I haven't posted it before, but I went to Wendy's at SM Centerpoint, had I think P125 in my wallet, ordered the P125 meal, and then it turned out that the bill was more than P125, thanks to the additional tax that Quezon City imposes on these establishments (and that these establishments do not add to their listed price). So my order was there already, as well as my payment, although lacking by a few pesos. I think I told them to cancel my order na lang because it turned out I didn't have enough money pala.
The manager, a nice (young) lady, then decided to just let me go with the few bucks. Thank you, Ms. (or is it Mrs.) Manager, I'm sorry I didn't get your name.
That was a long time ago (a few months).
What's up with the Quezon City tax? Technically I'm fine with that. The extended value added tax (EVAT) after all helped strengthened the Philippine Peso. But how come these establishments (not just Wendy's, but most of the fastfood establishments including #1 Jollibee, and #2? McDonald's) do not yet include the QC tax with their listed price. For uniformity among their branches I guess. It would be weird that Value Meal #3 is PhP125 in Makati and everywhere else in the Philippines, and PhP128 or whatever in Quezon City locations. But, what's wrong with that? It's the price you have to pay for doing business in Quezon City.
Anyway, just last Tuesday, I had a snack at the same Wendy's store. Different manager now, or at least on that time and day. I paid more than enough which meant I had change. The cashier asked, "Sir, okay lang po ba na kulang ako ng 20 cents?" My mom would have reacted "Centavos, hija! Cents, mahal yon." Anyway, I reacted by saying "No." It turned out, my change should have been 21 centavos. If they just gave me 25 centavos, their change would have been over by 4 centavos only. Imagine, they were asking me to give up 21 centavos, and they can't give up 4 centavos. Wendy's earns thousands more a month than I do, and they can't afford to give me 5 times what they're demanding me to give them. Well, it's not Wendy's maybe. It's that stupid cashier. And she's not the only one. Almost everyone is like that. I pity them for they do not know what they are doing is STEALING. Well, on the good side, at least she asked me. But she asked me to give up 20 centavos but I was actually giving up 21 centavos.
Do you get my point? It is so pathetic. It's happening all over the Philippines. Is this post detrimental to Philippine Tourism? No, I don't think so. What that cashier did and that many other cashiers do, that's detrimental. We can argue all day, everyone in the Philippines always seem to justify their mistakes, even "educated" and "rich" people. A typical excuse is "everyone else does it." What you are does not define who you are, it's what you do.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
JetStar Asia - Negative 5 Stars
I am glad that an "Asian" airline, JetStar Asia, got some award for Best Budget Airline of the Year - this year, 2006, I think. I remember taking a "budget" airline, Southwest Airlines, back in the late 90's (or was it in 2000/2001?) to get from Oakland to San Diego, a 1-hour intra-state trip. I booked my aunt's and my own ticket over the internet. It was cool.
I did the same for my trip from Manila to Singapore. The JetStar website warned me that I will have to pay PHP550 for the terminal fee at the Manila airport. I know that already, no complaints. For any other airline I take for international trips from Manila, I will have to pay the same.
They did not however warn me that I will have to pay PhP1620 for travel tax, before I could check-in.
I got my ticket at a ~50% off promo. It's US$79 one way, that's US$158 for a return trip, then plus some tax (maybe Singapore travel taxes and airport terminal fees), it's US$217 total. That's just about PhP11,300. Add the travel tax, it's about PhP12920. If I took a regular priced ticket, it would have been around PhP24,000.
Compare that to Philippine Airlines' regular price: around PhP16,000 (~US$300), that includes the travel taxes, and a meal and inflight entertainment already.
So JetStar Asia - a budget airline? I don't think so. So, if it wasn't a budget airline, with the 50% off promo, JetStar Asia is 5 stars. Because it's a "budget airline" - they don't have meals or in-flight entertainment (and not all the flight attendants were friendly) - make that a NEGATIVE 5 stars.
