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Today I made a journey to downtown Calbayog alone. The purpose of the trip was to pick up money that I sent via Xoom. Xoom is just so much less expensive for me versus taking money from the ATMs and paying the high fees that are required. Unless I change to another banking facility that does not charge for using the ATMs, until Xoom starts causing me problems or I find a less expensive and/or more convenient way to send money to myself, I think Xoom will be my choice from now on.
I went alone because Lita was busy, but I don’t mind. When I go by myself I can do what I want and go where I want. I also needed to buy some medication, although not as much as normal. I bought a little extra last month, so I just did the minimum amount this month. We need to save whatever we can for our upcoming trip in September (to Texas). So after getting the money, I walked to the pharmacy to get the medication, but they are closed for lunch from 12 to 1. It was 12:20. So I had like 40 minutes to kill and there, a couple of blocks away, is a brand new mall that I’ve never been inside.
Just a minute, I need to check my 3 sets of lottery numbers. I bought the 6/58 game with a jackpot of P68.3M (@ $1.4M US).
Crap! I did get a little bit excited because on one of my sets of numbers, the first 2 numbers matched, but none of the remaining 4 matched, so that’s a big fat zero for pesos. Oh well, maybe next time.
So I walk over to the mall to buy some balls for the children. Actually a couple of the small kids, Cyrus King and Patricia are still a bit uneasy around me. They were all find and good last December when they saw me, but I guess kids forget. I remember though that last December they were more comfortable with me when they had a ball to play with. So I’m going to buy them another ball today. I figure the 4 smaller kids (also Cassandra and Precious) I will buy a ball. Although Cassandra and Precious have no problem with me. In fact they like to sit in the computer room with me and watch cartoons, and sometimes whatever movie is on.
I went in the mall and there are lots of people, but I continued on. I see the food places to my left and made my way to the escalators on the right. On the 2nd floor I see some balls, but they turn out to be all professional style balls. I asked a guy there and the kids stuff is on the 3rd floor. So I head up there, look around everywhere, twice, and I don’t see any of those balls I want. I then ask this pretty young lady that works there for her phone number … no, I mean I asked her if they had any of the big rubber balls for the kids. Nope! They don’t have them. So the first thing that I ever looked for in this brand new mall, and they don’t have it. I hope that’s not the start of things to come.
So since it was not 1 pm yet, I walked around town, sweat pouring off me because of all the sunblock I have on and because it’s so dang humid. I find balls, but they are the hard ones and not good for the little kids that like to throw them. I finally came back around to the pharmacy and they were open, so I got the medication.
After that I thought I’d head over to the Centro Department Store to see if they had any of those balls. On the way, maybe like 2 blocks away, I see some of the balls hanging up. I stopped to inquire. They are P75 each for the ones I want or I could get a package of 3 smaller balls for the same price. I decided to get 2 big balls and 2 packages of the 3 smaller ones. While I’m getting them one of the sales ladies is yelling P100 (instead of the P75). I told my sales lady that I’m glad you’re my sales lady and not her. Turns out that the other sales lady, I think was just messing with me, because when it came time to pay the P300, she said P1000. I gave her a little playful nudge on the arm and got a big smile out of her. I only payed the P300 and both sales ladies said thank you for shopping here as I was leaving. Even another sales lady told me to be careful as I was leaving because the sidewalk is uneven and the items hanging down are so low. Well they’re low when your 5’11”, maybe not for the 5′ people. So it was a pleasant place to shop. I’ll have to remember to go back there again.
Oh, wait a minute, Mark is here. He probably wants to drink a beer and chat a little bit. I’ll be back in a few.
I’m back now. Now to continue on with my latest little adventure.
So I have everything I need, but before I go home I want to stop by Mar’s house to rest a bit. I have sweat rolling off me by now and my shirt, that I just put on this morning, is soaked with sweat. I need to sit down for a little while though. Half the time when I go to Mar’s house, someone there offers to take me home instead of me taking a tricycle. Today was no different. They said it was too hot to be taking a tricycle. I tried to tell them it’s not a problem, I already had my P20 out ready to go. Then Mar went out to the car and started it up. It was too hard to argue by then. I hate putting them through the trouble, but they always insist. I did get to ride in vehicle with good a/c though, so that was nice.
Once I got home, and gave my wife her money, I headed for the shower. Of course the water only trickles during the day, so I had to use the big bucket of water we have in bathroom to wash off. It felt great. Now I’m feeling better, especially here in front of the fan and I have a beer and a bottle of water in me also. I think I’ll do a Gatorade now, then take a nap.
Salamat Y’all
I smell Red Horse! he he
I’m only bringing 2 500’s with me to the beach. Also bringing lots of water.
Sorry I did not stop by. My PAL flight was delayed 5 hours (go figure).
When I FINALLY arrived in Calbayog airport. I heard my niece yell out Uncle John. I saw her and her Mom. I asked where my wife was.
I heard at the ER.
I said for what?
I heard she’s going crazy.
Huh……
I go back in the building for my bags which seemed took as long as the flight.
We get to our trike driver we use when in town.
I tell him his front tire is low on air. He didn’t hear me with the trike running. Another trike driver told him and he got on the highway for a short distance and pulled over to check. I told him to stop and get air. But he kept going till we arrived at the Casa Apostle hotel.
We get to the room and sister in law says if I want yo take a shower. After 29 hours of traveling, I said yep.
We head to the hospital, we walk in the ER and the nurses said my wife just left. I ask if OK and she said yes.
We head back to hotel and my wife was just getting out of a trike.
I ask how she is and said dhe had pneumonia.
We get to the room, I tell her what her sister told me. That she was in the ER because she was going crazy. I guess being tired, extremely hot. She said getting a x-ray.
We stayed in hotel till monday afternoon and headed to the island.
We made only 2 trips to Calbayog in the 3 plus weeks there before final trip on huge pump boat.
Our house is done with the main structure. Now working on the final touches of rough cement inside and out.
Till we return in 6 or so months, no painting will be done. Once done, tiling will start.
I was so disappointed that the Globe home Wi-Fi modem did not work from our location on the island. Works in tbe next barangay next to us.
The new mall was impressive in the 40 minutes I walked through. Got my granddaughter a dress.
Coming home, of course PAL was 5 hours delayed again and if I did not change our KoreanAirlines flight to the 11th we would have missed the flight on the 10th.
No more PAL for us. Need to figure out a new way of getting to Calbayog from Manila. Maybe fly to Tacloban and spend a night with family, then take Grand Tours to Calbayog. Not sure if we want to have our boat travel that far to pick us up.
See you maybe next trip. Enjoy your trip to Texas in September.
I’m glad your wife is okay (and not crazy). I’m sorry that I didn’t get to see you on this trip, but hopefully next time. When we come back we have been taking the bus from Pasay. I don’t like it, but if you have extra baggage, it’s much cheaper than paying excess baggage fees on an airline. You can take Cebu Pacific from Manila to Cebu, then to Calbayog. Long way around, but no PAL and no bus. Any hoot, I hope to see you next trip and things are much easier for you next time around.