[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Dumaguete City, they called it.

[Assistant] Dumaguete. Okay. I want to just jump back briefly to training period. As you were doing the technical studies, you know, to being prepared to become educational aides. Was it also, were you also trained or encouraged to expect to do community development? Was that ever explicit?

[User] No, not in our groups. We were specifically trained to be teachers, and language teachers specifically, plus some amount of science teaching because the Filipino government had requested volunteers to upgrade the teaching of second languages, especially English, and to upgrade the science curriculum that they had in their own public schools.

[Assistant] Okay. So now you're going out to the town. How did you get out there?

[User] Well, there was, I just remember we were several days in Dumaguete, but at least overnight, possibly two overnights. My roommate and I had to go to a smaller town nearby Dumaguete, maybe an hour away or less, to do a little, just an orientation to see what the schools were like there. You know, just to see what a rural school was like, because we knew we were going to a rural school. So we spent some time talking to the teachers. They encouraged us to talk to all the teachers, go through the school, be introduced around and meet the students and parents and whoever else was around in the local area. And so that was sort of to prepare us for what we were going to eventually see.

[Assistant] So, and that was about a two week period?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, not in our groups. We were specifically trained to be teachers, and language teachers specifically, plus some amount of science teaching because the Filipino government had requested volunteers to upgrade the teaching of second languages, especially English, and to upgrade the science curriculum that they had in their own public schools.

[Assistant] Okay. So now you're going out to the town. How did you get out there?

[User] Well, there was, I just remember we were several days in Dumaguete, but at least overnight, possibly two overnights. My roommate and I had to go to a smaller town nearby Dumaguete, maybe an hour away or less, to do a little, just an orientation to see what the schools were like there. You know, just to see what a rural school was like, because we knew we were going to a rural school. So we spent some time talking to the teachers. They encouraged us to talk to all the teachers, go through the school, be introduced around and meet the students and parents and whoever else was around in the local area. And so that was sort of to prepare us for what we were going to eventually see.

[Assistant] So, and that was about a two week period?

[User] No, it was several, just a few days, maybe two days or not more than two days.

[Assistant] Where did you stay?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, there was, I just remember we were several days in Dumaguete, but at least overnight, possibly two overnights. My roommate and I had to go to a smaller town nearby Dumaguete, maybe an hour away or less, to do a little, just an orientation to see what the schools were like there. You know, just to see what a rural school was like, because we knew we were going to a rural school. So we spent some time talking to the teachers. They encouraged us to talk to all the teachers, go through the school, be introduced around and meet the students and parents and whoever else was around in the local area. And so that was sort of to prepare us for what we were going to eventually see.

[Assistant] So, and that was about a two week period?

[User] No, it was several, just a few days, maybe two days or not more than two days.

[Assistant] Where did you stay?

[User] Um, I think we stayed in teachers' homes. We stayed, they had pre-arranged to have teachers accept, you know, a guest or two in their homes.

[Assistant] So now what was the process of, uh, adjusting to the environment that you were going through at that point? You're still not at your assignment, but you're in the Philippines.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I didn't know that they had open sewers.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] And already we were missing, I was missing milk and ice cream products because, you know, we hadn't had much of that. They, eventually in training, I mean, the first part of the training was very healthy American type meals, but then they were slowly getting us off onto rice every meal and lots of vegetables and fruits and less and less American food.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] So we didn't have many. So by then, you know, almost three months into the thing, we were sort of missing having a glass of milk.

[Assistant] Even spending the two nights in the, in the village, was that, was that difficult?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So we didn't have many. So by then, you know, almost three months into the thing, we were sort of missing having a glass of milk.

[Assistant] Even spending the two nights in the, in the village, was that, was that difficult?

[User] For myself, it was not. I enjoyed it, but it was all new of course, and I was wondering if I would, if I could spend two years doing this. For other people, the females in the group, they were having somewhat of a problem with that. I know they were talking about a lot about it, and they didn't know if they could handle it.

[Assistant] Just?

[User] Just with, among ourselves.

[Assistant] Oh, okay. The, was there a big difference in the way, generally, culturally, in the way male and female are treated, I mean?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Just with, among ourselves.

[Assistant] Oh, okay. The, was there a big difference in the way, generally, culturally, in the way male and female are treated, I mean?

[User] In the Philippines culture, yes. And we were very well aware of that, made well aware of that, in training that the Filipino, you know, the women must be always modest and always sort of secondary, you know, in a very traditional culture.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And even though they're American women, they had to cool it and be, you know, more modest in their clothing, especially wearing clothing, what they said, who they hung out with, and always being together with another, other females, whether Filipinos or Americans.

[Assistant] Yeah. You, two days and then you go out and now you're going getting to the village where you're going to work.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Finally, we took our nine hour bus ride up to Canlaon City.

[Assistant] Conlon?

[User] Canlaon City. It was almost 2,000 feet up the side of a volcano, and the volcano was the predominant land, land form and behind the town. I mean, it was just always there and it was not dormant. In fact, recently I found out online that in 1998 it had a major explosion and killed several people.

[Assistant] Huh.

[User] So it wasn't a dormant volcano, but there was always steam coming out of the top of it.

[Assistant] It's something else to worry about.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So it wasn't a dormant volcano, but there was always steam coming out of the top of it.

[Assistant] It's something else to worry about.

[User] And there was this little, little town, but they called it a city. They called it Canlaon City because the mayor had great plans, and it was just a large marketplace, because it was a central area for farming. And all the farmers would come down twice a week and bring all of their goods to sell. And it was a market day twice a week, Sunday and Thursday, I think.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And because we were the volunteers, they specifically made us be in that place because there was a central school. It was a very large school, maybe over 200 students.

[Assistant] Okay. Uh, what? Yeah, do you have any idea what the approximate population of the city was?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And there was this little, little town, but they called it a city. They called it Canlaon City because the mayor had great plans, and it was just a large marketplace, because it was a central area for farming. And all the farmers would come down twice a week and bring all of their goods to sell. And it was a market day twice a week, Sunday and Thursday, I think.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And because we were the volunteers, they specifically made us be in that place because there was a central school. It was a very large school, maybe over 200 students.

[Assistant] Okay. Uh, what? Yeah, do you have any idea what the approximate population of the city was?

[User] Oh, within the town itself, maybe 900 to 1,000 people actually lived within.

[Assistant] But then there were all these satellite communities around it, little farming?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And because we were the volunteers, they specifically made us be in that place because there was a central school. It was a very large school, maybe over 200 students.

[Assistant] Okay. Uh, what? Yeah, do you have any idea what the approximate population of the city was?

[User] Oh, within the town itself, maybe 900 to 1,000 people actually lived within.

[Assistant] But then there were all these satellite communities around it, little farming?

[User] Small farming. Just farms really.

[Assistant] What did people farm?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, within the town itself, maybe 900 to 1,000 people actually lived within.

[Assistant] But then there were all these satellite communities around it, little farming?

[User] Small farming. Just farms really.

[Assistant] What did people farm?

[User] Um, vegetables. Lots of cabbage. Different kinds of fruit. Onions. Um. You know, staple crops.

[Assistant] Do they grow rice?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Small farming. Just farms really.

[Assistant] What did people farm?

[User] Um, vegetables. Lots of cabbage. Different kinds of fruit. Onions. Um. You know, staple crops.

[Assistant] Do they grow rice?

[User] Right in that region, right where we lived, no. But the whole island of Negros was a major rice producing island of the whole country.

[Assistant] Manioc, things like that?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, vegetables. Lots of cabbage. Different kinds of fruit. Onions. Um. You know, staple crops.

[Assistant] Do they grow rice?

[User] Right in that region, right where we lived, no. But the whole island of Negros was a major rice producing island of the whole country.

[Assistant] Manioc, things like that?

[User] Manioc?

[Assistant] It's a root.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right in that region, right where we lived, no. But the whole island of Negros was a major rice producing island of the whole country.

[Assistant] Manioc, things like that?

[User] Manioc?

[Assistant] It's a root.

[User] Yeah. I don't remember hearing or seeing that. There possibly was.

[Assistant] Yeah. Had there been a volunteer in that, Peace Corps volunteer in that village?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Manioc?

[Assistant] It's a root.

[User] Yeah. I don't remember hearing or seeing that. There possibly was.

[Assistant] Yeah. Had there been a volunteer in that, Peace Corps volunteer in that village?

[User] No, we were the first.

[Assistant] So the two you were.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We were the first.

[Assistant] Oh, great.

[User] And apparently, you know, they had done some very, the Peace Corps had done some very good preliminary planning because the mayor of the town knew we were coming, and thereby the whole political structure of the town knew that.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] One of his lower political people, I don't forget exactly what he did, but he had the only house that was actually painted. It was painted a yellow, it was a two story wooden home with just open windows, with blinds, you know, with wooden blinds, shutters. And they gave us, very kindly gave us, you know, two men, separate rooms in the upper story, just divided by one wall. And it was, you know, a very perfect place. And they had really thought about this, I got the feeling.

