Updates for previous posts

Chinavasion

From my previous blog posts, I told you that I have returned a defective item to them. Thru email they informed that they will tell me once they received the item and once the replacement is ready to be shipped. After a month or so of not hearing anything from them, I e-mailed them inquiring if they have received the item and if they could now send the replacement. They responded back by asking if I have returned the item’s accessories as well. I confirmed that I have sent the accessories as well. They said that since a similar item is no longer available, replacement is not possible and they will instead give me store credits equivalent to the price of the item:

Bad points: if I have not followed-up with them, they would not give me an update on the return/replacement status
Good points: they were quick to provide the store credits

Cebu Pacific Air

Last time that I boarded a flight of Cebu Pacific air from Manila to Bangkok, I told you that I had a “problem” with the inflight meal that I have pre-ordered. So to my flight back to Manila last April 5, 2013, I made sure that there is note that I have inflight meal (I pre-ordered again)in my itinerary receipt. There were no problems with the delivery of my inflight. Although I have observed that a couple of foreigners were asking why they do not have meals. The flight attendant politely informed them that the meals were pre-ordered. One of the foreigners insisted that he clicked the option to order inflight meals. Although it seems that there is no note indicated in their itinerary receipt. After a few minutes of discussion, the foreigner finally gave up and told the attendant that its OK since he doesn’t feel like eating anymore.

Bad points: I feel greatly offended when they ask for my boarding pass for confirmation (after they asked for my name and if I ordered food) while with other passengers they just confirm the passenger’s name and/or if they have ordered inflight meals. Was it because the seat beside me is unoccupied and they are thinking I moved seats just to get the food?

Good points: nothing that I can think of

Pag-IBIG /HMDF (Philippines) housing loan eligibility

useful information I got from a customer service agent from Pag-IBIG/HMDF (Philippines) regarding your contributions and eligibility for a housing loan:

Good day to you,

We would like to inform you that members who have made at least 24 monthly contributions, an active member of Pag-IBIG Fund and has source of income/capacity to pay at the time of application, may avail of a housing loan from Pag-IBIG. For those member who has lapses in their contribution may not affect the eligibility of availing housing loan. The most important is you have updated your contribution up to the last month prior to the date of your loan application.

Cost of living comparison

comparing manila and bangkok cost of living according to numbeo.com

Sign at Wat Pho or Temple of the Reclining Buddha in Thailand

Globe Telecom Philippines

I sent an email to Globe Telecom (Philippines) customer service last Friday, March 15. Based in their automatic reply, they would get back to me within 1 business day. Today is March 22, no reply from them yet. I already sent a follow-up email last Wednesday, March 20.
C'mon guys! You proclaim your self as the number one mobile servie provider in the Philippines...

Grey and Edward (author swoons after typing the words)

I find it really depressing that women have been fighting for equality and yet if you observe the “love stories” that they swoon over in recent years are the ones that the man is the dominant one or the one the control the relationship.

Let’s take Edward and Bella for example. If you do not know who these two are, you probably lived in a cave or was involved or caught in a war in Afghanistan or some far flung part of the world for the last 2 or 3 years. If you think about it, Edward has always been the one “in control” of their love story. He leaves Bella whenever he feels or thinks that he is putting her in danger by being with him. While Bella moped, bawled at night and sat by the window (literally by the way as seen in the film) for months. He did not ask if she’s okay with it but just decided to leave and somehow removed any “trace” of him in her life.

On the other hand, I think there is no question that Christian Grey is the dominant one in his relationship with Anastasia Steele. I have to ask your forgiveness that I was only able to finish Book 1 and about half of Book 2 (sorry it’s too much for me). So I wouldn’t know if tables have turned at the end of Book 2 or Book 3. But for the most part, I think it’s fair to claim that Grey is the dominant one. To those who does not know them (you are probably a man). Grey is the “prince charming” of the erotic novel (mommy porn as some critics playfully describe it) Fifty Shades of Grey. He is a billionaire who is into BDSM and “fell in love” with Anastasia Steele. Yes and of course he is the dominant. Need I say more?

Gone are the days that Prince Charming has to look throughout the whole kingdom for the beautiful lady who left her one of her glass slippers at the dance. Or that he has to make a wish to a genie to make him a prince so he could be with the princess.

Or maybe, I am reading this wrong. Women want equal rights because now they want to be the “prince/soon-to-be-prince” who will do anything just to be with the “princess/soon-to-be-princess”. That women should not be restricted to the man who desires them that they should be able to go for the men they desire even if it means you have to jump off a cliff to get his attention (and make him believe you drowned and died) or wear balls in unimaginable (well, for me) places in your body just so you can please him.

Hot meal

I recently had this experience on my Cebu Pacific flight from Manila to Bangkok. I was hoping to book a Philippine Airlines flight but their online booking system only accepts credit card transactions for international flights. I prefer Philippine Airlines on this trip because I want to have a light meal or snack before arriving in Bangkok. However, there is a feature in the online booking system of Cebu Pacific that you can pre-order your food since they do not provide the food by default, one if the reasons why their base fares are lower.

In short, I booked a flight with Cebu Pacific and pre-ordered their hot meal (chicken barbeque). So everything goes well and around an hour or so in the flight, they began distributing the food for those who pre-ordered. So they confirm the passenger's name on the boarding pass against their list. When the flight attendant came to our row, she did not gave me food or call out my name. I was so embarrassed because you can tell in my face and body gestures that I was expecting food. in fact, the man sitting next to me whispered (to the wind) that its not free and they pre-ordered. Obviously he wanted to indirectly tell me that I did not receive food because I did not pre-ordered.
So right after the attendant went to the next row, I checked my boarding pass, there is no note that I have food. I checked my itinerary receipt (I printed the 1st page only) and there is no note that i have free food, so I thought to myself that maybe I forgot to click that option and just thought that I did it.

After 30 minutes or so, I can't get it off my head that I distinctly remembered that I pointed out to my husband that I ordered food. So I decided that I should check the whole itinerary receipt and took out my iPod touch. Good thing I have downloaded the mail and file before so I wouldn't need internet connection to check it. And there I saw that I clearly paid 350 PHP for hot meal. So I pushed the button for attendant assistance and I told her that I did not receive food although I paid for it. She asked for my boarding pass and for my itinerary receipt. Then I told her that I just printed the 1st page and immediately showed her the soft copy on my iPod. She looked at it and told me to wait. After a few minutes she came with the food and another flight attendant who asked again for my boarding pass and itinerary receipt. Again, I informed her that I just printed the first page but I do have the softcopy on my iPod. So she looked at it and checked against the hard copy and my boarding pass and blatantly told the other attendant " meron ngang hot meal si ma'am" ( ma'am really had hot meal) which reading between the lines means they were doubtful on my claims. The 1st attendant then handed me over the food and said that she's sorry that they do not have chicken barbeque and what they have is chicken adobo. Obviously, I do not have any choice but to take it. The 2nd attendant then told me that she will hang on to my boarding pass and my itinerary receipt because she has to do something. After a few minutes, she went back and gave me back the papers with no apology or whatsoever.
So it left me to think they don't think I deserve an apology and/or that they are still not convinced that I have pre-ordered(and paid) meal but just gave in to me since "the customer is always right".

Lessons learned for me, if I can help it, book with Philippine Airlines. If I have to book with Cebu Pacific and I pre-ordered food, I have to confirm during check-in or print all the pages of the itinerary receipt.