When taking a JetStar Asia promo to go to Singapore from the Philippines, first check the promo - they sometimes say "as low as $33" - it's not always that low. Next, compare your fare with Philippine Airlines' or other "regular" airlines. Also, consider the inconvenience: you'll need to pay an additional ~PhP400 for a meal and drink, and about PhP460 for inflight entertainment, and your trip back home is at 7:30am (as opposed to 1:30pm for Philippine Airlines). Lastly, can you speak English fluently? I had co-passengers who didn't have that luxury of speaking English very fluently; they had a hard time with the staff, whose accent when speaking English is not so familiar to Filipinos.
No, I am not an employee nor am I endorsing Philippine Airlines. I'm saying JetStar Asia is not a budget airline, strictly speaking. It's an airline that's on budget, at the cost of its passengers, ultimately. Maybe that's why it's a budget airline, because on a low budget (on their end), they earn more than the regular airlines.
I did the same for my trip from Manila to Singapore. The JetStar website warned me that I will have to pay PHP550 for the terminal fee at the Manila airport. I know that already, no complaints. For any other airline I take for international trips from Manila, I will have to pay the same.
They did not however warn me that I will have to pay PhP1620 for travel tax, before I could check-in.
I got my ticket at a ~50% off promo. It's US$79 one way, that's US$158 for a return trip, then plus some tax (maybe Singapore travel taxes and airport terminal fees), it's US$217 total. That's just about PhP11,300. Add the travel tax, it's about PhP12920. If I took a regular priced ticket, it would have been around PhP24,000.
Compare that to Philippine Airlines' regular price: around PhP16,000 (~US$300), that includes the travel taxes, and a meal and inflight entertainment already.
So JetStar Asia - a budget airline? I don't think so. So, if it wasn't a budget airline, with the 50% off promo, JetStar Asia is 5 stars. Because it's a "budget airline" - they don't have meals or in-flight entertainment (and not all the flight attendants were friendly) - make that a NEGATIVE 5 stars.
When taking a JetStar Asia promo to go to Singapore from the Philippines, first check the promo - they sometimes say "as low as $33" - it's not always that low. Next, compare your fare with Philippine Airlines' or other "regular" airlines. Also, consider the inconvenience: you'll need to pay an additional ~PhP400 for a meal and drink, and about PhP460 for inflight entertainment, and your trip back home is at 7:30am (as opposed to 1:30pm for Philippine Airlines). Lastly, can you speak English fluently? I had co-passengers who didn't have that luxury of speaking English very fluently; they had a hard time with the staff, whose accent when speaking English is not so familiar to Filipinos.
No, I am not an employee nor am I endorsing Philippine Airlines. I'm saying JetStar Asia is not a budget airline, strictly speaking. It's an airline that's on budget, at the cost of its passengers, ultimately. Maybe that's why it's a budget airline, because on a low budget (on their end), they earn more than the regular airlines.
Buying a book? Visit amazon.com now! Click the link below or copy and paste it to your browser:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=ronjiecom-20&o=1&p=20&l=ur1&category=home&banner=046QZN7HP2KFGC3R1E82&f=ifr&f=ifr
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.9.6/378 - Release Date: 6/28/2006
Friday, May 19, 2006
four squares
Do you see four squares above, adjacent and to the right of "ronjie.com"? If you don't, you must be seeing four Japanese Katakana characters instead, which mean "RO-N-JI-E". If you do see four squares, that means you don't have the Japanese language something installed in your computer. If you're on Windows, go get it at the www.microsoft.com/windows website.
new, new
i usually am able to upload photos whenever there are occasions or non-occasions. so well, there are new occasions, so check them photos out. there are also some new posts at my prustrations and thoughts blogs. go!
I hate negative people. Am I negative by hating negative people?
I hate negative people. Question is, am I negative by hating negative people? It is almost certain in this world that you will meet or encounter or hear about people with negative attitudes. And by the basic principle of you are most likely who you were brought up to be...
