Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 661 To 690 Of 6,501 Comments
Kevin, that blind spot does lead to some dangling conversations, that’s for sure. Anyway, I see what you are saying now, but I can’t promise I will tomorrow.
I read the post you linked this morning and saw in the comments that mistakes like mine are both stupid and offensive. My sincere apologies!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/November/2025 @ 8:26 am
Brian, I tried to jump through those retirement visa hoops when I first arrived here in the PI and finally said, fuck it, and went the tourist visa route. People I know since then have used an agent and had no problems. So, if push comes to shove, I’ll go that route.
I’ve read some horror stories from Thailand about guys making that visa run and being denied re-entry. What a nightmare. The tourist visa here is pretty straightforward, 30 days free on arrival. Then a 29-day extension. After that, you can renew every 60 days for a fee and keep doing so for three years, then you have to leave the country. When you return, the process starts over. They just raised the price for a 60-day extension from 3000 to 4000. Oh well, that’s the price you pay for a life in “paradise.”
» Posted By John McCrarey On 21/November/2025 @ 8:21 am
Kevin, sorry to leave you dangling…
How about: Despite being an RSL member, I’ve only attended twice this year.
Or maybe: It was only the second time I’ve attended this year, despite being a member.
At least I got the commas right, right?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/November/2025 @ 3:08 pm
Kevin, I remember it now, and it was nice to re-read your review. I still haven’t seen it, though I’d like to.
Sorry, I can’t spot the error in that sentence. Help a friend out, please.
Yeah, I get a little wobbly at altitude. I can do a rickety bridge when the fall won’t hurt me, but high above the river makes me just wade across.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/November/2025 @ 9:24 am
Brian, it is like that time I asked a Filipina what the first thing was that attracted her to me. She blushed and said, “Well, to be honest, it was the bulge in your pants.” I smiled and looked proudly at my crotch. She said, “No, not that one,” and pointed at my wallet.
I’ve heard about that visa situation in Thailand and how some long-term visitors are getting screwed. Nothing like that is going on here, at least not yet. They are actually making it easier to get the retirement visa (lowered age). Whether they will make it harder for 8-year tourists like me remains to be seen. I hope not!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/November/2025 @ 9:18 am
Terry, Thanks for the update. Hopefully, the malware issues have finally been resolved. Being 81 is quite the accomplishment on its own…being 81 and going to the gym seems like a superpower. Well done!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/November/2025 @ 9:12 am
Aloysis, no idea about Flano. Gum Leaves is now called Wombat and hosts a “male entertainment bar,” which, to my knowledge, no one goes to.
Haven’t heard anything about Mo’s final resting place or a memorial service. He was born in November and died a couple of days after his 84th birthday. Just so you know, the bars were a hobby for Dave. He retired rich after a career in medicine and as an executive with the Siemens company in Germany.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/November/2025 @ 3:17 pm
Kevin, I’d say more of a Frank Sinatra…I do the Hash My Way. For me, I want to enjoy my hikes, and I try to stay within my limits. That’s how I keep it fun.
Yes, I think I could do a 20K-a-day trek, provided I had somewhere to take comfort (and have a beer or two) when the hike was over. It could happen!
HaHa! I didn’t pay much attention to the AI graphic in that meme. I come for the punchlines! 🙂
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/November/2025 @ 1:43 pm
Terry, I’m not sure about the white woman, other than she does stand out in a crowd of Filipinas. She was a Hash virgin this week, and I noticed her in photos of a weekend running event, so maybe she’s a tourist.
SiteLock does a daily scan and keeps finding and removing malware. As of this morning, I’m supposed to be clean again. We’ll see how long that lasts. Thanks for sticking with me while we get this sorted.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/November/2025 @ 9:47 am
Kevin, nope, Swan is not a runner. She’s actually not that fast a walker either. I was surprised that she wanted to participate in this run, but I guess the peer pressure from her girlfriends got through to her. She said she enjoyed herself, so maybe there will be more in the future. I doubt she will be out running every morning to get better at it. She’ll just go when her friends do.
