the Year in Review

Hello Everyone,

Hope your Christmas holidays have been good so far.
It's been a busy year for our family. Here's a rundown:
In early Feb, I flew out to the Philippines stopping by California on the way to see my sister's family. Ken, Jerry and the kids were all a delight to be with once again. Always treasure these times with them. Definitely the higlight of my stay was going to the Discovery Science Center in Orange with the whole family. That was a rare treat so thanks to Jerry and Ken for that. I got to lie in a bed of nails which was on display there. Got to try most of the science exhibits and it was a good time all around.
So on to the Philippines.
Good to be back with Mom and Dad. This was a year I would spend the majority of the year here in the Philippines with them as you will see.
Wonderful to see family and friends again. By now, it really feels normal to be back every year. I no longer feel like just a returning visitor.
This trip was also different for I flew with David, a good friend of mine from San Antonio who expressed interest in visiting the Philippines. And so, I volunteered to introduce him to the country.

We went to Morong to watch baby turtles being released into the waters (to return after 25 years to the same beach hopefully).

This was also a time of many trips.

This being a year where I promised myself I'd visit an Asian country, I booked a trip to Taipei, Taiwan along with David. We talked about visiting Asia well before this trip even came about. That was a wonderful trip and very educational. It's a rare thing to go and see another first world and an even rarer opportunity to learn so much. That was a good 4 days and I must say, even if the rest of the year turned bad on me, I'd forever have the trip to Taipei as a highlight.

Lots of other trips ensued in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, my buddy David has moved out of the room he was renting with us and into his own place. We took him on a majority of our family gatherings to get him used to life in the Philippines. He's made a good circle of friends around him and was pursuing a Filipina lady or two. This is where we parted ways and from here, he traveled by himself and back to America I heard.

I too, went back to the USA. But not before one last trial.
Mom got sick with what we thought was a stomach flu. It was bad enough for us to bring her to the hospital. And so, a day before I took off for the USA, I kept vigil that night at the hospital. Those who keep tabs on my facebook account will see the picture I took of me and Mom at the hospital.

Of my return to the US, it's been a blur.
My brother fetched me at the airport as always accompanied by his eldest child. He's the one who always fetches me and brings me to the airport. We've switched roles since he first came here.
I was eager to get back to normal now that I have returned (having flown through Los Angeles in a hurry to attend a convention in Texas).
Things were not well at the office, though. And about those times, I felt like an unwelcome tick.
In all my month long stay, it is with my San Antonio friends that I felt the most welcome.

And so, just over a month in the US, I was flying back on a fast flight to the Philippines through Beijing (where I had the worst Chinese food ever at that airport).
(Mom got sick again so I had to fly back fast)

On my home front, the year has been spent working of course. It's not really a vacation when I go to the Philippines or anywhere for that matter. I just change locations but I still work.


It is during this second trip that we now attended several funerals.

Come to think of it, 2013 is a year of charity work for me... and lots of trips to see ailing relatives. I am thankful we spent that time together and enjoyed each other's company while they were alive.

Our last challenge was this past week where Mom was again hospitalized but for different reasons; it was a stomach ailment this time which led to some bleeding. Thankfully, we brought her to the hospital on time.


And so, despite all the hospitalizations and harships our family had, we are thankful that Mom is still with us and is now back to her old self.

This year was capped by a most wonderful trip out to Hong Kong.
I could not imagine I'd be visiting 2 countries in the same year but it happened. My friend who was going away to Australia some months back told me he planned to go and a bunch of them including my cousin. I did not have the cash at the time (expenses with Mom) and even if I did, I held them in reserve just in case. But my friend was very nice and said he'd front the money if I really wanted to go. It's great to know that of all the years I've been lending out and giving money to others, that it got paid forward to me.

This happened not just with Hong Kong, but with another event also having to do with me needing the cash fast.
During those times, I felt like George Bailey of "It's a Wonderful Life". Very blessed and very lucky to know such wonderful people.
And so this Christmas time, I sit here and am very thankful to have known all of you in my life. My career as an author and artist may not be going great and just treading water, but I am thankful I have all of you in my life. Very thankful.
In that respect, I can consider myself someone who is rich in friends and loved ones.

So a Merry Christmas to you all and a Happy New Year!

P.S., Hong Kong was a blast!

A Well Ordered society even under less than ideal circumstances.

Living out here in the third world... You get exposed to all the facets of life. And you are living in such close proximity to others. Even when I lived in tight quarters in Texas, I barely see anyone outside the apartment complex. This area where I live in is teeming with humanity. You will always see people outside your door. I get to witness more of general life, it's joys and sorrows. Baptisms, funerals and everything in between. Life in all a grand parade just outside your door.

That's a REAL community with real people and relationships. People from all walks of life, vendors and craftsmen always building someone nearby. We even have a couple of nutty people wandering around. In this situation, we have the entire community to deal with them such that they don't turn out to be too much of a nuisance to any one person. I suppose it works because even though the nutty people visit you, you can just say hi and humor them for a bit and then they move on. And when everyone shares in this, somehow, it's not much of a burden. They also obviously go home to someone who cares for them.

And because life is so open, nobody has time to hide away in their own house and occupy themselves with negative activities like hoarding, obsessions or even keeping children prisoners in the basement or some horrible thing like that. Out here, something like that IS unheard of. When people get old or sick, there's always someone to take care of them even with an imperfect social safety net. Even then, the Philippines at least has Phil-health which is really Medicaid for everyone, not just seniors. Anyone who contributes is enrolled into the system. The advantages of living in a real community, indeed. There is plenty to learn from.

The Mortal Coil

Today was a day spent visiting deceased relatives. One a burial, the other a wake.
Both are aunts. One passed away way too young at 55.
The other was 82.
Reminds one of the brief lives we all have sometimes. Cherish close friends and family. Do not waste the best parts of your life on all the wrong people. Save your best hours for those you love.
Take time to tell them how much you love them. More importantly, show them how you care by spending many happy hours in their company.
Until they make genetic engineering possible for the rest of us, this is the only life we will ever have. My 2 poor aunties will never see the dawn of medical immortality. Perhaps with the right diet and lifestyle and more importantly, our active participation with the sciences, we might just yet see it.

For now, do not waste time and never wait till tomorrow.
Do not wait till you're dying to make peace.
Be happy today and resolve most of your conflicts in life.
Cherish your loved ones. You never know when they'll go away forever.

Good night, and good luck!

Unexpected Adventures

I attended the Memorial of the Dead here in the PHilippines. 

Has it been 9 years since my last one?! This event is huge here. Work and school are both suspended and everyone goes to the cemeteries. It's people, vendors and cars galore and restaurants are packed full.

We parked in an empty soil filled lot where the land sloped downwards the deeper you got into it. Then, while at the cemetery with 10,000 other people, vendors and clergy folk, it rained really hard. The lot turned into a swamp with the water collecting near the back of the lot where the car was. I watched as men pushed on a minibus stuck in the mud. It just sank deeper and deeper with each rev and even planks were useless. 

