The Larson Foundation

Actual posting date Friday, Feb. 22, 2013

Several possible titles occurred to me for this blog issue, but I thought that one had a nice "ring" to it. I enjoy mentally re-playing last lines of media-scripts sometimes, because I have to wonder if they really "hear" what they say.  One favorite from a couple years ago:  "Kosair Childrens' Hospital is supported by the Childrens' Hospital Foundation."  Yep, the whole place would fall down if not for that.

Having watched (and helped a little) with the foundation and lower-structure of our house project, I'm absolutely certain that "it ain't going nowhere."   I've seen a fair number of foundation and block-work projects, and have been a little surprised at the depth of footings and the amount of re-bar used here.
"Ready, mix cement" was another possible title, and as you'll have already guessed from the bag-cement and bulk sand/gravel deliveries featured earlier, our concrete didn't come out of a drum-truck; these guys could imagine that happening, but it would just be imagination . . .

The sand and gravel was delivered at the street; the best way to move it

 to the mixing area is one bag at a time.

It is carefully spread in layers with Portland cement in between, and the

whole pile is double-turn shoveled to mix it evenly; then, a crater is made

in the top, and water is added while the "dry" outside is continually scooped

towards the center.  Result: even, thoroughly mixed "mud."  It's not far 

different from making pie-crust or pancake batter.

Concrete transport system. (Nothing abstract, here.)

Walking the "straight and narrow,"  50-pounds or so in each bucket.

 Each load is dumped where needed- here at a corner-footer pad.  Each

 concrete post for the house will be poured on this type of  "footer-pad,"

about 32-inches square, 3-feet deep at the bottom so about 12-inch thick. 

 It is cross-laced inside with more re-bar which is tied to the post-fab re-

bar (vertical) and to re-bar lying horizontally in the wall-footing trench.

The wall-footing has been poured  (also 12-inch thick) and below-ground

"hollow-block" is beginning to go in place.  NOTE 4-inch thick 3-hole 

concrete blocks are standard, here.  Re-bar between blocks of this course

will be in middle-hole of the next course.  All voids are filled with concrete -

"solid."  Below-ground each course has re-bar above and below; above-

ground, every-second course will be re-barred.

Cement posts of this house are at corners and wall mid-points.  They are

kept as "gaps" with anchored re-bar-fab in place.  When the walls are full

height, these will be wood-formed and cement poured in-place to make the

 posts; at the same time, re-bar-fab will be in place on top of the walls, and

formed and poured to make a solid concrete "bond-beam" around the top.

Top o' the wall; bond-beam metal in place, with the outside of its form behind

it. The form for this side is ready to go on. The vertical post re-bar-fab is visible

 and will  be formed and poured as a unit with the bond beam.  Vertical post

concrete already poured below this is still fresh and will bond completely with

 the new pour on top of it.  ("Monolithic.")

I wasn't sure I could "get to the top" in just one blog-issue.  Next issue will probably 

revert to another topic, as I've been doing.  The following "construction" issue will need to go back and show a few details left out of the story, here.  But I think I can "get the roof on" with that issue.

I hung onto this issue for a few days because I got it done early.  I kinda lean towards releasing them overnight before Friday because I hope that's a good day for people to look, or else they can read it over the weekend.  Seems to me like next issue would be a good time to start looking at "Market" and food.

Hope you all have a fine and blessed weekend!   Tim Larson,   Philippines

Tricycle

Actual posting date Friday Feb. 15, 2013.

New readers should probably scroll back and read a few previous postings.

