Actually, I got it in my head to walk TO the mall, which made me a highway walker. Not the best of ideas given the heavy traffic on this holiday weekend. Talk about a scary Halloween! The holiday of which I speak is known here as Fiestang Patay, or All Souls Day. It is the traditional day to visit the graves of loved ones, but from the looks of the hotel parking lots, a lot of people are spending the weekend at the beach.
Anyway, It was only a little over 6K from my door to the mall entrance. When I arrived I realized that I had forgotten to bring something very important!
A face shield. Worthless as a safety device, but mandatory for entrance to the mall. Once inside, everyone pretty much just props them up on top of their head. I’m sure they are just as effective when worn that way.
I wasn’t sure the face shield rule was still in force, but the guard at the door told me “no shield, no entry”. Where can I buy a shield, I asked. “Inside. But you can’t enter without a shield.” Alrighty then. I walked across the street to the 7/11 but they were sold out of shields. I circled the mall to the backside entrance and there the enterprising guard was selling shields for 30 pesos each. I bought the one pictured above from him.
Having gained the coveted mall access, I commenced shopping. I didn’t need much, but what I needed isn’t available in Barretto proper. I wound up having a pretty successful go of it, getting most of what I came for.
Socks, underwear, and some new shorts and shirts.Some new Bluetooth headphones, a notebook to record my daily health stats, brushes for my electric toothbrush, and a new pair of Merrell hiking shoes. Didn’t really need the shoes, but I was there, they were on sale, and the store actually had a pair in my size, so why not?
Harbor Point mall is just a shell of its former pre-pandemic self. I’d estimate that over a third of the stores have closed. I had planned on treating myself to an overpriced TGI Friday’s lunch but was surprised to see they were no longer in business. The same with a couple of other places I used to like to eat at. Oh well, the Burger King was open and it has been a while since I’ve enjoyed a Whopper. Except they only had one counter open during lunch hour and the line was long. Fuck that! I walked around a bit more and came to this place:
Well, how can you go wrong with a Wimpy’s hamburger?
I ordered the Super Burger with cheese. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this”
It wasn’t as big as it looks. Not even a full-sized patty, it looks like the chef took a bite out of it. They should have just called it a Quarter Ouncer.
Oh, well. That’s the way it goes. Took a cab back home and now I can prepare for a Halloween night on the town. I did that photo every 1000 steps thingy, and here they are:
Leaving my house.1000 steps to the backstreets of Barretto.2000 steps-leaving Barretto on the National Highway.3000 steps dodging traffic on the highway.4000 steps, still on the highway in Kalaklan barangay.5000 steps–I see dead people.6000 steps–on the grounds of the old Navy base…Arriving at my destination, Harbor Point Mall.
I did take a couple of pictures out of sequence along the way. Some roadside artworks…murals painted on the retaining wall.
Your guess is as good as mine.Again, no idea what this is supposed to symbolize. It looks a little scary to me.The walk stats.
And you can Relive it here:
That’s pretty much my day so far. Had a great chat with Pearl again this morning. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but damn, maybe there will be love in my future after all.
When I first moved to Barretto back in 2018, Rosies was a semi-regular stop on my bar crawls. In those days it was a classic girly bar: scantily-clad dancers available for takeout. It was somewhat smaller than its competitors but had a good vibe and some nice-looking gals. I was trying to remember if I’d ever taken a girl home from here before and decided that I had not. There used to be one girl that here that I was quite fond of, but if I recall correctly when I asked if she wanted to go with me she told me she was on her menstruation. Maybe she was or maybe it was her polite way to say no, but I never asked again.
As time went on I gravitated away from the girly bars altogether. I can’t remember the last time I was in Rosies, but it was pre-pandemic. Last night was a stark reminder of how times have changed.
An empty stage. Dancing in bars is no longer allowed under COVID rules. There were only five or six girls in the bar last night (back in the day there were probably 20 or more).
They had a couple of those big-screen TVs playing music videos, that was a nice touch. And it seemed a lot of the videos featured women in bikinis, so the old dancer bar vibe was at least somewhat in evidence.
The bar and additional seating…Bar love was still in evidence. Unless you are in a “no money, no honey” situation.
A couple of the girls last night were cute, but no one pressured me for drinks, nor did anyone come to join me at the table. My waitress gave good service, even brought a frosty mug for my beer which wasn’t very cold. Beers were 75 pesos, which is pretty cheap for this style bar. I was there early, so it could have been happy hour prices.
The only other customer and the pool table in the back. When I used to frequent the bar, the pool table was pretty popular with the customers, I think they even had tournaments. Not sure about now.
I stayed for two beers, which says something I suppose. It was not unpleasant to sit and reminisce about those happier days gone by.
But Rosie you’re all right – you wear my ring
When you hold me tight – Rosie that’s my thing
When you turn out the light – I’ve got to hand it to me
If I had been born a woman I would certainly have been a prostitute. Since I had been born a man I craved women constantly, the lower the better. And yet women—good women—frightened me because they eventually wanted your soul, and what was left of mine I wanted to keep. Basically I craved prostitutes, base women, because they were deadly hard and made no personal demands. Nothing was lost when they left. Yet at the same time I yearned for a gentle, good woman, despite the overwhelming price. Either way I was lost. A strong man would give up both. I wasn’t strong. So I continued to struggle with women, the idea of women.
