Living in The Philippines

April 24, 2014 by feyma

Good growing organic vegetables in Davao City!

Living here in the Philippines for 14 years, I’ve seen so many changes now compared to when we first arrived. At that time I hardly see different kinds of veggies that’s really good to make a salad. The only thing that’s good at that time I think here would be an iceberg lettuce. There could be some other kind but you had to fly to Manila & shop at the grocery stores there. Thank goodness for so many changes nowadays, living in the provinces of the Philippines gets way better now everyday.

I think early this year Bob mentioned to me that one of our foreigner friends told him about a nice and good organic garden that he knew that can be found here in Bajada, Davao City. When Bob said that I was thinking a big place for a garden in the middle of the city? So finally a couple of week or so ago Bob & I together with Jean went to the organic garden that a friend of ours mentioned to Bob. It’s quite a ways for us because we lived in the other side of city. But it’s worth going there. When we got there the garden was surprisingly small but it’s packed with the plants that the owner knows were good to grow in that environment and the land.

The owner his name is Rodelio. He is a doctor I think in profession. Studied here in the Philippines, but continued his college days in the States. Stayed there and worked hard, then came back here after his retirement. He loved the outdoors so much after coming back to the PI, he then decided to do farming especially planting different kinds of herbs.

I was so surprised seeing different kinds of good veggies for a good salad. He grows romaine lettuce, iceberg, purple lettuce, arugula, I think he had oak leaf lettuce, watercress, and other vegetable like eggplant (Japanese & local), carrots (regular & baby), cherry tomatoes and the big tomatoes, different kind of chili peppers (different variety), spinach, squash, radish, onions, cucumber (local & foreign kinds), I think he had asparagus there too and many others.

He also has different kinds of herb spices like basil (different kinds), cilantro, parsley, dill, sage, chives, mint (different kinds), lemon grass, oregano, turmeric, rosemary, thyme and many more. Rodelio also makes sun-dried tomato. Saying that you have to reserve because it will be gone in an instant. We will order that next time. We still have some sun-dried tomatoes, next time we’re out we’ll definitely order from there to try them out. They also made this coconut wine vinegar with turmeric, ginger, garlic and other herbs inside. I bought one bottle like a liter inside. We didn’t use it right away co’z I know that they just newly put the vinegar inside and the spices. When we get home I told Jean & my niece to try to put some small chili (siling labuyo) inside the bottle and let it close for a few days. I could just taste that it’s not that strong of the flavor yet. Now, the longer it stays in the cupboards not open for almost 2 weeks the taste gets better and stronger. We like the flavor of the vinegar now.

One thing also that’s good with the owner. If you happen to have a seedling that you bought from the States or any place abroad, he will try to plant the seeds for you. If the seeds grows good here, you will get to harvest with him too. We like onions, we are thinking of getting him a vidalia onion seeds or some other sweet onions. Thinking of some other seeds that we want that he didn’t have there yet. I forgot to mentioned above that he also owned a land in Cabantian area. He said its almost a hectare, he planted lots of veggies there and some sweet corn. Wednesdays & Saturdays are the harvest days both farms the one near Abreeza and in Cabantian. They will also bring the veggies that were harvested from the Cabantian farm to the one near Abreeza. You can also do the harvesting yourself of what veggies you want.

The name of his place is “Wynward Organic Vegetables & Bistro”. Located at Regina Dalisay Compound, Bajada, Davao City. Just at the back of Abreeza mall on the Obrero side. He also cooked food there if you want to eat there, just call him ahead of time. Maybe he can tell you what’s his special on that day. We didn’t try the bistro yet.

Try to see and visit the place and tell Rodel hello from us!

April 17, 2014 by feyma

A watcher in the hospital!

You guys probably wonder why do you need watcher at the hospital here since the nurse will be there anyway. Well let me tell you about being hospitalized here in the Philippines. You can have as many watchers as you want during day time as long as it doesn’t bother the patient, I think its allowed if you are only staying in the private rooms & suite rooms. I’m sure it’s different when staying at the ward room with 3 – 6 beds in one room. They limit the watcher there then for just one person during night time since they don’t have space to sleep for that many people. But I think you can accept few visitors during visiting hours.

Typical scene in Philippine Hospital where there are people watching over the patient

When Bob was hospitalized for 4 days. I was pretty much his watcher 24/7. I’m sure you guys were asking what’s my role as a watcher? Well for one, whenever the doctor prescribed medicine to Bob that’s needed, if the medicine prescribed were not available in the pharmacy downstairs, me being his watcher it’s my job to go out and buy necessary medicine at the drugstore outside the hospital building. The nurses are not allowed to go out and buy the medicine for the patients, so it is really needed to have a watcher for every patient here.

