Comments Posted By John McCrarey
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Brian, yeah I may have just had an overreaction regarding Thailand. The first thing that happened was finding out that vaping is illegal. Smoking was fine inside and out, but vaping is a crime? Luckily, a random expat on the street warned me before the police saw me vaping away at a major intersection in Bangkok.
And then the King died while I was there. I’m sitting in a bar on some side street and the police come out in force and shut everything down. I’d never seen anything like it. Later in the trip, I tried to engage a bar manager about who would ascend to the crown. He told me harshly “shut up! It’s none of our business. You can go to jail for making the wrong comment about the Royal family. I don’t say ANYTHING about politics. I advise you to do the same.”
Anyway, those were my first impressions. But never say never. I might go back for a Hash event in Pattaya someday.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/October/2020 @ 6:52 am
Hey Kev, yeah somehow I knew braze didn’t seem right but I couldn’t be fucked with checking. And now I know I didn’t braise them either. I guess I just baked a coat of sauce on top. That doesn’t sound as impressive though! Yeah, I’m going to add some honey to the mix on my next batch of muffins…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/October/2020 @ 7:02 am
James, well, my standard has always been ” would we look ridiculous together”. I’m not sure I could avoid that with a young beauty. Still, I might take her out for dinner just to see how it feels…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/October/2020 @ 11:52 am
HaHa, Thanks Soju. Yeah, but after “cowgirl or doggie style?” what do you say?
Sadly, the Walrus is dead. Long live the Walrus! I do miss the life that was taken from me but I remind myself that I’d probably miss this one too if circumstances were changed.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/October/2020 @ 8:11 am
The Hash slogan is “we are a drinking club with a running problem”. That’s pretty accurate.
Yeah, the Hash songs and rituals are kind of silly in a friendly fraternity sort of way. I would decline to drink out of my shoe (hence, I never wear a new pair to the circle) but the sitting on ice isn’t really a big deal, just a tradition.
The gals do seem to enjoy themselves and some of them like to have a challenging hike too.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/October/2020 @ 6:26 pm
Hey James, not sure what happened. I always publish any comments I receive. Sorry for the mishap.
Well, I’m pretty sure some of these places will be back at some point. The problem is this town has been geared to foreign tourists. The expat community is just not large enough to support them all. Probably the bar doing the best based on my visual observations is BarCelona. It seems to always have a nice crowd. It’s new and clean, has a pool table, open air with a view, and Cheap Charlies prices.
Sometimes the thought occurs to me to open the kind of bar I’d like to frequent. But there is no way I’d actually take something like that on at this stage of my life.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/October/2020 @ 6:58 am
Hey, James. No, Steve the Englishman who doesn’t drink, is currently back home in Spain running his bar. What a whacky world, eh?
As for Patrick, we were both drunk. He’d lost his best friend Greg so wasn’t really himself. But I couldn’t sit there and let him bully my girlfriend either. I gave him the opportunity to take it out on me instead. He chose not to, which is a good thing. I’m a lover, not a fighter. 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/October/2020 @ 10:29 am
Yep, that’s where I stand as well. The governments are causing more harm than the virus ever will. It has saddened me to see how many people are willing to defer to the so-called experts as infallible and cede control of their life and liberty to them.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/October/2020 @ 7:11 am
I knew one of my readers would say that. I like the way you think!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/October/2020 @ 6:46 am
Peter, actually “mama” is pretty predictable in her movements. In the mornings she seems to prefer Baloy beach. In the afternoons a shady spot in front of a closed business. At “supper time” she is usually in front of Rico’s or Lluhimer’s near Queen Victoria. She does range far and wide though. I’ve seen her way up the highway towards Olongapo and also walking on the Subic side of the river. I probably can’t match her daily step count!
I think my decision to leave the bar was in an effort to avoid drama. I was kinda in one of those moods with a low tolerance for bullshit. If I thought the guy was really trying to get me to leave I wouldn’t have. But honestly, I need to do better about holding grudges and being a bit of a dick myself. Hey, awareness is the first step, right?
Thanks for your comment!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/October/2020 @ 7:14 am
Brian, yeah capable hands is the key. Wish I had some! I do remember the days when we’d carry a camera around but not a phone. So, having both in one package is a good thing even if the quality of the photos isn’t as good as it could be.
Kev, actually Simon is the Hare for this week’s upcoming trail and he told me he is bringing along his bolo to do some weed whacking.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/October/2020 @ 6:28 am
Yes, that’s true. Best we can strive for is to make things better than they were by being here.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/October/2020 @ 7:14 am
Mark, Aloha to you as well! I think a big ass implies that the boulders emitted would also be huge. But what do I know?
Brian, yep. I’ve got a friend who loves dogs. I’ve toyed with the idea of helping her set up a shelter so dogs like this might have a chance. But even then, there would be more dogs than the capacity for sure. I was really surprised there are no dog pounds here. Animal control responds to complaints about loose dogs by killing them. Spaying and neutering are also rarely done. I see dogs stuck together all the time and shake my head knowing soon there were be more pups on the street.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/October/2020 @ 5:53 pm
Damn, usually Grammarly catches my failures to hyphenate. Maybe the context of my shitty post was confusing to the app. Thanks for the lesson though, I do see what you mean. Curious though, with a bidet, you wouldn’t have to wipe those big ass boulders, would you?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/October/2020 @ 8:02 am
The thing I really appreciate about mama is that she never asks and always appreciates what you give. I’ve had a couple of beggars that weren’t satisfied with my offering. Of course, it was the last time they got anything. Ignorant bastards. I’d actually be willing to help mama more but she is a little mentally off. Even if I rented her a small place to call home I think she would still prefer street life. So, I give her food money everyday and she gives me an “I love you, papa”. Win-win.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/October/2020 @ 7:10 am
Between a rock and a hard place
Brian, yeah I can tell most of the time, but some are quite feminine in appearance. The clue for this gal is those broad shoulders I think.
