Before the Storm

After checking up on the progress of work last Sunday afternoon, it started to rain till the next day and Pedring lashed out Tuesday making the workers retreat back to Manila.  I don't know how this sea-facing structure survived but this is how it looked like before the storm.

 One . . . .

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 Three . . . .

I'm quite happy how this turned out.  I had the first try corrected since I didn't want the concrete supports above the ground.  The Minola cooking oil cans of concrete are buried under the sand

 Junie the welder finished his role as he welded the last two wheels and bathroom floor in place.

Prettier than Ever

I thought we would eat some place cheaper but last Sunday, on our way to check up on the work in Calatagan, we ended up having lunch in an old favorite, Sonya's Garden and it's still as pretty as ever, even prettier.  There's an additional hall which I don't remember was there more than two years ago.  The wonderful thing is that they welcomed us including our dog.  And the place was built pet-friendly with hardy outdoorsy floors that could take a beating.   Our son ran up and down the aisles with the dog and made friends with other kids who were attracted to his puppy, making him the popular kid who happily shared ownership and playtime.  

What I love about the construction of this structure is that it's so unpretentious.  It uses simple materials in an honest, simple way and the love affair with plants and great fresh food is the overriding factor.

Beijing Quickie

Five years living and working in China has seen friends come and go in this very transitory waiting place called TEDA which is two hours from Beijing so it's doesn't have as much holding power.  My husband and I decided to gamble in the Philippines and we now only go back to China for a brief holiday for my in-laws to enjoy their precious precious time with Joshua.  During this last trip, I visited one of my oldest friends who's still living in China, Sophie who was my roommate and classmate in a two-week Chinese bootcamp years back and it turned out, among other coincidences, we were born two days apart.  What are the chances, right?  

I took the two hour bus to Beijing just to have lunch with her and catch up with life stories over sumptuous servings of Persian food and coffee in a Spanish restaurant.  

When she heard I was going back into the field of architecture and before I had to catch the last bus back to TEDA, she gave me a tour of the newly opened hotel at the Village in Sanlitun and parts of the commercial development which were closed the last time I was there.  Beijing amazing!  Designers are having a heyday!

Reboot After a Month

After a blogless, blog-proof, blog-free three weeks in China, it's great to finally update my electronic diary of projects.  As soon as we arrived, I made preparations for the crew to go back to resume work in Calatagan, bought the necessary materials and headed there this Wednesday September 21.

Everyone was excited to go back to work after the break.  Some of them didn't get any construction job in between so they appreciated the opportunity even if it takes them away from their family for a while.

The sliding wood slat panels were made in my mom's Paranaque workshop while I was in China.  It was a good way to make use of the time and to continue the work even without my supervision.  My mom's head carpenter did the supervisory work for me.  I thought he would be able to go back to Calatagan with us but my mom needs him more in Manila.  Nevertheless, we continue with having two teams at work - one in Calatagan and the other in Paranaque.  This is the only way we can meet the end-of-October target.

Another team is going to help us finish on time.  I've outsourced the jalousies to a local company located just outside the farm.  They checked out the site, did the measurements, submitted a quotation which I immediately approved.  Here they are contemplating with the foreman what to do with the mosquito screens.  Our team in Calatagan will still do the mosquito screens while the Paranaque team will prepare the used wood so we save money.

While we were in China, the four regular staff in the Calatagan farm collected bamboo to complete this patio roof screen.  It's bumpier and more crooked than the these ones from Tagaytay.  We brought the bamboo back to be turned into sun shades at the Paranaque workshop.

Since all the welding was finished, it was pretty quick to install the bathroom roof.  The welder had to return to add two more wheels to the bathroom trailer, weld the bathroom floor in place and finish the patio support.