In addition, many would like to hear I have failed. Well life is not easy but I am surviving. It has been hard but rewarding too. I work many hours and when I can, I work six or seven days a week. It is also difficult only being able to see Elena over the internet. Even with the reduced visitors, I will not engage in the dishonest practice of “long hauling”, driving on the traffic clogged Strip or even short changing.

In addition, the Sunday after Thanksgiving, my apartment was robbed. I know it was an inside job, but cannot prove it. My TV’s, cameras, and two laptops were stolen and about $1500 in cash. The worst part was, even though they did not take my desktop computer, they stole my external hard drive, which had all the photographs from my last 3 years. All my photos of my live in the Philippines are gone except what I could get back from my web site. The cash included the moneys donated by friends here and readers of this site.

Now for some good news

Tuesday December 21, I received in the mail a notice from USCIS, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The notice was to let me know our petition for Elena’s Spousal Visa was approved. This was so exciting I called my mother and brother and sent text messages to hurry Elena online to tell her. We are now on the last legs of a long journey.

On Thursday, December 23, Elena held the party for the kids at Agdao. As I heard and saw from the photos, it was a huge success. Each child had a Jollibee lunch, a gift bag with a shirt, a doll for the girls and a toy car for the boys and some candy. For most of these children, they have never experienced being inside or having a meal at Jollibee. They also received the ingredients to make spaghetti to bring home for their family to have a real “Noche Buena” (Christmas Eve). On Friday morning, Elena will return to Agdao to give out a roast chicken to each child to bring home. A huge part of this is from a reader who had taken our cause to heart and donated $350.00 to the kid’s party and $100 for Elena to give to the family of Angelica, the little girl I wrote about a while back.

All I will say is I will keep this generous mans identify secret unless he wants to let his name be known.

About a week ago, another driver told me, the new hotel Cosmopolitan was offering a free night with $150 credit for food and drinks in any of the restaurants and buffet for two to  taxi drivers who call a special number. Well I got through made my reservation. I only wish Elena was here to experience this night. Cosmopolitan is a hotel, condominium, casino at the City Center here in Las Vegas. I went Wednesday night December 22. It was wonderful except I was alone and Elena was not here to share it.

The room was on the 17th floor overlooking the lake and fountains at the Bellagio. The room was a Studio configuration with a larger bathroom including a separate toilet room and a large walk in shower. Then the main room was divided into a living room and a bedroom. There was two large LCD TVs and with the remote you can turn on, off or dim every light in the room individually or all per room. There was a terrace with a small couch and ottoman.

I invited a driver friend to join me for dinner and he came with his girlfriend. We went to the STK steak house. I had a 24 oz porterhouse steak for $65. It was so good; I even bit off the remaining meet off the bone.

While walking around I took many photos, but want to share this: a ceiling painted like an eye over some tables.

The next morning I went to the breakfast buffet, which was wonderful. I had a bagel loaded with lox an omelet, bacon and a fruit crepe on my first plate and some pancakes and French toast on my second plate. I made myself stop there so not to get sick.

I worked Christmas day and as the rest of the past week, it was dead. I have not had a good week since before Thanksgiving except for the week the National Finals Rodeo was in town.

It has gotten cold in Las Vegas. The mornings are as low as 31 degrees F in the early morning and up to only high 50’s during the day. We have had some rainy days too and luckily, I have two drivers who will give me a ride. With the Scooter, I create my own 40 mph wind chill so I bundle up well and still get cold riding to work in the early morning hours.

To all my readers who have stayed with me, I hope you all had a wonderful and Merry Christmas and wish you all a Safe, Happy and Prosperous New Year.

I have put all photos of both events on Picasa, so  you can click the links below to see them. There are a few videos of the room at Cosmo and the fountains at the Bellagio.

Click to  see all the Kids Party Photos

Click to see the photos at the Cosmopolitan

Last year we did this from our own pocket. We bought a shirt, candy and a little toy for 25 kids. First, we bought them a lunch of Pancit, bread and cokes at the Eatery area next to the market. The kids prayed before the meal and after eating, they sang Christmas carols for us. Then we gave out a gift bag to each child. You can read more about the party and see a slide show and a video of last year’s party here. (click here to go to the article)

This year we will keep the amount of kids to 25 but want to do more. First, we will hold it at Jollibee’s across from the market. At Jollibee’s we can have the upstairs area for the party. In addition, this will be a treat for the kids since they probably have never eaten at Jollibee’s due to the poverty level their families live.  For those who do not know what Jollibee is, it is like a McDonalds but is cheaper.

