VW Beetle - number 73

Note:This will be simultaneously posted to all three of my blogs-
sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken
dumaguetewebsite
robertsimms

Anyone who has followed me for any length of time is aware of my occasional posting of photos of Volkswagen Beetles that I might happen upon while roaming about Dumaguete and Sibulan. This will be the 70th VW post published onto the first blog. Those 70 posts have featured 73 different Beetles - not including the VWs featured in a blog post on VWs in Davao.

As has been my routine for over a year, I went out early this morning on my bicycle. I don't always take the same route; I'm likely to go anywhere within a five or six mile radius of my home. Today, I took a slight detour toward the Negros Oriental Convention Center not far from the Main Campus of Negros Oriental State University.

As I passed an office of the Highway Patrol, I spotted the VW Beetle I'm featuring here.

A New VW Post

Having discovered the ends and outs of the road I called "entrance X" [And it Comes Out Where? ] the road has become a semi-regular part of my morning bicycle ride. The first time I traveled that road, I had come down Rovira Drive from Camanjac - the second time, from the Xuekashi Motorparts store and then left down Rovira Drive to Pulantubig. Today, it was my intention to enter at the motor parts store, then cross Rovira onto Boni Catarata, and ride to my friend's place on Motong Rd.

Unfortunately, my friend wasn't home, but the trip was not a total washout. While on Boni Catarata, I happened upon a old VW Beetle parked along the road.

Anyone familiar with my other blog, sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken will recall that a regular feature was my blog posts and photos of Volkswagen Beetles I came upon while wandering through Dumaguete.

With the coming of COVID, I spent less time driving around Dumaguete and I had not taken a new photo of a VW Beetle since March 04, 2020.

So naturally, coming across this VW this morning, I had to take a few photos and post them.

This post will be published in both blogs - sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken and robertsimms.blogspot.com.

 

Twenty Million Views

It's been several months since I last reported on the number of views my photos uploaded to Google Maps have received. In December of 2020, the total views had surpassed sixteen million. Yesterday, I received an email notice from the folks at Google Maps, letting me know that the number of views my photos have received are now over 20 million.

They wanted to let me know that I'm a "top photographer" and I had accomplished something very few have done. Of course, I receive nothing from this, other than bragging rights.

Be that as it may, I want to list my top five photos on Google Maps (with links provided for each of the five).

In reverse order of views, the top five are:

#5 - Holy Child Hospital in Dumaguete.
#4- Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital
#3-St. Paul University Dumaguete
#2-Negros Oriental State University
and #1- the building formerly known as Silliman University Anthropology Museum.

I'll be publishing this post on two of my blogs - the one which is banned from Facebook, and my Dumaguete blog.

Sixteen Million Views

 

This past October, I mentioned on two of my blogs [robertsimms.blogspot.com/2020/10/fifteen-million and sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken.blogspot.com/2020/10/15-million-views] that the photos I've uploaded to Google Maps had received in excess of 15 million views. Now, in late December, I've learned that these photos have received more than 16 million views.

Naturally, I'm proud of this accomplishment.

I hadn't been checking the stats of late, so I don't know when the number had passed the 16 million mark. Of course, I have uploaded a few photos since October, though not enough to warrant this additional number of views.

I did notice that my photo of what was then known as Silliman University Anthropology Museum was the number one viewed photo in October and December. This photo has been my most viewed photo since, at least 2018.

In October, the number two spot was held by Negros Oriental State University - Main Campus with St. Paul University Dumaguete in third. Now, the two schools have switched places.

Two VW Photos From 2014

I haven't published a post about Volkswagens in Dumaguete since March of this year when I posted a photo of a VW parked along Hibbard Ave. I haven't really been out and about in the city during these days of the pandemic, so I haven't taken too many new photos of any kind.

After having some work done on my PC , I've spent time going thru the photos stored on the PC and doing some much needed editing and culling.

While going thru my old photos, I came upon these two VW photos from a Silliman University Founder's Day parade in 2014.

 

15 Million Views

Two days after posting, on another blog how the photos I've uploaded to Google Maps have received 15 million views, I got an email from Google Maps acknowledging my accomplishment.

