Desensitization

When you first travel to a developing country from the US, you tend to notice everything that's different - from the people to the language to the absence of toilet paper in squat restrooms to the free-range chickens and goats roaming the roads. It's part of the culture shock, but also part of the intrigue that keeps you going in global health when you first start working in the field. You tend to seek out what's different.

After having lived in a few developing countries now though, the initial culture shock that I get fades away pretty fast. So the things that now seem "normal" to me, are the things that I forget to write about. But you might still find them interesting, so here are some of my top shocks, now absorbed:

• Books: Just like new clothes, new books are ridiculously expensive. The average Tanzanian lives on less than $2 a day, and a new book is at least $10. There are only a handful of bookstores in Dar (see: A Novel Idea), and if you're coming from a big US city, these stores will look like shoe-boxes. But hey, they carry NYTimes Bestsellers!
• Energy: Like India, Tanzania suffers from a power crisis. Unlike the Philippines, they do not call them brownouts or blackouts [obviously]. We have "power outages" everyday. So you either freeze where you are until a generator kicks on (if you're lucky), or you go find a candle.
• Switches at every outlet / electrical socket: When I first moved into my living space, I didn't know how to turn my stove / hotplate on in the kitchen. I thought I was turning the knobs and pressing the button correctly, but I couldn't get the gas to ignite. So I had to call for help. When my savior came with a match (thinking that was the problem), he looked at me, and then he looked at the switches on the wall. He looked at me again, and then he flipped the switch that corresponded to the stove. He shook his head and then left.
• The absence of bathroom vents: It's not very common to see bathroom vents like you see in most suburban American homes. Although I've lived in a few old NY apartments that didn't have bathroom vents other than windows, I still think they can be very helpful. [Not for me, of course, but for others...]
• Water heaters and switches: Yes, there is an "on" switch for this too. You have to turn it on at least a few minutes before you get into the shower. It gets added into your daily routine, along with opening up windows, if you don't have a bathroom with a vent. 
• Always having to consume bottled water: It's a different situation when you're forced to drink only bottled water because you could contract an illness from regular tap water. You get used to it because you have to do it; and you slowly forget about how many plastic bottles you're throwing into the ocean. But then you think, "Well, I could save my conscience from this next plastic bottle by ordering a soda which comes in a glass bottle that will be recycled here." [Yes, they still use old fashioned, refillable glass bottles.] But that's how you start to consume more calories than you planned, which isn't good because -
• Gyms are for the wealthy: If your hotel doesn't have one, good luck trying to find a spacious facility that's reasonably priced, has a working AC, and offers machines that won't squeak or break down within a few minutes. Well hello there, spare tire...
• Stoney Tangawizi: It seemed so foreign at first sip - it's so gingery. But it's so good that I'll save a few plastic bottles here and there for this ginger ale and I won't mind the spare tire.
• Dudes whipping bulls on the roadside: That's right. In Zanzibar, just like in provincial areas of the Philippines (or any rural Asian area, for that matter), many farmers have male cows or yaks or the like that haul carts of stuff for them. To keep them in line and going at a normal walking pace, they [lightly] whip the animals.
• Giant bugs, house lizards, and other creepy crawlies: You may shriek at first, but they happen to live in your space too. So far, I've doused 2 giant roaches in mist that will float them up to heaven.
• Internet streaming: Even at the hotel with my really awesome wireless connection, I'm lucky to be able to stream a YouTube video or iTunes song in real-time. Welcome back to my life, patience.
• People sweating: It had to be said. We've become overly disgusted and overly conscious of our natural sweat in the US. When you're abroad, especially in a tropical/humid climate, everyone sweats and no one really notices...Until you're in close quarters - like on a jam-packed bus, everyone sweats on everyone else. Then you get out of the bus and dirt immediately sticks to you. You have to go about your normal day until you can get home and shower. 
• An overabundance of stray cats...and flies: Okay so I'm not entirely desensitized to these because I can't stand them...but they don't seem as bothersome as before. Now when I watch a commercial of a poor, dirty, sweaty kid on TV surrounded by flies or stray cats in Asia or Africa, I can think - ooo...I looked like her once! 

