The microwave (Radar Oven when I was young) is not that important here in the Philippines unless you are a foreigner then it is a convenience used in everyday life. I like to Nuke a frozen Dunkin Donut or Krispy Kream in the morning to have with that cup of coffee. I did explain that microwaving jelly donuts is never a good idea as you’ll be biting into molten magma, which is never fun.
In the past I’ve mentioned the vast array of frozen imported quick snack foods available here in the Subic area. One of the first appliances I bought was a microwave back in the early 90’s Mayang gave me that “What do we need that for; look” When I showed her Pop Corn, the attitude shifted a bit to my point of view. Our daughters took to it like a duck to water; neither can live without it now.
A few months ago I wrote that very little here in the Philippines needed replacing, due to rebuilding or repairing is the normal way to go. One exception to that rule is the Nuke-u-lizer (That’s the name I taught the ladies at my house instead of microwave). Which caused our daughter Ymir Thea a problem her first few months in Florida. They explained the real name and I received a scathing phone call right after that.
Ten years ago after we replaced the first few we had and now this week the 3D Microwave finally zapped its last blast, and went off to appliance heaven. It had served the Thompson house long and well!
The burning question, was from Mayang, as she sent out a message on her “Bamboo Telegraph” (Now replaced by smart phones) to locate a repairman to set the world right. I decided to overrule the tried and true ways and just replace the old one, using the same 3D brand. The reason was time, and waiting was something I had no desire to do. Get the new one and then repair the old one and some family member will want it even if they never use it, they can sell it.
I was on vacation and flew to Massachusetts to visit my folks on Cape Cod; my dad was lamenting the death of his Sony Trinitron dinosaur TV. He asked his world traveling son, Paul, which brand should he replace it with? Knowing his old one lasted close to twenty years trouble free so I said; “Maybe another Sony Trinitron or whatever they’re called now would be the way to go! My mother agreed!
Off to canvass the local stores to see if we can avail of a replacement (3D) microwave oven. I think that in the future it won’t last as long as the old one did, as that is no longer allowed, because it hurts their bottom line. But we’ll see!
So after a rough start with microwave ovens at my house I can only hope that Microwaveable medal Spoons are the newest innovation in technology. We can dream!
hi Paul,
I am still under a bit of Jet-Lag after returning from my visit to Iligan City, Mindanao. Another great and fun filled vacation visit and no problems with air schedules etc. Although the Air Con at NAIA was just barely noticeable at least by Kano standards, the rest of the place at least to me appeared in quite good condition at Terminals 1 and 3.
The first Microwave Oven I had was the highly successful Amana Radar Range at a back then cost of $450 which I had for about 14 years before the magnetron tube that generated the microwaves died on me. By then many lower cost imported microwave ovens were available so instead of buying a new magnetron tube and doing the repair myself at a cost of $140 for the tube I opted to buy another one. I think I am on my third one now and have had it for at least 10 years.
I primarily use mine for frozen dinners and entrees. You know the kind, the ones that are said to be bad for you due to excess sodium content and the rumored plastic tray that melts cancerous chemicals into the food it contains.
Hope you enjoy your new one. I know I would be hard pressed without mine.
Bob (NY)
I agree, it is an appliance I’d be hard pressed to do without. My wife has a counter top hot water heater that keeps water hot and uses power 24-7- 365 where I put a cup of water in my microwave and nuke it for 30 seconds. But I still won’t do a turkey in it! They are cheap and last forever!
I’m glad you had another fantastic Philippine vacation, I’m glad you ignored John Kerry’s “Danger Danger Will Robinson”, State Dept. Warning!
If there is anything NOT to ignore is the warning coming from state dept.
For many years they warned us about Mindanao and yet, people just keep ignoring it.
Do as you wish but I take those warnings very seriously.
Ten years and 12 visits and never had a problem. Of course I keep an awareness of my surroundings and avoid any foolish temptations or otherwise.
Bob (NY)
There was a time when foolish temptations was my name, !
Palawan Bob;
I believe you do heed those warnings, and that is why you live in Palawan and not Mindanao.
I have not heard of that warning Paul, the only warning I got if you can call it that was not to overstuff myself on Jolliburgers because there are plenty of other kinds of great food to eat LOL.
