Things around here are getting more than a little strange. Today’s headline from Manila:
Confined to your residence from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. Hmm, that would cut about an hour of drinking time for me. Wouldn’t matter though, because rumor has it they are forcing the bars to close as well.
But much closer to home was waking up to this news:
Truthfully, I only visit the Freeport (aka old Navy base) once a week for grocery shopping. But my shopping day is on Tuesday, and they are closing the base at midnight.
Well, I did what anyone else would do under the circumstances. I messaged my driver to come pick me up and take me shopping. Luckily he was available. The Royal grocery store was jammed with other forward-thinking customers. Many of the items I wanted to stock up on were already out of stock. Plenty of toilet paper though.
I did manage to fill two shopping carts with essential supplies.
Exciting times! Two more cases of the Wuhan virus in Olongapo City. I’m not sure what additional steps the local government intends to take. They’ve directed that anyone returning from travel outside the city must “self-quarantine” for 14 days. I’m not sure if they intend to implement more drastic measures like the lockdown in Manila. I hope not. This all still seems to be way overblown, but what do I know? Well, I know what I see on the internet, so there’s that.
At least I’m not in North Korea where much more stringent procedures have been put in place.I guess desperate times call for desperate measures…
Speaking of desperate, if the bars do close down I guess the bargirls will have to find new ways to earn money.
I wish them well!
Still, these are serious times and we all need to pitch in and do what we can. I’ll be glad to assist any of the ladies with the proper wearing of their masks:
Let me adjust that for you, dear.
Well, anyway things are still pretty much normal around here otherwise. Still doing my walks and still keeping my eyes open for anything “interesting”.
There was something about the imagery of these clothes hung out to dry that caught my eye.And this pine tree has a unique look about it. Not sure I’ve seen this particular species before. (Trees do have species, right?)
But I think today’s “interesting” offering has to be the fruit of another kind of tree:
The locals call them cotton trees. And they do harvest the “fruit” and use it to make pillows and the like. I’m not sure what they do when those cotton balls get rotten. I presume it’s slim pickin’s.
I’ll leave you with these words of wisdom. Well, it might not be wise to use them. I originally posted this on Facebook seven years ago. And regular readers have witnessed my spectacular disasters with the ladies. YMMV.
I came across a great pickup line: “Baby, are you a cemetery? Because I’m dead inside and want to bury myself in you.”
Last night at the dart tourney I drew Steve, the Englishman who doesn’t drink, as my partner. There was a collective groan as everyone expected us to win. Honestly, so did I. It’s aggravating though when people complain about the outcome of a blind draw; it’s inherently fair because it’s purely a matter of chance or luck or fate or whatever else you might want to call it. One guy was loudly calling for an end to the blind draw format and instead using a ranking or rating method so the best players would never be on the same team. The problem is how do you fairly rank players who randomly show up and participate in the tournament?
Anyway, the games are won or lost at the dartboard, not at the draw. And there were strong teams other than Steve and I. In the first round we went up against Christi and Espie. Christi is an outstanding player and Espie is solid and knows how to play the game. They wound up beating us, and they did it by throwing better darts than we did. I told Steve after that match that at least that should shut people up about how “unfair” it was that we had drawn up as partners. We fought back through the losers bracket and faced off against Christi and Espie once again in the finals. And once again they beat us. That loss was squarely on me as I had shots at the winning out in both legs and didn’t hit it. That’s just the way it goes sometimes. No shame in second place.
If Wheaties is the breakfast of champions, I guess this is the breakfast of losers. At least, it is the meal I prepared this morning. Steak and eggs baby!
HaHa! I just noticed you can see Buddy’s head under my glass top table. Guess he was hoping for some scraps. Good boy!
I’ll offer up this for today’s installment of the “interesting” photos feature:
Thatch grass the way I like it–harvested and stacked alongside the trail. Makes the walking so much more pleasant.
And that’s about all I’ve got for now. I did enjoy this take on that upstart Wuhan virus:
I did a bar crawl on my own last night. Well, I ran into fellow Hashers Scott and Jim in BarCelona and enjoyed their company while quaffing some brews. Afterward, I made a rare appearance in Rum Jungle and was greeted by name by the waitress. I’m always impressed with the ability of these gals to remember customers, especially folks like me who are far from regulars. As a reward I allowed her to give me a back massage and provided her a 100 peso tip. Nice to see you again too, Sallie!
