Another Customer Experience

I have heard and read here on LIP many stories of poor customer service experiences and negative about store personnel so when I had a recent experience with store personnel and customer service from a major store chain here I just had to share my story.

As most of you are aware, I have a mobility impairment that precludes me from ascending stairs and steep ramps for that matter, but doesn’t deter me from traveling and improvising when and where needed.

On a trip out and about I needed something from the drug store and I was downtown in Tagum City so I thought I would stop on the way home at one of the three branches of Mercury Drug here and browse and pick up what I needed.

Well on my arrival at the location nearest to my home, I encountered the standard, motorcycle parked on the ramp leading to the store doors, so with some local assistance we moved the bike and I proceeded to the front entrance.

To my dismay, they had a ramp to the walk but a foot high step in the front door ! So I went to an alternate drug store that has narrow aisles but at least I can let the store employees know what it is I need and they happily assist me, and they charge enough at that store to have happy helpers too !

So I make it back home, go on the Mercury Drug website and see a customer service feedback link, and I proceed to ask why that location is not wheelchair accessible.

To my utter surprise not two hours go by and I get a phone call from someone in Manila from Mercury drugs headquarters saying that they will investigate and remedy the problem as they value their customers.

Without thinking but surprised I got a response at all I went about my business not expecting anything to happen and my expectations were correct nothing did happen.

You see I was in customer relations on a senior level for many years for a major Japanese manufacturing company and never would I even consider to do what happened when I asked a second time about the accessibility issue at this store.

Again I e-mailed the customer service link asking if they were going to follow up or what their findings were and a few hours later i get a call and the representative asked what my address was, thinking this was strange and maybe they were going to put a hit out on me (remember I am from Chicago), I reluctantly gave them my address, and then went and laid down for a nap.

An hour later our house help knocked  0n my door saying I had a visitor in fact I had two visitors. I jumped out of bed scratching my head and yes you guessed it – two employees from Mercury Drug were sitting in my living room, one was the branch manager for Tagum and the other the store manager.

We had a wonderful conversation and they asked how they could help, me being a disability advocate in the US and familiar with architectural barrier construction, I explained how they could remedy the situation.

They both agreed that the plan presented was in fact attainable and it would be presented to their manager in Manila so the necessary paperwork could be started to get the repair started.

Never in a hundred years would I ever expect a company rep to come to my home from any major company in the US, so with this I was surprised, also I would never think a problem could be remedied with such little hassle.

The reps explained to me, that for the most part, their customer base is rather reluctant to voice their concerns as most are shy and do not expect any result.

I really feel that this is not the case here with Mercury Drug and have every expectation that they will follow through as the store manager has agreed to personally deliver any drugs i need until the access problem is fixed!

Now how is that for customer service – kudos to Mercury drug!

Culture of the Common Man

In the past, when I have written about various subjects on this site, in the comments the Jeepney has been brought up in the discussion. One vocal commenter has said quite clearly that the Jeepney is not and should not be considered as part of the Philippine culture. In my view, the Jeepney is one of the most strong pieces of Philippine culture that we can find! Why shouldn’t it be?

The Jeepney is the most common form of Public Transportation in the Philippines. Where you would see a bus in most parts of the world, in the Philippines it is the Jeepney that you will see rolling down the highway, or on a rural country dirt road. Just about anywhere you are in the Philippines, a Jeepney is usually just a few minutes away from passing by and picking you up if you are looking for transportation. In Cities like Manila, Cebu or Davao there are literally thousands of Jeepneys plying the city streets, and most of them are usually carrying a rather full load of passengers. You can ride the Jeepney for a fare of P7.50 in most cases, although it may be more if you are going a long distance.

