June 11th: The first day in the Philippines we travelled to Los Baños from Metro Manila and a few things stuck out to me… What scared me the most (still scares me) is the driving in the Philippines. I feared for my life because cars drove so close together I thought we were going to crash! Common forms of transportation of the Philippines include jeepneys, trikes, and by foot. On another note, I was shocked by the hot and humid climate and the poverty in the area. We made it safely through the Makilling Rainforest to Los Baños.
June 12th: Since I was very much jet lagged we were able to get up early and explore the University of the Philippines Los Banos. It was cool to observe the Independence Day activities and it was weird to see everyone up at 7 AM when I thought I was up early… we learned about the history of the Philippines in their native language of Tagalog, my favorite word being ‘beshies’ (best friend). I got to try some of their local foods. With rice accompanying almost every meal, I tried pork, tilapia (with the head), part of a chili pepper (bad decision), and halo halo for dessert.
June 13th: Today we had orientation for FNRI-NAMD which was pretty long because the campus is huge! I enjoyed learning a little bit from Tita Ana on how the Knowledge diffusion division uses plastic food visuals to teach the people portion sizes. I found the FNRI’s diet teaching plan simple but effective and hope to implement it into my practice as a nurse. All of the people were very welcoming which made me excited to spend time in the office however, I will not be spending a lot of time in the office. Majority of my time will be spent doing fieldwork collecting data in the Provinces of Benguet, Locos Norte, and Marikina in the Philippines. After a tour of the FNRI, Tita was nice enough to take us to SM Mall where we ate at Mang Inasal. I really enjoyed eating sisig ( pork, rice, fried tofu) where you could get Unlimited Rice!
June 14th: today was the penny me of culture shock one part about Filipino culture but stuck out to me was that their non-confrontational. Today at work I was really frustrated because the interns kept getting moved around the building and communication was indirect. In the mitts of my frustration I realize that I had to keep an open mind and go with the flow.
June 15-16: Even google maps doesn’t help… The FNRI interns had gotten lost trying to get to our condo which was hard but it was all worth it because where we are staying is beautiful. We spent majority of the weekend at the SM mall and preparing for our 13-day trip to Benguet. I am so excited to learn how to be a field work researcher and maybe get to some cooler climate… See you soon! (When I have service maybe
The Art of Adventure 
Be safe. Have fun. Enjoy the heat and the rice! ❤️ We love you.
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Having a great time! I want to go back to the mountains where the heat was not bad! I think i have rice oozing out of my ears I have eaten so much rice! Love love love you!
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