HEY YOU! ‘Bro!

(PREFACE NOTE:  To be fair, I will state for the record that SMART does care and generally does listen to its customers.  They’ve established social media services on Twitter @ Smartcares and willingly accept comments regarding customer concerns via e-mail at ISMS@smart.com.ph )

As much as I’d like it to be, this is not an “Open Letter to SMART Bro.”  It’s more like venting my frustrations than anything else.  I mean, I’ve been pretty doggone patient and understanding over these past four months.  Things seem to have arrived at a point, however, where I am starting to feel as though someone is taking advantage of my patience and understanding, and ignoring their duty to fulfill their contract to the best of their ability.

I am at a precipice, delicately balancing all considerations while trying to maintain that patient and understanding outlook on my current situation.

Perhaps the flood of SMART Bro commercials appearing on the various local television channels or playing endlessly on the local radio stations has tossed a little imbalance into the game.  I can still hear the “Nine out of Ten” claims echoing from the sala.

Well, here’s a “shout out” from that “One out of Ten”!

Local ‘Bro is Outstanding

I’ve no beef with those members of the SMART Bro organization here in my municipality and in the provincial capital of Laoag City.  They have served me extremely well.

Signing on for SMART’s broadband internet service was simple and without any hassle or tedious wait.  Courteous, friendly, and beaming with customer service, the personnel at the local PLDT office really took good care of my application and me.  I went out of my way to pass my commendations to them personally and to their managers in their presence.  I wish all business people I deal with in The Philippines were so considerate and caring.

The local technical team quickly responded to the internet connectivity problems that unexpectedly popped up during the past four months and resolved them well beyond my best expectations.  Like anyone inconvenienced, I had wished the team to have shown up and cured the internet ailments “yesterday,” but I did realize that I had a definite place on their list of repairs and found their response time to more than make up for any inconvenience I experienced.  Cures were solid and sure.  I couldn’t ask for more.  Here, again, I made sure that I mentioned my complete and total satisfaction with the team’s efforts and their prompt problem resolutions when completing the follow-on “How’s our service?” survey.

The Gripes Begin Here, ‘Bro

I must reiterate – I’ve no problems with the local SMART Bro organization.  They’re tops in my book.  They’ve done and continue to do their job efficiently, effectively and with the customer foremost in their professional minds.

Outside of those local stalwarts of good service, there’s a problem – a BIG, SMART Bro problem.  I know there must be people elsewhere in the national organization, but they lay low and pretty much reside below the radar or off the radar screen.  The problem appears systemic.

Not having a landline, I’ve more than once used up my (Globe) cell phone loads contacting SMART’s “toll free” customer service number in Manila, being placed on hold for “just one moment, sir,” and watching my cell pesos pay for my “enjoyment” of the latest SMART Bro advertisements playing in my phone’s earpiece.

Even the simple joy of talking to a human being seems tainted.  One “customer service” clerk, upon hearing of my being unable to use the internet, suggested that I download this or that software tool from the SMART Bro website and that would undoubtedly help me.  DUH!  I would if I could connect to the website!  (The software tools, by the way, don’t help – they won’t work properly if one can’t establish a connection via the internet.)

I’m afraid the best “customer service” technical advice I’ve received via my cell phone was an honest response from a young woman who apparently hadn’t been with the organization long enough to pick up their “techniques”:  “I’m sorry, sir, you’ll just have to wait until your internet comes back!”

Beyond the SMART Telecommunications Tower

ATTENTION SMART Bro – lost service doesn’t “come back” just like that.  In fact, lost service doesn’t come back at all.  It’s gone!  POOF! It’s lost forever in the ether, never to come back.  Service can be restored but, once lost, can never be recovered.

My contract states that I will receive unlimited internet connectivity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week so long as I keep my account current.  Well, I HOPE TO SHOUT that I WOULD CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY if I have ever received a day or two’s worth of 24 continuous, uninterrupted hours of internet connectivity since I’ve started using SMART Bro.  Patient?  Yes.  Understanding?  Most definitely.  Tired of poor service?  YOU BETCHA!

I understand that these past few months have been plagued with the type of weather conditions that prowl on and attack utilities such as electricity and telecommunications.  I can understand how typhoon rains and winds, with their accompanying floods and landslides, could hamper or eliminate such services.  I cannot fault SMART Bro for service interruptions occurring while I’m experiencing a brown out.

Tell me, SMART Bro:  With all of the bad weather, and its accompanying physical maladies, why is it I can still text or speak on my cell phone?  It is similar technology, handled pretty much via systems found on the same telecommunications towers outside weathering the storms.  I wish I knew.  I’ve often wondered why groups like the N.P.A., the M.I.L.F. and the A.S.G. target telecommunications towers for explosive destruction.  (Could insufficient or nonexistent download speeds be a contributing factor?)

I also wonder why it is that I can now accurately predict a pending brown out by observing a pattern of intermittent then nonexistent internet service offered by SMART Bro.  Yes, if I observe certain characteristics “on line,” I can bet anyone “dollars (or pesos) to donuts” that an electrical brown out will shortly ensue.

I Can Communicate With “Our” Tower

Being experienced in electronic and information systems troubleshooting (a previous career best not elaborated); I can tell where a problem does not exist.  Telecommunications technicians have always used the “It’s on the distant end” method of fixing problems whenever they found themselves in over their heads.  In my case, the problem is not on this end.  Nor is it between my antenna and the telecommunications tower at which my antenna is pointed.

On one occasion of a SMART Bro technical team visit, I “obtained” access to their link testing protocols for my service (and my service alone).  With these smart tools, I can see whether my antenna is in proper alignment with and my equipment is effectively “talking” to the equipment located on the nearby telecommunications tower.  I use these testing protocols quite religiously whenever the internet gets flakey.

The result is usually the same – no problem communicating with the tower.  If I knew the electronic addresses of the nodes further down the link, I’d be able to test them as well.  Unfortunately, I can only avow for my equipment, that nearby tower’s equipment feeding me, and the 5,978 feet of air between my antenna and that on the tower.  Power levels are always at peak performance levels, “jitter” is barely existent, and all is well with the world.

So, What’s the Frequency, Kenneth?

The intermittent and poor internet connectivity problems I experience obviously originate elsewhere.  Somewhere among all of the system nodes, routers, wire-wraps and jury rigs, there is a poor internet connection mirroring itself on my computer’s screen.  I’ve checked everything on this 5,978-foot end, SMART Bro.  How about a little troubleshooting assistance, here?

