tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-233243552012-01-25T00:14:46.277+08:00An informational blog presented in glorious technicolor about life in the Philippines as seen through the eyes of an Expat Aussie English teacher and his family who are currently residing in Manila, the Philippines.Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1153837012314542242006-07-25T22:11:00.000+08:002006-07-25T22:16:52.326+08:00

I've been quite busy as of late. About a month ago, I posted recently posted a 200+ page about online tutoring for English teachers interested in online teaching. I had been working on it during the summer break, but its now complete though I'm working on several more pages.There's been a lot of rain this past month, in fact there were several typhoons. And today we got hit by a signal # 2

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com380tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1153387678225838122006-07-20T17:24:00.000+08:002006-07-20T17:30:28.396+08:00

I haven't posted a while, but I had to post this. Its really funny and reminds me that ESL is really all fun and games. Here are some signs and notices written in English that were discovered throughout the world. You have to give the writers an 'E' for Effort. We hope you enjoy them.In a Tokyo Hotel: Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1151078544032181652006-06-23T23:58:00.000+08:002006-06-24T00:23:22.940+08:00

We've been quite happy with the friendship and emotional support of the church we regularly attend, the AMS Church (Arts, Media and Sports) which is part of the MMCC. However, the lack of depth and spiritual illiteracy has prompted me to write this letter to voice my concern: -------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Brothers,I wanted to bring

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1150995823538787962006-06-23T00:02:00.000+08:002006-06-23T01:03:44.166+08:00

I've spent a bit of time on the internet today, looking through digital camera reviews so I that I can use it to get stillshots for when Ana gives birth to our first born baby in a few weeks. I must admit that I'm not particularly happy with todays digital cameras, partly because I'm a subjective person myself and partly because I'm an outright perfectionist.To be honest, I'm more familiar with

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1150467502207154502006-06-16T22:18:00.000+08:002006-06-19T10:33:39.440+08:00

For the past two weeks we've been searching books and getting comments to think a unique name for the baby. We've not made much progress, though we have decided it should start with the letter "C". The only unique name that we both like is "Channary" - which is Cambodian and is comprised of two meaning - Chan or Jhun means "moon" and "Nary" means woman - so its a figurative name. This I think is

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1150467468173827662006-06-16T21:34:00.000+08:002006-06-16T22:19:56.266+08:00

Diana Mendoza is setting up a "baby shower" for us tomorrow which Ana is really excited about. Meanwhile, the occasion gives me an opportunity to try my hand out with video filming.Besides writing in this blog, I'm doing a minute-by-minute documentary account of the baby's birth. I'm trying my hand at filming and putting footages together for the baby to see - once shes old and curious enough

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1150384062335024882006-06-15T23:06:00.000+08:002006-06-15T23:07:42.350+08:00

Sorry I've not posted for a while. I've not been able to sign into Blogger, their servers been quite busy.

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1149431241148482322006-06-04T21:47:00.000+08:002006-06-04T22:27:21.906+08:00

My dilema this week was deciding whether to go ahead and find out the results of the ultrasound or not. Its the great question every parent anticipates - will it be a boy or a girl? My initial thoughts was to find out after the baby is born and not before. All the while, I was praying for a boy. Ana on the other hand wanted to give "it" a name and start preparing for babys arrival. Quite frankly

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1148652399595105842006-05-26T21:46:00.000+08:002006-05-27T22:27:38.786+08:00

I had an unusual dream the other night about our baby. I dreamt that "he" : ) was quite a lively and energetic little vegemite! He was one of the cutest and most innoncent, fun-loving, blonde baby that I've ever seen. I even saw him ridding on a mini-motorcycle, crashing into a wall and excitedly getting up to do it all over again - he's about 6 months old in the dream. But thats not the weird

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1148651205780422322006-05-26T21:18:00.000+08:002006-05-27T00:51:27.520+08:00

I saw the Dab Vinci Code movie last Sunday, it was a bore! Waste of brain cells, two thumbs down!My first problem with the movie and book is the faulty logic and reasoning to explain away Christs divinity. Take for example, the supposedly SECRET society - the Priory of Sion - who are entrusted to be the guardians to the secret of the holy grail. I can't figure out why prominent men like Issac

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1148108694797626392006-05-20T11:57:00.002+08:002006-05-20T15:09:02.473+08:00

In one of our class debate sessions on the The Da Vinci Code movie (we dubbed it The Dab Vinci Code movie), the majority of my Summer English Class students unanimously agreed to ban the movie because of the controversy surrounding the so-called truth claims made in the book. A few of the students, including myself have read The Da Vinci Code novel, and we didn't think too highly of Brown's

