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Post by alanseago on Dec 10, 2009 8:12:28 GMT
......hip hip hip hooray! Won't be long now! Attachments:
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Post by Patrick on Dec 10, 2009 9:23:40 GMT
The question is - Do we get an invite to the house warming? I do love the roof tiles on houses abroad. Only the British seem not to give a stuff about what ugly great roof tiles they plonk on top. No sense of aesthetics at all.  |
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Post by alanseago on Dec 10, 2009 10:16:35 GMT
Of course you are invited. Best route Singapore Airlines to Singapore, Silk Air to Cebu then Cebu Pacific to Bacolod.
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Post by riotgrrl on Dec 10, 2009 13:11:31 GMT
Looks like quite a big house. Did you build it from scratch or is it a renovation?
And where the hell is Bacolod???
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Post by riotgrrl on Dec 10, 2009 13:12:36 GMT
Welcome to Bacolod City - the Cleanest and Greenest and the Most Livable City in the Philippines. The capital of the Province of Negros Occidental which is the Sugarbowl of the Philippines. Bacolod City serves as the entrance of the sugar-rich cities and towns of the Province. Visitor's facilities abound, modern means of in-land transport can take guests for business or leisure to any point in the island of Negros.
Bacolod will charm you with the genuine warmth and hospitality of her people in harmony with their lilting melodious accent. The Bacoleños will delight you with food and cuisine that is as vigorous yet as subtle as the legendary Ilonggo gentility and taste for the good life.
(google is our friend.)
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Post by alanseago on Dec 10, 2009 13:36:17 GMT
A new project Riot, we bought the land six years ago then finally decided that my working life was over (52 years nonstop) and we should build ourselves a home. We searched carefully around and found a well respected design and building company whose initial response and every stage from there have been professional but friendly and understanding.
Bacolod is a very pleasant city, the people are friendly and 'City of Smiles' is not a misnomer. I have never been so cuddled in my life.
The first picture in my photo record is of many men clearing the vegetation from the site.
The beaurocracy would make the French seem casual but I leave that to the family. My wife, my brother-in-law and my chauffeur make a formidable team.
I have many more photos and impressions, let me know if you want me to post them.
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Post by Patrick on Dec 10, 2009 14:14:17 GMT
Of course you are invited. Best route Singapore Airlines to Singapore, Silk Air to Cebu then Cebu Pacific to Bacolod. So, that's on Central Line isn't it? ;D |
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Post by riotgrrl on Dec 10, 2009 14:30:41 GMT
Alan, yes, please do post more photos. How exciting to build a house from scratch!
And I read all the Tourist Board stuff about Bacolod and it does seem like quite a cool place.
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Post by everso on Dec 10, 2009 15:07:11 GMT
I can see Alan now, sitting on the balcony in his Lloyd Loom chair, feet up on a pouffe (no jokes please), a Singapore Sling in his hand, Panama hat over his eyes.
Wonderful.
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Post by alanseago on Dec 11, 2009 2:13:35 GMT
Quite so, Everso. The longer balcony is outside the master bedroom, I shall take breakfast here. The other balcony is outside my office and I shall stand upon this one and harangue passers-by.
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Post by alanseago on Dec 11, 2009 2:41:27 GMT
Foreground, the 'breakfast balcony, on the right the 'harangueing balcony' Attachments:
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Post by alanseago on Dec 11, 2009 2:47:01 GMT
Detail, newly tiled wall. The man who does this is amazing, he seems to see it all in his head and know exactly where each tile should go. They may look like blocks in the picture but they are individual tiles. Attachments:
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Post by alanseago on Dec 11, 2009 3:31:19 GMT
The kitchen. Attachments:
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Post by alanseago on Dec 11, 2009 3:59:41 GMT
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Post by everso on Dec 11, 2009 9:36:57 GMT
Quite so, Everso. The longer balcony is outside the master bedroom, I shall take breakfast here. The other balcony is outside my office and I shall stand upon this one and harangue passers-by. See, now I love that idea! That's the good thing about getting older. You can do all sorts of eccentric things and get away with it because they'll say "Ah, well, it's his age" Yes, an haranguing balcony sounds good.  |
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Post by Patrick on Dec 11, 2009 11:03:59 GMT
I like the staircase. Steel roof trusses too is interesting - makes it seem odd that we still use wood.
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Post by alanseago on Dec 11, 2009 11:13:48 GMT
The entire roof framework was prefabricated in Cebu. Their guys hauled each section by hand, assembled and positioned it then arc welded it together, carefully repainting the weld afterwards.
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Post by riotgrrl on Dec 11, 2009 16:50:26 GMT
Magnificent.
The original space looked so small, but the emerging house is huge like a mansion.
I loved the spiralling staircase and I love the big arched windows. The tiling on the outside is great too.
What a magnificent project to build from scratch like that. It must have been a real headache! I think it would have been stressful.
When do you hope to move in?
And when can we all come and visit? You've got lots of rooms.
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Post by everso on Dec 11, 2009 16:53:23 GMT
Actually, it has the look of Tara in Gone With The Wind.
Fiddle-de-dee!
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Post by alanseago on Dec 12, 2009 0:06:52 GMT
Hi Riot, it was not at all stressful for us. It was designed and built by a family business, he is a civil engineer, she is a business manager and son-in-law is the architect. The basic design was agreed before we left France, by e-mail and Yahoo Messenger video conference. We signed the contract in our hotel room the day after we arrived and work started two days later. There have been a number of modifications during the construction agreed without problem or extra charge. They come frequently to our apartment with paint colour charts and tile samples for Madame to chose.
Transfer is scheduled for the end of January.
Wait until you see the doric columns.
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