We’re moving to the Philippines!

Today’s guestblog is from Alan Cole.  Alan is from the UK, and he and his wife have decided to pull up roots and live in the Philippines!  Alan and his wife, Sofia, are in for quite an adventure - lots of thrills, challenges and changes in their lives!  Can they handle it?  Only time can tell, and Alan readily admits that change is coming!  Let’s see what he has to say!

Well as I write this it’s October 2008. I am sitting in my home office and looking out at a typical cold wet English day.

Let me introduce myself.

My name is Alan, I am 47 and Married to Sofia and we have three children 18, 17 and 12 and our intention is to leave the UK and move to the Philippines before the end of November.

What brought this on and why the Philippines?

That is a really difficult couple of questions, for a long time I have wanted to leave the UK, without going on a major rant, it is no longer the country I grew up in.

I also hate the cold dark winters and want to be somewhere warm, my wife also has health issues and suffers in the cold damp English weather.

My Brother in Law moved out to the Phils a couple of years ago with his Philippine girlfriend after many years of living in Singapore and we sent my Mother in Law out to join them last year.

So why the Philippines? I really don’t know, I think, to be honest I would prefer Thailand, but it seems to want to make things so difficult for people to stay without regular visa runs, and most importantly the internet is not as well established as in the Philippines, I will need contact with the outside world if I am to attempt to run any kind of business. there is also a  bigger language barrier and of course finally, we will at least have some family members near by.

So the Philippines it is.

We have made a few visits and I like some things and dislike many others, but I am aware that I have to grow to accept these things as they wont change just because I dislike them.

Makati City in Manila has all the schools, shopping, restaurants and cinemas we could need but we don’t want to live in the city.

My ideal would be a nice seaside town with decent facilities, we want to be able to go snorkling and enjoying a more laid back life.

My son is at the moment doing a 4 month diving internship in Thailand after spending 6 weeks diving at Anilao last year. So he should be able to support himself and travel around the world diving.

Our Daughter is 17 and we fear may be staying in Manila with her Uncle to go to college as the course she wants to do is probably not going to be found in the provinces.

And our youngest is 12 and so will need access to an International school.

My wife Sofia has been through the mill health wise and will need access to a decent hospital as she has to have regular check-ups.

So the reality is we are moving and wont actually know where we will be living!

We will make camp in Makati and travel around trying to find our version of paradise.

The countdown begins and the clock is well and truly ticking.

If Bob and you, his readers would like, I am happy to keep you updated with our travels and travails.

It promises to be a rocky road!

Tyleen’s Adventure - Part 3

Today’s guestblog is the final installment from Tyleen Reynders about her recent adventure in the Philippines.

Hi All of you readers
I thought I would send just 1 more article to finish off my trip to PI.
But I could write a lot more. My experience in the Philippines was so profound that it makes my decision as to where I will retire quite easy.

Some of the things that made my trip interesting or memorable ……

1. Finding out that there is NO toilet paper in washrooms or CR’s ….THANK GOD my friend Jocelyn was with me when I discovered this.(she apologized profusely for not remembering to tell me!!!!) BUT …. I had to wait for 10mins for her to come in to the CR to find out why I was taking so long….. I was not amused!!!! I quickly learned to travel everywhere with a full roll of TP in my hand bag!!! Now that I look at it …..it was a good excuse to buy a new large bag!!!
2. I was asked to be godmother at Jocelyn’s daughter’s wedding. To me it was a big deal. It was at a non Catholic church called Iglesia Ni Cristo. It was a new church/religion to me. It was very interesting service even though it was in Tagalog.  I found it curious that they are springing up all over, a beautiful expensive church in the middle of such desperate poverty. Yes …one could argue the Catholic Church has churches in poverty stricken areas. BUT according to the web there has not been a new Catholic church built in the Philippines in 20years. So the poverty grew up around the Catholic Church not the other way around. Like I said I am not criticizing just curious.
3. Getting my Nokia cell phone fixed for $3.00US at a authorized Nokia dealer..when my cell phone company  here in Vancouver  wanted $200.00 to fix it or I could get a new phone for free if I signed up for     another 3 years.
4. Having so many wonderful people start me off learning Tagalog.
5. Not having to drive!!!!! I have been driving since I was 16…..I am used to driving myself anywhere I wanted to go. I have driven back and forth from Vancouver to LA  about 20-25 times so I could visit a favourite auntie living there. But I have to tell you relaxing and reading in the back seat or being able to really enjoy the scenery was the best !!!!
6. Leaving at 4am to beat the traffic (MY GOD!!! And I thought rush hour here in Vancouver was bad!!!!) I went to Manila for the day and did some tours of Manila Bay and spent some of the time at the Asia Pacific Mall. I was on a mission to find something specific for my brother. I loved the mall. I wandered around for awhile just loving the variety of different stores. I especially loved the wonderful customer service. Noticing the time (my friend was picking me up at a certain time) I realized I needed to get serious about finding the Callaway Golf store. I asked a couple of people for directions and wandered around in circles for about 30 mins. Then I remembered the article Bob wrote on Filipino face. ……The people I had asked directions probably had no clue as to where the Callaway Golf store was located but kept pointing in some direction and didn’t want to lose face by telling me they didn’t know. I promptly asked a security guard (I still can’t get used to armed security guards) and he walked me to the right section and I found the store. My brother loves what I bought him very much so I think I am good re: presents for him at least until next year. I owe my brothers happiness to Bob. Without that article on ‘face’ I would not have found the store before it was time to be at the pickup point to go back to Cabanatuan City. My brother and I both thank you Bob !!!!
7. Discovering Buchi Buchi….it is the best treat ever!!!!
8. Now that I am back to the everyday grind I find myself becoming Ate (elder sister) to many of the new Filipino ladies that work at my Dental practice. We talk a lot about food,life,people and their homesickness. They are so envious of me being able to retire in RP in the next 1-2 years. (Little do they know I envy their youth!!!) We laugh and chat like we have known each other forever.  It is a joy to go to work to see them every day. I hooked up one of my new Filipino staff with my Filipina friend Jocelyn and they have become great friends. Rosemarie and her family have only been here 1 year and were very lonely for friends…. Well they have a whole bunch of new friends now. Every time I see Rosemarie she hugs me and says thanks. She doesn’t understand yet… that  I AM THE ONE BLESSED WITH NEW FAMILY
9. Seeing the gas prices skyrocketing in PI the same as back home. I will never complain about the gas prices in Vancouver again. I gasp out loud wondering how the average family survives having to pay those prices.

