Good afternoon and welcome back! Today has been a day of big decisions and some exciting new gear. We’re still in Cebu City, and while Jessa was busy rendering her latest video and Liam was catching up on some sleep, I took a moment to reflect on our morning.
The big news of the day—though not necessarily good news—is about the land we were looking at in Ginatilan. We’ve been eyeing this plot for a while, and it really seemed like the perfect spot for us. However, in the Philippines, you can never be too careful when it comes to real estate. We decided to visit a lawyer’s office to double-check the paperwork before handing over any serious money, and I’m so glad we did.
It turns out the land is government-controlled and tied up in some complicated inheritance issues. The "owner" who was trying to sell it doesn't even actually own the rights to sell it! The lawyer was very clear: the land is basically only good for growing trees. While you could technically get special permission to build something if the plot is large enough, the government could come in and take it back at any time for their own projects.
It’s a bit of a heartbreak because we really liked that spot, but it would be a worthless investment for us. Now we have the tough job of delivering the bad news to the seller, who was clearly expecting a big payday. It’s a valuable lesson: always, always check the papers with a professional before you invest your hard-earned savings.
To shake off the disappointment, we headed over to SM City for a bit of "retail therapy." In a surprising turn of events, Jessa actually insisted that I get the brand-new camera this time! Usually, I’m the one giving her the best tech and taking the older models, but she said since I’m the one who really geeks out over this stuff, I should have the new GoPro 11. I have a feeling she might be eyeing a new phone soon, but I’m not complaining!
We picked up the GoPro 11 for 30,000 pesos, along with two 128GB memory cards for about 2,200 pesos each. I’ve learned to be extremely careful with memory cards here—we once bought what we thought was an original card at a major mall only for it to be a total fake that wouldn't even work. This time, we bought from a specialized camera store and tested everything right there.
We also got a "free" weatherproof bag with the camera, which led to a hilarious ten-minute struggle between Jessa and me. We couldn't figure out how to close it because it didn't have a zipper! We were convinced it was "incredibly stupid" or broken until we realized it was a roll-top design. Note to self: maybe check the instructions next time!
The GoPro 11 isn't a massive jump from the 10, but the updated software and slightly better sensor are nice to have.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one!
