Picture of the Day: Electric Crucifix

The electrical system in the Philippines is awful. Power goes on and off at a moments notice. In fact you could say it is a cross that the public must bear!

Oh, this is real. This is in the Philippines. This EXISTS!! And it's not the only one of its kind. Contemplate that the next time you turn on your lights! With tangled messes like this all over it's a wonder the whole grid does not explode.

Picture of the Week: Truck Blocks Crosswalk

I was waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street when then this happened: 

This is ridiculous. This trucker thought he could make it through a red light but then he realized he could not. So, he stopped well past the light and across the middle of the crosswalk practically into the intersection! This happens all the time. Truck drivers either barrel on through red lights or realize they can't make it and end up almost in the oncoming lane! Just more bad driving habits in the Philippines.

Picture of the Week: On the Take

Imagine a police department so corrupt they have to launch a PR campaign to convince the people that they are not corrupt.

Well, that's the Philippine National Police for ya. But despite all their PR drives the public knows the truth. There are too many bad cops. It's not a problem of a few bad eggs or a few bad apples. No. The problem is a system where corruption is allowed to happen. Sure, they arrest the extortioners and drug users in their ranks. But why are there so many? Why would they do those things unless they thought no one would care and they would never be punished for it?

Tarps like this only serve to reinforce and confirm the fact that the PNP is a very corrupt organization.

Picture of the Week: Don't Spit

I saw this sign hanging inside a huge shopping complex. A Chinese mall where you can buy all kinds of fake phones and shoes and bootleg DVDs. 

Is this a preventative sign or did they have problems that required the posting of this sign? Either way it's quite gross to imagine people spitting on the floors, walls, and stairs.

This sign was posted a long time before the pandemic hit. If people were having to be told pre-pandemic not spit everywhere it is no wonder the virus spread so quickly. Lots of gross habits in the Philippines.

Picture of the Week: Tile Floor on the Sidewalk

I recently came upon this scene and at first it puzzled me. 

But then I quickly realized this is where the barangay hall was. I am sure I have picture of it on my corrupted hard drive which I can no longer access. The story is that this barangay illegally erected a hall on the sidewalk. Then when Duterte issued a nationwide order to clear all obstructions it was dismantled. Except for the floor tiles! Apparently they are here for posterity.

But really think about this situation. The barangay was not content with erecting an illegal structure but they had to install tiles on the concrete sidewalk as if concrete was not good enough. It is rather obscene in the blatant waste of money and the brazen illegality of the whole endeavor in the first place. It's a shining example of Philippine politics at its most typical.

Picture of the Week: Cutting the Grass With Hedge Clippers

Doesn't anyone in the Philippines have a lawnmower?  I've seen people cutting the grass with weed eaters. I've seen people cutting grass with fire.  Now here is a picture of a man cutting grass with hedge clippers.

What can you say? This is the Philippines!

Picture of the Week: Trash Pit

I have written so much about garbage on this blog that you would think the subject has been exhausted. You would be wrong. Take a look at this:

This is a trash pit outside of a motorcycle shop. You might not be able to see it but there is plenty of oil mixed in with this garbage. So what's the deal?  The security guard I spoke too was not very forthcoming. But the picture speaks for itself. They should be bagging this trash so the truck can take it away. But they aren't. This pile gets bigger by the day.

Picture of the Week: Uneven Bottles

I have seen this same situation too many times. 

Why does SM allow this to happen? You cannot get a discount either. I have tried to no avail. It's bad customer service and it's bad everything else. Why sell this when part of the product is missing? Just more stupidness in the Philippines where customer service is sorely lacking.

Picture of the Week: No Room

 This is among the stupidest things I have ever seen.  Quite dangerous too.

There must not be any room inside this truck for all those Mountain Dew bottles so in a flash of genius the driver tied them to the top with some rope. But the bottles are still not secure. One bump and it's over! CRASH!  SMASH!! What was he thinking?

Picture of the Week: Phone Incident Area

What in the world is a "phone incident area?" 

It probably means "accident prone area" but how does that degenerate into "phone incident area?" That is some pretty awful English. I have never witnessed an accident at this intersection but I have also rarely ever seen a tricycle, truck, car, or motorcycle stop when they approach so it's not doubtful there have been some accidents in this area.

