Price of a cow in Leyte?

[Minnesota guy]

So, I have a certain unnamed inlaw who would like us to purchase a calf for him. In the past we have tried several business ventures to keep him busy and not causing problems for other family members. Thus far the greatest success has been with a young carabou. He takes responsibility for pasturing it, gives the kids rides, and is training it for field work. Also, my relative tends to drink too much and the critter brings him home without too much danger to himself or others. Now he is asking us to help purchase a cow. My wife tells me no one knows how to milk cows there so the use of this cow is unknown but it is reportedly pregnant and he says he can sell calves. The price of the cow is P12,000. Anyone out there with any Philippine bovine experience? The price seems high but maybe not and maybe cows are a hot item.

[Peter Lee]

... in response to Price of a cow in Leyte?, posted by Minnesota guy on Jul 15, 2004

Hi,
My wife says that cows are expensive sometimes more that 12k.   More like 17,000 peso if she is in good shape and the size.  She said her papa sold his bull for 17,300 to help pay for finishing thier new house.  Ya I too had the idea of starting an investment for them rather than just send money.   Her papa is a farmer so the investment is already there but while she was in Manila she got the family news that one of the cows died.   The cow was pregnant and no one knew why she died.  Maricel can't tell me how much the pregnant cow was worth.   The other investment was in buying pigs raising them and swelling them for a profit.  If you have any other ideas about some kind of stable investments please post them, thanks.

[Ray]

... in response to Re: Price of a cow in Leyte?, posted by Peter Lee on Jul 20, 2004

Peter, when you said “buying pigs raising them and swelling them for a profit”, I remembered an incident long ago in the PI.

The Farting Pig

It was back in 1969 in Olongapo City, Philippines. I got into a crowded jeepney in front of the public market and then a Filipino guy got in with a rather fat, young pig that he was holding in his lap. The pig was kicking and squealing wildly as the jeepney started down the road. Every time the jeepney hit a pot hole, the damn pig farted. These were some very loud farts and soon everyone in the jeepney was laughing their ass off.

By the time the man with the pig reached his destination, the pig was quite a bit smaller than it was when he started out. The man did not look the least bit amused. In fact, he was downright pissed. One of the passengers then explained to me that it was a common trick used in the Philippines. Before you take the pig to the market to sell it, you stop by the gas station and “vulcanize” it with an air hose up the butt to make it look a lot fatter than it normally would be. I guess this was when they used to sell them by size instead of by the kilo.

I couldn’t help picturing that poor guy coming home with that pig and his wife is yelling at him: “I thought I told you to get a nice fat one…”

Ray

[Ray]

... in response to Swelling pigs for a profit, posted by Ray on Jul 21, 2004

Now I just remembered that classic by Dr. Methane. Peter, you aren't Dr. Methane, are you? ROFL!

Posted by Dr. M. on 02/08/2001

Danke Ray,
Leider muss ich sagen, das ist nicht mein hausschwein. (I am sorry to say, that is not my pig). This is what you would say in German, when your pig has flatulence (blaehung).

Dave H. you have won the respect of your fiancée, but probably not of this message board. You and Ray are correct. Pigs do fart! You can be very thankful that they do. If not, we might see miniature versions of the exploding Hindenberg throughout the world.

Perhaps you have heard of the Japanese animated series "Super Pig." It is broadcast in the Philippines in English, under the title, "Super Boink." It is a story about a girl that transforms into a fat, flying, pink, superhero pig. Fortunately, this pig wears a cape and doesn't retain its gas. "Ba Bi Bu Be Buurin!" are the five magical words that turn the girl, named Kokubu Karin, into the superhero pig (Tonde Buurin).

In 1969, my friend Hieronymus Merkin had a party for me. He decided to serve roasted pig, as it is a favorite of mine. Being Jewish, he had never cooked a pig before. He dug a pit in his backyard and proceeded to roast the pig. He put an apple in the pig's mouth and bound its rear legs together as he had seen in magazines. As the party progressed, I noticed to my amazement, as did the other guests, that the pig grew larger in size as more and more guests arrived. One pig feeds all, I thought. I knew that Merky was a genius, but even I could not conceive of how he had accomplished this strange magical feat. Suddenly there was a huge explosion and a fireball climbed 30 meters into the air. It was as if a small hydrogen (methane) bomb had been exploded in the yard. Several guests dove into the swimming pool to extinguish their burning clothes. Merky's hair and clothing were singed. Fortunately most of the guests escaped serious injury, but had trouble hearing for a few days. Later, the fire department investigators determined that the pig had not been properly dressed before cooking. All of the internal organs were left intact. methane gas built up inside the pig's gastrointestinal tract as it cooked. The apple in the mouth had effectively pluged the upper half. The tightly crossed legs sealed the anus, preventing the release of rising gas pressure. Without relief, the gas eventually leaked into the surrounding tissues. Suddenly the skin could stretch no more and the pig ruptured, releasing the gas. The open flame ignited the gas, sending the fireball into the air, guests scrambling for cover, and the pig over the fence.

