I might have mentioned in the past, that my son-in-law Chris is in charge of his Family’s farm out in the Subic Valley. His dad passed last year, and with Chris being the eldest son, he is now responsible for the day to day running of the family farm, whilst other members of the family run the many businesses in the Olongapo Market. The farm is 10 hectors of rice fields, with areas, to raise hogs; goat’s and chickens, (Yes! Far away from the house) Plus the tilapia pond directly behind the house (it adds a waterfront view). And the Family house smack dab in the middle. The house is new by Philippine Standards as they tore down the old one and put up the new one in 1998. How can I say new if it was built 13 years ago? Because the original house suffered through many typhoons and the termites also took their toll, it was just time for a new one. And any building here that still has paint on it is new.
My daughter doesn’t live at the farm as they also own an apartment building in the city, and my granddaughter goes to private school on the Subic Freeport. So it’s very far to drive every day. Plus our girl, she’s no farm hand, and that’s my fault. We raised her that way!
Anyone who wants to know why I using “Mr. Peabody’s Way-Back-Machine” to reach back in my memory and come up with this article this week, it’s like this. I was sorting through my pictures and found these and more pertaining to that day. And exclaimed “Gadzookes” that was a fun day, and it’s about living in the Philippines, I’ll write about that. (Okay, the real truth is, nothing much happened this week). My well also runs a little dry once in a while.
I’ve been to the farm many times for all the family gathering, which are mostly held there. But it was the first trip for my two buddies Tommy and Rich, The occasion was my Granddaughter’s Baptismal, seven years ago this month, and the party afterwards was the reason we were at the farm. To get there, we drove over some 10 miles of dirt road, parked at the edge of the land in a parking lot, and then it’s a 15 min. walk across the rice paddy dividers and over many little bridges to find the house. It reminded me of a Ms. Pac man game screen.
Hot, dusty and tired we’d arrived at the house, they quickly (and thankfully) offered the three of us a cold SMB beer!
And being one to follow all the rules and instructions, we noticed the bottle cap directed us to, “Drink more SMB” (San Miguel Beer) so we did. We then discovered two cases later, that every bottle cap said the same thing. I will not speak to the condition of my two partners, but I was God’s own drunk and a fearless man! (From a Jimmy Buffett song) So it was now late afternoon and time to go, we had had all the fun we were allowed for one day. Then we debated the long and perilous journey on shaky legs back to our cars. (Which, by the way we were not to be the drivers of said cars) “Never drive drunk or over served, anywhere!”
For reasons I’ll never be able to explain, mainly because my head was foggy that day, I suggested using the same mode of transportation, used to bring the beer and ice to the party, might also be used to bring three over served, (Alright; drunk) retired sailors out of there, “The Carabou with Sled.” It has worked for centuries, and we didn’t see how it could fail us that day.
Tommy wanted to be the driver and climbed upon the beast; While Rich and I were put on the sled behind the beast.
So we were both looking directly into the animal’s third”bankers brown eye”, and praying it didn’t have to make a deposit.
Tommy was one fine driver, as he kept us on the trail, and in the mud, so if we did fall off we’d not be hurt, too much. So with a traveler beer in hand we safely made it to our parked cars. The kids thought it was the funniest thing they’d ever saw, and quickly got over their natural fear of the Kano.
Fun and good times can be found here, in ways that are beyond our normal experiences, which is why I advise everyone here, or visiting to get up and go find the fun. It’s well worth your time, and if you miss it, it’s on you. I chose to live here, and I’ll be at the next Tilapia round up, down on the farm, with cowboy hat and rubber boots. Yee Haw!!! (I’ll work for beer!)
P.S. Hopefully I won’t be using the “Way-Back-Machine”, that often, but you never know.
Feel free to use that Way-Back Machine more often! Good article!
Tom;
Okay, I will, and thank you!
Paul,
Had a nice chuckle about your “sleigh ride”. That would be fun after a few SMB’s, even if you fell in the mud. My g/f’s father has a small rice farm in Pilar. Won’t go in it until after harvest, too many snakes. Have a nice day.
Papa Duck;
When ever you travel you should carry two bags, one full of whiskey for snake bites, and the other full of snakes. (W.C. Fields)
I use SMB and rum to protect myself, give it a try it’s fun!
Ha Ha the great WC Fields,what a sense of humour that guy had.
Its a few decades since i saw a great film about him,if memory serves,Rod Steiger played him.
Hi Chas;
A comic genus, my Dad, use to take us to movies in downtown Boston in the 50’s when showing a retrospective of his movies. An entire day of movies, and even that I was young, I enjoyed them. When older I watched them again and again. His co-star Mae West was just as good! I never saw that movie you mentioned, what was it’s name?
Paul,the film was called “WC Fields and Me”(1975),although it was slated by the critics of the time,i enjoyed it,but i’m both a WC and Steiger fan.
You can check out brief details of the film on “Wikipedia” using the film title name.
Chas;
Thanks I’ll check it out!