[Assistant] And this had all been arranged?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] All prearranged.

[Assistant] Running water?

[User] No, we had a.

[Assistant] Outside latrine?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And what about eating arrangements?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, we had a.

[Assistant] Outside latrine?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And what about eating arrangements?

[User] It was not cold enough to have heat.

[Assistant] No, I mean eating, not heating.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And what about eating arrangements?

[User] It was not cold enough to have heat.

[Assistant] No, I mean eating, not heating.

[User] Eating. I'm sorry. Eating. Oh, okay. Uh, we, they had told us we should hire a cook and a cleaning lady. So the same person did both. And she would cook for us every, two meals a day. And she was there to clean things and just be around. So we hired her at a very minimal wage per week or month, whatever it was, and she cooked for us every morning, and we would give her money to go to the market and buy whatever staples we needed.

[Assistant] Can you describe your first week as you settled in and first met and encountered the school?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Hmm, Some of that has left. This is 40 years ago almost.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] But it was so exciting to me. I just, I was so enthusiastic about getting to the school. I think the first day I was there, I went to the school. I don't remember if it was a school day even, but just going there to meet the principal. I think the principal met us when we got off the bus, in fact.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] And to meet the teachers. I remember meeting teachers and learning their names and trying to use the dialect as much as possible. My roommate was struggling with it still, and so he would, he was mostly in English, but we were always together most of the time in the first part of the service and went to the school. It was just so exciting and so, all so new to me. And yet we had heard about it before. But the actual reality of being there was just overwhelming.

[Assistant] Describe the school. You said it had 200 students.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But it was so exciting to me. I just, I was so enthusiastic about getting to the school. I think the first day I was there, I went to the school. I don't remember if it was a school day even, but just going there to meet the principal. I think the principal met us when we got off the bus, in fact.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] And to meet the teachers. I remember meeting teachers and learning their names and trying to use the dialect as much as possible. My roommate was struggling with it still, and so he would, he was mostly in English, but we were always together most of the time in the first part of the service and went to the school. It was just so exciting and so, all so new to me. And yet we had heard about it before. But the actual reality of being there was just overwhelming.

[Assistant] Describe the school. You said it had 200 students.

[User] 200 students. It was a very large school with stairways on each side going, you know, maybe 30 steps up to the school. It was on a prominent hill overlooking the town. You know, schools are a big political thing in the country. The schools were set up pretty much like our schools were because the, in 1903 or something, they had a contingent of what would be called Peace Corps volunteers to us these days. But they were educators, and they went there from the Midwest and the East Coast and set up the school system. So it was well, well thought out. They had, you know, rooms, books, and everything all set up. And but the most important thing was the hierarchy of the school, the principal, the vice principal, the head teacher. And, you know, everything was already what we were familiar with from our own schooling.

[Assistant] Uh, what was the school level, from kindergarten to eighth grade or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] 200 students. It was a very large school with stairways on each side going, you know, maybe 30 steps up to the school. It was on a prominent hill overlooking the town. You know, schools are a big political thing in the country. The schools were set up pretty much like our schools were because the, in 1903 or something, they had a contingent of what would be called Peace Corps volunteers to us these days. But they were educators, and they went there from the Midwest and the East Coast and set up the school system. So it was well, well thought out. They had, you know, rooms, books, and everything all set up. And but the most important thing was the hierarchy of the school, the principal, the vice principal, the head teacher. And, you know, everything was already what we were familiar with from our own schooling.

[Assistant] Uh, what was the school level, from kindergarten to eighth grade or?

[User] To sixth grade.

[Assistant] To sixth.

[User] That was all free education. They didn't have to pay for it. But after sixth, only parents who could afford it to send their kids to high school or, you know, you know, from seventh through high school, could pay for it. The other kids, most of the kids in that school did not go to high school.

[Assistant] Right. Uh, were there church run schools?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] To sixth grade.

[Assistant] To sixth.

[User] That was all free education. They didn't have to pay for it. But after sixth, only parents who could afford it to send their kids to high school or, you know, you know, from seventh through high school, could pay for it. The other kids, most of the kids in that school did not go to high school.

[Assistant] Right. Uh, were there church run schools?

[User] No, they were Filipino. You know, political. Politically run schools.

[Assistant] Was, were most people Catholic?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That was all free education. They didn't have to pay for it. But after sixth, only parents who could afford it to send their kids to high school or, you know, you know, from seventh through high school, could pay for it. The other kids, most of the kids in that school did not go to high school.

[Assistant] Right. Uh, were there church run schools?

[User] No, they were Filipino. You know, political. Politically run schools.

[Assistant] Was, were most people Catholic?

[User] Yes. Most of the country is Catholic.

[Assistant] So in the town where you were living, there must have been at least one Catholic church.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, they were Filipino. You know, political. Politically run schools.

[Assistant] Was, were most people Catholic?

[User] Yes. Most of the country is Catholic.

[Assistant] So in the town where you were living, there must have been at least one Catholic church.

[User] Oh, yes. One church. And they had a private high school there, you know, parochial high school where the mayor's children or other people who could afford it would go to send their students, their children.

[Assistant] How did, how did you figure out what you were going to be doing at the school, I mean?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, yes. One church. And they had a private high school there, you know, parochial high school where the mayor's children or other people who could afford it would go to send their students, their children.

[Assistant] How did, how did you figure out what you were going to be doing at the school, I mean?

[User] That was the hardest part. We didn't know what educational aides, we still didn't know what they did, you know. They had given us whole reams of paper describing what the possibilities were. But we, we just had to sort of fit in. So we made our own curriculum. And what I mostly did was, um, stayed with one teacher, a sixth grade teacher, throughout the first year at least, and stayed, you know, went to, reported to her room every day as she did and either sat with her or planned lessons with her, or sat, you know, watching her teach to get familiar with her methods. And then sometimes she would let me take over and teach because she was a younger teacher and she spoke pretty good English, but she didn't know exactly techniques of teaching it.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] So I would plan lessons to show her how, how we had been taught to do it. So we were, I was a minor expert in her room and she appreciated that. And I think you.

[Assistant] Did you get? Oh go ahead, I'm sorry.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That was the hardest part. We didn't know what educational aides, we still didn't know what they did, you know. They had given us whole reams of paper describing what the possibilities were. But we, we just had to sort of fit in. So we made our own curriculum. And what I mostly did was, um, stayed with one teacher, a sixth grade teacher, throughout the first year at least, and stayed, you know, went to, reported to her room every day as she did and either sat with her or planned lessons with her, or sat, you know, watching her teach to get familiar with her methods. And then sometimes she would let me take over and teach because she was a younger teacher and she spoke pretty good English, but she didn't know exactly techniques of teaching it.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] So I would plan lessons to show her how, how we had been taught to do it. So we were, I was a minor expert in her room and she appreciated that. And I think you.

[Assistant] Did you get? Oh go ahead, I'm sorry.

[User] This was going on in all of the schools from, that our group was in, were in.

[Assistant] Did you, uh, did you get to meet with her outside the class?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I would plan lessons to show her how, how we had been taught to do it. So we were, I was a minor expert in her room and she appreciated that. And I think you.

[Assistant] Did you get? Oh go ahead, I'm sorry.

[User] This was going on in all of the schools from, that our group was in, were in.

[Assistant] Did you, uh, did you get to meet with her outside the class?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And she wasn't, school's over, I got to go home kind of thing?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] This was going on in all of the schools from, that our group was in, were in.

[Assistant] Did you, uh, did you get to meet with her outside the class?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And she wasn't, school's over, I got to go home kind of thing?

[User] No. Most of the teachers were very dedicated. They'd stay at least an hour afterwards to finish up lessons, plan lessons or whatever. And at that time, that's what I used the time to plan with her. What are we going to do tomorrow? And, you know, it was.

[Assistant] During the first year, did you work exclusively with the sixth grade teacher or did you?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. Most of the teachers were very dedicated. They'd stay at least an hour afterwards to finish up lessons, plan lessons or whatever. And at that time, that's what I used the time to plan with her. What are we going to do tomorrow? And, you know, it was.

[Assistant] During the first year, did you work exclusively with the sixth grade teacher or did you?

[User] Not exclusively, but she was sort of what I considered my home teacher.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] And I would go into other rooms. The other teachers would request me, you know, and so that was sort of the basis upon which I was in the school. I would say on Thursdays, for instance, I would be available in the afternoon to go to any teacher, and they would ask me to come in and teach this lesson or tell them how to do this or whatever.

