Staying sane under lockdown.

Spending a lot of time trying to get refunds for cruises cancelled by the cruise lines and flights cancelled by the airlines.  Terrible time dealing with Cheapoair and Expedia.   Read all my books, most of the tv is 5-o , Magnum and The Mentalist reruns along with continuing bad and contentious news shows.  Expat.com has not been too helpful, some folks engaging in mental masturbation.

Good luck with getting refunds, yes agree that while we might save a few dollars using intermediaries, if the fit hits the shan they won't help you. We were lucky enough to secure a 12 month credit for the suite we booked from the hotel in Manila, not the booking agent, no names but we couldn't contact them to cancel, The only reason we were given the credit was the hotel manager looked at our bookings over the last 8 years, apologised for the situation, advised that we leave Manila before the lockdown on midnight 15/03.

Mugtech, do you have Netflix? Let me know if you do and I can steer you to some interesting (well for us) stuff there, send a PM and I will pass them on.

As for "mental aspirations" they appear in all walks of life and expat sites are not the place to push ones barrow. Good luck dealing with these companies that are probably going down the drain now given travel restraints.

Take care and good luck.

Cheers, Steve.

Did you read all 30 pages of Cheapoair's fine print! I'm still waiting on last years future travel credit! Got two others in the works for this current situation. Flight insurance was a waste of money! never use a third party to buy airline tickets again!

lasvegan wrote:

Did you read all 30 pages of Cheapoair's fine print! I'm still waiting on last years future travel credit! Got two others in the works for this current situation. Flight insurance was a waste of money! never use a third party to buy airline tickets again!

I hear you loud and clear but given these extenuating circumstances (not that these companies ever wanted to talk to me after they got their commission over the years) as said earlier they will be some of the hardest hit, watch and wait and as you say in the meantime book direct. Unfortunately it is human nature (good band) to try and save money and I am as guilty as the next person and will probably go down the same path with the resurrected middleman.

Cheers, Steve.

Gonna read more about The Philippine War, 1899-1902  by Brian McAllister Linn from the USA point of view.  Then it will be time for 1,000 page biography of Harry Truman.   Currently prefer the 20th Century as opposed to this century.

bigpearl wrote:

lasvegan wrote:

Did you read all 30 pages of Cheapoair's fine print! I'm still waiting on last years future travel credit! Got two others in the works for this current situation. Flight insurance was a waste of money! never use a third party to buy airline tickets again!

I hear you loud and clear but given these extenuating circumstances (not that these companies ever wanted to talk to me after they got their commission over the years) as said earlier they will be some of the hardest hit, watch and wait and as you say in the meantime book direct. Unfortunately it is human nature (good band) to try and save money and I am as guilty as the next person and will probably go down the same path with the resurrected middleman.

Cheers, Steve.

Better hope they don't go belly up, think of all those millions and millions dollars used to purchase flights in advance. Failing businesses as a last resort will use those dollars to stay afloat, but they still will fail.

its really difficult and a struggle to stay at home for a very long time

Cleaning and organizing. Reading. Cooking.

Watching Netflix. Playing with the kids. Practicing piano.

Clearing old files from my laptop. Updating price lists and other stuff related to work. Work stuff.

16:8 Intermittent fasting. Losing weight. Avoiding stress. Avoiding red meats, poultry and pork, and planning on becoming a partial vegetarian. Getting a good night's sleep.

Helping my parents by shopping and picking up their meds for them.

" I am not allowed out (apparently)  as I'm 60"

I have heard this from other people in my area but the subdivision I live in posts regular updates on facebook with regard to all the latest regulations from our local mayor and government and in none of their posts has this been mentioned. We have been issued with barangay passes (one per household but this only applies to travelling outide the barangay that I live in. The subdivision I live in usually post the latest regulations which have come from local government and have been photocopied and in none of these pronoucments have I seen anything about senior citizens not being able to leave their homes.

FindlayMacD wrote:

" I am not allowed out (apparently)  as I'm 60"

I have heard this from other people in my area but the subdivision I live in posts regular updates on facebook with regard to all the latest regulations from our local mayor and government and in none of their posts has this been mentioned. We have been issued with barangay passes (one per household but this only applies to travelling outide the barangay that I live in. The subdivision I live in usually post the latest regulations which have come from local government and have been photocopied and in none of these pronoucments have I seen anything about senior citizens not being able to leave their homes.

Yes same for printed directives here in our province with regards to being 60 or older but as said in other posts I am not going to rub our Capitan's nose the wrong way as he looks after us fairly. The in laws, 62 and 64 run a sari store 15 kilometres away from us and they to have not left their property instead relying on family to do their daily restocks.
OMO but the fewer people on the streets the quicker this problem will be brought under control, hopefully.

Cheers, Steve.

Just for something to do, I go to the supermarket every other day.  Easy for me since it is a <3 minute walk.  There are sometimes lines to get in and lines to checkout but because I am over 60 I can use the priority lines and I get right in.
I would think a senior priority line and a stay inside order for seniors is not very useful.

cook, eat, clean, watch netflix and repeat

I am doing fine I live in the Province and our compound is farm land so a big area to roam there is no lockdown these people here in this province do about what they want I have two neighbors that are police they don't care about people without mask we have good supply of food as it comes from the hill only time you need a pass if going to town other wise not any enforcement they don't come around the farms here NPA living in the area only thing I need things from the hardware maybe in a few weeks I did order a new freezer and water dispenser it will deliver today had to get it out of Davao city

poopat wrote:

cook, eat, clean, watch netflix and repeat

Similar...Cook, eat, clean, gardening, Computer, TV (dun hv netflix  ) , badminton,half glass of Tanduay and repeat.

manwonder wrote:

poopat wrote:

cook, eat, clean, watch netflix and repeat

Similar...Cook, eat, clean, gardening, Computer, TV (dun hv netflix  ) , badminton,half glass of Tanduay and repeat.

Ditto, ditto and repeat. Spirits are gone with no available replacements so beer o'clock is now beer, 8 weeks on.

Cheers, Steve.

bigpearl wrote:

manwonder wrote:

poopat wrote:

cook, eat, clean, watch netflix and repeat

Similar...Cook, eat, clean, gardening, Computer, TV (dun hv netflix  ) , badminton,half glass of Tanduay and repeat.

Ditto, ditto and repeat. Spirits are gone with no available replacements so beer o'clock is now beer, 8 weeks on.

Cheers, Steve.

Managed to stock up on tanduay/cigarettes before the curfew!...(french scientists NOW claim that smokers do have some +ve effects against covid 19).hahaha!
Smoke away buddy!

Since my CD player locked up I have been looking for music online.  Found an amusing site called Parody Project.  They do a nice version of Sound of Silence, called the Confounds of Science.