A comment on yesterday’s post really triggered some memories. Nate’s remark was simply, “A Clean Well-Lighted Pace.” That’s a short short story by Ernest Hemingway. About a five-minute read, so check out the link if you haven’t read it before. The irony of Nate thinking about that story when reading my post isn’t lost on me. I had to write a paper on that story in a college literature course sometime last century, and I found it moving even as a young man. And now, here I am in old age, practically living it.

And the coincidences continue. I did a quick search of my blog archives and saw I had written a post back in 2006 entitled “A clean well-lighted place.” That one was about a pretty wild night out on the town early in my Itaewon life. It brought back a flood of memories of long-gone friends. I am happy to report that one of the “stars” of that post, June, has been happily married to an American Air Force NCO and is the mother of a sweet daughter. How’s that for a happy ending?

Back here in present times, I took a break from the SOB last night and instead hung out in my version of a clean, well-lighted place–Cheap Charlies. But unlike the Hemingway character, I wasn’t sitting alone.

Something also happened in the bar last night that is very rarely seen. A big spender rang the bell. Okay, that happens pretty frequently, but a bell ring usually just provides a drink for the working girls. This guy bought drinks for everyone in the house! No idea how much that act set him back, but he is definitely not a cheap Charlie! He also provided some entertainment with a nifty trick he did with the lady drinks:

I had such a good time that I just stayed at Cheap Charlies and didn’t do my usual bar crawl, although I did stop for a nightcap at Whiskey Girl on the way home.

That was my night; my morning was equally pleasant, featuring a hike with the Friday group.

I’d say my life here is better than nothing!

What did he fear? It was not a fear or dread, It was a nothing that he knew too well. It was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too. It was only that and light was all it needed and a certain cleanness and order. Some lived in it and never felt it but he knew it all was nada y pues nada y nada y pues nada.

A fruitful last day of the month included getting an extension on my tourist visa for another sixty days in paradise. I also completed my weekly grocery shopping excursion at the Royal supermarket.

In other news, a young woman messaged me and said she’d like to get to know me better. She suggested exploring some historic sites in the neighboring province. I was up for that and have arranged for my driver to take us to Bataan today to have a look around.

I also heard from the teenager I’ve been dating. It seems her child is ill with dengue and asthma and needs some medical care. I’ll give her credit; she at least asked me in the proper way: “I know you are not responsible for taking care of my son, but if you could help me out today, I promise I’ll work to repay you.” I wired 4000 pesos to her and haven’t heard from her since. I hope everything is okay.

I made some crockpot chili and baked some cornbread muffins to go with it. Then it dawned on me that my Bataan excursion may preclude me from doing my Wednesday feeding at Hideaway bar. So, I packed up my kitchen work and carried it into town.

It wasn’t the most pleasant ambiance at Hideaway last night. A group of guys were there and had almost all the gals tabled and were plying them with drinks. Nothing wrong with that; that’s why the gals are there. What bothered me was that the girls were screaming and shouting as they enjoyed themselves. I couldn’t hear the music or talk over their noisemaking. To escape, I took Joy down to the pool table area and played a couple of games. She proceeded to kick my ass, but I have to give her credit; she made some really good shots.

The two-week millionaires eventually left, and things quieted down. I had a couple more drinks, then headed out myself. I decided to use my “buy a lady drink, get two customer drinks” coupon at Hot Zone. The first order of business was to determine who would be the beneficiary of my lady drink. I assumed it would be my waitress, but then the mamasan also appeared at my table. I told the girls to decide between them, and of course, the waitress deferred to her boss. And I, of course, wasn’t going to make her go without, so I wound up buying two lady drinks. That’s the magic of those coupons–what I think will be a good deal for me winds up costing me extra in the end. Oh, well, it’s only money.

Despite having had more than enough to drink, I wasn’t done quite yet. I walked on up the road to Wet Spot for my nightcap. I had another coupon, this one for a “free upgrade” on a Sit-n-Bull pizza from medium to large. I guess I was in a feeding frenzy because I bought one for the Wet Spot girls to share.