I am getting regular emails from the people I met while in the Philippines and getting news about their lives and Cabanatuan City. I live for the emails and long to go back.
I have just been informed by Jocelyn my Filipina friend that we hopefully might be going back in Feb or March of 2009. I kind of go when she goes.
Damn I can hardly wait!!!!!
This time it will be for 4 weeks. I will have the extra time to fly down to Davao and see Bob and Feyma and anyone else they can round up for a party!!!!!

Thank you for reading my Visitors Blog and I will let you know when I am coming to Davao so I can meet as many of you as I can.

Regards to all,
An expat in the making
Tyleen Reynders

My trip to the Philippines - Part 2

Again today, we have a guest post from Tyleen, about her recent trip to the Philippines.  Thank you, Tyleen for sharing your adventure, and you are always welcome to contribute as many additional columns as you like!

Well here I am again hoping to convey my love yet again for this fabulous country called the Philippines.

Jocelyn(my filipina friend)  has friends that are brother and sister lawyers. Their family has a large farm near Dingalan Beach. (2 hours ?? north of Manila) Not far from where we were staying. They invited us to come and enjoy their hospitality. They even came and picked us up!!! I was continually surprised at the genuine kindness of people I had just met.

We went to beautiful Dingalan Beach… the sand was white white and powdery like baby powder. Wow !!! We were the only ones there at the beach on a beautiful sunny day.  I couldn;t believe that such a place was devoid of people for miles and miles.

We all sat in a open air Nipa Hut for shade and talked about life and kids and cultures. A lady came by and asked if we wanted her to cook us some lunch. The conversation swirled about me in Tagalog and in a blink of an eye she was gone to make lunch for us ….  40 minutes later she came back and unfolded some newspapers on the table and dumped about 3 kilos of cooked prawns on the paper with lemon slices and lobster tails on wooden skewers,rice and vegetables and of course a lot of cold ice tea!!!! The best spread I have ever eaten !!!!! It seems they steam the prawns in 7up???? Wow I am going to have to try that at home when I have some friends over for a BBQ.

I am realizing that food is a very big part of the Filipino culture…..everywhere I am invited food is always being offered to me…it doesn;t matter what time of day.

I have lost weight (about 10lbs or 4.5 kilos) since my arrival in Cabanatuan City…..it has to be the heat and the humidity….it definitely is not because I am eating less, trust me on this one !!!!!

So we all were in a great mood after a great lunch and got to talking about the surrounding area and their family history. It seems that the Japanese used their family land as an R&R place for the senior officers.
It was visited often by a General Yamashita. And when it looked like the Japanese were going to lose the war, he supposedly hid some of the gold he had collected (read stolen) on their property. The brother and sister said that as kids they tried to find the gold for years with no luck. They have had many fortune hunters wanting to dig on their land for “General Yamashita’s Gold” (see www.rense.com/general13/treasure.htm )

They both told my friend and I some stories about the Japanese on their land during the war. Their father was part of the US army in the Philippines right from the beginning of the war.Many of the families friend’s fought as guerillas with US forces until the end of the war.

During my visit I talked to many people who had stories about the Philippines during the war. It seems that everyone in the Philippines is related to or friends with someone who had an active role in the war with the US in some way. In fact some of the old soldiers and some families are still waiting for the US to pay them. I gather the situation is before the courts and will be resolved soon. I hope so. I listened to all of the stories and marvelled at the resourcefulness of the people.

We left the beach and went to the family compound and saw the 2 huge ponds of Talapia almost ready for market. There must have been close to 5000 fish in each huge pond. Wow I haven;t seen that much fish in 1 place since I was at the Aquarium in Vancouver.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying their stream fed fresh water pool. It was the only time in the Philippines that I swam in cold,cold water. The water in the pools at the resort is warm and so is the water from our taps, even the ocean is warm. (Don;t get me wrong I love the warm water….just an observation)
It was a very interesting day I can tell you!!!!!!

We finally made it home around 8pm…my behind was dragging and I said hello to everyone and headed for bed. I was bushed. Laying in bed reflecting on the day I realized because there was so much laughter and food,stories and new friends…. it was another great day in Paradise!!!!

I seemed to spend a bit of my days looking at prices so I could decide whether or not I could buy things in the PI’s or ship the stuff over.  I am so glad I did. The availablity of most things was surprising for me. I was happy to know I would not need to refit a ceiling fan to 220v ….I could get a lovely one at a very good price at the Handyman store.

That brings up another point about the people in the PI.  Every where I went from Asia Pacific Mall in Manila to the smallest store in Cabanatuan City, I was greeted warmly by staff and had someone to help me find the things I wanted to buy. They were very helpful and NOT pushy.  I am so used to being in North America where the staff are hard to find(companies cutting back staff) and not very friendly or helpful (staff not giving a wit for you or the customer service they were hired to provide!!!!)  It was wonderful!!!!

