Night Joy Ride – TPLEX and MacArthur Highway to La Union Philippines

We left the house in Cauayan, Isabela around 10 in the morning on a trip south this time. We wanted to go check out La Union and see what there was down that way. As per Google, it is about a 7 to 8-hour trip for us. In the States I like to test Google and see if I can beat their times. You are not going to that in the Philippines. It will take you much longer to travel than what it says. I lost all the video from earlier in the day, but I hope you enjoy the night ride up through La Union along the TPLEX and MacArthur Highway. 

The TPLEX had opened a new section of road and we got to try that out. The Rosario - Sison section is 5.93 km long. Does not seem like much, but it cuts out a lot of traffic issues. The Junction of Pugo Rosario Rd and MacArthur Highway was transformed into a round-a-bout once we came off the TPLEX. It seemed that area was still under construction as well.

Once we were back on the MacArthur Highway is was single lane traffic for much of the way. We moved along pretty good as we came through Rosario, but as we got further north the traffic picked up. As we were entering Bauang, we came to a standstill almost. There was construction, but that really was not the issue. There was a major intersection in Bauang that turned off towards Baguio. I think with the amount of traffic going to and coming from Baguio, it clogged up this part of the road. We had less than 8KM to go and it took us over one and a half hours to complete that.

Finally, 11 hours after departing the house, we made it to our destination. We stayed right along the highway at a little resort called the Marmand Resort and Spa.

#ThisIsOurPhilippines #LaUnion #TPLEX #MacAuthurHighway #JoyRide #DiscoverLuzon #ExplorePhilippines #IBS

PICK A MONEY BLINDFOLD CHALLENGE ON CHRISTMAS DAY 2019!

Pick a money blindfold challenge! We
had noticed a video on FB of this game where they blindfold someone and then
they have to pick through bills in a bowl to see what they get. It looked
really fun and interesting to play, so we just had to try it.

We added several 20, 50, 100, 500
and a 1,000-peso bill to the pot. To make it a little more interesting, we also
added some fake 1,000-peso bills. We also had a few sheets of paper added with
things like 1 shot of vinegar, 1 packet of pepper and other little notes
written on it.

There were some funny moments to say
the least. It was a very fun and interesting way to spend some of our day. I
don’t think anyone walked away poorer than they started, but some walked away
with a little more than they thought they would have today!

If you like our videos and the
Filipino lifestyle, please like and share our videos. We would love to see more
viewers enjoying our channel. Also leave us a comment.

#ThisIsOurPhilippines #HolidaysInThePhilippines
#ChristmasDay #PickAMoneyBlindfoldChallenge #BlindfoldedPickMoneyGame #MoreThanJustAPeso
#LukyWinner #DiscoverLuzon #ExplorePhilippines #IBS

This Is Our Philippines Christmas 2019

'Twas the Night before Christmas, and all
through the house, not a creature was sleepin’, not even the mouse. Their
stockings were hangin’ from here and from there, with hope that their karaoke singin’
Saint Nick could bear!

The children were all runnin’, not one in their bed, while visions of X-Box and
Pikachu danced in their heads. And then there was Ma with friends and family, they
just settled down to eat pork belly! I rushed for my camera as I recall, maybe
a video could explain it all!

Christmas in the Philippines! It is
an experience you are not likely soon to forget! Carolers singing at your gate,
family gathering from miles around, meals at midnight, friends and neighbors
showing up early in the morning, gifts to be handed out and more food than anyone
really needs!

If you were up tracking Santa on the
NORAD site Christmas eve, you might have noticed a little delay when he reached
the Philippines! Upon approach, I am sure he was caught off guard by the
karaoke and other noises coming from our house. He had very little time to get
his sleigh unloaded at the house, but he did manage somehow! Mrs Claus was very
busy helping make sure everything was ready to go the next morning! Since the
party did not start until midnight, this lasted way into the wee hours of the
morning.

It seemed I had just laid down when
I heard such a clatter! Was that Saint Nick back on our tin roof? No, it was
neighbors and friends waiting at our back gate. You see as a Nino or Ninong, a
Tito or Tita or a Lolo and Lola, we have a tradition at the house that the kids
come from the neighborhood to receive their “treats” from us! It is really a
blessing for us to see all the smiles, hear the joyful voices and see the
excitement on all the faces.

Even the adults get a special treat
when they come by. Usually a store or an establishment will give out calendars
to their customers. This year Maly had t-shirts made and some coffee mugs to
hand out to those special customers that make Maly’s Store and Eatery what it
is!

We eventually went back inside to
have our own little bit of Christmas. Everyone had gifts to open! All the kids
enjoyed being able to get their gifts and play with them! We even had a special
package that arrived from a very special Aunt in the States. Aunt Carolyn’s
gifts were really appreciated from this crowd! It gave the cousins some board
games to enjoy on a wet afternoon!

We hope you enjoyed spending
Christmas with This Is Our Philippines. Sorry to have extended it out another
month! Just think only 7 more to go until it is Christmas time in the
Philippines again!