I think I mentioned that one of Mary’s schoolmate friends works as a dancer at Wet Spot. I had actually noticed her before I met Mary because there was just something exotic about her looks.

After paying for the pizza and some drinks for the lass above, my wallet was out of gas (I usually only bring 5000 pesos when I go out, just in case something stupid happens). So, I said goodnight and triked on home.

When I woke up this morning, it was March. I’ll start the month off with a fresh face in some new places. I may not have a clue about what tomorrow will bring, but that just adds to the adventure.

My Sunday included my standard solo walk, a visit to the doctor(s), and the feeding at Hideaway Bar. And I’ve got some pictures to prove it!

I messed up with my tracker, so I don’t have a distance to report, although it was probably a tad less than 7K, based on past performance.

The visit with Dr. Jo and her physician husband, Chris, is always pleasant. It’s more like chatting with friends than a doctor’s appointment. Anyway, the diagnosis is that my coughing/phlegm expulsion indicates an infection not associated with my COPD. I got some meds for that, and they already seem to be working. Same with the eyes, and a different medication for that. I mentioned that they have that tube in the nostrils whenever I see photos of someone being oxygenated in the hospital. Since I can’t breathe through my nose with my sinus congestion, I’ll be a dead man if I’m administered oxygen in that manner. They both agreed that since nothing else had worked to relieve the congestion, I should consider surgery to remove the overgrown nodules in my nose. A different doctor had recommended that, but I rejected the idea when I was told it required being anesthetized to unconsciousness. I just don’t trust the hospitals here with my life. Dr. Jo says she has an ENT friend in Manila who is much better than the local doctors, and I agreed to pursue the surgery through her.

After the appointment was completed, I headed to the Jewel Cafe to order some food for the Hideaway girls. The nice thing about Jewel is that they deliver, so I don’t have to sit around waiting at the restaurant.

I was the only customer for most of the time I was there, and I guess things got a little crazy. I know my tab was over 3000 pesos, about triple what I usually spend. Joy messaged me this morning and asked if I remembered what had happened. Uh oh. No, I didn’t remember anything beyond getting home drunk. Joy said that I was licking the bare breasts of one of the waitresses. And no, I didn’t get grabby; she pulled her shirt up and offered them to me. I told Joy I was sorry, and she said, don’t be sorry; it was fun. If you say so. I’m embarrassed by that kind of behavior.

I’m really thinking I need to switch back to beer. I don’t seem to be able to pace myself appropriately with gin. The problem is that gin sneaks up on you–one minute you’re okay, the next you are a drunken idiot. And it’s not like I’m out drinking all night. I started at 5:00 yesterday, and my Fitbit says I was asleep at 8:21. I guess I’m just a lightweight.

It’s Hash Monday today, so I’ve got that to look forward to. I am also going to the dentist this morning to have my crown reattached. Yep, one adventure after another around here.

My date with Mary last night left her SOBing. But she professed to enjoy it, so there’s that. We met up at Mango’s for dinner before the show.

After dining, we crossed the highway to Alaska Club and arrived early enough to secure a good table. We had an hour to fill before the show, and I opted to have a beer cheat day to maintain some semblance of SOBriety. Mary had a beer too, but her’s lasted the entire hour. Once drinks were free at the show’s beginning, she switched to mango juice and water. The SOB made money on her (or should I say me) because I couldn’t drink enough to recover the 1400 peso entry fee for a couple. I’m not complaining. Much.

Just before the dancing started, Mary ran into a school friend who danced with the Wet Spot team. Naturally, I invited her to join us for a couple of lady drinks. Mary got into the show, taking videos of all the teams performing on her phone. A couple of guys who arrived late took the empty seats at our table, which I don’t have an issue with. One of them got very drunk before the show ended and proved to be a bit of a dick. He was passed out on the table when I left.