Yes things were cheap for me to buy…..but I would have to be careful when I move…not to go crazy in the Malls. Believe me, as dedicated shopper it would be SOOOO easy to do!!!!!  I have a PhD in shopping and I can tell you that I would buy 1 of everything!!!!!  I when to the Mall here at home yesterday….I had to hold my tongue to keep from saying…..”This sure isn’t the Philippines……they actually care about customer service there!!!!”  I drove home from the Mall frustrated that we have allowed our young people to let our customer service standards drop so low as to be almost non existent. Such a shame really!!!!

Oh yeah …driving in the Philippines…WOW!!!!  I came to realize quickly that I should not look at where we were going as I would only scare myself.  Our driver was very skilled but some of the situations we were in scared the heck out of me until I decided NOT to watch and just talk to my friend in the back seat or read. The city of Cabanatuan is fairly small but they had traffic like crazy all day long.  When we had to go to Manila we left at 3AM to get to where we were going for 10AM. My friend had business there and they dropped me off at the Asia Pacific Mall. I hit the sidewalk in front of the Mall at 9:20AM.  That is how bad traffic is in Manila. OH my GOD!!!! I will never complain about our rush hour traffic in Vancouver ever again!!!!

I love the people,place and the wonderful food!!!! I am seriously thinking about retiring in Cabanatuan City !!!!!

If I have the opportunity from Bob I will write about the rest of my trip and the honour at being asked to be a Ninang at my friend’s daughter’s wedding. It was thrilling !!!

My trip to the Philippines

Today’s guest blog is from Tyleen Reynders, a regular LiP reader.  Tyleen recently made her first adventure to the Philippines, and from what she writes, I think she enjoyed her vacation!  Tyleen is from Canada, and started reading this site shortly before her trip to visit the area.  Thank you, Tyleen for your willingness to share your trip with the rest of us!

I spent the most wonderful time in the Philippines. I am so thankful I found this site before I went. It helped me prepare for the culture shock and gave me the perspective I needed.

I went with my best friend a Filipina named Jocelyn who had a small resort in Cabanatuan City about 1.5 hours north of Manila.  We arrived late at night at Manila airport and I was subjected to the most pollution filled hour I have ever experienced waiting for our van to be allowed into the arrivals area. I can tell you I was NOT impressed with my first glimpse of the Philippines.

Finally ‘our van’ arrived with kisses and hugs from my Filipina friend’s family and friends. I got kissed alot…  1.5 hour ride to Jocelyn’s small resort and at last we were there. So much family was waiting and the dancing and sing began. Some kind of party I can tell you!!!! I was tired but could not help but enjoy the party.

The next morning I awoke at 6am ready for my first day in the PI’s.  I went outside and there were so many people with friendly faces ready to show me around the property that Jocelyn had bought the previous year and hoped to turn into a western style subdivision.

I swam in 1 of the 2 pools and then was called for breakfast.

I was ready for the day and we left with a driver and a bodyguard for the nearest mall.  I got to see some examples of absolute crushing poverty on the way to the mall. I was so surprised that even though the people did not have much they had smiles on their faces and every one was clean and as well turned out as possible.

There seemed to be so many different uniforms on children…my friend said there are many different kinds of schools here…. public, private, college and university. Beautiful children and young adults all hustling to get to school.

The mall was the biggest culture shock for me……  clothes and shoes and everything so cheap by our western standards. And as you have said in your previous blogs lots of fast food joints. My friend told me to cool it and spend the day just looking as we could come back any time. I wanted to spend, spend, spend
but understood the wisdom of her advice. I did however have the best massage of my life for about $7.00
I wound up going back to Jane the masseuse many times before I left and asked if I could adopt her.

Everywhere there were friendly faces and….no screaming kids…  Where were all the young children I asked myself….  They were there alright but they were the best mannered children I have ever seen in my life.  No overindulged,catered to,spoiled,gimme gimme kids anywhere…..I was stunned.  AND ….Well mannered young people people …my God I thought I had died and gone to heaven!!!!!

I spent alot of pleasureable time in the malls while I was there I can tell you!!

The things that I found a little disconcerting were the presence of weapons everywhere out in the open. Security guards with guns at their side at every mall entrance and out in the parking lot. Great way to deter gangs and disturbances in the malls…..but as a Canadian it was a big surprise. We do NOT allow our security guards to have guns. The only people who have guns in out country are the police forces and people who carry 1 for their work  ie diamond sales people,body guards for high profile people etc etc and unfortunately the bad guys have weapons. They are smuggled in from other countries…our country does not allow most of the weapons confiscated ie M1 assault rifles etc etc

I was surprised at the attitude of the people re dogs as pets…..they mostly do not regard dogs as pets like we do in the west. Which may or maynot be a good idea….I personally coddle my pets!!!!

When I visited a vet ( the family puppy got hurt and it cost me only 11 bucks to have her put right including xray and shots and take home meds!!!! (Nuts…it would have cost $300-to $600 here in Vancouver..that’s why I have pet insurance!!!!)

Gathering information…. I asked about living here with my little dog and asked about some meds he needed for his scratching. He replied does he have mange or bad fleas. I laughed and said NOT AS CHANCE THEY WOULDN’T DARE Roberto the vet and I laughed. He said he would be thrilled to treat my little dog as he was obviously cared for so well. I liked the guy!!!!!

I spent many hours on my trip taking pictures of people planting rice and children and places etc etc. I even got a picture with me and a Carabao (he was a little reluctant to let me too close to him).  On our way back and forth from the city to the resort I stopped many times to check out the craftsmen making beautiful chairs and beds and tables. We would pay 100’s to 1000’s of dollars for comparable stuff in North America.

I will never complain again about our gas prices here in Vancouver BC…..we pay a little less here than people do in the Philippines. My god !!!!! how do they manage?????

The food was wonderul…I had rice everyday and was in 7th heaven.

I had brought over a gross (144) of toothbrushes ( I am in the dental field) and gave them to a village of indigenous people. They were so thrilled.

