Here in Davao, at least in my neighborhood we have been having two hour brownouts around two or three times each week.  It could get much worse, the longer we go with no solution to this problem, though.

A few days ago I read a news article that really made my eyes open wide.  It said that if it starts raining here in June, which is when Summer here ends, then the power situation in Mindanao will be back to normal in December.  What?  December?  Well, basically, that would mean that we went through nearly an entire year of regular power interruptions here in Mindanao.  That’s a long time.  When I read that, I decided that it was time that I come up with a strategy that would help make life a little easier, even with no power, especially if things tend to get worse in Davao, as they undoubtedly will if we go another 3 months before it starts raining significantly.

One of the things that is important to remember is that when we have brownouts they don’t cover the whole city, just selected areas of the city at any given time.  So, if there is no electricity in one neighborhood, you don’t have to go far to find a neighborhood where there is electricity.  So, with a little planning, you can actually come out OK.

My first strategy is that I put off doing things that I need to do, until there is no power.  For example, if I need to go to the mall to purchase something, or go to a friend’s house to assist him with something, I try to wait until there is a brownout at my house before I do that.  Firstly, if you go to the mall, they certainly have power, because the malls have generators that they turn on when the power on the grid is interrupted.  So, if a trip to a store is needed that day, I just do my work in the morning until the power goes off.  When the power goes off, I take a shower (which also helps you stay cool!), then I go to the mall to take care of my business.  When I am at the mall, I can buy whatever I need that day, enjoy the air conditioning at the mall, do some roaming around and such until I have killed two hours and the power will be back online at my house.  I find this to be an excellent way to deal with brownouts.

If it happens that I need to keep working while there is no power, my next strategy is to take my laptop to a coffee shop that has WiFi Internet Access.  If I do this, I can continue getting my work done, have a couple of cups of coffee, maybe see some friends and say hi, and generally just get out and enjoy two hours while still working.  This is not my first choice, though, because I prefer to work in my home office, and also, if there is a brownout, I like to get away from my work for a couple of hours and stimulate my mind by doing something else.

Another strategy that I have not tried yet, but plan to is to go get some exercise while there is no power at home.  I used to go swimming every day, 5 days per week, but I have gotten out of the habit.  If there is no electricity, preventing me from working, why not get back into the good habit of getting some good exercise by swimming?  Not only will I stay cool, but will also be doing something that I should be doing anyway!  I have to get started on this in the coming week!

Generally, for any of us who are experiencing these too frequent brownouts, it’s not great, but we can turn it into something good by using the down time to do something else with our time that is still productive.  In the past, I would just go sit down and wait for the electricity to return.  I would be hot and sweaty, and would get upset about the fact that there was no power.  However, there really is not a lot that can be done quickly to get the power situation turned around, and really there is not a thing I can do about it anyway, so why not turn a bad situation into something good, or at least better?

Now its a quick step into the time machine for me to pick the highlights of 2008, and now we are in 2010, it seems such a long time ago. Back at the start of 2008, I wrote a humorous article about the driving in the Philippines, and the lack of rules. I find it crazy, but the law chaos somehow makes the roads work.

Did you know the law here states that if you have an accident, you do not move the vehicle until police arrive, even if the vehicle is BLOCKING traffic. If you move it aside to assist the traffic flow, you will be fined.

I looked at several points for that article, here are some

1. Do not use any of your vehicles mirrors when driving. Apart from checking your hair these are a complete waste of material and have no use whatsoever.

2. Do not use your indicator lights. These are a complete waste of material and have no use whatsoever.

3. If, on the very rare occasion, you suddenly remember you have an indicator, make sure you always use the opposite one for the direction you are turning e.g. use the right hand indicator to turn left, and the left indicator to turn right.

4. Do not bother checking that your brake lights work. They are a complete waste of material and have no use whatsoever.

See the full article here

I spoke about my lack of excitement of eating Rice five times a day, and In February I came out of the closet too.

What a combination of articles. Many of my articles mention the lack of sleep that I use to suffer from, as the Sun is the alarm clock, and I still cant get used to so much noise at 5am , but everybody is up , and I am the one who is not. Noise is just something that is part of life here.

