Who are you?

Hi! My name is Jamie, but on my most recent PWB tour of the Philippines, I was known more affectionately as “JMS”.

What memory have you most revisited from a tour?

For me, the Philippines 2024 tour was an exceptional experience in almost every way possible!! Now that I have been home for a few months, I still find myself sometimes longing for an avocado shake from Hayahay Square, or a pitcher of cucumber cooler from Talipapa’s. I miss the camaraderie of our ‘Dream Team’, the many laughs we shared, and the friendships of support and care that we established. And then, of course, there was all of our time spent with the kids!! I especially loved learning the dances that the kids performed at almost every school site we visited; and none more than those danced to APT by ROSE and Bruno Mars and the DJ Tons remix of Lady Gaga’s “Always Remember Us This Way.” And who could forget swimming with whale sharks, or snorkeling with sea turtles?? Or those daily strolls down to the corner store for ice cream bars on Apo Island?? Or singing Karaoke with the locals?? Or getting drenched in a downpour during a stormy sea crossing?? Or the juggling balls that went rancid and became infested with maggots?? Or the dogs in cages and the screams of the pigs as they met their end?? (Wait, what? Yes.)

I also have wonderful memories of the lush Filipino landscape rolling by in varying shades of green as our team were transported here and there to the many barangays that we had the privilege and good fortune to visit; not to mention the varying forms of transport that were provided!! However, no transport was more memorable than the Cobra (complete with armed military escort!) that carried us deep into the jungle, delivering us safely into the hospitable care of the remote village of Bokaw under the most beautiful crescent moon I think I have ever seen. And what do I remember about Bokaw?? I remember eating….and eating again….and again. LOL. I remember the song of thanks that the villagers sang in unison at the conclusion of our fire show. I remember the very small toilet and the children arriving in the morning, the night after we slept on their classroom floor. And how a few of us ladies had to be reminded that our every action was lit and on display for those outside the open windows as we changed into our nightclothes! Being shown how to use the hand-pumped well….knocking on villagers’ doors asking for extra bed sheets….and how excited the children here were to practise their limited English with us. So many memories, each treasured, too many to name.

What areas or aspects of the tour challenged you the most?

It was incredibly hot the day that we taught in Bokaw, and — generally speaking — it was hot often. This was certainly one of the more challenging aspects of the tour for me. I found that, in my time off, what I wanted most was to rest in the AC of our accommodations and conserve energy for when we would be outside in the humidity and occasionally under the strong sun, in costume, having to give 110% of our energy. This isn’t to say that I hid entirely, but I was mindful of not over-exerting myself. Cold showers and regular dips in the ocean across the street from Julsam’s Guest House, where we stayed in Bayawan, helped immensely. 🙂

On the tour what was your biggest achievement?

More than beating the heat, though, I would say my greatest achievement on the tour was simply staying present with it. I had a lot happening at home, in my family and personal life. And while those things required my attention, I still managed to remain entirely present in the experience that I had come to have — which was to be in service to the children that we met and to my fellow teammates.

What was your kids show about?

Our show was a feel-good mash-up of various circus shenanigans — featuring everything from multi-prop juggling to age-old silly tricks like a snake popping out of a can. It was about laughter, and magic, and teamwork, and persistence. And, in the end, it was about fun and celebrating what we have to be grateful for — one another and our time together. Because basketball is THE MOST treasured Filipino pastime (alongside karaoke), we decided to structure our show after a traditional basketball game. Our opening act was known amongst us as “pre-game”, and each of the acts after that was referred to as 1st quarter, 2nd quarter and so on — with a “half-time” scene that was pure shenanigans thrown in for good measure.

Performing our show was a tonne of fun, but I loved teaching the workshops just as much. While teaching, it was possible to actually build relationships with the children in a more personal way, to celebrate their small successes with them, admire their creativity or perseverance, or answer questions they had about me and where I came from and receive answers from them as I expressed my own curiosity about their culture and lives. It was the place where we had the opportunity to appreciate our differences, even as we came together in our common humanity.

What was your biggest breakthrough with teaching?

My biggest teaching breakthrough on this tour may have actually come on the day when the group of teenagers assigned to me had no interest in what I was trying to teach them at all (which, at the time, was juggling). Recognising that engagement was going to be a losing battle, I quickly changed tack and attempted to connect with them through something else entirely — through something they could be the experts on and teach me. So I began to ask them to teach me their language. Oh boy, did we start to have fun! I was genuine in my interest and effort to learn, and this gained their trust and respect. At the end of the day, it wasn’t so important to me whether or not they developed a love for juggling, but more that they remembered me as a guest in their home who respected them and who was just as interested in them as I expected them to be in me. And by the end of our session (we didn’t juggle at all), they were declaring their hopes that PWB would come back. Which was more interest than they had had in our organisation to start. So, I considered that a win. Sometimes, the best move in teaching is to ditch the plan, step out of the way, and empower your students to own the moment.