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Feb 17, 2018 12:05:45 GMT
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Soo... Went to look at the bungalow type place with pool etc., as shown earlier. Would have had it in a shot but, it's literally in the middle of nowhere. The nearest civilisation is around 15 minutes, which is fine, but it's entirely Korean. It's like bloody Seoul. No way Madam would go for it even though she likes Korean food. More to the point, no bar and miles from the highway exit. I explained the problem to the agent who said, "Ah okay, we take you to another." Kuya and I followed to a house just about 500m around the corner. Same issue, not too surprisingly. Now, before you all start, "Well you should have known where it was before you went." in my defence, I've seen the same place, advertised via the same agency, in four different areas of Angeles. Kuya took them to one side and Tagalog'ed them. They listened and off we went to see somewhere far more suitably located. Madam, Bottle Opener and I are going back tomorrow, so the ladies can see. And why didn't they come today? Well Malate Catholic School, after several millennia, were, once again, caught out by Chinese New Year. So the exams they's scheduled for Friday - a public holiday - had to be sat on Saturday. You do have to wonder sometimes.   Yes, that's all one house.  |
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Last Edit: Feb 17, 2018 12:11:20 GMT by georgeb
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Feb 17, 2018 13:24:21 GMT
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Looks promising
But so does a lot of stuff.
I hope the rest of the gang like it and that it works for you mate.
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Feb 17, 2018 19:19:31 GMT
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Looks like a fairly rundown area. They can't even afford to put up a "how deep is your flooding" marker board at the end of the road like you used to have! I don't see why you should downgrade, now that you're "big business".
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Feb 17, 2018 23:05:28 GMT
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Looking good.
I see that Mr Duterte is advocating shooting women in the vagina to quell the moslem dissedents, sounds like everything is running nicely under his stewardship!!!
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Looks promising But so does a lot of stuff. I hope the rest of the gang like it and that it works for you mate. House hunt temporarily on hold. When I heard yesterday how much up front they wanted, I knew it would make for a tight month but, just for a change, my bank’s website was down, so I couldn’t check my account and didn’t want to just guess. Anyway, this morning it was back up so I could do some calculations. Hmm, even using my best man-maths, I couldn’t get it to stack up. It was do-able but would probably have led to some month left at the end of the money and, I’m kinda just getting used to the other way around! If I wait until my next invoice is paid, then the whole outlook changes. So that’s what I’ve decided to do. Damn shame, as it means another three/four weeks of that hideous commute but hey, we’re just coming out of a personal two-year recession, another month isn’t going to hurt. If that place is still available, all well and good, if not, there's plenty of others up there. Besides, I’ve got my BNMAC Goodwood trip to avoid funding as well!  Looks like a fairly rundown area. They can't even afford to put up a "how deep is your flooding" marker board at the end of the road like you used to have! I don't see why you should downgrade, now that you're "big business". Honestly, you don't expect, living in an upscale community like that, to have to slosh down the road to peer at some wildly inaccurate bit of plastic, do you? No, in these posh places they kit a little man out with goggles and sometimes even a snorkel (if he's lucky) to come round and tell you personally. If all you can see is a ping pong ball coming up the street, then it either pretty damn deep, or he sent one of his children instead.  Looking good. I see that Mr Duterte is advocating shooting women in the vagina to quell the moslem dissedents, sounds like everything is running nicely under his stewardship!!! As to Duterte, he’s a real Lady Killer alright. On Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported that… “…Harry Roque, Duterte's spokesman, defended the president's string of sexist comments, saying critics should lighten up.
"You know, sometimes, these feminists are really a bit OA," Roque said using the Filipino term to mean over-acting.
