Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Well, one of my neighbors did talk to the guy. According to my neighbor, this guy is an American, and told him he doesn’t give a shit about the squatters. If that truly is his attitude I don’t foresee a long future for him in this country. Or maybe this world.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/January/2021 @ 6:39 am
Although lots of people, perhaps the majority, did lose the trail at one point or another, my group was not among them. The river wall was indeed part of the planned trail. The confusion came when we misunderstood the Hare’s guidance mid-trail. We should have just continued on the trail as marked. Anyway, we were 1.5 hours into the hike by the time we got back to the truck. The group I was with had had enough at that point and there was a long way to go to get the On-Home. So we threw in the towel.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/January/2021 @ 6:44 am
Sticking it in all the right places…
“They obviously don’t read your blog.”
That’s probably a good thing! It might cause some drama! 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/January/2021 @ 6:18 am
Yep, it’s a good life. I’m going to do better at embracing it.
I used to feel sorry for “Mary”, now I see her for what she is. I think I underestimated her scamming skills. She’s blocked now and holds no further temptation for me.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2021 @ 5:45 am
Yep, my awakening came when I started surfing the ‘net and reading other sources for news. Prior to that, I relied on the Washington Post as my primary source of news. What shocked me the most about the bias I discovered was not so much in what was reported but rather in what was NOT covered. There is no question that the mainstream media promotes a narrative. There were blatant about that when they buried the Hunter Biden story just prior to the election. Shameless!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/January/2021 @ 6:47 am
A lot more people than Trump believe there was fraud in this election. It doesn’t matter now, it’s over. There will be a reckoning though.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/January/2021 @ 1:26 pm
Steve, I appreciate you taking the time to share your view on the issue.
Why not have a Congressional and/or Justice Department investigation into the fraud allegations? Seems to me these fraud allegations warrant the same level of concern that the Dems gave to claims Russian collusion.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/January/2021 @ 5:50 am
Brian, I admire your ability to live the serenity prayer. Yeah, stressing over things outside your ability to control is pointless. I’ll try and do better.
Soju, I’m impressed and it is hard to dispute the logic of your words. I do not condone violence for violence’s sake, but if this is the opening salvo in the revolution, so be it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/January/2021 @ 1:00 pm
Yeah, we’ll get through it. I expect there will be a backlash when people wake up and realize just how bad the policies of the Harris administration truly are. Perhaps the Dems lose both Houses in 2022 as a result. Nothing to do now but ride it out hope for the best.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/January/2021 @ 6:38 am
Well, don’t know for sure but I’m assuming squatters because they don’t appear to have the means to purchase the property. A lot of times I see “no trespassing” signs posted which I imagine is intended to keep squatters off privately owned land. I don’t know the law here but I *think* once a squatter establishes residence you have to go to court to force them off your land. Seems I heard that somewhere.
I really can’t imagine a life of poverty AND isolation on a mountaintop but I have much admiration for the people doing their best with what they have.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/January/2021 @ 7:34 am
Not quite back to normal, but the back is better this morning. Mostly a dull ache now versus the sharp pain of yesterday. I really think I must have just bent over awkwardly or something. I’m loathe to visit a doctor in the best of times and to see one now would require jumping through too many COVID hoops for my taste. [Grammarly says it should be “loathed” to visit. I don’t agree, do you?] If the improvement doesn’t continue or I relapse I will of course reconsider.
Honestly, I didn’t get what Jeremy was saying about his mom either and I don’t know anything at all about his parents’ relationship. He’s recently back from Korea and staying in their house for now so I think he probably just meant that his dad won the lottery on his first try 50 years ago.
Ah, servitude versus real love. Your description does actually sound almost perfect! I’m not kidding, so you might have nailed it. Oddly enough, I had a similar epiphany even before I saw your comment. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was sponsoring a birthday for Jessa’s daughter at the Alta Vista clubhouse. I didn’t plan to attend even though Jessa had asked me to come by. Then I got a message from another friend attending asking me where I was. So I popped in for a brief visit. I got the introduction to the family and friends, saw the daughter’s smiling face as she played in the pool with her friends, then sat down and had a beer. Looking around, I understood this could have been my life with Jessa. And I realized in rejecting that life I had chosen right–this wasn’t the life I wanted. So yeah, the fantasy of love and family might suit me better than the actual reality. Picturing myself with a fat 50-year-old as you suggest certainly underscores that fact!