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1147704091019480442006-05-15T22:03:00.000+08:002006-05-16T00:15:05.120+08:00

The press was kicking up a stink again today; giving their usual Manila world views about the sorry state of politics in the Philippines, their politically correct views why the economy is worsening, and as always, never failing to squarely put the blame on the shoulders of the President and her spiteful administration.Apparently what sparked it all was a survey that ranked the Philippines at a

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1147197316097087742006-05-10T00:15:00.005+08:002006-05-10T02:11:50.776+08:00

Reading Annabanana blog about her favorite movie made me want to share my all time favorite movie - My Sassy Girl.The first time I watched this comedy, chick-flick type movie was way back in 2002. I liked it so much that I sent a copy to Anabel, whom I was trying to court at the time, and who is now my wife. The movie has an interesting mix of character and philosophical message which dwells on

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1147043928134391172006-05-08T06:46:00.000+08:002006-05-08T07:18:50.393+08:00

Last Saturday night, we went to visit our friend Mida who gave birth at Las Pinas Hospital. Ana noticed how the baby was kicking hard on that particular night, and it continued doing so for several more hours later on into the night, even after we left had left the hospital. Could this mean that he's excited or uptight? Whatever it was, we both agreed that that night was not a typical experience

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1146761759488383602006-05-04T23:27:00.000+08:002006-05-05T02:07:51.016+08:00

A recollection of our trip to Cagayan, Gonzaga:After a long and grueling overnight road trip from Manila, we arrived the following day shortly before lunch. After exchanging greetings, pleasantries, and what-nots; we ate several delicious home cooked Illicanoe vegetarian dishes - probably the best Filipino vegetarian dishes I've tasted so far. Everyone, including me, was tired from the long road

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1146501855638721462006-05-01T23:52:00.000+08:002006-05-02T01:08:09.533+08:00

After taking a long trip to Jesper's wedding in Gonzaga, Cagayan last Thursday (April the 26th); we finally made it back home to San Pedro late, late, last night.I was quite anxious at first, thinking if we'd ever make it there and back in one piece, in the old Hyundai Van that Tata was driving, but we did. Actually Tata is not really a "Tata" (Pilippino for older man), he's in his early 90's and

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1145931643990792532006-04-25T09:49:00.000+08:002006-04-25T10:35:32.800+08:00

Over the years, I've had to learn the perpetual art of sleeping whenever, wereever - armchairs, cars, buses, airplanes, you name it; thats because for the most part, I go about my daily affairs in public transportation vehicles. For a quick 5 minute nap, I usually opt for the airchair, though a nearby chair will just about do it. For bus trips to Makati, I prefer to log-in some Z's at the end of

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1145810091961120412006-04-23T23:41:00.000+08:002006-04-24T01:06:07.026+08:00

We stopped over at Walter Mart (its the Philippino version of the famous U.S Wal Mart store), near Makati Cinema Square to meet and have lunch with our friends from church - Jerome, Joy and their little two year old, Sophia. While the mums were talking about their pregnacies, morning sickness and what-not. Ate Joy kindly donated her pregnancy clothes, which is really good news as it means one

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1145805804815066842006-04-23T23:16:00.000+08:002006-04-23T23:30:46.920+08:00

I applied this code to get rid of the Blogger Navigation Bar - the bar that runs on all Blogger pages. If you want to use it, just copy the following code and put it underneath the "text/css" code and Bob's your uncle.#b-navbar {height:0px;visibility:hidden;display:none}

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1145548288463921652006-04-20T23:39:00.000+08:002006-04-21T00:00:06.666+08:00

I happened upon this poem, enjoy it.The PromiseBy AE WiseI held you in my armsSo gentlyLooking into eyes the colorOf the earth's floor.Hair a silk capped wonder,Your breath an angel's kiss.Softly I whispered to you,"Please, promise you'll never grow older.Stay in my arms foreverAnd make all my dreams come true."I held your little handSo tightlyEyes bright with wonderOf the worldHair sun kissed

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1145372816570634552006-04-18T22:02:00.000+08:002006-04-18T23:52:41.650+08:00

The past few days have been the hottest days in Manila this year. The toads have been running wild in our frontyard - I counted three last night when I went out to feed the cats.I got a small bottle of Emperador whisky for about 28 pesos or US$0.50 which I'm now drinking as I blog. According to my students, its quite a popular "hard" drink. But after sampling it, I don't think its quite as good

