I am so proud. I am now no longer a PCTP (Peace Corps Trainee Parent) I am a PCVP (Peace Corps Volunteer Parent)! I am also an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer). Daughter Becca has started her PCV experience in Peskopi, Albania. She was sworn in June at a ceremony in Elbasan.
Her Dad and I were volunteers BK (before Kids) back when Peace Corps was still in it's first decade in the lovely country of the Philippines.
Becca is truly a 21st century volunteer.
We had a small portable typewriter and used carbon paper to send letters to our families back in the states. She took her laptop computer with her and is connected by dial-up to the internet. We get email letters from her and are able to read her blog. This morning I saw her latest update just minutes after she posted it.
We had to take a jeepney into town (half-hour ride) in Davao to make an international phone call from the phone company office (or the phone booth at the Apo View Hotel) and we really needed to make an appointment to do it. To make a call from our second site in Bohol, we had to take a 5 hour boat ride to Cebu City to make that call. Becca was given a cell phone by Peace Corps for security purposes. She can call us (an vice-versa) from that (of course international rates apply) I can send her a text message for only 15cents! I just got off the phone with her calling from her computer using Skype. That only costs her 2cents/minute to call our phone and will be free computer to computer when we get our Skype account!
I sent my film home to process and didn't even see some of my slides for 2 years. Now she has a cute little digital camera that she can upload photos from directly to her blog and her online photo album so we can see them almost immediately. Her camera even takes short video clips!
Getting Published
I was honored to be asked to write about being a Peace Corps Volunteer for a book written by my friends Nora and Nestor Mercaco and Alok Sarwal. The book, "Voices from Colorado - Perspectives of Asian Pacific Americans" has the stories of many Asian Americans here. There were four RPCV's who served in the Philippines who were included in the book. My story "My Life in the Peace Corps - a Summary" was condensed for the book.
The release party was like year-book day at high school. People whose stories were in the book were collecting autographs from the others who were there.
Starting our jobs - Nov. 22, 1970
November 22, 1970
Toril, Davao City, Philippines
Dear Folks,
We got a letter yesterday from you dated Oct. 20. the stamp in manila says it was received there Nov. 4. So it took 2 weeks to get to us from Peace Corps, Manila. It may have been in Davao at this other volunteer’s apt. for as much as a week though. We haven’t received any mail here yet through the post office. hopefully it will be faster than the Peace Corps Pouch system.l We got our ballots in yesterday’s batch too. We already know who won in Wyoming & mostly we would've voted that way. Part of the problem is that pouches go out from Manila to Regional offices only once or twice a week. Then from the regional office once a week - then here in Davao they are delivered to Sonya’s and we have to pick them up. And we didn’t even know where she lives until yesterday. She didn’t let us know that things were there. Our communication seems to be very poor here in Davao. We finally got part of our books - David’s package of 15 lbs. arrived but mine didn’t yet.
My job is in question for me - my principal has been transferred into another school & as far as I could tell there wasn’t even a job description for me with her. In other words - she requested volunteers but I don’t think she knew what she wanted them for. And now with a new man ---. There’s work to do - but I’m mad at Peace Corps - Sonya said that they told Manila not to send new Peace Corps to Davao City - there are six of us new. I think we’re all in marginal jobs - because not enough of us in our group dropped out from training. Only two of us have left from country as far as I know. Steve Wolf - the tall blond Cebuano from W. Virginia and Roy Schuab - one of the Tagalogs.
There was another typhoon in Luzon this week - one of the worst to hit Manila. New record for wind speed - 220 km/hr. the old record was 190 km/hr in the 1890’s. the Pope is coming this week. We get Friday off because he’ll be in manila. Thursday is Thanksgiving there - no holiday here but we’re having dinner Friday with some of the other volunteers nearby. Do you remember Judy Regan and Linda Mako - Tagalogs. Judy sang “Dahil Sayo” at the barrio fiesta. they were assigned in Davao. Also new in Davao is the Drinnen family. Dave & Helen have two children - 3 yrs & 1 yr. He is in math & she is in family planning. The girls have an apartment with a British volunteer, Maggie. There is another British volunteer in Davao and near here at Mt. Apo Science Foundation are two Americans in Volunteers in Asia, One British & two Japanese volunteers. They came down to a party last week.