Please check the equipment on your end.  If it’s not causing the problem, then check the system between us.  I’ve got my side of “our” tower, which I longingly gaze at day after day, covered.  You cover the other side from that point on up to your equipment.

While you’re at it, how about repairing the aircraft warning lights on “our” tower.  They haven’t been “seen” in ages – I see the Globe and the Sun towers’ warning lights every night.

Oh, one more thing:  HOW ABOUT CREDITING MY BILL FOR THE SPOTTY OR NONEXISTENT SERVICE?  I readily pay my bill on time, every month, as directed by our contract.  Filling out additional paperwork and waiting over three months to possibly receive (or be denied) credit is NOT a billing credit – it’s a deterrent at best, and a nightmare at worst.  If you can’t “carry the water” and provide it to me, why should I pay you for it?

Just think – if you cleared up these problems, you endless commercials could quote “Ten out of Ten”!

(UPDATE:  Once again, my sense of fair play demands that I provide this update. 

I’ve been monitoring my “24/7 connectivity” on a 24/7 basis during the past three weeks.  While there hasn’t been a single calendar date [e.g., 12:00 midnight, November 1 to 12:00 midnight, November 2] of continuous 24 hour connectivity – and certainly no two consecutive dates of 24/2 connectivity – there have been periods of connectivity that exceeded 24 continuous hours.  Unfortunately, the outages which broke the “Bro’s winning streaks” occurred in peak moments, when I needed connectivity the most. 

So, I still don’t get 24/7 connectivity but I do get a few random 24 continuous hour periods of connectivity during the 7 day week.  Download and Upload speeds reflect 6% – 14% of the SMART Bro averages [speed test results obtained from and are available at www.testmy.net].  My Upload speeds are most often faster than my Download speeds.  I think there’s more than one problem here, ‘Bro!

My “next appointment” with the SMART Bro Tech Team is 11/24 – quite a wait this time around, as there are a “lot of problems” that are being taken care of.  I shudder while thinking, perhaps, that this next visit will be a repeat of prior visits.  The techs will check antenna alignment, signal strengths, jitter, and BER [Bit Error Rate], find all within tolerances, bust a few moves to show that they’re doing something, and depart victorious from another “it’s not on our end” battle with the illusive connectivity monster.

If and when all problems are solved [i.e., I am receiving 24/7 continuous internet connectivity without drop-outs, my Download and Upload speeds come close to matching SMART Bro's average customer speeds, and I receive adequate compensation - in the form of a true billing credit - for the lack of service I've been subjected to over the past four months], I will immediately and joyfully rush to my laptop and compose an article praising SMART communications and lauding their broadband internet service, and post it without delay – provided that I’m able to access LiP. )

TWO in a Row

This almost never happens.  How and why is it now?  I am so very lucky to be here to experience it.  Yet, I’m a little saddened by the notion that I may not have a similar experience again (at least in the near future).

Faces around me are smiling broader smiles than smiled before.  Tempers are non-existent.  A sense of cheerfulness and celebration permeates the air.  Even farmers harvesting the damp, heavy rice in their moisture-laden fields appear to be enjoying their most difficult labors.

Okay, Paul, get to the point!  Just what is it that’s appears to be so marvelous?

It’s TWO IN A ROW!

No, it’s not two typhoons in a row, though another approaches us from the direction of Guam.  Two different and welcome commodities – between two such devastating weather systems – are here.  They are two COOL but BRIGHT and SUNNY DAYS in a row (and it’s, like, “totally cool,” too!).   Two picture postcard, travel magazine, Live in the Philippines, b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l days.

Somehow, we found ourselves in an uncommon weather pattern:  one that limits temperatures to the mid- to upper-20s C (low-80s F) with humidity in the low- to mid-40% range.  It also provides cool breezes via some errant trade winds while allowing the only visible clouds to be off in the distance of the South China Sea.  No one cares about the how and the why.  It’s just a time to enjoy it no matter what you are doing.

Even the mountains of Cagayan and Apayao provinces are shedding their usual haze and joining us.  They hide during this time of year, pelted with daily rains that, in turn, keep our rivers and irrigation systems full.  Yesterday and today, however, they threw off their humid veils and joined us.  I should have known that something was up.

This is a day to celebrate – maybe with a picnic or an impromptu party, or just a pleasurable merienda on a nice, soft chair in the shade.  Today (and yesterday), there are no cares in this world that deserve our direct attention.

Not all is wonderful, however.  Often heard this time of year is the cry of “Awan curriente!” [There's no power - brownout].  That cry sounded this morning at 6:10 AM.  Some electrical grid preventive maintenance needs doing before the next set of stormy days attacks us.  To me, though, that’s even more justification to take a break from one’s burdens and enjoy this surrounding life.

Of course, for me, that celebration will include another pair – two of my favorite “party favors” – an ice-cold bottle of San Miguel Beer and a delightful Tabacalera Corona.  Many, both in the islands and abroad, consider these to be among some of the best products that The Philippines has to offer the world.

Many of you, dear readers, have enjoyed pleasurable moments with San Miguel Beer (even you “Red Horse” lovers).  SMB is sort of the unofficial ambassador of good taste, introduced to guests and friends whenever and wherever they meet or gather.  It has become a modern-day (albeit a 20^th Century) cultural expression or gesture of friendship, as well as an all-around thirst quencher and “doggone good beer.”  I need not go further into its story – almost everyone has his or her own San Miguel tale or secret to tell.

The flavor-rich offering by Tabacalera, on the other hand, is probably unknown among our readership as well as others around the world.  A Philippine tobacco product at its finest, it is helping bring about resurgence in the popularity and desire for a “Manila Cigar” (enjoyed mostly in Manila and surrounding areas just prior to and at the beginning of the 20^th Century by the Spanish population, U.S. Servicemen and the Pinoy/Pinay well to do and hoi polloi).  For me, the flavors of both complement each other.

The tobacco company, La Flor de La Isabela, has owned the Tabacalera brand and has been hand rolling its various sizes of cigars in Manila since 1881.  The brand itself is a bit older, with origins in the province of Pampanga.

