Annoying Local Behavior

[manofthecoldland]

8 hours ago, Tommy T. said:

Yeah.... I have that problem too. I, however, go overboard (pun intended) after living on a yacht for so many years and visiting so many places. My motto was: "You see it, you buy it, and only too much please!" Bit of sarcasm there, but I see it here all the time... One day I go to the store for something and they have lots...so I buy lots if it is something I use. L is starting to do the same, but reluctantly. Because next time I or she goes to the store, they are "out of stock." with a big smile. How many months did I look for yeast before they finally stocked it - weeks? months? Even white sugar disappeared for several weeks or months. Now cheese is a rare commodity to find. I could make a huge list but will refrain at this time.... At least there always seems to be Tanduay and Pilsen.... at least lately.... so I am not feeling devastated!

I have had this sort of 'problem' or cultural custom to deal with for going on 20 years now with my Dear Pinay. Despite my continual, polite reminders to plan further into the future, it doesn't seem to take. Maybe its the fact that I am of a temperate and arctic zone mindset, and she a tropical one.... where things grow and have usually been available all year, whereas northern zones have no choice but to plan ahead for the barren winters in their cultures.

Hand-to-mouth survival economies also place emphasis on the 'present/today' limit of concerns,  due to the lack of investment capabilities to build up provisions, etc., for the distant future.  It seems so despite living in areas of constant weather and natural disaster zones. Very sad, and the PI is no exception to even the economies of developed economies in that regard... so it seems.

Bouncing back and forth between living in the PI and arctic (two extremes), I have adjusted to the cultures where ever I am at the moment and adapt accordingly, but I think its too much to expect of mono-climate zone peoples to do the same without serious forethought and available resources, so I just do what I can to remind her of the need to plan ahead. Not that it has much effect, except in certain areas. She did buy PI annuities for her children's educational future back when she was working here on Panay, and she does pay ahead for her PI Soc. Sec. System.

An interesting thing that I have noticed since returning to the US after spending almost 3 continuous years in the PI during Covid lock downs, is that when I go to the big food retailers here (Kroger and Walmart) to lay in supplies, some of the basic, low cost items... they  are often out of stock. This may be due to the decline of the middle class and growth of value shopping amongst the many who are caught between limited income and the growth of inflation. For example, low cost bathroom tissue, generic brands of some food items are now often out of stock. Only gaps on the shelf. I now check every time I go in for shopping, and when there are a few of those certain items available... I buy in quantities I never used to. Boxed flake dry cereals is the most outstanding example I have noted. The aisle is loaded with outlandishly priced name brands, while the low cost generics are never in stock.  Just my recent observation since returning to the US eleven months ago. I am looking forward to returning to Panay and letting my place here go into 'cold storage' for the winter.

[BrettGC]

4 hours ago, manofthecoldland said:

I have had this sort of 'problem' or cultural custom to deal with for going on 20 years now with my Dear Pinay. Despite my continual, polite reminders to plan further into the future, it doesn't seem to take. Maybe its the fact that I am of a temperate and arctic zone mindset, and she a tropical one.... where things grow and have usually been available all year, whereas northern zones have no choice but to plan ahead for the barren winters in their cultures.

Hand-to-mouth survival economies also place emphasis on the 'present/today' limit of concerns,  due to the lack of investment capabilities to build up provisions, etc., for the distant future.  It seems so despite living in areas of constant weather and natural disaster zones. Very sad, and the PI is no exception to even the economies of developed economies in that regard... so it seems.

Bouncing back and forth between living in the PI and arctic (two extremes), I have adjusted to the cultures where ever I am at the moment and adapt accordingly, but I think its too much to expect of mono-climate zone peoples to do the same without serious forethought and available resources, so I just do what I can to remind her of the need to plan ahead. Not that it has much effect, except in certain areas. She did buy PI annuities for her children's educational future back when she was working here on Panay, and she does pay ahead for her PI Soc. Sec. System.

An interesting thing that I have noticed since returning to the US after spending almost 3 continuous years in the PI during Covid lock downs, is that when I go to the big food retailers here (Kroger and Walmart) to lay in supplies, some of the basic, low cost items... they  are often out of stock. This may be due to the decline of the middle class and growth of value shopping amongst the many who are caught between limited income and the growth of inflation. For example, low cost bathroom tissue, generic brands of some food items are now often out of stock. Only gaps on the shelf. I now check every time I go in for shopping, and when there are a few of those certain items available... I buy in quantities I never used to. Boxed flake dry cereals is the most outstanding example I have noted. The aisle is loaded with outlandishly priced name brands, while the low cost generics are never in stock.  Just my recent observation since returning to the US eleven months ago. I am looking forward to returning to Panay and letting my place here go into 'cold storage' for the winter.

