November 14 2010
Manila, "la noisy"
Today marks the second week that Yanik and I have been in Manila. In the words of my Executive Director Anriette Esterhuysen, "Manila is hard work." Daily excisions on the metro, walks to the super market, and tourism leave us completely exhausted after as little as two hours - everything takes time; there are people everywhere; its so polluted; it's incredibly hot; but most of all….it's just so damn noisy!!! Today I woke up at 5:30 in the morning to the "sweet" sound of motorcycle motors. Everyone sounds like they have a Harley Davidson (you know, those retardedly loud ones?!), horns are exceedingly loud, traffic in general is loud; in the malls there are 5 different types of music blasting out of stores at any given time; rides and video games, Christmas music, and on top of that, people use noise makers to draw attention to their stands. I honestly think my ear drums have been damaged on account of so much noise - I've even noticed I speak louder to people after having being in a mall or being outside. And it;s not like I've been wanting to spend my time in malls…but it's so hot that it's a cool and air-conditioned break…but the main reason is that you need to pass through malls to get to various transit lines, and it seems there is a mega mall at every metro stop. It's ironic that not so long ago I was appreciating the silence near TonSai, Thailand, because Manila is quite possibly the noisiest city on the planet.
Needing to escape the cityscape, last weekend we headed to a crater lake within a crater lake. (what?? you ask). It's a biiiiiiig volcano that erupted and eroded and inside is another smaller volcano with a lake. We stayed at a dingy, rip-off hotel right on the lakeside, and set sail on the lake the following day to hike up the sweltering (we're talking 38 degrees plus 90% humidity -or more!- and exposed to the sun) amongst donkeys and other tourists riding the donkeys….so guess what we were stepping on the whole time up! The view from the top was beautiful though, as were many views during the hike. There is something truly magical about volcanos an the power they hold. Perhaps it's because despite their beauty they are so deadly, or perhaps it's just because they are so exotic to me as a Canadian; but there is a special energy to volcanos.
Tomorrow is also the big day - the day we go pick up our passports with our visas to India, inshaAllah. Tuesday we set off to Puerto Galera - FINALLY! It seems I;ve been craving the beach side for so long. Not only just the beach side, but also a feeling of "home", which so far has been a bit difficult to get, since we're not at our "final" destination (I know, I know, it's about the journey and all…), but I think staying put in a beautiful place for one month where I have the space to practice yoga and meditate; a place far from this noisy city; and a beautiful paradise will sooth my city-shot nerves! I can't wait to dive, and I can't wait to start meeting people, seeing beautiful landscape, and just be in an inspiring place.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 01, 2010
Sawatdee ka
A word from Thailand before we leave it on our way to the Philippines.
It's been a long time since I've heard silence. Real silence. The kind of silence that is so rare, it's almost unsettling. Yanik and I went on a little hike yesterday, up into a carst mountain, which was really more like a scramble. We climbed up using our hands and feet in the red clay. Once we came up to a clearing, we came upon a clearing that made us feel like we were in pre-historic times....Hello Jurassic park! Everything was so vast, the trees so big, and the song of the cicada so loud! The rest was just silence. And I thought to myself, how sad. Silence is such a stranger to us now, that we don't even know what to do with it anymore. It truly is a limited resource and I read something about noise pollution a while back and the fact that there are hardly any truly silent places in the world anymore. It makes me wonder if there is any way to preserve it in an ever growing, changing and louder world. I would have stayed longer to just enjoy the silence but I almost felt like I shouldn't be there - like I was spoiling it somehow.
I'm currently in Ton Sai Thailand, after a hectic 4 days in Bangkok. The bustling city was fun for a while, but towards the end I felt agitated and saddened, and just wanted to leave. Yank has dubbed it "Bangkok, la maléfique". I suppose it's because there is something inherently sad in a place that attracts people based on their weaknesses: sex, drugs, alcohol, consumption (shopping, food, drinks, etc.). Needless to say we managed to enjoy ourselves... The city itself is much like what you'd expect from an Asian mega-city - stuffy, noisy, humid, and chaotic. So arriving to a tiny little paradise on the sea-side was a much-welcomed change. Everything is different. There are no cars (though I'm pretty sure I did see a truck!) and there is no pavement. I wake up to the sound of geckoes, birds, and monkeys. And it's refreshing. The travellers here are mostly climbers and people who are here to chill out. No old men with young thai girls; no gangs of 20-something-guys that want to go to a "ping pong" show; no one trying to sell you dreads, a pad thai or a fish foot massage (yes, a fish foot massage); no one constantly trying to sell you a tuk tuk ride with an obligatory stop in a jewellery shop or tailor (though I must say, I got a stellar pair of silk and wool pants, tailor made for very cheap!).