Actually its not bad at all here - in Davao is a grocery store where we can buy Pillsbury Pancake Mix, Quaker Oatmeal, Jolly Time popcorn, Cream of Wheat. Patring buys and cooks vegetables and meat - cow & pork. For lunch & dinner we eat rice. For breakfast we usually have toast - David coffee & me cocoa. the only thing I really miss is milk - fresh milk. I mix evaporated & cocoa & sugar & pour in hot water. Not bad. We bought Raid & every week we kill several large cockroaches. We killed two last night. We have been adopted by a kitten but Patring says she sees a mouse under the stairs sometimes. We also have living with us more than a dozen Tikis, house lizards. They live on the ceiling eating bugs. Their feet have suction cups on the toes. The neighbors have chickens which roam through our yard - The rooster starts to crow - 4:30 - 5:00 - it’s usually cool then & we put the blankets on & go back to sleep. We usually get up around 6:00 - my school starts 6:45 but my 1st class isn’t till 7:30. David’s is at 7:50. Patring starts working at 5:30. Other neighbors keep goats & pigs - there is usually several tied up in the path. There are several dogs who hang around here too. Then there are the children. We are probably the only childless couple around this neighborhood & there are quite a few on the way, More later.
Love, Arlene & Dave
P.S. The name of the place for the material is Recreational Equipment Company, Seattle, Washington - Mrs. Lipman has our catalog in our room for the address - or phone book? They didn’t weigh our bags at Kennedy! A
Toril, Davao City, Philippines
Dear Folks,
We got a letter yesterday from you dated Oct. 20. the stamp in manila says it was received there Nov. 4. So it took 2 weeks to get to us from Peace Corps, Manila. It may have been in Davao at this other volunteer’s apt. for as much as a week though. We haven’t received any mail here yet through the post office. hopefully it will be faster than the Peace Corps Pouch system.l We got our ballots in yesterday’s batch too. We already know who won in Wyoming & mostly we would've voted that way. Part of the problem is that pouches go out from Manila to Regional offices only once or twice a week. Then from the regional office once a week - then here in Davao they are delivered to Sonya’s and we have to pick them up. And we didn’t even know where she lives until yesterday. She didn’t let us know that things were there. Our communication seems to be very poor here in Davao. We finally got part of our books - David’s package of 15 lbs. arrived but mine didn’t yet.
My job is in question for me - my principal has been transferred into another school & as far as I could tell there wasn’t even a job description for me with her. In other words - she requested volunteers but I don’t think she knew what she wanted them for. And now with a new man ---. There’s work to do - but I’m mad at Peace Corps - Sonya said that they told Manila not to send new Peace Corps to Davao City - there are six of us new. I think we’re all in marginal jobs - because not enough of us in our group dropped out from training. Only two of us have left from country as far as I know. Steve Wolf - the tall blond Cebuano from W. Virginia and Roy Schuab - one of the Tagalogs.
There was another typhoon in Luzon this week - one of the worst to hit Manila. New record for wind speed - 220 km/hr. the old record was 190 km/hr in the 1890’s. the Pope is coming this week. We get Friday off because he’ll be in manila. Thursday is Thanksgiving there - no holiday here but we’re having dinner Friday with some of the other volunteers nearby. Do you remember Judy Regan and Linda Mako - Tagalogs. Judy sang “Dahil Sayo” at the barrio fiesta. they were assigned in Davao. Also new in Davao is the Drinnen family. Dave & Helen have two children - 3 yrs & 1 yr. He is in math & she is in family planning. The girls have an apartment with a British volunteer, Maggie. There is another British volunteer in Davao and near here at Mt. Apo Science Foundation are two Americans in Volunteers in Asia, One British & two Japanese volunteers. They came down to a party last week.