In any case, I met this father, let's call him Gene. In a span of about a week, he told me some of his stories while he was staying out-of-town at one of his relatives' house. He made all sorts of complaints about the not-as-delicious-as-our-own mangos he ate, the burnt barbecued ribs out of a dozen other great dishes and desserts at the father's day party he attended, the "self-destruction" of the family who shared their home to him, and so on. Regarding the food, I mentioned that other people who have nothing to eat wouldn't complain about. About all the negative things he said about the very family who was generous enough to accomodate him, I only had this to say:
i don't know why, but many people i've met or encountered, they do certain things but do not know what they are doing is WRONG. meanwhile, it is certainly easy to see the wrong of others. meanwhile, sometimes we have the capacity to help others, but we don't. sometimes, we think we are helping other people, but we really aren't. there are many negatives in this life, and it is up to us if we will turn it into a positive, or emphasize further its negativity.
Filipino translation: marami akong nakilala o na-enkwentro na may mga ginagawa sila na hindi nila alam na mali iyong ginagawa nila na yon. sa kabilang panig naman, mas madali kasing makita ang mali ng iba. kung minsan naman ay kaya nating makatulong ng kapwa natin, pero hindi natin ginagawa. minsan, akala naman natin nakakatulong tayo pero ang katotohanan ay hindi tayo nakakatulong. madaming negatibo sa buhay nating ito, pero nasa atin na kung gagawin nating positibo itong mga ito, o lalo pa nating gagatungan ang pagiging negatibo.
Anyway, question really is am I hating negative people? If it shows that I do, it's because I was brought up as one, by one. I probably still am to some extent. But really what I would like to do is to help. But what help could I do? One thing I try to tell negative people is that they can't change others or expect them to change, and that they can only change themselves.
I am trying my darnest to change myself. I said I hate negative people? I hate my old self. I am not yet completely new, but I hope I'm on the right track now. As for others, I recognize that they will have to change their own selves, but here I offer some of my own insights, hopefully that others might read them, and hopefully so that others may also change course as I did. And I hope I don't ever hear "I'm too old to change. Old dogs can't learn new tricks!" You just admitted you are a dog. Change, and face the world!
In any case, I met this father, let's call him Gene. In a span of about a week, he told me some of his stories while he was staying out-of-town at one of his relatives' house. He made all sorts of complaints about the not-as-delicious-as-our-own mangos he ate, the burnt barbecued ribs out of a dozen other great dishes and desserts at the father's day party he attended, the "self-destruction" of the family who shared their home to him, and so on. Regarding the food, I mentioned that other people who have nothing to eat wouldn't complain about. About all the negative things he said about the very family who was generous enough to accomodate him, I only had this to say:
i don't know why, but many people i've met or encountered, they do certain things but do not know what they are doing is WRONG. meanwhile, it is certainly easy to see the wrong of others. meanwhile, sometimes we have the capacity to help others, but we don't. sometimes, we think we are helping other people, but we really aren't. there are many negatives in this life, and it is up to us if we will turn it into a positive, or emphasize further its negativity.
Filipino translation: marami akong nakilala o na-enkwentro na may mga ginagawa sila na hindi nila alam na mali iyong ginagawa nila na yon. sa kabilang panig naman, mas madali kasing makita ang mali ng iba. kung minsan naman ay kaya nating makatulong ng kapwa natin, pero hindi natin ginagawa. minsan, akala naman natin nakakatulong tayo pero ang katotohanan ay hindi tayo nakakatulong. madaming negatibo sa buhay nating ito, pero nasa atin na kung gagawin nating positibo itong mga ito, o lalo pa nating gagatungan ang pagiging negatibo.
Anyway, question really is am I hating negative people? If it shows that I do, it's because I was brought up as one, by one. I probably still am to some extent. But really what I would like to do is to help. But what help could I do? One thing I try to tell negative people is that they can't change others or expect them to change, and that they can only change themselves.