Thanks for taking the time to share your insights, it is helpful. I think sometimes I let a bout of mild depression color my outlook overall. Stepping back and looking at my life as it is and seeing the positives makes me realize how lucky I am. I’m in “horny-adolescent” heaven, might as well embrace it! I’ll just try not to be an asshole about it!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/January/2021 @ 7:19 am
Yeah, the names are a hoot. I think sometimes we go too far although there is a way to request a re-naming. It usually ends badly though with an even worse name. Most people just suck it up and go by the initials if they really hate it. A couple of people have actually quit the Hash because they hated their name. The Hash, and especially our Kennel, is not for the thin-skinned!
Yeah, I was actually going for the double entendre with faux. Not so much that it sounds like fuck but that it was my fake trail with an in your face attitude.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/January/2021 @ 7:08 am
Brian, I think you are right about the bots being the majority of first-time visitors here. Even those brainless entities have the good sense to never come back!
One of the stats provided shows search engine results that brought people to the blog. The last time I looked at that I had several hits on a post I wrote in February 2005 about some grizzly bear attack in Alaska. I have no idea why.
Anyway, glad to have a satisfied customer like you along for the ride!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/January/2021 @ 7:28 am
Geez, I didn’t even notice the plate. I sit out back on the patio and it’s a little dark there. I guess the camera flash illuminated it enough to reveal the damage.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/January/2021 @ 6:33 am
Oddly enough, this is the coolest time of year here–highs in the upper 20s and lows in the mid-20s. We get some nice breezes and lower humidity too. The other night at Cheap Charlies the gal I was drinking with complained of being cold! I laughed and said, “girl, you don’t know what cold is!” I guess it’s all relative. I know I don’t miss those cold-ass Korean winters much.
Yeah, that guy was drunk on his ass (literally) on Red Horse (a strong local beer) at 10 a.m. I doubt he would have felt it if it was as cold as Seoul!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/January/2021 @ 7:31 am
Enjoy your New Year, Brian. I also appreciate your comments and insights.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 02/January/2021 @ 7:09 am
Bad teeth are a thing here. Unlike the USA, dentists here seem to prefer pulling teeth rather than saving them with crowns and the like. I guess it is a matter of economics. So, you see lots of gals with huge gaps in their smiles. Heh, that was the case with the gal I drank with at Bottoms Up…when she took her mask off I felt like saying put it back on, please!
I don’t know that braces are a fashion statement but when a gal gets the financial support to have them installed they don’t hesitate. I know women in the 40s with braces.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/January/2021 @ 8:44 pm
A Ray-O-Lite on Mount Santa Rita
“I’m never gonna live that Namsan hike down, am I?” Well, the internet is forever, so…
Maybe I should have said it FELT like a 20% grade. I honestly don’t know how to judge. In my mind, straight up is 100% and this seemed like 1/5 of that. Whatever it was, it was all I could handle!
Ha! A Guenter year is maybe the best description of 2020 that I’ve seen! Looking forward to new and better experiences in 2021! Best wishes to you for good health and happiness in the New Year!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/January/2021 @ 8:04 am
Brian, yeah I knew coming in that this dealing with desperate people was part of the life here. My plan was to help some so I could deny others relatively guilt-free. I guess I’m up to five employees now! I still help others when and where I can when it feels appropriate. But it is the gall of the strangers and acquaintances asking for money that irks me at times. It is one thing to be generous and giving, another to be played for a sucker. Figuring out where that line is can be a challenge.
But yeah, I do realize I’m living “rich” in a poor country so it comes with the territory.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/December/2020 @ 6:52 am
Kev, as bad as 2020 has been, it could have been worse. For example, the COVID kill rate has not lived up to the hype! But yeah, I’m going to continue living day to day in the New Year and will hope to be pleasantly surprised.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/December/2020 @ 6:45 am
That would be an improvement over my current state of No Relations.
I think in the context of being at a point in the trail where you have to check to determine where to go next, “checkpoint” makes sense. Besides, the Hash knows no bounds, it means what we say it means. Damn it! 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/December/2020 @ 6:33 am
There is more to life than beer
I’ll try and remember not to forget that!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 29/December/2020 @ 6:23 am
It’s complicated for sure. I am aware of former bargirls living happily ever after married lives. Honestly, I know more men who have been fucked over by these gals than vice-versa. Still, I’d never get into a serious relationship with a former prostitute. The business seems to change a woman. Back when I spent more time in those type bars I could see a difference between someone who’d been working months versus years. The gals become mercenary and jaded over time. Hmm, it just now occurs to me that maybe I’ve been unfair to Mary–she simply hasn’t learned to play the game yet.