(A few credits - MH & TB for helping me remember a few of these :))

Explaining "purpose"

Not too long ago, Dr. Orin Levine published an article in the Huffington Post entitled, “Uncommon Rewards.” The article was inspired by a comment that Dr. Levine received from a flight attendant: “Global health? You must find your work so rewarding!”

Although I don’t have as many years of experience and I’m not even remotely close to the title Executive Director (of the International Vaccine Access Center, nonetheless) like Dr. Levine, I do seem to get this similar reaction from people when I share what I do with them. And although I can’t give you first-hand insight on things like the debut of pneumonia vaccines, Advance Market Commitments, or the GAVI Alliance (not just yet in this stage of my career, at least), I can give you first-hand accounts of what it’s like to be a peon (let’s be real here) trying to make these sorts of things happen where they’re needed the most. Sure it's rewarding and exciting. But it’s also challenging, fun, emotional, taxing, fulfilling, hopeless and hopeful all at the same time.

“Travel for work? That’s really interesting.” Even though I’m just at the beginning of my career, I’ve found that other people see global health and development with swimming goggles on – it’s strangely intriguing. I’m not sure if this is the product of globalization or just massive unrest with employment, or unemployment, but I get a lot of these follow-up questions: “How do you live in third world countries?,” “what exactly do you do there?,” “what do you generally eat then (especially when you’re in Africa)?,” and, “how do you maintain a social/personal life?” 

The simple answer is: you make it work. 

The complicated answer is: stay tuned to see how…(because sometimes it does work, and sometimes it just doesn’t).

The End, and a New Beginning

I've circled the world and I've met a lot of people so far on this trip - people of all ages, races, customs, religions, hair color, eye color, whatever have you. It's been quite a fantastic experience being able to glimpse into the lives and perspectives of such a variety of individuals and cultures.

One thing that I am quite happy to have discovered (or maybe just confirmed) on this trip is that there are still a lot of good people in the world. The media sometimes makes it seem as though there are horrors waiting for us outside our front doors - and of course, safety is always something that I have been aware that I need to keep in check. That's something that shouldn't be compromised, so I still carry mace around with me. Growing up as a first generation Asian American, there are a lot of cultural sensitivities to safety and discrimination that I have engrained into the back of my mind too...just a tad bit more than "stranger danger." So being able to dispel some of these notions has been quite uplifting. There is an innate good in humankind. And there are more things that bring us together, make us similar people across these continents, than what makes us different. You can feel it within the vibes of many people. You can see it in their smiles. You can feel it within their handshakes.

The spirit of the humankind in its most raw form is one that is transformative. It is founded upon something mysteriously divine, encircled with love, and has the power to affect others - whether its a simple demeanor change, an entire career change, or a total life choice change. It's a common denominator, yet we view it just as we do beauty - in the eye of the beholder.

This thing about "finding you," or really, "finding me" has become another interesting matter that I've pondered more than several times throughout my trip (hey, what else am I supposed to do through all of the transit times I've had?). One of the reasons I wanted to go on this around the world trip was to get back to my roots and find "me." I've realized that I'm a first generation Asian American who is navigating between the push and pull of opposite cultures - someone who is still figuring out where I am on all of the sliding scales of life. But I've also discovered ways to embrace my history, my accomplishments, my independence, and the strength and confidence I have as a  Filipina. I know that I still have a lot of potential ahead, but I've figured out that I don't need to search far and wide. I can keep my feet on the ground and run at the best, steady pace that I can. I don't need to win the race, in fact, I don't even need to be on the same course as anyone else. I just need to make sure that every step on this journey counts.

Peace, Love, and Wanderlust.

The Food Meter

Food. An extremely important character-building reference of a culture. I tried to make sure that I had "native" or "known" foods in each major city that I went to (without gaining 100 pounds), and have decided to commemorate their savory deliciousness with a meter of praise.

