Glitches in the SYSTEM

For starters, our internet was turned off for a day, so sorry this is late. Apparently the internet company decided that we had not paid our bill (that was not due for another 2 weeks) and they shut it off! We made a few calls and later the next day it was turned back on, chalking the experience up as a glitch in the system!

 

This weekend Lady Hiva and I decided to stay home and do the errands we needed to around the house. We went over to Cartimar market, not far from our house. This was the second time we have gone there, but it is still amazing to see all that you can buy in one place. Shoes, clothes--custom-made and factory made—fresh larvae (not quite sure what people buy that for), and  meat that is chopped off the carcass while you stand and wait, and animals of every kind (hopefully not the same animals in both places). Hiva spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen supply store trying to decide what she wanted to add to her growing collection of utilities for cooking. 

Actually, it is quite sad to see all of the animals--birds, fish, dogs, cats, rats, mice...you name it--they are in cages waited to be purchased. Most of them look sad ready to be released. Some with wild eyes of fear of the cage, others forlorn eyes that beg, 'come hold me.' I had to stop looking. Growing up on a farm you see animals come and go without an emotional attachment, but it is still hard to see living creatures not at least petted once in awhile...right? Maybe another glitch in the system.

We did spend quite a few minutes looking through the plant section. Hiva and I have to laugh about the similarities here in the Philippines to Hawaii, mostly because of the cultural influence of the Filipinos that live in Hawaii.For example, how in Hawaii many people did not plant their shrubs outside, instead they leave them in pots or in those tarp make shift containers that just SIT on the flowerbed. Everywhere we go in the Philippines we see that happening. Or seeing the decorative cement pillars around their porches or verandas. In places like Kalihi that was a clear signal a Filipino family lives there. Here they have a huge distributing industry for these, we pass a billboard announcing it every time we drive to Makati city on EDSA (a large beltway around Manila).

 

I love Hawaii and everything about it, but there is one part, one BIG part, of Hawaii that I could never quite grasp: that people love processed meat like SPAM! Spam for breakfast, Spam for dinner, lunch, Spam on sandwiches, grilled Spam, in salad, with eggs, with rice...SPAM everywhere! Here in the Philippines they have whole aisles of the store and huge billboards--usually displaying a really pretty female model and a guy exposing his chiseled abs saying they eat it everyday...hmmm, not believable (another glitch in the system?!)--to processed meats! Yummy! Feels like home!

We find ourselves laughing and saying, "oh, that is why they do that in Hawaii!" It will be fun to work in Japan or China someday and see what parts of those cultures Hawaii has adopted as well.

We ended the day at Greenhills buying some hand bags for Heather, my sister. She asked if we could purchase a few bags for her and send them. There were SO many to choose from. A tad bit overwhelming to have salesman yelling at you, prices you have to calculate in your head from Pesos to Dollars to see if you are getting a 'deal' or not--although even though we bargain down the price I am sure we way OVERPAY because I am "American" (glitch in the system)--and have twenty other questions running through your head at the same time like, 'is this a bag I would see Heather using? Is it too flashy? The right color? Cheaply made? etc...all at the same time! I was glad when we were done! Not that I don't enjoy spending other people's money though! HAHA

Just another dya in Mdlada....

...Oops, that must have been a glitch in the system. Lets try again,

Just another day living in Manila!