![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sowangan-beach-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/beautiful-quezon-palawan-sunset-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/sowangan-summer-sunset-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\tLiving in Palawan’s Capital City<\/h2>\nWhile in Palawan, I was mostly living in Puerto Princesa, the province’s capital. For 21 years, Puerto Princesa is and was a laid back place until it was declared Highly Urbanized in 2009. It was then that I said to myself, my vacation here in paradise island is done.<\/div>\nThe declaration made me realized some annoying facts. Power and water shortages, land prices shooting up, traffic jams, limited internet signal, crowded commercial center. Was I in denial? But then I think it was time to declare it as such, other than for a timely political or territorial jurisdiction reasons, but of increasing the city’s Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to cater to the increasing population.<\/p>\n
Two years in Mindanao, the Kambak-Camelbak<\/em> syndrome is unstoppable. I got back here, and I can see that urban development is setting in. Shopping malls, gated housing, road works and pipe works for water and fiber optic internet services, banks are rolling in, car dealers, and this I won’t hide to my readers, increase in crime rate, especially thieves. While writing this page at 11:00 in the evening, there is a barrage of noise from people talking through the microphone. Guess who? The Boys Scouts. They are supposed to be the ones trained about respect and service to humanity, but are doing the opposite, disturbing our sleep. And, on some nights, karaoke in the wee hours of the night.<\/p>\nI guess at this point, you’re now wondering when this living in Palawan is going to get better.\u00a0 Or is it?<\/p>\n
Living in Palawan, A Matter of Perspective<\/h2>\n
Hmm. Let’s see. I like the shopping mall, of course, for once again, we can watch movies on the big screen. And Robinson’s Place\u00a0 Palawan has a high-resolution 3D screen to boot! SM Supermart has the director’s chair! Puerto Princesa had been without movie houses for as long as I can remember. The last big-screen show I watched here was that Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore movie, Music and Lyrics.<\/p>\n
![\"Robinsons](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/images\/tn_robinsons-place-palawan.jpg\" "\\"Robinsons")
<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\nThat was the last of the four movie houses standing. It was showing two movies at the same time, Music and Lyrics and the live version of Tom and Jerry chasing each other inside the cinema! So I guess it was time to close and lower the curtain.<\/p>\n
![\"Just](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/images\/tn_my-tomato-garden.jpg\" "\\"Just")
<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\nSo, like Drew and Hugh singing the theme song of the movie, Way Back Into Love, I can say that I’m finding my Way Back Into Loving the place again. A matter of perspective, I should say.<\/p>\n
The Life we have in Puerto Princesa, Palawan<\/h2>\nThe Home we found<\/h3>\n
We are lucky to have found this place we are renting right now while looking for the right place for us to buy. It is in the suburb, which used to be a thicket of shrubs and some forest trees. As the city is expanding, suburbs were also being opened. It is relatively quiet and secure. Our landlord has a Pit Bull that guards us, so don’t even try. I have space for growing a small vegetable garden, and there are lots of birds – the original twitters. Here are some of their tweets, in English.<\/p>\n
“Where are you Bird!” And waking up in the morning, there’s this loyal bird that says to us, “they’re cute, they’re cute, they’re cute! But a sarcastic one cuts the loyal bird, “Bird, are you okay!?! Are you okay, bird!?!”. But this one cracks us hard, “Aaaaaaaaah wakata, kata, %$^%$^*&()…”. Or, it depends on what your frame of mind is, the tweets can become sexier. And if you’re into History and CSIs (Crime Scene Investigations), one of the birds sings of Jose Rizal, and another may have found the Governor at Large. Isn’t it lovely?<\/p>\n
The View We Have<\/h3>\n
Sharing with you our view of Puerto Princesa’s beautiful sunsets:<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/puerto-princesa-city-sunsets-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tEven in the suburbs you get to enjoy the fiery colors.\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/stamonica-puerto-princesa-palawan-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/living-in-palawan-sunset-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nActivities We Do<\/h3>\nKite Boarding\/Surfing<\/em><\/strong><\/div>\nYesterday, Saturday, we went to Microtel Palawan<\/b>, near the Emerald Playa Beach and Nature Park, on our bikes for a swim. We have a new friend, Mark, that goes there for kiteboarding or surfing. He also teaches the sport, if you’re interested. His number is 0919685116 or click here for his website, Kite Club Palawan<\/u><\/a>. We bought a 4-meter training kite a month ago. We’re still on the basics. And maybe, next Amihan<\/em> (Northwind) season, we’d be able to fly our kite well and skim in the water with the surfboards that we already have.<\/p>\n![\"Kite](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/images\/tn_kite-steering-training.jpg\" "\\"Kite")
