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Since the last post I have been sick twice, plus you already know about the death of my best friend. I just have not been in the adventure mode recently and I have not been paying much attention to things going on around me either. Although I’m still bummed about BJ’s death, and even with Khany’s death not too long ago, at least I am no longer sick, at least not physically. I sure do not have a lot of information for a post, but what I do have is interesting. Some of it is old news, but a bit of an update on that news. I will have to come up with some things as I go along to make a complete post though.
In addition to missing the funeral of Khany and not being able to go to Texas for BJ, I also missed the christening of Marge’s baby (Rhynz) and Samantha because my eyes were really, really red. I have no idea why except for maybe too much TV and computer. They were red for about 5 days. I used Visine for 3 days and it finally went away. I think I will use that Visine every night before going to bed so maybe to keep that away. Titing said I looked like Dracula and I didn’t want to take a chance that it would be transferred to the babies or to anyone else for that matter.
Last week I got a suggestion from Scott about trying Justin TV to watch TV on the internet. Evidently it works well for him. I had tried Justin TV before to watch NFL games but had not tried it for movies before, or TV. When I watched the NFL games I would get some freezing and I would miss some good plays at times. I believe at one time there it had me locked out and I couldn’t get the games anymore. Anyway, since I consider Scott to be a pretty cool guy, I went ahead and tried Justin TV again. After all I do have a newer, supposedly faster computer now although the connection is still the same. Well to my surprise it worked. In fact it worked pretty good. I watched a movie called ‘Safe House’, which is from 2012 and I had never heard of it. Except for a few very short freezes, it was a nice experience. The picture was nice and clear and I actually got to watch the whole thing without getting frustrated.
Mark also sent me a few websites to check out and I used a couple of those too. He sent me 5 of them, but I could only get 3 of them to work, including the YouTube. I didn’t try very hard at the time, but I will go back to them again later. One of the ones I got to work got me to The 70’s Show. I watched couple of episodes of that. I love that show. I would like to have every season of that and even almost bought it on e-bay one day, but I passed for some reason that I don’t remember right now. So anyway I have at least 3 places to go now to watch TV and/or movies. I wanted something like TV Land, hopefully to watch Perry Mason, but I couldn’t really find that. I did find Peter Gunn, Dragnet and Adam-12 though, plus other detective shows. I don’t have it all organized just yet, but I’ll get around to it pretty soon.
I finally got over to the new market and took a few pictures of both the inside and outside. There are already quite a few pictures of the place circulating around the internet so I’m a bit late, but of course my pictures are unique. I will not be able to use laziness for a reason for not getting there anymore. I went there with Cathy, Casandra, Joshua and Khan and it took us all of 3 minutes to make the walk. Nope not a mistype and not kidding, 3 minutes. We just took a short cut through a little village close to here and there we were in the parking lot of the market. The only problem I had was crossing the little make shift bridge the locals have set up. Actually it’s just mostly some 2×4’s across the little creak, but it did have a place for the hands too. It was a problem because I was afraid that it would cave in under my weight. As it was it just bent a little, but I don’t think that if there were 2 of me, we should try to cross together. We had to zigzag through the village and I probably will get lost until I do it a couple of times, but unless it has been raining a lot or I am sick, I should have no problem getting there.
So now that the old wet market is finally being torn down, I have discovered, and again it is already on the internet in many places, that a Gaisano Grand Mall will be put up there. I am glad the old market is going, it was just too shabby. I feel for the people that can’t afford the higher prices at the new market, but a lot of them are adjusting and finding other places to do their trade. So with this mall and the Robinson Mall (if it ever gets going), we are really going to have some nice shopping here. Here is a good story about the Gaisano Grand Malls if you want to know a little bit about it.
I have also read that soon we will be getting a company called Puregold. I’m not sure but I think this is like a Sam’s Club, selling items in bulk at discounted prices. This company has been building stores left and right recently, so it’s about time that they made their way to our little section of the Philippines. All this, plus other things I’m sure that I have missed or I don’t know about, and they are also upgraded Nijaga Park. The last time I looked at the progress on the park, it was progressing nicely. I hear they are suppose to clean up the dock area too, so it all adds up to Calbayog City, a city on the rise.
Salamat, Y’all
I saw in FB this morning that there will be a Metro Hi-permarket built on Magsaysay. I believe Metro is part of the Ayala Malls since the department store at the Ayala Mall in Angeles City is named Metro. Calbayog City is certainly on the rise.
Which FB? Do you have a link to it? ***** Never Mind ****** I found it. https://www.facebook.com/pages/CalbayogCity-Samar/229743523730012
CalbayogCity Samar
John, you are now in the Tricare Overseas Program. The new provider has no bearing on Tricare Standard recipients in the Overseas Program. Calbayog City is also not in the Philippines “Demo” project so you should see little change if any to your coverage. The Tricare Prime folks in the states are the ones being screwed as those outside 50 miles from an MTF have to switch to the “Standard” plan and will now experience greater out-of-pocket costs.