Motorcycle-sidecar "tricycles" are not unique to the Philippines, but the sheer numbers of them, and the percentage they make up of general traffic (at least in this area) must surely be considered a phenomenon.  This combination is the "workhorse" of transportation because of the extreme thriftiness,  mechanical simplicity and dependability provided for the amount of transportation accomplished.  Gas prices here are U.S. equivalent of more than $5.70 so "fuel sipping" vehicles are a must.
 The sidecars I've seen (manymanymany) are hand-fabbed in small welding shops mostly. Some shops reach an eventual output of hundreds of units - certainly jigs and fixtures are used to speed up the building process and keep the product uniform.  I observe some differences in the body-shape of the majority of sidecars  around my immediate area (Tibiao and Culasi) and the sidecars around San Jose (60 km from here, the Provincial Capitol) which you'll see in my photos. These differences I gather are the "signature" shapes of two different manufacturing shops.  The basic framework is welded from 1/4- inch to 3/8 inch diameter steel rod (often "re-bar") and then covered with spot-welded galvanized steel sheeting, (it's called aircraft-type construction) resulting in a product which is sturdy and very professional looking and quite sleekly streamlined.  Well, too much typescript already, I'll let the photos start speaking for themselves.

This tricycle is one we rode the approx. 2 km to Tibiao Municipal Market one

Saturday morning.  The sleek "bullet train" front design is typical of most sidecars

around here.  The roof-projection over the bike is typical of  nearly all - it often

has a plastic windshield hanging in front of the driver.  Passenger fares are flat-

rate, set by the local council (or whoever's in charge).  Around here the fare is

8 pesos which equals 20-cents  U.S.  It's 10 pesos in San Jose.

These units on the street in San Jose are boxier-looking but still well finished.

All are officially numbered; various permits  are posted on windshields.  Many

are nicknamed and "themed" as with jeepneys.  Note Bugs Bunny inside British

 Innovator.  I nearly always ride facing backwards - it's hard for me to scrunch

 inside thru the right "door."  Bikes are tiny - 155cc is largest and some are only

 100cc.  I have not yet seen ANY motorcycle larger than 155cc in the Philippines.

There seem to be thousands of tricycles around San Jose - "thicker than  flies

 on a feedlot."  Many districts now have rules requiring passengers to be in-

side the vehicle or on the bike-seat.  Some places have restricted them to

outside of "downtown," Iloilo certainly has and it appears (from TV traffic

news-casts) that Manila has restrictions, too.  This, for safety reasons.

Two riders behind the driver is typical; sometimes, the back seat gets jammed

with 4 and not unusual for the tiny front seat to have 3. This load is pretty

 "tame,"as there are no standees or roof-riders.

In our area students ride half-fare, and the "rules" only apply in "Tibiao Proper"

(as Main Part of the District is called).  Kids will be kids, and at half-fare there

 will at times be 10 or 11 people including standees and roof riders.
By the way, top speed is about 30 mph and they usually only go 20- 25,
but slower when loaded heavily. (LOW engine-power)

All kinds - and lots OF - cargo goes on tricycles.  Part of this load of lumber

we received is already off.  I WISH I could get a photo of 35-foot bamboo

bundled and hauled with point-ends dragging, on a tricycle.  Common 2

 months ago, current "shortage" of bamboo makes it harder to find one.

I kept seeing this SAME pig being chauffeured on a tricycle.  PIGS and

other livestock on a trike, not unusual - BUT it's usually a one-way trip,

ya know what I mean? Also, he's BIG, about 300 pounds.

So I wondered what was up with him.

It turned out he's the highly regarded "Poppa Pig" for this area; he

finishes his day's work with a big smile.

  I could include lots more photos - but these are a fair representation.  Almost for sure I'll be putting some "miscellaneous" tricycle photos up at times, just like I really need already to include a couple more "JEEPNEY" photos I've been lucky enough to catch.  I use a fairly simple "snapshot" electronic camera, and a lot of the GOOD photos would be vehicles in motion if I could catch them.  My shutter-"click" is about 1/2 second after I push the button so I'm still mastering the timing.  

   Tricycles and jeepneys alike are frequently piled high with people and cargo;  some tricycle photos I've missed might remind you of the 3rd-world "donkey or burro" photo, where you can hardly see the beast because it's so covered up with baskets, or firewood, or whatever.  If I can just swing the camera fast enough I'll try for a few.

  Looks like this will be posted overnight-Thursday for you USA-ers - Hope you all have a blessed Friday and wonderful weekend.

Tim and Bernadette Larson,  Philippines

The Steel Deal

ACTUAL Posting date, Monday, Feb. 11, 2013

Readers who are  new to the blog should probably scroll back and read a few earlier posts, first. 