Charles Bukowski
I’ve been thinking some about this life of mine. Yeah, that can definitely be dangerous. I’m lucky in many ways, and mostly content with the path I’ve chosen. I usually just immerse myself in my routines and live in the moment. What else am I going to do? But then something happens that gets me wondering about those things I might be missing out on, and my peace of mind is challenged by the dreaded “what ifs?”.
Yesterday was a typical day in most ways–the Friday hike, a darts tourney, and lots of beer. But I was also preoccupied with thoughts of “is that all there is?”. In a rare moment of self-awareness, I had to admit that as much as I enjoy my life here, I am, in fact, a lonely man. And yeah, I can usually chase away those blues by remembering all the women over the years who taught me the hard lesson that there are worse things than being alone. Some of those wounds have never healed, and my band-aids like the FWB program and bargirl company serve to distract me from the residual pain that comes from wanting what you can’t have. And then something (or someone) triggers me to ask “why can’t I try again?”. Well, the sad answer to that is because I’m a coward.
So, what triggered all this introspection? A combination of things I suppose. I had an early morning chat with Pearl, that gal I met on a hike with the Wednesday Walkers a few weeks back.
The day we first met she tripped all my triggers.Then I heard she had a boyfriend so I ran away before I made a fool of myself.
Although we had exchanged some messages periodically, yesterday was a lengthy and in-depth conversation. I enjoyed the hell out of it and it got my mind going down that road of “why can’t I have something like this in my life all the time?” Well, there’s that boyfriend thing, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be with Pearl. There must be other women out there who check all my boxes.
Then there was Facebook reminding me of the happy times I spent with my last Korean girlfriend, Eun Oke.
Of course, for every time we spent laughing there were two times that I cried…
And then we have the four-year anniversary of my proclamation of love for Loraine and her breaking my heart only twenty-four hours later. A record-shattering event I wrote about in a post appropriately entitled “FUCK ME!“.
So, I had lots to think about during the hike yesterday. Last year I made a couple of ill-fated attempts to have a loving relationship. Regular readers may remember Jessa and Iline. Both of them have found new loves and I am happy for them. I have some regrets about losing Jessa and I’m very thankful to have dodged a bullet with Iline. And so it goes.
During the hike, I saw something that may have been a message from God concerning my so-called love life:
An ambulance parked in front of a cemetery. “Sorry, his love life was dead on arrival”.
But hope springs eternal and you never know what is going to happen next. Near the end of the dart tournament last night I was surprised to see Pearl and a girlfriend come into the bar. I got them a seat near me a bought them both a drink. We had a nice chat, then I had to play a match. I’m not blaming being distracted by the beautiful gal watching me play for my loss. I didn’t care anyway. They had to leave shortly thereafter, but Pearl promised to come out for another tourney soon. She used to play some in Japan and I’m hoping to get her interested in playing again. We’ll see.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t get my hopes up.
Shortly after Pearl and her friend left Alley Cats, I got a message from Joy at Marick’s asking me to come visit. The bar is relocating and it was the last night they’d be open for a couple of weeks. How could I say no?
Joy was sweet and snuggly as usual. I could almost pretend she cares.
I went home drunk and conflicted and today I’m sober and conflicted. I’ll fix the first part of that equation later on when I do my next bar review. Had another nice chat with Pearl and was happy when she said she enjoyed watching me play darts last night and that my attempts at drunken humor didn’t offend her at all. I sent her this quote I like from Richard Bach:
“Like attracts like. Just be who you are, calm and clear and bright. Automatically, as we shine who we are, asking ourselves every minute is this what I really want to do, doing it only when we answer yes, automatically that turns away those who have nothing to learn from who we are,and attracts those who do, and from whom we have to learn, as well.”
I guess I’ve laid down the gauntlet now. We’ll see what happens next.
This is another recently opened bar. It was formerly known at General’s and shut down early in the pandemic never to reopen. Regular readers may recall that this was the place I was trying to get for Maris’ canteen–the bar would have just been for fun. Despite having a verbal agreement to take over the lease, someone else made a better offer I guess. Given recent events with the Kitchenette, I guess I should consider myself fortunate.
MacArthur’s (I refuse to use the improper capitalization on the signage) is a small place that is apparently another juicy-type bar. No pool table or other entertainment except for a handful of bargirls, although there were a couple of televisions. I arrived around 5:00 and was the only customer, perhaps they cater to a later crowd.
In its General’s iteration, I understand the bar appealed to a group of regulars in the fashion of a neighborhood pub. With bargirls of course. Maybe that’s what MacArthur’s is trying to replicate. It’s cozy small, but I imagine hanging out with some friends there might be fun.
It wasn’t much fun drinking there alone last night, but you can’t blame that on the bar. To her credit, one of the bargirls asked me if I had any music requests for her to play. That’s always nice, but I knew I was in a “one beer and out mode”, so I declined.
