Chapter 5 (05-Feb-09)

Where does one start? So many things that have happened, so many things to share. Probably the best way is to go backwards, and hope everything gets covered, but, as all of you know, advanced age may intercept with damaging results.

Jhoy's young man, Wilfredo (best known as Bonso, which means small one – he is the smallest in his family, probably 5 foot 4 inches, everyone else has an inch over him) is visiting. He is a Master Sergeant in the Army, at 24 years of age. He is in his first hitch, which is a 5 year hitch, and has a little more than a year before he finishes. He earns 15,000 pesos a month, which is $319 at today's rate, a healthy income. The army does not provide married quarters, which is preventing them from getting married, and, normal length of time in any one place is a year. That also is preventing the marriage as Jhoy doesn't seem willing to move every year. After my 20 some years traveling every week, I can appreciate her feelings.

However, there are some advantages to being in the army, although few. Wilfredo works 2 months and has 15 days leave. Not bad considering he still gets a day or two off every week. Normal retirement for a lifer is 20 years, with a pension given either in a lump sum or a monthly payment.

Bonso is an extremely nice young man. When he stays he is normally awake at the same time as I am, typically 6am. The first thing he does is grab the broom and sweeps the entire house. I don't mean just sweeping the floor, but moving every piece of furniture to sweep underneath. Every day. Then he will either begin sweeping the lawn or perhaps doing his (or Jhoy's) laundry, or if that is already finished he will begin to continue the clearing of the jungle at the rear of the property. He is a very soft-spoken fellow, and never needs to be asked for help. He is always the first to pitch in, and does not stop the project until it is completed, an admirable trait that is rarely found in Filipino young folks. One may only look at our rear property to see the results of today's Filipino youth. Not one project that Didith's children have started has been completed unless Bonso is around.

As I said, he is a very nice, soft-spoken young man. I have yet to hear any boastfulness from him, another trait of the Filipino youth, especially the male species (seems Filipino youth are the same as American youth, yes?). An interesting story happened the last time he was here. Didith was talking about putting up a shield for our kitchen wall, a temporary measure designed to keep out the chickens until we put a permanent wall in place. Bonso quietly said he would do it. Didith replied by asking how it is possible. Bonso softly said “I am in the Army.” 'Nuff said.

Ya gotta love him.

Speaking of brooms, I think I mentioned that the coconut leaves are used for brooms here. The funny thing is that the brooms do not have a handle, and the bristles (as such) are only about 20 inches long, which requires all who use them to bend over. Remembering my experience with American and European brooms, I could only last about 10 minutes before I would succumb to terrific back pains. Using these 20 inch brooms you would expect a much quicker responding pain. Amazingly and interestingly, I do not get back pains from using these short brooms. (Ok, Bonso does the sweeping, but he is not here every day, and sometimes I am moved to participate in the daily activities.)

And, speaking of back pains, I have suffered back pains since football in High School. Periodically I would enlist the help of a chiropractor (doctors do no good, they only prescribe pain killers which does not remove the source of the problem) which entailed as much as a 2 year weekly program at the end of which the pain, while diminished, still existed. All this mind you at an exorbitant cost which to my mind was developed with the chiropractor's quarterly vacation in mind. Here there is a patch available called SalonPas, which is applied to the painful area in the evening before bed time, and is peeled off in the morning. This patch is very good at removing normal aches and pains, however, my pain is much more deep-rooted. There are products available similar to Ben-Gay, however they are not effective for these pains either. Didith asked our vegetable lady (more about her later) if she had any advice. Aha! A remedy was discussed, and Didith decided to enlist that remedy immediately. First she peels and chops and mashes ginger until about a healthy 3-fisted pile is accomplished (not really a quick job actually as the only method to do this is with a knife and the weapon part of a mortar and pestle, and does take about a half hour). She then sprinkles salt on the ginger, and goes out to the back yard to cut a banana leaf. Then, cutting the leaf into 2 pieces, each 12 inches by 12 inches, she then turns on the gas stove and heats the leaf on both sides. This allows the leaf to bend without breaking or cracking. Laying the first leaf on the table, she then puts the ginger on the leaf and wraps it. The second leaf is then wrapped around the first leaf.

