Comments Posted By James Harrison

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My Christmas in paradise

Thanks for the response . Sounds like you are busier in retirement than most people who work regular office jobs.

You are just one of a few(let’s say a 100 or so) foreigners who live permanently in the Subic Olongapo area, so it is definitely home for you. I can imagine that it’s similar to living in a tourist town ; in that it is an absolute paradise and you get to enjoy this daily. Except for those moments of festivities and high tourism season when those pesky travelers descend on the town and clog up the roads, restaurants and beaches.

How do y’all feel now that a full year has gone past with no tourists and nary an outsider visiting? I know you wouldn’t say you missed them, but don’t you miss a bit of the vibrancy of the high tourist season? Or even just the flash of high emotion of irritation as you dodge another group of drunk revelers, or your patience is tested while you wait for a table at a restaurant or you’re stuck in traffic?

Just curious.
Most people always say that.
:”Living in paradise is perfect, except for the tourists who visit too often and spoil it”

As always, I thank you for keeping up with the writing, and I look forward to more of your adventures

» Posted By James Harrison On 31/December/2020 @ 12:21 pm

But that was yesterday…

Glad to see you getting back into the groove and winning dart tournaments again. You have the gift in you !

Sorry to hear about your possible relocation. It is a bit of an awkward situation. But the person that you had originally allowed to live on your property is no longer with us, so technically their family has no rights to continue living there. The extended family definitely doesn’t deserve to live there on your dime if they were not even there at the outset. It’s probably near impossible to ask them politely to not turn on that karaoke machine now, so I guess an eviction or a relocation is in order.

Your house is quite huge, as are many others on your estate. Is there some sort of middle ground? A smaller place like an apartment (with a guard upfront for safety), which is easier to maintain and a little cheaper, but still far away to not hear the karaoke on a nightly basis? That would be the sweet spot . But now since you have dogs I guess a big house with a yard and a high fence is what you’re aiming for.

I seem to remember a line you wrote some time ago, about no matter how long you may live in the country,you’re still a foreigner and you’d still want to live your own lifestyle rather than adopt the local cultures wholesale. Which is good, because I can’t imagine you drinking Red Horse and singing loudly every other night:)

Good luck with the decision either way. I am sure you will find a place that suits your needs.

Thanks for the writing. Enjoy the ‘new normal’.

» Posted By James Harrison On 09/December/2020 @ 7:55 pm

Erections

Good luck on the hash.
Glad to see that you’re still keeping your spirits up even in these times when days and weeks coalesce into a puddle where we need calendars to remember the day of the week.

The photos are great. I didn’t realize that there was so much land left to build on in your subdivision. The big house without the vistas is great, as is the one that blocks your hiking path. I wonder why they already have a fence there whereas other houses are open to the streets. Would crime be a problem in that location, or is it just to keep stray dogs out? Or maybe they already know that it’s part of the hiking trail and they don’t want somebody traipsing past their windows?

Either way, looks like things are starting to get back to the good old days.

Enjoy the hike and the drinking, and all the related festivities.
Take lots of pictures, or better yet, get somebody to take the pictures while you enjoy your day

» Posted By James Harrison On 07/December/2020 @ 1:52 pm

That’s how you do it!

The trails this time look great. Just difficult enough to really work those muscles, and high enough to get the wonderful views of the area. The perfect weather worked too. I wonder if all you are permanently a few shades tanner living in the tropics with all the heat like that. As you mentioned, the locals fear the sun turning them brown but your expat friends don’t cover up so by now I suspect they look like bronzed musclemen on Virginia beach.

Thanks for clearing that up. The tall lady is striking in her dedication to the hash.
I had initially thought that was your recent ex(the one with the boyfriend who bought her a house), but I wasn’t sure. But then you having two exes to hash with on a weekly basis might have been awkward so that’s a relief.

Keep walking,

I support your starting another hash group, the Alta Vista walkers. You wouldn’t have to stop joining in on the main one, but it would increase your daily steps and reduce your drinking.
To balance out your drinking, you may go ahead and start another dart league and grow it as big as possible. You can make sure the times don’t clash with your hikes , and it would dovetail nicely into your sunset drinking.