I remember thinking to myself: This is probably how massive ww2 army convoys can spend days navigating only a few miles a day if roads are like this. The car next to me hasn't even left his spot yet and his tires are already spinning uselessly. So when I got to My car, I plotted the route out of the muddy lot to the exit up top. (first I had to shake off 15 pounds of mud from my shoes) With the gear on first engaged, I roared up that muddy slope with mud flying. For about 8 seconds, I was a rally car driver with the vehicle's tires turning sideways and slipping through the muck. But I made it! I even raised a triumphant fist in the air as I whipped by the onlookers watching the other vehicles struggle. Not bad for someone driving a front wheel powered 4 door sedan. :)

Signs and Detours in Life

The past 3 months have been really instructional for me.
August was full of disappointments and challenges. Now that I have time to look back, I can see that that's a clear sign that I really ought to not live in an apartment anymore.

It's a slight detour that I am glad to be past now.
Upon my return to the US, I will redouble my efforts to look for a good RV home to call my own.

The signs were all there, I just wasn't looking. Now with hindsight, I can now tell the RV gods have given me all the signs that can be given.

First, I have to take care of my folks and be with them for a while. When they are OK again, then it is time to resume the dream. That was the emergency that pulled me out of apartment living. Here, overseas, owning a stick and brick isn't so bad. There's less hassles and less headaches. I get to taste true freedom for once. When I get back to the USA, then I will resume my RV hunt.

To those on the road enjoying their homes, salud!
Take care and may your travels be safe.

The miniature ecosystem of an auto garage

I just spent a whole day at an auto garage. My transmission failed just as I was paying the toll booth.
So here I am at a little repair shop at the freeway exit servicing vehicles that mostly break down while in transit. Here in the Philippines, every highway exit has one, it seems. The last time I broke down, I spent a long day at another small garage... at another exit along the freeway.
This is not your high end dealership service center.
This is a bunch of guys squatting on the sandy ground using the most basic of tools to get the job done. With just one 2 ton alligator jack and a few metal pipes and a lot of wood blocks, I have seen them drop engines and transmission boxes.
It always is fascinating to see mechanics at work. In the high end garages, they don't allow you to loiter around and watch. Here, you're welcome to chat and hang around and you implicitly agree not to hold them responsible for accidents. In short, you look out for yourself.

This open yard with half finished cars mingling with real shiny lookers can look very pedestrian to some... boring  and depressing for others. But for me, every car, had a story. This is a gold mine of information and experiences. So, as soon as me and my Dad pulled up, my ears were open and my eyes were alert; and the learning began!

Each car and every man had a story to tell.
It begins with the usual banter: how dealership hotshots don't know what they're doing and usually overcharge for bad work.
The head guy used to roll in the cash when he worked at the US base. After a stint there, he got pirated by a Saudi man and worked in the Middle East where he made even more cash. So how is he now in this rinky dink place? He was way too generous with his money, he says, but he has put a lot of relatives through school. With the end of his Middle East assignment, and a few more turns of bad luck, he was back to square one. It can really happen to anyone. He's stoic about it. He works hard and you can tell. We even talked about his limp. As usual, we all are experts when we consult Dr. Google MD.
The old Samson. It seems every garage team has a man with exceptional strength. At times, this is obvious as you see a bear of a man lumbering around the yard. Sometimes, it's not. As I watched them strain to put on a really tight belt, I saw a young dude straining with his upper body to wrestle the thing into one of the belt shafts. A pudgy old man got impatient, shooed him away and just used his wrists to turn that shaft and get the belt in. God, the strength in that old fat dude! You would not even expect it but there he was using just his wrists when the younger more fit looking man used his whole body to no avail.
Another mechanic used to be a truck driver. He was hauling 1,400 kilos of fish to the markets of Manila when an even bigger truck slammed his back and sent his mid-sized truck careening on its side. The driver of the 36 wheeled behemoth was partially asleep. So, the fish went flying. As he and his companions struggled out of the smashed cab in a daze, he saw people jumping the freeway fences with pails, buckets and large pans. In a semi-shocked stupor at finding himself still alive, he watched as the scavengers snatched the fish. They all ran when the highway patrol came by and took over. He said only 800 kilos remained. Highway patrol shared with him even more scavenger stories. They would pick up anything --car parts, tires, everything that's easy and fast to get before the patrol comes and puts a stop to it. There are even stories of the scavengers picking at people's jewelry and cel phones as they were stuck in wrecked cars!
The things you hear when people tell you their life stories.

The economies of scale
Just a day here, and I got to experience another miniature economic system at play. Here we were stimulating their local economy because we were there with our car.
Here in this small ecosystem, my cash goes to support the small canteen nearby where we had lunch. The mechanics regularly eat there. Right away, there's another bunch of guys already dependent on the steady stream bought by their neighbors and whatever client chooses to stay and watch their cars being fixed. My short one day also stimulated the economies of other stores nearby where I bought snacks, drinks and ice cream. (It was a hot day.) 7-11 hotdogs taste really awesome when you're hot and tired. Having that outlet there was a life saver.
In the garage is another example of an economic ladder. We were the only car owners there making sure the car got treated well. In this instance, we need not bother. The mechanic was honest with us, it turns out. But as a fan of science, I was also there to learn. Dad was also a fan of watching mechanics at work. Very few people do this, but Dad and I love to share. So we buy snacks and drinks for everyone as they fixed the car.
And when you spend a long time in a garage, you get to eventually know the stories behind all the other cars in the lot; where they came from and what part of the freeway they stalled at and how far they had to be towed to this spot.

It's similar to being in a hospital emergency waiting room: "what happened to you?"
 I saw 4 other clients' cars scattered all over the yard. There, on one corner is the mechanic's pet project; an unfinished automobile he hopes to fix up and probably sell one day. But right now, it looks like a piece of junk with no seats, glass or anything else. Then there's another car which looks like it's been there for ages. Dogs live in it and people use it as a storage bin.
The big fish customer just left his vehicle there some days ago. It's a 2010 model and very top of the line. It's a "just get it done- I don't care- send me the bill" kind of job. As guys who can only dream of plunking down the cash for such a model, me and the mechanic agreed that had we the money to own such a beauty, we would not be so reckless as to not give it oil. That was the high end SUV's problem. Engine quit for lack of oil. Isn't that sad?  I told the mechanic if he had a car like that, he'd probably make it last 20 years with constant maintenance. (it's a regular thing here--cars lasting a long time)
Another client there was what they called a "cheap overhaul". Meaning, he was stingy with the money needed; but he wants top of the line work.
Now that I know the stories behind every car in their lot... it pays not to be the annoying customer. Yes, they will use your car as a snack table.
Tne fourth client's brother in law came by for his car. All their vehicle needed was a drive belt which they had to go to Manila to get. Apparently, Hyundai parts are so specialized you cannot get them where we were (80 Km outside of Manila).
To get our transmission fixed, the mechanic called yet another member of this small food chain: the parts man. This is a guy who the mechanic sends out on a parts run to locate the components he needs for real cheap. So he hops on his motorcycle and off he goes to find the best and cheapest part. It bears mentioning that since this is a small operation, I did not bother to ask where he'll find a pristine transmission box. We're probably talking about guys who know... guys. That can be anywhere from a junk dealer to someone who just stripped that off of another car... somewhere...

