Son-in-law Joseph had graduated from college with Education major, and had spent a number of weeks taking the "teaching review" which is an everything-you-ever-learned cram-course designed to help each candidate pass the Teaching License Examination. Joseph and six of his buddies needed to go to Iloilo and apply for positions to take the test. Among seven mid-20s college graduates, Joseph was the only one who could drive enough to make the trip, in a mid-size Mitsubishi which one of the families supplied. Joseph's driving experience at that time was making a few 50-mile to-or-from San Jose "driver training" trips with me in the Suzuki, a much smaller vehicle than that Mitsu.
The situation was a little hard for me to imagine - - in the USA every one of those guys would very likely have been a driver. (EVERY ONE of them probably has a motorcycle, though). If I were going to make a guess, 80 to 90% of American adults drive; HERE, my guess would be less than 10%, and possibly less than 5%. Driving is just NOT a needed skill, here, for most people. Unless I have parcels inside, I don't worry at all if I leave the car unlocked with the keys in it, on quick errands in and out of local places. My key-set has only 2 keys on it here, and it slides so far down in my pants-pocket that it can be a real hassle to get out.
The situation was a little hard for me to imagine - - in the USA every one of those guys would very likely have been a driver. (EVERY ONE of them probably has a motorcycle, though). If I were going to make a guess, 80 to 90% of American adults drive; HERE, my guess would be less than 10%, and possibly less than 5%. Driving is just NOT a needed skill, here, for most people. Unless I have parcels inside, I don't worry at all if I leave the car unlocked with the keys in it, on quick errands in and out of local places. My key-set has only 2 keys on it here, and it slides so far down in my pants-pocket that it can be a real hassle to get out.
ONLY IN THE LAST YEAR-OR-SO, the Philippines has expanded
its education system to include 12 grades. Until recently the High
School graduation was after 10th grade. Students who did not do
well in Grade School would not be provided any schooling after
Grade 6. I think that the adjustment to a 12-year scheme is so
that the schooling here will be aligned with international standards.
In 2 previous blogs I've shown the progress on the new class
room building at the elementary school. This is just before
completion. All the work was "by hand" labor-intensive, and
the building is quite impressive considering the methods.
One thing which IS pretty much the same here is that there
is always a "Government Project" sign on any such con-
struction. Seems like the cost of the sign might begin to
provide some furnishings, instead - -(!) - - but the visible
reminder of "YOUR taxes benefiting YOUR COMMUNITY"
seems to trump any stingy economizing.
ODD FRUITS division entry; "star apples" are about tennis-
ball size, and the interior is custard-like texture. The flavor
IS sort of apple-ish.
Our pork-chops are nearly always "chopped to order" while
we wait. Seems like there's no concern about the use
of a tree-trunk segment for a chopping block.
The matches don't "match" USA matches.
"Safety matches" here seem to be much safer than the ones
in the USA. My "ignition success rate" is about ONE out of
THREE attempts. Lack of enough striking chemical, or too-
flimsy match-sticks, seem to be the main causes of failure.
During March "Fire Safety Month" the safest thing to do here
would be to give each 3- through- 8-year-old child several
boxes of them to play with. Frustration at their not working
would keep the kids from ever bothering with them again.
"Here's lookin' at you" was Humphrey Bogart's usual toast
before drinking, in the movie Casablanca. In our place, it's
not too unusual for the FOOD to seem to be looking at you!
We get quite a variety of eggs from our varied poultry flock.
The white egg in front is about medium-sized hen egg; the
brown eggs are also chickens; The blue-green eggs are
ducks', and the large white egg in back is goose. Since
this photo, we are letting the goose keep her eggs in hopes
that she will sit on them and hatch us a new brood.
We have several papaya trees, and they often seem to have no
sense of direction. So, we prop them up as best we can, and
they seem to do fine. This one has produced quite a few fruit
Happy Holidays!
Half a cap- full of rubbing alcohol or other fuel goes into the
Familiar looking logos and slogans are everywhere here. A
lot of the clothing here, other than new-retail clothing, is from
But I seem to see "HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA" shirts all
Other very frequent logos are of tourist destinations and cartoon characters, and common- use popular products from the USA (e.g. Grand Canyon, Monster Energy, Spider Man).
On a recent trip to Iloilo, the fuel prices were the lowest I have
ever seen them here, especially for diesel. Converted to US
measures and currency, this is about $1.79 for diesel, and
$3.01 for mid-grade unleaded 10% alcohol gasoline. A year
ago the gasoline was above $5.00; $5.29 is my memory.
Winnowing with a woven tray-basket is the same method
as is also daily used for each batch of rice which is cooked.
These beans look just about like a split-pea would, if it
wasn't split. I've been thinking about trying to make some
into a batch of soup.
NEW APPLIANCES may be as simple as a new coconut-
grating stool. The old one, made from a curved tree branch,
was getting a little wobbly. A piece of steel re-bar is flattened
on one end, and shaped/ sharpened somewhat like a horse-
man's spur. This makes an easy way to grate half-
a- coconut in a jiffy.
Enchiladas and other Tex-Mex food require some determination
to prepare, here. It is necessary to first learn how to convert
common corn into "harina" (hominy) in order to have tortilla-
makings. I've managed to make several batches of tortillas
lately, and I'm getting fairly good using either corn or wheat flour.
To save a little on cooking gas, I've been experimenting
with cooking an egg or two in a buttered dish at the
same time as I cook oatmeal, by setting a lid over it.
