My blog has been pretty quiet lately, and that’s because I’ve been down in Georgia visiting family. It’s nice and quiet there, so quiet in fact that the advertisements in the newspaper are sometimes thicker than the newspaper itself. So… that doesn’t leave much to talk about. The paper even covered the disappearance of a Ronald McDonald statue, though that is kinda funny. Somewhere in Columbus, Ronald McDonald is always sitting on a couch, ready to hang out with the person that stole him from a McDonald’s bench.
That’s not to say nothing interesting happened though. Well, interesting to me at least!
We did a lot of shopping! We did so much shopping, in fact, that I had to pack a box to mail back to NYC. Thankfully, the shipping cost was less than the checked baggage fee on Delta and it showed up the day after I got back to NY, spending only two days in transit.
We also did a lot of grocery shopping for big family dinners. While browsing the shelves I kept finding new stuff that I hadn’t seen before, like Dunkin Donuts having their own line of ground coffee. I also got excited about stuff I hadn’t eaten since before I left the US, like Toaster Strudels and Fudge Shoppe cookies.
I finally got a picture with Kadie the cow. This giant cow used to sit in front of the Kinnett Dairy plant, which has since gone out of business and been replaced by a Best Buy. The original plan was to remove the cow, but it had been there for so long that the plan caused an uproar in the town and it was allowed to remain standing. There used to be a baby cow next to it, which is why there are those extra blocks stuck in the ground. The baby cow was stolen, returned, and is now supposedly in storage somewhere.
I saw this red box and the wooden toys that were inside it for the first time in years. That red box is at least 21 years old. I thought it had been thrown out a long time ago. The wooden blocks have marbles inside and you have to twist and turn them to get them to come out.
I did a lot of yard work. Raking up these leaves took about 6 hours over the course of two days. It was hard work, but in a way it was also relaxing.
I met a cat named Garfield that thought the perfect place to sleep at night was right on top of my chest, and would purr until I fell asleep.
I had a good time doing a whole lot of nothing on this trip, aside from the shopping I mentioned. It was all about hanging out with family and relaxing before coming back to NYC to get back to work. Now that I am back in NY, I have a bunch of errands to take care of and then it’s time to start a new job.
It’s also time to start really blogging about NY! So, look for that in upcoming posts.
My aunt’s mother says that if you can’t find it at Walmart, you don’t need it, and you really could live by that. A Super Walmart has groceries, clothes, electronics, and even car parts and it’s all sold for low, low, sometimes ridiculously low prices. I remember when I was younger I didn’t like the idea of shopping at Walmart, but that was back before I was spending my own money on the things I wanted to buy. Now that everything is coming out of my own pocket, I look for good deals over fancy brand labels.
Something Walmart seems to be doing really well at is their laptop pricing. Have a look:
I remember seeing that 278 USD (362 SGD) Acer for sale in Singapore for 600 SGD. I remember seeing that 298 USD (388 SGD) HP laptop for 800 SGD in Singapore.
Walmart really does have some low prices, and I’m not complaining.
This is a photo I forgot to add onto the end of yesterday’s post. I found these in The Fresh Market. If you look at the Sprite bottles and the Coke Light bottle, you’ll notice there are white rings around them in the middle and at the bottom. The reason they have those rings is because the bottles have been reused.
I don’t know how they do it exactly in Mexico, but bottles in the Philippines look exactly the same way if you buy them from the many ‘sari-sari’ stores, which are mini-convenience stores. The factory ships out bottles of drinks and the shop owner either makes you stand at the store and finish it, or pours the drink into a plastic bag, sticks a straw in it, and hands it to you. This is because the bottles have a deposit on them that they can’t get back until they ship them back to the factory when the truck next arrives.
So, the empty bottles go back to the plant, run through the machines, are refilled and sent back out. Being run through the factory over and over is what gives them the distinctive white rings. So, if you’re ever in a 3rd world country and you see that on the bottles, keep that in mind. It’s not unsafe to consume, or at least I never got sick from it, but I did one time find a candy wrapper inside the bottle, luckily before I had taken a drink from it.
