Sheets of sasa laying on the floor treated with Solignum and nailed on both sides of the frame. Laborous, time consuming work but the result is worth the effort.
The parquet panels of 1 sq.M were fabricated from scratch. From the tree cutting with my own chainsaw, slashing and machined in my shop, installed by my men. Fabulous work, Filipinos is fast learning people, IF YOU KNOW HOW TO TEACH THEM THINGS.
The patio in front of the house 2.5 M X 5 floor made with parquet “made in house”. One inch thick Mahagony pieces assembled to reproduce designs found in the pre-revolution palaces in France.
Hard to find bamboo of this size in the area. Some go up to 15 centimeters in diameter. But Stela’s 4×4 knew the way, often on the most remote areas of Bohol. The patio with a fully equipped kitchen attached.
An overview of the land and house. 3 buildings for a total of more than 250 Sq M living space.
A closer view of the “campound” as my friends used to call it
The gate and driveway.
We bought 400 mahogany trees to cut and shape the wood to our needs. Obtaining permits and licenses from the government wasn’t an easy ride, a tough job that Stella handled the challenge like a pro. Chain sow operators are talented craftsmen, They will slice a tree up to 50 centimeters diameter to 5 centimeters slices with an electronic precision, obtaining the same thickness on each piece. Amazing! But hard to find them. They are always busy.
Stella has a passion with farming and gardening. “The rich girl from America” as the neighbors call her have rarely seen her with high heels shoes and fashion dressed. Gins and her yellow 4X4 Suzuki is going to the farm washer favorite lifestyle
7 years later later growing like crazy. The “Dwarfs” planted on both sides of the drive and along the fence climb so high and wide that had to trim some branches because cars couldn’t make it through. Stela’s work paid off! No chemicals here! The fertilizer was coming from the rice mill, they call it here “palay skin” and it was given away for free at that time.
With my “troop” in the forest finding and negotiating large size bamboo. They told me to avoid the area as nearby was an MPA bivouac. Who cares? I lived in Africa for many years, on “hot spots” regions, no one ever harmed me.
Multicolored species of Orchids flowers start climbing covering the iron fence, people passing by have never seen that before.
THE FARMING YEARS
Me-and-Tatay. I had the idea, Tatay the knowledge, skills and passion for nature.
Tatay-at-75
Tribute-to-Tatay.Never tired, responsible and reliable Tatay raised a family of 10 with dignity and respect. A role model father and citizen in the community he lives. Hang in there Tatay! We still need you. You know how much me and your daughter care for you, how much respect we have for you. You’ll go to 95!!!
Stella checking the seedlingsWe needed 3 000, we got half of them in 3-4 days and decided to buy the rest from a village nearby .
The digging began
Tatay the leader
Father and brother in law. Partens on everything, when Lonlon passed away on a tragic accident Tatay not only lost a son but his best friend and partner.
Let the planting begin
The Farm Stela’s paradise
Adrian was only 4 but managed to harvest anyway.
Cleaning up the wild nature and make it ready for plantation
The locals around couldn’t understand the undertaking of the operation in such remote area, some were saying the “Americano” is digging for gold, not to plant peanuts, and other tsismis about our real motivation.
May I have a bit of your time? Ready for a journey to this part of Greece where I'm born? Sit back and relax, free your mind for a moment and travel with me; for you to discover, for me to revive my recent Pascal journey there. Click on, watch, then, read the story.
Συμφωνία σε Λα Ύφεση. Κόσμημα ενός φίλου που ήθελε να μείνει ανώνυμος, ταπεινός και μακριά απ' όλα, με παρέα τη φύση και τις σκέψεις του. Χίλια συγγνώμη εάν παραβίασα την επιθυμία σου, πάνε 40 χρόνια τώρα στο συρτάρι μου η συνείδηση μου δεν το αντέχει άλλο. Πρέπει να το μοιράσω […]
Αγαπητέ Γιάννη Μπουτάρη – Κύριε Δήμαρχε* *Αφού απαιτείς τη μαμά σου που είναι 95 και ζει ακόμα να σε αποκαλεί Κύριε Δήμαρχε υποθέτω το απαιτείς από όλους . Επίτρεψέ μου πρώτα να συστηθώ. Το όνομά μου είναι Ευάγγελος, Ηλιάδης, της γενεάς σου, γνωστός και ως Evan Iliadis, πολίτης του κόσμου αραγμένος προσωρινά (Περιμένοντας το επόμενο πλοίο) στην ηλιόλουστη Νό […]
My years in America. America! America! My years in America. America! America! My years in America. America! America! Long time no post here. Not only I neglected this blog but also a place lived a big part of my life, that is nearly 16 years in the USA. Yes, it was a January of the year […]
My Big Fat Philippines Wedding My Big Fat Philippines Wedding Los Angeles California Year 1992. I met a girl, We liked each other and fall in love. A few months later I said: Do you want to marry me? She said: Humm!!!! Maybe a bit early for me, I have many obligations back home and can’t think of my own […]
The Rotary Club years part 2 The Rotary Club years part 2 In a previous entry, you got a general idea of the origins of this organization and a typical third world club as lived and understood. Noticed? I said organization, not an Order as I would say describing a group of people bind together by initiation and consequent revelations […]
The Rotary International Years. The Rotary International Years. Some time in the year 2003 two American guys came to my house asking me to join the Rotary International club in Tagbilaran. It wasn’t the first time I was approached by this organization, it happened before in France and later in the US by Brothers Free […]
Culture shock. Culture shock. More than a year has passed already, both me and Stella on the go every day early in the morning, driving her “farmer’s car” as she called her preferred multicab Suzuki 4X4 visiting her lands in preparation for the “big project” plantation of trees on 30 hectares that is. An adventure I […]
The farm Stela’s paradise. The farm Stela’s paradise. Our first farming experience was a success, Tatay has once again reaffirmed his knowledge and passion for mother nature, Stela’s turn was next. She was known for “having a magic hand”, for the locals this means that certain people has this inner and inexplicable power of anything they […]
The Aristofarmers The Aristofarmers Once moved into our new house next project in line was the farming as Stella designed it in her mind, eager to implement but spending limited time so far, the landscaping of the house yard being a priority. Remember. 3 000 Sq meters to handle folks! There were only rocks and wild grass. She […]
EVAN ILIADIS-INFO. PHILIPPINES YEARS ome time in the year 2000 I landed in the Philippines with wife and 2 small children setting home on the Island of Bohol, a place that we had visited several times before the final decision. I was living in California at that time where I spend the best years […]
Evan Iliadis – The truth Welcome to Evan Iliadis new blog. Not that I really need another one but for the heck of going a bit off the usual subject is now the right time to introduce you a few of my detractors in a different way and means as permitted by the […]