immersion 08. Sitio Binayoyo, BosoBoso, Antipolo City

After touring the area my first thought was...

"What the h*ll! How can people live without running water?"

which was immediately followed by..

"Sh*t! what have I gotten myself into?"
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no words could possibly do justice to the experiences and adventures
my groupmates and I have gone through for the past 3 days...
it has been a whirlwind of activities and mishaps that surprisingly
ended quite well...
despite the numbing cold brought by the rain or rather the "unforgiving
storm", the shock brought by the realization that there won't be any
private and clean cr for our "needs", the aching muscles in our thighs
and shoulders, the muddy shoes,slippers and feet, the weird foods, the many
dogs (two-face, shirley,"barangay-hall dog"), the dark nights, the
mananaggal and salvaging kwentos and the
hidden uphill climbs
WE HAD SURVIVED.

but the immersion really opened my eyes to the reality of this world
its really hard to believe that sitio binayoyo is situated in Antipolo CITY
when the place was anything but a part of a CITY (how can you call
a place with no electricity and running water a part of a CITy?)
and its even harder to believe that the place can be reached at all
its like the place was the mythical "peach blossom spring"
only it was the opposite because it was not a paradise it was rather
a mild nightmare
but the people were accommodating and very optimistic
I hope that they never lose those traits no matter what life may bring
them
and I wish to God that even after a year from now they would still
have their houses

so there..
that's my immersion experience in a gist

man! how I miss blogging!!!
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MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN

going up the mountain
I feel the dread
of not being able to sustain
the kind of life I craved

reaching the mountain
I saw my fears come true
there's naught but a fountain
that I can use at cue

being in the mountain
I was glad to realize
that my fears were not retain
I was wrong to be scandalize

coming down the mountain
I was a bit surprised
that I was not able to obtain
the relief I thought would sufficed

instead I felt the pain
of leaving something dear behind
I had everything to gain
with little to give,I suddenly felt unkind

and so I tried to entertain
the vast heavens by praying
that the people may maintain
the values & life stories they have been sharing

I can do nothing but try to contain
the feelings of attachment
and hope that I can maintain
the lessons learned out of the forced settlement

-rich-

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a little trivia:
do you know what I did when I got home?
took a long bath (2 hours)
and enjoyed the feel of the hot water continuously
running through my body

it felt like heaven

hehehe
=)