What! You want ME to move?

For many years and many times each year I would travel to my office in Manila, The Capital of the Philippines, developing products in small villages for my customers, who at the time were FTD, Florists Transworld Deliveries, and The F W Woolworth Co. I would stay at the Manila Hotel in a suite of rooms at poolside, costing $10.00 US/night,WoW!!! Being there so often, and with my open personality, I got to know just about everyone on the staff, including the Manager, as well as those guests that came as often I did to do their business. Since I always wore my scarf, and have been since I was 18, everyone there called me Mr Bianco, “The One and Only”. My day would start early in order to get to little villages that were far from Manila in the jungles. The roads were not roads but paths and locals had to move over to allow us to pass, the people were polite and stepped aside, not like in China where the people ignored cars even when their horns were blasting.

 At the end of each working day I would go to the lobby bar, order a Manhattan cocktail, “stirred not shaken”, and walk around the lobby saying “Hello” and talking to the other business travelers. One time while doing just that, a commotion was happening at the front entrance, as it’s doors burst open and in came solders with machine guns across their chests surrounding a pompas  looking woman and motioning all in front of them to move aside. As they were approaching me, they motioned me to move away, but me, being “Bianco”, no way!!! They came right up to me, but I would not move, no way! The woman looked at me with a nasty frown, and I stared back! It was a stand off, and I certainly wasn’t moving. I then put my drink in my right hand, and pointed to my eyes with my left index finger and looked at the woman and said out loud… “I’m an American, and I don’t move for anyone, guns or no guns!!! The solders didn’t know what to do as it never ever happened before to them. However, I had done the same thing in China a few months earlier, and didn’t back down then, cause in those days being an American was to be respected! Well, after about a minute, she shouts something to her bodyguard in Phillipino and they turned around me and proceeded in another direction. I knew who she was, it was Imelda Marcos, and boy was she mad! After she left, everyone of the staff either winked at me, or when alone, came over and shook my hand, as everyone hated her. Naturally she found out who I was but thankfully it stopped there, however, later when I would arrange to send a brilliant child that I had chosen from the locals of each village that I would give a product order to. I would act as their sponser to help them to enter America, paying all their expenses. After this incident, I now had to pay the Philippino government an extra $8000.00 per child as a clearance for them to leave the Islands. However, my office staff found ways to collect that money from the people I bought from, and gladly they did! Mr Marcos was killed shortly afterwards and Emelda took off with all her shoes for America and to safety, well away from all the people she and her husband had persecuted. The news traveled everywhere and wherever I went people would yell “Here comes “The one and only”. There is another event that I experienced on the island of Bataan, that was exhilarating. I had rented a skidoo and while traveling around the island, I noticed I had seen the view in front of me as I headed for the lonely beach. It hit me then that 42 years in the past this was the beach that the American forces landed to begin

A side note here!

  • At the time, on all the Islands of the Philippines locals were dedicated Roman Catholics, but only 1% of the population had money, and all others were extremely very poor, so those 1% had guards surrounding all their properties, sitting on high walls keeping out anyone who approached. However when you approached the small villages, there would be a beautiful entrance showing off each village in a new light. However when you went through, and approached each village, it was just a bunch of grass shacks, surrounding a main square where all the people congregated. Their religion protected them, but didn’t feed them. Life there was simple but honorable and truly respectable.  I was always amazed at how happy all were even though they had nothing compared to the rich. While in each village, I would ask what they had to make the samples I had… Usually baskets made very expensively in America, or planters of ceramic for flowers. The town leaders would say they had nothing like the samples, but I would then explain that I didn’t want the same materials used. I said that if they went into their jungle they would fine reeds that could be dried and shaped into the the samples I would leave them. When I saw how they sat and had tables, I said that this same material could be used for other samples I would send them, but till then, I wanted them to make me samples of what they had in front of me. I would redesign the chairs I wanted made out of the rattan they had growing everywhere. I would send them new samples for them to make copies for me then to offer to my customers. A new company had just sent their buyer here, who was also staying at the Manila Hotel, so I told my office manager to make certain that our villages didn’t show or sell our design to this company called “Pier One”. 

