Tour in Mindanao

Kumusta sa tanan??

Weer een tijdje geleden en ik vond dat het eens tijd was voor een Nederlandse post...

Ik ga in juli een maand rondreizen in Mindanao en wat eilandhopping doen, dus gaan jullie een maand lang niets van me horen, lezen of zien...

Ik had ook even de tijd willen nemen om uit te leggen wat ik hier nu precies allemaal doe. Ik had gehoord van ma dat mensen haar vroegen wat ik daar nu precies allemaal uitspook...?
Wel het oorspronkelijk idee was dat ik me eerst eigen maak met de filosofie achter de ganse bio-dynamische landbouw, m.a.w. kreeg ik de tijd om organische en bio-dynamische boeken te lezen en om op het veld en in de groenten tuin mee te helpen met de practische kant. Dat lezen houdt ook in dat ik antroposofie aan het studeren ben. Naast die studie werk ik dus in de groententuin en help ik mee met het research team.
Die groententuin is eigenlijk meer dan gewoon een groententuin. Het is een tuin vol bloemen en planten die we gekocht hebben en vergaard hebben vanuit het regenwoud en aan de andere kant planter we er groenten, niet in saaie rechthoekige plots maar in dynamische en organische vormen planten we bloemen en verschillende groentjes die bij elkaar passen dooreen. In onze tuin staan ook fruitbomen, met vruchten die jullie jammer genoeg niet kennen, maar overheerlijk smaken (rambutan, durian, marang, jakfruit). We hebben in onze tuin ook een vijver (of mss beter een viver) gefabriceerd, met waterval compleet. Stilletjes aan begint de tuin op volle productie te graken en het is leuk om te kunnen eten van eigen (bio) oogst.
Mijn andere dagen ga ik mee met het research team van Don Bosco. Momenteel lopen er twee onderzoeken, eentje naar de beste manier van behandeling van koffie bomen tegen vraatzucht van de 'scaring weavel' (allemaal biologische toepassingen uiteraard) en een onderzoek naar de geschikte verhouding van applicatie van FAA voor pechay, toepassen van Fisch Amino Acids (als bemesting) voor een soort chinese kool zeg maar.
Enkele weken terug heb ik ook meegeholpen in het planten van rijst en met de lay-out voor een natuurlijk filtratiesysteem voor de rijstvelden.
Naast mijn studies hier 'thuis' ben ik ook bezig met een lezing voor te bereiden over de negatieve invloeden van televisie (tell-lie-vision) vooral dan voor kinderen en tieners.

Eerst was het plan ook dat ik in alle projecten van Don Bosco zou meedraaien, maar daar is verandering in gekomen. Omdat mijn veiligheid primeert, is het niet meer haalbaar om mij te laten werken in andere dorpen door verhoogt kidnapgevaar door de extrimistische moslims hier. Twee weken terug hebben ze in 5 aangrenzende dorpen hier de gevangenissen bestormd en hun maten vrijgelaten en is er ook een Koreaans meisje gegeijzeld. Terwijl moslim kampen hier in de laaglanden naast ons zijn, zitten boven ons de bergen communistische rebellen, maar die gaan ons geen kwaad doen, hoogstens ons uitnodigen om hun mee te doen met hun stijd tegen het kapitalisme en de regering.

Maar zoals ik al zei, in Juli trek ik er op uit om wat van Mindanao te ontdekken.

Dikke kussen en tropische groetjes vanuit de Filippijnen!!

some random pictures... I will write something soon... :D

Blessing the compost

Some waterfall in Samal Island

Rice

;Matthias and me, reading Steiner in the Venus hut

Betsy, me, Hans, Lani, Inke, Matthias in Punta del Sol, Samal Island

Matthias and me, in uniform ... ;-)

In the rice breeding centre

After planting the different varieties

Me, still gwapo...

Me and my dog Barnie

from Batasan with love...

Hello friends,

I know it has been a while since I posted something on my blog, the reason is simple, there is no internet here in the mountains, or maybe there is, but it is very very slow. And although I could go to Kidapawan or so, there is no reason for me to leave Batasan, because it is so beautiful and nice here. But at last I took some time for brining you up to date...

I arrived in Don Bosco, Batasan in the beginning of May. And after a orientation conversation with Betsy, we decided that it is in the first place necessary for me to study antroposophy and bio-dynamics principles since everything they do here is based on that and since I know almost nothing about it. So during May I am studying, getting some lectures from Betsy and helping Mat (the German volunteer) in his vegetable garden, both the studying and the work in the garden I like a lot. For the next months I already found some assignments for me. One of them is that I will make a outdoor playground for the pigs, who live at the moment only in a stable which is not so bio-dynamic, neither organic... and the same playground I will make for the rabbits, because they also live just in cages. During the planting season I will be assigned (June-August) in the seed-bank where they breed rice. I will have the opportunity to plough the field with a karabaw (a water buffalo) and help in the breeding process. In the end I would like to participate in all the project that Don Bosco is offering, more or less a program from seed to shelf.

Since one week, Hans Molders (the most important representative for anthroposophy/bio-dynamics in Asia) is here as a guest. It is a guy from Holland who lives in New-Zeeland. He gave some lectures about the agricultural courses of Steiner with examples and explanation. We also made a compost pile and a cowpatpit together with him. It is very nice to have him here so that I can ask some practical questions about bio-dynamics. After his advice Mat and me also made a “good” compost pile in our vegetable garden. Next week we all go to Samal Island where we will do some astrology on the beach and off course enjoy the sand and the sea. On Saturday, Mat and me will get a lecture about astrology from Mario, a staff member of Don Bosco. Then at the end of next week we will go diving...