» Posted By James Harrison On 21/October/2020 @ 10:07 am

Charitably speaking

As always, the great Kevin Kim is correct in his assessment.
At least you see what your charity for what it truly is, a way to buy peace of mind and lessen any guilt when thinking about how blessed you have been. But of course, you worked for everything you have, and unfortunately the opportunity to do so is not given to everybody but it is due to a mixture of luck and nature. To be born in a certain country and be afforded certain education opportunities is not applicable for everyone. By that I meant that feeling guilty for being in your position may never really go away as long as you’re living where you are. That is quite unfortunate but it is what it is .

I commend you for giving out of the goodness of your heart, but as we all know no one person can help everybody. Even Jeff Bezos cannot end world hunger and poverty.

Sorry to hear about you being taken for a fool when you’d just given a guy some money. I would have thought you would have given him money in exchange for whatever trinkets he was selling rather than just a straight donation. I am sure him getting money for nothing other than asking for it qualifies the act as begging so he would have told his friends the same.

As for your former massage therapist, it is a sad situation. The worst of it is if she was actually lying about the child being sick. But then again, even if she did need the money for her sick child her asking for money from her customer for no additional services also relegates her to a beggar instead of a service provider. Sure, it was a rather rash decision to fire her on the spot , but then again you had just dealt with those 2 other beggars on the beach front so you were not in a good mood. But it good for her to know where she stands. She gets paid for giving you a massage. But she also wants you to help her out with other expenses. She can’t have it both ways. Either she is begging from you, or working for you. Sad but true.

And the woman with the food stand? That is also an interesting story. You’re either an investor, a lender or a friend. Or you’re a donor. But it’s rather difficult to combine all these roles. Either way, you will give her some money soon enough.

As they say , no good deed goes unpunished.

Thanks for your writing as always. It gives me food for thought for days on end.

» Posted By James Harrison On 17/October/2020 @ 10:28 pm

Nothing much to say

Alicia looks like quite the catch. Though her age may be a bit of a problem, I think you could make it work. After all, in your area there are many such May/December couples( is that what they’re called). As for things to talk about, it’s quite easy: You were once 22 and you were once a single parent. That’s a good start right there.
She would love to hear about the good old days with the walrus and she should relish the opportunity to tell you about her life. Of course, we are assuming that she can hold a long conversation in English before she gets a ‘nosebleed’, which is not guaranteed in those parts.
If this goes well , she could take selfies for the Instagram with your granddaughter some day.

I am also excited about the ribs. This crockpot is a savior.
Enjoy

» Posted By James Harrison On 15/October/2020 @ 10:55 am

Rash Hash

Good. I think I am starting to understand the Hash. It’s just a scenic hike through the are and a bit of drinking games at the end.
If you were to formalize your Alta Vista hash, then I think that would be the easier flatter paths, but for a much longer walk. Besides, your kennel has a lot of females so your popularity will soar .

Other than having to drink from a dirty shoe and sitting on ice, I think the ladies in your kennel do enjoy your walks.

Since you live in a convenient location for the hikes, it would make sense to just add a nearby place as the home. I wonder where the other gentlemen who walk with you live. I mean, the town is quite small and there can’t be too many neighborhoods there so I take it you bump into each other in the streets quite often.

» Posted By James Harrison On 13/October/2020 @ 6:13 pm

Rainy daze

Maybe my previous comment did not survive the moderation.

I meant to say that

It is sad to see so many businesses closing their doors this year, hopefully it’s not really the end.
Even if it is, I am sure some enterprising individual like yourself will pick up a business or a few and start anew. A chain of related establishments in the vein of Cheap Charlie’s could work wonders, provided they have a chef on staff who could whip up a few of the favorite dishes

» Posted By James Harrison On 15/October/2020 @ 9:36 pm

Sorry to hear about the passing of your acquaintance. My condolences.
Would this be the same ‘Steve, the Englishman who doesn’t drink’?

I am an avid follower of the blog so I did a search to see ,but still not sure. What I did find was a story about the death at the bar where you met your first(?) filipina girlfriend/FWB; its owner Greg. Imagine my surprise when I read that you were ready to engage in fisticuffs with a gentleman called Patrick over his loud opinions about culture and funerals and grieving. That was unexpected. But I am glad to get to know about that side of you as well.