The stockings were hung from the bar with care, in hope that some sucker soon would be there.
Well, I wasn’t a sucker last night (or at least I wasn’t in MacArthur’s). My peanut vendor friend came in, so I bought 100 pesos worth of nuts. It’s always fun just to call out “any of your girls like penis?”
It’s nice to see Emmanuel back on the streets of Barretto. He’d been ill and hospitalized recently.
I didn’t have occasion to buy any lady drinks as most of the staff didn’t take much interest in my presence, despite being the only customer.
This cutie did come and plop down beside me. Didn’t say a word though, just kept on playing her game on the phone. Ah well, saved me some money anyway.
I don’t imagine I’ll feel compelled to return to MacArthur’s anytime soon, they certainly gave me no reason to want to last night. To be fair, when I posted these pictures on Facebook I did get a comment saying it was a fun place. Maybe I just have a bad attitude. Still, I know what I like in a bar and this one didn’t have much for me to like. Well, beers were 70 pesos, pretty much the average price in town these days, so there’s that.
I made my re-debut in the Barretto dart league as a member of the Lagoon team yesterday. It didn’t go all that well, as we lost the match against Viking 8-5, despite our starting out 3-0. In the previous match-up, Lagoon had won 7-6, so I guess maybe the difference this time was me. I wasn’t thrilled with my performance, that’s for sure. Worse, I made a mental mistake (throwing for points on a closed number) at a critical juncture in the game, contributing to our defeat. That’s the worst sin in darts in my opinion. Ah well.
So, the league starts at 2:00 which is the primary reason I quit playing a couple of years ago. Wednesday is a hiking day for me, and rushing home after the morning trek to shower and change clothes, then hurrying back out to the dart venue pretty much ruins the day. I opted to not hike with the group yesterday, doing something shorter on my own, but I don’t like that option long-term either. Well, I’m not sure what long-term is going to be at this point. Without me, the team will forfeit (heh, that can be my nickname–“better than a forfeit”). I agreed to play again next week, but I’m actively looking for someone to recruit as my replacement. We’ll see how that goes.
Lagoon and Viking are both hotels/bars out on Baloy Beach, so at least it gives me the motivation to get out that way more often for a change of pace. After darts yesterday, I went to Da’ Kudos and then finished my evening with beers at Johan’s. While I was at Da’Kudo’s, the 43-year-old woman I mentioned (and pictured) a few days ago walked by with a friend, so I invited them in to join me. It turns out she’s in the dart league too. We had some beers and some food, then they headed off for home. Nope, still not feeling it.
I did get to enjoy a nice sunset on the beach at least.
At this stage of my life, the last thing I want to be doing is dealing with drama queens. That’s one of the factors that makes it hard for me to get involved in a serious romantic relationship. I don’t know why, but Filipinas seem especially adept at stirring up shit by trash-talking about their fellow Filipinas. This seems to be especially blatant among the Hash gals. Why they feel the need to tear each other down is difficult to understand but it happens so frequently here there is even a name for it: crab mentality.
In other news, Maris posted on Facebook that she is looking for someone to take over the Kitchenette. Says she is “tired”. Well, it is her business and she can do what she wants, but I can’t help but feel disappointed by this decision. For me, it is yet another example of how difficult it is to help lift someone up and provide an opportunity for a better life. She said having a canteen was her dream, I assumed she’d be willing to work for it. Anyway, I made the investment in her, and once again my judgment has proven to be faulty. At least I tried.
I got drafted to be a substitute on my old dart league team this afternoon. One of the players (yep, a Filipina) just up and left without warning or notice. I really don’t like playing in the league, primarily because of the 2:00 start time, but my old mates were desperate so here I go.
What else? Well, I guess the FWB program has run its course. I was down to one member anyway. She has a young daughter that got a dog bite and needed the rabies vaccination. Of course, she didn’t have money and requested my help. I was glad to do so and asked for nothing in return. It felt good to be back in that mode. I’m going to return to doing selective charity and saying “no” when I don’t feel the circumstances warrant my intervention. I’ll keep my personal wants and needs separate. Another lesson learned.
I had lunch in Seoul yesterday. The Seoul restaurant on the old Navy base, I mean. Took the 23-year-old I’ve been goofing with and her sister along to celebrate the sister’s birthday. Had dakgangjeong, samgyeopsal, bulgogi, and some sides like kimchi, spicy cucumber, and macaroni salad. It was all excellent. I’m kind of losing interest in the young gal though. Just not feeling it, so why waste my time?
Well, I reckon that’s enough drama for one post, don’t you?
UPDATE: I visited Whiskey Girl last night (a Tuesday a little before 6 p.m.), and things have taken a real change for the better. There’s new management and ownership, for one thing. The bar features some dancers now, too. In fact, they will be hosting this SOB this weekend. Almost everything I complained about in the post below has been rectified. The girls were attentive and friendly; several joined me at my table. No one hassled me for a drink, though, and I only bought lady drinks for my “favorite” and my waitress. The music was classic rock and played at a volume that allowed conversation. I wouldn’t rate the beauty of the girls as better than average overall, but there were a couple of cuties. My favorite is no beauty queen at forty years old, but she has a very nice personality and is good company. That is what appeals to me. It just goes to show that I bar I had ranked in last place at one point is now ranked much higher. Good job to all involved.
