An impressive small farmer’s market in Lagao!

January 15, 2015 by feyma

An impressive small farmer’s market in Lagao!

Over the weekend we went to General Santos on business. We went to a resort owned by a friend during our stay in GenSan from 2000-2002. His resort is not faraway from the city. I’m so impressed with the location and the view. To wake up in that place everyday, I think I’m already good. Oops, I guess not yet, the internet and the cell provider is not yet good there. If those are fixed, I would be totally good there. After our meetings there, we worked it out that Bob will be doing some work with our friend’s company.

We were so over the moon that the owner of the business set the meeting during weekends. Know why I liked it over the weekend? Well, I’ve been hearing friends and seeing pictures they posted on Facebook about the Farmer’s Market in GenSan. To be honest, I was impressed. Even though it’s just small compared maybe to the farmer’s market in your part of the world but this one will do here in Lagao. Seeing the fresh produce and fruits I’m totally in awe of it. Seeing the people, they were so alive early in the morning it was good to see too. When we arrived there some of the stalls were still setting up. More than half were already set up. Lots of people were already there, some came after attending church. Good seeing some old friends there too.

Geez, I want to buy a lot of the stuff I saw. Problem is we’re riding the bus, so I just limit myself on buying the stuff that would not get damaged during our transport. I had to let my brother-in-law buy a plastic woven basket for the vegetables and fruits that I bought. Seeing all the produce and the fruits you can tell they were so fresh because of the firmness and the color. They’re also selling free range chicken and eggs, which is hard to find here in Davao. I saw one stall selling meat and choriso. Looking good but I didn’t buy that. For sure next time. If we went there and used our car then I could buy those. One thing I bought there that the kids like a lot is the raw peanuts. My helper cooks boiled peanuts, most of us here at the house eats, I guess except for Bob & Chris.

The day before we talked to our dear friend Cathy, who lives there. One thing that we talked about was about the Philippine delicacies, farmer’s market has them. That’s the first thing I bought there. Lol. She also told us that she bought her produce there every week. I truly believed her when she says that the vegetables that she bought there stays fresh longer than the one she bought at the grocery store at the mall.

The fun part of being there was meeting again the woman behind the Farmer’s Market. Her name is Rue Ramas. We’ve known her 15 years ago. We met here when we still lived there. It’s so long ago that I can’t even remember. She invited those farmers and sell their product at the farmer’s market. She’s not even charging them for rent of the stall, water and electricity. The farmer’s market is located at her front yard. She has a big lawn. Shes’ also the woman behind the used of corn husk crafts. She’s helping women make dolls, decors, place-mat and many more out of corn husks. I’ve seen lots of her creation in her shop and on facebook and I’m really impressed. She used to have a show place but she closed it down because she’s busy taking care of other stuff. She’s also selling seeds (I can’t remember her company name for that). She’s really a super woman. Good seeing you again Rue. If you go to the farmer’s market and you see Rue, don’t be shy on saying hello to her.

“If ever your family lives in that area or the neighboring town and has product that they want to sell in the Farmer’s Market, try to talk to Rue about it first. She might have stall available for you.”

FARMER’S MARKET: located just across the former Notre Dame of Lagao Boys Department, (now it’s Notre Dame of Dadiangas University Lagao Campus). Not far from the Petron gas station, opposite street from Petron is Tiongson Street. It’s easy to find. You can ask around, people there knows the location, or just look for the big crowd on Sunday mornings.

Have fun shopping!!!

January 8, 2015 by feyma

Dear Feyma: Feeling sorry!

Today, I have another installment in my “Dear Feyma” series which I have been featuring on this site for some time, whenever I have a question from a reader that I feel should be shared with the site readers.

“Dear Feyma, I am Filipina who works in Kuwait for a long time. I came home in the Philippines for 3 months now. I am not sure if I will go back soon. I am thinking of taking care of my 2 kids and want to start a business here. I saved some money for our future. I will help my husband on our small farm.