So far, I hadn't thought too much about just exactly what my "philosophy" is for this blog.  I'm pretty sure it will stay mostly photo's, as they are more interesting than typescript.  Have had a couple comments that Bernadette and I aren't in the photo's much if at all -so I may try to work us in a little.  But she is camera-shy, and I'M  usually the one holding the camera so it won't be very often.  One point which occurred to me is that I don't expect the blog to be so much about ME or about US as it is about what we see around us in the Philippines that is different from the USA, and may therefore interest the readers.
I've been trying to figure out how to present the process of building a house here, a few photos at a time, without getting over-complicated for readers who'd rather just take projects like this for granted.  Guess I'm trying not to "belabor" the subject; but it's an awful lot of what's going on for us right now, and I've taken  many various-phase photos.  I guess I'll just start putting them up 6 or 8 at a time, and work other subjects in-between as I've been trying to do.

The building pad area was cleared of most obstructions and four "corners" like

this one were staked into place about 18- inches outside of the actual house-

corner locations.  Looking closely you can see string-lines crossed; the strings 

guide digging and other lining-up functions as the foundation and walls are built.

All preparation work for materials happens on the site.  Small-diameter

"re-bar" (reinforcing bar) is cut to length with a hacksaw.

Thick nails driven into a tree-slab make a bending jig so this worker

can bend the straight re-bar cuts into the "box" shape seen at right .

Hundreds of these boxes are cut and bent.

Meantime rolls of 16-gauge tie-wire are cut into zillions of  ready-made

wire-ties by sis-in-law, nieces, and me.  These are used like twist-ties.

Larger-size re-bar is wired to corners of the bent "boxes" and thus, long

lengths of rectangular-sectioned reinforcements are created to go inside

of concrete posts and beams of the house.

Concrete posts of the house will be poured later, around re-bar fabricated

 ("fab")sections like this one which is being braced and tied into foundation 

re-bar already in the trench;  we are just about ready to pour concrete.

Meantime several loads of sand, gravel and cement-blocks have arrived- by

 TRUCK, not by BUS;  this load of  blocks is on top of 3 cu. yards of sand-

 and-gravel mix.  They will be "digitally downloaded"  (that is, taken off by hand.)

This is NOT a dump-truck.  But these guys are GOOD - they can shovel

that load out the side just about as quick as if it had been dumped. This

well-worn workhorse of a truck has been here so often lately that I can

recognize its sound when it approaches, without even looking.

   I'm a little past my usual "photo- limit" for a blog-post already.  I can't BELIEVE how many good pix just won't make it for lack of space, especially (this time) several of the "bending jig" process.  I left out the "ditch-digging" and other things which are pretty much same-o to the U.S. 

   The motorcycle side-car "tricycle" is another vehicle specific to the Philippines; seen a couple of "blogs" back, delivering a load of lumber to us.  I THINK that I finally have enough photos to make a decent blog layout of these versatile little vehicles, so that's most likely what will come next.

Hope you're all having a blessed day!

Tim Larson, Philippines

Cement Delivery

Actual posting date, Feb. 8, 2013.  (Blog site always says what date you START writing)

Those who are new to the site, take a couple minutes to scroll down to previous entries.

Everything seems to happen differently here.  We have now had three cement deliveries for our house project, 50 sacks each.  You might expect a flatbed "Home Improvement Center"
truck to arrive - if not a ready-mix truck - at a construction site with this type of material;  but for us it isn't so.  Happens that nearly all owner-operator buses and jeepneys have roof-racks and lower compartments for hauling things besides passengers.  It helps the owner make some extra cash if it can be worked into the passenger schedule or done afterward.  Here are the highlights of our typical cement delivery:

The bus arrives in late afternoon after its passenger-run from San Jose to Culasi (about 55 miles) since

it starts from nearby our place each morning.  It is noticeably "riding low" as it has about 5,000 # of

cement in sacks on top, under a tarp.   The steel re-bar which was also ordered is tossed off first.

Now come the cement sacks, 40kg - that's 88# - each - - ooof! it hurts just to watch it come down.

