Happy Father’s Day…

Posted on June 16, 2012 by leawalkerblog

Hey, I can’t let this day pass without greeting the 2 great fathers I know!  Of course, I am biased.. 🙂

Papa at Olman’s Seaview Resort , Bohol, Philippines.

Papa is just a simple guy. He never finished high school but he’s very hardworking. We always had food on the table despite the fact that we were very poor. We didn’t have much when we were growing up, but our table is always filled with food. His work, being a butcher, gets him paid plus he gets to bring meat. Or barter his meat with fish. 🙂

I’ve learned from him the value of hard work. Despite , of course, his imperfections – opposite to his name “Perfecto” (i told you our family has a twisted sense of humor.. lol) he’s a great father.

Thank you Pa for everything. If not for you and mama, I will not be where I am today. Love you.

Pop and mom. I couldn’t find a solo picture of Pop.

  Looking at this picture, I feel a wave of overwhelming emotions. I am glad that I had the time to speak with him on the phone from time to time for a period of 7 years. On the other hand, I feel sad because of the lost opportunity to have known him personally.

Pop died last month. I think you really don’t get over something like that. You just learn to accept death. And move on.

Pop, wherever you are, I would like to honor you for having brought up such a good son. That tells me how great a father you are. If not for you and mom, I wouldn’t have met such a wonderful husband in John.

Darren's last salute to pop. During the military burial at MS, USA.

Darren’s last salute to pop. During the military burial at MS, USA.

To papa and pop, happy father’s day. I love you both.

And to all whose dads are still alive, talk to them. 🙂 Now, that you still have a chance….

Lea C. Walker

www.davaoproperties.com

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Independence Day

Posted on June 12, 2012 by leawalkerblog

 

June 12, 2012 – Today marks the 114th anniversary of its declaration of independence from Spain.

As I looked at the Philippine Flag, I think of what the Philippines has become. And how the Filipinos have affected the world.

Our country has gone a long way. A very long way indeed.

I appreciate the freedom of speech. The freedom to write what I think. The freedom to be an independent woman in a tough business world. The freedom to stand and speak for myself and for what I believe in.

I shudder to think of what might have beens, if we weren’t set free. Imagine being held as slaves. Imagine being put to prison for speaking your mind. Imagine being stoned to death, so on and so forth.

This thing called freedom, we tend to take for granted. But today, we should celebrate it for what it is.

The Philippine Independence.

Let us be proud for being a Filipino. And for being who and what we are.

Mabuhay ang Pilipinas!

 

 

Lea C. Walker

www.davaoproperties.com

 

 

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And The Real Winner Is…

Posted on June 10, 2012 by leawalkerblog

Davao City’s roads looked empty yesterday. We cancelled our site visit with clients to Samal Island knowing that no one would come.

You ask me why?

Because it was Manny Pacquiao’s fight with Timothy Bradley.

Yes, that’s how it is in the Philippines. Or in my city, Davao. People are all tuned in to their tv’s.  I paid pay per view with Cignal so we could watch the fight without the never-ending advertisements. 🙂

Pacman is the “pambansang kamao”, after all.

Manny fought well. So did Bradley. I don’t know how the points are counted but I think Pacman got more? 🙂 I don’t know.

Bradley won againts Pacquiao. The whole Philippines got stunned. Or should I say the whole world got stunned? No one obviously expected that. Filipinos got disappointed. But Manny of course remains to be our favorite. Regardless.

I guess, that’s one thing about Filipinos. We stick together, for better or for worse. Like a family.

My fb page got flooded with comments. But this one, I liked. So i’ll share them with you.

They too were stunned and disappointed. Justin Timberlake said, rigged. hehe… Was it? What do you think?

Pacman  may have lost this fight according to the judges. But he fought the fight pretty well. And he gave Bradley a hard time. 🙂 That alone was more than enough for a boxer.

Pacman didn’t make it easy for his opponent. So for me, he still is the real winner.

In his heart and mind, Manny knew he won. But he bowed out gracefully. That is classy and that’s what made him a cut above the rest.

Let me rephrase what Oscar Dela Hoya said above – “Bradley should have given the belt and announced victory to Pacquiao right after the announcement”.

Any comments? 🙂

 

 

 

Lea C. Walker

www.davaoproperties.com

 

 

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Happy Birthday

Posted on June 8, 2012 by leawalkerblog

Today, let me dedicate a page of this blog to you.

I know you’ve been having such a difficult time , with pop dying. With a recent bout of pneunomonia. And me being sick too.

What a birthday right? 🙂

But still, I thank God for the gift of life. For your birthday. If not for him, I would not have met such a wonderful person. I would not have experienced a beautiful ride called “marriage”.

I pray that God will give you a longer and healthy life. And that He will shower you with all the blessings you need. May he give you more happiness in the years to come.

Happy Birthday John. I love you.

John’s 18 inch birthday pizza. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

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Cheap Air Fares

Posted on June 7, 2012 by leawalkerblog

Hey, summer may be over. But that doesn’t mean air fare promos are over too!

