Saturday 1st September 2001
I'm in the Philippines now. I haven't even thought of anything I've forgotten yet. Obviously not everything has gone totally smoothly. The airline (KLM) wouldn't take me because I only had a single ticket and they demanded that I needed a return or onward. That was even though I told them I had a job here and that I had a special multiple entry visa OKed by the government etc. etc. So I did what they said and bought another single back. They charged me 1631 pounds even though I asked for the cheapest they could do. So that was OK. Until that was, my second attempt at check in. This time it had come to light that the plane to Amsterdam was severely delayed and would miss my connection to Manila. So, back to the ticket sales desk where they got me onto a BA flight but could only book an economy seat. I was upgraded when I got to the boarding gate so had a comfortable flight. This one had a refuelling stop in Hong Kong, so I had a little walk around the airport.

Sun. 2/9/01
So, I’m there now. Had a walk and a swim and plenty of sleep. My room is quite nice. There is a balcony and another window that has a view out over the rain forest. There is plenty of space and a TV that will get plenty of use. Tomorrow I have a lot of meetings and a driving test. If I pass then I will be given a car. The dogs around here don't like me. They all bark at me when I walk past. There are frogs in the trees and a lizard on my balcony. And the noise of the insects and frogs at night is drowning out the noise of the air conditioning. Tonight there has been a party mostly occupied by Chinese plant breeders, to honour a Chinese professor that won a government award. So I met a few people now, although I forgot most of the names.

Mon. 3/9/01
Most of today was visiting various people at the IRRI site.

I was given the car, so I expect that I either passed the test or they don’t cars. I certainly must have got a few questions wrong in the written part. The car is nothing special but it has A/C and is automatic. It’s an 11 years old Nissan Bluebird. It doesn't have much power. Still I've hardly used it. It will get me around to see places at the weekend. Saying that, my boss advised me not to drive around on my own because of the increasing number of kidnaps. He's probably overprotective but then the car does have diplomatic plates, or at least number plates only issued to people working for an international organisation. Five numbers instead of 3 letters 3 numbers. So, a sort of Kidnap Me sign. There may be a typhoon coming.

Tues. 4/9/01
Today I over slept and didn't wake until 8:40am (1:40am in UK!). I almost missed my first meeting and had to drive because I missed the bus (and breakfast!). I’m back on schedule now. Maybe a typhoon is coming in the next few days. Not certain yet. In a few weeks, I have to go out into the field to see some Bangladeshi research officers being trained on a subsistence level farm in the Philippines. To give me a feel for what it is all really about. The weather is better today but consequently, too hot. There was a heavy shower at lunchtime though. The typhoon (it's name is Danas) is probably going to miss us as it is tracking further north towards Japan. Lots of people carry umbrellas around open all the time against both the sun and rain. They put a trolley on the railway track with a bench on it and charge people to be pushed into town. The women who feed me and clean my room here at the Institute are all dressed in white tops and white trousers. They could almost be nurses. There are wire grids on all the windows too.

Thurs. 6/9/01
I've just returned from my evening out with people from the pathology group here and 9 Bangladeshi research officers who are here for 15 days training. We went to a restaurant where each table was on a separate bamboo raft floating on a lake. And the plates were round sections of banana leaves on a wicker base. I returned to find a lizard running behind the top of the curtains in my room. It is about 4 inches long. When I tried to find it a baby lizard about 1.5 inches ran out but no sign of the other. I was wandering between different parts of the institute getting things together for my ID badge. Finally I went to the security office but they said I had to go to personnel first to get a letter for them confirming my identity. A man there said he would go with me. The building we had to go to was about 400 yards or less away. Therefore, he went next door to the transport office, signed out a vehicle, and got the keys. We walked maybe 250 yards in the opposite direction to which we had to go. There we got in the vehicle and he logged the mileage. We then drove to the building that we had to go to and would have been at already if we had just walked. Hopefully he was actually on his way somewhere but I don't know.

Sat. 8-Sun. 9/9/01
Had a fairly quiet weekend. Saturday morning I went to the library for a while and then came back, had a swim and then lunch. In the afternoon I walked part way up the mountain to a place called Mud Springs that was a hot water spring where the water bubbles up through the mud. Apparently it is about 80 degC. It's steaming and even the stream flowing out of it is too hot to keep your hand in. Met a group of Korean tourists/students with a Filipina guide. In the evening there was a barbeque here. So met some more people. Today I went for a drive around the local area and a short swim but not much else. Have now decided that 30th September will be the day I arrive in Dhaka.

11/9/01
I suppose the world changed today. I’d imagined some newly qualified idiot in a Sesna accident, not a passenger jet. Not a second and certainly not a third.

