MORE ORDEALS
It's been a harrowing couple of weeks since my last post, and it all began with some amazingly heavy storms. It rained for days and the water got as high as the curb and flowed like a river. Local construction being what it is, this resulted in massive leaks inside the house. My friend and his wife got the worst of it, needing many buckets and a large kitchen trash can to catch water. A simple cup on my desk took care of my problems. The real dilema, though, was the leak we couldn't see.
Apparently, water leaked into the electrical system. One day, without warning, there were sparks and a series of loud pops, and then a burning smell. We were officially without electricity. My friend called the electric company hotline and they sent a truck out to replace our box. Turns out, though, the problem was inside the house and it would need to be rewired. To protect their box, the electric company cut our wires from the pole and took their box with them. They said that not only would the house need to be rewired, it would have to pass an inspection by the city before they would bring the box back. That night, we attempted to sleep in a powerless house.
The Philippines is a hot tropical country. You don't realize how hot until you try going without fans or aircon. Downstairs where I was, with so many windows, it was kind of bearable, but upstairs, where my friend and his wife were, was hot as hell. After a couple of hours we decided to go to a hotel. We found ourselves at Hotel Sogo, a Japanese themed short time hotel normally frequented by couples in need of a bit of privacy or an escape from the usual large family under one roof. It's cheap, at about $12 a night for a premium room, and very high quality. It even has free WIFI. Being a short time hotel, soon rooms even have mirrors along the walls and cieling. My friend tried one of those. I went with something more standard. Made me remember how much I missed the first place I stayed in Cebu City, where life was relaxing and everything was done for me.
The next day we returned to the house to meet the landlord and his electrician. Unfortunately, they never showed. This meant another night in the hot house. Seeking a diversion, we went to visit friends Edz, who is called Ging Ging and her sister Mary Lynn. I don't know where my friend met them, but I spoke to Edz on the phone a few times and they wanted to meet me. Mary Lynn had lived and worked in Japan for 10 years, and spoke near perfect Japanese. We spent the night talking in Japanese, singing karaoke and drinking tequila. Well, me Mary Lynn and Edz did anyway. My friend and his wife, being Muslim, did not partake. Remind me to write about the Muslim presence in this city one day.
Finally, we went, with Edz, to a nearby 24 hour McDonalds to eat. We got fried chicken and rice. After that, Edz didn't want to return home and asked us to take her to another nearby friend's place. We drove into that subdivision and stopped at the house and were surprised to find a bunch of very young teenage ladyboys out front. Sometimes it's best not to ask. We dropped her off and headed out. She mentioned that we shouldn't go back to her house, but my friend remembered that her sister specifically said to bring her back after we eat. We went back to her house and told her sister where she was. She immediately hopped in the car and asked us to take her there. We returned to that place and the sister asked one of the gay kids to go and get Edz. When she came outside, Mary Lynn chewed her a new one and took her home.
With only a few hours until daylight, and our next scheduled appointment with the landlord and his electrician, we decided to tough it out in the hot house. They arrived very early, and we thought it might actually be possible to wire the house, get the inspection and have the electric company bring the box back that day. Sadly, it was not to be. The job took all day and now the weekend was upon us. This meant no power until Monday at the earliest. The landlord offerered to let us stay at his place, but being a Mormon pastor with strict rules, such as no smoking, no drinking and an 8:00 PM curfew, I decided to pass. My friend and his wife went. I would be in the hot house all alone.
Friday night was almost bearable, but last night was the last straw. I was being eaten alive by Mosquitos. They won't go where there are fans running, as I suspect they'll be blown away, but without power they were out in force. Worse still, at 3:00 AM I awoke to a scurrying sound. It was so loud I thought one of the many cats I often see running around outside had gotten into the house. It wasn't a cat, though, it was huge freaking roaches! I took up a broom to battle them. There were at least five, and they could fly. I must have lit 20 candles to have any chance of seeing. One by one I killed them and swept them outside. Yet I still heard scurrying in a dark room packed with boxes and junk. There was no way I was going back to sleep.
As much as I hate public transportation, as soon as morning came and the mall opened, I was on the first jeepney to SM City in Bacoor. It turned out my friend and his wife missed curfew at the landlord's house the night before so they were at a hotel across the street. We met up at the mall, ate at Burger King, where I had my first burger since leaving America almost a year ago, and walked around shopping. They left early to catch the curfew this time. I decided to take a jeepney back to Hotel Sogo, where I am now, writing this on my iPhone. There's a Japanese video called Sailor Fuck playing on one of the special channels they have here. So tonight I have aircon, no bugs and WIFI Internet. I can only hope that everything gets resolved tomorrow. Either way, I suspect it will be an adventure!