As for why they’re selling them here in the US at an upscale grocery chain, I have no clue. I can only guess that it appeals to some people’s sense of living more simply, though the fact they’re getting imported bottles of cheap soda from a poor country at a high price in a high end grocery store is a bit … ridiculous.
After doing quite a bit of shopping in cramped, sometimes dingy Asian grocery stores, or in wet markets, it was a treat to shop in The Fresh Market. Granted, it’s more of an upscale grocery store, but that will just help to highlight the difference between what you usually see in Singapore and the Philippines, and what’s available in the US.
The first thing I saw when walking into the grocery store were these humongous apples:
The interior of the store is well decorated and there’s a pleasant aroma of cinnamon and other spices.
The fruits and vegetables in The Fresh Market are really awesome looking:
Notice how red the tomatoes are. When I went to Asia I couldn’t figure out why the tomatoes there always had more of a yellowish green look to them, instead of the read I was used to. I later found out that tomatoes in the US are artificially ripened using methane gas. Even knowing that, there’s something comforting about seeing bright red, luscious tomatoes. The ones in Asia always looked like they hadn’t been left on the vine long enough to finish growing.
Fresh baked pies:
They all looked delicious, and I really love pumpkin pies and pecan pies, but we picked up one that I hadn’t heard of before: praline peach pie. It’s delicious!
The cuts of meat on display looked incredible:
Ya, with all this good food, I’m gonna start looking like a pig if I’m not careful.
A whole wall of spices:
Mixed nuts:
The Fresh Market is clean, smells nice, everything is in order and it’s quiet inside. Most importantly, it has plenty of space. In Asian markets and grocery stores, as in most other areas, you’re constantly jostling around and past people to get to what you need. Shopping there is an ordeal that has to be endured, but in grocery stores in the US there’s enough space to take your time to find what you want, to enjoy the experience, and you enjoy looking around. Also, though this doesn’t usually apply to grocery stores, there aren’t jackasses hovering over your shoulder constantly trying to push you to buy something. I hate that!
This level of spaciousness is something that’s more available in Georgia than New York City, because there are far more people in the city, obviously. Even there, though, stores often have more space to accommodate people.
As I’ve mentioned many times before, a jeepney is a popular mode of transportation in the Philippines. They stop at somewhat regular places to pick up passengers and will drop passengers almost anywhere. The jeepneys on the road range in style from old and junky to new and pimped out with young guys running the show and jamming music.
The last full day I was in the Philippines I road in a jeepney with my wife and I decided to record some of the action. What you see in the video is an assistant, or conductor, who rides in the back. He calls for passengers, announces the destination, signals stops and resumes to the driver and also collects payments. This is a good way for the jeepney driver to make sure he doesn’t get ripped off by people who sneak in and out without paying.
Just look at those sneaky bastards, over there in their red shirts, with their kiosk set up along the only way to the departure gates. You just can’t get to your gate, or to the baggage claim, without going past these guys. As you walk past, they try to rope you in by calling out, “Hi! Are you flying on Delta today!?” I took one quick glance and then kept moving, the preferred method of dealing with people trying to sell something.
Later, as I sat at departure gate 1, I saw a few people stop momentarily, probably confused about why they were being asked about their flight carrier. They quickly moved on, though, once they found out what it was all about. As you can see from the picture, they were trying to get people to sign up for credit cards with Sky Mile bonuses, but who the hell needs another credit card these days?
What I really want to know is what Delta was thinking. Flying is stressful enough without being bothered by people who are trying to solicit credit card sign ups.
My overall trip to Georgia on Delta was fairly pleasant. We got the standard drink and snack, which is all I expected. There was something on the TV, but we weren’t given headphones, unless they were passed out while I was asleep. That’s how I spent most of the flight. Hell, I even slept through take-off. I didn’t get much sleep the night before.
This trip to Georgia has been interesting so far. It’s nice to see wide open spaces, blue skies and giant Wal Marts.