The tobaccos used, as the company’s name implies, are from the province of Isabela.  Augustinian friars, realizing the similarities between this province and the tobacco growing regions of Cuba, brought Cuban tobacco seeds to the area and began what is now a centuries’ old industry.

Other provinces on the island of Luzon, including those in the Ilocos region, grow tobacco as well.  Their tobacco, however, is more of a burley or Virginia type for use in cigarettes, and “un-taste-worthy” for cigars.  I’ve seen these varieties grown by neighbors for the commercial cigarette companies.  Those neighbors will also grow a section of “Habano” tobacco plants for personal use – rolling them into huge cigars that are popular among elderly Ilocanos.

Daylight is ending as we end this story.  We’re still with “awan curriente,” but who cares?  Lanterns and candles are now the order of the day (or should I say evening) as relatives and friends gather on the veranda for chitchat with light (weight not brilliance) refreshments.  The skies are star-lit, and the breezes remain ever so cool.  It’s the perfect end to a perfect day – the second in a row.  The norm at this time of year, provided it’s not raining, is a hot, muggy evening.

The festive air remains and voices are all lilting with pleasure.  This is life worth living.  Even with the brownout, there’s personal reason for joy.  If we had power, an over-night karaoke session would be about to start!

(SEASONAL UPDATE:  My salute and my heartiest (but belated) best wishes go out to all of my fellow veterans for this Veterans’ Day, 11/11/2009.  You can best believe that the above mentioned “pair” that “beats a full house anytime” was dealt and played in your honor quite a few times.  My suggestion to all today:  Give a Veteran a belated holiday hug & kiss in gratitude for your freedoms.)

(Note:  No one received any money or payment in kind for the mention of the commercial products discussed above.  This is not an advertisement.  Outside of the ringing personal endorsement of the author alone, this magazine does not endorse or sponsor said products.  The author, however, does remain open to any reimbursement – preferably “in kind’!)

Up North: UPDATE

So very much can and does happen in three months time.  Has it been three months already?  Let’s check the calendar and see.  We arrived home in mid-July and November is replacing October on the calendars.

Yes, I guess we have been here for about three and a half months – time for an update on what could and did happen.   There have been dry, sunny days as well as typhoon-induced windy and rainy days.  There have been good days, great days, and days better left to history alone.  

I’ll highlight the better-known (and reported) incidents.  They are, however, just the tip of this tropical iceberg called Live in the Philippines, Up North.

-:-

HEADLINE:  Katulong – Lost and Found!

As you may know, the katulong who had taken care of our house in our absence, greeted us when we arrived, and helped us unpack is no longer in our employ.  She left us for that “higher calling” of love and marriage, and appears to be getting along well in that endeavor.  After what felt like an eternity of searching, we employed a new, part-time katulong.

An Ilocano proverb fits our situation pretty well:  “Ti napíli makapíli ti kuggangí.”  [He who is choosy often picks the worst.]

So far, so good:  our new katulong is learning the ins and outs of the job and of our expectations.  Sure, as with all new employees, there have been a few hiccups.  We solved those with improved communications, explaining the job’s requirements and limits.  You can’t do well if you don’t know what it is you are to do! 

Progress was positive, then what I believe was the inevitable happened.  You see, our katulong is a fisherman’s wife and has lived in poor fishing sitios and puroks all her life.  Not only was she learning how to keep house for us, she was learning how to keep house, period.  (It’s the often-observed result of a culturally pleasing affirmative answer whenever most pinoys/pinays are asked if they can do something.  “Can you do the work of a katulong?”  “Oh, yes!”)  She now says that we “may not be seeing her for a little while.”  (Translation:  “I give up; I’m quitting!”)

So, it will be back to “search mode” for baket ko (asawa ko) [my wife].  She still has some prospects lined up, and I’m still partial to fried Spam & rice, so things will work out.  (A little cuter this time, honey!)

-:-

HEADLINE:  “The ‘BRO” & Internet Connectivity

Another search, this one a little more adventurous, resulted in putting us “on-line” and connecting us with the world via the Internet.  We sought out, found and obtained “broadband” service through SMART Bro.  Though fate stymied my further search for the “Share It” router and its 2Mbyte service, I remain happy with what service I have.  After all, I have “The ‘BRO’s” word that this higher speed service, which has yet to make its way to the smaller municipalities of outlying provinces, will be available next year.  In addition, I’m sure I could say that my current service is faster than “dial-up” if I had landline telephone service for comparison.

Sure, as with all new systems, there have been a few hiccups.  (I’m getting a sense of déjà vu – seems I’ve seen that somewhere before.)  Ever since the seven-day brown-out that accompanied and followed the show-stopping, three-time appearance of Typhoon Peping in early October, my connectivity has been spotty at best.  (Okay, Paul, enough with all of those hyphenated-words . . . now stop that!)  Service finally came to a halt some nights ago.  A call on the SMART Bro Hot Line resulted in the scheduling of a visit by a crack SMART Bro Tech Team on Saturday, same week.  (The little truck appeared at noon.  Manolito, Mo-Mo and Jackie-Boy had returned and they repaired a bad connection to the feed-cable inside the antenna unit.  THANK YOU, SMART Bro.) Coincidently, the LBC courier showed up the day before the “halt” with the SMART Bro bill that is due in two days’ time.  Do I detect an adventure (”turn over the money and will give you back your service”) story here somewhere?

-:-

HEADLINE:  Rainy Season Nixes Movement

Wet weather continues to keep us close to home though, as reported here, we managed to venture out a couple of times.  This past week has been a little drier than most.  What that really means is that the rains start a little later in the day.  Planning trips or outings that will take longer than half a day is not yet possible, as, by the time you know the weather will hold for the day, there isn’t much time left in the day for the outing.

Sure, as with all . . . (insert your favorite “hiccup” déjà vu line here).  A few outings started out dry but ended up with our damp turn around for home.  There are plenty of dry days ahead of us, so those trips and outings (and their resulting articles and reports) will be on the back burner for the not so dry now.

-:-

HEADLINE:  Wee Hour Wee Visitors

It appears that we had another visit from the “small people,” as our nephew refers to them.  I’ll refrain from saying the name “Aeta,” as I’ve since learned that they don’t really enjoy that label (ditto for “Negritos” or “Pugot”).  For lack of their proper tribal name, then, I’ll borrow on our nephew’s diplomacy and refer to them as “small people,” too.  The chronicler for this visit was our Auntie, the mother of the nephew who related the first visit.  Auntie was more forthcoming and timely in her report.

