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That Chicken Curry looked nice - no rice?
I will have to take your word for it that the Shiraz tastes the same from anything other than a crystal glass lol.
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96 E320 W210 Wafter - on 18" split Mono's - Sold :-( 10 Kia Ceed Sportwagon - Our new daily 03 Import Forester STi - Sold 98 W140 CL500 AMG - Brutal weekend bruiser! Sold :-( 99 E240 S210 Barge - Now sold 02 Accord 2.0SE - wife's old daily - gone in PX 88 P100 2.9efi Custom - Sold
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Sept 3, 2015 19:29:45 GMT
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Got home tonight and found this had arrived in the post. A plate from George in Manilla. Great addition to my mad collection of plates. Thank you very much George, this is just perfect.
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Sept 3, 2015 22:15:08 GMT
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That Chicken Curry looked nice - no rice? I will have to take your word for it that the Shiraz tastes the same from anything other than a crystal glass lol. The curry is an innocent delicate yellow colour that belies the fact it'll strip paint. Bloody gorgeous. Oh, and no rice as my little bottle openers had scoffed it all earlier. Not being a kernosser, a SpongeBob mug will do me just as well. And it messes with sweetpea's head! Got home tonight and found this had arrived in the post. A plate from George in Manilla. Great addition to my mad collection of plates. Thank you very much George, this is just perfect. Good stuff, glad it arrived okay, Rian. You are very welcome. Now, down to business. As you'll remember, we went to see PNR the other day and they continue to be receptive to our plans. However, despite having their own executive powers, they fall under the purview of the mighty Department of Transport and Communications and PNR asked us to present separately to them. Having DOTC approval would give comfort to the PNR board you see. It's called distributing the decision making process as wide as possible, at least in polite circles. The rest of us call it sloping shoulders! So yesterday four of us trooped off (my ankle hates wearing shoes at the moment, but this was no occasion for flip-flops, so I limped off) to that architectural gem that is Colombia Tower, in the beautifully named Barangay Wack-Wack to present ourselves, as requested, at 10am. I've been dealing with the DOTC here on various projects for around four years now and, so far, have not a had single kind word to say about them. I expected more of the same as I know the guy I normally deal with is virulently opposed to freight lines. I suspect his uncle owns a fleet of trucks, but that's just me. We were therefore expecting a bit of a hard time, but we knew that the main guy we're presenting to is new, so we have a sliver of hope. My client does the slick corporate and commercial bits, our lawyer bores everyone legally whilst I do all the roughy-toughy railway operational stuff. I got all the expected questions about how would this delay the services on the soon to be realised Southrail commuter service (as a matter of interest, it's been being "realised" for the last 19 years to my knowledge - but let them dream) and fielded several others of a less technical nature, e.g., "I buy my vegetables at the market you plan to run through, what will happen to that?", yes, seriously. At the end, we sat back and awaited the words of wisdom. The upshot is that apart from a few caveats around the track access fee, we now have DOTC, and therefore PNR, full approval and expect to sign 'em all up beginning of October! So far this project is actually running to plan. Bet that won't last long though. Plenty to do in the meantime in terms of producing the project schedule and forming the project team, so I've got a busy few weeks ahead to get us sorted out to where we need to be. We've a last presentation to give to the client board end of this month, but unless something goes madly awry, this should be a formality. Last night therefore, I soaked my, by now much complaining ankle, in icy cold San Mig, from the inside, with a quiet and satisfied smile. Looking forward to this properly now. FREIGHT TRAIN!!!
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Last Edit: Sept 3, 2015 22:26:38 GMT by georgeb
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joeytalent
Part of things
ITB Everything.
Posts: 440
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Full steam ahead!
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Indeed! And to celebrate, as all my lot are heading for the palm fringed, white sands of Tondo, I'm in the middle of cooking a real and proper British beef stew for me tea. Marvellous.
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Sept 5, 2015 10:23:31 GMT
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What to do??
Went to Mall of Asia today to not get what I didn't find yesterday somewhere else, if you're with me.
Anyways up, half the roads are closed, and why? Well, the the world famous Toyota Vios Cup series has come to town and is being run in the streets around MoA. Now, this may be really exciting on a good track (or not) but the 'circuit' is laid out on roads designed in a strict grid principle. So that'll be five right hand corners with a single left thrown in for good measure. Like an Etch-a-Sketch.