So, the story goes there was a guy dating a ladyboy and his friend asked him why he believed she was a real girl. The guy answered, “I can feel it inside me”.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/October/2020 @ 5:27 pm
That’s hilarious. Been by there a few times, even sat in it once for a rest stop, but never noticed the lion’s head. Good one!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/October/2020 @ 6:48 am
Yeah, I’ve been using the slow cooker lately for my ribs then braze them in the oven afterward. Just bought some ribs yesterday and will consider all options, but I’m leaning towards “low and slow”.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 07/October/2020 @ 6:57 am
No, the other one, Teri, is the one with a green thumb.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 06/October/2020 @ 7:10 am
Hey, James. Really enjoyed your comment. Thanks! Let me try and respond to a couple of your points.
Yes, the beauty of my surroundings never get old. Some mornings when I’m feeling down I just look around and think how can I be depressed when I get see this every day?
I probably only cook a real meal 2 or 3 times a week, usually in the crockpot or on the grill. But yeah, I can take care of myself without relying on a wife. Hell, I can also pay for sex anytime I want! The neighbor’s wife is only the mother of 2, both grown. She still messages me like a stalker. Or that Fatal Attraction thing. As to who’s next, there are a couple of gals I’d like to try but both seem to be smart enough to know that would be a mistake. It’s funny you mention Mango’s–one of them is the manager there. Also, I first encountered my masseuse on the beach in front of Mango’s. She comes once a week. And so do I!
I am a loner of sorts. Other people around me, but mostly acquaintances as opposed to friends. I rarely get invited out and I almost never invite someone out to join me. But it’s all good.
“Thank you again for your writing. I should write a book about the things I learnt from this blog.” That made me laugh out loud! I wish I was learning some lessons from my repeated mistakes. Still, as a girlfriend once said to me–no man is totally worthless, he can always serve as a bad example!
Yeah, it was good to throw a decent game of darts again. Turnout is much smaller than normal though. And the dart league hasn’t started up again either. And you are right, the expat community won’t be able to support the current number of bars and restos profitably. I think the owners are just trying to hold out for the days when tourists are allowed back in.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/October/2020 @ 10:47 am
Kev, yeah. I suspect it may be a squatter trying to establish dominance. Looks to me like the plan is to have some agricultural endeavor–maybe banana trees.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/October/2020 @ 10:17 am
I don’t believe you have mentioned Budai because this post is the first I’ve mentioned the dog version by name. Interesting though. There’s quite a bit of Chinese influence in the culture here or at least inbreeding over the centuries. But I’m told depending on you pronounce it (boo-day or boo-die) it has different meanings in one or more of the Filipino dialects. I understand Boo-day in Visayan means “pussy” for example.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 05/October/2020 @ 10:14 am
Same-same but different is a good way to put it. I enjoy exploring new trails with the walking groups and we change up our locations as much as we can, but ultimately it’s all pretty much the same. Luckily, same is pretty damn nice!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 04/October/2020 @ 3:13 am
Thanks for the comment, Brian. I tend to be much more pessimistic than you appear to be. In 2016 I thought our choice was between a crook and a clown. I went with the clown and have been pleasantly surprised. I’m not a Trump fanboy and I do wish he’d tone down the rhetoric, but there is no arguing with his success…lowest unemployment (before COVID), record stock market, etc. But mostly I’m impressed that he had the balls to take on China and that he took steps to undo Obama’s efforts to nuclearize Iran.
Anyway, people see things differently and that’s fine. I don’t expect to see Biden elected and if he is I probably won’t live long enough to witness the destruction of the America I know and love.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 03/October/2020 @ 2:23 pm
Hey Soju, Mango’s becomes Gomans when there is a lockdown, if you get my meaning.
Is it okay to say thick as a brick?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/October/2020 @ 1:07 pm
Brian, I actually did look up how to say “chili with pork” in Spanish and saw that carne still works. Still, I won’t make that mistake again.
Kev, yep I am in full drama avoidance mode now. And there is plenty of it around to avoid!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 01/October/2020 @ 6:53 am
HaHa! Well, it is funny you mention that. I actually made that suggestion to one of our leaders and didn’t sense a positive reaction (although he also prefers an easier trail). So, with Guenter being the Hare next week I knew I would once again be looking at alternatives. I asked the leader guy if he was going to join me and where we should go, and he said Dan is doing the trail. I said I thought Dan was going to Hare with Guenter? Nope. Dan is the official Hare for the easy trail! Two Hares, two trails. This could be the start of something big!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 30/September/2020 @ 6:35 pm
Brian, you can say that again! 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 28/September/2020 @ 8:08 am
I picked up like six of those chairs at the local market for a birthday I hosted a while back. I’ve broken two of them now. Think they are designed with a Filiipina ass in mind. No big deal, they were cheap. Proving once again that you get what you pay for.
And yes, it’s a fact–being surrounded by nature’s beauty is what I like best about my life here.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 27/September/2020 @ 7:56 am
«« Back To Stats PageYeah, I wear the mask for appearances’ sake. The way I wear it renders it ineffective.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 26/September/2020 @ 2:42 pm