Comments Posted By John McCrarey
Displaying 181 To 210 Of 6,593 Comments
Looking down on my little town
Steve, you are right, the beaches are shit here. Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would come here as a tourist except for the bargirls. I’ve noticed in places like Siargao and Bohol they are lots of females amongst the tourists. I’ve never seen that around here.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 20/July/2026 @ 9:17 am
Steve, I think the expat crowd has remained pretty stable, but there aren’t enough of us to support all the bars and businesses. It’s the lack of Western tourists that is killing things. Most of the hotels fill up with Filipino customers on weekends, but that doesn’t help the bars.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/July/2026 @ 1:16 pm
Brian, great minds think alike. I had that Simon and Garfunkel song in mind when I wrote the post title. But by the time I finished the post, I had forgotten about it. I guess my mind ain’t so great these days after all.
Other than the ones who’ve died, I’d say the expat population has remained pretty steady. Tourist numbers are apparently way down. One restaurant owner told me they didn’t have a high season this year, which had a very negative impact on the businesses operating on thin margins. I’m not sure how many of the bars are staying open given the dearth of big-spending customers. Still, it seems when one bar closes, another opens in its place. The handful of expat hangouts, like Harley’s, seem to be doing well, though.
Yeah, I read a review of “Private Dancer” on Stickman’s website years ago. Never got around to reading it, though. I thought I’d heard somewhere that there was talk of making it a movie. Or maybe I dreamed it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 19/July/2026 @ 1:14 pm
Kris, that story about Mary was from six years ago. And she wasn’t technically a hooker (she wouldn’t have sex that first night). Anyway, that’s all part of my sordid past now.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/July/2026 @ 9:33 am
Brian, I would have understood if I tried to pay a 300-peso tab with a 1000-peso note, but come on, no change for a 500? Anyway, I should have just said, “Okay, I’ll pay you next time.” Yeah, I’ll concede to some pettiness, but the real issue was they didn’t have wine in stock; that’s why we were leaving. And honestly, we enjoyed our time at Tropical Zone much more (they even let me tap into the Bluetooth and play my music). Plus, they had wine and had no trouble making change. Why settle for less somewhere else?
Yeah, Barretto isn’t quite as bad as that video made it appear. Or maybe I’ve just grown accustomed to the way things are here.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/July/2026 @ 9:31 am
Drain, in the scope of frustrating things, this incident was small potatoes. Still, not being able to provide 200 pesos in change is beyond ridiculous. We didn’t stay as long as we normally do because they didn’t have any wine in stock. Um, I don’t get that either, but what do I know? Anyway, lots of options are available, and in the future we will be spending more time at Tropical Zone, a nice venue that provides wine and change.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/July/2026 @ 9:25 am
Coco, probably best to go back in time. Everyone is younger then.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 18/July/2026 @ 9:36 am
Coco, you should ask Gary’s wife for photos of Gary.
As for Spam detection, it is a very popular lunch meat. I detect it everywhere I go.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/July/2026 @ 5:37 pm
Maxwell, my doctor is very much aware of the fact that beer is part of my lifestyle. And your premise isn’t supported by the science. Here’s what AI has to say:
Yes, you can drink beer while taking Ozempic, but it’s important to do so in moderation. Alcohol can affect your blood sugar levels and may amplify some side effects of the medication
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/July/2026 @ 9:31 am
Jack, you do you. I’m sure there are plenty of chubby gals out there for you to emulate.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/July/2026 @ 9:28 am
Anonymous, I don’t think there is anything I’ve written that would offend Jessa. Six years ago, I was not the man I am today, and I learned some lessons from my mistakes. Six years ago, Swan was with her long-time partner until he passed away. Three years ago, our paths crossed, and we’ve been together ever since.
I don’t give a shit if you think I don’t deserve Swan. We are lucky to have each other.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 16/July/2026 @ 9:35 am
Jack, no one should beat a lady, rotund or not.
Semen Extinguisher works in fire control on a ship, hence the name.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 15/July/2026 @ 7:29 am
Anonymous, let me try to explain it to you…The post I was referring to about Jessa was from 6 years ago. She is now in a happy relationship, as am I. My only regret was not having been more open and honest with her at the time. It all turned out for the best. The past is the past, and there is no going back. Somehow I think you know that and are just trolling with this comment.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/July/2026 @ 9:44 pm
Drain, I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m wading. How do you know?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/July/2026 @ 3:27 pm
Brian, yeah, I was thinking about all the shit and germs that were in that water. Hopefully, after all these years, I’ve built up some immunity.
