TBK Gives to visitors to the Blue House

 

As Christmas approaches, Chester and I look back on all the wonderful visitors that have come to see us at the Blue House this year. In January Bebe, Jhoanna and Jullymar stayed when I was in Nacpan and Lio for some HOPE events.

                                   TBK, Jhoanna and Jullymar

In February Rhoda came to stay when she had to register with Phil health so they paid the hospital fees for the birth of her second baby Zia. We went to Roma for Pizza and Rustic café for lunch.

                   Rhoda on the left with baby Zia and Matilda is on the right

In March I headed off to Port Barton for the reopening of Dam Dams restaurant and Jhoanna, Monica and Jullymar looked after my house.

                           Adam took our order at his restaurant, Dam Dams

We were his first customers after the restaurant was ruined by Typhoon Odette in December 2021.

Next to stay was a friend at University called Jok who had no where to stay when his boarding house closed so he stayed for a week in April.

                                   Jok who loved playing basketball

We had no visitors in May or June but Kit came to stay in July for two days on the way back from his month long ROTC training in Aborlan. He was exhausted and starving so we had Pizza from Roma when he arrived and then breakfast at Rustic Café the next day and a very slow dinner at Kinnabuch on his last night.

Kit enjoying a very large cooked breakfast at Rustic café after a month of army rations!

After Kit left Rhoda returned with baby Zia , less than a month old , as she needed a scan that was not available in her home town. As usual Tatay Neil obliged with accommodation, acted as her driver and took her out to dinner at Roma and Rustic café ( can you tell which are my favourite restaurants yet?!) . 

      I even cooked a few meals at home- Rhoda liked the Poochies Kitchen pies

I then decided to drive to El Nido for a few days and Rhoda and Zia hitched a lift and took some photos along the way.

                          On the way to El Nido with Rhoda, a 6 hr drive!

I bought Elay and her friend back to Puerto, went to sleep and then had a message from Kit saying he was coming back and he ended up staying 5 nights. He helped me get the shopping for the following week and washed up and swept and mopped the floors. I cooked some meals at home and we went out for a few meals too like a pizza meal deal at Greenwich in Robinsons after our marathon 15,000 peso shopping session. Kit also played with Chester a lot which he loved. One day we went to Nagtabon beach so Chester could have a swim and run on the sand. 

                             Kit tries my Nasi Goreng, which he had twice

Special thanks to my houseboys Noel and Frythy who kept my spare room and the three shower rooms/ Toilets ( they call them CR here) clean for my guests and did all the washing up, cleaning the oven and microwave and sweeping and mopping the floors. Joven also ironed the bedding and remade the guest room bed after each visitor. We have put in budget to buy another set of bedding next year to make his life a little easier, especially when people turn up without any notice and before we have had a chance to iron the bedding from the previous guests.

We took Noel out for lunch and got him a birthday cake to celebrate his 18th Birthday

                                        Guess where we went?

Frythy took the photos ( all 47 of them- well except this one which Noel took!) 

                               Frythy, with his new haircut, by Noel

In between cleaning my house and taking photos and videos for the TBK social media accounts , and looking after ( more like being harassed by ) Chester, the boys managed to graduate from PNS and get places at PSU ( Fry) and HTU ( Noel) where they are studying nursing. So when I turn 67 they will be qualified nurses and can look after me in my old age!

                            Joven on a break from ironing in Manila!

During August I had emails from Mike ( who used to work with me at Bapco in Bahrain) and Erickson ( who I met on vacation in Dubai and Abu Dhabhi). Mike wanted to stay in September and Erickson in November and I arranged tours of Palawan for them both. 

You can read a separate blog about Mike's trip by clicking the link below:

https://thebritishkabayan.blogspot.com/2023/09/tbk-tours-with-mike.html 

We went to Nactoban, Port Barton, Alimanguan and El Nido /Lio. It rained a lot but we still managed to get in lots of walking, visit deserted beaches and have some nice meals out. Mike also took some great pictures on our travels.

          Noel , Mike and Frythy eating Poochies pies for lunch on his last day here

              Mikes photo of the Alimanguan National Highway!

Then just as I was recovering from a nasty insect bite that got infected Jhoanna messaged to ask if she could come and stay for 3 nights in October with Jullymar as she has to collect some things from PSU. That gave me to perfect incentive to get back on my feet , do some shopping and cooking. Chester loved  seeing them both and they help me with various tasks around the home ( like sweeping, mopping and washing up) . 

                          Chester visits Jullymar at his house

In October Kit messaged to ask if he could stay and when I asked when he said "Now" causing me to rush around getting the spare room ready and more expense taking him out for Pizza as I had no food ready in the house.

Please if you want to stay give me at least a weeks notice so I can get food ready and get a bed made up- thank you!

Kit returned again for 3 nights in December, messaging me while I was at Sabang to ask if it was OK to come and stay on his way home from Aborlan. As he did not say what time he would arrive I got home and went to have a nap ( 3 hours driving is too much for me these days!) and when I woke up I discovered Kit on my front steps! One day he will turn up and I will be away!

In total I have had friends stay for about 57 nights this year which has been very enjoyable. Hopefully more will arrive next year like Kuyas Vin, Jake, Corleen and Coco, Miss Andrea from Bahrain and Pav from Canada. I will update you on their adventures in Palawan in due course!