I lived in remote areas of the Australian outback as a kid, much the same supply issues I would imagine.  Living in tropical Cairns and Darwin were interesting also in that at the slightest indication of serious rain the trucks would stop for fear of being flooded in for weeks at a time which was a common occurrence. In the case of Cairns it's a three day run each way in a b-double and with Darwin it's even longer in road trains.

All stores frequently ran out of certain items so being in PI is like a touch of home for me.

[OnMyWay]

5 hours ago, manofthecoldland said:

An interesting thing that I have noticed since returning to the US after spending almost 3 continuous years in the PI during Covid lock downs, is that when I go to the big food retailers here (Kroger and Walmart) to lay in supplies, some of the basic, low cost items... they  are often out of stock. This may be due to the decline of the middle class and growth of value shopping amongst the many who are caught between limited income and the growth of inflation. For example, low cost bathroom tissue, generic brands of some food items are now often out of stock. Only gaps on the shelf. I now check every time I go in for shopping, and when there are a few of those certain items available... I buy in quantities I never used to. Boxed flake dry cereals is the most outstanding example I have noted. The aisle is loaded with outlandishly priced name brands, while the low cost generics are never in stock.  Just my recent observation since returning to the US eleven months ago. I am looking forward to returning to Panay and letting my place here go into 'cold storage' for the winter.

Is the current shortage situation the same as pre-covid or worse?  Logistics have gotten worse and not fully recovered.

[manofthecoldland]

3 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Is the current shortage situation the same as pre-covid or worse?  Logistics have gotten worse and not fully recovered.

Things are coming up north here OK, as far as I can tell, again. But other than gasoline/fuel and food, which is coming in OK,  I don't know for sure, but there doesn't seem to be any major problem.  I think that the economic inflation factor might have changed buying habits and decisions of many in the middle and lower income quintiles. Probably depends on where you are located these days, when there are issues.

[OnMyWay]

8 minutes ago, manofthecoldland said:

I think that the economic inflation factor might have changed buying habits and decisions of many in the middle and lower income quintiles.

Yes, when things are good people will buy the name brand products.  When things are tight, cheapest is better and many might realize the name brand was never worth the extra money.

Once there have significant shortages of things people rely on, they will continue to hoard even after the current problem is rectified.

[jimeve]

5 Filipinos come to my house asking for help with a cousin who needs money to go on a PNP course. So I told the wife and she came out with a large coke bottle filled with coins and said this is all we have 3k in coins.

So he accepted it and later he came back and said there is 3 hundred lacking. Wife gave the 3 hundred and he promised to repay once he started working with the police.

That was 2 years ago, told the wife stop giving money away but when 5 blokes come asking for help what do you do? Moving is not an option.

[BrettGC]

51 minutes ago, jimeve said:

5 Filipinos come to my house asking for help with a cousin who needs money to go on a PNP course. So I told the wife and she came out with a large coke bottle filled with coins and said this is all we have 3k in coins.

So he accepted it and later he came back and said there is 3 hundred lacking. Wife gave the 3 hundred and he promised to repay once he started working with the police.

That was 2 years ago, told the wife stop giving money away but when 5 blokes come asking for help what do you do? Moving is not an option.

We have a rottweiller that's moved in with us now that solves this problem.  He's a big teddy bear but when faced with 55kg of a dog breed with a very undeserved reputation he does come in handy to keep the annoying away.  Sometimes the undeserved rep is handy.  

 

[Onemore52]

12 minutes ago, BrettGC said:

We have a rottweiller that's moved in with us now that solves this problem.  He's a big teddy bear but when faced with 55kg of a dog breed with a very undeserved reputation he does come in handy to keep the annoying away.  Sometimes the undeserved rep is handy.  

 

The same as our 3 Belgians, they are big dogs and the locals are shite scared of them, so when anyone is coming to the house they get locked up least anyone finds out what they are really like.

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, jimeve said:

but when 5 blokes come asking for help what do you do?

Dumaguete?  Did you feel threatened?

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, BrettGC said:

We have a rottweiller

 

44 minutes ago, Onemore52 said:

The same as our 3 Belgians

We have a lot of dog walkers in our area, walking large dogs.  Belgians, German Shepards, Rots, Huskies, Labs.  They don't dare come in our yard!  Bruce will take on all comers!  The exception is the female Belgian across the street.  She is Bruce's crush and he dreams of catching her near a bench or something he can stand on.  Belgidoodles?  Poogians?