I don’t know about abseiling, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Some of the “normal” Corona Hashes have rope-assisted climbs and descents. Good luck to them on this one, but I know my limits.
Welcome back and congrats on another successful Kevin’s Walk! I’ve got the postmortem read on my to-do list!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/November/2025 @ 8:58 am
Brian, yes, my understanding is that Dave was one of the original bar owners in Nana Plaza. What an extraordinary life he lived.
Well, funny thing is that was the first time Swan had done a run like that. Different than our hikes, it was an organized event. She got coerced into participating with her girl gang, but wound up enjoying the experience. I was not going to go out at four in the morning and stand around while they did their thing. It was a girls only event.
You know, it’s been so long since I have used American money that I hadn’t really thought about the ramifications of “rounding” the change. Even here, I hate coins. We have a jar at home we dump them in, and Swan will cash them in at Christmas time to use for our charity feeding.
If the Subic to Angeles hike were on or near pavement, I’d consider joining in and going at my own pace. These hard asses are taking an over-the-mountain route and have specified there will be “no concrete.” At this stage of my life, a hard hike followed by camping and sleeping on the ground is a definite no-go.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/November/2025 @ 8:49 am
Kevin, well, whatever comes next is unlikely to be as good as what once was.
From the roof, I have a clear view to the West, and a lesser view to the North. I don’t recall any sunrise photos because my house faces in the wrong direction.
I doubt I’ll be ordering a beer in French anytime soon. I do occasionally order in Spanish or Korean just to fuck with my waitress.
As Dave himself used to say, “Don’t take life too seriously. You’re not getting out alive anyway.”
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/November/2025 @ 10:27 am
Mangor, I have no idea what you are talking about.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/November/2025 @ 10:19 am
Brian, hopefully you are right about someone stepping up, but Dave was always well-connected behind the scenes. During the scamdemic, he helped reopen the Barretto bars (with certain restrictions) earlier than anywhere else in Luzon. And his charity work was legendary. His Filipino workers were crying last night, including the handyman who has a prosthetic leg thanks to Dave’s generosity. The man’s a legend. Dave lost his battle with skin cancer after a two-year struggle.
No question there are more bars than customers necessary to make a profit.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 17/November/2025 @ 10:18 am
Stephen, never heard Gary called that before, so his fame must be fleeting. I’ll pass along your message next time I see him.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2025 @ 8:30 am
Brian, yeah, for sure, none of those old buildings are salvageable. The workers were cleaning up the land, and the caretaker said it was for sale. They’d posted those no-trespassing signs since my last visit, and it does appear they ran the squatters off. What I don’t get is that, as nice as that spot is, the only road access is down a narrow block-long alley that wouldn’t allow two-way traffic—not seeing how that would work for someone wanting to build a new resort there.
Whiterock is a couple of clicks away, and I don’t drive. It does have a bar, but you have to pay an entrance fee to get into the resort—lots of better options closer to home.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2025 @ 8:29 am
Thanks for the update, Terry. I got another email from SiteLock saying, “Your SMART PLUS scanner has been hard at work! During a recent scan, it found some insecure code and automatically patched it. We are happy to report that your site is now secure.” Hopefully, the issues have been resolved completely now.
When I logged on yesterday, I was getting one of those screens where I had to click a box to “prove I was a human.” Did you see that?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/November/2025 @ 8:22 am
The high spark of low sole boys
Glad you enjoyed it, Dan.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/November/2025 @ 4:31 pm
Thanks for the heads-up, Bob. I’ve contacted my security support, SiteLock. Hopefully, this is resolved quickly.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/November/2025 @ 8:07 am
Oops, thanks, Drain. Yeah, I’ve heard nothing but good about Siargao Island. No matter how you spell it!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/November/2025 @ 3:05 pm
Kevin, there are worse hells than stormy seas with plenty of beer!
