I walked down to Baguio Gold, expecting to play Sepak Takraw or basketball or walk further downhill to look at and photograph mines and miners. I couldn’t find Andy, Nick, Arnold, Pedring or Marcus. Some days some of the boys find work as helpers hauling aggregate and mixing concrete on construction sites or gathering stones for walls. »→
I walked downhill to Baguio Gold Elementary School to play Sepak Takraw with the kids. I had learned a little of the game from Mack earlier and from the internet. See my primer, listed in “pages” on this site. Most days in April we have rain showers, and some days I haven’t gone down to Baguio Gold. Today I had a good time on the Sepak Takraw court. My team lost one set, then we switched sides of the court and my team won. I didn’t contribute much, though. And I didn’t ‘call’ the ball when I should have. Oh, well; live and learn. We didn’t play the third set of the match, because…
Today I walked down to Baguio Gold borough again, to play Sepak Takraw with the youths, using the new ball and net. Well, I hardly knew the rules, and I certainly didn’t have the skills and ‘the moves,’ such as the bicycle kick. So I thought that I’d photograph the kids playing while I learned the game.
In the first weeks that we were here, rather than carry alot of cash, Dominic and I frequented ATMs, and a couple of times I used Banco de Oro ATMs. One time was in SM City mall downtown. I typed on the ATM keypad a request to withdraw from Wachovia too many pesos -I think 25,000, which is to say $609. Oops. I’m not a human calculator like Dominic. I can mentally convert only small sums from pesos to dollars and multiples of forty, as if 40 pesos are worth a dollar. »→
The boys of Baguio Gold expressed interest in a Sepak Takraw ball and net a week ago. So when I was in Baguio City, I detoured to Tiong San Harrison Department Store to ride the escalators up to the fifth-floor sporting goods department and see Jonalee. »→
Today I took my compact umbrella and a camera and headed downhill to Baguio Gold Barangay (neighborhood/borough). Although the sky was clouding and my knees, shins and ankles ached, I thought that I’d get some exercise and see and photograph the mine entrances, refineries, tram lines, rock arch, pool of water, hills swathed in clouds … In previous forays to Baguio Gold I had no camera, or I had my camera phone and made a few lousy pics. »→
I thank you for visiting online. I decided to write though I don’t have anything important to say. One day I will be serving the poor, and I will tell you about it. Until then, some of you are tuning in, so I shall write whatever comes to mind, even observations of rather insignificant things. I may give you a better picture of life here in Tuding and neighboring Baguio City. I know that some of you would like to come and visit and serve the poor some day. So you may like to read of climate, weather, insects, pollution, noise, crime, prices of foods and fuels, local dishes and delicacies, languages, customs and traditions… »→
I am disgusted at some things, happening, circumstances or situations here. I will rant about whatever comes to mind: I have tried four times, since Thursday, to retrieve from Eleanor Sebiano a laptop computer that I loaned-out a month ago. I don’t know whether she still has it. I have twice e-mailed the Filipino to whom I had loaned the computer, and he won’t respond. ‘Neither a borrower nor lender be,’ I guess. And don’t trust Eleanor Sebiano ( for various reasons). »→
It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome. ~ philosopher William James
Shoe boxes for the poor – from Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child
Today we drove south to Ucab Barangay Hall to deliver another letter for the Barangay Captain, then dropped off Shekinah, Deborah, Marriele and Marlene in Garrison Barangay to canvass for more kids for future distribution of gift boxes.
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Ricardo and I went to Calvary Baptist Church on Ferguson Road in Baguio City to ask about collecting hundreds of gift shoe boxes from Operation Christmas Child for the poor kids of Gold Creek, Gumatdang, Mangga and elsewhere. Rick got agreement from the distributor for five hundred gifts.
We certainly didn’t have room in the little Samurai for all those, so we went toward Baguio Center Mall to find a jeepney driver to hire to transport 39 cardboard shipping cartons from Calvary Baptist Church to the storeroom at Turning Point. »→
This morning I rode a jeepney down Tuding Road to Turning Point Home at the bend in the road at “Fatima Hill” then drove a Suzuki Samurai down to Gumatdang with Marlene and a friend after Ricardo on his scooter. Dropped off Marlene and friend then drove back to Turning Point with John Rey aboard. I wondered why they didn’t ride a jeepney or why I didn’t take Rick also in the Suzuki. I rarely know what we’re doing or why. I only know that I’m the only licensed driver available when Ely is at work at APTS. »→
As I write this, I hear a repeated shrill shriek or whistle coming from the world outside. It sounds like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, or a little girl shrieking, or a steam whistle or … I don’t know. It’s an irritating, eerie sound, irregular in intensity and meter, but almost every second.
(Dominic)
For those of you anticipating a post about some little-known species of marijuana found here in the Philippines, well, I’m afraid you will be disappointed. This place can be paradise — in a way — for those with some means, but not to smoke a fat one. Ironically, I am listening to a favorite song of mine from 1967, White Rabbit, from the group, Jefferson Airplane as I write this. I love the sound and beat of the song, but the lyrics aren’t for me. »→
This morning at 10:00 I switched on ESPN to view the tape-delayed broadcast of the Grand Prix of Saint Petersburg. I was thinking for the past few days how I would love to be there with my brother Pete watching practicing, qualifying and racing of the American Le Mans Series sports cars, Indy Pro Series cars and the Indy Cars. We’ve watched Champ Car and IndyCar races there since 2003.
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While Dominic slept, I walked downhill to Baguio Gold carrying a borrowed extension ladder, two nets, a screwdriver, scissors and a knife to hang the basketball hoop nets. On the way downhill I paused at the roadside convenience store, picked up two 1.5L Cokes, cups and four packages of sandwich cookies.
As usual, the sight of a goofy-looking white guy drew onlookers from many hovels along the way. I can hear the word ‘Americano’ and see heads swivel most days that I walk in the big city and in the countryside. »→
As today we don’t have internet access at home and thus Dominic couldn’t work on the internet, he was game to go downhill with me to revisit our new friends in Baguio Gold neighborhood. It’s not in Baguio City, of course, but that’s the name. We took beverages and cups and oranges and a new basketball and hoop nets down the steep street, past the ore ‘refineries’ to the kid’s neighborhood near the elementary school.
Friday afternoon we had a very late lunch in Pizza Volante in Baguio City. Upon return home to Tuding, Dominic and I walked down Main Avenue in Monterrazas Village, behind our home, to visit the kids in the gold-mining neighborhood and give a volleyball to the boys. »→
