Change of direction

As you can tell from the title I have started using this again but will focus more on what is on my mind like what I think could work here in the UK. I'm trying to figure out what kind of business idea I could use here so any help would be great.
PS also testing posting from my phone so hope it all works :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Decisions…

Ive been trying to think of what I want to do long term with my previous ‘employment’ now not happening. Obviously I have the option of either staying here and working or returning back to the UK and working there. What I have decided to try is coming back sometime next year and finding a job for 6 months or so and then returning here to start a small business which will continue to run even when Im not here. Its a lot easier and cheaper to start a business here in Philly rather than in the UK but I will be looking into that option as well. I might arrange for some things to be shipped to the UK before I return which I will then try to sell there and depending on the success of that I will get some more sent over. It will mainly be T-shirts and if I can afford it some furniture cause I have been told that they would be quite popular over there. What I am thinking of starting here is phones. Phones are so popular here but most people here have very old phones cause they are so expensive here. I think that phones will get more popular here and the new generation will start to want the newer phones especially if I can provide them for cheaper. We shall see… If anyone can give me some info or help with any of the ideas I have then please email me or reply to this post. Thanks for reading the ramble :)

Heads or Tails?

I finally saw the other side of the Filipino coin today with the weather. There was a warning yesterday about an imminent typhoon that was going to hit our area. Its not as bad as I seem to remember but we lost power for about 8 hours today and when we checked the news when it came back on we saw that Manila and QC in particular have been hit pretty hard with wide spread flooding in certain areas. We checked that our family there was ok but they have had to rescue a lot of poor souls who got caught in the floods. I hope that they are alright and this makes me even more grateful to be here in San Isidro, which as far as I know never floods.

Only real problem I had today, apart from the lack of electricity(which is needed to run things like PCs apparently) was that there were no shops open at all due to the bad weather so I couldnt get any cigs and had to resort to Hope menthols(which if youve ever had you will feel my pain) Ok thats all for me for now, hoping the weather will improve so I can go to my late cousin Kuya Joels 1st Anniversary of his death… Kuya, RIP :’(

Puerto Galera (& return to San Isidro)

Travelled on Sunday afternoon to Puerto Galera by road and ferry. The place is lovely but getting there was adventure without a doubt. There were some of the worst roads that my behind has ever had the misfortune of riding on. Im assuming that because it’s not peak season they are doing a lot of renovation but there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme nor reason about the placement of the road works, they just seem to be scattered everywhere. The beach was nice and we also went picking some nice Dalandan(local orange) which was another experience haha.

Im currently staying back in San Isidro while I reassess my options. I have to say that it feels great here and its always nice to feel wanted and appreciated…

 

Took some pics especially when we stopped at Tamaraw falls which was nice. Will upload when I get to a better Internet connection.

P.

Hmm….

Now I’m not quite sure what is happening but I’m feeling kind of strange at the moment. Everything seems to be getting to me and I/m not enjoying things like I know I should be. I know that work is supposed to be hard but mentally I seem to be struggling. The way things are done here is just so different from what I am used to and I have tried to change the way I think but it doesn’t seem to be enough. I have to stress that I am so grateful for the hospitality and kindness shown by everyone since I arrived here but I think I may have got my priorities mixed up and taken a few things for granted. Now I’m not so sure where I stand and am looking to turn to someone who understands but there doesn’t seem to be anyone… Its weird to think that when I first arrived I thought I had returned home and surrounded by family and friends but in the last few weeks I have never felt more alone.. Sounds dark I know hehe but Im hoping that by using this blog to channel some of my thoughts I will be able to get over this and get back to enjoying life here again :)

The scariest thing of all is that I have actually contemplated going back just to get my head sorted out and get back on track, the exact reason why I came over here to Philly in the first place!!

 

We shall see what the next few days will bring – a lot of talking is gonna happen I think and things need to be said, not just myself but a few others too… Wish me luck, I’m gonna need it

Ninang!

I can’t believe I’ve been here over 4 months already and I’m ashamed to say that I still haven't met my Ninang (Godmother) since I came back.. But thats all due to change cause I should be meeting her tonight :) Im sooo excited to see her again and have a wonderful dinner and catch up with everything.

 

Also I only found out in the last couple of days that the World Cup of Pool 2009 is gonna be held in Manila! Its very late notice so Im not sure if Im gonna be able to get any tickets for it but its high up on my wish list… 2 Pinoy teams as well as the best of the rest? Doesn't get much better than that.. :)

The definition of Irony

Now as most of you know I am currently helping set up a hand painting business here in Philly. Now before I came here I had heard that you could get cheap clothes and knock off labels at very good prices. For the past few weeks we have been testing and are testing the quality of some shirts that we have o make sure they are up to standard for international sale, Pinoys just don't seem overly concerned about quality, thats all, more about the price :)

After testing 3 different suppliers and having them all fail on quality control, I decided to use my trusty old friend the t’internet and have a look for some other suppliers. A lot of people here say that China is the place to go now for all things textile but I couldn't really find any within our price range or they were just asking for a ridiculous minimum order(1 quoted 10000 pcs minimum per colour, per size!!) So after blowing out with China I just googled plain shirts and came across a site which had a very good price for bulk orders and the minimum order was just 1!! Here's the irony; This company has the best price and what looks like the best quality shirts cause they are actually branded, but unfortunately they are based in the UK! Hahaha, I had to laugh when I found out cause I came all the way over here and relied on the reputation of the clothing here and the best price is coming from England. And thats with the £ getting stronger against the Peso, if it was a couple of months ago it would be even cheaper… Now I'm in a bit of a catch 22 cause hey have the quality I want at the price I want but can I afford to wait the month or so it will take to manufacture the Tees and ship them here? Or do I just settle for paying more here for the same quality and getting the items sooner? Fun choice…

 

On a lighter note, a belated Happy Birthday to my Bro, who is now a year closer to 30 :) Take care and all the best, love to the family x