"I mean, that's funny. Come on. Just laugh," he told a pro-Duterte social media personality, adding that people "identify with his humour".”Prior to becoming presidential spokesman, Roque was a human rights lawyer. Don’t you just love the legal profession? |
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“So, how is your new driver, George?” Hmm…how to put this. A Lesser Decisive Stamping Wanderer, is the likely breed. He’s the kind of guy that makes you seethe when you’re stuck behind him as he meanders ditheringly across lanes or, when absolutely flummoxed, straddles two of them. He constantly changes lanes looking for that one that’s moving .002kph faster than the one we’re already in. Of course, he doesn’t understand God’s immutable law that states that the other queue will always move faster than yours. As a consequence, we spend the time futilely switching hither and yon whilst watching the vehicle we were originally behind meander slowly ahead. Of course, he’s not on his own in this and several hundred other drivers are all doing the same. Add to this the likes of my last one, now trying to cross five lanes of traffic from the far left to make that last minute right hand turn that's taken him by surprise again, and there’s only one result. Inertia. They really are their own worst enemy. It’s the only nation I know where 2 cars, at six on a Sunday morning can create their very own jam by refusing to give way to one another. And stamping because the pedals are not considered to be hardworking and vital links to other mechanical parts of the vehicle and deserving a certain amount of sympathy, but harbingers of evil that must be crushed underfoot. Devil’s spawn to be stomped into oblivion. They are treated like switches, on or off, no in between. Yesterday we had to go into Manila for a meeting which entailed using the wonderful EDSA. So, after a snaky ride down the highway, we hit the very worst road for traffic the capital has to offer. He was in heaven. Not only did we have a traffic jam to play with, he had five lanes at his disposal, sending his indecision levels into orbit. We weaved, we wandered, we cut up others, we jerked. And what was the outcome after an hour and a half? The bus that started off behind us was now in front, and his passengers were knackered. Success! |
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A few weeks ago, I received this...  Or at least something similar! Naturally, I ticked the ‘No’ box. And guess what, the Philippine government suspended the programme and is considering suing for a refund of all the unused doses when it was admitted, by the manufacturer, after the programme started, that if administered to anyone who’d never had dengue before, there was a damn good chance they will now. Oops! I’m just glad I’m one of life’s “No” box tickers! Glad you checked the "NO" box. Consequences of the program live on.... link |
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Feb 24, 2018 11:57:54 GMT
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Glad you checked the "NO" box. Consequences of the program live on.... You and me both. I'm of a generation whose mothers carted them round to anyone who had all the childhood diseases (Mumps, measles, etc.) so I'd catch them too. Job done. I turned down the MMR in the UK for my boy when it was all the rage. He seems to have survived without. I refused the flu vaccine here for Tania, despite a stern letter from school and the same with the Dengue one. I guess I'm just anti stuffing things into people, call me an irresponsible parent. Good job in this case though. I'll carry on. Anyway, moving right along... If there’s one thing you can’t accuse life here of doing, it’s standing still. No sooner has one crisis been averted/solved, there’s another one just waiting to pop up. And so it was today. Last night, Tania had some friends from Tondo over for a sleepover, I know one of them okay, Isla, the other two I’d seen around, but only on occasion. So, this morning I pop out for a pre-Saturday afternoon kip beer, and come home to find Madam in a state of some excitement. She’s in the kitchen with one of the kids and starts to pour out the tale of woe. Turns out this one, Pauline, has been kicked out of her house by her father who, after his wife left him to live with a Japanese guy in Tokyo, has recently moved in a 15-year-old girl, who doesn’t want a 13-year-old daughter hanging around. Seems that for the last month, the kid’s been sleeping and eating at any friend’s house that’ll have her, but is pretty much at the end of her tether. She has three sets of clothes, obviously hasn’t been to school and has no idea what she’s going to do. Can you see where this is leading yet? Yup, we’ve offered the child a home, at least temporarily, until something gets sorted out, whatever that may be. I’m guessing it could be long term, but what do you do? She hugged Madam and burst into tears, Madam is off to see the father tomorrow. If he signs over responsibility (been here before remember?), then fine, if he’s looking for money, he’s looking in the wrong place. Better get the bottle opening training started! |
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Feb 24, 2018 12:14:47 GMT
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Good luck.........
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Feb 24, 2018 18:08:38 GMT
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Hells bells George, you never cease to amaze me. Stray dogs, cats and children all homed without question.
I can't quite decide if you are the second coming of our Lord or just completely mad. Either way, I'm reassured that there are people like you in this world.
Good luck!
James
PS, Lets hope you do better with children than with cats though...
