Daily Report: Life In Boxes

We're out of the old house, but we're into the new house in location only: Nothing is unpacked / settled / established yet.


Our rooftop terrace with the bamboo
furniture we purchased. We're going
to put a jungle's worth of tropical
bushes and flowers in pots up here to
give the place more of a garden feel.I bought a 4 x 4 meter pavilion tent to put up on the roof, which should have fit. Unfortunately, the 4 meter measurement is at the "roof line", while the 4 legs each splay outwards by about 6 or 8 inches, making my floor-based measurements off by about a foot. Fortunately, the speedy employment of a welder to chop some width off the crossmembers fixed that problem.


My new electric scooter. About 40
cents of charge will give 30 miles.I made my official Jil Impulse Purchase (JIP) of 2009: An electric scooter. I'm making payments on it for the next 6 months, purchased from a lawyer friend of mine who has been selling them here in Cagayan De Oro. By my most conservative calculations, the bike gets the equivalent of 200 miles per gallon (based on a function of "cents per mile"). It is limited to only about 15 miles round trip... 30 miles total for 2 passengers, but is fantastic for getting around Jasaan and the immediate vicinity. The bike is totally silent in operation, and that fact has garnered it more attention from the locals than anything else I've ever seen.

Less than 24 hours after having the scooter delivered, little Doreen knocked it over while climbing on it, snapping off the rear view mirror — after being told 3 times prior not to climb on it — and earning herself her first official Jil Impulse Spanking (JIS) of 2009.

Epril and I went to Kingston Lodge for lunch today (just for a change). We rode halfway with our landlord, Jams, and we rode the second half with Andy and Cynthia.

Along the way there, we stopped and looked at the couch and bed being made. Contrary to my fears, they both look fantastic. I think the knowledge that adding/subtracting from my design meant a certain do-over got the furniture maker in the spirit of following my drawings precisely. The headboard on the bed is still being carved by the local artisan and it's a mystery how that will turn out... but I'm now optimistic. The couch should be delivered on Monday or Tuesday. The bed has no estimated date of arrival yet.

After Kingston Lodge, we went with Andy and Cynthia to SM to do some shopping. We bought curtains for the windows (all 7 of them) in the master bedroom and master bathroom ($100), and also stocked up on diet root beer, diet Cali (a pineapple soda), tomato juice, apple juice, et cetera, et cetera for the next 2 weeks ($100), and then Andy and Cynthia gave us a ride back to Jasaan with our 80 pounds of groceries. Then we all sat up on the terrace and drank iced tea and enjoyed the view.

The satellite television was hooked up today as well. I've got The History Channel back, much to my delight. The picture/reception is not as good as it was with the local cable company (about 80% as good, I'd say), and there are only about 10 channels that I watch (out of 38) versus about 15 channels (out of 70) from before. But, it's the only option I have out here, and overall I'm satisfied with it. Also, unlike the local cable, the satellite does have the program guide, so that you can look at what's on and what will be on for each channel in an on-screen menu.

Well anyway, I'm in my new office. This is the eighth view I've had since moving to Asia 7 years ago, and I must say that it is by far one of the best. There is just so much green in front of me... and people down below always coming and going. There is a nice breeze as well. (I tried to stitch a panorama photo together, with the not-so-good results as seen below. They give one an okay impression of the view from my new office.) The local fire department just drove by below my window, sirens blaring, and all the firemen on their scooters beeping their horns. A big banner on the pumper truck proclaimed March to be "Fire Prevention Month".


Anyway, as I said, the living room and bedroom and TV room are still a shambles, filled with boxes, and waiting for furniture. As each of those gets fitted out and set up, I'll put up pictures of them as well.