Tag Archives: #IL_Wesleyan

All Good Things Must Come To An End

My time at IRRI has passed and I have arrived back in the US. There are many things I will miss about the Philippines, most especially the people, the weather, and the food, but it also feels good to be back on campus. I’m glad I have some time to readjust to life on campus before my senior year begins. I have a lot of nerves going into my final year, there is so much lined up on my agenda but there is also so much to look forward to!

It’s hard to believe that this will be my final blog post for my IRRI internship experience but I’ve enjoyed every second of it and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to participate in the IWU Freeman Asia Program. The IWU Freeman Asia Program has allowed me to visit Asia for the first time, experience my first internship, and develop personal and professional relationships which I am sure will prove to be long-lasting.

I would like to thank Dr. Teddy Amoloza, Stacey Shimizu, Tito Mon, my fellow interns, and everyone at IRRI for making this experience possible and for granting me the opportunity to take part in an adventure of a lifetime!

“Some good things must come to an end and when the good things are gone, better things are on the way”

— Unknown

A Quick Recap

My duties as an intern at IRRI are officially over… Today I will be presenting my internship completion presentation to my supervisor and everyone that I worked with during my time at IRRI. I am slightly nervous because I am not the strongest presenter and I would like my IRRI colleagues to know that I have learnt so much in these passed two months and that I appreciate all of the effort that each of them have made to include me in their daily work. Below I have included my internship presentation so that you can also have a brief understanding of what I’ve been up to on the work front.

Ocean Paradise

With only a week and a half left, it’s hard to believe that my time in the Philippines is already coming to a close, so I thought I’d use this post to reminisce on one of my favourite experiences that I’ve had since being here.

A few weeks ago, our group decided to spend a weekend away at the beach for some proper R&R (as one should whenever the opportunity arises!). We all took the Friday off and made our way to a beach a few hours from the IRRI campus where we stayed at a place highly recommended by one of our supervisors. None of us really knew what to expect with regards to the accommodation but , let’s just say, we couldn’t have been any closer to the shoreline if we wanted to.

On our way to our destination we met a Filipino basketball team who were on their way to a beach in the same area that we were staying to celebrate a second place win in a basketball competition. We all connected quite well and they offered for us to join them on some ocean activities the following day which we gladly accepted — we were excited to explore the area with locals who knew how to experience it in the most authentic way possible.

The upcoming days were spent enjoying what the crystal blue beaches had in store. We went snorkeling with the basketball team and saw so many beautifully tropical fish such as parrot fish, strange-looking yellow needlefish, and even clown fish. We were also able to feed bread to the fish and even got our fingers nipped a few times.

After snorkeling we were invited by the basketball team to join them for a home-cooked lunch, kamayan style — food is served on banana leaves and eaten with your bare heads, no utensils. The menu consisted of rice (of course), chicken adobo, squid adobo, grilled pork, and fish sinigang (a traditional sour soup). The food was delicious and the company was great!

During down time at our bungalow we spent a lot of time walking on the shore looking for shells and playing card games — which I can say with confidence is not my strongest suit, pun intended.

We were also introduced to Indian mangoes which i a popular snack food in the Philippines. Indian mangoes are essentially small mangoes with green skin and firm, slightly sour flesh. If you’ve never eaten them before you might think that they were unripe but they are actually meant to be eaten at this stage. Essentially, the green skin should be peeled off and the flesh cut into sections. The flesh can then be eaten as is but we were told that locals prefer to dip the flesh into salt or a fermented fish sauce, both of which I tried, but I prefer the flesh on its own. They are delicious and extremely refreshing, we even brought a few back to IRRI which I happily ate with my lunches.

Our weekend away was definitely a memorable trip that I am grateful I got to experience! We met so many new people, made new friends, ate new foods, and had the opportunity to enjoy the ocean in a way that I think many people could only dream to experience.

 “Life is like the ocean. Waves will try to knock you down and push you back to where you started but once you fight through them, the entire ocean is yours.”

— unknown

Taking The Scenic Route

Before embarking on my trip to the Philippines I decided to spend some much needed time at home in South Africa — I hadn’t seen my family in a year so I was eager to head home for a few weeks.

During my time at home, my family and I spent a weekend away in the “bushveld” — a South African term used to describe a wild savannah terrain, usually abundant with a variety of African wildlife — where we caught up, “braaied” (South African barbecue), and went on a Safari drive in search of some wildlife.

My sister (right) and I (left) — If you look closely, there’s a double rainbow!

Another week at home was spent in Durban where I was able to see my grandmother for the first time in about 3 years. We went to the beach, had some famous Durban Curry, and ate WAY to much ice cream. I was also attacked by a sting-ray on the very first day that we arrived at the beach — note to self: watch where you’re walking, especially in the sea.

My sister and I at Amanzimtoti Beach, KZN, South Africa. Everyone says we look like twins — I don’t see it.

It was definitely a jam-packed 4 weeks at home but it was the perfect way to begin the summer and a great way to transition into my trip to the Philippines!

Look out for my next post because I will officially be in the Philippines!

“May your adventures bring you closer together, even as they take you far away from home.”

— Trenton Lee Stewart

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A Little Introduction

International Rice Research Institute - Wikipedia

Hi!

I’m Katy Smit, an international student and biology major at Illinois Wesleyan University, and this blog will follow me as I take part in the IWU Freeman Asia Program. I will be participating in an internship with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines where I will be working in the Genetic Design and Validation Unit under the supervision of Dr. Mallikarjuna Swamy. At this moment it is T-minus 9 days until my departure day to the Philippines and all is set and ready for my first trip to Asia!

With this blog, I hope to provide regular insights and tips-and-tricks to study abroad as well as fun updates on what I have been up to during my summer abroad. The comment section is always open and you are welcome to leave in questions or suggestions!

Follow me on Instagram for a closer look into my summer abroad!

“Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show”

— Dwayne Fields