Dateline Tuesday 14 February 2012 our two daughters and their husbands want to take Mayang and I to lunch. We are going to meet at Olongapo’s new SM Mall at 12:30 at the Pizza Hut, their idea, but I like pizza so I was fine with that. But I thought to myself: “Hey Paul, remember […]
Tax Season Begins
As a tax accountant, I find that it is time again to start thinking about filing income tax returns. As is our wont, tax accountants, with a little dark humor, enjoy tax-related jokes and stories. I’m no exception to this quaint rule of thumb. While perusing Facebook the other day, I came across a cheery […]
High Tech Christmas
That Saturday (17 Dec.) was Christmas shopping at the mall day for the Thompson Family. I swear I was not the one to pick a Saturday morning to go to a mall here in the Republic of the Philippines; my first choice would have been to receive a beating from a few large men, than […]
The Twelve Days of Philippine Christmas
A couple of years ago, I wrote a new Philippine interpretation of the classic Christmas Poem, The Night Before Christmas. As much as I wanted to run it for Christmas again this year, I have run it two years in a row now, and I decided it was time for something new. If you have […]
Peter Pan Syndrome
Here it is just a week before Christmas and I’m in the Christmas Spirit and have been for awhile. I know how old I am, as my body reminds me on a daily basis as to that fact. But my mind won’t believe it. As a matter of fact, it rejects the concept of aging […]
Another day in Manila
Last week, I received an e-mail from a fellow named Rommel. Rommel is a Filipino and a very nice fellow. Here is the e-mail he sent to me: Hi Bob, Totally enjoying your site! I’ve worked in MNC’s over the past years and had a lot of expat bosses and ALL of them enjoyed the […]