Updates

Well, a lot has happened and at the same time nothing has happened. But here goes:

1. We ended up not buying a dryer. We wanted to buy one for the rainy season but I only wanted LPG due to the extremely high cost of electricity here. The only model I could find was a Whirpool which ran on a 110V ignition. This means that I would still have to buy a large transformer for the dryer. Cost (not including transformer) was ~Php34,000 (about $755). Instead we decided to send our laundry out to a nearby laundry chain, Metropole. Cost Php30 (Wednesday promo) per kilo which means that we can was over 1000 kilos of laundry for the cost of the dryer. No washing, ironing, electricity costs and the laundry is done within 24 hours. Best move we could have made.

2. Have you ever wondered where items returned to stores in the US or damaged items end up? Well, we learned they end up at surplus stores here! I already knew that we were somewhat of a dumping ground for unwanted products (suspected when I saw cheddar (!!) triscuits at S&R and was further confirmed when a bevy of sheets with linens and things tags showed up there shorty after the US stores all closed) but yesterday we found a slew. We went to HMR which is this insane mix off overstocks, returned, and damaged goods. Appeared (from the labels) that most items came from Australia or the US. We were looking for one of those plastic box/shed things for outside that are made of plastic. Kinda a weird hyper specific item. While they did have them, the price for a fairly damaged item (missing handles, shelves, and off balance) was odd. Actually all the pricing was odd. As well as the items, including a newborn incubator for Php110,000 (I fear the medical clinic that buys secondhand incubators from a non medical supply store), smashed cans of green beans, and maybe 15 bottles of kirkland brand water.

3. Found Mexican heaven. Hermanos Taco Shop on Granada in QC. Sooooo good. My new happiness. Still not La Cumbre on Valencia in SF but at least enough to get me through.

4. Watched the Simpsons. Realized that when mean jokes are made about the Philippines on the Simpsons, they are bleeped out. And when I say mean, I mean funny and satirical. Satire is NOT understood here.

5. Went to IKEA in Singapore. I hope they open up here soon....where else can I find 1000 different ways to store junk and cheap tea lights? Manila needs an IKEA.

6. Finally, on same trip to Singapore, I realized just how high we price imported items here. General rule for shopping in Singapore, if it is imported, the price is cheaper in SG than here. This went for fruits, cheeses, makeup, kitchenware--actually pretty much everything. We brought back over 10 kilos of cherries and gave them to people as souvenirs. While cherries from Canada may seem to be a weird thing to bring people from SG, everybody loved them. Including me!!!!

S&R sale starts Sept 15! Woo Hoo! The sale is awesome and is (for me) always one of those sales where I come home with a bunch of items I do not need.