Contribution Trip Notes - Transformation of Philippines Expanding

{Pictures to follow}
Dropping into the Philippines Landmark Education office/ after being away for 2 years I notice something has shifted. There is an abundance of new assistance all busy preparing production supplies or computer lists or phoning. And there is an air of intentionality and ownership that I do not remember before.


My friend Aljor Perras, the Center Manager & Registration Manager & ILP Weekend Leader & Seminar Leader, greets me and we catch-up quickly. Soon I'm assisting in my old familiar role, making Registration Fulfillment calls to complete participants Landmark Forum Information Forms & Hello Calls.

Transformation is alive & real here in Philippines. This is the Largest Landmark Forum (LF) in the Philippines! Turns out to be 184 participants starting on Friday July 20, 2007. And they have a LF scheduled for Cebu in October. Cebu is the 2nd largest city & in another part of the country.

And Aljor is not doing it all. There is Mylene as Course Supervisor with an abundance of CSA(s). Gids as Production Supervisor with several PSA(s). Lianne has has taken over Registration Fulfillment from Miguel as he does production. So many new faces as Iintroduction Leaders & Introduction Leader Program participants and assistants. Turns out there is 2 Introduction Leaders Programs running concurrently here.

I listen to one woman's "too busy" concern and acknowledge her commitment to the love & relationship with her daughter. And tell her it is the too busy conversation that she honors instead of promises to her daughter that is her barrier to experiencing the success she desires as a mother. She calls me back to thank me for our conversation and confirm her attendance at LF. She did in fact attend the LF and even put her name tag in the Interested in Assisting basket at the end of the weekend. Best of all was seeing her hugging & crying with her daughter on Sunday night, Day 3 of her LF.

Other highlights:

• Zeline De Leon assists again in Registration Fulfillment/ Admin with me. Another of the original heroes from 1st LF.
• Insights on discounting my contribution. A participant drops out during Day 2 of LF. I see that I failed to have him complete his LF Information Form so he had nothing at stake. I start to blame myself. Then I interrupt this and see that I'm discounting the 45 others that I DID complete their Information Forms and/or their Hello Calls so they were powerfully set-up to attend & complete their LF. From this I see that taking on an Accountability in playing a big game includes that risks of failure, and the the joy of success resulting in full Aliveness in living a life of contribution.
• LF Evening Session (LFES) has 531 guests. This is a major breakthrough for the Philippines.
• The LFES is attended by Emelia Marcos the former President's widow.
• The LF In Action Seminar has 97 people registered so it will be the largest Landmark 10 session Seminar series here in Philippines to date.
• Day 1 create All is Well and Day 1 normal kaos & "I'm too small" fear with my Registration Fulfillment Accountabilty goes amazingly smooth.
  
• Day 2 I create being Generous and have inspiring interaction with 3 street kids giving them Happy Meals, which they take home to families.
  
• Day 3 to LFES I take on Being Peacful & Enrolling. See how much I make things & people wrong. Practice giving up that and allowing peace to arise. Wonderfull complement to Being Enrolling as is allows me to really listen & get in other people's world.
• Coming FULL CIRCLE, the LF Leader was Poorani who I assisted at her LF here in Jan 2003, and with her as she Lead a LF in Orlando earlier this year.
  

[More story(s) to follow.]

Lembongan - Snorkel boat trips

Seems everyone has a side business selling snorkeling trips here on Nusa Lembongan. Buying bottled water at a small shop behind my bungalow the shop owner says he has 4 people already lined-up if I go it will be only 50,000 Rp ($6US). I agree to go, as this is a bargain compared to the normal rate of 75,000 Rp.

Next day at 10am the two couples and I wade thru the shallow lagoon water in front of Agung Bungalows and climb into our wooden outrigger motorboat and off we go. The shop owner, turned Captain, informs us that we can climb up on the roof if we want which I do to enjoy the view & avoid the sea spray.

This is the standard tourist snorkel trip: 1st stop is Nusa Penida for a drift snorkel along part of the wall and onto the reef flat in front of the village of the same name, Toypeka. Nice corals & cooler clear water. Mostly small reef fish but I spot a large triggerfish.

I point out a banded sea snake to the other tourists and one woman, named Asia, gives me her underwater camera for me to free dive down and photograph which I do including a picture of my finger on the snake as its head is safely in a coral crevice.