By the way, I am not writing regarding my problem. I want to share with you of how stupid or no nothing at all (walang kaalam-alam in Tagalog), I saw on TV, they said naive. I saw that you wrote about “A Friendly Advice“. I don’t comment, I’m just an avid reader of your blog. Keep up of what your doing.

The young girl, our neighbor she’s like 20 years old, having a relationship with foreigner. For me, okay lang. I am bothered when the lady takes all the money of the foreigner and spends it for partying and clothes. The foreigner told one of the family member that he don’t have much money, but the lady don’t listen, she continue her partying. Being young so she party and spend the money with not important things.

I read I think from your blog a long time already about foreigners problems with girlfriends here in Pinas? You know, if they know already problems like that happened before why they still give money to the girl?

I hope that foreigners open their eyes. Thank you for reading my email… Maraming Salamat, Elly“

Dear Feyma…

Thank you for writing Elly. To be honest, what you’ve described on your email keeps happening. The problem, the foreigners, no matter how good any blogs in the world were written about be very careful not to be scammed. Some foreigners will never listen, some won’t. We’ve been advising people that emailed and asked us and we even made lots of posts regarding that same topics. They will do what they thought was best for them. Later we found out that they’ve lost almost all their money. Really the best thing for those people would be for them to learn their lesson the hard way. It might be harsh for me to say this. Let them lose all what they have for them to learn. You know what I mean?

Hey, we’ve been advising certain foreigners that we cared about. It’s just a waste, they will say what the lady did to us and at the end he was against us because we said what we think. So for you Elly, if the foreigner wants an advice from you, try not to say anything to him at the end he might blame you because of the advice you gave him. Been there, done that. Been burnt. Not again…

That’s another cycle for the foreigner that’s hard to break. I just hope to some foreigners that they will just accept the loss and move on. Don’t be drinking and be violent here. Being in jail is the last thing a foreigner wants here. I’ve seen the jailhouse in the Philippines: Ain’t pretty you guys.

Thank you again Elly for the email. You open my Dear Feyma again. I appreciate your courage to write. If you ever travel to Kuwait again, have a safe trip there. Good luck to you!

Have a blessed 2015 Everyone!!!

December 11, 2014 by feyma

A friendly advice!

I was just remembering a friend that died a few years ago now. He was dear to me and Bob because his half brother really is so close and the best friend of Bob here, that they treat each other like true brothers. He is so close that I felt that I had 2 husbands. LOL. The kids were also so close to him.

Well, the half brother he’s a half Filipino and half American, his name was Omar. He was born and grew up in the States. Never been to the Philippines. He was just not interested to visit nor live here. But when the really best friend of Bob moved here, the half brother then decided to pay a visit to the home place of his mom. At that time when he came for a visit to his half brother he was like 19 or 20. The half brother that’s the best friend of Bob, he’s like 52 or 53 at that time.

He decided to continue his studies for college here. I accompanied him to check out some colleges around here. He then decided to study in Ateneo de Davao University. I can’t remember the course he was gonna take up. Anyway, I’m really like a mom to him. He always hangs out at our house or he goes out with us every time Bob and I and his brother will go somewhere. Really whenever he goes alone he’s always calling me and let me talk to the people that he is dealing with or either he is buying from or asking questions. In short people don’t really get when he’s talking. They think he’s accent is a bit too much for them. So I’m the life line or the call a friend kind of thing. LOL.

Is a wedding on the way?

Weeks after he arrives here, we were asking him if he could see himself marrying a Filipina later? He quickly replied to me “Nah, I’m not really into dark hair ladies, I want to marry a blond lady” we were bursting into laughter. He was so strong into marrying blond ladies. So I dare him, I told to him that we will make a bet for Php 100,000 that he will be married to a Filipina lady by the end of that year. I said to him “If you’re not married to a Pinay by the end of the year then you will get the hundred thousand pesos”. He came like April or May of that year. So he agreed, we had a handshake in-front of his half brother and Bob. He thought he can really hold himself and he thinks he’s so strong of his desire to be marrying a blond lady. Well, let me tell you just less than a month of our handshake, he went to visit the birthplace of his mom. My goodness just few days there, he was already calling and texting me “Feyma I’m in love with a very beautiful girl”. I teased him I said is she blond? He told me hell no. We were laughing. He came back to Davao and my goodness all he ever talked about was about that girl.