[Assistant] Did you get to do anything in the name of science?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Not exclusively, but she was sort of what I considered my home teacher.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] And I would go into other rooms. The other teachers would request me, you know, and so that was sort of the basis upon which I was in the school. I would say on Thursdays, for instance, I would be available in the afternoon to go to any teacher, and they would ask me to come in and teach this lesson or tell them how to do this or whatever.

[Assistant] Did you get to do anything in the name of science?

[User] Yes, I remember teaching a lot of science in a third grade. There was another teacher that was, sort of adopted me, and she wanted to know what's going on in science. She had a very old curriculum where the kids just sat and memorized things. You know, you know, about magnetism or something. They would just memorize magnetism is caused by blah, blah, blah and repeat it. But then they said, well, you can bring in magnets and you can show them how they work and what materials are magnetized and so on.

[Assistant] Did you get any assistance from Peace Corps in this, with the science teaching? Like a science teaching kits or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And I would go into other rooms. The other teachers would request me, you know, and so that was sort of the basis upon which I was in the school. I would say on Thursdays, for instance, I would be available in the afternoon to go to any teacher, and they would ask me to come in and teach this lesson or tell them how to do this or whatever.

[Assistant] Did you get to do anything in the name of science?

[User] Yes, I remember teaching a lot of science in a third grade. There was another teacher that was, sort of adopted me, and she wanted to know what's going on in science. She had a very old curriculum where the kids just sat and memorized things. You know, you know, about magnetism or something. They would just memorize magnetism is caused by blah, blah, blah and repeat it. But then they said, well, you can bring in magnets and you can show them how they work and what materials are magnetized and so on.

[Assistant] Did you get any assistance from Peace Corps in this, with the science teaching? Like a science teaching kits or?

[User] Yes. Let's see. I remember some educational materials, but they were very limited. They were in small boxes and there wasn't much there. So I would supplement by buying things or making things. [phone rings, tape break]

[Assistant] Okay. Go ahead.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, I remember teaching a lot of science in a third grade. There was another teacher that was, sort of adopted me, and she wanted to know what's going on in science. She had a very old curriculum where the kids just sat and memorized things. You know, you know, about magnetism or something. They would just memorize magnetism is caused by blah, blah, blah and repeat it. But then they said, well, you can bring in magnets and you can show them how they work and what materials are magnetized and so on.

[Assistant] Did you get any assistance from Peace Corps in this, with the science teaching? Like a science teaching kits or?

[User] Yes. Let's see. I remember some educational materials, but they were very limited. They were in small boxes and there wasn't much there. So I would supplement by buying things or making things. [phone rings, tape break]

[Assistant] Okay. Go ahead.

[User] Yeah. And so I really enjoyed that part of it because it was, I could see that it was so different for the kids. You know, they, they were almost, they thought, well, what is, what is he doing that for? You know, I was doing experiments or I remember a small simple machines kind of experiments that each kid had to make a little simple machine or draw a picture of it or something. And they weren't used to that kind of teaching. They were used to sitting with something in front of them and memorize what the teacher was telling them to memorize.

[Assistant] Mm hmm. Yeah.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. Let's see. I remember some educational materials, but they were very limited. They were in small boxes and there wasn't much there. So I would supplement by buying things or making things. [phone rings, tape break]

[Assistant] Okay. Go ahead.

[User] Yeah. And so I really enjoyed that part of it because it was, I could see that it was so different for the kids. You know, they, they were almost, they thought, well, what is, what is he doing that for? You know, I was doing experiments or I remember a small simple machines kind of experiments that each kid had to make a little simple machine or draw a picture of it or something. And they weren't used to that kind of teaching. They were used to sitting with something in front of them and memorize what the teacher was telling them to memorize.

[Assistant] Mm hmm. Yeah.

[User] So it was a different kind of way of teaching to them.

[Assistant] You must have been a real novelty anyway.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. And so I really enjoyed that part of it because it was, I could see that it was so different for the kids. You know, they, they were almost, they thought, well, what is, what is he doing that for? You know, I was doing experiments or I remember a small simple machines kind of experiments that each kid had to make a little simple machine or draw a picture of it or something. And they weren't used to that kind of teaching. They were used to sitting with something in front of them and memorize what the teacher was telling them to memorize.

[Assistant] Mm hmm. Yeah.

[User] So it was a different kind of way of teaching to them.

[Assistant] You must have been a real novelty anyway.

[User] Oh. Every, even in the town market on market days, I'd been there a year and a half, and I'd walk in and everybody would stop and just stare.

[Assistant] Now the total non-Filipino population of the town was just the two of you or were there others?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh. Every, even in the town market on market days, I'd been there a year and a half, and I'd walk in and everybody would stop and just stare.

[Assistant] Now the total non-Filipino population of the town was just the two of you or were there others?

[User] No, we were.

[Assistant] No missionaries?

[User] No missionaries. Although the priest, I think, was the priest who ran the high school and never really got to know them very much, and they seemed to change often, but he was either a Spaniard or a German or something, but we didn't get to know him very much.

[Assistant] What did you do for medical care?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No missionaries. Although the priest, I think, was the priest who ran the high school and never really got to know them very much, and they seemed to change often, but he was either a Spaniard or a German or something, but we didn't get to know him very much.

[Assistant] What did you do for medical care?

[User] Uh, there was what they called a pure culture center there, but I never went there. It was mostly closed most of the time. I had some major medical problems while over there, so I would have to send a telegram, because there was a way to send a telegram from the town to the nearest big city. There was a Peace Corps doctor there. No. Let's see. There was a doctor, a Filipino doctor, who was connected with the Peace Corps, and I had to make arrangements to get there, which was a nine hour bus ride to have the problem solved.

[Assistant] Yeah. Wow.

[User] So the medical care was almost nonexistent. There were, the, there was a doctor in the town, but I'd never really. I spoke to him, but never was treated by him.

[Assistant] Did you lose much time through illness, say, during the first year?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Uh, there was what they called a pure culture center there, but I never went there. It was mostly closed most of the time. I had some major medical problems while over there, so I would have to send a telegram, because there was a way to send a telegram from the town to the nearest big city. There was a Peace Corps doctor there. No. Let's see. There was a doctor, a Filipino doctor, who was connected with the Peace Corps, and I had to make arrangements to get there, which was a nine hour bus ride to have the problem solved.

[Assistant] Yeah. Wow.

[User] So the medical care was almost nonexistent. There were, the, there was a doctor in the town, but I'd never really. I spoke to him, but never was treated by him.

[Assistant] Did you lose much time through illness, say, during the first year?

[User] Not in the first year hardly, very much, not too much, although I had a lot of colds and things. But not too much time from teaching. But the second year, two months of my whole.

[Assistant] Yeah. Was the climate tropical where you were?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So the medical care was almost nonexistent. There were, the, there was a doctor in the town, but I'd never really. I spoke to him, but never was treated by him.

[Assistant] Did you lose much time through illness, say, during the first year?

[User] Not in the first year hardly, very much, not too much, although I had a lot of colds and things. But not too much time from teaching. But the second year, two months of my whole.

[Assistant] Yeah. Was the climate tropical where you were?

[User] Yes. Tropical. And yet it was at 2,000 feet. So there was a lot of, when there was a rain, it was a two day rain. It was, you know, like a tropical typhoon would be going by. So it was cool. We had to wear sweaters.

[Assistant] Was there a rainy season, dry season, rainy season, dry season?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. Tropical. And yet it was at 2,000 feet. So there was a lot of, when there was a rain, it was a two day rain. It was, you know, like a tropical typhoon would be going by. So it was cool. We had to wear sweaters.

[Assistant] Was there a rainy season, dry season, rainy season, dry season?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So it was tropical, definitely.

[Assistant] So you settled into this teaching, and there are two teachers particularly who you were able to work with. Did, were all the teachers female?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So it was tropical, definitely.

[Assistant] So you settled into this teaching, and there are two teachers particularly who you were able to work with. Did, were all the teachers female?

[User] No. There was several males, but mostly female.

[Assistant] Okay. Did, did either of them become, you know, like a close friend or an informant about the bigger world that you were in where you could possibly joke or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But they stayed there for nine months of the year in a sort of a rooming house.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And so they would have parties there, just the teachers and the Peace Corps.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Peace Corps. And we would be invited always. You know, we were almost at an equal level with them. And they were, there was a lot of joking, a lot of, you know, partying and familiarity among us.

[Assistant] Yeah. Was, um, the, uh, what was the educational background of the two teachers that you worked most with that first year?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And so they would have parties there, just the teachers and the Peace Corps.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Peace Corps. And we would be invited always. You know, we were almost at an equal level with them. And they were, there was a lot of joking, a lot of, you know, partying and familiarity among us.

[Assistant] Yeah. Was, um, the, uh, what was the educational background of the two teachers that you worked most with that first year?