On average, for a Jeepney in the City, you can expect that a full sized Jeepney may be carrying about 15 to 20 people if it is full. When you go out in the Province, that is a small load though! Outside of town, you may get up to 30 people inside the jeepney, plus people will sit on the hood and also on the roof if needed! Of course, people will also be standing on the bumpers or anywhere else that they can find a place to stand! No question, Jeepneys out in the Province are a real workhorse! Some Jeepneys out in the Provinces are loaded down with goods instead of people – rice, fruits or whatever the local product of choice is. Other Jeepneys carry a combination of people and goods. You can bet, though, out in the Provinces it is almost always a FULL load on the Jeepney!

The Jeepney is not only a mode of transportation, but also a personal expression for the owner. Have you ever noticed how Jeepneys are painted up in all sorts of colors and decor? I would venture to say that no two Jeepneys look exactly alike, and virtually every Jeepney around is a work of art in itself.

To show that the Jeepney is indeed an important part of Philippine society and not just a passing trend, the Jeepney has been in use on Philippine streets for about 60 years now! It was first introduced here after World War II, when US Soldiers left many Willys Jeeps behind in the Philippines. The Jeeps were converted to hold passengers, and decorated with a little Filipino Flair, and it has become part of the local culture ever since! The Jeepney is not going away anytime soon either! In fact, as you will see in the photo at the right, a new cleaner Jeepney is hitting Philippine streets – the Electric Jeepney! This new vehicle is currently making waves in Makati, but will be rolling out to other parts of the Philippines soon too.

In my view, the Jeepney is one of the most ubiquitous signs of Philippine Culture. In my view, the Philippines simply would not be the same place it is today if you didn’t see Jeepneys roaming the streets! I don’t ride Jeepneys myself often, as I have a car of my own, but when I do take a Jeepney ride it always kind of gives me a different perspective, and one that I need from time to time.

Yes I’m Alive, I Think!

Why? (One could ask!) Would any human being desire a trip to Mega Manila? I’d sooner drive a Peterbilt 18 wheeler through New York City at 5pm rush hour, or accept a sharp stick in my eye, so I hired a driver! Four hours from my house in Dinalupihan Bataan to the Philippine Capital or NCR.  What does the “MEGA” in Mega Manila mean? (Oh, I know, mega problems), the reason for the trip was that I came to renew my un-expired Retired Military ID card as requested by letter from some very high placed government official. I arrived at the location designated in a most official letter I had received from The U.S. Government asking me to visit them at a hotel in Manila. Very Nice Hotel on the U.S. Taxpayers dime I might add.

I told the driver to park and I entered the hotel to find the visiting ID card people. Four Minutes later I’m seated in front of a computer station and the young lady from the States is proving to the computer that I am indeed me. Three minutes later I process a new and updated Military ID card and had time to chat. The reason that I was there, I discovered, was because retirees in the P.I. seem to live an extraordinary long time, Spanish American War Veterans were still collecting their checks. And for some reason the Government had serious doubts that this could be true. I told them I felt it was more than likely true.

You see in 1997 I pulled into Manila Harbor onboard the USNS Tippecanoe (T-AO-99) and noticed while boarding the liberty boat, that there was not one Pinoy from the ship with gray hair, whereas, the day before there was. This could only bring me to the conclusion that the waters of Manila Bay must contain magical properties, or at best be the true Fountain of Youth!

I told the young lady a story on how this longevity occurs. A Local Bank in Olongapo City in the 1970’s told the Filipina wife, she could not pick up her husband’s money without his thumb print. He had lost both legs to diabetes after retiring from a base Civil Service job, and she had to load him into the car once a month and take him to the bank. After he passed she never notified the U.S. Government and still went to the Bank every month to collect his (her?) money, but now she only had to take his frozen thumb in a cooler.

The young ID card lady from Washington seemed to view that with much humor, and went to explain my theory of Philippine Longevity to her fellow workers, who stopped working and started laughing. I departed, thinking, “What do they know?” I choose to live here, and am kinda’ glad I do, as I want to live forever also!

Riding the Multicab Electric

Thanks to Bob Martin and the LIP group for allowing me to write on this website. I consider it a privilege and hope to amuse and inform the readers of this site just a bit.