The small world of economics goes on. The car accessory vendor came by and hawked his wares. I bought a shammy and a cel phone charger for $5 for the pair which I thought was ok (he initially wanted $10 for both).
With all the people whose small economies we help stimulate just by being present there waiting for our cars to be fixed, I had a vision of the garage clients being large whales passing by and tons of fish come swimming up and taking advantage of the free food that comes when a huge creature eats its fill.
It was a good day. Eventually, the parts man took too long and we knew this job won't be done till the next day. So, we left our partially dismantled car with the mechanics and went home.

Trust me
So... as we were bidding the car people farewell till the morrow, one of the mechanics asked if we can drop off his kids at an intersection he knew we'd be passing by!   I suppose the kids looked street smart and we have built a rapport of some sort already? But geez! To send your kids home with a stranger (well, one of your customers).
We just said "yeah, sure" without a second thought. I suppose our other car is some kind of collateral just in case? I guess... some folks trust you. As we trusted them that first night. I mean, we left our car in their garage... without receipts or any paperwork at all. You just trust they haven't packed it off to be sold somewhere when you come back. And so it was still there the next day when we arrived. The kids have never been in a car with power windows. They seem really taken with them and they did what all kids do: push the buttons to play with them. Puts things in proper perspective once again.
So here I am, tired but learned so much about a part of the province we usually blow by on our way to somewhere else... just a small patch we did not know existed till today.
Since I just got a short story done, I reckon it's a good time to have your car in the shop for repairs. A day well spent, my head sunburned, and a new experience well earned.

Life's ups and downs ... twists and turns

You never know with life.
Sometimes you are handed a curve ball and a shot from out of nowhere and you have to just go with it and ride it out as best you can.

I am typing this from the Philippines.
How did I end up back here again after having all those apartment travails in Texas?

Well, long story short... After me being approved for an apartment, my Mom suffered a siezure and was diagnosed with a tumor in her brain. It's benign. It may stay there forever doing nothing or it might one day flare up. Nobody knows.
It's hard to operate on and very risky. So she chose to just live with it.
I rushed back here to be with my parents and to assist them during this time of "new normalcy".
I'll be here for a very long time, I suspect. For now, we are putting together a plan for her to beat the thing by eating it to death... that means sensible nutrition.

Well, at least I am off the apartment worries again.
And out of Texas for a while. To be honest, I wasn't really happy most of my stay there. It seemed that I was being bounced from one bad situation to the next. It was a very trying time and I wasn't able to achieve anything of note art-wise. And for the first time, I really felt unwelcome somehow. So good riddance for a bit.

So... here I am... setting up my studio here again at my parents' house. I recently bought a new bed. (delivery today) I also bought a few more things to make my small office fully functional.
Work begins tomorrow, hopefully.

Got an apartment... and guess what happened?

Latest news: Seems I will stay here in TX after all. Got a paying job that'll keep me funded for a while but also need to find a stable place. And so...

I was recently approved for an apartment with a roommate.
But the process was excruciating. It is as if someone in the matrix knew of my van living times and decided to send a message to its minions to punish this errant rebel and teach him a lesson.
I was subjected to the worst runarounds and requirements. None of my old records of being a good tenant mattered. They really zeroed in on the gaps in my rental record.
Fuck! I was overseas, can't they understand that?
Whenever I produced what they wanted, they needed something else.
One apartment complex wanted me to produce the original blue ss card ... you know, the one which they don't want you to keep in your wallet?

Anyway, long story short, I will never do this ever again.

This has been a very bad homecoming and an excruciating 2 weeks.
The matrix knew I had lived and enjoyed life overseas and while here, rent free in my vanhome. Now, it will punish me for getting away with enjoying life without having to pay through the nose for it.


I know I am being targeted for being my own man. The system is not designed with a struggling entrepreneur in mind. From apartment complexes that demand you show them some kind of employment with a giant corporation to a tax system which nickle and dimes you for all you're worth, the matrix is designed to funnel you into a life of full time employment for some large company. Pursuing a dream has its costs. I found a way around the costs by living partially overseas. And the system is punishing me for not living in one city full time all year round. This is why I was subjected to this rigmarole. Never mind that I've always been a good renter. The gaps in my renting resume are a red flag to them. The only overseas people they respect are soldiers and Doctors. These are the costs of being your own man. This is the cost of pursuing a different path in life. But hey... they can have their laugh. They can only keep me down so long. One day, it will be different.


Fuck this system. Next time, I am getting me my house on wheels and rolling outta here.

A Potential 180!

Well, just having arrived here in Texas after 4 gruelling flights, one would think that's enough. It seems the plans I have been making and the reality on the ground haven't met nicely. The plans that I thought would come about and their promise of funding are about to go kaput in my face. So... in the interest of saving funds, I have been considering going out to Asia again where I can live cheaply with my folks.
You see, I have been supporting them from afar for the last few years now.
The current economics cannot sustain 2 households. It has to be merged into one.
It's still cheaper to fly myself out there all the way back instead of hacking my own way here in the US of A. So where does that leave my plans of van wandering? In flinders for now.

Time to regroup and rethink.
For now, this might end up being one big round trip "vacation" even though I haven't really been touring but just visiting relatives.

Next few days will be more certain.

A wish to vanish

There are days when I just feel like I want to go and vanish off the face of the world for a while.
Where I am, I feel very unwelcome at the moment.
I don't know if it's just me, or if my hosts are getting irritated by my presence here at their place (most specifically the in-law).
Tomorrow, I go look at some apartments.
I wonder if this is the right decision or should I just throw caution to the wind and keep looking for a wheeled home. I have one last project to take care of and I feel like I can do a good job if I was somewhere stable and safe and free from distractions and worry about shelter, food and cramped conditions.

After this project, I will be free. So I suppose I am settling down for a while into a 6 month lease. Only until this project is done.

Finally getting ready to Go!

It's been a remarkable journey visiting my folks in the Philippines.
A happy 5 and 1/2 months later, I am ready to go home now.
I brought some work over here to keep me busy and to keep money rolling in.

A lot of peeps still don't know this kind of life is possible. Whenever I say I am staying 5+ months, it is always assumed to be an extended vacation or I quit my job. Neither. I am still working daily but I just changed locations.

That's what I love about this lifestyle. I hope to continue it as  I get back Stateside to gather up the pieces of my life there that I left on hold.
Should I get an apartment now or go ahead and find a rig for myself?
It is such a tough question.
If I am looking for a rig, I will have to go homeless for a while. Nothing new again. But the allure of having a fully functional kitchen is very attractive, I must say...

On the other hand... well... the road does beckon.

We shall see!

No May or June updates!

I was just looking at my blog just now and realized I have no May or June updates.
I guess I have been very busy with life down here in the tropics.

I spent those months working, attending family gatherings as needed and mostly trying to have a good time.

On thing that hasn't changed is my love of good food. In honor of the land I miss, I had me a good old fashioned American burger complete with hand cut fries. All homemade and very delicious!

Toured the old ruins of Intramuros Fort --the old Spanish colonial seat of power in Manila established in the 1600's.

Shopped for local veggies and fruits with my trusty Woolworth's Green Bag.

Even out here we must use reusable bags... The good news is groceries in the area are beginning programs like "Bagless Wednesdays".

