Food for thought (literally) - Reflections from a stay in Bohol, Philippines

Author: Julia Prus

I came to Bohol thinking that I would become a noodles expert. The vision of consulting the fried noodles factory seemed like a perfect opportunity to develop a niche talent for blind distinction of different types of this basic carb. 

Well, instead, I learnt everything about ice creams. Too bad that 90% of Hong Kong is lactose intolerant and won’t ever be able to understand my admiration for a great soft serve ice cream, but at least I fulfilled a dream of little Julia that would do A LOT to be able to eat her favourite sweet every day without her parents’ supervision. 

Given my great passion for menu items from the ice cream business that I worked for, let me introduce my three favorite positions and why they play such a crucial role in Jagna’s community.

Photo 1 - menu in the ‘Glace’ soft serve ice cream business that I had a chance to work with

Vanilla soft serve ice cream 

Classic. Sweet. Comforting. 

If Tubod Mar’s community could be one ice cream flavor, that would definitely be vanilla. When I first came to the village, I could sense a great warmth coming from its inhabitants. It was really clear that they were excited about hosting us at their places, showing their local food and culture. My host mum, Christine, deserves a special mention here for always taking care of me and my roommate Michele, cooking THE best Filipino food, and for making us feel like we found a home away from home. I also felt very welcomed in the wider Jagna community - whether on the streets or on the market - people are eager to make connections, exchange experiences, and talk about their life in Jagna. One of my favorite encounters was meeting Robert, a grade 9 student at a local school, who told my business partner and me more about growing up in the Jagna area, what his life is like there, but also about his aspirations and dreams for the future. I was amazed by his entrepreneurial spirit and a clear vision of becoming a civil engineer at only 14 years old. 

Many could argue that I have a lot of these positive interactions because I am a foreigner. That surely plays a role, as people are curious why I even came to this area of Bohol. However, I have had the privilege to travel to many other places in the world before, and very few made me feel as safe and welcomed as Jagna did. I hope I will be able to stay in touch with my host family even after the programme. 

Vanilla, for its typical flavor, also suggests that people follow a certain norm. Living in a small community means that everyone knows each other, and many are even related. That thought made me wonder to what extent, in such a close-knit community, there is room for self-expression and having a different set of values than the majority of the community. This is certainly an aspect of my stay here that I would love to explore more in the upcoming two weeks.  

Photo 2 - First time at Tubod Mar! Meeting our host families. 

Chicken bowl 

Self-explanatory dish that hides a little twist. 

You would think that the name tells you everything. As you keep eating, you suddenly realize the fries hiding at the bottom of the plate. 

I found the fries to my chicken bowl when first reaching out to the business I was initially paired with. Excited, my business partner and I went to the place, but the owner wasn’t there that day. Since we felt very motivated to start our job, we went to the market and asked around about that brand of noodles. That was when we realized that…the business no longer operates. It was certainly difficult at first to realize that this information hadn't been verified before our arrival in Jagna. The initial lack of agency quickly turned into a lesson of being more flexible with plans and more understanding when something goes wrong, especially when working in developing states. I previously had a chance to study in India for two years, and I remember the number of times I was very upset with the school administration for the lack of compliance and constant delays in the work progress. Encountering it again made me realize that this is a difference that we are signing up for when working in developing economies. In the future, I see myself working in the area of international development, so that realization made me learn a lesson for the future, and be aware that with the great impact comes great planning flexibility.  

Photo 3 - my host mum - Christine, and my roommate - Michele 

Ice scramble 

Unique. Refreshing. Surprising. 

Ice scramble is a typical Filipino dish. I had never had it before my first day in the ice cream business. The owner said that it is their bestseller, so I figured that I had to try, and I was amazed at how much I liked it. That was not my only surprise that day. 

Another shock happened in Tubod Mar, when I told my host mum that I am from Poland. It turned out that in the village of 634 residents, there is another Pole living here! Not only did he decide to settle in Tubod Mar, but he also married my host mom’s cousin! 

My compatriot moved here 4 years ago, but he and his wife met back in Poland when they both worked there. I could thus talk in Polish to both of them, and also learn a unique perspective of someone who has a similar cultural background to mine. Dariusz, his wife, Zelyn, and I were sipping coffee with Polish milk while talking about the reality of moving to the Philippines as a foreigner. It turned out that they were not the only interracial couple in the area, and that an American, a Swede, and a Norwegian decided to move to the same area after marrying their Filipino wives. Thus, the topic of relationships between white men and asian women sparked in our conversation. Our wonders about the reasons for the prevalence of such dynamics, whether motivated by economics, cultural preferences, or neocolonial influence, will stay with me for longer and encourage me to further academic exploration. That meeting, though, made me realize that a genuine connection can go beyond continents, languages, or cultures. 

Though this brief culinary travel was never close to Anthony Bourdain’s, I hope it inspired you to try new flavors and dishes, not only in the alimentary sense, but also when it comes to the relationships, communities, and new experiences encountered along the way! Go taste the unexpected!