Months 1 & 2: Notes from Bohol and Beyond by An Tran

It has been exactly a decade since I first visited the Philippines. Back then, I was a traveller in the
purest sense, chasing adventure, sunshine, and fleeting experiences that define a thirty-day island hop.
To be honest, my memories of that time are a bit murky (blame the Tanduay and Red Horse), but
arriving in Bohol for the second time triggered a profound sense of déjà vu. The casual, carefree
frequency of island life returned instantly, and it felt wonderful to be back.

The pristine waters of Panglao and the view over Jagna.

Settling into Jagna, certainly the smallest town I’ve ever called home, has required a bit of a mindset
change. Moving from the high-paced stress of academic research to island life and Filipino time isn’t
just a change of scenery, it’s a system reset. Navigating the unique structure of CVIF has been
interesting, and I’ve been lucky to participate in fieldwork with the students and other teachers
(shoutout to Prince, Ron, Adriane, Richedel, Anya, and Abby), which involved wading through the
intertidal zones to sample molluscs as the sun rises over the horizon.

Sunrise over the sea and the students doing fieldwork on the intertidal zone

The most striking aspect of this fellowship isn’t the fieldwork though, it’s the students. I am working
with a brilliant group, currently drafting their own manuscripts, and witnessing their process has been a study in pure grit. At home, I took for granted a seamless workflow, the laptop, the dual monitors,
internet access. Here, I watch my students navigate complex spreadsheets and draft entire scientific
papers on their smartphones. It is a humbling, almost uncomfortable check of my own academic
privilege. Their work is a testament to their patience and determination, qualities I’m not sure I could
summon under the same constraints. They are fuelled by a resourcefulness that makes my past
frustrations with technology feel a bit ridiculous.

Beyond teaching and fieldwork, I’ve been chasing new adventures, so this meant a detour to Taiwan
for 5 days. Being vegetarian in the Philippines has been a challenge, so a temporary escape to Taipei’s
famous food night markets served as a delicious intermission while visiting numerous cultural sites.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei and a delicious meal of dumplings and Chinese broccoli

A weekend in Cebu took a sharp turn when my phone was stolen at a rooftop bar. It could have put a
damper on the trip, but instead, it revealed the kindness of strangers and the best of humanity. My new
friends (both from the Philippines and international) stepped in, taking care of me with a level of
thoughtfulness and protection that made the incident feel like a small price to pay for such a
connection.

New friends hanging out at a rooftop bar in Cebu

These first sixty days have been a series of shifts and resets. I came here to teach science, but I’ve
found that the lessons being taught to me by my students and the community are the real education.
I’ll never stop chasing the next adventure, but there is a quiet power and joy in slowing down, so I’m
going to go with the flow and let the local life carry me into the months ahead.

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