November 9, 1970
Toril, Davao City, Philippines
letter 2
Dear Folks,
We’re wondering how long it takes mail to get to you from Toril. Our jobs officially start Thursday - we’ve had a vacation before we’ve even started. I decided to keep a copy of most letters I write - to know what I’ve told each person. The last letter I wrote you - I copied mostly for the Lipmans, Delena & Jeanne - I used carbon for the girls - I’m just making one copy of this one - for me. Then if you don’t get a letter. I’ll know what you missed too.
We’ve been lazy - last Tuesday our helper arrived. She is a 16 year old farm girl - the cousin of the helper next door. Patring is going to spoil us. She markets, washes clothes & dishes, irons and cleans the house - she also cooks. Our house is a bungalow - which except for the windows - could be found in almost any suburb in the states. We have 2 small bedrooms, a living room & kitchen. There is no partition between the living room & kitchen but the stairs from the bedrooms separates them. The living room has a “sala” set consisting of 4 chairs & couch which is 3 chairs together, an a coffee table. The set is wooden. The owners left it and a dining table - 6 chairs & a wooden table with blue formica top. The kitchen has a sink-counter space & a cubby-hole for our stove which has 2 burners & a small broiler under one burner. We bought it with 2 full tanks of gas for P300 ( about $50) The kitchen will have running water as soon as the tank is put in. There are shelves & cabinets in the kitchen.
We bought a large ice chest (styrofoam) & we buy ice for P1 every day and a half. We might buy a refrig. for P700 - it would be almost new - repossessed. The new ones cost no less that P1700 for the smallest (4 cu. ft.)
The bedrooms: Ours now has a brand new double bed - we had built out of rattan & bamboo - much better than wood without mattress that we were using before it was finished. We use mats on it with sheets I had made. The owner also left an aparidor (wardrobe) and a single bed. There is a closet rod too. the aparidor has a mirror on the door & inside a place for some hanging clothes - & some shelves & 1 drawer that locks - The whole thing locks. The other bedroom only has the single bed, some boxes, & our ironing board. I bought a G.E. dry iron for P70 - 220 V. The rate this week is $1 = P6.75 - The only problem in that room is no electrical outlet. We have lights: 1 flor. tube each in liv. rm., kit & our bedroom. In the hall, bath & other bedroom there is 1 bulb each. We also have a porch with a flor.. tube & another light outside. there is an outlet on the porch, in the living room, kit & one in the bedroom. We can’t change any of the bulbs though because the ceiling is very high. The bathroom has a toilet, a faucet & a shower & barely enough room to turn in. [drawing] shower very small. The toilet flushes if you put one full bucket of water into the tank. The shower only works if it has just rained because the water is in a large rain tank outside. - More in next letter.
Love Arlene & Dave