Of course, I would have preferred to receive some of the elusive spondulicks, but it is what it is.

No Via Crucis in 2020

Today is Good Friday, and normally in Philippines we'd be participating in a massive Via Crucis procession. This is my fifth Good Friday in Sibulan, and I've been looking forward to joining the procession again this year. This was to be my sixth Via Crucis in a row, and my seventh total. The first one I attended was during our visit in 2007.

Unfortunately, this year's Via Crucis was canceled due the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) brought about in response to the covid19 pandemic.

To my understanding, this is the first time the Via Crucis has been canceled nation wide. I don't know if even an isolated, local procession has ever been canceled, for that matter.

No Palm Sunday Masses; no Maundy Thursday observance. It's not been a typical Holy Week in Philippines.

Unless extended by the provincial Governor, the ECQ is scheduled to be over by the end of next week. It's unfortunate that the 14 days that the authorities believed was needed to stem the advance of the virus had to include Holy Week.

Let's hope life returns to normal soon, and we have a wonderful Holy Week in 2021.

Redirect

In order for my new blog to eventually qualify for Goole Adsense, I'm told I need to have unique content published on the blog. Of course, that's a relatively simple matter, but I'd also like to maintain some readers here as well.

I don't want to simply post the exact content onto both blogs. I can, however direct the readers here to the other blog by way of a link.

Today, I published a piece entitled Camus During COVID19 Days.

Here's hoping this will lead folks there.

My New Blog

I've been blogging since 2006. I've started, and finished a number of blogs, but the one I've used most consistently over the years is Sorry, All The Clever Names Are Taken.

I've been thinking that the name of that blog was just a bit too clever. It works with using a link, but it's cumbersome when telling the name to someone and expecting them to remember it. I've been lazy, and in spite of wanting to create a new blog with a easier name, I've been putting it off.

Circumstances have pushed me to finally follow through on the plan to create that new blog.

Due to the COVID19 causing havoc around the globe, the area where I'm living in Philippines has been placed under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) and I wanted to begin writing about the situation and my experiences living under the ECQ. I wrote that post this morning, (ECQ Day One ) and attempted to put a link to that post onto my Facebook page.

Unfortunately, I was unable to post the link. Facebook said the blog was banned due it's not following community standards. I couldn't understand how or why that happened. I put the same post onto another of my blogs, and the link was accepted on Facebook. With all that, I've decided the time was right to create a new blog under an easier name to get across - hence, robertsimms.blogspot.com. Perhaps, one day, if the url is available, I'll use my name with a dot com or dot net.

This will mark the first post on the new blog. It will also be simultaneously posted on Sorry, All The Clever Names Are Taken.

ECQ Day One

Today is the first day of what we've been told will be a two week Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in an attempt by the Provincial Governor of Negros Oriental to stem the tide of the corona virus here.

We've been pretty much on a lock down status for a few weeks, but this will be Quarantine on Steroids.

Students and seniors, 65 and older had been ordered to stay at home a while back, and that rule remains in effect. We've all been under a 9:00PM to 5:00 AM curfew for weeks, however now the restrictions on everyone else in the province have gotten tighter.

Only one person from a household will be allowed outside the home, and that person is severely limited as to where and when he can go out. Each household has been issued a quarantine pass which must be presented at checkpoints. I've been told that the person going out must surrender his ID at the checkpoint and must return home through the same checkpoint within a certain time frame in order to retrieve the ID.

I'm pretty much a homebody, so the quarantine hasn't been a burden for me, although now it will be a little more complicated getting my money from the bank. That is my main complain now.

This call for an ECQ apparently comes a recent event at a port in Sibulan, Negros Oriental. The borders of the Province had been closed, with only cargo being allowed to enter. Out of humanitarian concerns, a passenger ferry was allowed to bring home stranded residents of Negros from Cebu island. Photos of the arriving passengers were posted onto social media. These photos showed that these passengers were not practicing "social distancing" and most were not wearing masks. None of these arriving passengers underwent any medical exam, we're told that the passengers were not instructed to self quarantine.