Actually its not bad at all here - in Davao is a grocery store where we can buy Pillsbury Pancake Mix, Quaker Oatmeal, Jolly Time popcorn, Cream of Wheat. Patring buys and cooks vegetables and meat - cow & pork. For lunch & dinner we eat rice. For breakfast we usually have toast - David coffee & me cocoa. the only thing I really miss is milk - fresh milk. I mix evaporated & cocoa & sugar & pour in hot water. Not bad. We bought Raid & every week we kill several large cockroaches. We killed two last night. We have been adopted by a kitten but Patring says she sees a mouse under the stairs sometimes. We also have living with us more than a dozen Tikis, house lizards. They live on the ceiling eating bugs. Their feet have suction cups on the toes. The neighbors have chickens which roam through our yard - The rooster starts to crow - 4:30 - 5:00 - it’s usually cool then & we put the blankets on & go back to sleep. We usually get up around 6:00 - my school starts 6:45 but my 1st class isn’t till 7:30. David’s is at 7:50. Patring starts working at 5:30. Other neighbors keep goats & pigs - there is usually several tied up in the path. There are several dogs who hang around here too. Then there are the children. We are probably the only childless couple around this neighborhood & there are quite a few on the way, More later.
Love, Arlene & Dave
P.S. The name of the place for the material is Recreational Equipment Company, Seattle, Washington - Mrs. Lipman has our catalog in our room for the address - or phone book? They didn’t weigh our bags at Kennedy! A
Our House in Toril Nov. 9, 1970
November 9, 1970
Toril, Davao City, Philippines
letter 2
Dear Folks,
We’re wondering how long it takes mail to get to you from Toril. Our jobs officially start Thursday - we’ve had a vacation before we’ve even started. I decided to keep a copy of most letters I write - to know what I’ve told each person. The last letter I wrote you - I copied mostly for the Lipmans, Delena & Jeanne - I used carbon for the girls - I’m just making one copy of this one - for me. Then if you don’t get a letter. I’ll know what you missed too.
We’ve been lazy - last Tuesday our helper arrived. She is a 16 year old farm girl - the cousin of the helper next door. Patring is going to spoil us. She markets, washes clothes & dishes, irons and cleans the house - she also cooks. Our house is a bungalow - which except for the windows - could be found in almost any suburb in the states. We have 2 small bedrooms, a living room & kitchen. There is no partition between the living room & kitchen but the stairs from the bedrooms separates them. The living room has a “sala” set consisting of 4 chairs & couch which is 3 chairs together, an a coffee table. The set is wooden. The owners left it and a dining table - 6 chairs & a wooden table with blue formica top. The kitchen has a sink-counter space & a cubby-hole for our stove which has 2 burners & a small broiler under one burner. We bought it with 2 full tanks of gas for P300 ( about $50) The kitchen will have running water as soon as the tank is put in. There are shelves & cabinets in the kitchen.
We bought a large ice chest (styrofoam) & we buy ice for P1 every day and a half. We might buy a refrig. for P700 - it would be almost new - repossessed. The new ones cost no less that P1700 for the smallest (4 cu. ft.)
The bedrooms: Ours now has a brand new double bed - we had built out of rattan & bamboo - much better than wood without mattress that we were using before it was finished. We use mats on it with sheets I had made. The owner also left an aparidor (wardrobe) and a single bed. There is a closet rod too. the aparidor has a mirror on the door & inside a place for some hanging clothes - & some shelves & 1 drawer that locks - The whole thing locks. The other bedroom only has the single bed, some boxes, & our ironing board. I bought a G.E. dry iron for P70 - 220 V. The rate this week is $1 = P6.75 - The only problem in that room is no electrical outlet. We have lights: 1 flor. tube each in liv. rm., kit & our bedroom. In the hall, bath & other bedroom there is 1 bulb each. We also have a porch with a flor.. tube & another light outside. there is an outlet on the porch, in the living room, kit & one in the bedroom. We can’t change any of the bulbs though because the ceiling is very high. The bathroom has a toilet, a faucet & a shower & barely enough room to turn in. [drawing] shower very small. The toilet flushes if you put one full bucket of water into the tank. The shower only works if it has just rained because the water is in a large rain tank outside. - More in next letter.