Nope, it’s not. I found this today. And it said “All In”. 🙂

All-In Promo by Cebu Pacific. 🙂

Cool huh? That’s for their domestic travels. They also have international seat sales for as low as…

Not bad, right?! 🙂

That is exclusive of taxes though. Per Cebu Pacific’s website – it costs P6,620.00 including taxes and baggage fees (20kls each way). Not bad for a trip to Beijing eh?

I would still love to go to China. Despite the tension between our country and theirs. That’s because  I would like to see the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors.

And who haven’t watched Avatar? Tell me? No one right? 🙂 Do you know that part of the movie was inspired by the mountains in China?

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is part of a much larger (397.5 km²) Wulingyuan Scenic Area. In 1992, Wulingyuan was officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

See Pandora mountains are real. 🙂 It’s in China!

For other flight schedules , check www.cebupacificair.com .

Air Philippines (www.airphilexpress.com) is also offering this promo:

See, travelling need not be expensive. 🙂

And that’s also All-In!

P3,288.00 for a trip to Malaysia. 🙂 Cool!

Tiger Airways (www.tigerairways.com) also offers roundtrip to and from Singapore on July for P5,849.00 including taxes.

So what are you waiting for? Go, go na! 🙂

Lea C. Walker

www.davaoproperties.com

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Kaputian Beach Park – Samal Island

Posted on June 5, 2012 by leawalkerblog

My cousin’s family is visiting Davao for a few days. Since they’ve never been to Samal Island, we decided to give them a treat. And took them to Kaputian Beach Park.

The day started with a drizzle. But when it stopped, it left a cloudy mark on the sky. Making it perfect for a swim in the beach. 🙂

Since it’s on a weekday, there was no line at the ferry boat port.

I love Samal, but going there on a Sunday is a tiring experience. Sometimes, the waiting time can reach  as much as 2 hours one way. And another 2 hours going home.  It takes the fun out of it huh?! Specially for those who wait under the heat of the sun. If a bridge would not ruin the island by making it so accessible to everybody, I’d say “go for it” during those times…

Ok, so after 10 minutes, we were already in Samal Island. Kaputian is more or less, 27 kms from the ferry port. But it’s not a hassle considering that the road is all concrete. Plus the view is fantastic!

Twenty mins or so later, we arrived at Kaputian Beach Park.  This is a simple resort maintained by the Local Government of Samal. For what it offers, it’s very cheap, if you ask me.

Like I said, the prices are very cheap. 🙂

The moment we set up our things in the nipa hut, everybody started preparing for a late breakfast. Kuya Dodong is a good cook, so he prepared pork kaldereta and humba while they were still at mama’s. 🙂

We thought, the grilled Bangus , pork and the tuna can wait for lunch. For now, we all concentrated on breakfast. haha

Ahhh.. ang sarap magkamay! hehe

 

Of course, photo op started after eating eh.. 🙂

Life is a beach… 🙂 With my nephew, Marco.

I would like to commend my nephew Blaire for taking the picture above. He’s a special child. But he understands when you give him an instruction. Intelligent huh?! Love you Blaire. 🙂

My nephews, Blaire and Marco.

 

White sand beach in Kaputian, Island Garden City of Samal.

Blaire and his sand castle. 🙂

 

 

 

On the way to the beach… 🙂

Our drivers and cook for the day. hehe Dandan and Boyet.

Jumping the waves. Marco and I.

With mama and marco. 🙂

 

Enjoying the sand. 🙂

 

 

My cousin’s family.

 

The Facilities:

The non-aircon cottage at Kaputian Beach Park. Price is Php300.00 for an overnight stay.

 

The airconditioned cottage at Kaputian Beach Park. It costs P800.00 per night.

 

Red Roofed cottage costs P100.00 for daytime use.

Nipa Huts cost P250.00 for daytime use.

A set of plastic table and chairs cost P150.00 .

 

On the way home, we stopped beside the road to enjoy the view of the sea, Davao City and Pearl Farm. 🙂

 

Malipano Island, Pearl Farm, Island Garden City of Samal. Like I said, the view is fantastic!

 

Kaputian can be reached by bus from Davao City. The fare is P60.00 per head. Or you can take a passenger ferry (locally known as lantsa) at Sta. Ana Wharf. There are 2 schedules per day (one going to Kaputian) and (one going back to Davao).

Summer may be over. But Samal Island is just waiting for those who want to take a dip in the beach all year round. 🙂

 

Lea C. Walker

www.davaoproperties.com

 

 

 

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Blog’s New Page

Posted on June 3, 2012 by leawalkerblog

I am happy to announce that I have added a new page to my blog.

It’s called “Food Trip”.

John and I like to eat. And like I said in my previous blog, I have learned to cook and bake over the years. 🙂

I’ll feature in the Food Trip page everything that I’ve learned. And the food that we like in the restaurants we go to, as well.

I hope that when you’re in Davao, you will know which restaurants to go to. 🙂

Cheers!

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My Cooking Experiments..

Posted on May 31, 2012 by leawalkerblog

I met John in 2005. Before we got married, I told him that I know very little about cooking. Err..specially western food. I mean, I didn’t grow up with an american in our house, you know. hehe

Well, check an inch of your finger. That’s how little I knew of cooking.

