Yesterday’s big adventure was my weekly shopping excursion to the Royal supermarket on the old Navy base. For no particular reason, I decided to document the trip and share it with you here. You are welcome!
As usual, my driver, Danny, arrived on time and ready to provide transportation.Swan and my helper, Teri, also came along to provide their assistance.It’s about 6K to Royal on the National HighwayA view from the highway along the way.SBMA (the former Navy base) is on the other side of this river. Back in the day, the sailors called it Shit River, apparently because that is what it was full of.SBMA features many good dining options. Since moving here I’ve not tried this Shakey’s. As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza. I believe nearly all the USA franchises are closed now, but it remains very popular in the Philippines.A quiet SBMA street. Trikes and Jeepneys are not allowed, and you don’t encounter the shanty towns and squalor so prevalent right outside the gate. I looked at some housing options here before moving, but decided it didn’t feel like living in the Philippines.The BPI ATM at Harbor Point Mall, where I withdraw my weekly supply of cash (40,000 pesos).Next stop, the Royal Duty Free store. Let’s get started!Grab a cart, girls.First things first, Swan’s bottle of wine.I don’t drink much beer at home, but I’ll down a case of Coke Zero every week.Who’s getting the water?Fine, I’ll do it!Restocking my cookies for the kiddies.Food and lodging are part of my helper’s compensation package, so she gets what she needs each week.Same with Swan.Those brownies and muffins ain’t gonna make themselves. I do it the easy way and get good results (or at least no one knows the difference).It stinks having gas while shopping… Joking, I’m looking at salsa options.The healthy sectionMeat and frozen foodsAn overflowing cart at the checkout counter.Ready to pay the piper.Ouch!It’s a good thing I’m “rich”Loaded up and ready to head home with this week’s bounty.And yes, there was indeed some Royal tea in my shopping cart!
But there is more to a Tuesday than shopping alone. There is also drinking to be done, and when beer o’clock rolled around, Swan and I walked to Baloy Beach for our weekly visit to the Kokomo floating bar.
On the raft and heading for the floater!We arrived in plenty of time to enjoy the sunset.It was not really crowded when we arrived.But it wasn’t long before another raft load of guests came aboard.Yep, Kalaklan Ridge is still where we left it.When I was house hunting prior to my move, I wanted this place really bad. It was newly built and vacant. But the foreigner who had it built got disappeared and his body never found. The house remains vacant to this day.Time to get started.There you goUntil next timeMe and my gal.
When we departed the floater we headed to Treasure Island for some dinner.
I went with a grilled chicken leg.And Swan enjoyed some fried chicken wings.
It was a nice night out.
I hope there are no spelling errors in this post. You can’t even trust a dictionary these days, it seems:
It reminds me of the time I looked up the definition of “inexplicable,” and it said, “cannot be explained.” So, I still don’t know the meaning of that word.
Some things are better left unshared:
I showed this to Swan, and she laughed and laughed. Then said, “You’ve been warned.”
Sadly, this is a real thing:
It’s especially embarrassing when I’m out in public with the tell-tale wet spot running down my leg.
Don’t worry, I’ve still got the Star Trek memes to share.
And two in the pink…Just show her your fingers, Spock!
I reckon that’s just about enough for today, don’t you?
14 thoughts on “Feeling like Royal tea”
As usual, my driver, Danny, arrived on time and ready to provide transportation.
Is this my first time ever seeing Danny, or have you photographed him before? Seeing Danny feels new to me… or maybe I’m just getting old and senile.
Swan and my helper, Teri, also came along to provide their assistance.
Swan seems to be laughing at a private joke.
As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
Shakey’s was a fixture from my childhood on the east coast as well. We had one up the street on Route 1, maybe ten minutes’ drive from my neighborhood. As elementary-school kids playing league soccer and tee ball, we’d often go as a group for pizza at the end of a season.
Same with Swan.
She’s looking for work, right? How’s that going?
But the foreigner who had it built got disappeared and his body never found. The house remains vacant to this day.
Is it cursed or something? Are you still thinking of moving there?
I still don’t get how foreigners get to build houses and run businesses if they can’t own anything in the PI.
I went with a grilled chicken leg.
Chicken and taters look great. The veggies look like a humorous afterthought.
And Swan enjoyed some fried chicken wings.
Is that peanut sauce? Yum.
Thanks for the shopping-trip photo essay. Now, I know a bit more about what your Tuesdays are like.
D’oh! I almost forgot:
As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
Spot the error!