Love Arlene & Dave
Toril, Davao City, Philippines
letter 2
Dear Folks,
We’re wondering how long it takes mail to get to you from Toril. Our jobs officially start Thursday - we’ve had a vacation before we’ve even started. I decided to keep a copy of most letters I write - to know what I’ve told each person. The last letter I wrote you - I copied mostly for the Lipmans, Delena & Jeanne - I used carbon for the girls - I’m just making one copy of this one - for me. Then if you don’t get a letter. I’ll know what you missed too.
We’ve been lazy - last Tuesday our helper arrived. She is a 16 year old farm girl - the cousin of the helper next door. Patring is going to spoil us. She markets, washes clothes & dishes, irons and cleans the house - she also cooks. Our house is a bungalow - which except for the windows - could be found in almost any suburb in the states. We have 2 small bedrooms, a living room & kitchen. There is no partition between the living room & kitchen but the stairs from the bedrooms separates them. The living room has a “sala” set consisting of 4 chairs & couch which is 3 chairs together, an a coffee table. The set is wooden. The owners left it and a dining table - 6 chairs & a wooden table with blue formica top. The kitchen has a sink-counter space & a cubby-hole for our stove which has 2 burners & a small broiler under one burner. We bought it with 2 full tanks of gas for P300 ( about $50) The kitchen will have running water as soon as the tank is put in. There are shelves & cabinets in the kitchen.
We bought a large ice chest (styrofoam) & we buy ice for P1 every day and a half. We might buy a refrig. for P700 - it would be almost new - repossessed. The new ones cost no less that P1700 for the smallest (4 cu. ft.)
The bedrooms: Ours now has a brand new double bed - we had built out of rattan & bamboo - much better than wood without mattress that we were using before it was finished. We use mats on it with sheets I had made. The owner also left an aparidor (wardrobe) and a single bed. There is a closet rod too. the aparidor has a mirror on the door & inside a place for some hanging clothes - & some shelves & 1 drawer that locks - The whole thing locks. The other bedroom only has the single bed, some boxes, & our ironing board. I bought a G.E. dry iron for P70 - 220 V. The rate this week is $1 = P6.75 - The only problem in that room is no electrical outlet. We have lights: 1 flor. tube each in liv. rm., kit & our bedroom. In the hall, bath & other bedroom there is 1 bulb each. We also have a porch with a flor.. tube & another light outside. there is an outlet on the porch, in the living room, kit & one in the bedroom. We can’t change any of the bulbs though because the ceiling is very high. The bathroom has a toilet, a faucet & a shower & barely enough room to turn in. [drawing] shower very small. The toilet flushes if you put one full bucket of water into the tank. The shower only works if it has just rained because the water is in a large rain tank outside. - More in next letter.
Love Arlene & Dave
Going to our assignment Oct. 25, 1970
October 25, 1970
Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines
Tomorrow to Davao - This is the house of our regional representative. We are going to be in the Santa Anna district of Davao City. Davao is the largest city in the world ( in area) but the central part is where we’ll be. First we were supposed to go to Leyte but at our school there in Pastrana there were 2 principals - one acting and one on leave. When the one on leave was supposed to return - the acting principal didn’t want to leave. There was another school but he is diabetic and needed to be near his wife’s cooking - so anyway - they got into a fight and one kicked the other while he was down - now it’s going to court and the supervisor said that it wasn’t a good idea to have new volunteers there.