 

Potatoes and Eggs

When I was about 5 or 6 years old, i would walk daily with my brother and sisters to St Patrick’s parochial school around the corner from our home that was on the fifth floor at 250 Mulberry St. The school was on Prince street and before we would get to it, we had to pass a small deli/store. As we passed it, the smell was fabulous, and better still we would look at a table set up with sandwiches on it. They were made with Potatoes and scrambled eggs on sliced white bread. We always wondered why they were on the table, but one day our aunt Millie told us they were there for all the workers who worked with her in a building next to Jersey Alley on Mulberry Street. ( I’ve written a story about that building, here is a picture of it. puck statue

It seems all the workers would come to get a fast lunch of Potatoes and eggs, but not my Aunt, as she would go up to the 3rd floor in our building and eat with her parents and what other of her siblings might be home at that time. Her meal was usually left overs and my Grandmother thought nothing of it to give her an eggplant parm, or an artichoke sandwich on Italian bread. She would sit with her friend who work with her and they would plead with her to switch, which she did often, as potatoes and eggs was never even thought of in her family. by the way, one day while she was working on a printing press, her sleeve got caught up in the machine and pulled her fingers into it taking off the pinkey and then next and almost the rest as well. it made her stand out and it didn’t bother her at all, except she would make believe it was very difficult to pick her nose, and all would laugh. to us who passed this every morning, it was a dream… A potato and egg sandwich! No not for us, as when we went up the five flights our mother would have pretty much the same thing Aunt Milly was eating.

Today, I try to make potatoes and eggs once a week, only mine are served directly onto a plate from a frying pan that is 14″ across. no need for bread as it is just perfect eating a half circle of it 1″ thick… Mn mn mn Potatoes and Eggs!

The Travels of Claire and me on our first trip in our new Motorhome…A 1990 Peterbilt

This adventure is a travel event of 270,000 miles

The following is the record that Claire wrote as we drove across the United States in our 1990 Peterbilt RV which was something that I built from scratch. I’ll first tell how I accomplished this and then begin the story afterwards. With the help of my older brother Al Bianco, we discussed how best to build it using a similar design that was just newly built, but using a Peterbilt tractor instead. I contacted the people who were making it, who were located in southern Pennsylvania. The fellows name was Kingsley and his organization consisted of 10 people in a rented garage. They were working on this vehicle that was so very different than the normal motorhome. I was very impressed with it but still wanted my own design. I went online and found that a farmer in Tampa Florida had a vehicle that he was trying to sell as he was considering buying a new one. What he had was a 1990 Peterbilt tractor that he had added many unusual things. The smokestacks which are normally 3 inches wide in diameter were 12 inches wide and a went 3 feet above the cab. The front bumper was 2-foot-wide and 10 feet long with 12 individual 3″ round LED lights at its center and stretching across every 8″. Along the top of the windshield was a 2 foot wide chrome shade to protect from sunlight. On its radiator was a bulldog that came from a Mac truck.

 

Claire and myself we flew down to Tampa and was met by this farmer who agreed to sell me his Peterbilt tractor. When we arrived at his farm we found that it was very unusual in that he had new ideas in farming. When we saw the tractor we both fell in love with and I proceed to pay him, 35,000.00 for it and then we began our trip back up north. At the time it was blue in color but I knew it would eventually the black as all my vehicles always wear. We traveled to where it was going to be transformed into a motorhome. My son, Trey, picked us up afterwards and brought us back home.

 

It took nearly one month to convert the tractor into what I wanted as a as a one piece motorhome. I made sure all understood that it would be made my way. My Brother-in-law Andy Mechi, my sister Marie’s husband, who had been a true RV-er most of his life, gave me particular important features that he knew to be best to use. We began once I had given them what I felt I wanted to see made and they then went ahead and made I come true. Slowly it came into shape and was exactly what I dreamed it would be. It cost me total of $200,000 and I was completely satisfied.

This is the beginning of our adventure and from here on out I will be reading from books that Claire had written daily, so here is book one, for the years 2001 and 2002.

 

December 26, 2001 a Thursday

“yea” my adventurous starts today!!!!