13/9/01
I went to the doctor today for my face rot. Not quite NHS. I walked in the waiting room to be confronted by 3 nurses. They asked me how old I was, what country I was from and what was wrong with me. Then one measured my blood pressure while another copied down my details from my ID card. I was then led through to the doctor who saw me immediately. There was nobody else there. Where were the queues and the annoying kids and fat mothers desperate to get back outside so they can light up the next fag? Or is that just Ashford? So, I have to take some antibiotics for the first time since my childhood. Tomorrow I will be getting up at 4am to head north through Manila and out the other side to some rice farms and the PhilRice Philipino rice research station. So I should see where real rice grows. I'll be with a few Philipinos and nine Bangladeshis. Won't be back until Sunday evening. A pity that it clashes with an invitation I've just had for a "cocktails/dinner dance with live music" tomorrow evening.

14/9/01
The trip has turned out to include a fair amount of sightseeing. We visited a rice farm and PhilRice but that was all the “work” for Friday. The farmers had about one hectare each. They just scrape a living, having to borrow money until they harvest their rice. Real problems if the crop fails. Women do much of the farming. This surprised the Bangladeshis who come from a place where a woman’s place really is in the home. Then headed to Baguio City, which is 5000 feet above sea level. So there were some nice mountains and a winding road that had lots of land slides from the most recent typhoon a couple of months ago. Had some food in Chow King and then early to bed. We must have spent 10 hours travelling today.

15/9/01
Saturday’s “work” involved a visit to Banguet University and a look at some of their Agri research. They are trying to grow exotic crops like potatoes, peas and chrysanthemums. They make use of the slightly cooler climate up there. Saw some more rice too. Then came the sight seeing. Picture taking at the top of the mountain road and then to the military academy. I bet we were being closely watched with so many Muslims. Only one was obviously dressed like a Muslim but I bet they had their guns trained on him as a Bin Laden look alike. Then lunch and off to a market at a viewpoint. They love shopping those Bengalis. Stayed there quite a long time and the rain poured as heavily as I had ever seen it. Ate at a Chinese in the evening and then we took 7 of the Bangladeshis (at their own request) to a bar with scantily clad dancing girls – only one did a full strip but that was good enough for them. Apparently it was a first for them - “this is unavailable in our country”.

16/9/01
Woken up at about 6am by the loud evangelists singing their hearts out in the church next door. Bless them - AT 6AM ON A SUNDAY MORNING!! Even God named it as a day of rest. Got out of town before the Tossed Salad Festival began. No major stops most of the way back. Major road works at one place had been taken advantage of by the locals who were selling all sorts of snacks to the waiting vehicles. They will be sad when it is fixed. Also saw some of the results of Mount Pinatubo's eruption. A village that had been buried in lava but now had been rebuilt on top. There was still a church steeple sticking up from the ground. Finally a shopping centre stop in Manila and then home. Need more sleep.

17-18/9/01
Monday and Tuesday I've been off again with the 9 Bangladeshi trainees and their Philipino trainers. We've been seeing experimental rice plots and speaking to farmers and getting advice from people who run farmer participatory programs. We had to stay overnight at a deserted beach resort. (Hard life?) Swam in the Pacific Ocean in the dark. There were little creatures that glow in the dark when you disturb them. It was amazing. Did you see the film, The Beach? They had them in that. I was amazed but the Philipino who was also swimming said, "Oh, they're common". How could he be so unimpressed? Swam again before 6am just as the sun pulled itself out of the water. Then later today went to some more farms. So I've seen a lot of rice now, even walking in the fields. And some diseases. And yesterday I saw a huge lizard crossing the road. Almost a metre long! And lots and lots of coconut trees in the mountains. In the evening that we spent in Infanta, a karaoke session was initiated, except without the music or words. People took it in turn singing songs. Eventually, I couldn’t refuse any longer and ended up singing Yesterday. I really didn’t want to do that.

Now there is one small problem. But maybe not so bad really: It looks like I'm trapped in the Philippines "until further notice". Because of the terrorist stuff, the Director General of IRRI has banned staff from all non-important travel and ALL travel to South Asia, Middle East and North Africa. So that includes Bangladesh. I'm actually BANNED from going there. I'll talk to my boss about it on Monday if he gets back from Vietnam and China alive. My Philipino visa expires in 12 days time. Will that make me an illegal immigrant?

19/9/01
A party? 7pm to 9pm at Lina's house with the Bangladeshis and Ankie. Bought a bag full of beers to take, including a small bottle of sugar cane spirit. I think it was 6 beers and about 250ml of spirit. Totalled only 137 pesos (2 quid). They are obsessed with taking photos of each other. The same people must be in all their photos.

