HIGH WINDS ARE AFOOT!

For the past few days we have been having some exceptionally high winds here in Cebu City, Philippines. This is likely due to the passing of the tropical storm Hagupit, which is allegedly becoming a typhoon to be named Nina. Although the storm is not really near the Visayas where I live, you can see from the map that some wisps of its edges are touching the Philippines. The island of Luzon, on the other hand, may not be so lucky. It does appear that it will pass through there. This just after the major typhoon which hit the day before I arrived just short of three months ago.

Wow. Nearly three months already. Not much is really happening now. I am settled, somewhat, into my new place and trying to work out how I will bring in the bacon to pay for upcoming bills. I spent most of my time in the last few days trying to update my sites and promote my services on the freelance job sites. I even found a new and bigger freelance job site that I just recently joined. Once I complete my service profile on that one, I will be able to bid on jobs there as well.

Speaking of internet business in general, I think this whole concept of "free" being the future of business is coming true. Even in the webmaster forums there is talk of how hard it is to get anyone to pay for anything. A number of indie rock bands have begun doing well using their music, which is available free to promote other things, tours, merchandize and the like. I thinking I will do the same with my next big personal project, creating a show, free to view on my site, that will basically promote the other services I offer. I really feel like I am wasting my time on my sites anyway, so I will just stop doing them. Not this one, of course. This site has no business prospects. It's just here so that people can follow my journey.



This morning I went to Ayala to stock up on a few more grocery items. I am starting to notice, by watching some of the locals shop, how to really save money. Granted, compared to prices in American grocery stores I was saving a ton anyway, but I knew I was still spending more than most locals even make. First thing to strike off the list is the imported stuff. Sure, you can find Doritos, Planters Peanuts, Pringles and M&M's in this store, and it will be much much cheaper than buying it in the U.S., but when you look at the local stuff, things change considerably. I got a big bag of local corn chips for 15 peso. That's like a quarter. They were good too! The same goes for other items. When I first shopped I bought prepackaged bags of fruits and veggies, because they were cheap. If you go to the open bins, though, and throw, say, a bunch of onions in a bag, it once again costs about a quarter. I also notice that I had been buying Dole brand bananas, which is still cheap with a big bunch costing around 60 peso, but the local bananas cost about 30 peso and you get a bit more. Canned goods are also cheap, though the cans are smaller (remember they don't eat as much here, or anywhere in the world for that matter, as in the U.S.). While you might pay $2 for a can of something good in Safeway, here a can is about 20 peso, or around 35 cents.

Speaking of eating too much in the U.S., I am going to need some new clothes soon. I am dropping weight like mad. I truly don't understand how these other Americans come over here and maintain their girth. To me it seems so easy to just get into the local pattern. I mean, I know there are plenty of restaurants where you can eat totally American style, with extra large portions, ribs, burgers and all that, but it's expensive! Why come here and do that? It's like going to China to eat at McDonald's! Of course, when I was in China, the other American with me did just that, but that is another story.

There's one item, I guess, that is probably almost impossible to get any cheaper no matter where you are in the world. That would be ramen noodles, here called bachoy. I didn't see every brand available, so there may be cheaper options out there, but this particular brand I bought this morning costs about 6 peso for a pack. That's about 13 cents. That is cheaper than I have seen ramen in California, but even there I know they still have sales where it is ten cents per pack.

So, if I never post again, you know hurricane Nina got us. Otherwise, not much is happening until I get a bit more settled in and get the cash flow worked out. Then I might get into some exploring of other islands here and there. There are 7000 islands in the Philippines and most of them are inhabited, by something...