She has a small toaster oven that she places the ginger mix into and heats for 15 minutes. Once that is finished she unwraps the leaves and places the ginger on a small piece of cloth. I then am told to lie down on my stomach on an old towel, as ginger stains and is very difficult to remove, and she squeezes the ginger to get some of the oil/liquid to drop on her hand. She then wipes her hand across my back to sort of tenderize me. Then she commences to stroke my back very quickly with the ginger/cloth mixture, from the neck down to the small of the back. The pores open up and it feels like the ginger oil seeps into the muscles, although I am not sure it actually does, it just feels like that. This is continued until the heat has dissipated, at which time she re-wraps the ginger into the banana leaves and replaces into the toaster oven for another 15 minutes. While waiting for the ginger to heat again, she massages my back vigorously with her hands. Once the ginger is heated again, she re-wraps into the cloth and rubs my back completely again.

The results: after less than 3 weeks, about 5 days per week, my back has hardly any pain, in fact, no pain except for my neck. We have tried and found that at the second heating, laying the ginger on the neck itself and not moving it allows the heat to sink in even deeper. And, all at the cost of about a kilo of ginger per week which costs 50 pesos, a hair over $1.00. I have no idea what function the banana leaf adds to the process, neither does Didith. We have determined that we will purchase some aluminum foil and see if that works as well. I will report those results. Today we are visiting the vegetable lady again (more about the market soon) as she is bringing a medicinal ginger from her home town. Didn't know there was 2 types of ginger, but apparently there is, and the cost is the same.

I am arguing with myself as to whether I tell Didith or not that my back is so much better. Once she is finished and I roll over to lay on my back, the heat seems to intensify and it is easy to imagine that ginger oil seeping further into the muscles. That heat lasts for over an hour, and tends to totally relax the body and mind. I have pretty much decided to not mention the virtual disappearance of pain.

I think I can live with it.

Here's another household hint: if you sit on a mango tree limb, do not bother with common stain removers to remove that stubborn stain. Everyone knows not to sit on a mango limb, including me, now. To remove that stain, equivalent to dried asphalt oil, merely rub kerosene into the cloth rigorously, and it will dissolve. Also much cheaper than commercial stain removers that do not remove.

A short discussion on diabetes: if you do not suffer from this or do not care, skip the following paragraph.

While I have been successful at reducing my medication for diabetes II, I remain firmly convinced that one's metabolism is a major factor, just as much as I am convinced that we Americans have ignored our bodies when it comes to proper nourishment. Back in the early to mid 80's I became involved in business in Europe and Asia, and for the most part I lived there for 16 years. Without changing the amounts of food that I ate, I lost weight and had less problems controlling my diabetes. I returned to the US in December of 2002, and immediately began to increase my weight as well as decrease control of my blood sugar. Ensuing problems then made matters worse: blood pressure, cholesterol, various things that are not very good for diabetics. What do I attribute to my recent reduction in medication? Very simply, I stopped eating processed foods. This was not done as a conscientious decision, this was borne out of necessity – we do not have access to processed foods in Ubay. Another factor, I follow my mother's footsteps now when it comes to eating. I eat 6 ounces of meat or less per meal, and often do not have meat at all. I consume red meat no more than once a week or even less. If I do have seconds it is of vegetables, but only those vegetables that are cooked in suitable liquids, and those that are not cooked into mush. Boring? No. I have only had one vegetable dish that included only one vegetable, and that was string beans. String beans in adobo sauce; not only was it delicious, but was even delicious when cold. Every other vegetable dish was a combination of a number of vegetables. Nothing near to being boring. What is adobo sauce here? Soy sauce, garlic, onions and black pepper. If a bay leaf is near by, add that. One more thing, I test my blood daily, and if I am trying a new food, I test again 2 hours after eating to see whether that food has harmful effects or not. That determines any future eating. I also do that testing should I try different combinations of food.

For those of you that skipped that paragraph, shame on you. Diabetes II is most likely the next major non-financial problem in the United States. Ignorance of diabetic factors is rampant, it is guessed that as many as 20 million Americans suffer from Diabetes II and do not know it, perhaps even more than that. That is the problem, it is a disease that is quiet, and transparent. You do not feel any different than before. A very simple routine blood test will allow you to be cognizant of your particular situation. Diabetes II caught early is far easier to control than when found too late. What used to be called the Midlife or Lifestyle disease is now affecting young children, largely, I feel, due to our ignorance.

Trust me, you do not want it.

Ok, no more soap box.