I came away with that experience wanting to do more for them so now that I am back I am in the prelim stages of setting up a dental team to go back and help the villagers. I now have a great contact in PI to help me with the politics of the area so no toes are stepped etc etc

I am so awed by the gentleness and the grace of the filipinos I met …..I am now seriously thinking of retiring there as soon as I can get my affairs in order and fufill my obligation to manage the Dental Clinic for the atheletes at our 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.

Suffice it to say I love the Philippines and I was both thrilled and humbled by my experiences !!!!!

There are soooooo many things I wish to tell you about my time in PI but they will have to wait and see if Bob wants another column about me raving about the Philippines

Salamat Bob and all of you who have commented in any of the blogs with information that helped to form a terrific introduction to the Philippines.

p.s. I bought myself a Tagalog-English-Tagalog dictionary…..I will be prepared for my next visit!!!!

Living in the UK with my Filipino Wife, Annaliza

Today’s Guest Blog is from David Walker from the United Kingdom.  David wrote an article regarding the process of meeting his wife and bringing her to live in the UK.  It’s quite an ordeal!  Thank you very much for making the effort of writing the article, David, and all the best of luck to you and your family! -Bob

May I introduce myself, my name is David Walker, 40 years old white British male ex military (French foreign legion).

I only joined because of the French cuisine, frog legs and snails and not forgetting the white ice cream hat which was made famous in an old Laurel & Hardy film back in the 1930’s.

I have spent the past five years either in Iraq and Afghanistan working for security companies and recently return from Kabul where I have many Filipino friends working for a number of foreign companies out there.

I first met Annaliza in Dubai at the airport terminal 2 and within a few minutes on first meeting each other was in argument with Egyptian taxi driver why “he didn’t like Americans”. Don’t get me wrong Dubai a great place with fantastic hotels, restaurants and shopping for all and welcome western culture to a limit. But seem to have too many anti western taxi drivers.

Annaliza had been working in Dubai for 3 years and was paid well for a Filipino in Dubai she still had to rent and live with many Filipinos and her last room she shared was with 4 other girls. My view is that Filipinos are not paid well in Dubai and work long hours but are always smart and friendly and it’s a shame that employers in Dubai and elsewhere don’t give them more credit with better wages.

Even in Kabul Afghanistan many Filipino are working here some for good western companies and other not so good. Many working long hours and travelling in sub standard vehicles on very dangerous roads with little or no security. A Filipino female friend of mine was murdered in May 07, and her body was thrown down a well. She was murdered by the company driver and another both locals because they know she had been recently paid. She was due to return home to the Philippines. One of the main problems when recruiting locals in Kabul is they do not check them for pass history or security checks some companies turn a blind eye on this matter (cheap labour).

Annaliza was at the time working for a freight company in Dubai and she arranged the transportation off the coffin back to the Philippines. It turn out that the woman who was murdered was working for an Indian company and had no written contract with them.

Getting Annaliza to the UK was no easy matter first she’d applied for tourist visa and was refused on the grounds she wasn’t earning enough money in Dubai. I had to contact the UK Embassy in Dubai and informed that she is my Girlfriend. I would sponsor her whilst she was in the UK for the grand total of six days. I had to provide letter from my employer, six months bank statements and pay slips. I find it very strange that Annaliza was employed with employers letter to travel and had savings with return ticket on Emirates and was only visiting for six days but still refused her tourist visa, anyway the visa cost 142 USD.

Then we planned to get married in the UK that’s where the paperwork starts for both of us. You need to apply for fiancée visa which cost 1000 USD you cannot marry without this visa in the UK. The fiancée visa allows you to stay for six months in which time you must marry or leave the country. You cannot work or claim any public funds the sponsor must provide them with accommodation and funds whilst they are in the UK. Both of us need to provide proof of address in UK, bank details for six months, employer letter and Annaliza even needed letter from employer in Dubai allow her to leave the UAE.

Once we were both in UK, we had to contact our local register office and book interview for marriage. At the interview Annaliza had to provide proof of visa, proof we are both living together and date and place of marriage. And I had to provide proof that I was divorce it’s called final decree absolute in the UK. Then you are separately interview asking question about each other.

You need to pay a small fee about 30 pounds for the service and your details are displayed for 16 days the reason for this any person wishing to voice concern over the marriage may do so within the 16 days that’s the law in England and Wales.

Then the register office will post you the paperwork off marriage which is valid for one year from date posted.  And on the day of the wedding you will receive your marriage license signed by marriage officials, Bride and Groom and 2 witnesses.

Then you have to contact the home office immigration visa department and book interview for marriage visa and get them to send you the visa form. You can send the form back with the marriage license and both passports it will take up to 8 weeks and will cost about 390 pounds for the marriage visa. Or you can book interview and go to your nearest visa office and get your passport stamped the same day cost of marriage visa 595 pounds for the express service. Please note you both need to attend the interview providing proof off marriage, and again all the details you had to provide when we both applied for fiancée visa.

Annaliza was given limited resident permit until 2010 and after two years she will be granted permanent resident visa after passing the exam.

At the moment her visa will allow her to work but cannot claim any public funds and even if she wishes to travel to any European country Annaliza would need to apply for visa.

And if you wish to apply for British citizenship normally you will have to wait up to 8 years and now you must do a citizenship test. And the question are not easy most Brits wouldn’t pass today, like how many members are there in the welsh assembly and when was the dog license abolish.

And having gone through all of this, I still have Filipino friends still talking rubbish one claiming her (hubby) can get her UK passport even without her living in the UK and taking the citizenship test. Another claiming she can work on tourist visa and now she’s back in the Philippines.

We both now live in a small market town called Ramsey about 88 miles north of London in the part of the UK called the Fenlands. Ramsey dates back to the 6th century and the fenlands were drained in the 16th century by Dutch engineers reclaiming good farming land back from the marsh lands.