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Coming home from the pontoon boat the other night from Iloilo are my wife Melinda, her sister Marjorie, and myself.  About a 10-15 minute boat ride  to the Jordan Wharf in Guimaras depending on how choppy the waves are.  Around 6 pm and this was the latest we had taken the boat to get back home. My wife Melinda, a native of Guimaras, and I had picked up her sister Marjorie from Iloilo City. Marjorie has only been home a few days and staying with family in Manila after enduring an unpleasant experience as an OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. But she is doing well, and the family at “The Compound” back in San Miguel will now number 13 with Marjorie’s arrival.

Since we have Marjorie’s luggage to haul around, and we don’t want to wait for a jeepney to San Miguel to fill up, we decide to hire what my wife calls a “multicab.” When she first told me about a “multicab” I kept repeating to her “multicar?” because I thought that is what she was saying. “Multicab, multicab!” she repeated to me until it sunk in (this time anyway, and I’m sure you guys married to Filipinas don’t have any communication problems, right?)

To me a multicab is just a smaller version of a jeepney. We use them from time to time for a cost of 150 pesos for a 25 minute or so ride back home.  Used one to haul a new refrigerator we had bought in SM Delgado in Iloilo City back to Guimaras. Lang Lang, a porter at the Wharf in Iloilo carried that refrigerator (and it was no mini-fridge) on his back by himself down the steps off the dock leading to the boat. He is one strong guy and just as nice as can be.  But definitely want to keep on his good side.

So it’s twilight and our regular multicab driver Bintoy is gone for the day;  we step into a multicab we have never used before. From the moment we get into the back of this vehicle I was impressed. This thing had to be new. Gleaming bright yellow paint on the inside and outside with upholstery that had nary a tear or stain on it. Two big  “Jesus” stickers adorn the back of it. And then as we travel down the road to San Miguel, I see a combination of red lights flashing inside the driver’s dashboard and you can see his outside red warning lights flashing in sequence and reflecting off the road and off buildings as he warns people of his upcoming approach.  No honking of the horn every few seconds or so as is usually the case.  It was quite a light show!

As we clear most of the foot traffic near the dock and continue our journey, the driver than turns on some nice red glowing lights in the back creating some pretty cool ambiance. Man, this guy has quite a setup here. I really enjoy the trip back home, give him a nice tip, compliment him on his vehicle, and shake his hand.

Quite a pleasant end to a long day, and just another day in the Philippines.

Another adventure.

SuperFerry 9 tragedy

A few days have passed now since the Philippines was in mourning for the tragedy that happened near Zamboanga. The Aboitiz SuperFerry 9. The ship sailed from GenSan on the way to Zamboanga when it sank. The Ferry supposed to go to Iloilo too and  then final destination Manila.

A lot of people really are wondering right now what caused this tragedy. The weather was good when that ferry started to sail out of GenSan, and remained good. They are investigating right now. They said it could also be sabotage. They say too that it could be that a bomb was planted by somebody somewhere in the ship. The authorities right now have a lot to figure out.

I was just watching the TV and they showed the footage of the ship that’s tilting. Just thinking the fear of the people, the kids especially I really wanted to cry. I saw a foreigner he was injured trying to saved a kid. Unfortunately the kid died. He was really devastated. I felt that guy needs a lot of counseling.

A TV station showed a  couple that’s waiting in Manila for their son to arrive together with the aunt and the TV crew found the aunt and sadly the kid, he is one of the 9 people that died. Right now the owner of the SuperFerry sent their other boat to pick up the passengers and be brought to different places. Can you imagined the fear of these people to be riding again on the boat and sail to another place for hours. Kids might not even sleep. I felt sorry for them.

Right around that time the SuperFerry sank another  boat (motorboat)  from Jolo sank off Basilan Province. The coast guard said that the residents of the place rescued all the passengers of that said boat. The coast guard added that the boat sank because it was hit by the strong waves. They also said that the unregistered boat left Jolo, Sulu, without clearance. I hope they will investigate on that matter.

