Successfully completed yesterday’s Hash without injury. Except maybe to my pride. I’ve just got to face up to the fact that I’m one of slowest in the group. I can make excuses about my photo taking pauses, but the truth is on anything other than flat ground I struggle to keep up with the most of the kennel. Oddly enough it is the downhill portions that I’m particularly slow at. A little embarrassing yesterday to have everyone looking for an opportunity to get around the slow old guy. I just have a hard time keeping my balance (and my feet) on the steep declines. I always feel top heavy, squirrely, and almost out of control. Oh well. Let’s go to the pictures:
The “walkers” portion of the trail was around 7kms. Only one big uphill climb but the coming down was steep and slippery…
So we loaded up the truck and headed on down…
….the highway to the trail head (the runners ran this portion, around 3K)
And then we were “On-On”
And on up
Up on top
How now brown cow?
We meandered through the tall grasses…
And enjoyed views like this one before taking the steep way down…
You do need to keep your wits about you on trail. You can’t really see just how deep this trailside hole actually is, but one false step and you’d be seriously injured.
At the bottom the road was flat but flooded…
Pubic Head is one of the few Hashers as slow as I am. That’s good because it gave me someone to chat with as we marched along. He had a slip and fall on the way down the mountain. Of course, I reported it in the circle and he paid the price on ice. Them’s the rules…
The trail passed through my neighborhood. Actually it went right past my house…
On Home at Da’Kudo’s on Baloy Beach…
The ice is ready and waiting for the circle to commence. I avoided any time there this week…
The sun setting on another Hash…
Cheers to our newest named Hasher, Slot Licker (you get named upon completion of 5 Hashes). She’s a real cutie, but alas, has a boyfriend. Next to her is HIV, our Grand Master.
And finally, this week Wonder Woman got the Hashit. I’m still not entirely clear on the concept, but the song we sing starts “I got the Hashit, the Subic Hashit, for being stupid on the trail…” She’ll name her successor as Hashit next week…
And there you have it. Stay tuned for the next installment.
Was really surprised to see a light dusting so early in the season on my morning walk with Buddy today.
Honestly, this is something I never expected to see at all the Philippines. I mean, there’s not much accumulation but it’s still only early October.
So, from whence came this powder? I’m no climate change fanatic and I’m certainly no detective, but I think I’ve figured out what is going on:
Whatever the hell these plants are called, they seem to emit the fine dust I found on the road. It’s almost snow like…
But of course, it never snows in the tropics. In fact, we are just now moving into the hottest part of the year….
After finishing up my hike with Buddy, I came home and baked a cake. Yep, there’s another October birthday to celebrate.
This time it is Ru Ru’s turn…. She professed to being pleased with my offering, saying it was the first time that someone has baked for her. That’s what I like about virgins, you are always the best! Haha, easy to please, that’s for sure.
I carried the cake to Treasure Island where Ru Ru was working. I guess the jostling of the still warm cake caused that big ass earthquake-like fissure, but it didn’t impact the flavor, just the appearance.
Spareribs in the oven and the Hash is on tap for the afternoon. It’s shaping up to be another fine day.
I guess it’s natural to fall into habits and routines that fill the hours, however comfortably and well. Thinking back on my year in Pyeongtaek I was pretty much always in my WWD (working, walking, drinking) mode. And now I’m retired so you can see where that leaves me. I think the thing about working is that it changes things up day-to-day. New issues and problems to be resolved, meaningful interactions and intellectual stimulation. I’ve actually dreamed about work a few times recently so maybe my subconscious is trying to tell me something.
Which is not to say my current routines make me feel unsatisfied and unfulfilled, I think it’s just the same-same of everyday living that tends to create a feeling of boredom that I need to shake free from. Or maybe I just accept the new normal and try to achieve a sense of satisfaction with my life. It’s not so bad and I’m really not unhappy. I’m just comfortably numb.
I’m managing between 15,000 and 20,000 (sometimes more) steps everyday. It may be an overstatement to call walking “my hobby”, it’s just what I do. My motivation is primarily weight control (still under 200 pounds!) and staying healthy enough to eek out a few extra years amongst the living (BP is in the mid 120s and resting HR has been mid 60s, so it seems to be working). Other than the Hash though I don’t have much new to see during my 2+ hours daily road trips. I vary between my Baloy Beach, Barretto, and Subic town walks, but they tend to get old. Some days I’ll try a new side road but honestly I get a little uncomfortable walking through some potentially dicey neighborhoods. I guess it’s just my perception but I do stand out as the only white guy in these areas and encountering unemployed and seemingly desperate young men milling about makes me feel like a potential target sometimes. Nothing has ever happened to support those feelings of course. Yet anyway. Better to be bored than robbed perhaps.