To me the value of allowance is that you can hopefully avoid the drama of being the cash cow. Here’s your money, spend it how you want, but don’t ask for more until next month. I don’t disagree about the inherent transactional nature in most relationships. I don’t have a problem with it.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/July/2026 @ 12:45 pm
Terry, I’d had a few by then.
I’ve never noticed any mold outdoors, but the streets get coated with green algae during rainy season. Indoor mold is rampant.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/July/2026 @ 12:41 pm
Hit the road, Jack. I’d rather be me than you.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/July/2026 @ 12:40 pm
Brian, yeah, I was surprised by her overreaction to what was an innocent interaction with a waitress. It seems to have blown over now, but I will try to be more careful going forward.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 14/July/2026 @ 12:47 pm
Honestly, Drain, I was feeling that way too. Yeah, I was wrong, but not wrong enough to kill true love. I’m glad she saw that light. I want to live drama-free in my old age.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/July/2026 @ 2:38 pm
Scott (Motorrad), thanks for sharing your thoughts. Swan and I visit several bars that we enjoy, and not all of them are the “girly” variety. Even in the bars with dancers, the girls don’t bother us. Actually, Swan is on a friendly basis with most of our regular waitresses and has no qualms whatsoever about us providing lady drinks. The misunderstanding that occurred at Thumbstar was because we had never been there before and Swan didn’t know that I knew our waitress, who Swan thought was being overly touchy. I honestly didn’t even notice and never touched her back. What Swan didn’t know was that I’ve “known” the waitress since 2010. When I explained that history to her, she said I should have introduced her. Yeah, except I couldn’t remember her name. Anyway, I’ll make sure no one touches me in the future.
No, I have some male Filipino acquaintances, but none that I’d call friends. Hell, I don’t have many expat friends either.
Anyway, Swan seems to enjoy the bars we regularly visit. Obviously, we won’t be back to Thumbstar. I bought some food for the gals at Red Bar last night, and one lady drink. Swan was on board with that. I asked about buying a round of drinks for the Jumpin’ Jacks crew (we were the only customers on a rainy night), and Swan suggested we give them each a 100 peso tip instead. So, they made more than the drink commission that way, and it saved me about half the cost of buying them all drinks. Win-win!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 13/July/2026 @ 11:04 am
Thanks, everyone. I believe the issue has now been resolved, and we are proceeding back to normalcy.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 12/July/2026 @ 9:24 am
Disappointed, I could have tried talking to them, but chose not to. I did not engage in any “explosive temper tantrums” or otherwise make a scene. I just finished my beer and left. I’m not the one who needs therapy.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/July/2026 @ 7:34 am
Drain, yes, I could have handled it better. At least I didn’t lose my temper or make a scene. I just walked away.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/July/2026 @ 7:30 am
Glenn, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 11/July/2026 @ 7:28 am
Rosemary, thank you for your feedback.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/July/2026 @ 4:46 pm
Brian, I’ve used my driver for drop-offs like that on occasion, but it’s a bit of a logistical hassle, especially if he has to wait a couple of hours for us to finish the hike. But yeah, that’s an option I will likely use again.
Totally agree that these guys claiming to live like the locals are full of it (bola-bola as they say here). No running water (pump it out of the well and carry it home), no internet, no aircon. Why would anyone choose that life? I spend way more than I have to, but as they say, you can’t take it with you, so enjoy it while you can.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/July/2026 @ 12:45 pm
Rosemary, my primary hobbies are hiking and beer drinking…I’m a walkaholic/alchoholic. I honestly don’t consider it cheating. Why buy all the ingredients separately when Betty Crocker puts them all together in a box?
» Posted By John McCrarey On 10/July/2026 @ 12:39 pm
Rosemary, yeah, I’m pretty lazy when it comes to baking, so Betty Crocker helps me out. It’s weird, but everyone seems to love my brownies, even though I cheat. Not everything I make comes from a box, but I do tend to take shortcuts when the opportunity arises.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 09/July/2026 @ 10:47 pm
Daeguowl, Wow! I really did enjoy that article. I’d met Mama Kim, but we were never close. Some of those money bills hanging on the wall have my name on them, though. Damn, I miss those good ol’ days.
Thanks for sharing the link!
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/July/2026 @ 9:58 am
«« Back To Stats PageBrian, the only Apple product I’ve owned was an iPod. I had like 17,000 songs on it when I left it on a bus in Seoul one morning. Oh, well. Having started with Android systems, I never felt compelled to try to master the Apple way. I’m probably not alone in that regard.
» Posted By John McCrarey On 08/July/2026 @ 9:56 am