This episode involved only two small individuals for whom all of the neighborhood dogs barked as before (déjà vu for two?).  One of the two peered in through the gate while the other sat and enjoyed a smoke (Auntie believes it was a hand-rolled cigarette, or something of that nature, as this person’s hands were a bit busy prior to the smoke).  They stayed around for the duration of the latter’s moment of pleasure, only to hasten off again when they detected Auntie watchfully eying them.  She described them as short, stout, very dark almost black, very curly short hair, wearing shirts, shorts and slippers, and being very fleet of foot.  Having a longer look at the “small people” than her son had previously, Auntie was able to provide more detail in her descriptions of everything she witnessed.

Where was your humble columnist during this episode, you ask?  As before, here was a chance for a nocturnal, cultural adventure, AND I SLEPT RIGHT THROUGH IT!  Baket ko (Asawa ko) [My wife] now makes sure that any dog barking at night is answered by my sleepy-eyed gaze and investigation.

-:-

HEADLINE:  Three Strikes & You’re Out!

I guess this is the major story of our first three months.  Typhoon Peping took three good strikes at us, and then was out to sea for good.  It was very similar to my going through the same typhoon three times in five day’s time while stationed in Okinawa during the early seventies.  (What is it with all of this déjà vu stuff, anyway?  Am I repeating unlearnt history?)

My “Fascination with Rice” took a new turn.  The beautiful rice crop that was in the paddies took it kind of tough during those three passes.  Early estimated reports of damage were high, but farmers are replacing those estimates with lower ones.  There were three or four different plantings of the rice crop, with the most damage suffered by the youngest crop (last planted).  Its “flowering” is doubtful and it will most likely end up as just straw.

The first planted crop was close to harvest time, so it suffered “field loss” damage – some of the grains were blown off the plant, leaving others still attached a little weaker and prone to drop off “in the field.”  The result will be fewer grains harvested and marketed.

Damage to crops planted between the first and last is extremely hard to compute.  All crops planted were a hybrid version formulated to withstand excess water and storms.  Though some of these crops were “laid down” by the high winds, signs of resurrection are hopeful.  The worries here are just how long will standing water remain in the fields, will the rice grains fill out properly, will disease or pests infect the crop, etc.

No one will really know the total damage until after the final harvest.  Prices at the market for harvested, un-milled rice may go up a little and help offset the losses a little, but profit may still be a big squeeze for the farmers, not to mention the effects of rice availability, etc.

Personally, my “banana crop” loss is approximately 75%.  I lost one entire fruiting tree and half of the fruit of another.  The remaining fruit on the latter is yet to approach harvest time, so who knows what could happen.  The three typhoon passes also eliminated 100% of the eggplant that was almost ready for harvest.  Three of four malunggay trees snapped in half with most of the remaining leaves being lost to the wind as well (good thing we harvested leaves before the storm).  I still have five calamansi fruits on one bush, and a second bush is trying to recover from storm damage.

(Note:  At the time I am drafting this acticle, Typhoon Lupit [Ramil] is threatening to finish up the damage started by Peping, and throw in some of its own for good measure.  We can only hope it decides to wend its way north an miss The Philippines all together.   We’ll find out later this week just what are Lupit’s (Ramil’s) intentions.  You have to love living here and put up with its storms, or else leave.

Further update:  After snaking around the Philippine Sea for a week, it appears that Lupit had made an abrupt turn to the ENE, lost some of its power – being downgraded to Tropical Storm – and is headed for Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands.  For this storm, waiting seems to be its worst aspect.  While six international weather services have amended their projections for Lupit to coincide with its current movements, they still warn that “the snake” could turn for us again as well as intensify prior to visiting.  That won’t happen as Lupit was last seen skirting up the coast of Japan, having lost a lot of its intensity and dispersing in cooler, northern sea waters as a low pressure area. 

Harvesting rice has become very hard work.  The fields are still flooded from all the rains, the rice plants are all soaked and heavily laden with moisture; and the cutting, carrying, threshing, etc. is more back-breaking than ever.  Reminds me of shovelling “wet” snow is winters past.

Oh yes:  Lupit hasn’t affected the remaining banana crop.  For the “Bananaphiles” out there, eight hands remain, each averaging between 14-16 fingers.)

-:-

That’s the UPDATE from Up North.  All in all, I make a poor farmer and a merely average resident.  I just hope my article writing is a little better.

Going Bananas Over Rainy Season (Pt II)

It’s been quite a quest to beat the blues of “Rainy Season,” but those blues appear to be on the run.  They’re being chased by a purplish pod – a banana blossom – and little green hands of banana fingers that, when ripened and yellow, should provide delicious entertainment to our taste buds. 

Going bananas?  Seeing colors?  Too much time without direct sunshine and Vitamin D?  Just what is going one here?

Have patience, dear reader, as we unwrap the pedals of this blossoming tale.

Continuing my wordy love affair with a fairer fruit, we resume the log as something afoul approaches:

10/01/2009 - I thought I would get some photos from a different angle.  This shot provides a better view of the hands that have been uncovered and the beginning of their rise toward the sky.  No pedals dropped away today, but a few more seem to be getting ready for the leap.  This blossom is starting to look like the typical bunch of bananas.

 

 

 

-:-

10/02/2009 – Hands and fingers are really popping out all over. As we are expecting a visit from Typhoon Pepeng (Parma), and don’t know when the first band of rain showers and winds will appear, I took this picture a little earlier in the afternoon. Wow! Look at all those fingers – and to think there are more under each of those pedals. I’ll have to ask Emy to dig up some banana recipes. We certainly will have enough ingredients! Also might be able to sell some at the tienda (palengke) [market].

 

-:-

10/3/2009 – We had heavy, periodic rain overnight accompanied by some stong wind gusts. Today is mostly overcast and periodic downpours and gusts. During a break between rains, the sun came out and so did the digital camera. Last night’s weather helped clear a few pedals from the blossom and reveal the hands hiding beneath them. There are quite a few hands attached to the stem, and still a lot of pedals left to shed. The plant next to this one is showing signs of a possible blossom, too. Oh, the bananas!