Now there are a lot of talks about these ship disasters in the Philippines. The people are trying to questions now (the in charge like the maritime) if they are checking closely the boat, ships big or small for proper papers. Cause it said too that over loading with passengers might be the cause of the SuperFerry to sink. I’m pretty sure in a month or so a lot of families will be filing charges for the death of their love ones. Hopefully they will have the result of the investigation then.

Seeing TV reports  968 passengers and crew members reported aboard SuperFerry 9 have been accounted for. Nine died and I think they said that 2 are still missing. I do hope that the families will have some closure soon.

How can an airline be so inept? (I’m talkin’ to you, PAL!)

I don’t normally rant too much. However, recently, my tolerance for stupidity related to air travel has waned drastically: Security theatre, asinine rules, lack of respect for anyone’s time, blatant lies, and so on. I’m no novice flyer. As regular readers of this column know, I’m in the air on a nearly weekly basis. I understand that things happen due to weather and so on. However, the more that I fly, the less tolerance I have for idiocy and ineptitude.

Over the last year, I’ve been a defender of PAL, despite the numerous problems people express online and elsewhere. If you live in the Philippines, more than likely you will eventually have to fly them somewhere. Yes, there are alternatives, but if you need nonstop or service to some domestic destinations, PAL may be your only alternative. With PAL, if there are no problems, they are generally OK, if a bit disorganized. I mean, it only took 18 months and 40 flights on them to get my Mabuhay Miles card! (If you are thinking retroactive miles credits for flights?….HAHAHAHAHA!!!”).

Particularly endearing to them is the fact that Terminal 2 at NAIA tends to run smoothly, with less hassle. Most airline service into Manila, regardless of airline, is drastically subpar when compared to elsewhere. Far more bureaucracy, rotten service, interminable delays, and endless queues. This even applies to airlines like Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific, which tend to be good to outstanding… Except into Manila. Why is this? Well, there are several reasons. First, the Terminal 1 facilities are hopelessly out-of-date and over-crowded. Next, computer and other systems are antiquated, making even routine items a hassle. For instance, in this day and age of e-tickets, why, oh why, should you need a printout of your flight just to enter the terminal? “Security reasons” as an answer is simply a cop out. Next, the weather in Manila at certain times of year is unpredictable, at best. Finally, and this is the most important point, most of the passengers flying overseas are OFWs, who have little say in which airline to fly and little to no voice if there are problems. Their employers simply buy the absolute cheapest tickets possible and send them on their way. The airlines know this, couldn’t care less (How valuable is an OFW’s time to them?), and know that there is no impact on future business. So, you get what happened to me, related below, as a prime example of airline customer service to or from the Philippines.

I was in Jakarta, and the only nonstop to Manila is a red-eye flight on PAL. We board the plane. Captain comes on the mic and we are delayed 30 minutes due to mechanical. OK. No problem. 90 minutes later, we are told to disembark without our carry-ons. OK, so they need to ship in a part, right? 15 minutes later, we are told to go collect our carry-ons, but we will depart at 6:00AM. The flight was supposed to leave at 12:30AM. Here’s the exchange I had with the station manager, at this point:
Me: “Put me on another flight.”
PAL Station “Manager”: “No need. The flight will depart.”
Me: “No it won’t. I need to get home. Put me on Cathay or SQ.”
PAL: “Sir, you will be on that plane!”
Me: “Then why are they unloading the baggage from the hold?”
PAL: “ummmmmm……”
Me: “You are either lying or an idiot. Which is it?”
PAL: “Philippine Airlines regrets to inform you that flight PR9__ to Manila is canceled. We regret the inconvenience. You are all re-booked on flt SQ___ departing at 9:00AM arriving Manila at 5:00PM.”
Me: “You lying sack of sh_t! Get me someone with a brain. Your solution is unacceptable.”
PAL: “I didn’t lie.”
Flight purser who overheard this: “Sir, there was a mechanical problem… What do you want us to do?”
Me: “Hire managers who don’t lie to my face! AND… GET ME TO F’ING MANILA EARLIER!”
Flight Purser and Manager: “It’s a mechanical problem. Not our fault!”
Me: “Mechanical means someone wasn’t doing their job. There is no excuse for lying. Get me on an earlier flight!”
PAL: “This is the earliest flight.”
Me: “Bull! You didn’t even check. Look up Cathay. Look up Malaysian. Look up Lion Air. Look up Air Asia.”
PAL: “We made other arrangements… You are booked on SQ___.”
Me: “NOT acceptable.”
PAL: “But that’s what we booked you on.”
Me: “I’m speaking English. What part of “Not acceptable” do you not understand? Do I need to speak idiot to you? Are you that stupid? GET ME THERE EARLIER!!!! You have wasted too much of my time already. Your time may not matter to you, but my time matters to me!”