Dumaguete was a beautiful place. We stayed in a guest house on the campus of Siliman University. We taught at least one class in the mornings and maybe observed one. In the afternoons we had informant work for 3 hours ( at P1.5/hr.) then lesson plans etc. Nan and I got identical sore throats but she got hers 2 days earlier. Anyway I missed teaching 3 days (one day would have been observing a seminar) I still don’t feel up to par. We’ve had 2 typhoons. The 1st did extensive damage in Luzon (Bikol region - E. Luzon) the 2nd formed in Davao Bay and crossed Mindanao. Both hit Dumaguete with good rain storms (like when the hurricane was in Louisiana) so it was pretty cool. The lights went out in Dumaguete for the 2nd. That was last Monday - I went to the seminar but it was canceled because of the flooding and no lights. We went to dinner the night before at the home of David’s informant. While we were there the rain came and their path flooded so we waited till the rain stopped and decided to wade out to the street. That was when the electricity was out so we had candles. It was really funny especially when one of the sons took a picture. Mr. Limpyado is a freelance photographer so we have prints from the occasion. My school was Looc elementary - 6th grade section 1. Looc is a barrio near the wharf - the slums - most people are squatters because the land belongs to the government because it used to be swamp. The children are beautiful - The last day we had a school wide U.N. day program 1 1/2 hours - then recess (mirienda for teachers) then my class had a 1 hour program for me. Some of the girls had safety pins holding their dresses together but they bought me a present - a purse fro Bohol. My teacher bought me a 4 meter piece of material - imitation Batik - black on orange - enough for a pants suit. The teachers haven’t been paid for a month because of a PAL (Philippine Air Lines) strike but she bought me a piece of material!
We bought a guitar in Cebu yesterday for P 58 (the current rate is P6.50/$1. It’s really pretty. We didn’t get the lens in Tokyo so we have $100 in the safe in Manila for a trip to Hong Kong. We did buy a short wave radio - 4 tracks.
October 29 No longer St. Anna district in Davao. We are now in our little house in Toril to be described in the next letter. It’s still part of Davao. We are fine except for my cold. You can write us in Toril, Davao City, Philippines.
Love, Arlene and Dave
Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, Philippines
Tomorrow to Davao - This is the house of our regional representative. We are going to be in the Santa Anna district of Davao City. Davao is the largest city in the world ( in area) but the central part is where we’ll be. First we were supposed to go to Leyte but at our school there in Pastrana there were 2 principals - one acting and one on leave. When the one on leave was supposed to return - the acting principal didn’t want to leave. There was another school but he is diabetic and needed to be near his wife’s cooking - so anyway - they got into a fight and one kicked the other while he was down - now it’s going to court and the supervisor said that it wasn’t a good idea to have new volunteers there.
Dumaguete was a beautiful place. We stayed in a guest house on the campus of Siliman University. We taught at least one class in the mornings and maybe observed one. In the afternoons we had informant work for 3 hours ( at P1.5/hr.) then lesson plans etc. Nan and I got identical sore throats but she got hers 2 days earlier. Anyway I missed teaching 3 days (one day would have been observing a seminar) I still don’t feel up to par. We’ve had 2 typhoons. The 1st did extensive damage in Luzon (Bikol region - E. Luzon) the 2nd formed in Davao Bay and crossed Mindanao. Both hit Dumaguete with good rain storms (like when the hurricane was in Louisiana) so it was pretty cool. The lights went out in Dumaguete for the 2nd. That was last Monday - I went to the seminar but it was canceled because of the flooding and no lights. We went to dinner the night before at the home of David’s informant. While we were there the rain came and their path flooded so we waited till the rain stopped and decided to wade out to the street. That was when the electricity was out so we had candles. It was really funny especially when one of the sons took a picture. Mr. Limpyado is a freelance photographer so we have prints from the occasion. My school was Looc elementary - 6th grade section 1. Looc is a barrio near the wharf - the slums - most people are squatters because the land belongs to the government because it used to be swamp. The children are beautiful - The last day we had a school wide U.N. day program 1 1/2 hours - then recess (mirienda for teachers) then my class had a 1 hour program for me. Some of the girls had safety pins holding their dresses together but they bought me a present - a purse fro Bohol. My teacher bought me a 4 meter piece of material - imitation Batik - black on orange - enough for a pants suit. The teachers haven’t been paid for a month because of a PAL (Philippine Air Lines) strike but she bought me a piece of material!
