For the past three years we have employed Helen & Marliyn as our live-in household kasambahay and would like to now advertise a very strong recommendation for their services.

Why should you hire them?

• 100% Trustworthy – in 38 months we have never once experienced an issue with honesty. After the first year we were comfortable leaving our kids with them overnight. You could even say they’ve played a large role in raising our 18 month old baby.
• Safety – they have always kept our kids safe and exhibit a strong sense of safety.
• Work Ethic – both H&M have a very strong work ethic and do not shy away from hard labor; they’ve kept our condo spotless. When we wakeup Monday morning after they’ve been off over the weekend, the condo is already clean. They’re also very willing to go above and beyond their job description with miscellaneous tasks we delegate their way.
• Temperament – we’ve often heard of “maids with mood-swings”, but can honestly say we’ve never seen anything but a steady positive attitude from these two.
• Local Knowledge – if you’re new to the Philippines, they know the ropes so you don’t have to. One has handymen brothers who can help out as well.
• Stability – I haven’t met any other expats who have kept the same house help for 38 consecutive months. That says a lot about H&M.
• Self-Starters – We never have to tell either one of them what to do around the house.

 
Why should you hire Marilyn specifically?

• Marilyn’s primary responsibility is cooking and cleaning. She backs up Helen in regards to taking care of the kids as a secondary responsibility.
• Her cooking is amazing. See photos below. We’re often disappointed when we eat out because the food isn’t as good as what Marilyn cooks at home.
• She is 100% self-led in the kitchen: we never tell her what to make or how to make it. We’re just treated to a delightfully surprising variety of dishes every time we sit down to eat.
• She teaches herself new dishes on a regular basis. She watches YouTube videos and gets recipes on the internet and tries them out. Nine times out of ten they turn out great.
• Parties parties parties. We’re fond of hosting dinner parties with 10..15..20..+ guests of varying nationalities and tastes. All we have to do is give Marilyn a headcount and she does the rest. Photos of some of the spreads she’s put on are below. With Helen’s help, the two of them can facilitate an entire dinner party and we don’t lift a finger or manage anything.
• Weekly grocery shopping is done with little supervision from my wife. Marilyn finds the ingredients we need, and my wife just meets her at the cash register to pay the bill. (Warning: having a restaurant-quality chef in your kitchen can lead to restaurant-level food bills, but it’s worth it)
• Again, Marilyn is a very hard worker and does a great job cleaning and doing laundry in addition to cooking.

 
Why should you hire Helen specifically?

• Helen’s primary responsibility is childcare and cleaning. She will backup Marilyn in the kitchen as a secondary responsibility.
• Helen takes excellent care of our three children. Catering to the needs of an 11 year old, 6 year old, and 18 month old.
• She is familiar with the International School of Manila and helps make sure the kids are prepared each day and get to / from school.
• She takes great care of the baby, and has done so since he was born. Her level of safety and rigor is so high we do not worry in the least bit when she’s out with him. And as mentioned earlier, we’ve left all three kids with them for 2-3 consecutive nights.
• She is always present when workers are in our condo, and because of that we have never had any issues of damage goods or money stolen.
• Like Marilyn, Helen keeps the condo clean and tidy when the kids don’t need her. Zero hesitation when it comes to hard chores.

 
Other FYI’s:

• Their preference is to stay together at their next job, they work really well with one another.
• They both live with us, and probably prefer live-in jobs, but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker. Marilyn lives in Cavite, Helen in Pasig.
• Their schedule with us is Monday morning through Saturday afternoon.
• We started them at 12,000 PHP each / month, and have increased it 1000 each year. So 2016 would have been to 15,000 (includes SSS, Pag-Ibig, Phil-Health for their portion and our portion).
• We give them the standard Filipino non-working holidays.
• English skills are adequate, but not above average

 
We will be out of town Dec 23-Dec 27, so they will both be available for interviews during that window. Otherwise, we leave Jan 8 and they’ll be available to work full-time after that.

Helen can be reached at: 0905 678 1494

and Marilyn: 0915 670 4453

 

 

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.farleyfamily.pagemydriver

Last month I published my first Android app to the Google Play Store: Duly Noted. Which was something I had created for myself long ago and finally got around to publishing. Today, I’m publishing another app that I wrote for our family about two years ago and has proven very handy.

AutoPager, originally called “Page My Driver”, allows a user to specify 1-2 phone numbers as recipients of predefined custom SMS texts; which are sent by simply touching the launcher icon (no other user action is required).

Two icons are shown in your launcher: [5] and [0]. The [5] icon is used to send a custom message which normally gives a heads up about something 5-10 minutes in advance.

The second icon [0] would be used to send a different custom message regarding a more immediate notification.

For example, Tia and I set the 2 phone number recipients as the 2 phones of our family driver.

