Objective Jerk
Army Veteran Asshole that is learning to love Jesus. I use my MIC / Platform as a form of "Therapy", no schedule, no script, just whatever is floating my boat at the moment.
Objective Jerk
LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES HAS TURNED ME INTO A SWEATY, IRRITABLE HOMEBODY
The Objective Jerk shares an unfiltered look at his daily life in the Philippines while his wife visits Korea, covering everything from fast food differences to the challenges of caring for multiple dogs.
• Adjusting to Filipino fast food options including McDonald's that serves spaghetti and rice
• The struggle to balance home maintenance with personal projects like building a bike stand
• Dealing with multiple dogs including a sick Shih Tzu that may need a blood transfusion
• Observations about how native Filipino dogs have stronger immune systems than imported breeds
• Managing heat intolerance that affects mood and decision-making
• Navigating cultural differences and language barriers even in routine interactions
• Contemplating whether to attend Palm Sunday services despite crowds and heat
• Finding comfort in familiar areas while still experiencing anxiety in new places
If you have thoughts about this episode, send me an email at theobjectivejerk@gmail.com or leave a comment. God bless, and I'll see you next time.
Again, thanks for hanging out with me!
Please feel free to comment or send an email to theobjectivejerk@gmail.com
What's up? This is the Objective Jerk and I'm said jerk here where I speak into my microphone as a form of therapy, which makes you said therapist. I guess, right, if you're listening to this, then you are my therapist. So, what's up? How's everybody doing? Not much going on with me. I just minimized something I did not mean to. I need to keep track of the time, okay. So what's up? Been a little bit, you'll notice.
Speaker 1:I kind of I'll just crank out the podcast sometimes and then sometimes I go through. I won't do one for like a week or whatever. Again, I just kind of Trying to stay busy With honey do's and tasks around the house. So I don't, I try not to spend too much time Looking at the stuff going on, trying to not care as much, I guess, because I don't know what's the point. I mean, there is a point, you know, a point. Enough to vote, I guess Right, as long as you vote, I don't know. But but yeah, so I just, I mean, I know there's lots of stuff going on in politics and stuff like that, but I just I don't feel like talking about it, I don't know. I'm just not. I'm focusing on what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:You know, my wife is in Korea right now visiting her sister, so I got I mean, she comes back in a couple days so I've been a bachelor in a sense, just me and the kids and stuff and a lot of buying. You know, food to go and stuff like that which ends up being mcdonald's more often than not, because that's all they have around here. Well, that and jolly bees. But the jolly bees where we live is just straight up, they suck, they get things wrong, they never have half the things. Oh, unavailable, unavailable, it'sailable, it's like. So I just I don't even go hardly anymore, but their food is good.
Speaker 1:You know, if you haven't been to a Jollibee, give it a shot. It's the Asian or not Asian. I guess I think it started in the Philippines. But the Filipino McDonald's, which they're in the States I've been to them in the States before, but yeah, there's the same five places. You got McDonald's, jollibee, chow King, which is like a Chinese fast food, but it's pretty good. Inasol, which is like a Filipino chicken and rice. What did I say? Oh, maybe just four, maybe it's just four, but those four are just everywhere. You know, you drive down the highway. If you're going to Manila from here, you're going to come across those. You know multiple, multiple times why they don't like variety. I don't know every, uh, every fast food restaurant has fried chicken and rice and spaghetti, I don't know. But yeah, so mcdonald's here, and it was funny, my wife, when her friend was going to the states before she I mean, she's already left now, her and her family but she was telling him like, hey, just just keep in mind, there's no spaghetti, there's no rice and there's no chicken at mcdonald's in the states. I mean, fried chicken, they're, you know, chicken sandwiches or whatever. But she was like, oh really, you know, it's just kind of funny, but yeah, so so she's doing that and I'm just trying to get my, just get stuff done around the house, like little projects, trying to.
Speaker 1:It's hard for me to to maintain the house and do projects at the same time. I can't do both. It's like I can either spend the day cleaning, or maybe do I mean, like you know, everyday, spend the day cleaning, or maybe do I mean, like you know, everyday, things Okay, yeah, dishes or whatever. But, um, you know, like you have to sweep. I should this house. I mean it's all tile, but it should sweep daily. I don't, I sweep like every couple of days and then mop, but I should sweep more often than that. I need to try and get a habit of doing that. But so there's there's that I need to try and get a habit of doing that. But so there's there's things that need to be done around the house that are daily kind of whatever.
