Is anybody minding the store?
Imagine this situation, if you would. Your brother just died in a foreign country, far away from his… [more]
Family Feud
Last week I was so excited to get a phone call from my agent Mae. She knows, of course, that we are on… [more]
$$$ Check-Up Time
Well, dear readers, it's that time of year, again. Time for a little health check-up of your finances,… [more]
C’est La Vie
The next day I rent a boat to take me back to Hilabaan and Butna for a few days. The people are curious… [more]
Major, major results
For those of you who don't know, Miss Philippines scored a big result last week when she placed 5th place… [more]
Baguio View
Last time I told you that Migs and myself eventually got on our Bus to go to Baguio, we traveled on a… [more]
Davao
Well, after two and a half years of living in the Philippines, and writing on this blog for two years… [more]
A Pox on the Internet?
Back in May I signed on to Facebook, only because after Googling an old friend and I found him on Facebook.… [more]
The Manila Massacre
Last year, we had the Maguindanao Massacre, where the Ampatuan family allegedly murdered around 60 people,… [more]
Heeeelpp, Where is the nearest Toilet?
I am sure that at some time in your traveling career, all of you have had the miss fortune of being caught… [more]
Latest Articles
Is anybody minding the store?
Imagine this situation, if you would. Your brother just died in a foreign country, far away from his home. You are mourning deeply for his loss, quite sad. When your brother died, it was under unfortunate circumstances which caused an uproar, only making your loss more painful. Your brother's body is shipped back home from the foreign land where he died. You and your family have made all … [Read More...]
Family Feud
Last week I was so excited to get a phone call from my agent Mae. She knows, of course, that we are on the lookout now for a new place to live. She told me on the phone that she had a house for me to look at and its not that far from my house right now. That really makes me happy since we like to live in this part of town. Near to everything. Location right now is really a plus for us. She knows that … [Read More...]
$$$ Check-Up Time
Well, dear readers, it's that time of year, again. Time for a little health check-up of your finances, year-to-date income, and - gulp - your estimated income taxes for 2010. Readers who've kept up with my articles know that I'm a CPA and I love my work. Helping others do "battle against the beast" is challenging but enjoyable. Around this time last year, I jotted down a few hundred words … [Read More...]
C’est La Vie
The next day I rent a boat to take me back to Hilabaan and Butna for a few days. The people are curious about my returning so soon and why I love it so much on their island. It is somewhat difficult to explain to those who had never yet seen the big city with its big city problems, crime and smog. A place where people do not know their neighbors and have little time for “hellos.” These people … [Read More...]
Major, major results
For those of you who don't know, Miss Philippines scored a big result last week when she placed 5th place in the Miss Universe pageant. I don't normally follow beauty pageants, but I am very happy for Miss Maria Venus Raj, the 4th Runner Up in the Miss Universe contest last week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Venus is quite a beauty, I must say. I first saw her a couple of weeks ago when Feyma told me … [Read More...]
Baguio View
Last time I told you that Migs and myself eventually got on our Bus to go to Baguio, we traveled on a Victory bus, good condition, air con, and comfortable. The journey cost around p450 for about a six and a half hour journey. It was great to see the countryside sweeping by, the little towns and villages, and roads that were changing condition every few minutes. I was so impressed when we … [Read More...]
Davao
Well, after two and a half years of living in the Philippines, and writing on this blog for two years now, we were finally able to take a weekend break and visit Davao. First off: What a really nice place! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, and felt that it was much too short... That's how a "vacation" should be. When Rebecca and I were dating and during our first year living here, we travelled frequently, … [Read More...]
A Pox on the Internet?
Back in May I signed on to Facebook, only because after Googling an old friend and I found him on Facebook. Some people swear by Facebook, me not so much. A lot of friends and relatives did show up, and that was a good thing. But my ex-wife? Please! The one thing I’ve worked so hard to do, is to keep continents and oceans between us (i.e.; North Carolina to the Philippines). The Ex shows up on Facebook … [Read More...]
The Manila Massacre
Last year, we had the Maguindanao Massacre, where the Ampatuan family allegedly murdered around 60 people, mostly from the Mangudadutu clan in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao Province. The legal part of that massacre is still unresolved, but now we have another massacre to talk about, the Manila Massacre. I'm talking about last week's hostage situation in Manila where a bus load of tourists were taken … [Read More...]
Heeeelpp, Where is the nearest Toilet?
I am sure that at some time in your traveling career, all of you have had the miss fortune of being caught short and in desperate need of a toilet in a place where public toilets are few and far between, I know I have. Always carry Toilet Paper with you as it can get expensive if you have no small denomination bills on you at the time you are caught short. Usually, when people travel to different … [Read More...]
I passed the test! With new Podcast!
Today, I'll be sharing a new podcast with you, but that will have to wait until the end of the story. It's been a while since I did a podcast, so it feels good to put one up again. Over the past 3 weeks, I have been having examinations as part of my Bisaya Class. For new readers who don't know, Bisaya (or Cebuano) is the main language used in the Central and Southern parts of the Philippines. … [Read More...]
Life is Stranger than Fiction
Finally once again I am back in Dolores, Eastern Samar. With all the traveling, the humidity and the heat, I rest whenever possible. Yes, it's good to be back home again. In the morning I visit friends and make appointments with others whom are too busy. My friends and I catch up on many things such as family business and my plans on building my house on the beach. The housemaid I met last time … [Read More...]
After 20 years and still adjusting
Yes its been a couple of weeks now since Bob and I celebrated our 20th Wedding Anniversary. It's been a good challenge for both of us to stay together. It's not been an easy ride the whole time. We had so many trials along the way. As everyone know its not going to be easy to be together with somebody that everything is so different. Hey can you imagine bringing 2 different culture into one? … [Read More...]
My Kadayawan 2010
I had been wanting to see this, ever since I read about it in late '08. Something about seeing photos of people performing traditional dance in tribal costumes attracted my attention. I'm a culture lover, so I guess I was bound to want to see this, despite me being one to not take great interest in many other types of performances (excluding favorite band concerts). I could see it approach by the … [Read More...]
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