20/9/01
Gave a lecture to the Bangladeshis today at fairly short notice. Just an overview of the research I will do when I get there. I made a big effort not to get too technical.

Saturday 22/9/01
. Well I didn't go to the top of the mountain today. I was up before 8am for breakfast. I spent about 2 hours walking. It was funny as I was walking a minibus passed me and stopped. Someone's head came out of the window and shouted my name and then I heard it repeated lots of times excitedly from inside. It was the Bangladeshis on their way to the airport. So lots of hands to shake and lots of nodding to "see you soon in Bangladesh" and then continued on my way. So continued into town and tried to get to the lake but the lake never appeared. I turned around after an hour. Must be further than I thought. Anyway, I got a film developed. Had lunch and then felt very tired so I slept for half an hour. By then it was getting a bit late to get back down the mountain before dark. Also, the top has been buried in cloud all day. So I went to the botanical garden instead. Not really a garden but a rain forest with a path winding through it and a few labels on some of the trees. There was a nice creek running through the middle too with some small waterfalls. Had a swim before dinner and now will see if there is a nice film on later. It’s strange how everything is beginning to feel normal. I didn’t think twice when a lizard ran across my bedroom ceiling last night. Sweating in the heat doesn’t seem such a bad thing and the jungle noises are just the sound the night is supposed to make. My average spending has been just over 5 pounds per week so far, and that with a big pay check to come in a few days hopefully. I’ll have to pay for about 20 or so pounds worth of phone calls. Maybe I’ll have to pay for my food at the guesthouse – that could be about 200 pounds, but I’m hoping that’s paid for. It’s cheap in this country. I saw a bar today advertising all you can drink between 7 pm and 12 for on 120 pesos. That’s 2 pounds.

Sunday 23.9.01
The weather was looking dodgy and the top of the mountain was in cloud so I went for a drive instead of climbing to the top. The students were all out playing soldiers as usual for a Sunday. Today however there seemed to be a huge parade. I was diverted several times by the MPs in their white helmets until eventually I got past it all. Mostly the traffic wasn't too bad but at a couple of points it was horrendous. Time to forget all rules of the road and just think survival of the fittest. Although my aim was to stay on the main road I accidentally lost it eventually and ended up in some rather out of the way places. As a consequence there were a few unusual sites. Plenty of coconut plantations, a water buffalo pulling a cart, motorcycle/sidecar combinations carrying enough cargo for a small van, one with I think seven people on it, a couple of funeral processions, and most worryingly at the time - a couple of blokes behind me on a motor bike, each with a rifle. I start planning my escape plan. Then they overtook me and soon after pulled off to the side of the road. So, safe. I suppose they were going hunting. The guns had silencers and telescopic sights. Eventually the road got so small I though it was best to turn around. Got a bit lost at times but finally found my way back. The most surprising sight of the day was after I had got back onto the main road. I had just passed the Coca Cola factory and was noticing that there was a lot of graffiti on it when running towards me in the road was a naked woman. Well, naked apart from a piece of rope around her waist like a belt. She was waving her arms around and I couldn't quite tell whether the signal that her fingers gave to the oncoming traffic was victory or something less friendly. I'd like to know the story behind that one. I hope she was OK. She seemed willing - waving everything about, rather than trying to hide away. Getting stormy here now. The wind has picked up and it's raining. I'll go for a swim before dark and then see what delights are for dinner.

24/9/01
Today my boss decided that it’s best to wait 2 more weeks before I go to Bangladesh. At first he said next Sunday as planned was fine and then he changed his mind. In 2 weeks we will probably have seen both the USA's action and the worlds opinion and reaction to it. Today I've been writing an idiots guide to molecular biology to make a part of my first bit of staff training when I arrive. It involves the minimum basics that are needed to understand what we will be doing. It will probably form the basis of a couple of lectures and serve as a handout of notes from them. I worked well today and was alert. A weekend with chance to catch up on my sleep has worked wonders. By the end of last week I was knackered. I missed the bus home and so started to walk. It's only about 3 miles. Maybe a bit less. It was just getting dark and I've never seen so many bats. They were swooping around erratically all over the rice fields and every direction I looked. There must have been about 100 close enough to see and I don't know how far they went on for. I sometimes see a few swooping over the swimming pool if I swim in the evening but only a few. I'm the only person left in the guesthouse again. The party of Taiwanese that were here last night left this morning.

25/9/01
Another day getting plenty of work done. Still awake. This time my evening swim saw several bats swooping down very low over the pool. I was amazed at how good they were at getting close to the surface. That is until one hit the water. Actually I think it was deliberate as it bounced straight off. If it was drinking or picking up a floating insect then I am even more impressed.