Annaliza now works for BUPA in a nursing home in Ramsey with other Filipinos and was told the other day by the Grand Aunty (big boss) filipino here in Ramsey. There’s 70 filipinos  living in Ramsey most work either in the nursing home or at the local turbine engineering company. It won’t be long before I see a Red Ribbon cake shop and Jollibee on the high street and a Jeepney. Annaliza likes the UK from experiencing blowing smoke from her mouth when it’s cold here and a recent trip to Morocco Atlas Mountings and see snow for the first time and not forgetting her favourite shop in the UK Marks & Spencers.

I have been to Philippines twice and back in May 2008 had our honeymoon in Boracay.  It’s a very nice place and I love blue marlin fish. I have tried most of the supermarket in UK and do not sell it.  Then the penny dropped, it’s like asking a cod and chips in Boracay.  I remember my first trip to the Philippines and we stayed in Subic.  We planned to go to Baguio thru Victory Liner, Big mistake.  Never in my life that I have take the bus that stop for every cow and chicken on route.  We got as far as Tarlac before I got off.  We spend the night in a lovely hotel.  Even though I love seafood, I’m not too keen on eating “tuyo” in English too yuck to eat.

I hope that this will be an eye opener to anyone who wish to come to UK and thinking that it’s easy because they have a UK boyfriend but it’s not the case.  Late this year the government will change the rule again and making it much harder with all applicants outside the European Union will need a finger print and photo visa to enter the UK.

Climbing Mt Apo

Today’s Guest Blog is from Rick Bowden.  Rick is a resident of Davao, and has been living here for about 6 months now.  I have had the opportunity to visit Rick’s house and enjoy an evening with Rick, his wife and family, and had a wonderful time (don’t worry, Rick, we owe you a dinner at our house!).  Rick recently climbed Mt. Apo, the tallest mountain in the Philippines.  Rick wrote about his experiences in doing that.  Enjoy the article! Thank you, Rick for taking the time to share this with us.

I achieved one of my aims in April this year by climbing Mt Apo.

Since I came to Davao first time in the year 2000 and seeing Mt Apo appear from the clouds at random places from all over the city and then finding out first that Mt Apo was the highest peak in the Philippines and secondly that a climb was physically possible, I wanted to do it. Various times I have read about the Apo climb on Bob’s blog, for example Ichi’s story about getting lost and having to turn his shirt inside out and from Macky’s comments, he has climbed (from memory) several times, so, when I came to Davao in January this year I decided I had to do it.

I have a young and fit brother in law Arnel, who was keen to accompany me, it was his first time too, to climb Apo and we were both willing but we needed some assistance, we needed help. We consulted with “Edge” outdoor pursuit, climbing shop in Matina and met Dom, who we hired as our guide. Dom is a young and fit athlete who I am pleased to know now as a friend but at the time, we were looking for guidance and a mentor in our quest, Ann (my wife) said he looked like a boy, I saw a competent young man, sorry Ann, I was right, he was perfect for us, a friend and guide and someone to rely on.

We talked about equipment and when to climb, which route to take and decided on Kidapawan trail in April. There are many routes up Mt. Apo, Arnel and I decided as first time climbers that the easiest would be best for us (it wasn’t easy) and so a weekend for the end of April was set. Being advised by Dom, we decided to take a local porter from Kidapawan, to help carry food and for extra security in case of sprained ankles or other more serious accident. Setting off at 4:00 am Thursday April 24th 2008, we made our way through Kidapawan to Lake Agko hot spring resort where we registered for the climb and hired “Lito” (Joselito) our porter, and off we set at approx 7:30 am.

I had talked to some experienced people before attempting Apo, like Henny, owner of De-Bonte Ko, who has climbed Apo many times and received some great advice and tips, but my first idea was to get fit and I had spent three months in the gym at Matina getting fit and I felt prepared. Dom, our guide is 22 years old with legs like pistons I was about to find out, Arnel is a naturally athletic 26 years old and Lito our porter in his early 30’s, but the porters are legendary and Lito walked up in either bare feet or flip flops and hardly needed a rest. That left me at 51 years of age, the old man of the party and by the end I needed every one of the 3 months sessions I had been through in the gym, it was tough.

The initial climb was pretty much straight up, through forests, ravines, through and inside river beds, with short rests on the way it took us 5 hours to reach Lake Binado and our first camp site. It was great to relax chill out and enjoy the cool air, Apo peak was a 2hr walk away. Arnel brought a Frisbee, he had seen pictures on the TV from Lake Binado and he was right there was a great Frisbee area; we played for hours in the afternoon, others joining in from time to time for the fun, a great way to unwind after the tough climb.

Dom was our chef, we had an early night and at first light we were up, breakfasted, packed up and on our way to the peak. During the first days climb there were not fantastic views because of climbing up gullies, through trees, the views were restricted. But from then on-climbing from lake Binado and upwards views were unrestricted and fabulous, but nothing compared with what was to come at the top.

We were there at the top for 10AM and in the clouds, it was cold, the wind was biting and jackets and gloves were required. At the top, there are a series of peaks, 9 I think, all of which are Mt. Apo and we spent the rest of the day climbing the various peaks for different views. The highlight was the view back down to Davao, where, Samal, Talikud and the city of Davao were clear and spectacular to see. People were looking up at us and this time, we were looking down on them and beautiful it was to see. We could view our part of the city, Bangkal and imagine where about our house was, quite a site.

We had a spectacular sunset but then next day, cloudy for the sunrise and so, no more views. You need some luck in the mountains to get the views, I have heard of some people climbing and then not seeing anything at the top at all as it is in clouds for the whole time.

