Jeepneys

Jeepneys are an important mode of transportation here in the Philippines; the basic ride is 7 pesos or about 15 cents. The original ones were essentially converted surplus jeeps from WW II. Today's models, though still recognizable for their "jeep heritage" bear little other resemblance to the original. They are much longer and I've even seen one that was airconditioned and had buslike seats facing the front, instead of the traditional benches facing each other. In some areas, there seems to be competition in jeep decor -- I really should have my camera with me all the time so that one day I can publish a coffee table book on jeepney design and decor.

Ponderosa Facilities

Our house may not yet have been built, but we certainly can begin to enjoy some of the development's facilities.

Ponderosa requires homes to have a Mexican/Spanish style or architecture. It also has an important restriction that we like -- you can build on only 25 percent of your lot, the rest has to be garden area. This is very unlike other subdivisions where homes typically occupy 80-90 percent of the lot and the houses are close together.

Ponderosa Leisure Farms

Here are some scenes from Ponderosa Leisure Farms in Silang, Cavite. The development is located along the Sta. Rosa to Tagaytay Highway [kilomer 63] and is about a good hour's drive from Manila, assuming moderate traffic.

The pictures show the raw lot, the lot after it's been cleared.. In a separate posting we will show you some of the facilities.

Manila Bay Sunsets

From our 10th floor condo terrace, we have a front row seats to the famed Manila Bay sunsets. No wonder friends like to be invited at cocktail time.

Labor Intensive

When you come to the Philippines from a relatively developed country, you cannot help but think that some things can be done a little more efficiently, like using a lawnmower to cut grass. After a while, however, you come to realize that what may not seem to be very efficient is, in fact, reasonable given the high unemployment rate. We have a small patch of grass on the road divider strip in front of our condo on Roxas Blvd. and three different groups seem to be involved in maintaining it -- the green uniforms, the blue uniforms and the picture shows the yellow/red group -- note how the grass is being cut.

learning new communication tools

I suppose one is never too old to learn. When I first came to the Philippines, back in 1961, radios were scarce, phone lines hard to come by, and now everyone seems to have cellphones -- and I have had to learn how to text. Some of my friends happily text away while driving; I don't -- Manila traffic is challenging enough so I limit my texting while my driver 'drives.'

I'm not yet ready for u-tube but thought I's give blogging a try; it might offer a better way to keep friends and relatives informed about what is going on with us. I'm told you can even include pictures; as some here would say, "wowowee." Another interesting feature of a blog is that it allows a certain amount of interaction -- readers can post their comments or questions.

Last week [mid-October '07] I visited my old department [Department of Agricultural Information and Communication] at what used to be the University of the Philippines College of Agriculture -- it's now the College of Development Communication at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños. They asked me to come back to give a seminar or series of seminars. I'm considering it and certainly not because of the stipend. No, it should be a challenge and it will force me to update myself on recent developments in communication. The picture on top is well known to UPLB visitors -- centennial of the carabao.