What about the house?

Well the house was all finished before Christmas. Up to date pictures are on the Picassa web site. However we have not got the electricity connected yet and so cannot move in. Before Christmas we were advised to wait until afterwards to apply and then grace fell seriously ill. Now recovered, but not back to full strength we are in the process of beginning the application for connection. Once that happens we can make the final move. It is already just over a year since we started building so I am anxious we should move as soon as we can.

St David's Day

Is it really six months since I wrote anything here? Apologies, I must try harder.

Today is St David's day, St David is my confirmation saint and especially to all my Welsh family and friends I wish a happy feast day.

I always liked St David because he was "local" and reading his biography on Wikipedia it shows that he was strongly independent as well, consecrated archbishop by the Patriarch of Jerusalem. His monastic followers were expected to abstain from alcohol and meat and pull the plough themselves not use beasts of burden! Hmm.. perhaps I don't want to follow him too literally!

House Building Resumes

Well after nearly a two month hiatus, we are under way again. Caused by finances, now resolved and we are on track to finish the house. Painting has been under way for a couple of weeks, new photos uploaded, tiles bought but not yet laid, windows should be in in a couple of weeks time. Still hope to finish in October.

Elections and Presidents

I meant to blog this about the time we had our own election, resulting in the coalition but never got round to it.

The election here in the Philippines was much more noisy and hard to understand. It went on for 4 months, with every candidate having a song (most had the same one actually, No One, No one, but you) and absolutely no policies discussed at all.

The parties here don't mean anything or stand for anything, it is all about personalities. Otherwise how do you explain them electing a boxer to their congress? Or why did 8 million Filipinos vote for the ex-president Estrada who had only served 3 years of his term before being ousted because he was both useless and corrupt?

Also they have a book to fill in because they vote for President, V-P, several Senators, the local congressman, governor, vice-governor, provincial council, mayor,vice-mayor, municipality council - all at once with hundreds of candidates.

I suspect they just tick boxes at random!

Anyway we now have new President, Aquino, who has said he will fight corruption. I hope he succeeds. Unfortunately he is unlikely to succeed before next week when I have to renew my driving license at one of the most corrupt organisations here!!

Not looking forward to it at all.

House update

Everything has slowed down so much now. Currently ceilings to rooms are being put in. We are using plywood rather than the ceiling board we used in the cottage because that board has a limited lifespan apparently.

Windows are waiting till we can paint, the logistics are frightening. I am still hopeful it will be finished by September/October time. We will see.

The Prisoner

I have just finished watching (or falling asleep to) the ITV re-make of The Prisoner. I can truly say it was terrible. Yes, I remember that no one understood The Prisoner when it first came out though every one watched it avidly, certain that it would all come clear in the end, which it didn't. But it was excellent!

This remake was clunky, dull and seemed to miss the point entirely. It seemed to imply it was all dreamed by 2's wife who was on special drugs to keep her dreaming, until her son murdered her. Anyway 2 appeared to be 6's boss in the security firm for which he worked and which he went back to, I think. Whatever.

Bad doesn't get close to it!

Week Six of house building

Last week was Holy Week which was a bit of a holiday so not very much got done, except... well Grace wants a fish pond, she got the workers to dig it out to a depth of about 4 feet, she said. If you look at the picture of her in the pond, you can see it is nearer five feet! Probably going to keep a shark there.

Now this week, we went to Dolly's graduation, pictures at
http://picasaweb.google.com/JPD.Britt/DollySGraduation#

So we were away 2 days. In those two days the walls of the west wing have risen, so now you can see our bedroom etc.

Pictures now uploaded at
http://picasaweb.google.com/JPD.Britt/Housebuilding#

Next week the roof trusses should be on! Wowee!!