I had managed the climb ok, keeping up with everyone, but on the climb down, the others all seemed in a hurry, for the first time we had heavy rain and it made the downward slope very slippery and my energy levels dipped sharply. Anyway we arrived soggy, damp but elated after a 5 hour “bolt” down the mountain. My first beer didn’t touch the sides.

It was a fantastic trip and I would recommend anyone to do it, but a few tips, first take a guide, second a local porter, for local knowledge, then talk to people who have done it (thanks again Henny for some valuable advice) to make sure you have the right equipment and lastly to enjoy it more I would recommend some training, it is fairly strenuous and that should not be ignored.

The Boxer

Yesterday, June 15 was the first anniversary of my best friend’s death. So, let me talk about him.

There are only two world boxing champions that I remember the names. One is, of course, our great Filipino champion, Manny Paqcuiao and I’m a big fan of him. Another one is Yusuke Kobori, who won the WBA lightweight title by knocking out the Nicaraguan champion in the 3rd round on May 19, 2008.

I had a friend who was a boxer. His name was Junji Murakami and also went by the name of “El Matador” because of his quickness and beautiful techniques.

On May 19, 2007, Murakami fought 7 rounds against Kobori in the title match of OPBF (Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation) Super featherweight Championship, and he lost. I was luckily able to watch his last fight since I was in Japan. I had a business trip at that time and I had to go back to the Philippines the day after the title match. In the following morning, he sent me off at Narita Air Port even he was exhausted with the damages he got in the fight. He had hit the mat twice that night.

Three weeks after the title match, his fiancé found him dead at his apartment. According to the result of the autopsy, the cause of death was heart failure. But, everybody understood the real cause. I have heard that Kobori also attended Murakami’s funeral conducted few days.

Kobori shifted to lightweight and exactly one year after the big day, he became the WBA lightweight champion. And now, he has conveyed his interest to fight against Manny Pacquiao.

As I said, I’m a big fan of Manny. But this time, I support Kobori if they fight. How about you?

Unexpected Effect

Although new school year has started, the college that I am working for is still accepting new enrollees. There is a reason why we have to extend the deadline of enrollment. This year, we only have one fourth of the enrollees compared to last year. I wondered why. The number of students in my college had been increasing past 5 years in a row, and I was thinking that we, teachers deserve to say it is because of the quality of education. We didn’t provide good education last year? Or, our marketing officer did something wrong? I was thinking WHY.

And in this morning, I picked up one of the Philippine newspapers and I found it. The newspaper says “Inflation soars to 9.6%”in the front page.” I presumed that is the reason. So, I texted one of my friend who is teaching at another college and asked her if the number of enrollees in her school decreased or not. She responded to me, “only 50% compared to last year.”

It’s not only our college with few students enrolled in this semester but also other private schools. In short, they shifted to public schools or, probably, some of them cannot afford to enroll even in public schools. Parents need to buy rice before they send their children to school. And enrollment fee for a college is also rising.

I never expected that inflation would influence education so directly. Our wages also have to be raised corresponding to the increase of commodity prices. But, how can it be? Private schools do not have money, too. It’s a vicious cycle.

My visit with Father Franco

For today’s Guest Blog, we have another installment from Jim Cunningham.  This is an article about Jim and Marilou’s visit with my friend, Father Franco in Buda.  I’m glad that the Cunninghams got to meet Father Franco, he is really a special friend that I love very much.

As a regular reader of Bob Martins blogs I was curious to meet up with someone who Bob mentions regularly namely Fr Franco who lives in Buda on the Davao/Bukidnon border area. On the way back to Talakag from our recent visit to Davao we took the opportunity to meet up with Fr Franco. As we approached the area that Bob had told us where Fr Franco is located we stopped and asked someone if Fr Franco was at home as once again we had not made an advanced appointment. Fr Franco came to meet us and after once again mentioning Bob Martin the door was opened. Following introductions Fr Franco explained the function of his market garden project and was kind enough to give us a guided tour of his facility taking great pains to explaining about the various herbs and vegetables that he grows and the reason for doing so. Fr Franco’s main project is to preserve tomatoes and convert them into paste and pickles etc for the catering industry at the same time giving employment to the local people. I must confess after tasting his product and listening to his vision for the future I just know he has a winner. We just had to buy some of his products to take back to our house in Talakag. Fr Franco also has another line of expertise and that is in the production of liqueurs the recipe only known to him and his great boss above. Whilst there he produced samples of his various liqueurs and insisted that we taste them the consequence of which was from saying goodbye to Fr Franco to arriving at Jolliebee in Valencia, I know nothing at all.

Fr Franco is an Italian priest who has spent 44 years working amongst the natives of rural Philippines. He is a man of vast knowledge of local plant and flora and has introduced his unique know how of European herbs and vegetables to his project. He is currently planting vines in order to grow and harvest grapes so he can make yes you have guessed it errrr communion wine, well I think that’s the plan. If successful and it turns out to be as good as his liqueurs maybe the next time I visit I will get back to Cagayan de Oro without knowing anything. People like Fr Franco are unique and bring hope to the indigenes by using their knowledge and converting their ideas into viable business ventures.  Our visit was very informative and most enjoyable and Fr Franco is certainly someone whom I will visit again in the future. Anyone interested in growing herbs and vegetables as well as citrus fruits should certainly try and visit Fr Franco as his knowledge of market gardening within the mountain region is excellent.

Philippines Travel Log

Today’s guest blog is from Paul Bax. Paul is a longtime reader of the Live In the Philippines Web Magazine. Paul has his own website that you may enjoy visiting. Paul tells of his adventure while visiting the Philippines in his story below. Thank you, Paul for sharing this with our readers!