The first few sacks are stacked into a set of steps to make the reach a little easier.  Sacks are then 

carried about 25 feet onto the property and stacked along the wall of our bamboo "resort-hut."

But the big guy said that one-at-a-time was too slow to suit him;  that's right, he doubled-up

to two sacks, 176#  at a time.

Here, he has turned around the property fence and is saa-shaying over to where

the other sacks are piled by the hut.  One of the other guys there helped unload him.

He made at least 5 or 6 trips like this, could have been more.

It's nearly all stacked in place now, and will be tarped for protection.  The house-

site is 6 feet beyond the corner of the bamboo hut; plots of land are small in-town,

and we will use the area you can see, over to where people are standing for our

 new home.   Work will start tomorrow (Jan. 15, 2013) on the foundation.

A quick peek at the driver's seat, and you can see passenger seat-backs too.  This

bus is well-seasoned, but carefully maintained and clean if "utilitarian."  It has a fairly

new 4-liter engine and it can pretty well "rock-'n'-roll!"

It has taken several weeks to get this organized.  Small apology to a few psople who received pretty much the same photos a couple weeks ago in an e-mail. 

    I'm basically trying NOT to do all construction blogs in a row, because other stuff is happening at the same time.  But there are a LOT of construction photos piling up, and I've gotten luckier in the last few days with photos from "out and about" as we've been mostly on errands.  SO I may have to step up the pace of how often I put up blogs, just in order to clear out the backlog.  I'll try to swing back and forth between "what we're doing at the house" and "what I see while I'm other places."  Next blog will probably be about house foundation and startup, but I've also GOT to get something up about TRICYCLES,  Going to Market, Food in General, Salt, Fishing, Canoes, and the list keeps on coming.

This is a great place to live and I'm really enjoying it.  I miss a lot of things about my job, and about my kife in KY generally,  especially my FRIENDS who were my customers for years and years.  But I DON'T MISS HAVING TO WORK!!  I do things pretty much at my own pace now, and it's really a blessing.

Hope you're all having a fine day!

Tim Larson,  Philippines

Jeepney

Actual posting Feb. 1, 2013

This seemed like a good opportunity to take a break from construction-type processes, so here's a posting about JEEPNEYS - a type of vehicle unique and ubiquitous to the PHILIPPINES.

In the USA 100 years ago, a slang word "jitney" meant "5- cents."  As the country gradually became  motorized,  some enterprising car-owners "stretched" their cars into small buses, and charged 5- cents for other people traveling into town or to informal "stops" in a metro- area.  These vehicles became known as "jitney buses."
In the Philippines, the close of World War II left large amounts of U.S. Army "Recyclable" material behind, including lots of jeeps - which were often "stretched" into small buses for public transpor-tation, and this combination of events coined the word, "jeepney."  A lengthened jeep frame would have a partially enclosed body put on it, with bench seats running along the sides, and this "model" became the foundation for public transportation in the Philippines. Their descendants are still around in large numbers and all-over-the-place (that's ubiquitous, see above)  hauling people and "freight" medium to short distances around cities and into the rural areas.

Most jeepneys today are built on Japanese van or medium-truck frames.  Here 

is a nondescript lineup at the San Jose terminal.  The white one is about the

size of a Dodge Caravan; the larger yellow one probably has dual-tire back axle;

these large ones can be 30- feet long.  Windows usually have rolled up plastic 

curtains in case of rain.    All are familiar makes: Izusu, Mitsubishi, Nissan, 

with diesel engines,  manual gears, and  quite often "armstrong" steering.

The "retro look" is still really popular. Not likely that a 1940s jeep would still be around, and this "re-man" front end is larger than original, anyway.  Under the body will be a mid-size Japanese truck frame, as noted above.  Roof- racks are often loaded with all kinds of "stuff"including passengers.  I have a non-digital photo of someone riding on top sitting in a rocking-chair (it WASN'T 

"Granny" Clampett).

This jeepney is "all about chrome everywhere.  It has a vertical- bar grille and
nautical-theme decorations.  Any imaginable theme is probably somewhere on
a jeepney as decor:  superhero, religious, scenic, U-name-it, THEY-got-it.