The big question is, do I bother going tomorrow? On the plus side, admission is free. This is however, countered by the fact that a) there's hardly anywhere you can actually watch from, b) all the cars are, strangely, Toyota Vios, same as most of the taxis and c) they were having a bit of a practice and it looked to me like the taxis were faster!
Let's see how I feel in the morning as I could really do with a motor sport fix. I'm just not sure if this will hit the spot.
Now, if they had it around Malate and Ermita, with the jeepneys...
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Sept 6, 2015 22:59:41 GMT
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Actual racing theoretically comes down to driver skill then rather than who's got the better car. Still be a bit boring to watch though I should think.
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Actual racing theoretically comes down to driver skill then rather than who's got the better car. Still be a bit boring to watch though I should think. You are right, of course. However, I find the ubiquitous Vios to be one of the most dull and uninteresting vehicles ever produced by man without, as far as I can see, a single solitary redeeming feature (if you don't count the fact that they are not made by Proton). They are mind numbingly everywhere here, which just goes to show that you can fool most of the people most of the time. This being the case (IMO) I'm afraid the thought of watching 20 or so of them pottering around the streets of shopping mall came a very distant second to Cafe Adriatico, a few icy cold ones, a good book then spending the afternoon helping with the girls' homework. As a penance for a negative post, have a piccy of a derelict beetle (there's a few around) and a jeepney
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Sept 8, 2015 23:56:06 GMT
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Little railway update… We had a meeting with a French signalling outfit on Monday and watching their reaction to what was being said was ‘interesting’ to say the least. I got the impression that the guys we were talking to would have been a lot happier about working on a TGV or high frequency metro than this. My thoughts were borne out yesterday when we took them on a site visit. One of them had just moved from Paris to Makati (very safe, very clean) and had never been to Manila City itself, the other had recently moved to Singapore (very safe, very clean) from France and this was his first trip to the Philippines. They were both Asia virgins. Oh dear! The first eye opener was the armed driver. Next was a visit to the “maintenance” depot, really just somewhere to dump stuff that they can’t be arsed fixing. We clambered up (much to the disgust of my ankle) into 25 year old locomotives and 20 year old diesel multiple units, all with a sad air of decay and neglect. Much head shaking. The condition of the track horrified them and when they saw a loco hauled passenger, with actual real people on board, I don’t think they could quite believe what they were witnessing. A train running along this? Then we took them down what will be the street running section. You will remember that this runs through a large market and I commented, jokingly, to the Filipino of the party that we were going so slowly, because of the throngs, I should have brought my shopping list along and stocked up on meat and veg as we drove past. My French friends, looking out of the window at the heaps of chicken and pork sat on tables in the sun and buzzing with flies, looked positively bilious at this thought. This was followed by coming across a heap of rotting veg, meat and fish so large, it was being cleared with a Bobcat. You can imagine the smell, or maybe you can't. Their reaction? ”How can people live like this?” Think we’re going to be on a pretty steep learning curve if they get involved in this one. Bless them. So chatting to the client on Monday after our meeting, we turned to housekeeping issues. As we’re about finished on the initial phase and now moving towards implementation, I reminded him he had nearly bust his budget for me and what did he want to do next. “I want you do lead the project team and deliver this. I’ll have a new agreement drawn up.” That was the correct response and will do me very nicely, thank you.
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Last Edit: Sept 9, 2015 0:00:03 GMT by georgeb
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Smiler
Posted a lot
I no longer own anything FWD! Or with less than 6 cylinders, or 2.5ltrs! :)
Posts: 2,492
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Sept 9, 2015 10:48:56 GMT
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Excellent, congratulations.
The place does sound very appealing from your little tour.
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www.Auto-tat.co.uk'96 Range Rover P38 DSE (daily driver) '71 Reliant Scimitar SE5 GTE 3.0ltr Jag V6 Conversion '79 Reliant Scimitar SE6A 3.0ltr 24valve Omega Conversion '85 Escort Cabrio 2.0 Zetec - Sold '91 BMW 525i - Sold '82 Cortina 2.9i Ghia Cosworth - Sold '72 VW Campervan - Sold '65 LandRover 88" - Sold
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luckyseven
Posted a lot
Owning sneering dismissive pedantry since 1970
Posts: 3,839
Club RR Member Number: 45
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Sept 9, 2015 12:50:42 GMT
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You really do need to start writing your memoirs, George. I'd read it over Bill Bryson any day
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Earth Rocker
Part of things
Among the living.....Just!!!