Christmas for these kids is a day for family but not much else. Their families are so poor they never have money for gifts or a better Christmas meal. It is a joyous day in a religious aspect but a sad day since they see others having a Christmas dinner and gifts shared.

What we would like to do this year, with the help of our readers and friends, is to give each child, besides the shirt, candy and toy, is to give them some money. With this money, we will tell the kids to buy some lechon (traditional roast pig) and other treats to bring Christmas home to their families.

I will try to get donations from the taxi drivers I have gotten to know here. Many are Filipino and know about the poverty in their country. Elena is talking to her friends in Davao and I am asking my readers to help.

The conversion from US dollar to peso is in the area of 43 peso to the dollar. We would like to give each child 500 to 1,000 pesos to have a wonderful and joyous Christmas for their families. 500 pesos is only $12 US.  $12 is such a small amount to most of us, but 1,000 Pesos would give each child the ability to bring home some Lechon, fruits and some small gifts for their families.

Let us show these children We Care. They go to school all week and then are at the market all day on weekends just to earn some money just to eat lunch at school. They are not beggars or thieves. They are wonderful and loving kids that never experience the type of childhood we experienced.

Elena could also use some assistance with the party. I know there are many of our friends in Davao who read this site. It is a lot of work shopping and setting up the gift bags. Elena will need help at the party to keep things under control. Unfortunately, I will not be there to help and enjoy the love from these kids.

Again, I ask, please open your hearts and wallets and help us give these kids a wonderful Christmas. For our friends in Davao, we would like someone that can keep the tradition going after Elena moves here to the US. I hope we can get a few who will continue this loving and caring gesture.

Use the PayPal donate button. All proceeds go to the kids.

Last Wednesday the foreigner group I belong to, Friends of Mindanao, made a road trip to Agusan del Norte to visit the home of one of our members, Richard and Jesa. Their home is in Agusan which is about a 3 hour drive north of Davao. We arraigned for two private vans to accommodate the 20 members and their wives/girlfriends.

We met at a local shopping mall parking lot, where our cars would be safe for the day, early and we left about 7 a.m. Because of the early departure, we stopped about an hour into our trip in Tagum for a light breakfast at Jollibee. I was surprised with my order. I do not like fried eggs, which was on all their egg breakfasts except their Pancake Sandwich with sausage egg and cheese. I was surprised, the savory taste of the sausage and the sweetness of the pancake.

After our breakfast it was back on the road to Agusan. With all of us in the vans the conversation was good and the trip was not too bad. I was in the rear and it did get warm but tolerable.

After about 2 more hours we arrived. The house sits up on a hill and with the weight of the van they decided to leave the vans at the lower area. With this we had to climb the steps up to paradise.

Once on top I got to see why they named the place “New Eden” because it was beautiful. They had 2 huge aviaries; a long bamboo pole going from a high dog enclosure angled down for a cute little monkey chained but able to move around. The monkey at first intimidated us by his growl and jumping off the pole towards us until he reached the end of the chain. Eventually Richard came over and was holding and petting the monkey and showed how friendly he was. I took the challenge and walked over. The little guy climbed over to my arm and let me pet him until he decided to climb up my arm and around. He started giving me friendly love bites to my arm and I decided to put him back before he decided I might be a tasty snack.

Then I saw a beautiful landscaped area with a nice size pool. There was a covered sitting area to the side of the pool to relax and a big patio off the rear of the house.

Richard and Jesa made us at home right away with smiles, hugging and cool beverages for all. We all relaxed at the different seating areas and relaxed. After a while we were called in for the feast they put out for us and after a short prayer it was come and get it. They had of salad, fried chicken, spaghetti and chili con carne to pour over the pasta, there was a type of shell fish that looked like tiny conch shells and of course a huge lechon (grilled whole pig). There was also fresh pineapple and watermelon.

A little while after lunch some of the guests put on their swimming attire and went into the pool for some cooling fun and relaxation. I was just being lazy and just relaxed and enjoyed conversation with some friends I do not see often.
Well, the afternoon progressed and before we realized it, it was time to pack up and head back to Davao. With big thanks to our hosts and sad feelings of leaving such a wonderful place, we all got back into the vans for our ride home.  We stopped along the way at a nice roadside stop for a snack and then back to the traffic and congestion of Davao City.

Even though it was nice to be home, I sure missed the country feeling being so far away in such a beautiful location. If Richard and Jesa read this, I thank you so very much for opening your home for us all to enjoy. It was a wonderful day for us all and your kindness unsurpassed.