26/9 Today started with a meeting called by my boss. He wanted to tell everyone about saving money. Apparently the Japanese, our biggest donor, are likely to cut funding by 50% - about $4 million. One of the instructions was to look busy and like you have a purpose when going somewhere. Actually, this is always a bit of an issue. There is no hanging around having coffee breaks etc. As the locally recruited staff are paid much less than the internationals, it is not good for them to see us not working. Later saw a talk and demonstration of a LightCycler real time PCR machine. I now appreciate how superior it is to conventional PCR and know what I am missing. Looked into doing some lab work here soon and also copied some methods to take to Bangladesh. A new arrival at the guesthouse. David Shires, the Bradford born Aussie, on his weekly visit to do his two days of work. Not a bad working week that. And supported by a high earning wife with a job at the Asian Development Bank.

27/9
Ordered my first set of primers today. I have organised everything and got the order complete except for a number. Then I find I’m not allowed to do it myself and the procurement people will do it. They’d better be quick.

28/9
Friday. Almost the weekend, so I can find something more interesting to talk about than work. I did, however, pick up my $300 relocation allowance, which should last me for the next month without having to spend any of my salary that I hope to get soon. Also I found out that my visa is OK. I am allowed to stay here until the end of my contract on my present visa. It’s just that I cannot enter the country after 3rd October. Tomorrow I will go up that mountain. Probably.

Saturday 29/9/01
Breakfast before 8am. So, today I finally went to the top of the mountain. Mount Makiling. It's an old volcano and covered in rain forest. I expect 2 hours up and 2 hours down. But it was further than I expected and the top section was steep and treacherous, so it took 3.5 hours up and 3 hours down. The first bit I had done before and was a rough road that a decent car with plenty of ground clearance could get up. After that the track got narrower and became just a path. It was hot and the tropical plants have an almost prehistoric look about them. The closest things to a dinosaur were a few small lizards though. Snakes were on my mind for a while but I didn't see any. I started of taking the advice of O'Shea, the bloke of the telly, and stepping on the logs instead of over them - less chance of the snakes getting you. But my later on in the climb when I was clambering through tree roots, this rule went out of the window. I saw some sort of big eagle take off 50 yards in front of me. Apart from insects I didn't spot much other wildlife. Loads of really tall straight trees. Some of them are mahogany. The path went around the edge of some steep bits. Almost a cliff but the trees and other plants don't miss any place to grow. Finally it started going straight up. This was obviously also the direction that water chose to come down during heavy rain. Not too steep at first but eventually I had to use the exposed tree roots as the only way to get up some of the steep and slippery bits. It was OK where it was rocks but a lot of it was a clay-like soil that was washed smooth by the water and so, very slippery. There was one place where some kind person had put a rope, which was very helpful as that particular point would have very difficult without it. Someone also left a board on a tree and written on it was "God so loved the world (you) that he gave his only son (Jesus) that whoever believes in him shall have everlasting life. John 3:16". There were rumbles of thunder and a few drops of rain but luckily it didn't get enveloped in cloud. By now there were occasional breaks in the trees, although not many, that gave a view down onto the town of Los Banos, the lake, the IRRI complex and the University. Finally I reached the top. There were some people camping right on the top. They were the first people that I had seen for 2 hours. The way down would have been uneventful if it wasn't for the leeches. I occasionally found them looping their way up my legs and once got one on my hand. They are quite small. About an inch and a half when fully stretched. They moved by reaching about and attaching and then bringing the back end to meet the front before repeating. I wondered where they were coming from and how they were getting onto me. A little experimentation with one of them showed me that they stand on one end pointing straight into the air and then if anything brushes past them (a leaf in my experiment) they suck onto it with the other end and travel off with it. At this point they seem to start climbing along the thing they're on. I saw one or two waiting on the ground like this, but I imagine they also sit on leaves waiting for me to brush past them. If I go up there again then I won't wear shorts and I'll put my trousers in my socks. I thought that I had avoided been bitten by any of them as I had knocked them off as soon as I saw or felt them. However, when I got home there was some blood in my sock and two places where I had been had on the ankle. They must have crawled just inside the sock where I couldn't see them drinking. I wonder how much blood they drink? It's amazing that I can't feel the slightest irritation there. So different to a mosquito bite, even though these things look quite big there is no lump and doesn't feel any different to the rest of my skin. Have now showered all the mud and sweat off, put some antiseptic on the bites. I've had my dinner and drank loads of water. Probably watch a film before going to bed.

I'd just started reading email and the power cut out. It's back on now. Probably the generator. It usually kicks in after a few minutes. It covers the whole institute and housing. It's a good job we have it because the power goes off a lot. I'll probably find that the TV isn't working when I get upstairs if the power is still out for the local cable relay station. Doesn't matter because I'm going to bed anyway.