 

 

-:-

10/04/09 – Typhoon Pepeng visited us last night, and demanded bananas.  We bartered all night long – he was quite windy – and we came to an arrangement.  Pepeng would take the banana plant that was just starting to show signs of a blossom.  I could keep the banana plant that I had been documenting, but . . . .  So others would know that he drives a hard bargain, Pepeng tipped my banana plant about 45°.  The fruit should continue to develop but it’s as if the plant has a sign that says, “Pepeng was here” hanging about its branches.  For the rest of the day, Pepeng danced all around the neighborhood, making a bargain here, taking something there, breaking something way over there, etc.

-:-

10/05/2009 – The typhoon is lingering about 245km away, and weather conditions let up enough for a close-up of our surviving banana plant.  The hands look healthy, but I still wonder if all will be well.  There is word that Typhoon Pepeng may return.  If so, will Pepeng demand more bananas?   After all these days, I’d hate to give them up.

 

 

 

-:-

10/06/2009 – Typhoon Pepeng must have liked his bananas.  He made a U-turn and came back across Pasuquin and Ilocos Norte.  My small banana grove now consists of four small (less than a meter tall) plants and the plant that I’ve been tracking.   All I can do is to wait and see whether my survivor is on Pepeng’s menu.

 

 

-:-

10/07/2009 – The storm left us heading south.  Pepeng must have taken someone else’s bananas as my survivor is still hanging in there.  Unfortunately, the winds associated with Pepeng’s return removed some of the blossom’s pedals prematurely.  You can see the under-developed fingers near the blossom.  All with be touch-and-go from this point on.  I don’t know if there was any internal damage to the plant.  Gee, what a way to chase the rainy season blues away!

 

 

-:-

10/08/2009 – We had to remove the plant’s blossom from the bunch.  It is no longer producing fingers that would develop into edible fruit.  While the amputation was a rather sad occasion, something positive resulted as well.  When a blossom has produced all of the fingers it has, its remaining part is edible as well.  Like an artichoke, peeling away the remaining leaves reveals a “heart.”  Though one can eat it raw, the heart is a great ingredient for making a delicious soup.

 

-:-

10/09/2009 – The remaining hands of banana fingers on the bunch are in need of sunshine.  Overcast skies remain from the weather systems that passed over us.  Whether or not these remaining hands will survive and become fruit will be up to the sun.  Having gone a week without sunshine (and mostly harsh winds and rain) can’t be too good for fruiting.

 

 

 

-:-

10/10/2009 – Finally, the sun is out.  Birds are singing. Farmers are gathering in their rice fields to assess storm damage to their rice crops.  Me?  I’m looking at what’s left of my bananas.  Perhaps another story may come from this plant.  Another story may come from its twin that was starting to show those familiar signs of motherhood right next to my plant, until Pepeng knocked her to the ground and took her bananas.   Who knows?  For now, however, it’s time to end the log.

 

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All should be convinced by now:  I’ve gone bananas over rainy season!

Going Bananas Over Rainy Season (Pt I)

As I write this article, it is still the “Rainy Season” up here in Pasuquin.  This season usually runs from sometime around May or June to sometime during the “ber” months.  One just can’t put a finger on a definite period – like seven days in a week – to define this season.  (I was going to use a month for an example but, you know, 30, 31, 28, or 29 days doesn’t really make my point.)  Rainy season starts when the rains start, and ends when the rains end, more or less.

Technically, the season is rooted in such things like tropical convection zones, monsoonal conditions, tropical depressions, and so on.  All I care to know is whether I’ll need my payong (payong) [umbrella] when I go out.  Sometimes the rains are monsoon-like:  A constant, consistent rainfall that hardly varies at all for hours on end.   Most common are afternoon and evening thunderstorms.  Occasionally, a tropical depression develops into a tropical storm that builds into a typhoon.  That means a lot of very mean rain and very high winds, plus chances for thunderstorms and funnel clouds/waterspouts.

We felt the last round of storms – those that caused the horrific flooding in Manila and surrounding areas – as gusty winds and one Friday night’s worth of very mean downpours and thunderstorms.  The next morning, rice fields revealed that a few microbursts of wind and rain flattened the crop in some small areas.  Sort of like “crop circles” but definitely storm related.  Other than that, not much damage accompanied the driving rains.

The Thursday before the storm, I was alone.  Baket ko (Asawa ko) [My wife] Emy was in Manila with some relatives picking up a used car and bringing it back up north.  While they were fortunately making their way north, I celebrated my 60^th birthday by discovering a curious growth on one of our banana trees.

There was a purplish growth or pod coming out from the top leaves.  I hadn’t noticed it before but there it was.  This definitely was not another leaf to grow and unfurl, as did a number of leaves before it.  Nature was providing me a birthday present.  The tree was producing a blossom – I was going to be a daddy to a bunch of bananas!

As I looked at it, I thought, “Here’s a way to chase any rainy season-induced blues away.  I’ll document its growth with pictures.  A picture a day – that should keep me busy for the rest of the rainy season, however long that may be.  I’ll add some comments and have a logbook or a (ho-hum) journal.  (In my youth I developed a severe dislike for journals – those were things that the “snooty kids” would make for extra credit in school.)

My goal will be to put together an interesting article, while beating back those blues.  Hopefully readers will enjoy this little log.

09/24/09 – First noticed a blossom appearing on one of our banana trees.  Will try to keep a runnng log on its progress for as long as I dare.

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09/25/09 - I almost forgot that I was going to take pictures of the banana tree each day.  Around 3:30 PM, I pulled out my digital camera and walked out to the tree.  I was amazed at the speed of development.  This blossom was definitely coming out of the leaves and would soon “make its turn” and start showing some signs of the fruit once “petals” started to open up and fall off.  I thought that it’s only Friday – better not expect too much right away.

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09/26/09 - Overnight was quite a storm – Tropical Storm Ketsana (Ondoy) to be exact.  Thunder, lightning, wind gusts and very heavy downpour.  During the night, I didn’t really expect the blossom to be there when daylight broke.  I was sure the storm would have claimed it as its victim.  I was quite surprised (and relieved) to see the storm’s effects.  Like some form of natural mid-wife, the storm helped the blossom “make its turn.”  That was quick but I’m sure, storm induced.  Could this occur at such a quick pace on its own?

