it into English right away, but it would be fun to be able to do it in the first place.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
On Giving (and Receiving) Respect
I was specifically asked to post a blog entry, because I haven't done so in a while. I am afraid that since this one will be a bit longer not many people will read it, but I guess you have to run that risk every so often. :-) There is an issue that has been weighing on my mind as regards the differences between Filipino and American culture, so this is as convenient a time as any to talk about it.
I remember during the commencement ceremony in which I received my Ph.D., the university president charged us to use caution in throwing around our identities as "Doctor" once we left the assembly. While it might help in securing a dinner reservation, he said, it would not speak well of us if we insisted everyone use the title when speaking to us. I've thought about this somewhat extensively, and I came to the conclusion that I wanted students (and colleagues talking about me to students) to use the title, but as for interaction between colleagues with no students around, it seemed unbelievably stuffy to use the titles. When I returned to the bank after graduation, someone asked me, "Do we have to call you 'Doctor' now?" And I immediately responded, "No," because the title did not make sense in that environment. I went for a year-and-a-half as "Doctor" in precisely the environment the president was talking about--where the title made no sense and insisting that people use it would be arrogant to the point of being foolish. But now I am in such a position, and I find it weird to hear myself addressed as "Doctor" and spoken of as "Doctor." This is just one of the myriad adjustments I am making in this place.
Anyhow, this conversation came up again when the missionaries gathered for July 4th festivities (which, incidentally, mainly involved running to and from the house to get out of the rain). We noted that Asian culture generally, and Filipino culture specifically, is very respectful and deferential, almost to the point of being obsequious. Someone suggested that he always had to think about who was present and what was the context as to whether he could use one of the professors' first names--because he, again, is a missionary colleague and not a student--or if he should use the title.
In all, it is an interesting question, because I have "earned" my degree and "deserve" to be called "Doctor." But I put the quotes around those words because they are subject to a good bit of negotiation. On the one hand, whatever I may have "earned," whatever it is to which I may be "entitled," it creates a significant distance between me and other people when the title is used. On the other hand, though, I do not want to rob the people here of their cultural need to be respectful and deferential. So I'll just go on being surprised and thinking it's unusual to be called "Doctor." And thinking it sounds awful even saying that I'm having this problem...
I remember during the commencement ceremony in which I received my Ph.D., the university president charged us to use caution in throwing around our identities as "Doctor" once we left the assembly. While it might help in securing a dinner reservation, he said, it would not speak well of us if we insisted everyone use the title when speaking to us. I've thought about this somewhat extensively, and I came to the conclusion that I wanted students (and colleagues talking about me to students) to use the title, but as for interaction between colleagues with no students around, it seemed unbelievably stuffy to use the titles. When I returned to the bank after graduation, someone asked me, "Do we have to call you 'Doctor' now?" And I immediately responded, "No," because the title did not make sense in that environment. I went for a year-and-a-half as "Doctor" in precisely the environment the president was talking about--where the title made no sense and insisting that people use it would be arrogant to the point of being foolish. But now I am in such a position, and I find it weird to hear myself addressed as "Doctor" and spoken of as "Doctor." This is just one of the myriad adjustments I am making in this place.
Anyhow, this conversation came up again when the missionaries gathered for July 4th festivities (which, incidentally, mainly involved running to and from the house to get out of the rain). We noted that Asian culture generally, and Filipino culture specifically, is very respectful and deferential, almost to the point of being obsequious. Someone suggested that he always had to think about who was present and what was the context as to whether he could use one of the professors' first names--because he, again, is a missionary colleague and not a student--or if he should use the title.
In all, it is an interesting question, because I have "earned" my degree and "deserve" to be called "Doctor." But I put the quotes around those words because they are subject to a good bit of negotiation. On the one hand, whatever I may have "earned," whatever it is to which I may be "entitled," it creates a significant distance between me and other people when the title is used. On the other hand, though, I do not want to rob the people here of their cultural need to be respectful and deferential. So I'll just go on being surprised and thinking it's unusual to be called "Doctor." And thinking it sounds awful even saying that I'm having this problem...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Icemonster
Yum yum yum yum yum yum!