These photos sent the local medical community into a frenzy; generating a petition from front liners to the Governor demanding an ECQ.

I suspect this move by the Governor is based more on politics than on anything else.

The powers that be in our area are notorious for not enforcing laws and regulations. It remains to be seen how this will work out.

Enhanced Community Quarantine

In a few short days, our province will go under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) in order to get a handle on the COVID19 virus currently terrorizing the planet.

Each household will be issued one pass in order for one member of the household to leave the home under certain circumstances.

Those being for medical emergencies, trips to pharmacies, banks and grocery stores, and a few others.

The first image shows the ins and outs of the ECQ. The second image is of actual passes. My understanding is that the ECQ will last 14 days, unless the Provincial Governor feels it should be extended.

We'll see how this plays out.

Number 62 - Revisited

While taking my son to school this morning, I spotted this VW Beetle parked along Hibbard Ave. When I returned home, I checked my records and it turns out that this Beetle is one I posted on April 26, 2019 - VW Number Sixty Two .

Eleven Million - Plus

In January of this year, I made note of the fact that the photos I've uploaded to Google Maps had received more than 10 million views. Today, I am pleased to say that my photos have now received in excess of eleven million views.

As I've mentioned before, I don't receive any financial benefit from these photos - this is strictly a hobby for me. Never the less, I'm proud that my photos have been viewed so many times by folks looking for information about the locations I've photographed.

Two Toned Beetle

After dropping my son off at school this morning, I thought I'd take an alternate route home in order to take a few photos for Google Maps.
Mission accomplished. I was able to add photos of Hayahay Treehouse Bar - Lantaw Native Restaurant - and - Cafe Racer.

Just as I passed Cafe Racer, I spotted a VW Beetle parked on the opposite side of the street. I parked my car and took these photos. This VW is # 68 in my collection.

A Hidden VW.

A few days ago, while passing Rusi Ball Field on San Jose St., I saw a dilapidated VW Beetle parked at a house across from the ball field. I drive thru that area quite often, but had never seen this VW before this. The gate was opened that day, which explains why it was noticeable to me for the first time.

I didn't have my camera with me that day, so I wasn't able to photograph the Beetle until this morning as I returned home from taking my son to school.

The gate was closed, so I wasn't able to get as clear a shot as the view I got a few days ago. Also, it was 7:00 AM on a cloudy morning; the light wasn't the best for taking photos.

Mango Shake From Cafe Mamia

This morning, we had planned on having our American expat's brunch at the Gabby's Bistro inside the Paseo Perdices Building on Rizal Blvd.

The original plan was for 10:00 AM, but it developed into a regular cluster 4#ck very early. The school where the children of four of us attend is having exams this week. This means classes are only half days this week. Yesterday the children got out at 11:30......that would still give us time for our brunch from 10:00AM until 11:30, but at the last minute, my son tells me that they'll get out at 10:30 today instead of 11:30. At that point it became a scramble to contact everyone to see if we could gather at 9:00 AM instead.

Everyone was successfully notified about the change. When the first ones arrived at Gabby's, we learned that Gabby's was no longer serving breakfast at that location. The signs read that the cafe would open now at 9:00 AM, but we were told by employees that they really didn't open until 10:00. We decided to go to Cafe Mamia instead. We could stay parked where we were and walk the short distance to Mamia's.

The last two times we met at Cafe Mamia, I had had the bread pudding à la mode with brewed coffee, and I had enjoyed that on both occasions. I had every intention of ordering the same today, until my friend ordered the mango shake. I couldn't recall ever having had a mango shake there, and I'd need to try one for my reviews.

As it turned out, neither of us had tried them before today. Looking back at an old blog post, I read that once before two others had ordered the mango shake, but when I ordered that time the cafe was "out of stock, sir".

Today, finally getting our shakes, my friend and I were both disappointed. The mango shake is too thin for my tastes, and priced too high (105 pesos) to boot. I'm sure I'll stick with the bread pudding next time I return to Mamia.