A three-hour delayed overnight bus ride later (ah developing countries….), a stop from one crooked mini van company to the next, and a boat ride later, we arrived in Ton Sai. It's pouring out now, and it has been for the past two hours or so, and that's also been relaxing. We're in our little cabana, working, listening to some music and the sound of rain, in the dark (there is no power in most places from 6 am to 6 pm) and I figured it was a good time to revive this poor excuse for a blog.
So, here's to bad blogs, the rainforest, cabanas and Thailand!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
to tango hopefuls
I went to my first tango lesson yesterday - which was both taxing (so HARD!) and fun (well, when you dance with a guy who knows what he is doing, that is). I've derived a few lessons I thought I'd share with you, before you even thought about attempting a tango class:
4) Don't show up an hour late
My new Brasilian friend, Jandi, told me to show up around 9, when in fact, the class started at 8. It wasn't a problem since the class was a bit chaotic and included all levels - but I did feel extremely lost for the first 20 minutes, not to mention rude. Also, since I had missed the warm up, I missed the intros and ice breakers which tend to be useful when you are dancing with strangers! Luckily, the crows was super friendly...
3) Don't go on a day when you've worked almost 11 hours
your brain just doesn't seem to work as well, and you may space out from time to time. This makes concentrating on the steps, engaging in conversation with others and keeping up rather difficult.
2) Make sure you bring a cell phone
I was worried about the guys approaching me and it being a bit of a meat market, but people really were there to dance! It was a wonderful relief and the atmosphere was great! Somehow though, I DID manage to get the number or 2 hot German chicks and a Brazilian girl... go figure!
1) Don't have garlic for supper that night!!
Quite possibly the most important lesson to remember, is to consider what you have for dinner before hand; bringing a pack of gum is also rather handy, as the use of garlic may also deter future dance partners, especially in a dance where you sometimes need to lean on each others' foreheads (see image).
There you have it, my friends - GUM, cell phone, and a fresh brain and you're set! (Sense of rhythm not included...)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
just to brag....
I thought this was pretty neat! (She says as she flips her collar up) I am now officially the French Media Contact for APC! Let's just hope I can fill my predecessors shoes....
we made it...
Last weekend, the internationals and I had grandiose plans of getting out of the city and hitting up the sand dunes of Rocha, going to the beach, and possibly hiking in an Ombu forest - but guess what - it was rainy again. Evaluating the circumstances (money, weather, etc.) we decided against it. Besides, I get to be here for the summer, so it's definitely worth it for me to wait! But that meant I was going to be in rainy, grey Montevideo, which wasn't all that enticing either. Sunday morning, Katarina, Antoine and I decided to go despite the rain. We all felt like moving and breathing some fresh air. So we decided on the Cerro Pan de Azucar, a nature preserve only about an hour or so out of the city.
No sooner than five minutes on the bus, it started pouring rain outside. I don't mind hiking in the rain and I figured it would die down eventually anyway. Half an hour into our bus ride, smoke started coming out of the bottom of the bus, and boiling water gushed out from under the middle seats and rushed all the way down the front of the bus. Making an emergency stop on the side of the road to investigate, we were back on the road some five minutes later. Then again, the smoke started coming out - so we stopped a second time. Five minutes later we were on the road again (phew...). The water and smoke started up again, and the drivers finally gave up and called the technician (without informing the passengers what we were doing, what was going on, etc.). So we all waited *somewhat* patiently. An hour later, I was getting extremely antsy, hating the fact that I was in the middle of nowhere and couldn't do anything but wait. I was wondering why I left the house, when I could have been cozy at home, instead I was in the cold bus, in the rain, a ways away from our destination that was slowly losing its appeal to me anyway.
About an hour and twenty minutes, we were back on the road, and arrived in Pan de Azucar town half an hour later. By the time we got there, it was past 1pm and we were somewhat concerned with time - we still had to GET to the hill, climb it, come down, and catch the bus back before 6:30. And the next bus going in that direction wasn't coming for another half hour. Luckily by then it had stopped raining.
