Annoying Local Behavior

[Mike J]

14 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Carpenters and gardeners seem to have these common traits, based on the 10-20 I have used in the last 10 years.

Smoke

Drink

One or more families with kids

Never save a peso

Always broke

Always ask for cash advance

I guess we have been really fortunate.  Used the same guy for almost 10 years now.  Great carpentry and masonry work.  Also good with plumbing,electrical, welding, etc.  Has come to our assistance multiple times when we have flat tires.  Very dependable, honest, and self starter.  Will find odd jobs near the end of the day to stay busy such as pull weeds, sweep driveway, etc.  Very seldom has he asked for a loan, each time it was due to wife's medical bills.  Does not smoke and I have never seen him drunk or drink more than a single beer.   On the days he works for us he works 8-5 and I have seen him prior to 8 and after 5 pedaling a trisikad to make a few extra peso.  Very motivated indeed.  We pay him 500 peso per day and he is worth every peso.

[RBM]

Typically annoying.

A couple weeks back dropped my new A13 Samsung and damaged the Screen. Was recommended to take to a certain small cell shop in a mall by the large shop where I purchased the fone. Went there, yes sir we have a LCD  in stock,  P2800 but for you P2500, please come back in 30 minutes.

Upon return, so sorry sir, the LCD was faulty we need to order from Manila....   Down payment please P1500...... Two weeks later after many texts and follow ups.....we have it here please bring fone in. Yesterday went in, please return in 30 minutes Sir, after many visits and many 30 minutes later its done, balance to pay P1000....or so i thought.

Sorry sir...please add additional P1k for transport.......Hey.....hang on, does not cost P1k to LBC this tiny part from Manila........Useless to saying why did you not inform me earlier,,,,WHY is totally hopeless here.....

After much pleading I finally paid additional P500, one could of cut air with a knife......I shall never be forgiven....and never return.....

[Mike J]

3 hours ago, RBM said:

Typically annoying.

A couple weeks back dropped my new A13 Samsung and damaged the Screen. Was recommended to take to a certain small cell shop in a mall by the large shop where I purchased the fone. Went there, yes sir we have a LCD  in stock,  P2800 but for you P2500, please come back in 30 minutes.

Upon return, so sorry sir, the LCD was faulty we need to order from Manila....   Down payment please P1500...... Two weeks later after many texts and follow ups.....we have it here please bring fone in. Yesterday went in, please return in 30 minutes Sir, after many visits and many 30 minutes later its done, balance to pay P1000....or so i thought.

Sorry sir...please add additional P1k for transport.......Hey.....hang on, does not cost P1k to LBC this tiny part from Manila........Useless to saying why did you not inform me earlier,,,,WHY is totally hopeless here.....

After much pleading I finally paid additional P500, one could of cut air with a knife......I shall never be forgiven....and never return.....

The touch screen on my Huawei was only working intermittently, would take multiple tries to recognize a touch.  My wife took it to a vendor in Ayala Mall.  Cost was only 1600 peso and it was done the following day.  I was shocked at the price, even more so when I saw the returned part that they replaced.  I even have a new battery.   Below is the part they gave back to my wife.  As you can see they replaced a lot for only 1600.  Understatement to say I was pleased!

 

[Old55]

Mike, can't view the picture unless I click on it.

Edited May 20, 2023 by Old55

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Old55 said:

Mike, can't view the picture unless I click on it.

It is fine for me.

 

[Old55]

6 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

It is fine for me.

 

Yes, I can view it now. Strange. 

[Joe LP]

To me, the "annoying local behavior" is more entertainment than anything to get upset over.

It's the odd stuff that you just do not expect to pop up that makes me laugh.  The normal local customs things I've learned to just adjust to.  My work took me around the world to do different jobs and learned then to just adjust my expectations rather than expect them to "see the light" that my culture is better and hold them to that. 

One of the first things that made me shake my head and later laugh(after some locals around me did) was when I went to a local pharmacy.  Had the deodorants in the case and I wanted a Old Spice brand powder deodorant.  So, when it was my turn, I pointed at it and said "Old Spice Deodorant please".  The young woman looks then looks back and me, waves her hand and says "waray"(nothing).  That got maybe an eyebrow raise from me as I point at it more precisely and ask for it again.  I do not want her to look stupid and am trying to give her some space to be smooth.  Again, she looks, this time with more effort.  Then again, waves her hand and says "waray".  I look down at it.  It came in 2 sizes.  It's obviously right there in plain sight.  the traditional Old Spice icon on top.  Again, this time as if to play me for the fool, she stares hard at me, does the hand wave again, and firmly states "WARAY".  Now, a smile is barely on my lips when the local older woman behind me says something in a curt tone.  The young woman looks at the cabinet again, grabs the larger version of what I've been asking for, and tells me, in a very much arrogant teacher to a problem child tone "It's not old spice, it's High Endurance".  