I also have to say that the western understanding of debt, is not the same here in the Philippines, as many times i have lent money out, and it never comes back, and the people ,including friends, seem shocked that even though they agreed to repay,that I still expected it. Not just small loans, but larger monies too. I wrote an article called  They wont pay..is that the Pinoy way!!

Also in 2008 I tried a few podcasts too, here is one about OFW from a guy called Ronnell

And a guy called Ryan talks about his hard life

With Bob Martin and my friend Migs, we took a two day tour around Mindanao, and I urge you to look up the two articles, which include video, called “A trip into danger pt 1 and pt2 .” A fantastic experience, and I would love to do it again.

I did article about Pinoy Tv, Customer service or the lack of it, the use of car horns and my first time in the Philippines. All of these plus many more can be found by clicking the pages below, and you might find it great bed time reading, well it should put you to sleep. I also did an article about the “white skin”, products that Pinoys buy to look white, and its everywhere here, most of my friends try to be white, and yet Filipinos have some of the most beautiful skin in the world!!

Also look at the article “What is a lie”,this is so important if you want to live here, its a huge cultural difference, and you need to understand it. Next week we move to 2009.

King Henry 8th.

During this period of religious change the usual slaughter, looting and pillaging plus a few more fun things all took place in the name of religion andit took quite a few years for the whole of England to settle down and accept the fact that the King was now the Head of the Church! Henry the King, gave himself his divorce or chopped of the heads of the unlucky and unwanted brides and all who survived this period appeared to be quite happy with their lot or so it was written at the time! From this time on the religious aspect in England was never as strict again as it was when the Catholic Church was in charge!

As all this was going on in England, the Philippines were getting their first taste of the wonders of the Catholic Religion thanks to the Spanish who were in the process of colonizing this wonderful bunch of islands for King Phillip of Spain and of course God Himself!

Jesus on the Cross in our bedroom.

Over the years, the Filipino has changed this Catholic Religion around a bit to suit his own need which in my mind is a good thing because if you stick totally to the old scriptures religion does tend to get a bit boring to many!

Mama Mary in the Lounge.

My wife is a Catholic and the kids are brought up the same way which is fine by me but I have noticed many parts of the religion here which would be considered rather strange in many countries but not here!

On the celebrations of All Saints and All Souls, the population moves in mass from where ever they are to go and have a good night out in the cemetery with their ancestors! There is always lots of food and drink at these festivities and at the end, the cemetery looks more like a garbage dump but this is all prepared for and cleaned up very quickly! The drinking seems to be getting less as the years go by but this event is still very unfortunate for the local pigs who’s roasted carcases are in great demand for this and as with every similar event I suppose! If you were to go and feast in an English Cemetery then I am pretty sure that you would get arrested by the Police and maybe would be forced to have an evaluation by a shrink to see if you were still considered to be sane after such weird goings on!

Garden Shrine, Mama Mary and Our Lady of Lourdes.

My house is full of all kinds of statues which represent different aspects of the religion, we have a 5ft tall Mama Mary, a similar size Christ on the Cross, Several Nino Statues, A Black Nazarene, A Sacred Heart, Several Last Supper Carvings, Holy Water from Lourdes in France plus many more Pictures and Small Carvings scattered all around the property! Basically, you cannot go to many places on our property where you are outside the gaze of one of these Religious Icons mentioned above! My wife also puts food out for some of the statues which usually is gone by the next morning, courtesy of the local cats probably! I have no problem with any of this and really its quite pleasant to see many of our visitors actually blessing one of the statues and some give a small preyor also! Among the wife’s collection of religious items she also has the Lord Buda, the lucky Chinese Mirrors over the doors, the many armed Indian God, a Lucky Frog and she burns Incense every evening! I think that we are pretty well covered on all aspects of religious life especially with my favorite Saint which is San Miguel!

In our Dining Room.