So we stuck it out, and ended up at Pan de Azucar nature preserve, all itching to hike! We were delighted to see animals (in caged areas, unfortunately, but still in a wild area). Tiny jaguar-like animals, animals that were a mix between pigs and guinea pigs, tons of birds, and other animals I had never seen before in my life greeted us along the walk to the trail entrance. As soon as we got into the forest, everything was so peaceful and beautiful, and the little train soon became full on scrambling, requiring the use of both hands to get up and weave between the boulders. Absolutely divine! Once we came out of the forest and started getting closer to the top, we were faced with INTENSE wind! It was blowing so hard, we couldn't stop laughing! http://www.flickr.com/photos/borderlys/2879984085/sizes/s/ We were well inside the cloud, and the sound inside the big cross was ..... FREAKY! ...we took our photo ops and hurried down (safely, of course) down to the forest.
Snacked at the bottom, had some tea and made the bus back in a nick of time - everything flowed perfectly and we were home by 8pm!
Since last Sunday, the sun has come out from the clouds, the days are getting longer, and people are starting to poke their heads out from their huge wooden doors. The city is showing a completely different side now (one that I've also been anxiously awaiting!), and it's colours are starting to show themselves. Tonight I am going to some of the festivities that are being put on to celebrate the arrival of spring. Tomorrow, I might hit up Piriápolis, a near by city on the water. I think I am also going to go soak up some of the sun on the rambla now...
No sooner than five minutes on the bus, it started pouring rain outside. I don't mind hiking in the rain and I figured it would die down eventually anyway. Half an hour into our bus ride, smoke started coming out of the bottom of the bus, and boiling water gushed out from under the middle seats and rushed all the way down the front of the bus. Making an emergency stop on the side of the road to investigate, we were back on the road some five minutes later. Then again, the smoke started coming out - so we stopped a second time. Five minutes later we were on the road again (phew...). The water and smoke started up again, and the drivers finally gave up and called the technician (without informing the passengers what we were doing, what was going on, etc.). So we all waited *somewhat* patiently. An hour later, I was getting extremely antsy, hating the fact that I was in the middle of nowhere and couldn't do anything but wait. I was wondering why I left the house, when I could have been cozy at home, instead I was in the cold bus, in the rain, a ways away from our destination that was slowly losing its appeal to me anyway.
About an hour and twenty minutes, we were back on the road, and arrived in Pan de Azucar town half an hour later. By the time we got there, it was past 1pm and we were somewhat concerned with time - we still had to GET to the hill, climb it, come down, and catch the bus back before 6:30. And the next bus going in that direction wasn't coming for another half hour. Luckily by then it had stopped raining.
So we stuck it out, and ended up at Pan de Azucar nature preserve, all itching to hike! We were delighted to see animals (in caged areas, unfortunately, but still in a wild area). Tiny jaguar-like animals, animals that were a mix between pigs and guinea pigs, tons of birds, and other animals I had never seen before in my life greeted us along the walk to the trail entrance. As soon as we got into the forest, everything was so peaceful and beautiful, and the little train soon became full on scrambling, requiring the use of both hands to get up and weave between the boulders. Absolutely divine! Once we came out of the forest and started getting closer to the top, we were faced with INTENSE wind! It was blowing so hard, we couldn't stop laughing! http://www.flickr.com/photos/borderlys/2879984085/sizes/s/ We were well inside the cloud, and the sound inside the big cross was ..... FREAKY! ...we took our photo ops and hurried down (safely, of course) down to the forest.
Snacked at the bottom, had some tea and made the bus back in a nick of time - everything flowed perfectly and we were home by 8pm!
Since last Sunday, the sun has come out from the clouds, the days are getting longer, and people are starting to poke their heads out from their huge wooden doors. The city is showing a completely different side now (one that I've also been anxiously awaiting!), and it's colours are starting to show themselves. Tonight I am going to some of the festivities that are being put on to celebrate the arrival of spring. Tomorrow, I might hit up Piriápolis, a near by city on the water. I think I am also going to go soak up some of the sun on the rambla now...
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Mastering Mate
So I FINALLY got off my hiney and bought all the required elements to a proper mate kit:
1) Mate - the receptacle (gourd, typically of the squash family) itself is of utmost importance
2) Bombilla - metal straw - possibly even more important than the mate, since you could theoretically make yourself a mate in a coffee mug or small bowl; it just doesn't look as good.
3) Thermos - this is more important if you're on the go. Otherwise, how else will you drink mate while walking down the street!
4) Yerba mate, of course!
note: you can also buy a leather bag in which to carry your mate, but I wouldn't recommend it if you are on a budget!
