Home Sweet Home in February

What happened to the sprawling 1000 square meter property with a two-storey six-room house we saw previously? Ha!  Rene was concerned that it might be pitch black at night, and with it being located quite far from the main road, we might be isolated and helpless during an emergency.  Emergencies will include break-ins, accidents and wild animals like the small cobra that was caught last night around here.

Also, the caretaker is a "manghuhula", "manghihilot" and an "albulario" and Mama was concerned that it might be a bit too spooky for comfort.
 
But tomorrow, February 25, I am meeting with a very nice old lady.  She is a widow, has grandchildren, and does not look like she is well into her 70's.  I am meeting her to give her two month's deposit for the rent of a small house and lot that Rene found last week.  He feels more comfortable with this one, and to him, feels just like our home in Manila.

The property is located in a small, quiet, gated, guarded subdivision that even has a small chapel in it. It has friendly neighbors and cute houses all around.  Very simple and homey.  There is public transport that passes in front of the main gate.  It is ten minutes to the market, ten minutes to the church, and fifteen minutes to the kids' school and Rene's workplace.  And the best part is that we have the first option to purchase the house as tenants - That little detail in our wish list was left out in the previous property we saw.

The small 100 square meter bungalow sits on a 300 square meter lot with a calamansi tree, a kasuy tree, a guava tree and a malunggay tree.  The bungalow has a two bedrooms, a spacious kitchen, and a good-sized living area. 

Our big house with the Arts &Crafts Room, Music Room, and Elise's Studio Unit shall have to wait.  Now, it's just time to give the kids their own private spaces, for me to have my heart's desire of a proper kitchen and cook nutritious meals for my family, have a small home office, and host grandparents, uncles, aunts, little cousins and babies from Manila for weeks at a time, and not just a few days.

We're getting settled.

OUR HOUSE

I excitedly explored a nearby road where I heard there were some houses and apartments for rent.  I got the tip from the owners of the car wash place we go to weekly.   The road was not cemented yet, so I drove slowly.  After months of checking out houses, apartments and pads, I was slowly getting discouraged. Some were so expensive and were aimed to be rented out to expats and foreigners.

And others were like this, needing much repair and had holes in the wall and roofs.  I shuddered at the thought of all the little animals that could com into the house.  More than twice, I've seen huge monitor lizards crossing the road. There are also scorpions and some scary looking bugs.   

I slowly muttered a prayer to St. Joseph, and asked him to help us find a good home, and I chanced upon this:

There was a tall red gate along the road, and another tall red gate about 300 meters away.  I rapped at the gate with a stone and shouted, "Tao Po!!!!"  ("Someone is here!")  Three barking dogs appeared,  jumping up and down.  A little later, a tanned man with Japanese features came out without a shirt and cheerfully acknowledged my presence.  His grown-up kids own the huge property and are all live elsewhere.  He takes care of the several houses being rented out within it.  He showed me some small one-bedroom duplex houses and an old two-bedroom house, then mentioned that he was finishing up the repair of one big house.  I asked to see it anyway. 

He led me to a red gate, and told me to back up and drive backwards to another red gate.  It opened up to a 1,000 square meter property with a house that looked more like an office building. 

It had almost everything we had in the wish list we made last November! It was not a bungalow type and the deal is not Lease To Own.  But it had a huge garden and lots of fruit trees - two santol trees, two mango trees, several papaya and banana trees, a few malunggay trees and even some cashew trees.

The front lawn was once covered with bermuda grass, but there were eggplant and sweet potato vines crawling all over the place.  It would be fun to clean up and shove the vines over to one side to let the grass breathe once again.   

And guess what, when I entered the house, the layout of the house was almost exactly like what Elise drew a few months after we arrrived in Puerto!


I closed my eyes and was lost in my daydream.  The kitchen opens up to the garden, and I see Elise and Nacho playing in the tree house across the other tree with a tire swing.  I am baking with my brand new oven, grilling fresh seafood in the garden, arranging a small gathering on picnic tables in the garden under the shade of the two mango trees.  I suddenly have a green thumb and am tending tomatoes, herbs, green onions and stemming roses!  I am composting and recycling. I am having playgroups with other mothers and holding cooking, art and reading classes for kids.  I am painting the walls, having shelves made, choosing curtains....