That’s Jen. She gets my jokes and is fun to hang out with. I’ll be back just to enjoy her company again.
Whiskey Girl is one of the newer bars in town. I visited once when it first opened, saw that it was just a typical juicy bar, and never returned. Until last night. I’d finished darts a little earlier than normal, so I figured I’d pop in to do a quick review for my Bars of Barretto series. I was the only customer, and it was one beer and out for me.
Only about five gals working, and none of them caught my eye as being particularly attractive. On the plus side, there was no “buy me a drink” pressure, but on the other hand, I might have enjoyed a little company. Normally, a girl will at least sit down nearby so you can chat if you want, but not last night. One girl did ask me if I wanted to play billiards, I said not tonight, and she walked away.
I’m not a pool player but this appears to be a nice enough setup.
The music was blaring, almost to the point of being painful. What was painful was the Eminem rap music. I’m not sure what crowd there are going for in this bar, but the demographics of the Barretto expats (basically old white guys) make me think this would not be their preferred playlist. Granted, I didn’t ask that the volume be lower, ed or the selections be altered, so that’s on me, I suppose.
It appears they may occasionally do a live acoustic music show, probably on the weekends. I didn’t ask because there was no one paying me any attention.
Meanwhile, at the bar:
It is really not a bar, or at least not a bar intended for customer seating.
There was one pleasant surprise, though, my beer was only 55 pesos. That is the lowest price I’ve seen anywhere in town. Hell, even Cheap Charlies charges 60.
Anyway, I’d say the bar has potential, but it appears to be poorly managed at best. If you are going to be a juicy bar, get some attractive girls who are also friendly. If you want to be a hangout for people who like cheap beer and pool, promote those aspects. When I left Whiskey Girl last night, I went next door to the Out Back bar–it was packed with pool players. Same thing with the music; tailor it to the customer’s tastes and turn down the volume. A talented acoustic guitar player might work too.
Absent some major operational changes; I doubt I will be returning to Whiskey Girl anytime soon.
Yesterday’s Hash trail was surprisingly difficult. The Hare, Leech My Nuggets, had described the first climb as “only a hump”. I was expecting an easy hill but was reminded that some people call getting fucked a hump. So, yeah, that was quite a humping we had there. The alleged purpose of the hump was to avoid the flooded rice paddies in the valley. We accomplished that for the most part but there was still plenty of water flowing along the way. Well, I don’t suppose a walk in the park would be a proper anniversary Hash, now would it? Happy 28th to the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers!
There was a long and a short trail. My group did the short trail but added 2.6K by walking to the start rather than riding the truck.Our “sane” group. Not pictured is Pubic Head who is taking the picture.Leaving Alta Vista.On-On!Don’t give me that look!That’s the “hump” that proved surprisingly difficult.Thank goodness we were on the “dry” trail…One of several stream crossings.Heading up.Pubic Head humping it…The pause that refreshes.Water, water, everywhere!Greetings to you, Easter mountain!Going down at last.The Hare, to his credit, had brought his bolo and whacked down some thatch grass to give us a trail we could see.Making our way through the burning valley.Beauty……and the beast.On-Home at the Alta Vista community center.78 Hashers in attendance for the anniversary run, including visitors from Angeles, Manila, and Puerto Galera.The Subic Bay Hash House Harriers.Things are looking up.
Actually, they aren’t. But more on that another day.
Whoo boy! Earning my keep as the assistant to the Beer Meister meant lugging ice chests and cases of beer down the stairs at the Alta Vista clubhouse at 0730 in preparation for today’s Subic Anniversary Hash. Already sweating like a pig and haven’t even started the trail yet. Will be leaving for that adventure at 1100 so wanted to get in a quick post while I can.
Yesterday’s outing with the Angeles City Corona Hashers was a bit of a fiasco. My group shortcut the first crazy climb and avoided a dreaded creekbed walk that featured ropes to enable climbing over rocks. No thank you! What was surprising was as we were walking the remainder of the trail we encountered several groups of non-short cutters walking the trail in reverse. It seems they took a wrong turn at the top of the first climb and just winged it from there. Oh well, shit happens.
I thought the hike as we performed it was pleasant enough, around 4K and no major obstacles to overcome. I was surprised to find out that the Corona Hash Grandmaster, Egghead, paid for all the beer and food for the Hashers in attendance. That set him back a pretty penny for sure. The Pub supplied the tacos and they were excellent. The only problem for me is when these events commence so early in the day I’m wiped out before the sun goes down. More of that in my immediate future I’m afraid. I’m sure the other Hashers would tell me to “suck it up, buttercup”, so that’s what I’ll do.
