Last week, when my language teacher, Bebe Metillo, came to my house for my Cebuano lesson, an interesting discussion ensued between the two of us. In fact, the discussion was so deep and interesting that to be honest, we never did get to the language lesson! One of the things I enjoy about Bebe is […]
What is the proper abbreviation for the Philippines?
I don’t know that I would call this a “big deal” but over the years, I have often bristled when I hear people call the Philippines as “the PI.” Why? Well, “the PI” was what the Philippines was called when it was not yet a country, during it’s colonial days, especially when it was under […]
Chance meeting turns to friendship
Yesterday was an interesting day for me. Mostly it was a normal day, but a couple of things happened which were highlights of my day. Firstly, in the morning, I met with Tom Martin. Tom is not a relative, we just share the Martin name! I met Tom in person for the first time on […]
Good Year End
2010 was a busy year for us. At the middle of the year we were busy with our planning to move away from Marfori to another area here in Davao. It was quite a challenge to find a house that suits our needs. Later when its just Bob and I and Chris we can settle […]
It’s a matter of right and wrong
Lots of things in life fall into a gray area. They are neither 100% right nor are they 100% wrong. They are somewhere in the middle. Things that we consider right can still have a bit of wrong mixed in, and the same for things we consider wrong. It’s a judgment call in many cases. […]
Mass Suicide in the Koi Pond
My wife Mayang, decided the water in the first pond needed changing as the water had gone from a light brown to a very thick green. Her troops were assembled and mustered, and the water was pumped out. All the fish were moved to a laundry tubs for safe keeping, and the cleaning commenced. They scrubbed […]