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.