The House of Peter

I LIKE my jet back hair.
I’m 50, and I don’t really have grey hair.
I guess that’s why I’m a little proud to wear my hair long.
But I know I can grow white hair overnight in stressed situations.
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When my husband died, at least 25 strands of my hair turned white overnight.
They all turned white in one spot, and it scared me.
Images of the Bride of Frankenstein.
Sweeney Todd (by Johnny Depp).

Canities subita.

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Another 15 strands turned white overnight when a close relative offered to buy my house in Maryland early last month.

I mean, I never really thought of selling my house before.

I am comfortable living in my house in Reisterstown.

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But they liked the location of the house.

And they think they can have it for cheap.

And I don’t really mind selling my house to family for cheap.

So, for the whole of November, I entertained the thought of “losing” my house in Maryland.

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Technically, the phrase is “selling”.

But selling my house means I’ll lose ownership over it.

And God knows, I don’t plan to buy another house in America.

I mean, I’m happily retired.

I don’t want to go back to work just to be able to buy another house.

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My thing is, if I sell this house, that’s it for me.

I’ll rent a small apartment, but I’m not buying a new house!

Which gets me to thinking, am I ready to repatriate, and live in the Philippines?

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Ultimately, I want to spend most of my retiring years in the Philippines where my influence is still considerable.

There are many things I think I can do for the country.

I mean, I can just concentrate in my hometown of Dumangas.

Maybe my home province of Iloilo.

And if those aren’t enough, the whole Western Visayas region.

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I’m pretty sure if my Reisterstown house gets sold, I’ll spend less time in the East Coast.

Maybe I’ll move to warmer states like California, where I stayed for eight years since I immigrated to the United States in 2006.

Maybe I’ll finally do as I dreamed, and live for a while in Italy, or Ireland, or even Costa Rica.

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And in most likelihood, I’ll spend more time in the Philippines.

Maybe finally just work on Casa Dom Pedro.

And build my ultimate dream—Peter’s Place.

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I was just in my early twenties when I dreamed up Peter’s Place.

Its manual of operation is included in my book “My Life as a Hermit: Nineteen letters and a dream” (1998).

Obviously, Peter’s Place is the dream part of the book.

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I’ve already bought the land for Peter’s Place in 2012.

It’s an agricultural property with a hill.

1.8 hectares—18,000 square meters.

I have different visions of it over the last 22 years.

Visions that are only limited by money.

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Although I’m not poor, I’m not rich enough to throw away money on a dream.

I’m not the Kubla Khan.

But I have a dream like Xanadu.

And its name is Peter’s Place.

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So, humor me this.

What if, I finally decide to sell my house in Maryland, and start my Peter’s Place?

Like, build it with my own hands!

What if, instead of building something that will last one hundred years, I just build something small?

Something that will last 20 or 30 years?

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Something that I can enjoy for 20 or 30 years without struggling with bank loans?

Something that won’t bother me if it doesn’t give me an income?

Bottom line, I want to start building the vision of my early 20s.

I want to say before I die that I listened to my dream, and built it.

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I want Peter’s Place to inspire dreamers.

How to throw away money on a dream?

Well, right now, my first idea is a chapel on a hill.

A modest one million peso-budget chapel.

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It’s non-income generating, many of my friends say.

For its budget, it’s probably not big enough for a wedding, or funeral, service.

But I want a chapel to honor the Catholic tradition that planted the dream in me.

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Right now, I’m not even thinking of my hill’s accessibility.

But I’m feeling so Field of Dreams—

“If you build it, they will come.”

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This is why I am not a very good businessman.

I’m all emotion.

I’m all sentiments.

I’m all visions and ideals.

But what am I if I don’t do this?

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What am I if I don’t inspire crazy dreamers?

A million-peso chapel.

If I’m going to lose (sell) my house in Maryland, I’m building a chapel.

That’s my deal with myself.

That’s my deal with God. (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)

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