Mrs. Thompson and I had a discussion or if I stated it clearer Mayang told me that our bedroom needed re-painting. She explained that the car was fine and Christmas (And yes in the Philippines we can still say that word, even on the TV and in Newspapers.) was 3 months away. According to her math there was an ample amount in the budget for painting. Well I couldn’t refute her argument, nor would I dare too. Because when she makes up her mind about something, it’s “Katie Bar the Door” it’s going to happen.
She left after gaining my approval (What a joke). But I thought about one of the parts of her plan was to repaint all our bedroom furniture. This is the set we had hand built 15 years ago and it had stood the test of time. I pondered the situation, and then decided to stick my nose into her plan and that often is a very bad idea. But I foolishly did it anyway.
Tuesday morning she wanted to go to town to Ace Hardware and pick the paint for just the bedroom set. I popped up with I’ll go with you my Mahal! Because phase one of my sneaky plan was now in effect. (Rubbing my hands in glee) I park the car at the mall, but didn’t enter, I walked out the gate of the Subic Free Port and we boarded a Yellow Jeepney, to go to a better Hardware store that I knew of. I took her look of suspicion in stride and boldly sallied forth.
We debarked said Yellow Jeepney by the Savers Mart in beautiful downtown Olongapo and she pointed out there were no hardware stores within that part of town. I told her no, hardware stores but 4 furniture stores were there and that I wanted her to pick out a new bedroom suite. Both her feet started tapping, but not in anger but in happiness.
Go forth and find a set you like! Now here is an oddity I found in the Philippines, they don’t group any rooms’ furniture together, so you can see it all at once and make your selection. Oh let the fun begin. New bed with mattress one section, look test look test pick. Move to adjacent building to find her vanity with mirror. Look back to the bed see if it’s a match, back to look at the vanity. Me being a worldly man, quickly figured how the rest of this day was going to go, still a dresser and two bed stands to pick out. Get the picture?
I turn to my bride and explained that it would go so much smoother if only she and the saleswoman were involved and that I would go out front and sit at the patio table on the sidewalk in the shade and await her wonderful selection. Off they went both happy to be shed of me.
I noted that the manager of the store seemed worried that the Kano left; whereas I told him my plan and that the ladies were busy spending copious amounts of my money. He liked that and asked if I needed anything. Hmmm, a frosty cold San Miguel would be a taste sensation and would please me to no end. All I wanted were directions to where one could be acquired. His hand clapped, a young man appeared, who dashed off and returned within a New York minute with my prize. Ah so refreshing on a sunny afternoon. I was happy.
Soon out the door came the sales lady and Mayang, they were on the way to another store (Same Company) where the dressers and bed tables were located. I smiled sipped some of my nectar of the gods and went on with life. My beer was empty, and that’s when I noticed that the young man named “Boyet” was assigned to keep me in beer while my wife enriched the store coffers. Oh and the store was paying for the beer. Shop on fair lady shop on, I’m doing just fine.
Time passed, and beer was consumed when the ladies returned and Mayang was beaming for she had found all that she wanted and in the style that pleased her. The free beer ended, Boyet was tipped by the grateful Kano,
Honey it’s time to pay the bill, she told me, I said, my love you have a Visa Debit card, you pay it! The saleslady now looked at her in a different light, a lady of means. The truth is I seldom have more than a couple of hundred pesos in my pocket at anytime.
Oh free beer and a free fan also because we were preferred customers. The Bedroom painting started today, the furniture will be delivered Saturday, my wife is happy,(As a what?? A clam of course) and so my life is happy so far. But I’m going to milk this into a two part article, for no other reason than I’m lazy!
On the way out the manager introduced me to the store owner who had just arrived, I pointed out what a great job the manager was doing, and not to forget Boyet! Then I was carrying the free fan and told the owner that we’d only come to buy a new fan but the sales lady talked us into a new bedroom suite. He started laughing, and thanked me for coming.