Here they are, best to worst (well not exactly "worst" but just, "I might not eat it again if I don't have to):

the Big Rig pasta and Pizzookie - Oregano's (Phoenix)

Fresh mangoes - almost anywhere (Manila)

Dad's home cooked food - Home (Manila)

GELATO - almost anywhere (Rome, Cinque Terre)

Chocolate Chip Cookies & Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies - Paradise Bakery (Phoenix)

Macaroons - Lauderee (Paris)

Pesto & Gnocchi, Mussels - Ciak (Cinque Terre)

Pasta - practically anywhere (Cinque Terre)

Mozzarella (in Caprese salad) & Bufalo mozzarella- almost anywhere (Rome)

Grilled Prawns with dipping sauces - Theo's (Cape Town)

Carpaccio with arugula - Max's home cooked food (Rome)

Lime sorbet (after dinner dessert) - the pizza place down the street from Max & Chato's (Rome)

Really creamy ice cream - somewhere in Bath (Bath)

Pork & apple sausage - the fine sausage shop that I can't remember the name of (Bath) [with Kara's couscous, of course]

Zimbabwean Chicken - Mama Africa (Cape Town)

Pizza - almost anywhere (Cinque Terre)

Mango Bravo cake - Conti's (Manila)

Grilled Calamari - Ocean Basket (Cape Town)

Lobster Spaghetti - the restaurant with the star lanterns (Cinque Terre)

Chocolate Soufle - Vin & Maree (Paris)

Prawn Curry - Bo Kaap Koumbis (Cape Town)

Banana crunch cake - Red Ribbon (Manila)

Cappuccini - almost anywhere (Rome)

Macaroons  - Pierre Hermes (Paris)

Hummus - Hotel Intercontinental (Dubai)

Hotel buffet breakfast - Hotel Margherita (Cinque Terre)

Cheese Grillers - Finest Sausage stall in St. George's Square (Cape Town)

Creme Brulee - the Amelie Restaurant (Paris)

Boerewors - street stalls (Cape Town)

Malva Pudding - Bo Kaap Koumbis (Cape Town)

Sourdough Bread Bowl with Clam Chowder (San Francisco)

Tacos -- Mexican Food almost anywhere (Phoenix)

Frosty (Friday's) - Wendy's (Phoenix)

Fish & chips - practically anywhere (London)

Cream tea & scones with salted butter and jam (Bath)

Chicken pasty - most snack shops and Cornwall's (London)

Escargot - Vin & Maree (Paris)

Limoncello - almost anywhere (Cinque Terre)

Never go jeans shopping on vacation

Never. Well, unless you've soiled your only pair of jeans on your trip. Shopping for the right pair of jeans is a pretty interesting challenge in itself, but adding on the trouble of figuring out your size in a foreign country while converting the currency rate, in addition to realizing just how many vacation pounds you've packed on during your holiday (while there is a great Benetton sale that you want to try to make the most out of but just can't) is depressing.

Note to self: stick with dresses.

Transit Notes

Backtracking a little....The commute from Parma to Paris - London St. Pancreas - London Paddington - Bristol...

Parma to Paris was just awful. We took the night train which left at almost midnight, due to arrive in Paris around 915am. The air-conditioners weren't working, I was fighting clausterphobia in the humid and rancid-BO stinking cabin, and we arrived in Paris 2 hours late (without explanation...or maybe there was one, but I didn't understand it because it was in French). I know I blogged a little bit about this already before but I am repeating it to make a point.

In Paris, I showed up at the terminal, at the Eurostar counter, to collect my pre-purchased ticket from Paris to London. I asked if I could just get a train ticket from London to Bristol, and the Eurostar agent happily told me yes. So she gave me an insanely expensive roundtrip ticket -- which I just paid for because I didn't want to lug my bags around from train to tube to bus to bus. So I enjoyed the Paris to London trip because the three hour Eurostar ride was quite nice. They even serve you a gourmet meal complete with balsamic oil and vinegar as well as alcoholic beverages in recyclable bottles. It was better than airplane meals.

London St. Pancreas to London Paddington was fine -- I figured out the tube (subway) okay with a bit of information desk help. But then London Paddington to Bristol was weird. I found my train okay - after I was told that it was leaving in 2 minutes and I sprinted to catch it, I took whatever seat I could find on the car that the conductor scooted me into. Halfway into the ride when tickets were being checked, I was told I was on the wrong car. I was actually carrying a first class ticket (no wonder they were so expensive!)...so I got moved to first class. It wasn't worth it because it was only half the ride there. It was like I paid 50 pounds for a bottle of water and a newspaper. So I am crossing my fingers that SNCF will refund me for my unused return ticket - because I bought a MUCH cheaper one instead.