Swan won’t eat the mashed potatoes at Treasure Island because she says they come out of a box. I guess the veggies are better than that.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/November/2025 @ 12:45 pm
Brian, for the record, I have no issues with immigrants who obey the law of the land. People will flee their homeland in search of better opportunities, and there is nothing wrong with that, provided they do so legally. People born into poverty here in the Philippines have few avenues to escape it, other than to move elsewhere. I understand that and can sympathize. And it ain’t the Filipino immigrants in the UK and USA causing the trouble.
As for how Filipinos view immigrants like me, I can only say what I’ve seen: they are genuinely friendly and welcoming. I think they understand that foreigners help a struggling economy, and as long as we respect the culture and don’t abuse their neighbors, they are happy to have us. When I walk through a slum village, candy or not, I am always greeted with smiles, a hearty good morning, and friendly questions like, “Where are you going?”. If I can’t find my way, they are always willing to show me. I never feel threatened or unwelcome. That’s what I love about this country.
Preferring to live here or in the homeland is a matter of personal choice. My pension is more than adequate to support a middle-class American lifestyle. But I don’t want one. As I’ve said before, I find the States to be boring and vanilla compared to life in Asia. Yes, I miss first-world amenities sometimes (Kevin’s picture from his hike reminds me of how much nicer it is in Korea). Still, otherwise, I am not unhappy with my decision to live in a poor country and make it better for some of the locals because I am here. I’d much rather pay for someone’s college education than their electric bill every month. And as I tell my recipients, don’t pay me back, pay it forward by helping others.
Always enjoy the exchange of viewpoints, Brian. Thanks for that!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/November/2025 @ 12:27 pm
Martin, thanks for sharing your viewpoints.
I agree, you would not be a good fit in the Philippines. Enjoy the vanilla life in your homeland!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/November/2025 @ 10:21 am
Brian, what I liked about the video was that this guy chose to live amongst the locals and was accepted into the community. I’ve fantasized about what that life would be like, but I don’t have the balls to try it. Hell, I bitch about a crappy hotel room I retreated to so I’d have access to electricity. But my observations looking down from my hilltop palace are consistent with the qualities expressed in the video. People are kind to one another and giving, especially among family members. If someone has 1000 pesos and another has none, they will share so that both have 500 pesos. And when the situation is reversed, the other will give.
I think if given the chance, more Filipinos would leave. What this country lacks is opportunity. That’s why OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) are the country’s biggest export.
Yes, I do think the countries you cite are worse than the Philippines. The Brits and Aussies I’ve met here are not pleased about the degradation of their homelands. For example, in the UK, Muslim immigrant “grooming” rape gangs run wild, and the government does nothing. But if you complain about it on Facebook, the cops will come arrest you for “racist” comments. Orwell’s 1984 missed it by 40 years, but now the government is using it like a “how-to” guide.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/November/2025 @ 9:32 am
Seeking shelter from the storm
Thanks for your understanding, Mister Invisible.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/November/2025 @ 9:53 am
Brian, yeah, and next time I’ll upgrade to a hotel that doesn’t offer rooms by the hour. I didn’t even want to think about what that shitty mattress had been through…
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/November/2025 @ 9:53 am
Thanks, Coco. I’m safe and sound. So far.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/November/2025 @ 11:32 am
Kevin, I’ve seen it. Not over yet, but not as bad as some places.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/November/2025 @ 11:32 am
Brian, I know you’ve been to Thailand a lot. That’s where I was shocked by how many 7-Elevens I saw, especially in Pattaya—it seemed like there was one on every block. I didn’t frequent many, but they seemed like the typical convenience store setup. That’s how they are here in the PI, too.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/November/2025 @ 11:15 am
«« Back To Stats PageBradbury, you’re no Ray, but not bad. I’m not understanding the ending, though.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/November/2025 @ 10:04 am