So I started on our trip at 12:30 in the afternoon on December 26. We stopped to see Vinny and Phyllis Procita, our friends, to show them Sal’s new home, but only he was home and he loved it. We talked about going on a trip together in March when we will be going south and will see if Phyllis is up to it.

Now we are starting, and will be going up to Montréal, so we arrived at our first stop last night at 8 PM, 40 miles south of Albany and so far a great trip, went to sleep. We woke up at 6:30 AM and moved rather slow, had a great breakfast at 9 AM of eggs which was after the dogs  had their morning stroll and their meal. I must stop here to explain about our dogs. We had two of them, one was called Quattro and he was 5 years old. He was a yellow lab of about 90 pounds. Very energetic and like  his old man(Sal), so to speak. The other was Quattrina, she was black, lovable, smart, and beautiful, and was chosen by me, Claire, who loves her for the white spot on her front chest, as she was the more caring of the two dogs.

Back to the story… We are taking our time no rush as I am on vacation but first though I am cleaning ha ha! We will be starting in a little while, off to Montréal. The toll was $3.85 on the New York Thruway, and the mileage on the speedometer was 379,006 84. By the way I must be dreaming I can’t believe I’m going on this wonderful adventure. Thank you Sal. We come to exit 20 on Highway I 87 north, mile marker 515. The Departure time 11 AM. Montréal here we come!

There is a lot of snow in Buffalo New York as we were heading to Toronto, but there is a snowstorm and are now in Troy, New York and it’s 11:35 AM, and we just paid a toll of $12.85 and the temperature outside is 27°. Saratoga Springs is just past the place we will stop at, it’s Saratoga Lake on our way. We are still on Highway Interstate 87 N. we are now in the Adirondack’s and there is a rest stop off the highway at Schroon lake. We had a wonderful meal. Sal had the Wellington and sushi sticks plus beer I had Phyllis Procita’s leftover filet of flounder, Zucchini sticks and Water and a “sluck” of Sal’s beer. It is now 1:56 PM and we are on our way to Montréal and I am now calling Father Roger Gerould, and it’s busy I’ll try again later.

 

Well, we have finally entered Canada and are on highway 15 Nord and will continue driving. We arrived in Montréal at 5 PM parked by the Atwater market, and of course we had to go into the market, (Atwater Market is a most famous for Canadians) Oh boy! delicious cheeses, breads, plants, flowers and all kinds of meats, so we had to get a little of everything. HM-HM Good! We were again not able to contact Father Gerould as our cell phones would not work here, so we will try to locate him tomorrow. He is Sal’s brother, Al’s friend from Fresno who has been reassigned to a church in Montreal.

 

Good morning world! Sunshine and it’s beautiful on 12/28/2001, but it’s a cold day in Montréal and absolutely gorgeous. We woke up at 6 AM, it had snowed last night, about 2 inches where we were parked alongside the Atwater market and it was very noisy with trucks plowing all night so they would have the parking lot clear for their morning business. Sal walked the dogs and had the brakes all working again very well, so we are ready to go, but now something went wrong with the toilet and Sal had to fix it first, then we will be on our way again. He is very disappointed with the workmanship on the truck with so many things going wrong.

 

We left Montréal at 10:45 AM and took highway 15 N. and 20 W. as we’re on our way to Toronto. Special note here! Guess what happened as we went under a bridge leaving Montréal, we snapped the antenna off! 00PS!! Forgot to lower it. It took five hours to get to Toronto as we had stopped for diesel fuel at 11:45am filling 500 Liters of diesel fuel. Sal is now fixing the antenna. 

input the following into this version:

Let’s begin! All things considered we should be able to do what we have to for book one. On December  23 2001 we stopped  to get some dog food and groceries, then when to get a cart in a RV wardrobe closet and guess what another of the secret surprises now Sal doesn’t go easy on anything, so the amount of clothes was normal for him and any single man and a roll of self-control presented itself 11 p.m. stopped, ate at the Dahlia Restaurant. Rained very heavy and lightning sound big leaks over connection between the cab and home, also two doors Leak Bad 10/24 /2001 9:50 a.m.

 
December 25th 2001 great Christmas no dealing with presents got a new laptop from the boys it was it is now 3 p.m. and I’m on my way to get Claire, as  we’ll start tomorrow for Montreal. the starting mileage is 379,000 and have 338 gallons of diesel fuel. The water needs to be changed, and so does water pipe and heater.
 
