Here I am in the infamous Angeles City “entertainment” district, and I’m not doing much that passes for entertainment. Hey, what else is new? As mentioned in yesterday’s post, I did not join in the Corona Hash hike. Instead, I went to visit an ophthalmologist clinic that Dr. Jo recommended. Well, actually, she recommended a particular eye doctor, but that person doesn’t work on Saturdays. The guy I saw was fine and confirmed what I suspected- I have a Stage 3 cataract in my left eye, and surgery to remove it is the only cure. I’ll need to make a decision about when and where to do that; until then, I’ll be essentially blind in one eye.
Some of the blurry things I saw on the way back to the hotel:
Then, it was back to the hotel for a nap and some blogging. When dinner time arrived, we headed out to Margarita Station, just a few blocks up the road.
After our meal, we went in search of somewhere to enjoy a drink and the Angeles nightlife ambiance. We passed numerous go-go bars, but neither of us was in the mood, instead preferring an outdoor venue.
We eventually settled on a venue I had enjoyed patronizing during those long ago Angeles visits.
After a couple of beers (and one wine), we continued making our way towards Walking Red Street. Phillies is another outdoor bar I’ve enjoyed in the past, but alas, it was packed full when we arrived last night. After a brief discussion, we decided we’d just go back to the hotel bar for our nightcap, so we grabbed a trike and headed home.
The hotel bar was empty, and none of the other Hashers had come back from the Corona Hash yet. We had a drink and watched some dramas on the TV in the bar. Yep, that’s how we rolled on a Saturday night in Angeles City. Jesus, what’s gotten into me?
Today’s entry from the archives of LTG is a July 2005 post about the party I hosted in celebration of Independence Day. Man, oh, man, those pictures brought back some memories. Mi Soon, one of the gals from Sweet Caroline’s, my first Itaewon bar home, was destined to become my first Korean girlfriend. Needless to say, that did not end well. Still, I wonder how her life turned out.
One of my cousins in Memphis, Tennessee, posted this old photo of my grandfather (my dad’s dad) on Facebook. Gramps died before I was born, so we never got to meet. He was a captain on a Mississippi (yay, got the spelling right on the first try!) riverboat.
Facebook memories took me back to my days as a river walker in Seoul.
Today’s YouTube video is from a vlogger I’ve never watched before, but I enjoyed her talk about whether visiting the PI these days is safe. As far as I can tell, it is as safe as it ever was. There are places you should never go, like Muslim Mindanao and places like Angeles City, where you need to be mindful of pickpockets and the like. Still, I’ve not seen any demonstrations or other civil unrest over the Duterte arrest.
And now I’ve got these to share:
And with that, I’ll prepare for today’s adventure with the Angeles City Hash House Harriers. Back with a report tomorrow.
The guy I saw was fine and confirmed what I suspected—I have a Stage 3 cataract in my left eye, and surgery to remove it is the only cure. I’ll need to make a decision about when and where to do that; until then, I’ll be essentially blind in one eye.
Sorry to hear about it. Good luck choosing a place. And Google AI says:
Some of the blurry things I saw on the way back to the hotel:
Must be nice to see your photos (relatively) clearly now.
Back to the infamous Barangay Balibago.
What makes it infamous?
Or maybe red alert. My situational awareness is definitely at a higher level than when I’m in Barretto.
The Korean says 소매치기 조심하세요/somaechigi joshimhaseyo, or literally, “Be careful of/Beware of pickpockets.” I love the improper preposition on the Filipino sign, though: “Be careful to the robber!” Yes, we wouldn’t want the robber to get hurt. Or to have hurt feelings.
I was surprised at how big it was and only ate half of it.
If you’d had a Korean mother of my mother’s generation (Korean War survivor), you’d have grown up with “You can’t leave the table until you’ve eaten all of your food.” Which is why I’m the man I am today! Gee, thanks, Mom.
Back at the hotel, I noticed we were being stalked by a moon shadow.
There was a lunar eclipse recently. Is this what you saw?
But at least I didn’t eat all of it.
Dieting doesn’t mean wasting food, though. I hope you gave the rest to someone.
From your linked 2005 post:
In a new twist on the traditional American 4th of July fare, Mi Soon has kimchi and bean paste with her baked potatoe (and eating on the floor Korean style)….
Dan Quayle approves of your “potatoe” spelling.
Good luck with the eye, with blood tests later on, etc. Good calorie deficit yesterday; let’s see whether you can sustain that for a few days in a row. With cataract surgery’s “near 99%” success rate, you might consider staying in the Philippines.
Bummer about the eye. Is this something you feel comfortable doing in the PI, or would you trek further afield (e.g. the US) to get this done.
Pretty sure that cataract surgery is a simple operation nowadays, but on the other hand, you only have two eyes, so you certainly dont want someone to f*** it up.
Good luck.
Brian, I had the cataract in my right eye removed a couple of years ago in Olongapo without issue. When I decide to pull the trigger, I’ll likely do it there again. My left eye is useless now, so even a fuck up won’t make it much worse. Unless I don’t wake up.
Kev, I read a link with the same info AI gave you. I need to see my way clear to cataract removal surgery!
I used “infamous” in the context of Balibago’s famed “entertainment.” That’s another name for prostitution and whore bars.
Yes, we were supposed to clean our plates because “people in China were starving.” We weren’t allowed to leave the table with unfinished food on our plates. I could handle that unless my mom served liver and onions. I still cringe just thinking about the taste of cow liver. We were poor, and it was cheap, so it was a frequent meal. I learned to sneak the meat to our dog when no one was looking.
No, I missed the eclipse the night before. I hadn’t heard about it beforehand.
Damn, I was spelling bad even before my brain turned into a potato.
Yes, I will likely have the surgery at Baypointe Hospital in Olongapo; that’s where I had the right eye done.