After a couple more beers I moved next door to Wet Spot, another bar I don’t frequent that often. But I had a “buy one, get one” coupon that was due to expire and I wanted to use it up. While I was enjoying my beer the owner, Dave, came in and joined me at my table. As I mentioned in the post linked above, Dave is a retired physician and owns several businesses in Barretto. Always fascinating to talk with, and he has some unique insights into local happenings given his connections. Naturally, the conversation turned to the Wuhan virus (my preferred name now that the Chinese are trying to memory hole where it came from). He confirmed my suspicion that the panic is having a devastating impact on business. In fact, he’s considering closing his bars two or even possibly three days a week! And he also revealed that the first confirmed case of infection has occurred in Barretto. A Filipina recently returned from Japan, with (fortunately) no connection to the bars. Still, it’s happening here and not being reported, which is really no surprise.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday announced a halt on domestic land, sea and air travel to and from Manila, as well as community quarantine measures, in what he called a “lockdown” of the capital to arrest the spread of coronavirus.
Apocalypse now?
In addition, no citizen of any country with reported outbreaks of the virus will be permitted entry into the Philippines, effective March 15. That, of course, includes the USA. So, it looks like I’m not going anywhere for the time being, or if I do go I won’t be coming back. I had been planning a trip to Thailand (also on the list) in July, so that’s obviously on hold now. Since I’m already here I don’t anticipate any issues with getting my tourist visa renewed at the end of the month, but then again, this is the Philippines, so who knows?
I don’t know if this is all an overreaction or if it’s time to panic. I guess I could play it safe and not venture outside to walk or visit the bars. That strikes me as being too drastic at this point in time. I’m just going to wait and see what happens next. It’s still more likely I’ll die from crossing the National highway than it is from contracting the virus. That could very well change I suppose.
Life is a crapshoot. Let’s roll the dice!
I have seen you in the movies And in those magazines at night I saw you on the barstool when You held that glass so tight. And I saw you in my nightmares But I’ll see you in my dreams And I might live a thousand years Before I know what that means.
Once there was a friend of mine Who died a thousand deaths His life was filled with parasites And countless idle threats. He trusted in a woman And on her he made his bets Once there was a friend of mine Who died a thousand deaths.
An interesting (for me) dart tourney last night at Alley Cats. A large turnout had the tiny bar packed. And with only two dartboards I figured I was in for a long night. In fact, I usually don’t bother playing when there are more than eight teams because there is too much time waiting around between matches. Twelve teams (24 players total) participated last night. Lots of later arrivals, otherwise I wouldn’t have signed up. Oh well.
So, I drew Vincent as my partner. I had played with him once before and we wound up winning the tournament. Could history repeat? I figured we’d be a strong team. Steve, the Englishman who doesn’t drink, had drawn a weaker partner. Would his superior dart skills be enough to carry her to victory? I knew Billy and Beth would be a force to be reckoned with as well. Only one way to find out: let the darts fly and land where they may.
The only thing consistent about my game last night was my inconsistency. And Vincent didn’t throw as well as I remembered him playing in the past. It made for a tough night, every leg we played was a battle. We’d each have a couple of piss poor throws, and then out of the blue one of us would throw for a big score. That kept us in the fight. Steve and his partner lost in the first round and were eliminated from the loser’s bracket shortly thereafter. Very unusual for him to not finish in the money. Just as surprising was Vincent and I made it all the way through the winner’s bracket undefeated. Then we faced off against Billy and Beth and after a back and forth struggle, finally prevailed.
It wasn’t pretty, but we played just well enough to win. Barely.
Courtesy of Facebook, I was reminded that six years ago I was entertaining delusions of grandeur regarding my ability to play darts in the big time. I was a lot better in those days, primarily because I worked at it and also had some passion for the game. These days I pretty much just show up and let ’em fly. Anyway, back in 2014, I was playing a tournament in Augusta, GA and made it on television.
Okay, it was local television news. And I just happened to be in the shot when they covered the tourney during the sports segment. Still, I played darts on TV. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!
After a star-studded night, the sun came out this morning.
Buddy was excited about taking in the view…Lucky was more like “big deal, it happens every morning…”I’m paying a rent premium for the view, so by god, I’m going to enjoy it!