I was just introduced to a delightful snack place walking distance from campus called Icemonster. It is basically a snow cone with cream in it. And it is soooo tasty. I had the Mudslide flavor, which had chocolate syrup, white and dark chocolate chips, and shaved bits of chocolate cookie all over it. I didn't have my camera, so I kept the napkins and took pictures of those. Tell you what...I knew I loved this place the moment I stepped off the plane. ;-)
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wedding, Department Store
There's a wedding on campus tomorrow. The groom is an alumnus, set to begin Ph.D. studies in the UK this fall, and the bride is the receptionist in the seminary central office. It will be most interesting to witness Filipino wedding customs first-hand. This is a great experience for everyone.
The wedding also has a stated dress code, something that is usually implicit in the States, almost never stated. One wouldn't think, I suppose, of coming to a church wedding in shorts and flip-flops. Some might, but I certainly wouldn't, unless the wedding was outside or something--and probably not even then. But males are to wear white barongs and black dress trousers. I am hearing shades of Matthew 22 in all of that. (Go ahead, go look it up.) Anyway, I took a jeepney down to the mall today and bought a barong for whatever it was. Incidentally, that's another thing that's different about Filipino culture. Although it's generally considered a taboo subject in the States to ask someone what X cost, Filipinos have no problem asking this, so I'm told. But I am hesitant to say, for whatever reason. The workers at the department store--who are universally helpful and friendly--were giggling at this ridiculous oaf of an American buying this article of clothing which is distinctly Filipino. They talked me into signing up for the rewards program at their store. The department store is run by the same company that runs the grocery store in the mall, and a lot of the malls/department stores/grocery stores around the area, so it's a good thing to sign up for. The fee to sign up was P150 (=less than $4) for two years, and it knocked 1o% off the price of the barong on the spot, which amounted to more than P150 savings. So I figure I already made my money back on that one, even if I never get 10% off on anything else. I'll get reward points or some such silly thing, but I am not sure how that works.
Anyway, on the application for the card was something that would never be seen on a similar application in the States. In fact, not only would JCPenney or Sears not care what the answer was (being rightly only interested in my money), they could be held criminally liable for asking the question.
The question was "Religion."
Yep.
They wanted to know my religion on an application for a discount/rewards card. Right next to name, citizenship, date of birth, address, all that jazz. I thought, of course, why did they want to know that? Not only would such a question not be allowed in the States, it would be considered an affront. But I didn't want to press the issue so I just put "Christian" down and had done with it.
The wedding also has a stated dress code, something that is usually implicit in the States, almost never stated. One wouldn't think, I suppose, of coming to a church wedding in shorts and flip-flops. Some might, but I certainly wouldn't, unless the wedding was outside or something--and probably not even then. But males are to wear white barongs and black dress trousers. I am hearing shades of Matthew 22 in all of that. (Go ahead, go look it up.) Anyway, I took a jeepney down to the mall today and bought a barong for whatever it was. Incidentally, that's another thing that's different about Filipino culture. Although it's generally considered a taboo subject in the States to ask someone what X cost, Filipinos have no problem asking this, so I'm told. But I am hesitant to say, for whatever reason. The workers at the department store--who are universally helpful and friendly--were giggling at this ridiculous oaf of an American buying this article of clothing which is distinctly Filipino. They talked me into signing up for the rewards program at their store. The department store is run by the same company that runs the grocery store in the mall, and a lot of the malls/department stores/grocery stores around the area, so it's a good thing to sign up for. The fee to sign up was P150 (=less than $4) for two years, and it knocked 1o% off the price of the barong on the spot, which amounted to more than P150 savings. So I figure I already made my money back on that one, even if I never get 10% off on anything else. I'll get reward points or some such silly thing, but I am not sure how that works.
Anyway, on the application for the card was something that would never be seen on a similar application in the States. In fact, not only would JCPenney or Sears not care what the answer was (being rightly only interested in my money), they could be held criminally liable for asking the question.