Sunday 30th September
I went to the supermarket yesterday. I bought two tee shirts – light coloured as everything I have that is light runs out quickly as I can’t wear the dark things in the sun. I also bought 3 bottles of beer for between 15 and 28p each. And the bargain of the year, a bottle of sugarcane spirit for about 30p. It is 350ml. So that's 14 standard pub measures. 80 proof. That works out to just over 2p a shot. I wonder how much I can smuggle into Bangladesh? Today is the day I was supposed to fly to Bangladesh. Tomorrow is their general election.

1st October 2001
I was talking to KL today who has just come back from a work-based trip to Vietnam. He was shown the answer to their rat problems. They pay farmers to bring them to a production line where they are processed into meat. Apparently they get brought in live by the lorry load and sell about a tonne of meat a day. It’s a pity about the Leptospirosis that kills off some of the workers.

The Bangladesh elections aren’t making big ripples in the international news. It is eclipsed by the Sept.11th antiterrorist stuff. The American news on CNN and on Fox News is now called "The War on Terror" instead of "The News". What a change for them from thinking that there is no world outside of the USA border to their news being dominated by it. But still with them the centre of attention and believing that the rest of the world is trying to kill them.

2/10/01
The Bangladesh election was won by the BNP. Indeed, a landslide. So they will take over from Sheik Hasina’s Awami League, and Begum Zia will be the new Prime minister. Sheik Hasina says that she will call on her supporters to protest against the obviously rigged result by hartals, roadblocks, and demonstrations. The usual. And the sort of thing that she said she would never do. The AL will be boycotting parliament too. I feel that it’s all getting a bit childish, especially as international observers overwhelmingly declared it a free and fair election. It’s a pity that the child’s play involves real guns and bombs. So now the pre-election violence has come to an end and the post-election violence will begin. A little concern is that two member parties of the BNP’s 4 party alliance are fundamentalists.

The week.
Not a very eventful week, just working. Reading, planning, etc. Actually there was a meeting I got involved in a few days ago which could lead to a little interesting work on the side. The chance to be involved in some real research. There's a rice disease called red stripe. It has been causing big problems in Vietnam and less so in a few other countries for 10 years but still nobody knows what causes it. No obvious visible things growing in there that shouldn't be, nothing isolated that causes disease when put back.

An initial bit of water soaking makes it look like a bacterial disease, an apparent sensitivity to benomyl suggests fungus, but nobody can prove either. Actually a Japanese scientist called Kaku has published that it is a Microbacterium but nobody can repeat it or believes it. Also the thing he found doesn't quite give the same symptoms. So, it's time to call in the molecular biologists. Well, here I am. There's not much of it in the Philippines. I am going 9 hours north of here, leaving at 4:15 on Monday morning with a few people to find some. Should be gone for 4 days, or 5 if we can't find any.

I say the week hasn't been eventful but this is the week that the magnetic strips on cards began being used. Not to get in the door but to clock in so that they know when we arrive and leave. It was also the week that the A/C that was reduced to save money was given back due to complaints, despite the fact that I was freezing in a seminar yesterday. And, it's the week that they told us they are going to take away our paper towels. They even said at the end of the message announcing it that, if hot air driers are good enough for McDonalds then they're good enough for IRRI (or words to that effect). And I got my own mailbox, although no mail to go in it. I have been invited to a dinner to celebrate my arrival (and that of 3 others and some people leaving). Guess where the dinner is - the same place that I have it every night.

Friday 5th October
I met some people from England in the guesthouse today. However, at the moment one is out at a restaurant and the one left behind is ill. They are from CABI, an organisation in England that is also involved in the project that I am on. The people here are the big bosses though. The ill one is the boss of all the people that I met when I had a meeting at CABI in August and the other one is the head of the whole organisation. I meet the right people here. This morning at breakfast the top one even said that I should apply for a job at CABI when I finish here. Saying that he knows nothing about me though. But it would be an excellent chance to live in England and regularly visit places like here.

Saturday 6/10/01
. I haven’t planned an eventful weekend. Saturday began with breakfast, email and generally lounging. The TV transmission broke down so that put an end to one form of entertainment. Spent some time swimming and a bit of reading by the pool. Got a bit caught by the sun today because I was swimming for about 40 minutes. Normally I wait until the evening but this was about 11:30. Then lunch.
Had a walk around the university and into town. Bought some new swimming goggles. Discovered a bit of the town that I didn’t know existed. I heard on the news today that a demo in Dhaka had a few thousand claiming that they would start/join a jihad if the US attacked Afghanistan. Hm?

