Makati City, Philippines - Page 31

slang · 09-21-2007, 12:52 PM

About a week ago our bill appeard at our doorstep. It looked like our bill anyway, until we looked at it.

It was actually the neighbor's bill and less than half of our total bill. I thought surely that someone else had received our bill and would be happy to return it, being much more than the normal bill here.

It didnt happen.

We asked here and asked there, "did you get our electric bill ?" but no one had it.

That's sort of a problem here if you don't have the bill because the convenient way to pay the bill is at one of the "bill pay" centers. If you do not have the original bill there's no way for them to tie into the system and record your payment.

I don't believe that mailing the bill in is an option or if it is possible if it's just not popular as going to the payment centers.

Anyway.....

If we didnt get the bill this month by some mysterious hiccup in the routine, then could we expect to receive one the month after? How about the month after that?

It annoyed me that everyone else in Makati seemed to get their bill but ours was no where to be found.

We ended up going all the way into the city to Meralco to pay it at the office since that's the only place that paying without a paper bill is possible.

A copy was provided to us and it ended up being a minor pain in the ass.

The original showed up a few days after without explaination.

The one line of this bill that caught my eye was the "system loss" line with the figure of P142.98 or 8.8% of the total bill.

It is also true that the KwPhr is $.19, a bit high for US rates.

slang · 09-21-2007, 01:04 PM

There is another family in the next town that are good friends of our family here and they cook foods for sale, as many do here. The following few pictures are from their place a few days ago.

This is stuffed milkfish if I'm not mistaken. The cost is P70.

slang · 09-21-2007, 01:09 PM

People walk by the bbq all night and buy these chicken parts. It's as natural as buying a burger in the US.

I dont eat these things but my wife does. It cant be all that bad. Not good enough for me to try out but not all that bad.

Chicken heads to the left, chicken feet to the right.

slang · 09-21-2007, 01:13 PM

These were the jokesters of the evening. They'll do anything to get into one of my pics.

Seems like even the kids know that little gesture, even if they have it a bit confused on the direction

slang · 09-21-2007, 01:25 PM

Back into our neck of the woods...

This is the only place that's open late at night and serves food. There are people cringing at the thought of eating at a place like this but like the food and the folks there.

We normally order the Chixilog which is chicken, rice and one egg. I have also tried the Porksilog and have no ill effects as of yet (fingers crossed).

A pinoy sized meal at a pinoy sized price, about $.65

The drinks on the left are probably familiar, Sprite-Coke-RC. The tiny 200 ml cokes are all that my wife can drink. I've not ever seen that size in the US.

The drinks on the right are not seen in the US as far as I know. The Sarsi reminds me of root beer and I've not tried the others there.

All in glass bottles. Do you remember those days?

slang · 09-21-2007, 01:32 PM

This is one of the most popular denominations of bills here. It's the 100 peso note, or the $2.22 note as I like to think of them.

All foreign currency is interesting to me but this bill has the US flag directly on the bill with the Philippine flag.

All of our history with the Phils is not great but most of those that I meet here are very friendly to Americans, American products and ideas.

Just imagine the uproar if there was a Brit flag on any of the US currency!

slang · 09-21-2007, 01:45 PM

Water.

We all need it. If you are a caucasion here you realize how much! The sodas and beers are mostly cheap to guzzle by the case but there's no substitute for pure, clean water.

This is the container that it's delivered in. Pour it into a plastic jug and make damn sure there's some cold in the house.

This jug is about 5 gallons and costs P40.

The "store" that it's purified in has all the high tech looking gadgetry and is busy through the day filling and sealing these water jugs.

When you are empty, call the tubig lalaki (water dude ) and he'll stop by on pedicar with another sealed jug for you.

My personal consumption is about a gallon a day. More if we're out walking around.

slang · 09-21-2007, 01:52 PM

If every expat doesnt have these cheap but colorful fish somewhere in his home, he should have.

No, I wasn't drunk when I bought them Zippy!

The store owner swore to me on a stack of bibles that they were NOT made in China too.

slang · 09-21-2007, 02:07 PM

What's the temperature like indoors for me here?

At our home which is an apartment that is just under 500 sq ft, the AC does a great job at keeping the air comfortable here.

Our AC unit is a 2 HP Carrier rated at about 18000 btus, plenty for this place.

It was on constantly when I first arrived but with time we came to a better use, on for one half hour, off for one our. That's on a timed schedule mostly at night.

The compressor seems to freeze up when it's left on continuously even with the cool setting at the lower ranges.

With a pedistal type fan running most of the time that we are inside here, it's pretty consistently cool and dry.

When we leave the setting on the AC goes to off. When first getting in it gets set to manual on. Once it cools off the setting goes to auto, 1/2 on, full hour off, repeat.

Any more than that at night and my wife coughs a lot.

On average we are only here for about 10 hours a day anyway.

Even with our own electric bill we save tons of money compared to a hotel. Most of the rooms that we've stayed in are much smaller than this also.

This is a good intermediate step before buying/constructing a house of our own here.

slang · 09-21-2007, 02:26 PM

A few of my personal goals have not worked out well as of yet.