[User] Just a typical, I guess, a four year college degree that they had in teaching. I'm not sure, I really.

[Assistant] It probably would have been like our old normal school.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Peace Corps. And we would be invited always. You know, we were almost at an equal level with them. And they were, there was a lot of joking, a lot of, you know, partying and familiarity among us.

[Assistant] Yeah. Was, um, the, uh, what was the educational background of the two teachers that you worked most with that first year?

[User] Just a typical, I guess, a four year college degree that they had in teaching. I'm not sure, I really.

[Assistant] It probably would have been like our old normal school.

[User] Right, a normal school kind of training. And that was it. Probably at Silliman University too, because that was the teacher training normal school there too.

[Assistant] Within the town, were they considered, were they looked up to?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Just a typical, I guess, a four year college degree that they had in teaching. I'm not sure, I really.

[Assistant] It probably would have been like our old normal school.

[User] Right, a normal school kind of training. And that was it. Probably at Silliman University too, because that was the teacher training normal school there too.

[Assistant] Within the town, were they considered, were they looked up to?

[User] Yes, definitely. Oh, teachers had a great amount of respect.

[Assistant] What, did you get involved at all in the life of the town?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right, a normal school kind of training. And that was it. Probably at Silliman University too, because that was the teacher training normal school there too.

[Assistant] Within the town, were they considered, were they looked up to?

[User] Yes, definitely. Oh, teachers had a great amount of respect.

[Assistant] What, did you get involved at all in the life of the town?

[User] Oh, very much, very deeply.

[Assistant] How, can you?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, very much, very deeply.

[Assistant] How, can you?

[User] The very first, uh, we got there in the, near the 1st of February to the actual location, and February 14th, which is our Valentine's Day, is the town Saint's Day. I think it was Saint Joseph, but I'm not sure. Anyway, they celebrated. That was the big festival of the year, where people, all the people from around the area, would come and stay with each other and have this big all day, maybe all week affair with dances, all night dances sometimes and musicians, you know. And they had, they strung electric lights even, and had a generator for the thing.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] And that was a big thing because we had no electricity and, or only the mayor did. And, you know, they had dances and singing and special presentations and the queen, you know, the princess and the queen and her court of the, of the festival of the, of the town fiesta. And it was a very big thing. So I was immediately involved with that. Both of us were, we were sat on the stage and said, these are, you are the Peace Corps, and we are, you know, they made speeches. We had to make speeches. They made speeches about us. It was very good.

[Assistant] Now, at this point at the fiesta, were you making a speech in the local dialect or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] The very first, uh, we got there in the, near the 1st of February to the actual location, and February 14th, which is our Valentine's Day, is the town Saint's Day. I think it was Saint Joseph, but I'm not sure. Anyway, they celebrated. That was the big festival of the year, where people, all the people from around the area, would come and stay with each other and have this big all day, maybe all week affair with dances, all night dances sometimes and musicians, you know. And they had, they strung electric lights even, and had a generator for the thing.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] And that was a big thing because we had no electricity and, or only the mayor did. And, you know, they had dances and singing and special presentations and the queen, you know, the princess and the queen and her court of the, of the festival of the, of the town fiesta. And it was a very big thing. So I was immediately involved with that. Both of us were, we were sat on the stage and said, these are, you are the Peace Corps, and we are, you know, they made speeches. We had to make speeches. They made speeches about us. It was very good.

[Assistant] Now, at this point at the fiesta, were you making a speech in the local dialect or?

[User] Mostly in English. Mostly in English.

[Assistant] When you wanted to get a laugh, you would.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mostly in English. Mostly in English.

[Assistant] When you wanted to get a laugh, you would.

[User] Right, then try the dialect. Ha ha.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] At that point.

[Assistant] So during the first year, most of the language exchanges between you and all the people around you were in English.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] For myself, I tried to do it only in the dialect. I was really, really trying.

[Assistant] Oh, okay.

[User] I did most, except in school of course, I was committed to English, so I was teaching in English and trying to get the kids to hear it more. But off-time was I, you know, in the market, if I went down to buy something, it was always, I tried to do only in the dialect.

[Assistant] Oh, okay.

[User] The other person I was with really didn't ever grasp it, did not have the interest or the whatever it takes to learn a second language. So he just functioned in English.

[Assistant] What was his name, by the way?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I did most, except in school of course, I was committed to English, so I was teaching in English and trying to get the kids to hear it more. But off-time was I, you know, in the market, if I went down to buy something, it was always, I tried to do only in the dialect.

[Assistant] Oh, okay.

[User] The other person I was with really didn't ever grasp it, did not have the interest or the whatever it takes to learn a second language. So he just functioned in English.

[Assistant] What was his name, by the way?

[User] Roger.

[Assistant] Roger. Okay. And was Roger working in the same school that you were?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] The other person I was with really didn't ever grasp it, did not have the interest or the whatever it takes to learn a second language. So he just functioned in English.

[Assistant] What was his name, by the way?

[User] Roger.

[Assistant] Roger. Okay. And was Roger working in the same school that you were?

[User] Yes. The first year.

[Assistant] Okay. And without making unpleasant comparisons, did, what role did he end up playing for that first year?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. The first year.

[Assistant] Okay. And without making unpleasant comparisons, did, what role did he end up playing for that first year?

[User] Um, similar to mine.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] He was adopted by several teachers and, and taught somewhat and went into classrooms. But then maybe it was within the first year he decided that that was my school, and he wanted to go to a barrio school, what they called a barrio, further down the road, about maybe a half hour walk to. He had his own school. He wanted to get more familiar with that principal and that group of teachers.

[Assistant] In a much smaller school, I would think.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, similar to mine.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] He was adopted by several teachers and, and taught somewhat and went into classrooms. But then maybe it was within the first year he decided that that was my school, and he wanted to go to a barrio school, what they called a barrio, further down the road, about maybe a half hour walk to. He had his own school. He wanted to get more familiar with that principal and that group of teachers.

[Assistant] In a much smaller school, I would think.

[User] And he, I don't know, really know what he did. I really don't know.

[Assistant] Well, he did he move to that, to the barrio?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, he stayed in in our house, but he would go there many mornings.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But you see, he was more involved with a larger scale thing. He had been, had some experience in community development, so he, he was very focused on creating a playground, an athletic ground with swings and a track and, you know, things like that. So he was working more with the mayor, doing sort of that kind of community development type of thing.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] So he wasn't always at his school or even at the central school. He was more working the political angle and the, you know, community development.

[Assistant] But for you, I mean, most of your, your work time was strictly at the central school.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But you see, he was more involved with a larger scale thing. He had been, had some experience in community development, so he, he was very focused on creating a playground, an athletic ground with swings and a track and, you know, things like that. So he was working more with the mayor, doing sort of that kind of community development type of thing.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] So he wasn't always at his school or even at the central school. He was more working the political angle and the, you know, community development.

[Assistant] But for you, I mean, most of your, your work time was strictly at the central school.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Was it just by chance that you ended up close with a sixth and a third grade teacher or had?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We just clicked, you know. And she was quite astute. She was very well educated and probably from a higher family because she wasn't from the town, you know, she was from a more middle class family and.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And we just connected, you know. She knew what, she knew some techniques of teaching, but she was unfamiliar with others. And she wanted to pick my brain.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So she sort of adopted me just so I could help her.

[Assistant] Theoretically, you should have been working with all the teachers in the school.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And we just connected, you know. She knew what, she knew some techniques of teaching, but she was unfamiliar with others. And she wanted to pick my brain.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So she sort of adopted me just so I could help her.

[Assistant] Theoretically, you should have been working with all the teachers in the school.

[User] Yes, and I was aware of that. Very much so.

[Assistant] Well, to whom were you accountable?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So she sort of adopted me just so I could help her.

[Assistant] Theoretically, you should have been working with all the teachers in the school.

[User] Yes, and I was aware of that. Very much so.

[Assistant] Well, to whom were you accountable?

[User] To the principal of the school.

[Assistant] And how was that, how did that play out?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, and I was aware of that. Very much so.

[Assistant] Well, to whom were you accountable?

[User] To the principal of the school.

[Assistant] And how was that, how did that play out?

[User] Um, he kept his distance in a way. He didn't know what our job was exactly. And he didn't want to be threatened, so he just kept his distance. But he would always, when we had teachers meetings with all the teachers in the school, you know, he would mention the Peace Corps and what we're doing, but that was a sideline to the main agenda of his agenda of we must do this now. We must do this now and this and that.

[Assistant] Okay, so he never really quite figured out what you were all about.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] To the principal of the school.

[Assistant] And how was that, how did that play out?