A bit later I ate a light breakfast at Sit-n-Bull:
I went with the pork chop, eggs, home fries, and English muffins. It was as good as it looks!
Now I reckon I better get up off my lazy ass and see if I can’t walk off some of those calories.
It’s just about the only kind of work I do these days. Unless you count the heavy lifting I do in the bars at night. It’s a tough life but there’s no point in complaining about it. A person should always strive to do their best at whatever it is they are doing.
Here’s a quick recap of the 24 hours or so since my last post.
I took a 2K jaunt over to Captain’s Arms to pick up this cheesecake. A fellow Hasher (Hot To Trot) has a little sideline business going selling these homemade pies. The taste is good but I’m not a big fan of cheesecake. A bit pricey too at 450 pesos ($9). I guess that’s the price you pay when you are crushing on someone. She has a boyfriend in Canada though. Ah well.
Walked back home, put the pie in the fridge, and took my daily hour-long nap. Then I set about doing my afternoon hike. I decided to check out the long version of Monday’s Hash trail.
I thought it was “interesting” to see this garment hung out to dry in the middle of nowhere. No question it was intentionally hung, I could see the clothespin. It’s been there for a while so I guess whoever put it there changed their mind about wearing it again.
I was glad I did this portion of Demolition Derby’s trail. It was a path I’d never tried before and I like a new adventure. I was especially thankful he had marked the trail so well, otherwise, I’d have been lost in the tall grass.
A view from the long trail.
The trail came back down into Marion Hills and I opted to head back home from there. I’ll save the final portion of Derby’s work for another day.
Snatched from the jaws of death? It was “interesting” seeing this bone on my path. I’m guessing it is the remains of a goat.The path leading up into Alta Vista where home awaits.
Showered up, took my afternoon meds and recorded my health stats (BP 121/71; resting heart rate 62; weight 204.8). Then I hoofed back out to Captain’s Arms to begin hefting those bottles of San Mig Zero and emptying their contents into my mouth. Having quenched a 25,000 step thirst, I walked up the highway to Mango’s where I enjoyed a grilled pork chop dinner. Best pork chops in town!
With my appetite satiated, I crossed the street and gave “mama”, a homeless woman I look after, her 100 pesos daily stipend. She always blows me a kiss and says she loves me. Well, at least I know she doesn’t have to sleep on her cardboard box with an empty stomach.
I made my final stop of the night at Queen Victoria where I enjoyed a couple more Zeros and watched a dart tourney in progress. Walked back home and gave a couple of neighborhood stray dogs my leftovers from dinner.
Once home, I treated myself to a delicious strawberry-banana smoothie, surfed the ‘net, then hit the sack at around 10 p.m. as usual. Woke up at 5:00, a little earlier than normal and got busy with my morning routine:
Letting the dogs out is always the first order of business. They have business of their own to attend to.
A cup of coffee and spending time with my favorite blogs and catching up on the news of the world.
Here’s what the Philippines is doing to control the spread of COVID-19.And what would the internet be without political memes?
Then the boys are ready for their morning walk, a 30-minute trek. Back home and today I’m not going out for breakfast. Instead, me and Betty Crocker bake up a batch of blueberry muffins. Yum. I have a 9:00 a.m. appointment to meet up with Scott and Jim for a hike in Subic town.
Scott hasn’t recovered from Saturday’s fiasco on the mountain, so we agreed to do a flat trail on the city streets. Damn, it was hot!A river runs through it. Such as it is.Some helpful signage outside the offices of the Keppel shipyard encouraging safe practices in virus avoidance.I guess this is where 1970s era vehicles converted to hearses come to die. I found it “interesting”.
After the 8K walk, we stopped by the Hunter’s Inn, one of our Hash venues, for some liquid refreshment and lunch. The cook hadn’t arrived as yet, so we doubled down on the liquid refreshment.
Back home and sent my son birthday greetings on Facebook.
This picture is from 38 years ago, but the sentiment is the same.
Took a nap, took a shower, ate the last of my leftover pulled pork and a slice of cheesecake. And then I sat down to share my day with you via this post on LTG. Thanks for joining me!