Omar – RIP

So I told him, I think I’m going to be a hundred thousand pesos richer pretty soon here. Few weeks after his visit to his mom’s hometown, his parents sends money for him to come home to America because the girl he was in love with was a distant relatives of the mom. The mom and the parents of the girl was just against the relationship. So he went back to the States and joined the army then. He served for I think 2 years and got injured while serving. He died later of a motorcycle accident in his hometown. To you my friend, thank you for serving and I missed your laughter. So long!

I was just making an example of my friend. Too many expats I’ve met through the years that say they would not get involved right away here with a woman. They came here a single man hoping to have a good retirement and meet a woman later. They will be telling me that oh, “ladies will be far from my mind at the moment”. Then few weeks of being here we found out they got involved with a lady already. Ladies already moving in to the expat’s house. To be honest you can’t blame the lady too. She wants to better her life too. Knowing the expats will give her the security. She did not put gun on the head of the expat. It’s the expats choice. I just hope that its the right head that will think for the expat. It happens a lot most of their savings were wipe out in the short time being with the lady. I mean less that 2 months more than half a million pesos were wipe out from the guy. It’s a concerned to me sometimes, especially if the person that was con was a true friend of ours. It bothers me. But what can we do the guy was so in love with the girl. I hope the girl was also madly in love with the guy. I guess the saying applies to most of these expats “love is blind”. Lucky for other expats that I know, they had money, even they were con to many times they survived because they had so much money saved before coming here. But for others its really unfortunate.

I will just say good luck to those expats that would allow and continued themselves to be conned.

Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

December 4, 2014 by feyma

Are you willing to compromise?

I am writing and asking you guys that live in a house with multi-culture environment, are both partners willing to give and take or learn from each other? I am going to give more about Bob and I as an example. When Bob and I were writing to each other, before we were married, I was so shy and naive. Hey I was young, a few months shy of graduating college. I was brought up with conservative parents in a more old fashion way. Bob, on the other hand was brought up conservative way but was brought up that he can and will say what he thinks. In short not shy at all.

Well anyway, after few months after we were married I went to the States. Being there changed everything. Bob showed and taught me how to live the life there. It didn’t take long for me to learn his side of the culture. I mean not all, I’m still learning more and more everyday even now. When I went to the States I don’t know how to cook. Being the youngest of 10 siblings (7 are alive right now) and with so many cousins and with my aunt that spoiled me. They did almost all the cooking. So I don’t really know how to cook Filipino dishes. I don’t think it’s laziness because I really like to help out in the kitchen before. I think it was just too many kids in the kitchen and it just a bother to the older one that’s cooking.

Martin Family – Thanksgiving 2014

So living with Bob in the US, he did most of the cooking I mean 80% I think. I am just a good helper, I will helped out on the cleaning afterwards. Then whenever my mother-in-law cooks for the special occasions, same thing I will help a little on the cooking but helped out most on the cleaning afterwards. I could not even cook macaroni and cheese in the US even if the instruction were in the box. I know it’s kind of pathetic don’t you think? But that’s just the way it was for us. Bob really had patience on that. Hats off to him on that. He even cooked Filipino dishes there. Bob was also learning and still learning more of my culture. Same with me I did learned the American culture and knowing his family and still doing it.

But when moving here it changes everything then. Watching Bob sweat to high heaven when cooking, I was thinking I had to do something. I felt sorry watching him sweat so much. So I really learned and studied on how to cook American dishes that he is used to when we were in the States. Guess what? I learned and cooked until now. Now Bob and the kids are kind of spoiled though. They will tell me and my niece what they like and we usually cook it for them. Jean is good now in cooking foreign dishes too. Really all of us are learning. Living back here for a long time now taught Bob more of the Filipino culture. He learned how to speak the local language. It shows that he really tried his best to fit in here. I’m really so proud of him for that.