When a pickup / departure will be needed in 5-10 minutes, the [5] icon is pressed to page the driver on both phone numbers to give him a heads up and prepare for pickup. Later, the [0] icon is pressed to page the driver (again on both phone numbers) that a pickup is now required in the next 0-1 minutes.

This app was designed to page two phone numbers at once because in many countries people carry two phones or have dual-SIM phones. Paging them on both phones helps ensure they get the message.

AutoPager could also be used to provide heads up canned messages to significant others / children / co-workers, etc.

The custom text messages sent by the [0] and [5] icons can be changed in the settings.

This application has the potential to save a significant amount of time for anyone employing a personal driver or has a similar need of sending the same SMS to the same person multiple times a day.

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.farleyfamily.pagemydriver

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.farleyfamily.dulynoted&

Do you find yourself constantly getting out your phone to write a quick email reminder? If so, Duly Noted is a simple application that can save you a lot of time and hassle by automating the process to 1-touch!

Duly Noted allows you to configure 1-2 shortcut buttons that instantly send notes to pre-configured email addresses using a Google account on your phone to deliver the message.

Using a traditional email client, you must navigate the interface and type out a “To:”, “Subject:”, “Body:”, etc. With Duly Noted you can quickly focus on your note and then just tap the shortcut and you’re done! (greatly reducing the time it takes you to send the note) Watch the video above!

Features:
* Fire-and-forget 1 touch email sending!
* One or two configurable email shortcut buttons
* Supports “Share” Android native functionality for sending links and webpages
* Very informative notifications on the status of your outgoing email
* Successful notifications auto-timeout, while errors stay in the notification bar as an FYI
* Set it as a lockscreen shortcut for super fast notes!
* Free! No ads!

Privacy:
While the app must use and access a Google Account on your phone to send the outgoing message, rest assured that the application does not attempt to access your data or track anything you do.

Matt’s Endorsement:
I wrote this app for myself a few years ago, and to this day it continues to be on of the most-used apps on my phone. At the end of some days I’ll have sent 5-10 messages to myself via Duly Noted. I’m now releasing it for free for others to benefit from the productivity it provides!

Download: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.farleyfamily.dulynoted&

Having visited the Philippines several times over the past two years, we knew that there would be a lot of fun family activities waiting for us once we moved here.  Looking back over the first two months since our arrival it’s amazing how many trips and memories we’ve made in such a short amount of time.  Below is a summarized list with links to photos documenting our experiences.  (linked photos are also displayed at the end of this post)

During the past two months, we……

• Met cousins for the first time in Manila, and went to the Ayala Triangle Light Show together
• Flew to Cebu City – stayed at the Shangri-La on Mactan Island, activities included paragliding, cultural dinner show, sun bathing
• Flew to Thailand on a business trip (two weeks after arriving in Manila, so the family didn’t join me)
• Flew to Cambodia – 3 days / 2 nights (hastravel.com package), visiting temples in Angkor Wat (with Robbie) (here we realized that Kalani, at 8 yrs old, has vacationed in 10 different countries!)
• Flew to Dumaguete – met up with new-found cousins for the first time and took the
• Ferry to Siquijor Island for Christmas, activities included:
  • Sports (basketball and volleyball with cousins)
  • Family picnic at Salagdoong Beach Park
  • Village Disco (outdoor late night dance, no age limit — toddlers to grandparents were dancing!)
  • Cantabon Cave Crawl
  • Cockfighting
  • Randomly meeting relatives for the first time as we drove around the island (1st cousins, 2nd cousins, cousins of cousins)
  • Cambugahay Falls (swimming and diving)
  • Butterfly Sanctuary
  • Enchanted Tree
  • Capilay Springs
  • Open ocean fishing, from a small motorized boat (Banca)
  • Christmas dinner at our cousin’s (Jacqueline Cento) new house (where we witnessed a traditional Filipino house blessing)
  • Stayed at the gorgeous FireFly Cove
  • First typhoon hazard – missed our return ferry to Dumaguete due to the storm (which worked in our favor, we had a lot of fun with the extra day)
  • …and just enjoying catching up and getting to know our relatives!
• Drove to Anilao, Bantangas to hang out on the beach for a day and snorkel with sharks
• My front-top-right tooth fell out while eating… 6 times!  (Manila 3x, Thailand 2x, Dumaguete 1x) (A new permanent crown is being fabricated next week)
• We attended the amazing CR Christmas Party (and I had the pleasure of participating in our department’s skit)
• Attended Halloween and Christmas parties for our apartment complex
• Church Activities:
  • Attended the branch Christmas party/dinner
  • Invited to dinner by five different families in the first two weeks (+2 more invites from co-workers)
  • We both spoke in sacrament meeting
  • Tia was called to teach primary
  • Matt is the new branch clerk
  • and of course, Saturday morning basketball
• Played in the work-league basketball tournament (3rd place) (we also do pickup games 1-2x a week)
• Mason had his first professional haircut (he did great)
• Enrolled Kalani at the International School of Manila (ISM) (she loves it)
• Watched the Mall of Asia fireworks show
• Added 30+ Facebook friends (relatives and co-workers)
• Relocated / moved twice (Houston -> Ascott Makati, then Ascott Makati -> Rockwell)
• Witnessed some amazing random public performances
  • Kids doing Gangnam Style in the mall
  • School kids performing Cats in a parking garage
  • Professional concert in the middle of Mall of Asia
  • Russian Circus at ResortsWorld
• Tia’s brother Robbie visited for six weeks, so in addition to much of the above, he was also present for the following activities
  • Chinatown
  • American Cemetery
  • Rizal Park
  • PBA Playoff Game (PBA is the professional basketball league)
  • Eating Balut
  • New Years Eve Fireworks – aka World War III
  • The King and I, performed live at ResortsWorld
  • Shopping at Greenhills, Divisoria, Market Market, Glorietta, SM, Greenbelt, and more
  • Taal Volcano (tour to the crater rim)
  • Dampa Seafood Market (2x)
  • Dinner at the Hobbit House (followed by Midget Boxing)
  • Watched the movie, The Hobbit (with friends from work)
  • 3D Art Museum

