Thank goodness for the Hat Trick Sports Grill  Bar in Bacolod run by Miguel Luis Rivero. He’s my hero! Some of you may know that I have been waging what seemed like a solitary campaign to receive Bein Sports channels in Bacolod. Bein Sports hold the rights from the English Premier League to broadcast English footy in the Philippines. It not only shows English football but also games from all over Europe including Champions’ League games.  Europe is where the best players in the world ply their trade. Think Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Christiano Ronaldo, Aguero, Yaya Toure, Eden Hazard and Philippe Coutinho. My campaign is a long and weary one met with frustration at every turn. Read here  for the full story. I… Read More

Guest Post from a self-confessed Anglophile Self-Proclaimed Anglophile I recall many conversations {with one of my high school best friends} about the idea of living in England “for a few years”, just to say we did. Anyone heavily into the music of British bands, anyone who had a fascination with The Royal Family or other aspects of British culture was a self-proclaimed Anglophile. America’s love of all things British has spanned decades, thanks to Julie Andrews, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Petula Clark, Elton John, Monty Python, Dr. Who, The Police, etc. By the mid-80’s, I had visions of getting a “flat” in London and immersing myself in the culture. Little did I know that, a decade later, I would have the chance to do… Read More

What to bring with you when moving to the Philippines? The answer to this question when moving to the Philippines in my case was relatively simple. Just myself! Yes, I had a small suitcase packed with bare essentials such as hot weather clothing. I also had my laptop but very little else when my plane touched down at NAIA, Manila. For the previous three years or so I had lived out of a suitcase for most of that time. It came with me to Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Australia. Then back to England once more. I had divested myself of many worldly goods as a result of a divorce. True, I would have liked to have kept hold of many of those goods like my bicycle, power tools,… Read More

Takatuka Lodge and Dive Resort This resort is as close to heaven as you can get on this world. Seriously! I just love Sugar Beach and the Takatuka Lodge and Dive Resort. I mentioned it before here following a trip there back in June earlier this year with Zabrina. I vowed to return and so we did, in November 2015. I intend to be a frequent visitor. I find the trouble with many reviews of tourist destinations and resorts are that I often ponder just how independent and therefore credible those reviews are. I have no angle in writing this review, in fact, I do not even consider it to be a review, simply a case of “I must share this.” However, keep it to yourselves as I… Read More

Some days I am really ready for a change of scenery. The last few days, nay weeks, have been long days writing. Writing my paid assignments, writing for my blog here (unfortunately I don’t pay myself) and writing and planning two books that are at various stages of development. Fortunately I don’t seem to suffer from writers’ block! That’s probably because I spend more time thinking and listening than talking so my real ‘talking’ is through the written word. Zabrina recognized I was tired after a few weeks non-stop at the keyboard. She was right – I did need a break but I didn’t want to venture too far.  My favorite beach in Negros Island is Sugar Beach, Sipalay but that was a good 3 –… Read More

I received a pleasant surprise when I opened up my emails this morning. My good friend Carol had nominated my blog ExpatinBacolod.com for a “Blogger Recognition Award.” It must be said now that I have read and understood the rules that it strikes me as being a blogger version of the chain letter. Having said that, I do appreciate there is value in linking to other blogs and so I corrected my ‘attitude’ and thought why not? And I can’t be anti-social all my life! I regard Carol as a good friend although I have only known her for a short time. We have never met in person, maybe one day 🙂 Our paths crossed during the WordPress Blogging 201 Course. I really enjoy the… Read More

In case you are wondering about the title it is a sincere prayer to the Lord. I have what is known as faith and I believe in God and his Son Jesus Christ. I try to abide by Christian values and often fail to do so. I still try though. I believe in the loving nature of Jesus and his teachings – not for me all that fundamental Old Testament stuff. Fundamentalism is the root of so many evils in our world today. I have faith for many reasons. I can sense a spiritual well being in my soul when I reflect inwardly. I feel an inner peace. I was also inspired to faith by people I have known and still know. My grandmother was… Read More

Why do I blog? That is a very good question. I recently wrote that in my post Why Blog? Blogging 201. As I wrote in that post primarily I enjoy writing. A pleasant side effect is that it brings in some extra money to supplement my retirement income. Let me make that clear – this blog does not earn me one cent. My paid writing is commissioned for someone else’s web site and for reasons of confidentiality I am unable to reveal which site or even what genre it covers. Suffice to say it combines my writing skills with my investigative skills gained in a ‘previous life’. If that intrigues you then read my bio. I also mentioned I blog to try and drive  internet traffic towards… Read More

Zabrina’s Pinoy Banapple Chocolate Ice Cream Cake Or Pineapple and Banana Churla !!! hahahahah… Banapple? Banana and pineapple of course ! 🙂 The subtitle of this wonderful ice cream cake probably needs an explanation especially if you have no gay friends ! Churla is a wonderful word often heard used by gay people in the Philippines. It means “whatever” or is a generic word used to describe (or not) a particular thing that the speaker is struggling to find the correct word for ! Zabrina has many gay friends and the word has remained in her vocabulary to be trotted out at every opportune moment.  She even has me saying it now – much to the amusement of her Filipino friends both gay and straight… Read More

Zabrina’s Pinoy Crema De Fruta Dessert Yet another simple to make but delicious Filipino dessert from Zabrina. All these recipes are inspired by her childhood days in Canetown, Victorias, Negros Island when Papa would make these desserts to thrill the kids. As a British expat here in the Philippines Zabrina’s desserts certainly thrill me and our kids and family. Papa must look down from Heaven and smile! Ingredients For at least 15 servings 1 large can (550 g) fruit cocktail 2 packs (200 g) Graham Crackers (British Digestive Biscuits) 2 packs whipping cream or all purpose cream 1 can (300 ml) condensed milk 1 pouch unflavored gelatin powder (optional) Method Drain the can of fruit cocktail and reserve the juice Pour the heavy whipping cream… Read More