Some folks were interested in the pets here, as a result of the last accounting. By the way, after I sent that account out, I received some messages identifying the fact that some of you did not receive that email. However, as helpful as those messages were (sent by something called Mailer_Demon), there was a major problem in that the messages did not identify who were the missing people. If you did not receive an accounting of the front yard python, and are interested, just drop me an email and I will forward it to you.

This is Jhoy and Mr Manok:


Mr Manok is actually an interest payment on a loan that Jhoy and Wilfredo made to a friend of theirs, as the repayment did not take place as planned. Mr Manok is a rooster, although one would not normally recognize him as such, as he cannot crow. Manok is Visaya for chicken. Mr Manok will have a limited shelf life I am afraid, as he is bound for the dinner table once he puts on a little weight. But, as with any animal, he is beginning to bond, and feels quite comfortable joining us in the house at his discretion, mostly when he is hungry. We have got to do something about these missing walls. Every morning I feed him a handful or two of rice, but then I have to guard him so the other chickens (and chicks, believe it or not) do not scare him away from his mission. Today I finally broke down and allowed him into the house to eat, as the other chickens are afraid to enter (me being the bad guy).

My experience with chickens in America has mostly been of the white kind. Here, they seem to have taken on some very beautiful colors, although Mr Manok is sadly lacking in that respect:

He is mostly black and white, although there is some brown on the wings. However, he has the beginning of a beautiful luminous blue in his tail.

Question: why does a chicken walk so funny, heads bobbing continuously, while a duck can walk or even run quickly and the head remains steady? This is a burning question that begs an answer.

Chickens here are of the self-supporting kind, except for the fighting roosters – they are fed by hand and are coddled as they are the pride and joy of the owner. For as long as they live. Which might be only until the next fight.

Last night we had supper in the market with Ken, our American friend, and Laney, his Filipino wife. Laney's 12 year old daughter Erica joined us as well as Jhoy and Wilfredo. Erica is a tall, beautiful young lady. She is already a man-killer, but she doesn't know it yet. We ate at the open market, where there are numerous food stalls in the evening. During the day it is a bus stop. All the stalls serve the same food, pork, chicken and sausages on a skewer. The chicken is not like farm-raised chicken, it is lacking in meat but exceeding the normal fat and gristle content.

Having said that, it is still a treat, as the atmosphere of the market lends a fun-time to eating. Many friends are seen, and as they are a social lot, much time is taken discussing recent events.

Last night we met an Australian and his Filipino wife who are visiting family in Ubay. They are returning to the Gold Coast, an area in Australia, next week. We also ran across a most beautiful young woman that is engaged to an American stationed in Virginia. I was staggered to find out this apparently 19 year old woman is well into her 30's and has an 8 year old daughter. I don't know if it is the rice, or what, but whatever it is, it is kind to most women here until age finally creeps up on them, at which time the effects of being poor slams them from behind, teeth become missing, various diseases wreak havoc. It is sad to see women of 40 or 50 deteriorating so quickly and devastatingly. The men seem to far only slightly better. The average Filipino male lives to 68 while the average female lives to 72.

Total cost for the meal for 7 people, including 6 beers and a bottle of coca-cola: 507 pesos ($10.79). I suspect we were charged a little more due to our Western look. (All Filipinos know Westerners, especially Americans, are very very rich.)

Puppy visited the other day, she came for a day and stayed 6 days and nights until a major disaster occurred. Puppy has no name, and belongs to Naquito's married son who lives a kilometer or so away. Jhoy had mentioned that we wanted to take a couple more pictures, so Puppy arrived for the day which turned into an extended stay.
Puppy is a wonderful dog, she never stops wagging her tail, and you can even pick her up by the scruff of the neck and the tail continues to wag at a speed closely approaching 45mph. She will become a big dog one day, and with her demeanor she will be a superb family dog.
Unfortunately she ran into difficulties the last day. Seems Didith had a pair of sandals that were precious to her, and she forgot to pick them up after changing to her flip flops. Puppy enjoyed the most of the one sandal before being found.

Didith remains convinced Puppy will never visit again.