I also got a dog here, Barny. It is a 4 month old Dalmatian dog who lived in a small cage. Last week Padre Mario came here and donated him to us, for the sake of Barny. He is very “enthusiastic” and hot so he needs a boss that cares for him and teaches him some manners, that will be me from now on...

Ok I try to upload some pictures but I am afraid it will take long time, if not now, I will upload them next time.

Lots of tropical greetings and love from the Philippines!!

Bananaflowers, a "bibssprinkhaan", bats and Edward

Last Weekend Davao

After my graduation in the Maryknoll Language School, my family in Doña Asuncion made something extra for dinner. They prepared loempias, cheese rolls and roasted tuna, delivious! After that, together with the people from the boarding house of Pieter, with Frithtjof, and the son and daughter of Arnold (from Broederlijk Delen, my “boss”), we went partying in Rizal promenade. In a club called 183... The music in the clubs are the same music I heard in clubs in China, or even worse. One commercial song after the other, making it impossible for me to dance. But still I had some fun sitting outside, drinking some beers and listening to a live (cover) band. My friends from the Alternative Center will give a Reagge festival on the Island of Samal, but that will only be in June or so... Being in Asia again did me realize again how good we have it in Belgium for partys, concerts and festivals!


The next day I went ziplining with my family close to Digos (an hour and a half or so from Davao) in mount Apo park. Ziplining is going with a cable from a higher point in the mountain to another point while you hang in superman position. A nice thrill and a nice view.


Later we visited the “Agong house” by ???, a famous artist from Mindanao. It was a nice, small house, based on the original builing style of Mindanao indigenous tribes, with a very nice garden around it with lots of flowers and statues in the mountains.




So my stay in Davao is almost at his end, and on Wednesday, Arnold will take me to Don Bosco in Makilala where I can start my real work... Although I still do not know what I want and can do there, I look forward on being there again, amongst those nice people in mountains.

My speech at the graduation ceremony

For the people interested in how Cebuano/Visaya looks like, I wrote down my speech that I made for my graduation on Friday 24^th April. I am officially graduated form my language school, but that does not really mean that I speak fluently Cebuano now. I have a base and I know how to construct sentences, now I need to practice and learn more vocabulary so I will be able to communicate better.

Maayong buntag sa tanan,

Kini ang adlaw sa akong graduation. Kinahanglang kong ihatag ang pakigpulong, ug gusto kong mogamit niining higayona sa pagsulti sa akong pasalamat, una sa akong mga magtotudlo ug mga estudyante sa MILC. Bisan gitudloan nila ako sa basic Cebuano, malisud gihapon kaayo ang pagsabut sa mga maguuma sa bukid sa Makilala para kanako, sige lang kay makasulti man ako sa basic feelings. Pananglitan, makasulti ako sa pulong nga “Gigutom ako”, “Gisip-on ako, hatagi ra ako ug habol”, ug, mas importante, nga “Walay problema kon Moro ka o Kristiano alang kanako, silang tanan ang akong mga higala”. Nakatonan ko sab ang basic understanding sa Pilipinong cultura. Nakatonan ko sab nga ang mga Bul-anon ignorantihon, apan but-an gyud. Nakatonan ko sab nga walay pulong sa Cebuano para sa “sweet” para sa mga lalaki kay dili sila magtext sa ilang trato nga “Gimingaw kaayo ako nimo” ug dili sila kanunay maghatag ug bulak sa ilang mga trato. Ug nakatonan ko sab nga mas importante sa mga Pilipino ang S.I.R.

Ikaduha, gusto kong magpasalamat sa akong pamilya sa ilang pagatiman kanako. Bisan nga gikambiohan nila ang ilang pagdiet ug pagkaon tungud kanako kay vegetarian ako. Ug bisan sab nga usaka adlaw niana nga gimingaw gyud ako sa akong nanay, giatiwan gyud ako nila pag-ayo. Sa Doña Asunsion sab, nakakaton ko ug daghan.Una, ang secreto sa taas ng buhok nga “It's all in the ends”. Ikaduha ang pagmabinantayon sa iho tunud sa ilang pagpadako sa ilang utok. Ikatulo, wala mamakak kanako ang travel guide sa Pilipinas nga “Prepare yourself to be interrogated by everyone you meet (...). Filipinos will want to know where you are from, why you are in the Philipines, how old are you, wheter you are married, if not why not, and so on and so forth”. Pero wala magbakak ang guide sab ang “They pride themselves on their hospitality and are always ready to share a meal or a few drinks”.

Sa katapusan, gusto kong magpasalamat sa akong kauban sa Broederlijk Delen, nga akong NGO sa Belgium, para sa paggiya kanako sa mga bulohaton bahin sa mga routa sa jeepny dinhi sa Davao ug sa pagatiman kanako.

Sa tanan nga nia dinhi, daghan kaayong salamat.

Daghan na kaayo ang akong gisulti, busa tana magmeryenda nata.

My visitors!

Classmates, teachers and Pieter.

Getting my certificate!!

My house in Davao, for one more night...