It was off this wall in 2003 when I free dived down about 50 feet to visit my scuba friends and saw a giant Mola-Mola (Oceanic Sunfish) that was about 3 meters long & high (10 feet). This deep-sea fish was probably 1200 lbs and came up to the wall to be cleaned by cleaner fish and to be petted by the dive master.

We start talking and begin a relationship that lasts for our stay on the island. Asia & Rich are Aussies with great stories of Darwin & Northern Territories. Chris a Canadian working in Australia and Ashley an Englishwoman, are the other couple.

Next stop Mangrove. This is a shelf reef area just outside the channel entrance to the mangrove estuary that covers the NW corner of the Lembongan. Nice easy reef with good coral and less current than Nusa Penida. Some sweet lips and Angelfish but all the fish are skittish here due to spear fishing.
We enjoy the wonderful views of the island and ocean on way back to our starting point. I get some good photos of where I’m staying at Tarci Bungalows and nearby Agung Bungalows.

Contribution & Adventure Trip Notes - Nothing is possible, and not difficult

I awoke this morning and realized it is Sunday. And 1 week from Day 3, Sunday, of a Landmark Forum in the Philippines. This week will be the 5th time that I will assist full time at a LF in the Philippines.

So when looking for a Context for today what came to me was "Nothing". Not your ordinary nothing, as in "what are you doing? Oh, nothing" meaning not anything particularly noteworthy. This Nothing is very noteworthy. It is the Nothing that allows for anything to arise and be possible in reality right now. The enlightened Nothing that all participants in the Landmark Forum experience on Sunday, Day 3 of their Landmark Forum.

But what I immediately had to deal with was my resistance to, or avoidance of Nothing. My inner voice said "oh Nothing is too hard, too significant, too big a thing to be in all day. You can't do that". So I told self "you've been in Nothing before, you can do it again". Then I noticed a fortune cookie fortune from the day before that had fallen onto the floor next to my bed. Picking it up I read it. It said," Nothing is impossible, only difficult". I corrected it to read:

"Nothing is impossible , or difficult". What I meant it to read is: Nothing is possible, and not difficult.

Then went out for my day. Wanted to fix my sandal so ask hotel manager lady where I can fix it (rather than I already know at the local market there should be a shoe repair guy). She directed me to Mr. Quickie shoe repair at a large shopping mall where I'm now posting this. The girls at Mr. Quickie (interestingly no men work at Mr. Quickie) loaned me a pair of chinellas (flip flops) while they quickly repaired my sandal.

Then I read my email. I got an email from June Paley a Landmark Introduction Leaders Program Weekend Leader. She has been coaching me by email. In part of her email in assisting me with an ongoing inquiry she asks me, "what are you committed to?" I had several immediate reactions or thoughts but still came up with "I don't know". This was immediately followed by "and I should know". I replied to her saying I would keep looking for what I'm committed to.

10 seconds later, the next email I read led me to a transformational essay by Laurence Platt on Living in I don't know:
http://laurenceplatt.home.att.net/wernererhard/livingin.html

Reading that inspiring essay I get the automatic & inauthentic phenomenon of the "and I should know" that follows my "I don't know". Then I'm suddenly free with my "I don't know" and I'm moved to tears by the experience of living life as an inquiry; just being with and bringing Nothing to "I don't know" allows for life to naturally and easily unfold. A profound access to Contribution and Adventure.

And an expression, or manifestation of the context of Nothing...

James Traveling from Bali to Philippines via KL

Flying tonight on Air Asia from Bali to Kuala Lumpur Malasia for overnight at airport. Then morning flt to Philippines.

Assisting at LF next week in Manila area.

Salamat Tingal Bali, Bye Bali. Sampai Jumpa, see you later.

Nusa Lembongan – Snorkeling & Deep Conversations

Went snorkeling with 2 couples and became good friends sharing meals & trips & late night conversations about life.

Chris is quite enlightened and interested in taking the Landmark Forum. Rich is an "Observer" and enjoyed starting and listening to our inquires about life & happiness. Asia has the underwater camera. Ashley(?) was good listener and sport.

More details later...

