Every time I think the rainy season may be ending, we suddenly get deluged again. My only reason for ever thinking it's tapering off is that we will have almost a whole day of sunlight occasionally. So we manage to get things done IF that happens - - but we don't depend on scheduling anything much.
At least we're not covered up like the Texas coastal area, right now. We get TV news on USA channels by cable, and THEY have a real mess down there. We were relieved when we got word that one friend's daughter who is 30 miles from Houston is "doing fine and enjoying the flooded streets." Well, I guess the news cameras are selective of the worst areas; I hope that the folks who are badly in need get help soon, and that the bickering among agencies and other parties can be kept to a minimum.
THIS morning happens to be sunny, so far. I probably should be outside taking care of a few things, but if I don't at least get a good "start" on the BLOG, it's hard to tell when I'll get back from being side-tracked.
We get a lot of foot traffic, at intervals through the day, because
of the school. It's fun to just watch all the antics of various- sized
pedestrians. This mid-morning exodus took place with just a
light sprinkle of rain in progress.
Umbrella ownership is at least 50% around here, it seems. I
seldom ever needed an umbrella before, but here I usually keep
one handy. One "nuisance factor" is that it is really HARD
to find a GOOD umbrella here that will last for very long. The
braces and spines start to break apart at joints - the only "good
news" is that the prices are cheap, $2 to $3 or so, but I'd be OK
with paying 2x or 3x for a more durable one.
Look at those socks! the combination of colors with the
"regulation" uniform made it irresistible to at least TRY
for a photo.
Laundry drying gets to be quite a challenge for most people
here when it's so rainy. I have NEVER seen a purpose-
built clothes-line here, only whatever kind of cord they can
get their hands on, tied to whatever fixed-object or post is
available, usually braced with bamboo sticks at intervals.
Highway guardrails are often covered with laundry, as are
any shrubbery or sunny grassy areas. You never saw
ANYBODY move faster than the launderers, when sudden
rain threatens to give everything an extra rinse.
A little over a year elapsed between completion of the
carport/ patio area and my finally getting some suspended
"line-hangers" built to hang from the main trusses of the
roof above - - which may be about "average" time lapse
here between "idea in the head" planning and actual doing.
Being able to take advantage of the large open-roofed
area for clothes drying has been a real boon. I may
eventually put up a "designed" clothes line in the
sunny area of the yard, too. (OTHER NOTE I have
seen NO "clothes dryer" appliance here, either; but
I suppose that large-volume places like hotels and
hospitals must have commercial units.)
The gate just behind the "blue house" had gradually
deteriorated to where the cyclone wire was vainly
trying to hold the frame together. One morning we
made a "materials run," and soon after Alex was
busy with the little "buzz box " welder.
Angle-iron plus re-bar became a FINE sturdy frame,
with anchor-points for the "hinge" welded into the
re-bar of the cement wall. The hardwood post
still has its "natural curve" but it is still too solid
to mess around with changing it yet.
We anticipate doing quite a lot of galvanized-
pipe fence upgrades sometime soon, as a
lot of the "stretchers" and "top rails" in our
fencing are organic material (aka "bamboo.")
We left one tree in place when we built the "patio/ carport,"
choosing to shorten the roof for a few feet so that it can grow
upwards. This gives a little "ambiance boost" to our usual
lunchtime al-fresco dining. The bulgy packets on the limbs
are soil-in-plastic material, which will cause roots to develop
at each place; a propagation method.
A recently- placed gutter system around the opening has
reduced the nuisance of rain pouring off the lower
roof-edge.
On a recent grocery trip to San Jose, we found "Romaine
Lettuce" 5 or 6 leaf stunted, wilting bunches selling for
540 pesos per kilo. This works out to $4.81 per pound.
Maybe, over a dollar-per-leaf?
Maybe, over a dollar-per-leaf?
Iceberg lettuce was a little cheaper, at $3.65 per pound.
