La Veranda Cafe

Friday, August 18, 2006

I was all hyped up yesterday. For the first time since I got here in the Philippines, I was on line for almost two hours TROUBLE FREE! I don’t know whether it’s a coincidence but La Veranda Café’s Internet wireless connection just seems faster somehow and I was able to access all the sites without any problem. Even Citibank’s site was cooperating this time. Donna was able to go in and inquire on account balance, etc. The restaurant’s seared tuna sashimi salad was pretty good too. They put a little too much dressing for my taste. I’ll just have to remember to have them put it on the side next time. We didn’t have any problem meeting their P200 minimum food bill requirement. My salad alone costs over P200.

We had a little situation with our spandrel. This is the material used as a ceiling for the outside section of the house. A representative of the company came in to make some measurements to determine how much spandrel is needed. When we finished, we had about 30 pcs left worth P7,000. So of course we wanted to return it and get a refund or at the very least some credit. We got a negative response from them saying it’s not the company’s policy to do that. Armin argued that they did the estimates so we should be able to return the leftover material. They wouldn’t budge. So we were talking about it and Kong Naring said that the proper procedure is for us to go back and plead our case to them again and if that doesn’t get any results we can go to the Barangay Council and have them help out try to resolve the issue, then to the Municipal level up to the courts, etc. But we were afraid that it’s taken so long that they may have a valid reason not to accept the material back because it’s old now. So Armin and Kong Naring decided to go there and take the bull by its horns, so to speak.

Not sure if they went there with a plan but here’s how it went. They sort of played them, the ‘good-cop, bad-cop’ routine with Armin and his cool demeanor being the ‘good cop’ and Kong Naring the ‘bad cop’. Armin basically told them the situation again with Kong Naring quietly seated in a corner. After a while when they still wouldn’t cooperate, Kong Naring stood up. Let me tell you about my brother, he’s an actor when he wants to and he can scare the heck out of people. With his voice booming, “SIR, DO YOU THINK WE’RE DUMB THAT WE DO NOT KNOW OUR RIGHTS?” After a couple more colorful comments including “DO YOU THINK WE’RE NOT INFLUENTIAL ENOUGH TO GET YOUR BUSINESS SHUT DOWN TODAY?”, he proceeded to make a phone call to the Mayor of Bacolor. How he knew him, I don’t know. But within earshot of everyone in the office, “WHY IN THE H**L DID YOU ISSUE A LICENSE TO OPERATE FOR THIS F****NG BUSINESS?” He added, “I NEED YOU TO COME OVER AND CLOSE IT DOWN RIGHT NOW!” Then he went out the door with Armin remaining inside. All of a sudden a bigger boss came out into the office and said to Armin, “Well sir, why don’t we take a look at the problem again and see how we can help out?” As you can guess, they picked up the extra spandrel material – CASE CLOSED!

The other issue was with our windows. Our contract says they should be delivered and installed 45 days after we pay 50%. That was way back on June 17. Towards the end of July we were told we should be getting our windows first week of August. But then when we got them, about half of them were put on back order till the 3rd week of August. So a couple of days ago I sent a follow up text message. I was told that the rest of the windows will be delivered mid September. Donna suggested for me to call them and have them take out the windows that have been installed and get a refund. So I called them and told them so but added that another choice is for them to talk to my lawyer so we can get reimbursements on rent, expenses, pain and suffering, etc. incurred due to the delay on the delivery of these windows. This morning I got a call from the vice president wanting to meet with me first without the lawyer. I called Pareng Nasty and he said to go ahead and find out what they have to say. So this coming Tuesday, we’re meeting them in the site to see how they’d rectify the situation.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Today our cabinets got delivered. Kong Naring had them scheduled for anti-termite spray tomorrow. Next week we'll try to have them sanded, varnished, finished and installed. I also got a text message from my woodworker in Lubao saying the Holy Spirit we had made is all done along with the head boards. We'll probably have everything picked up Monday along with the lumber Kong Naring ordered for the Jacuzzi 'bahay kubo' gazebo.

I'm at La Veranda Cafe again tonight blogging. So cool! I'll post some more pictures next time I have more interesting ones.

