ITBUD, Batanes - (Dec. 30, '04) It's just after Christmas, and fast cometh the New Year. I'm sorry that I have been tardy in my writing but I think I have some good reasons. I'm not going into them now, but I have been busy. For those of you that took the time to come see me, I am happy that you came and I hope that your trip home was smooth. Yep, that's right - visitors! Some were from Europe, and some were from Canada, and some were from the states.
Everything is much bigger. We are going to have a Living room, Dinning Room, a breakfast nook, and large kitchen and service area. A bathroom with shower, a walk through closet with access to the garage. Also there is an office that can convert in to another bedroom. All of this is on the first floor.
Up to the second floor - beautiful stairs that were draw - the first thing you'll see is the family hall with a Master bedroom to the left. A second bedroom is at the far end and a third is on the far side to the right a bathroom with shower is also located just to the right of the top of the stairs. My master bedroom is located over the present lanai and we will have balconies on two sides of the house along with a large second floor porch overlooking all of the view of the ocean from Song-Song to the curve to Imnajbu.
Construction boom in Itbudtown
As you look at this picture you can see that my neighbor Vick has put a roof on his house, the church is under construction, and my house is being worked on. That's three of many houses that are under construction here in Itbud.
While I was taking this picture, I had the wild idea that I might try to send a text message. So I walked up to higher ground and sure enough out it went, and I received replies. I guess this means that soon we will have phone service in Itbud and Imnajbu.
Some of you may know that Josie has a phone in her store, and I have tried to get one installed in my house. The present "policy" of smart phone system is to only give sailors in the merchant marines phones. As you can guess this is an excuse not to allow me to have a phone.
There may be a couple of reasons for this - one, their technicians don't have the necessary skill to make a hookup which includes an internet link, or a much more sinister reason they think I'm connected some way with one of the alphabet agencies and that I'm doing something wrong. It was this type of thinking that got a scientist thrown off of the island several years ago.
One of the things that I enjoy doing here is telling the young people about the old LORAN Station. To them it's a place of ghosts and evil looking buildings. So when they see my pictures with their fathers, grandfathers, and uncles, then it's a whole other world that had not been considered. I have to admit, sometimes they say the most innocent thing trying to understand the subject, and the question sounds like "boy you're old!"
They are amused at the idea of the whole town going up to the station to watch movies and of course the idea of 16mm movies is totally foreign to them. "What's a reel change?" Well, until next time, so long from paradise. - Mike Griffin, Itbud, Uyugan, Batanes |