Nusa Lembongan – Being a Local

Asked Mrs Argus to assist me to dress-up in my traditional Bali ceremony outfit. She referred me to Belong, a local man hanging out with us at the Argus Shipwreck Bar & Restraunt. He quickly wrapped me in the two sarongs, purple sash, and udong (head band).

The other westerners asked me where & why I had this outfit and eventually I got around to sharing how I had inventing Being a Local. Thus I experience a relatedness and ability to contribute & be contributed to no matter where I am. Robert, an Australian tarzan look alike, gave me a ride to the village temple/ dance area on his way to watch a Rugby match at the islands only sports bar.

I arrived and like the other tourists was taking pictures over the temple wall of the islanders gathering for the Kuluningan Ceremony.

“Come with me” I hear a strong confident voice say. Turning, I see a smartly dressed middle aged villager motioning for me to follow him. I think, oh of course, I’m a local. So without saying anything I follow him around the wall, over the steps, and sit down next to him in the dirt inside the temple among the couple hundred villagers. I follow his example & adjust my sitting to the cross-leg position like all the other men of the village.

He introduces himself as “Ricky”. Then answers questions to the other villagers in Balenese. I imagine their dialog like: Villagers- “why did you bring this guy in here?”, Ricky- “he has proper dress like a local so is entitled to be here”. That settled, the village men & women surrounding me smile at me and settle in to looking forward or talking. Just like that I’m accepted as a local.

A woman with a fussing infant moves from the crowd to sit on the entrance step right behind me. The cute little kid proceeds to playfully push on my back with his feet. I occationally bump the knee of the guy just behind Ricky. I try not to stare at the cute young woman with her mother just to my front left. Mostly the women are in family groups on the left and men on the right.

The music & ceremony begins and Ricky gives me flower pettles & instructions for praying. “Use flower not 1st time but on 2nd & 3rd & 4th”, says Ricky. He seems unsure about the 5th time and starts to ask another man, but the music pauses to signal its time to pray. Up go the hands together and then to the forehead and back down. Ok that’s 1st time. Now 2nd time and I see the flowers pressed between the fingertips going up and rush to put my pettles in place; “Put flower in hair”, instructs Ricky after hands come down; so I stuff my yellow pettle in back of headband like the guys ahead of me. 3rd & 4th time again with quick prayer and stuffing flowers in hair. Seems like no flower for last cycle; just as well as I’m out.
[Pictures later]

Then comes the blessing holy water. As the priests & priestesses wade thru the sitting people they are springling drops and then pouring water on people. More instructions from wise Ricky, “hold hands like this”, as he demonstrates a cupped right hand on top of left hand. “Drink 3 times then put rest on head”, he continues. He skipped the part about raised palms on knees to accept the sprinkles. Proably too opvious to explain.

The priests cames and did whole blessing of a group of 3 women in front of us and then it was our turn. The sprinkles, I had to adjust from cupped palm to accept sprinkles properly then back to my cupped position and dripple, sip, dripple, sip, dripple, sip as we were holy watered like 3 potted plants.

Then I almost did a big fopaw. Immediately following the holy watering a silver bowl with yellow rice grains was presented to us. Hands went in to get their share to stick on foreheads & necks. I instinctly reached with my hand and stopped myself just as Ricky started to say something to me. I lowered my unclean left hand and reached into the bowl with my right hand. A collective sigh arouse around me followed by the unspoken, “I told you so not to have stupid westerner in here”. Surviving this near disaster the ceremony continued until all were holy watered & rice adorned.

Then it was over. Ricky, I & the back row hurried out to make way for the crowd exiting the inner temple. Ricky explained that he brought me inside because I had proper attire. He pointed out his house nearby and suggested I get a good spot to photograph the following dances.

Then we parted. And I was back in the mists of tourists. But somehow I was now also I part of the local community. There seemed to me the villagers didn’t look at me like they did to the tourists there. I talked with some other villages and they related to me like a local.
Invent a possibility, share it, and be it. Then it becomes real in the world.

Nusa Lembongan – Beach Kung Fu

Stopping at a local beachside Warung for lunch I got to talking with a village man. Turns out he is owner & instructor for Lembongan island Kung Fu martial arts and volleyball schools. I knew volleyball is big on the island as there are many volleyball nets set-up around the island. But I never thought about martial arts on a small island.