7/10/01
I can’t really remember what happened to Sunday. Reading swimming eating and a little local drive is about all I think.

Monday 8/10/01
The quest for red stripe.
Monday morning. Had to leave at 4:15am! So got up at 3:45. Middle of the bloody night. Listen to the news to hear that the bombing on Afghanistan has begun. Another of those "what were you doing when... moments". And in Los Banos people were already going to work and serving at their market stalls. Picked up the remaining people and by the time we were approaching Manila the traffic was mad. The first 50 miles to just the other side of Manila where we stopped for breakfast took over 3 hours. Egg, sausage and RICE. Driving driving driving. After a lunch break too (chicken and RICE) we finally arrived at our destination by 6:45pm. The Hotel Lorita proclaimed itself the best hotel in town. Maybe it was. The restaurant we went to wasn't (something and RICE). This town was quite big and civilized compared to the small one, Solana, that we would be working near to.

Tuesday 9/10
The day started with rice and corned beef at 6:30 am. And out to the fields.
First we had to go to the local agricultural office to get permission and a guide that was known to the local farmers and could speak the local language that is unique to that area (Many can still speak Tagalog but not well). Had to wait a while, as they didn't get the message we sent and so the guide wasn't ready. They still managed to give us a load of post-breakfast food though - rice cake and some sort of sweet deep fried things made with mungbeans. So then we were off on the quest for red stripe. This involved driving around the villages looking for rice fields of the right sort of maturity and then all getting out and wading around (I have been given wellies that come up to my thighs) in the paddy fields looking for the right symptoms. Then on to the next likely field. The aim of that day was to locate the places that we could go back to the next day to start collecting. The search also involved asking farmers if they had seen any and getting permission to dig up some of their plants.
We went to the restaurant in this 50-horse town. There were a few pots of pre-prepared food to choose from. When you lifted the lid to see what it was, the aim was avoid letting the flies in. The room we ate in was swarming with flies. Nice big juicy ones. And the meal came with rice.
After lunch the same process as in the morning. Well, after the post lunch snooze round the back of the agricultural office. Siesta seems to be a necessity for the Philipinos.
Tuesday afternoon appeared to be the day when they decided the garden of the local primary school needed doing. So, excellent idea - give the kids the gardening tools and instructions and let them get on with it. That's what I assumed had happened. All I actually know is that when we passed the school there were a hundred or so kids ranging from about 7 to 11 years old brandishing brooms, scythes, machetes and knives with blades up to 12 inches long, hacking away at every bit of vegetation they could find. And to think that in the UK round-ended scissors for cutting paper are considered with extreme caution.
The gardening wasn't exactly a surprise in comparison with the school bus that was full on the inside and on the roof with kids. Better, I suppose, than the other buses that had people hanging on the outside too. And better than the buses carrying bags of rice inside and on the roof so that the people sat on top of the rice which was on top of the bus. At least then there were only a few people - the workers to load and unload the cargo, I expect.
This roof riding doesn't seem to happen in any other part of the country I've been to. Being rather rural and a long way from Manila, I think the laws are considered more as suggestions - certainly that seems to be the case for the general traffic rules.
It's not exactly the Wild West up there but closer than I am used to. I only saw one person cycling with a rifle over his shoulder.
At least all those forms of transport didn't involve any animal cruelty, but the town that we were working near had loads of poor little horses pulling big carts with up to 6 people in. We saw one failed attempt to load 8. It wouldn't have been so bad but they were almost all looking very emaciated with ribs and hipbones visible. A fair bit of foaming at the mouth too. Poor little gee gees. It all helped with the Wild West image though.
The dogs don't look much better fed and by their timidity whenever I approached one, they don't get treated well either.
The (caribou) water buffalo seem to be a lot better fed. They are really beefy things. People ride them around some of the time and they pull sled-like things to plough the paddy fields, but none of that looks much effort to them. They seem to love covering themselves in mud too. It's not only a result of the lack of mudguards. The only dodgy looking thing about their life is the piece of rope that disappears up their nose. I never quite worked out how it was attached. Finally the sun set and Tuesday’s work was over. Most of our fields for the next day earmarked. One of the ladies at the agriculture office invited us around to hers later for a meal and a bit of a party. Went back to the hotel to freshen up first. The roads around there are so dusty, and it’s not even properly the dry season yet. People hold handkerchiefs over their mouths when vehicles pass, and people throw water on the ground outside the house to reduce it. Even the local fire brigade got into that game.
The party was a bit tricky when everyone else speaks Tagalog and I don’t. I understood when the hostess tried to force-feed me, though. Too much food, but nice. A couple of beers and a couple of shots of coconut wine. This so-called wine is 96 proof (60% alcohol) so much more than wine. And it came in a huge bottle of at least 2.5 litres. I would guess more like 3 or 4. Apparently, such a bottle cost about 250 pesos – 3.50 pounds. Not that I got drunk or anything. They were calling this stuff “coco loco”. I called it “buko juice” when I asked for it, which they found funny – one joke that easily crossed the language barrier. (Buko juice is the juice from a young coconut; a nice refreshing and non-alcoholic drink). They had taken to calling the sugar cane spirit that they had “criminal water” which was supposed to sound a bit like mineral water.
Finally back to the hotel after lots of goodbyes (Zigey) and thankyous (Salamat po). Also, the insistence that we should return in April for the Solana Festival. The dust was kicking up on the way back and mixed with the dark, visibility was poor. In the headlights, someone running kicked up a dust trail that gave the appearance of a cartoon character running fast. They also cast an eerie shadow through the dust.