Hope that headline isn’t overly misleading. It was a hot day on the Hash trail is what I’m trying to say. Demolition Derby was the Hare and he set a short 4K trail and a longer 7K trek. I opted for the shorter version without regret. I’ll get to the rest of the long trail during the week. There was only one place on the trail that was a little questionable, but it worked out and the rest of the hike was about as pleasant as it can be when you are out climbing hills on a hot day. Let’s go to the photos:
The trails according to Google Maps…On-On in Alta Vista…This is how the Hare chose to exit Alta Vista. The former trail has been blocked by new construction. That was a tough climb down for an unstable old guy like me. There has to be a better way. And sure enough, the guys behind me watched my struggles and found it. So it was a win in the end because now I’ve got the long-sought-after easy exit from my subdivision to access “My Bitch”. There was really only one climb on the short trail and it wasn’t insane…A pleasant view of Barrio Barretto…A large and very recent burn on the mountainside…A pack of wild Filipinas was spotted on the trail. I hope this guy made it through safely…The descent was steep in places but manageable…Follow that ass!Getting close to on-home…The final steps down from the mountain.Safely back to our on-home venue where cold and refreshing beverages awaited.Hot Zone doesn’t serve food, so Sit-n-Bull had a waitress on hand to take our delivery orders. Lyn is not the best looking gal around, but she is sweet and sassy. I like her!It wouldn’t be a Hash post without the customary shot of Filipinas on ice. Enjoy!
It was a pleasant afternoon overall, both on trail and in the bar.
…that hasn’t already been said before? Well, I’ve never let boring repetition stop me, so here goes nothing.
I’ve been trying to take a step back from all the doomsday hype about the COVID-19 virus. I certainly hope it’s not going to be the death of me but if it gets me (or I get it) I’m probably a goner. I read a description of the effects the virus has on its victims and it ain’t pretty once it’s in your lungs. Made me think back to my recent bout with bronchitis and how difficult that was due to the COPD damage I live with daily. Which led me to imagine the suffering I’d experience without relief under an overwhelmed Philippines health care system. Yeah, if I catch this virus I’m pretty much a goner. Today’s headline was that the government is implementing its emergency plan and has activated all the barangay offices nationwide. I’m thinking that’s good. Then I recall the competence of the local barangay and I’m thinking “oh shit”. Oh well. I’m still breathing for now.
John Travolta was hospitalized for suspected COVID-19, but doctors now confirm that it was only Saturday Night Fever, and they assure everyone that he is Staying Alive.How I imagine COVID-19 hitting me…Then again, maybe I’m just overreacting.
In the meantime, life goes on. And a man has got to eat.
A big ol’ crockpot full of pulled pork……makes for a fine drunken dinner after a night in the bars. I baked the cornbread before going out of course. Added some honey to the batter hoping to sweeten it up a tad. Really couldn’t taste it though.Speaking of drinking, I started my evening on the Arizona floating bar and witnessed this “interesting” sunset.Began the day with a walk on the beach…And finished with an afternoon walk in the mountains.
Life is good. As long as it lasts.
And now I’ve said everything there is to say. Again.
UPDATE: Over at the Big Hominid, Kevin Kim shares a link that offers some reassurance that the end of the world is not at hand. I’ve also heard some speculation that COVID-19 doesn’t spread well in a hot climate. And it’s been hot here in the Philippines. Time will tell I suppose.
It started off with a message from Scott suggesting a hike out Castillejos way. We’d both given up on Günter’s walking group, preferring a saner approach to communing with mother nature, i.e. avoiding 3-hour treks up and down mountains. Scott is a couple of years older than me and we share a philosophy that one good climb a day is plenty. With that in mind, I readily accepted his invitation and we agreed to meet up at Angel’s Bakery at 10:00 on Saturday. Werner, one of the regular Saturday guys, wanted to join us, so we all caught the bus for the 30 minute trip to barangay Pamatawan.
Now, I don’t know if it was karma or irony or both, but the day took a turn that would have surely pleased Günter. It had been several years since Scott had attempted this path and as it turned out we wound up on the wrong trail.
