Rumors and Habits

So...my Australian neighbor comes over and proceeds to tell me this precious gem of information.

Apparently the control tower at the Ninoy Aquino Manila airport has some problems and planes can no longer land on auto-pilot.  This means they have to do what is called a visual landing.  Not excited about that fact.  Then I find out that the cheaper or poorer airlines have pressure to land even in conditions that are not ideal for a visual landing to save on money.  Then I find out, about three weeks ago when we were at Nagsubo the power in my high rise went out and for some unexplainable reason the generator didn't kick in or didn't power up the airplane light on top.  A plan came within 300 meters of my building.

Not cool.  Now admittedly none of this is confirmed other than the neighbor seeing it.

I had a little bit of 9/11 anxiety about the high rise when I moved here and this really doesn't help things.

The other bit of disturbing behavior is of a different sort.  It concerns my driver, Ron.

Ron and I have had a bumpy relationship these two years.  I sort of resent not driving but hate the conditions that  make a driver necessary more than having a driver.  So I am driven around, often grumpy, I know lame, right.  Princess Sunny has to be driven around (I make myself gag when I read this).  But seriously, it is annoying when you know the best way to go and you can't make someone do that.  Or you know how to go over speed bumps better.  Or you are just a plain better driver.  So I generally put my differences aside and try to either have some quiet time (when alone) or have some fun time with the kiddies.

Now that we are leaving I am in the process of finding future employment for both my helper and driver.  I am proud to announce my helper learned how to cook, became an expert on newborn babies, and is just all-around awesome and now is going to be getting a 40% pay increase and more time off in her next job.  Yay Lani.

Ron, however, got a job offer that gave him 8% more, two weeks off in the month of August-paid, and it is long term employment.  Did he jump on this opportunity?  Nope, he decided to see what else comes along without ever asking the people with the offer how much time he has to decide and what do you know?  Those doors closed.  He now has no job offers, no interviews.

I told him, Seth told him, we warned him that a bird in hand is better than two in the bush, but alas, it was not to be had.  It is this kind of nonchalant behavior that drives me mad.  These people have families, which they remind you of frequently, need to take care of them, and they approach the job search as if it is out of their hand and all in Lady Luck's.  Sigh, add it to the list of things I wish I could change but just have to accept.  How do you teach ambition?