Switching Gears/Changing Direction

Get your address books out. I'll soon be sending you new addresses for Amanda, Amy & Sara AND Andy & I! That's the switch. We were all geared up to stay put (I do love this house) for the next 4-5 years but our landlord wants to move back...so we're on the lookout. My list of needs/ or what we can afford is ridiculous in this housing market...but my Father knows! So we wait and look! My gears did a bit of grinding cause I really really really love this house. However it is just a house and my mansion is waiting!

FUN!

I did this same thing...the water is from a very deep well and even though this chap looks like its cold it really isn't. Just plain refreshing!

How long to fill a pool this size? About 5-7 hours!

Sunset Over the Rice Paddy!

Sunset! Still at Capas? Rest in one of the two twin bed bedrooms! We had great sleeps there!
BUT watch your skirt! (Ask Char for a funny story!)

Skilled Workers of Capas

Here are a couple of the workers that have done all the stone work, including the pool, steps, verandah...amazing skill! Can you imagine what you would pay them in Canada? Can you gues what they get paid (and its a good one in the Philippines!)?
Andy's 'sitting in the gate' with them philosophising! Dennis has the towel around his neck!

Fun at Capas!

This is the view of Capas from across the rice field! To the left will be a children's wading pool area and to the right is the house and pool!

Wait..who do I see having fun with the kids? I think we are looking for coins Papa Don had thrown!

And is that Andy helping or dunking me??????

They let me be the very first one in the pool! AND I stayed in it for 6 hours!

Welcome to Capas Resort

This is the beautiful rice plantation that Lilia & Don Inch are developing!
The drive in (see the car) believe me you want to park in the shade!
The 3 room building and verandah are what you come to...view is from the pool...the thatched covering has been put up since we were there!

View from the verandah...over the pool...over the rice field!

Nipa huts provide much needed shade!

Water is fresh from the well..no chemicals....and emptied over the rice field when done!

Birthdays & New Houses!

Think back a year! Kananaskis! Andy & Friends gathered in celebration....AHHHHH! If we could only do that yearly! But this year we had a quiet lunch at Sara & Johns new acreage near Three Hills (yes still renting, we've all agreed not to help them move again unless they are buying!) then went to see the place in Three Hills that Amy & Garron are trying to buy. They should know the end of this week! Stay tuned!!!! So here's Andy...older...wiser...tireder...better than ever!

Our Friends!

We thank each of our Philippino/Canadian friends for this most amazing gift.
To see your homeland...well we thought it would be nice. But it was so much more.
I was so blessed, moved, touched, inspired ...I could go on and on but words fail to convey how much this truly meant to me (and Andy).
Don and Lilia, our hosts, our friends, our brother and sister. What a joy to spend two weeks with you! What a blessing your friendship is to us...thank you for taking such good care of us we felt completely spoiled. And as you know we came home completely rested in body, mind and spirit.
I can't think of another vacation we have had that was so meaningful.
Elsie and Dennis you opened your home to us. It was a pleasure to get to know you and your family. God bless you! Eddie and Fortuna, it was so neat to see you in YOUR country! Fortuna, I've never seen you so relaxed and happy. I feel like I know you so much better now!
Katherine, what would I have done without you? You were an amazing hostess, guide, friend. Our market days and time at SM are treasured memories for me! And I'd have been killed crossing the road if it weren't for you! Thank you so much. I am so glad we got to see where you and Joe, Janice, Jalyn, Jen, Jeff, Ce and Erwin grew up...not just the place, but the culture! And I'm so glad you got to see some sights finally too!!!!!
Lilia and Lucy, I am challenged and excited and blessed having been to Capas and knowing some of what all your dreams are for that place. I believe with all my heart God has already and will continue to bless in unusual ways as you seek to bless your people back in the Philippines!
Will God let us go back, will He let us minister in some small way at Capas as your dreams take shape. I hope and pray that it will be so!
Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!!!

Buffet Dinner and Serenade @ night

Villa Escuedero! Amazing food, restaurant right on the river! Supper and Breakfast...soooooo good! How DID I lose 7 pounds in the Philippines???? Later that night as we relaxed in our Bamboo house also right on the river (actually I'd say IN the river) we heard a beautiful sound, a group of men were serenading us outside our door. It was so beautiful! I didn't want them to stop. But they had other places to serenade too. Music moves me!

Eatin' and Surfin' at the Waterfall

This little place to eat is in Escuedero too! There is a power plant and the restaurant is at the bottom of the water fall....you sit with your feet in about 6 inches of cool water...the buffet is fantastic...Andy and I were treated to Buko (I might need some correction on that one) which is coconut milk in the coconut! mmmmm! I have to say something about the fellow in the first picture with Andy. Dennis, Lilia's brother-in-law!He was not only the guy that drove us everywhere, he took care of us! He even gave me his shoelaces and tried to tie my should straps into spagehetti straps so I could go swimming at one place. Sweet, quiet, thoughtful, wonderful Dennis! We love you! And I must say Andy misses you, ALOT! One more treasure we found in the Philippines!