Thanks and keep up the good work you do on this blog

Rainy days should be spent indoors with a cup of coffee and a big mug of ale

» Posted By James Harrison On 13/October/2020 @ 10:22 am

Practice what you preach

The views are to die for. So green and the skies so blue. Now I understand why you’re reluctant to spend your days indoors too much. There is just so much beauty to see and things to do.

I am impressed that you always cook. That’s one less reason to seek a fifth wife eh? Yes, I recognize that is a sexist comment and I am sure the internet will vilify me for it now or later. Speaking of which, since things have stalled with the married mother of 4, I am rather looking forward to the next lady who will catch your eye. My bet is it will happen at one of the bars during a dart tournament, or maybe one of the beachgoers will finally work up the nerve to chat to the gentleman with a front-seat view at Mango’s.

I had previously assumed from your writings that you were somewhat of a loner. But now I see that you have a vibrant social life with like-minded folks. Instead of spending time drinking beer or playing board games, you spend those quality moments out on a hiking trail or playing some other barroom games. Less talking and more doing, but still very social.
Thank you again for your writing. I should write a book about the things I learnt from this blog.

Well, the benefits of living in a closed-off security estate. I thought you’d be happy that they’re closing off paths that sneak into your subdivision. Unfortunately that makes it a little difficult for you to jump directly onto your favorite walking trails and having to go the long way round might add to your steps.

Glad that you’re getting back to your dart games. At least a semblance of the good old retired busy life is coming back for you.
I wonder how many of the establishments are open now, seeing as there are no tourists yet and the expats there would have to eat and drink an insane amount to keep all businesses afloat.

» Posted By James Harrison On 05/October/2020 @ 1:21 am

Wagon Wheel

You never disappoint in the drama department. I would’ve loved to witness the ranting and raving. To fire your helper like that, you definitely learned a lot in your former job and you’re definitely going about this the right way. People have to know the workplace rules.I can’t remember which is which, but I hope the helper with the medical training has a better sense of professionalism and doesn’t piss off the boss.

This new thing with Judy. I sense interesting times ahead. I would suggest options for this ‘secret place’, but I understand there are restrictions on movement . But you seem to be getting by quite well, while I have read of others needing travel passes to cross the street to buy bread.
Last question, is the BPI a bank that is linked to your American bank at home or just a remittance account to which you receive your pension ? I have heard of somebody who had to resort to travelling back home(Germany,in his case) to bring back a lot of money in cash for which he was robbed and/or injured for and it led me to believe that banking facilities in your town may be inadequate.

» Posted By James Harrison On 20/September/2020 @ 5:59 pm

Perspective

Yay!!
I made it to the blog main post. I am famous now so I guess I should celebrate 🙂
Thanks

Yeah, perspective is a great thing. My favorite ever quote is both true and hauntingly painful to even contemplate. This is it:
” I wish there was a way to know that we are in the good old days before we’ve actually left them.”

Those little moments when one could’ve chosen to enjoy rather than sulk, to merely be in that moment. The good thing is that you’re not letting your missed opportunity to enjoy life mar your opportunity to enjoy life now. That would suck twice as much wouldn’t it?

” I will spend this year lamenting the fact that I didn’t enjoy last year, and this will be another miserable year to commemorate that year , and every successive year will be the same”. People do love their rituals and traditions after all. Of course I don’t refer to you specifically, but to all the misery-lovers. See? I do learn from this blog. I find that my memories of misery stay with me longer but the memories of unbridled joy whiz by quite fast.

Yes indeed. A seaside view, darts and hiking keeps you busy and sane. The beer and the writing keeps you connected to other human beings. Not to mention your connections with the ladies. That is a good life in my books!!

Keep keepin’ on

» Posted By James Harrison On 10/September/2020 @ 5:25 pm

Easy to be hard

Both of your exes are wishing you happiness. A double dose of happiness and a long rejuvenating walk followed by a beer with a view of the ocean.