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1145257284945530722006-04-17T15:00:00.000+08:002006-04-17T15:02:58.136+08:00

Last night, I think, around 12 midnight, I felt you jolting in your mothers womb. We were watching the Steven Speilberg movie, Munich, and your mum had fallen asleep. I guess it was a fathers instinct, if you can call it that; that I reached over to feel her stomach and see what you were doing inside her womb. You seem to be quite active around midnight, kicking around and doing stuff inside her

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1145257114563123312006-04-17T14:56:00.000+08:002006-04-17T14:58:34.576+08:00

On Saturday, we had lunch at SubWay today to celebrate mum's birthday. Shes now officially 33 years old - but still a kid at heart. We're at the Javaman Cafe in Powerbooks, Greenbelt 4. We frequently come to this place as you can freely pick up any book or magazine from the shelves and read for free. Besides I'm an avid believer in exercising my mind. The other reason is I abhor unbearably hot,

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1144936158218337212006-04-13T21:28:00.000+08:002006-04-13T21:57:11.680+08:00

We took took a boat trip and anchored near Crocodile Island. We did some snorkeling as the place was covered in magnificent coral. This is a picture of me diving down to inspect the corrals and feed the fish - a great experience.The beach was really nice. There was some strange greenish algae near the waters edge, but otherwise it was safe to swim in. I think the algae is probably from the

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1144724594927165652006-04-11T10:29:00.000+08:002006-04-11T11:03:18.720+08:00

Fri. April 7 We got up early and had spam & omelet for breakfast. After breakfast we took a bus trip to Lawton.After getting off at Lawton bus terminal, we walked accrossIntramurous, an early Spanish settlementAna sipping orange juice. We stopped at Starbucks to kill time when welearnt that our boat was rescheduled to leave at 8pm instead of 5pm. Our other pictures on the boat is still left

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1144337381777748072006-04-06T23:07:00.000+08:002006-04-06T23:42:41.353+08:00

We had another toad go through the living room floor - again - and exiting through the front door. Its probably the same toad that scared the daylights out of mum a few weeks back. Karen's camera phone ran out of battery, so I wasn't able to get a shot of him; but I'm sure we'll see him around the house again. He reminds me of the Cane toads we get up in Brisbane - they're disgustingly big,

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1144161832885874642006-04-04T21:48:00.000+08:002006-04-06T10:05:48.346+08:00

I checked with the people at Cebu Pacific airlines to see if they had any requirements for a 5 month old pregnant woman. None - just a doctors certificate to travel. Tomorrow will be a day of packing and shopping as we get ready to take a trip to Boracay this Thursday - so get ready for your first trip outside of Manila.Dinner with Karen and DimpleMum said that she couldn't sleep last night,

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1144116404553030562006-04-04T09:33:00.000+08:002006-04-04T10:06:44.733+08:00

This morning, my wifes sister Karen and her friend arrived from Cagayan, a province in North Luzon. She'll be staying with us for a couple of days, which is kinda good because my wife needs somebody to talk to besides me. I've noticed that woman enjoy talking - which is fine for me because it keeps my wife preoccupied. My wifes is now 5 months pregnant, and she's beginning to getting grumpy

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1144050333059487032006-04-03T15:44:00.000+08:002006-04-03T15:45:33.070+08:00

After having tried to fit into the fifth medium-sized beach shorts - and tried unsuccessfully at that - I finally opted for the "XXX" large shorts. There was a time when I could walk into any shop, easily pick out an "M" sized shirt or short, and walk out again without even trying it on - but after getting married, those days are over. Besides being too tight, the love handles really show,

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1143277485584390862006-03-25T15:11:00.000+08:002006-04-03T14:53:44.153+08:00

Feel like some dog meat and gin? What about partially formed chicken embryo in their shells? Or maybe you’d prefer deep fried pig skin? These are a few everyday delicacies that many Filipinos like to snack on.Mans best friend is also mans best dish.Dogs are considered a delicacy in Northern Luzon.Try these six delicious some of these dishes and tell us what you think!Dog Meat – A popular dish

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1143270663788190532006-03-25T15:09:00.000+08:002006-03-25T15:11:03.790+08:00

About Filipino Food Filipino food is a mix of Chinese and Spanish influence. A typical Filipino meal contains a mix of tamarind, vinegar, soy sauce, onions and herbs – but not as heavy on spice as many dishes in Asia. You will find meat, chicken and fish dishes served in many homes, while homegrown vegetables are the staple diet in the provinces.Filipinos have taken to European dishes such as