It was only 8 p,m. when we left Alaska, but I’d had enough. Mary wanted to come to spend the night, and I was okay with that. I made some smoothies and turned on the TV. for the first time in months. Mary says she’s addicted to Korean dramas, so I decided to share one of my favorite Korean movies, a romantic comedy called “My Sassy Girl.” She seemed to enjoy it.

It was well past my bedtime by now, and my lungs were giving me fits–coughing up gobs of phlegm. So, no romance in the sack other than a bit of cuddling. In the morning, I fired up the nebulizer and popped a pill, and was ready for a go before breakfast.

Mary joined me for the dog walk; then, I made a batch of burritos for our morning meal. Afterward, she accompanied me for a portion of my Saturday street walk, and we said our goodbye at the town marketplace on Rizal street. I think we both enjoyed our date together.

The Friday morning group hike was okay. I told my fellow walkers that they could proceed to climb mountains without me because my lungs were not up to the task. They insisted on sticking together for a flat walk, so we did an 8K street trek. I was worn out by the end. I’m increasingly worried that my diminished breathing capacity is my new normal.

And there you have it, another day I lived to tell about. I hope there are many more to come.

Gee, it’s good to be back home again. Sometimes this old town feels like a long-lost friend…

Welp, I’m back to my bar routines, including the Sunday feeding at Hideaway.

The girls surprised me because they all wanted a trinket (refrigerator magnet) over the snacks I brought as pasalubong. The most expensive item was a carton of strawberries, which was still there when bartender Rolan, the last to choose, made his selection. I guess I know what to buy next time. Anyway, they all got two items, so I didn’t have to carry anything home, at least.

Josh joined us a bit later, and he seemed to enjoy Mhel’s company and backrub, as demonstrated by his buying her multiple lady drinks. When the time came to move on, Josh joined for a nightcap at Sloppy Joe’s. He was back there this morning watching the super bowl and enjoying a cigar when I walked past.

My night ended with this:

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that I had hugged a tree as I hiked the forest trail in Baguio on Saturday. I saw a Hasher had caught the moment on film camera and posted it on Facebook.

Someone also posted a YouTube video featuring highlights from the Hash. It’s kinda cool to see the trail in motion; give it a watch if you are so inclined.

Another Subic Hash run is coming up this afternoon; I hope it goes as well as it did on Saturday. Only one way to find out. I’ll let you know all about it tomorrow.

I decided to start the evening out on the town with my nephew Josh at John’s place. My reasoning was two-fold: it’s always best not to drink on an empty stomach, and I wanted to throw some support John’s way as he deals with his current medical emergency. So we both enjoyed some sandwiches, and I ordered some wings to go for the Hideaway girls. After dinner, I threw some cash into a jar on the counter to help with John’s medical bills.

Josh is also wanting to lose some weight, so he followed my lead and switched from beer to gin and soda water. I carefully explained my methodology: one shot of gin on the rocks in a tall glass with a can of soda water on the side. After filling the glass with soda, you enjoy a couple of sips, then replenish the glass with more soda. In this way, the initial shot of gin is watered down and weakened, making it easier to drink more and get drunk less. When it came time to order our second round of drinks, Josh didn’t order more soda because his can was still half full. So much for taking advice from your uncle.

Despite being Wednesday, one of my regular feeding days, I hadn’t initially planned to visit Hideaway. As I explained to Joy in a text message, her birthday feeding was it for this week. She seemed disappointed and said there were no customers, so no drink commissions. Since I was at John’s, which is practically right across the highway from Hideaway, I decided to make a surprise visit.

Josh seemed to be enjoying himself as well; one of the other girls latched on to him and enjoyed his generosity in the form of lady drinks. I noted that Josh was ordering his gin straight up with no soda at all. I wouldn’t last an hour if I drank them that way.

