Life in the provinces

For a change I’m not living it up or lazing around on a golden strip of paradise, I’m living a simple life on Cebu. Away from the glitter of tourist excess’, far from the luxuries of seaside havens, my temporary home is the small family house in the Barangay of Valencia. And it is small, two rooms with a double bed sized cubbyhole under the kitchen to give extra sleeping space. For a family of five kids, pregnant wife and husband space is at a premium. Construction is of natural materials, wooden framed with woven bamboo walls and bamboo slats for the floor and outside seating area. Half the roof is corrugated tin, the rest of palm fronds. The toilet, of which the wife, Cookie, was extremely embarrassed about, is a crude shed in the garden. I tried telling her there was no problem, I’ve used worse, but it took days before I surreptitiously used it instead of a friends house across the road. There’s no running water on this property, it’s the eldest lads job each morning to fetch water for the kitchen and toilet. When it rains they collect as much water as possible, not because there’s any particular shortage, merely because it saves a lot of hard work. (Photo: The rather small and tightly packed family home of Cookie and Din Din - Valencia, Carcar, Cebu Island, Philippines)

And the kids do work, from as young as seven or eight most are given set tasks to do each day. There is no messing around, and no argument, they accept their allotted roles and do them without complaint. Even Jaslyn, the seven year old, automatically sweeps through the house every morning. She isn’t actually the family’s daughter, rather the daughter of my friend, who came to live here when Zoe lost her way a bit in Manila, courtesy of Meth Amphetamine and family bereavement. Maybe that’s a bit personal to gliby announce to the world at large, but I’m not exactly a prime example of saying no to drugs in my life, and I understand bereavement. I thought she could do with an understanding soul to help her move forward again, her intentions were there, but the means to do so were beyond her. Sucker or not, to see the pleasure as mother and daughter were reunited was worth the effort. And Zoe’s family here have been perfect hosts, welcoming me into their home with every courtesy manageable. (Photo: Zoe with Daughter soaking up the sun - Buko Beach, Sibonga, Cebu Island)

There are no foreigners around the village, I’m the only one, and at the moment the talk of the town. It bugs me though that everyone is talking of the Americano, damn that really bugs me. The kids love it though, when we arrived the first thing they did was to raise my hand to their foreheads, the sign of respect to your elders. Then the extremely emotional reunion stole my heart. Income for the family is mainly from a general-purpose workshop across the road, a close friend owns it but Din Din, the husband runs it. It caters for mechanics, welding, spray painting, tyres and a whole host of small engineering type jobs. They also grow a range of crops, mainly to feed themselves but they sell the excess to supplement their income. Since I’ve got here the kids have been all over me, wherever I go I’ve a trail of shadows. The first morning here we took them to school, I didn’t have enough hands to deal with the demand. When we took a hike to the local bathing spot it was easier to split into male and female groups, then the two of us could deal with four kids easily. The eldest, Ike, copes for himself. Hey, he’s a teenager, though much more capable of dealing with life alone than the average youth at home. ( The four youngest kids - Buko Beach, Sibonga, Cebu Island)

Actually the kids love being seen in my presence, they don’t cockily lap it up but you can see it gives them pleasure to accompany me, partly due to being the centre of attention. It was like a family outing going to the communal bathing area, a concrete trough with a clean flow of water, to wash clothes and bodies from, and collect fresh water. We provided quite a spectacle, dreads are liked here, they never receive distasteful looks, only appreciative comments, but it was so much more than hair that none had seen in real life. The scene at the small rural bathing area was one of amazement for the locals who came along, most stopped in their tracks and stood watching, mouths agape. It isn’t as if they haven’t seen a white man in their midst, I doubt if any have ventured out and bathed publically before. How I love village gossip, it’s an integral part of village life, and no different in Valencia. It amuses me no end to be the talk of the town, especially as it’s without having done anything untoward. There is actually another foreigner in the area, he owns a house just outside the village but doesn’t actually live there. No-one can understand why, he’s built a mansion by Philippines standards but stays, with his Filipina wife, out of town in a hotel. There doesn’t appear to be any effort made to integrate with the community, which is a close and lively one. (Photo: A rather scrappy beach looking pretty once the water covers up the debris - Buko Beach, Sibonga, Cebu Island)

Family first would be a good statement to describe priorities here. It goes much deeper though, however little you have you share with those around, especially with those who have less than you do. As we sat down to a family meal the other night, it was shared with others who were simply hanging around at the time. A passer by was invited to partake of a bowl of chocolate porridge, because it was pouring with rain and he walked past wet and cold. The western world should take an example of the philosophy the provincial people here live by, they wouldn’t see their neighbours starve or go without if it was in their power to prevent it. I’m prejudice, but few city folk share these admirable qualities. The respect shown to elders is also a shining example, you don’t cast off those who have already made their contribution to society. Look at our world, we dump our parents in homes when they get infirm. We deprive the most needy of basic provision, we label them as lazy or no good, listen to the poison words of cost cutting governments and turn our sympathy away for them. (Photo: Cookie, Angel Princess and Din Din appreciating a tranquil scene - Buko Beach, Sibonga, Cebu Island)

We all went for a day at the beach yesterday, seven kids and five adults, with a months supply of food to ensure we didn’t go hungry. It wasn’t quite that bad, not considering how much the average Filipino eats. Wow, they consume vast quantities of rice, normally it’s supplemented with quite small portions of meat or fish. My presence has marked a slight change, they’re trying to cater for me, however much I insist they don’t. Not in the type of food, they’re surprised at the absence of fuss over what I eat, I’ll even eat dried fish, including their heads. I don’t object to trying whatever they put in front of me, and even eat it tidily with my hands. Family meals are quite amazing, a huge banana leaf is laid out, a mound of rice spread across it with a couple of dishes to add a bit of flavour and protein, then every body tucks in. Yes, the occasional teenager takes rather large portions, but there never seems too little to go around. If they try to be too greedy someone will simply move some of the food away from them, and there will not be any complaint. As you may be able to tell, I’m quite taken with life in the provinces. I will return after my trip to Borneo, and probably spend a few months here. It won’t be the first time I’ve wondered whether I could settle somewhere, it is the first time I’ve considered returning and giving it a go. Not that I’ve made any promises or committed myself, but it might well be worth a try. (Photo: Sedrel, Sedser, Rael, Cookie, Zoe, Leo, Kurt, Ike, Angel and Jaslyn after the family outing - Buko Beach, Sibonga, Cebu Island)

There seems no end to the generosity of the people around here. Barring food and accommodation, my every desire is catered for. I wanted to ride into town, so was given a scooter to use. I fancied riding Din Din’s rat bike, so he immediately obliged. That was fun, it’s a 150cc Kawasaki cobbled together and run without air filter or baffles. It sounds great, crackling and popping as you thrash it through the reverse gearbox. The front brake lever is an inch long, giving only a touch of brake if you squeeze as hard as possible with the one finger you can use on it. Another guy turned up on a 200cc Ninja replica, Zoe told him I fancied a ride, ‘sure,’ he said, ‘here’s the key’. And away I went, for a fast and furious ride round the twisty country roads. He was so pleased to hear I liked his bike. I was dumbfounded at the trust he put in me, unable to imagine people at home giving a complete stranger the same honour. (Photo: Yours truly, happy after a burn on a stranger's pride and joy - Barangay Valencia,  Carcar, Cebu Island)