At Easter or Holy Week time, the people participate in the Stations of the Cross where for hours they are outside in the hot sun walking from one station to another, this is really a show of sincerity because most people do not go out if it is hot let alone walk for sometimes miles in order to carry out this religious duty!

Farmer Nino.

Also at Holy Week you have the very few people who actually get crucified, nails and all for what ever reason they believe will do some good for either themselves of for others! Its not unusual to see someone wrapped in barbed wire being whipped as he staggers through the streets carrying a cross!  These practices would be most definite NO NO’s in most countries and would not be tolerated but here it is still a big thing especially further north in the country!

Sacred Heart outside our Bedroom Door.

In England the practice of worship is a usually quiet affair which only takes place in Church, with the exception of burials that is! The bigger Churches and Cathedrals usually have the main service transmitted on the TV on a Sunday so that the elderly people can still see the service without having to leave the comfort of their home. With the Church of England, the Vicar (Priest) can be a married man and have his own family so when it comes to actually advising newly married couples of what life is about he has some idea from practical experience of what married life is all about! Some Vicars have even been divorced and re married! Birth control is openly talked about both in the Church and more importantly, in the Schools. All British and European kids learn about birth control from an early age unlike in the Philippines where it is a Taboo Subject in most areas!

The Last Supper in our Dining Room.

I sell Birth Control items for men at my Hotel and have at times been asked, usually by the older ladies why I sell such evil things which stop you having babies as this is against Gods Will! I usually then try explain to them that Birth Control is not just to prevent pregnancy but as  the name suggests it gives the family the control which allows them to have their children, when they are old enough, when they are married, when they can afford to bring children into the world, when the mother is well enough to carry a child to birth, when they are really ready to start a family and other things! Most of the people I speak to on the subject tend to agree with me afterwards but do admit that the local Priests do not try to explain as they do not really know so they just say that it is sinful and against the Will of God and should not be practiced! The same ladies have said to me: How can a King or Queen be next to God like the Pope is! It sure is a hard sell trying to convince them that there are other ways of religion in the world!

In Europe, many parents make sure that their teenage children are using Birth Control items in order to try to make sure that unplanned Babies do not appear! This does not always work!

Jesus!

To me, its a great shame that the larger religions in the world do not try to modernize and update themselves in order to fit in with the times and this I believe is the main reason that the Church is not getting the support that it used to get from the younger generation. I am not saying that the Priests should wear Hip Hop gear and Rap out the service but they should try to find new ways of presenting Jesus and God to the population in a more modern way instead of doing exactly the same things as have been done for hundreds of years! In any business, change is always refreshing and and makes the topic more interesting! In Africa, Church is a fun event with modern singing and dancing and also the people are really true believers and know the bible from cover to cover! If the service is enjoyable then the masses will go without being forced.

As you may notice, I am not much of a church person but attend the usual Weddings, Baptisms and Funerals but maybe it the Church could do more interesting things instead of the same things every time then even I might start to attend more often! Maybe!

I took a taxi to the Bureau of Immigration across from the Victoria Plaza mall. I was confused at what to do when I entered the building till I just repeated the process of another white guy; walk up to the window. The man at the window looked at my passport and then handed me a paper to fill out. The guy at the window of the counter then requested 3 pages of my passport to be photocopied. So, I went out of the building to a building next to it that does copies. I asked how much per copy, and I swore I could’ve heard them say “175 pesos”. Thinking I need more money in my pocket, I told them to wait and crossed the street to Victoria Plaza mall. There, I withdrew from the ATM. I went back to the photocopy place and got the copies done. They then calculated my fee, and it was actually only a few cents. Whoops, I heard wrong. No need to have withdrawn then! Haha.

I went back in the Bureau of Immigration and sat down to fill out my paper. I didn’t have a pen, so I asked an American nearby for a pen. I sat at the table with him and he guided me on filling out the paper when I asked a question. I think I remember him saying he was from California. He had a Filipina girlfriend, and he seemed middle aged (not a senior, nor a very young guy). When he asked where I was from, he responded that he had been stationed in Fort Jackson in SC. I assumed maybe he was in the Philippines through military service or something. While I continued filling the papers, he rambled on about corruption and they’ll trick me for my money in anyway. I really didn’t know what to say (in a small partial agreement of some tricky people, but main disagreement of it being the Immigration Office), so I just nodded my head and pretended to listen. Later I told my story of why I was in Davao.

