It occurs to me on this, my 15th day in country, that this is longest period I’ve ever stayed at one time. It definitely feels different. Not quite home yet, but then again, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt at home anywhere. At least since the marriage ended.

It’s different in a good way as I’m starting to feel like a member of the expat community now. I see people I know around town and we exchange greetings and it’s just a nice feeling somehow. I’m learning shit too. Had a nice long chat we my neighbor Bill yesterday and he gave me some good pointers on the best way to wire money here. Good stuff to know.

Another new friend is Jerry, who lives out my way on Baloy Beach, plays darts some, and is an avid walker. We had a nice long chat last night at the Alley Hideaway darts bar. He’s been living here for over 12 years now and he pretty much knows everything about everyone it seems. I mentioned my attraction to a certain waitress at Treasure Island and he apparently knows them all by name. When I fessed up that it was Joana I was craving, he said he couldn’t blame me for that. But, as I suspected, Jerry told me she has at least one boyfriend and will be joining him in Thailand soon. Ah well. He advised me to just be patient and the one that is right for me will find me. So yeah, that’s what I’ll do.

Speaking of the Alley bar, I got fitted for my Alley Cats dart team jersey last night. WooHoo! It will be good to be playing league darts again, that’s for sure. Played in a tourney last night and there’s another one tonight, and again tomorrow afternoon. It’s for sure a lot cheaper for me to spend my time with dart pals instead of thirsty bargirls!

Not exactly sure what is going on with “my” house. I still haven’t seen a contract yet. Landlord is in Manila which doesn’t help matters much. Gem is doing her best to facilitate getting things done as promised. So hopefully there will be some movement soon. The caretaker let me inside for another walk around yesterday and I took advantage of the opportunity to snap some photos.

Two voids I need to fill in the kitchen…a stove and a refrigerator.

I’m gonna be lovin’ the view while washing dishes…

A spacious living and dining area. There’s actually an alcove not included in the photo where I’ll set up my television (also to be purchased).

The downstairs bathroom is rather unique. It’s pretty much an open-air shower set up. I think it looks pretty cool, but I’m already thinking it creates easy access for mosquitoes and the like. I doubt I’ll rarely if ever shower in there though.

Instead I’ll be using the handy master bath with a walk-in shower.

The master bedroom is plenty nice with built in closet/storage space and a great little balcony featuring the awesome bay view I’m paying a pretty penny for…

Anyway, that and two more bedrooms and a bath completes the package. Hope things turn out. Because whatever thought I had of saving money by moving upstairs from my current place to a more spacious and well-appointed apartment were dashed by this:

That’s the only access road to my current digs. Rainy season seems to have kicked off with afternoon thundershowers. We had a pretty good rain last night. I took a trike home which is good because otherwise I’d have been swimming across Lake Baloy to get home. This photo was taken this afternoon when the waters had receded enough to get around the edge without wading. That will not be the case once the rains come in full force. No thank you!

That’s it for today’s snapshot of life in the Philippines. It’s far from perfect here, but it is also oh so much better than the pathetic life I left behind.

There’s talk on the street
It sounds so familiar
Great expectations, everybody’s watching you
People you meet
They all seem to know you
Even your old friends treat you like you’re something new

Oh, my, my
There’s a new kid in town
Just another new kid in town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAy49P8Tjuw

Two weeks into my life of leisure, where do things stand?

Well, I’m living large. Too large? Maybe still too much in the tourist mode, but I’m not bleeding red ink so it’s all good. I do keep track of my expenses on a handy phone app, here’s how it breaks down thus far:

Rent: 22,000 ($440.)
Eating out: 16,500 ($375.)
Transportation: 13,000 ($260.)
Drinking: 12,500 ($245.)
Charity: 10,000 ($200.)
Groceries: 7300 ($145.)
Domestic help: 5,000 ($100.)
Shopping: 4300 ($86.)
Entertainment: 2450 ($45.)
Phone: 1100 ($22.)
Laundry: 1070 ($21.)
Medical/Pharmacy 950 ($19.)
Hair/Feet 90 ($1.80)

So, double those totals and I’m still well within my monthly budget. When I start eating in more often, that should reduce food costs some. Rent will be going up of course. And I suppose if I have the good fortune to find a girlfriend, that will inevitably reduce my fortune somewhat. Just need to be sure she is worth it!

