Quick Report Back

My stay in Lubuagen, Kalinga, was extraordinary! I was blessed to stay with Mr. Cirilio Bawer, who is my new Kalinga friend. He was quite busy preparing for the Centennial of the founding of the Provincial Gov't here & I am very tempted to return for this historic event on August 18th. I visited numerous Kalinga weavers, an elder rattan weaver, a flutemaker and even the rice terrace for field preparations, where I ate & rested while the farmers worked the land...(UNFORTUNATELY, THIS CITY GIRL IS OUT OF SHAPE--SLIPPING & SLIDING ON THE MOUNTAIN TRAILS, WHILE DRAGGING ALONG ALL THE OTHER MOUNTAIN FOLK). The Kalinga are gracious & giving--I received many gifts from them along with a handmade flute which I'll have to learn how to play...tried Kalinga embroidery on the traditional cloth, but was very slow & quite sloppy, especially compared to the 15 year old who was attempting to teach me.

Traveling with Ruel Bimuyag, Ifugao Photographer, and his Kalinga wife, Irene, has been one of the greatest treasures in my life. I am in the midst of cultural bearers who are able to traverse between traditional life in the Cordillera Mountains and modern life in the cities of Baguio, Manila & countries beyond. Meeting the father of Irene is one of my greatest honors in life--a humble man, yet the wisest of teachers, who has given me a glimpse of Kalinga life and the struggles of passing on the Kalinga way of life. I wanted to record every word he uttered so I could remember the wisdom of it, what sticks now is: we must learn to balance everything... & also >>> TO LIVE ONE DAY AT A TIME... something I'd already known, but in the context of the Kalinga, who stopped the building of the Chico River Dam, the meaning has become much more important to me. His family is wonderful...cooking for me each day & so humble--all beautiful from his wife Maria to each of the children. I felt completely at home.

This Sunday we took the bus from Lubuagen to Bontoc, Mt. Province for a quick visit to Bontoc Museum & then on to Sagada, where I am now staying in the house of Villia--a beautiful home on the edge of the cliff overlooking a magical canyon surrounded by mountains from which I am just now watching the Typhoon pass through--mist like, wave after wave of rainfall. We had a great meal-especially her rhubarb pie (yummy-can't just have one piece!) Earlier today I had a pottery workshop with Siegrid here in the Sagada Pottery Studio & was slightly more successful today than yesterday's session with Manong Jessie on hand building.

We leave for Banaue on Thursday--Ifugao territory...yet another adventure.