Now that you mention warnings, I know of a French volunteer worker that was in Iligan while I was there who left for Cagayan De Oro by order of the French Embassy for reasons unknown to me. To me, the peace and order situation in Iligan City was perfectly normal and I had no problem walking across the street from my Hotel at 2 AM to McDonalds for fresh brewed coffee. Obviously I am still around to talk about another Fabulous vacation in Mindanao so it can’t be all that bad. As I like to say it is a place waiting to be discovered by the rest of the world.
Bob (NY)
The Embassy has a new “Danger Danger Will Robinson” msg every week, but not one warning to the world about the danger of Orlando, or bombs in NYC. A double standard. There are places in the US where I wouldn’t go to MacDonald’s at High Noon!
You and I know how safe we are here, but we are not sheep being directed by the elected shepherds.I want to visit my Grandson in Florida, but I think it’s safer to fly them to the Philippines!
Paul,
Is the message coming out of US embassy in Manila directed exclusively towards US expats living here?
Palawan Bob;
It would be a little late to be warning expats, they already know how safe it is. The message originates with the John Kerry boys at the State Dept, and is spread world wide.
As I said earlier (my opinion only), failure to listen/understand why the message has been issued one day before the (S)election day will be the most detrimental to those who ignore it.
PS. I analyzed the message in detail but don’t want to spoil your mood writing what I found.
Palawan Bob;
Since the embassy post an avoid terrorism in the RP, Msg 3 to 4 times a month and have for the last few years you would be hard pressed to find anything worth analyzing, unless you are a follower of Jesse Venture looking for hidden the meaning in everything To even assume you have the power to spoil my mood on any given day borders on the absurd. If you sign up to the embassy mailing list, they will gladly copy you all those warning messages, but then they might start tracking your movements.
What the hell does the election have to do with it, the embassy has been posting these warnings since Bush was in office and I started being tracked by Uncle!
You are right !
This has nothing to do with election but has everything to do with SELECTION!
Palawan Bob;
Are you talking about the selection of a new microwave oven? I thought we should reconnect with the original thread!
I used to have the microwave with all kinds of timers and settings that could cook a frozen turkey down to warming butter today or in one months time. But the last one I got has two dials, one for low med high and another for 0 – 15 minutes. Simplicity is best.
Don;
I’m agreeing with you, the more buttons you remove, the more it will meet my needs. On-set time- start, works best for me.
FIRST THING WHEN I WAKE UP IS SETTING MY CUP OF WATER IN THE MICRO FOR 1 MINUTE 21 SECONDS AND PUSHING THE BUTTON…THEN I OPEN MY PACKAGE OF CREAME LA TAY COFFEE…GET MY BUTTER CRUNCH COOKIES AND MY DAY STARTS OFF….USE THE MACHINE CONSTANTLY FOR A LOT OF THINGS IT IS A WAY OF LIFE NOW …FUNNY ARTICLE AS I THINK MOST OF US HAVE ONE…. BUT NEVERTHELESS I PUT MY 2 CENTS IN..SORRY ABOUT CAPS JUST NOTICED IT BUT DON’T WANT TO RETYPE HA HA
Lenny;
Oh for just one thin dime every time I’ve retyped something because I’ve hit Cap Lock by accident. But I retype it anyway so people won’t think I’m angry with them.
Like you I’d be lost in the wilderness without my Nuke-U-Lizer. (BTW those cookies sound good.) It was something I never thought about and will admit I took for granted, until it died! (You never miss the water until the well goes dry!) I lost an opportunity to follow my father’s sage advice: “If you really, really need something, buy two so you’ll always have a spare! (Sorry Dad.)
I microwave mine at 1:23 seconds.
Just drag my finger across the top row.
Jade;
That is one good way of doing it! (lol)
Greetings from Bristol County, Land of Microwaveable Linguiça and Chouriço
My son bought a new Emerson “nuker” last month … I am still confused about “Weight Defrost” and “Time Defrost”.. oh what the hell, I just zap the frozen thing for 1 minute.
Have a nice day there in DinBat. 🙂
Jose;
I once read those charts in the manual on defrosting, well I glanced at the chart, then reverted to your plan and just one minute on full power, if still frozen, replete
I will fess up, the only button I use on my Delux Pinoy Hanabashi Micro is the 30 second button hot water 3 pushes of the button.