[User] Um, he kept his distance in a way. He didn't know what our job was exactly. And he didn't want to be threatened, so he just kept his distance. But he would always, when we had teachers meetings with all the teachers in the school, you know, he would mention the Peace Corps and what we're doing, but that was a sideline to the main agenda of his agenda of we must do this now. We must do this now and this and that.

[Assistant] Okay, so he never really quite figured out what you were all about.

[User] Not exactly.

[Assistant] But he had, had he requested you being there or had the mayor or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Not exactly.

[Assistant] But he had, had he requested you being there or had the mayor or?

[User] I have a feeling the mayor may have gotten wind of this first and then talked to the principal and said, we are going to have two Peace Corps here.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] You know, I think it was very hierarchical. I could feel that always, extremely hierarchical.

[Assistant] Again, sticking with the first year, can you describe a typical day? You know, what time do you get up and meals and?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That was it.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Yeah, I messed that up. No, they would have to go home. But some kids didn't, couldn't go home because it was so far. So they did bring their lunch and they ate it at school. That was it.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But the teachers would go home. I went home and we would have the big meal of the day.

[Assistant] How far were you from the school?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, I messed that up. No, they would have to go home. But some kids didn't, couldn't go home because it was so far. So they did bring their lunch and they ate it at school. That was it.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But the teachers would go home. I went home and we would have the big meal of the day.

[Assistant] How far were you from the school?

[User] I was within visual distance, about less than a quarter mile.

[Assistant] Okay. And you would then, what would be a typical lunch you'd get?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, something similar to that.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah.

[User] Very salty. But they were good on rice, cut up on rice, and fresh vegetables. And lots of fruit. Papaya almost every day. Bananas every day. Some citrus fruits.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Coffee, lots of coffee. And lots of Coca-Cola. That was, and, well. And you either drink Coca-Cola or San Miguel beer. And I think I lived on San Miguel beer.

[Assistant] Where did they come from?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Very salty. But they were good on rice, cut up on rice, and fresh vegetables. And lots of fruit. Papaya almost every day. Bananas every day. Some citrus fruits.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Coffee, lots of coffee. And lots of Coca-Cola. That was, and, well. And you either drink Coca-Cola or San Miguel beer. And I think I lived on San Miguel beer.

[Assistant] Where did they come from?

[User] From Manila.

[Assistant] All the way? And the system was good enough that.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, there was, I think in each city there was a bottling company.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] At least the major cities, the major city closest to us was not Dumaguete. It was Bacolod City, which was on the east coast. And it was, it was still nine hours to get there, but it was a better road than going to Dumaguete.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And it was all, almost all paved when you got down to a certain, to a certain distance. But that's where I remember there was a bottling company of Coca-Cola and some other thing that. I think the main brewery of San Miguel beer, though, was in Manila.

[Assistant] So generally the, there were food supplies available. I mean, it wasn't a prosperous setting, but the people weren't starving.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] At least the major cities, the major city closest to us was not Dumaguete. It was Bacolod City, which was on the east coast. And it was, it was still nine hours to get there, but it was a better road than going to Dumaguete.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And it was all, almost all paved when you got down to a certain, to a certain distance. But that's where I remember there was a bottling company of Coca-Cola and some other thing that. I think the main brewery of San Miguel beer, though, was in Manila.

[Assistant] So generally the, there were food supplies available. I mean, it wasn't a prosperous setting, but the people weren't starving.

[User] No. Oh, it was, most people were pretty healthy.

[Assistant] Okay. You've had lunch and a beer and siesta?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And it was all, almost all paved when you got down to a certain, to a certain distance. But that's where I remember there was a bottling company of Coca-Cola and some other thing that. I think the main brewery of San Miguel beer, though, was in Manila.

[Assistant] So generally the, there were food supplies available. I mean, it wasn't a prosperous setting, but the people weren't starving.

[User] No. Oh, it was, most people were pretty healthy.

[Assistant] Okay. You've had lunch and a beer and siesta?

[User] Siesta.

[Assistant] And then you have to get yourself back together.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. Oh, it was, most people were pretty healthy.

[Assistant] Okay. You've had lunch and a beer and siesta?

[User] Siesta.

[Assistant] And then you have to get yourself back together.

[User] Right.

[Assistant] When did you head? [tape break] Tape two. And we were sort of going through a typical school day.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right.

[Assistant] When did you head? [tape break] Tape two. And we were sort of going through a typical school day.

[User] And we'd had lunch, and then it was time to go back to school for the afternoon.

[Assistant] Around 3:00?

[User] Around 3:00, possibly 2:30. I'm not sure exactly, but it was early afternoon anyway. And we had to struggle through the mud to get back to school. Although there were rocks, you know, as I said, pebbles and cobblestones up part of the road, but the part of it was inundated with water.

[Assistant] Did you dress the same style as the other teacher, as the male teachers?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I did, I didn't try to become part of the teaching staff in that way.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] I just wore American clothes. Um. And so the rain always stopped right at 2:30 or 3:00. And I have a little story about that, if we have time to do that.

[Assistant] Sure.

[User] And so then back to school and the afternoon wore on, whatever I was doing. If there was a teachers meeting after school, then I would be there. And sometimes it was arranged that I would give a presentation. I don't remember any specific ones, but it was probably about language teaching, you know, general concepts.

[Assistant] When did, for the children, when did the school day end?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I just wore American clothes. Um. And so the rain always stopped right at 2:30 or 3:00. And I have a little story about that, if we have time to do that.

[Assistant] Sure.

[User] And so then back to school and the afternoon wore on, whatever I was doing. If there was a teachers meeting after school, then I would be there. And sometimes it was arranged that I would give a presentation. I don't remember any specific ones, but it was probably about language teaching, you know, general concepts.

[Assistant] When did, for the children, when did the school day end?

[User] I'd say around 4:00.

[Assistant] Okay. And the teachers tended to stay on for another hour?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And so then back to school and the afternoon wore on, whatever I was doing. If there was a teachers meeting after school, then I would be there. And sometimes it was arranged that I would give a presentation. I don't remember any specific ones, but it was probably about language teaching, you know, general concepts.

[Assistant] When did, for the children, when did the school day end?

[User] I'd say around 4:00.

[Assistant] Okay. And the teachers tended to stay on for another hour?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And occasionally you would make a presentation to the staff.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I'd say around 4:00.

[Assistant] Okay. And the teachers tended to stay on for another hour?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And occasionally you would make a presentation to the staff.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Were there extracurricular activities at the school?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Were there extracurricular activities at the school?

[User] The major one was education related. The principal really wanted to have a very large garden, a vegetable garden, and he was stressing new ways of, of farming because it's a farming community. And his training, of course, was from, he was not from that area himself. So he was in a way a community development worker, you know. And the Filipino government knew this and used the school in that way to do community development and bring people up in education and health things and always. So his project, and therefore the school's project, was this big garden. It was part of, a whole part of a hillside where the kids, instead of having recess, they would go out and dig weeds. They would be planting. They, the children themselves, I remember the sixth graders who were, you know, they were already teenagers. Some of them were, you know, 13, 14 years old.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] They were building out of logs and bricks and rocks, a large garden, sort of like a greenhouse sort of effect, to keep, to grow little plants that they would replant out in the fields and so on. So they were actually learning about gardening and, you know, gardening techniques.

[Assistant] Did you participate in that?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] They were building out of logs and bricks and rocks, a large garden, sort of like a greenhouse sort of effect, to keep, to grow little plants that they would replant out in the fields and so on. So they were actually learning about gardening and, you know, gardening techniques.

[Assistant] Did you participate in that?

[User] Not at all. I wish I had now that I think about it. This is bringing back a lot of things that I could have done.

[Assistant] Well.

[User] You know, and I wish I had, I have a lot of slide pictures of that because they were so proud of it. And they, they not only grew crops to eat, but flowers and all sorts of plants that were beautiful plants.

[Assistant] Right. So on those days, if you weren't making a presentation to the staff, you still tended to stay an additional hour at school?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Not at all. I wish I had now that I think about it. This is bringing back a lot of things that I could have done.

[Assistant] Well.

[User] You know, and I wish I had, I have a lot of slide pictures of that because they were so proud of it. And they, they not only grew crops to eat, but flowers and all sorts of plants that were beautiful plants.

[Assistant] Right. So on those days, if you weren't making a presentation to the staff, you still tended to stay an additional hour at school?

[User] Sometimes, depending on what was going on. If I was interested in the lesson for the next day, I would stay definitely to practice with the teacher or, you know, explain that with her.

[Assistant] And then you head home. And what would be a typical, I guess, at leisure afternoon, evening?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, and I wish I had, I have a lot of slide pictures of that because they were so proud of it. And they, they not only grew crops to eat, but flowers and all sorts of plants that were beautiful plants.

[Assistant] Right. So on those days, if you weren't making a presentation to the staff, you still tended to stay an additional hour at school?

