No great insights derived from another day of living in paradise. But I did achieve a new way to dispense water.
Yeah, it’s good to have something new and exciting to blog about! In other news, Swan decided to stay home last evening, declaring it a “me day.” Well, I enjoy her company when I’m out and about, but I would never impose my lifestyle on her or otherwise insist that she join me every time I go out. Since I was on my own, I decided to visit the bars on my “no go” list to see if they warranted reconsideration. And it also proves I’m not a slave to my habits.
First stop, BarCelona. I’d 86’d this place mainly because they insisted on playing crappy music at a loud volume. So, upon arrival, I noted that the music was acceptable and the volume was comfortable. I also noticed that the place was deserted. I’m used to being the only customer, but yesterday there was only one waitress in attendance instead of the usual half a dozen or so. I asked my server what was up with that, and she told me the others are scheduled to arrive later in the evening. Ah, okay. That actually makes sense; no need to pay wait staff when there are no customers to serve.
As I was finishing my second beer, the bartender showed up, greeting me as she walked by. And then the music changed back to crap and the volume increased. I paid my tab and left.
Cheap Charlies had always been one of my favorite spots, but the bartender saying I was stupid to be upset when they didn’t have wine for Swan inspired me to take my business elsewhere. So, it’s been a few months since that incident, and I was alone, so I climbed the stairs to see what I’d been missing.
I was somewhat surprised when the offending bartender came and sat down beside me, saying It’s been a while since we’ve seen you here. Um, you said I was stupid, remember? She gave me a funny look, as if she didn’t remember that, and just said it was nice to see me again. Okay, I accepted the olive branch and gave her cookies and lollipops to share with the girls. Then I went back to enjoying my beer and the view.
And then I ran into a guy I had met several months ago in a bar on Baloy. I’d see him around occasionally, but last night we had a chance to talk, and he’s an interesting guy—Air Force vet who spent some time at Osan in Korea. He introduced his girlfriend, a nursing student, and said he has really settled into a comfortable life here. I’m happy things are working out for him.
After wrapping things up at Cheap Charlies, I was ready for some grub. Myleen’s is right across the road, so I headed there.
After satiating my hunger, I was ready to continue my journey to bars that pissed me off in the past. Next stop, Cyclone. Another place that put me off with inappropriately loud music during my last visit. I’m happy to report that was not the case last night.
Cyclone has a nice ambiance and bills itself as a “sports bar,” but I’m not sure they’ve found a niche to fill in Barretto. During my brief visit, several people popped in, looked around, and then departed. We’ll see how long they last. I watched a couple of the bored waitresses playing pool, and then finished my beer and moved on to my last stop of the night next door at Cloud 69.
It was good to see my waitress friend Sheryl back at work, so I bought her my first lady drink of the night. Once again, no other customers but me.
And that’s where my “me time” came to an end. Back home just before eight and in bed shortly thereafter. Early to bed, early to rise meant waking up at 4:15 this morning
A couple of hours later, after the sun came out, the view looked like this:
Another bar I choose not to visit is MacArthur’s. I considered going last night, but it was on the wrong side of town. I noticed they have outside seating now, which I like, so maybe one of these days. Anyway, it’s a small place and the owner fills it with attractive young women. Apparently, some issues have arisen with other unnamed bar owners, at least judging from this post on Facebook today:
It’s still May 2014 in the LTG archives, and in this post, I share my deep thoughts after observing the parking lot beneath my Seoul apartment balcony.
Today’s YouTube video features Reekay discussing dental care prices in the Philippines. I’ve been blessed to find one of the best dentists I’ve ever used right here in Barretto (Dr. Raymond Barrera). Much cheaper than what I used to pay in the USA and Korea.
Nine years ago, during my first-ever visit to Pattaya, I walked to Walking Street.
And maybe these will make you show your teeth:
And that’s all for now.
Our old dispenser was the [water-bottle-on-top] ilk. This model holds the water bottle inside. So, no more lifting that heavy bastard.
Wait, so this new dispenser is subject to the vagaries of your neighborhood water supply? I.e., the next time you don’t have any water, your machine won’t have any water, either? Just like your shower? Well… if you’re OK with that, then OK. Personally, I think the old bottle system is better. The bottles might be heavy, but they don’t disappear on you when the neighborhood water goes out. (Or am I misunderstanding what this is all about? Is this dispenser not attached to your neighborhood water supply?)
I was somewhat surprised when the offending bartender came and sat down beside me, saying It’s been a while since we’ve seen you here. Um, you said I was stupid, remember? She gave me a funny look, as if she didn’t remember that, and just said it was nice to see me again. Okay, I accepted the olive branch and gave her cookies and lollipops to share with the girls. Then I went back to enjoying my beer and the view.