A few pictures from yesterday’s outing:
Gathering forces at the VFW…And we are off!It seemed to be a well-marked trail. I think the confusion must have been from a lack of attention and then everyone following the leader.Up we go…My group chose the more moderate uphill climb.A nice view of Easter mountain…The thatch grass is still in full flower...On-On!Coming down…Steep in places…Doing the laundry country-styleTurns out they didn’t lead to heaven after all.Howdy cowboy! Hangin’ out at the On-Home Bella Monte hotel.I’d call it a cockfight, but somehow that doesn’t seem right…
That’s all I’ve got time for this morning. A report on today’s Hash tomorrow!
The view from my table at Blue Rock was the best part of my “date” yesterday.
Things just didn’t click with the older gal I met for lunch. That’s the way it goes sometimes. She looked better in her pictures than she did in person (at least with clothes on) but the reality for me was that I was just not feeling any kind of connection with her. I don’t expect there will be a second date. She’s still messaging me though so maybe I didn’t adequately convey my lack of interest.
I’ll be Hashing with the Angeles City group today. The On-Home is an old hotel across the street from Sit-n-Bull called the Bella Monte. I’d never even been inside there before, but yesterday I helped the Beer Meister move a dozen of cases of beer, five ice chests, and assorted soft drinks, from my house to the hotel’s poolside. It looks like it will be a good venue.
Speaking of Sit-n-Bull, it was just announced they are moving up the street to the vacant space the Lollipop bar used to occupy. Apparently, the landlord at the current location thought it would be a good idea to raise the rent during these troubled times. That didn’t work out for him. Good luck to Ron and his crew in their new home.
Tomorrow is the 28th Anniversary of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers and I’ve got the shirt to prove it:
The front……and the back.
That’s it from here this morning. Don’t miss my review of Dynamite Dick’s bar in the preceding post. Back with more tomorrow.
You’ll have a blast at Dynamite Dick’s! Yes, that’s an explosive pun, I hope it didn’t bomb. Alright, I’ll lower the boom and get on with the latest bar review.
Dick’s is rather unique among the bars of Barretto. I’d definitely put it in the “neighborhood pub” category, frequented by a regular crowd of locals who are served by a friendly staff and treated to the wit and witticism of the owner and bar’s namesake, Dick. The bar opens earlier than any other bar I know, around 7:00 a.m. It always trips me out when I go by on a morning walk and see folks having a beer for breakfast. It also closes early–6:30 p.m. last night. The bar has two or three waitresses on duty and that’s what they are there for–to serve food and beverages to the customers. They will gladly accept a drink offer but can’t entertain you like the girls in the juicy bars do.
About the only time I ever visit Dick’s is after one of our Wednesday/Friday hikes. The distance from my house and early closing is not convenient for me, but that said, I do enjoy the times I’m there.
I always sit at the outside table and enjoy watching the highway traffic and passerby.
I’m sitting in the owner’s chair in that photo above. That’s where Dick routinely holds court. He served in Vietnam with the Marine Corps and also was stationed here in the Philippines back in the 1970s. He’s always got stories and jokes to keep his customers entertained. He also routinely provides the table with a drink on the house. It’s a good time when Dick is holding court.
The bar features a limited menu, but it’s always good. The clam chowder is especially tasty.
The only time I ever go inside the actual bar is to use the CR. Let’s take a look:
Kind of an old-school look and feel…No pool or darts, just a place to hang out and drink.There is nothing PC about Dick’s.
It’s a good bar and a fun place to hang out, especially if you are a morning/early in the day drinker. Despite the fact that I don’t fit that demographic much, it’s always nice to be entertained by the owner. Even though he is a Dick. *ahem*
It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a darts post. Then again, it’s been quite a while since I’ve played. I threw pretty well for a guy who hasn’t even touched his arrows in over two weeks. One thing I have noticed is that those players dedicated and motivated enough to play often and practice have really improved their game. Nancy is a prime example of that. She destroyed me in our first-round match dispatching me to the loser’s bracket. There was a time when I pretty much owned Nancy when it came to darts. I wasn’t playing bad though and fought my way back to meet Nancy once again in the finals. This is a double-elimination format tourney, so I had to beat Nancy twice to be champion. Our first match in the finals was a hard-fought and closely played battle that went all three legs before I finally prevailed.
So, there we were. Nancy had beat me once early in the tourney and I had beat her once here at the end. One more match to play to see who was going to take home first place money (500 pesos for 1st, 200 for 2nd). I was tired and hungry and didn’t care about winning or losing at this point. So I suggested to Nancy that we call it a tie and split the first and second place money 50-50. She agreed and so that is what we did.
Everybody’s a winner!
One of the irritating side effects of whatever this is that ails me is that I frequently have a runny nose. It’s a little embarrassing to have someone hand me a napkin and indicate I’ve got a visible booger on my face. I decided to take some proactive action to rectify this situation last night:
Oddly enough, people seemed to prefer seeing the snot instead of the tissue. Go figure.
I had a “date” yesterday with a sweet 23-year-old. She’s a sexy girl, but damn, she’s so young it makes me feel a little creepy being around her. This afternoon I’m doing a first-time meet-up with a 43-year-old. She looks pretty good in the pictures she sent me:
I’m hoping to see more of her soon.
