Banca's, banca's and more banca's...

  What's a Banca?  It's a boat.  Not just an ordinary boat.  Not just a boat limited to one form, either.  Banca's are a way of inter-island travel in the Philippines.  They are typically associated with a long hull, bamboo supports beams perpendicular to the hull, as well as bamboo out-rigging.

    Most of my weekend Philippine adventures have found me on a banca at one point or another.  They are one of the most affordable means of travel outside your local island here.  Skimming across the ocean never felt so free.  Well, I haven't skimmed across the ocean any other way, so free I feel.

  My first ride on a banca was nerve racking.  Looking out from the port to an undetermined expanse of aquamarine blue, and seeing that I'm about to ride a boat held steady with bamboo, across it, is quite intimidating.  This is not to mention the dark clouds in the sky that day, the waves crashing hard on the cement pillars at the port-of-call or the endless reports of tragic losses at sea from capsizing.  Never in my life did I think I would put so much faith in bamboo.

  After my first ride though, I was completely at ease.  It's amazing to look over the side and have the Pacific deep at fingertip length, the wind in your face and the air of the open sea fill your lungs.  It's a Titanic moment every time, if only they'de let me out onto the bow.  Still working on that persuasion.

  Some research has shown that 'banca,' as it is known here in the Philippines is specific in name to the nation.  Most other parts of the world, specifically Indonesia, know them as 'Jukung.'  Some banca's have inboard motors, other's outboard.  The affordable mass-island-transit one's have inboard's and a carrying capacity of 150, on average.  Some, for small groups, to small private islands to go camping on and run out of water because someone left the spout open on the jug, overnight, and be parched the next day until the banca comes back late in the afternoon after we're all sunparched,  are no larger than your family inland lake canoe... but still ocean worthy.

White Beach, Mindoro

Real Beach, Luzon

Small Banca, Real Beach

Small Banca, I rode this back from the deserted island, and one-third of the way to it....

Low tide in Calapan, swam two-thirds of the way to middle island....

Flagging down our captain, decided to swim for the island, before he got there....

Dusk, taxiing into Mindoro.

Mindoro, first time.  Gorgeous!

Back of banca, with i/o exhaust.  Mmmmm.

Chillin' on the way home.

Justin's b-day trip to Mindoro, with J, Ena, Steph and Matt.

I wanna be that guy when I grow up.

Yeah, name your life vest after a horrible nautical disaster.  Great.

Sea-foam blue?

Pacific blue, bamboo holding steady.  

A tour of campus....

Hello all,

  This being much overdue, I have got hold of an interactive campus map of the University of the Philippines, Los Banos (UPLB).
  This site is pretty simple and it appears as if the creators spent some time with it.  I spend most of weekdays roaming around here and going to class, so I suppose this is pretty significant in the general scheme of my abroad experience.  Enjoy exploring.
  Thank you Angela Minas, for providing me with the site address!

Regards to all,

MJ

Philippine Flora

  No, this isn't a re-cap of what I've learned in my Wildlife course at UPLB.  This is a few of the gorgeous pieces nature shows in its tropical galleries....

  I remember watching a movie this last winter that stood my hairs on end with the colors and the beautiful CG... Can't remember the name, but I remember thinking how amazing it would be if there was such a place.

  I think I'm as close to that place as I'll ever get.  The flowers and the trees and everything in between here, give me that not of this planet, 'hair standing on ends' feeling.

  Some of these new photos are from gardens and some from the forest and farms.  They are all naturally occurring, which I myself find most incredible.

  I'm of the understanding that nature by design means that certain species of life have adapted to their surroundings, in physical and physiological aspects.... But maybe, just maybe, these are some exceptions.  Maybe these are just there to be admired, and nothing else.  I'd be okay with that.

MJ

Our New View

   I am a grown-ass man.  I follow rules and in my adult life, I am relatively responsible.  I do live under a curfew and I will have friends and aquaintences over to my home, whenever I feel compelled.
 
   These were not such common liberties in the dorms of University of the Philippines Los Banos.  It's not that we felt the rules unjust, just that we, Justin McKinley and Elyse Kraussman and myself, thought ourselves competent to make our own rules and regulate them ourselves.