Now that I am finally set up, I asked my roommate, Andrea to give me a lesson on preparing mate (tea is just so much simpler!).
1) Fill your gourd to about an inch of the top. Tip it to the side until the herbs hit your hand (make sure you keep the yerba in its vertical shape).
2) Pour some lukewarm water, and allow for the herbs to absorb some of the water and expand. This prevents the leaves from burning, and for better absorption.
3) Place your bombilla with the flat part against the herbs, and tilting it against your gourd. Dig in there, and make sure it stays in place.
4) Fill your mate with boiling water, sip, and enjoy the first mate (right. It's generally quite bitter and hot)
5) Offer to your friends...but beware, there is a certain etiquette to be followed...
See the photographic version of the instructions here!
"the office"
This is the entry I sent to the listserve to the IISD as part of my internship program. It's nothing new, but I wanted to keep it somewhere, so if you have some free time, you can learn a bit more about what I am doing....
ok, so I am going to try not to be completely envious of Alison and the others that are currently in HOT countries, as it appears I have landed in a Latino version of Britain. Much like Vancouver, it's cold and rainy and gross out right now; but when it's nice out, it sure is nice out! I suppose that comes hand in hand with living on the waterfront and arriving at the tail end of winter. The 91% humidity (and lack of sleep) didn't help me avoid the sniffles either! So here I am, drinking some homemade ginger and lemon tea, getting ready to tell you all about my first two weeks here.
If, for the training week, we "hit the ground running," then I do believe I have hit the ground here darting in a 100m sprint! The days have just flown by since I first started, and the entire APC team has made me feel more than at home. My first assignment, to help me get to know the team a little bit better, consisted of re-writing everyone's teaser bios (the few sentences that appear next to their photo on the public site). I have to say, what an accomplished, inspiring bunch of people! The richness of the organization is its diversified and world-wide staff. Today for example, I was had to help test the Moodle chat and whiteboard functions by participating in a chat session with people from South Africa, Mexico, Czech Republic, the Philippines and Canada! I sift through at least 50 emails a day (some of which are irrelevant to me), but the weekly updates always give me a laugh. They are a mix of work and personal life that have that water-cooler conversation feel to them. Aside from re-writing some of the site content (I will also have to produce some French abstracts and articles based on the PDF of a new African initiative), I have also been put in touch with some international media outlets, for which I will be the liaison (yay!). This is because the information coordinator for the site (who also happens to be Canadian!) will be leaving the organization, so I will be taking on some of his roles and assignments. The added responsibility however, also means that I have been putting in some extra hours on the side to read up on ICT policy and some of the site's content. It's been great though, and reading has not felt like a chore; rather, I see it as a matter of interest and concern for a job well done. Further to this, my manager and I met today in her home office to discuss the media monitoring project I will be working on based on the previous intern's recommendations. I'm starting to work on it as early as tomorrow, and would like to have the matrix and evaluation system semi-finalized by the end of the month so that I can work on the monitoring for the next 5 months. I'm also looking at ways of making this a long-term project that they will continue once my term has finished.
Since it's a virtual organization, I don't know that many people here yet – fortunately though, both my roommates have made it easier for me to meet people. I've also found a cute little yoga studio (which you can read about here : www.borderlys.blogspot.com), where the people are friendly.
I've attached a photo of my work space with my co-worker Analia. It's in a house-turned-office, owned by some young architects. I also posted a photo of the view, two steps out my front door. You can view more photos on my flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/borderlys . Consider yourself warned - they aren't all * ahem * work related. You can also read my somewhat irregular ramblings of anything and everything on my blog (see above).
Hope you are all well!
Lisa
ok, so I am going to try not to be completely envious of Alison and the others that are currently in HOT countries, as it appears I have landed in a Latino version of Britain. Much like Vancouver, it's cold and rainy and gross out right now; but when it's nice out, it sure is nice out! I suppose that comes hand in hand with living on the waterfront and arriving at the tail end of winter. The 91% humidity (and lack of sleep) didn't help me avoid the sniffles either! So here I am, drinking some homemade ginger and lemon tea, getting ready to tell you all about my first two weeks here.