I wouldn’t have been so forgiving. I’m not convinced that people change except very, very slowly and grudgingly. If she’s a tiger who doesn’t change her stripes, she could insult you again in the future.
But the [shredded-beef] enchiladas were delicious.
So shredded that I don’t even see the enchiladas.
After satiating my hunger, I was ready to continue my journey to bars that [had] pissed me off in the past.
Is this some kind of weird self-abuse? In Zen and the Martial Arts (Joe Hyams), Bruce Lee is quoted as saying he’d learned to stop wasting time with people not worth his time.
That said, I don’t think this post is appropriate either.
That sign could definitely use some proofreading for punctuation. Some parts of it are almost impossible to understand. And as usual, it’s because of fucking commas. And apostrophes. And semicolons. And everything else.
re: Reekay
When are you gonna go meet this guy? I think you’d both have a lot to talk about. Or are you more of a “never meet your heroes” kind of person? I can at least understand that.
Sorry, correction: Zen in the Martial Arts, not Zen and…
Senility.
John, in your current iteration, you remind me of a guy I used to work with in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. He pretty much hit the expat bars early and left by 7 or 7:30. Always mentioned how he was surprised that the bars stayed in business as he was usually the only customer.
I wonder how much of a different vibe the Barretto bars have later in the evening vs. late afternoon/early evening.
Re: Cheap Charlies – I am generally a pretty forgiving person, the waitress could have just been having a bad day when you saw her last. There have been times when I have said/done something I regret, and it would have been disappointing if the person held a grudge forever based on one interaction. But, you are spoiled for choice there, so if one bar pisses you off, I guess that there are a multitude of others to fill the void.
Re: homeless(?) guy drinking the dregs from the beer bottles. Wow!! How sad is that. :(. Put me out of my misery if I ever am living that low.
Brian, I think you are right that my early hours perspective might not reflect the true level of business in the bars over the course of the night. I guess I’ll never know! 🙂
Yes, I’ve known that bartender for years, and I’ve heard she can be a bitch sometimes. Anyway, I appreciate her wanting to put it behind us. I’ve always enjoyed the Cheap Charlies vibe (open-air, good music, nice views), but there are alternatives, and if they don’t have wine for Swan, I’ll go elsewhere.
That homeless guy going through the beer cases looking for a swig or two of beer is one of the more pathetic things I’ve seen around town. The really sad thing is that he was there when I walked by at 9:00 a.m. and still sipping away at 5:00. Guess it is a full-time job for him.
Kevin, regarding the water dispenser, you misunderstood. The bottled water is kept in the bottom of the dispenser instead of up top like my old one. We have the bottles delivered so that supply is unaffected when the water company lets us down.
Well, the bartender is what she is, and she showed me that. Still, she initiated an almost-apology, so I’m willing to accept that and move on. No point in carrying a grudge around. That said, I know what she thinks of me, and I won’t forget it in the future. I doubt I’ll ever be a regular customer again.
No, visiting those bars wasn’t punishment Zen. A rare evening out on my own, I thought I’d just check in to see if anything had changed since I crossed them off my list. As I reported, a couple of them had fixed what I didn’t like, but with so many choices available, there are always better options.
Reekay lives in Bohol, and a visit there is on my bucket list. When I finally make the trip, I might message him and see if he wants to meet up. I’m actually not that outgoing (I’m on the introvert side of the spectrum), but if he wants to join me for a beer, why not?
“the bartender showed up, greeting me as she walked by. And then the music changed back to crap and the volume increased. I paid my tab and left.”
Classic.
A smart bar owner might allow the only customer to select the music of his choice, within reason, until others arrive and express a different preference.
But that would make too much fucking sense…
Exactly, Drain. Some bars have me connect my Spotify playlist via Bluetooth. I’ve never had any complaints from other patrons about my classic rock mix.
And given the customer base in Barretto, at least during daylight and early evening, classic rock at reasonable volume really should be the standard at many, or even most, bars, with allowances made for variety and customer preference. Some staff just don’t get the whole “give the paying customers what they want, because you’re here to work and not to entertain yourself“ thing, and probably never will.
Cold beer (with no fucking ice!), good music, some snacks, AC or a good breeze, and friendly girls (even if they’re not stunners). It’s not a complicated formula.
Drain, yeah, I get it that a bar with dancers will play music the girls can dance to, but those aren’t the bars I hang out in anyway. That disco crap is shit, but when it’s played so loud you can’t talk to someone next to you, I’m outta there.