I got pulled back into reality when he told me that the repairs would take a few months.  The rate was good, for such a big property.  Yes, we can wait.  We'll be busy anyway, with the kids' classes ending in two months, then off to Manila for the entire summer, then back here again..... June would be perfect.

And so today, at 4:00p.m., in one hour, I will bring Rene and the kids to see the house.

The House Project Continues...

We decided not to look for a lot anymore.  Instead, a house to rent seems much better.  So, Nacho and I have been house hunting these past two weeks, and are just about ready to show Rene and Elise our shortlist.

Meanwhile, below is our wish list:

1.  It has to have a spacious garden with at least one big tree where we could put up a tree house or a tire swing.
2.  Bungalow is better. No worries about falling down the stairs.
3.  Location must be well-lighted, and close to the main road.
4.  Location must be near Rene's workplace, the church, the new market and a small grocery store.
5.  The kitchen must have space for a big oven where I can bake and take orders for loaves, cakes, muffins, and other stuff.
6.  A small space for a homeschooling group will be set aside inside the house. I really want to homeschool Nacho again next school year.
7.  All of the above!  And if God wills it, it can be Lease To Own!

There are two sites.  And one of them has everything covered except #7, as it is actually for sale.  Hopefully, we can view them next week and convince the owner, who is not in a hurry, to make #7 happen!

Our Lot

I thought the Sta. Monica lot would be The One.  It was near Baker's Hill where the kids could play.  It was near the main road.  There were beautiful houses nearby.  Rene suspected that they were vacation houses, since they were padlocked. He was wary about buying the lot since there would be times when we would need to be home alone at night without him, and we did not have immediate neighbors.  Also, Sta. Monica was filled with rolling hills, and most lots had a good view of Honda Bay.  This was behind two other empty lots filled with trees and was just flat, with no view and no elevation.  Another downside was that the road going to the lot was still pure soil.  It might be very muddy during the wet season. I still liked it, nevertheless. But we had to look at some others.

The lot in Abanico Road had a view of the sea. Very nice. But it was too far from Rene's work. And besides, I had been trying to contact the number on the poster board, and all I ever got was a fax tone.

Then Tita Myrna showed us another lot that was five minutes away from Rene's work.  I liked it because it had a nice rectangular shape.  It was between two existing properties with nipa huts and sari-sari stores, and there were a lot of people passing.  It was on the main road where all the vehicles pass. Rene would just have to be dropped off when he goes home to us.  He liked the perfectly rectangular shape too. But when he saw the surrounding area, he remembered that the locals there made a roadblock made of rocks the first few months the hotel was in operation.  Even if the hotel donated all the lamp posts that lighted the road, and was the main reason why the land in San Jose has appreciated more than a hundred percent., they were not happy with the development.   The fishermen could not cross over anymore and had to go around the property because of the high walls. Also, it was not a free for all beach anymore. It was now a private beach.   If we build our house there and they find out that we are the manager's family, they might not treat us too well.  He wished that the lot was a few streets down, a little farther away from the negative vibes. 

Tita Myrna knew someone who was selling another lot a few streets away too, next to a small inn.  She strongly discouraged us to even look at it because during the rainy season, it floods a bit there, as part of the road descends.  So, scrap this possibility out.

I mentioned to her that Elise is going to the nearby private school, and it would be nice if we lived around the vicinity.  The very next day, she called and said that her relative owned a large 4,000 square meter lot that could be divided and sold to whoever wants to buy a piece of it.  She said it was in front of the school entrance, between a big mango orchard and a house. 

When Elise, Nacho and I went to the school two days later for Elise to take the achievement test for entrance to the school in June, we took a look.  It was indeed right in front of the school entrance, between a big mango orchard and a house! The frontage was less than 10 meters from the school gate. Elise was already planning to have her classmates over for snacks.

We have been talking about it these past few days and think that it could be a good location since there were already a few residents in the area, it was fifteen minutes away from his work, and I could set up a home-based business beside our house.

Rene will look at it as soon as he is available, maybe Tuesday this week. The PBA all-star games will be held here in Puerto Princesa and some players are coming to visit!

Five Minutes Away

Three hours ago, we met the mother of a good friend here in Puerto, whose sister knew someone who was selling a piece of land.  The seller just recently decided to let go of the land and when my friend's mother was told about it, she immediately thought of us.  We met them after Mass at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral.