If, for the training week, we "hit the ground running," then I do believe I have hit the ground here darting in a 100m sprint! The days have just flown by since I first started, and the entire APC team has made me feel more than at home. My first assignment, to help me get to know the team a little bit better, consisted of re-writing everyone's teaser bios (the few sentences that appear next to their photo on the public site). I have to say, what an accomplished, inspiring bunch of people! The richness of the organization is its diversified and world-wide staff. Today for example, I was had to help test the Moodle chat and whiteboard functions by participating in a chat session with people from South Africa, Mexico, Czech Republic, the Philippines and Canada! I sift through at least 50 emails a day (some of which are irrelevant to me), but the weekly updates always give me a laugh. They are a mix of work and personal life that have that water-cooler conversation feel to them. Aside from re-writing some of the site content (I will also have to produce some French abstracts and articles based on the PDF of a new African initiative), I have also been put in touch with some international media outlets, for which I will be the liaison (yay!). This is because the information coordinator for the site (who also happens to be Canadian!) will be leaving the organization, so I will be taking on some of his roles and assignments. The added responsibility however, also means that I have been putting in some extra hours on the side to read up on ICT policy and some of the site's content. It's been great though, and reading has not felt like a chore; rather, I see it as a matter of interest and concern for a job well done. Further to this, my manager and I met today in her home office to discuss the media monitoring project I will be working on based on the previous intern's recommendations. I'm starting to work on it as early as tomorrow, and would like to have the matrix and evaluation system semi-finalized by the end of the month so that I can work on the monitoring for the next 5 months. I'm also looking at ways of making this a long-term project that they will continue once my term has finished.
Since it's a virtual organization, I don't know that many people here yet – fortunately though, both my roommates have made it easier for me to meet people. I've also found a cute little yoga studio (which you can read about here : www.borderlys.blogspot.com), where the people are friendly.
I've attached a photo of my work space with my co-worker Analia. It's in a house-turned-office, owned by some young architects. I also posted a photo of the view, two steps out my front door. You can view more photos on my flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/borderlys . Consider yourself warned - they aren't all * ahem * work related. You can also read my somewhat irregular ramblings of anything and everything on my blog (see above).
Hope you are all well!
Lisa
Monday, September 08, 2008
Return of the toque
I FOUND MY TOQUE!!!!!!
OH JOY!!!!!
Today was the last day that I tried to look for my toque, figuring that if I hadn't seen it lying on the street by now, that I wasn't going to find it. It was a hard decision to make, since part of my just felt that I was supposed to find it. So just as I was a few steps from home (incidentally, not far from where the taxi had dropped me off) a car drove away, revealing a lonely flattened toque that had lost its way! Nothing against my new toque - it's also great - but it doesn't have the love I put into it....
OH JOY!!!!!
Today was the last day that I tried to look for my toque, figuring that if I hadn't seen it lying on the street by now, that I wasn't going to find it. It was a hard decision to make, since part of my just felt that I was supposed to find it. So just as I was a few steps from home (incidentally, not far from where the taxi had dropped me off) a car drove away, revealing a lonely flattened toque that had lost its way! Nothing against my new toque - it's also great - but it doesn't have the love I put into it....
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Week two, here we go!
After my first week of work, I am feeling pretty good about my internship! So far, I've been given very precise instructions for the different projects I'll be working on, and my manager has been great in giving me instructions and helping me set goals for the day and week. It's nice to work from her home office, since I don't have to worry about little formalities (like what to wear, being 5 minutes late, etc.), and sometimes I even get to work with a kitty on my lap! She also makes the best coffee in the whole entire world! So far, I've mostly been getting familiar with the organization, re-writing teaser bios (a few sentences that appear next to the people's photos on the site). It's actually a great way to get to know members of the organisation! It's quite interesting to learn the culture of this virtual organisation - things like the informal weekly updates (personal and work related) allow for a more personal, "water cooler" type of interactions. I've had a little introduction to the media impact monitoring and evaluating aspect of my internship, as well as a briefing on the media relations aspect. I still have so much reading to do before I feel comfortable with the site content because for now, I still feel like there is an overwhelming amount of information on the site. My plan to read up on policy this weekend didn't quite come to fruiting either....
I did have a great weekend though! I went out with "los internacionales," which is what I have dubbed the ex-pat and international crowd living here at the moment. We stayed out all night; I lost my beloved toque on the way home; and felt the repercussions of dancing until 6am the next morning. To make things worse, the next day Katarina and I went to the market, which, as it turns out, closed early because it was raining out. Walking in the rain for a few hours, lack of sleep, then going to bed late-ish a second night didn't exactly do wonders for my health. Where is that echinacea tea when I need it?!?
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