Danny looks like a rum sort. Don’t wish to sow any seeds of doubt but can you trust him round your dogs, property and women?
Danny’s been driving me around for almost six years now without any issues, so he’s earned my trust. He’s actually a good family man.
Kev, you got me on this one–no idea what the error might be.
Kev, I’m an expert on getting old and senile, but I don’t recall featuring Danny in a photo on the blog before.
It’s cool that you got to experience the Shakey’s vibe growing up, too. I’m not sure why the chain has shrunk so much over the years in the USA, but it is very popular here. I’ve eaten at a couple, and the food was good, with much more than pizza on the menu. I still remember the Shakey’s commercials from childhood: “We serve fun at Shakey’s (also pizza).”
I don’t think the house is cursed; it’s probably just an ownership dispute. No, I wouldn’t move there now–I’ve paid my rent a year in advance, and I like this house. Property ownership is limited to Filipinos, but there are workarounds. Some guys put the land in the wife’s or girlfriend’s name (very risky). Another option is a long-term lease on the land (25 years or more) and then building a house (you can own a home, just not the land). Similar for businesses, foreigners form a corporation and a Filipino owns 51%, and legal documents give the foreigner the power to run the company.
I didn’t taste the sauce, but I expect it was gravy.
I’m glad you enjoyed the shopping experience at Royal!
John,
Dangling modifier again! Barely a day or so later!
WRONG: As a child, French was difficult.
RIGHT: As a child, I found French difficult.
So:
As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
“As a kid” is the modifier, and what it modifies should be the subject of the ensuing clause. In the above sentence, “As a kid” has nothing to modify—you’ve left it dangling there, which is why the error is called a dangling modifier. “Shakey’s” is not “a kid growing up in Southern Cal.”
Rewrite:
As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, I knew Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
You could also change the modifier into its own clause, thereby avoiding the dangling-modifier problem:
When I was a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
Try rewriting these erroneous sentences:
1. Sitting patiently on the toilet, it was a long wait before Barton saw the python again.
2. As a trained chef, the restaurant prized Pierre’s skills.
3. Beaten often as a child, the dank basement was a familiar prison to Aldous.
Are the groceries really duty free?
Why is the wine priced in US dollars and everything else pesos?
Turn around McCrarey, the chips and cheetos are right by your ass. I’ll take a bag of chips from the Top shelf, thank-you.
They sell bananas? I just figured you go outside and pick your own in that tropical paradise.
That receipt looks like your bar tab.
I enjoyed grocery shopping with you McCrarey. What I really enjoyed was that we didn’t have to dodge the motorized shopping carts like here in the States. The people that use them are usually grossly overweight. The very people who should be walking. When they are in front of me at checkout the cart is usually loaded with non-essential fattening foods like Yodels, Ding Dongs, those chips you had your ass all over and YooHoo, to name a few. 9 times out of 10 they pull out the food stamps credit card to pay. Which reminds me of a little tune some dude from Virginia sang:
“We got folks in the street
Ain’t got nothing to eat
And the obese milking welfare
If your 5 foot 3
And your 300 pounds
Taxes ought not to pay
For your bags of fudge rounds”
“Headed for the floater”. I have a floater here at the house. It’s been sitting in the guest bathroom toilet for 2 days.
Food looked great.
Got a good laugh from the dying guy joke. With Dementia Joe running this country into the ground I can always use a laugh. Thank-You McCrarey.
Peace Out!
Hey, a Shakeys in the PI. If you have a Der Wienerschnitzel there, I’m headed your way.
Enjoyed the shopping photo essay. Couple of questions/comments:
Would it be easier/cheaper to have one of those water dispensers and the 10(?) or maybe 5 gallon clear blue plastic jugs of water? Even in the small rural town in Indonesia where I worked, there was a water guy that came by my house once a week to keep me stocked.
$300/week on groceries. Realize that you buy a lot of imported things, but damn, seems high when you seem to eat your “main” meal outside the house most days. (Though I did see that you mentioned that you are purchasing for 4 people).
All in all, seems like another day in paradise!
Brian, I have a water dispenser, and those big bottles are delivered to the house. The water I buy in the store is for hikes and on my bedstand. Easier that way.
My weekly grocery bill is more than I like to spend, but as long as I can afford it, I’m not going to deny myself the creature comforts I’m accustomed to. The imports are pricey, but I’m glad I have ready access to them.
Yes, I am truly blessed! 🙂
Soju, yes, SBMA is designated a “free port,” so at least some of the imported goods sold there are duty-free.
