What a wonderful article! I'm so glad Longreads posted this on their blog. Although I am an African-American Peace Corps Volunteer serving in China, I can relate to many of the issues you addressed here. However, I love the focus on the art of making yogurt. I also enjoyed reading how you learned to deal with the realities around you in a creative way. I look forward to anything else you may write. I couldn't help myself, so I passed this article on to my Filipino godmom and my Filipino Returned Peace Corps Volunteer mentor. Thank you!