Where I am and what I am doing

Where I am and what I am doing. March 19, 2011

I have had little time to sit down and write. (I am about to take a final exam for UCSC while in the field, and send it back to my professor).

I just finished data collection for the 1st project that I am working on here. That project involved collecting breast milk from Aeta women in various settlements. The idea is to collect breast milk from women born before and after the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo (an event which displaced many of the Aeta) and compare inflammatory markers in it. This data can help us understand the ways in which early life experiences may be affecting later life physiology. Breast milk is especially interesting because it is something that directly gets passed onto offspring – and communicates something about the environment. Exciting stuff.

The province that I was in is called Tarlac, municipality of Capas. Here Aeta live amongst many rural Tagalog Filipinos, which, is not unlike other “negrito” populations such as the Mamanwa.

Who have I been spending time with:
Robin Bernstein from GW University, who just left. Mostly rural Filipinos. I feel like after my trip here last year and this current trip, I could write a short ethnography about various topics regarding rural Filipino culture – not that some cultural anthropologist hasn't done that already. In the 2 provinces I have been staying in – Zambales and Tarlac, there are SO few foreigners. SO FEW that I always say hi and want to know where they are from. I can count – I saw one in Olongapo City on a bus transfer, who I didn't say hi to, but just looked like an older man who was traveling. I was told that there are many European men in Olongapo, unlike Manila which is full of American men. I wonder if both are searching for their Filipina princesses. I saw an Israeli going to see Mt. Pinatubo, and then 2 ladies (one from the U.S., one from France) in Dau while I was tranferring, who were also hoping to see Mt. Pinatubo. It's funny – where do these people sleep/stay??? I have no clue. People are extremely nice in the provinces, I'm sure they just meet a nice family who will take them in for a couple hundred pesos a night. Anyways, while in Olongapo on the way back, I saw a group of 4 white people with hiking packs. I asked them where they were from and they said Portugal. It was awesome – I spoke in Portuguese with them but unfortunately, I was trying to get on a bus and we were in the middle of a bustling street full of busses, tricycle taxis, people, and cars. I yelled “good luck” as I scrambled to my bus hoping to get a *real* seat [futile].

But yes. Rural Filipinos. I will tell you all about them in my short ethnography, coming soon. But, I will give you a taste: never go barefoot, ever, white skin is the best, BLASTING videoke (like karaoke but with awesome nature scenes, NBA basketball, skiing, etc. showing), tabo-tabo. People have a lot of kids, and little money. They care more about having kids (=happiness) then having enough money to provide them with their needs. Most, are just trying to get by.

Right now I am on a bus blasting Lionel Richie and Journey, of course.

What I am eating: White rice 3 times a day, salted fish, pork, boiled fish, chicken adobo, fried fish, eggs, eggplant, plenty of mango when I'm lucky, instant coffee.

How I am feeling: Oh, fine. You know, the feeling of newness is not here. The days are CAPITAL “S” SLOOOOOW. Getting to meet the Aeta is great – but we are just at each settlement for a couple hours, get the data, compensate them, and go. It's cool – I know it's an amazing opportunity to meet these unique peoples, but, I wish I could spend more time with them, learn their languages, etc. The attention of being a foreigner is pretty tiring from all people here. Sometimes it is fun. I already miss my friends and my foods – but I knew that would happen. Filipino food is not good. But, the mango is incredible and *almost* makes up for it.

What I am wearing:
My SHAVED head that I LOVE, short shorts, t shirts, dresses, sandals. Sunscreen all the time.

At the end of every day, I get to take a “bath” which means I get to go into a little room where there is a big bucket of water with a little bucket (tabo-tabo) which I use to douse myself with cold-ish water, which is nice. Every time I splash a tabo of water onto my head I think:

I am so far away from home. It's been a long and slow day. It is hot. Life, is good.