The day has finally come to depart for my trip to Skip’s Beach Resort. The purpose of the trip is to attend a seminar/workshop to raise money for Skip’s charity, The Alfonso Fund, to help poor children in the Philippines who’s parents cannot afford medical care. Skip’s Beach Resort is located in the remote town of Daantabayan on the outskirts of Cebu. Skip is the third student of the late martial artists and film star, Bruce Lee. He is somewhat of a legend to his countless friends and associates whom he has helped move there and or introduced many to their wives. He has spent his last 17 years in the Philippines among the common man, opting to live amongst the every day Filipino rather then the alleged “upper class”.

Well, I “skipped” out of work early so I could finish any last minute packing and to grab a bite to eat before leaving. In addition, I wanted to spend a little time with both my wife and son (separate since they are not getting along). When it came time to leave the house my son actually seemed a bit choked up I was leaving. He asked me to bring him back a knife that he can carry on him. Just what he needs…not.

So after a nice drive with my wife to the airport we said our goodbyes and it was extremely hard to leave her. Sure, I am going to the land of the hot Filipino babes but still, she almost made me want to put my bags back in the car and say the hell with it. However, I had people depending on me to be there and had committed myself to the event. This was not just a martial arts event but also a humanitarian effort.

I entered Lambert airport and immediately had a brain fart. I tried to self check in and was trying to scan my passport through the wrong area on the machine. I proceeded to manually enter all the information. After deciding to upgrade to first class for $180.00, I was pleasantly surprised that my one checked bag would not see me again until we were reunited in Cebu. One less thing to worry about.

So I grabbed my first class seat, which was quite spacious and came complete with complimentary drinks and a meal. Of course I took advantage of the situation and slammed three bourbon and soda’s before the trip was over. Ironically, an older gentleman named Harlin sat next to me who reminded me a lot of Gene Wilder without the frizzy hair. He actually worked for American Airlines (which I was flying to LA) and we didn’t stop talking from our initial “hello”. He offered me some prescription strength stomach medicine which I took but will probably throw out before I leave the plane. I can just see me getting thrown in a Hong Kong jail because I was carrying a prescription with out my name. Looks like I will have to settle for Pepto Bismol. Harlin’s job was working in the prestigious, “Admiral’s Club” where he basically takes care of executives along with famous musicians and actors. A few names the threw out to me were Nelly, Ashante, Foxy Brown, Paris Hilton, the whole band of Van Halen and a few others that escape me.

After a flight that went really quick because of our conversation, he took me up to the Admiral’s club where he gave me the RX and his boss gave me a free drink voucher. Whew hoo! I paid for one beer myself, another stranger gave me his free voucher so I ended up having another bourbon and soda and two Mich Ultra’s. I handed the guy a five for all his hard work which he really appreciated. I told him he probably needed a tank of gas.

Once I found Cathay Airlines and checked in I converted some dollars to pesos so I was all set for Cebu. The rate was not as good as the published rate but it was good enough to avoid one more hassle.

So I then found my gate and noticed a guy wearing a Thai Boxing shirt. Turns out he is from Texas and his instructor is under Ron Balicki. He was headed to Thailand for a couple of fights. Apparently he had two fights already. His first experience was that he was not supposed to come out wailing on his opponent since the first two or three rounds are go get the bets going. We had a lot of talk about the Orient and what I was in store for. He seemed to think I would be fine with no issues for the remainder of my trip.

So I boarded the plane and everything was fine until my right leg kept cramping up. I have circulation issues with that leg for some reason. I asked to be moved and got a somewhat better seat but there are still some pain issues. I can not believe how long this flight is taking. 14 hours seemed like an eternity. As I type this I have a little over 2 hours left. I could be in Mexico by now!

For now I am going to turn off the laptop since it only has one of battery life yet and I do not know if my hook up will work at Skip’s but I am sure he will have all obstacles covered.

Oh, I almost forgot. I called Dr. Mac who is in good spirits. He transfered me to Skip who was astounded that I would be there so quickly or even there at all. Then he hit me with the shocker. Cebu airport is always crowded and it has taken him up to 6 hours to get out of there. Add this to my 3 to 4 hour bus ride there and I am looking at arriving late on Thursday. Ah, the trial and tribulations of a humanitarian.

Captain’s log, 5-2-08 (Cebu time): I made it through the airport without a hitch and found a taxi driver to take me to Skip’s for $1500 pesos. Quite a bargain. The ride was nothing less then a roller coaster ride with our car coming within inches of trucks and peoples arms and legs. Airport wait was only an hour or less.

The scenery is amazing and the landscape is beautiful. Unfortunately this is a very poor country and that is reflected in the housing. I will say that people walk the streets freely as do the children with no fear of the predators we have in the USA.

So, finally after asking for directions several times we found Skip’s resort. His son, Chip came out to greet me. Immediately as I stepped out of the car the humidity made my glasses steam up. I made my way to my room on the top floor which was quite spacious. Then after settling in I met Dr. Mac for the first time. He was under the weather so we kept our distance but he then referred me to the man we both came to see, Skip Ellsworth. After a firm handshake we sat down and started talking about my trip and it was like we had been conversing in person for years. I took a quick nap and later returned for dinner made by Belle which was wonderful. After some more great conversation, we called it a night. I ended up waking up at 4:30 am and had a nice webcam chat with my ever worried wife. She was worried about me in more ways then one but seems to be accepting my absence and dealing with it.

Later that morning I received a knock on the door from Chip telling me it was time for breakfast. As usual, Belle delivered a great bacon and eggs feast with pancakes (this happened every morning).

Chip and I headed out to the town and came upon a pool hall. After showing him who was the boss of the table we headed back. Dr. Mac and I had a picture session with Skip and then Belle, Chip, Belle’s brother and I headed out to the market where we picked up some mangos and other fruit. The locals were looking at my white legs in astonishment. I think they said I had a big nose (anything is big compared to their petite features) also. The equalizer was that all the women kept asking me if I was married. My standard joking response was “sometimes” which was greeted with wild laughter.

