It is always good to be back home, and I reckon that’s a pretty strong indicator that I’m generally happy with my Barretto life. La Union is nice, and I’ve always thought of it as a potential alternative should I ever feel the need to move on. This is the third year in a row I’ve attended the LUH3 Anniversary Hash run, and it’s still an enjoyable change of scenery. The three-plus-hour drive getting there ain’t much fun though.
Speaking of which, when you are unlicensed and carless, this is one way to get around:
- Rent a vehicle for the weekend from one of Swan’s friends: 3600 pesos
- Fuel for the vehicle: 3000 pesos
- Expressway tolls: 1900 pesos
- Payment for driver: 5000 pesos
- Lodging for driver: 1900 pesos
- Food money for driver: 1000 pesos
- Total for getting there and back again: 16,400 pesos ($280)
That’s the way I roll these days.
We once again enjoyed our room at the Go Resort in Bauang. Clean and comfortable, complimentary breakfast, and friendly staff. My only complaint is that the Wi-Fi sucks.
Here are some photos from yesterday:
Then it was time to hit the highway.
After our return home, we joined our next-door neighbors, Jeff and Davina, along with the other side neighbors, Martin and Joss, for a home-cooked meal.
And yes, it was good to be imbibing San Mig Zero once again. In moderation, of course.
Lots more adventures on the horizon: a day on the river in Botolon on November 8, a week in Surigao at the end of November, the Haggis Hash in Pozorubio in December, two weeks in Vietnam to kick off the new year, and a Valentine’s Hash in Baguio come February. Yeah, I’ll work on filling in some of those gaps. Life is good, live it while you’ve got it!
I’ve reached the end of November 2014 in the LTG archives. I was depressed back then, and re-reading those old posts was depressing. My wife, the woman I loved, was not going to rejoin me in the USA, so I was working diligently to find a job in Korea to facilitate my returning home to her. And I finally got a job offer as a contractor, pending USFK approval. I had a roommate move in to my house in anticipation of him becoming the renter when the job came through. So, the month ended on a relatively high note.
I even wrote a song, or more aptly, reworded one:
In my mind I’m going to South Korea,
Riding on the Blue Line,
Having galbi with some rice wine
And it seems just like a friend of mine
That I’ve left behind
Yes, I’m going to South Korea in my mind.
Jee Yeun she’s my smiling sun,
Want to hike with her and watch it shine,
Watch her climbing Bukhansan.
The lonely fear’s disappearing now,
I’m flying, ain’t I?
I’m going to South Korea in my mind.
There ain’t no doubt in no ones mind
That Seoul’s the finest town around,
The cars and the bars it all suits me fine.
And hey, babe, we’ll be together,
I’m trying, ain’t I?
I’m going to South Korea in my mind.
Dark and lonely late tonight,
I think I might have heard Incheon calling.
Want to catch that flight and drink some Hite.
And signs that might be omens
Say I’m going, going
I’m gone to South Korea in my mind.
I’ve done my best to make this work
But I’ve got to cross that ocean soon
And it seems like I’ve been far away forever,
You must forgive me
If I’m up and gone to South Korea in my mind.
Needless to say, things weren’t destined to turn out the way I had hoped.
The Filipina Pea brings us the news from the Philippines in today’s YouTube video. Jeepney’s disappearing? I’ll believe it when I see it. They are also building a mass transit rail line from Manila to Angeles. Drove by the construction near Clark on my weekend travels and noted no progress had been made whatsoever in the last year. As I say about the alleged Barretto bypass highway, work may be ongoing, but no one seems to be in a hurry. I’m not going to live forever, you know.
Let’s try these on for size:
Another Hash Monday is here; let’s see if I survive it.
And here is that James Taylor song I bastardized. At least I was in Carolina when I stole it.
All those Substack English lessons for naught. I suck as a teacher.
• Life is good, live it while you’ve got it!
• Jeepney’s disappearing?
•They are also building a mass transit rail line from Manila to Angeles.
All three of these errors have been covered multiple times. Why do I bother? Because hope springs eternal. And because I’m the stupid guy slamming his head repeatedly into the wall while expecting different results. You should read up on passive-aggressive behavior sometime.
Otherwise, La Union sounds like a 7 or an 8 out of 10.