After turning my papers in, I questioned something I had noticed on my passport when I first entered the country in December. The Customs Officer marked 21 days instead of 59 days when I already had my visa stamped in my passport from the Consulate General in Atlanta, Georgia. The man at the window looked confused and took it to the back of the office and asked questions. I was then called to the back office and sat at a desk with one of the head guys. He told me that the Customs Officer made a mistake by writing in 21 days because he failed to see my visa. No problem, their mistake. Then he questioned me on where I got my visa. He said that it was used with a rubber stamp and that visas today are no longer rubber stamps, but has some elastic coating. He showed me an Aussie’s passport as an example. I sat there for awhile so they could figure out why it was rubber stamped. I guess they figured out Atlanta maybe didn’t update their visa stamp thing. They released me from the office and I sat and waited for a lady to call my lastname.

When the lady to the side counter at the window called my name, she calculated my fees. She told me to pay P8610 (I think $188). I had to go back to Victoria Plaza and withdraw more to pay that. When I came back, I payed, and waited once more. I saw two white ladies (an older one and a younger one) seeming to have a problem about something. I also noticed a group of Korean students my age come in. Most of the Filipinos and white people who were there before had vanished already.

They finally called my name and handed me some papers. It was done. They just told me to come back and pick up my I-Card later (still have yet to do that). I think I had been there for maybe 2 and a half to 3 hours. It was already past 4pm and I still hadn’t had lunch yet. Thankfully, a Chowking was just a walk away (as was the mall). Good food and a pleased stomach.

For most people who have had a connection to the Philippines, they know that a Balikbayan Box is a large box that you can use to ship goods to the Philippines cheaply. When you ship a Balikbayan Box, it comes to the Philippines as ocean cargo, on a ship, so it takes a month or two to arrive here in most cases. The great thing about shipping stuff via Balikbayan Box is that the weight of the box doesn’t matter! Whether the box weighs in at 1 pound or 500 pounds, the price of shipping is the same!

Generally, from the USA, it costs between $60 to $120 to ship a Balikbayan Box to the Philippines. More toward the lower end of that range these days. Back when we lived in the USA, such shipping was over $100, but it’s been coming down steadily. Shipping from the west coast of the USA to Manila generally takes a month or so, while shipping down to Mindanao where I live takes longer (because the box must make it’s way from Manila to points in the south).

Balikbayan Boxes are quite large too! Actually you can use any size box, but the large ones are most often used. A large Balikbayan Box is 24″ x 24″ x 18″ in most cases, and that can be shipped for the prices that I have listed above.

The things that are really great to ship in Balikbayan Boxes are very heavy items like books and such. The reason, as I noted above is because the weight of the box doesn’t matter in calculating the shipping rate!

Another thing that Feyma and I used to do when we lived in the USA was that we would always watch for really good sales, like seasonal clearances and such. Sometimes we could buy items for 10% of the original price when the store was really trying to get rid of the stuff. When we would find stuff like that, we’d buy it up, and throw it in a Balikbayan Box. As we found more and more bargains, the boxes would fill up, and when they were as full as they could get, we would send them off to Feyma’s family here in the Philippines. Nowadays, instead of being on the shipping end, we are often on the receiving end of Balikbayan Boxes, as my Mom will usually send a few such boxes during Christmas time.

I know your next question – how do I ship one of these boxes? Well, you need to find a company that specializes in shipping Balikbayan Boxes in your area. Check any Asian Grocery Stores that you might find in your town, often they will have flyers or signs for companies who ship Balikbayan Boxes to the Philippines. Do a Google search for Balikbayan Boxes and your City and maybe you will find a shipper! Don’t give up, though, such shippers can be found worldwide!

If you want to practice what it is like to send a Balikbayan Box, and test out how it works, feel free to send me one! Write me for my address if you need it! Just kidding, of course!

