Fold those Jeans and Carry those Shoes


River's Almost All Dried Up During Low Tide


No Need for a Bangka


With Volunteer Thea and Abi and their "Sister"


With Pokwang and Kiray at a Foster Parent's House


On the Other Side is the Barangay


Same River, But High Tide


The Beach Is the Backyard of the Barangay


A couple of weeks ago, I spent my weekend at a barangay in Real, Quezon. There were two volunteers deployed in the barangay for an immersion, and I was assigned to visit the volunteers to see how they were doing.

The Summer Immersion Service Program of Pahinungod is really close to my heart. I handled the program for two years, and it has really changed my life and my limited world view. It is for this reason that I keep on helping the program in whatever way I can, even if my schedule is already toxic enough. Haha!

Anyway, to get to the barangay, my co-volunteer Jaylyn, and I had to take a four-hour road trip. There are vans in Legarda that are bound for Real and Infanta. The trip was quite comfortable. I got to sleep, and when I'm awake I got to feast my eyes on the panoramic view of the countryside.

When we reached Real, we had to cross a river to get to the barangay. We could have also gotten to the place by land, but that would entail a very, very bumpy ride. Anyway, as soon as we got to the meeting place, we saw the volunteers on the other side of the river get on a bangka to cross the river and fetch us. The river is not that deep and it already leads to open seas. During low tide, one could actually cross the river on foot. (We got to do this and it was really nice.)

As soon as we reached the barangay, we went to one of the volunteers' home to meet the foster parents, to take a break. We also went to the other volunteer's home to meet and greet the family.

I wouldn't describe the community as poor. But they're not rich either. I guess the most appropriate word to describe their life is "simple." At the home where I stayed in for the night, the dining room was also the living room. There was electricity, but no telephone lines and definitely no, DSL. Water came from a spring in the mountain. There was a small yard in front of the house, which also served as the working area of the foster father who works as a fisherman.

The food was also simple, but no one would complain because they were really fresh. The fish that we ate was fresh catch by the foster dad, and the vegetables cooked with the fish came from a nearby garden. To cool us in the afternoon (which got really hot), we had a "split." It basically crushed ice, topped with sweetened banana and its syrup, and with milk. You get a big glass for only 8 pesos. Homemade pancakes and banana cue were being sold by neighbors for 5 pesos.

In the evening, mosquito nets were set up. (I haven't seen or used mosquito nets for the longest time.) There was no airconditioner or electric fan, but past midnight I found myself wrapping myself in a blanket because of the cool air coming in from the sea.

The trip to Real, Quezon was really relaxing for me. It's definitely not a "dream vacation," if what you mean is de luxe travel and accommodations, but for some reason, the simplicity of it all is what provides the relaxation. More than just living the simple life for a day or two and seeing that I can survive without all the toxicities in the city, I guess the most important thing I got from the trip is a reaffirmation of what I really want to do when the right time comes, and if it's really meant for me.

In the meantime, I'll have to be content with the annual immersion program of Pahinungod.