Yesterday I went out to New Jersey with my mom. She clued me in on something that I’ll have to keep in mind if I plan to keep up my bad smoking habit here in New York City. The clue? It’s damned expensive! If you want to buy a carton of smokes here, you’re going to pay somewhere around 100 USD, average. New York City taxes the hell out of a pack of cigarettes. They’ve always been expensive and in the past when I’ve come to visit I brought cigarettes with me, but nowadays it’s just insane. You either have to quit, or you have to get creative. One way of getting creative is to leave the city, and the state entirely, to get your cigarette fix.
Sorry for the cheap stitch job, but it wouldn’t have lined up right anyway.
If you hop on the PATH (Port Authority) train at 6th Avenue and 14th Street, you can head out to New Jersey where the shopping is cheaper. The PATH train is 3.50 one way, so 7 dollars for a round trip, but it’s worth it, because that same carton that would cost you about 100+ in the city will only cost you around 65 to 75 in New Jersey, depending on your brand. So, even with the transit cost thrown in, you’ll still save money.
Besides being cheaper for cigarettes, the Newport / Pavonia area of New Jersey is actually pretty nice looking. It has a real southern city feel to it that reminds me of Columbus, GA or Atlanta.
Even the skies there were clearer than in Manhattan. When we left Manhattan the sky was gray and overcast. In New Jersey the sky was blue with just a few scattered, puffy white clouds.
Apparently there’s a river walk in the area. I’m going to have to go back on another trip to check it out and get some shots of the Manhattan skyline.
This is a shot of the Light Rail from a bridge that goes into the Newport Mall.
And this is just some angry bird that got pissed when we sat on ‘his’ bench. He didn’t let up in his show of indignation until we got up and took a few steps away.
There’s a lot of city to explore, but tomorrow I’m taking another flight, this time down to Georgia to visit family for two weeks. Wish me well on the flight.
As a not avid but long time smoker, something I enjoy about foreign airports is that their assholes aren’t so tightened by political stupidity that they’ve banned smoking rooms. I understand that non-smokers don’t want to inhale smoke, but I also think it’s wrong to punish smokers, or inconvenience them, for doing something that isn’t illegal. Singapore’s Changi Airport has smoking rooms. Japan’s Narita Airport has smoking rooms. Germany’s Frankfurt Airport has smoking rooms. NAIA in the Philippines doesn’t have a smoking room, but the Philippines tries to emulate all the laws the US passes, and that airport just sucks anyway, so it doesn’t count.
On a long-haul flight from Manila in the Philippines to New York City, that stop at Narita is a small blessing if you’re a smoker. I’ve gone through there twice, in different areas each time, and in both instances a smoking room was conveniently placed for people on short or long layovers.
The smoking rooms are completely closed in with tinted glass windows and doors that you open by pushing on a pad on the door, located where a handle would normally be. Inside is a vending machine, lots of benches, a television, cigarette butt receptacles / ashtrays and even a stand with car-style lighters for people who forgot those or couldn’t get their lighter through security at their point of origin.
When I sat down in the smoking room it had a really relaxing atmosphere. There was an assorted crowd inside that fluctuated constantly as people rushed in and rushed out to head to their gates. I saw Japanese businessmen talking in clipped tones, likely about some upcoming project, convention or deal. I saw airline attendants, Japanese and otherwise, enjoying their breaks. There were plenty of travelers, mostly Asian, lounging with dazed looks on their faces.
While there, a traveler that looked like he was from the Middle East was trying to give away a meal voucher he had. He asked me if I had time ‘til my next flight and told me about the voucher, asking if I wanted it. I only had a few minutes left by that point so I declined. It was odd, but he went around almost the whole room before running into someone that would take it from him. It’s possible that everyone had a connecting flight coming up shortly, but I think it’s more likely that most people just won’t take something free, because scams are so prevalent. No one wants to get suckered.
Narita as a whole is a very modern, attractive airport that reminded me of Changi and the airport in Kuala Lumpur. My only complaint about the place is that it didn’t have free wi-fi throughout the terminal, though I did find a wi-fi kiosk sponsored by Google. The catch was that after registering to use the service, you were presented with an advertisement encouraging you to download the latest version of Google’s browser, Chrome.