You are living the good life that we can only hope for

» Posted By James Harrison On 09/September/2020 @ 6:28 pm

The circle game

Happy birthday. May you enjoy many more quality years . Thank you for your writings, for each day filled with monotonous drudgery, there are many more filled with exciting life lessons. But most of all, you’re living your life just the way you like and you shouldn’t have it any other way. Congratulations on this milestone.

» Posted By James Harrison On 28/August/2020 @ 1:48 pm

Live and learn

I like your style Mccrarey. You have your rules and a semblance of honor. Your rules make you feel special.
1. I shall not imbibe any ale before sunset
2. I shall not lie with a courtesan
3. I shall strive to find my one true love

It is good for a man to have principles. As a long-time reader I admire your candor in maintaining such. Of course, following them is another thing. But one thing that having ideals does, it makes you sit on a high horse and judge those who don’t follow your ideals. You may come to look down on them ,as you should, for their depraved lifestyles.
However, being a fair man, it will come as no shock to you to find that you will apply the same harsh judgment on yourself when you fail to live up to your rules. It becomes harder and harder to rationalize your actions and then your rules become in danger of being obsolete.
I am sure you of all people would have berated yourself enough over what you see a misstep.

I , for one, miss those entertaining posts when your current love interest would ignore you or slight you in some way, and you would accost her and scream crude remarks about her lout primogenitors. Those was the fun and action-filled days of McCrarey.

This current environment has a more sedate thinking man, more soppy disguised as self-confidence man.
Keep on writing. The readers will be quite interested to see how this affair turns out.

I am sure this much is obvious; but your ex already had heard of your interest in the woman you’re now calling Janey. In opposition to a reader who recommended that you went to another town and start all over, I say, just blaze your path through your own small town. Spread your seed and see what happens. You won’t be breaking any of your rules, except that you may gain a reputation as a good man with a good heart who loves to share his goodness.

» Posted By James Harrison On 18/August/2020 @ 9:45 am

Love is a rose

The master is back. Back with more unedited posts. I gotta say, I bet most of your readers saw this coming. Good luck with the talk. I wanna say I hope you learn from this, but we all know those would be empty words. Keep writing and doing what you’re doing. It’s quite interesting to see , whichever way it goes. Good luck

» Posted By James Harrison On 13/August/2020 @ 5:23 pm

True confessions

Oh dear. I commiserate with you on the recent developments. Unfortunately I join Kevin Kim in wishing that the lunch is grope-free. After lunch you can take her upstairs to show her the view, and much more. Alas, it’s more likely that this may turn into another ‘should I shouldn’t I?’ with your attempts to get into her heart rather than her pants. I am sure Kevin Kim will chime in with a more literate warning and prediction. The reader who said your life is like a movie was right. But those who have seen this movie already know what’s coming, but it is still fun to watch. Thank you for writing so candidly; it’s fun and I hope it helps you not only in keeping score of how your life is going but also so that lessons may be learnt .

» Posted By James Harrison On 30/July/2020 @ 4:46 pm

Rejection

Hi. Long-time reader, first-time commenter.
I stumbled upon this blog while researching retirement options in Subic. This has been an eye-opener.
Your writing is unfiltered, unique and informative to those of us who may wish to follow in your footsteps. Your willingness to self-analyze is breathtaking.
On the subject of rejection,I share your pain. I am sure you will be missed at Mango’s restaurant if you choose to let this episode deter you from visiting.
I read about a man who decided to ask people different things for 100 days straight, just to get to say he experienced 100 days of rejection. So severe was his anxiety about people saying ‘no’ to him (from small things as asking for extra ketchup at a restaurant, to large consequential events like asking to interview the President), that he decided to expose himself to it daily. It didn’t get any easier for him, though he found that more people said ‘yes’ than he expected to. Go on, go to Cheap Charlie’s and at least 8 other bars that are open and ask one woman in each to go on a date with you. If they all say ‘no’, then you’ve succeeded. If they all say ‘yes’, then you have 8 dates to plan and a lot of cooking to do. Either way, there’s a lot of writing to do for this blog, and perhaps a bit less disappointment with ‘rejection’.

» Posted By James Harrison On 13/July/2020 @ 4:01 pm