December 26th 10 a.m. had to change propane tank from back to front right.and  need to watch it.
December 26th 2001 Thursday this is Claire writing from here on out, as she’ll take over since she’s a much better writer, clearer, and all in print so it’ll be easy for me to read, and then be able to transfer it into our adventure in the motorhome, that I bought in 2000. It’s a Peterbilt truck that Claire and I picked up in Tampa, Florida from a crazy wild farmer. He had 1990 Peterbilt tractor that was made with a big 2′ wide bumper with lights across it’s middle. I’ll explain more later, now back to the story with Claire taking over.
December 26th 2001 “Yay”, our adventure starts today. Sal and I started our trip at 12:30pm in the afternoon, on December 26th, 2001. We first stopped to see Vinny and Phyllis Procedia  to show them Sal’s new home. Only Vinny was home, and he loved it. We talked about going on a trip together in March as we will be going south and we will see if Phyllis is up to it. We arrived last night at 8 p.m. 40 miles south of Albany. So far a great trip and we went to sleep and  woke up at 6:30 a.m. and moved rather slow. We had breakfast at 9 a.m. a great breakfast of eggs. Our dogs Quatro and Quattrina already had their morning walk and eatten. they’re happy, so we are taking our time, no rush, I am on vacation. First things first, I am cleaning hahaha! we had a total of fuel 385 gallons,and we will be starting in a little while toward’s Montreal Canada. Our mileage reading is
379,684 miles, by the way,  I must be dreaming, I can’t believe I am going on this wonderful Adventure. Thank you, kisses and other things sorties. Montreal here we come! say something Sal! Hey Montreal here we come on a gorgeous sunny day. Great day to drive but there is a lot of snow in Buffalo New York  as we pass as we were going to Toronto. There is a big snow storm here, as we are now heading to Troy New York at 11:35 a.m. The toll is $12.85, and it’s 27 degrees in Saratoga Springs as we just passed it, and will stop at Saratoga Lake on the way back. We are still on I 87 North and now in the Adirondacks where there is a rest stop on the highway 87 at Spring Lake.  I had fallen asleep but we stopped there and had a wonderful meal. Salad, Beef Wellington, and zucchini strips with beer and filet of flounder, zucchini sticks, and water, with a “Schlock” of beer from Sal. it is now 1:56pm and we are on our way to Montreal and I am now calling Father Gerauld Rosa, as his phone is busy. I’ll try again later when we have entered Canada. We were driving on Canada 15 Nord, and arrived in Montreal at 5 p.m. and parked by the Atwater Market, and of course we had to go into the market. Oh boy delicious Cheese’s, fresh breads, plants, flowers, Meats, and a little of everything else. We were still not able to contact Father Gerauld Rosa as our cell phones would not work here, so we will try again at his address tomorrow. We even drove around. On Friday: “Good morning world” The Sunshine is beautiful, but cold, and in Montreal it’s absolutely gorgeous. We woke up at 6 a.m. as it snowed last night about 2 inches, and since we had we parked along side of the market where it was so pretty, as the trucks were plowing all night, so we had a parking spot clear of all the snow.  Allowing Sal to walk our two dogs and fed them, and now he is feeding us. We have delicious fresh soft rolls with butter and jam,  Marmalade, tea for me, and Juice.  The Truck started great and the air brakes are working now, so we were ready to go but something went wrong with the toilet, and Sal is fixing it now. Then we will be on our way, but he is very disappointed in the truck with so many things going wrong. we left Montreal at 10:45 onto Ca15 North that was going West and on our way to Sorrento. PS: we went under the first bridge leaving Montreal and broke the antenna off the top of the roof, because Sal forgot to put it down. After 5 hours heading to Toronto, we stopped for diesel fuel at 11:45.  