When we got married, John said ” you lied”.. After I burnt the rice. hahaha… I’m a Filipino and we eat rice all the time. And I burnt it! Not just the rice, mind you. But including the pot I was using..

It has become a joke between us that what I know about cooking is smaller than an inch.

That was then. 🙂

Over the years, I’ve experimented. It’s just John and me in our house. So he gets to eat my “experiments”. His usual question is – “are you sure you won’t poison me with this?” he he I often tell him that I tasted it first and I’m still alive. hahaha

Among the many I’ve made over the years, these are my favorites. If you like its looks, I promise you,  you’ll like the taste better. hehe.. I’d happily share my recipe if you email me. 🙂

Baked BBQ Ribs

Juicy Roasted Chicken

Juicy Roasted Chicken

My crab specialty. 🙂

Oh, don’t let me start about dessert. Tsk..tsk.. I know, I don’t need it. But sometimes, we deserve a break right?

So if I’m not busy, I find time to bake. So far, the ones I liked the best is the apple strudel.  And  the guava jelly “turon” or spring roll. I have to thank food network for that. Both are really good and so easy to prepare. 🙂

I don’t know what started me thinking of food so early in the morning. lol  But as the month of June starts, let’s go on a food trip together.  🙂 Let’s eat what we can while we can. Life is too short to think of so many “bawals” in the world…

Happy eating! 🙂

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Producer’s Night

Posted on May 30, 2012 by leawalkerblog

I was invited to dinner by Santos Land Development Corporation, in celebration of the Producer’s Night. 🙂 This is a quarterly event done by the developer to thank the people who produced during the quarter.

The invite said, 6pm. So we got there around that time. I forgot that I’m in the Philippines and so, Filipino time applies. he he..

In our country, 6pm means – 7pm.  What was I thinking! lol  Seriously though, I’m used to coming on time because that’s what my work entails. I can’t waste my client’s time.

I loved it when we got there early though because it gave Pearlie and me a little time to do some photo op. You know by know that I’m an addict. Photography addict, that is. 🙂

So here are some of the pictures taken that night.

At the entrance of Taklobo Restaurant, Jack’s Ridge, Davao City.

Pearlie, infront of Taklobo Restaurant.

Going down to Kai’s Bar.

Kai’s Bar at 6pm. There’s no one there. Everybody started arriving 30 minutes later. 🙂

The solid team of Santos Land Development Corporation’s marketing department.

My Colleagues in the business. 🙂

Our Marketing Head, Estela B. Aguilos

Ma’am Estela was thanking everyone for a job well done. 🙂

Sir Tony Boy has committed to deliver more quality houses. 🙂

All in all, it was a good evening. Jack’s ridge food was good – (pinakbet, my favorite), fried chicken, kinilaw na malasugue, Sabaw na Lapu-lapu, Grilled Tuna Belly was juicy and yummy. Of course, SLDC ordered lechong baboy. I’m glad my cholesterol level is ok. he he I could still eat those. 🙂

I’m glad to have talked to my colleagues in the industry. We don’t often get the time to do that but it was made possible that night.

Thank you Santos Land!

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Goodbye Pop…

Posted on May 26, 2012 by leawalkerblog

Pop is Paul Wayne Walker. The father of John. And my father inlaw.

At 2:20pm today, 26 May 2012, he passed away in his sleep.

I feel terrible because 7 years ago, I told John that I don’t want to live in the U.S.  So he decided to retire in the Philippines instead. Because of that, he has spent very little time with his family. We talk on the phone always, thanks to Magic Jack and Vonage. 🙂 But it’s not the same when you see each other in person.

So I’ve tried to apply for a US Visa. But since I come from a “third world” country, I got denied. What hurts is that the consul did not even bother to look at the stack of titles I brought with me. The financial documents and all the other proof of income we have.

Sucks right.

But what hurts more is that pop died without having seen me. The reason why his son chose to live in the Philippines than the U.S.

During our trip in Thailand last year, we bought him this nice polo shirt made of silk. We thought of sending it through a courrier but he said that it’s better if we give it to him in person. Now, I cannot do that anymore…

I am crying as I write this because John just said, “what am I going to do with this now?”

The polo shirt we bought in Thailand for pop.

I packed it in his suitcase because he decided to put it in pop’s grave. That would fulfill pop’s request for us to bring it to him in person. Err.. sorry, not us. Because  I still  don’t have a US visa. Therefore,  I cannot even see him on his funeral. 😦

Sometimes, it sucks to be a Filipino.

It does not matter even if you’re qualified. And that you just really want to visit and enjoy your vacation. No, those don’t matter at all.

If you’re a Filipino, you’re automatically being judged as poor. And therefore, wants to work in the US. So the consul takes one look at you and decide that you are not qualified “socially and economically”. Whatever that means…

So for me, I lost one great opportunity to meet the father of my husband. I cannot hug him anymore. And I cannot even say happy father’s day pop anymore.

So I’ll just say, goodbye pop one last time. And may God accept your soul in heaven.

I love you.

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