I like that article alot and wish i was out in country living like that,instead of the city.Thats my kind of place.
Maynard;
I like country living, even thought I grew up in Boston, we had a summer house in the woods down on Cape Cod, and I was quite happy there. I was never on a farm before until my daughter married my son-in-law, whom I like a lot!
Hi Paul,
Great story,it took me back to my farming childhood,great places to grow up.
I couldn’t live in the boondocks now,i’ve become too much of a townie,lol.
Regards,
Chas.
Chas;
A funny world, you went from country to city, and I went from city to country. Hell we’re both right!
But I like living close to the city!
Un-f…..g believable, Paul! A Kano riding a carabao and 2 more Kanos riding on what we Pinoys call “kangga” in the middle of a rice field just don’t square with reality. But if you’re high on SMB, a square peg can fit in almost any round hole, I suppose. LOL It’s like listening to those blond and blue-eyed Russian missionaries preaching their faith deep in a Philippine barrio.
EXCLUSIVELY IN ILOCANO.
The Russians, though, don’t have the luxury of SMBs to dish out their spiel with a straight face. LOL
Hey Paul,
Great story I hope when I am there awhile I can tell such a story as you know we will be coming in July. I hope my life in the Philippines is as good as yours at least.
Don;
Bring an open mind, and a sense of humor, and you’ll do great. We think we’re smart and can teach them, well the truth is, they are smart and have taught me a lot!
Don’t worry about the stories or memories, as long as you go out and join in, they’ll be there to re-live later on.
Ricardo;
The kids went wild over us, and the fun we were having. They are all teenagers now and still joke with me about that day. My message to the flock was simple; “Drink More SMB” that’s the only preaching I’ll ever do.
Paul, since I’ve been reading you, I can’t recall too many comments coming from you without mention of SMB. As widely-read as LiP is, there is no doubt in my mind that word has reached the executives at SMB corporate headquarters that some expat who lives in Dinalupihan, Bataan, has been religiously plugging their product at no cost to them. Think that by now you should be hearing from them in the form of a check, a year’s supply of be-ah (Boston accent), or a an image of you atop a SMB billboard out there in ‘Gapo? Which would you prefer? 🙂
Ricardo;
I’ll do the billboard, but I’ll pass on the money. San Miguel Corporation like all the rest, would try to find a way to turn me into a corporate slut. I’ll continue to praise SMB, as it is truly one of the finest beers in the world today. And, I have the right to say that, as I have been to every continent on this earth, and have spent vast amounts of my paychecks in search of the perfect beer.
Paul,
I like your choice of words. Your just a connoisseur of adult beverages. Take care.
Papa Duck;
As the ship hit the first buoy in Manila Harbor, I asked the ship’s Master; ” Bruce, is the beer really that good, or is it where we’re drinkin’ it?” He answered; “It’s both Paul!”
Yes we are quite smart, coming from advanced society’s, especially after a few SMB’s. My nephew is an engineer in the construction business in Olongapo and after my wife smoked her curling iron in one of his new apartments we were staying in I attempted to enlighten him. I told him that in the U.S. they have different shaped plug in for 220 and ask him why they don’t use those in their buildings. He looked at me and ask me, “since most of the world is 220 why don’t they use a different plug in the U.S. for 110 voltage? Stumped me, it was time for a red horse to help contemplate on that.
Loren;
I never thought about it before, but your nephew is on the money. My stateside Kano brother-in-law told me how to wire my house for both 110 and 220. His next vacation he was upset because I was 100% 220. I explained that I didn’t own any thing that was 110, so why bother. I guess he thinks it fun to plug 110 into 220, because that’s what will happen if you have both.
Hey Paul,
No drive way to the house? The house is in the middle of the farm? It just seems unusual in the Philippines. Maybe I’m wrong.
Living here in SoCal, one city just runs into the next. On a vacation to Utah, where it is a whole lot less populated, my wife made the observation that all the houses were isolated from one another. “Isn’t that dangerous?” she asked. I explained to her that americans like breathing room, and it wasn’t a high crime area. Besides, most people in that area own some sort of firearm.
Hudson;
After the rice crop is in, the land is drained and then you can drive to the house, I tried it one in my car, and left it halfway and walked the rest. They don’t get a lot of door to door salesmen!
Paul,
That is the experiences I like to have! Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Hope I get to have some times like these in the future! Glad to hear you wear still able to read the bottle caps after two cases. I would have given up reading after the first six pack!
Steve;
I’ll freely admit we were having other people translate the bottle caps at the end of the day. As for the good times, their just sitting out there waiting to be enjoyed. I’ve had many a fun day, when I started the day with no plan at all, but then, fun can’t be planned!
Paul,
Great story! I could envision the fun you and the family had that day. I enjoyed the reference to Jimmy Buffett’s “God’s own Drunk”…one of my favorite JB songs.
…did you see any bears that day?
Chickens, goats, pigs, and a few carabao’s but no bears! But, there was a 110 pound black Lab named Mandy that I had gave to my Son-in-law. There are no bad Jimmy Buffett songs, and I’ve always been inspired by his song,; “Boat Drink’s” which is any drink that has Rum in it! It was another fun day.
