Cheap daw ang Manila

According to survey Singapore is ranked 10th most expensive city worldwide kasunod ang Hongkong though labas ang Hongkong sa top 10 kasi ranked 11th sila. Tokyo and Osaka topped as the world's most expensive cities for expatriates taking the position of 1st and 2nd respectively. 

I am mentioning here only cities in Asia na pasok as most expensive cities  ranked by EIU.

Singapore is ranked first and Bangkok is second kung pag-uusapan naman ang cities within the southeast asia, being Bangkok on the 72th worldwide and Kuala Lumpur is 90th.

The basis of the survey was by comparing the cost of products and services of the 140 cities. Survey was aimed at helping companies calculate allowances for executives and their families being sent overseas

 

I am not an expatriate, but let me see really how much it cost me to stay here in Singapore.

My small room in an HDB flat cost me $400 a month all inclusive. The room is not air-conditioned but comes with a stand fan. It has a single bed, a wardrobe, a dresser, and a small working table. I brought in my tv set.

I am taking MRT when reporting to work, occasional taxi, and bus. My transportation expenses in a month is $150 on average.

I cook sometimes on weekend whenever I crave for home cooked food. I know how to cook adobo, sinigang, nilaga, tinola, no pork allowed. As cooked fish is expensive, if I want to eat one I cook  and always by the oven. But most of the time I buy my food outside. Lunch just now is Mc chicken burger meal that cost $6.10 in nearby Mc Donalds. My monthly food expense is $500.

I watch movie, malling, occasional beer night-out and my budget for these is $200. If I bought something in a mall I charged it. Last night while on my way home I pass by the mall since it was raining, had dinner and purchased 2 backpacks (sale kasi) that costs me $125. 

My monthly mobile phone bill is $110 on average. My internet, landline, and cable tv monthly pay is $115.

So that's the reason why I still end up not earning much at the end of the month.

If I stay in Manila I would be spending just a fraction of that.

Which brings to this, according to the same survey Manila is one of the cheapest city to live worldwide being rank 98th, in the same level of Kathmandu, New Delhi, Mumbai where the slumdog millionaire came from. And Karachi ang pinacheap. 

Cheap nga siguro talaga sa Manila o cheap nga ba talaga?

One of my regrets

Today I am still sulking. Not that I was not able to use my plane ticket for pinas because it is not refundable nor can be reuse. Not because I was not able to get a leave from work, ah well partly yes...

Who would not be? Ha?? Read On...

*grabe! We made history here!!! Legendary talaga Eheads! naku asa pa kung may tatapat sa kanila! Lungkot, last set na, the hype, the adrenalin! SOBRANG ASTIG!!!!!!!!! Meron ako nabasa na site sabi ni raimund they play well together but they can only stand each other for a short period of time...La lang, sana tapos na lahat ng gap nila di ba. Past na yun eh! I REALLY LOVE EHEADS!!! PEACE!!!

*astig! astig! pinagpala tayong lahat na nandun nang gabing yon... sana ASAP labas nila yung DVD...

*Sarap balik-balikan ang nakaraan. Naalala ko nung high-school ako. Salamat Eraserheads sa mga kantang binigay ninyo sa amin.

*wow sarap! memorable night. may hang over pa din ako kahit sa VIP labas lang ako nanood.. pero grabe naguumpisa na ang dami pa din bumibili ng ticket..

*sayang i thought they will sing Para Sa Masa that night,,then mag-iiyakan mga fans..but its ok na rin,..ung Huling El Bimbo na Farewell Song...babaunin natin hanggang sa pagtanda ang mga kanta,at alaala ng ERASERHEADS!!!..longlive!!..\m /

*astig talaga grabe.. sayang lang wala yung Para sa Masa, wala rin si Shirley at si Aling Nena at yung Balikbayan Box hindi dumating, wala ring nagpakitang Maselang Bahaghari, walang Saturn Return at hindi dumaan sa Tollgate, Easy ka lang, Andalusian Dog, Sa Wakas.. haayyy bitin pa rin pero ok na ok parin..Sana may Final Set Part Two.. hehehe... dun sana nila kantahin yung mga di nila nakanta.. Astig! WALA PA RIN PAPALIT SA EHEADS!

*grabe npaka sulit ng concert ... the best...
pinaka astig na concert n npanuod q,,,

*hangang ngaun ubod ng saya ko padin pero ilang days na nkalipas ahaha ganda ng concert classic

These were the comments copied on youtube on the videos of the final concert.

I promised myself I have to be there right after when Eraserheads announced that they will do a repeat concert, thus the ticket.

I am sulking. Bigtime!