We don't use these products - cabbage is readily available
in our local market* (San Jose is 55 miles away) and is a
"staple" in the cooking here. Carrots, onions, string beans,
garlic, potatoes, acorn squash, citrus fruit, and many other
familiar or unidentifiable items, are also usually available
here. Some "rare" or never-seen items are ripe tomatoes,
garlic, potatoes, acorn squash, citrus fruit, and many other
familiar or unidentifiable items, are also usually available
here. Some "rare" or never-seen items are ripe tomatoes,
celery, cilantro, parsley, zucchini (can you imagine any
place where zucchini is hard to grow??) - but we have
become used to the local fare and we still have hopes of
growing some of our own vegetable crops in-season
to gradually broaden the range.
*Local market: Think "flea-market"/ + farmers' market, and
add open-air butchers + fish-mongers, and you'll have a
fair idea of our 3-day-per-week municipal market. There
are also several substantial "permanent" mom-and-pop
groceries, and two daily pork-butchers who also sell frozen
commercial chicken, in "Tibiao proper" area.
*Local market: Think "flea-market"/ + farmers' market, and
add open-air butchers + fish-mongers, and you'll have a
fair idea of our 3-day-per-week municipal market. There
are also several substantial "permanent" mom-and-pop
groceries, and two daily pork-butchers who also sell frozen
commercial chicken, in "Tibiao proper" area.
Many produce items considered "essential" in USA don't grow in the climate of most places here. The lettuces likely came from Baguio City area, elevation 5,000 ft., which has cool;weather in summer. Located (seems like) 4 or 5 hours' travel north of Manila, It is a long-time "second capitol" and produce-growing region for the Philippines. There is a mountainous area east of San Jose where I understand some agriculture goes on, but I haven't managed to find out much about the produce from there yet.
Side note: This area is a fine place to live-on-a-budget, and is basically safe and secure. But it is still a good idea for me (and ANY foreigner) to stay in well-populated and well-traveled areas. The remoteness of the area I just described above, makes it somewhat doubtful that I would go there myself. The mountainous inland area is THERE, pretty much wild and unpatrolled. A couple months ago, for instance, a remote municipality had its police armory raided (presumably by some faction's militia) - - a place here, which might compare with "Mayberry." I wouldn't want to become the "guest" of any group with an "agenda," so I stick with the advice mentioned above. BUT - I can ask or send friends/ relatives to such places occasionally to check things out. The possibility of getting strawberries, for example, is a pretty strong motivation. Zucchini, maybe not so much - -
The same trip to San Jose began with trying to renew our
vehicle registration at the "Land Transportation Office,"
which is equivalent to Department of Motor Vehicles.
I don't remember that "mission" and "vision" statements
were posted much in government offices in the USA,
but they seem to be a big deal everywhere here; in
semi-private organizations as well as "gum-mint," they
are "everywhere" on walls. "No Noon Break" is also a
fairly common policy. Sadly, our renewal paperwork
hit some kind of snag so we will be going back at
least one more time (only?) to finish it.
(Later: we have found out that many, many registrations
are being held up at the regional level, and local offices
are covered up with registrations- in- limbo. No cogent
explanation: possibly a "tightening up" of some obscure
regulation.)
(Later: we have found out that many, many registrations
are being held up at the regional level, and local offices
are covered up with registrations- in- limbo. No cogent
explanation: possibly a "tightening up" of some obscure
regulation.)
LTO closely regulates all commercial vehicle activities; to
operate in ANY area requires a "franchise" = license/ permit
for whatever specific purpose. This poster lists the penalties
for infractions, and THEY ARE STIFF. Even first-time fines
are quite high, and the vehicle will be impounded for 90 days;
second infractions have much higher fines and the entire fleet
second infractions have much higher fines and the entire fleet
of the offending company will be shut down.
Since the change of Presidential Administration a
couple years ago, there has been much emphasis
at all levels of government to put a stop to any
"special channels" for processing and services by
government employees. "Anti- fixer" is the usual
expression used. For US, directly, it means that
we personally must handle the registration process
instead of paying the insurance company or the
dealer to process it for us. Seems like before, there
was a lot of "off the record" money exchanged.