With Bob, I was pretty much his arms and hands. Why I said that, he can’t really move any of his arm and hand. It swelled so much that he can’t even get a grip of the glass or utensils using his hands. So basically, every time he needs to eat or drink I had to give it to him. Some medicine that he was taking orally I had to be the one putting on his mouth. He was immobile for a few weeks. Luckily the kids were the watchers during daytime at the hospital and the house.

Nurses are not the only helpers in Philippine Hospitals

Really the watcher has to communicate well with the nurses and the doctor. Basically the watcher will be the one who pays attention to what medicine needs to be taken care of and what time. The watcher is the one in-charge of everything down to making inside of the room clean. Whenever the patient needs assistance from the nurse or hospital staff, the watcher will be the person that would go to the nurse’s station and tell them what the patient needs. During night time the patient might need assistance in going to the bathroom, the patients wants to eat or something. So the watcher will always be ready to help out physically and emotionally to the patient. In short the watcher is the beck and call. LOL

The private room where Bob stayed had no button to push for calling the nurses station. So me being the watcher, I’m responsible for going to the nurses station whenever Bob had some emergency in our room. I am not sure if the suite rooms in that hospital has the automatic push button on the bed to call for the nurses station. If I remember when Bob was in Doctor’s hospital in Gensan before, I think their beds there at the private room had button to push in-case you need assistance from the nurses. Bob was at the ICU in Gensan for a week. Supposed to be no watcher was allowed inside, but they made an exception for me because Bob didn’t want to be inside that room if I’m not there inside the room with him. Really only the nurse was the watcher in the ICU. I saw the watchers at the ICU here in Davao at the Adventist hospital where Bob stayed. They had special rooms for the watchers.

I experienced being in the hospital in the States a few times. When I gave birth to my kids and I was once hospitalized due to I was contracted with a bad virus and being pregnant with my youngest it was difficult. When giving birth to my eldest, Bob was with me the whole time. I stayed in the hospital for a day and a half. When giving birth to our second son, Bob was my watcher there until our son was born, then later in the evening he had to get our eldest son who was staying with our best friend there. Bob was with our son that night, then the next day, early morning Bob dropped our eldest son again to our friend so that he would stay with me at the hospital until I was discharged later that day. When I was 6 months pregnant with our youngest I got a bad virus and it almost killed me and my unborn son. I was admitted in the hospital for almost a week. With that being said, Bob stayed with me during the day. So during night time I was alone in the hospital and crying. The thing on that virus it nearly collapsed both my lungs. Bob being my watcher during daytime he knew when to give my medicine for my breathing. He did keep tabs on that. Just like the way I kept tabs on his med now.

Patients in the Philippines are so spoiled of having family nearby to be the watcher. I guess thank God for the close family ties here. Praying for good health to everyone. God bless!!!

April 10, 2014 by feyma

Introducing our new baby “Blue”!

I think some of you here are aware already who our new baby is? If you happened to be the Facebook friend of Bob, you would know then. Bob posted on his wall a few days ago that we had a new baby here in the house. We named her Blue, because she has blue eyes. That obvious. LOL

Really it all started with our helper Joy, her daily routine sweeping the front yard and outside the gate of our front yard. So a few days ago while she was sweeping she could hear a meowing outside our gate. When she went and looked outside the gate she didn’t see anything but the voice of the kitty continued on. So she heads out and follow the sound, she could hear that the sound was under our pathway. well it’s really in the canal, on top of the rock inside the canal. So she ignored the kitty at first and continue on sweeping. A few minutes after sweeping she just could not bear letting the kitty meow, she got the dust pan inside and got the kitty and brought it inside near our turtle area. She then got our water hose and bathed the kitty. She washed it thoroughly with soap. She then showed it to me and the kids and told us she found the kitty outside. I can’t decide yet of what to do with the kitty because Bob was not home at the time when I saw the kitty. He has a meeting every Monday. So I told Joy and the kids to just wait when Dad comes home, then we will decide what to do. Then when Bob came home, I was out for a meeting. So same thing, Bob can’t decide either on what to do since I’m not home yet. So while waiting for me the kids and Bob were playing with kitty then. When I arrived we all decided to keep the kitty (Blue). Makes the kids happy and us adults too here in the house. … Ha ha ha…

Baby Blue, just a tiny baby!

