archive for the “Baguio City” category
……Nick came up from Baguio Gold after his chores so that we could go together to Baguio City and register him for Taekwondo training in UFC Fitness Center. Upon arrival downtown, we checked my mailbox for his birth certificate again (not there, alas). Then we crossed Father Carlu Street, walked toward the cathedral and descended into the Porta Vaga Building that the diocese owns to go into UFC’s martial arts school. »→
Tonight Nick came to the flat soaking wet, cold and shivering. He said that he had walked from Baguio City to Monterrazas Village. I asked why he didn’t ride a jeepney with 10 of the 20 pesos that I’d left for him. He claims that he lost it. »→
This morning, Nick knocked on the apartment door, and I welcomed him in. Then he told me that Mack had kicked their brother Andy this morning and that Andy has returned to his uncle’s home in Aurora Hill. I didn’t ask why Mack had kicked Andy’s chest or abdomen. But I thought, with a big brother like that, who needs enemies? »→
I arose at 6:30 to eat breakfast then prepare to go with the family from Baguio Gold to Riverview Waterpark for fun on Nick’s birthday. About 7:00, Nick and came to the door and said that the others were waiting at Tuding Road. I asked Nick if he’d arranged to hire one of the jeepneys down in Baguio Gold to take us to Asin, and he said no. So I gathered my bags, and we walked up to Tuding Road to hail a jeepney or a taxi to downtown Baguio City. »→
Today I went shopping in Baguio City for more birthday gifts for Pat, Nick, Rose and Charlotte. I also bought gift tote bags, greeting cards and a cake emblazoned with the names Pat, Nick and Rose. Then I went to 50′s Diner to await the arrival of the A-V-C-A family and Dominic to have a celebratory dinner. Today is Pat’s seventeenth or eighteenth birthday, tomorrow is Nick’s twelfth birthday, and Sunday is Rose’s sixth birthday. Charlotte will be eight on August 11. »→
May I ask you to pray with faith to Saint Anthony or Our Lord for the recovery of my lost/stolen cell phone?
In my rush, rush, rush to prepare for the kids’ birthday dinner I misplaced it or it was swiped. The I.M.E.I. is 35796801340330/5
Nick came to the apartment yesterday to do homework. As he and Mack have done previously, he asked to go downtown to buy specific educational posters for images and captions to use in his homework.
I don’t know why they can’t rely on their textbooks and schools’ library books and municipal library books.I think that their elementary school library’s offerings may be lacking, and the boys likely don’t have library cards from Baguio City’s public library…
I offered the use of my computer, asking, “Can we find that on the internet?” Nick replied, “I don’t know.” Maybe he doesn’t know that almost everything is on the internet (try Wikipedia and GoodSearch). »→
Today Nick came uphill to visit because public schools in Benguet Province (and ten other provinces) aren’t in-session today, following days of deluge. He asked if we could buy student supplies for his classwork and homework and rice for his family. So I took him to downtown Baguio City. We checked my mailbox as we have done innumerable times to look for his birth certificate from National Statistics office. It hasn’t arrived yet, 21 days after requesting it, 20 days after paying for it. »→
Not much to report now. Working on getting electricity to the A-V-C-A family’s home and buying birthday gifts for kids (August 1, 2 and 3). Dominic and I found a modern, 24-lane, 10-pin bowling alley with computerized scoring on the fourth floor of Baguio City’s Center mall, so we bowled 10 frames. »→
Unlike last Saturday, Nick came to the apartment before 8:00, and he brought his little sister, Rose. I had advised him yesterday to come any time between 7:30 and 8:00 so that we could depart no later than 8:00. I said that I’d arise at 7:30 and if they were to come early enough they could eat breakfast here — and perhaps look at Saturday morning cartoons while I’d prepare to go. Last night I set my alarm clock for 7:20. Wouldn’t you know it: Nick rapped on my bedroom window at 7:18. »→
Today the kids didn’t have to go to school in Baguio Gold, so Nick and Rose came to visit. They were dressed nicely, so I asked if they’d like to accompany me to Baguio City to check my mail box for their birth certificate copies and have lunch. Of course they were more than willing. »→
Dominic and I took Mack downtown to C.A. Optical shop to exchange his eyeglass lenses. C.A. Optical inexplicably made lenses for farsighted eyes in late May, although Mack is near-sighted. While waiting for the new lenses to be ground, I went to Pizza Volante to drink a Coke Zero and read the courtesy copies of the Sunday newspapers.