The timing is TRICKY! I always use Rolled Oats instead
of "instant" or "quick," because of better flavor and
texture. Here, I have to pay attention every time I
look in the grocery store, as the Rolled Oats are more
difficult to find than the other types.
Meanwhile out at our small farm we are just getting started
with actual GROWING - - it's taken a couple years to get things
organized. This row is some large white lima beans from a
Wal-Mart package. I wasn't sure they would grow, but had
HOPES (they are really tasty cooked with onion and garlic!).
This photo is about 2 weeks after we planted this "trial batch."
There was an awful lot of fuss, when I was a teenager, about
growing plants with five-fingered leaves. THIS is cassava,
which is grown here for its nutritious- but- starchy tuber (root).
We are hoping that large quantities of rice hulls (they shuck
off of the grains) - visible in the photo - added to the soil
will improve its heavy/ sticky quality over a period of time.
But it is nice "adding on the years" in a post-card setting.
despite its precarious-looking slant.
Humidity here causes Onion and Garlic powders (and similar
other ingredients) to turn into a solid mass fairly quickly. Onion
powder hardens like cement; Garlic powder is more like extra-
hard bouillon cube. If I were smarter, sooner, I would transfer
the contents to a more accessible container, instead of waiting
until I have to chip and dig them out with an ice pick.
Happy Holidays!
It is pretty common here for the teenagers to take 6 or 8 sardine cans or similar, and tape them together with duct tape, to create a cannon-barrel. Sometimes bamboo-slat splints are added to reinforce the device. This one was made right around New Year's Day.
Half a cap- full of rubbing alcohol or other fuel goes into the
open front end of the tube, and it is swung and shaken for a minute or two, then a cigarette lighter is flamed into the small hole at the back end of the barrel. The resulting BANG! sounds pretty similar to a 12-gauge shotgun.
One aspect of living in the Philippines is a relative lack of laws and regulations; each person has responsibility for his own choices.
Familiar looking logos and slogans are everywhere here. Alot of the clothing here, other than new-retail clothing, is from
recycled "rag bales" which come here in shipping containers. It isn't much of a surprise to see the "I-heart-NY" shirts around here - - - - -
But I seem to see "HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA" shirts all
over the place here. It isn't THAT big a place! Maybe the
source of the recycled clothing is somewhere in the Bay
Area of California?
Nearly all signage in the Philippines is in English, except for slogans and advertisements. So, this sign, which appears on the back of every commercial vehicle, has been an exception. Its intent is pretty obvious: it is a complaint-hotline advisory.
Just in the last month and ONLY on the very latest-model Ceres Liner Buses, I've finally been seeing it in English.
On a recent trip to Iloilo, the fuel prices were the lowest I have
ever seen them here, especially for diesel. Converted to US
measures and currency, this is about $1.79 for diesel, and
$3.01 for mid-grade unleaded 10% alcohol gasoline. A year
ago the gasoline was above $5.00; $5.29 is my memory.
Processing food for personal use is a much larger part of
a usual day here than it is in the USA. Here, several sacks
of "mung beans" (called "mongo" around here) are sun-
dried on a tarp in the back of the Suzi- pickup truck.
The threshing method is similar to traditional wine-making.
as is also daily used for each batch of rice which is cooked.
These beans look just about like a split-pea would, if it
wasn't split. I've been thinking about trying to make some
into a batch of soup.
grating stool. The old one, made from a curved tree branch,
was getting a little wobbly. A piece of steel re-bar is flattened
on one end, and shaped/ sharpened somewhat like a horse-
man's spur. This makes an easy way to grate half-
a- coconut in a jiffy.
to prepare, here. It is necessary to first learn how to convert
common corn into "harina" (hominy) in order to have tortilla-
makings. I've managed to make several batches of tortillas
lately, and I'm getting fairly good using either corn or wheat flour.
with cooking an egg or two in a buttered dish at the
same time as I cook oatmeal, by setting a lid over it.
The timing is TRICKY! I always use Rolled Oats instead
of "instant" or "quick," because of better flavor and
texture. Here, I have to pay attention every time I
look in the grocery store, as the Rolled Oats are more
difficult to find than the other types.
with actual GROWING - - it's taken a couple years to get things
organized. This row is some large white lima beans from a
Wal-Mart package. I wasn't sure they would grow, but had
HOPES (they are really tasty cooked with onion and garlic!).
This photo is about 2 weeks after we planted this "trial batch."
growing plants with five-fingered leaves. THIS is cassava,
which is grown here for its nutritious- but- starchy tuber (root).
We are hoping that large quantities of rice hulls (they shuck
off of the grains) - visible in the photo - added to the soil
will improve its heavy/ sticky quality over a period of time.
Lately it seems to me that a lot of working people here are real young-looking, like kids. Doctors, cops, teachers, store clerks - - -
even used-car salesmen! Maybe I'm just getting OLD - - -
(ADDED NOTE, there is more text between and below the next 2 photos. In the website version of this posting you must push a "read more" link to see it. I don't know why.)
(ADDED NOTE, there is more text between and below the next 2 photos. In the website version of this posting you must push a "read more" link to see it. I don't know why.)
These two are "stock shots" from some time back but I could walk 5 or 10 minutes almost any day and find other shots just as good.
Guess I'll wind it up for this posting. We have been in- process of building a replacement "outdoor kitchen" and carport, but covering that would be too many photos for one BLOG, I think. So, next blog will look at some of that project (maybe "finished" by then!) most likely.
We hope you're having a fine and blessed year 2016!
Tim and Bernadette Larson, Philippines
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