[User] Sometimes, depending on what was going on. If I was interested in the lesson for the next day, I would stay definitely to practice with the teacher or, you know, explain that with her.

[Assistant] And then you head home. And what would be a typical, I guess, at leisure afternoon, evening?

[User] Well, then it was dinner time. We'd have a very small supper, usually. I was always writing things down, writing my diary, and expecting the mail which had come during the day.

[Assistant] How did the mail get to you?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Sometimes, depending on what was going on. If I was interested in the lesson for the next day, I would stay definitely to practice with the teacher or, you know, explain that with her.

[Assistant] And then you head home. And what would be a typical, I guess, at leisure afternoon, evening?

[User] Well, then it was dinner time. We'd have a very small supper, usually. I was always writing things down, writing my diary, and expecting the mail which had come during the day.

[Assistant] How did the mail get to you?

[User] It didn't get, no. We had to go down and get it. I'm sorry. We had to go down to, I don't remember if there was a post office. I don't think there was a post office. There was a building that the busses that came through daily would leave things off at. And you had to claim it there. It wasn't a post office, though. And so I was always looking for mail because, you know, just friends, family, or whoever would be sending me mail. Other Peace Corps volunteers in the field.

[Assistant] Did you keep up a fairly regular correspondence with back home?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, then it was dinner time. We'd have a very small supper, usually. I was always writing things down, writing my diary, and expecting the mail which had come during the day.

[Assistant] How did the mail get to you?

[User] It didn't get, no. We had to go down and get it. I'm sorry. We had to go down to, I don't remember if there was a post office. I don't think there was a post office. There was a building that the busses that came through daily would leave things off at. And you had to claim it there. It wasn't a post office, though. And so I was always looking for mail because, you know, just friends, family, or whoever would be sending me mail. Other Peace Corps volunteers in the field.

[Assistant] Did you keep up a fairly regular correspondence with back home?

[User] Oh, yes. [tape break]

[Assistant] And yeah, we're talking about Camp Brotherhood.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, yes. [tape break]

[Assistant] And yeah, we're talking about Camp Brotherhood.

[User] Mm hmm. Yes. Okay. The camp was started by this, the group before us, and they wanted to see it continue. And it was in a large sort of combination dormitory and rec hall and eating hall. And the kids, there were, oh, a good many children, probably 150 to 200 children came during this summer time, which could have been as much as a month.

[Assistant] Ages?

[User] Three weeks to a month. And they were, oh, I'd say 6 or 7 years old, up to 10 or 12.

[Assistant] And where did they come from in relation to where the camp was?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mm hmm. Yes. Okay. The camp was started by this, the group before us, and they wanted to see it continue. And it was in a large sort of combination dormitory and rec hall and eating hall. And the kids, there were, oh, a good many children, probably 150 to 200 children came during this summer time, which could have been as much as a month.

[Assistant] Ages?

[User] Three weeks to a month. And they were, oh, I'd say 6 or 7 years old, up to 10 or 12.

[Assistant] And where did they come from in relation to where the camp was?

[User] They were bused in. I mean, they came, the busses brought them from places all around the area within maybe 20 or 30 miles of the Camp Brotherhood site itself. And they were the children of hacienderos, or growers, of the sugar cane.

[Assistant] Were they the, the field workers or the?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Three weeks to a month. And they were, oh, I'd say 6 or 7 years old, up to 10 or 12.

[Assistant] And where did they come from in relation to where the camp was?

[User] They were bused in. I mean, they came, the busses brought them from places all around the area within maybe 20 or 30 miles of the Camp Brotherhood site itself. And they were the children of hacienderos, or growers, of the sugar cane.

[Assistant] Were they the, the field workers or the?

[User] I meant the, yes, they were the children of the field workers, of the laborers who worked the sugarcane.

[Assistant] And who, did the owner of the, the plantation owners, would they, did they select who would go or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And at that time they were at the height of it. And so the people who owned the lands had, you know, money, money, money. They would, they hobnobbed with the Marcos family.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] I mean, they were all in that political hierarchy.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] That pyramid. And, uh, but they, they saw the good of it. I'm sure that having the children have an experience of, you know, good nutrition, learning crafts and things together, and having an experience out of the barrio. I think they saw that it was a good idea.

[Assistant] No fears of the political implications of it, I mean?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I mean, they were all in that political hierarchy.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] That pyramid. And, uh, but they, they saw the good of it. I'm sure that having the children have an experience of, you know, good nutrition, learning crafts and things together, and having an experience out of the barrio. I think they saw that it was a good idea.

[Assistant] No fears of the political implications of it, I mean?

[User] Not that I heard of. No.

[Assistant] Okay. So, and the oldest, the children would be as old as 15 or 16?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That pyramid. And, uh, but they, they saw the good of it. I'm sure that having the children have an experience of, you know, good nutrition, learning crafts and things together, and having an experience out of the barrio. I think they saw that it was a good idea.

[Assistant] No fears of the political implications of it, I mean?

[User] Not that I heard of. No.

[Assistant] Okay. So, and the oldest, the children would be as old as 15 or 16?

[User] Well, maybe 12. 12 or 13. Pre-teens level.

[Assistant] Did any of them work on the cane plantations?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, maybe 12. 12 or 13. Pre-teens level.

[Assistant] Did any of them work on the cane plantations?

[User] I'm sure a lot of the older kids did.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But this was their sort of a summer break for them.

[Assistant] So you had the camp, uh, staff. How many staff were there?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I'm sure a lot of the older kids did.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But this was their sort of a summer break for them.

[Assistant] So you had the camp, uh, staff. How many staff were there?

[User] Oh, maybe 30 to 40 people.

[Assistant] Were they all Peace Corps volunteers?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But this was their sort of a summer break for them.

[Assistant] So you had the camp, uh, staff. How many staff were there?

[User] Oh, maybe 30 to 40 people.

[Assistant] Were they all Peace Corps volunteers?

[User] No, less than half of them were Peace Corps volunteers. There were many Filipino people that were teachers who weren't teaching, you know, regular school year teachers who came there, or interested Filipinos. Some of them were related to the families that owned the plantations possibly.

[Assistant] Did, did the Filipino staff get paid for?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, maybe 30 to 40 people.

[Assistant] Were they all Peace Corps volunteers?

[User] No, less than half of them were Peace Corps volunteers. There were many Filipino people that were teachers who weren't teaching, you know, regular school year teachers who came there, or interested Filipinos. Some of them were related to the families that owned the plantations possibly.

[Assistant] Did, did the Filipino staff get paid for?

[User] Yes. They got, there was a stipend for everybody there except the Peace Corps people themselves.

[Assistant] And how many children?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. They got, there was a stipend for everybody there except the Peace Corps people themselves.

[Assistant] And how many children?

[User] I wish I could get it.

[Assistant] Approximately?

[User] I'd say 150 to 200 children.

[Assistant] Okay. And they were expected to stay 4 to 8 weeks?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I wish I could get it.

[Assistant] Approximately?

[User] I'd say 150 to 200 children.

[Assistant] Okay. And they were expected to stay 4 to 8 weeks?

[User] Yes. Well, four weeks probably. No longer than a month, I would think.

[Assistant] Okay. Did it, did two groups come in? In other words, there was a session one and session two, or was it just?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I'd say 150 to 200 children.

[Assistant] Okay. And they were expected to stay 4 to 8 weeks?

[User] Yes. Well, four weeks probably. No longer than a month, I would think.

[Assistant] Okay. Did it, did two groups come in? In other words, there was a session one and session two, or was it just?

[User] No, I think it was just one session. One full session.

[Assistant] And what was your role in all this?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, I think it was just one session. One full session.

[Assistant] And what was your role in all this?

[User] Well, I came late after it had started already because I was still recuperating. And that was one thing I wanted to get out of the hospital to do was to get to Camp Brotherhood, because I had a commitment to it, and I'm trying to think of how that happened. I was still, I think, when it had already started, Roger and I had gone to Clark Air Force Base, back to Clark Air Force Base to get other supplies, to get more things for the camp. That's how that happened.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] And I was, I helped teach crafts. I was sort of overseeing the, the schedule. I was more like a scheduler, but I had contact with the kids too. And I remember making one little art project that a teacher had developed that they could all make out of a little wood. And then they painted things on it. They cut up tree limbs and cut them on an angle so it looked like a little frame. And then on the light piece in the middle, they would paint pictures. And it was, then they'd shellac it and they'd put a hole in it and hang it on the wall. It was sort of like a little gift. So, you know, I did things like that.