The question was "Religion."
Yep.
They wanted to know my religion on an application for a discount/rewards card. Right next to name, citizenship, date of birth, address, all that jazz. I thought, of course, why did they want to know that? Not only would such a question not be allowed in the States, it would be considered an affront. But I didn't want to press the issue so I just put "Christian" down and had done with it.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
This Little Piggy Went to Market
I was asked to post a picture of the pig's head, so here it is:
I didn't get to ask the vendor how much it was (Tagalog: Mangkano dito? 'How much is that?') partly because I was afraid he'd try to make me a good deal. ;-)
I didn't get to ask the vendor how much it was (Tagalog: Mangkano dito? 'How much is that?') partly because I was afraid he'd try to make me a good deal. ;-)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Rain
The last couple of nights, it has rained all night long. Last night, the rain was so loud as to by and large drown out the noise from the constant traffic on Ortigas Ave. Extension—no mean feat. Earlier this morning, I was sitting in my apartment (the internet connection there is having problems or else I would post from there) and the wind was amazing in its severity. I actually felt something I never thought I would feel: cold! So I rushed through and closed all the windows. But then I got an amazing show with the trees outside my front window being billeted about by the wind. This must be what a monsoon is like, I would suspect. I’ll find out sometime between when I am writing this and when I actually post it if that suspicion is correct. There are a lot of strange noises: pieces of the house being bandied about, even. This is almost scary. I even had to go get a towel out of the laundry bin and stuff it under the front door to prevent encroachment from the water outside. I am going to switch to battery power on the computer to make sure. I don’t want an unexpected power surge to destroy the computer, because then I’d really be in a world of hurt. Now as I write the rain and wind have calmed down a bit and I can again hear the sounds of the traffic. Those sounds, which over the first few days here were somewhat of an irritant, now have become a source of comfort as I see first-hand, for the first time, the fury of the weather here during the rainy season. I pray particularly for the squatters and others who do not have nearly the same stability in their living quarters that I do.
Update: I found out in talking to others that "monsoon" and "typhoon" are basically synonymous. I had thought there was a distinction between those two things, but now we just got an email about Typhoon Frank/FengShen. Interesting.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Shopping and Cooking
The first trip yesterday to Filipino grocery stores was interesting and enlightening. As expected, some items were available in less variety than American stores, but unexpectedly there were other things in much greater supply and variety. One example of the latter was canned tuna fish. There were all different styles (packed in water, packed in oil, packed in brine) and also all kinds of flavors (regular, spicy, extra spicy, etc.) That was an eye-opening experience. I purchased a few items but didn't come with a list this first time out. I really just wanted to see what was available and where find it so that next time I can be a little more prepared. I also discovered something innovative compared to American grocery stores: refills! There are refills available of just about everything: ketchup, soap, shampoo, aluminum foil... This is so you don't have to buy a new glass bottle or paper or plastic container. I really like that.
One of the items I purchased was a small package of pancake batter, which I made up this morning with bananas. It was good with a glass of orange juice and a cup of instant coffee. Apparently pancakes taste the same no matter where you live in the world. :-) So I'm continuing to adjust. It'll take me a few more days or weeks before I'm fully comfortable, but I'm trusting in God and the people already here who have helped make the transition smooth.
One of the items I purchased was a small package of pancake batter, which I made up this morning with bananas. It was good with a glass of orange juice and a cup of instant coffee. Apparently pancakes taste the same no matter where you live in the world. :-) So I'm continuing to adjust. It'll take me a few more days or weeks before I'm fully comfortable, but I'm trusting in God and the people already here who have helped make the transition smooth.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Getting adjusted
Going to the Filipino grocery store for the first time in about 15 minutes. I suppose this might be a place where culture shock could happen, but we'll see. I've also gotten the process started for my visa, which seems to be a rather lengthy deal. But, everything else has happened when it was supposed to, so I don't have any reason to think this will not do so...