Leaving Narita and arriving at JFK in New York was like leaving a posh neighborhood and stepping into the projects. JFK even smells funny, but from what I’ve been told it’s common knowledge that the place is a dump in serious need of remodeling. One of the most interesting thing about Narita, though, are the toilets. Have a look for yourself:
These types of toilets are common in Japan. The one pictured above had a heated toilet seat and a sprayer that you could use to clean your backside. It also had a blow dryer that would dry your backside after it was sprayed clean. Even if I’d needed to use them, I don’t think I would, since it was a public toilet. I spent about five minutes looking at the toilet bowl from different angles, trying to figure out where the spray and blow drying would come from, but I gave up. If I ever have a chance to stay in a hotel in Japan, I might give it a try. Or France. I hear they’re used there too.
Passing through Narita is, overall, a pleasant experience with a clean environment, satisfactory amenities and interesting people watching opportunities.
Meet Marble. Marble was born in Singapore, has lived in the Philippines and is sleeping in an armchair in Manhattan, New York City, in the above picture. She’s an international cat and probably has more Sky Miles than most human beings. She’s also a lucky cat, having started out her life as a stray under a building near the train station in Pasir Ris, Singapore. Now she lives a life of relative luxury on the other side of the world with canned food every day, lots of attention and love and a safe environment.
So, how did she get here? Well, it’s a long story, but first we exported her from Singapore to the Philippines and then when it was time to move on, we exported her again from the Philippines to the US. (If you want to read about how to get your cats from Singapore the Philippines, click here.) Compared to the process of getting Marble from Singapore the Philippines, bringing her to the US was relatively painless.
U.S. Requirements:
Just to give you an idea, the requirements set forth by the CDC (Center for Disease Control, which regulates animal imports) for bringing your pet cat into the US are that the cat has to be in apparent good health and, depending on the state of entry, updated on rabies shots. That’s it. Here’s the exact quote from the CDC’s page on cat importation:
A general certificate of health is not required by CDC for entry of pet cats into the United States, although some airlines or states may require them. However, pet cats are subject to inspection at ports of entry and may be denied entry into the United States if they have evidence of an infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans. If a cat appears to be ill, further examination by a licensed veterinarian at the owner’s expense might be required at the port of entry.
Cats are not required to have proof of rabies vaccination for importation into the United States. However, some states require vaccination of cats for rabies, so it is a good idea to check with state and local health authorities at your final destination.
All pet cats arriving in the state of Hawaii and the territory of Guam, even from the U.S. mainland, are subject to locally imposed quarantine requirements.
Philippines Bureau of Animal Industry – Image provided by commenter Lou Cep (1/26/2017)
So, here’s a step-by-step for what you’ll need to get your pet cat out of the Philippines:
When you book your flight, do it with a live person and inform them that you’ll be taking a pet cat with you on the flight. This is necessary, because not all planes are equipped to carry live animals. The fee for carrying pet cats is 200 USD each, flat rate. You pay this later. I’m not aware of any limit to the number of cats you can bring at one time, but I’m sure there is one.
Within 10 days of your flight, take your cat to a vet and have her updated on all shots. Depending on what state you go to, your cat may need a rabies shot. Also, regardless of US requirements, the BAI staff asked to see proof of rabies vaccination. Get your cat the other shots he or she should have anyway, because it’s just healthier that way and will help your cat avoid disease and live longer. Depending on what vet you use, costs may vary. Our cat had her rabies shot in Singapore in May, so it was still valid. Her feline leukopenia booster was 750 pesos.