[Assistant] But no, no background or training in crafts work?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And I was, I helped teach crafts. I was sort of overseeing the, the schedule. I was more like a scheduler, but I had contact with the kids too. And I remember making one little art project that a teacher had developed that they could all make out of a little wood. And then they painted things on it. They cut up tree limbs and cut them on an angle so it looked like a little frame. And then on the light piece in the middle, they would paint pictures. And it was, then they'd shellac it and they'd put a hole in it and hang it on the wall. It was sort of like a little gift. So, you know, I did things like that.

[Assistant] But no, no background or training in crafts work?

[User] Just minimal. I'm an artist myself, so.

[Assistant] Ah, okay.

[User] But yeah, but I just related to that. That's what sticks out in my mind.

[Assistant] Right. And they were with the, the camp was broken into age groups and they had a schedule.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Just minimal. I'm an artist myself, so.

[Assistant] Ah, okay.

[User] But yeah, but I just related to that. That's what sticks out in my mind.

[Assistant] Right. And they were with the, the camp was broken into age groups and they had a schedule.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And a range of activities each day.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But yeah, but I just related to that. That's what sticks out in my mind.

[Assistant] Right. And they were with the, the camp was broken into age groups and they had a schedule.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And a range of activities each day.

[User] Right. Athletics and crafts and singing. Singing and dancing. Somewhat hikes. I remember going on a hike to a waterfall with one group.

[Assistant] Were you near any swimmable water?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And a range of activities each day.

[User] Right. Athletics and crafts and singing. Singing and dancing. Somewhat hikes. I remember going on a hike to a waterfall with one group.

[Assistant] Were you near any swimmable water?

[User] Yes. They had a swimming pool there, a large swimming pool made of just rocks. It wasn't what we would consider, you know, a swimming pool by patio pools or something. But it was a slimy green thing that was made out of volcanic rock and, but smooth rock. And it was, uh, no filters or anything on it. So that's why it was slimy and you couldn't see to the bottom of it. But it was very cool and very nice.

[Assistant] I trust you stayed out of the water coming off your hepatitis.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. They had a swimming pool there, a large swimming pool made of just rocks. It wasn't what we would consider, you know, a swimming pool by patio pools or something. But it was a slimy green thing that was made out of volcanic rock and, but smooth rock. And it was, uh, no filters or anything on it. So that's why it was slimy and you couldn't see to the bottom of it. But it was very cool and very nice.

[Assistant] I trust you stayed out of the water coming off your hepatitis.

[User] I think I didn't go in.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And what kind of experience was that as compared to, you know, your involvement at the school?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And what kind of experience was that as compared to, you know, your involvement at the school?

[User] Oh, it was a very patriotic feeling I had because it was Camp Brotherhood. And it was for, you know, the meeting of the American and Filipino cultures. And it was dedicated to John F. Kennedy. And there was, somebody had made a statue and there was a dedication day, in fact. And Fuchs, what was his name again?

[Assistant] Larry.

[User] Larry Fuchs and his wife came down and spent the night and had the big celebration. The unveiling of the statue with an American flag pulled off of it, and speeches and music and dancing.

[Assistant] Who had done the statue?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, it was a very patriotic feeling I had because it was Camp Brotherhood. And it was for, you know, the meeting of the American and Filipino cultures. And it was dedicated to John F. Kennedy. And there was, somebody had made a statue and there was a dedication day, in fact. And Fuchs, what was his name again?

[Assistant] Larry.

[User] Larry Fuchs and his wife came down and spent the night and had the big celebration. The unveiling of the statue with an American flag pulled off of it, and speeches and music and dancing.

[Assistant] Who had done the statue?

[User] A local artist from Bacolod City.

[Assistant] Was it a woodcarving or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was a plaster carving, a plaster casting.

[Assistant] Oh, okay.

[User] Just in plaster. It should have been in bronze, but it was just a light gray color. Just a head down to the neck.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But it was a good resemblance of him.

[Assistant] Uh huh. And so there was recognition also, at least, with the country director coming.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Just in plaster. It should have been in bronze, but it was just a light gray color. Just a head down to the neck.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But it was a good resemblance of him.

[Assistant] Uh huh. And so there was recognition also, at least, with the country director coming.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And it was the second year?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But it was a good resemblance of him.

[Assistant] Uh huh. And so there was recognition also, at least, with the country director coming.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And it was the second year?

[User] It was the second year of our tour.

[Assistant] Yeah. Did, were there, uh, cross-cultural activities planned, like celebration of American customs and Filipino customs?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And it was the second year?

[User] It was the second year of our tour.

[Assistant] Yeah. Did, were there, uh, cross-cultural activities planned, like celebration of American customs and Filipino customs?

[User] Uh, yes. They tried to work that in, I think, because it was a, you know, a dual cultural thing. I don't remember specifically anything except the singing. We taught them songs and I played the guitar at that time. I don't think I had my guitar with me, but several people played guitars and we'd share and taught them American songs. That was a big thing.

[Assistant] Michael, row the boat ashore.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was the second year of our tour.

[Assistant] Yeah. Did, were there, uh, cross-cultural activities planned, like celebration of American customs and Filipino customs?

[User] Uh, yes. They tried to work that in, I think, because it was a, you know, a dual cultural thing. I don't remember specifically anything except the singing. We taught them songs and I played the guitar at that time. I don't think I had my guitar with me, but several people played guitars and we'd share and taught them American songs. That was a big thing.

[Assistant] Michael, row the boat ashore.

[User] Yes. Especially that one. Especially that one.

[Assistant] So it was really just a four week period then?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Uh, yes. They tried to work that in, I think, because it was a, you know, a dual cultural thing. I don't remember specifically anything except the singing. We taught them songs and I played the guitar at that time. I don't think I had my guitar with me, but several people played guitars and we'd share and taught them American songs. That was a big thing.

[Assistant] Michael, row the boat ashore.

[User] Yes. Especially that one. Especially that one.

[Assistant] So it was really just a four week period then?

[User] I believe it was only a month, yes.

[Assistant] Yeah. At the end of the four weeks, your, how was your health?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I believe it was only a month, yes.

[Assistant] Yeah. At the end of the four weeks, your, how was your health?

[User] I was fine by then. So I remember going back to Manila and meeting a Peace Corps girl that I knew who was on our island also. Well, I didn't meet her there, but we had taken the same. We had the same idea to go on a, to Hong Kong for a week, and it was only across the strait of, the China Sea strait. So I took an overnight boat and she had flown over there. But there were several other people involved too, and we somehow met there. We didn't know we were both going, but we met on the streets in the shopping center anyway. But I went to Hong Kong for a week, just for my R&R.

[Assistant] Mm hmm.

[User] And the very, when I, when my, um. Let's see. Did I fly there? How did that happen that I was at the airport? Somehow I was at the airport and the Beatles came the very same day that I was at the airport. And so there were these big crowds. I looked out of the, why was I on a plane if I took a boat? I may have flown over there.

[Assistant] Maybe meeting her?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And I had gotten in my hotel before they got there. And then I, when I looked down here where the Beatles, you know, crowds of people and cars and limousines and black limousines and the one that they were in pulled up right in front of the door on a red carpet. And I saw the tops of their heads as they went into the hotel. So that was a big thing to me.

[Assistant] Yes.

[User] And so and then I did this shopping, and I ran into Linda Creamer, who was in my group. We had trained together, and we met, I don't remember, in a shopping center and she was buying a camera, and I already had my camera that I had bought on the way over, I bought it in Tokyo. So I took pictures of us, and I still have pictures of her buying a camera and trying to talk the guy out of how much he was selling it for.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] She was bargaining with him.

[Assistant] Yeah. You were entitled to leave and you got leave pay, I think, for the.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And so and then I did this shopping, and I ran into Linda Creamer, who was in my group. We had trained together, and we met, I don't remember, in a shopping center and she was buying a camera, and I already had my camera that I had bought on the way over, I bought it in Tokyo. So I took pictures of us, and I still have pictures of her buying a camera and trying to talk the guy out of how much he was selling it for.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] She was bargaining with him.

[Assistant] Yeah. You were entitled to leave and you got leave pay, I think, for the.

[User] Yes, we got.

[Assistant] There was a separate payment for that.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] She was bargaining with him.

[Assistant] Yeah. You were entitled to leave and you got leave pay, I think, for the.

[User] Yes, we got.

[Assistant] There was a separate payment for that.

[User] Leave pay, right. A per diem kind of thing.

[Assistant] Right. And so you spent a week in Hong Kong, having met the Beatles, the real historic moment in your two years.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And I don't think they had air conditioning. And I went up there just on my own and toured and met a few Chinese teachers. We didn't, we couldn't communicate because they were not English speakers.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] And I knew no Chinese, but I indicated I wanted to take pictures of them, and they said that would be fine. And I took several slides of them teaching Chinese to the, to little kids about 5 or 6 years old.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And that was so fascinating to me that the way the Chinese did it, they had the school right in the place where the kids lived.