The sign fell to the ground a few days later and is now completely gone. Here is a close up:

Picture of the Week: A Filipino Biergarten

They do things different in the Philippines.  Here we have a Filipino biergarten.

Surely these plants will grow up "extra strong."

Do My Neighbors Have COVID-19?

Do my neighbors have COVID-19?  It appears that way. Why else would there be a quarantine sign on their front door?

Obviously they are infected with the coronavirus! Probably all six or seven of them or however many are over there. Or maybe they are not infected but have been in the presence of someone who has and have to quarantine as a precaution. I don't know!

But I should know. The fact that I do not know is a huge problem.

We are in the midst of a global health crisis or so we have been told. In the Philippines we must wear face masks, and in many cases face shields, in order to leave the house. Barangays and cities have gone through rolling quarantines of various lengths since March. We are not allowed to eat out or have parties or even attend church. Everyone is forced to maintain social distancing at all times in public or face fines, jail time, or both.

We are told that COVID-19 is a deadly, deadly disease that is no joke despite the survival rate being close to 99% and the chance of death being exacerbated by underlying co-morbidities such as diabetes and obesity. Just how many people in the Philippines have died from COVID-19 alone with no contributing factors? In the US it's only 6%! We are told that we are living in a new normal, a new world, and that we must all be afraid and treat everyone we come across as being potentially infected until a vaccine is available.

So why wasn't I told my neighbors have COVID-19? Why did no one knock on my gate and inform me of the situation and check up on me to see if I had any contact with them? Why does no one I ask know anything about this situation except through hearsay and rumor? That is exactly how fake news spreads.

If the virus is as deadly as they say then I and the whole neighborhood should have been informed about this situation. This is a PUBLIC health crisis after all. The fact that no one thought it proper to inform us belies the many hysterical claims spewing forth from the government.

Picture of the Week: Balancing Act

Some people risk their lives for noble causes.  This guy is risking his life for hog feed.

He drove off slowly on the shoulder of the road. Hopefully he made it safely. It's amazing how many people ride like this and do not wreck.

Picture of the Week: Filipino Nazi

I saw this guy riding a mobile Fourth Reich (Fourth Trike?) the other day.

Do you think he ever read in Mein Kampf:

The racial problem furnishes the key not only to the understanding of human history but also to the understanding of every kind of human culture.

Sieg Heil, baby!

Picture of the Week: Grotesquely Butchered Pig

In the Philippines butchers really butcher their meat. It's not always pretty. Often times you see things that resemble the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I get that there is blood and death involved in making my bacon but it can be done in a way that is less disgusting. It's certainly not reasonable to leave this out for all shoppers to see.

What is this anyway?  Did they butcher the whole pig inside the grocery store? Why? I suppose it's more sanitary than the public market though.

Picture of the Week: Don't Dump Garbage Here

Don't dump garbage here?  Yeah right!

You know where this is?  Right near the skywalk across the street from the mall.  What a nice place to dump your garbage.

Picture of the Week: PNP Squad Out For a Morning Run

I wake up and go for a run at 4am and have done so more or less every day for 8 years now.  The other day for the first time ever I saw the following sight:

An interesting sight to behold.  I think there were about 21 PNP officers doing morning PT. If I ever see them again I will be surprised.  They were all chanting a cadence and said,"Good morning, sir," but I am not sure if that was directed towards me.  Could have been though.

Picture of the Week: No Basketball

The nationwide lockdowns and quarantines have meant an end to the nation's favorite sport, basketball. In one instance the barangay covered up the hoops to prevent any games.

Now that the lockdowns are easing up a bit what will this mean for neighborhood basketball games? Will the new normal mean no more friendly games of hoops?

Picture of the Week: Caught in the Act

Like a deer caught in the headlights this dog gave me quite the look of surprise when I took his picture.

He and his buddy are just enjoying a light snack of chicken McDo. No big deal right? I let them alone and kept walking. 

Picture of the Week: Bag of Oatmeal

I was doing some shopping and tossed a few bags of oatmeal in my cart. I eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast basically every day. When I got to the cashier she noticed there was a hole in the bottom of one pack of oatmeal and was kind enough to have the bag boy wrap it in a separate bag for me.

Of course I didn't buy it!  But she thought I would and that wrapping it in another bag, rather than counting it as a loss, was the right thing to do.

I should point out this happened about a month before the coronavirus lockdown. Probably doesn't matter though.  She'd likely do the same thing now!