This exchange went on for 2 hours, while locked in the departure gate at Jakarta (We couldn’t leave the room). They finally relented and got me to Manila at 2:00PM… 7 hours late. I’m normally not that rude, but to have the manager lie to my face…. He deserves whatever he gets from me. Effectively, PAL’s position was “We screwed up, this is your only option, suck it up and take it.” The 90% Filipino passengers barely said a word. No one wanted to lose face. THAT is why airlines get away with things like this. What is so ironic is that on my connecting flight through SIN, I was told to see the PAL station manager for my connection. When I arrived at the PAL desk, I was told that he was too busy and to come back later. I really blew my top at this point, telling the counter agent to get over here and there was no more room for laziness and stupidity, and that she wouldn’t be done with me. At this point they just gave me my boarding pass and the “manager” sent his assistant onboard the plane to apologize to me. I told her, “I’m not mad at you, but your “manager” is the biggest waste of space on the planet and should be shoveling sh*t out of a latrine, except that I doubt he is qualified to even handle that. He is absolutely useless. He can take his apology and shove it!” She said she would relay the message, but I wrote it down for her, just in case. On top of it all, they lose my luggage, and it is delivered to me in Singapore three days later, after I’ve already departed Manila! Adding insult to injury, Singapore customs confiscated the ½ carton of ciggies I had in the bag (I wasn’t expecting to enter Singapore with them… There is NO duty free tobacco there and it wasn’t worth S$70 duty for smokes). I seriously considered pulling in a business connection (The board member of PAL) to complain after all this, but I try to keep my business dealings separate, since we do not directly do business with PAL, but another of his companies. I do not want to tarnish that relationship, even though several of his managerial staff should either be retrained or terminated. I’ll probably informally mention it at our next meeting, if the opportunity arises.

So, I swore I would never fly them again. I could tolerate other issues, but this incident in Jakarta was simply a comedy of errors. When I fly on business, saving a few dollars in airfare doesn’t matter. I usually pay full fare and can pick and choose without cost being a concern (Except with drastic cost differences.) My time is worth more. I also generally keep my cool, and am relatively laid back. Most of my employees tell me I am even too easy going. However, I will never tolerate blatant lies, saving face or not. The only way to prevent customer abuse like this is to get in their face, saving face be damned (Keeping in mind that I wasn’t yet in the Philippines).

So, what happens? Last week, it is back to Jakarta, then GenSan! I intended to base out of Singapore to Jakarta, flying SQ, and reluctantly taking PAL domestically, given that CEBU Pacific doesn’t like US credit cards. But…. My appointments changed. I had to fly PAL on the nonstop again. The look on the Station Manager’s face when he saw me checking in was priceless (He ran and hid!) It is almost as if we are long-lost buddies now.