I’ll be sure to update y’all as things develop. Gonna be a busy weekend with Hash events, including a trail that starts at noon tomorrow. Stay tuned!
I’ve received some interesting feedback on my most recent FWB post. A commenter noted it seemed a lot like prostitution with a different name. Another reader emailed me some links about the actual human trafficking law in the Philippines and provided some commentary and analysis on how the law is implemented. It is certainly a law I do not want or intend to violate. Prison and/or deportation are not consistent with my life’s goals.
I think I’ve muddied the waters with my own sloppy writing. To clarify, FWB is not and was not intended to be about sex for money. I came up with the idea of friends helping friends in response to getting besieged with requests for financial assistance from people in need. I would help when and where I could, but I couldn’t help everyone all the time. So it seemed natural to choose to help the ones who were also willing to help me. My needs are pretty simple and basic. I enjoy some companionship now and then and I’m always up for a nice massage. I have girls join me on my hikes sometimes and some have been quite handy with massages. To me, that’s a win-win. Fulfilling each other’s needs created a comfortable relationship-like bond with some of my FWBs, a girlfriend experience without all the baggage. While in some cases things have become physical, there was never any coercion or other enticement–it was just what happens naturally between two consenting adults who care about one another. I hope that sets the record straight. If I wanted to pay for sex I’d make it easy on myself and hire a prostitute from one of the bars where they work. That’s just not my thing.
Alright then, everything else is pretty much the same as every other day around here. Did the bar visit at Outback (see the previous post) to start my evening, then did the pork chop dinner at Mango’s.
And I had this nice sunset for dessert. Yum!
A few more beers at Cheap Charlies then called it a night.
I’m feeling a little better I guess. One indicator is I started craving my vape last night. I resisted the urge, but the fact that I wanted to fill my lungs with water vapor again must be a good sign. On the other hand, I bailed on the group hike this morning. Just wasn’t feeling it. I was the only old slow fuck who showed up today and I fell behind on the flat ground where I can usually keep up. Once the climb started I knew I just didn’t have it in me today. Oh well.
It’s going to be a Hashy weekend. The Corona Hashers are in town from Angeles City for an outstation event. They are doing a bar crawl tomorrow and a run on Sunday. I plan to attend the Sunday event at least. Monday is the Subic Hash 28th Anniversary run.
Yeah, I’ll be getting a new Hash shirt in honor of the occasion.
The Hash Beer Meister is out of town, so I’ve volunteered my carport as a storage place for our beer supply.
And we’ll be drinking some beer it appears!
In completely unrelated news, a friend posted this meme about how McDonald’s has changed in old age:
She’s a youngster in her 20s. I shared with her how McDonald’s looked when I was a kid:
Everything changes…
Alright then, back to the real world for me. I’ll be back with an update on my so-called life tomorrow.
I don’t speak Australian so I had to look up billabong. I reckon you’d be likely to find one somewhere in the great outback. I have no idea why they made “outback” two words on the sign though. Anyway, the bar is part of an Australian-owned boutique hotel. It is one of the newest places in town, and although I’ve never stayed there, I’ve heard good things about the rooms. The bar is very nice, clean, and modern as well. I’m not sure why I don’t come here more often.
I got there early yesterday, around 5:00, and was told I was the first customer of the day (they open at 3:00). I was the only customer during the length of my two beer visit. There appeared to be about a dozen girls working, or at least waiting to work, along with my friend Bhel, the bartender. No lady drink pressure at all which I always appreciate.
The bar features at least six televisions, some quite large, showing sporting events, music videos, and the like.And of course, the requisite pool table.This couch-like seating area is pretty unique and looks quite comfortable.
Like most bars in town, Outback is struggling for customers. There are just not enough expats around to support the bar infrastructure. I understand that weekend hotel guests (usually from Manila) at least help fill some of that void. But until foreign tourists are once again allowed back in the country, the hard times are destined to continue.
As nice as the indoor bar is, my favorite place to be is outside the back door:
At the poolside bar. I used to come here much more frequently than I do now, but last night reminded me what I’ve been missing.Like this beach view.The pool is nice too.
This is a fine venue that seems ready and able to cater to whatever your bar preferences may be: Pretty young women to drink with you? Got ’em. Live sporting events on TV? Yep. Alcoholic beverages at a fair price? Only 70 pesos a beer. Open-air facilities? Yes, life’s a beach! It really is a great bar and has earned the top spot (so far) in my rankings.