Riding the bike even with the hydration pack is extremely hot. For all that the pack carries in water ( 3 l ) it also is bulky and tough to move around with.

The Cygolite "premium" bike light has also been a disappointment as it's much cooler to ride in the early morning. Even with the 110V transformer the light does not seem to hold a charge and the light's effectiveness is almost zero after about 15 minutes.

In the US it would stay charged and bright for well over an hour with little signs of dimming.

I'd still like to ride the bike more but the crazy heat makes it a big challenge here.

Another specific goal was to use the Rosetta stone program for learning Tagolog.

The full sized PC that I'd intended to use with the program has failed miserably and I've given up on taking it to another computer tech.

Replace the HD then there's another problem. Replace that problem then there's another.

This laptop will run the program but the memory is low and this machine is better suited for e-mail and posting photos.

I've not given up on the Tag lessons either but am continuing to look for practical solutions to use the RS program.

The upside has been the books that I've brought here. Yes, there are many books about the history here but they are difficult to find and in bad shape many times.

The exact titles that are here with me now are a good start and acceptable range of relevant topics.

The Manila atlas has proven to be an enormous resource as well. I left the mini sized atlas in the US and replaced it reluctantly with the full sized new one.

As I explore the area it's a great help to use the atlas to tie routes together.

Time with my wife and inlaws have also been extremely enjoyable and is expected to continue on for the coming months.

Despite all the pitfalls here I like being here very much.

My wife has also said that I don't search out and photograph the beauty and history of the Philippines which is true and I hope to change that in coming posts.

It's not all dirty and rough here but in this area that's much of what I see. There are also events and locations that are much nicer to see but that we have agreed will not be posted on the Cellar.

I hope that you enjoy the photos and commentary and that you will not hesitate to ask about specific items or locations. I may not be able to address those questions immediately but will in time.

glatt · 09-21-2007, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slang

I hope that you enjoy the photos and commentary and that you will not hesitate to ask about specific items or lacations. I may not be able to address those questions immediately but will in time.

Slang, I'm enjoying this thread. Please keep the posts coming. I have no plans to ever visit the Philippines, but I feel like I am through you. No questions yet.

slang · 09-21-2007, 02:41 PM

Thanks Glatt.

I've got some nicer areas and topics to cover soon.

Shawnee123 · 09-21-2007, 03:04 PM

I like it too. Don't stop.

theotherguy · 09-21-2007, 03:11 PM

Thanks for the updates and photos, slang. Keep them coming!

Clodfobble · 09-21-2007, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slang

There are also events and locations that are much nicer to see but that we have agreed will not be posted on the Cellar.

Why is this? I'm sure there's a good reason, I just can't think of it.

09-21-2007, 12:52 PM	#451
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	About a week ago our bill appeard at our doorstep. It looked like our bill anyway, until we looked at it. It was actually the neighbor's bill and less than half of our total bill. I thought surely that someone else had received our bill and would be happy to return it, being much more than the normal bill here. It didnt happen. We asked here and asked there, "did you get our electric bill ?" but no one had it. That's sort of a problem here if you don't have the bill because the convenient way to pay the bill is at one of the "bill pay" centers. If you do not have the original bill there's no way for them to tie into the system and record your payment. I don't believe that mailing the bill in is an option or if it is possible if it's just not popular as going to the payment centers. Anyway..... If we didnt get the bill this month by some mysterious hiccup in the routine, then could we expect to receive one the month after? How about the month after that? It annoyed me that everyone else in Makati seemed to get their bill but ours was no where to be found. We ended up going all the way into the city to Meralco to pay it at the office since that's the only place that paying without a paper bill is possible. A copy was provided to us and it ended up being a minor pain in the ass. The original showed up a few days after without explaination. The one line of this bill that caught my eye was the "system loss" line with the figure of P142.98 or 8.8% of the total bill. It is also true that the KwPhr is $.19, a bit high for US rates. Attached Images Last edited by slang; 09-21-2007 at 10:39 PM.

09-21-2007, 01:04 PM	#452
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	There is another family in the next town that are good friends of our family here and they cook foods for sale, as many do here. The following few pictures are from their place a few days ago. This is stuffed milkfish if I'm not mistaken. The cost is P70. Attached Images

09-21-2007, 01:09 PM	#453
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	People walk by the bbq all night and buy these chicken parts. It's as natural as buying a burger in the US. I dont eat these things but my wife does. It cant be all that bad. Not good enough for me to try out but not all that bad. Chicken heads to the left, chicken feet to the right. Attached Images

09-21-2007, 01:13 PM	#454
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	These were the jokesters of the evening. They'll do anything to get into one of my pics. Seems like even the kids know that little gesture, even if they have it a bit confused on the direction Attached Images