My Island Adventure

Ah, I just got some serious rest this morning!  I needed it, too, because I just got home from an Island Adventure!  Specifically, I just got home from visiting Dinagat Island.  I’ve been wanting to go to Dinagat for a year or more now.  Why?  Well, Dinagat Island is the newest Province of Mindanao.  As the Owner/Publisher of Mindanao Magazine, it is my goal to visit each and every Province in Mindanao.  There are a total of 26 Provinces that compose Mindanao, and so far, I have visited 24 of them (and I’ve also visited a few others that used to be Provinces, but no longer exist).  Dinagat Island was my 24th Province of Mindanao on which I set foot.

What a trip it was.  I had some “first time” experiences too, one of which is something that I never thought I’d ever do!

For about 2 weeks, I have been thinking about making the visit to Dinagat, although I didn’t make the final decision to do it until Monday evening, August 24 at about 6pm.  I was on the road at 9pm!  Ha ha… I am really a spur of the moment kind of guy.  I rarely plan these things much in advance, I just do it!  As you will see as you read about my trip, I might have been better to have spent a little more time planning this one, though!

For the trip, I decided to bring along my oldest son, Chris.  I figured it would make a nice time for some Father/Son bonding, which it did.  I also decided to leave the driving to a bus driver this time rather than driving myself.  So, Chris and I set out on Monday night, slept on the bus while making our way to Surigao City.  It’s a long ride of about 10 hours, and the bus fare (aircon bus) was P606 per head.

When we were in Surigao City, which is where you catch a boat to Dinagat, I surveyed some of the boats, and found only one which would be departing for Dinagat.  It was scheduled to depart as 12:30pm, so we toured around the City for a few hours before going to catch the boat.

When we went back to the Pier, around 11:30am, I talked to the Captain of the boat.  We didn’t really plan to stay overnight on Dinagat, so I just wanted to make sure that the boat would be returning that day, and what time.  The Captain assured me that the boat would return in the afternoon, at 5:30pm, back to Surigao City.  OK, everything was set.  We soon departed for a one hour boat ride to Dinagat Island.

The ride on the boat was beautiful.  It really opened my eyes as to the beauty of Surigao del Norte.  I had been to Surigao City in the past, but never did any island hopping, or even riding a boat in the area.  I was kind of amazed at the beauty of the many, many islands in the area.  White beaches, and from what I saw, it appeared that there were plenty of resorts in the area too.

As we neared Dinagat Island (still 30 to 45 minutes from where we would set anchor, though), I was surprised to see the number of beautiful, and obviously expensive houses on the Island.  I didn’t expect that.  I was really kicking back on the boat taking in the scenery of the Island, and I was loving it!

Now, after disembarking from the boat, the surprises of the day were just about ready to begin.  We had gone to the Port of Dinagat.  When we got off the boat, we found that basically there was nothing there!  Oh, there were a few houses.  I found a single Sari-Sari store, and a Police Station.  Other than that… nothing!  I started talking with a fellow at the Sari-Sari store, a very friendly guy, but he didn’t have good news for us.  He asked me:

When did you arrive here?

About 5 minutes ago, I replied.

Do you have friends here? he asked me.

I replied that I had none.

Oops, he went on to inform me that there were no hotels or restaurants in the place.  Well, at least it was only about 3 hours until the boat would be taking us back to Surigao City!  That is when he informed me that it would be 3 days until that boat went back to the City!

Oh man… they told me 5:30pm, it would return.  “Change of plans” the man told me.  What would I do?  Where would I stay?  Where would I eat?  The guy told me that if I didn’t have a friend in the area, I would be in trouble.

“There is one other option,” he told me.

You can go to San Jose, it’s a bigger town, with more amenities.  They also have a boat that can take you back to Surigao today!

Ah, that was good news!  But, then he went on to tell me that there were basically no cars, tricycles or jeepneys on Dinagat!  The only way to get to San Jose is to ride on a Habal Habal (a motorcycle that carried a bunch of people).  The ride was 16 Kilometers!  Oh man, I haven’t been on a motorcycle for about 35 years!  Also, I’ve never been a passenger on the back, I always drove it myself.