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1143270524069061552006-03-25T15:00:00.000+08:002006-03-25T15:08:44.070+08:00

Eating Out Here'’s a rule of thumb if you want to enjoy a quiet night out in the big city - go out during weekdays. That way you don'’t have to worry about bookings, you'’ll avoid the weekend crowd and you don'’t have to worry about queuing in line just to get a table. Mondays to Thursdays are the best time to go out in the Philippines for a romantic dinner, to socialize with friends or to see

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1143269700741810972006-03-25T14:43:00.000+08:002006-03-25T14:59:38.163+08:00

The Old Spaghetti HouseAnother great place to eat out in Makati is The Old Spaghetti House. As the name suggest, they specialize mostly in pasta dishes. There’s separate section for smokers and non-smokers. The interior is decorated with fine wood finishing – giving a nice cozy, homely atmosphere. The food serving is quite generous, ranging from 100-200 pesos. You can usually catch a

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1142614885221829802006-03-17T22:13:00.002+08:002006-03-18T01:08:30.416+08:00

Did you hear when our new visitor confronted your mum and made her scream ...I've noticed that the weather is starting to warm up here in Manila. December through to February is generally pretty cool. Normally there's only two weather in the Philippines - hot and dry from November to June, and rainy from July to October. Actually many foreigners visiting from cooler countries find the

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1142484952937966242006-03-16T12:22:00.000+08:002006-03-16T13:05:35.993+08:00

Our Sunday School Class OutingBesides teaching College kids, I'm also a Sunday school teacher - yup I love to teach! I teach the Preteens class, which are the 10-12 year olds. Last Sunday morning, we took a trip out to Netopia for some online gaming fun in Greenbelt. The kids loved the online games - Counter Strike, Miami Vice City ...whatever. I'm not particularly fond of online games, but the

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1142272636711590902006-03-14T01:30:00.000+08:002006-03-16T03:34:17.193+08:00

My Favorite Places to Eat in Manila If there's one thing that all Pilipinos have in common, its that they love to eat and socialize. And if its your first visit to Manila, most Pilipinos will probably take you out to the local Jollibee joint. It didn't take me long to discover that many Filipinos in Manila love food that is high in sodium and high in saturated fats - yup thats how they

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1142080446136021952006-03-11T20:30:00.000+08:002006-03-11T20:34:06.150+08:00

A simple blog has power to influence 1,000,000's of lives. It has the potential to influence more people than any event in human history. That's the subject of the following email - to encourage my church to start putting together a blog so that we can help our members and reach out to others. Dear Paris, Rich, Cesar, Marlon, Jun, Phil "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1141740202333859412006-03-07T21:21:00.000+08:002006-03-07T22:03:22.366+08:00

I went to United San Pedro's Gym this afternoon and worked on my arms and chest. I've found that gyms are pretty much alike. Gold's Gym or Fitness First in Manila, which usually charter to the class "A" flocks and foreigners usually have better equipment and facilities. You can even get a spa and message if you too after your workout. On the other hand, gyms throughout Manila aren't all that

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1141693679331936242006-03-07T07:51:00.000+08:002006-03-07T17:25:08.283+08:00

Two of my students Marvin and Jomel weren't happy about their thesis and they didn't mind airing it out to the whole class. My fourth year Computer Science class had finished submitting their thesis to a panel of University prefessors who were responsible for the overall grading and evaluation their efforts. A few students needed to polish their documentation, while many had some major -

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1141495161325670072006-03-04T23:27:00.000+08:002006-03-07T21:20:28.666+08:00

Shortly after finishing class at Baliuag Unversity, I quickly grabbed some lunch and decided to head back home. When I arrived at the Baliuag bus terminal, I quite surprised to see an armoured personnel carrier parked right in front of the busses. About 20, heavily armed foot soliders seemed to be marking off the bus area, while others were questioning the nearby passengers at the pessenger

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23324355.post-1141357290795609482006-03-03T11:20:00.000+08:002006-03-07T16:29:56.136+08:00

Mrs. Hall, my English teacher in High School was quite an idealist, if not abit eccentric and snobbish at times. She read and interpreted Shakespeare, Forest and Bradbury with great passion and brevity. She was often impatient and she would vocally reprimand when we were disrespectful in class – which seemed to happen everytime we had class. One time the class studied creative writing, and Mrs

Tobyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15667549822885381040noreply@blogger.com2