Soon a couple young boys in black kung fu outfits appeared. One boy is so peaceful & quiet until I try to photograph him. Then he is all smiles & joyful. He & his friends display & enjoy getting their photos taken.

The Kung Fu Master informs me that “only 40“ are going to Bali next week for a competition. There are more than 40 students on this small island! Gee then probably ¼ of the island has some martial arts training. I guess they don’t worry about terrorists here.

Later I get photos of the whole school practicing their forms on the beach at sunset. There are boys, girls, and adult men with varying belt colors.
Wow, kind of like a Karate Kid movie!

Nusa Lembongan – Manta Point

Flying along underwater just an inch off the back of the giant Manta Ray I thought, “I can fulfill a fantasy”, so I reached ahead and grabed the firm rubbery upper edge of his wide open mouth. But reality instantly ended my fantasy. Upon feeling my touch the Manta accelerated with such power & quickness that I knew I could never hold on. As he shoot ahead I saw that he was trailing a long string or fishing line from his left wing. A sense of shame came over me for being so rude & selfish with the poor trusting Manta. I apologized thru my snorkel hoping that I did not chase him away from his needed visit to the cleaning station here at Manta Point of Nusa Penida.

This was one of more than 8 Manta Rays that I and many scuba divers observed at very close range. I say more than eight because the low visibility limited my range of vision so I could only count 8 in my vision at one time. But I am sure there were several others just beyond the 9 meter (30 foot) visibility. The low visibility was due to dark clouds, strong surge currents & sand sediment from large ocean swells crashing on the nearby rocky shore.

The Dive Master knew right where the Mantas were. I just followed the diver’s bubbles until we reached the “big rocks” he had told us about. I was beginning to doubt that I could see them in the low visibility, but then told myself “I think it must be pretty hard to miss a big Manta ray even in these conditions.” Then, like on cue, a big dark shape glided in below me. My 1st gaint Manta Ray glided less than 2 meters under me then up around & over a big rock mound near the surface.

I followed the Manta to the top of the rock mound and soon was surrounded by a squadron of silent sea gilders. They ranged in size from some smaller 1.5 meter (4 foot), some medium 2 meter (6-7 foot), and couple really big ones 2.5 – 3 meter (9-12 foot). They glided over the rock one or two at a time. Once over the top of the coral encrusted rock they would flare open their mouth & gills to allow the smaller wrasse fish to come in to pick off parasites or algae or whatever else cleaner fish do. Occasionally a fish would bite too much and the large animal would twitch & flip a wing tip to accelerate leaving the little biter. Their funnel flaps where usually twisty curled but occasionally during cleaning they would be out in feeding position on either side of the wide mouth.

They had individual white markings or in the case of one large dark Manta almost no markings. So they were easy to identify by size and markings.

My line trailing Manta returned to get cleaning and even seemed to offer me another opportunity to swim with him. I was out of breath from a recent dive & having trouble with the strong surge so gladly thanked him without following.

Other fun behavior the Mantas exhibited including rising up at approaching another Manta then turning aside to just barely miss colliding; like two macho guys bumping chests. They swam with very little effort. Small flaps of the wing tips was more than I could do with vigorous kicking of my swim fins. I noticed that sand had settled on most of their backs proably from the sandy water in this small cove. I swept some sand off training edge of one large Manta’s back and felt small stiff hair bristles there.

As the morning progressed, more & more SCUBA divers surrounded the floor of the rock mound. Rather than fleeing to open water it seemed that the Manta’s out smarted the divers by hovering closer to the shallow shore break, right in the foamy water just a couple meters from the shore. Except for the heavy surge making it difficult to manuver, this was great for me as 6 or 8 Mantas would be surrounding me right at the surface.

Once in position alongside or just behind a Manta I could slip over to just behind him and kicking swim up into his draft. Then with arms out stretched ahead I could just glide along like one of the small cleaner fish for as long as my breath would hold.

My cavorting with the Mantas was abruptly ended by a tug on my swim fin. The Dive Master let go of my fin & signaled me to swim back to the boat. There all the divers, out of air, were already waiting for me. Time had stood still. More than an hour had pasted and it seemed like only a few minutes.

Next stop Crystal Cove. There I had good time snorkeling the clear water & good coral, dodging many small jelly fish & large dive boats, exploring the nice beach, and viewing the topless Balanese woman doing laundry in the fresh water river flowing into the sea.

