Project MA2WA Embarks

So... hi guys, I'm still alive! It's been a good 3 months since I've blogged-- and I sincerely apologise because I've been utterly swamped! Since April, I've mugged for my exams, finished my exams, started the first Summer vacation of my life, met up with XXX friends, been to XXX places, eaten XXX things, flown to the Philippines, seen XXX new things, been to precamp, been to Arts Camp 2014, editted XXX photos, packed my bag to leave on 5 separate occasions, and now here we are!

My Summer has been packed to the brim with non-stop activity, but Project MA2WA was the first significant stop of my vacation. Project MA2WA was a Youth Expedition Project organised by the Rotaract Club of NUS. We flew to Bago City in the Philippines for 17 days to plant mangroves, do coastal cleanups, do construction and painting of toilets for schools and carry out environmental programmes.

I love that moment of renewed excitement for life when you step out through the airport doors and take your first breath of air in a foreign country. The air is always different-- even if almost imperceptibly so. Philippines was definitely a breath of fresh air for me. It was my first time there and it was so different to all that I had known for the past 20 years of my existence. In Bago City, the wide expanses of dense, tall grass stretched as far as the eye could see. The sun was harsh because there weren't any buildings to block it out (explains why I'm 4 shades darker) and air-conditioning was very hard to come by. We perspired profusely and after the first few days, we simply became resigned to living with the uncomfortable sheen of perspiration and shirts that were perpetually soaked in sweat.

The first 2 days were devoted to settling down and exploring Bago's history, while also waking up at 5am to head to the mangroves before high tide set in. It was quite sad to discover that the mortality rate of mangroves was extremely high, thanks to barnacle growth & trash flowing in from other oceans. SO much effort required to care for 1 baby mangrove yet it so often goes to waste.

We also headed to the Eco Centre to learn more about the Takakura Composting method which was really interesting.

The highlight of day 2 was finally getting to interact with more locals. We conducted a feeding programme at an elementary school and the children were just adorable. They took a short while to warm up to us and after that, it was just fun and laughter. The language barrier was undeniably a challenge, but I'm glad we managed to overcome it. I learnt some Tagalog phrases, and I must say.... my Pinoy accent is pretty believable.