My Micro has a odd defect it will only heat up FISH AFTER all other food has been heated up.
Neal
Did you know that the scales on a fish will reflect the ray and blow up the machine like tin foil will! Who told them that???
Sounds a bit fishy to me Paul.
Bob (NY)
I have no idea who started this wild story!
It’s a “Smart” Micro. It knows I don’t want any residual funky fish smells waffling into to the food I heat up. One cannot have his Bushes Baked Beans smelling of Isdat.
Neal;
My wife asked about those little dead dry salty fish she loves, I told her they are best on the stove and then me and Muchie my dog will be gone for a walk!!
Hi Paul
Your name for the microwave sounds as though it came straight out of Homer Simpson’s mouth!
We did without a microwave here for a good few years as we only had short visits. This time though, as I knew we’d be here for a while waiting for an oil industry job to start, we purchased one. The wife’s family won’t use it and believe it to be white man magic but the wife loves it for defrosting pork chops (more Homer!) and that big lump of pork from the bottom of the freezer for adobo. At least we don’t have to run water for hours into the sink for defrosting purposes now!
While I am off work I am trying to think about how to make Teflon pans Filipino proof!
Cheers
AJ UK
AJ/UK
You want a Teflon pan that they can’t destroy? Never buy one and you’ll be fine. I brought home a $250.00 cleaver that was used to trim a tree, I gave up that day in 1994.
You are perfectly correct Paul. The locals see Teflon as a challenge to see how fast it can be removed with our best knives. We tend to bring them home, along with other stuff, when I have finished an assignment which usually costs more to send the stuff home than we actually paid for it. But that’s another story!
AJ/UK;
The small print on the Teflon pant clearly states, warrantee is null and void if product is brought to the Philippine Islands!
PML…………….damn, I didn’t read the small print!
AJ/UK
I think we all forgot to read it! (LOL)
Some years ago I purchased some all metal knives for my wifes family out of a bit of frustration that they did not own any but butter knives. At the time, they were expensive and were better than we owned at our house.
So a few years after, we came for a visit and I was shocked to see the family opening up cans with the very nice knives we’d sent them. After that, we bought them a can opener.
I have no doubt that they don’t use the can opener 🙂 !!!!!
Tim;
It took a few years to find a decent can opener here in the RP. But since I refuse to open a San Magoo bottle with my teeth, plus I never mastered the open one beer with another bottle, and lastly all the cars here have a plastic bumper unlike a 1957 Chevy which was perfect for opening a Knickerbockers beer. One of my ships was in Japan, and at the 99 Yen store I found the perfect bottle opener made of stainless steel with a wood handle, I bought 28 (All they had) I gave them to friends, and of course our Filipino friends would never use them.
Well, I thought I was the only one! Surprised they had no cutlery to speak of in the house, I bought some as a kind of gift and to make my life there more pleasant. I caught a younger sister opening a can with a new knife and expressed distress and disbelief. I bought two more gifts: can-openers.
Parsley;
For over 20 years I’ve tried to tell a story about the Philippines that no one else had ever encountered before. Maybe someday I can, but I don’t think so! (LOL)
Hi Paul,
Happy Verteran’s Day to you and all who have served! Thank you!
Peace
Jay
Jay;
Happy Veteran’s Day to all good American’s in or out of uniform.
Indeed, Happy Veterans Day to you Jay and to all my brother and sister vets.
Dave;
As World War II had proven, it also takes all American’s partnered with Veterans to defeat all enemies. And thank you Dave for your service!
Hi I don’t wish to spoil your morning coffee and doughnut but it has long been established that the number one thing we should never eat are doughnuts. I know of one world famous doctor who says that eating a doughnut is worse than smoking a cigarette in his view. He added he did not like smoking either but he considers doughnuts the worst of two evils. maybe you should try adding coconut cream to your coffee. Yours in the best of health…….Norm
Norm;
Death by donuts? Then that it is. 2 am on pier waiting for our 42 foot Utility Boat to bring our over served butts back to our floating house, and on that pier in Naples Italy they sold for a few Lira a giant 8 inch honey glazed donuts. If I made it to age 69, and they no longer will let me smoke or have an adult beverage. No one will get that donut from my hand. (LOL)