Interlude

Abstract

Following two sides of a sponsorship story, this interlude experiments with a narrative approach to further highlight the irresolution and silences that constitute global relations. It should be read alongside chapters 6 and 7, both of which raise questions about what it’s like to keep in touch and lose touch during sponsorship. The interlude is based on interviews with individuals I have called Carol and Rizal in 2017 and 2018, respectively. My conversation with Carol lasted nearly three hours and was supplemented by her written recollections and follow-up emails. I contacted Rizal on Facebook and we were in touch for a few months before conducting a phone interview with the help of Kristel Kabigting, a colleague at my university who graciously offered to translate. Carmen Tomas, a Manila-based contractor with whom I have worked many times, transcribed and translated Rizal’s responses into English. I underline phrases that are directly from the transcripts for both interviews (changing first person to third). The rest is paraphrased, with small details added for narrative flow. The final product is thus a result of its creation as I stitched together a patchwork of overlapping voices. Rizal’s story is undoubtedly colored by mistranslations and emotions (“I was nervous,” he said at the end, “This is the longest I ever spoke to someone from another country”). Carol’s bore traces of her own multiple retellings, including a version she wrote in 2015 that I mention in the timeline below....