Hello again! After over 24 hours of traveling, I’m here at the International Rice Research Institute. When I first arrived, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of IRRI. The view is great no matter which direction you turn. I’ll include some pictures of the area so you can see too! We had a basic orientation on Saturday, where we learned about the history, culture, and language of the Philippines. We also were taught a few essential phrases in Tagalog, the national language. Even though most people here speak English, they appreciate it when foreigners take the time to use Tagalog. Then we went to this beautiful restaurant for dinner. Some of the dining tables were on floating platforms. There were too many of us to be seated on the water, but it was a lovely meal nonetheless! The food here is DELICIOUS. Usually I’m a picky eater, but I found myself enjoying everything they served us. We had the chance to practice our Tagalog and order drinks using it-the waiters were told to not accept orders in English! Ha! Then a four-man band serenaded us while we ate. I had watched a TV program about staying in the Philippines (specifically, Manila), and it mentioned that Filippino cover bands were everywhere. They weren’t lying-the band performed American pop hits that (in my opinion) were even better than the original!
We had the whole day to ourselves on Sunday, so a group of us decided to go into Los Baños. The walk over wasn’t too long, but it was an extremely hot journey. I think I’m adjusting to the heat, though. We went to the Robinsons Town Mall; at three stories tall, it was considered a SMALL shopping center. It’s a strange experience to be in a Filipino department store in a Filipino mall, but still hear American music playing over the radio. Later in the day we got food in a small restaurant by the CEC. It was built in the shape of a circle and staffed by three women, which made it feel really homey and welcoming. It was so much fun to go into town, and I plan on going many more times. Everything here is significantly less expensive than products back home, a difference I greatly appreciate, haha. Walking all day in the hot sun left me beat, and I fell asleep almost immediately.
Monday the group had another orientation, this time it was all about IRRI. We toured the campus and learned about the different aspects of the college, like the public programs, past experiments, and security. We ended the day with a rice planting activity. We first got to break up the land using three different types of plows, one of which was pulled by a water buffalo! They said that her name was Gretchen, and she moved a lot faster than I expected her to! I had to work hard to keep up with her pace. After that, we replanted some rice saplings. It was a really interesting experience! Tomorrow I start my official training under my supervisor, and I cannot wait!
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