Speaker 1:But then I also have projects. But if I get you know, so the day that I do sweeping and mopping and you know, maybe trying to get some dishes and stuff, then I don't do any kind of projects right, and then when my wife is here I have a hard time getting projects done, cause she's always like, hey, let's go. You know, I get pulled away a lot. So a lot of the my little personal whether it's just for me or it's for the house and the family, and like little projects they, they don't ever seem to get done.
Speaker 1:So I got that one done with the wood structure thing for the divider. What else did I do? I did something else. But so right now I'm trying to organize my tool room, which is kind of like the utility room. I guess it's not real big but it has like our toiletries, like closet and stuff, and then I have my tools and then my bikes are there. So I'm trying to organize it in a way that I can maneuver my bike, put it away and then put it up to work or clean on it. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So I built a like just a little DIY out of crap. I you know that I had laying around the house like a bike stand right. So it's basically the bottom is to like one of those umbrellas that you kind of crank and they open up. We had one that got demolished during the hurricane or typhoon or something. I don't remember why it broke or what happened, but the canvas thing didn't last too long. It started to deteriorate, deteriorate, deteriorate, deteriorate, dude, I can't say it. It started to go bad, right. But you know he still had the frame and stuff so we could buy, and I think that frame is still good, but it's been kind of sitting out. It's probably not, anyway, I don't know.
Speaker 1:So the little bottom metal steel plate to hold it up, you know I had it as like a scratch post for a while for my cat and all the stuff. So I was like you know what I'll do, I'll do a break. Well, actually I did use it once before. I made like a little bike. Um, um, what do they call? I just said it a second ago Bike clamp bikes, bike bike, rack bike, whatever. It's a little thing so you can hang your bike up and work on it. You know, rack, no, anyway.
Speaker 1:So I built one. It was, it was pretty good. But the wood I used is like that, that I don't know inch and a half circular wood that you can use for like closet hangers, you know, for your rod and stuff like that and so. But it kind of, you know, was a little flimsy. So I ended up turning it into, like I said, a scratch post.
Speaker 1:And then now I was like, okay, I'm gonna put it up on a table and I can cut that down, so it's a little more sturdy, or not? And I built a thing. I'm not going to go into detail. So I built a thing. It worked but it sucked, you know. So I finally was like, you know, I'm just going to buy. So I looked online and I don't know, I kind of wish I would have now, but I didn't, I didn't, I didn't buy like the whole stand, I just bought like the little clamp rig that you can mount to a wall or a table or something. So I was like I'll just do that. And it was. It was cheap and or cheaper than you know the whole stand, and so I was like I'll make it work. So that's what I was doing yesterday.
Speaker 1:I was trying to maneuver different tables around. I got this one table that's like the height that I need, so I mounted it and I can get the bike there. But it's just kind of it's not easy. It's like I gotta like finagle it in there. It's just I don't, I don't like it. So it works, but I don't like it. I want to be a little more smoother. You know, when you like to get the bike down off the rack or I don't know, i'm'm just trying to organize my room. So that's why I've been trying to kind of get done, and sometimes I'm motivated to get that stuff knocked down, sometimes I'm not. I really have to force myself. So I did a little bit yesterday. But then I got vet stuff for the dogs.
Speaker 1:One of the shih tzus which I talked about before dogs my one of the shih tzus which I talked about before. She's got like her platelet or something is her? She's not producing red blood cells or whatever it is, I don't know, uh, or her count is low, or something like that. So been feeding her. Where is she? Oh, she's out back, that's right. So I've been feeding her nothing but wet food and then I just mix her meds in with it and she's eating it up. She seems to be doing pretty good. But I just came back from the vet and they gave her another shot of something and then Monday they're going to test her again and see if she's improving or not. So if she's not improving, then I have to make the decision to do a blood transfusion or, you know, let her, let her go peacefully, or something. You know what I mean? Which? She's a she, she is a shih tzu.