Then eat some more. :) Somewhere in there, I managed to get some work done. Freelancing is tough, but manageable. I just wasn't able to get more progress on my novel as much as I would have liked to.

Well, be back in the US of A in a couple weeks' time!

Not fully living the life I want... but life is still OK

I am not mobile these days.
I am staying in the home my parents bequeathed to me.
It's funny how these things work out.
Still, it is good to be with them. They took care of me when I was small so I reckon the best thing to do is return the favor ten fold if I can. I am working from online right now, making my cash purely by online sales and projects. I am relying on electronic transfers for payment and the ever trusty Mastercard to keep me funded overseas.

Despite the heat, I am having a good time of it.
I suppose one doesn't need to resort to van living here. Places are so cheap. There are apartments here for rent which only cost $100 a month. To a low income guy like me, that's a bargain. Definitely cheaper than going on the road.

Knowing what I know today, I chafe in this house even though it is good shelter. I know building techniques that'll make a home even more efficient at retaining cold air from the evenings... air flow, insulation... it's all rotting in my head for lack of execution. And of course, I have few resources at the moment to pull it off. I cringe each time it rains and all that water just goes to the drainage canals.
I am burning money away by turning on the airconditioner all the time. A huge pity. Anyway, those are just my thoughts. 
That's probably one of the things I miss about being in the US of A. At least we have begun to build sensibly now in some areas. Such smart buildings and green homes are unknown here and it guts me each time I wander around noticing all the wasted potential.

Nothing much to report except working on some side projects to make some cash.
Recently started going to a gym and been walking more to get fit.
Food is good as always. I keep having massages. The little things that make me happy.

I think I'll stay here for a long while.

Self Improvement

I just recently started going to the gym.
My arms felt like lead the next 3 days. But it is good. I can already feel unused muscles coming to life. Right after that morning, I went and got a Thai massage. That felt really good.

Tomorrow I'll walk the round track and begin again. And back to the gym.
Even when I wasn't exercising, I did look ok.
Always did a bit here and there...
But now  I got this opportunity to do really well.
This body wants to be fit. I will finally answer its call.

The truth on the ground

Tonight was another hot and muggy night so me and my travel buddy David went over to the neighbor's house.
There we met with one of the ladies he is befriending.
An older lady was there with her husband. He worked overseas a lot in the middle east. He is what the country calls an OCW. Overseas Contract Worker.
His stories are something else.
He works in restaurants.
And once he began telling us how his life was in the middle east, it became really fascinating to listen to him.
First off, he says, Arabs are really the worst employers. This seems to tally with my brother in law's stories about Arabs as well looking down on everyone else. It did not matter what other race you were.
But his stories when he was in Kuwait left me enthralled.
While my buddy talked to his lady friend, I sat mesmerized by this guy's tales of his employment when he was caught during the invasion.
Man, it is a ground level look into the 1991 war.
And once again proves that what CNN and most "lamestream" media shows Americans is clearly BS.

First surprise was he says the Iraqi Army are actually good guys. He keeps stressing this. It's when you slice that army up into its components that you see who is the bastards. First off, the Republican Guard. No suprise there. Then the secret police and the "volunteer" army. What is the Iraqi volunteer army?
It's an army made up of --guess what-- "contractors". Mercenaries in short. They come from Palestine, Syria, Egypt... all the small violent countries all around that area and they're there purely for profit.
These 3 groups are the most vicious according to him.

The Iraqi main army... the actual army composed of real Iraqis are mostly nice chaps. They try to uphold justice at all times during the occupation. But they all get hated equally because of the spy police and mercenary abuses. Sound familiar?

He remembers helping a raped woman find justice. There were signs on all the streets posted by the new Iraqi government in Kuwait telling people to report any abuses, rapes and theft to the authorities. So they reported the rape to an army colonel. Luckily, the woman remembered her attacker.
the Colonel lined up his men. She pointed at her attacker. the Colonel shot the guy right there in the head.
He told me tales of looting. Gold, watches and stuff was just there for the taking. When he was tempted to break into a jewelry store, for some reason, maybe his conscience (something telling him "do not do this"), he stopped and did not steal anything. The next guy to come in was shot by security. He was saved by his instinct to do the right thing.

Their Kuwaiti employers during the occupation would offer rewards of $1,000 for every Iraqi they killed. Some Filipinos took them on the offer. Others got caught and executed on the spot.
Incredible stuff.
He told of the flying missiles that would weave around buildings and hit the next one. And told of the power of such weapons. He was nearly always deaf during that time with all the loud booms.
One of the things he said was when 10 Iraqis came to the restaurant they all worked in and tried to separate the women from the men. The employees maybe 50 of them, banded together and said we'll fight you to the death if need be. Scared of their numbers, the 10 soldiers backed off.
He said the Philippine embassy was swollen with refugees. Every room was taken even the toilets.
Since he worked at a restaurant, he remembers taking the supplies of the restaurant and feeding people. Uncooked hams and salamis... they took the coke dispenser and used it there... There was no water so they lived on soft drinks from the dispenser and the soda tanks.

Then, of course, the end came.
He saw Iraqis burying tanks in the sand.
He also remembers hiding a Mexican American soldier whom they found in a canal.
They took him and hid him among themselves. The other Filipinos who fled left their passports behind. One of them was stripped and the Mexican's photo was put in the place of the original photo. That's how they got the guy across the border to Saudi.
He remembers that the warring factions largely ignored the Filipino and worker populations there in Kuwait. You kept quiet and caused no trouble, you lived in peace.

The liberating forces came.
He witnessed the kind treatment of Iraqis by American forces. The other Arab countries in the coalition --Saudis and Kuwaitis, wanted to brutally torture the captured Iraqis but the Americans said no.
The captured Iraqi soldiers were treated humanely with medical care and fed lots of food. The Iraqis actually did not want to leave and go back to Iraq. They were afraid of Saddam.

After the war, he also told tales of people hiding discarded AK-47's. His friend hid 3 of them, later shipping them out to the Philippines and selling them.

It's the first time I have heard of an inside story like this from someone who was actually there. The guy isn't rich and he hasn't really benefitted financially from his work out there. It was just a job. After that, he went home and resumed a normal life raising kids.
It was a fascinating day today.

Spa time... yet again! :)

I went to a Spa again yesterday this time for a salt scrub.
It marks the end of a major project so I felt like celebrating.

Reconnected with another fellow American expat here yesterday from CA. He mentioned how he enjoyed very much the trip we both took to the spa last year. So today, we went and checked out another favorite spa place I know.

There were three of us. Black, white and brown. Two Texans and one Californian.
I really feel blessed to have such cool friends.
The ladies that scrubbed my back were still there and one of them recognized me from last year. I said to them: give my friends here the best service! :)
And so they did.
We began with a sauna... Me and my big dark friend went in. It was my first time but he went to saunas a lot. Boy, that place was hot! When he sprinkled the water over those hot stones... Man, it felt like my head was on fire! I did not breathe too deeply for I felt it would heat up my body more. I sweated like you would not believe. It felt like my face and scalp were melting and my eyeballs would just drip to the floor.
It was intense. All the while, my friend laughed and laughed. We both did. It was so hot as to be nearly uncomfortable yet I also found it hilarious so we both laughed at me.