Above is one of several posters at the LTO.
This is a view from the front gate of a little house I was invited
to not long ago. Passing anywhere through rice-fields, you
will rarely go more than a half-mile without finding at least
ONE, but often a cluster of houses in a "family compound."
This keeps the working-fields within easy walking distance,
a traditional arrangement.
This house was "dedicated" in a ceremony on the day I
visited with a group of 8 or 10 people. The young couple
who built it are school teachers, not rice farmers, but the
space is at the front of the "family compound" area - the
in-town real estate could hardly be called a "market" as
property here doesn't really sell very much compared
to USA. So this location is probably necessary, but
congenial, and located about a mile-or-so out in the
fields which surround the nearest town.
The size of the cottage shows a little, here. It is about
12-feet by 16-feet, with a small "pop-out" included on the
opposite side for the bathroom. So, kind of "L" shaped.
Other houses in the "compound" area are seen behind.
Inside is a work-in-progress, but adequate for the needs
of a couple. They are blessed as "professionals" to have
been able to complete this much in only a year's time
since their marriage. Many here would be a lot longer,
maybe "hardly never," affording a nice solid cement-wall
house. The banner from their wedding is displayed on
the back side of a substantial set of shelves, close to
the front window - which arrangement they expect to
use for a small "sari-sari" store.
Four years ago we put this "grid" of four, 10-foot plastic pipes
on the roof above our bathroom, to supply us with solar-heated
water. It works really well, and any time after 8:30a,m. - 9:00a.m.
(on a sunny day, which means 90% of the days) the water will
be nicely warm for a shower. Later in the day it is hot enough
to hurt, but of course we also have cold water piped to the shower.
NOBODY wants HOT water to shower here, just warm enough
so that there's no "cool shock" when it hits the skin.
Four years of Solar ultraviolet has caused the thin-wall
pipe to distort and it is becoming pretty brittle. We had
some early struggles getting the half-inch feed- and- outlet
pipes to stay "glued" in place, and the caps on the ends
occasionally come off, too. SO, with the experience of
use, I am about ready to replace this system with a higher
grade of pipe, and I'm considering reducing the size to two
pipes, or moving down to 3- inch instead of 4-inch for
the main pipes. All in all it has been quite successful, and
it will be inexpensive to replace when I get around to it.
(ELECTRIC "demand" water heaters are still quite
costly, here, and mostly don't seem needed by us.)
We managed to get this spice rack completed for the side
of the refrigerator. I thought we would need magnets to
keep it steady, but its weight is carried simply by extending
its top shelf 2- inches atop the refrigerator, and it hangs
there just fine! ALAS, the clutter on certain counter areas
persists! (Does it ever go away?)
In San Jose there's a "branch" (link?) of a large Asian fast-food
chain, which has tasty, plentiful servings and quite a good
variety. It's a frequent lunch-stop for us when we're down
there on errands. I am of course amused by the shape of
their serving-bowls, which resemble a miniaturized version
of a utensil which usually serves the opposite end of the
alimentary tract. Maybe this business got its start as
a hospital food service (??). The shape of the dish in
no way puts me "off" from the dumplings and fried rice!
couple years ago, there has been much emphasis
at all levels of government to put a stop to any
"special channels" for processing and services by
government employees. "Anti- fixer" is the usual
expression used. For US, directly, it means that
we personally must handle the registration process
instead of paying the insurance company or the
dealer to process it for us. Seems like before, there
was a lot of "off the record" money exchanged.
Above is one of several posters at the LTO.
I just noticed that there haven't been any "scenery" photos so far:
This is a view from the front gate of a little house I was invited
to not long ago. Passing anywhere through rice-fields, you
will rarely go more than a half-mile without finding at least
ONE, but often a cluster of houses in a "family compound."
This keeps the working-fields within easy walking distance,
a traditional arrangement.