The intent was doing the green trail up and the orange trail down. Our actual path is the yellow one. And that made all the difference.We started out walking along the river, the name of which I don’t recall at the moment.“If you come down to the river/ I bet you gonna find some people who live/ And you don’t have to worry/ if you got no money/ People on the river are happy to give…”The top of that mountain (or hill if you will, about 300M up) was our objective.Passed by this graveyard. Could it be an omen? Scott knew we’d somehow missed the intended trail, but we were on a path going up so we decided to take our chances. It all started out pleasant enough…But then it got steep, real steep. A very hard climb made much worse by having to force our way through biting thatch grass.Scott especially had a rough go of it. He spent a lot of time falling on his ass.I never fell but didn’t come through unscathed either. The grass was sharp and left my skin both itchy and with a burning sensation. Very unpleasant…Drew some blood on my leg as well.But onward and upward we trekked…The air below us wasn’t as clear as I would have liked (it’s the burning season) but still pleasant enough.The trail didn’t lead to where Scott had wanted to go, but when we reached a downhill path we were too exhausted not to take it.Scott taking a rest and some water on the way back down.The hike down was actually quite enjoyable…Yes, it did appear that someone actually lives in this lean-to like dwelling.And here I thought bananas grew on trees. Actually, I believe these had recently been harvested……by the folks we met living here. I honestly cannot imagine a life like the one they are eeking out here in the middle of nowhere.As poor as they are friendly. This family is Aeta people, indigenous natives of Luzon island.The downward trail eventually brought us back to the river, although a few kilometers upstream from where we started.More river dwellers with a large cock and a duck.Reaching our destination required a river crossing. I waded across, Werner opted to skip rocks…But at last, we reached our ultimate destination…the Roadhouse which was equipped to adequately quench our thirst. And what a thirst it was!
That was quite the hike! The uphill portion was definitely a once in a lifetime experience. But I’m seriously thinking about going back up the downhill path with a backpack full of sardines, noodles, and other staples for that Aeta family we encountered. They’re the kind of people I’d feel especially good about helping out some.
I was pretty bushed after the hike (and the beers) but I still had some business to attend to. When I got home I baked up a batch of brownies and after a short nap and a shower, headed out to the Captain’s Arms bar. I’d promised the manager, Marick, that I’d come by for her birthday.
I was enjoying the sunset view until one of my vape pens rolled off the third-floor ledge and lodged on the roof far below. Oh well.I gave Marick the best present a girl could wish for!
It was quite a day. Glad I lived to tell about it!
Well, for all I know I may already have it. Nothing to do but go out and drink some beers I suppose…
In all honesty, I’m not going to panic. I foresee a pain in the ass immediate future while whatever happens runs its course. If it gets me I hope it is not severe, but I recognize I have two of the major risk factors (age and lung disease). If it kills me, well, I’ll be dead and my worries will be over.
Right now though I’m on a winning streak:
A first-place finish in last night’s tourney at Alley Cats with my partner Billy.
We took out Steve, the Englishman who doesn’t drink, 2-0, to sweep the winner’s bracket. Played Christi and Gerlie in the finals and prevailed after a hard-fought battle. The kind of night that makes darts fun again.
What else? Well, in another first of sorts I had this for breakfast:
That’s right, lasagna. Sue me! I can’t remember the last time I even ate this dish, but it has been years. It was damn good too!
Here’s today’s “interesting” photograph:
You don’t want to be telling no lies when you are confined to this place!
I saw this on today’s hike in Castillejos. I’ll be blogging about that adventure tomorrow, as I have a pressing engagement to attend to this evening. Might blog about that too! Exciting times here at LTG, no?
But before I go I have to make sure I send a shoutout to Kevin Kim in honor of National Grammar Day:
The big news in town is that the price of beer has gone up. A new “sin tax” has been imposed on alcoholic beverages with the money generated earmarked for a universal healthcare program. Hey, glad to do my part! The tax increase amounts to about 5 pesos (10 cents) per bottle, so it is rather significant. And some of the bars have tacked on a bit more like a bunch of greedy capitalist pigs to increase profit margins. The most I paid last night was P95, so that’s still under two bucks a beer. For perspective, I was paying seven or eight dollars for the same type of beer in Korea.
There’s been a lot of gnashing of teeth and bitches and moans on the internet forums. I’m really not all that sympathetic though. If you can’t afford to pay a bit more for your beer you can stay home. It will have no impact on my consumption, however. If anything, I might be less inclined to buy the ladies a drink. But honestly, I don’t see that happening either. I guess I have the good fortune to not have to be price conscious when I’m out on the town. I worked hard so now I can play hard. Thanks, Uncle Sam!