Capistrano Falls that is. The Wednesday Walkers changed things up yesterday and had ourselves trucked out to the end of the road in Gordon Heights, Olongapo. Then we hoofed it up the mountain and down to the falls. A short, but challenging walk there and back again. The falls were certainly impressive enough, much more so than I’ve seen on previous excursions to so-called waterfalls. I’ve got some photos of the journey to share with you:
Up and down.Let’s get started!Crossing the creek…Up we go!Through the woods.Where’s John? (I was taking the picture…)Near the top of the climb we encountered the construction of some powerline towers.If you look closely you can see the workers clinging near the top. Damn, what a job!A bit further on we came to a recently completed tower. Impressive.Another view…I liked this tree. It was covered in red flowers on top. My poor photography didn’t do it justice.We came upon this abandoned house. Literally in the middle of nowhere. No roads, no power, nothing. Quality concrete construction and several rooms. The how and why it got there would be an interesting story I bet...Hey, look! It’s a waterfall!Betty enjoying the cooling spray…You can see how high this one was…not Jim, the waterfall.A much-needed shower!Water, water, everywhere!Ha! That’s the kind of falls I was expecting based on past experience.Alright, time to head back to the truck.You coming, Betty?I haven’t seen that much grass since high school…Another mountain view…We just reversed course and went back the way we came…Lunchtime at the construction site.Back to the outskirts of civilization.Across the bridge to the road…Thanks for having us!Eastbound and down, loaded up and truckin’, we’re gonna do what they say can’t be done...This post is standing tall and proud. Hope you enjoyed it!
Until last week, this bar was called Dive In. Not that you would know it by the signage.
Hideaway is aptly named, it’s not easy to find. It is situated mid-way down an alley off the highway, but other than the wall mural above, there is no signage. So, unless you just happened to look in the alley as you passed by you’d never even know there was a bar located here.
As seen from the highway. That small green sign is the bar entrance.
I’m sure most patrons of the bar discovered the place by word-of-mouth and perhaps more than any other drinking establishment in town, it has a neighborhood pub feel about it. Think Cheers.
I’m far from a regular here, in large part because Hideaway is 2,344 steps away from my house. I pass by so many other places along the way that I rarely make it this far down the highway. Oh, and as a side note, as I do these bar reviews I’ll be doing furthest/closest alternations, eventually finishing somewhere in the middle. Bet you can’t wait for that!
Alright, as mentioned above, the bar was sold last week to a long-time bar manager from Angeles City named Griff. He wasn’t there last night when I was, so I haven’t met him yet. No idea what changes, if any, he has in mind from the Dive In concept. Despite my limited past patronage, I was recognized by one of the customers, Wayne, the fiance of my ex-crush, Jessa. He seems to be a really nice guy and I’m happy for her. Jessa was actually the reason for most of my past visits to this bar. The only current employee I know there now is Ken (a female), but she was leaving just as I arrived.
Let’s go inside, shall we?
The front door isn’t particularly welcoming. I’m surprised there’s not a password to keep the non-regulars out.Inside the front door on the lower level is a nice pool table. Used to play with Jessa occasionally. Yeah, I miss her.Two or three steps up is the main bar area featuring a pretty nice darts setup.My side of the bar. I was shy about photographing the customers across from me.
So, a neighborhood pub where all the regulars know each other. Good music playing and the customers can request whatever songs they want to hear. Drinking companions are available if you so desire, and the lady drinks are comparatively inexpensive at 150 pesos. A cutie named Rose eventually came and sat down next to me, but I was already preparing to leave. My beer was also fairly priced at 70 pesos.
There is really nothing not to like about Hideaway. Since I didn’t know anyone other than Wayne across the bar, I wasn’t really engaged in the “regulars” banter taking place. Drank my two beers, listened to the music, missed Jessa, then called the bartender over to pay my tab. I handed him a 500 peso note for a 140 peso bill and he didn’t have change. Apparently, no one else in the bar did either. I saw him send one of the gals out with a 1000 peso bill, but she returned a couple of minutes without change. Then the bartender left the bar while I sat there waiting. And waiting.
Nothing to do but take a selfie while I waited. I think this pretty accurately captures my mood.
The bartender eventually returned with my change and apologized for the delay, explaining that everyone had been paying with large bills. Okay, it happens. I’m sure I’ll find my way back to Hideaway at some point in the future.
Hey, I just had a thought. I ought to start ranking the bars in my order of personal preference as I do these reviews. Why not? Here’s where we are thus far:
Sadly, I had to terminate another participant in my FWB program. Her crime? Excessive begging. Pestering me for money several times a week pretty much defeats the whole purpose of being an FWB. It’s a big turn-off for me and destroys the illusion of having a mutually beneficial relationship.
This gal was the nearest inductee into FWB and the warning signs were there pretty much from the beginning. I decided to give her a chance though. Then last week she kept after me to let her come over. I told her I wasn’t feeling well so it was a no-go. Then she asked for an “advance” on her next payment saying she lacked funds to feed her kids. I agreed to advance her 1000 pesos. On Monday she again started sending numerous messages wanting to get together. I was Hashing and couldn’t respond right away, but she went into the whole litany of her financial emergencies and begged me to let her come over. Tuesday is usually a good day for me to do an FWB hookup, so I eventually responded accordingly. Then she started in with a whole new line of begging–pleading with me to not deduct the advance I had given her last week. That’s when I knew it wasn’t going to work. When she arrived at my door on Tuesday, I handed her 3000 pesos and told her it was her severance pay. She didn’t understand what that meant, so I explained to her that I wasn’t responsible for supporting all of her needs and I didn’t want any more of her drama in my life. She just stared at me, still not comprehending, so I bluntly stated “I don’t want to see you anymore.” She nodded and left.