Wednesday.
After the rice breakfast (corned beef and eggs with mine) we returned to Solana. Today was much the same as yesterday to start with. A bit more searching and interviewing farmers. Finally moving to the collection stage. Interrupted by the obligatory siesta and the fly-infested restaurant. There was one point where a woman came out of a farm and gave us some water. That was nice. In general people here seem very friendly. The water was cold. All the water in this area comes from the ground by hand pumps. Some of the paddy fields are irrigated by diesel-driven pumps. There are a lot of rice diseases in this area. More than other places that I have seen. Partly because they don’t synchronize planting and so a disease develops on an early crop and then spreads on to a later one nearby, and so on. If everyone in the area sows and harvests at the same time then the amount of disease is reduced every time it is harvested. However, despite the disease, most farmers consider water snails to be their biggest problem. You can see their pink egg cluster on the stems and snails in the irrigation streams. They eat the young seedlings when they are first planted. Ducks have been used as a control measure but it seems that they fly away when they get sick of snails for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Harvest time is beginning, so all the time we would be passed by jeepneys (the jeep-style buses that are used for everything here) full of rice, and on the bigger roads, bigger lorries. Also, it has to be dried before being stored. This is done by a day in the sun. So any bit of concrete or other hard ground has rice spread on it. Usually someone wonders around moving it with his or her feet so that it dries more easily. Sometimes with a special big comb, but usually feet – wash your rice before using it, I would say. A favourite places for drying is one of the numerous basketball pitches. So I guess that it’s enforced closed season for basketball. Apparently basketball is the Philippine’s number one sport. The other popular drying place is actually on the road. Usually leaving enough space for vehicles to avoid it. Even school playgrounds became no go areas full of rice. After it is dry the rice is swept up and put into bags. There must be plenty of dust in there making up the weight. I think it is sold to dealers at this point. The rice that is kept for eating, however, must have the husk removed. For this purpose an enterprising bloke with a motorised rice mill travels from farm to farm. Well, we got all the samples of red stripe that we needed and filled the boot of the minibus with barrels of rice plants. A Chinese meal, a couple of beers and to bed.

11/10/01
The journey back began soon after 7:30am.
Amongst all the Tagalog now I often hear “Osama Bin Laden”, “Mr. Bean Laden” and “Afghanistan”. I got involved in plenty of English conversations too. Comparisons between UK and Philippines, and discussions about Bangladesh, films, books, etc. Nancy, the one woman with us (there were 6 of us, including the driver) said that she wanted to go to Ireland, as she had read Angela’s Ashes and liked the sound of it. Also discussions about Northern Ireland problems and Abu Sayaff in the Philippines. Europe, Italy, France, the Pyrenees, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. The scenery passed by – lush green rice fields, forest and volcanic-style mountains. The roof riding on buses became less common. Coconut trees, mango trees. Always people selling things, especially fruit, by the roadside, and a wide selection of farm animals adding to the hazards.
Chinese meal for lunch in a restaurant that doubled as a general store.
As it got dark the road hazards were worse. So many people don’t have lights on the main road. It’s especially common for motorbikes to only use a front light. Asking for someone to run into the back of them. They’re not usually very fast, especially the ones with big sidecars. Also unlit bicycles and cows.
Traffic was very slow in places. We ate dinner just before Manila – Chinese again in a service station full of fast food chains.
The journey through Manila was extremely slow. Even at 10pm the traffic seems like rush hour.
Finally, we got home at about 11:15pm. Needed to go to bed but was too tempted to check emails and the news in Bangladesh. Finally to bed.

