Immersion

keloyd said: "...immerse your self pare ko'y"

I used to go on trips to do outreach, visit the natives living in the place, or do immersion. It was always a fun thing for me. I learned much about my self and the world outside the corners of the classroom.

It all started when I was in High School. Our school which is run by nuns always had trips where students were encouraged to participate. Some of those trips were out of town ones. I remember the first trip happened when I was in sophomore. We went to a slum area located near the city's beach front and the city's garbage dump site. In my senior year I and a select number of batchmates went to visit some natives - we call them Lumads.

Luckily, I went to a college who had the same ideals as the high school I went to. My trips were continued. I have been to the country sides where I got to know how it feels to step on rice paddies minus the planting - they wouldn't let us. I got to live with a foster family where I descended a slippery slope to go to the river every morning to wash (without detergent) what number of clothes I bought with me. It was a challenge to descend and to ascend that slope with a medium sized wash basin containing laundry on top of my head akin to a vendor selling kakanin. I've been to a fishing community in Saranggani Province which is located at the southern part of Mindanao. And no, not all places in Mindanao are unsafe. I've been to the Del Monte farms in Bukidnon and I've stayed with the community of people who work for the farm.

These things have inspired me to join the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines. I don't know when and how but I will try to make that happen.