If you like our videos and the
Filipino lifestyle, please like and share our videos. We would love to see more
viewers enjoying our channel. Also leave us a comment.

#ThisIsOurPhilippines #HolidaysInThePhilippines
#ChristmasDay #HereComeSantaClause #DiscoverLuzon #ExplorePhilippines #IBS

Christmas Preparations in the Philippines 2019

Guess what! It is still Christmas
time on our channel! Not only does it last 4 months in the Philippines, but we
have extended it out even a little further here! Just think, only 7 more months
and we can start it all over again in the Philippines!

If you never experienced a Christmas
in the Philippines, you are in for a different experience. For one thing there
is food! Lots of food! We had BBQ pork sticks, pancit, lechon belly, lumpia and
other things we had to prepare. The Christmas Eve tradition in the Philippines
is to eat at midnight. By that time I am usually beat down and tired and ready
for bed! But, for the Filipinos, no matter what, they are going to eat and
start their parties then! People stop by to see what food you have and sit and
enjoy it while other sing karaoke and enjoy the night.

Prior to this, we also were visited
by people caroling. Some come up with some interesting ways to make their
music. We hope you enjoy this little part of the video.

This was another successful night
and we hope everyone that stopped by enjoyed their time. We hope you will enjoy
this video as it gives a little glimpse into the Filipino Christmas traditions
and the fun time had by all.

If you like our videos and the
Filipino lifestyle, please like and share our videos. We would love to see more
viewers enjoying our channel. Also leave us a comment.

#ThisIsOurPhilippines #ChristmasEveParty #HolidaysInThePhilippines
#LechonBelly #ChristmasCarolers #DiscoverLuzon #ExplorePhilippines #IBS

Party Day – Happy Birthday Matthew – Hip Hip Hooray

Van loads and tricycle loads of visitors began
to arrive. Kids from all ages began to show up! Some from the country, some
from the city. Visitors and well-wishers arrived in bunches. Why was everyone
coming to our house today? Today was Matthew’s birthday and everyone came to
help him celebrate.

There were plenty of music, food, games, and
most important of all... quality time. If you have ever been to a Filipino birthday
party, you must already know that our parties rock like no other. Yes, even the
Karaoke machine was keeping the party live.

The food was prepped and placed on the tables.
There was fried chicken, grilled tilapia, rice, grilled hito (catfish), dinakdakan,
puto flan, hot dogs, rice, spaghetti, pizza, pancit, rice and of course Maly
had her special…. papaitan! Food for all to enjoy! After a short devotion and
prayer from our local preacher, everyone began to enjoy the feast!

Kids love playing games at these parties for
prizes. We hope you will enjoy some of the games the kids played. Just some of
the games were putting spoons in bottles and removing them again. A little game
called Hip Hip Hooray was added for fun. It's from the none-other Filipino game
show called WoWoWee! Then, what other way to end a party than have a “find the
most trash” collection! Everyone enjoyed the games and had fun getting their
prizes.

We just want to thank everyone that came and
enjoyed Matthew’s birthday along with us! We really appreciate everyone taking
time out of their busy schedule to come help us celebrate!

#ThisIsOurPhilippines
#PartyTime #HappyBirthday #FoodandGames #FilipinoGames #DiscoverLuzon
#ExplorePhilippines #IBS

An Army of Cooks – Prepping for a Party

Prepping for a party is
never easy. There are fires to build, meat to grill, dishes to cook, rice (yes,
plenty of rice) to cook and then keeping it all cleaned up around the area.
This cannot be done by just one person. It takes an army to help make this process
run smooth. 

We were privileged to
have Maly’s brother Chris and family down for a visit, so they do what normal
Filipinos do and just chipped in to help! We had cooks, choppers, plate
stuffers and plate washers! Everyone pitched in to make sure we got this party
off on time.

Where was Steve? Oh, he
was back driving through Cauayan to pick up all the orders from the day before.
It is hard being the host, driver and videographer all in one!

#ThisIsOurPhilippines #PartyPrepTime #ArmyOfCooks
#WhereIsSteve? #DiscoverLuzon #ExplorePhilippines #IBS

Fishy Business – Cauayan Palengke Fish Stalls

We were getting ready
for a party so into town we went. Maly needed plenty of fish to serve everyone.
We went to the local market (palengke) in Cauayan to get what we needed. We
stopped at 2 very happy vendors by the time we left. Both places were able to fill
some pretty big orders.

This is just a sample
of what we do on a daily basis near about. It seems everyday we need to go to
the market for some reason or other. This is the best and cheapest place to by
your goods. It is cheaper here than it would be going to SM or some other
supermarket to get things. Also, Maly has built a reputation with the vendors
and they sometimes will give her a good deal on the items she is buying. I
think she really likes going to the market every day, no matter what she will
tell you. 

#ThisIsOurPhilippines #CauayanPublicMarket
#Palengke #CauayanFishMarket #DiscoverLuzon #ExplorePhilippines #IBS