Maybe now it would be better and easier to get used too. Being good Internet connection now and calling abroad is way cheaper. The phone provider now gives good rates. Then there is Skype and of course we have the Vonage. A Vonage is like phone but needs an internet connection. You can call unlimited anywhere in North America 24/7 for $25.  Being my mother-in-law and our friends are in Washington State we have our local number in that area. Our kids and Granny can call each other any time without paying any long distance call. It’s really convenient for us. I call up my friend in Japan regularly and pay only a small amount on that. If we used our cell phones its going to cost us way too much.

One thing that is hard for me to adjust here coming back seeing a lot members in my family keeps popping babies and can’t afford to support their own kids. Just going around town lots of poor people and kids begging for money. The parents are telling the kids to beg. One time we went to a Dunkin Donut place and outside the door there was  a cute little girl begging for food and money. I asked here why she’s not in school its school days. She told me that “I dropped out of school because my parents can’t afford for us siblings to go to school”. Wow that really hit me hard. I was just lucky growing up. Bob and I then bought her a donut and gave her money. That night we went back after dinner and she was still there. We then bought some barbecue and some rice for her.  My heart goes out to them and wishing I can help all of them . It took me awhile to get used to that. Bob and I wanted to helped a lot but we know that we can’t do it. It’s really depressing sometimes.

Just thinking back before moving here I was really petrified to move. Just thinking about it makes me cry a bit. To be honest I never wanted to move here. Do I regret in moving here now? Sometimes I do, its one of the hardest decision that I ever made in life. I didn’t really know at that time whats in store for us here in the Philippines. It was a roller coaster ride for us here. I would not recommend it to anybody who has doubts about moving here. Really hard adjustments here that will take forever at that time. The only thing that makes it easier for me to live here is seeing Chris more accepted here and he really is happy  here. He is really loved by my family and friends here. He had good chance of having a better life here than in the States. He likes to go to our farm and stay there with my few siblings and help them with taking care of the animals and with harvesting corn or copra or squash. His learning how to make charcoal out of the coconut shells.

Back to adjustments here. If you are into shopping good and expensive stuff you have to live in big cities like Manila. You can buy  a lot there and they had more stuff than in the province. We are residing in Davao City. We have good stuff here not quite as good in Manila. Even eating places we don’t have a good variety of places to chose from. Can you imagine the small towns then, they don’t have a lot. You have to fly to Manila or go to the nearest big city then. But hey, if you want to live simpler life then the small towns is okay for you then. Each of us has preferable place in mind to settle here. Bob and I lived in GenSan. At that time its so hard to get any anything there, we have to come to Davao to buy just simple stuff. But now they really improved big time. More malls and more stuff. Before moving back here Bob and I decided that we would never live in Manila. If that happens we would rather go back to the States. We just don’t have the desire to live there. We really are happy in Davao. I know its getting a little traffic now but still we like it here. Hopefully we would lived here for awhile. My family really are wanting me to live in Gensan because its closer for Chris to go to the farm then. Will see what happens after our youngest son graduated high school.

To be honest a lot of people came here to lived and they will just stay months to few years and go back to the country the guy belongs too. I felt for them because they have to start all over again. It’s not easy to come here, it cost a lot of money and same thing on moving back there. With the good information now on the net try to study hard and ask around before coming here and make a commitment so that your hard earned money will not go to waste. To tell you frankly its really very difficult to adjust here. A lot in life here is so backward, but try to really handle it. Not all of us can do it. When coming to live here you have to carry a lot of patience with you. Try to go with the flow, which is so difficult. You can’t make it here if you have so much anger with you. It will trigger then here, at the end you will end up in jail. I’m sure that’s not the kind of life you want. Please think real hard before moving here.

Good luck to all of you that wants to live here!

In addition to the comments, readers (and family members, friends, etc.) have requested pictures of our house and a little write-up.  Guess I have no reason to put it off any longer – I’ve stretched “Filipino Time” for about as long as I can.

