It’s almost election time here in the Philippines. It’s going to be in May this year. Right now I could already hear a lot of the cars or tricycle having the advertisement over the microphone for the candidate they want to endorse. A lot of the candidate not just the one running for the presidents made a song for their slogan. The kids even memorize it. I know of it because my youngest son was really singing one of the song of the presidential candidate. I didn’t even know at first. I asked him what song was that? he said its for the presidential candidate. I mean he really know every lyrics of it. He believes with this candidate at first. He said he will vote for him because he can really help with the less fortunate people here in the Philippines. Wow I can’t believe my son was really so in with the politics here in the Philippines. The only thing he could not vote right now. We told him how can you vote you are not old enough to vote plus you are not a citizen yet of this country. Hopefully soon.

Now my son said he will believe with this candidate if all the poverty in the Philippines will be wipe out. We told him keep dreaming. That ain’t gonna happen my dear. But try to keep on wishing and praying though. Honestly I have some candidates in mind but I know they just don’t have no chance of winning. Really I just want somebody that can help improved how the government works for the people here. I hope they will not put the money to their own pockets, instead make more projects for the benefits of the poor people. I saw too many people suffered. Its unbearable sometimes to see.

To all Filipino citizen that lives abroad I know you can vote. I am sure you can inquire in the embassy or the consulate in the country you are residing in. Please try to vote wisely and think of a candidate that really makes the Philippines better. I know its not easy to choose but try to know the candidates now. I am not telling you guys who to vote but I am just saying don’t be bought out by a nice talk. Make sure you vote whats really in your heart.

HERE ARE THE NAMES OF CANDIDATES  THAT’S RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT AND THE PARTY:

Vetallano Acosta (KBL) VP: Jay Sonza, Benigno ” Noynoy” Aquino 111 ( Liberal Party) VP: Mar Roxas, JC  de los Reyes (Ang Kapatiran) VP: Dominador Chipeco, Joseph “Erap” Estrada (PMP) VP: Jejomar Binay, Richard “Dick” Gordon (Bagumbayan) VP: Bayani Fernando, Jamby Madrigal (Independent) VP: none, Nicanor “Nicky” Perlas (Independent) VP: none, Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro (LAKAS-KAMPI-CMD) VP: Edu Manzano, Eduardo “Eddie” Villanueva (Bangon Pilipinas) VP: Perfecto Yasay, Manuel “Manny” Villar (Nacionalista) VP: Loren Legarda.

To all Filipinos keep an eye on election day and stay safe! Good luck and God bless this nice and beautiful country of ours!

I was talking before of finding a place for him to stay here that’s near the water. I found a few houses that were near to the water. One house in particular that I saw was just a few meters away from the water. Of course I showed him that house first and instantly he wanted to rent it. I didn’t even take him to see the other houses that I was intending for him to see. He told me no need for him to see the other places. But I let him see some neighborhood that would be good for him in mind too in case he doesn’t want the one near the beach. When we went the other places he said he was happy with the one he had chosen near the beach.

The house that I found really was perfect for him. It’s quiet and the internet connection was good there too. He told me that internet connectivity was the most important thing for him.  I really gave everything he wanted (what he told me to look before coming over) and he really is happy that I did all the stuff he wanted. On top of that I also helped him negotiate for a lower rent in his place and lower increase in rent for subsequent years. I also helped him find some people to clean and paint inside the house. To be honest the house was so filthy when we look the first time. The previous renter didn’t clean up before and the owner just didn’t have time to go and have somebody clean for them.  The owners just were so busy with the business they have. The owner asked me if I know of somebody that will do everything what the new renter wanted and they will just reimbursed the new renter for it. I know people here so I had them work overtime because the new renter wanted to moved in as soon as possible. When my people started working I really asked them if they can finished right away. They said they will and they did it really. The new renter was really happy with the result. The house really looks good.

To be honest I did enjoyed helping out somebody wanting to move here. I’m having a blast introducing them to a lot of places here in Davao that I am familiar with. I also enjoyed shopping with them, spending the money of other people. Really it was fun teaching people too our cultures and way of life here. It’s really new to a lot of the foreigner. It’s fun watching them learned too. I think being lived abroad for 10 years really helped me lot. I understand how they felt being the foreigner there too in the States for 10 years.

Thank you, Ned for the opportunity to work with you. I really enjoyed teaching you. Hope you will stay here in the Philippines for a long time.

Cheers!

I started by searching for a place for him to live here. He already gave me some details of what kind of place he wants. I also checked the internet access in the placse that I was  looking at. I already had an idea where to look for a place for him. He told me how many rooms he wanted.

I was really eying for Samal because the whole Island is surrounded by water, and that is one of the things that he wanted. A few months ago a fellow from Samal contacted me asking if I could help him find people to rent his apartments, and I said sure. He knows that I know a lot of people in the internet. When he informed me of his apartment I didn’t check out the place right away because most of the people that made an inquiries are all wanting to live here in Davao City. Well, since this inquiry wanted to be near the water so I emailed the owner of the said apartment if I could see it as soon as possible. Well, as I keep on bugging the owner for them to show me the apartment it turn out that the apartment is not yet constructed. The owner told me that the construction will start next year. Wow, all along I really thought the apartment was waiting to be rented out. Oh well, I decided to search somewhere else then.

I already had some other places in mind too that are  just here in the city. So off we went, me and my nephew to see if there were any available houses for rent there. I immediately told my nephew to drive down near the water like somewhere in Matina, Toril and Dumoy since that was this fellow wanted. As we drove near there I saw few houses that were for rent I called up the owner and asked them how much it will be rented for? I saw one house its just one street down the water and just looking outside its really nice. I called up the owner and she sent somebody to show me the house I was impressed. So I had my eye on that house to show the person that was inquiring. The owner just told me that they had that house vacated just few days before I saw it. So I told her that I was interested to show it to somebody who is arriving in Davao in a few days, she said no problem.