I walked on the old Navy base yesterday, and found this little piece of Korea inside the Harbor Point mall:

Korean culture is huge here. The girls love the K-Pop and Korean dramas….

Sad to report a pretty disappointing night out on the town last night.

These two sweeties from Alaska bar were the highlight of the evening. They assisted me in distributing kisses to all the dancers. Hershey’s kisses that is…

Of course, I wasn’t going to sit there buying lady drinks all night. I ain’t quite that lonely yet. So I moved on to a bar I hadn’t tried before called Rolling Stone. The minute I sat down, some random bargirl joined me at the table. I tried to explain that I wasn’t interested in her company, but she ignored my entreaty and began stroking me. Well, that rubbed me the wrong way (ahem) so I quaffed my brew and left the joint.

I really don’t like drink pressure. I’m generous enough and I’ll buy at the time of my choosing. Ask me and I’m unlikely to buy at all. I’m better off sticking with the hotel/resort bars where the staff has no incentive to drink on your dime. And of course, the dart bars are a refuge as well. Anyway, I did go back to Treasure Island for a night cap. Joana (a gal I’m smitten with) seemed more aloof than usual which turned my already sour mood more dour. Finished the night drinking alone at Lagoon Resort.

Yeah, I’m looking for love in all the wrong places, I know. Speaking of which, I reactivated by Filipina Cupid account today. What could go wrong?

Whatever it is, you’ll hear about it here first. Stay tuned!

This pretty much captures the sentiment underlying my move to the Philippines:

I’ve sacrificed enough of my future lamenting the mistakes of the past, don’t you think?

One giant step forward is reaching a decision on where I’ll be laying my weary head in the future. And so I have.

The approach…

The view from the street…

The front entrance…

The “other” side of the house…

The back side features a dirty kitchen/maid’s quarters on the bottom, a balcony on the first floor living area, and a balcony off the master bedroom…

But this view is what ultimately sealed the deal for me. Even better from inside the house. Every day I will wake up and be reminded of why I came to the Philippines…

So, the house is not perfect. It’s been vacant for over a year and needs some serious maintenance. The landlord promised to get right on that and said it should be move in ready in two weeks. I’ll be responsible for providing two a/c units for the upstairs bedrooms, a refrigerator, and a stove. I’m sure I’ll need to fill out the existing spartan furnishings as well.

The rent is 45,000 pesos a month ($900.). That’s at the top end of what I had budgeted for housing. I can afford it but obviously, every dollar spent on housing is one less available for other things, like travel. Anyway, I’ve got sufficient savings as well, so I’m not going to have to curtail any of my retirement dreams in order to live large in this large house. And besides, did you see that view! It’s worth it to me and that’s what matters most.

Stopped in at a local pharmacy this morning to get something for my LBM (liquid bowel movement). I thought it would run its course, but last night was as bad as ever. Anyway, the pharmacy gave me a one week regimen of antibiotics (without a prescription!) and some other pills to take after every poop. Here’s hoping that firms shit up.

My own personal pharmacy. Hey, as long as it keeps me on my feet and active, I’ll be happy.

Fitbit has indicted me for collusion with the Russians. Apparently.

This badge represents a lifetime distance of 5,772 miles—the same length as the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia! With an achievement this big, it looks like you’re en route to destination fitness.

Ah well, I’ll continue on being a self-satisfied smug bastard. Thank you very much!

Or as we say in the Philippines “Tagay!”

While I was enjoying my solitary breakfast this morning at Arizona resort it occurred to me that it feels like I’m still on vacation. I was wondering how long that feeling might last, and then I thought “Hell, wouldn’t it be great if everyday for the rest of my fucking life felt like a vacation day?” Here’s to hoping that’s the case.