I am trying my darnest to change myself. I said I hate negative people? I hate my old self. I am not yet completely new, but I hope I'm on the right track now. As for others, I recognize that they will have to change their own selves, but here I offer some of my own insights, hopefully that others might read them, and hopefully so that others may also change course as I did. And I hope I don't ever hear "I'm too old to change. Old dogs can't learn new tricks!" You just admitted you are a dog. Change, and face the world!
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Last Saturday
Last Saturday marked the anniversary of my first time alone in a non-English speaking country. Have you seen the Japan2005 blog yet? Click the link on the right.
Anyway, I previously mentioned there's now an easier way for me to post posts - only problem now is I don't have internet access where I sleep (my home, mi casa, where I now reside). So how did I post this? I'm at my mother's.
Anyway, I previously mentioned there's now an easier way for me to post posts - only problem now is I don't have internet access where I sleep (my home, mi casa, where I now reside). So how did I post this? I'm at my mother's.
Monday, April 17, 2006
A square is a rectangle
Last Friday, a group of friends and I were playing this relatively new game called Cranium; it is essentially a mix of Pictionary, Charades, Text Twist, Name That Tune, Play-Doh, and maybe Trivial Pursuit. Basically unlike the six, in Cranium you need multiple talents to win instead of just one (like drawing in Pictionary), and with a team of three or more, your talents could be showcased; that is, you don’t have to force yourself to draw a picture when you’ve overheard your friend’s mom tell her “She’s a smart kid, she used to draw on the walls, and now she’s a painter,” and meanwhile you don’t recall drawing on walls.
Anyway, in previous turns I did well for our team in scoring for tough tasks like juggling words and letters, and answering some technical trivia. One interesting technical trivia that I was able to answer – because partly it was in my expertise and line of work, and partly because it could have been answered with a Three-Little-Pigs common sense – is a true or false question about whether brick houses are better than wood houses in earthquakes. One guy confidently said that the statement was true and that “in fact,” most houses in the US are made of bricks. Oh I wish I was just as confident. Well I was also confident myself, because I know for a fact that yes, it is true that many houses in the US are made of bricks – the old houses. But actually the problem is, that they fare better in earthquakes is not true at all. Most newer homes use wood or steel or a combination of both, or if they should use bricks, they reinforce these bricks with steel. The answer was of course, false, and yeah, people remembered the Three Little Pigs.
Additional fact: many deaths in earthquakes are not caused by houses collapsing, but more by non-structural things falling down, such as lighting fixtures (imagine big chandeliers, and broken glasses and mirrors), heavy books on shelves, and yes, bricks.
On to the point of this post. It was now our team’s turn again, and it was a crucial one because we needed to score. Just one more for the other team, and they will have won already. It was again a true or false question, and the statement was “A square is a rectangle.” Our team argued over it, with perhaps my decision weighing more, because I was the top guy when it comes to some engineering-related questions (such as the previous one I mentioned.) In basketball statistics, my field-goal shooting percentage was high, almost perfect, and my answer would become, based on statistics, or history if you want to call it that way, our team’s decision. So everyone had agreed it was false, and if I remember correctly, I made the final call. We said it was false. I don’t know what went through my head, but as the opposing team had said, it was an easy one. Maybe them not saying that it was easy made it not easy for us, and we thought it was a trick question. Our answer was incorrect.
Today is approximately three days from that event, and at one point, I still somehow felt bad about making that mistake, thinking about maybe I got peer-pressured or something and all that stuff.
Today, that one statement, “A square is a rectangle,” made me realize that I still tend to keep my old clothes, my old shoes, my old things. I thought that I was on my way to becoming more and more a positive person, with the past not anymore haunting me as nightmares but more now only as hands-on experiences from which I’ve learned much and nothing more.