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09/27/09 - The blossom is showing signs of continued growth and it is drooping further.  I can’t believe the speed of nature.  I only first noticed this miracle of life a few days ago.  Already it has progressed along quite well and quite quickly.  I can see a pedal or two starting to pull away from the blossom.  There will be layer after layer of pedals.  Beneath each pedal will be a “hand” of about 12-20 “fingers” or bananas.  I’ve also noticed that most of the growth and movement occurs overnight, so far.

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09/28/09 - The outer pedals of the blossom started to pull away from the blossom today.  In only four days, this blossom went from barely peaking through the other leaves to growing thick and having its outer pedals pull away.  Along with being thicker, I’m starting to detect some “ripples” along the pedals.  Could those be the baby bananas, waiting for the pedal to pull away and fall off?  I wonder when I’ll find out the answer.  The day-to-day changes are amazing.

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09/29/09 - There it is!  The first hand to come into view as the pedal that protected it moved away.  It’s  not even a week and I’m seeing a hand full of fingers.  Later in the day, its job finished, the blossom pedal (directly being the hand in the picture) fell away from the plant.  A second pedal is pulling away and, yes, beneath it is another hand.  I’m beginning to wonder just how many hands and how many fingers I’ll have.  A bunch, or banana stem, can weigh 30-50 kg and have up to 400 fingers, or bananas grouped approximately 12-20 fingers per hand.

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09/30/3009 - Overnight, another pedal dropped off and exposed a second hand full of fingers.  Additionally, the first hand has started its own turn upward.  Bananas grow “bottoms up” and each hand will turn upward toward the sky.  During the afternoon, yet another pedal started to pull away from the blossom.  That means three full hands are now visible.  Even the second hand that appeared overnight started to make its turn to the sky.  This has to be the fastest growing fruit I’ve ever seen.

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Little did I know at the end of September that some changes were in store for me, my banana plant and all those hands and fingers.  There’s a storm a-brewin’ – a BIG storm.

Visitors at Midnight

Author’s Note:  Trusted relatives, who live directly across the street from us, provided me with the details of this visit about a week after it occurred.  They delayed relating their account of what happened that night to me out of a consideration for my possibly becoming frightened, upset or displaying some other form of strange reaction.  After all, episodes such as these are extremely rare (the last occurring a few years ago) and they didn’t want to test my sensibilities right away.  At the time of the visit, I was fast asleep, courtesy of some prescribed sleeping aids.

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Baket ko (Asawa ko) [My wife] Emy and I were spending a little time relaxing and chatting with relatives and friends a night or two ago.  Here in the province, especially away from the town proper, there isn’t much excitement or activity going on after dark.  After eating and before bedtime is a nice, quiet time of day when the breezes are cool and enjoyable.  Friends or relatives will gather for a chat session and pass the “local news” around as well as just entertaining each other with tsismis [idle talk].

One nephew had something he wanted to tell us, and directed his comments toward me.  I listened as best as I could and he spoke as best he could – mostly English but some Ilocano.  Knowing that I understand just a little Ilocano, he spoke a little slower than he would have, given the little excitement in his voice.

The conversation went something like this:

Nephew (N):  Did you see them, Uncle?

Me (P):  Who?

N:  Your visitors the other night.

P:  Which night?

N:  The night with no moon.

P:  The new moon?

N:  Wen, wen (o-o) [yes, yes] the new moon.

P:  Sabado [Saturday]?

N:  Wen, Saturday night.

I thought for a second – I couldn’t remember having any visitors last Saturday.  Emy and I had spent the day in Laoag City.  After we returned home, we ate then spent some time outside enjoying a nice cool breeze and chatting with the katulong.  We turned in for the night early, as our day was a bit tiring.  No, I couldn’t recall any visitors arriving on Saturday.

P:  What time was this?

N:  When all the dogs started barking – about midnight.  Didn’t you hear all the dogs barking?

P:  Saan (hindi) [no] – I was sleeping.

N:  Dogs barking woke me up.  You didn’t wake up from dogs?

P:  Saan.

My nephew was surprised that I could sleep through all the barking that went on.  Those prescribed sleeping aids really do work.  I didn’t awaken for anything.  Emy said she did and that she nudged my elbow and asked me about the dogs.  Getting no response from me other than a possible snore, she rolled back over and tried to get back to sleep.

N:  Then you missed them.

P:  Wen, I guess I missed them.

N:  I heard all the dogs barking so I got up, went outside to see why.  That’s when I saw them.

P:  Who was it?

N:  The little people.

P:  The little people?

N:  Wen, you know, the little people.

Now I’m wondering what in the heck goes on while I’m deeply asleep.  What adventures do I sleep through?

P:  Little people; you mean like dwende [mythical dwarves]?

N:  Saan – dogs don’t bark at dwende.  All the dogs were barking.  Those weren’t dwende.

P:  Who could they be?

N:  People from the mountain, we call them “Pugot” [a nocturnal creature in Ilocano mythology; a slang term given to small people or spirits of the forests and mountains] but they’re really not pugot.  They’re like people from the volcano in Pampanga.

P:  Mt. Pinatubo?

N:  Wen, Pinatubo – small people, very dark.

P:  Aeta?

N:  Wen, that’s it – Aeta people.  I saw them at your gate.  They were looking in.  When they heard me, they all ran away.  I think they were running back to the mountains.  But they were there, looking into your gate.  Maybe three or four of them.  Then they ran away.

My nephew then went on to tell me about what he saw.  He was kind enough to let me know that these Aeta were not in their traditional costumes and didn’t have any weapons that he could see.  They were wearing t-shirts, shorts and rubber flip-flops.  They were very dark skinned, had curly hair, and ran real fast.  Their clothes were dirty so they must have come down from the mountains – about an 18 km walk.

He continued to say that three or four years ago, when there were some typhoons passing through and flooding a couple of Aeta relocation centers (where some of the Pinatubo Aetas were taken after the 1991 eruption), the government started to “redistribute them” in other provinces.  He said that his friend saw a government dump truck unload about fifteen Aeta here, north of Pasuquin proper.  If true, then there appears to be Aeta in the area, AND I MISSED SEEING THEM.

Aeta (a collective name given to these people – different tribes have their own names that they prefer to be known by – the Spanish called them “Negritos” or little black ones) are the descendants of the indigenous people of the Philippines.  Their numbers are dwindling, and they are the most discriminated against people in the Philippines.  Traditionally, they are from the mountain forests (though at one time they did inhabit the lowlands) and are nomadic.  They literally live off the land and are experts in jungle survival.   They were the top instructors at the Air Force Jungle Survival School near the old Clark Air Base – many servicemen passed through that school on their way to Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s.