Before Bob arrived, my thoughts right away, who do I know here in Davao that I could give the kitty to. We already had 3 cats in the house. I’m just so worried that these 3 cats would devour this kitty alive. I already saw before one of our cat almost rip open the tummy of the kitty that we had. so I just don’t want to see that happening again here in my house. Not a scene I want the my kids to see.

Funny thing is, when we let Blue play with the dogs my gosh she hissed them. We were all laughing because she’s so tiny compared to the dogs and she’s so brave and tough of hissing them. Our dogs can easily tear her apart. Our dogs I guess knew that were there watching, they just left her alone and went to the back of the house. Luckily I had lots of baby sitters here in the house that the kitty was pretty much safe while the other 3 cats were watching. We are slowly introducing them to the new kitty, same also with our other 2 dogs.

We brought her to the vet clinic and they gave her de-worming medicine and they gave her antibiotics since we just found her in the ditch. She also had new formula. She’s going to start the vaccination routine next time she visits the vet clinic again in 2 weeks time.

Anyway, its another baby here in our household. Jean is really wanting a puppy. Holy smoke our house might turn into a zoo pretty soon here. LOL

Have a great day everyone!

April 3, 2014 by feyma

US Passport processing!

Early February Aaron and I went to Manila to process his US passport. A US embassy policy, after 16 years of age just one time, the person has to apply the passport at the Embassy in person. Before going there, we set an appointment on line at the US embassy for the best day for us to go there and give Aaron’s papers for the passport application. You need to get the online confirmation before going inside the embassy so that your time will not be wasted. The guard will not let you in inside the Embassy without the confirmation papers that you made an appointment on the day you go there to the Embassy. It makes sense so that both the person and the Embassy personnel will not be wasting time. Have the appointment confirmation paper printed and bring it along with your application papers.

US Embasy Compound Manila

When going inside the Embassy, if you are a US citizen you don’t have to go through the long lines to go inside. They have another door to go in when you’re a US citizen. Just tell the guard outside that you’re a US citizen, then they will direct you where to enter. Before entering the main building, you have to go through a thorough security check. They will have the x-ray for your belongings and just like at the airport that the person has to go through x-ray and a body pat from the guard. If you have electronic gadgets you have to leave that with the guard. They will have there trays to put your things together with your ID. Then they will give you a claim card when time for you to get your stuff. They really are strict on that. Like Aaron, he had with him on his backpack a small thumb drive. Aaron even forgot that it’s there inside of one of the backpack pocket. The lady told us to get the thumb drive out and put it on the tray. So we had to search the pockets of the backpack and hand the thumb drive to the lady to be put on the tray. No food allowed inside too. They had a snack area at the waiting area just before entering the door at the Embassy.

You can really see how thorough they are. An old lady ahead of us, she had a pretty good size carry on bag, with some clothing inside it looks like from our view. All of a sudden the x-ray lady told the old lady “Ma’am you had bullet on your bag please take it out and put on the tray together with your cellphone and other stuff”. Aaron looked at me and whispered what on earth that old lady do with the bullet? I just smiled at him and told him that the old lady might just came from a firing range and forgot to take out the bullet. I was just being funny to Aaron because he could not fathom an old lady with a bullet. We were giggling after that. Really I think that bullet was used for something else. In an old days some people will put something on an empty bullet. They called that here (habak). Its like to drive away bad spirit or sickness. It’s been along time since I’ve heard of it. That’s another post for me to make here.

Anyway, after passing the thorough check, the guard told us you where to go. He directed us to the entrance of the main building. They have there a waiting area designated for what type of processing you’re in there. Since we are for the US passport application we went to the area for the passport application and waited there until the door for the US passport applicant opened. While waiting for our 7:45 appointment, we bought some drinks just right across our seats. As soon as the 7:30 applicant got inside it didn’t take long for the 7:45 to get in too. It is just a matter of minutes. We went in like around 8 am or just minutes before that. Going inside you go through another check in line again just like in the airport. You showed the lady first your appointment confirmation. Without that you can’t get in. Then she will give you back the appointment paper with the stapled window number to where you will give the passport application, located at the second floor. Have to wait awhile for us since theirs 8 people ahead of us. It will take awhile each person because they will have to be checking the application thoroughly to make sure the application was properly filled.