The next stop on our barhop was Cheap Charlies. When we first arrived, it wasn’t busy, and we got my preferred seats up front with the highway view. Narissa came and took our drink orders, served them, then walked away as if we had never met. My other regulars were not working or otherwise occupied. I don’t understand the logic of showing disdain for a customer known for his largesse with lady drinks when it is your job to entertain him and earn commissions from the drinks he buys you. Oh, well. I don’t need the company of someone who doesn’t want to be there (and can’t hide that fact) anyway. I did notice that Josh caught the eye of some lass, and she came over to join him and make a little money.

Next up was Wet Spot. That’s where things started getting a little fuzzy for me. Even with my watered-down version of gin, it hits me harder than beer does. Worse, it kinda sneaks up on me–one minute, I’m fine, and the next, oops! Anyway, I checked my phone this morning, and I had taken some photos that helped me remember how I spent some of my time there.

The last photo I took was of how things were looking to me as I headed home from Wet Spot:

The day began better than it ended with a nice hike and climb to the top of Black Rock. I was honestly a little worried about Josh’s ability to do the moderately difficult trek on his still-recovering leg, but he was game to try, so off we went.

Korean culture is really not all that prevalent here, although quite a few Korean tourists (almost always men for some reason) visit the area. Still, I see signs like this one at the 7/11, so I guess Filipinos enjoy a taste now and then.

So, that was the day. I’m heading to Baguio for the weekend tomorrow morning. Going to Hash there with the La Union kennel on Saturday. Tonight I’ll show Josh some more of the bar scene here, although I’m going to need to be more moderate in my consumption. Wish me luck!

Joy from Hideaway bar celebrated twenty-five years of life on Earth yesterday. Since I’m the resident feeder, I was tasked with providing the vittles for the party. I asked the birthday girl what she wanted to eat, and she said, “Jollibee.” The specific items requested were fried chicken, spaghetti, hamburger steaks, and tuna pies. I, of course, accommodated her birthday wishes.

Caught up in the spirit of the celebration, I rang the bell, an act that bestows a lady drink for all the girls. Josh was there too and bought drinks for the two girls rubbing on his back. It was a fun party, and I’m sure it was the best birthday Joy has had this year.

The MJ versus Joy thing and Josh visiting reminded me of something I hadn’t really thought about for years. Josh calls me by my middle name, Mark, and is one of the few people left on this planet who do so (his father, my brother, is another of them). When I was born, my dad wanted to name me John, and my mom preferred Mark. So, I became John Mark. Growing up, my dad called me John, and my mom and brothers called me Mark. At school, I was John. The kids I knew from the neighborhood called me Mark. I guess I’m lucky I didn’t experience schizophrenia as a result. However, my John persona was the more serious version of me, while Mark was the party guy pothead. Over time as I grew up and moved around the country, people all called me by my work name John, and that is who I have become. Having Josh call me Mark is still a bit surprising to hear, but it brings back fun memories.

After we departed the party at Hideaway, I took Josh up to the rooftop at BarCelona.

I also took Josh to Wet Spot so he could get a taste of what a bar with dancers was all about. The young cutie Mevelyn was looking especially enticing in her braless midriff top. I can’t remember if I bought her a drink or not. Yeah, it was a bit past my limit at this point.

I finished my evening with a nightcap at Johansson’s, where Josh is lodging. I went home, but my friend Reggie was there, and she messaged me this morning that Josh kept her up late with drinks and pool games. Yep, definitely kinfolk.

Facebook memories took me back to this day in 2017:

And in other health news, John, the restauranteur/foodie, has been hospitalized. Here’s the disturbing post from his Facebook page:

Good luck, John. Hope they can cure what ails you soon.

In a story with a happy ending, here’s the dog I always saw tied to the end of a short leash with no food or water on this date in 2019:

And here he is today:

I was pretty surprised when Gen sent me this picture of her pussy:

Had a good hike up Black Rock with the Wednesday Walkers this morning–I’ll post about that tomorrow. Gonna take Josh out for some barhopping this evening and show him the ropes. For as long as I last, anyway.