Chicken Chan: $600 Bathroom Makeover for a Family in Need!

Date: July 21 & 23, 2024

July 21st - A New ay of Giving Back

The day began with me showing my girlfriend what I had bought for Kimchi. I picked up her first toolbox, complete with a hammer and other tools she can use in everyday life, it’s always good to be prepared! After that, we sat down for breakfast in the kitchen, chatting about the tasks ahead for the bathroom fix.

After a few hours, we hopped in a taxi to head to the hardware store.

Then, I needed to choose a new toilet for the bathroom makeover and found a great deal on a set that included both a toilet and a sink for only 6,850 PHP, what a fantastic bargain!

Next up, we went in search of some paint and masking tape to finish off the job.

By then, I was feeling a bit tired, so I treated myself to a banana mocha milkshake. It had a unique flavor, almost like a Swedish chocolate treat called Dumle, but with banana, it was delicious!

Once we finished our shopping, we picked up the toilet and headed to the next challenge: transporting it to the location.

The taxi ride was tricky, many drivers turned us down because of the heavy load, but eventually, we found a willing driver. I made sure to give him a nice tip for his help!

Arriving at the location, I was already aware that the toilet was broken, which is why I was there to fix it. The smell was overwhelming, and the shower and sink weren’t working either, leaving the family to rely on an outside shower for their daily needs.

After setting up plastic on the floor and getting the paint and supplies ready,

The heat quickly became unbearable, around 35°C inside, but felt like 40°C without air conditioning. The sweltering temperatures made me feel anxious, so I made sure to stay hydrated with plenty of water.

Kimchi was a huge help, assisting me while I poured the paint into the tray.

Once everything was set up, I was ready to start painting. I began by applying a pinkish pastel coat on the bathroom walls using a brush.

Then painted the corners of the rest of the walls, as I planned to use a roller for the full coat later.

The heat was overwhelming, so I took a quick break to rest and enjoy some food from a restaurant called Chowking, which serves Chinese-Filipino dishes.

While I was taking a break and eating, Kimchi continued painting. She really took over during this part, handling the painting while I rested.

I noticed that the front door didn’t have a handle, and it never had a working door lock either. So, I decided to fix that. A few days ago, I had bought a new handle and lock, and I used those to install a proper functioning door handle. It was a bit tricky, but with some patience, I managed to get it installed and working.

I went back to check on Kimchi, and to my surprise, she had already started painting the ceiling. Even though we hadn’t planned to do that, we changed our minds and figured,

why not? It ended up making the bathroom look even better.

After that, we decided to take another break. Kimchi and I went for a short walk outside. It was so refreshing, nice and cool with a light breeze, but not too cold. It was the perfect weather for a little stroll.

Once we got back, I went right back to painting to make sure everything was perfect. I ended up doing 2-3 coats total throughout the whole day to get it looking 100% good.

After a while, I needed another break, and Pompanda surprised me with a weird drink, a blueberry milk tea or boba, I’m not exactly sure what it was called. But it was extremely sweet, and I couldn’t finish it.

Kimchi took over the last coat of painting on the ceiling, finishing up the final touches.

The Storm, It’s Coming

A big thunderstorm hit today, with heavy rain and intense thunder. The sky was dark and ominous as the storm rolled in.

As I was watching the storm unfold, I spotted Snowwhite, a dog I’ve grown fond of. It was sitting on a mini chair, looking all serious, and it was pretty funny to see.

After a while, we decided to take a taxi home, but the rain had caused a serious flood, and there was a lot of water on the roads.

When we finally arrived back at the Airbnb, I was hungry and Pompanda and Kimchi ordered some food for us. One of the things they ordered was fried intestine (it kind of resembled a butt!). Honestly, I didn’t like it that much, and it tasted kind of gross, haha.

Luckily, after that, I had some pork, and that was way better.

July 23rd – A New Day, A New Bathroom Fix

A few days after our visit to Davao Crocodile Park & Zoo on July 22nd, it was time for another round of bathroom fixing. Today, I started by showing off my new tribal jacket, colorful and nice, something I bought at the Crocodile Park.

After showing off my new jacket, we headed straight back to the bathroom to continue the renovations. Today, two guys arrived to help set up the new toilet. To be honest, I’m not even sure if they were real plumbers, but they were here and ready to work.

They started by hammering under the broken toilet. It took a while because they didn’t have the right tools, but they kept hammering like crazy, trying to release it from the floor. It wasn’t easy, but eventually, they made some progress.

While the guys were busy working, I went outside to relax and enjoy a boba milk tea that Pompanda bought for me. Once again, it was extremely sweet, and I didn’t really like it.

I went back inside to check on the guys, and they were still hammering away, trying to release the toilet from the floor.

While they were at it, I heard a sawing sound and went outside to investigate. I saw the house owner working on something. Turns out, he was building a doghouse!

I started hammering a piece of wood to improve the door I had fixed a few days ago. The lock wasn’t 100% secure, so I wanted to make it even better.

After fixing the door, the house owner was very pleased with the result. He clapped his hands and shared his appreciation.

After I finished fixing the door, I went back to check on the toilet. The plumbers had already removed the old toilet and were starting to measure the hole for the new toilet.

I checked on Kimchi next, and she, along with a boy named Doh, was painting outside with leftover paint. They painted the cement wall of the house and the front doorstep.

Curious about what Kimchi was up to next, I went to see and found her working on the side of the house with a brush. If you look to the right, you can see the old shower that had already been destroyed, as they were going to get a new shower from me.

The plumbers were now measuring the hole to make sure the new toilet would fit properly.

Meanwhile, the owner had finished building the doghouse, and the dog was already inside.

Kimchi continued painting some more.

I checked on the plumbers again, and they had installed the toilet on the floor in a very odd way. Instead of using the screws that should’ve been used, they cemented the toilet to the floor, strange, to say the least...