09-21-2007, 01:25 PM	#455
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	Back into our neck of the woods... This is the only place that's open late at night and serves food. There are people cringing at the thought of eating at a place like this but like the food and the folks there. We normally order the Chixilog which is chicken, rice and one egg. I have also tried the Porksilog and have no ill effects as of yet (fingers crossed). A pinoy sized meal at a pinoy sized price, about $.65 The drinks on the left are probably familiar, Sprite-Coke-RC. The tiny 200 ml cokes are all that my wife can drink. I've not ever seen that size in the US. The drinks on the right are not seen in the US as far as I know. The Sarsi reminds me of root beer and I've not tried the others there. All in glass bottles. Do you remember those days? Attached Images

09-21-2007, 01:32 PM	#456
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	This is one of the most popular denominations of bills here. It's the 100 peso note, or the $2.22 note as I like to think of them. All foreign currency is interesting to me but this bill has the US flag directly on the bill with the Philippine flag. All of our history with the Phils is not great but most of those that I meet here are very friendly to Americans, American products and ideas. Just imagine the uproar if there was a Brit flag on any of the US currency! Attached Images

09-21-2007, 01:45 PM	#457
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	Water. We all need it. If you are a caucasion here you realize how much! The sodas and beers are mostly cheap to guzzle by the case but there's no substitute for pure, clean water. This is the container that it's delivered in. Pour it into a plastic jug and make damn sure there's some cold in the house. This jug is about 5 gallons and costs P40. The "store" that it's purified in has all the high tech looking gadgetry and is busy through the day filling and sealing these water jugs. When you are empty, call the tubig lalaki (water dude ) and he'll stop by on pedicar with another sealed jug for you. My personal consumption is about a gallon a day. More if we're out walking around. Attached Images

09-21-2007, 01:52 PM	#458
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	If every expat doesnt have these cheap but colorful fish somewhere in his home, he should have. No, I wasn't drunk when I bought them Zippy! The store owner swore to me on a stack of bibles that they were NOT made in China too. Attached Images

09-21-2007, 02:07 PM	#459
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	What's the temperature like indoors for me here? At our home which is an apartment that is just under 500 sq ft, the AC does a great job at keeping the air comfortable here. Our AC unit is a 2 HP Carrier rated at about 18000 btus, plenty for this place. It was on constantly when I first arrived but with time we came to a better use, on for one half hour, off for one our. That's on a timed schedule mostly at night. The compressor seems to freeze up when it's left on continuously even with the cool setting at the lower ranges. With a pedistal type fan running most of the time that we are inside here, it's pretty consistently cool and dry. When we leave the setting on the AC goes to off. When first getting in it gets set to manual on. Once it cools off the setting goes to auto, 1/2 on, full hour off, repeat. Any more than that at night and my wife coughs a lot. On average we are only here for about 10 hours a day anyway. Even with our own electric bill we save tons of money compared to a hotel. Most of the rooms that we've stayed in are much smaller than this also. This is a good intermediate step before buying/constructing a house of our own here. Attached Images

09-21-2007, 02:26 PM	#460
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	A few of my personal goals have not worked out well as of yet. Riding the bike even with the hydration pack is extremely hot. For all that the pack carries in water ( 3 l ) it also is bulky and tough to move around with. The Cygolite "premium" bike light has also been a disappointment as it's much cooler to ride in the early morning. Even with the 110V transformer the light does not seem to hold a charge and the light's effectiveness is almost zero after about 15 minutes. In the US it would stay charged and bright for well over an hour with little signs of dimming. I'd still like to ride the bike more but the crazy heat makes it a big challenge here. Another specific goal was to use the Rosetta stone program for learning Tagolog. The full sized PC that I'd intended to use with the program has failed miserably and I've given up on taking it to another computer tech. Replace the HD then there's another problem. Replace that problem then there's another. This laptop will run the program but the memory is low and this machine is better suited for e-mail and posting photos. I've not given up on the Tag lessons either but am continuing to look for practical solutions to use the RS program. The upside has been the books that I've brought here. Yes, there are many books about the history here but they are difficult to find and in bad shape many times. The exact titles that are here with me now are a good start and acceptable range of relevant topics. The Manila atlas has proven to be an enormous resource as well. I left the mini sized atlas in the US and replaced it reluctantly with the full sized new one. As I explore the area it's a great help to use the atlas to tie routes together. Time with my wife and inlaws have also been extremely enjoyable and is expected to continue on for the coming months. Despite all the pitfalls here I like being here very much. My wife has also said that I don't search out and photograph the beauty and history of the Philippines which is true and I hope to change that in coming posts. It's not all dirty and rough here but in this area that's much of what I see. There are also events and locations that are much nicer to see but that we have agreed will not be posted on the Cellar. I hope that you enjoy the photos and commentary and that you will not hesitate to ask about specific items or locations. I may not be able to address those questions immediately but will in time. Last edited by slang; 09-21-2007 at 02:36 PM.

09-21-2007, 02:41 PM	#462
slang St Petersburg, Florida Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 3,423	Thanks Glatt. I've got some nicer areas and topics to cover soon. __________________ FTFF

09-21-2007, 03:04 PM	#463
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	I like it too. Don't stop. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

09-21-2007, 03:11 PM	#464
theotherguy no not that other guy, the other one Join Date: May 2007 Location: TN Posts: 640	Thanks for the updates and photos, slang. Keep them coming! __________________ I should be working.

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