Aventuras en España

(I met this Spanish Professor at one of the European Commission's Annual Higher Education Fair in 2014; in the course of our discussion, he suggested that I apply to this Erasmus Mundus Action 2 Staff Mobility Grant under what he called Swap and Transfer (SAT) Program; relatively simple application, not one that required detailed proposals etc so didn't hurt to try anyway. By a stroke of luck aka God's sovereignty, I was awarded 1 month staff mobility in the field of Social Science cum International Relations. Didn't really want a month and thanks to visa approval  delays (initially frustrating), my tutor's availability, etc., I got my perfect three weeks-get away at zero cost to BSU except of course for my salary for the whole period. I thank BSU for allowing me. I thank my hubby for permitting me and for time and again willingly taking over my roles in the household. I thank the progress in communication technology as well because I still got to see him and the kids everyday although it was not easy catching them awake. I came home with one signed (University of Oviedo) and two draft MOUs (Huelva University and Universidad Politecnica de Madrid) from the three universities I visited (which will become useless if there will be no interest from faculty and staff to pursue collaborative activities, and willingness for BSU to share counterpart funds), but more importantly, some renewed motivation, learning, and exposure that can't be had in any classroom or office setting. (My colleague in the program was an assistant director for International Relations in a Vietnam university and he said the Vietnamese government funds scholarships for their professors, lecturers, and eligible students to study in European universities. Anyway, while I wish that I can say that as well, I'm happy enough that I have widened my horizon and learned about the opportunities and mechanisms available in the EU system.) 

Oviedo, Asturias, Spain

University of Oviedo, Oviedo Campus

Engr. Sy of Vietnam and Prof. Rifa, my tutor from the University of Oviedo

With Mr. Camaro, an Erasmus Ph.D. student at UNIOVI

University of Oviedo, Gijon

Universidad de Huelva/Huelva Province

(While my Vietnamese colleague in the program went for sightseeing to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Barcelona, for the love of BSU he he, I opted to visit the strawberry region of Andalucia.)

With Prof. Juan Diego Borrero of University of Huelva and a blueberry farmer

With Prof. Fatima Ruiz in one of the strawberry farms of Huelva Province

Romanian nationals working as seasonal labor force in Huelva, Spain

Soilless culture - raspberry production

Instituto Andaluz de Investigacion y Formacion Agraria, Pesquera, Alimentaria y de la Produccion Ecologica (IFAPA), Malaga (South Spain)

Strawberry Genebank at IFAPA, Malaga

The strawberry genebank manager

Prof. Carmen Soria of IFAPA, Malaga

Wild strawberry varieties

Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM)

Prof. Engr. Rosa, Director International Relations of the School of Agriculture, Food and Biosystems Engineering at Unibersidad Politecnica de Madrid (one of the top Agriculture universities in Spain) presenting their programs

Newfound friends

Ate Nena from Abra, Prof. Abigal of UST, Ms. Maylene of Atok Trail, Baguio city and Ms Sharon Pugong of  Hingyon, Ifugao

Mr. Camaro, Ms. Emily, Prof. Abigail, Ms. Academic International School owner and Mr. Harold, Erasmus Master's student

Instant Philippine Academic Community in Oviedo (PACO) haha

Cidra tradition in Asturias

Ms. Sylvia, coordinator of SAT program at UNIOVI

Pugong Family at Oviedo

with Vietnamese Mr. Sy

Half day fun with my sister who met up with me in Madrid from Italy

Burnham park, Madrid version

Luneta, Madrid version

with  my sister Beverly Casiwan Lictao living in Modena, Italy

"Asians love their rice and they can't drive." - Beveryn Casiwan Poole

My MS Chronicles:
January 26, 1996- I got my learner's permit in Cleveland. I was 24 years old. 
February 7, 1996- I started my nursing assignment at Rankin Medical Center. I also started terrorizing the streets of Pearl & Brandon with my shaky driving abilities.😅😅😅
🙏🙏🙏. 
Few months later... Having left a downpour in Pearl where I lived, we we're driving through the delta on our way to Cleveland. My friend Janette was driving lead in her Toyota Corolla, & I was behind her, driving this old red ford tempo owned by the agency that brought me here to MS. It has clocked many many miles & driven by a bunch of first time drivers before me. We've been driving for maybe 3 hrs in this cold rainy night & about maybe 45 minutes away from our destination. Now Janette is very protective of her first car and would always drive slow, couple that with the relentless rain, the constant motion of the windshield wiper, the flatness of the delta, seeing nothing but fields of soybeans for miles & miles..it was downright hypnotic. So when I hit a puddle, I was unprepared & hydroplaned my way into a soybean field. I sat stunned & unmoving for a few minutes until I felt water seeping into the car & that spurred me into action. My shoes!! I can't let it get wet!! It's leather!! So I did what any normal girl would do, I removed them, tied the laces together & draped them over my neck😂😂😂. The rice on the floor, by the backseat!..can't get that wet either! So like a normal person would do, I crawled halfway from my seat & heaved the 25lb sack of rice onto the backseat..saved! whew! Meanwhile, more swampy water has made it into the car & I was thinking, dang it! Bob(our agency VP) will have a conniption fit when he sees this. I already had to explain myself to him a few months before when I hit a middle-aged lady's truck at the metrocenter mall(wasn't my fault, I swear! She run a stop sign & my 24year old, new driver reflexes saved me from plowing hard into her truck...I really just nicked the corner but the dang woman wanted to sue so Bob had to intervene). 