I know someone will ask what I paid for the new furniture but all I’ll say is, was a bit less than a rebuilt engine for my New Ole Honda.
Well done Paul, you tricked everyone again. Free beer? I don’t know how you do it.. I sleep on a Rattan bed. Better than the $2,000.00 bed I had in Michigan. BTW – That was the price of just the bed.
Now then, it part 2 the painting?
Gary in Tagum City
Gary;
Free beer is the glue that holds this society together. If I’d spent more money there would have been a Karaoke machine set up by my chair in the shade.
And yes painting and all that it involves will be next week, don’t worry you won’t have to watch the paint dry! (lol)
You think it was free SMB. If you check the “floor protectors” on each leg of all the furniture, you’ll see where the bottle caps went. (Installed at extra cost!) 😆
Paul;
Damn Paul you’re right, I wonder where they got them all?
You have definitely found a better way to shop.
Loren;
The only way to shop.
Texas Joe’s on Wednesday at noon? I’m meeting a guy named Steve (From LiP) there and I’ll call Tommy too? The painting will be done and I need to get out!.
Sounds good to me.
Loren;
; Call if you need a ride!
Thanks Paul but if I can make it between rain storms I will get a little walking in ,
I should walk with you I need to start but the rain keeps me in too.
Hey Paul,
You know what they say ‘Happy wife, happy life’ 🙂
A.J.;
That has been my mantra for quite a few years now. Truer words were never spoken!!!
SitnBull will be opening a bar just up the street. Time for a new drink destination.
Don;
Sit-n’-Bulls is opening a bar on Subic Free Port down the street from Texas Joe’s? We still go to the one in the Barrio on Pillar Street, so they’ll be two now!
Paul, now that you already bought the bedroom set, ask, yes ask, not tell, Mayang to consider wallpapering the bedroom instead of painting it. Since wallpaper is usually neutral, you won’t ever have to paint the bedroom set to match the wall paint. 🙂
John;
Two things! One this was the shortest comment you’ve ever posted! (lol)
Two; She has no idea what wallpaper is, and I’ll not be the one to tell her. Also thankfully it’s not that common outside of MEGA MANILA!
Plus do you think it would stick to cement? I built my house before sheetrock came out on the island.
I can make wallpaper stick to cement no problem at all…a lovely job guaranteed. I have hung thousands of rolls of wallpaper in my time. It will take about two to three weeks, and all you have to do is pay my return business class flights…I’ll work for free SMB and burgers. Whatcha think?
Jim;
Oh Vey what a deal you have for me! The paint is already dry and the wallpaper subject never came up. I’ll never know how to thank you for that kind offer!
Paul,
What happened to the old set? Would that story be part three?
Bong;
That will be a part of part two, but you knew we weren’t going to keep it didn’t you?
Paul,
Yup, that i did. Those will go to the lucky ……. err, i would not like to spoil your next article. I’ll leave it to you to tell who got them.
Bong:
the line is already at the door, I’ll let my wife handle that!
Paul,
Hey can i join the line? Lol
Bong;
Sure you can, but just remember,r it’s endless.
A lot like Beverly Hills clothing store… they serve you free wine while shopping at their store. Good repoire…
Priscilla;
I’m not sure if free beer is served to all, but I think the manager has dealt with Kano’s in the past and knew we tend to wander away. I’d whine if he served me wine that’s a fact. But I thought it was a nice touch on his part. Olongapo City 90120.
Anything for an SMB, and free at that ! There are so many items written about foreigners being ripped-off buying things in The Philippines, it is always refreshing to read about the good experiences. I have had similar results when buying things as gifts for friends or donations while I am there visiting. Unfortunately the free fans would not fit in my luggage so I gave them away as gifts. Never thought about ” mentioning ” an SMB while buying so I will have to keep that one in mind Paul.
You have left us with another cliffhanger of an article with more next week. My guess is that you went for the furniture hoping that after that, the painting would be forgotten about LOL.
