Taking a Walk on the Wild Side of the Philippines.
At my advanced age, 63, I really shouldn't be taking a walk on the wild side of the Philippines. But that's exactly what I did the other morning. (more…)
Tag: savannah
Do You Want to Build the Best Nipa Hut in the Philippines?
Do you want to build the best nipa hut in the Philippines or do you want to build one half-assed? The Bahay Kubo, Balay, or Nipa Hut, is a type of stilt house common to most of the Filipino rural culture. If you desire to manufacture a quality hut, you need a quality crew. Take a gander at our brother-in-law Joery in this photo. He's preparing to put a concrete finish on the CR, Comfort Room, walls. He always does quality work.
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Nipa Hut Progress on our New Property in the Philippines
Here's the latest nipa hut progress on our new property in the Philippines. For few weeks now, our brother-in-law Joery, Cousin Doening (whose daughter Mera works for as a domestic helper), caretaker Gerry and Joery's neighbor Jon, have been busy constructing a new domicile for my father-in-law, Lolo, who is afflicted with dementia and loves to converse with dead relatives and belt out silly songs all hours of the night. Yes, I know that the poor guy, who recently socked me in they eye and gave me a shiner that lasted three weeks, cannot help himself. But have you ever lived 24/7 with someone that has dementia? The fact that he cannot control his actions doesn't make his behavior any less annoying.
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Survey on New Property Could Spark Turf War
A recent new survey on our Guimaras property could spark a turf war. My asawa and I are set to start building our new domicile on the mango island province this November and had hired a survey firm from nearby Iloilo City to do provide us with a sketch plan. We could start working on our final design plans that we could submit to Peter, a local architect and trusted relative, who could transform our rough sketches into a blueprint our construction crew could work with.
My asawa chats with a neighbor who had dropped by to check out all the activity
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Road Crew in Guimaras, Western Visayas, Making Excellent Progress
The road crew in Guimaras, the island province in Western Visayas that my asawa and I reside, has been making excellent progress on highway improvements in our immediate area. It won't be long until my spouse and I will be driving our new truck on these new widened pathways making navigating the mango island much easier. And, as a 62-year-old geezer, I'm all for making our own "pocket of paradise" more comfortable and less stressful.
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More (Expensive) Lots for Sale in Guimaras
As regular readers of this website know, my asawa and I are looking for lots to purchase on the mango island of Guimaras, my wife’s home province in Western Visayas in the Philippines.
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Not Exactly a Rockin’ New Year’s Eve in the Philippines
As evidenced by the lead photo of Lolo (Grandpa) fast asleep, it was not exactly a Rockin’ New Year’s Eve in the Philippines. After the arrival of my asawa’s brother from Metro Manila to retrieve his Baptismal Certificate in Guimaras, the home province of the clan, our initial plans to usher in the New Year at “The Farm” were scuttled.
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New Projects in Progress at The Farm
My brother-in-law in Guimaras, Joery, is our general handyman. While we have a caretaker, Gerry, who lives on site at “The Farm,” where we now reside, Joery, plumber, electrician and carpenter all rolled into one, is our “go-to-guy” for any new projects in progress at “The Farm."
Joery and his asawa, Alida, taking a snooze on a lazy Sunday afternoon
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Savannah Iloilo. The Good, the Bad,and the Ugly
My Filipina wife and I lived in Savannah Subdivision in Iloilo for two years. We've recently moved back to my asawa's home province of Guimaras. At the time we moved to what is supposed to be one of the premier subdivisions on Panay Island, I was impressed. But the lack of infrastructure; no running water, frequents brownouts, and the lack of enforcement of existing rules and regulations has been extremely frustrating.
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Best Places to Live Overseas for Cost of Living
My Filipina wife and I retired to the Philippines over four years ago. The cheaper cost of living was the main factor in determining our retirement destination. After spending almost 30 years working for telecommunications giant, AT&T, and saying goodbye at the age of 57, how far our money would stretch was our primary consideration.
The clan at Raymen Beach Resort in Guimaras several years ago
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Our 5 Year Philippines Retirement Plan Nears Completion
My asawa and I moved to the Philippines in July 2009. We had an unwritten five year plan before moving to “paradise.” We're approaching the final phase of our retirement manifesto. In about one year from now, February 2014, every thing kicks into high gear. Our income will more than double. We'll be buying property for our dream home in the Philippines then and in late 2014 we plan to move into our new residence in Iloilo City (the new house could look similar to the home depicted below.)
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