Suidae fact: China had the largest hog population of any country in the world in the late 20th century and now early 21st century.

Pigs are very intelligent and tasteful (very tasty) creatures, that humans can learn much from. A pig farts because it is the appropriate thing to do. In Austria and Germany we often call a person that farts a "swine." This is out of respect for the pig.

Auf Wiedersehen

Dr. Heinrich von methane

[Ray]

... in response to Price of a cow in Leyte?, posted by Minnesota guy on Jul 15, 2004

Hi Bill,

You said “my relative tends to drink too much...”? Let’s see, at P20 per bottle, P12,000 would be about 600 beers. That’s a lot of drunks!

I don’t know about the price of cows in Leyte, but from my experience, I wouldn’t send a dime to someone who has a drinking or gambling problem. You said he has tried several business ventures. Is that several business ventures financed by you? If so, I would cut him off. Tell him to get a job and drink away his own money. Is this guy married?

A side note: I think too many Filipinas have never learned to say “NO”. When someone back home asks for money, you can’t just automatically give in every time. If this is by any chance a problem in your household, then try to help her learn to say no to requests for money or there will be likely be some over there who will take advantage of you. If that’s not a problem in your home, then please disregard.

BTW, how has Carmen adjusted to life in the US so far?

Ray

[don2222]

... in response to Re: Price of a beer in Leyte?, posted by Ray on Jul 16, 2004

The culture of the Phils is all about saving face.  You can't just tell someone that you refuse to give them money.
You need to have some sort of little white lie.
When asked in person, I tell them I have no money now, but maybe next time.  When asked by phone, you can just make up some financial problem you are having right now, but maybe next time. After a while, the person will just give up and stop asking.
I agree with you Ray, I see no point in sending hard earned dollars to someone that is just going to drink and smoke it away.....

Don

[Ray]

... in response to Saying no to money requests....., posted by don2222 on Jul 17, 2004

You’re correct Don, that’s the way it’s normally done in Filipino culture, saying NO without coming right to the point. But no matter how you say it, many Filipinos just don’t know how to turn down a request for something.

Back when I was stationed in the Phils, there were always neighbors or acquaintances asking for “favors” that clearly fell into the realm of illegality and they knew it. They would ask you to smuggle cigarettes, liquor, or something else out of the base for them, and they were often absolutely shocked if you turned them down outright. A lot of guys I knew would lose their base shopping privileges for a several months because their wife was making illegal purchases on base for her “friends”. They just couldn’t refuse when asked.

If a relative asked for a monetary “loan”, we would just put them off with some fake story like you do. Their reason for needing money was usually a fake story anyway. When some neighbor would ask for a favor that they knew was illegal and that could get me into serious trouble with the authorities, I always found that a big vocal “NO” right in their face did the trick. If they wanted to think that I was some kind of a rude prick for turning them down, then that would cause them to think twice next time they needed a “favor”, which was exactly the effect I wanted.

My ex used to deal with it by cutting off communications. When she would receive a letter from the Philippines from a relative that she knew was only asking for money again, she would throw it straight in the trash without even opening the envelope. She said if she read the sob stories inside, she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night, so she simply ignored those people. She had the phone company block all collect calls so they couldn’t phone collect at $3/min and beg for money with more phony sob stories. That solved her problem instantly. You just have to find what works for you.

One big problem when we were living in the Phils was the relatives who arrived unannounced with their bags packed for a long stay. It was expected that you would put them up for as long as they wished to stay with no questions asked, while they freely shared everything we had. Usually, they were waiting for a cash handout before they would leave, but were too ashamed to ask outright. I used to get rid of one aunt by farting loudly every time she walked into the room. I got pretty good at it with the help of San Miguel Beer and a can of pork & beans. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrpt…excuse me, Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrpt, excuse me, etc….. It drove her crazy and she finally stopped coming by (LOL).

Ray

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: Saying no to money requests....., posted by Ray on Jul 17, 2004

Hey Ray,

ROFLMAOCUMMFSLPASIMGGDCTIMSM!!! I guess tita wasn't a good ass kisser. )

Dave H.

[Ray]

... in response to Was That A "No"?, posted by Dave H on Jul 20, 2004

More like a "Hell No!" :-)

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: Was That A "No"?, posted by Ray on Jul 20, 2004

N/T

[Jeff S]

... in response to Re: Saying no to money requests....., posted by Ray on Jul 17, 2004

.. being able to fart on demand. What's the secret? When I have beer and beans the results are usually pretty unpredictable, with my wife saying, "no more Oops!"

But seriously, though, all Asian cultures seem to have that indirect beating around the bush way of saying things. My wife was pretty surprised when she found out how directly we Americans speak.

- Jeff