I sat there until a kindly black man knocked on my window, asking if I was alright & motioning for me to roll down the window. I did that then, tunnel-visioned that I was, told him, I really need the sack of rice taken out from the backseat so it won't get wet. He got a strange look on his face then he said, "lady! We need to get you out of this field like right now!" The water was already close to reaching my seat so he helped me scramble out through the window, wade out & climb up to the road. He let me sit in his car with the heater on & bless his heart! he went back for the rice! While I sat there, I noticed that the dashboard had this large screen with all kinds of numbers & info on it..some occasional staticky noise & it finally occurred to me, I was in a police vehicle! OMG! I got a little fidgety then..probly what every criminal feels like while sitting inside a police car😱..except I sat in front & I was without the handcuffs, hah! He comes back, introduces himself as Ben..he is a cop, off duty & on his way home. He was headed the other direction, saw me hydroplane & lose control & got to me fast as he could. Janette arrived just then & says.." I wondered why you turned right when there was no road there!" Ben said he will have to write a police report because the car was damaged( he looked sorry for some reason). I didn't realize the implication until a year later when I bought my first car & had to shop for car insurance.. & ended up having to pay more because of that police report. 

We waited for the tow truck, said my profuse thank you to Ben for going above & beyond, then me & Janette drove on to Cleveland. Safe & warm at Janette's apartment, a few of our friends came by( One of them to pick up her sack of rice) & as I related the events of the night, couldn't help but laugh at myself. I tried to picture what Ben saw at first..a disoriented asian girl, barefoot, with her shoes hanging on her neck, water flooding her car, & asking him to save her rice...priceless!!! I'm sure I fully proved that american cliche about asians...they love their rice! & they can't drive😀!

(Bev'ryn is my sister who lives in Mississippi, USA. She posted this in her FB wall and I thought it was good story writing. When she retires, she wants to have a small book shop where people can go sit and read some book while sipping their coffee. Now I think she should start writing short funny stories so that when that retirement time comes, the reading materials for the coffee shop are ready. 

Incidentally, this story got even more relevant for me because I have been here in Spain for some 13 days now and after 6 days of eating only sandwich and 'pinchos', I met a family from Hingyon, Ifugao who adopted me and I finally started eating rice at least once a day! - 04102015) 

Why is the family important? - Khane

"Family is important because if you don't have a family who will take care, love, food for you. And if you don't have a family who will take charge of you and who will bring you to school and how will you learn lifes doings. And thats why people need family's."

(Khane's unedited answer in their 1st quarter assessment under Social Studies. You'll learn pretty soon the use of punctuation, etc. son, but not bad, Khane. Actually I say, very good!- Mama)

Blogging from Bangkok

It's probably my fifth or 6th visit to this city in the last 15 years.

The first time I was here, there was a new sky way. Few metro trains as I recall. Now they not only have connected metro trains, they also have an efficient running subway. 
The first time I was here, there was only normal-sized airport. Now they have s gigantic one, serving as a hub to the world.
The first time I was here, there was the Forbidden city and the grand palace. It's still there with smaller palaces all around.
The first time I was here, the traffic was bad. It's still bad.
The second time I was here. there is Ms. Tiffany International with somebody from Bangkok winning. Now they have the cheapest rates for transgender surgery or whatever they call that.
The first time I was here, I saw 'c_nd_ms' displayed for sale in the streets early morning or late night. Now they still  do, and even have a restaurant designed using these 'gadgets'. Now it is also not unusual to see 'v__gra' along with it displayed in the side streets still.
The first time I was here, the currency exchange rate is Php1 is almost same Thai Baht (ThB)1. Now it's Php1.34 or Php 1.4 to Thb1.
The first time I was here, there's this posh MBK shopping center. Now MBK houses 'tiangges' that offer about anything you can find in Chatuchak or Pratunam.
The first time I was here, there's the popular 'Sampaloc'. Now they sort of dry or process all kinds of fruits, shampoos, beauty products, and export them.
The first time I was here, Thais are mostly Buddhist. Most probably still are.
The first time I was here, I don't hear about many OFWs or English teachers employed in Bangkok. Now Bangkok is attracting many Filipinos as English teachers or kindergarten teachers, etc.
The first or second time I was here, we tried 'thai massage' and were knocked out. Now 'thai massage' can be availed at in any major city in the Philippines.

It maybe some time before opportunity knocks again for me to visit this city, and I won't be surprised if in 20 or 30 years hence, they'll be considered a developed country. Whether it is because Thais love and are proud of their country and their king, or because they're using wisely their billion dollar earnings from their exports and their genius in packaging their tourist spots and usually 'peaceful' ambiance as soon as foreigners touchdown, or whether the legal prostitution and cheap surgeries are contributing big to this amazing Thailand or maybe a little of everything, fact is, they're doing very good as a country.

It is not like they don't have politics or corruption getting in the way in some ways or another. It is not like they don't have military rebels who disrupt their government through coup d etats or military takeover every once in a while. Or that they don't have big time corrupt officials who deplete government funds.

It's probably that always in the end, they seem to know what to do next and approach their problem and move as a nation to drift back to their normal 'drive for economic development' mode.

In many ways, I am envious of this country. In some ways, I pity them. Overall, it's always a pleasure visiting this city. But visit and short-stint workplace, yes. Living here for good, nah. Because Bangkok will still never be a place like home./Grand Mercure Fortune Hotel/07/12/2015.

Our dear dad like no other

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY 2015