Most of the imports are priced in dollars, not just the wine. It’s 55 pesos to the dollar now, but I still use the 50 peso rate for doing conversions in my head.
I brought a bag of Tostitos and Fritos home with me.
What? You think bananas grow on trees?
Come to think of it, my weekly bar expenditures are about the same as my grocery bill.
Hopefully, come November, we’ll have the last laugh. I don’t expect Biden will remain on the ticket. Looks like Michelle Obama wants the job.
That’s a good song. Nice that people are beginning to push back on the elites.
Yeah, I knew somehow that you’d react to the double entendre “floater” in a shitty way! 🙂
I haven’t seen a Der Weinerschnitzel since I left California in 1978. We do have Kenny Rogers’ Roasters here, though.
1. Barton had a long wait…
2. Pierre’s skills were prized by the restaurant
3. Aldous was familiar with the dank basement prison.
I kinda sorta get the concept of the dangling modifier. But my informal writing style most often mimics speech, and people tend to talk without considering if anything is dangling.
You won’t be surprised to hear that Grammarly doesn’t flag dangling modifiers, either.
Okay, so the exercise was to correct the following erroneous sentences.
1. Sitting patiently on the toilet, it was a long wait before Barton saw the python again.
2. As a trained chef, the restaurant prized Pierre’s skills.
3. Beaten often as a child, the dank basement was a familiar prison to Aldous.
Your answers:
1. Barton had a long wait…
2. Pierre’s skills were prized by the restaurant
3. Aldous was familiar with the dank basement prison.
The answers you gave don’t contain the complete content of the original sentences, so for at least two of the three sentences, it’s hard to tell whether you truly understood how to make the correction. Discussion:
1. There’s no ellipsis (…) at the front of your sentence, so I assume you mean that “Barton” is now the first word of the sentence, which means you’ve simply dumped the modifier entirely. That avoids the purpose of the exercise.
2. In this sentence, the modifier is “As a trained chef,” so who is that talking about? Is it talking about “Pierre,” or about “Pierre’s skills”? I’d have to call this one incorrect. “Pierre’s skills” are not “a trained chef.”
3. As with (1), you seem to have dumped the modifier entirely. An ellipsis (…) at the head of the sentence would clarify that what you wrote is what follows the modifier (“Beaten often as a child, …”).
What I was hoping to see was something like:
1. Sitting patiently on the toilet, Barton waited a long time before he saw the python again.
2. As a trained chef, Pierre was prized by the restaurant for his skills.
3. Beaten often as a child, Aldous was familiar with the dank basement prison.
Now, with (3), you might say, “Well, that’s what I meant because that’s exactly what I wrote!”—but as I said, without the ellipsis, it’s hard for me to know that. It would have been nice to have included the modifier since the whole point of the exercise was to correct dangling modifiers. That’s true for your other answers, too.
Anyway, you’ve inspired me to write a blog post about dangling modifiers. Do people really talk in that “dangling” way? Yes, but it reflects a mental sloppiness that leads to spoken and written sloppiness. When I read prose, I’m fine when the dialogue in the prose is ungrammatical as a reflection of “how people talk,” but the rest of the narrative should reflect a higher quality of organized thought. Example: JK Rowling’s dialogue for Hagrid (who comes off as rough and untutored despite a Hogwarts education) versus JK Rowling’s narrative voice.
Right—I shall pester you no longer with this. Anything more will be over at my blog.
Kev, yeah, my laziness is the culprit here. Rather than rewrite the entire sentence, I only modified the portion AFTER the comma, leaving the first part unchanged. My failure to make that clear with ellipses or an explanation is yet another fuck up.
So, with that clarification, I’d say my one and three are correct. Number two is still wrong because “Pierre’s skills” are not a trained chef; Pierre is.
As usual, my driver, Danny, arrived on time and ready to provide transportation.
Is this my first time ever seeing Danny, or have you photographed him before? Seeing Danny feels new to me… or maybe I’m just getting old and senile.
Swan and my helper, Teri, also came along to provide their assistance.
Swan seems to be laughing at a private joke.
As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
Shakey’s was a fixture from my childhood on the east coast as well. We had one up the street on Route 1, maybe ten minutes’ drive from my neighborhood. As elementary-school kids playing league soccer and tee ball, we’d often go as a group for pizza at the end of a season.
Same with Swan.
She’s looking for work, right? How’s that going?