Ten days into this new life now and in some ways it’s starting to feel like home. I’ve got my regular hangouts where I’m always greeted with a hearty “welcome back, Sir John!”. Yeah, they’re bar staff and they work for tips, but still. Actually, I had a pleasant chat with Jerry, the manager of Treasure Island where I spend quite a bit of my “bar time”. And Barretto being the small town that it is, I’m also on a first name basis with a few of the local expats. So that’s nice. I’m sure with time I’ll integrate myself more fully into our happy little community here.

Anyway, the house search continues apace. The one across the street that I posted yesterday is a no go. The owner responded to my email yesterday saying she had decided that she only wants to sell, not rent or lease. And sure enough this morning I see the sign has been modified crossing out rent and lease.

The beachfront house viewing has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning. I did a walk-by yesterday and I’m not too hopeful that it will meet my needs. As I said it is very pricey and from what I saw, not worth it. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised, but I’m not counting on it.

Tomorrow afternoon I’m meeting with the owner of some houses in the coveted Alta Vista subdivision. My understanding is he has three. And if I got the right information from the security guard, this is one of them:

The front.

The back.

The long view.

I walked by this morning and took a closer look without actually trespassing. It does not appear to have an occupant, although there is furniture inside. Both are good signs if I’m correct in my assumption. I like the location in that it is the first house once you come through the security gate, so that makes for easy access. Whether it is high enough up the hill to afford the views I’m hoping for remains to be seen, but I’m thinking at least from the upstairs I should have bay and mountain views.

One downside is that it has a smallish yard and it is not fenced. That raises some security concerns (although the house is within view of the guard shack) and also makes my dog plans more complicated. I’ll ask the owner about fencing at least part of the yard. Otherwise, I really like the place and can picture myself living there for the long term.

So that’s today’s update. Yeah, how about that. Daily blogging here at LTG. Well, after all, I do have more hours to fill these days. Now I can bore you loyal readers to tears more often.

Cheers!

Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

I’d be a failure as a doctor. I have no patience.

Yesterday’s interview of a potential driver got off to a rocky start when he showed up one hour late. Yeah, yeah, I know all about “Filipino time”. But the one quality I require of an employee is reliability. His pricing seemed a little high as well. Anyway, I have his number. He can wait for my call. And wait.

No response to the text I sent inquiring about the house I’d love to call mine in Alta Vista. I’m going to ask a Filipino friend to call them and see what’s up. Meanwhile, I’m scheduled to look at a beachfront house tomorrow morning. It’s pricey at 45,000 pesos ($900.) per month. We’ll see if it knocks my socks off. Otherwise I will keep looking.

This just became available (or at least the sign went up yesterday). I’ve emailed an inquiry. It’s right across the street from where I’m currently living. I love the big fenced yard which would allow me to get a dog or two, something I’d really like to do. I crave companionship and loyalty, rare qualities in the human species these days. At least for me.

Speaking of which, let me introduce y’all to Ester.

Ain’t she sweet? There’s no denying we make a great couple.

I’m proud to call Ester my partner. In darts. We took a third place finish last night!

Yeah, yeah. I’ve been here over a week and still no girlfriend. What’s wrong with me?

I’m just going to have to be patient. All good things come to those that wait. I’m just hoping that my investment in this farm pays off soon:

It could happen! This is the perfect environment for money trees….

Or as the locals call it, LBM. I assume that’s liquid bowel movement which is an apt description for what ails me. I’ll just have to be patient I suppose while it “runs” its course. Ahem.

Anyway, it made for an early Friday night. I was able to enjoy the Son’s of Baccus (SOB) dance contest however before exiting for the comfort of my home based toilet.

My photography skills were not up to par, but here’s a taste of the competition:

Tonight I’ll play in a darts tournament. And I *might* have a lead on a sweet house in Alta Vista subdivision.

The view I aspire to. The view to which I aspire. One of those.

Onward!

Wrapping up my first week of being retired. Where does the time go?

Well, last night I spent some time in the bars. Primarily Voodoo and Hot Zone. Voodoo was a big disappointment. The lineup of dancers was for the most part plus sized. That’s okay, I’m not there for the “take-out” anyway. But before I could even order up my first beer two gals came off the stage and hovered around my table giving me those big doe eyes which translates to “buy me a drink”. No thank you!