Bob (NY)
The painting was going to happen, come hell or high water, it was time and the old paint was boring.
The SMB’s came as a pleasant surprise to me, but the beer is cheaper if I buy my own.
It’s been a very long time since someone has tried to scam me, except the ones at the gate. But aside from the public market the prices are clearly marked in most stores, which makes it easier. Now you just fight for a discount from that total when buying furniture and alike.
Paul,
Buying new furniture is easier than repainting it. Plus you get your bedroom back faster.
Randy; (The Duck)
Not just the re-painting but you get tired of looking at the old stuff too. Anyway it made Mayang happy, and that continues to be my goal.
Great article Paul!
That’s one of the things I love about the Philippines, they treat customers like people, not just a number, as is becoming the norm, here in the states. There, sales people will help you in many ways,,,here if you can even find a sales person in the store, (I don’t do Beverly Hills) consider yourself lucky if they will even point you in the right direction.
More recently here, most stores in my area anyway are all going to self check-out, which for me, if I try to use it, and have 2 items, there will be a problem with the barcode reader with at least one of the 2 items.
When we go to a store here, they will have 6 self-checkout lines open and one with a live person, most people will still be in the line with the live person, rather than getting into the self-checkout, because they all know the problems that happen, yet store management still keeps adding more self-checkouts. The USA is becoming a self-service country it seems more every day. Looking foreword to finding service people again one day when we get there.
Bill;
Self-Checkout, do you bag it too? Are you telling me that people don’t cheat anymore? I understand its labor and health Insurance issues, the less human beings working, and the less problems that must be all that great employment the administration is talking about.
Here they still carry the bags to your car.
Hi Paul;
Sometimes your articles really make me think a move to the PI is going to be a good thing. At our local Wal-Mart, the self checkouts (about 6 of them) are monitored by one person overlooking them. There are also TV security cameras mounted in the ceiling all over the place. I don’t think that there is much trust going on here. With Obamacare coming on, more of the empoloyees are being cut to only working less than 30 hours per week per person. That way they are called part-timers, and the company doesn’t have to provide any side benefits.
Larry;
I’ve been reading that close to 50% of all new jobs created by the divine one, has been service industry or part time. All Hail!
But it is good to hear that Wal-Mart has taken a page from Ronnie Regan; “Trust but verify!
Yup, you bag it too, and swipe your own credit card. Everything you buy has a specific weight, and the register desk weighs it to see if it’s really the item you scanned. You are allowed to bypass the scale with heavy things. I now have a garage full of white goods I forgot to scan. 🙂
Jim;
I was wondering how they did it, if I was the manager I’d be worried about that, hell I would I’d be in the beer section!
Maybe it’s time for you to take a vacation to the States, Paul. 🙂 Self-checkout has been around more than 5 years, I think.. These days, you can buy groceries without leaving your home, order it online and they’ll even deliver it. I know Giant supermarket does.
John;
If it means flying that far, I’ll learn to live with the cute girls here at the checkout counter, and the polite young man that bags it and puts them in my car.
Dam ! its tuesday I lost a day. Please forgive me Paul im a day late in reading you lol.
John. J.;
I don’t want to rub it in but its Wednesday here today. All is forgiven (Did you send beer?)
Must be some trick to this. Whenever I’ve tried something like this, I never get free beer. I also somehow get blamed for the big dent in the bank account.
Sorry we missed each other. We enjoyed our visit to Mount Samat, and the Bataan Memorial. Even ended up having lunch by the beach in Subic.
Take care,
Pete
Pete;
The trick is looking like you’re going to make that big purchase, but maybe not. Yesterday they finished the bedroom and then tore apart my computer room. But I did get a nap upstairs!!!
I’m glad you had a good visit, wish I was there!
Paul, you are indeed a sly fox, lol. You never miss an opportunity to get a mouthful of amber nectar. 🙂
Chas;
You’ve found me out! If they Serve it I will come and drink it.