The body scrub came next.
I was not ready for this one. I went to other places that did body scrubs. None of them required me to get nearly naked. I was handed a thong so small, not even Britney Spears would have worn that thing. Dayummm... you do feel very, VERY exposed.
But I told myself I am in the hands of a professional so I just laid down and allowed the small masseuse to lather me up and rub the dead sea salts on my back.
I knew her from last year so our banter was light and easy. She knows her stuff.
A shower later and another rub down with honey extract (my friend tasted it and it was real honey), I was feeling sleepy. One can sleep through this and come out truly invigorated.
My other friend chose the shiatsu massage and he loved it.

So, us three happy expats rolled out of the spa ready to face the world.
WE all laughed uproarously when my other friend said he chose just to go au naturel instead of wearing the disposable briefs (the thong I described earlier).
A lot of fun was had by all.
The bath scrub and the salts are now working on me... I will sleep well tonight!

From the Philippine islands...
Good night, America!

Turtle conservation beach

I recently also went to a turtle conservation center/beach resort.
It's not well known and those are the best ones. :)

That's for real. :) There were barely any people on the beach that day. It does feel isolated.

The baby turtle release. I had to put a circle around one just so you can see how tiny they are in comparison to people. There's a couple more above that little guy. 

The other side of the beach. There's lots of boats on dry land in the distance. I am told if you wake up early enough, you will see the fishermen come in with their daily catch.

Thai Massage --again. :)

Went and had another Thai massage today.
The hour long half body session cost me about $6. (--$8 including an $2 tip to the masseuse)
Then of course, out of habit, I checked their bathroom and sure enough, it's a wet bath. One can easily take a bath in there to freshen up after a massage. Duly noted in my head. :)

Another cute masseuse manhandled my back with her iron fingers. (in a good way)
Boy, I needed that. My back and shoulders have been knotted up since my last visit a week or so ago.
Now, I feel sleepy and content.

from the Philippine Islands,
Good night, America!

Working at home for the meantime

Yes, I do make a living even out here.
I have to always correct folks when they assume I am on vacation. It certainly feels and looks that way!
But then, that's always been the gypsy/vagabond path, isn't it?

I can spend large swaths of time in one place because I bring my work with me wherever I go.
So this week, I am staying home to work although my buddy from Texas is off doing snorkeling with my uncle. He's the one on leave from work.

It's ok. We do have to make a living to support this good life!
 :)

Massage heaven

Yesterday I went for a Thai massage with my travel buddy David from San Antonio.
It was pure bliss. Of course, having a cute masseuse climbing all over me adds a lot I am sure.
But they were really good at what they do. For someone so small, my massuse has fingers of iron. How she can dig so deep between muscle groups is astounding.

These are the small pleasures of life denied a regular guy like me in expensive places. But here in the Philippines, I go from the 99 to the 1% simply because I make some kind of income in US dollars. My money goes a long, long way. Considering how little I make even. US retirees on a fixed income can live like kings. :)

Before this, we were also taken to another spa 2 weeks ago where we were treated to a body scrub and a full body massage --1 hour each. Another cute and tall girl ministered to my tight back muscles.
This is one of the many small joys I can experience here.

Island getaway --Corregidor

I recently visited the Island of Corregidor.
To those not in the US military, this used to be a US garrison back in WW2.
General Douglas MacArthur's last stand happened here before he retreated to Australia to regroup but not before uttering his famous words: "I shall return". And he did, liberating the Philippines 3 years later.

Battery Hearn. Range: 14-16 miles. These guns were built for repelling gigantic warships.

They were useless against airplanes which the Japanese used over and over again during the siege of the island. 

Topside barracks built on the top of the hill of Corregidor Island. Built with steel and cement ironically imported from Japan completed around the 1920's.

Japanese war memorial. The only one outside of Japan. When the war ended, the dead Japanese soldiers were buried with honor and given grave crosses here. The Japanese government found out about it a couple decades ago and sent funds to build a permanent memorial. All the remains have since been cremated.

It was good to see the island again. The last time I was there, I was 11 years old.

Taipei Odyssey

So... where to begin...
Ah yes...
Let's start at the very beginning.

I know very little about Taiwan aside from the fact that they are being reclaimed by mainland China and that they are descended from rebels that fought the Communists.

We chose Taiwan because the flight was on sale and my buddy David needed to renew his visa. (so he can stay longer in the Philippines.)
David's a good friend from San Antonio and we've traveled together a lot in the past around Texas with other groups of friends. He is our guest here in my house in the Philippines for his 3 month stay.

I said I'd go if the country is interesting. Taiwan? Sure.
So I went.

We booked a 4 day outing. A day to get there, 2 full days to explore and a day to get back.
We booked Air Asia with Yomi Hotel as our hotel. (more on this hotel later)

Day 1:
Clark Airport was a breeze to get through. No hassle and it was wonderful. I highly recommend it. Flight is an easy 2 hours so that's also great. The flight was cheap because they will sell you literally everything on the flight --including water bottles.
We refused. If the online reviewers were correct, we were in for a gastronomic delight 2 hours from now anyway.

Once we got there in Taiwan, the tour de force began.
OK, my imaginings of Taiwan is third world. I bet most of us imagine this crowded Asian metropolis bustling with people.
That part is true. It is a huge metropolis. It is bustling with people. It looks like Manhattan or downtown LA. But that's where the similarities end.
This is NO third world country.
In fact... I have never seen anything like this. Ever.

It appears third world because of its old buildings retrofitted with electric cables, aircon boxes out of every window and dangling wires, but the attitude, equipment, way of life and population are first world --on steroids, I may add.

I was so pleasantly surprised straight from the start!
Every public toilet was spotless and odorless. That's a major first.
They even had decorations like glass vases overflowing with plastic flowers. The stalls are closed all the way to the bottom. These are comparable to any quality hotel. The fixtures are not what I call "prison toilet" style where they are either so ugly or so bolted down that nobody would steal them. Clearly, stealing toilet equipment or even vandalism is not a problem here in this country.
Speaking of that...
There is NO grafitti on the toilet stalls or on ANY wall.
No matter what alley you turn to, there is not a piece of candy wrapper on the ground. It is first class and soooo CIVILIZED!


Back to the terminals.
The attention to detail is phenomenal. Everywhere there are signs and directions are fairly easy to follow. within minutes, we were buying bus, subway and high speed rail tokens.
Very rarely is anything out of order. All the machines work. That's just how it is.

Oh, the High speed rail...
I can write a whole essay about that alone. :)
I will describe it in 3 sentences.
It runs at 250 KPH.
Interiors and seats are better than half the airlines I've been in minus the stinky carpet odor and stifling airconditioning.
They even have stewardesses pushing trolleys down the aisle selling food.

Once we got to the city, the surprises don't end. They've just begun.
Like I said, the street level activity is frenetic. Lots of pedestrians and scooters.
There are NO beggars in Taipei city. There is no smell of urine on the walls and alleys. And did I mention there is not a spot of trash anywhere? People clean up after themselves. Even the vendor who sells boiled corn is well dressed.
Let that sink in... Well dressed street vendors! The woman hawking some eggs on a stick wore a fur trimmed coat.
This is civilization on a whole new level, clearly.

