Family news: Party time

 A big Valentine's day party for the staff.

Because we were in shut down due to covid restrictions, we had skipped the usual Christmas/NewYears/Three Kings fiesta parties this year, but now we can party since the restrictions are limited (keep the distance, wear a mask but you can go inside, or party outside with a mask).

So we had a party.

We eat locally, and so for the party we had local food delicacies: Casava sweets, Pinoy Sphaghetti (sweet tomato sauce and hot dog slices, with Eden processed cheese instead of parmasean), roasted ducks (again from the farm: Ducks are raised there and eat the grubs etc. in the rice fields), and veggie dishes. 

nIstead of the beloved "lechon" (Barbecue suckling pig) we had marinated barbecued sheep. I was going to take a picture, but it was too gruesome. But it tasted good. Kuya has helped a local farmer to raise sheep and we get ten percent of the sheep for our own use.

The reason we didn't have suckling pig is because there is a big problem locally with pork: The "African swine Flu" has been decimating the local pork industry. This pig influenza has been in Asia for a bit and really killed a lot of pigs in China. And we had a ban on Chinese pork products, but that didn't stop the illegal smugglers and the pork products from China with a label saying they came from a non infected country, so now we are losing our pork too...including neighbors who only have a couple pigs on their farms, raised for extra income or for their own use.

We ate in the meeting room, which we were preparing in the morning, so the local church that meets there instead met in the garden under the gazebo. And of course, for the party, we ate inside, and all the kids were running around having fun. But we kept our distance. And of course, as is usual in parties (or wakes for that matter), the men sneak outside and drink beer and eat snacks.

And of course we had a kareoke machine. Our maid did a lot of singing. No, she's not a good singer, but is very enthusiastic.

Kuya's pastor came, and so we started with a prayer. We are multi religion here: Kuya is Baptist, his wife is Pentecostal, and I am a normal Catholic, as is most of the staff. That means we party and thank God in our hearts. (hey, even Jesus liked a good party, and the party at Cana is traditionally seen as a foretaste of heaven's joys).

 Luckily, the pastor only talked for a few minutes (I've attended some parties where the pastor kept his unwilling audience in situ to preach for half an hour... figuring he might reach some of those heathen Catholics with his rhetoric).

The dogs of course had to be kept in my part of the compound: They kept trying to sneak out and get the bones in the garbage, and bark at the intruders. Luckily, unlike our late watchdog George the Cat Killing Labrador, the present tribe of dogs don't tend to bite visitors, but they still try to kill cats. Right now, we have a feral cat hiding behind the refrigerator after being mauled by the dogs a few nights ago. He is one who comes to eat the dogfood that I put outside in the large garden we use for business meetings and is guarded by Apa, the secretary's dog. I actually hate that cat, because when I put the food down he always comes near and hisses and scratches at me when I get too close to him. Well, I guess he decided he would try eating the dog food inside our house a couple nights ago: The dogs woke me as if there was an intruder, so I left them out of my room and then when I realized it was a cat, not an intruder, I had to rescue him from them.... We thought he would die but he is now eating, including fish mixed with penicillin, and I suspect he will come out and flee in a day or two.

we also have five puppies who have reached the wandering stage and have started to eat. The good news is that usually once they eat, they go to new homes. The bad news: until then, you have to watch where you step: you might step in puppy poo, puppy pee, or even trip over a puppy trying to eat your toes. The floors are tile so easy to clean: We had to get rid of the rugs in the living room and the wicker furniture there is full of gnawed holes from earlier puppies, and one of these days we will have to fix or replace them.

 A few days ago, I bought a flower arrangement and decorated Lolo's grave. His birthday and death anniversary is next month, so we will have to go and clean up the gravesite then.

The weather is overcast a bit, but soon it will become the hot and dry season that is miserable for everyone (Tag-Init). Then I'll probably stay indoors and run the aircon to stay cool. I don't need the aircon now, but often run it on dehumidify to keep the mold down, but now that Joy gave me an air cleaner, I don't have to run it all the time as a hepa filter to clean the air, so that helps the electric bill.

so life in retirement is not very interesting: Until I get the covid vaccine, I am unwilling to go to church or shop indoor. And the government is still making plans. The expected Pfizer vaccine that was arranged by the US to come in January never was sent because the government here just happened not to do the paper work. so now we are trying to get the vaccine from everyone. And yesterday we hear China will rescue us with their (crappy 50 percent efficiency) vaccine next month. Right. You should read the comments to that news story: No one here trusts China, and in the case of the vaccine, they are right. And of course, no one thinks that China might be behind some of this delay (bribery? Moi?) so they can pretend they are rescuing us and get brownie points.

But you know, several months ago, China illegally vaccinated their workers here (a lot work in the casinos, doing jobs that had been promised to locals, but never mind... and just ignore that some of them are suspected military, as are some of those here on retirement visas who are under age 40). 

But you know, I wonder: there are a lot of Yanks here, both retirees who often have Pinoy spouses, and a lot of Balikbayan (Who emigrated to the US and came back to retire). So why hasn't the American embassy arranged for us to get the vaccine? Probably because it would hurt the feelings of the local officials (and of course Yanks don't bribe, alas). On the other hand, I'm not sure if I will be given the vaccine when it comes. I am high risk elderly and permanent resident, but not a citizen, so I don't know how the priorities are going to be done. Presumably Dr. Angi will let me know when I can get vaccinated. Kuya will refuse the shot because he believes in all the conspiracy theories as a back to nature green believer, but Joy, who does a lot of deliveries and liasons in higher risk areas, will probably be higher on the list to get it.

And this week: Lent starts.

I haven't been into church for a year, and still cannot go inside the church (elders have to go to mass by standing in the parking lot). So I don't know if I will get ashes this year. 

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update: After hissing at the cook who was giving him fish for breakfast, the cat ate the breakfast and when we came back he disappeared. No dead cat found, so presumably he ran back to his home in the storage room off the garage.