Apparently, water leaked into the electrical system. One day, without warning, there were sparks and a series of loud pops, and then a burning smell. We were officially without electricity. My friend called the electric company hotline and they sent a truck out to replace our box. Turns out, though, the problem was inside the house and it would need to be rewired. To protect their box, the electric company cut our wires from the pole and took their box with them. They said that not only would the house need to be rewired, it would have to pass an inspection by the city before they would bring the box back. That night, we attempted to sleep in a powerless house.
The Philippines is a hot tropical country. You don't realize how hot until you try going without fans or aircon. Downstairs where I was, with so many windows, it was kind of bearable, but upstairs, where my friend and his wife were, was hot as hell. After a couple of hours we decided to go to a hotel. We found ourselves at Hotel Sogo, a Japanese themed short time hotel normally frequented by couples in need of a bit of privacy or an escape from the usual large family under one roof. It's cheap, at about $12 a night for a premium room, and very high quality. It even has free WIFI. Being a short time hotel, soon rooms even have mirrors along the walls and cieling. My friend tried one of those. I went with something more standard. Made me remember how much I missed the first place I stayed in Cebu City, where life was relaxing and everything was done for me.
The next day we returned to the house to meet the landlord and his electrician. Unfortunately, they never showed. This meant another night in the hot house. Seeking a diversion, we went to visit friends Edz, who is called Ging Ging and her sister Mary Lynn. I don't know where my friend met them, but I spoke to Edz on the phone a few times and they wanted to meet me. Mary Lynn had lived and worked in Japan for 10 years, and spoke near perfect Japanese. We spent the night talking in Japanese, singing karaoke and drinking tequila. Well, me Mary Lynn and Edz did anyway. My friend and his wife, being Muslim, did not partake. Remind me to write about the Muslim presence in this city one day.
Finally, we went, with Edz, to a nearby 24 hour McDonalds to eat. We got fried chicken and rice. After that, Edz didn't want to return home and asked us to take her to another nearby friend's place. We drove into that subdivision and stopped at the house and were surprised to find a bunch of very young teenage ladyboys out front. Sometimes it's best not to ask. We dropped her off and headed out. She mentioned that we shouldn't go back to her house, but my friend remembered that her sister specifically said to bring her back after we eat. We went back to her house and told her sister where she was. She immediately hopped in the car and asked us to take her there. We returned to that place and the sister asked one of the gay kids to go and get Edz. When she came outside, Mary Lynn chewed her a new one and took her home.
With only a few hours until daylight, and our next scheduled appointment with the landlord and his electrician, we decided to tough it out in the hot house. They arrived very early, and we thought it might actually be possible to wire the house, get the inspection and have the electric company bring the box back that day. Sadly, it was not to be. The job took all day and now the weekend was upon us. This meant no power until Monday at the earliest. The landlord offerered to let us stay at his place, but being a Mormon pastor with strict rules, such as no smoking, no drinking and an 8:00 PM curfew, I decided to pass. My friend and his wife went. I would be in the hot house all alone.
Friday night was almost bearable, but last night was the last straw. I was being eaten alive by Mosquitos. They won't go where there are fans running, as I suspect they'll be blown away, but without power they were out in force. Worse still, at 3:00 AM I awoke to a scurrying sound. It was so loud I thought one of the many cats I often see running around outside had gotten into the house. It wasn't a cat, though, it was huge freaking roaches! I took up a broom to battle them. There were at least five, and they could fly. I must have lit 20 candles to have any chance of seeing. One by one I killed them and swept them outside. Yet I still heard scurrying in a dark room packed with boxes and junk. There was no way I was going back to sleep.
As much as I hate public transportation, as soon as morning came and the mall opened, I was on the first jeepney to SM City in Bacoor. It turned out my friend and his wife missed curfew at the landlord's house the night before so they were at a hotel across the street. We met up at the mall, ate at Burger King, where I had my first burger since leaving America almost a year ago, and walked around shopping. They left early to catch the curfew this time. I decided to take a jeepney back to Hotel Sogo, where I am now, writing this on my iPhone. There's a Japanese video called Sailor Fuck playing on one of the special channels they have here. So tonight I have aircon, no bugs and WIFI Internet. I can only hope that everything gets resolved tomorrow. Either way, I suspect it will be an adventure!
posted by - Terrence at
6:56 AM
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