Here I was, with a couple of big backpacks.  My laptop, my SLR camera, and I had to ride on the back of a motorcycle!  Frankly, it scared me to death!  Poor dirt roads.  No helmet, not protective gear.  Sitting on the back of a motorcycle.  Soon, my butt was as sore as it could get!  We were riding up and down big mountain roads (dirt), lots of sharp rocks along the road.  If I fell off, I might be dead!  Better hold on tight!

I think my son got a nice bit of entertainment out of this.  He rides motorcycles pretty regularly, but I doubt he ever expected me to be on the back of one!  Also, I’m a big guy, and this was a little 100 cc bike carrying me and the driver!  Oh my!

Well, we made it to San Jose, and I was still alive.  When I got off the bike, though, my butt was still not feeling well!  Luckily, we made it just in time to get our tickets for a return boat trip to Surigao City, though.

One thing about it, though, this kind of trip on the back of a motorcycle allowed me to see quite a bit of the island, and I must say that it is picture-postcard beautiful.  If you can rough it a bit, and enjoy the whole “tropical island” experience, this might be the perfect place for you!  I like it myself, but I could not spend too much time there or live there…. it’s too much “off the beaten path” for that kind of commitment for me.

In addition to the motorcycle ride, seeing the many islets surrounding Dinagat while we rode on the boat was really a nice way to see the place.  Dinagat is a beautiful place, and if you have a chance to visit, I’d say to give it a go!

I’d recommend that you sail into the Port of San Jose, though…  you’ll find it a little more able to accommodate a tourist!

It Did Smell Bad

It did smell bad.

A year or so ago here in Luzon, my cell phone chirps, I answer, and my wife informs me our car is stuck at the back gate of Subic Freeport by the Bridge. Ten minutes of questions as to the reason, and “It smells bad!” seemed to sum it up. Gee I just washed it too! Jun and Tony show up from the Goodyear shop up the road, and agree with my wife, “It did smell bad!” My suggestion was to get a new air freshener. To the rescue comes my friend Tom, my hero, my idol, or my idle hero, and offers his truck as a tow to Goodyear. Tom! “Did it smell bad?”

All this took place around 11am; at 3 pm I’m informed by phone that the bad smell is my transmission. Goodyear has a diagnostic sniff machine that found the trouble Ricky tic.

Replace the transmission? Lets discuss the options, (1) eight hundred thousand Peso’s to replace the car, (2) P36, 250.00 to replace the transmission? Option (2), I’ll vote for that. Now the car is an older model and with the exception of the just mentioned transmission, it looks and runs good. And it’s paid for! We only drive it 40 or 50 miles a month. Let’s call the repair guy!

The repair Guy is in Manila, and will truck down the replacement transaxle, I was informed that front wheel drives don’t have at transmission, yet I did explain that my car is four wheel drive and it could be a transmission? I was shouted down. My bad!
Talk about luck, they told me that I am going to receive a 90 day or ten thousand mile warranty, which ever comes first, I guess I’m blessed! As I was thinking of running a taxi service around Luzon for the next three months to rack up the ten thousand miles, or I should I just go with the 90 days?

Went to retrieve my freshly repaired auto from the shop and was informed that my transaxle/transmission trouble was caused by my not, (“Yes, I said not!”) using the overdrive feature on my car. I glanced up to the heavens and asked for forgiveness in advance. Would I be wise to point out that their road system is not quite ready,for its citizens to be cruising at 60 mph, for 30 or 40 miles at a stretch?

Maybe the police will understand that’s the reason I failed to stop, give way, and forced three cars off the road, was because my mechanic advised me to use my overdrive? I promise I’ll drive with my car alarm on, to warn those ahead! Well, I did choose to live here and am kinda’ glad I did.

Nothing but troubles

Yes, mi amigo!  I am in trouble!  Why you did not read my writing here at LiP for long time now?  I have troubles.  You won’t be able to believe these, friends.

Where can I start this?