But the foreigner who had it built got disappeared and his body never found. The house remains vacant to this day.
Is it cursed or something? Are you still thinking of moving there?
I still don’t get how foreigners get to build houses and run businesses if they can’t own anything in the PI.
I went with a grilled chicken leg.
Chicken and taters look great. The veggies look like a humorous afterthought.
And Swan enjoyed some fried chicken wings.
Is that peanut sauce? Yum.
Thanks for the shopping-trip photo essay. Now, I know a bit more about what your Tuesdays are like.
D’oh! I almost forgot:
As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
Spot the error!
Danny looks like a rum sort. Don’t wish to sow any seeds of doubt but can you trust him round your dogs, property and women?
Danny’s been driving me around for almost six years now without any issues, so he’s earned my trust. He’s actually a good family man.
Kev, you got me on this one–no idea what the error might be.
Kev, I’m an expert on getting old and senile, but I don’t recall featuring Danny in a photo on the blog before.
It’s cool that you got to experience the Shakey’s vibe growing up, too. I’m not sure why the chain has shrunk so much over the years in the USA, but it is very popular here. I’ve eaten at a couple, and the food was good, with much more than pizza on the menu. I still remember the Shakey’s commercials from childhood: “We serve fun at Shakey’s (also pizza).”
I don’t think the house is cursed; it’s probably just an ownership dispute. No, I wouldn’t move there now–I’ve paid my rent a year in advance, and I like this house. Property ownership is limited to Filipinos, but there are workarounds. Some guys put the land in the wife’s or girlfriend’s name (very risky). Another option is a long-term lease on the land (25 years or more) and then building a house (you can own a home, just not the land). Similar for businesses, foreigners form a corporation and a Filipino owns 51%, and legal documents give the foreigner the power to run the company.
I didn’t taste the sauce, but I expect it was gravy.
I’m glad you enjoyed the shopping experience at Royal!
John,
Dangling modifier again! Barely a day or so later!
WRONG: As a child, French was difficult.
RIGHT: As a child, I found French difficult.
So:
As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
“As a kid” is the modifier, and what it modifies should be the subject of the ensuing clause. In the above sentence, “As a kid” has nothing to modify—you’ve left it dangling there, which is why the error is called a dangling modifier. “Shakey’s” is not “a kid growing up in Southern Cal.”
Rewrite:
As a kid growing up in Southern Cal, I knew Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
You could also change the modifier into its own clause, thereby avoiding the dangling-modifier problem:
When I was a kid growing up in Southern Cal, Shakey’s was THE place for pizza.
Try rewriting these erroneous sentences:
1. Sitting patiently on the toilet, it was a long wait before Barton saw the python again.
2. As a trained chef, the restaurant prized Pierre’s skills.
3. Beaten often as a child, the dank basement was a familiar prison to Aldous.
Are the groceries really duty free?
Why is the wine priced in US dollars and everything else pesos?
Turn around McCrarey, the chips and cheetos are right by your ass. I’ll take a bag of chips from the Top shelf, thank-you.
They sell bananas? I just figured you go outside and pick your own in that tropical paradise.
That receipt looks like your bar tab.
I enjoyed grocery shopping with you McCrarey. What I really enjoyed was that we didn’t have to dodge the motorized shopping carts like here in the States. The people that use them are usually grossly overweight. The very people who should be walking. When they are in front of me at checkout the cart is usually loaded with non-essential fattening foods like Yodels, Ding Dongs, those chips you had your ass all over and YooHoo, to name a few. 9 times out of 10 they pull out the food stamps credit card to pay. Which reminds me of a little tune some dude from Virginia sang:
“We got folks in the street
Ain’t got nothing to eat
And the obese milking welfare
If your 5 foot 3
And your 300 pounds
Taxes ought not to pay
For your bags of fudge rounds”
“Headed for the floater”. I have a floater here at the house. It’s been sitting in the guest bathroom toilet for 2 days.
Food looked great.
Got a good laugh from the dying guy joke. With Dementia Joe running this country into the ground I can always use a laugh. Thank-You McCrarey.
Peace Out!
Hey, a Shakeys in the PI. If you have a Der Wienerschnitzel there, I’m headed your way.
Enjoyed the shopping photo essay. Couple of questions/comments:
Would it be easier/cheaper to have one of those water dispensers and the 10(?) or maybe 5 gallon clear blue plastic jugs of water? Even in the small rural town in Indonesia where I worked, there was a water guy that came by my house once a week to keep me stocked.