Please don’t consider this article as “bragging”; I’m actually a little embarrassed living in a house like this located in an agricultural barangay.  Our neighbors enjoy its presence though, and they are proud that it is in our barangay (it’s achieved “landmark status,” being used when giving directions and serving as an unofficial bus and jeepney stop).  Also, please remember that, like any other house in The Philippines, it is still a “work in progress” – no house is ever “really finished” here.

Brgy #24 – Nagsanga, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte

To start things off, here’s a little background as to where we built our house.  The Municipality of Pasuquin is located north of Laoag City, the capital of the province of Ilocos Norte.  The province is in the extreme northwest of the island of Luzon.  It typifies the definition of “provincial” – life is bearable for most of the provincial residents:  it’s not hectic, but neither is it easy.

Just north of the town proper on the National Highway is the barangay of Nagsanga (Brgy #24).  It is an agricultural barangay with crops of rice, garlic, onions, corn, sugar cane, melons, gourds and tobacco raised throughout the year (each with its own particular season for growing).  Farmers raise livestock such as cows, pigs, goats, chickens and turkeys here as well.  It’s really and truly agricultural.

Construction – The Start of Something Big

In January 2008, we began building.  Emy owns the lot on which the “family house” sets and there was room enough for her “dream house.”    All we needed to do was remove a ~50-year old mango tree, and clear the land of other vegetation and smaller trees.

The first load of lumber to arrive wasn’t for the house.  Workers crafted this lumber into jigs, carrier boxes, sand sifters, low-level scaffolding and other contraptions that they would use to construct the house.  The house is a steel bar reinforced concrete block affair, with additional concrete and steel employed to insure durability in bad weather (did I mention that this area is prone to typhoons?).

Some of the first steps taken, after making “construction accessories” involved steel and concrete.  Workers bent, tied off and, in some cases, welded the steel rebar in preparation to provide support for concrete columns that hold and support the walls.

Construction continued through November 2008, with our house blessing held on December 8, 2008.

Here are pictures of the work in progress:

The house starts taking a familiar shape:

Add a roof and a fence and it really takes shape:

Add some paint and ready the yards for landscaping:

Today – Our House and Surroundings

Outside of our house being built and blessed, not much has changed in our neighborhood for years.  The “family house” is still next door.  The view of the National Highway looking north is still the same tree-lined thoroughfare.  The view south is still the elementary school on the corner of the National Highway and Bulosan Street.  From time to time, the clock has a habit of stopping here in the province and change comes to a complete standstill.

While Emy and our engineer/contractor had 99½% of the input on design, construction and final touches, my ½% was a bit sentimental and, I think, fitting.  Emy inherited the property and everything it holds from our late Auntie Ma. Dolores Dancel Laguatan Bagasol – the Auntie, who with her late first husband, adopted Emy at birth.

A very industrious and capable (not to mention fun loving) woman, Auntie Dolores obtained the land and moved her house onto it.  That house, after a little remodeling, we refer to as the “family house.”  During my time in the Navy, Auntie would come and live with us in different locations around the world.  She’d help with cleaning (a very spic & span woman), babysitting, and all the other things a Lola would do.  We were heartbroken when she passed away.  A few of her last words to us was to take care of the property and not give it up to anyone.  Emy and I find ourselves taking on challenges from siblings, etc. but we’ve prevailed in fulfilling Aunties wishes.

That ½% I mentioned is naming our house for her.  While back in the States, I had a sign made that we will attach to one of the columns supporting the front pedestrian gate, just under the doorbell.  We live in “Villa Dolores.”  I think it fitting to attach her name to the house – without her, its existence would not be possible.  After all, every “landmark” should have a name!

So Here They Are – The Pictures

I finally took my digital camera and made a sweep of our house.  Please excuse the “lived-in” look, and know that we intend to landscape and add several niceties in the back yard later in the year.