Speaker 1:I don't like shih tzus. I don't really have much attachment to to her. But I'm not a bastard either in the sense that you know I want. You know I don't want her to. I want her to have a happy life. You know what I mean? I'm not very. You know, shih Tzus are very loyal and they, they want to be there with you and they want to get pit, and I'm just like.
Speaker 1:I don't know the nonstop we have now. We have a bulldog pipple and he's I think that's why one of the reasons I always like them, because they have the, the right temperament for my temperament, you know what I mean. Like it works well, um, he likes attention, but he's not constantly trying to get it, you know what I mean. Um, he'll just kind of chill and do his own thing and so I don't know. But he's like I like a dog, I like dogs, I like having dogs. You know they're good for letting me know when somebody's at the gate and keeping people out and whatever. And I also like them as company, when it benefits me. You know what I mean. Like when I want, which is not all the time. So I don't know, it's kind of just the way I am.
Speaker 1:But so, dealing with that, and I still got to get, so we have the two Filipino dogs that we haven't had nothing done yet to them and they're a year old now. So they got to get dewormed, they got to get all the stuff. I want to get them neutered, but I mean they're good, they're. That's the thing that was like the local, the, the, the, you know what do you call it the, uh, the native dogs around here. Their immune system is so much stronger than dogs that are brought in from overseas. You know, I mean um, because like we had our gsps and they got parvo and it was just like it was nuts and the aspens, the dogs here like it's nothing for them. You know, like you don't have to, because our dogs that we have are man, they look, they're healthy, they're healthier than other dogs. Because our dogs are, we do keep them in our yard so they haven't left the yard. We feed them good and you know they they're healthy. They're healthier than other dogs. Because our dogs are, we do keep them in our yard, so they haven't left the yard. We feed them good and you know they look healthy but they need to get some stuff done. But when you look at, like their siblings, who are still kind of living on the street but living with people, they look so much smaller. They, you know, I don't even know if any of them are still alive. So these dogs are thriving, but I still got to get stuff done, you know. So, yeah, so that's why I don't know Too many dogs, too many dogs, but it's hard to.
Speaker 1:It's hard to turn down dogs, though sometimes, you know, and there's always a pregnant dog or there's some puppies somewhere, and it's annoying. So these dogs I'm talking about that are mine. Their mother just kind of showed up at my wife's father, my father-in-law's home, and she was pregnant. So she hung out. I guess she felt safe, and then she gave birth. Oh, no, no, no, no, that's right, she was about to give birth and then the owner came and took her and then put her in his yard or put her in a yard. So it's like which kind of pissed off my wife and me, really, it's like they. She got pregnant and then, you know, they've been feeding her and taking care of her and all of a sudden, when she's about to give puppies, all of a sudden he comes to get her, you know, to take her, so he can possibly probably sell puppies and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:You know, even though you can get them anywhere, why would you pay money? I mean, still, it's money, I guess you know 100 pesos or something, but yeah. So I mean, everybody looks at dogs as a form of income, especially if it's not a native dog, you know, and it's. You know, people will spend money on dogs. Some people spend a lot of money, but the thing is, is like man. The thing I've learned, though, is you're going to just keep spending money, because it's just they just have so much more problems than the local dogs. You know what I mean. Problems than the local dogs, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So the pit bull that we have, I want, I want to keep him more as an indoor dog, trying to get him house trained, trying to teach him um, and then the aspens they just stay outside because you know they're they're good to go, and then the shih tzus will come in. But it's like, just I'm trying to, I'm trying to house train them, I'm just trying to get in the habit of putting them out, and you know, I don't know just doing all that stuff, but right now, my, my gsp, she's in heat, so that pit bull is going nuts. So I'm trying to keep her, because you know the dogs are, and it's not just her. The asp aspens, too, are going after, you know, because she's in heat, and so she's just constantly fighting them off, and I feel bad for her, you know so, so I gotta let her in, but then so he's gotta stay outside right now, because I'm trying to get my like dust cover blanket washed and dried.
Speaker 1:So we have this big. I mean it looks like it probably came out of a hotel. I don't know how we got it and it's not the prettiest thing, it's like very, it looks very hotel like, from a hotel, right, those blankets, you know, um, but it's, it's big, it fits our bed and I, you know that's where I put on there, there. So then the dogs I don't care, they can get on there and they can lay on the bed as long as that's there, and then we fold it up when we go to bed and helps minimize dirt hair and whatever kind of stuff around the dogs, but anyway.
