A banana, or saging in Tagalog, is the most popular fruit throughout the world. In the Philippines, there are a multitude of different kinds of bananas, all eaten by everyone, all the time. The stories and memories I want to share surrounding bananas would take up the rest of your day. If I can speak for my fellow volunteers, our consumption of bananas in the Philippines is that of your consumption of coffee when you have an exam or a long day of work; it is essential, comforting, and always during a time of chaos.
Our first introduction to the banana here in the Philippines started at training, where we were deceptively enjoying a three week long vacation with a wave pool, water slide, air conditioning and chocolate fountain. The banana was the very vessel we used to dip into this luxurious, daily chocolate fountain. But, we deserved it, we were training for 8+ hours everyday, studying Tagalog, chika-chika'ing, and listening to hours of Peace Corps' policies. We needed that chocolate fountain.
The sanctity of the banana allowed for moments of bonding. At the end of each meal, Carley, Ashton, or I would get up, get three bananas, and some chocolate to share. If there were only two bananas, we would, of course, split the two between the three of us. These banana-bonded debriefs gave us the life to get through our next sessions. Much of these first few weeks of training felt like the beginning of college, full of exhaustion, but also not wanting to miss a moment with your fellow volunteers and staff, so thankfully, we had our banana fuel.
The stability of bananas is also evident in their paramount position in the BRAT diet. If you are lucky enough to be ignorant to the BRAT diet, it stands for “Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast.” People do not choose the BRAT diet, it chooses you. These four foods are often consumed when one is having stomach issues, aka lower bowel movements, aka diarrhea. Inevitably, new environments bring new bacteria, and conversations about stomach issues transform from a topic of uncomfortability to one of bonding. Yet again, bananas are bonding. One volunteer unfortunately had to struggle through a long period of stomach issues. Bananas were their lifeline. Breakfast: two bananas, lunch: two bananas, and dinner: one banana. Unlike having to force down the bland, mush of plain rice each meal, the banana was like a sanctuary to them; so sweet, transportable, and safe. Unfortunately, this volunteer was me. No matter how small, or how oddly shaped, I will always love bananas. And so will my stomach here in the Philippines.
A beautiful, baby, banana. This one we cleverly call "the pineapple banana," because it tastes exactly like the cross between the two!
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