Guess where we ended up going? Back here. The lot was five minutes, maybe even less, from the entrance of this hotel.   It was a perfect rectangle, with a wide frontage, and lots of trees.  We could not see much, since it was already seven thirty in the evening.   It was right on the main road where we pass to get to the National Highway.  I think we can even walk there tomorrow to see it again.

I felt good about this site.  It was not too near the hotel, but near enough that we could run to it when needed.  And near enough for Rene not to be too far away from work.  And, a Robinsons Mall would open right at the end of that road at the corner of the National Highway.  In a few years, it would be quite developed.

It would not be so far from the hospital, nor the San Jose Church, which is only ten minutes away.  It would be very near the Elise's new school.  We would not have to go into town everyday.  There were also some neighbors already, so we will not be too secluded.  It was almost perfect.

I can already picture The Kitchen.  Red brick floor with a drain.  Wooden planks for shelves.  A double sink, a stone topped worktable. An oven that could bake ten squash breads or six chickens at the same time.  Hanging pots and pans. A sun roof.

There would be big sunny windows and a wooden door that would open to The Garden. The wall separating the kitchen from the garden shall be a glass and iron grill lined with small plants.  There would be a long grill and a white garden sink. A small canopy will be over a picnic table and this will be surrounded by upside down tomato plants and lots of hanging herbs, which would perfume the place. The whole garden would be in all shades of green and the fence around the house shall be wrapped in red and orange bouganvilla vines. There would be a hammock or two somewhere, and a small grotto for Our Lady of Fatima.   Flowers endemic to Palawan shall color the whole house, inside and out.  Of course, there has to be a small playhouse, above the ground, attached to a tree.

I am dreaming, of course.  This will take time. And that's just the kitchen and the garden.

On Wednesday, Rene will arrive from Manila, and we will take a look at the place together.  This may be It. 

The House Search Continues...

Last week, at 5:00P.M., a real estate broker paid us a visit.  Rene happened to have a little free time, and so we thought we'd take a look at two properties before the sun set that day. 

We saw a 333 square meter concrete property in Libis, Puerto Princesa, near the provincial capitol.  It had a 200 square meter bungalow on it, and it was cemented all around.  There was not a single green, nor brown surface anywhere on the ground. 

If the owner of the house would like to have a garden, he would need to jackhammer through six inches of cement to get to any soil. Or he could just pour garden soil on the concrete, but that would make the garden higher than the house. It was also pricey for a three bedroom, 1 bathroom, 4 car garage. Elise and Nacho loved it, though. They were already thinking of biking around the perimeter without the hassles of uneven ground, stones or sand.  They circled the place, and happened upon a lady shampooing her hair under a faucet at the back of the house!  Only in Palawan!

Our second stop was at Abanico.  I immediately liked the name. Abanico, which means "fan", sounded laid back and breezy.  It was a 1,290 square meter corner lot that was a stone's throw away from the house of the owner of Ka Lui, the nice restaurant in Rizal Avenue.  It was a good place to start a home, since there were several neighbors already living there.  As we drove away, Rene spotted another lot overlooking the sea, and he sighed heavily,"Dyan ko gusto!" (loosely translated as "That is where I want!")  Luckily, there was a sign on a stick saying it was for sale!  The van driver stopped so I could put the number in my phone.  Made a mental note to call later to inquire about it.

We hurriedly drove to a beachfront property near the airport, while there was still some light. The sun's face was halfway into the western horizon.  But in the east, the moon was getting comfortable against the blue eastern sky. In ten minutes, it would be night time. 

One hectare with a boundary of white sand! Very expensive, it was a whopping 25 million. Hahahahaha! Why did we even look at it? And besides, I am super scared of pirates....

But the place was filled with coconut trees, making one of my favorite sounds in the whole world - the swishing of the leaves with the wind, like they were sweeping the sky.  The first time I heard that sound was in Caleruega, when we were checking out the church for our wedding in 2002. I never forgot how that sounded.  Here, in Palawan, I hear it a lot when we eat out, or walk outside.  There are so many trees, no matter where you go.

The sun disappeared completely and it was definitely evening.  Super dark.  We were shown a lot in San Jose - 1,700 square meters. Since there was no light, I do not even remember how it looked like. We would have to go again during the day.  Rene's workplace is also in Barangay San Jose, so this might be a good place for us to stay.