Senior:
Enough is Enough three ret saliors, drinking SMB while riding a sled pulled by a Carabou over water is the true meaning of WATERBOARDING. That is torture because you are killing me. Your out there having all this fun and I along with others are still punching the clock dreaming of that day in which we will be free. Your heartless dangling that carrot (SMB) before the donkey cart. Is this a ploy to get us motivated so we will get or butts over there and join in the fun. Well it’s working we will be over there and I will be drinking some SMB’s with you. I don’t think I’ll be looking at the back end of a Carabou and enjoying it as it seems you are. But I’ll still be having fun all the same. Very Funny post Paul.
Shipmate Mike;
We will do a day with your family at the farm, I know you’ll enjoy it. And your wife will feel like she’s back in the Philippines for sure. I’ll see you in October!
Hi Paul
Very dangerous! You could have had a wreck. Horns and hooves everywhere. Well, I guesss if you did, you could just have a BBQ right there and then. Hmm? Could they have charged you with DUI? Or does the carabou have to be drunk? Never listen to beer caps. They are out to get you.
Allan;
My biggest fear was the beast needing to relieve himself, as the view of his tail raising would send us into a panic. Moving along at such a slow pace, I could have gotten off the sled and walked faster back to the car, albeit though not in a straight line. Any wreck would have been in very slow motion, and I wager without any beer being spilled.
I am a a farmer and my wife livied on a farm in the philippines . I loved her parenets place it was out in the boonies just the way I like it . They were growing corn and they had pigs ,chickens and a carabou. Druing the rainy season they raise rice,I was in my element at her parents place. I wachted her brother plow there feild with the carabou.I sure felt like a whimp thinking how easy I have it with our tractors and implments back home.Her uncle showed me his rice feild and said it took one day to plant it with a crew of men to do it.The rice looked like a drill had done it just as persice and uniform I was very impresses at there skill. He asked me how long it would take for me to plant it and I told him maybe 10 minutes, I wish I could bring him here to show him how we do it. Paul I am glad you didn’t have a bad insedent with your carabou and no beer was spilled on your trip back to the car. I loved the way back machine and It sounds like you are very proud of your son in law and right fully so. By the way do you still visit the carabou (lol)
Eric;
Had you been with us, you would have been the driver. Farming is still something I don’t understand, having never been around it. But the look in my son-in-laws eyes when he’s talking about the farm I do understand. I know I had that same look when I talked about ship’s and going to sea. BTW; The caribou and I are the best of friends, and he’s taken me back to the car a few times after that.
God Bless you!
Joe;
Thank you for the blessing, what did I do to deserve i?
Hi Paul T: Very nice pictures. Looks like you’re having such a great time. How do you count tilapia in a live pond? Would you risk counting doubles with a SMB? He, he, he… just funning around.
Roselyn;
We did enjoy the day, and the day I try to count fish in a pond will never happen. (lol)
To All;
Thursday 19 May 2011 at 14:00 hours my friend retired NAVY Master Chief, Richard Blair was called to serve with the Supreme Commander.
Richard was 65 years young and will sincerely be missed. In the picture above he was sitting to my left riding the sled with me. His passing will leave a great hole on this Earth. Rich, you will be remembered wherever sailors gather and swap sea stories!
My condolences, Paul. I had a meeting with Mars yesterday, and he told me about your friend’s battle. At least he is no longer suffering.
Thank you Bob;
I knew Mars would understand why I had to miss meeting him, there is always next time. I’m heading out soon to be with his family, and see what help I can render. By an act of fate, two of his best friends just happened to be flying in today and tomorrow. He’ll be interned on Clark Air Base next week, under full Military Honors. Again, thank you for your comment!
The last time I rode to a Philippine farm field was in Gamu Isabela. I rode in a cart behind a carrabbao, and got to help a little with picking the top leaves off of some tobacco plants. Obiously not a wet rice field type of crop. I understand from my wife that tobacco is no longer grown in the Philippines.
Farewell and smooth sailing to your Navy buddy, Richard Blair; from a former carrier sailor ( USS Ticonderoga, CVA-14 1965 – 1968).
Larry;
Two quality products that once were a booming exports. were tobacco and coffee, and for some reason, were let fall in to the dust bin of history. Their both still grow here, but the luster is off the bloom in their popularity. Who knows why?
Thank you shipmate for the kind words to Rich, he will be missed!
Git along, dogies, git along!
wow!!8s great to see an American person riding on a carabao!!
its nice on my ice!!hahahaha peace!!
Hey Paul,
My name is Tiny and I was one of Rich’s wife in California. Did not know that he had passed away. Can you offer some information about his death to me. His daughter Denise still lives in Bakersfield CA. I think his son Ricky lives in San Jose CA. Any information about Rich will be greatly appreciated. You can reach me at my e-mail address: [email protected]
Thanks in advance…tiny