October 2016 - Expat In Bacolod

Serendipity: Word Wednesday (Improve Your Word Power)

Serendipity: Word Wednesday (Improve Your Word Power)

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 26, 2016

Serendipity is one of my all-time favorite words. Say it, savor it. It sounds like its meaning. Merriam-Webster has this to say: Serendipity noun ser·en·dip·i·ty \ˌser-ən-ˈdi-pə-tē\ Popularity: Top 1% of lookups Simple Definition of serendipity : luck that takes the form of finding valuable or pleasant things that are not looked for No wonder it is in the top 1% of look ups. It’s such a cool word. Full Definition of serendipity : the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also : an instance of this Examples of serendipity in a sentence As they leapfrog from South Africa to Singapore in search of local delicacies, the authors prove again and again that serendipity is the traveler’s strongest ally: many…

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Stories by ‘G’ Alas No More – RIP G

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 19, 2016

RIP G is a sentiment I was not expecting to express any time soon. Sadly, G passed away early yesterday morning after a fatal and sudden heart attack. Some of you read his stories here and I’m sure you enjoyed them as I did. G, Gerry, started to send me the short stories soon after he became a regular visitor to this blog. I accepted most of them with glee, only refusing one because it was a little risqué. He had talent and in his younger days had screenplays accepted by Hollywood. Gerry and I soon became online friends and I was delighted to meet him when he flew into Bacolod with his wife from Mindanao, Philippines, where he lived with his wife Priskylet Panday…

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Edited BBC Interview with Former Undercover Detective

Edited BBC Interview with Former Undercover Detective

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 15, 2016

This article first appeared on the Stephen Bentley – Author website. Following on from a BBC News article about me and my book Undercover: Operation Julie – The Inside Story, and read by over 250,000 online readers, this pre-recorded BBC author interview with Stephen Bentley (me) was aired on the BBC this week: Here are some photos from the period showing me in my other persona as Steve Jackson with some images of the “other me” right after Operation Julie then more recently. Now it’s only fair I insert some images of the other people mentioned in my book, namely Smiles and Buzz: Please consider buying and reading the book. It has some great reviews and leave one of your own. Authors do like to…

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Christmas Comes Early in the Philippines

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 13, 2016

I had heard “Christmas comes early in the Philippines” before I arrived here. It’s true! We have had our Christmas tree up in the living room since September and that is a common sight throughout the Philippines. I like it. But there is a more serious side to the season because it’s all about kids for me. I love to see their faces light up at the sight of a new toy or present after it has been frantically unwrapped. So I thought you may like some ideas for toys and presents for your kids as Christmas is fast approaching. Robocar Poli Bucky Transformer Robot Car Toy Action Figure Buggy Academy Genuine | eBay New Batman 6 inch Batman Figure and Batmobile Gift Set Model…

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Jingoism By Jingo!

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 12, 2016

Hard times, tough times do foster a wonderful feeling of resilience in people. War time is possibly a good example of that. I mean war as in WW2, not the futile war fought in the Falklands at the whim of a whiskey-dependent mad woman in charge of the UK at the time. That was jingoism at its worst. Jingoism in its modern-day form (aka racism) was also seen in the UK before and since Brexit. The sense of resilient feel-good -pull-together-because-we -are -all- in -the- shit feeling was possibly last experienced en-masse during the heavy bombing of the UKs major cities and dockyards during WW2. I guess it was also felt to a degree in the aftermath of some terrorist attacks in London. I lived…

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Scion: Word Wednesday (Improve Your Word Power)

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 12, 2016

Scion is today’s word and taken from the Merriam-Webster ‘Word of the Day.’ Let’s get straight to it 🙂 noun SYE-un Definition of Scion 1 : a detached living portion of a plant (as a bud or shoot) joined to a stock in grafting and usually supplying solely aerial parts to a graft 2 : descendant, child; especially : a descendant of a wealthy, aristocratic, or influential family 3 : heir Examples “The duke was the billionaire owner of swaths of central London, a friend of Britain’s royal family and the scion of an aristocratic family stretching back to the Norman Conquest.” — The Boston Herald, 14 Aug. 2016 “The vibe of the place is a mixture of old-school cool and Brit eccentric. There are…

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They’re Rugby Boys, Don’t You Know? – Book Review

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 12, 2016

They’re Rugby Boys, Don’t You Know? by Natalie Vellacott My rating: 4 of 5 stars I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. This book intrigued me for two reasons. I am also a former UK police officer as is the author of this book and I now live in the Philippines, the location for the tale of the “Rugby Boys.” It was a thoroughly enjoyable and informative read and I recommend it to all who are concerned about the plight and suffering of our fellow humans no matter where they happen to live. I was aware of this problem and sometimes see the effects of solvent abuse on the streets of the provincial city where I live. I…

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Malunggay – Miracle Tree of the Philippines

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 5, 2016

Moringa malunggay is known as the ‘Miracle Tree’ because all its parts are beneficial for health. It is also called Drumstick Tree and in the Philippines, it is known as malunggay. Scientific research can prove that moringa has many health benefits because it contains seven times more vitamin C from oranges, four times more calcium in milk, four times more vitamin A in carrots, three times more potassium than in bananas and two times more protein from milk. It is used to combat malnutrition because of its high contents of vitamin A, B, and C, calcium, iron, protein and potassium. It can be a substitute for many foods, fruits and vegetables because of its high nutritional value. – Source: Youth Health Magazine The article goes…

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Banausic: Word Wednesday (Improve Your Word Power)

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 5, 2016

Banausic is a new one on me. I did not have the foggiest what it meant before I saw it on the Merriam-Webster ‘Word of the Day.’ I don’t think it’s a word I will be using often – it’s quite ugly, don’t you think? 🙂 Here is what it means: banausic adjective buh-NAW-sik Definition : relating to or concerned with earning a living — used pejoratively; also : utilitarian, practical Examples “At the far end was a wooden board on which were hung saws, chisels, knives and other banausic instruments of the trade.” — Sebastian Faulk, Human Traces, 2005 “That story is followed by a brilliant allegory of reality TV and the cult of personality, Rumours About Me, in which a simple company man…

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Bonista Beach Resort, Escalante, Negros Island: Beach Trip

Published by Stephen Bentley on October 5, 2016

Last Sunday we had notice of a scheduled brownout (power cut) to last for 12 hours from six in the morning until six in the evening. There was only one thing for it – pack a bag filled with food and head for the beach. In this case Bonista Beach Resort, near Escalante City on the north-east coast of Negros Island. You can find the website for Bonista Beach Resort by clicking here. It was either that or sweat it out at home with no fan, no power, no WiFi, none of the things that we take so much for granted. The whole family jumped in to my car and off I set on a projected 2 ½-hour drive. We made good early progress and saw…

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Month: October 2016