Brunch at Tinto

I mentioned in an earlier blog post that circumstances had prevented me from attending the regular Thursday brunch with some fellow Americans last week. At one time we'd meet at pretty much the same location every week, but recently we've begun going to a new joint each week. Because I wasn't there last week, I had no say in where we'd meet this time. This week we met at Tinto on E J. Blanco Dr. in Dumaguete.

I arrived a little early and met the "first shift" expats who were leaving as we were to arrive.

As can be seen in the photos, the restaurant's decor is pleasant enough, but it's similar to choosing the proverbial book by the cover. It's the food that's important.

I made the mistake of ordering the fish and chips. I was hoping for something as good as the fish and chips at Thunder Road but I was sadly disappointed. The fries were not bad - pretty good, in fact, but the fish wasn't good at all, and the meal was way over priced at 330 pesos.

One friend had the chili con carne. It did not look at all appetizing and my friend said it tasted like left-overs (and not in a good way). Two of the guys had burger and onion rings. I didn't ask how the burgers were, but burgers are burgers in my book. The one good thing I can say about the place is that they are very generous with their onion rings. I thought one order was actually a double order.

All in all, I did not have a good dining experience at Tinto and it's unlikely that I'll return.

Another Milestone With Google Maps

In a blog post from this past Tuesday, I wrote that the photos that I've uploaded to Google Maps have been viewed more than 10 million times. Of course, I'm very proud of that.

Not only do I add photos, but I also review businesses located on the website.

From time to time, I will suggest edits - adding locations to Google Maps, such as my recent addition of J.D.'s Delight bakeshop and the Church of Christ located in Magatas, Sibulan or W. Matio Credit Services located on Hibbard Ave., in Dumaguete, to name just three.

I recently received an email from Google telling me that the places I've added to Google Maps have been viewed one million times. Another milestone.

My New Kindle

On January 2 , in the 2nd blog post of 2020, I wrote of how another of my Kindles had gone haywire.

Two days later, I received an email from my good friend Dom, telling me how he had read my post and that he had a Kindle he wasn't using; if I'd give him my shipping address, he'd send the Kindle to me post haste. I live in an area that does not have proper street addresses - heck, we don't even live on a proper street - . I immediately replied, giving him the street address of my in-laws; their street, at least, has a name.

In a later email, Dom told me the Kindle had been shipped via LBC. He included the tracking number. He also said that the package contained additional surprises. More about those items in an upcoming blog post.

Tuesday afternoon I laid down for a nap. While I was sound asleep, my wife woke me telling me that my phone was ringing and Dom was calling. I'm afraid to say that I was absolutely fuzzy headed while speaking with Dom. He told me that LBC was having trouble locating me - Dom had more than one phone number for me and the one he supplied LBC was one I no longer used. He told me he'd contact LBC and give them my current number.

After ending the call, Dom sent me a text with the cell number for the LBC guy. Giving my wife my phone - and the tracking number - she called LBC with directions to our house in Magatas. As can be seen in the photos, the package arrived.

I was able to connect the Kindle to my wifi and I  registered it with Amazon. I connected the new Kindle to my PC long enough to transfer 3 books; a trilogy of novels from P.C. Wren, downloaded from fadedpage.com - Beau Geste, Beau Sabreur and Beau Ideal.

This Kindle is a newer model than the one I was using, which was a newer model that the Kindle damaged when I arrived in Philippines in 2014. It took a minute or two to adjust to the newer features but now I'm very excited and happy to have it.

Thanks Dom.

Coffee Mugs

Just before lunch yesterday, my wife and I went to the Fil Products office to pay our Internet/cable tv bill. As a late Christmas gift, those paying bills yesterday received a coffee mug with the Fil Products' logo emblazoned on it. Mine is shown here filled with my morning cafe mocha.

Coincidentally, when we had gone window shopping at Robinson's mall Saturday, I had been in the market for a new mug, but was unable to find one that suited me. Most of the mugs at Robinson's department store were over priced, in my view. The exception was one particular style of coffee mug priced cheaply, but I didn't care for the design.

I realize that a swastika has a very different meaning in South Asia than in the U.S. and Europe, but obviously, I wasn't about to buy one.