I’m a thousand miles from nowhere and there’s no place I gotta be…
My nighttime activities find me hanging out in one bar or another, sometimes playing darts and others just buying lady drinks interacting with the bargirls. Oh, and like Justice Kavanaugh, I do like me some beer. I confine myself to the low calorie, low alcohol local brew however.
My best friend!
It’s always a little surprising to be reminded of just what a small town Barretto really is. I’m known by name even in places I rarely frequent. It can be a bit disconcerting to walk past the bars and have the doorgirls shout out “come in, Sir John”, especially when I can’t recall having ever been there before. On the other hand, it’s nice to see familiar faces and be greeted by acquaintances on the street or waitresses in the restaurants. I’ve been here less than five months but it already feels like home. And that’s a good thing.
They know me a Mango’s where I enjoyed this fish and chips dinner last night.
While I’ve quit playing in the Wednesday and Friday dart leagues, I still play in tournaments a couple of times a week. I like the freedom this provides me to do other things should I choose to without letting down the team. I’ve been playing pretty well, but I really need to put my home dart board to use by putting in some meaningful practice time. And time is something I have plenty of these days!
A first place finish is always nice!
Sometimes after walking and before drinking I’ll prepare some eats on the grill or in the crockpot. Fills some time and my stomach!
Pulled pork with cornbread is one of my mainstays…
And sometimes I’ll even do some dessert!
Like I say, I’m living an easy and comfortable life here. Nothing to complain about (other than boring ass blog posts like this one!). I’m leaving for the USA on the morning of the 24th (at 0200 to be precise). Will return two weeks later. So at a minimum I’ll have some new material to blog about. I’m formulating a plan to henceforth incorporate at least one out-of-town getaway per month. Sometimes in country, sometimes out. I think that will go a long way to providing a greater sense of fulfillment and satisfaction in my life. Who knows, maybe I’ll even find a girlfriend along the way! Hey, it could happen.
And I still have my sense of humor, such as it is…
Life is good.
There is no pain you are receding
A distant ship smoke on the horizon
You are only coming through in waves
Your lips move but I can’t hear what you’re saying
When I was a child
I caught a fleeting glimpse
Out of the corner of my eye
I turned to look but it was gone
I cannot put my finger on it now
The child is grown
The dream is gone
I have become comfortably numb.
Out in the shiny night,
the rain was softly falling
The tracks that ran down the boulevard had
all been washed away
Out of the silver light, the past came softly calling
And I remember the times we spent
inside the Sad Cafe
What a difference a year makes.
365 days ago I was on Boracay Island with the woman I loved…
…to celebrate her 50th birthday.
I thought I had it all figured out. Loraine would spend the rest of my life at my side taking care of all my needs. That’s why I had her trained as a certified caregiver. And the money I spent on massage school was a great investment…I’ve never had a better one anywhere!
Of course, it wasn’t all about my selfish wants and desires. I gave Loraine a generous salary, made sure she and her daughter Hana had health insurance and paid Hana’s tuition at a private school. I basically just tried to make sure they were both well taken care of. Seemed like a win-win situation to me.
But Loraine had other dreams and ideas. Unbeknownst to me at the time she was engaged in an online relationship with a man from the UK. And three weeks later he came to the Philippines and won her heart. And so it goes.
I don’t want to leave the impression I’m not over it, well mostly over it. I think what I miss most is that I clicked in a way with Loraine that I’ve not been able to replicate with any of the women I’ve met subsequently. That’s especially true in regards to having someone I can engage in satisfying and stimulating conversation. We also had some shared interests, including the long walks on the beach thing (cliche though it may be). It occurs to me that perhaps I’ll need to find a girlfriend for talks, one for walks, and perhaps another for darts. HaHa! There you go, just got to think outside the box!
Anyway, Happy Birthday to Loraine. May your future life in jolly old England be all you ever dreamed and imagined it to be.
The clouds rolled in and hid that shore
Now that Glory Train, it don’t stop here no more
Now I look at the years gone by,
and wonder at the powers that be.
I don’t know why fortune smiles on some
and let’s the rest go free
Maybe the time has drawn the faces I recall
But things in this life change very slowly,
if they ever change at all
It’s no use in asking why,
Things just turned out that way
So meet me at midnight baby
inside the Sad Cafe.
Why don’t you meet me at midnight, babe,
inside the Sad Cafe.
Grocery shopping, a morning walk with the dog, and of course the usual excitement derived from drinking copious amounts of beer. Does it get any better than that?