Outside – The front of the house from different angles:

Outside – The front lawn, driveway and gates from different angles:

Outside – The east side of the house from front and rear, and the southeast corner:

Outside – The back of the house, the rear fence and the back gate:

Outside – Some vegetation (bananas, calamansi and “Dama de Noche” (Night-blooming Jasmine):

Outside/Inside – The kitchens, both “dirty” (outside) and “formal, American-style”:

Inside – The formal dining room and the sala (living area) from different angles:

Inside – The stairs to bedrooms, the master bedroom, bath and walk-in closet:

That pretty much covers things, both outside and in.  I didn’t take any pictures of the other two bedrooms and baths.  See one, you’ve seen them all though these other rooms are not as ornate as the master suite.  I also didn’t take any pictures of the west side of the house – that is where the “dirty” kitchen attaches to the house.  It also serves as a general cleaning area, and today was laundry day.  It’s best to stay away from clothes being washed and dried.

As I’ve said, it’s still a work in progress and there will be more items added within the next couple of years.  Among them in the backyard will be a nice bahay cubo, a couple of mango trees and other vegetation and, of course, more grass.  We’ll add whatever else we can think of that would look nice (and not hurt our budget too badly) as well.  Until then, one of my dogs (Barto, the Australian Shepherd) is on watch looking after the property.

A person can make life pretty sweet out in the provinces if he or she puts his/her mind to it.  All of the sweetness, as I mentioned before, came from Emy’s mind.  It’s her dream house.  I just rent a room!

That was Friday morning. By Friday afternoon I had spent my second full day with a fever near 38 that would just not break. Rose decided enough was enough, so despite my objections it was off to the hospital we went. Twenty four hours later I was released, feeling fine, perhaps a little weak, with the cause of the fever apparently a mystery.

Bart and Bony

We were welcomed home by everyone outside with lighted candles. Was this my welcome home? Nope, brownout. Just enjoying the cooler evening air. Rose and I plopped onto the couch outside on the porch. We all conversated, Bony and Mozart were playing, and I may have dozed a little off and on.

At some point in my dreamlike state I just had to ask, “Why do I keep hearing the name Bart?” Two or three replied at about the same time that Bart is the puppy’s name.

“His name is Mozart,” I said. “Oo, Bart,” they all said. Even Rose seemed to join the chorus.

How could I argue against logic like that? It’s one of the mysteries of Filipino nicknames that all but a very few westerners will ever comprehend. Well I’m not gonna to try to fight this tide, it’s a lot less work and usually more fun to paddle with the current. So I sat there on the couch in the cool night air, dozing a little off and on with the flickering candlelight, enjoying the company and chuckling at Bony playing with our puppy Mozart, aka Bart.

Why do I recommend renting a place to live for those who are newly living in the Philippines?  Well, there are a few reasons.  Firstly, if you build a house here, and build it to the standards that you are accustomed to, it will very likely be very difficult to sell that house if you decide to move.  Let’s face it, most houses here in the Philippines are not built to US standards, or to the standards of whatever first-world nation you come from.  Also, people here might not like the design of your “American style” house, or some of the things you put into the house.  What Filipinos like, and what we like is not always the same.  Nothing wrong with that, we are just different, as would be expected.  However, if you build the house that you like, and then decide to move somewhere else, you may never be able to sell the house for what you have invested into it.

The truth is, a lot of foreigners come here dead set that they are going to live in a certain place.  They are sure of it.  I came here with the idea that I was 100% certain that I wanted to live in General Santos City.  After two years there, a number of factors played into the fact that I decided to move to Davao City instead.  It’s a move that I have never regretted.  After 8 years living in Davao, though, I am pretty sure that I have decided that this is not the place where I will live in 5 or 10 years from not.  There are a number reasons for that, which are outside the scope of this article.  But, the fact is, I am very happy that I have continued renting my house instead of building one, or purchasing one.

Somebody asked me the other day, though, about deposits on rentals.  How much do you have to deposit, and can you ever get your deposit back?  Let me try to answer those questions.

How much do you need to deposit when you rent a house in the Philippines?  Well, there is no law about it that I am aware of.  It is simply something that you negotiate with the landlord at the time of rental.  In my 10 years of living in the Philippines, and renting houses here, I don’t think I have ever put down more than a 2 month deposit on a house.  This is a security deposit, to ensure that you do not damage the place, or leave it in a state of disarray.  It also ensures that you pay all the bills when you move out.  For example, if you owe the Electric company for a month of electricity, the deposit will be used to cover that.  Same goes for telephone, water, or whatever else you may have on a monthly billing.