Reality biting

Last week I received a txt from someone I met in a hawker's center. I came to know him while ordering a set meal of a quarter fried chicken, coleslaw, and french fries together with the soup of the day. First time I saw him he was in full smile and I don't know if he recognized me as kabayan or he's just being friendly. I sensed that he is kabayan but I am not sure so I asked him if he's one in a guarded tone. He jolted upon hearing the word and sabi na lang kuya??! ako naman ang nagulat kasi though he look young at 25 and because of his height di pa naman ako katandaan. While I was seated just in front of him and waiting for the food, he keeps talking to me in a loud voice. Since I assume that no one understand us, I do the same thing. On our not so convenient conversation, I learned from him that he is new here just over two months. That he is being discriminated by his co workers as he is earning higher than them. That he is having difficulty in his job and staying in his uncle's place far away from his work place. That he paid equivalent to two months pay for him to get his job here. That the job offer he got in pinas was an assistant cook in a restaurant, contrary to his present post which is server and cashier in a small foodstall in a hawkers center.

He sms me to let me know that he just lost his job, just on his third month because the stall he was manning closed shop. His employer already canceled his work permit and channeled his last month pay to his local recruitment agency. The agency deducted some outstanding amount which he was not aware of and ended up getting only a few hundreds. Now he is busy looking for job and he must find one within 30 days. If not he has to go back to pinas. Given the current situation here, it would be very difficult now to find a job. But he has to find job here since the amount he paid in the agency in pinas was a loan and is not been paid yet.

In my current job, for now things seems to be alright. Tomorrow the contractor will start building our site office and has given a month to complete and make it operational. Once completed only then they can proceed with the work. The contractor has given two years to complete the job, it could be longer than that since my previous project site got a year extension. As my current job assignment is a government priority project, maybe I should not worry.

Well just maybe, for now.

Slumdog Monday

I was out on a rainy monday. I supposed to do the errand the day before, but because it would be too frustrating doing it  on that day, I waited for the next day. The reason was to send money back home in Lucky Plaza, where else. Lucky Plaza on a sunday is like Megamall having their midnight madness sale, and sending money there on that day is well, like you are going to watch a blockbuster movie. Who would want to be falling in line three times in a day on a situation like that? Yes I did send money separately in three different counters that day.

The first stop was at this remittance center for my niece who asked me for her school fees. First time she asked me so I was obliged. I send the money thru this firm because it would be convenient for her to pick up the money in M. Lhullier any branch in pinas and also she will be needing just one ID card to show to claim the money if the money came from this firm as compared to two from other remittance centers including the next one.

Here in the next outlet was where I sent money for my credit cards bill payment. I have two cards. They charge half the price from the first one. So since I have two transactions, it would mean two charges. 

The third one was here. Two transactions here also, one goes to my account for my monthly savings and the other one to my nanay account for her daily stipend. 

Being Monday and mid afternoon I thought there will be me or just a few kabayans would be doing transactions. I was surprised since I still have to fall in line, but it was manageable as I was able to complete the task in over half an hour. 

After that I decided to watch movie at Lido Shaw. Yes finally I was able to watched Slumdog Millionaire after the third try. I got a ticket for the 4:15pm showing. I still have 20 minutes to kill so I treat myself for mocha frappucino. And while at it, I busied myself gawking down the atrium of the mall, the elevator reminds me of the shang mall, the guy with the macbook was having an argument with the lady companion while tinkering  the gadget. My drink is not allowed inside the movie house though it was purchased within the theatre lobby so I have to consumed it before the usher will let me in.

I agree with the comment by an Indian that Slumdog is a white man’s imagined India’ and ‘a poverty tour’. I must admit though that the movie is well made. Watching that movie give me some relief about my pinas. I thought there is no place can beat Smokey Mountain and Parola.

So before heading home, I decided to have dinner first time in one of the restos in Lucky Plaza. First I went to try Jologs Cafe, I heard a lot about their silogs but I want to try other food. Alas, they were closed on Mondays second time happened to me, remember the Mack's Inasal? 

So I opted for another resto GP and aimed to have sinigang whatever is available though I drool for tuna panga. I seated myself. Five minutes still nobody wants to take my order. Three lady servers were just standing at the corner near the cash register. I assumed they saw me the moment I stepped in. Few minutes more they still pretended they did not notice me. What's wrong with me why nobody came to serve me, despite of a few people came in and they just standing there. Damn suddenly it hit me, I am slumdog to these foodservers. Disgusted I stood up and cursed silently the place and swear never to sit foot come what may. I ended up at Tang's Market and settled for japanese Tori Q.




Sometimes you can not blame me to have a word or two of these kabayans who look down of fellows and assumes you don't deserve to be served. Do I have to win millions? Is it written?