During our walks Buddy always takes the time to stop and smell the, well, whatever the hell it is that he’s smelling. He usually follows up by peeing on it…
Talking about excitement in the bars, this ashtray at Cheap Charlies was more than a little disconcerting:
It’s like a penis, only smaller!
And after the appropriate number of beers, I can be enticed to go to a videoke joint and try to sing away my blues:
People cry when I sing, even if it’s a happy song….
I guess the big news from today (so far anyway) is that I finally pulled the trigger on purchasing my plane ticket back home to the USA. I was on the fence about flying coach and being uncomfortable for 24 hours or getting ass raped for a business class fare. In the end I just decided “fuck it”, I only make the trip once a year and so I may as well do it in style. It’s only money, right?
And that’s all I’ve got from here for now.
You can close your eyes
And sleep away all your blues
I’ve done everything but lie
Now I don’t know what else I can do
Ah, the night time sighs and I hear myself
But the words just stick in my throat
Don’t you think that a man like me
Might hurt much more than it shows
Just send me black roses
White rhythm and blues
And somebody who cares when you lose
Black roses, white rhythm and blues
Yesterday I helped my friend Jessa celebrate her 30th birthday. Two other gal friends from Treasure Island joined in the fun. All in all a very nice evening.
Jessa had to work until 3:00 so I had a beer and bought her and her co-worker Kat a Jager bomb to jump start the party.
I had my driver Donny come by to transport us to Harbor Point Mall on the old Navy base where the festivities would take place. Once the gals were off duty I had to sit around and wait for them to change clothes. Luckily I’m a very patient man. *ahem*
But they were worth waiting for, don’t you think?
Left to right that would be me, Kat, RuRu, and the lovely Jessa.
So anyway, I told Jessa it was her birthday so the evening’s activities were all up to her. She chose seeing a movie then having dinner. We bought our tickets and had an hour to kill so we walked around the mall some. I took Jessa into the Samsung phone store and told her to pick one. I thought it spoke well of her character that she selected the A-6, a mid-range phone that also happened to be on sale. She was happy and excited to have a nice phone so I reckon that was money ($225.) well-spent. Kat said “I want it to be my birthday too!” which made me laugh.
Kat and Jessa acting like a couple of posers…
So this is the movie that Jessa selected….
Worst movie I have ever seen! I’m not exaggerating when I say that. Several people got up and walked out during the film which was my inclination as well. But of course I had to defer to the desires of the birthday girl. We sat through it all and afterwards Jessa said “that’s the worst movie I’ve ever seen”. That cracked me. Here’s a trailer if you are so inclined, I can’t stomach being reminded.
I’m not a reviewer so I’ll just say there was nothing at all I liked about it, other than the company I was with. It was filmed as if it were being recorded on a handheld video camera so it was jerky and uneven (reminded me a little of the Blair Witch Project in that regard). I also thought the characters were shallow caricatures of tired stereotypes and the actors were not convincing as supposed high school students. The story itself was lame and overwrought to the point of ridiculousness. Oh well, I’m glad I saw it in the Philippines. Four tickets were less than twenty bucks. Although I reminded of the old saw “I went to a $1.99 all you can eat buffet, but I could only eat a dollar’s worth.”
Anyway, we had a good laugh about it afterwards. And oh yeah, in the “it’s a small world” department, I’m standing in the lobby pre-movie and I see a familiar face walking by so I called out “hey Ken, what are you doing here?” I think it took him a few seconds to recognize me, but in all fairness I’m not the man I used to be when he knew me (no mustache now and less fat). Turns out he and his wife were there for the same movie. Ken and I worked in the same HR universe on Yongsan back in the day. He retired back in 2008 or so and moved to the Philippines with his Filipina wife. Until last night I hadn’t seen him since. He’s living on the Navy base these days and I guess life is being kind to him. It was cool running into him that way for sure.
So with the movie behind us we were off to dinner. I tried to tempt Jessa by walking her by the Korean grilled meats place I fancy, but she had her mind set on somewhere else. It was a few blocks away but we all hoofed it over there.
There are quite a few Korean eateries on the base (Hanjin has a shipyard nearby). This one’s sign cracked me up…seems like typical Korean reasoning….open 24 hours except for break time of 4 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. One of the girls asked why not just say open from 10 to 4? I had no answer…
This was Jessa’s choice for dining. I was a little surprised because it looks more like a coffee shop. But they had a nice outdoor dining area, a pretty good menu with various options, and what we ordered at least was well prepared. Not bad at all!
The happy diners…
The restaurant also had a small bakery which was a godsend seeing as how I had overlooked purchasing a birthday cake prior to departing the mall.