To the guys reading, yeah, 50% of the women are good looking and the other 50% are freaking gorgeous. When you are around younger girls, fashion-wise, it's like being in a perpetual Anime convention minus the coloful wigs and plastic swords.
OK, enough about the women. :)
The people in general share one trait with New Yorkers: Everyone is FIT. I tried to spot an obese person, there just isn't one! Sure, there's overweight folks, but everyone will fit in a normal chair (ya know what I mean). I am probably one of the fattest around there. Everyone is so fit because everyone walks.

Escalator Etiquette:
Everyone standing in escalators is on the right. People rushing overtake on the left. That is just a rule and we expats all picked that up fast without being told.


And the scooters! OMG. Yeah, I am based right now in the PHilippines and there's lots of scooters here? But good God, there's a LOT of scooters there!

And yet again, the Chinese attention to detail on how they handle scooter traffic is phenomenal. EVeryone's so disciplined and everyone just hums along nicely. Scooters have their own waiting box at every intersection and every "go" signal looks like the start of some derby. They line up nicely too. It's not harum scarum like I saw elsewhere. It's safe to be in a scooter that everyone is on one not just daredevil males. Women, businessmen, old people... the only ones not on scooters are probably people below the age of 15 or something.
You just have to see all those motorbikes parked in a neat row everywhere as if Rain Man parked them all to know what I am talking about. Every alleyway is well lit and clean.
It's all soooo... CIVILIZED. :)

I haven't even gotten to the part about us getting to the hotel, haven't I?
These are just first impressions and they carried throughout our stay wherever we went so we know this isn't just in the city. EVERYONE everywhere does it.

The HOTEL!
This is another major OMG on my part.
I mean, what do we envision about Taipei and a hotel in such a crowded bustling district? Smoky lounges? Skeezy Chinaman at the counter twirling his fu manchu mustache? Pallet beds?
The truth is, the little hotel we were at wasn't even the top of the line ones that were way more expensive. On the hotel meter we looked at, maybe this would be cost-wise about 4 out of 10 on the money scale.

I've been on a LOT of hotels.
This little hotel was maybe 10 floors with around 6-8 rooms per floor?
I am not kidding when I say this place is so packed with amenities all you need to do is show up with your clothes. That's it. Any toiletry you can think of, it's there. There's even a soap packet for women to --erm wash their special parts with?
Unlike most hotels, all the snacks and coffee were indeed free. And they were replenished each time you took something away from the little table in the room. There was also free water in bottles...

And the toilet of this hotel! :) If you think the public restrooms are awesome...
this is another OMG... so many OMG moments, I am moved to tears to think there is a country that is so... top of the line like this.
Their bowls actually have bidets.
and the shower... this is a FIRST for me.
They have full shampoo and body wash dispensers on. the. wall! Obviously, they trust that whoever uses them won't just go crazy and use up all the shampoo they can JUST because they can, you know what I mean?
You get the sense this society really trusts you to do the right thing.
It's sooo.... (all together now) CIVILIZED!


I realize I haven't even begun to make a dent into the days we were here.
These are just the general impressions and experiences we had in our 4 days here.
David and I would talk so much about the many surprises and yeah, we would be envious at times at the sheer attention these people have to amenities and human comfort.
And the level of trust they have! Obviously, they expect people to act like decent human beings and these surroundings bear that out. Man, we were in a totally new world.

OK, so having checked in...
We went out and sampled some of the street food on offer.
And this is the best part of Taipei... Those of us who travel to Asia and elsewhere know that the cheap and flavorful food is what draws us there.
This whole city is one big restaurant. From street cart vendors to holes in the wall places to full five star restaurants and every concievable size in between, if you can imagine it, they have it. EVen the McDonald's and KFC's have been Taiwanized so that some dishes are so tempting to try out... but no, we are here to have Taiwanese cuisine so this we must have!

A giant mall and a giant restaurant city. You would not believe all the shopping areas of this place! Almost every train station has an underground mall and more shops above ground.

My dinner here was a noodle soup with fried pork in an actual restaurant place along with some boiled veggies. David got the panfried noodles. We both chose hand cut noodles instead of the long egg noodles because well, never tried them before.
We then found a couple of vendors. One was a middle aged lady who served pan seared pancakes stuffed with mung bean paste (David would keep returning to this one lady in the coming days because he liked the flavor so much and that she sold her pancakes at only T$25 a piece - 30 Taiwanese dollars being equivalent to one US dollar.) We found one that served what the guidebooks say are fried chicken bites. They are heavily seasoned, spicy and crunchy. They are ok, but what bothered me is that they were made with chopped chicken --bones and all-- that which on occasion you would get in your chicken nugget. Me being somewhat of a chicken strip connosieur, it's a bit of a turn off to be honest. That's my one food semi-disappointment of the whole trip.

Just got out of the bakeshop behind me. I will be on my way to get some pearl milk tea.

This city is touted by the locals as the pearl milk tea capital of the world. I am not sure if that is true, but there sure are a PLETHORA of bubble milk tea places! So each day, I would try one or two flavors. I had one tonight after our meals of seared pancake stuffed with mung bean and the not so gratifying chicken bites. (on the upside, their fried squid was a success with me. But then, I am also a calamari connosieur and I've had better calamari elsewhere -- Italian restaurant in NYC comes to mind.)

One last thing about the hotel room. Just like an Asian airline, they provide disposable slippers in the room. That really makes one feel right at home so we both slept well. I took the bed by the window and David the one near the door.


Day 2:
Our first whole day.
I will try to be brief with this but it is hard.
Breakfast was a stunner. I am used to being spoiled by breakfast buffets in other hotels. But for sheer variety, this little Yomi hotel takes the cake.
You have your usual continental breakfast of bread, eggs, Canadian bacon (or ham), salami, sugar cereals, cheese, butter, marmalade, etc... But along with that comes the Asian counterpart which is rice, congee (and about 10 things to add to that congee which are various pickled vegetables, tofu and fresh greens), 3 cooked whole dishes that look like they belong to a lunch buffet (beef, pork and chicken dishes with heavy veggies), and a smattering of salads and chopped nuts.
Milk, soy milk, and various pastries round out the selection. There is a conveyor belt toaster that is always on and will take anything from slices of bread to meat (I "grilled" my bacon on there by passing them through instead of just bread and cheese to melt)
There's 3 coffee brewers. This ain't your gasoline station coffee... this is those machines in Starbucks that dispense espressos, lattes and regular brew!
It's an incredible setup and so cool!
So naturally, we had what I would call a brunch that lasted almost 2 hours.


But off we need to be so off we went eventually.
One more thing to note about the hotel room.
After a few seconds of being "on", all the interior lights will shut off if you don't have the room key inserted in a special slot with a sensor by the door. This design is so brilliant, it's one of those "of course they'll think of that" moments that quickly added up as we commenced our exploration.
What a no brainer.
You have to be in the room for the lights to work! The idea is so simple yet this is the first time I have ever encountered something like this.
Brilliant... and... Civilized.