[Assistant] Yes. Yes. Was it Peace Corps policy that you not travel to your, to the United States on leave?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And maybe some people who had independent money could have done that, but I don't know of anybody that did.

[Assistant] Okay.

[User] But politically, we were advised not to go to Chinese, um, Communist China. But I defied that in a way. I took a train from, I went, well, I stayed in Kowloon, which is the mainland, right? Yeah, I think it was that way. And I took a train up to the border of Communist China and went right up to the border and took pictures of the signs that were in English and Chinese. And I guess those were the only two languages that said that you cannot pass this, you know, you can't go any further than this and so on. But that was a fascinating little day trip.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] To go to get that close to China, to Communist China. .

[Assistant] Yeah. And, um, vacation's over and?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] To go to get that close to China, to Communist China. .

[Assistant] Yeah. And, um, vacation's over and?

[User] Took my boat back. That's when I took the boat back and slept, it was the lowest class that I could pay for, and it was right next to the motor underneath, under, below water level, you know?

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Noisiest trip I've ever been on.

[Assistant] How long is it, a day or two or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It seemed that it was overnight. I got in in the afternoon and got back, got in the morning. And the morning I got back there was a major typhoon in Manila that was inundated, the city of Manila is below sea level. The most of the city, the major part is below sea level, and there are dikes along the bay.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But the bay was flooded and everything was flooded 5 or 6 feet deep everywhere. I mean, you had to take a boat from, or walk up to your hips in most places.

[Assistant] Yeah. Wow.

[User] It was a major disaster.

[Assistant] And, but you, you were able to work your way through it.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But the bay was flooded and everything was flooded 5 or 6 feet deep everywhere. I mean, you had to take a boat from, or walk up to your hips in most places.

[Assistant] Yeah. Wow.

[User] It was a major disaster.

[Assistant] And, but you, you were able to work your way through it.

[User] Somehow, yeah, I remember that even the Peace Corps building was flooded, although it was on the second floor. You had to go upstairs to get to the, the main offices of the Peace Corps. But the first floor was flooded and all.

[Assistant] Yeah. Was there any talk of the Peace Corps trying to help with flood relief or does, I mean?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was a major disaster.

[Assistant] And, but you, you were able to work your way through it.

[User] Somehow, yeah, I remember that even the Peace Corps building was flooded, although it was on the second floor. You had to go upstairs to get to the, the main offices of the Peace Corps. But the first floor was flooded and all.

[Assistant] Yeah. Was there any talk of the Peace Corps trying to help with flood relief or does, I mean?

[User] I don't remember anything like that. It was so total all over the city that the whole city was just. No, I don't think that.

[Assistant] How long did it take to dry out?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I don't remember anything like that. It was so total all over the city that the whole city was just. No, I don't think that.

[Assistant] How long did it take to dry out?

[User] I guess they have ways of letting the water flow off somehow. They have channels, but it was just inundated by that time.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And there was just, they just waited until it just flowed away or sunk in.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you got the Beatles on one side and then a typhoon.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I guess they have ways of letting the water flow off somehow. They have channels, but it was just inundated by that time.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And there was just, they just waited until it just flowed away or sunk in.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you got the Beatles on one side and then a typhoon.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] And you didn't know, you figured you'd get back and the volcano would blow.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And there was just, they just waited until it just flowed away or sunk in.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you got the Beatles on one side and then a typhoon.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] And you didn't know, you figured you'd get back and the volcano would blow.

[User] Right. You never knew. Or what the next disease was going to be.

[Assistant] Yeah. But you headed back to the village?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right. You never knew. Or what the next disease was going to be.

[Assistant] Yeah. But you headed back to the village?

[User] Yes. After, soon after that. I spent just a few days in Manila. Oh, I went to Baguio City, which is an R&R place for Filipinos and Americans. It's very high in the mountains of Northern Luzon. And it's a, it's a very, sort of was then, it was a modern city. They had lots of movie theaters. And there was, I think, an Air Force base. Well, it was, it's close to our Clark Air Force Base. And that's where people went for R&R because it was cool. It was away from the coast, you know. And they had facilities there that Americans would like, you know, movie theaters and jazz bars and stuff, you know.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And so that was a nice thing to see. And I met several people in my group there, and we had R&R together.

[Assistant] Was there a midpoint conference then, or had you missed it because you were in the hospital?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. After, soon after that. I spent just a few days in Manila. Oh, I went to Baguio City, which is an R&R place for Filipinos and Americans. It's very high in the mountains of Northern Luzon. And it's a, it's a very, sort of was then, it was a modern city. They had lots of movie theaters. And there was, I think, an Air Force base. Well, it was, it's close to our Clark Air Force Base. And that's where people went for R&R because it was cool. It was away from the coast, you know. And they had facilities there that Americans would like, you know, movie theaters and jazz bars and stuff, you know.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And so that was a nice thing to see. And I met several people in my group there, and we had R&R together.

[Assistant] Was there a midpoint conference then, or had you missed it because you were in the hospital?

[User] Uh, I don't remember that.

[Assistant] Because your time is funny.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Uh, I don't remember that.

[Assistant] Because your time is funny.

[User] I must have missed, yeah, I must have missed it.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] I don't remember a midterm. I think it was in the hospital then.

[Assistant] Yeah. So another week of vacation or so, and.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I must have missed, yeah, I must have missed it.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] I don't remember a midterm. I think it was in the hospital then.

[Assistant] Yeah. So another week of vacation or so, and.

[User] And then I flew back on PAL Airlines to, let's see, Bacolod City, right. That was the closest. And then took a bus. And I was so anxious to get back there. I really wanted to get back to see everybody.

[Assistant] Now at that point, you were matching up to the beginning of another school year.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I don't remember a midterm. I think it was in the hospital then.

[Assistant] Yeah. So another week of vacation or so, and.

[User] And then I flew back on PAL Airlines to, let's see, Bacolod City, right. That was the closest. And then took a bus. And I was so anxious to get back there. I really wanted to get back to see everybody.

[Assistant] Now at that point, you were matching up to the beginning of another school year.

[User] Mm hmm. Right.

[Assistant] And now we're in September of '64, I guess.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Or maybe August because there were pre-school conferences and things.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So I knew that I only had 2 or 3 months left.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But I still wanted to get back and do things. And by that time, let's see. The playground had been built, the athletic field had been built. Kids had graduated from school. So I, you know, I didn't know the next crop of the early, you know, the kindergartners or whatever they were. They weren't kindergartners, first graders. And some of the teachers had changed or, you know, and but the same teacher I worked with was still there.

[Assistant] The sixth grade teacher.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I knew that I only had 2 or 3 months left.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] But I still wanted to get back and do things. And by that time, let's see. The playground had been built, the athletic field had been built. Kids had graduated from school. So I, you know, I didn't know the next crop of the early, you know, the kindergartners or whatever they were. They weren't kindergartners, first graders. And some of the teachers had changed or, you know, and but the same teacher I worked with was still there.

[Assistant] The sixth grade teacher.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] But it was a new class.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But I still wanted to get back and do things. And by that time, let's see. The playground had been built, the athletic field had been built. Kids had graduated from school. So I, you know, I didn't know the next crop of the early, you know, the kindergartners or whatever they were. They weren't kindergartners, first graders. And some of the teachers had changed or, you know, and but the same teacher I worked with was still there.

[Assistant] The sixth grade teacher.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] But it was a new class.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] So you got back, and did the mayor?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] But it was a new class.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] So you got back, and did the mayor?

[User] Oh, they were very welcoming to both of us.

[Assistant] Did they know you were coming back?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, they were very welcoming to both of us.

[Assistant] Did they know you were coming back?

[User] Oh, yes. We must have written or called or.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Somehow communicated with them. Oh, in fact we had seen them somehow in Manila to send off one of their other daughters to study in the United States. She was going to study in California. In fact, she visited my parents, one of the older daughters of the mayor. So we saw her off and spend some time with the mayor in Manila during that same time.

[Assistant] How did you communicate such information? I mean, you're in Manila. They're in, back in the village, how did?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Somehow communicated with them. Oh, in fact we had seen them somehow in Manila to send off one of their other daughters to study in the United States. She was going to study in California. In fact, she visited my parents, one of the older daughters of the mayor. So we saw her off and spend some time with the mayor in Manila during that same time.

[Assistant] How did you communicate such information? I mean, you're in Manila. They're in, back in the village, how did?

[User] I think we sent letters. Somehow we kept in communication. I must have sent whole letters to them saying I was in the hospital, I was going to be in Manila at certain times, and they must have sent back, oh, we're going to be there.

[Assistant] Oh, okay.

[User] To send off our, our daughter too. And we arranged to meet there. It must have been that way.

[Assistant] Was it direct telephone service?