Quote Originally Posted by CleverCaptures View Post
M & G. Many thanks for your comments. I am pleasantly surprised as I felt I might stir up one or two who will read my comments as an attack - which I assure everyone it is not :-) I really hope that others, who subsequently read the above, are similarly minded to comment and understand that my "observations" and "findings" are flagged up here (and in other places) so that it makes people think about making constructive changes, no matter how small.

That 2 line summary G is a lot more brief than this "tabian" Brit can reduce it to! lol

Here is an example of one of my many attempts to bring about change. Last week I employed a small workshop to weld some components for me. When I went to collect them the welder was just finishing up the task. I immediately noticed he was welding (using electric welding with electrodes) whilst only wearing a pair of fake RayBan sunglasses to protect his eyes! I had to order some building materials from a store down the road so I said I would return in a short time when the job was done. As I was leaving, one of the guys asked my wife to bring some bread rolls back (we brought some for them on a previous visit as they had earlier shared some fruit with us (in typical Filipino style of course!). Whilst I was at the builders merchant I added a flip up welders helmet to my material list. We returned to the workshop and I said "I did not bring you any bread. I brought you this instead (and handed him the mask). When you are my age you will probably have grandchildren and if you do not wear the correct eye protection in your younger years, you will never get to see them!"

I had to go to the builders merchant again this afternoon and I had a bottle of Coke opposite the workshop. He was there with his fake RayBans on. Welding. At one point, striking an arc to heat the rod only to light his cigarette! Thereby damaging both eyes and lungs! No idea where the mask was. They were probably using it as a fruit bowl. But, as always, this will not stop me doing similar things with others I meet who I consider need some guidance. I live in the hope that one or two of the "horses" will stop drinking their own urine and be pleasantly surprised to discover how good the water tastes.

He was probably upset that you didn't deliver his merienda and he thought he`d piss you off back by disregarding his new welding mask! Either that or he was preserving it for a buyer he had in mind.

I had an American neighbour that dropped dead of a heart attack a couple of months ago..2 weeks later his wife had a yard sale.. I bought a lot of his U.S imported cement equipment/tools.
When I went back up there to pay for a brand new Concrete vibrator they were selling,one of his local employees was there to test it for me.. He was about 25 years old and his American English was impeccable which to be honest,took me aback a little as most locals cant speak English very well at all..Bad Pidgin at best.
I asked him if he had worked and lived in the U.S. He explained with tears in his eyes that that his dead boss had taught him English over an 8 years period... and much more.
He was obviously distraught. I,assured him that the tools were going to a good home and would be looked after.
Outside the house was a huge garden with swings ,slides and a really posh basket ball court.. There must have been 20 odd local kids playing there.. When I inquired,he told me that his boss had built it all for the local kids to share.
It seems that many of the local barangay people attended his funeral purely out of respect and admiration and not just for the food that was served afterwards.
I never met that Yank,but I think he definitely made a lasting difference...At least in our community.
Very rare that.