500 litres of diesel for trip 664 miles. Sal is still  trying to fix the antenna, as everyone gives us the thumbs-up when they see the truck. Blinker lights not working. so we stop to get propane to eat lunch, and then Sal calls Mr. Wong, but no luck and so we will call him back again in Cornwall. We are on 401 at Ontario and  departed at 2:15. Well, I almost forgot, we now  have a minor flood from the bathroom and it’s all over the floor, but with a swift clean up, we left again and are now stopped because of big accident. It has been snowing heavily and sometimes with no visibility causing a lot of accidents by cars going off the side of the road, spinning around, and now black ice forming and very dangerous. We are stopping at a truck-stop called Flying J, and we will stay here for the night. We have at least two hours more before we get to Toronto and the snow is now 5ft, and the CD says the road West on 401 is still closed. so, we had had a nice dinner of catfish and salad and fresh string beans, wine and water, with desserts Yoki and raspberry ice cream. Good night all, see you, so we watched a DVD video called Days Seven Days Seven Nights, a great one we went to sleep at 9 p.m., woke up at 3 a.m. in the morning it was freezing, 41 degrees inside with the propane gas, 3 degrees outside. we arrive at Napanee, Ontario at 12 noon mileage: 380170 traveled 829 miles used  fuel 120.68 liters and propane gas 14.1 lbs to CVS Sal had to change it as it was 17 degrees outside. Hello, it was cold Quarttrina our a little dog was so cold she came on the bed by my pillow near my head and face and licked my face, to let me know she was cold and something was wrong. Sal had to go outside again as we could not sleep so we watched Seven days and Seven nights again.
We arrived in Mississauga at 2:30 p.m. we called Mr. Wong and are now waiting for him to come out of his complex, as it took us two and a half hours from Nappanee to Mississauga. It is a beautiful day we saw the “Needle” but I don’t think that we got pictures it was too far from Ca401. It is now 9 p.m. we had a Charming dinner with Mr Wong, his wife, his son and his mother and father, at a Chinese restaurant. The meal was fantastic, and I even ate with chopsticks at least I tried. they are very nice people, very respectful to each other, and to me. We had a wonderful time, then went to their condo and also the parents condo, where we took our shoes off as we entered. The views from both condos are breathtaking, as you can see Toronto and the needle. At 12:30 on Sunday we had a delightful meal, where Christina and Mr Wong took us to see Niagara Falls, the Horseshoe Falls, with beautiful sights all through and around the falls. Then we went to Toronto, and The Old City and the loop, then we also went to an old Chinese market and what a marvelous place with Christina and S.W. Wong serving Chinese tea that was wonderful. Well it’s 9 p.m. and we just returned from having dinner. You guessed it Chinese restaurants near a little Chinese Ho’me’ whose name means delicious. Thank you! is Toche  Deen-sum is tea time breakfast.
It’s 12:31pm on Monday with the  mileage at 380326, trip 923 miles, and our plan is to start around 8 a.m. to go back to New York. Started the truck at 7:30 air brakes will not work, and it is now 9:30 still waiting, 10:30 still waiting, cannot go anywhere if air pressure does not come on. we are still waiting Sal called Ralph from Kingsley he called someone else that person called for a mechanic, as they will be here at 11:30 hopefully they will fix it and we will be on our merry way. Another beautiful day, 26 degrees outside, but we are comfortable at 70 degrees inside. Started all at 12:15 p.m. had a stop at 10 minutes to 3 to eat lunch, then back on the road, 10 to 4 p.m. We made Kingston, NY at exit 679 as it was great when we hit Watertown New York. The snow was very dense, and all went very slowly as the visibility was so bad, we can only see the front of the truck and absolutely nothing else
Happy New Year it was really a very slick snowstorm after that, and before we had beautiful view of the Thousand Islands.
We are back on Long Island since 12:30 on 1/05/02 and back to my daily routine and Sal is in Far Hills New Jersey at his son Trey’s house. So all is back to normal Sal is taking the Peterbilt to PA to do some repairs 1/12/02 then came back here, then we went to see Harry Potter last night, it was great. So, that’s all for now!
PS: This morning we decided to go to Robert Moses beach park but it was freezing, cold, very very windy, we did not stay long tha tha tha That’s all folks!
3/15/2002
I had to my last day at work the girls, actually Nancy, gave me cake and flowers and a beautiful book, called “America the Beautiful”, it’s great. On Wednesday 4/2002 is when we’ll start, we wanted to start in March but things came up that made it unavailable.
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