Familiar German-car emblem is often-seen.

This private jeepney was so fancy I asked our tricycle driver to stop so I could
get photos.  To own such a vehicle and not have to earn its keep "in-service"
is very wealthy by local standards.

I like looking at jeepneys - they sure make the Buick Park Avenue I had in
Kentucky look "PLAIN-vanilla" by comparison.

I don't get to ride in jeepneys very often as they make a lot of stops and side-trips in-between towns, though in-town their routes seem to be fairly linear and well-established - - I don't know enough about Iloilo (eee-low eee-low), the largest city, yet to be able to get around on them.

I will include later some photos I haven't been able to capture yet:  jeepneys with 8 or 12 people hanging off the back and top, stacked twice-their-height with top-rack freight (that would be baskets or other light weight if it's that much), and interesting artwork.  Also not seen on this blog yet is anything much about tricycles, the motorcycle-sidecar combo which are everywhere in the Philippines.  It's mostly that I always see the best "photos" when I don't have the camera in-hand and ready.   COMING UP You can expect to see one "POST" about the tricycles, and likely one about "BIG TRUCKS", and one about FISHING - boats and methods - - THESE,  among other things I'm planning to write about.  Next blog is likely to be back to the concrete-block house project, as it is moving along rapidly and I have lots of photos - - my limit per blog is about 6 or the program starts to scramble them - so I learn to keep only the most-needed ones to tell a story.  But I also have in-mind at least one article on shopping/ cooking - - we'll see how it comes out.

Hope you all are having a fine and prosperous year 2013!    Tim Larson, Philippines

Hel"Lowes" & Ho-ho-Home Depot

I looked back at previous postings and discovered I had never put up a photo of the completed bamboo "nipa" house which has become our cooling-off and kicking-back place, so I'll start with a view taken from near the front door of our present house (see "Arrival" blog for photo).

It's a nice place to sit and relax.  I got the electric line done a week ago, but
so far there's been  no need for an electric fan out there.  The trees are papaya,
guava, and kalamanci (like key lime); coconut and others are nearby.

Meanwhile, we started construction on another concrete-block house just beyond the back of this bamboo structure.  There is a building "boom" going on in this area, and even "usually" there is no large-scale lumber or home-improvement supply industry here - so getting materials has become a little challenging. Lumber is cut- to- order by several small mills who get their material from legitimate (needing paperwork "permit" for some species of trees) logging.  Cement blocks are hand-made with molds by some local businesses.  Steel re- bar, hardware, and roofing come from independent supply companies - it pays to canvass around for prices!   When nobody nearby had any stock of lumber, we had several of our own trees (mostly from the farm) processed so that we would have material for bracing, scaffolding, and later to re-use as studs.

The tree is felled in the usual manner, with guide-ropes and small branches to 

cushion if needed.  Here, the "sawyer" has rolled it into a good working

 position and is marking with a "string-line" to take a thin slat off one side.

He walks his saw along the log following his straight- line to flatten one side,

removing the least possible material. Then, the log is rolled flat-side down, 

and another straight-line mark allows him to square-off one corner.

The squared log is string-lined to cut 3-inch and 2-inch slabs, and it will then

be rolled  to cut slabs into lumber.  He leaves some "Siamese" places joined in

each cut, to be separated at the end of the process.  Maker's name is worn off 

the saw case but it looks like a REAL BIG Stihl or "Husky", 7 inch wide x 40+

inch long saw  bar.  He is beyond "expert" to "artist" operator.

Shows the log nearly finished into lumber. There are other horizontal cuts

below the picture-edge; he's cutting more than one "set" of pieces.

Well, the pieces are cut; he still has all his toes; the remaining slats will be cut
 as usefully as possible.  This is one of several trees cut in about 4 or 5 hours.

I just had to show you the string-line.  Made from an oil bottle, a fishing
 line,a hand-made crank for winding the string, and uses oil, not chalk.

The lumber arrives at our house aboard a motor-"tricycle," standard small-
hauler in the  Philippines (more on these in another post, soon).  There is
 a stack of table-slabs on top; mostly 8, 10, and 12- foot lumber, but also
six  16-footers.  The entire stack cost about $80 U.S.

