Traffic in Davao City!

July 31, 2014 by feyma

Traffic in Davao City!

Lately it’s so traffic here in Davao City. If you go to the downtown area coming from Matina it will take a while to get there especially if you’re going through the Bankerohan area. Right now the city has been working on the Bankerohan bridge for over a month now. I’ve heard it will go on for a long time. Geez, going through in that area in the morning and in the afternoon (rush hour times) it’s definitely not a fun drive, an excruciating headache I know that for sure.

A few weeks ago me and my niece went through there at Bankerohan on our way to downtown. Usually we go through the other side, at the SM Ecoland at Quimpo Boulevard area. Problem is we had to swing by at some other place in Bankerohan. So we decided that we will just ride the jeepney to Bankerohan, it’s not that far from NCCC Mall anyway. So off we went. My goodness we’re not yet halfway to Banke just around the UM Matina college we noticed that the jeepneys barely moved. I think we were stuck in the traffic for over 30 minutes not even moving. I told my niece it might be better for us to just walk than just sitting in the jeepney. So off we went and started walking. Other passengers on the other jeepneys started walking too. So many people walking and its kind of fun watching other people walking and talking to us. It really reminds me of my time living in Manila in the late 80′s. Traffic there was horrible its bumper to bumper. But, I got used to it later.

Bankerohan Bridge Repair

Like 30-45 minutes later we head back towards NCCC again. My niece she did remember the plate number and the driver of our jeepney. He was still there in the traffic. No more passengers on his jeepney though, they already went walking crossing the bridge. Lot’s of those drivers they were complaining that they earned less money now. It’s hard hearing from them that they’re having a hard time. People tend to walk now instead of riding. It used to be people rides jeepney even if its just a short distance away. Now with the traffic, much better to walk than ride.

Bankerohan is already bad enough for the traffic jam, sometimes at the other side at Quimpo its bad traffic too. One time they were also working on the bridge there. Plus if there’s something going on that Agro grounds near the bridge the traffic is also unbelievable. The only way to go to the town without traffic jam would be at the Maa road to San Rafael out in Marfori. Or From Maa to Diversion road, lots of exit there to go to town.

Just a month ago it was on the news here that Davao might have a light rail transportation soon. Hopefully it will go through. Only thing it means more traffic that the Davaoeno will endure. It’s going to be longer time than what we are going through right now. Really I am feeling sorry for the students and the people that work. Luckily our house is not far from our kids school. Our niece who goes to college and had to go through the bridge, she goes to school a little early now. Sometimes she had to walk across the bridge.

Thank goodness we have 2 malls and S & R near our house. So that I don’t have to go to the other side of town constantly. Well, to you guys just have patience right now. I know it’s not easy but nothing we can do about it.

Cheers!

July 24, 2014 by feyma

Who to ask when moving here?

When moving here try to ask people that know a lot about the PI. I’ve been hearing lots of foreigners asking Filipinos abroad of what would they think of the Philippines now? To think a lot of those Pinoys that live abroad never been back here for ages. Then of course their opinions of the Philippines would be the time when they left.

Just like when I was there that’s over 20 years ago. Many Pinays that I knew there had different opinions of the Philippines. Some that wanted to retire here had the positive attitudes. Others really hated even visiting here. Some even made bad comments even though they’ve never been back since going there. It used to irritate me when they made not so true comments about Mindanao. And the one that’s bad mouthing she’s never been to Mindanao in the first place. To be honest the people that bad mouthing about the Philippines are really the Filipinos. Even the Filipino people that live here, they still talk against the other place other than the place they’re residing. As if it’s the competition of every place.

At Starbucks with Michael and Malcolm

Like me I’m originally from Sarangani Province. To be honest I love my place, only thing it’s not really the place for our family right now. Maybe later in time. When we first arrived here, we settled in GenSan. We liked it there. During the time we just arrived here too many bombings happening in GenSan. Really it didn’t last long for that, now the place is booming. I highly recommend for expat to stay there too. So many malls were built there for the past 5 years. The place really improved a lot.