We bought a guitar in Cebu yesterday for P 58 (the current rate is P6.50/$1. It’s really pretty. We didn’t get the lens in Tokyo so we have $100 in the safe in Manila for a trip to Hong Kong. We did buy a short wave radio - 4 tracks.
October 29 No longer St. Anna district in Davao. We are now in our little house in Toril to be described in the next letter. It’s still part of Davao. We are fine except for my cold. You can write us in Toril, Davao City, Philippines.
Love, Arlene and Dave
In Service Training Oct. 7, 1970
October 7, 1970
Tanjay, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Dear Folks,
We’re in Tanjay, Negros Oriental - above Dumaguete city - This is what is called a pre-assignment visit. Our hosts are a married couple who have just extended for another year. Jerry and Donna met here and have been married a year. They and a third volunteer, whom we haven’t met, live in a pair of Nipa huts - they don’t know of any others who live in them. They are built on stilts of bamboo with split bamboo floors and walls of nipa palm, the house is sewn together with rattan. The furniture is rattan except for a desk. The roof looks like thatching but the walls are like mats. The bed is split bamboo, the kitchen has a gas stove and an oven that is set on top of the stove for baking. The kitchen has a place for washing dishes and a rack for storing or drying. this is like a platform out the window but with bamboo bars. The other windows have sliding shutters like the walls. There is a small porch in front and in back there is a lean-to with a water seal toilet. A bath is taken there by pouring water over oneself.
Tanjay, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Dear Folks,
We’re in Tanjay, Negros Oriental - above Dumaguete city - This is what is called a pre-assignment visit. Our hosts are a married couple who have just extended for another year. Jerry and Donna met here and have been married a year. They and a third volunteer, whom we haven’t met, live in a pair of Nipa huts - they don’t know of any others who live in them. They are built on stilts of bamboo with split bamboo floors and walls of nipa palm, the house is sewn together with rattan. The furniture is rattan except for a desk. The roof looks like thatching but the walls are like mats. The bed is split bamboo, the kitchen has a gas stove and an oven that is set on top of the stove for baking. The kitchen has a place for washing dishes and a rack for storing or drying. this is like a platform out the window but with bamboo bars. The other windows have sliding shutters like the walls. There is a small porch in front and in back there is a lean-to with a water seal toilet. A bath is taken there by pouring water over oneself.
Baking without an oven
We had a two-burner propane stove in our houses when we were volunteers. Our stove was cool in that one of the burners turned to the side making the space below it work as a toaster or broiler. We put it on the counter top that was covered with a layer of dirt so that you could build a small charcoal fire there to cook with. They called this a "dirty kitchen". Some people also had a dirty kitchen outside. Our neighbor had a modern oven and I think that this is where we made the cookies one Christmas when we were give some "Care" flour. We made 7 batches of sugar cookies and threw a party for all the neighborhood kids with them.
We bought a box oven. It was a tin box with a door (glass in the door even). You set the box on top of the burner and it functioned as an oven. We baked bread and roasted a chicken in it. We just put the chicken into a bread pan to roast. There was a thermometer on the door. It worked really well for making bread.
Nang Tita (our Filipino mama) made bibingka (sticky rice cake) in her outside dirty kitchen. She spread the sweet rice cake into a cake pan. Then she put a piece of metal on top of the pan and put some charcoal on that, creating a sort of "Dutch oven". It worked pretty well.
Most of the time we just made meals that we cooked on top of the stove.
We bought a box oven. It was a tin box with a door (glass in the door even). You set the box on top of the burner and it functioned as an oven. We baked bread and roasted a chicken in it. We just put the chicken into a bread pan to roast. There was a thermometer on the door. It worked really well for making bread.
Nang Tita (our Filipino mama) made bibingka (sticky rice cake) in her outside dirty kitchen. She spread the sweet rice cake into a cake pan. Then she put a piece of metal on top of the pan and put some charcoal on that, creating a sort of "Dutch oven". It worked pretty well.
Most of the time we just made meals that we cooked on top of the stove.
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