I’m not heartless and I did feel bad about it. But I’m not going to live my life being hounded by parasites. She’s the third one (out of four) that I’ve had to terminate for similar reasons. So, yes, perhaps my FWB idea is not as practical as I thought it might be. I’m meeting up with a new candidate on Friday and we’ll see how that goes. I may need to come up with a brand new plan.
I attended a birthday gathering at the Kitchenette last evening. Turned out to be quite fun. I know the birthday gal from darts, but I’m otherwise not that well acquainted with her. She’s become a regular at the Kitchenette though and she generously sprang for two cases of beer which made for a festive evening. Sadly, it was also a “bon voyage” party as she will be joining her boyfriend in Sweden next week. Good luck and best wishes to you, Beng.
The birthday gal.Some of her friends.Party food.
And that was my day. It could be worse, I could be this guy:
As seen on PowerLine: How long can the charade of “President” Joe Biden go on before senior officials in Washington start to chat amongst themselves about how to end it? This 14-second video below shows Biden trying to talk over the band that has started to play, and DOCTOR Jill Biden walking quickly up to him to stop the embarrassment. It sounds like she says “Look at me,” following which the “President” begins to wander off aimlessly and looking confused.
I don’t want to downplay the gravity of the situation, but yesterday’s Hash trail did not result in my downfall. It could have been pure luck I suppose because the going got steep on the downhill run, and yet I somehow managed to keep my feet despite the efforts of Mick Jaggar and Keith Richards to undermine me. If you get my meaning.
Anyhoo, for the most part, I enjoyed the trail. We started on the familiar backstreets of Barretto, did a challenging but moderate climb I’d done before, and then took a new way down that I reckon I will never voluntarily try again. Finished with a stroll through Marian Hills, then up to Alta Vista, and concluded our hike on Baloy Beach at our On-Home venue, Da’ Kudos.
Hopefully, the photographs will tell the story better than I can:
A 7K trail, one major up and one hellacious down. Our sane group shaved about a kilometer off towards the end, mostly to save time–all the runners who started after we did had already passed us by. The street walking was easy enough–no ifs, ands, or butts about it.And then we started the climb.Longish, but not too steep.Except if you are an old geezer with failing lungs. But truthfully, I felt alright on trail yesterday for the most part.Show off!Can we play too?And then the downhill from hell. Or was it to hell? You can see some of those Rolling Stones I mentioned earlier.Doggy Style didn’t seem to have any trouble. But then, he has four legs.Defying gravity.Almost down.Made it!Some of the proud survivors…All in a day’s hike.Then a stroll through Marian Hills……then back up into Alta Vista.Our Hash circle on Baloy Beach.Brothers in arms.And so concluded another Hash day.
Also the closest bar to my house, a mere 1,338 steps away. Queen Victoria is on the National Highway near Baloy Beach Road and the border to Subic town. It’s also one of the largest bars in town with a big room in the back where the live music is performed. The front half of the bar features a pool table and two dartboards. It is fully staffed with attractive and thirsty waitresses, but I have never encountered any “buy me a drink” pressure from them.
When Queen Victoria first opened, I was a semi-regular there. The owner is a Brit (big surprise, huh?) and it was a nice place to chill and chuck some darts. In fact, I was planning to host a weekly tournament there. That didn’t wind up happening due to circumstances beyond my control. The owner returned to the UK shortly before the pandemic travel restrictions hit and the bar has not fared well since his departure. I’m honestly surprised it has managed to stay in business at all. I was the only customer on a recent Saturday night and I could hear the band in the back warming up. I’m thinking “why?” and “how much are they paying for live music no one will hear?”. I personally don’t really enjoy loud bands in a bar. It’s tolerable at Queen Vic because they play in a separate room. Just not my thing but I know others like the live shows.
Sorry the photo came out so dark. That’s the band stage in a room that would likely seat up to 100 people comfortably. We’ve been using Queen Victoria as an occasional Hash venue in this room as well.The pool table area. Queen Vic participates in the pool league and there was some type of tournament taking place during my visit.A nice darts setup, the only downside being the CR is in the corner on the left. People going for a pee and walking through a game in progress can be a bit distracting.
So, bottom line is that Queen Victoria is a friendly place and has the potential to be a whole lot better. Hopefully, that will happen when the absentee owner is allowed to return to the Philippines.
In the meantime, I’ll drop in on occasion for that last beer before heading home.
The view from my breakfast table at Harley’s this morning.Tit for tat, the breast pancakes in town!
I guess that shows you where my mind is at. No big surprise there, though.
So, it’s Hash Monday which means breakfast is about all I have to post about today. I did get the first “Bars of Barretto” entry completed, you can scroll down to the next post to read about Redz Pub.
I also come across a new way to burn calories:
I don’t recommend this method though.
And while we are on the subject, I couldn’t help but think of Kevin Kim and his quest to lose weight on his cross country hikes when I saw this one:
I most DEFINITELY do not recommend this method either!