Now, I said previously that I have always given 2 months deposit.  Sometimes I have been asked for more, even up to 6 months, but I have always been able to negotiate it down to 2 months.  If there was a case (which I don’t recall) where I could not get it down to 2 months, I simply walked away from the deal and found something else instead.

What about getting your deposit refunded?  Well, legally, the landowner must refund you for any amount of the deposit which is not used to make repairs to damage you caused, or to pay bills that were left unpaid.  That is the law.  In practice, though, it can be difficult to get that deposit back.  However, in my years of dealing with this, I have come up with a way that has ensured that I get my deposit back every time.  I suppose it can still be circumvented, but in my experience that has never happened.

How do I do it?

I leave the deposit asked for, say 2 months.  Then, as my contract is coming near the end, and I have decided that I won’t extend my contract, and will indeed be vacating the premises, I go and talk to the landlord a couple of months ahead of my vacating the property.  I explain that I will be leaving when the contract ends, and I tell the landlord that I have maintained the house well, even usually leaving it in better condition than when I moved in.  I invite the landlord to come and have a look, if he would like to do so.  Usually, this invitation is declined, and the landlord simply accepts my word that the house is in good condition.  Next, I ask the landlord if there will be any problems in returning my deposit that I left with them.  If he indicates that he doesn’t have the money, or is wishy washy about it at all, I simply propose that I be allowed to stay in the house for the last two months without paying any rent, simply using up my deposit as the rent payment.

So far, in every case, this method has worked.  There have been times when the landlord has assured me that he has the money to refund my deposit, and there have also been times when I lived rent-free for two months.  In either case, though, I have always gotten my deposit back.

My view is that if you maintain a good relationship with your landlord, treat him with respect, and keep the lines of communication open, he will treat you fairly.  Of course, there are some landlords who are bad people and will not keep his word, but in my experience, so far I have not had that problem.  I think that such a problem would certainly happen in a small minority of situations.

So, that’s how it has worked for me.  Every person is different, but these are my experiences with rental deposits.

So why am I bring this up today? Well last Friday my wife turned fifty, and to her it seemed like it was no big deal. She knew there’d be cake and pancit and of course a party. Did I forget to tell you she’s a twin? So her sister’s husband get’s a break, as he knows they always celebrate together, and I throw the party. The party will be in my re-built backyard and the food and beer will flow, at least the beer will.

Friday morning, much to do, tent is up. All outside light bulbs have been changed. Cooler filled with beer and water, ice added. (Will check again later) All tables and chairs have been power washed and ready. Man Cave is clean. Fishpond cleaned again, nieces and nephews in the pond, (A pox on my neighbor’s tree) Nieces and nephews already in clean pond. I’ll await further instructions from ComPacFlt-House, (Commander Pacific Fleet-House, or as I call her “My Mahal”.

Does it stop with the present, or the cost of the party? Hell no, a trip to the hairdresser, and a new outfit are also required. And one must have the obligatory damnable singing machine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining at all. I enjoy seeing her and her family having a great time. And we’ll do it again on the 14^th during the PacMan fight on Pay-per-View (sans the damnable singing machine). I just like the fact that no matter what her age is, she’s beautiful to my eye, and 13 years younger than me. So here are a few pictures of the party. You under fifty folks have something to look forward too, and remember what my father said to me, “You’re no longer middle aged at fifty!”

My 13 year old nephew wanted a beer, his older brothers said no, he snuck in to my beer ref. and took what he thought was a beer. I found him at the side of the house sipping on a ICB bottled Cream Soda, true it does look like beer, and has no label just etched glass. Being the “Cool Uncle” I told him it was Ok-na-Ok, the sugar rush will do him good!

More pictures from the party:

The kids are having fun in the pool!

It's not a party without this!

He gave his life, but not in vein

Birthday Girl

Two Birthday Girls