Wondering SM Cebu

Up to this point i haven't seen any beggars. Downstairs in the supermarket part of SM i'm carefully browsing the cold drinks looking for an energy drink that is cold, i'm struggling with the cold part.

Happy with my choice i'm on my way to the checkout until i run into another white fella. Often greeting other whiteys unless they are drunk as 12 men or look like some kind of mass murderer.

We exchanged greetings then i was about to move on when he starts with the small talk. I hang around and try to understand his American English. Filipino English sounds like American English but its not as bad. I'm a fan of Asian and British accents. With all the different Asian accents its quite interesting how their local tones and influences are mixed with English and British to me everything they say sounds like Shakespeare. I'm sure it's not all of them just what i have been exposed to. South might sound totally different to north or young and the old.

Back to the white American guy asking about what i do for a living and what he did or does. At this point in time hes in a bit of a rut and could do with a bit of cash... Slightly alarmed "rich foreigner" asking for money. Now i have instant recall of an uncle who once called me a "rich foreigner" and a yahoo group where someone mentioned white guys don't often greet each other thinking the other guy might cry poor and ask for money.

I gave him the all my spending money for that day excluding money for my items i was about to purchase. I started to think what if he does that all day and makes good money out of people like me. I work 12 and sometimes 16hours a day so i can save up and have a holiday. Working hard at 3 jobs to get what i want but maybe this fellow is working smarter not harder.

I despise the "rich foreigner" term as i have to work hard so i can spend money. I don't stand around and watch the clock to get paid, i have to calculate, compile and find solutions with heavy deadlines than on my day off i do physical work climbing through roofs, under houses and climbing ladders. Getting jobs done fast as i can before the bills pile up. I guess that is kinda hard to understand.

Monday is a New Day

Monday is a new day and i'm going out well or unwell. Watching the morning traffic from the balcony i decide that i'm going out shopping.

I have a shopping list and it's not going to get itself. Some of it reads UPS, Tools, a new 3-3 RCA cable, extension lead, Screws, Smart-Bro stick, Long USB cable, energy drink, beer, wine and no doubt these items will lead me to a few extra impulse buys.

An AVR would have been fine but i feel safer with a UPS and try to avoid using the old desktop with just an old AVR. You pay for what you get so i happy with the extra cost of the UPS. Replacing the PSU in the tower and each time buying a more expensive AVR would likely cost more in the long run let alone the trouble of down time and buying parts when that would be the one day i just wanted to stay home.

abbreviations used above

• UPS Uninterrupted Power Supply (often found attached to servers or important work stations)
• AVR Automatic Voltage Regulator (name suggestive but only to some degree, not perfect)
• PSU Power Supply Unit  (the box inside your computer that takes the power in and gives everything power)