To be honest I highly recommend living here in Mindanao. There’s just certain area here that I will not recommend. I’m pretty sure you can find that immediately on the internet where that place be. Bob went to those areas a while back. I will not recommend for any of you to go there if you don’t know anybody there or you had no good connections there (I mean people from higher places). It just happens that Bob was invited by somepeople there and was accompanied by a friend that had good connections. I’m pretty sure same thing if any of you will visit to any place here in the Philippines that you’re not familiar with. You will ask person that you know about the place.

If you had the desire to move here for good or part time try to ask the people (either Filipinos that used to lived a long time abroad and retires here and even an expats that lives here already for awhile). Also try to research the place that you want to retire here. With the power of the internet you can now find anything. If people tries to say negative things about the place try to ask around. Lots of write ups now regarding living here.

Today Bob and I met a couple (Malcolm & Jenny) that we’ve known on the internet for a long time. Jen is from Davao and Malcolm is from the UK. They’re really very nice people. They knew Bob through our website. They’re one of the couples that will constantly communicate with Bob. They also love Mindanao.

I hope that sometimes the not so nice opinions of my fellow kababayan will not deter you from retiring to any place here in the Philippines. I’m not saying it’s perfect here, it’s so far from it. Just as I always said here Please carry with you LOTS of “patience” everyday.

“The challenges ” its adds to more fun in living here in the Philippines!!!

July 10, 2014 by feyma

The people close to my heart in the States: Part 2

The people that I’m describing right now were really one of the families that Bob and I will never ever forget in our entire life. It all started when we moved to Ridgefield from Vancouver in Washington State. We used to live in a very nice subdivision in Vancouver. We were house sitting the house of my in-laws while my father-in-law transferred to Canada for his job. Before living in my in-law’s house we used to live near the downtown Vancouver area. Really just 5-7 minutes away from Sylvia’s house (She’s like my sister there). It was really convenient for me to be going to Sylvia’s for a visit. When we transferred to the other part of Vancouver, it was harder for me to see Sylvia more often. She’s kind of scared driving on the freeway by herself. But guess what I learned easily on driving around the area. Being far from Sylvia I had to learned to drive the freeway quickly and liking it a lot. Going to her house through the back way takes way longer. Driving the freeway it’s much easier than going through the busy streets of Vancouver with so many traffic lights to go through. IMHO.

So we transferred to Ridgefield in 1993 just a few months after my father-in-law passed away. We had to find a house because Mom is moving back to Vancouver. So we found a house in Ridgefield. It was a nice acreage subdivision with only 8 houses inside the subdivision. Really it used to be farmland. Even the original farm house was still there. In every house it has 5 acres. So that’s what we had. Our house was one of the newly built house in the subdivision. When we moved in the next door house was about to be finished. When the owner moved in we don’t really know them. Both husband and wife usually were not home during the day. Seeing them sometime we just say hi whenever they pass in front of house . Just months after moving in, they sold the house. The owner moved away, the guy was transferred somewhere for his job.

After a few months of the house next door being empty, we saw some Middle Eastern people with their 4 kids going through the house. the kids were playing outside. We thought they’re just looking at the house. The next day they came back, so we went there and say hello and just being a friendly neighbor. They informed us then that they already bought the house and they will be moving in in a few days. They’re just waiting of the moving truck that’s carrying there stuff all the way from California.

I was so ecstatic having them around they’re so nice and loving people. The kids ages at that time, the youngest must be like 3 or 4 years old, the oldest I think like 8 or 9 years old. The husband he owns a few gasoline stations in Portland area, the wife she’s just a stay at home mom. She already finished up college just didn’t work because she concentrated on taking care of the kids. Both husband and wife were very generous people. The kids they’re loving and thoughtful kids too.

I will give the names of my ever so favorite neighbor.

Nader, the dad (very generous & thoughtful man)
Dalal, the mom (very kind and very generous)
Julia, the oldest child (the reader)
Zade, the second child (the serious one )))
Keith, the third child (the studious one)
Namer, the youngest and the naughty one (his eyes gives it away… LOL)

We do a lot of fun stuff with them like going to the Oregon Coast for a day or two just hanging out at the beach and see the aquarium, eating at the restaurant after Sunday church. Go with the kids games in school or during summer games. Going to see some Disney on ice show in Portland. Going shopping at the mall or go to the play area like Discovery Zone or Chuck E. Cheese or the Clark County Fair and many others.

