you intellivision lot is not too bad….I will say that you could get 100$ – 150$

will you sell me that baseball game? I do have it but not sealed.

I leave near Ottawa, Canada and I’m ready to pay for shipping.

I will give you 30$ for the game.

please let me know.

thanks

I read your blog when I saw the article about the pizza. My mother was Filipina and her father was Fipino and her mother from Norway. So, I have ben to the PI three times. Once when I was 7, and the people there would not stop touching my blone hair. I remember the dirt roads to cross the islands, and I remember the beautiful exotic ways of the women. Then, I went in 1987 with my new husband. He had never been out of the country. Wow, we felt like we were melting for the first few days, and that was in April. I don’t know how you did it in August. Also, isnt that typhoon season? I hope you missed alot of that. I think there were some bad ones in September.
Being an adult, I was willing to try a lot different foods more that trip but didn’t try the balut. We did have many relatives, so we stayed in large homes and had many servants at our beck and call. It took a lot to get used to. I don’t think I really did. One of the biggest impressions we got was the way the filpinos did not want to appear black. A son of a servant that we became fond of, had disappeared for a few days. We were later told that he was being teased for getting dark skin when we went to an island in the Visayan islands. He was embarrassed to look black!

Then, I took my teenage children there three years ago. Things were very different. There was still a presence of soliers guarding every move, but it was less aggressive. I know what you mean about the terrorist activity but we did have a good amount of guards that traveled with us.
Again, we feltlike we were melting, especially when we toured Old City in Manila. And your story of Green Hills market was so true. I bought a few Abercrombie iregulars for my son, and got myself some purses. They are warm and friendly people, and aim to please. And, it is VERY sad to see the disparity of the people. Outside the walls of our families homes, are squatters and beggars. Back in1971, when my dad tipped one of the servant a $20 because helped us for one week, my grandfather got upset. Apparently that was a monthly salary for him. It is not much better now.
I don’t know under what circumstances you ended up in the PI. It sounds like your husband was there on business. If you have a chance to go again, and would like to experience the island life, see if you can take a week and visit the beautiful island of Boracay. It has white sand beaches, and clear water that goes to only waist deep at low tide for 1/4 mile. When I was there in 71, my family owned most of the island. If we saw someone walking on the beach it was probably a relative. In 87, it was more built up, but still no electric. Now, there are nice upscale resorts there, with air conditioning, and then there are resorts that still have an island flavor. You can lie in a cabana on the beach and get a massage, or go snorkeling, or ride a water jet ski. Now there is a paved road that stretched most of the length of the island, right through the middle, so you don’t get any disturbance on the beach. There is a good nightlife there as well. My uncle took us out a few nights there. It is almost intoxicating! I even allowed my 16 year old daughter to get a henna tatoo. According to my father, Gina Lolabrigida(?) was a “friend” of Ferdinand Marcos and he took her there when it was still pretty isolated. She went home and wrote about it in a book. Then, the Europeans strarted coming in droves. Boracay was recently voted one of the worlds best beaches.

If you are ever interested, I would suggest trying to go in April, No later than June, so it is more comfortable. My family has a resort that my uncle runs. It is called The Whitehouse. Still island feel, but very comfortable.

Let me know if you would like any other info.

Anyway, I enjoyed reading your stories. It all sounded so familiar, the boys running after the car, etc. I will take the rest of my family bakc in the next few years.

Sincerely, Anita Draves
PS if you do go back, and hear the name Tirol, that is my mothers family name. Family is pretty much everywhere, from most islands in the Visayas throughout most of Luzon. My grandfather helped lead American troops through the jungles. My mother lived most of the war hiding in the forests. Corregidor was a great trip for us too. I think I have a picture just like the one you have of your daughter at the restaurant.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Filipinos