Life inside the Bataan Economic Zone

So this year I had to come out to the factory solo. The rest of my team will follow me one week later. It's a lot of work to do by my self, stressful and busy, but I do the best I can. The first few days are a struggle to to get the product to turn out the way we want. Banging my head against the wall, I try to communicate in english to Korean and Tagalag speakers. The protos types come slowly. I wake up in the morning (too early) at the factory guest house, and after a shower I go down stairs into the empty dinning hall and head straight for the espresso mechine. After cranking out the strongest Americano I can get the mechine to make, I head out side for a walk. The guest house is located in what used to be a giant Americian Army instilation, mostly housing and entertainment venues ( see last years post for the old movie theater pictures); perched up in a series of smally run off valleys on a jungle mountain side. Most of my walks have been 30 to 40 minute explorations to the ends of streets, and sometimes into the jungle down sketchy trails. One morning as ventured in a new direction, a man on his way to work struk up a conversation with me. Earlier in the week I had noticed an overgrown road with a sign at it's entrance that read "..no unauthorized vehicles...." . I had planned that morning to walk the road and see what was down it. I asked the man, as I was not sure if it was OK for me to walk down, and he said that the road was off limits beacause the area was dangerous. I asked what made it dangerous, and he told me ,."....Cobras and Pythons will kill you..". Needless to say, I changed direction and headed for another road that I had noticed and seemed to be abandoned, but this one was paved. Walking up the street, I was amazed at how much work had gone into the constructiuon of the road, and investment; and wondered what were the cercumstances that allowed the jungle to take it back. Cresting the hill, I was suddenly confronted with a strange concrete building trying to escape the clutches of the green. It turnd out to be an abandon Hotel. Totally mysterous! It was hard to make out the entirity of the hotel complex becasue of the jungle, but I could make out a corner of a building here, and part of a stair way there. I explored for while, but was run off by a barking dog. This sort of experience was becoming a daily experience for me on my morning walks, at times feeling like I was discovering a long lost temple in the south americian jungle. On another day, I inquired about a road I had been trying to find, that I knew wound it's way into the mountains behind the factory. One of the Koreans told me that I should not go to that place because of the people who run away from the government, the rebels and the bandits camp out in the mountain. I begin to feel lucky that I have not been abducted by crazy venom drinking mountain people ( and I am reminded of Deliverence). I later learn from a coworker that grew up and lives in the area, that there are no bandits in the hills, and Cobra and Python den is actually a park that boy scouts and girl scouts camp at.

Jet Lag

the flight over was suprisingly smooth, no delays and shot right through customs/imigration/security/baggage claim to a man waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. I always wanted to be one of those people at the airport that had someone waiting for them. Hot off a 16 hour flight (fuel stop in Guam), and into a 4 hour car ride across the decaying concrete mass that is the sprawl of Manila, through the flooded rice fields, up into the jungle and back down the otherside to where the Death March began in Bataan. One thing's fo sho, the bling chaser of the Scraper set can't hold a candle to the jeepney owner/operators of the Philippines. No sign of Typhoons any where (from the highway). Manila is as huanting as ever at 6am. Grey, grey grey. This place seems to be in a constant state of decay and construction. Concrete can not survive here. This place is madness. It is beautiful. once out of metro manila, the scenery at once changes from grey and sooty rebar prison to massive rice fields, green, green green. We get a flat tire in the middle of no-where, and as the driver and I change the tire nascar style, it gives me a chance to get a better view of the rice farmer working their cows. I fall asleep for a while and when I wake up we are on the rollercoaster of a highway that flows from Subic to Mariveles. The road flows up and down in series of giant swells that ultimately climbs the mountians. At yard sale speed we charge through mountain villages, dodging chickens and motercycle taxis. I arrive at the factory just in time to start mywork day.

the TYPHOON diaries

Ready to launch into another Development trip to Asia; SFO - Manilia - HoChi Minh-SFO. This time I'll be bringing my camera battery recharger and taking too many pic's. I do not expect to have a lot of time to sojourn, but if anyone has ant travel tips for Ho Chi Minh, I would much appreciate it. Next post should be from the road 10/18 or so.

the recipe

ADOBO
Ingredients
8 whole chicken legs (about 4 pounds), cut into drumstick and thigh sections
1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, crushed lightly
1 cup water
3/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions
In a large kettle combine the chicken, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 1 cup water, bring the mixture to a boil, and simmer it, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the soy sauce and simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken with tongs to a plate and boil the liquid for 10 minutes, or until it is reduced to about 1 cup. Let the sauce cool, remove the bay leaves, and skim the fat from the surface.
In a large skillet heat the oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it saute the chicken, patted dry, in batches, turning it, for 5 minutes, or until it is browned well. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed platter, pour the sauce, heated, over it, and serve the chicken with the rice.

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and that completes the adventure. the last few days were a bit crazy, but all in all, a very successful development trip. due to a dead camera battery, there was an absence of photos, but enjoy what i do have, and stay tuned for the next adventure.

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saturday was another long day, more packs, more rice. towards the end of the day, a co-worker and i walked to a local corner store to buy some beer; which ended in a karaoke session. the filipinos love their karaoke. the product are looking good, but we still have a little ways to go. sunday was our day off. our factory hosts took us to a private beach resort, montemar, about an hour away. the drive out there was super sketchy. the concept of "highway" in the philippines is different from that of the US. in the country side, the farmers spread out and dry their rice harvest on the shoulder of the road, which is usually used as a lane for the slow moving motorcycle taxis, bicycles pedestrians, parking, and a spot for randomly standing. but in the "back country" , where there is no shoulder, and only two lanes of paved road, the villagers will take up an entire lane with rice, which sometimes get driven through in the event of a game a chicken with an oncoming buss.monsoon rains when we got there, but cleared up. the snorkeling right off the beach was cool, but later in the day we hired a traditional Filipino fishing boat to take us snorkeling out a reef. it was like being in a tropical fish tank. wait a minute, i WAS in a giant tropical fish tank (the south china sea). i don't know the names on many on the fish i saw, but i did see angel fish, parrot fish, neon colored fish that seemed to glow, crazy star fishes, beautiful corals of all shapes, colors and sizes. it was awesome. when we got back to the beach, baby sea turtles were hatching out of the sand and making a break for the sea...pretty cool sight. i got a nice break from kimchee, rice and boot soup on sunday. now it's back at the factory.