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Feb 24, 2018 20:53:56 GMT
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And here is me thinking that I'm doing good by rehoming / adding another 2 retros / classics to my fleet - pales to insignificance with what George & his family do for others - hope it all goes has well has it can - Chris
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Feb 24, 2018 21:07:32 GMT
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Hells bells George, you never cease to amaze me. Stray dogs, cats and children all homed without question. I can't quite decide if you are the second coming of our Lord or just completely mad. Either way, I'm reassured that there are people like you in this world. Good luck! James PS, Lets hope you do better with children than with cats though... You forgot the maid.  |
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Feb 24, 2018 23:07:51 GMT
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I've been wondering for some time now if you're running some sort of zoo on the quiet, but now I'm thinking it may be more of a hostel!
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What on earth makes you think I'll need it!? Hells bells George, you never cease to amaze me. Stray dogs, cats and children all homed without question. I can't quite decide if you are the second coming of our Lord or just completely mad. Either way, I'm reassured that there are people like you in this world. Good luck! James PS, Lets hope you do better with children than with cats though... Well, I'm certainly not one, so it must be a bit of the other! She's been here two nights now and hasn't dropped dead yet, so here's hoping! And here is me thinking that I'm doing good by rehoming / adding another 2 retros / classics to my fleet - pales to insignificance with what George & his family do for others - hope it all goes has well has it can - Chris We do seem to make a habit of collecting waifs and strays. But if we can help the kid get back on her feet, then that's enough for me. You forgot the maid. She's gone! returned home to look after her elderly mother. I suppose I should think ourselves lucky she didn't move her in here! I've been wondering for some time now if you're running some sort of zoo on the quiet, but now I'm thinking it may be more of a hostel! Feels like it sometimes, but hey... And, shock, horror, some car content. Last night saw my Little Darling heading off to the fancy Manila Hotel for her school prom. Of course, I couldn't let her be ferried in some poxy Toyota, so a hundred quid on a new battery and a good two quid primping over the car-wash later and...   Now you see why I have to keep the side steps.   She scrubs up well, and the '38 doesn't look too shabby either! |
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Last Edit: Feb 25, 2018 0:23:14 GMT by georgeb
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Your life is full George!......or should that be St George?
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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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In some ways she looks very much like my daughter, mobile phone permanently attached to her hand...
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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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Feb 25, 2018 10:17:53 GMT
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Your life is full George!......or should that be St George? Fuller than a full thing. Sometimes I wish I only had a V12 MGB to worry about! In some ways she looks very much like my daughter, mobile phone permanently attached to her hand... I think that they are actually born that way now. "is it an Apple or Android?" Well, tonight's the night. Pauline and Madam are heading off to see her old man (Pauline's - Madam's is safely tucked away in Manila North Cemetery) so by tomorrow we should know the score. We'll need some of his cooperation as there's all sorts of paperwork needed to get to enrol her in a new school, get her passport and all that other stuff. It's do-able without, but a pain. We had a long chat last night and she's a really lovely kid. Let's hope we can work things out. Fingers crossed. |
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Looks like a done deal. If you can call passing children around as a deal? Dunno.
Anyway, Tania and Pauline have turned up at home and that's that.
Madam is still in Tondo sorting paperwork. Christ, it sounds like buying a car 😞
Anyway, she's here. Had nothing to bring, it's all been thrown away apparently. Fortunately, we have more clothes than Marks & Sparks, so that's not an immediate issue. It's also nearly the end of the school year, so I can enrol them both together for next term.
I'm happy she's here and safe, but still having a hard time over the way kids are viewed here. It's hard to take in, even after so long in this part of the world.
And so it begins again...
Time for a beer, methinks.
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Looks like a done deal. If you can call passing children around as a deal? Dunno. Anyway, Tania and Pauline have turned up at home and that's that. Madam is still in Tondo sorting paperwork. Christ, it sounds like buying a car 😞 Anyway, she's here. Had nothing to bring, it's all been thrown away apparently. Fortunately, we have more clothes than Marks & Sparks, so that's not an immediate issue. It's also nearly the end of the school year, so I can enrol them both together for next term. I'm happy she's here and safe, but still having a hard time over the way kids are viewed here. It's hard to take in, even after so long in this part of the world. And so it begins again... Time for a beer, methinks. Beer wise - I think you deserve more than the one |
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PHUQ
Part of things
Posts: 864
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Feb 26, 2018 12:28:43 GMT
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While the fact that the situation has arisen is completely incomprehensible, good on you George (again). Hopefully her dad does the sensible thing and leaves her (and you) alone to get on with remaking her life now.
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