When it’s our time, it supposed to be quick. But the picture of Aaron that we brought was the incorrect size. It’s not close up enough. The passport personnel thoroughly checked the rest of the papers and told us to get another set of pictures. He told us to go downstairs near the entrance. Luckily there is a Kodak place there and we don’t have to go outside the building. I didn’t even notice of the Kodak being there before when were sitting while waiting for us to get in. Just a few people were there waiting to have their picture taken. Really it just took us like 15 or 20 minutes at the most for us to get the new passport photo. We gave it to the passport personnel, we don’t have to get a number again, just hand the picture to that same personnel as long as he doesn’t have any client with him. If everything is good, he will direct you to pay at the cashier for the passport. He will also give some papers for the courier (Air 21) for you to coordinate and you pay there, it’s just a few feet away, near the cashier. Pay the Air 21 and just save your receipt.

Then, you go back to the sit near the window where you gave your application papers. He will give you another number for another window that you will go to. When your number will be called, the personnel there will ask a few questions, then its oath taking time. Then you’re done. The personnel will then tell you to wait approximately 3 weeks to get your passport. Really, Aaron just waited 13 days and the passport was delivered in our house.

So needed for US PASSPORT RENEWAL APPLICATION:

US embassy confirmation appointment
Old passport
US birth certificate
Passport photo (2 pcs, make sure its close up)
Valid Id
Money to pay the passport $135 in cash (U.S. dollars or in Philippine pesos equivalent of $135)

More info: Click the link below:

http://manila.usembassy.gov/service/passports/adultapplication.html

Good luck!

March 29, 2014 by feyma

Been off here for awhile!

You guys probably figured out why I was off here for awhile now. In the beginning of February Aaron and I went to Manila for a few days to renew his passport at the US Embassy. It really went well there and I was so happy for Aaron to finally got the passport done and renewed. When we got home, just a days or so after, Bob got ill. We noticed one of his arm had a sign of bug bite. Man, with just a bug bite it almost cost him his life. We thought he will not make it. Just watching him going through the pain it really broke my heart and made me cry. I would not want anyone going through what he went through. It’s not a fun scene to see.

Firstly we thought Bob had a stroke again. So we made an appointment to our doctor in GenSan. Why GenSan, well we really liked his doctor there a lot. But after my sister went to the doctor’s office there to see if she can squeeze in an appointment for Bob, my sister informed me that the doctor right now was busy and it will take a few days for her to see Bob. So we decided then for Bob to see local doctor here in the city. So we went to the doctor here. I’m glad we did. He really is a nice doctor. As soon as he saw Bob he immediately told Bob you don’t have a stroke, instead you had an infection. As he keeps looking and inspecting Bob’s arm, the doctor said to him that “if you want the infection to go away immediately it would be better for you to be admitted to the hospital so that you can have the medicines through iv that will kill the infections immediately”. Bob thought he can handle the infection by taking oral medications. Bob was taking the oral medications for a few weeks and still he was experiencing severe pains. The oral medication just helps a little.

Davao Adventist Hospital

I just basically stayed with him the whole time almost 24/7. He has to have somebody with him day and night. He can’t even lift his arms. If he tries to lift his arms, he will be in pain. Just moving from the chair to the bed is a big struggle for him. Luckily my kids are here with me. To help him get up I get Aaron and Chris. To help him with the eating and the drinking I had help from Jean and Chris. During weekends Jared and Nicole would help out too. It’s really a rotation for us. I’m just so happy that during daytime I had so many to help.

He had to have somebody with him, his arms and hands can’t really do much. If ever he tried to use his hands for lifting his glass to drink he will be in so much pain. If he will use his arms to get up, he will be in pain. So I told him to just let us feed him and when getting up I will have the kids help him. Finally he realized that he really needed us to help him. So its been weeks that Bob is in bed.

By week 4, Bob was still in so much pain. So he then decided to be admitted to the hospital. He stayed there for 4 days. The doctor really gave him the medicine that will kill the infection and also it will not hurt him being he is diabetic. As I’m writing this post, Bob just got out from the hospital. Finally he had the good medication that totally knocked out the infection. Right now he is resting and I’m still reminding him to take it easy. He is still not totally 100% healed.

To all of you here that continue praying for his recovery, a big “Thank You” to all of you. I really appreciate you guys prayers and thoughts. Thank you also for those friends that visit here in the house and in the hospital. Thank you also for calling and checking on him. I can’t even tell you how grateful I am to you guys. A big thank you too to the hospital staff at Davao Adventist Hospital especially to Sean Dignadice. Thank you again to all of guys and God bless!

MABUHAY!