Chris and Aaron really adored those kids. They thought highly of those kids. They really want to hang out with them almost everyday. Ha ha ha, really we go there to there house every night during summer. They always invite us for BBQ. Dalal wants that we’ll be at their house, her statement would always be “Feyma it’s better that we’ll hang out here at our house, I had 4 kids and you had only 2 kids. Much easier for me here if they messed up something, easy to clean up”. But when I’m baby sitting the kids they’re at our house. Bob and I fed them Filipino dishes. They liked it, especially the lumpia. Sometimes me and Dalal would go out just the 2 of us for some girl time. Bob & Nader and one of our friend from church Randy go out together too, sometimes they went out of town for some conference. It was fun for everyone. It’s really a good bonding.

Seeing the kids on Facebook now really makes me happy. They’re all successful kids. I’m so proud for all of them. So thankful of the Facebook. I’ve been hooking up with all of them. So happy seeing all of them still so loving and so thoughtful.

To you our Best Neighbor Ever, I really missed you guys. Thank you so much for the friendship and the love. I do appreciate a lot what you guys did for me and Bob. I really treasure you guys forever. I love all of you!!!

Cheers!

June 19, 2014 by feyma

My homemade “Pita Bread”!

I am writing about a simple recipe that I thought before was harder to make. I was wrong on that though.

Bob got a recipe and immediately me and Jean tackle it.

I try to buy a good active yeast and put the rest in a sealed container and store in the refrigerator, but I often find that the yeast here in the Philippines is already dead, or just not working very well.

We used to buy Pita Bread at our local SM Mall, but they have been “out of stock” for a long time, so Bob asked me to make some to satisfy his craving!

Pita bread can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Anyway here’s the recipe for the pita bread.

Pita Bread Recipe:

A few homemade Pita Breads

Ingredients:

1 cup water ( make it warm not boiling, on my water I just put in the microwave for 30-35 seconds)
2 teaspoon active dry yeast (hard to find good yeast in the Philippines that last longer in the fridge, so I put 3 teaspoon)
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour ( the other 1/2 cup use it when kneading the flour)
1 – 2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons olive oil

Procedure:

Put the 3 teaspoon yeast to a mixing bowl, put the warm water with the yeast. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes until you see the yeast dissolved. Add the flour, together with the salt and the olive oil. Mix it together until it formed into a dough.
Sprinkle the clean surface of your counter with the flour and put your dough. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until the dough become smooth. While kneading you might have to add more flour for the dough not to stick with your hands and the counter.
Put some olive oil to the mixing bowl, the one you used to mix all the ingredients. Put the kneaded dough there, put some oil on top of the dough. Cover it with clean cloth or cling wrap. I used cling wrap. Let the dough rise until its almost doubled when you originally put in the bowl. Approximately an hour to 2 hours.
After the dough was rising, gently deflate the dough and divide the though into 8 equal parts. Put all the dough again on the floured surface.
Use a floured rolling pin, roll one of the pieces into a circle like 8 inches to 9 inches wide about almost quarter of inches in thickness. Keep turning and lifting dough as you roll the dough. Make sure the dough is not sticking on the counter. Sprinkle flour if its sticking.
When cooking the dough, I put like a tablespoon of oil in the skillet in medium heat. Lower the heat if necessary. When it’s hot, drop the rolled dough and turn the dough every 3 to 5 seconds. Keep doing it until the dough is done. Keep an eye it gets burn easy. Just eyeball the pita if its done cooking or to your liking.
Let it coll in a plate and cut it in half with scissors. Open the inside of the pita and you can put anything you like. For us we like to put salad inside or some meatballs or some ham.