Here’s some stuff I saw while out walking yesterday:
There’s a couple of dogs in my neighborhood that I’ll bring my dinner leftovers to when I stumble home at night. But I can’t feed them all. I’m honestly surprised this little guy is still alive. I actually thought he was dead last week, but I guess he was just sleeping.Maybe there is a hidden Korean presence here that I just don’t see. Or maybe Filipinos are really into Korean stuff. This little store just opened right outside my subdivision.I made my first preliminary steps in finding potential trails to Hash. Climbed these seemingly endless steps–felt a little like Namsan.At the top, I was rewarded with a new perspective of Easter mountain.I always find it “interesting” when I come across a shrine to Mother Mary out in the middle of nowhere.Finding a way back down proved to be a little tricky. If there ever was a path it was buried under leaves. I pressed on and then encountered a fenced yard blocking my way. I was preparing to turn around and backtrack when the resident came out, opened the gate, and pointed out the path back to the road. Salamat!
Last night I enjoyed the fruits of my crockpot’s labor:
The pork chops were quite pleasing to my drunken palate. Tender and tasty!
This morning for breakfast I enjoyed egg, bacon, ham, and toast at Sit-n-Bull:
Oh, and baked beans on the side. Welcome to the Club!As seen on my after breakfast walk. That the new fancy hotel in the distance–Central Park Reef.
Another day in paradise. The thought occurred to me that maybe I should be feeling bored with my life here. Most days are pretty much the same. I fill the hours with my walks and time spent in the bars. Oh, sometimes the walks take me somewhere new and I see familiar faces in different bars. There’s the Hash, darts, and an occasional game of pool. Is that enough?
I’m not sure what got me thinking about this subject this morning. I dreamed about working last night and that seems to be a frequent occurrence when I sleep. Is my subconscious telling me to find some meaning and purpose in my life? Hell, when I contemplate what I might blog about, sometimes I feel sorry for you, my faithful readers, once again being subjected to my daily drivel about nothing of substance.
But then I think of the little things that make a life. Spending time with the dogs and soaking up some of the pure love they provide me. Pausing to look up from the computer and out of my window and feeling the peace that nature’s beauty brings to the soul. Sitting down for breakfast at Sit-n-Bull and being warmly (and sincerely) greeted by name. Just feeling part of a community rather than an anonymous face in the crowd is somehow comforting.
So, maybe it is a boring life. But there are much worse things than being bored. I’ll cop to playing it safe and not putting myself “out there” and risking my heart or peace of mind. Some might call that cowardly I suppose. I choose to embrace my routines and be satisfied with the simple life I’ve made for myself. If someday that’s not enough I’ll look for something different. For now, it is what it is and I’m glad to be here.
Okay, enough of that self-reflection. Let’s get to the good stuff, or at least as good as it gets:
You want excitement? I heard the sirens yesterday afternoon and discovered this morning what it was all about. This is right at the edge of Alta Vista and a path I take on a regular basis.Buddy investigating the change of smells.
I’m not sure what it is that makes me find litter so “interesting”, but here’s another trashy photo:
This bottle has Lucky’s name on it.
Life can be a beach sometimes.
Barretto beach this morning as I took an after-breakfast stroll.
What else is cooking? Well, there is this:
Pork chops in the crockpot, seasoned up with spices, cream of mushroom soup, and some ranch dressing.
The lack of news and updates about the coronavirus here in the Philippines is a little disconcerting. It’s been weeks since any reports of new infections which doesn’t seem plausible. This is the Philippines after all. Anyway, not much you can do but take the standard precautions and hope for the best I suppose.
I’d be happy if I could consistently find soap in the CR (comfort room as they are known here). You NEVER find paper towels and there ain’t no way I’m drying my hands on the nasty cloth towel left hanging in there. I just shake the water off as I walk out.Is this you, Kevin Kim?
Politics anyone?
This is an easy choice for me!
This made me laugh:
Bear with me…
Thanks to all for your indulgence!