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lazada.com.ph%2Fproducts%2Fold-spice-high-endurance-dry-cream-45g-i2465200223.html&psig=AOvVaw2AMRFjKzLNIm17G6kLLV4o&ust=1684649693482000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CBEQjRxqFwoTCMjxqZWgg_8CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD 

Now, these things happen somewhat often.  And I just find them as moments to enjoy and use as entertainment.  After she said that, a few locals laughed at her and she gave it to another worker to have me check out with as she walked into the back of the pharmacy.  I never gave her any heck for it.  But, it was what I could see some as calling an annoying behavior.  

[Joe LP]

23 hours ago, fillipino_wannabe said:

My wife just opened a small grocery store and none of the 12 people she hired lasted a month lol, most quit after 2-3 days. Now we have 50% more staff than we need just in anticipation of half of them quitting at the same time.
 

My wife runs a larger sized catering business.  It was a long time(over a decade old before I moved here) setup but not that efficient or large in size.  A few events a months was about her capability and desire.  We just finished a week with 9 events spread out over 4 days in that week.  She's really, really grown.  Her hiring problems have changed as she's grown bigger.

At first she had problems like you discuss.  People just not wanting to keep their jobs.  Then she had people who'd commit a few days before to work an event just do no shows.  Then people from other municipalities wanting jobs.  She really cut back on that when a few of them were spies for other catering businesses that were trying to figure out what the wife was doing to suddenly grow so big so fast.  One of these girls was the younger sister to the wife's classmate in high school.  The reason the wife was doing so well given by the spy?  She's married to a foreigner.  Made me laugh.  

But, now days the wife finally has something of a good set of crews that help and are reliable.  Probably 3 years now.  And seeing she's had multiple days in the last week alone with 3 events per day, she's pretty happy with it all now.  Still, she went through a lot of growing pains as she's expanded the company.  From no vehicle and needed to rent them to now owning and able to drive them.  From no tables and chairs she use to rent to a nice storage area full of them.  From pans and a two burner stove top to now ovens, 4 burner stove tops, to professional slicers, food processors, kitchenaid mixers with attachments.  She's really used all those new assets to really grow her business.  

And every step of the growing process, it's employee problems that have been the thing holding her back when she hits bumps in the road.  And that's for catering business.  I have to believe running a small grocery store has a lot of entertaining stories when it comes to employee problems.

[hk blues]

48 minutes ago, Joe LP said:

To me, the "annoying local behavior" is more entertainment than anything to get upset over.

If it doesn't upset you it doesn't qualify as annoying. 

[fillipino_wannabe]

37 minutes ago, Joe LP said:

My wife runs a larger sized catering business.  It was a long time(over a decade old before I moved here) setup but not that efficient or large in size.  A few events a months was about her capability and desire.  We just finished a week with 9 events spread out over 4 days in that week.  She's really, really grown.  Her hiring problems have changed as she's grown bigger.

At first she had problems like you discuss.  People just not wanting to keep their jobs.  Then she had people who'd commit a few days before to work an event just do no shows.  Then people from other municipalities wanting jobs.  She really cut back on that when a few of them were spies for other catering businesses that were trying to figure out what the wife was doing to suddenly grow so big so fast.  One of these girls was the younger sister to the wife's classmate in high school.  The reason the wife was doing so well given by the spy?  She's married to a foreigner.  Made me laugh.  

But, now days the wife finally has something of a good set of crews that help and are reliable.  Probably 3 years now.  And seeing she's had multiple days in the last week alone with 3 events per day, she's pretty happy with it all now.  Still, she went through a lot of growing pains as she's expanded the company.  From no vehicle and needed to rent them to now owning and able to drive them.  From no tables and chairs she use to rent to a nice storage area full of them.  From pans and a two burner stove top to now ovens, 4 burner stove tops, to professional slicers, food processors, kitchenaid mixers with attachments.  She's really used all those new assets to really grow her business.  

And every step of the growing process, it's employee problems that have been the thing holding her back when she hits bumps in the road.  And that's for catering business.  I have to believe running a small grocery store has a lot of entertaining stories when it comes to employee problems.

She has a business in Manila also and we've never had a problem with employees there. I assume because they've got bills to pay there whereas in 'the province' they're normally living with family and don't really care if they have no money for a while.

And yes the grocery store has been eventful lol. We had a Karen come in yesterday after work in her DTI polo shirt, she managed to find 1 item out of 1500 without a price tag and started screaming 'this is illegal, this is illegal, look at my polo shirt, I work for DTI'.