Sandwich on Pita

***I just used a small amount from the dough, so I just got one or 2 like an almost the size of tennis ball and keep the rest in the fridge. If you don’t use all the dough, wrap the one that you are not using in a cling wrap and put it in an air tight container. Put it on the fridge until the next time you use it. Pita can be in the fridge for one week.***

Good luck everyone and have fun cooking!

June 12, 2014 by feyma

Putting a dog to sleep in the PI!

I’m writing today about some stuff that’s not really so common to be done here in the Philippines. One of them is putting your pets (any pet) to sleep. Well a few weeks ago we had our dog put sleep. She’s been with us for over 9 years. It was a difficult decision for all of us in the family, but at the end we had to do it so Fluffy would not suffer more and much longer. Not one of the kids wants to take her there. We definitely shed tears for her. We gathered our kids and nieces and have their say on what to do with her. We all agreed to let Fluffy sleep without pain.

Fluffy in her better days

A few months ago I noticed Fluffy had some rashes, and I saw her itch it. So we thought it’s just from the fleas. So I bought different shampoo for her. I really thought it got better, but I was wrong. So we decided to bring her to the Vet. The vet gave her some medicine and we bought some shampoo there. It just didn’t get better though. Last month I could see that the skin rashes got worse. It even covered up her eyelids. I’m really heart broken just watching her daily as she kept on scratching.

Bob also saw Fluffy out in our front yard scratching so much. So we talked and we told our niece to bring Fluffy to the vet and see what does the vet think? To ask the doctor also if it would be better for Fluffy to be put down or have medication? When our niece came back the doctor gave us 2 choices. If we want Fluffy be treated it might take a few months and she’s not sure if she would really heal because of her age. It will cost us over 5k a month for that. And taking her age into consideration she might not last long too. If we chose to put Fluffy down it will cost us 2k (including the medicine to use). They will bury her too.

You have to sign a waver that it was our choice to do that. Just to avoid lawsuit against the vet. You can even watch the process if you want to when they put your pet to sleep. So that evening all of us the family gathered to talk about it and what’s the best options for Fluffy. We all decided to put her down so she would be out of her misery. That’s the best thing for her. We did it for our love for Fluffy. The next day my brother-in-law Jhun brought Fluffy to the vet. Thank God Jhun was here at the house to work on our organic garden.

Some of Fluffy’s Puppies

I’m not going to let someone kill her for them to eat her. You know that’s what the typical drunkards do here. They will kill that dog and make it there appetizer (hors d’oeuvres, pulutan, sumsuman) while drinking. Sounds yucky, but that’s the reality here. We had neighbors in GenSan before that they really enjoyed eating dog meat than other meat. They almost had party every weekend. How do we know it’s dog? Because it shows when they’re roasting, the whole dog on the bamboo rod. It really grossed me out but can’t tell them what to eat. Sometimes they offered some when we pass by, I just smile. It’s really disgusting but it’s not my place to tell them.

Just to show how rare it is here to have a dog or other pet put to sleep, just after we had Fluffy put down, my cousin visited with her family I told her that we had to have Fluffy put to sleep. She said “Oh, really?” After a few minutes she asked, “Where is Fluffy?” I reminded her that Fluffy had been put to sleep, but she said “where is she now?” She had no idea that what I meant was that the vet had euthanized Fluffy, due to her health. It is just not a well known thing here in the Philippines.

We had a good years with Fluffy. She gave us few pups. Some of our friends have her puppies. The puppies turned out to be good for them too. While writing this post, we got a new pup for the kids. It’s a black pup. We named him Pepper. I will post some pictures here later and on FB. We also have a dog named Chichi.

The price for putting down a pet might vary from one place to the other. Not sure how much the cost in the other cities here in the Philippines. I was just quoting the price of Davao City. Just like when we had our cats spayed the first one it cost 3,500, we are not happy with the result. Our cat still in heat which is annoying because she’s so loud and you felt sorry for her. Our second one it cost 5k but we are really happy with the result. We will be going to have our third one (Blue) pretty soon. We already had a quote from our vet. It will be 3,500 if the weight below 5 kilos. So we are trying that Blue’s weight will not exceed 5 kilos.

« Previous Page
1
…
3
4
5
6
7
…
10
Next Page »