This house was "dedicated" in a ceremony on the day I
visited with a group of 8 or 10 people. The young couple
who built it are school teachers, not rice farmers, but the
space is at the front of the "family compound" area - the
in-town real estate could hardly be called a "market" as
property here doesn't really sell very much compared
to USA. So this location is probably necessary, but
congenial, and located about a mile-or-so out in the
fields which surround the nearest town.
The size of the cottage shows a little, here. It is about
12-feet by 16-feet, with a small "pop-out" included on the
opposite side for the bathroom. So, kind of "L" shaped.
Other houses in the "compound" area are seen behind.
Inside is a work-in-progress, but adequate for the needs
of a couple. They are blessed as "professionals" to have
been able to complete this much in only a year's time
since their marriage. Many here would be a lot longer,
maybe "hardly never," affording a nice solid cement-wall
house. The banner from their wedding is displayed on
the back side of a substantial set of shelves, close to
the front window - which arrangement they expect to
use for a small "sari-sari" store.
"Sari-sari" stores and small street-food vendors seem to be everywhere here. I can think of at least 12 tiny stores, and about 6 substantial one-room stores, within easy 100- yards of me here, and this pattern continues wherever a few people are living near enough to provide a few dozen transactions a day. "Sari-sari" means something like "miscellaneous small items" so there are grooming items, small food-staple items, maybe a little produce, school supplies and small candy items, soda pop, diapers, and depending on the owner's convictions, cigarettes, beer, rum. I, of course, joke that the expression means they say "sari, no stock," if you look for something particular, and "sari, no change," when you pay for your purchase. In the case of the location above, I didn't notice any other establishment nearby, so a supply of some canned goods (sardines, spam, corned beef hash) plus other often-wanted items should be real handy to the various neighbors and passers-by.
Four years ago we put this "grid" of four, 10-foot plastic pipes
on the roof above our bathroom, to supply us with solar-heated
water. It works really well, and any time after 8:30a,m. - 9:00a.m.
(on a sunny day, which means 90% of the days) the water will
be nicely warm for a shower. Later in the day it is hot enough
to hurt, but of course we also have cold water piped to the shower.
NOBODY wants HOT water to shower here, just warm enough
so that there's no "cool shock" when it hits the skin.
Four years of Solar ultraviolet has caused the thin-wall
pipe to distort and it is becoming pretty brittle. We had
some early struggles getting the half-inch feed- and- outlet
pipes to stay "glued" in place, and the caps on the ends
occasionally come off, too. SO, with the experience of
use, I am about ready to replace this system with a higher
grade of pipe, and I'm considering reducing the size to two
pipes, or moving down to 3- inch instead of 4-inch for
the main pipes. All in all it has been quite successful, and
it will be inexpensive to replace when I get around to it.
(ELECTRIC "demand" water heaters are still quite
costly, here, and mostly don't seem needed by us.)
of the refrigerator. I thought we would need magnets to
keep it steady, but its weight is carried simply by extending
its top shelf 2- inches atop the refrigerator, and it hangs
there just fine! ALAS, the clutter on certain counter areas
persists! (Does it ever go away?)
chain, which has tasty, plentiful servings and quite a good
variety. It's a frequent lunch-stop for us when we're down
there on errands. I am of course amused by the shape of
their serving-bowls, which resemble a miniaturized version
of a utensil which usually serves the opposite end of the
alimentary tract. Maybe this business got its start as
a hospital food service (??). The shape of the dish in
no way puts me "off" from the dumplings and fried rice!
Well, I started this on Monday, and it's Thursday morning. Tuesday was spent in another San Jose trip - no luck with the vehicle registration! Wednesday I got as far as the above photo, and I guess I'll stop there, for now. I've got a few other small projects lined up that I'd better at least get started poking at.
We hope you're all having a fine summer. Keep the folks in Texas particularly in your thoughts and prayers, now; not to mention the rest of the country! "E Pluribus Unim" could be a great thing, if folks would give it a chance.
Have a great day! Drop by if you're ever in the neighborhood - -
TJ and Bernadette Larson,
Antique Province, Philippines
