Stokkevn

When I lived in Cairo we had a huge sandstorm which about half way through it it started to rain, similar problem with cleaning the cars.

Philosophical 11

Greetings !

Wasn't sure where to post this, so I will stick it here.

I was in TGP a few days ago and saw a poster advertising a free health check which covers all parts of the body. No blood or tissue is taken. Hmm I thought, I might as well see what my recent traumas are doing to my health.

Pitched up on the allotted day and filled in a form giving basic details. I have gained another kilo btw. Sat down and the lady gave me what looked like a phallic instrument (non-vibrating) and told me to hold it for 2 mins. This was attached to a laptop. There it was supposed to pick up electro magnetic signals from my hand/skin/body or whatever.

I was then told to take a seat next to the doctor and he was handed a 5 yes...5 page report on every function on my body. You name it...its there. Anyway...he went down the list with me and where something was not within the required parameters he prescribed various diets, lifestyle habits , medicines and vitamins. He gave me a list of what I required and suggested I buy them at TGP where this scan was taking place. And there would be extras if I bought them now. I politely declined his offer and took the list home complete with his prescriptions and studied the list in detail. I noticed there was something amiss when my weight was judged to be slightly underweight at the top of the report but buried in page 4 it gave a remedy for my obesity. Also it stated my semen levels were a bit low. Hmmm...I have had the 2 bricks treatment a long time ago.

I checked on the internet concerning the health check and it stated that there was no scientific proof that this type of scan using a phallic object using electro magnetic waves actually works. But some clinics do use it. In fact you can get the software from Lazada for 1899 peso if anyone is interested. A test was done with a wet rag wrapped around said phallic object and indeed gave out a 5 page report.

Now, it is thought that the software only uses your basic details, height, weight and age and from there, the software will randomly spew out a report which pertains to the basic details.

Anyway....basically my report says I am fit as a fiddle. Apart from needing a few spare parts.

Regards

Stokkevn

I was to provide a stool sample at a local hospital for testing a while ago, I was given a 1/2" diameter test tube to provide this sample in. Seeing that one would not go into the other I used a clean coffee cup from the vending machine. The chief nurse was not please and explained in very slow English that the cup was not clean enough and I would have to provide a new sample. I explained to her and the nearest doctor that I snagged as the hospital expected us to drink from it, it had better be clean enough, unless of course they were trying to get more paying customers for food poisoning. The doctor had the good grace to exit quickly while giggling, leaving the chief nurse to explain why they used dirty cups in the vending machine, she then passed this explanation to a junior nurse and quickly followed the doctor. I left the sample with the receptionist and went to a different hospital for the tests.

Stokkevn

Update on the potential chicks/BBQ/curry chickens. Every day a local chicken comes into the garden to feed upon the spilt food from the hens cage, yesterday the dogs cornered it up the side of the house, so I grabbed it and put it in with the 2 females. Later I mentioned to the missus that I thought one of the hens had given birth, she rushed outside and looked in the cage and just for a millisecond she believed me, I think what gave it away was that the new hen is actually bigger than both the others. Still at least I get the whole bed to myself tonight.

Stokkevn

The wife has got fed up cleaning and feeding the three most expensive chickens in the country so yesterday they were packed off to a chicken 'retirement home' along with their feed trays, water bowls and feed. The retirement home is run by her cousin, who I am sure will invite us round this weekend for a beer and to sample what a retired chicken tastes like. Even he tried to explain that if you want chicks you can not keep the cock in one cage and the hens in another but looking at his face I don't think he was getting through.

Stokkevn

Today we find out that the cock was a bit more agile than your average retiree cock and has escaped his enclosure, I can only assume that he escaped straight into a 10 litre cooking casserole all by himself, taking a few tasty vegetables with him.

Pulaski

That's not unique to the Philippines - in the US I have found a number of times that a product can be cheaper per unit if you buy the mid-sized pack over the larger "family size" pack, and that is before considering any offered discount, which typically only applies to the mid-sized pack.

Then there are the recurring "buy X get Y free" offers. There are several recurring heavy discounts on staple foods such as bread, eggs, and cheese, at our local supermarket and so every time the offer comes around we stock up with enough to keep us going until the next time.

Feidlimid

There’s currently a glut of delicious, small-sized Fuji apples in the market at the moment, which we’ve been making great use of. My regular, happy-going market stallholder always tries to keep my business by offering a deal for buying more. The apples are selling for ₱10 each so she offers to give me one free if I buy 10 i.e., 11 for ₱100. Not exactly deal of the century or a 'buy 2 get 1 free deal' but hey, we're in the Ph. This has been going on for the past month and we’re both happy with the arrangement.

This morning, after filling out one bag of eleven, she said that'll be ₱100. Thanks, I say, on this occasion I'll take another 11. “OK sir”, came the reply, “that’ll be ₱110 extra”. I reminded her of our deal to buy 10 and get one free, to which she replied that this was only for 10 apples.

You can see how this was developing. Despite previous experiences (there are times when one just can’t help oneself) I pointed out that the standard procedure in trading (not in Ph as we know) is that the more you buy, the better deal you get. That concept fell on deaf ears so I decided on pointing out the logical mathematical basis, quoting multiples of ten and all that palaver. That failed too so I tried another tact.

What if I come back later and bought another 10, I say, would I get one free? Yes Sir. Great, I reply, how soon can I come back? No answer. What if do some more shopping and come back in 5 mins would that be ok? This created a big laugh followed by No Sir. What about an hour or maybe two hours? No Sir. What about this afternoon? Maybe Sir. We’re getting somewhere so I say, what about tomorrow? Yes Sir, tomorrow’s ok. Thanks …. I reply, you’re very good to me. Welcome Sir.

A week previously her brother was on the stall and sold me 22 apples straight of the bat for ₱200, no questions asked!

Feidlimid

Sure, and that happens in many UK supermarkets too but that wasn’t the case here. All tins were the same size, both packs contained 4 tins and each pack cost ₱239.

Ditto – very common in UK supermarkets and they are usually real promos. But that’s hardly what happened here. The choice of buying a standard 4 pack for ₱239 or a so-called "buy X get Y free" offer consisting of a 3 pack plus one free for ₱239 is not a promo, despite what the check out lady believes.

abner

One thing that the Philippines is in serious need of is a Costco- and/or Amazon-style retail disruption. The retail markups paid for basic branded items of nearly every description are ridiculous.

bestvue

there's a Hugh Costco in Santa Rosa just a few miles south of Manila down the SLEX

Stokkevn

There used to be a Costco in Iloilo but is now called R&S ( or S&R ), but still run on the same basis and with mostly the same products, last time I was there the prices were not that bad and had quite a few things not normally available here.

abner

I only know Cebu, and am newly acquainted even with that, so it's quite possible I've missed something obvious...?

Gazza-d

You need to be aware of your prices when shopping in the likes of S&R. We were looking at washing machines and had seen one in S&R that caugh my eye. On the next visit a week or two later googled it and a big retailer in Manila had it a few pesos cheaper. Went back earlier this week to buy it and it had gone up 5k, bought it 2k cheaper in SM.

bestvue

correction yes S&R same same