Today we went about an hour and a half into the mountains to give textbooks to a national high school. This school also was home to the science and agricultural center for the province. The Rotary here is teaching the local children about organic farming with compost made from biodegradable waste from their homes. It is a really cool idea and from the sounds of things it is working quite well. In the opening remarks they introduced me as a soil scientist specialist and had me get up and talk in front of the group. I was unprepared and had no idea that they expected me to talk but I went up and gave a few words that went fairly well. It was the first time I had someone translate for me. It's funny; I am well respected here whereas in the states we are fought with. I think that is because here, they have country-wide problems involving landslides, sediment control, and flooding. The school is also home to a bamboo conservatory, which is used for erosion control on the mountainsides. The bamboo is a native species from China and is about 30 meters high with a root system of about 45 meters, which is excellent for erosion control to prevent landslides.
On our way we stopped at the oldest church in the country dating back to the 17th century; the stone blocks are held together with a mixture made from lime and egg whites. The church is located in a small village about an hour outside Manila.
After the national high school, we stopped for lunch for some Filipino food, which I must admit included foods that I had a hard time looking at and couldn't even think about stomaching. There should be pictures coming soon. After lunch we went to Antipolo to visit for the Catholic Church where many of the faithful come on pilgrimage in hopes of having safe travels.
That's about it for now; I'm heading to my host’s dance practice in a little while and then probably going to bed. We are going to Villa Escudaro tomorrow, which is about a two and a half hour drive south of Manila.
I never want to leave!
awesome
ReplyDeleteSounds like you're having a good time. It's always nice to be in a completely different environment, and have to adjust to their culture. Thanks for posting this up.
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