Speaker 1:So yesterday my female GSP, she was sleeping on the bed and then the pit bull, taz, he comes in and he gets on the bed and he's all over her or whatever right, and so she gets annoyed and she leaves, but then he proceeds to pee on the spot that she was laying on and I'm just like, oh, and I got to him, but not before he could pee some. So I'm, you know, take him, put him outside. So now I have to wash this cover. So I want to let him inside but I can't because my, my GSP, is out there and I can't let her in my room because she's going to get on the bed Cause I don't have the. You know she, because they don't have the. You know she, I don't know, it's just.
Speaker 1:Dogs are great, but at the same time they're a pain in the ass. They're no, they're great but they're annoying. They're awesome but they suck. I mean, I don't know, but I know somebody's like dude, get rid of the dogs. It's like like, yeah, I know I ordered you palm, what the hell? But yeah, so that's kind of just my mundane existence.
Speaker 1:At this point. There's Palm Sundays going on and I'm debating on whether going, because I guess in the morning when it's cooler, that's when everybody's there. So it's going to be like crazy hectic. I went to Palm Sunday last year, wasn't it last year? Yeah, but I, you know, I'm still kind of new to the whole Catholic thing and still kind of learning and I I'm not. I'm Like I want to go in the morning when it's cooler, but then I don't really want to deal with like the craziness of all the people and I kind of don't know exactly what you're supposed to do. I mean kind of, because I did go but I don't know. And then it's either that or I can go in the afternoon when there's less people, but then it's really hot and I just I don't do good hot. I get very ornery when I'm hot, especially when I'm like, if I'm there for a while, I know I'm stuck there. You know, if I got to go and go do something, that's hot, I think, okay, I'm going to come back home. I got my air conditioning or whatever. But I just I don't do well with heat and I think a lot of it has to do with my arm.
Speaker 1:My whole time in the army which I am grateful for I, you know, I I hated but enjoyed and, um, but it was, it was all hot. You know what I mean. So when I was in the States, I was in Louisiana, which is similar to how it is here, but it doesn't get. It gets colder in Louisiana than it does here, and I think it gets colder in Louisiana than it does here, and I think it gets a little hotter here than it does there, maybe I don't know. So there's that. And then so I was either there or I was in Iraq, which is super hot, but it's a dry heat. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:So you would think, if I was going to go somewhere to live, to retire, I would go to somewhere like Alaska, which, you would be correct, that's what I would rather. I would rather live in a more colder environment, because I do better. Here it comes, man. I was doing good, I don't know, I just it's in my blood to be in cold weather. So you know, yes, that you know. I knew it was going to be hot when I came here, but I was like I'll just, you know, when it's hot I'll go in the AC. So that's what I do.
Speaker 1:But the thing is is I get kind of irritable when it's hot and I'm just like sweating non-stop, and then you know, and then so then like little things that would not normally irritate me will irritate me, or you know, and I just then I get like in a crappy mood. So I just try to avoid that. And sometimes I'm in a fine mood and I deal with the heat. It's fine, I'm able to deal with it. It's not very often, but sometimes I'll be in in. It's fine, I'm able to deal with it. It's not very often, but sometimes I'll be in a good mood and I'm like I'm fine, I'm rolling with the punches, you know, but then sometimes I'm just, most of the time I'm just irritable as hell with the heat and um, so yeah, so I don't know, I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to go or not, because my wife's not there.
Speaker 1:So I'm trying to see if maybe there's somebody else that I can go with. I don't know, I'm going to try and go, I guess. And then because you get, like you know the palms, and then you hold them and carry them, I want to say last year we did like a little short little parade around the church but then the priest comes and throws the holy water, so you put it on the palm and then you take that palm and you put it over like your door or something of your home. And that's what my wife really wants. She wants to have the palm with the holy water and stuff. So I think I got to go. I don't know, I'm talking to her right now. So I was like I'll go.