We did the one candle equals ten years thingy…
Ain’t she sweet? The cake was good too!
After dinner we headed back to Barretto. I had my driver drop me at Alley Cats for my beer fix and he took the girls back to Treasure Island. I think we all had fun. The gals want me to cook for them at my house soon and I promised that I would.
So, are you wondering about the potential for any future romance with one of these gals? Well, three of them are in their early 20s, so that ain’t going to work. Jessa at 30 is stretching it, but given the chance I might give it a go. She’s never given me any indication that she had any romantic inclinations towards me however. On the other hand, she doesn’t call me Kuya John like most of the young women I meet. She always calls me Gwapo (handsome). Anyway, having no expectations is a good defense against disappointment.
Just going to keep living one day at a time and see what happens next.
I had some really outstanding comments on the Living Dangerously post. As you faithful readers obviously know, LTG is as much a personal diary as anything else. I’m always frankly amazed that people follow my “trials, tribulations, and adventures” as recounted here. But the heartfelt comments and advice I’ve gotten along the way have meant so much more to me than you can ever know. So, I really wanted to acknowledge that and sincerely say thank you!
Aaron (a reader since 2005!) commented on the pending retirement of his parents and his concerns on how well they will fare in the transition. He’s following along with me for any insights he might glean from my journey. Well, it might be more of a “how not to guide, but my life here is pretty much an open book. It may be recalled that this is actually my second go at being retired, having originally stopped working at the tender age of 55 back on December 31, 2010. In that iteration, I was living six months in the USA and six months in Korea. And of course, I had my Korean wife with me back then. The first year was a busy one; both of my parents died, I bought and remodeled a house, and reestablished relationships with family and friends. And then things settled down into a comfortable routine which while sometimes boring, seemed like it was going well. The bombshell that my wife was unhappy in her life with me and wanted a divorce ended those dreams and that life. So I wound up going back to work for another three years.
This is my “do over” retirement. Before getting married I had planned on retiring to the Philippines. And now here I am. I’m still only five months into my life here so it’s a work in progress. I’m getting settled and slowly but surely finding my way. Yes, I probably spend too much time in the bars but at least I’m not one of those guys I see drinking at breakfast time (and I don’t drink at home either). The biggest void in my life I think is not having someone to love who loves me back. Finding someone who actually had some common interests would be icing on the cake (I’d really enjoy having a partner at the Hash for example). As commenter Kevin Kim has often advised I’m looking for love in all the wrong places. But the right kind of places are few and far between here in Barretto. So I need to expand my horizons and I’ve got some plans to do so, even if it means going back on the dating sites.
I don’t think I’m anywhere near as bored with my retired life this go round, but it’s still early in the game so we’ll see. I enjoyed my work but really don’t miss it much. The people and the social connections were really what mattered. I think it takes time to build something similar, but without the common bond of work that is much more difficult. Commenter Brandon recommends that I develop some hobbies and suggests gardening as an example. That’s probably not for me, but I do have darts and walking and will also be incorporating some travel into my lifestyle. So really, I think on balance I’m doing okay.
If I could just find a girlfriend! I think if I fuck up it’s going to be out of a sense of desperation. I had a bargirl friend who needed some extra money over to the house to give me a massage the other day (and that’s all it was, no happy ending!). And now there’s another woman who is friends with my helper wanting to provide me massage services. She’s married though and I’m not comfortable with that. On the other hand, tonight I’ll be helping a gal from Treasure Island celebrate her 30th birthday. She’s a sweetie and a cutie but I don’t have any illusions about why I’m coming to the party. To foot the bill of course. Her friend has already let me know that Jessa would love a new phone as a birthday present. And you know what, I don’t mind getting her one. I’d like her to remember her 30th as much as I do mine!
And I guess that’s the other thing about living here. I can afford to be generous. I’m very popular in the bars I frequent. But I’m also able to help out some folks when they are in need and that’s a good feeling. Just today I was asked if I could contribute some funds to help my downstairs caretaker who was recently hospitalized. I gave 2000 pesos (about $40.) which is no big deal to me but apparently will help him a lot in terms of getting the medicine he needs. Don’t get me wrong, I live on a budget but my budget allows me to live large by local standards. I’d say my standard of living is high compared to a large percentage of the expat community as well. As I’m often reminded, I’m a lucky man and in the bigger scheme of things what I perceive as problems are really meaningless.
I enjoy views like this one in my subdivision.
The steak dinner I prepared on my grill yesterday afternoon.
The dart tournament I won last night…
And who gives a damn if Subic thanks me for leaving their shitty little town. I’m a Barretto boy now!
So, yeah. That’s my life. It could be worse and it’s bound to get better. Thanks to my readers for joining me on the journey!