Yeah, it didn’t look like it would affect me. I got an answer to my email I sent Tricare and they didn’t mention anything about it. They did clarify my benefits though.
I haven’t forgotten about Mondejeras Beach. In fact I plan to work on that map today. The internet was down, but since it is up, around 1:00pm, I’ll give it a look see.
John the new web site is http://www.uhcmilitarywest.com They will be doing Tricare benefits for Western area starting 1 April 2013.
I looked at that George, but is it just for the Tricare West participates? Will it affect us here overseas? I was in Tricare South in Texas, so I guess a little more checking will be necessary for this.
George thanks for the visit on 5 April. Of course I remembered you leaving a lot of comments, but I had a hard time remembering it all. Now that I read some of the comments, I remember. I hope you are able to make the get together on 12 April. Just come on by whenever on day and we can get started doing whatever it is people do at these get togethers. Everyone reading this just stop on by that day, preferably early afternoon. I’m starting to think that the 6:00pm might be too late to get started. Maybe I should make it at noon.
Last year Nigel was treated for dehydration at a Catholic sanitarium? The wife said the nuns were very good and they brought him back to good health. I wasn’t there, as usual. All in all he spent four days there with Cheryl and my Father-in-law taking turns watching him. I’d like to visit the place to check it out as well as thank them personally. I haven’t seen it for myself but Cheryl said it was nice. The best part? Four days there was $700 US. I can only imagine what it would be here. That’s even less than my deductible!
It’s always good for a ‘total’ hospital bill to be less than the deductible.
I looked into, a little bit, on that Tricare becoming United Health that George mentioned, but I could not find anything. I did find a good website that helped me understand my Tricare a little better though. I sent them an e-mail for additional information.
There is a sanitarium on the way to the airport. It is in San Policarpo and is called Calbayog Sanitarium and Hospital. It is just before the Marju Krisel Resort as you are heading for the airport. It is where my son had his circumcision last year.
I believe that’s the same one Gary. I haven’t been inside but I would like to visit as it seemed they did fine work with my son.
Hey John I don’t know how much you keep up with Tricare but I just received a letter today that there is going to be some changes in the works. The Gov gave contract to new provider. Its is now United Health care. They are asking for change to payments by Mar 10 to keep upto date. So I would go to Tricare site and read what is up.
I had no idea, but I will check it out. I’ve got a lot on my plate these days trying to get up to date on things.
I have been to that hospital several times when wifes brother was dying from kidney problems. I watched doctor work on guy who came in with broken nose when coconut fell out of tree and hit him in face. I noticed that with all the blood spraying around the people and doctor was not even wearing gloves. From the scuttle I picked up this hospital is ran by the city and CKC to give nurses OJT when going through college nursing school. It is only 5 or 6 yrs since it was open. The Mayor UY was starting to build another hospital north of Calbayog on main road but have not heard if it was follow through since he was shot. There was a sign and road to where the hospital was to be built, but I did not see or hear if there was any progress. Supposely the reason he was building it was because people was having to pay up front or bill in full before leaving hospitals, even with Phihealth coverage.
I didn’t notice anything strange when I was at the hospital, but I was in a lot of pain at the time from the gout. I heard about that hospital you are talking about, I was wondering about it. I hope they do get a hospital here that does not require paying up front first. Sometimes it just comes out to way too much, even for the Philippines.
Calbayog City better slow down a little bit or I may have to move to the east coast! 😉 JK. Such rapid growth will launch Calbayog up the “most desirable” retirement cities list. Next step is to improve medical facilities. Hope someone is working on that one!
ahhh yes, the medical facilities. My wife and I visited one of her cousins who was in the Calbayog City Hospital just off of Magsaysay to deliver her baby and I was stunned at how filty and disgusting it was. I had never seen anything like it before. There was a cat in the hallway (maybe the official rat killer?) and there was grime everywhere. I told my wife that if I ever have to be a patient there, she should just kill me. The private hospitals are supposedly better and cleaner but I have no desire to check them out.
Gary that sounds like the same hospital I was in for a night. OLPIH, I think, I can never remember the name. When I was there it was not so bad (I didn’t see a cat), but it definitely was not like the cleanliness I was use to in the US. I heard that a new hospital was going to be built here, maybe in the Rawis area. When/If they do, I hope it is a hospital that accepts Tricare.
A Puregold would be wonderful. There are three of them in Angeles City that I know of. There is a large one on the old Clark AFB, another large one in Dau and a Puregold Jr in Angeles City. They have items in bulk but you can also buy individual sizes. The great thing is they bring in a lot of American food products you can’t find anywhere else. They are pricey but worth it if you want some American food. They also sell furniture, appliances, clothes, etc.
Add the Puregold to Gaisano and, hopefully, Robinsons and the new Mickey D’s and Calbayog is becoming more and more livable.
Cool. I’m looking more forward to it now than I was before.