I am looking forward to… what’s the term… well in English-Filipino, “not having ‘sama ng loob’.” Like there are some people who could have done better, but they didn’t, and who I am now is a consequence of them not doing better. But this is all in the past. I should let go. I’ve taken that first step of accepting my deficiencies. It’s now a matter of mitigation. I haven’t crossed that bridge yet; but I have taken the first step.
“A square is a rectangle.” There maybe something more to that statement than what it has made me realize so far. But for what that statement has done now, that is enough. We’ll find more discoveries in the future. They say it takes a lifetime to get to know a person completely. Maybe it takes a lifetime also to get to know our very own selves. We weren’t so conscious about our very own personalities when we were younger, and that might explain the preceding sentence. Emphasis on the “Maybe.”
But the truth is, you go deep in to the meaning of things, but do not over-interpret, and you’ll find that some things are as simple as they seem to be. A square is a rectangle.
Anyway, in previous turns I did well for our team in scoring for tough tasks like juggling words and letters, and answering some technical trivia. One interesting technical trivia that I was able to answer – because partly it was in my expertise and line of work, and partly because it could have been answered with a Three-Little-Pigs common sense – is a true or false question about whether brick houses are better than wood houses in earthquakes. One guy confidently said that the statement was true and that “in fact,” most houses in the US are made of bricks. Oh I wish I was just as confident. Well I was also confident myself, because I know for a fact that yes, it is true that many houses in the US are made of bricks – the old houses. But actually the problem is, that they fare better in earthquakes is not true at all. Most newer homes use wood or steel or a combination of both, or if they should use bricks, they reinforce these bricks with steel. The answer was of course, false, and yeah, people remembered the Three Little Pigs.
Additional fact: many deaths in earthquakes are not caused by houses collapsing, but more by non-structural things falling down, such as lighting fixtures (imagine big chandeliers, and broken glasses and mirrors), heavy books on shelves, and yes, bricks.
On to the point of this post. It was now our team’s turn again, and it was a crucial one because we needed to score. Just one more for the other team, and they will have won already. It was again a true or false question, and the statement was “A square is a rectangle.” Our team argued over it, with perhaps my decision weighing more, because I was the top guy when it comes to some engineering-related questions (such as the previous one I mentioned.) In basketball statistics, my field-goal shooting percentage was high, almost perfect, and my answer would become, based on statistics, or history if you want to call it that way, our team’s decision. So everyone had agreed it was false, and if I remember correctly, I made the final call. We said it was false. I don’t know what went through my head, but as the opposing team had said, it was an easy one. Maybe them not saying that it was easy made it not easy for us, and we thought it was a trick question. Our answer was incorrect.
Today is approximately three days from that event, and at one point, I still somehow felt bad about making that mistake, thinking about maybe I got peer-pressured or something and all that stuff.
Today, that one statement, “A square is a rectangle,” made me realize that I still tend to keep my old clothes, my old shoes, my old things. I thought that I was on my way to becoming more and more a positive person, with the past not anymore haunting me as nightmares but more now only as hands-on experiences from which I’ve learned much and nothing more.
I am looking forward to… what’s the term… well in English-Filipino, “not having ‘sama ng loob’.” Like there are some people who could have done better, but they didn’t, and who I am now is a consequence of them not doing better. But this is all in the past. I should let go. I’ve taken that first step of accepting my deficiencies. It’s now a matter of mitigation. I haven’t crossed that bridge yet; but I have taken the first step.
“A square is a rectangle.” There maybe something more to that statement than what it has made me realize so far. But for what that statement has done now, that is enough. We’ll find more discoveries in the future. They say it takes a lifetime to get to know a person completely. Maybe it takes a lifetime also to get to know our very own selves. We weren’t so conscious about our very own personalities when we were younger, and that might explain the preceding sentence. Emphasis on the “Maybe.”
But the truth is, you go deep in to the meaning of things, but do not over-interpret, and you’ll find that some things are as simple as they seem to be. A square is a rectangle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)