I am going to restrict photos and reports to one a week now. Latest photos for the end of Week Three are now up. As you can see, hopefully, the East Wing is practically ready for the roof beams and trusses. The central block is coming on too, only the West Wing, our end is still waiting because the undercroft needs several strong pillars to support the floor above. Hopefully by the end of next week these will be in place. Watch this space!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/JPD.Britt/Housebuilding#
Monday, March 15, 2010
Church Crawl
Saturday was Visita Iglesia day. So at 4.00 a.m, yes 4 in the morning, we assembled at Cavinti Church and set off to visit 7 churches in Batangas in a convoy. Most people were wearing The T-shirt, I don’t know if they had one my size but neither Grace or I had them on. The Mayor was wearing hers though!
Now driving in a convoy is a skill, apparently not much practised here, where the usual rule is every man for himself. We managed to stay in convoy until we got on the motorway, then due to poor lane choices by the 2 cars in front of me, we lost our guide. Luckily I knew where we were headed and we arrived at Church 1 well before everyone else.
Encouraged by that success, I stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and sandwich for breakfast, so we arrived at Church 2 AFTER everyone else!
For Church 3 the convoy seemed to work and so we set out for Church 4, faithfully following another car until he pulled off the road, not knowing where to go. we pulled off too and then the Mayor’s car rushed past, so i shouted that she must know where to go and set off after her. Her driver drove very fast and it was a challenge keeping them in sight, but finally we arrived at the church only to find we had missed one church out completely!! Hey ho, nothing for it but to have lunch. For the next two churches we followed Fr. Rico’s car and made them safely. And so home.
Here are some pictures:-
Now driving in a convoy is a skill, apparently not much practised here, where the usual rule is every man for himself. We managed to stay in convoy until we got on the motorway, then due to poor lane choices by the 2 cars in front of me, we lost our guide. Luckily I knew where we were headed and we arrived at Church 1 well before everyone else.
Encouraged by that success, I stopped at Starbucks for a coffee and sandwich for breakfast, so we arrived at Church 2 AFTER everyone else!
For Church 3 the convoy seemed to work and so we set out for Church 4, faithfully following another car until he pulled off the road, not knowing where to go. we pulled off too and then the Mayor’s car rushed past, so i shouted that she must know where to go and set off after her. Her driver drove very fast and it was a challenge keeping them in sight, but finally we arrived at the church only to find we had missed one church out completely!! Hey ho, nothing for it but to have lunch. For the next two churches we followed Fr. Rico’s car and made them safely. And so home.
Here are some pictures:-
Lipa Cathedral
Basilica of St Martin in Taal
San Roque
Immaculate Conception
All of us in Tuy Church
Our Lady of Lourdes, Tagaytay
New Addition to the Family
Following on our sad loss of Sisa, we decided that while Cassie is still relatively young to add a new puppy. We found a good Golden Retriever breeder, and bought a lovely little boy puppy, whom we have called Connor. he came home yesterday, 7 weeks old and already he has his first swim in the lake!
Isn’t he cute?
And Now All This
Some while ago I bought Eoin Colfer’s Part Six of Three of the Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. I decided to re-read Mostly Harmless before reading this new episode. I hadn’t read Mostly harmless for quite some while and was surprised by how down beat it was. It seems that Douglas Adams had almost had enough of Arthur Dent and hence the book ends with the “final” destruction of Earth in all its probabilities - no chance for any sequels then! I felt that MH was disappointing.
So what about “And Now All This”?
Well I am only up to Chapter Three but it is good. It does follow on from the end of MH, in a very Douglas Adamsish way, it brings back those lovely Guide interruptions, which read as if DA had written them himself, and it well constructed and funny!
I don’t know if there will be any more, but all our favourite characters are safe in Eoin Colfer’s hands.
So what about “And Now All This”?
Well I am only up to Chapter Three but it is good. It does follow on from the end of MH, in a very Douglas Adamsish way, it brings back those lovely Guide interruptions, which read as if DA had written them himself, and it well constructed and funny!
I don’t know if there will be any more, but all our favourite characters are safe in Eoin Colfer’s hands.
Alice in Underland
Last Tuesday we went for some Retail Therapy in Alabang to relieve the stress of house building! As part of this we decided to go to the cinema and we chose Alice in Wonderland starring Johnny Depp.
I was all prepared to be disappointed but actually really enjoyed the film. If you haven’t seen it and think you might do so, beware spoilers ahead! It is not Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, in fact that story is seen as aback story that happened to Alice when she was a little girl. Alice is now 19 and being proposed to by a chinless wonder from the aristocracy. She runs away, chases the white rabbit, falls down the hole, eats the cake, drinks the bottle to change size so she can use the key to get into the garden (all as in AinW classic). The story then is more based on Through the Looking Glass. There is a war between the Red and White Queens (who are sisters). The Mad Hatter is a leading figure in trying to overthrow the Red queen, but someone, and the prophetic scroll, says it is Alice, has to kill the Jaberwock. All the best characters are there, Tweedledum and Dee, the dormouse, the March hare, the cheshire Cat, he is wonderful, but the Hatter steals the film. It has quite dark moments and I wouldn’t take small child to see it, but if you fancy an adult Alice, go see!!
I was all prepared to be disappointed but actually really enjoyed the film. If you haven’t seen it and think you might do so, beware spoilers ahead! It is not Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, in fact that story is seen as aback story that happened to Alice when she was a little girl. Alice is now 19 and being proposed to by a chinless wonder from the aristocracy. She runs away, chases the white rabbit, falls down the hole, eats the cake, drinks the bottle to change size so she can use the key to get into the garden (all as in AinW classic). The story then is more based on Through the Looking Glass. There is a war between the Red and White Queens (who are sisters). The Mad Hatter is a leading figure in trying to overthrow the Red queen, but someone, and the prophetic scroll, says it is Alice, has to kill the Jaberwock. All the best characters are there, Tweedledum and Dee, the dormouse, the March hare, the cheshire Cat, he is wonderful, but the Hatter steals the film. It has quite dark moments and I wouldn’t take small child to see it, but if you fancy an adult Alice, go see!!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
End of Week Two
I keep updating the pictures, same link as before, so interested parties can see, how things are going.
At the north end of the house the concrete pillars are up and I expect we will see walls very soon, - as we progress southwards, we can seee footings and foundations. The middle of the house, dining/kitchen and lounge segments are up to their floor level, our end, south end, is still below floor level because of the slope. Footings are in andf we wait to see the undercroft support pillars for the floor above.
All are working hard, Grace thinks we moght have a roof in 2 to 3 weeks!
Watch this space!!
At the north end of the house the concrete pillars are up and I expect we will see walls very soon, - as we progress southwards, we can seee footings and foundations. The middle of the house, dining/kitchen and lounge segments are up to their floor level, our end, south end, is still below floor level because of the slope. Footings are in andf we wait to see the undercroft support pillars for the floor above.
All are working hard, Grace thinks we moght have a roof in 2 to 3 weeks!
Watch this space!!
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