I waited here in the flat for Nick to come uphill from Baguio Gold after school. The intention was to take a jeepney into Baguio City to buy a bicycle tire inner-tube (again)and brake pads and exchange the pedals that I’d bought days ago for ones with thicker studs. These are things that we couldn’t get yesterday after the bicycle shop in Shoppers’ Lane had closed at 6:00.
We had also wanted to get groceries and sundries that we couldn’t get in Baguio City Public Market (fire trap and crime haven). And Mack, who ‘lost’ hundreds of pesos that I gave to him on Sunday to get replacement eyeglass lenses, wanted to meet me after his school session to go with him to an optical shop for new lenses. »→
Today I went into the city to pay in a Union Bank branch for birth certificates for Nick and Rose. I bought five kilos of (bulk) chicken feed for egg-layers and a 1 kg bag of fortified supplementary feed. I bought Flintstones chewable vitamins, two books and modeling clay for Rose, markers for Nick, a sheet of sandpaper and another blue plastic drum -for the the family’s drinking, cooking and dish-washing water. Thanks to Joyce and Quin for covering the cost. »→
I didn’t help to rebuild the chapel in Baguio Gold today because I’m sore, I got up late, and the Watkins Glen IndyCar Grand Prix was televised here. I hadn’t been called to tutor Mrs. Laongan’s sixth-graders. I didn’t walk down to Baguio Gold immediately after the race broadcast, because I had a feeling that Nick would be here to return my jacket, to plug-in Mack’s cell phone to recharge it and to bring thank-you notes for Nana Geller. Sure enough, he came — with his sister Rose, their grandmother and a friend, Dennis.
Nanay volunteered to cook a late lunch or early supper, as she does every couple of weeks. And she gave to me a list of needs for the family. So I set to work on that, requesting online at National Statistics Office’s eCensus website birth certificate copies for Rose and Nick. I told Nanay that she didn’t have to cook, as Dominic and I would take Nick to the city to get student supplies for him and Rose, groceries for the family and eat dinner downtown.
I gave to Nanay rice and corn and another 250 pesos for Rose’s Kindergarten teacher, and I gave to Rose a small basketball that I had bought days ago and labeled with her initials. We dribbled it and passed it in the apartment while Dominic prepared to go out. Then Nanay took Rose downhill while Nick, Dennis, Dominic and I trudged uphill to Tuding Road to await a jeepney ride.
Dominic and I got an affordable meal in Mongolian Grill for us and the boys, then we got groceries. Tomorrow I will return to the city during ‘business hours’ to pay 630 pesos in a Union Bank branch for the birth certificate copies, and I’ll but chicken feed. I’m still waiting for a call or text message from the grade six teacher or principal in Baguio Gold Elementary School…
July 5 fuel prices in Baguio City converted to U.S. dollars (45.405 Pesos per dollar) »→
Dominic and I rode a jeepney from Tuding to Mabini Street in Baguio City then walked most of a mile past City Hall to a Bureau of Immigration field office. We went to renew our tourist visas for two months. A light ‘sunshine shower,’ followed by misting rain, fell while we hiked uphill. But we haven’t had a ‘rainy season’ shower until now.
This morning Rose* started Kindergarten in a borrowed classroom in Baguio Gold Elementary School. Tuition costs a whopping p120 per month ($2.66). I gave P240.
I also gave new pedals for Nick’s* bike, vitamins and bread for the family. The metal BMX bike pedals should last longer than plastic ones.
I rode jeepneys and walked to Taoist Bell Church in Baguio City to take some photos in not-so-harsh light. Some of the church property is inaccessible in midweek. A sign reads, “Open Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 8-4.”
I see semi-humorous signs in Baguio City. When walking from Bell Church toward downtown Baguio City, I read, “No Parking For Costumers Only.” A decal inside a jeepney read, “GOD KNOWS HUDAS NOT PAY” (the fare). Previously I’ve seen, “DO NOT FALL IN LOVE W/ D’ DRIVER.”
*name changed