 

…. and as if that wasn’t enough, over the next few months we’ll have three separate extended visits from friends and family (Nate and Laura + 3 kids, Ryan and Sarah + baby, and Felicia, who will accompany us to Thailand on a combined business trip + vacation)!

Photos from the links above:

 

Table of Contents:     (links will be created as posts are published)

• Days to 1 to 4: Manila
• Day 5: Taal Volcano
• Day 6: Pagsanjan Falls & Mall of Asia
• Day 7 and 8: Basketball, Shopping, and Church
• Days 9 to 11: Bohol & Panglao
• Day 12: An Unexpected Family Reunion in Siquijor
• Day 13 and 14: More fun in Manila
• Days 15 to 17: Coron Island
• Day 18: Wrap-up

 

After several business trips to the Philippines (June 2011, Sept 2011, Feb 2012), I was successful in convincing Tia that we should spend our summer vacation there (without kids!). As mentioned in the first post regarding this vacation (Day 12), it would give us an opportunity to see some amazing sites and attempt to explore more of Tia’s family history.

The rough agenda had us staying around Metro Manila for the first week, including a few days in the office, and then island hopping for the final two weeks (returning to Manila on the weekends). The islands we visited are Bohol, Panglao, Siquijor, and Coron.  Each offered a variety of great experiences and memories which we’ll attempt to capture in this family journal through an ongoing series of blog posts.

Highlights from the first few days include:

• Attending Church a short walk from the hotel
• Manila Bay Dinner Cruise
• Rain taking us to a professional basketball game (PBA)
• Tia’s first experiences shopping at the Manila super malls
• An evening with Toto & Ava Jill, who took us on a tour of
  • The Manila Philippines LDS Temple
  • Ateneo University (where we played basketball with an organized group)
  • Mushroom Burger (yummy!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Airport Anecdotes:

* We ran into not one, but two, good friends at the Houston airport! One was an old family friend from Sacramento, and the other was a co-worker from Australia who was passing through on his way home from Miami to Perth.  (the same co-worker I met up with in Manila several times on previous business trips)

* On the plane from SF to Tokyo, we were surrounded by a group of young men in their 20’s dressed in basketball warm-ups. Turns out they’re a traveling Christian Missionary Team, and their coach is from my old highschool in Sacramento!  (he wasn’t a coach when I played for the school, but said he recognized me)

* At the Sacramento airport (we had an overnight layover, dropping off our kids with their grandparents), someone who had the same brand of luggage as me took mine by mistake (and left).  Luckily, I managed to locate his luggage and worked with the airport staff to contact him. He came back to the airport to exchange bags with me. Close call!

* Leaving Sacramento, upon check-in, our reservations showed an unknown error and would not let us proceed. The lady at the counter had to call headquarters not once, but twice, to get the mysterious error cleared. It was a pretty tense 15 minutes or so standing there with our fingers crossed (and even then, Tia’s connecting boarding pass from Tokyo to Manila printed out fine, but mine would not!  I had to get mine printed at the gate in Tokyo).

* The flight from Sacramento to San Francisco was delayed due to weather. If it was delayed more than an hour or two, we would have missed our connection to Tokyo (luckily it wasn’t).

* Returning to the U.S., I was denied check-in at the counter in Manila due to a red coloration in my left eye.  I knew it was being caused by a cold sore on my eyelid, but they escorted me to the airport doctor for examination. Despite my plea that it was a harmless cold sore on the eyelid (that I’ve had reoccurring since my teenage years), he still wrote conjunctivitis on the diagnosis form (which is highly contagious, pinkeye). Luckily, he also checked the box that says I’m clear to fly.