Makati City, Philippines

[slang]

I'll check on that. Maybe Soylent Green is what makes the balut so tastey(!?).

Thank you.

Sidenote: I seem to have effed up my re-sizing. I'm using the Gimp after Paint crapped out. This will be fixed by the next episode.

[slang]

What sorts of items are available there in the Philippines? Good question. Here are a few more websites that you might find interesting.

Makro - This is the supermarket for businesses. They sell in bulk and are meant for Sari-Sari type stores ( the stores that sell out of your home - survival profit only) and maybe restaurants. Check out all the strange things that are for sale there in the foods department.

The Makro site runs a lot better than some of the others here. It's quick and easy to navagate through their website.

They are still showing a Christmas theme on the site but check it out.



How about appliances? Take a look through this one.

Abenson - It's all imported goods. There are lots of choices and departments on this site. To compare, remember that the prices you see should be divided by 40 and then multiply by 1.1 for the VAT tax. That's the out the door price without the delivery charge which might be another 200 pesos, depending on the items bought.

Most imported goods here are much more expensive than the US. Take a look and you'll see.

[monster]

Makro is in the UK too. The "only for businesses" is easily bypassed, so it's effectively an equivalent of Sam's Club or Costco.

[slang]

Interesting. I've not seen one outside of here.

Not that I'm all that attached to dried squid balls and all.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The damn Brits have their tentacles everywhere.

[monster]

My MILwas the canteen lady in the Nottongham Makro for many years. I'm very familiar with the place... but no squid balls in the UK -just your regular sam's club style crap.

[Giant Salamander]

Really enjoyed flipping through these images.
You've got quite a few very nicely composed captures in here, yes indeed.
Thanks for posting them

[slang]

Thank you GS.

Now that I have nearly exhausted the photos of "normal" things going on here I will move into more specific images with more background.

I'm glad that people enjoy these pictures.

[slang]

I made some movie clips of my friend's butcher shop this morning. One of the clips is of the butcher cutting a pig's head apart and removing the tongue.

I thought it was excellent but is that too graphic for YouTube and this thread?

What do you think?

My daily bike ride discovered the new fire station. I was friends with the firefighters here but have not talked with them since the move into the new firehouse.

It's very nice. The building that is. The same 70s model firetruck is at the firehouse though. In a few days I'll go see the fire chief and get some photos.

You'll like the new firehouse. Just ignore the old fire truck.

[glatt]

I vote for seeing the pig's head video. If anyone doesn't want to watch it, they don't have to.

I like pork, and I've had tongue. To see how it's done would be interesting.

[slang]

Ok, Glatt. This is surely not how it's done in the US ( and I'm sure that we're all thankful for that ) but this is how it's done here in the Philippines.

This is not something that you want to watch if you're not comfortable with blood and guts.

Don't watch it to get yourself all pissed off. This is reality in the Philippines, don't bitch and complain if it offends or saddens you in some way. Don't watch it.



Listen to the end of the audio. Rain says that Alex, the butcher should put on a black mask when cutting up the pig.

[slang]

This next clip is even nastier than the first IMO. This one shows the pig's face being cut off from the skull.

Not for the squeemish.

Do not watch the clip if you are going to get sick, angry or cry. I don't want to hear your thoughts on animal cruelty or veganism.

[slang]

Headlines that make you wonder..what kind of place is this?

My bike along the road as I take some long exposure shots of the sun coming up.

[slang]

We live very close to the Global City and what used to be the old US military base during world war II.

There are a variety of choppers flying around during the day. They still get my attention but they are very common. Some are military and some are rescue.

The land traffic flows, shall we say, BADLY here. If you are seriously sick or injured the choppers might save your life by getting you to medical help in time.

Here is a clip of a passing Huey but you can only hear it. One had just passed in the space that I was pointing the camera at in the clip but it didnt pass through the fielf of view.

The sonic from the chopper blades rattle the windows and you can feel them coming. Take a listen.



I didn't see how high this chopper was flying but it felt like it might land on the house.

[slang]

This is the last clip for today.

It shows what you might see stepping up to the counter of the meat shop.

I can and have eaten everything you see there except the pig tongue and ears, and the linked sausage.

Each morning 2 pigs arrive at about 4 am. They weigh 80-85 Kg each. Alex is there to recieve them from the truck. It's funny to see.

A small man pulls a pig out of the truck and holds it on his shoulders. Right hand holds the rear pig legs, left hand holds the front. He plops each one on the counter with a grunt.