When I called back the owner the day the person inquiring arrived in Davao the owner informed me that it was already rented out just the day before I called her. I was really disappointed. Well, lucky for me there’s one house that’s just a few meters away from the beach that I found for rent. When my niece called them first they said its not for rent at the moment because they are thinking of renovating and doing some work outside and inside. I wanted it so bad I called them up I told them I want to rent their house that was near the water. They said that its okay and if its okay if while I am renting they can have their people work in the house? I said sure no problem. I told them I want to see the house first though, can I see it today? They showed me and its really nice and perfect for the guy that making the inquiry. All the stuff he mentioned to me he wanted for a house was there. I don’t even have to mention the internet if they have because I saw a bill on top of the kitchen counter while there. I was happy and pretty confident that the guy that inquiring would like the house I was hunting for him.

Really there were lots of houses that I looked at here in the city. I am just not sure if he likes living in the city. I am excited to show him all the houses I found for him. I am intending to show him first the house that I found near the water since that was his first preference. Not sure if he likes traveling a bit further in the city. Oh well, we will see what happens then. Watch out for my next entry to see if the guy was happy with the house hunting that I did and the orientation that I did for him since this is his first time in Mindanao.

Cheers!

When Bob & I were first married, I lived in General Santos City, Bob lived in the USA.  It was difficult for us to even make a phone call to one another!  If we missed talking on the phone at the time when it could happen (only once per week),we could not communicate until the next week.

Read all about my memories and what I think about today’s communications, by reading my recent article over on the Live in the Philippines Web Magazine.

Communications over the years

I even wrote an article over on the Live in the Philippines Web Magazine, including the whole recipe of how to make it!

So, if you are missing binignit or ginataan, head over to LiP and get the recipe, I am sure you will enjoy yourself, both making it and also eating it!

One of the highlights of our trip was the Kariton(cart pulled by the carabao) ride. The kids like it. That was the first time they experience riding it. They were really amazed. The kariton it should be used to get coconut or any stuff from the farm. Sometimes they want to just keep on riding it, but we have to let them stop so that the Carabao can rest for awhile. The kariton is really a big hit for the kids. Even now at our house they even talk about it and sometimes asked me when are we going back to visit the farm again. Honestly we were thinking of going back there a few weeks ago, but canceled it due to some fighting in the Sarangani area. We just felt that its not the right time to go anywhere at the moment. Just to be safe though. One of our friend almost hit by the bombing in Digos. If he would have arrived like 5 minutes early, his bus that he was riding would have been hit too. So it just scared me a little bit. Hopefully it will be fine soon. We will visit there again soon. I want to visit my ailing mom. I want to see her as much as I can now. She’s turning 80 years old in December and bee through a lot.

The kids also went and pick out some veggies. They had fun picking them. The only thing they don’t know how to pick the ready or not. My sister just try to let them get what they want from the garden. Thats the first time the kids ever harvested anything. They also familiarized then the different kinds of veggies in our farm. They really like it there. They told my family that next summer they want to stay in the farm for a month. They also want to help harvesting the coconut and corn.

Really I am looking forward for that. Will see though. I am also glad that they the place that I grow up. They want that we will build a small house there for us to stay whenever we want to visit there. We might. Who knows.

To my family thank you so much for taking care of us while there. I know its extra work for you guys. I love you all!

We went with Matt to Ranchero Grill for dinner. We let him have a taste of the baby back ribs that Ranchero’s famous for. He likes it, being Matt’s from Texas the barbecue place, we want to see how Ranchero compared to Texas. Well he likes the taste of the baby back ribs. He also like that the meat will just fell off from the bone. We let him taste some other food too like fried lumpia and sinuglaw(combination of sinugba & kinilaw). Really he will eat anything, I guess except durian I think. He even tasted the Tanduay rum and he likes it.

After dinner we took him to Jack’s Ridge. It’s a restaurant with coffee shop too. The view there is really something. You can see the whole city of Davao with the light on at night, its just awesome. Bob and I just stayed there for an hour. We didn’t hang out too long because its past midnight already. We had fun though.

Matt thank you so much for making the time to come and visit Davao. I do hope you come and visit again. Good luck and more power to WordPress!

Seminar at the Martin House

While Bob was talking to the tech guy there, I was thinking maybe we could have the seminar at our house. We could tell that the guy just don’t know what to do. Bob called up his partner for the seminar and told him the problem. He also said that what if the seminar be held at our house. So that night me and my people in the house were busy preparing the room for the seminar. You know what it was a hard work but it turn out good. The people that attended told us they like it because it felt so homey. They said they like it better here.

To all that came thank you so much for coming and the support. It’s also nice meeting you guys. I know a lot of you are tired from the trip. I hope you guys learned a lot from it.

Mabuhay and God bless!

The sad part the ship’s captain didn’t bother to just tell his big boss that his ship can’t sail due to typhoon. Passengers board the ship without knowing that bad weather is coming. Some people I think blame the coast guard why they didn’t bother to stop the ship too. Lot of the family of the passengers now are really mad at the ship owner. Honestly I can’t blame them. They are frustrated right now because no one will really give them good answer why the ship was allowed to sail with bad weather on the way.

I was watching on news on tv and they are showing the ship how big it is before the wreck. The report said that the ship size is like 7th story building. Now looking at it after the wreck it looks like just the bottom tip of it that you can see, the rest is under the water. The whole ship almost sank down. Can you imagine all the people inside the ship when its starting to go down the water. It’s really heartbreaking. I hope that they will recover all the dead people inside so that the family will have peace of mind.