I moved on over to Hot Zone which is almost always a fun place to hangout. The dancers are actually talented and seem to enjoy putting on a show. I know I enjoyed watching them. Later some hashers came in and one of them actually remembered me. I mentioned I was now a named hasher and of course he asked what name? I proudly stated “Cum Together” but he didn’t seem too impressed and indicated that after my fifth hash with the Subic Bay kennel odds were good I’d be renamed. I honestly don’t care one way or the other.

So when it came time to take a piss I was surprised to encounter a rather unique urinal:

Hey, when you got to go you got to go! I actually found it quite funny and posted the photo to my Facebook. A couple of folks said in the comments that it was inappropriate and “not cool!” I responded fuck your PC bullshit. I moved to the Philippines to escape all that SJW melting snowflakes crap.

Of course, if I was still working that’s the kind of photo that could create some problems for me. But I ain’t working no more and I will post whatever I please thank you very much.

What else? Well, my balikbayan box has arrived in Manila. Now to figure out how to get the big ass and heavy thing up here in Olongapo. I’ll worry where to put all the contents of the box in this small apartment later.

It appears to have come through relatively unscathed.

I actually need to make a trip to Manila to initiate my retirement visa application so I’ll try and arrange to bring it back with me then. Maybe next week.

I’m interviewing a potential driver in the morning. I don’t need one more than once or twice a week for shopping and the occasional trip to Manila. I went to the grocery store yesterday and the taxi charged me 400 pesos, which is inclusive of the “foreigner tax”. I expect a Filipino would have paid 300-350 for the same ride. I’ll tell your what though, I’m not going to be one of those guys who get incensed over what amounts to 50 cents. Still, I’d like to have a reliable driver I can call on when needed with a prearranged pricing agreement.

Speaking of the supermarket, Royal Duty Free, I was a little bit disappointed. It’s a big store but the selection of things I would normally buy was limited (or maybe I just couldn’t find them). Prices were higher of course than what I’m used to paying in the commissary, no surprise there. But really, with the exception of meat, not really outrageous. For example, I like to snack on Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts. I was paying about $5.35 a can on base, and at Royal I paid $6.60. Again, not too bad.

I was really unhappy with the fresh vegetables, especially the total lack of celery, one of my favorite snack options (sometimes with peanut butter). Oh well, next time I’ll try the other large supermarket, Puregold, and see what they stock. The store appears more upscale so perhaps I’ll find more of what delights me.

Really though, after seeing how much meat costs I might be better off eating out at the multitude of dining establishments right here in my neighborhood. Especially unless and until I purchase a grill. My crockpot is packed in that balikbayan box, so that will also give me more options once I have it here.

Life is good regardless. Happy to be here experiencing it.

No, I’m John from the earth!

It’s been a hot ass week this week. You know it’s hot when even the natives are complaining about the heat. I’m sucking it up and still getting my 20,000+ steps in everyday, but it’s a chore.

They tell me it’s a bad idea to engage in politics here. Thus I’ve taken measures to ensure my redneck is covered.

I’ve dreamed about an easy and comfortable retired life, but I never expected I’d be riding the gravy train like this:

Yesterday’s lunch: Salisbury steak covered in mushroom gravy!

And last night for dinner I had a delicious chicken fried steak covered in gravy.

It was dinner with a view for dessert you might say.

This morning for breakfast I enjoyed me some shit on a shingle. Smothered in gravy of course!

Anyway, I seem to be settling into a comfortable routine here during my first week of being re-retired. I get up in the morning and walk the beach. Eat. Come home and relax, then take another walk (the killer walk during the hottest part of the day). I’ve re-introduced a short afternoon nap into my regimen as well. Then I walk back into town for the evening’s entertainment. This usually involves beer drinking, if you can imagine that.

I’m not looking to buy a car, but if I was I wouldn’t mind this one I saw on yesterday’s walk:

A 1966 Ford Galaxie. Pretty damn good condition for a golden oldie, that’s for sure.

Played in another darts tourney last night (finished 4th, there are some really good players here). Interestingly, one of the guys I met used to play in Songtan and we have some mutual friends. That was pretty cool! It appears there are dart events on five different days here each week. That’s probably more than I’ll want to participate, but it sure beats the options in Anjeong-ri (or Seoul for that matter).

