The Aussie Salesman at Harrods

A young Aussie lad moved to London and went to Harrods looking for a job.

The manager asked 'Do you have any sales experience?'

The young man answered 'Yeah, I was a salesman back home in Dubbo.'

The manager liked the Aussie so he gave him the job.

His first day was challenging and busy, but he got through it.

After the store was locked up, the manager came down and asked, 'OK, so how many sales did you make today?'

The Aussie said 'One!'

The manager groaned and continued, 'Just one? Our sales people average 20 or 30 sales a day. 

 
How much was the sale for?'

 '£124,237.64p.' 

 
The manager choked and exclaimed '£124,237.64!!  

What the hell did you sell him?'
 

'Well, first I sold him a small fish hook, then a medium fish hook and then I sold him a new fishing rod.'
 

'Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down at the coast, so I told him he would need a boat, so we went down to the boat department and I sold him that twin-engine Power Cat.'

'Then he said he didn't think his Honda Civic would pull it, so I took him down to car sales and I sold him the 4 x4 ’ The manager, incredulous, said, 'You mean to tell me...a guy came in here to buy a fish hook and you sold him a boat and a 4x4?'

'No, no, no... he came in here to buy a box of tampons for his lady friend and I said...

'Well, since your weekend's buggered, you might as well go fishing. 

NOTE: Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air Harrods.

Heartbeat

Soon after finding the largest black hole, NASA found another black hole, but it is the tiniest one and with a heart beat.

A NASA satellite has detected what astronomers said was a "heartbeat" of what could be the smallest known black hole.  A team of astronomers identified a specific X-ray pattern, nicknamed a "heartbeat", that indicates that a black hole is present in a binary system with the ordinary star. The "heartbeat" pattern is caused by the regular cycles of matter accumulated into the black hole from its neighbouring star. 

The system is located in the direction of the constellation Scorpius, but its distance is not well established. It could be as close as 16,000 light-years or more than 65,000 light-years away.

It is only fitting to remember the late Buddy Holly,   Written by Bob Montgomery and Norman Petty, “Heartbeat” was the last Buddy Holly single to be released during his lifetime.  He died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, along with Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson.

Heartbeat - why do you miss when my baby kisses me
heartbeat - why does a love kiss stay in my memory
Piddle dee pat - I know that new love thrills me
I know that true love will be
Heartbeat - why do you miss when my baby kisses me
Heartbeat - why do you skip when my baby's lips meet mine
heartbeat - why do you flip then give me a skip beat sign
Piddle dee pat - and sing to me love stories
and bring to me love’s glories
Heartbeat - why do you miss when my baby kisses me

A Bag of Goodies

A bag of goodies for Christmas would contain several items good for Noche Buena.  Traditionally it will include, a bottle of wine, whiskey or brandy, a loaf of fruitcake, a ball of queso de bola  and a leg of ham.  Other items like pasta, a can of fruit cocktail, and some candies are stuffed into the bag.

A bandejado of chinese ham and another of marca piña and hot tsokolate E is indeed very Filipino.  Levi Celerio captures the festive mood of  Filipino Christmas Eve. 

Kay sigla ng gabi
Ang lahat ay kay saya
Nagluto ang Ate ng manok na tinola
Sa bahay ng Kuya ay mayro'ng litsonan pa
Ang bawat tahanan may handang iba't iba

Tayo na giliw
Magsalo na tayo
Mayro'n na tayong
Tinapay at keso
Di ba Noche Buena
Sa gabing ito
At bukas ay araw ng Pasko*

PHOTO: That street Echague in Quiapo used to have several ham stores selling chinese ham.  My mother preferred Cuisia's Philippine Ham which is actually the same as chinese ham, but that shop is no longer there.  Only a few survive the competition.

 *NOCHE BUENA: Felipe de Leon - Levi Celerio