When I first came to the Philippines I struggled with that apparent contradiction. I asked myself if I was exploiting these women by participating in the bar scene? After meeting and talking with quite a few of these working girls I came to the conclusion that I was not. All of them made the choice to work in the bar because for them it was the best available option. As one of them said, “I can work in the mall and make 300 pesos ($6.) a day. Or I can make 6000 pesos a day in the bar. I’ve got a family to support so here I am.” Many of them don’t like the job but can’t make similar money elsewhere. That’s their choice. And lots of women choose to live in poverty rather than sell their body. That’s a choice too. I am firmly in the camp of letting a woman decide for herself. When these bars get shut down by do-gooders, nobody seems to care about the “rescued” women. Many wind up on the street. At least in the bar, they can choose their customer, they get weekly STD checks and a place to stay if they need it.
So, yeah like most things, it comes down to economics. I’ve heard the guys in Thailand complain that with the (then) booming economy lots of the best gals had left the bar industry. And now that governments have chosen to destroy their economies, lots more women are considering the option of selling their most marketable asset. Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world for a reason.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/December/2020 @ 7:25 am
James, happy to have you as a reader.
I’d be surprised if there are only 100 full-time expats in the area. We get half that many at the Hash. But yeah, there is definitely a small-town vibe here. Given that most of us are pension age it reminds me more of a retirement community than a tourist town.
There is a big difference without the foreigner tourists. They never bothered me at all and the local business community is really struggling without them. Not enough expats here to support the bars and restaurants. And I’m sure the girls miss the “two-week millionaires”. I’ll be happy to welcome them back when the day comes. In the meantime, I’ve really noticed a large influx of Filipino tourists. That’s a whole different vibe but it is nice to see the locals say fuck COVID, we are going to enjoy life.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/December/2020 @ 1:13 pm
James, like me most of the folks I know here are drawing some kind of pension. There are a few in their 40s who are living solely on their military pension. I know a couple of guys still working–one designs computer games and one is working for a company that does computer security and has it’s Asia HQ in the area. Some people own or manage a business, usually in the hospitality/tourism sector.
As for the female Hashers, it seems most work full time taking care of their man! A lot of them are former bar employees, some met the old fashioned way on the internet. A couple are still going to school and I think one works in a factory on SBMA.
Anyway, I wouldn’t want to have to work in this country. The minimum wage is something like the equivalent of $6. a day and that law is routinely ignored, at least in the bar business. You’ve got to have the right visa to work here as a foreigner.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 31/December/2020 @ 6:40 am
They took the cushions out of the covers, washed both, and put them out to dry in the sunshine. And they took the rest of the couch out to soak up the fresh air too. So, it appeared to be a thorough cleaning.
I am rarely in the living room so hopefully, I’ll never encounter the wet spot.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/December/2020 @ 6:41 am
‘Twas the day before Christmas
Yeah, my intention upon retirement was to travel back to South Carolina once a year for a couple of weeks to see the kids and grands. That’s really all there is for me back ‘home’. Didn’t make it last year and of course, this year has been a nightmare. The extended family is scattered around the country and I have little to no expectation I’ll see most of them again in this lifetime. Not that it matters.
I know you are close to your brothers. You guys may have to schedule reunions in some exotic meeting place periodically. Might as well if everyone has to travel anyway!
Merry Christmas, Kevin. Thanks for all the comments here and the advice you’ve bestowed over the years. I’ve listened to it all and actually taken some of it!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 25/December/2020 @ 7:24 am
Thanks, guys!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 23/December/2020 @ 6:58 am
Kev, well the Wednesday/Friday hikes are not pre-plotted like a Hash trail, so there is always a chance something will go wrong. There have only been a couple of other times like this one where I felt it got out of hand. We generally agree by consensus on a destination and I rely on the judgment of the oldtimers as to whether the trail will be within my limited capabilities. There is actually another hiking group for folks who prefer more challenging excursions (Guenter’s group).
Yeah, those were definitely Dao trees. We’ve got some in the hills around Barretto, but nothing as big as the ones we saw on this hike. The banyan trees are everywhere though and are quite interesting visually, no two being quite the same.
Brian, well it was MOSTLY fun, except for that last part. Barebacking up that mountain the only thought I had in mind was reaching my destination alive!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 22/December/2020 @ 7:10 am
Living, learning, looking back
«« Back To Stats PageYes, with age comes ever-increasing limitations on available choices. I’m definitely in the riding it out mode now. Still, the randomness of it all is thought-provoking, at least for me. In 2004 I was gung-ho on getting work with the military in Iraq, applying for lots of jobs. The only offer I got though was from Korea. Iraq would have been short term, maybe a year-long assignment. Korea changed my life. I thought marrying Jee Yeun was part of that destiny, but the fates had other ideas. And so here I am living the life I rejected when I chose marriage. Life for me at least has been a rudderless ship. Nothing but the illusion of control.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/December/2020 @ 10:18 am