So what did we do on our first day?
I figured that if we are gonna explore Taipei, we'd be better off doing the far things first.
Taipei 101 was our first foray. I plotted our course and because of the brilliant railway network, it was easy to thread our way to the place with the help of Google map prints and the maps they have available.

What can I say? It's massive and so tall! Even though it now is 3rd in the rankings, it is a very impressive sight.
The interiors are just as lavish with the first 5 floors dedicated to upscale shops and restaurants. Needless to say, brand names and those kinds of status symbols are not impressive to me or David.
When we found out about the hour long wait to get to the top, well, we just had to admire it from the outside. We had other places to be at!

A last minute change in plans landed us far south of the city... riding an MRT that went through 2 mountain ranges the size of the ones near Clark in Angeles. Wouldn't you believe it? the Taipei 101 is so tall, you can see its top floors on the other side of the mountain chain! That's definitely another first for me.
Taipei's buildings may be 3rd world old, (think Metro Manila old building appearance) but the public works are first class. Not a single pothole in sight. the MRT is resplendent and the ride so smooth, it feels like you are in a limo. They must have a really nice suspension system.

The landscape outside Taipei city is just beautiful. Rolling mountains with pristine forests alternating with big pockets of civilization --again think of old buildings circa 1950's retrofitted with wires, antennae, and the ubiquitous airconditioner box sticking out of one window. In between the nature and the buildings are vacant lots planted with all kinds of gardens... mostly food, I suspect. And the larger plots of flat land probably for farming. Every little space is used wisely. And the scooters are parked in neat rows everywhere.
And the people everywhere.... oh, the people!
The trains are quiet and nobody plays obnoxious music or talks too loud on the phone. Everyone is well dressed again and not a beggar in sight. Cops are skinny and FIT. Everyone smiles and bows and is very courteous.

It is also obvious that we who visit these countries... ahem, we are the cream of our countries' crop as well. heheh!
You won't see any slackers among us too. EVeryone is on their A-game. Even the guys who come in who look like punks are actually well behaved and know all the rules. It is impressive to see and observe. David asked a European looking young man for directions and he gave it to us... then turned around and spoke perfect sounding Chinese to another lady behind us.
 I am very proud of our performance. The image of the bumbling foreigner is long gone, I think. :) The new travelers I have flown with anywhere outside the US of A and many other places is a smart cosmopolitan citizen of the world.


Where was I?
Oh yeah, we went south to see 3 temples.
But the unexpected joy was to be found in a lovely cable car ride that one took to get up to those mountain top temples.
The views were exquisite and just wonderful.
Below us was virgin, overgrown forest butting up against well laid squares of civilization. It's an incredible contrast of nature and human habitation at its finest. I did not imagine I'd see something like this in what was once Asia's factory island. It's an incredible sight. You can even hear jungle birds chirping in the woods as you pass by high up in your cable car!
I took so many pictures of the views all around us. It's a wonderful trip and it was a true gift and privilege to behold such majesty of human achievement.
And of course, once we got up there...
Oh, the temples! Straight out of a kung fu movie, of course only they're freaking real and you really see people praying with incense sticks. So wonderfully serene, all of it.

Almost everyday I had noodles. This was a delicious fish ball noodle soup to go with some takeout sushi.

We spent some time walking to all 3. One was rather small but the other two... immense structures! and the gardens surrounding them were just lovely. Even the people sweeping the stone pathways had uniforms and were well dressed. You can tell these aren't like goofball losers who can't find any other job so they are sweepers. They take pride in their meticulous work. (the cleaning ladies of the airport and all the train stations are all like that... they all look professional with their uniforms --nobody does stupid things like "personalize" their outfits by putting colorful bandannas on their heads... none of that! They don't chew gum during work and they don't have loud music blaring in their ears.)

The 2 Chinese men we shared the cable car ride back with were also very courteous. We all gazed at the scenery as if monks contemplating on a rock garden. Occasionally, one of us would speak but only to point out something to the other and exchange hushed whispers.
When we were alone of course on the trip up, David and I had one cable car to ourselves (it seats maybe 6) so we could be as loud as we wanted because there was so much stuff to see and appreciate.

Back on terra firma, we found our way back to the center of Taipei city and on a quest for more food.
This time around, I did indulge a bit of a craving for sushi. I got 2 packs of 8 sushi rolls for a total of T$220. ($9 USD)
David located the kind middle aged lady with the pancakes and we also found a bakery which sold a lot of wonderful buns.
The Taiwanese love their baked goods!
Reminds me of the Aussies love of baked goods. And each of them is run by a single proprietor or small business.

Well, anyway, I found a small noodle shop with 8 tables.
We got by this whole experience by pointing and pantomiming. So this whole trip was like one big game of Gestures or Pictionary.
At one point, I even acted like a chicken with my arms as flapping wings in asking if the dish was made of chicken. It's hard to tell oftentimes for the sauces would be heavy or the filling would be finely ground you cannot distinguish foods.
I never thought I'd do the chicken dance in the middle of downtown Taipei...

We purchased our usual pastries from the bakeshops and I bought home the finest bubble tea to date: white gourd. I have no clue what that is, but based on the description I ordered it. I suspect it kept me awake till 1 AM but I did not care. We both knew we were under no pressure to wake up at a certain time.
That's what is wonderful about finding a travel buddy that's compatible with your time schedule. When I take a vacation, I don't look at clocks. Aside from the plane flight, nothing's set in stone.
I am mellow about everything and every situation.
It's the best time ever.

Day 3
Learning History

Day 3 is full of learning. We broke fast at the buffet once more then headed south for a visit to the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial and the Taiwan History Museum. Very fascinating learning! I got to chat with a lovely Museum guide who told me a lot about the exhibits. We spent about 30 minutes just talking about the museum items.

To fully appreciate the massive scale of that thing, check out the tiny person on the right.

Noodle carts are never far away! Here I am having a light lunch on the one table the vendor set up. On the cart are the various vegetables, tofu, fish balls, chicken and many other items you can choose to put in your noodle soup. 

This is where I learned that the Chinese here in Taiwan consider themselves the "real" China. This explains the pride they have in their history and their place in the world. They are the longest continuous civilization on the planet, pretty much and they are not ashamed to tout it. From artifacts of 6,000 years old to the present, you can feel the weight of this entire civilization reverberating through time.

They trace their ancestry back to the first dynasties and then to present day Taiwan (Republic of China). No mention of the communist country beside them, of course. It's like that did not exist.
And as if to hammer down their claim as the "real China", their museums are full of the empire's treasures and the treasures of the dynasties that ruled in the past. Yep, they took as much of these artifacts with them as they fled the mainland, apparently. Given them new homes in the new country.
They have royal treasures so well preserved by every dynasty dating back 4,000 years! And they kept so many meticulous records of everything that they had and everything that went missing each time a dynasty toppled another dynasty... But the treasures remain passed down from one ruler to the next... tributes from past empires... they were there! Even tributes from Spain, England, etc... when the silk road opened up. It's an incredible span of history and they've been around through that time.
EAsily the most impressive display were those 4,500 year old jade treasures. the wood blocks they sit on look like they've been carved and lacquered yesterday. (preserved by every dynasty in their vaults for centuries)
They were using stamp pads and fine calligraphy on paper and beginning a rudimentary printing press around the time the pyramids of Egypt were being built. It is all so stunning and very humbling. No wonder they take so much pride in their country.
These people just don't think they're number one... they know and act like it.