Request a Veterinary Health Certificate. You may need to explain what this is and what it’s for and what it needs to say. The vet we went to didn’t seem to know, which isn’t surprising. Cats aren’t popular pets in the Philippines and I imagine exporting them to other countries by owners is rare. We paid 500 pesos for our Health Certificate at Our Lady of Assumption Dog and Cat Clinic – Antipolo:
Contact Person: Oscar Macenas
Address: Joren Building, Circumferential Road, Marville Park Subdivision, Antipolo, Rizal
Contact Numbers: (02) 697-1896, (02) 697-3378
Accreditation: Philippine Animal Hospital Association (PAHA)
Take your Veterinary Health Certificate (within 3 days of issue!!!) and your cat’s shot record, showing the valid rabies vaccination, to the BAI building on Visaya’s Avenue in Quezon City, Manila. Please note that BAI will only consider your veterinary health certificate valid for three days after issue. You must bring it to them within that timeframe. They’ll process your combo export permit/government health certificate in an hour or less. Take the form they give you and go around to the back of that building (to the left as you exit the door). Go into the building there on your left (there’s only one) and up to the 3rd floor to the records unit. They’ll put a ‘dry seal’ (raised notary seal) on your export permit. All of this is free. The forms you receive from the BAI will be valid for 10 days. (Confirmation that the veterinary health certificate is still only valid for 3 days after being issued and updated information on the length of time that the BAI documents are valid provided by commenter Lou Cep 1/26/2017).
Contact Person: Virgie Tiong or Maynard Lagmy
Address: National Veterinary Quarantine Services, Bureau of Animal Industry, Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Manila
UPDATE (1/15/2017): BAI now has a Facebook page with up-to-date contact information in the About section. Click Here.
When you get to the airport, check in as usual at Delta’s ticket counter. They’ll ask to see the documentation, make photocopies, and collect your pet there after you make your payment of 200 USD, which can be made in cash or by credit card. Delta doesn’t accept carry on pets on international flights.
Collect your pet in the baggage claim area at your destination airport.
Timeline for Rabies Vaccination (Updated 4/20/2017):
An animal can be considered immunized within 28 days after initial vaccination, when a peak rabies virus antibody titer is reached. An animal is considered currently vaccinated and immunized if the initial vaccination was administered at least 28 days previously or booster vaccinations have been administered in accordance with recommendations. Because a rapid anamnestic response is expected, an animal is considered currently vaccinated immediately after a booster vaccination.
So, what does that mean? If your pet is receiving its initial rabies vaccination, the pet won’t be considered inoculated until 28 days have passed. If your pet is receiving a booster shot, the CDC says the inoculation is considered valid immediately.
When I went through the export process, I remember there being some confusion about how much time had to pass between the vaccination and the export permit being issued. My cats had all been previously vaccinated and the vaccination was still considered valid.
Some rabies vaccinations are valid for one year, while others are valid for three. It depends on the type of vaccine used. Please check with your veterinarian to determine whether or not your pet(s’) vaccination against rabies is still valid. Please get the vaccination at least 30 days before your trip.
During the Flight:
You won’t see your pet during the flight at all, even if you have a layover. What comfort you will have comes in the form of little cards:
These cards come off of a form that is stuck to the side of your pet cat’s carrier. You’ll be given one by a flight attendant prior to the plane leaving the gate area. If you have a layover, you’ll be given another one before the plane takes off again. My flight was from Manila to Tokyo to New York, so I received two of them. The fact that it comes from the sticker form stuck to the carrier at the check in counter is what gives you the assurance that your pet is in fact on the plane.
If you’re wondering how a cat holds up under a plane for 20 hours, I would tell you that it depends on your cat’s temperament. Each cat is different and some are more skittish than others, but Marble was just fine. She was a little nervous and hid under the blanket I put in there for her, but that was about it. Please do leave a blanket in the carrier. Despite being air conditioned, the plane gets cold. My advice to anyone, though, is to not drug your cat prior to the flight. Besides the fact that it’s not healthy for the cat, if he or she looks dopey or messed up on arrival you may wind up with your cat being quarantined to make sure it’s not sick with some disease.
On Arrival at JFK International in New York City:
If you’re flying this exact route, you can collect your cat in JFK’s baggage claim area. Just past the baggage carousels, there is a locked door with a keypad. Above it, there is a light with a yellow cover. When a pet shows up on a flight, it’s taken to this room and the warning light is turned on to alert the owner that the cat (or dog) is available for pick-up. When I picked up my cat I wasn’t required to show any documentation at all, because Delta had copies that were likely handed over when the cat was unloaded.
I hope this guide gives you some insight into the process of getting your cat from the Philippines to the US! Below is a map showing the location of the BAI office on Visaya’s Avenue. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask and I will answer to the best of my ability.
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