Anyway, I think being married no matter if its the same race you had to adjust with the other person in your life. How much more if two cultures blend into one. With two culture you have to work double hard, or more. Are you willing to adjust and compromise with the other person in your life? With Bob and I, no questions asked. We did and we did compromise and are still doing it until the end. With us, lots of things we both decide, minor stuff one of us will decide. We’re almost on our 25th year of marriage and let me tell you it’s not an easy ride. Rough rides along the way. Good and bad through the years. But we talk, we understand and we compromise. Love and trust should be there always.

Really all married people or lovers or boyfriend/girlfriend, both partners should really learn from each other. It’s not just one partner will do all the adjusting and the understanding. It should go both ways. I can say more but I would like to hear from you guys. Feel free to share your thoughts.

Have a good Holiday Season!

November 23, 2014 by feyma

It’s another Thanksgiving Celebration in the Philippines!

Yep another Thanksgiving celebration again here in the Philippines, American style. What I mean by that, we usually celebrate our Thanksgiving just like the way Bob’s family celebrated when he’s growing up. Then when I came to America I observed them and I liked it. So Bob and I decided to celebrate the thanksgiving the way his family did, and we can continue on the tradition. Hopefully our kids will follow and continue the Martin tradition. Woo, I’m just hoping that our to be daughter-in-laws likes to cook just like our daughter Jean. Jean can cook most of the food that we prepare during Thanksgiving.

We cook a lot of our food from scratch. From the stuffing mix (croutons & sausage), sweet potato, mashed potato, pies and other stuff. As you know a few years ago, it is hard to get the most of the ingredients here in the Philippines, especially we’re outside of Manila. Thank God for the sprouting malls now, lots of them carries the imported ingredients. But to be honest I hardly use the imported ingredients anymore, ever since using the local substitute it works for us and it just tasted the same as the real one. Bob and I decided that we’re not going to buy the imported and expensive ingredients since we can make a good one just a fraction of the price. LOL.

Thanksgiving Turkey

In the past years of living here we do our Thanksgiving 2 days after the Thanksgiving in America. Since Thursday kids have school here. It’s not a holiday here for that. So we do ours during Saturday so that the kids can help out and enjoy the whole day with the family. We did our Thanksgiving celebration a bit early this year. It was actually celebrated yesterday. Bob has some commitments to go to on the weekend after the Thanksgiving in the USA. So we decided to do it this weekend. The kids will be home and help us cook the turkey and other dishes. I usually decorate Christmas a week before we celebrate Thanksgiving. Thank God I’m done with decorating with the help of my kids, my nieces and helper. So everyday this week it’s going to be a busy day for us.

Starting with making our homemade squash for the pies and pumpkin roll, pumpkin pudding low-fat. We are also making chocolate chess pie, some of my kids would not eat the pumpkin pie. I’m thinking of making the yam (sweet potato early). Mix the rest of the ingredients and bake on the day of the party. Have to make the croutons ahead of time too. It seems that the sourdough bread taste much better than the ciabatta bread, but it really all depends if I can find some sourdough bread near us. Sometimes the bread shop at SM carries them. Oh well, french bread and ciabatta works good as well anyway. So not a problem there.

So here’s our food for our thanksgiving here in the house: Turkey, Mashed Potato, Stuffing, Rice, Beans, Yams, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chess Pie, Pumpkin Roll, Pumpkin Pudding and ham (we have ham this year). Good for sandwich later and turkey soup too.

So what about you guys? What are you preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday? To those expats here in the Philippines, do you had a hard time getting the ingredients? Do you celebrate just the way you do back home? Some restaurant here in Davao do some Thanksgiving lunch and dinner. I’m sure some restaurant in your area too.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL AMERICANS ALL OVER THE WORLD!!!