Posts: 215
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Sept 9, 2015 19:14:00 GMT
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Loving the updates
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pauls0
Part of things
Posts: 31
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Sept 10, 2015 17:39:15 GMT
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Good effort George! I look forward to the updates as the project progresses.
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logicaluk
Posted a lot
Every days a school day round here
Posts: 1,373
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Sept 10, 2015 22:02:52 GMT
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Well done sir.
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Sept 12, 2015 0:22:14 GMT
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Well here we are again, sat in the lovely Cardinal Sin gymnasium on a Saturday morning. And why this time?
Last week my little bottle openers came home with a letter telling me that their report cards could be collected between eight and twelve this morning.
Rightly ho. Let's beat the rush and be there bang on eight. Into school and tell them what I'm here for. "Ah, you must go gym and register first". Of course. I register and am told to take a seat. When I asked when I could collect the cards I was told, in about three hours, after the parents assembly. This will no doubt consist of a load of religious stuff followed by a pitch for money!
Jesus wept (and he would too) why is everything so bloody difficult. I'd got a busy morning planned but that's gone to rat-poo now.
Next time they can get there own f'in cards!
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Sept 12, 2015 1:24:47 GMT
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Update...
I fired a couple of SMS off to Madam, who is no doubt sunning herself with a tropical drink on the palm fringed beaches of Tondo, generally bemoaning the predicament I found myself in. It then occurred to me that whilst it may make me feel better to have a right good mank, getting at her was not changing my unfortunate circumstances.
So I moaned at the school instead, claiming a ten o'clock business meeting anywhere but there. I started by asking if I could pick the cards up on Monday rather than wait three hours today. I was told that if I didn't get them today, I'd have to wait one week before I could collect them.
"Why?"
"That's the rules, Sir"
"But you have the cards all filled out upstairs, yes?"
"Yes Sir"
"Your letter to me said that I could pick the cards up today, between eight and twelve, not that I was required to be here for that period and I have planned other work this morning."
"In that case Sir, you have to wait another week"
"So what you are telling me is that because your letter was ambiguous and that I have other things planned today, you are going to basically punish my girls and make them wait a week after all their classmates have their cards?"
"It's the rule Sir" - there's always a bloody rule.
"Then perhaps you need to look at your rules and make some provision for those parents who can't spend a Saturday morning singing hymns. I really would appreciate a little flexibility on the part of the school here"
Sensing I wasn't going away, the girl sidled off to speak to a "higher authority". Wow, I thought, a real hotline? No, it was the Principal of the Girls Section. Bit of a let down but...
"Okay Sir George, I give you the cards for your girls, but please don't let any of the other parents see you with them" She'd obviously worked out that if the others realised they didn't really have to sit through three hours of prayers and extortion, there'd probably be a bloody riot.
Promising to go straight to my car and drive away, without first standing in front of the throng shouting, "Look what I got, suckers", I got the cards and beat a hasty retreat before anyone could change their minds.
As I drove, satisfied, past the gym, they were all standing lustily belting out the school song. Bless 'em.
I don't know the words anyway!
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Sept 12, 2015 4:34:25 GMT
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I rarely get into religious discussions.
But your posts do make me chuckle (insomnia sucks)
I always wonder what portion of the monies extorted goes directly back to the pope's coffers (not to help the world of course) and what portion actually gets used to fit new gutters, iPads, coffee dispensers etc.
These religious businesses really do have people at the mercy of their own consciences.
Thanks for the chuckles.
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Sept 12, 2015 8:29:30 GMT
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Way to go George. Stick it to them. Always enjoy this thread.
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eternaloptimist
Posted a lot
Too many projects, not enough time or space...
Posts: 2,578
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Sept 12, 2015 20:25:45 GMT
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Another top update. Particularly like the reaction of the French guys to real life there.
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XC70, VW split screen crew cab, Standard Ten
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Sept 13, 2015 8:59:12 GMT
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Having smoked too many coffee's and drunk far more roll ups that could be considered healthy for this time on a Sunday morning while reading through the whole thread all I can say George is.... Keep the entertainment coming A fantastic and very funny write up that kept my wife wondering why I was laughing so much.. Of course the laughing could be down to too much caffeine, maybe I should try smoking de-caf instead
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Last Edit: Sept 13, 2015 8:59:38 GMT by Stigian
My YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/user/UkWheelHorseBlokeQuote - D'you know, it's people like you, doing totally brilliant and pointless stuff like this that gives me a little hope for humanity
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