The table-slabs were cut from a species prized for this purpose; all very even
and parallel on both sides.  A very impressive feat.  No need for a sawmill here.

Well, I have more to say about materials and the beginning of construction, but this seems to be about the usual length for one of my posts.  So I'll stop for now and get back to you later with other "differences" about how things are done, here. 

PROCESSES - how things are planned and made to happen - always interest me.  And, once you see a few samples of scenery you pretty much know what it all looks like.  I'll work "scenery" photos in fairly often, and try not to go "over-BOARD" on the process photos (or, you might be bored).  But you can expect to see some photos of differences in vehicles (from USA), market and grocery-buying, farming and several other  topics where the folks here adapt to their surroundings, which are different from KY, U.S.A.

Have a great day - -   TeeJay

Holidays in the Philippines

   I have been trying to organize my photos into categories so that I can put up blogs by topic: Transportation, Farming, Shopping and Food, Fishing and Local Industries, and so on.  But I'm having a hard time getting all the photos I want of any one topic put together - - sometimes I'm just not ready with the camera when the opportunity comes up.  So maybe the photo selections will be a little bit more random.

   Christmas

in this area is not remarkably different from in the U.S. except for a few things. 
1) Less commercial activity - not all the hoopla of Christmas Sales etc.  We are rural enough here that our small-businesses and the District Market vendors pretty much keep business- as- usual, and the major shopping at San Jose is 40 miles away so we don't have the constant media-blitz of "special sales" that seems to be everywhere in the U.S.
2) Simpler decorations-  Businesses and homes put up cardboard cutouts and streamers, and a few of the wealthier homes have strings of Christmas lights.  Not as elaborate around here as in the U.S.  Noticed more decorations in San Jose; Christmas trees in Malls, salespeople wearing Santa hats and reindeer horns.

3) Lots of carolers-  every evening for a couple weeks, we had several groups of carolers, mostly enthusiastic impromptu "singers" with gourd-rattles and sticks-drumming-tin cans, but several times with guitars, etc.  Some gratuity is hoped- for but not required.  Mostly local traditional carols, mixed with a few familiar U.S. Christmas songs.  Almost always everything sung in 4- count time (we're used to hearing "Silent Night" in 3-count, and "O Holy Night" in 6-count, for example).

  But, Christmas Day was mostly the same. Lots of special cooking, and people going to various relatives' and visiting.  All-in-all a restful and enjoyable day.

  New Year

was most notable because EVERYBODY stays up; most years, lately, I've gone to bed at my regular time. There is some not-quite-superstition that what happens on New Year's Day sets the direction for the year, and maybe for your life.  Some people make it a point to eat spaghetti or pancit:  long noodles = long life, prosperity (pancit is like meat and vegetable stir-fry added to almost any type of long noodle, often "chow mein" or "ramen").  There are a HUGE number of personal fireworks, bottle-rockets,  and other home-made noise-makers (5 or 6 tin cans splinted together into a "gun-barrel" with slats of bamboo and duct-tape; the end of the last can has a pin- hole punched in it; a few drops of alcohol are dripped thru the hole, the barrel is shaken for a few seconds, then a cigarette lighter is held to the hole; makes a BANG! not unlike a small-gauge shotgun).  One of our nearby neighbors treated us to 2 days of Karaoke singing.

Brief Photo Gallery

Some of the orchids grown from grafts, see first blog-post.

Tabasco bushes grow several places on our lot.  Each bush has
hundreds of  inch-and-a-half peppers.  Each pepper is powerful
enough to move an 80,000 pound truck about 10 miles.

How many cats in this photo?  I think 6 but hard to tell. There are 8 around
 here somewhere, and we never see a rodent of any kind.



The row of  8 coconut shell "bowls" as it looks BEFORE and AFTER.

The row of bowls, DURING.

OLD Question: Why did the calf go around the cow?  (To get to the udder side.)

As I've been working on this for a couple days, I've picked up a few more photo's - not enough yet for a TRANSPORTATION issue,but maybe for a short "farming" or "Home Depot" gallery.  But for right now I'll quit for awhile.