Can you remember, I have motorcycle?  In June 14, I write article that I did buy a motorcycle!  Oh, I enjoyed it so much!  I was riding the city, king of Zamboanga.  I enjoy so much fresh air, lots of people watching my ride in the streets of Zamboanga.

Everything great on my motorcycle.  Until July 10.  Crash.  Bang.  Rip!  Broken my leg!  Scrape all skin from my leg.  Blood.  Plenty of blood.

I go to hospital.  Spend 6 days in Labuan Community Medicare Hospital.  Great pain, plenty doctor looking after me.  Plenty X-Ray.  Plenty pain killer pill.

You think that is my trouble that I mentioned?  Oh, amigos… motorcycle wrek is only starting of my troubles.

During 6 days of hospitalization, I meet my nurse, Minda.  Oh, Minda.  Very nice nurse.  Very beautiful nurse.  Very good treatment to me during my pain.

Since I living in the Philippines since 2005, I very careful, I never fall for any girl here.  I enjoy many company of many girl, but never get hooked to one.  But, I am weak in my injury condition.  I take a big fall for Minda.

Yes, now I have girlfriend.  Just one month only, but she already mention to me the “M” word.  You know M word?  Marriage!  For now, I hold off, I can resist.  I hope I continue to resist for a long while.  But, I not the same since motorcycle injury.

I drive too fast!  I drive motorcycle too fast.  I drive too fast for Minda.

I think my trouble only beginning now.  Girlfriend?  Oh yes, more trouble coming, I feel it.  What you think?

My First Impressions

When i first came to the Philippines I really didn’t venture to much into the Barangay or neighborhoods, mostly just visiting the major landmarks maybe the beach and pretty much stayed in the bigger cities.

But, now that I am a resident here the whole meaning of living in the Philippines is different. The sights, smells, and sounds:  I guess you can equate it to living in the countryside without leaving the city. What I mean is when I listen to my surroundings I hear roosters crowing, pigs grunting and squealing, and of course motorcycles and cars zooming the streets along with the daily vendors walking or riding up and down the streets ringing a bell, playing ice cream truck music, or just yelling out their wares!

It really isn’t bothersome to me actually i kinda like it. Now, as most of you that know who I am know that I am in fact mobility impaired and use a wheelchair for mobility most of the time I also have an electric scooter that I brought from the states that made a huge hit with the valet’s that assist the wheelchair users at the airport. I was taken by surprise at the reaction I got from them as I took it for granted it being an everyday site as it is in the States.  But as the theme goes, you definitely aren’t in Kansas anymore.

So as I roam the neighborhood that I live in traffic actually stops!  Its been many times I’ll go to the convenience store up the street to get some sugar or bread etc.  and the tricycle drivers look turn away look again then just stop right there in the street to gaze in wide wonder at the Kano on the strange electric bike, I often wave and they continue on but it seems no matter where I go in my city here, my method of mobility is always a conversation starter from how does it work to how much did it cost.

There is actually a fairly large population of expats that live here in Tagum but they are mostly concentrated in a single subdivision that is gated and caters to the working professionals mostly doctors lawyers teachers and retired expats. Me and my wife chose to live in a middle class neighborhood if there is such a thing here and live the traditional Filipino lifestyle. I live here in a two bedroom house with a single CR with my wife Riza and two of her younger sisters and a younger brother that all came to live with us from the Compostela Valley Province so that they can attend a better high school and help with the daily household chores.

As of yet we don’t have our own means of transportation which is really different for me coming from the States where your vehicle basically is an extension of who you are, but we are contemplating purchasing a tricycle so i can tinker and modify it to my ability to use. I think it will be a fun project. There’s a auto repair shop just around the corner from our house that has from what I am accustomed very primitive tool collection, but I know for a few peso’s and maybe a few San Miguels they will be more than a little helpful in assisting me to accomplish my project.

So, stay tuned to learn more about my adjustment to living in the Philippines as I wheel my way through southern Mindanao.

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