$300/week on groceries. Realize that you buy a lot of imported things, but damn, seems high when you seem to eat your “main” meal outside the house most days. (Though I did see that you mentioned that you are purchasing for 4 people).
All in all, seems like another day in paradise!
Brian, I have a water dispenser, and those big bottles are delivered to the house. The water I buy in the store is for hikes and on my bedstand. Easier that way.
My weekly grocery bill is more than I like to spend, but as long as I can afford it, I’m not going to deny myself the creature comforts I’m accustomed to. The imports are pricey, but I’m glad I have ready access to them.
Yes, I am truly blessed! 🙂
Soju, yes, SBMA is designated a “free port,” so at least some of the imported goods sold there are duty-free.
Most of the imports are priced in dollars, not just the wine. It’s 55 pesos to the dollar now, but I still use the 50 peso rate for doing conversions in my head.
I brought a bag of Tostitos and Fritos home with me.
What? You think bananas grow on trees?
Come to think of it, my weekly bar expenditures are about the same as my grocery bill.
Hopefully, come November, we’ll have the last laugh. I don’t expect Biden will remain on the ticket. Looks like Michelle Obama wants the job.
That’s a good song. Nice that people are beginning to push back on the elites.
Yeah, I knew somehow that you’d react to the double entendre “floater” in a shitty way! 🙂
I haven’t seen a Der Weinerschnitzel since I left California in 1978. We do have Kenny Rogers’ Roasters here, though.
1. Barton had a long wait…
2. Pierre’s skills were prized by the restaurant
3. Aldous was familiar with the dank basement prison.
I kinda sorta get the concept of the dangling modifier. But my informal writing style most often mimics speech, and people tend to talk without considering if anything is dangling.
You won’t be surprised to hear that Grammarly doesn’t flag dangling modifiers, either.
Okay, so the exercise was to correct the following erroneous sentences.
1. Sitting patiently on the toilet, it was a long wait before Barton saw the python again.
2. As a trained chef, the restaurant prized Pierre’s skills.
3. Beaten often as a child, the dank basement was a familiar prison to Aldous.
Your answers:
1. Barton had a long wait…
2. Pierre’s skills were prized by the restaurant
3. Aldous was familiar with the dank basement prison.
The answers you gave don’t contain the complete content of the original sentences, so for at least two of the three sentences, it’s hard to tell whether you truly understood how to make the correction. Discussion:
1. There’s no ellipsis (…) at the front of your sentence, so I assume you mean that “Barton” is now the first word of the sentence, which means you’ve simply dumped the modifier entirely. That avoids the purpose of the exercise.
2. In this sentence, the modifier is “As a trained chef,” so who is that talking about? Is it talking about “Pierre,” or about “Pierre’s skills”? I’d have to call this one incorrect. “Pierre’s skills” are not “a trained chef.”
3. As with (1), you seem to have dumped the modifier entirely. An ellipsis (…) at the head of the sentence would clarify that what you wrote is what follows the modifier (“Beaten often as a child, …”).
What I was hoping to see was something like:
1. Sitting patiently on the toilet, Barton waited a long time before he saw the python again.
2. As a trained chef, Pierre was prized by the restaurant for his skills.
3. Beaten often as a child, Aldous was familiar with the dank basement prison.
Now, with (3), you might say, “Well, that’s what I meant because that’s exactly what I wrote!”—but as I said, without the ellipsis, it’s hard for me to know that. It would have been nice to have included the modifier since the whole point of the exercise was to correct dangling modifiers. That’s true for your other answers, too.
Anyway, you’ve inspired me to write a blog post about dangling modifiers. Do people really talk in that “dangling” way? Yes, but it reflects a mental sloppiness that leads to spoken and written sloppiness. When I read prose, I’m fine when the dialogue in the prose is ungrammatical as a reflection of “how people talk,” but the rest of the narrative should reflect a higher quality of organized thought. Example: JK Rowling’s dialogue for Hagrid (who comes off as rough and untutored despite a Hogwarts education) versus JK Rowling’s narrative voice.
Right—I shall pester you no longer with this. Anything more will be over at my blog.
Kev, yeah, my laziness is the culprit here. Rather than rewrite the entire sentence, I only modified the portion AFTER the comma, leaving the first part unchanged. My failure to make that clear with ellipses or an explanation is yet another fuck up.
So, with that clarification, I’d say my one and three are correct. Number two is still wrong because “Pierre’s skills” are not a trained chef; Pierre is.
I’m a slow learner.