Milky. Milky is 11 years old, which is extremely old for a Visaya dog. Visaya dogs do not easily resemble the breeds we are familiar with, I suppose because of the island environment. Before I explain further, you must understand that it is important not to approach a Visaya dog, or you stand a good chance of being bitten, or at least viciously growled at. Visayans do not pet their dogs, they claim they do not have time. They do talk to them, but that is it. Milky is very set in his ways, but, after the first week he allowed me to pat his head, and within a few days he actually would come to me to get petted. He now smiles and has sparkles in his eyes when he sees me in the morning. He has this wonderfully deep voice that makes you want him to bark more, it is such an enjoyable sound. One day Didith and I visited the Lechon maker, lechon being the process of barbecuing pork, or any type of meat for that matter, over a pit fire for hours and hours, adding special and secret ingredients. This Lechon maker does only pork, and only cooks on Saturday for the Sunday market. When we arrived, who should we find patiently waiting, but Milky. Seems that is where he disappears to every Saturday and is never very hungry when he returns. We even found several of his collars there. The Lechon maker is more than a kilometer from where we live. Very friendly dog. Milky has begun to show a jealous streak lately when I pet the other dogs, but, given his advanced age, he is allowed to exercise that right. I hope others will allow me the same freedom as I approach Milky's age.

Blackie. Blackie is not our dog, she belongs to Alphonso, Didith's brother and next door neighbor. Blackie is little more than a puppy herself, and happened to be the only female around until Puppy. Blackie virtually lives at our house, spending most nights sleeping with Jumar, and she wouldn't miss a meal no matter how difficult it is for her to attend. As a matter of fact, when it is time to feed our dogs we have gotten into the habit of calling Blackie as well. Blackie's little owner, Dolly, is a special child and is 7 years old. Blackie has the sweetest disposition with Dolly, it is unbelievable what she accepts. Blackie may never be a big dog, she seems destined to remaining a stout little girl. Her opportunities for mothering however may not be too serious as all the dogs in the neighborhood have visited the veterinarian in the past. Blackie is another dog that is continually wagging her tail. Very nice to see.

Gremlins. Gremlins is a mama's boy, specifically Didith's boy. He is a particularly jealous boy, and might just as well growl and snap at someone he feels is getting far too much attention from Didith. He is about 4 years old and is extremely agile and graceful. Next to our front door we have a window space that has no window as of yet. During the hours of 6am to 9pm the door is open. However, Gremlins prefers to use the window. He will jump up to the window, remain balanced for awhile, sometimes as much as 10 minutes, and then finally jump to the floor. Blackie is mimicking, but lacks the stature to accomplish this feat, unless someone leaves a chair nearby. I don't have a picture of Gremlins in the window, as every time I run to get the camera he seems to sense I am up to no good, and disappears. But, one day......

A story about Gremlins: one of the friends of Jumar and Ace (Eugene. Remember Eugene from the snake story?) is a member of a family that happens to enjoy eating animals that the normal family does not. This includes snakes and dogs, not to mention other lesser known animals. Three years ago this boy stopped by their house with a dead dog in a burlap sack, destined for his dinner table. Gremlins took offense, and to this day, that boy cannot even come near to the neighbor's house without Gremlins going ballistic. The boy dasn't enter our property. Bully for Gremlins.

Gremlins is on the left, the brown dog with a black face. That other dog on the right is Jigger, who is 6 or 7 years old, and is just a little smaller than Gremlins. Jigger is a very quiet dog, doesn't complain, doesn't get in the way, doesn't beg at the table and refuses to jump through the window. Jigger has become my buddy, as has Milky. When I pet Jigger, it only takes about 5 minutes and he will collapse on the floor, and within a minute he will fall asleep. He is now beginning to learn how to smile.

Jigger is an exceptional mouser, and will climb most any structure to get at his prey. In the absence of mice or rats, Jigger hones his expertise by catching flies.

Jigger has a reputation, and is privately revered amongst the Visayan males. Like most dogs, Jigger will sense an individual's position towards a dog. Seems that Jigger has made many friends and admirers when the local priest, a man with a strict disposition, visited and Jigger bit him in the ass.

These dogs are by no means carrying any extra fat. They dine on rice and leftover meat and vegetables. Although they had been introduced to dog food, all of them have never eaten it, preferring more humanly acceptable foods.

Before I go, I must tell you about banana trees. It seems that a banana tree takes about 2-3 years to mature, and during that time it will produce a couple offspring, which stem from the roots of the original tree. The last year of it's life, the tree will finally produce bananas. It may produce as many as 100 bananas, but that is it. It dies. One batch of bananas only. Those off-springing stems will become the next banana trees.

And did you know that there are different kinds of mangoes and one particular kind cannot pollinate naturally? More to follow.................