Here's something we also learned in our museum hops:
Taiwan had indigenous peoples who share the bloodlines of Filipinos, Hawaiians and Malaysians. When the Han Chinese came to the islands around the time of the Manchu Dynasty, (400 years ago) they were ordered to pay "rent" to the indigenous mountain people as tribute for settling the land!
Just imagine the early European settlers doing that for the indians of America?
Not a chance, bub.
this and many other things such as that really change your views on how well the Chinese used to run their empire even back during the times of the Emperors.

And many of the programs the Manchu dynasty implemented during the 16th century were advanced for their time as well. They instituted areas where Han Chinese were not allowed to go to and designated them for indigenous people use only. 16th century!
The same time when supposedly "civilized" Christian Spaniards were doing all they could to take advantage of the indians they found including enslaving them.
Incredible. Just incredible stuff.

I posted of Facebook that I am probably on my honeymoon phase of this country, but no matter how dispassionately I view it now, there's just some things the Taiwanese are just dang really good at.
Being civilized is definitely one of them.

This is not only in the cities. As we rode out into the countryside, you will see no rivers with plastic bags, no empty lots with trash, no youths or ne-er do wells lollygagging... none of that! Everyone is busy and employed.
My initial paranoia about being stolen from really quickly dissipated when I realized everyone on the train--and I do mean everyone-- was probably middle class like me. There's no hawkers, no gawkers... no beggars, and no preachers. The only holy person I saw was a female monk silently just holding a bowl and some falun gong practitioners handing out leaflets telling the world how the mainland treats their followers (harshly).

Sick people wear masks to protect you from them in public. Sometimes some people wear masks to filter the air as well. Children had face masks that had cartoon characters on them.
It's a country where "thank you" ends every meeting and every conversation.
(even the regular citizens we encounter and ask... either they are super helpful or are apologetic they cannot be helpful more)
I've never seen a collective population so proud of their country and their heritage. It is amazing.

Everyone is all so... CIVILIZED!!!

Day was capped off by me visiting a sushi train restaurant. this time, I plunked down more cash for 22 pieces of sushi, sashimi, red tuna, white tuna, various rolls with salmon eggs and seared salmon. All good. We finished that with more bubble tea, more rolls from the bakery (I make it a point to try new rolls each time just like trying new flavors of bubble tea).
The food reviewers who have gone here were right: you do need several stomachs for this place. The choices are just mind blowingly awesome.

Day 4
Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Oddly enough, I had a regular continental breakfast on this last day. I had the run of the eggs, sausage, bacon (more like ham), breads and marmalade with rice.
David on the other hand, already had a program in place where he would mix the congee with fruits. This he had every morning.
The congee is simply thick, almost glutinous rice soup which is bland by itself. You customized it by adding either salty, tart or sweet elements to the mix. I'd always go for salty mixes with the pickled veggies and tofu while DAve would mix in pure fruits and soy milk.
We would be so full with this huge brunch that real lunch would be out of the question.
It was ridiculously easy to retrace our steps and even work the vending machines to purchase our tickets to the bullet train.
Once in Taipei international airport, I savored the last moments of this wonderful place. It was then I remembered that I have been in precisely this wing of the airport but back then I was merely a traveler waiting for my connecting flight. What a world I was not aware of existed just mere kilometers from where I sat!
And who would have thought that in that teeming city, there'd be lots of noodle dishes served on carts that would top the awesome one I had at the airport kiosk some years ago?




So all in all, I'd definitely go back. Even back to the same hotel!
Like I said, that middle class hotel beats out many first class hotels that I've stayed at. Sure, there's no grand pianist playing in the atrium but dang, for all the amenities they offer and the generosity with things like soap dispensers and the ubiquitous presence of hand sanitizing machines in most buildings... it's great.

Food is third world cheap, but first world quality.
Vendors serve fresh meals cooked right in front of you. There are barely any food stands where the food sits marinating in heated pans all day. The little vendors assemble your noodle dish in front of your eyes with the ingredients you select yourself (she hands you a basket and tongs and you go to town on the various ingredients you want in your noodle soup).
In many aspects, the way people conduct themselves is far and away the best quality not just of this city but of the country in general. You can see this is a nationwide habit even in the countrysides and areas outside of Taipei.
It is truly humbling to experience such human warmth in such an advanced civilization mixed into one country. Usually, you get one or the other or a smattering of both but not both things at once at a 100%.
And just like Toyota, you get a consistent product everywhere you go.

People friendly, sights wonderful... food Sumptuous...
What's not to like?
Everything was perfect except for the language barrier. But then , you are in the land where people consider themselves descendants of a 6,000 year old civilization so if you don't speak Chinese, well, better learn it or just pantomime. You are in the presence of civilization older than Rome. :)

Everything's just so... Civilized.

All told, our costs amounted to 10,000 pesos each and spending money of about 4,000 pesos for the 4 days we were there (transport, food and incidentals like museum tickets).

HOuseless!

Hello internet folk!
AsianGypseh here wandering the US of A! Currently in California awaiting my flight out to Asia.
Temporarily homeless until I get to my home in the Philippines.
I miss Great White but I know better things are in store for the future.

One of the things I miss was having hot showers.
Future home will have hot showers or at least have access to the ability to get hot showers.

Peace and quiet right now. My sister and her whole family are at church. It was a bit tricky explaining why their traveling uncle did not go to church with them. (I am no longer Catholic you see)

So in lieu of just shocking the wee ones, I just said I was a Jain Buddhist.
As such, I don't need to go with them to church.

I advised them to go to church with their parents and one day when they are adults, they can decide for themselves whether they want to go to church or not.

Anyway, things are well. Been eating a lot of kid food as one might expect living with a family of 7. It's good times, though. I will miss these rascals when I fly. It's also been great catching up with my sister and brother in law. They're good peeps.

The Last Dance

It's nice and cool outside as I type this.
My bed frame has already been removed and I am lying on the foam of my bed right on the floor of my van, Great White.
I signed over my trusty friend today to its new owner. Although I am allowed to use it for a few more nights.
This is it... my last 5 nights in the van.
The flight awaits on Saturday.

This is my last dance with Great White. My wonderful little home on wheels that kept me safe and dry from rains and the worst of the cold winds. A new vehicle awaits me in the future... probably something bigger and with a full kitchen and bath.

Each day from now on, there will be less and less stuff in the van.
Tomorrow, I will be taking my closet rack apart and keeping just the essential clothes in here.
By Friday, there will only be the foam to bring out into storage.

Good night, y'all.

My last nights in Great White

It's a nice 50 degrees outside. Very good temp for van living.
I think if I pick this up again later on this year, I will have to follow the nice cool (but not freezing) weather so I can live in comfort all year round.
For now, I am staying in my little home... these are some of the last days in my van.
I will be going overseas soon. I already have a buyer for Great White. It's been a lot of fun and a lot of learning.
After the initial freeze, these are good days to be in the van... nice cool nights that aren't freezing.
I will miss this.

Good night!