12/10/01
Back to normal office work. My oligos haven’t arrived, although they reached Manila a week ago. Such efficiency at the German end and such a mess at this end. Nothing much is new today except that I now have the office to myself as Zheng Rong has left. The president has given us all extra holiday. Good old Gloria. We normally get November 1st apparently but we have now been given October 31st and Nov 2nd too. And that then runs into the weekend so it’s a total of 5 days off in all. She says that she wants to give the people every chance to prepare for and celebrate All Souls Day and All Saints Day. If she weren’t president already then we'd have to vote for her. Or at least not throw her in jail like the last president. However, I don't know what I'll do with the holiday. Go to work maybe? Spend the time in prayer for the souls and saints? One thing I can guarantee is that it will be a nightmare to try to drive anywhere nice. Lets hope someone has something planned that I can join in with. I've just realised - I have begun to expect to still be here by the end of the month. It's likely. Yesterday was the first day since I’ve been here that the temperature didn’t reach 30 degrees. Only 29.3 C according to the IRRI records. And today feels similar. It got down to a minimum of 24 point something in the night. Brrrr! No plans for the weekend really, except that there's a leaving party for someone tonight at 7pm. So I'll go along to that.

Saturday 13th
Swam for a while in the morning and then after lunch I walked into town. Walked because I was feeling a lack of activity. Main aim was to get photos developed and buy some beer for the party tonight. Had a wonder around the shopping areas while I waited for my one hour developing. On two separate occasions my name was shouted from a passing vehicle but never quite worked out who it was. The party had plenty of people there and it was a good opportunity to meet people and get myself more widely known. A lot of soft drinks going down though and lots of people leaving early. I got the impression a lot of people were there because it would be impolite not to but they preferred to be at home. Maybe I'm wrong. Still, there were plenty that did want to be there. It was all over by 11:15pm though.

Sunday 14th
Swam for a while but didn't do much else today. In fact, that was the last time I left the Guest House. Eating and watching TV filled most of the day. I found a book about living in Los Banos and that prompted me to also search the Internet for more local information. As well as Los Banos itself, I have now learnt a few things about Mount Makiling. It is 1144m high. There are supposed to be 2048 species of plants. Legend says that there was a nymph/fairy named Maria Makiling that guards the mountain. It is said that she could be heard singing or occasionally sighted in the forest. People would offer gifts of food and she would help the needy and guide lost hunters off the mountain. But also she would get angry if people damaged the forest. She would go in disguise to festivals in the town and once fell in love with a farmer. However, a time came when all unmarried men were ordered to join the Spanish army that had recently invaded and her lover therefore decided to marry. However, as she was a fairy and not human he could not marry her and so married another girl. This made Maria very angry and she made a storm that ravaged the area. After that she was never seen again. he can only be seen in the shape of the mountain that is considered to be the shape of a reclining woman. I found two people's accounts on the Internet of their climb up the mountain. It was nice to read someone else’s description to compare it with my own experience. The first went with a group of friends, they drove the first part and paid a guide to help them. He went on and on about the leeches, against which they had alcohol spray and tobacco leaves. Finally they gave up before the climb even got steep. (although he described it as steep before that). http://www.mb.com.ph/TOUR/2001-08/TO082001.asp The second description is by someone who went up on his own and was looking for stick insects. His descriptions and feelings sound much closer to mine. Again the leeches get a mention. http://wazzap.net/phasmids/mt.makiling.html I read that the lake that we are on the coast of, Lake Laguna, is the biggest freshwater lake in South East Asia. It is only 1m above sea level and for some reason is never more than 3m deep. The swimming pool here is that deep. It used to contain lots of crocodiles but there are none left now. Only fish farms.

15/10/01
FINALLY!
Today I was given permission to leave the country. To up sticks, shake those tail feathers and say Goodbye Philippines. Bangladesh, here I come. There was a party here last night for some people leaving and some new people. I was one of the new people although am also sort of leaving. There were lots of people here and lots of food. I was initially expecting a dinner with about 10 people. But it seems that the people of the invitation were only us guests of honour. There were over 100, I'd guess. I had to wear a necklace of flowers all evening. It was presented by the wife of the director general because he is still recovering from a big operation. She didn't know if I was one of the new people or leaving people, so when she asked me I said both. I explained then. Not sure what they call them here but similar to the Hawaiian Lei (don't know how to spell that but he spellchecker agrees). They looked like orchids, although I'm no botanist. The most important person leaving was a plant breeder called Gurdev Khush. He has worked here since before I was born and is the person who was the main driving force behind the Green Revolution. He's won lots of prizes. Sometimes here I get those "we're not worthy" feelings.

16/10
What happened today?

17/10
Shit. Now I have the plane ticket. Friday is D-day (Dhaka day)

18/10
Last day. So have to return the car and get everything packed. What have I forgotten?

19/10
Time to leave the Philippines.
Going to Bangladesh via Singapore.