We visited Sta. Monica next. It was a 1,000 square meter lot on the main road, very clean and on a rolling hill. Not too steep, just about 10 degrees - a tiny incline that is hardly noticeable.  It was right on Mitra Road, very beautiful... but was very expensive and way beyond our means.  Aloha House was next door. It's an orphanage licensed by the DSWD which runs an organic farm too. They also sell fresh herbs and other products.

There was one more place our broker wanted to show us.  Fantastic view, he said.  On a hilltop!  We followed the wide concrete road that turned into a dirt road that got narrower and narrower.  The lamp posts were getting farther apart and they were eventually replaced by posts with long fluorescent bulbs. A few meters later, we seemed to enter a pitch black forest and the van's headlights were the only lights in the place. The road narrowed into a path that had 4 x 4 tracks and the path became steeper and steeper that the van was obviously struggling to go up the hill.  Hmmm... we would not want to live this far away from civilization.  Rene told the broker that we had seen enough and we were not interested to go any further. It was almost funny.

We saw six properties in two and a half hours.  It was already seven thirty, and we were getting hungry.  We stopped by the nearest eating place five minutes away: Baker's Hill.  In thirty minutes, we had our sumptuous dinner under the stars.  It was Earth Hour 2010.

Last Black Saturday, we finally met up with my friend to see The Lot at Baker's Hill.  It was a corner lot of about 1,000 square meters.  Rene's only comment was that it was too flat, and there was no view. The houses that were near it looked like vacation houses, so there were no real neighbors yet.  It was five minutes away from Baker's Hill, where there was a playground for the kids and another five minutes away from the church. I think I got too excited to see it, and am now overwhelmed with the many places we have seen - that is why I do not have an opinion about it anymore.

Next week, we shall visit a developing subdivision ten minutes from here. It's near the market and the church and Elise's new school.  I hope it's on a somewhat rolling hill... about 10 degrees, with a mango tree...

Meanwhile, I will call that number to ask about the Abanico lot overlooking the sea.

And enumerate all our requirements in order of priority.

Then sit down as a family and talk about all our options.

Know what?  That Abanico lot overlooking the sea is growing on me...... will REALLY inquire tomorrow.

Four Hours of Alone Time

I attended a recollection today, and did not realize that the last one I ever went to was in January 2005. Today was the culmination of this week's ordeal of pulling my different selves together: the wife, the mother and the Filipino citizen.  Today, I likened myself to an uprooted plant that has transferred gardens.  It is taking some time for my roots to hold on to the new soil.  And somehow, God has hoed around me (ouch!) and put enough s**t (manure) beneath me to fertilize me.  At last, I am stretching my arms out, breathing the wonderful air, and smiling at the sunshine --- ready to photosynthesize! 

I got to chat with some ladies about how far we were on our lot/house search.  We have seen several but none of them seemed right yet.  One of them said that her sister previously planned to build a house on a place near Baker's Hill and Mitra Ranch at Barangay Sta. Monica.  There are many nice houses already there.  But her sister moved to the States and is selling two 500-square meter lots. She is willing to sell one, or both, and told us that perhaps she could give it to us less than the published rate!

Sta. Monica.... this was the village that my aunt and uncle were looking for when they were here last year.  The tricycle drivers did not know where it was.  But he read somewhere that it is a good neighborhood. I am so excited. I hope this is The One.

Home Sweet Home Soon

Our lot/house search is not moving quite as fast as we had hoped.

We viewed a 300 square meter lot but it was too rectangular and looked like a very long driveway in the middle of sineguelas and bamboo trees.   We looked next door and saw the adjacent lot which had a huge and friendly-looking tree in the middle, perfect for a tree house.  But it was not for sale.

Another 200 square meter house with another 200 square meters of garden space on an eskinita off a main road, steps away from the town church, was too expensive.  The flooring of the house was also not level because the soil underneath was rising. Yikes.

The newspaper published some foreclosed properties but when we asked about them, we were told that they were already bought before they were even published.  There is another property along the main road: a house with a blue roof and a garage.  But we don't know yet if that is for sale.

We will look at another vacant lot right beside the hotel this week -- 600 square meters of trees.... right in front of the guard-house of the hotel.  Convenient!  I hope this is the one where we build our new home.