<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\nBiking<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\nAside from biking to chase the sunrise, we bike to buy our food from the market. We also bike to go to the pool for a swim and even to the kiteboarding beach. We bike every chance we have. Or to say it honestly, Jeff bikes a lot to everywhere; to the laundry shop, to pay our electric bill, to get a hair-cut.<\/div>\n\u00a0<\/div>\n
The declaration made me realized some annoying facts. Power and water shortages, land prices shooting up, traffic jams, limited internet signal, crowded commercial center. Was I in denial? But then I think it was time to declare it as such, other than for a timely political or territorial jurisdiction reasons, but of increasing the city’s Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to cater to the increasing population.<\/p>\n
Two years in Mindanao, the Kambak-Camelbak<\/em> syndrome is unstoppable. I got back here, and I can see that urban development is setting in. Shopping malls, gated housing, road works and pipe works for water and fiber optic internet services, banks are rolling in, car dealers, and this I won’t hide to my readers, increase in crime rate, especially thieves. While writing this page at 11:00 in the evening, there is a barrage of noise from people talking through the microphone. Guess who? The Boys Scouts. They are supposed to be the ones trained about respect and service to humanity, but are doing the opposite, disturbing our sleep. And, on some nights, karaoke in the wee hours of the night.<\/p>\n I guess at this point, you’re now wondering when this living in Palawan is going to get better.\u00a0 Or is it?<\/p>\n Hmm. Let’s see. I like the shopping mall, of course, for once again, we can watch movies on the big screen. And Robinson’s Place\u00a0 Palawan has a high-resolution 3D screen to boot! SM Supermart has the director’s chair! Puerto Princesa had been without movie houses for as long as I can remember. The last big-screen show I watched here was that Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore movie, Music and Lyrics.<\/p>\n That was the last of the four movie houses standing. It was showing two movies at the same time, Music and Lyrics and the live version of Tom and Jerry chasing each other inside the cinema! So I guess it was time to close and lower the curtain.<\/p>\n So, like Drew and Hugh singing the theme song of the movie, Way Back Into Love, I can say that I’m finding my Way Back Into Loving the place again. A matter of perspective, I should say.<\/p>\n We are lucky to have found this place we are renting right now while looking for the right place for us to buy. It is in the suburb, which used to be a thicket of shrubs and some forest trees. As the city is expanding, suburbs were also being opened. It is relatively quiet and secure. Our landlord has a Pit Bull that guards us, so don’t even try. I have space for growing a small vegetable garden, and there are lots of birds – the original twitters. Here are some of their tweets, in English.<\/p>\n “Where are you Bird!” And waking up in the morning, there’s this loyal bird that says to us, “they’re cute, they’re cute, they’re cute! But a sarcastic one cuts the loyal bird, “Bird, are you okay!?! Are you okay, bird!?!”. But this one cracks us hard, “Aaaaaaaaah wakata, kata, %$^%$^*&()…”. Or, it depends on what your frame of mind is, the tweets can become sexier. And if you’re into History and CSIs (Crime Scene Investigations), one of the birds sings of Jose Rizal, and another may have found the Governor at Large. Isn’t it lovely?<\/p>\n Sharing with you our view of Puerto Princesa’s beautiful sunsets:<\/p>\n Yesterday, Saturday, we went to Microtel Palawan<\/b>, near the Emerald Playa Beach and Nature Park, on our bikes for a swim. We have a new friend, Mark, that goes there for kiteboarding or surfing. He also teaches the sport, if you’re interested. His number is 0919685116 or click here for his website, Kite Club Palawan<\/u><\/a>. We bought a 4-meter training kite a month ago. We’re still on the basics. And maybe, next Amihan<\/em> (Northwind) season, we’d be able to fly our kite well and skim in the water with the surfboards that we already have.<\/p>\nLiving in Palawan, A Matter of Perspective<\/h2>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Life we have in Puerto Princesa, Palawan<\/h2>\n
The Home we found<\/h3>\n
The View We Have<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nActivities We Do<\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/honda-bay-biking-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/biking-honda-bay1-300x300.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.palawan-philippines.com\/images\/flight-to-palawan-sunset.jpg\" "\\"An")