I sent Myrna a text message today just to say Hi. She had some OFW siblings visiting that's why she's been busy. I was just telling Donna that our high school classmates in California, especially in LA. are so well connected. We noticed it's a little different here. Like I've posted in a previous blog, we see some of them in the mall and in restaurants but it's basically a 'Hi-Bye' situation. We figured people are so busy earning a living during the week and on weekends they spend time with family that they really don't have meeting-with-old-high-school-classmates too high in their list of priorities. Oh well.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Saturday, August 12, 2006

After our payroll I got a call from Pareng Nasty from Bulacan inviting us for dinner at their place in Valenzuela. I’ve been having a sore throat since yesterday and Donna was hesitant to go for fear that I’d get too tired from the drive. It was actually his birthday and I’ve told Donna before that a) I really hate to miss occasions like this and b) they almost always attend any invitation from us. Valenzuela, Bulacan is a stone’s throw away from Manila. I’ve been there before but only as a passenger. I still remember the place from the previous directions his son Sherwin has given me. So after church (around 6:30 pm) we went on the southbound NLEx on ramp to Manila. We got off on the Valenzuela exit and it took us around 45 minutes to their place. We did our usual ‘eat-and-run’ thing with a little chicka-chicka in between. We must have stayed there for about a couple of hours or so and got back home to Baliti around 11 pm.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Woke up early or tried to anyway, to get ready to go to Muntinglupa to celebrate Sister Gay’s birthday. Leda is hosting it at her place/resort at Katarungan Village. Ayrin decided not to go so it was only me (and Donna with Len and sister Berna and their brood in tow) at the helm of the Innova driving to Manila for the first time in my life. You see Manila driving is such a unique experience. I imagine it’s similar to Italian, Bangkok, Iraq and any other chaotic driving in the world all rolled into one! But to make such a lonnnnggg story short, I got everyone there in one piece with my knuckles white and teeth gritting for a couple of hours!!

We had lunch and dinner over there. Kuya Francis, Leda, Sister Gay and Donna played kwaho while we sang Karaoke. Leda was complaining afterwards that Donna won our gas money to Manila PLUS the toll fees!! I had the chance to call Reggie in Japan from Leda’s PLDT land line.

Fortunately, Kuya Francis and Sister Gay went with us on the way back to San Fernando so I had him drive and I slept almost all the way through. I sometimes wake up from their kwentuhan and from the pouring rain – so glad I wasn’t driving!

Monday, August 14, 2006

We went to Angeles and checked out the kitchen cabinets we had custom made. They’ve already been completed and they looked great but we had quite a bit of changes we needed done. The guy said he’ll finish them by Thursday.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Donna called Apung Beth today. She’s their kwaho buddy from California and she’s here to have a 3 or 4 door apartment building constructed in a lot close to their house in Pulung Bulu, Angeles City. After lunch I dropped Donna and Sister Gay off for a kwaho session. I picked them up at 6:30 and of course Donna won and got us our gas money for the day.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Today we went to Sta Cruz, Lubao and visited the wood carver doing our Holy Spirit image and a couple of head and foot boards for the master bedroom and guest room beds. He’s almost done with them. Late afternoon we went with Ate Pie to Dau, Guagua and had dinner at one of her friends’ house for their annual Fiesta. As usual everyone pigged out from all of the good food that’s being served.

Jack and friend Remy were there too. After dinner I dropped off the ‘school mates’ in Balibago and Jack picked up another friend, Seng, for a Videoke date with me. We got together at almost 9 pm and since Quantum at SM Clark closes at 9 we went to Clarkton Hotel by the perimeter fence instead. We got one of their VIP Karaoke booths. We were singing our hearts out for almost a couple of hours.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

We were having halo-halo at Razon’s by AU today when I noticed a restaurant next door called La Veranda Café. It advertises wireless remote connection. I inquired inside and sure enough I was told that I should be able to bring my lap top in and go on line. It will be free of charge if our food bill goes up to P200 or more. It’s not really an Internet Café because they do not have any PC’s for people to use.

So I’m here tonight posting this blog. They have an excellent connection and I’m able to view my blog and post and I’m all excited right now. Donna viewed my blogs as well. We noticed that some of the comments, people sign on as anonymous. Please type your name at the end of your comment so I'm able to identify who you are.

I've had the screen for the home theater system mounted and hung on the ceiling (check out pic). Check out the picture of the cool doors to the music room. I'm planning on having the projector installed also and the Bose entertainment system hooked up as soon as possible.

Every morning when we go to the site, it's Donna's routine to go around the house to sort of check things out looking for 'stuff' to correct! In these 'excursions' it's Indo's habit to go with her as if he's inspecting as well!!