Monday – 20 Sep 2010

[smartads] This morning, feeling 100%, but actually being closer to 95%, I arose from my resting place at 0638.  I woke up way before that, but Lita and I did some talking again this morning.  She was telling me of some of the plans she wants for the little space we have up front next to where the store will be.  We talked about Cora (who I guess is not coming).  Talked about why we moved to the Philippines.  We discussed things going on in this area.  I guess that was basically it.  I’ll elaborate on these in this post.  I don’t know what is in store for me today, but if I get a chance to go downtown, I’m going.  Been cooped up in this house for 3 days now.  I do need to go check on the price of a 1500 watt transformer.  That was another subject Lita and I discussed this morning.  We need one for a microwave oven we have.  The wattage on it is 1200, but we always like to be over a bit, just in case.  I bought a 1000 watt for P1989 here in Calbayog.  That one is for my computer.  If they don’t have a 1500 watt one here, then we will check at Robinson Mall in Tacloban on the way back from Tambis, probably November 2nd.  The hardware store there had a nice selection of transformers, but I just don’t remember the wattages.

Why we moved to the Philippines.  There are several reasons, like getting out of the rat race and paying outrageous utility bills, but the #1 reason was so that Lita would not have to work so hard anymore.  With me being laid off from work for about 1 1/2 years, and only living off unemployment, since no one would hire me, Lita had to work a little bit harder than she was already to help try to keep up with those outrageous utility bills, grocery bills and bill this and bill that.  Poor Lita was working herself into an early grave and I couldn’t stand by and watch that happen.  It would have been better next year to move, when in May 2011 we will have an extra P40,000 per month from the truck revenues, but for Lita’s sake and our sanity to remain intact, I think we will be able to survive until then.  All revenue coming from the trucks now, is going towards the payment on the big truck.  The small truck is paid for already.

Cora.  Cora evidently is not coming to work for us.  First of all it turns out she is not 17-18 years old, she is 23.  Hard to tell on a lot of Asian women.  I also found out that she has a child.  Evidently she had a relative that was going to watch her baby while she worked here, not uncommon in the Philippines, but now there is a problem with that.  I don’t know the problem, and I don’t think I want to know either.  I personally don’t think there is a problem other than she is afraid to ride on the bus by herself to come up here.  I’m willing to bet that when we go to Tambis for All Saints Day, she will be available again, since she can ride with us.  Only time will tell if my suspicions are correct.  I guess in the meantime we will have to find a way to lit a fire under Lynn’s “puwet”, to get her moving.  That’s the word we were looking for Winda.

Things going on in the area.  Not much different than I’ve told you already.  Let’s see: The Ciriaco Hotel and Resort, the new power plant, the new Mercado, the new bus station, (the rumor) of a fish hatchery being built across from the cock fight arena and now I find out that they are building something else.  They are building or expanding on the high school down the road.  That’s going to mean a lot more students passing by our house.  That should boost the ice candy and BBQ business.

Her plans for the little space up front.  I purposely left this one for last, because it kind of fits all the other pieces together.  While we were in Texas she talked about all the things she wanted to open out front, were going to need more help when she expands, and we’re contributing to the building up of a neighborhood.  Right now, her plans include an internet cafe.  Which is good, but it wouldn’t be able to hold very many computers, I think 6 at most.  With the high school expanding and the tourist supposedly coming soon because of the hotel, an internet cafe sounds, well it sounds sound.  She was even talking about making it a 2 story building out front.  I hear Arnel out there pounding now.  It’ straight up 8:00am now.

I just brought Lita the fan outside and I saw what all the pounding was about.  Arnel and helper are putting on the roof.  I want to call it tin, but it not, it’s lighter, more like aluminum (can’t believe I spelled that right on the first try).  It’s nice and high too, I’m 71″ and it’s several inches over my head.  Plenty of room for all the ones that will be working in there.  I’ll probably rarely go in there after it is built.  I let her do what she likes, making money, and she lets me do what I like, my computer.  As long as she doesn’t over do it, I don’t have a problem with what she is doing.  She’s pretty business savvy and with the limited amount of income we have to spare right now, she is doing a pretty good job.  Soon all this effort she’s been putting in will be paying off.  Maybe she will slow down a bit, or hire someone else to help out after that.  She WILL do one or both of those things, I’ll be sure to see to that.

This is what they completed after just one day of work.  Two guys, no power tools.  I will take some more pictures today, which will be day 2, because they didn’t work on Sunday.  Okay, I got the pictures, but it’s only 8:45am.  Maybe I’ll get some more this evening and post these 2 along with those 2,  so you can see the progress for one day.

I just finished eating not too long ago.  I had 2…okay 3…bacon and tomato sandwiches, with a bottle of water and a bottle of Blue Bolt Gatorade.  I never was really good at counting sandwiches.  Actually it’s 3:12pm right now.  I should go see how Arnel is progressing with the Store.  Hold on!  Okay, back.  They are building the wall on this side of the store.  Guess that would be the back of the Store.  No door on the front.

Tagalog word of the day:  manok (ma-nuk) means chicken (the eating kind)

It’s 5:29pm now.  Lita decided to go visit Judith to have a talk with her and with Juvic.  Juvic is having a problem that I think they should let her handle herself, I mean she is 19 years old.  I just don’t think they (especially my wife) are going to ‘let it lay’.  I just hope it turns out to be right thing to do overall.  In case you don’t know, in the Philippines they pretty much following the hierarchy chain of age.  Lita is the oldest so they try to respect her wishes, but not always.  I mean she doesn’t get away with everything, just because she is the oldest.

Mark this date/time down in the history books.  We may have a solution in the Juvic Joy situation.  Lita just returned with the news.  At least I guess it is a temporary solution.  Not sure if it will work long term.  And the solution is, going to have to wait until tomorrow.  This post is over for the night.  Tune in tomorrow for the thrilling solution.  Oh boy, is that soap operary or what?

Salamat, Paalam