Still plan to find a gym to build some upper body strength. I guess that’s called working on your core? Anyway, I hope to employ a trainer at least in the beginning for both the “how to” and some motivation to do the work.

Today I’ll be making my first trip to the grocery store so I can fill the larder and hopefully start eating at home more often. It’s not expensive to eat out here everyday, it’s just hard to find healthy choices. Too much gravy!

It might also be a good idea for me to get my head. Into a good book.

So, settling into my new life and so far, so good.

Filipinos have a reputation for being a friendly lot overall and I’d have to say from what I’ve seen it is well earned. Simply things like a cheery greeting and smile on the street just makes me feel good and comfortable.

I chose the Philippines in large part because of the English speaking abilities of the natives. I haven’t been disappointed in that regard thus far. It’s nice to engage in friendly banter with the bar staff and waitresses. And they even get my jokes! Most of the time anyway. Haha, and all my old jokes are new again!

The weather has been hot, but that is not a surprise. I’m dealing with it fine for the most part. Although I do have to change my shirt a couple of times a day. The air here is much cleaner than back “home” in Korea. I’m sure my lungs are appreciative for that.

One of my new routines is a morning walk on the beach. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of that!

And I incorporate breakfast before, during, or after my walk.

I never sausage a muffin!

Happy about the dart scene too. I’ll be playing again this afternoon at 1400. Good way to meet people and perhaps I will regain some of my former prowess.

Downsides? Well, I’ve got to say it’s pretty shocking to see just how dirty the beaches are here. I mean, covered in litter. And not stuff that is washing up on shore, it is just people leaving their trash on the ground. Disgusting really. I did note that there are no trash containers strategically placed along the beach, but that is really no excuse. You’d think the hotels and resorts would step up and police the waterfront as a matter of civic pride and responsibility.

I’ve been pestered by a few beggars, mostly kids, but it hasn’t been overwhelming. I tell them no for the most part. Don’t feel good about it, but in a bizarre kind of way I think that is the best approach. It’s not a matter of money for me obviously. Once I get squared away, I’ll get involved with the King’s Fil-Am Home again. You can’t help everyone, but you can help some!

And of course, I’m troubled by the spotty nature of the internet access here. Not a surprise, but I really need to find a source for steady and reliable connections. Yeah, I’m spoiled by the speed of Korea that I won’t be able to replicate here, but these past couple of days have been frustrating. Even my pocket wifi has been disappointing. Oh well, first world problems, right?

And that’s about it for now. I’ve been living like a tourist and I need to get out of that mode. Hopefully moving into my apartment will help me along in that regard. It will certainly be nice having a kitchen again. This eating out all the time makes it very hard to maintain my low-carb lifestyle.

Bottom line: I’m glad to be here!

I’m drunk tonight, so let me keep this short and sweet. You are welcome.

I have a short term solution to my housing problem. I’ve committed to a decent one bedroom place here in Baloy Beach. Committed for a month at least. The two-bedroom upstairs becomes available at the end of the month and I have the right of first refusal on that. So we’ll see.

In the meantime, I’ve negotiated 22,000 pesos ($440.) per month, and I pay the electric. It’s a start but not what I want for the long run. Gives me time to keep looking without too much pressure at least.

I’m drunk because I played darts and drank while I played. I didn’t play particularly well, but it felt good to be back on the oche regardless.

It’s been a hot motherfucker, but I still got my steps in. Scouted some new neighborhoods with nothing of interest. Heard tell of a couple of others I’ll hike out to see tomorrow or Wednesday.

Otherwise, I’m okay. Some fucked up things in my personal life but hey, I should be used to that by now, right? Too drunk to think about it at the moment, but I’d love to figure out just what it is about me that drives people I care about away. Heh, maybe I don’t want to know. Yeah, I actually DON’T want to know. I do my best and that’s all I’ve got. If that is not enough, by all means, walk away.

Ah well, I’m here and trying to keep it all together. I’m going to be selfish (er, more selfish than usual) for awhile. I need to take care of me. No one else is going to.

I must be a bloomin’ idiot.