OMb Tweets #26

1. This photo came from my daughter’s Facebook. This is the lifestyle nowadays. You go out with someone but while together, you don’t talk to each other but rather, each of you communicate with someone not physically present. So why don’t you just go out with the other person instead? Or, better still don’t go out with this person in front of you.

2. I bought 3 kilos of lanzones from a sidewalk vendor along the Sta. Rosa – Tagaytay road. He and his friends were managing their fruit stand. (September 22, 2015)
Dominic “Kulit” Lim, Joseph David, and Chris Bukid.

3. Omb to my driver—triplet pala anak nung magtitinda ng lanzones.
Driver———–“nakita mo mam?”
Omb————–“Ipinakita nya picture, ang cu-cute”.
Driver———–“Mahirap yun mam, kung manganak at triplex uli”

4. My dear husband discovered a new tech word “Clouds”.

5. Ten years ago, I enrolled for a 10 session power stretch, 30 minute/session in a fitness center. Never got to used to because they require me to wear gym clothes including rubber shoes. I don’t wear rubber shoes. It’s also done on the gym’s floor, where on the left side, there were ABS-full and masculado men lifting weights. On the right side, a dozen women were hopping and huffing trying to lose weight. I didn’t like that situation. While me on the floor, looking up at them. Edmund encourages me to ask the physical therapist to come over to our house instead. He said since I don’t exercise, stretching would be good for me.

6. While I was standing at the reception counter, another employee of theirs approached the receptionist and said “Pumunta ka na dun, nagkakaubusan na ng tinapay”. What did she expect to do, leave me behind to scramble for bread? I hope our employees don’t do this.

7. Foreman——“Pag meron kang tinanong at malayo ang sagot, alam mo na na nagsa-shabu yon”.

On discounts:

8. Edmund told me not to ask for too much discount from art dealers.
Huwag daw ako tawad ng tawad. Kasi in our experience, pag merong customer na sobrang mag-haggle sa kotse, na akala nya eh limpak -limpak ang tubo namin, lagi na merong problem itong customer. Pag sobrang makunat, medyo natatakot na kami kasi lumalabas na sobrang mareklamo sa mga susunod na service. Kahit napaka liit na bagay, nagre-reklamo. kaya sabi ni Edmund, pag bibili daw ako, wag masyadong tatawad.

9. Sa kotse, maliit lang ang tubo, unbelievably low. Pero kasi sa mga art galleries naman, sobrang laki ng allowance sa discount, magugulat ka naman. So if you don’t ask for discount, you would end up paying ridiculous amount of money for something that should only be a fraction thereof. Example, Merong naka display na Orlina glass sculpture. Curious lang, I asked how much, P800,000 daw.
Omb———“pagnabagsak, di goodby money na, basag?”
Dealer——“Oo mam. Sold na yan, ide-deliver na namin?”
Omb———“Magkano nyo ibinigay?”
Dealer——“Four hundred thousand”

See?

10. There was a handpainted kalabaw displayed at an art exhibit two years ago. Half million pesos daw yun. Very nice naman talaga, but not for P500,000. After the exhibit, I found out my friend liked it but he found the price shocking. I didn’t personally know the artist nor the dealer. It so happened I bought something from them also at the exhibit. Long story short, I negotiated for a lower price of P80,000 for the kalabaw. See? Installment pa but I think my friend paid the whole amount when the dealer delivered the carabao to his house.

11. I saw a nice pair of earrings in Megamall. Kaya nga ba ayaw kon gmag-gagala sa loob ng mall. Parang na-engganyo ako bumili kasi I noticed I’ve been wearing the same pair of diamond earrings for the past 20+ years. Every party na lang, the same. I thought, maybe it’s about time that I gift myself with a new one, kasi nanakaw na halos lahat ng earrings ko. Ay I don’t want to think about it, mahahagulgol na naman ako.

When I asked the sales lady, how much? She answered “May discount pa naman yan”.
Omb——–Hindi mo pa nga sinasabi yung presyo…”
Parang turn-off agad. Parang I wanted to walk out of the store.
Sales lady——“Isukat mo mam, bagay sa’yo yan”.
Omb————-“Ayokong isukat, makintab lang yan kasi ang dami nyong spotlight, pag-uwi ko, hindi na yan brilliant. Magkano muna?”
Sales lady——“Five hundred ten thousand?”
Omb (ulllk)
Sales Lady——“Two hundred seventy five thousand mam ang last price”.

Omb(ohh, biglang kalahati na lang).
Wala na daw discount, hanggang ganun na lang.

The next day, I received a text, 250,000 daw, pero wag ko daw ipagsasabi. Kaya kayo, Shhh, pls don’t tell anyone. Wag nyong sabihin ako ang nagsabi.
She suggested to buy a smaller size instead, para mas pasok daw sa budget ko. Iisipin ko, malayo pa naman ang pasko.

Sales lady—–“Mam, nag-iisa lang yan, baka maunahan ka”.

Hindi na sya nag-text, siguro nabili na. Hay salamat.

12. It’s not always good to hassle vendors. Kailangan nasa lugar. Merchants have to earn money too. You buy something at a price you are comfortable with and value for money. You have to allow the seller to have a decent amount of profit.

Christmas gifts

13. I usually cram 7 days before Christmas. This year, I want to take my time to look for cute gifts for my children. They are old na, have jobs, and they buy things for themselves, so finding something that they would like is becoming more challenging.

14.
Not for Edmund na, I will never succeed in buying something he would get to like. Last week, since I’ve been talking about art lately, he told me merong blue Baldemor dun sa hallway. Meron nga, isinabit ko yun a few months ago. Sabi nya san daw galing yun, bigay ko ba daw kay Nyke. He forgot that a few Christmases ago, that was my gift to him. If I got it and sold it, he would never notice. Hindi na sya kasali sa gift giving ko. I think it’s not my gift that he doesn’t appreciate, I think it’s the giver. Kasi di ba pag mag boyfriend pa lang, kahit banana q lang balutin mo sa dyaryo, sobrang appreciated na agad “she’s so thoughtful and nice”.