Here was a chance for a nocturnal, cultural adventure, AND I SLEPT RIGHT THROUGH IT!

And the *WINNER* is . . .

Oh, happy days are here again – a solution found; a problem solved!  No more searching the near and far reaches of the province for someone whom we feel safe being with and whom we can trust with everything we have.  In the “Find a Katulong” contest, we have a *WINNER*!

As most readers may recall, *LOVE* took our former katulong away from us.  Now, she is happily living at her intended’s parents’ house.  (How strange is that – living with your “future” mother- and father-in-law prior to your wedding?  I must have stumbled upon some kind of cultural thing by chance; or . . . .)

Her sudden departure left us in a bit of a bind (darn that Cupid).  We had only been home for about a month’s time when she told us of her plans.  We were quite dependent on her to help us settle back into our Philippine life.  Now we faced a challenge – finding another katulong.  While my wife Emy and I agreed that this was her task, I remained available on the sidelines to assist whenever needed.

It didn’t take long for that need to arise.  Emy was not having much luck, and the friends and relatives who were helping with the search were not having much luck either.  She asked me if I had any ideas.  I didn’t but was able to shuffle about as if I did.  I asked just what kind of person we were looking for.  When I heard the description, I could only think of one person – the love-struck katulong who had just left.  Perhaps it was time to sit down and discuss all the aspects we could think of concerning a replacement and not a twin.

Let’s see just what qualities we want in a katulong.  Male or female – tradition says female and we’re a tradition-mindful couple.  Single or married – we don’t want Cupid to sting us again if we can help it, so make that one married.  Related or stranger – having interviewed a couple of strangers already, Emy says she definitely wants a relative (and not a distant relative).  Young or old – since an older woman may have difficulties in doing some things, we’d want a stronger, healthier young one (being married would help set the lower limit of the age range).

Summarizing so far, we’re looking for a young, married, female relative.  That narrows the field down considerably.  Is there somewhere we can be a little more flexible?  Perhaps we need to “think outside the box,” even if it’s just a little bit outside.  Those four qualities, however, seemed fixed as far as Emy was concerned.  We’d have to look at other “katulong things” for our out-of-box venture.

Our former katulong stayed with us 24/6.  We provided room and board, and gave her a day off each week.  Now, if we wanted a young, married, female relative, would she put up with seeing her family only one day in seven?  Perhaps we can shorten the stay to something like 12/6 – six days of working 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM or thereabouts.  That would make the position a little more attractive and, besides, we’re just two able adults staying in this house overnight.  We couldn’t think of any reason that we would need someone to stay with us throughout the night.

Another thing we could try is providing a little flexibility in the work schedule.  If the katulong needed to take some time off during the week (say, for visiting her child[ren]’s school), we could adjust her schedule.  Being able adults, we don’t really need anyone at our beck and call at all hours of the day.  Though our house is large, its layout is quite open so cleaning doesn’t take as long as it would in a more traditional style house.

These, and a few other “human resources paradigm shifts,” provided a larger and better-focused field of search.  The only thing we needed to do was communicate these shifts to all who were helping us look.  For me, it was back to the sidelines.  Emy would handle the communications.

It seemed like the supply of potential katulongs had opened before us.  There were interviews (I watched and listened from another room) and a lot of good prospects.  I did feel sorry for the “good looking gals” – they’ll never know that their beauty disqualified them though they might have been the most qualified otherwise.  With the prerogative of baket ko (asawa ko) [my wife] being to keep all temptation away from me, this was no beauty contest!  Still, out of a number of potential katulongs, no one seemed just right to “the boss.”

As is its habit, fate intervened.  A first-degree cousin in California called to ask whether the position was still available.  He heard we were in the market and he had a suggestion for us.  (Have to love that “bamboo grapevine”/”coconut wireless”!)  His son and daughter-in-law live in a fishing barangay just down the road and they were looking for ways to earn a little extra cash.  They have college and high school aged kids, so the daughter-in-law was still “relatively” young and strong.  Her looks barely passed Emy’s strict qualifications.

So let’s see – a young, married, female relative is what we were looking for.  Our niece meets these qualifications.  Was she willing to work six twelve hour days and take one day off?  Yes.  Could she handle regular katulong duties?  Oh, yes.  Would she be willing to take on some extra tasks like watering lawns and plants, and light gardening?  Sure.  It all sounded good to Emy – she called me off the sidelines to provide my limited input.  I agreed.  We’d give her a probationary period of two weeks and see how she copes with us.

Probation has been over for a week or two, and she’s still with us.  “Our katulong” – seems great to be able to say that again.  Yes, we have a winner (actually, Emy and I are the winners); and the *WINNER* is our niece.

Typhoon Pepeng (Parma) – Video

Typhoon Pepeng (International Name Parma) is currently making it’s way through Northern Luzon, having made landfall there a few hours ago.  I have been keeping in touch with Paul Keating, who lives in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte, not all that far from where the storm is passing through.

Earlier today, Paul sent me a video of current conditions at his location.  Things are still fairly calm in the area, but Paul told me that he hopes to update me with additional videos as the storm passes through.  Of course, with the possibility of severe weather conditions, we can’t be sure if Paul will be able to do additional videos or not.  Also, Internet has already been in and out for Paul. so it’s unsure he will be able to transmit the videos to me either.  But, if he is able to get the video and send it to me, I will keep sharing Paul’s storm videos here, and also on my You Tube Channel.

Good luck Paul, and anybody else in the storm’s “hot zone,” we are praying for your safety.

Fascination with Rice

Surrounded am I!  No matter where I look, there it is – RICE.  Whether glancing at a plate of mouth-watering morsels of the finest local cuisine, or looking out my window to the fields beyond my fence, rice takes a most prominent place.  Even my “Breakfast Joy” from Jollibee presents garlic-fried rice for my pleasure.  To say rice is a staple here in the Philippines is an understatement.  Just about everyone eats it and, if available, eats it in large quantities.

My adventurous nature took a slight twist toward curiosity regarding this grain.  I needed to find out more.  No, I HAD to find out more – feeling my OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) kick in.  Instead of taking my medication today, I think I’ll go on both a virtual and a physical trip to help satisfy this newfound fascination.  There are so many questions to answer.  Where do I begin?