The SCUBA divers on my boat had a very lucky day as they encountered & photographed 2 large Mola-Mola (Oceanic Sunfish) along the deep wall at the edge of Crystal Bay. They showed me the pictures & said the fish was at least 2 meters tall. I had encountered a 3 meter fish myself on my previous trip in 2003, so knew how excited they were.

Still Crystal Bay was anti-climatic for me. Flying with the many large Manta Rays at Manta Point is one of the most outstanding Adventures of my extensive underwater life; and surely one of the great Adventures of my 2007 Contribution Adventure World Tour.


Side Bar – Recommended Dive Operator is Drift Dive, located on Lembongan Island at the beach in the main village. Contact staff members Ketut or Kadek at 036624495. They have a fully equipped dive shop and fast fiberglass boat with capacity to carry eight or more SCUBA tanks. Trip included simple lunch (Nasi Goreng or Mie Goreng) and bottled water. Cost for snorkeler when have 2 or more divers is 150,000 Rp ($18). Divers pay about 700,000 Rp ($80) for two dives. Other area dives are less because it is a long 45 minute trip to Manta Point from Nusa Lembongan compared to 15 minutes to most other Nusa Penida sites. Other dive operators from Bali offer this trip too but will be more expensive or a much larger group as they travel much farther.

Nusa Lembongan – Tarci Bungalows & Agus Shipwreck Bar

Arriving at Tarci Bungalows on Nusa Lembongan I’m warmly welcomed by the staff & Mrs. Agus with my old finger shake. I’m embarrassed on two counts. First I don’t immediately remember them yet they remember me. Second, I had quit & forgotten about my finger shake habit, and in fact been advised to quit it by several leaders whom I admired. So here was a piece of my less mature past still alive here. On this remote island came real evidence that who I am is a result of enrolling others so that they have that listening of me.

My Bungalow is #1 with great view of ocean, beach, & restaurant from the 2nd story balcony. In the day the dark rectangles indicate the seaweed staked out in the lagoon. The shallow reef edge separated the seaweed farms from the crashing surf. At twilight & into the night farmers & wading fishermen create a peaceful romantic setting as their lanterns drift about on the calm lagoon.

The attached Agus Restaurant and Bar is main hangout for the local characters associated with this family beachside establishment.

“But why?” jokes Ming, Kiwi middle-aged surfer that settles here for much of the year. He also sky fishes with a kite and fishing rod.

“We were playing for small Bintang”, states Mark, losing another chest game against a Lembongan islander. He is an Aussie middle-aged surfer Johnny Weissmueler look a like.

“Hey, good morning-g”, Mrs. Agus cheerfully greets me.

“Fruit salad only, papaya & banana with no pineapple”, says Komang Ace headwaiter & excellent customer service staff guy. The staff all know my breakfast routine. My dinner is usually grilled tuna, salad, sautéed vegetables followed by more fruit salad.

The staff all have other side jobs or family responsibilities. One waiter, Wayan Samba, also was a boat captain on one of my snorkel trips, and helps his parents with their seaweed farming. Made Grobag hangs about always ready to joke with guests or locals.

This place is like home for me. Owners, staff, & regulars treat me like family. Snorkeling & diving around the island is excellent. Can affordably rent bicycle, motorbike, or kayak. And world-class manta ray & Mola-Mola encounters are readily available. Great views, great food, great company in relaxed beach environment. My total for 11 days of bungalow, breakfasts, & dinners is 1.9 million Rp, which is about $220. But then I got the family discount…

Sneek Peek - Nusa Lembongan

Some quick pics from this Island paradise off the coast of Bali.

Beach view on Nusa Lembongan.







My lodging at Tarchi Argus Bungalows, Nusa Lembongan island.










View of Mt. Agung volcano Bali from Lembongan island.




Sunset view from my bungalow.








Micro-Loan girls who made Contribution volunteering with micro loan NGO in India.








Some Future stories:

• On Being a Local
• Manta Point
• Beach Kung Fu Kids
• Snorkel Boat Trips
• Invasion of the Christain Surfers
• What do you want out of Life & other conversations with Rich & Chris
• Characters of Argus Shipwreck Bar