Speaker 1:I'm just not really looking forward to it, even though I should be. And even if it was, even if they had air conditioning in the church, which they don't, the crowd is so big in the morning that it spills outside. So it's like I could go early to get a seat inside, but then that means I'm out there in the heat. That much more I don't know. One good thing, though, is so when we first started going to Mass and one good thing, though, is so when we first started going to Mass I was very cautious. It's kind of like, you know, looking around I wasn't comfortable. So at least now I'm kind of getting more comfortable, like I don't. I don't. My anxiety is not like really super high, and I talked to my therapist about that, like how I don't really go to too many places. I go to the mall here and around there, and then I'm here, and that's kind of it. So it's like I've gotten comfortable with my immediate area that I go to on a regular basis. It's just going to Manila or something that can make or break it. Sometimes I'm good, sometimes I'm not, but at least I'm not going to be like that jackass.
Speaker 1:You guys see that guy. I haven't watched anything of the guy, but he's a Russian-American or something, which I hate that. It's like is he a citizen, an American citizen? Then he's a Russian American or something, which I hate that it's like is he a citizen, american citizen, then he's an American. I hate this Colombian American Dude. If they're American, they're American. Okay, Just say it. Why do they have to be anything else? It's just annoying. Do they say that over there in other countries? Oh, they're, you know, they're American, you know. No, I don't know, know, it just annoys me anyway. But so I thought the guy was russian. But then I heard something like he's an american, russian or something. I haven't watched any of his videos, I've just seen highlight reels on news. But so it's this dude.
Speaker 1:He I guess he did in other countries, but he's, he's been in the Philippines for a little bit and he just goes around causing not havoc but just disruption, messing with the security guards taking their hats and just kind of being a goof, just like a drunken buffoon, you know, frat boy, to get clicks and likes and stuff and video views and everything. But I guess he went too far, far and now he's being charged. Filipino government is charging him with some crimes and stuff. And I mean they should. You know, just can't be acting a fool in other countries and stuff, you know, I don't. You know, I don't go around, I mean I get frustrated and I get angry, but I'm pretty good about not being an asshole about it Not all the time but I mean, like case in point, last night kids wanted to go to McDonald's, of course, and I'm not in the mood to really go drive too much further and it's the only drive-through place that's somewhat dependable and reliable.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean. But when we get there, it's like the person first of all. I know the person on the other hand who's taking the order. As soon as they realize that you know it's an american or a foreigner, they're like oh, they start getting stressed out, like Filipinos, like stress out that they can't. It's like you all speak English, just fine, but they think there's a saying that they say, when they're struggling to speak English to a foreigner, that their nose will bleed, you know. And it's just like just don't worry about it, take my fucking order.
Speaker 1:So I get there, gosh, and she just got done. There was somebody in front, there was somebody in front of us, and it's like she was finishing up their order, right, but then she immediately starts to ask me for my order when she should have just been like, hold on one moment, you know, finished up, whatever, and then, okay, what would you like, but she. So she's like hey, welcome to McDonald's. Blah, blah, blah. So I start doing my order and she's like oh, sorry, so that was a you know. So I had to order.
Speaker 1:I had to order mine like three times. And I would say, like you know, if I want just a burger, you say a la carte. So I want a double quarter pounder with lettuce and tomato, which they always forget, lettuce and tomato a la carte. And she's like okay, okay, do you want large fry? And I'm like no, a la carte. You know, it's like how to repeat stuff.
Speaker 1:And she's like anything else. I'm like, yeah, I have multiple orders. So then I order you know something else. And I'm talking with my kids trying to figure out what we want. In between we ordered about half of it and then all of a sudden she's like okay, your total. And she brings up the total. I'm like no to go. But since she already kind of entered it or whatever, she couldn't go back in. So we had to finish the order at the window. And it was just crazy. And that happens a lot, because they just get they automatically, because I'm a foreigner, get flustered, and it's just like. It's more annoying If you would just not even care and just take my order the best you can.
Speaker 1:I understand it's not your first language. I've been here five. I should be able to order my food in the local language, but I never will because I just I don't have an ear for it. I know some words and some phrases. Yes, most of them are bad, but I don't know. I just I've never been good at learning. You know, some people can learn like five languages. No problem, dude, not me, not me. Anyway, that's all I just kind of wanted to. It's been a while since I did a podcast, so, but there it is. So let me know what you think, send me an email theobjectivejerk at gmailcom or send me a comment, or whatever, I don't know. But I hope you're all doing well and God bless, and I will see you guys next time. Alright, bye.