They will tell you you can’t sleep alone in a strange place
Then they’ll tell you you can’t sleep with somebody else
Ah, but sooner or later you sleep in your own space
Either way it’s OK, you wake up with yourself
I don’t need you to worry for me ’cause I’m alright
I don’t want you to tell me it’s time to come home
I don’t care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone
I never said you had to offer me a second chance
I never said I was a victim of circumstance
I still belong, don’t get me wrong
And you can speak your mind, but not on my time
I don’t care what you say anymore, this is my life
Go ahead with your own life, leave me alone
Sorry for the delay in providing your weekly fix of Hash photos and commentary. Dealing with some shit that has me somewhat distracted, but I’ll figure it out. Anyway, on with the Hash report!
It was a funny thing when I discovered where Monday’s trail had led us. I had just reported in my “Living Dangerously” post about my walk to the old Navy base along National Highway. Well, I was surprised to be back to where I had just been, except this time the getting there was up and over the mountain. And then we meandered through a big ass cemetery built into a hillside. The return trip was a mostly pleasant walk along the beach. So it’s good to know an alternative route the next time I want to take a long hike, although truthfully I wouldn’t attempt the mountain path alone. As usual, let’s let the pictures do the talking:
The route we walked, just under 7ks…
We had 38 Hashers so we filled the Hashmobile AND a Jeepney. Perhaps the most dangerous part of the Hash was getting across the National Highway without being run over.
Assembling at the trail head…
And we are “On-On”!
We almost immediately began a steep and sweaty ascent of the mountain…
But once we reached the top it was easy walking…
And the bay views were pleasant….
It’s always interesting to me to get a new perspective of the bay. To me, that’s the best feature of the Hash, going to places I would never otherwise find on my own.
Heading back down through the tall grasses. You need to be on the outlook for wild things that may be lurking about…
What madness is this? I was surprised to see we were actually going to hike through the cemetery…
I was a little worried we might be considered disrespectful. I mean we were actually marching on top of the graves…
I fell behind as usual as I paused for pictures. And then I fell (well stepped) off one of those concrete graves into a drop off I couldn’t see because of the weeds. Just a deep scratch was my only injury thankfully….
Blood on the trail…
Some nice views but I doubt the dead appreciate them much. Speaking of the dead, it was a little disconcerting to note that many of the “residents” were younger than me when they left this world. Mortality sucks!
The old Navy base as viewed from the cemetery…
After exiting the graveyard and crossing the National Highway we found ourselves on the beach. This was my first Hash where we actually walked the beach. And the beach portion was about half the Hash.
And it was rather pleasant…
A good day to be in the water….
We did have one detour off the beach through a small settlement…
Which was maybe a fishing village…
One of the resorts on the bay features this inflatable island. Looks like fun for the kids!
In due course we arrived “On-Home” at Midnight Rambler for the after Hash activities….
Custom made T-back panties were on offer. I asked “for a friend” if the came in men’s sizes. That cost me time on the ice for a “6-7-8-9 violation”.
Snake Charmer was recognized with a Hash vest for completing her 100th Hash. I wish I could find a gal like her!
And as I’m sure you’ve been waiting for, the requisite hot asses on ice photo….
Down in the dumps yesterday so I decided to take the LONG walk to the old Navy base. It’s about an hour each way but the challenge is there isn’t much shoulder so you have to be prepared to dodge Jeepneys, trucks, buses, and trikes. It’s actually a pain in the ass which is why I rarely attempt it. Sunday morning is probably the only time I’m brave enough for the hike since traffic is relatively lighter then.
A rare break in the traffic afforded the opportunity to take this deceptive photograph….
But it was nice to also get some new vistas, like this shot of half moon bay….
Anyway I really need to work on getting my shit together. Spending too many meaningless hours in the bars drinking beer. Yeah, it’s what I do to have some semblance of a social life. I really do have the type of personality that needs a significant other to fulfill me. Geez, I hate how that sounds. But I don’t want to get drawn into the dating a bargirl lifestyle. I’m going to have to suck it up I suppose and start trolling the dating websites again. That’s a whole other kind of depressing activity though. I just got to find a way to climb out of this rut.
Meanwhile, I continue on with the simple things that bring me pleasure. Like the crockpot chili con carne I cooked up:
It was surprisingly good, if I do say so myself. I like to use Rotel diced tomatoes with chilies but I couldn’t find any at the Royal grocery store. They did have a can of “Mexican style” sliced tomatoes, which worked out just fine. Very flavorful.
And finally, I would like to offer up a heartfelt apology to all of my faithful readers here at LTG:
