eurogranada
Europe
To tinker or not to tinker, that is the question...
Posts: 2,556
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Feb 26, 2018 15:53:14 GMT
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Your actions are very humbling to a mere mortal such as me. I think reading this thread has just made me a better person as I've taken something to heart from all this. I'm a nice guy, I believe in Karma, but I think sometimes I'm still too focussed on myself, my family. Thank you for reminding me of the good side in me...
I must say, when confronted with children in need, it's very hard not to care. Not to try and take action. My then 12 year old daughters' best friend has lost her parents and is living with her aunt and uncle and was very unhappy there. Ok, she forced the issue by her behaviour, but she's really a good kid. When we learned about her situation and what it did for her, me and the wife also discussed taking her in. We'd have no room, but we'd make it work. Fortunately for the lady in question things turned for the better, but in the back of my mind I'll always be open to helping her out if need be...
Thanks again...
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You're a mega GC George. Hope everything works out for you and the new bottle opener.
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Beer wise - I think you deserve more than the one  Rest assured, I heeded your sage advice - even before I read it! 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. I sincerely hope so as well. If we can get the mother's cooperation - see below - he can go whistle.  Your actions are very humbling to a mere mortal such as me. I think reading this thread has just made me a better person as I've taken something to heart from all this. I'm a nice guy, I believe in Karma, but I think sometimes I'm still too focussed on myself, my family. Thank you for reminding me of the good side in me... You're a mega GC George. Hope everything works out for you and the new bottle opener. Thanks for all the kind words and good wishes. I'm not sure I'm doing anything more than 99% of the decent people on here would do in similar circumstances though. Seems Madam has been talking to the girls' mother in Tokyo yesterday and this morning, as presumably the father isn't interested enough. Anyway, things seem to be progressing smoothly, but all I know is we have a very happy little girl here. She's got a permanent grin at the moment. Just wait 'til I get her on changing suspension bushes. That'll soon go! |
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Last Edit: Feb 27, 2018 6:12:14 GMT by georgeb
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Well done George ! ...  |
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Well done George. It never ceases to amaze me some of the things that occur in these countries , even here, & how they appear 'normal' to the locals?
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Todos con Lorca
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Feb 27, 2018 14:43:30 GMT
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It’s the ‘normal’ thing that I can’t get my head round either. How can any culture consider it acceptable to throw your own kids on the street? I don’t even have or particularly like kids and I can’t understand it. But then I can’t imagine growing up in a country that’s been continuously invaded either. Anyway, George, old chap, you may be right that 99% of decent people would look after her. But there is a difference between offering shelter and taking responsibility which is what you and Madam seem to be doing. For that you both have my greatest respect. Mind you, if you are going to take in all the strays off the street and put them to work repairing your cars you’ll need more Land Rover products. Well, they aren’t that reliable. Maybe another one... |
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Feb 27, 2018 17:14:04 GMT
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Brave man!
Thats 2 teenage females in the house.
A terrifing prospect :-)
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Feb 27, 2018 19:45:11 GMT
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Brave man! Thats 2 teenage females in the house. A terrifing prospect :-) Ummmmm, You're forgetting the youngest bottle opener... George may rule out renting a large house, and instead consider leasing an entire motel... lol |
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Feb 27, 2018 23:39:51 GMT
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Well done George. It never ceases to amaze me some of the things that occur in these countries , even here, & how they appear 'normal' to the locals? It’s the ‘normal’ thing that I can’t get my head round either. Mind you, if you are going to take in all the strays off the street and put them to work repairing your cars you’ll need more Land Rover products. Well, they aren’t that reliable. Maybe another one... "Normal" seems to have a slightly warped meaning in many places. Remember, there's little to nothing in the way of safety net here, so let's say you throw out your daughter, you do so knowing that sooner or later, if no one cares for her, there's only going to be one outcome, as she gets swept up by some lowlife and put to work. Sad, but true. Makes me angry just thinking about it.  So the upshot is she becomes our responsibility, and that's for everything. And do you know, I don't mind a bit! All three of my 'ladies' are happy, so I'm going with the flow. As for another LR product, I'll never be able to afford one now! And we'll have less of the reliability cracks, thank you! Brave man! Thats 2 teenage females in the house. A terrifing prospect :-) Tell that to my wallet. Good job I started this project when I did! George may rule out renting a large house, and instead consider leasing an entire motel... lol God, no! Nature, and Madam, abhor a vacuum and she'd fill it in minutes. Anyway, on a lighter note, we've all got a day off today, so I'll take them out to lunch. Then I can watch Pauline eat and get some idea of the damage to come! |
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Last Edit: Feb 27, 2018 23:52:00 GMT by georgeb
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Well done George, any more railway news?
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Feb 28, 2018 12:22:49 GMT
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As for another LR product, I'll never be able to afford one now! And we'll have less of the reliability cracks, thank you! Right, there's enough cracks forming already, I suppose? ;P I stop paying attention for a while and everything happens! I hope it all works out ok, and Tania doesn't quieten down again. |
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Then I can watch Pauline eat and get some idea of the damage to come! She's Filipina, yes? I can tell you how that one pans out... I'm glad you're in the position to provide a safety net, and thankyou for caring enough to do so. Whilst I too abhor that it so casually happens, I'm glad that the processes are so simple (relatively) to do something about it. I've long wanted to do something in the UK to help a certain under-privileged and uncared for demographic, but the restrictive laws here actually mean that trying to help people is prohibitively expensive and litigious... A buddy of mine was recently out in Manila (the other side to you) on a mission trip to help out an itinerant evangelist and he was roped in to doing some wiring and some welding etc, and while he has only a few days in college and virtually no experience, over there he was foreman, expert and hero for a couple of days fixing things. In some ways while there are big problems that we don't contemplate over here, sometimes the solving of the problems is much less bureaucracy-laden. |
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Well done George, any more railway news? Still fighting the Jinglish translations. God, it’s wearing! Having informal talks with train suppliers to see if they can meet the new, improved, politically inspired date. Trouble is, we can only talk to Japanese suppliers as that’s where they’ll have to come from, given that it’s a Japanese loan paying for it all. Always cynical about these development agency loans. More often than not, it’s just a huge money earner for some donor country or other at the expense of the borrower being lumbered with a bit of a white elephant. As an example, and I know I biased, but this one, to me, does not give value for money and probably also won’t deliver the much vaunted (but unsubstantiated) benefits. My freight line did (as it was a nett earner for the government) and would shift 300,000 truck journeys a year, 100% guaranteed. Pretty tangible is you ask me. Trouble is, passenger is bright and sparkly, whereas freight is dull. Still, we’ll keep on keeping on. Right, there's enough cracks forming already, I suppose? ;P I stop paying attention for a while and everything happens! I hope it all works out ok, and Tania doesn't quieten down again. Do keep up at the back! Yeah, we’ll just have to suck it and see. She's Filipina, yes? I can tell you how that one pans out... Let’s put it this way, I failed to be surprised! I'm glad you're in the position to provide a safety net, and thankyou for caring enough to do so. Whilst I too abhor that it so casually happens, I'm glad that the processes are so simple (relatively) to do something about it. I've long wanted to do something in the UK to help a certain under-privileged and uncared for demographic, but the restrictive laws here actually mean that trying to help people is prohibitively expensive and litigious... A buddy of mine was recently out in Manila (the other side to you) on a mission trip to help out an itinerant evangelist and he was roped in to doing some wiring and some welding etc, and while he has only a few days in college and virtually no experience, over there he was foreman, expert and hero for a couple of days fixing things. In some ways while there are big problems that we don't contemplate over here, sometimes the solving of the problems is much less bureaucracy-laden. Nice story. The big issue here is likely to be family related, rather than bureaucratic. I hear there is suddenly a caring old auntie who has popped up. Meeting her on Sunday morning. Wonder where she was when she was needed and how much she thinks she’s going to get? |
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Whoops! Seems the auntie isn't going to pop up after all. Shame, I was looking forward to it. Some very interesting information has come to light which I won't go into here. Needless to say it involved a situation that a then 12-year-old girl shouldn't find herself in. Seems the rest of the family have suddenly gone all silent, and the mother very co-operative. Really, Madam should have been a detective, she can dig up all sorts of stuff. Anyway, time for a Sunday morning "Smoke Around the City" |
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Hmmmm....I dread to think what it might be, just hope it's not scarred her for life. Sounds like St George arrived in the nick of time.
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Mar 12, 2018 12:36:35 GMT
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Been silent on the whole issue, but there could be an update in a few days. Just need to see how things pan out, all ways up. It's More Confusing in the Philippines!  In the meantime, I sent our driver to a hypnotist, his verbatim report is due any day now. |
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Mar 12, 2018 12:43:04 GMT
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Been silent on the whole issue, but there could be an update in a few days. Just need to see how things pan out, all ways up. It's More Confusing in the Philippines! In the meantime, I sent our driver to a hypnotist, his verbatim report is due any day now. Excuse my ignorance but are you still building the rail-link to the port directly through the shopping centre?? Or is it a different project now? |
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Mar 12, 2018 13:32:14 GMT
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Excuse my ignorance but are you still building the rail-link to the port directly through the shopping centre?? Or is it a different project now? Unfortunately not, although I'm going for a beer with the protagonist on Friday night. Simple fact. The PNR tracks I was going to run on are 1067mm gauge. Fine, no problem. We're not looking for speed anyway. I needed a 3km-ish line rehabilitating from the port to Tutuban, the main station, from whence I could run 300,000 containers a year the 50km to Alabang. They were there in the late 90's but had been tarmac'd over. After much deliberation, the DOT (Useless ba5tards) said they'd rebuild the section but, in line with Mr Duterte's edict that all new lines would be standard gauge, it would be 1435mm. Bloody marvellous. I'd run my first train from Alabang to Tutuban following which, it would promptly fall off, due to the rails being too far apart. Lawyers and political stupidity. The ironic part is that all the plans for this bright and sparkly piece of curse word I'm working on, show a freight line which, under their current thinking, cannot exist. |
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Frankenhealey
Club Retro Rides Member
And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death
Posts: 3,881
Club RR Member Number: 15
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Mar 12, 2018 14:07:12 GMT
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Really, Madam should have been a detective, she can dig up all sorts of stuff. If I send Madam this book can I have the film and TV series rights in Europe and the USA?  |
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Tales of the Volcano Lair hereFrankenBug - Vulcan Power hereThe Frankenhealey here |
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Bit of a long one, with plenty of thrills and spills – as usual – but some actual car content as well. Well, that was an interesting few days! Up and down like an LA Café girl’s unmentionables. You know there’s sometimes when you get it all wrong? Well we did… Pauline’s mother has hot-footed it into Manila from downtown Tokyo or wherever, to whisk her off to Japan, which is probably what she should have done in the first place, rather than leaving the girl with a manic father. So that’s that - nearly. We kept her safe for a few weeks, clothed, fed and watered her so, to say thank you, she stole one of Madam’s watches, then tried to stir the pot for me as well! That’s the Philippines for you. Fortunately, Madam clocked (no pun intended) it was missing and, as she the mother get along, a timepiece recovery mission was staged before she flew the coop, so to speak. Had us all fooled, just goes to show, eh? Give me dogs every time! One down and probably just in time as well. I can’t help but feel we’ve had a lucky escape there. But we’ve not finished yet, oh no. One up? So whilst Madam was away dealing with Pauline’s mother I, in my turn, was sitting quietly of the evening reading, with a large glass of Emperador brandy at the elbow, dogs at the feet, when the doorbell goes. It’s Tania who, as usual, had forgotten her key. In she troops with a big grinning, “Hi, Daddy!” but stands in the doorway, not actually entering. I can see someone behind her but can’t quite see who. Nearly dropped my drink when Tania moved and who should walk in... Jey-Ann! Seems she’d had a tearful reunion with Madam and they had a long talk. She then wanted to come and surprise me. It seems all has not been rosy these last eleven months and there were plenty more tears. After a lot of beating about the bush as she seemed embarrassed about what had happened, the upshot is she wants to come and stay with us at weekends, at least till the school year finishes (at the end of this month!), then we’ll see where we go from there – although I already have an inkling as to the destination. Madam had agreed to all this earlier, so asking me was a bit of a formality, but I’m not complaining, it was bloody lovely to see her. Looks like she’d patched things up with Tania a while ago and the two of them then started to plot via Facebook, bloody girls. It’ll be nice to see the original Bottle Openers reformed though.  In future, I’ll accept no substitutes! Of course this throws the house move planning into disarray completely and I’ve only got three weeks to sort out whatever it is we’re going to do, where we’re going to do it and who is going to be here, there or elsewhere, but see below for an update on that. I’m sure I’m getting too bloody old for this malarkey! Anyway, we’re up bright and early this coming Saturday morning and heading northwards back to Angeles to look at another place. Dealing direct with the owner so it’s (very) sensible money. Here’s a link for those that’s interested. www.dotproperty.com.ph/5-bedroom-house-for-rent-in-pampang-angeles_1762879?utm_source=trovit&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=trovitclicks#And a couple of pics for those that can’t be bothered.    Apart from the fact that you don’t come across many five-bedroomed houses with swimming pools for five hundred quid a month, the power of Google Streetview turned up this place just down the road…  So that’s the cold beers and steaks sorted out. But even better…  It seems they have regular car shows of a Sunday as well.  I could get to like this place! So it looks like we’ll all be de-camping up to Angeles for the long school holiday, whilst everyone sorts their lives out. I can think of worse things. |
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Last Edit: Mar 15, 2018 3:32:36 GMT by georgeb
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