  So we moved.

  We now live on the 5th Floor of One Silangan Place, with a view....

  We can see to Laguna de Bay, and at night we see the lights of Southside Manila... Pretty nice diggs.

  Also, the rent is cheaper and we are closer to all of our courses... with the exception of Justin's ballroom dance course that's right across the street from the old dorm.  Sorry J.

  With this familiar, yet still new found independence, this new place is starting to really feel like home.  We cook, we keep it cleanish and we all get along pretty well.

   I enjoy coming home and feeling the breeze more prevalant as I ascend the flights of stairs.  Did I mention the view??!!!

   Common amenenties include our individual fans that come in handy except for the morning.  For in the morning there is no stopping the piercing fiery heat that is the Tropical Rising Sun.  And it comes straight through the east facing windows.... Downfall = waking up in an oven around 7 am.

   A small price to pay for the feeling of "Home."

   More to come!!

MJ

  

No more abandonment....

   Looking back to the last post, I realize that I've left a lot to be speculated on.... Or at least somethings to wonder about.  I feel like I've left some of you in the dark.  I really need to keep myself more accountable.

   For the lack of posting, I apologize.

   If there were anything that might suffice as a valid excuse, it would be this:  There has been so much to do, see and experience!!  I've done my best so far to keep it visually recorded, and these next few posts promise to inform and shed some light for those of you left in the preverbal dark.

   Not keeping my posts up-to-date has also brought the realization that keeping it all in my head is an impossibility.  So, there may be some patchwork thought processes going into the next few updates.... Bear with me!!

   As for video footage.... I have begun filming with the Sony HVR-A1U (review), and have been working on the tutorials provided by Final Cut Studio Student Edition in conglomeration with a brand-new 15" Macbook Pro (review)... Both are gorgeous machines and I feel so blessed to have such capability at my fingertips... Thank you to each and everyone of you that has helped me to realise the dream, thus far.

   You all know who you are!!!

   This all said.... I am very open to constructive suggestions for keeping myself more accountable to updating the blog.

   For those far from me, and those in close proximity... I'll do my best, from now on to keep it real and tell you all the experiences on 'The Phlip Side.'  

  MJ

 
  

2.5 weeks in.... Love.

Not in any particular order, here are a few of the things that have happened/occurred in the last couple of weeks.....

-Offer to check out and film a true cock fight.
-Judging of a Lady-boy (transgender) beauty pageant
-Met and made friends with the pioneers of Philippine rock climbing/outdoor adventure
-Island paradise weekend trip
-Started classes
-Thinking about moving out to a much cheaper place, in Los Banos, with grown-men rules
-Hiked to boiling mud springs on Mt. Makiling and Flat Rocks

  I plan on attaching my roommate's (Justin's) manuscript/rendition of the Lady-boy beauty pageant in order to appease any curiosity.
  A brief synopsis is this:  We go hike on a Monday, early morning, get home, sleep and shower to go out for dinner.  We eat dinner on a second floor balcony, and at the conclusion of eating we look over the balcony rail to see a sort of parade.  It was very similar to a high school homecoming parade, sans girls in there daddies convertibles....
  9 very attractive "women" were being escorted down the main strip in Los Banos, by men and we thought nothing of it....
  We left our dining establishment a bit later and took some shots of the end of the parade.  We went to local bar and had some coffee....
  We start walking home and hear commotion down an alley.  We check it out and see a huge crowd of people around what appeared to be a mock "So You Think You Can Dance" Filipino style.... with DJ, MC and all...
  As the only white skinned people for miles around, Justin and I were of course invited to sit in chairs, rather than on the concrete with everyone else, in true hospitable Filipino style, of course.  When a Filipino invites you to sit in their own country at a special event, you don't say no....
  Were we in for a helluva show!!!
  Three and a half hours, and a full length transgender beauty pageant later, Justin and I had surely had enough culture for the day and night and then some.  
  That may be most interesting of the stories as of yet, on our study abroad in the Philippines, but there are surely more to come.  We are actively pursuing the next adventure every single day.
  I'm including some pics of the aforementioned event as well as some others I think you all might enjoy.
Till next time, and that will be sooner than later.

Be well and love life,

MJ