A definition should help start things off.  Rice is a cereal grass.  Most often, rice grows in paddies, or fields, flooded with about 8cm of water.  The white rice we see on the dinner table is the starchy portion of the cereal grass’s seeds.  Hulled and with its “bran” layer and “germ” milled away, it appears polished to a bright white.  Most rice eating populations enjoy white rice, with quality measured in milling and length, and many will refuse any rice other than white.

Health-minded individuals may be thinking of “brown rice” and wondering about its origins.  Well, for the most part, brown rice is the same seed as white, just hulled and cleaned but not milled or partially milled.  The bran layer and the germ remain intact, giving the rice its brown color.  These two also provide additional nutrients, vitamins and dietary minerals to the consumer.

Brown rice is difficult to store, however, as it becomes rancid much quicker that white rice.  It’s also a bit chewier than white.  Still, I must admit it is my choice whenever it’s available.  The nutritional benefits, as well as that of the rice bran oil helping to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, more than outweigh the choice of color argument.

As mentioned before, flooded fields or paddies are where rice is most often grown.  This “wet” method of rice production has been around for centuries.  Not only is it grown on the flat lowlands, rice can be grown on the sides of mountains.  A good example of this is the famous rice terraces of Banuae in Ifugao province.

To the surprise of many, however, rice is NOT an aquatic plant.  The principle reasons for planting rice in water-filled paddies are for weed and pest control.  This method, however, has its drawbacks.  It does not allow the rice plant to reach its full potential of production.

This “wet” method of growing rice starts by thrusting three to five individual seedlings as a group into the flooded, muddy muck very close together.  Such groups are spaced approximately ten centimeters from other groups.  Plants fight each other for sunshine, air and nutrients in the soil.  Fertilizer and insecticide are usually applied a couple of times during the growing season, as well as periodic clearing or cleaning the paddy of any weeds or dead plants.  Resulting yields of rice grown in paddies average around two to five tons per hectare, depending on environmental and physical conditions.

Another method of growing rice – a “dry” method – is starting to be popular around the world.  There is still some hesitant experimentation in the Philippines, but I am sure the results of the experiments will turn a few heads.  Called System of Rice Intensification, or SRI, this method is quite interesting in concept and practice.  Reporting harvest yields double of that obtained via the “wet” method or higher (six to ten tons per hectare), farmers in Asia and Africa employing this method swear by it.

During the second half of the Twentieth Century, a Jesuit priest in Madagascar, Fr. Henri de Laulanié, S.J., developed SRI in an effort to allow the Malagasy farmers he worked with to have happier and more secure lives.  SRI starts with the philosophy that farmers respect and support the rice plants as living creatures that have great potential.  Realization of this potential occurs only when a farmer provides the plant with the best conditions for growth.

Prior to planting, the soil is prepared with compost or other non-chemical enriching agents and, perhaps, used for a season to grow crops such as legumes that put nutrients into the soil.  A farmer plants individual seedlings that are younger than those used in the “wet” method and spreads them out rather than grouping and bunching them, giving the plant more room to grow.  During the growing season, the farmer doesn’t flood the soil but keeps it moist through limited irrigation.  Additionally, weeding between the plants occurs about four to six times during the growing season.

The object of this method is to have each plant develop a larger root system that, in turn, results in a fuller plant above ground – more tillers, more leaves and more seeds.  The net result is a larger harvest from fewer, better-maintained and grown plants.

This “dry” method of growing rice is fascinating and may very well lend itself to this area during the dry season.  I think I’ll do a little more research and present my findings to the local farmers’ co-op.  Who knows?  It could make a difference here as it did in Madagascar.  You can find a neat little handbook from WASSAN (Watershed Support Services and Activities Network) about SRI here.

Off The Beaten Path

Just to the northeast of Saud Beach in the Ilocos Norte town of Pagudpud (often voted among Asia’s Best Beaches) is Sito Bimmanaaw, Caunayan Bay.  This bay was a very important site during the Second World War, though unknown to almost all.  A dwindling number of veterans and their families know and remember all too well, however.

It was here at Caunayan Bay that the U.S. Navy forged a bond of friendship with guerrilla fighters and “Bolomen.” The latter were ordinary citizen who resisted occupation forces through their assistance to the guerrillas. Bolomen were so named because their only weapons were bolos (a type of machete) and pointed bamboo lances. It is here that in 2007, a group comprised of the STINGRAY  Friendship Foundation, the National Historical Institute, and the Departments of Tourism and Education placed a memorial to that bond. Known as the “STINGRAY Memorial,” it commemorates the 20-some U.S. submarines that supplied the resistance fighters of Northern Luzon and performed other “classified” missions.

The memorial itself (named after USS STINGRAY) is constructed of marble, stone and pebble. A 500-kilo anchor sits atop it, signifying the anchor “cut loose” by the crew of USS STINGRAY (and eight other anchors similarly cut loose by their submarines) on one of their last missions.  This emergency action allowed USS STINGRAY (and the other eight submarines) to avoid detection and evade approaching Japanese vessels via a “quick get away.”

The memorial pays tribute to the guerrillas and Bolomen, and crews of the U.S. submarines who delivered arms, ammunition, medicine and supplies. An example is the above-mentioned mission of USS STINGRAY. It offloaded six tons of arms and supplies and a 15-man Fil-Am commando team just six weeks prior to the “return” invasion at Leyte. A Filipino veteran recalls that without those arms and supplies, they would not have been able to liberate Northern Luzon.

Getting to the memorial (a site that also is good for diving and surfing, conditions permitting) is a scenic trip in itself. The memorial sits in a 10-hectare coconut grove, along the white sand beach. Reaching the coconut grove requires a drive (or serious hike) from the National Highway on a semi-paved provincial road. The drive goes through a valley and over a “short” mountain heading toward the beach. There was no signage when we visited – just the road and the adventure of following it to its end at the coconut grove. The beach and the coconut grove are similarly scenic. Pristine waters lap the white-sanded shores.  Ten hectares of coconut trees provide wonderful shade from the heat of the sun as well as fresh coconuts.

Along the drive are beautiful vistas, and agricultural villages and fields. Carabao serve as tractor, truck and sports car here – they easily glide around some of the tighter curves in the road.

Additional pictures finish this article but not the story. More can be learned from the Bolomen website.

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