Mangoes and Avocados
I don't know how I made it 34 years in life without ever eating a mango. They are SO good! Before the missionary prayer meeting last night, we had some and they told me they were pretty sour. If those are sour, then I can't wait to see what the sweet ones taste like!
And when we left the prayer meeting last night, I was told I couldn't leave unless I took two avocados. So I did, and asked people what were some "man-proof" ways to use them. :-)
I'm dealing with jet lag still pretty bad, but I think I'm recovering nicely. Soon enough I'll be posting pictures of the seminary, my apartment, and some of the city, but I just haven't gotten to do that yet. I have some meetings today and then maybe later.
And when we left the prayer meeting last night, I was told I couldn't leave unless I took two avocados. So I did, and asked people what were some "man-proof" ways to use them. :-)
I'm dealing with jet lag still pretty bad, but I think I'm recovering nicely. Soon enough I'll be posting pictures of the seminary, my apartment, and some of the city, but I just haven't gotten to do that yet. I have some meetings today and then maybe later.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Reflections on the First Day
I've been in Manila now for a total of about 27 hours, so I figure it's time to give a record of my impressions so far. I still find it hard to believe that I'm actually here. It may take a while yet to get my mind around that concept. The campus is beautiful, and I actually have an office--a real office--for the first time in my life. That's a big step in my professional development.
I met several students and staff people here at APNTS yesterday, but of course I cannot remember very many names because I was exhausted from twenty-four hours in planes and airports. Then we went to dinner at the home of some missionaries, and I crashed out about 7 PM, sleeping almost uninterrupted until 6 AM today. Today hasn't been as hectic. I've been (slowly) organizing my apartment and working on syllabi.
Now, to quit beating around the bush: I was told yesterday by one of the missionaries who came to retrieve me from the airport that the word most often used to describe Manila is contrast. We saw, literally within a few meters of each other (and it's meters, not yards...another adjustment this naive American will have to make), squatters' huts and wealthy people's houses. And I just missed getting drenched in my first Filipino rainstorm yesterday. I had left the seminary president and had gone back to my apartment to start putting things away and about five minutes after I walked in the door the sky opened up and it rained very hard for several minutes, then faded away just as quickly. The rain also cooled off the temperature significantly, and even today it is much cooler than when I first arrived--although this is perhaps because I am starting to get used to the environment.
As for my classes, I'll be teaching Introduction to Old Testament 7:30-8:50 TR, then Pentateuch 1:30-2:50 TR. That is a fantastic schedule for the first time out. But it reminds me that I probably shouldn't be blogging right now; I should instead be continuing to put my syllabi together... Man, I've only been in the Philippines just over a day and already I'm procrastinating. :-)
I met several students and staff people here at APNTS yesterday, but of course I cannot remember very many names because I was exhausted from twenty-four hours in planes and airports. Then we went to dinner at the home of some missionaries, and I crashed out about 7 PM, sleeping almost uninterrupted until 6 AM today. Today hasn't been as hectic. I've been (slowly) organizing my apartment and working on syllabi.
Now, to quit beating around the bush: I was told yesterday by one of the missionaries who came to retrieve me from the airport that the word most often used to describe Manila is contrast. We saw, literally within a few meters of each other (and it's meters, not yards...another adjustment this naive American will have to make), squatters' huts and wealthy people's houses. And I just missed getting drenched in my first Filipino rainstorm yesterday. I had left the seminary president and had gone back to my apartment to start putting things away and about five minutes after I walked in the door the sky opened up and it rained very hard for several minutes, then faded away just as quickly. The rain also cooled off the temperature significantly, and even today it is much cooler than when I first arrived--although this is perhaps because I am starting to get used to the environment.
As for my classes, I'll be teaching Introduction to Old Testament 7:30-8:50 TR, then Pentateuch 1:30-2:50 TR. That is a fantastic schedule for the first time out. But it reminds me that I probably shouldn't be blogging right now; I should instead be continuing to put my syllabi together... Man, I've only been in the Philippines just over a day and already I'm procrastinating. :-)
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