Last of the land

May I selfishly say that I hope they (the owners) never do anything with that grassland? Ah but it is inevitable.

I do keep repeating this.

What a depressing blog!

Honeybees and Humans

   Tonight's rant may be inspired by three things, or not. First, my walking along my child's school pathway and seeing a row of about four dead honeybees.  On the other side of this path is a flower bed of different colored blooms.  The school is located on hilly land, blessed with a moderate climate and vegetation is abundant.  I wondered if their deaths were part of the normal cycle of honeybee life...to suck their last blossom's nectar and then just pass out on the side. Or, if the recent almost-daily burning of grass (again by the big property developers...see March 2011 post) had anything to do with their demise.  I did read somewhere that honeybees' navigation has been affected by the world...

   Second...my child's current piano piece, "Honeybee" and her second visit to a farm animal and botanical ''zoo" with a honeybee section have made her wildly passionate about them.  Third, and this is related to the first and second...I just swatted one inside my house today.  The child found it flying against a closed window.  As we were in a hurry to leave and I worried about not seeing it and it buzzing around later when we were asleep...I immediately did the deed.  I apologized, actually apologized to the bee and explained my action to the child.  She only echoed what I usually tell her ..."it won't harm you if you don't harm it".  She was then worried it might harm me in retribution.  I was worried about how it found its way inside.

   Well, my child hasn't grasped the effect of "death", but her worries about retribution are not unfounded.  Honeybees are probably too sweet (sorry) to do that...but the reality is, they go, humans go. It's not retribution, it's self-inflicted.

    And this is the latest out there:

    http://tvnz.co.nz/sunday-news/honey-bees-under-attack-5847035

The King (Bee's) view

of the mount Makiling, is gone. Gone. Gone.
Remember my post last year? (ha! Right. Assuming I have followers, am I. My imaginary ones, at least)

http://lagunagingerlily.blogspot.com/2011/10/makiling-versus-makati.html


You don't see the mountain anymore.  Instead, construction has begun on this site, which was where loud events as the San Miguel Oktoberfest were held.  The images on the fences show more "Paseo" shops. It was inevitable.  The darkening of this Santa Rosa-Tagaytay highway.  I won't even take a picture.

UPDATE 04/2013
Okay so I've finally taken a picture.

Now I need a Feng Shui master.  Is there anything auspicious about King Bee facing the mountain?  Now that view is obstructed. Well, c'est la view.

Southern Luzon Hospital and Medical Center

http://manilaoldermother.blogspot.com/2012/02/southern-luzon-hospital-and-medical.html

SMB Oktoberfest

   The San Miguel Oktoberfest is kicking.  Started with fireworks. I can hear the bands, the yelling and all. Oh, this isn't a tweet. I'm not even there. I'm home. Oops.  They're in Greenfield, right along the Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay highway.

"Surplus" shops in the area

     There seem to be more "surplus" shops around here.  One, SAM'S is in Binan, on the national road toward SM Sta. Rosa.  We couldn't resist the peek, especially after seeing a mini-bouncy castle set on driveway, plus a children's tractor toy to ride on, and other motorized cars (which I disagree with for toddlers, but that's for the mother blog).  Then, towards Tagaytay, we passed a small space with a crude "Australian surplus" sign outside.  Further on, a "European" surplus sign at Treffpunkt deli. 

    There were some amazing things in the Binan shop, but closer inspection revealed damage labels, clearly indicating the reason the thing was "dumped" (really, isn't that what it is, dumping) here.  There was a nice  trampoline with handlebars, similar to the one in Gymboree.  I was all excited until I read the label saying the mat was torn.  Well, trust the handy Filipino to be able to stitch it back, right? That's also why those things are "dumped" here. We have this ability to repair and recycle, out of necessity.  Most of the appliances, though, are damaged in ways that would cost more to repair than replace. Like, a waffle maker that "does not heat up" according to the label.

   Then there's HMR Philippines.  Some months back, I learned that not many of my equally-thrifty neighbors know that a big HMR warehouse store is right across Toyota Motors Phils along the national highway.  Now I'm not so sure I ought to share the secret, but who's reading this anyway...
Even without my sharing, the place can sell!  

   Today we stopped by, having come from Brentville without a Greenfield sticker.  Turns out, for this long weekend, a motherload of TOYS had been displayed.  In the past years I've purchased kids outdoor furniture, tents, toys from Australia, all at great prices. As of a few weeks ago, there was nothing worthwhile (for me at least). Today, I went crazy and couldn't focus. I hardly got to inspect everything, because I was picking up too many toys to check.  By worthwhile, I'm talking toys not sold in the regular stores, or expensive toys. At HMR, the items generally are not damaged. Only the packaging is, sometimes.  Sometimes the toys appear dirty, but there are also enough stocks to inspect. Sometimes, a small piece of the toy is missing, and sometimes, it's something you can live without (like a headlight decal on a toy car or something). Most times, they are NOT old toys, but current or recent season toys. And I have so far not found anything I was interested in to have had a product recall warning.

   Of course I do my homework.  Safety is priority!

   If you know these toys, you know they're a bargain at HMR:
Playmobil and Sylvanian Families.  Loads of them.  Maybe I shouldn't spread the word about the Sylvanians because I want to return for some.

   The toys that drove me crazy, though, were actually the wooden toys. Again,
this should be in the mother blog...if you know your toys, you know how expensive wood toys are, too.  There were lots and lots.  Still expensive, but of course cheaper still than regular price. AND they were toys not really available in Metro Manila.  There's a sole wooden toy piano near the entrance. The keys were good. I skipped it, you might want it...I still think of it! Versus the wood toy pianos on display in a popular Manila store.

    Lots of amazing finds today there. But I didn't have my Christmas list, nor Christmas money.  And I would have to find those in good boxes for my godchildren. So I just got gifts for my kid. I am SURE by tomorrow, the store will be wiped out.  It always does during holidays like this weekend.

    If you're on your way here this weekend, stop by HMR and then tell me about what you found!  Share a pic, maybe! 

P.S. not just toys for the kids, but toys for you, too. I just didn't get the chance to even look beyond toys today.

Solenad 2 NOT an outlet mall

Solenad 2 shops facing Solenad 1. Beaming along Nuvali road and the highway.

Just a quick note, my husband gasped wondering at the prices in one of the shops there.  He asked, "these are outlet prices?".  The sales associate clarified that these shops are BRANCH stores and not outlets.

Remember, outlet stores are in Paseo de Santa Rosa, run by Greenfield Development. Solenad 2 of Ayala Land, which also has Bench stores, Payless, Nine West, and some others that are in Paseo, is not meant to be an "outlet" shopping mall.

Just gets a bit confusing because the outlets in Paseo generally display their merchandise in 'regular store' fashion. Except I guess in places like the Bench Depot where Charles &Keith shoes are in bins and piled on the floor; Brand Smart, where clothes tags are trimmed but are obviously Zara brands (and possibly knock-offs, really); and where discounted prices are boldly displayed on shelves.

All this info isn't really essential to life; just fun I guess.  And forgive my husband for his retail ignorance.  He's a simple man who isn't aware of retail merchandising.  Can't quite make the link between a display that looks expensive marketing-wise, fashion seasons, and price. The bottom line is what speaks to him of course.