Henry Sy... a real rags to riches story how he started selling shoes out of the space no bigger than a closet...
One thing that is really big in that part of the world is RC cola, a couple pesos cheaper than a coke or pepsi. All bottles of pop are good there because they are sweetened with pure cane sugar vice corn sweetener. I think henry sy died about five years ago but yes a good rags to riches story. I know you will not be in the metro manila area but the mall of asia is so big that you could spend a week there and not see it all. About one million square meters (not square feet) and growing. Built on reclaimed water of the south china sea and we wounder why ocean levels are rising. Singapore and Dubi are doing the same thing. One of these days Diego Garca will be under water, yea I spend three days there for R & R. Makes you wonder why so many politians are so dumb.
I think the entire hospital is in the know… I walk down a hall and someone I hardly know says your going to have a great time 2 weeks is way too short… try to extend.
Too funny that RC Cola is a big thing over there. RC Cola is an old time Southern favorite along with peanuts and Moon Pies.
I remember a few years ago tony borndian did a eposode on OFW's that was good, I'm very familiar with ofw, most of my family there are working in Eroupe or the middle east. I sent some to china a few years ago to work in the new gaming industry and they did not like it, much too cold.
The terror groups were mostly kidnapping along the coastal areas because that is where the Westerners were located, i.e., that is where the money was located, so to speak. But there was quite a bit of fighting in the internal areas and the terror groups were exploiting at least some of the local population. This was a decade ago, and it seems things have gotten better down there, but given the history, I would expect things to flare up again at some point. Unfortunately.
One thing that's been popular to order at Mexican restaurants around here is "Mexican Coca Cola", for the same reason, it's sweetened with cane sugar instead of corn syrup. I don't know if it really is better, the power of suggestion can be strong, but my brain seems to tell me it is.
While IMO the op should go on the trip as he'll be with locals, this ^^^ "numbers say" doesn't actually indicate that those close to us are actually more dangerous - it's just that you're with them for such a larger amount of time that the "danger adds up". You're with a rando from the street for five seconds once in your lifetime. Risk from that one person overall = very low, even if they're a serial killer (surprise, serial killers don't kill everyone they glance at). You're with your alcoholic husband 12 hours a day; risk from that person is already high, but being around him so much increases the likelihood of injury significantly.
Not yet… but if they wanted to send a message…
Itinerary tentatively is time at the plantation and then the family booked several days at a resort to celebrate the matriarch’s birthday… plus some local sights and a trip to Cebu and maybe Camiguin Island…
That sounds like an awesome trip. Something not many people get to do.
Easy for me. I don't drink sodas!
They really are too sweet for me and I don't like them. It has been many, many years since I had a soda. Now beer..... 
Red Horse, extra strong. I half empty red horse and san migual bottles in my garage now. There is a food max store in town that sells products from the Philippines, Thailand and south america products. When you walk in you feel like you just entered a new country same for the local walmarts. Remember Cebu is the leachon captial of the country.