@Kevin – layman’s definition of insanity. LOL
@John
Re: Brazilian
The joke I heard about Brazilians:
During the Gulf War, an aide came into the Oval Office and whispered in the presidents ear. “Mr. President, just received news that 3 brazilan soldiers were killed today.” The president turned white and almost went into shock. “OMG!” He turned to his aide and said, “And how many exactly is a brazilian?!”
Glad to see that you are mixing things up and planning on getting more out and about in the coming months. Variety is the spice of life. Too easy to get into a rut.
Kevin, A student’s inability to retain what you have taught them doesn’t make you a bad teacher. So, stop slamming your head against the wall. Since I’m not intentionally failing, I don’t think the passive-aggressive definition fits.
I’d be happy to go back and re-read the lessons covering the cited errors if you will provide the BOE/PTOSP reference number.
Brian, no matter how often an old joke is used, it will still be worthy of a Brazilian laughs.
As for getting out and about, yeah, I’m running out of time, so I need to do it while I can. Besides, my readers deserve to read my drivel from some new perspectives.
Where you going in ‘nam, mate?
In December, it’s going to be cold and wet anywhere north of Nha Trang.
Greg, we’ll be in and around Da Nang…
Dan Nang? I’ve been thinking about how humanity is a vicious ape willing to commit great evils once it’s given permission to.
And how the permission-givers are even more vicious and evil and all of our systems, no matter how well meant, will be bent to their aims.
Then I realize I’m totally for Anarchism.
Whatever you say, Pete.
I’d be happy to go back and re-read the lessons covering the cited errors if you will provide the BOE/PTOSP reference number.
I’m on a walk right now, so I don’t have the time or energy to do your research for you, but you are free to look through my Substack archive to find the relevant posts. Besides, I should never have to lead another adult by the nose.
Hint, though: these problems have all been repeatedly handled in BOE. You saying you haven’t retained anything? As Biden might say, “Come on, man!”
Oh, I think there’s a great deal of stubborn intentionality behind your forgetfulness. Feigning innocence doesn’t improve my impression. Every time I ask you what a clause is, for example, you refuse to answer. So: What is a clause?
Kevin, I asked for the references because even though you said the sentences were wrong, I couldn’t see the errors. Hard to research when you don’t know what you are looking for.
• Life is good; live it while you’ve got it! (I changed the comma to a semicolon.)
• Are Jeepneys disappearing? (I added the “Are” to the question.)
•They are also building a mass-transit rail line from Manila to Angeles. (I put a hyphen in mass-transit.)
I’m not sure whether those are the fixes needed or not.
I wish I were feigning forgetfulness. Grammar and punctuation rules are the least of my problems. I’m struggling to remember people’s names and places, and I’m having a hard time recalling how to do simple tasks that used to be easy.
My favorite clause has always been Santa. But the other kind is a group of words that contain a subject and a verb. Some clauses have rejected monarchy (independent) and others are on welfare (dependent).
Anyway, I’ll try to accentuate the posítive.
Hard to research when you don’t know what you are looking for.
So basically, someone needs to teach you how to study. You comb over the material you’ve covered and look for patterns that match the possible errors. Did I make a comma splice? Did I leave out a hyphen? Did I forget a period or a comma? What you’re really looking for, and what all lazy people are looking for, is to have the answers handed to you so you don’t have to make the effort to think. But if I simply hand you the answers, then you’ve learned nothing. Knowledge has to be both learned and earned.
But congratulations on FINALLY giving me a decent definition for what a clause is! This is a red-letter day! Now—which of the following are NOT clauses?
1. …after Kevin farted.
2 …until plants grow brains
3. Staring intently into the microscope,
4. …can’t be done without KY jelly.
With the “Jeepney” question, you made two corrections, one of which was unnecessary (adding “Are”), and the other of which was accidentally correct: don’t pluralize with an apostrophe! Jeepneys, not Jeepney’s. That’s the correction I was looking for.
And remember: independent clauses stand on their own; dependent clauses cannot and are therefore incomplete thoughts that depend on independent clauses to be complete.
indep. clause: You need a bath.
dep. clause: Because you stink, …
Complex sentence (has both independent and dependent clauses):
Because you stink, you need a bath.
Wanna stop the brain deterioration? Stop soaking it in alcohol. Easy. Simple. Just this one weird trick!
Kevin, aren’t they all?
Beer is a preservative.