What a Week!

So we've had a very interesting week. I'll do my best to keep it somewhat brief, which is hard for me to do whenever I share a story. And this will be several stories. So I'll try to keep them short with just the necessary details. Anyway, here goes, in random order...

The internet guys came back out again to look at my set up. I got rid of the router, just so they would not tell me that it was the problem. So after the guy looked at things a little bit, he said he would have to leave to check somewhere else, the main switch I think he said. Long story short, when the guy came back he said that trucks were hitting the wires out on the main road. So I guess that could affect my connection quite a bit. So now, instead of the internet working for 1-2 hours a day, it usually works all day long with minor hiccups when it keeps disconnecting but then soon reconnects. It's not perfect, but a lot better than it was.

One day last week we were baking something in our gas oven. I had been doing the dishes, about three feet away. I went to another room for about 15 minutes, then returned to the dishes. After a minute or so, I realized I could not feel the heat from the oven like I could before. So I looked into the oven and could not see the flame anymore. Thinking that maybe the gas ran out, I checked both burners on the stove top, but they both worked. So I figured the flame must have gone out (somehow), which meant there was a build up of fumes. So I had the exhaust fan already on and the oven door open. After a few minutes, I thought maybe I was okay, so I checked the oven with a lighter to see if the fumes were gone. Nothing ignited, so the gas must have dissipated. So I lit it again, and was looking to see if the entire burner ignited. Whhooofff! Suddenly a big fireball shot out from under the stove (about a foot on either side of the stove and two feet out the front)! Needless to say, I jumped back (well after the fireball was extinguished). Christina came running out asking what happened. And the only damage incurred was singed hair on my leg. But, it kind of felt like I almost blew up the stove. So the food we finished on the stove top. And actually, we haven't used the oven since.

One day while walking with Christina from the clinic to our home, as we approached the corner just down from our home, we heard a loud bang and I looked up to see a guy on a motorbike fall to the ground. Apparently he ran into the side of a vehicle at the intersection. We saw him walk off the road, but as of now I don't know what happened. I actually totally forgot about it until just now. I need to ask the habal habal (motorbike taxis) drivers at the corner if the guy was ok.

On Saturday, we returned home from doing some shopping for supplies. Now, we are on the third floor of our building (with a glass shop below us) and we have half of the floor. There is another family living in the other half (kind of like a duplex, but just one floor and three stories up). So as we are walking in the door, our neighbor's helper is telling us that something is in our washer (which sits outside on the veranda, because it leaks water). So I grab a flashlight but find nothing. Maybe 20 minutes later, I'm inside and I hear a “whoosh” kind of noise (much like an electrical “explosion” or “pop”) that I immediately knew was something electrical, especially since our fan stopped working. Christina had seen some light from outside near the washer. And the lady next door starting yelling again that something was in our washer. So I have no real concrete idea what happened, but I definitely smelled something hot and electrical out there. So I disconnected the washer and moved it out from the wall. Since I did not know just what happened (although the cord is about 80% wrapped in electrical tape) and it leaks like crazy when it drains, today I went out and purchased a new washer (for about $200). Not exactly something I was expecting to do here, but we kind of need a washing machine.

I'm trying to think of all the things that we have experienced so far while living here. Here's the list as I currently remember:

-flooded streets (8” of water and stuck at the mall for two hours)

-blackouts/brownouts

-no water (even while showering)

-two taxis taking me to the wrong end of town on two occassions

-one of those taxis stalled off and was the roughest ride I've had in a taxi

-rode a tricycab to church on Sunday (a covered motorbike with “sidecar”)

-stumbled across the Kadayawan festival and parade

-saw an awesome display of lightning one night

-Durian and Halo-Halo on the same day

-been asked by a female store employee if I was single

-been asked for money

-been asked if I was a midwife

-almost blew up the stove

-almost had a washer blow up

-almost witnessed an accident

-went to Paradise (Island beach resort)

-saw a Nikon store at the mall (next to a Canon store, which was next to a Kodak store)

-ate at McDonald’s (where they serve rice instead of fries, if you want it)

-made fish to eat at home

-made a Filipino chicken soup (very good: maayo kaayo)

Well, I said I would try to keep this short, so I'm going to end it here. If you have any questions about life here and we have not talked about it, please leave comments or email us. I am actually kind of used to things here already, so I might not even think something is worth mentioning anymore (like how there is no hot water in the sinks, but we do have a small water heater in our shower). Oh, and some toilets have a small button and a large button on them. You figure it out!

Questions? We've got answers. But only if you ask us the questions. So bring them on!

God Bless!

Josh

Just outside Victoria Mall. I've seen this angle many times on the internet when searching for photos of Davao. Note the traffic that is not in lanes? That's just the way people drive here.

Here you can see a little bit of the chaos that is traffic. But this actually looks good right here. I'll have to get a better shot sometime.

Here are a few kinds of jeepneys that are here.

The Victoria Mall with a crowd of jeepneys outside.

This is our street, as viewed from the corner at Dacudao. Our home is in the middle behind the trees.

A closer view of our home. Our door is behind the truck in the middle. Two of our bedrooms are where you see the "balconies".

Our front door is behind the motorbike. Below the trees is the drainage ditch that runs along the street. That "hole" you see there actually is no more. Yesterday someone covered it with cement, I guess to widen the "driveway" for the glass shop (to the left).

This is the only damage incurred from the oven incident.