Villa Escuedero!

Well maybe this is my favorite spot...no it was very hot and my feet were swollen again...but still...so different, beautiful, wonderful...I could go on and on. We had a carabel pulled jeepney take us to our bamboo house on the river and anywhere else we wanted to go. Everytime you rode in one of these there was a guitar player and a girl singing in the back seat...so peaceful. Too cool! There was a swimming pool, they let me in this time!, a museum of the family Escuedero's collections, (amazing) and phenomenal food!

My Most Favorite Spot!

Why my most favorite? There was no humidity, my feet weren't swollen, I felt energized! This is Viewsite Restaurant in Tagaytay where we had supper as the sun set! You feel like you are on top of the world. Wow! It was like being at the dawn of creation (only sunset!) I didn't want to leave...a breeze came up, everyone else was cold...but it was the first time since arriving that I was truely, temperature wise, comfortable! The food was fantastic! The view was of where we had been for the boat ride (see below)...the volcano we were supposed to see is on the far side of that little island in the middle of the picture! How romantic...and it was Philippine valentines...ours was the next day! In Tagaytay we stayed in a hotel (courtesy of friends or relatives of Lilia) that was called Character Hotel. Each room had a character theme...if you are familiar with Bill Gothard material, it was like that. Our room was forgiveness, Don and Lilia's obedience. There were pictures and sayings and definitions of the characteristic including what the opposite characteristic would be. Really cool...AND we had our first hot shower since arriving....no big deal...I kind of missed the cold one!

Drinking San Miguel... Not San Miguel Light

Ok, I'm usually willing to try things....there was no drinkable water for foreigners...it was hot...I was thirsty....but...no I don't like beer!

Lake Taal, Tagaytay

We went to the top of the world...Tagaytay...it was cool (relatively), till we took the 55 minute harrowing car ride down the mountain to see the world's smallest volcano. At the bottom we boarded an outrigger...my first...tore across the lake...only to find on the other side we were expected (for quite a few more pesos) to ride horses 2 1/2 miles each way to the rim to actually see the crater....UH.....No...but thanks anyway. It was hot down there! We were glad to have gone but gladder when we got back to the top of the world!

REFLECTIONS!

THE PHILIPPINES

Hot Humid

Curly Hair

Swollen Feet

Cold Showers

Twice a day

Sunny days

Blue Skies

Everyday

Traffic

Crazy Crowded Constant

Organized Chaos

Canada has too many rules!

Rush hour

Jeepneys, Cars, Trucks, Buses,

Horns

a courtesy

Bikes,

Trikes

People in them on them hanging off them

Motorcycles

Driver, small child in front, two people behind

Smiles, flip flops

No road rage, few accidents

Two lanes become 5

find a spot!

Diesel fumes, faces covered

Pedestrians

Beware!

Dusty roads

Tiny shops

Free Enterprise

Anywhere, Everywhere

Anything, Everything

Markets

Foreigner

Beware!

A mass of humanity

Smiling, Hospitable, Humble, Good humored

Sandals, Flip Flops

Umbrellas to protect from the sun!

Families

Children

So many children

Some priviledged

School paid for

Colored uniforms denoting which school

Some...vendors

So young

No school for them

Employed by parents

Find them anywhere the privileged stop

McDonald's drive thru

I buy a flute

What's 20 pesos to me?

A lollypop from Papa Don's pocket

Brings a delighted smile

The pesos are for the parents

The lollypop just for them!

Some beggar children

Persistant

Tapping on windows

As the already full eat on

Their eyes, bare feet, ragged clothes, future

Haunt me

I dream of a huge home where I will take care of them

The dilemma

Give them money

Promote their life style

Ignore, mock, pity, patronize

Care

I will pray!

Families of fishermen

Covered head to toe with clothing

Protection from sun & sea

For two hours they patiently pull the ropes to bring in the net

We help

the catch is small

But they smile, they joke

and prepare for the next day!

We learn from their contentment!

Beach Vendors

They're there

Right away and constantly

At your door, following you

'Please mum'

All day

Irritation, annoyance

Bargaining

'What's your name'

They ask

We ask theirs

Slowly each becomes a person with a story.

We still bargain, we buy

Did we get a steal or did they?

We say goodbye

A bit of our heart stays with them

They will still be here

next time.

The Philippines

Ocean, plain, mountain

Beauty, heat, people

Poor, wealthy, middle class

families, children

so many children

Mountain people, Koreans,

Beautiful girls

Lecherous white men using, abusing,

Judgement WILL come!

Shanties, shacks, shelters

Shade anyway you can get it

Tarps, cloth, corrogated metal

Clean clothes, oft done by hand, hung to dry

Mansions, gated communities

ordinary homes

all behind fences

Tiles, so cool to hot feet

verandahs shaded by

Palm, coconut, mango, banana trees

Star apples

mmmmmmmmm

Flowers

Bouganvillia

my favorite!

The Philippines

You caught my heart!