Back to Work

As the header of this blog mentions, Dunked in Manila covers the year I worked in the Philippines. While I often considered my work at IBM to be an inconvenience between games of basketball and trips to beaches or bars, somehow I managed to fulfill the duties of my AIESEC internship. My confusing first day at work is summarized here.

In my role of market analyst, my challenge was to make projections for the future of the economy. This would be tough in the U.S., but nearly impossible in the Philippines where the year ahead of me would hold earthquakes, coup attempts, volcanic eruptions, and the usual devastating typhoons, random bombings and kidnappings.

Years have passed, I'm not as thin as I was in this photo (which may explain my inability to dunk anymore), but the Philippines economy remains as chaotic as ever. One step forward, two steps back sort of thing. But the underground economy keeps on chugging. You may be able to see in the background of the photo I have a poster advertising that I was selling tickets for a Sharon Cuneta show at the University of the Philippines--looking for money to supplement my low IBM stipend. Just trying to fit in...

How did I get "Dunked in Manila?"

I went to Manila on a one year internship through an international business club called AIESEC, which is a French acronym meaning something along the lines of "please send me somewhere cool to get a job." (Actually, it stands for Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales).

Prior to graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in Japanese Studies and Comparative Literature, I landed an internship with IBM in Japan.

Why would a comp.lit major work for IBM? Well, as my dad often pointed out, it's tough to open a comparative literature store. Unfortunately, IBM Japan, the sponsor, wanted me to come to Tokyo before I my studies were done. IBM Philippines didn't really care when I showed up. So I was dunked in Manila.

And so the troubles began...The AIESEC program depends on cooperation between corporate sponsors and local university student clubs. Most exchanges work out quite well. From the vandalized sign in the photo, you can see that one of the trainees didn't like the local Ateneo club too much. AIESEC Ateneo had stuck him with a resentful host family who tried to get him to leave by refusing to let him bathe in the house or change his sheets. The Ateneo students just laughed at his dilemma, so as a parting shot he (ok, we) climbed this sign and repainted a bit.

If you know Manila, you'll know the corner of EDSA & Ortegas doesn't look like this anymore, and I'm presuming AIESEC Ateneo has undergone improvements as well. I can't vouch for the other vandalizing trainee, but my experience in Manila changed me for the better.

My book Dunked in Manila follows the story of how a clueless American like myself learned how to "play ball" both figuratively and literally during some difficult times in the Philippines. Think of the story as "The Year of Living Dangerously" meets "Hoop Dreams."