Later I tried a burger from a local vendor (Big Mac’s) which was great albeit a tad thin (think White Castle but smaller). Then we headed back to the resort to rest for awhile. I am already adjusted to the time change. I am not looking forward to changing back when I go back to Missouri.

During Friday Dr. Mac, myself and Chip went to the roof to practice and exercise. With the way Belle is feeding me it was much needed. After some warm-ups we worked on a few take downs and demonstrated a few of our favorite moves. Chip’s sister, Milet joined us and she turned out to be quite a scrapper for a 14 year old. She actually picked up a 70 pound bar bell and put it over her head. She probably weighs that much herself.

Later we had another awesome dinner from Belle and a nice chat between, Skip, myself, Dr. Mac, Chip and Belle. Dr. Mac gave me a few shirts that I was not expecting and Skip gave us both a Philippine flag pin.

Chip and I headed back to the pool hall but it was closed. So, I grabbed a Red Horse beer at the local store and we headed back flashing our new lighters that we had purchased earlier that day into the darkened night. What makes this lighter unique is that it not only provides a flame but also a light…and when flashed on a wall or any surface the light turns into a hot naked Asian babe. Skip totally approved of his son’s lighter. Now that’s a Dad.

So after that I called it a night. As I type this on Saturday morning, the rain is coming down hard. Looks like our work out may be inside.

Saturday’s work out covered some basic throws and take downs and covered the basics of falling and rolling. The day went off without a hitch. After a nice dinner with Skip, Chip and I headed out to the pool hall again where I learned the art of the “knowing where the table is crooked”. I had a lot of practice at that in my youth so it was no big deal.

We headed down to a local festival but it was too muddy to hang around. There was a strange fellow that asked both Mac and I do dance with him. We declined. After walking the streets for awhile Chip took me through a dark short cut through the village. After some more conversation with Skip we called it a night.

Sunday was the final day of the seminar and we had many workers from the resort join us. Belle. Aimee, Maurita, and Milet all took turns punching the pads while Mac and I coached them along as best we could. Aimee seemed to catch on the best and had down punching where her hand was and non-telegraphic movement. Belle had a strong punch on her while so did Maurita and Milet. Chip is coming along good also. The funniest moment was probably when Mac held the pad on his chest from a Wing Chun stance and I demonstrated a full power straight lead. Mac flew back about 8 to 10 feet until he ran into the couch and then promptly fell on his ass. Or in Mac terms, “his backside”. Mac will be upset if I don’t mention his take down he did on me (demonstration) the previous day.
With the seminar over we cleaned up and had ANOTHER great dinner from Belle. Chip and I hit the town again to play pool and slum around the streets.

Monday came with great anticipation since Skip was going to join us on a guided tour around town. He had not left his room for 4 weeks due to some medical issues but he was feeling well enough now to hop in the van and show us around. Our first stop was the local graveyard which is NOTHING like American graveyards. Basically, if you do not have the money to bury you relatives then you simply stick their remains in a bucket and that is the end of it. Judging by the dates on some of the graves, it appears the average life span is much shorter in the Philippines as opposed to the USA.

From there we went to the famous Maya pier where many people take boats to Macalupsa and other islands. Fishing tours are also offered. Belle hit a home run when she bought us all chocolate chip cookies as a snack. We proceeded to drive around the country side, viewing various landmarks and or homes of Skip’s friends (which are growing by the day).

Dr. Mac wanted to have an award ceremony of sorts where he would hand out certificates of participation and various other items. With that behind us, Chip and I headed out to another part of town we had yet to explore (at least with me). Before I knew it I had guys offering me “shots” and girls asking if I was married again. “Sometimes”. After visiting a few stores for drinks, the local pier, a basketball game and a Karoake bar it became quite dark outside so we headed back just in time for dinner.

Before bed I had a nice final chat with Skip and listened to his words of wisdom about life in the Philippines and life itself. He is truly a man of much wisdom and I cherish his friendship.
Unfortunately my taxi-driver was early so I had to say some quick goodbyes, take a few pictures and head out the door. Maurita opened the gate for me and gave me a firm handshake goodbye. The driver seemed happy to see me. We went off on our way and ran into some traffic but both the female and landscape scenery is always worth viewing.

After arriving to the airport two and a half hours early, I befriended a New Yorker who was, as always quite entertaining. He had no cash whatsoever on him after paying his exit fee. He upgraded his flight to first class for $180.00 and was officially in business class. We both decided to get some food but the restaurant would not accept credit cards and we walked away baffled. He caused such a stink that they took him back through security so he could obtain some cash. Ironically, once in the restraraunt, he found out that he could have ate for free at the buffet since he was technically in “business class”. We both found it amusing that the same girl who walked him all around the airport and who knew full well he was in “business class” did not have the common sense to tell him he could have ate for free anyway! What can you do.
So, after the horribly long flight back from Hong Kong to LA I managed to get a earlier flight back to St. Louis. Unfortunately my bag will be on the same flight I originally was on. Should be interesting retrieving that bag.

My final reflections on the Philippines are as follows: the country is beautiful and the people are kind and caring. Unfortunately there seems to be little opportunity here for jobs. Most of the houses are shacks or extremely small. People seem to care little about the environment since their is trash everywhere. However, the lack of fines and laws regarding such issues are what make the country much more free then in the USA. Big government stays out of the citizens lives…for better or for worse. It is my feeling that they people of the Philippines need to be more proud of their surroundings and not destroy their own paradise via throwing trash where ever they please. In the end though, life here is somewhat refreshing. Especially on the streets of Daanbantayan. Kids walk around without their parents with no fear of someone picking them up. People drink freely without worrying about a ticket for public intoxication. And the real owners of the roads and highways are the drivers who don’t have laws and lights dictating their every move. The Philippines…my new home away from home.