You see it all around you Good lovin’ gone bad And usually it’s too late when you, realize what you had And my mind goes back to a girl I left some years ago (Who told me) Just hold on loosely But don’t let go If you cling to tightly You’re gonna lose control
So, I’ve walked past this sari sari store many times on the way home from a night out in the bars. The sign always caught my eye because I *assumed* it was a misspelled attempt at the Korean greeting annyeong haseyo. But why the question mark? And it also doesn’t really make any sense because the Korean population in Barretto is close to nil (I do know a Korean-American restaurant owner). The few Koreans I’ve seen are whore mongers tourists in the bars. Given the location of the store, it is even more unlikely that a random Korean would wander by, let alone be inclined to make a purchase from the store. Hell, in the almost two years I’ve been living here I can count the times I’ve made a purchase from a sari sari on one hand. So, I decided to investigate.
The “hello” and “first come, first serve” do seem to provide some context. And according to Google, anong sayo literally translates to “what you” or maybe “what are you”. I asked my domestic helper for some clarification, and she said it means “what do you want” or “what do you need”. So, there you have it. An adventure in language and a mystery solved.
Speaking of adventure, I fired up the grill last night.
I cooked those Australian ribeyes I purchased the other day.
They turned out to be pretty damn good. I don’t know if it was the meat tenderizer, the long marination process, or just better quality beef; but the steaks were tender and easy to cut. Result!
I couldn’t find a decent-sized baking potato, so I used two small ones instead. Not shown is the garlic bread. Because I forgot to make it.
After my meal, I had some beers at a new bar named Caison. Although it was my first visit there one of the girls looked vaguely familiar. So I invited her to join me for a drink so I could investigate further. Her name is Mitch and that didn’t ring a bell. She said she used to work in Rum Jungle, a bar I don’t visit often. Apparently, on one of those occasions, I had consented to have her give me a back massage while I drank. Still no real recollection though. Then she told me she lives “on the mountain near Sawmill Road.” I told her I’ve hiked up that way before. “Yes,” she replied, “I saw you once with your stick”. Huh? And then I remembered. I was with the Wednesday walking group and we weren’t sure how to find the trail up the hill. A young woman pointed out the way and I had told her that she looked familiar. She replied that she worked at Rum Jungle. Small world, eh?
Some things are easy to forget I suppose. Like the horrors of socialism.
I’m not going to make that mistake. Especially with two dogs in the house!
And that’s pretty much where things stand around here.
Run #1390 of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers was completed without incident yesterday. That’s always my goal as a Hare. I don’t want people getting hurt or getting lost or otherwise having a bad experience. Mission accomplished in that regard.
The feedback I received was mostly positive, especially from the old fuckers who seemed to be pleased having a trail that was both sane and pleasant to hike. The only criticism was that in places the trail was hard to follow and that’s a legitimate complaint I think. I did the short trail and was very surprised that the powder had really faded away in places. In the future, I’ll pour it on much thicker and I might actually mark the trail on Monday morning to keep it fresh.
Anyway, I’ll cop to being proud of the trail and will start looking for new paths to explore and incorporate when my time to Hare comes again. Or should I say, Cums Together?
My trail as seen from outer space. Purple is the shortcut that made the short trail short.That’s Leech My Nuggets, one of our die-hard Hashers. Although I’m sure the trail was not challenging to him, he did comment that he was able to jog most of it. Heh, something for everyone.That’s I’m A Fucking Cupcake making his way along the path…Second in line isthe notorious Günter (Vienna Sausage). He complained the trail was hard to follow. Oh well, at least you didn’t need a fucking rope to hike it.Blow My Pipe making his way past a solitary house on top of the mountain. I occasionally bring cookies or candy for the kids that live there. The mama even asked me my name when I was marking the trail on Sunday. Hey, we are practically neighbors!Making headway on the short version of the trail…The long and short trails rejoined and then climbed back up into Alta Vista for the final 2K push to the On-Home at Baloy Beach.That’s Cream Filled Cup Cake and Dripping Pussy on the ice. I had to sit on the ice as the Hare and then again later because of my Hash Fuck Up last week (leaving my phone in the Hashmobile).
It was a good day to be a Hasher. And a good week to be a walker! I had my highest average ever at nearly 27,000 steps per day. I don’t expect I’ll be replicating that anytime soon.
My dog Lucky got a whiff of my socks after a hard day of Hashing and it knocked him out cold:
Alright, I’m joking about that. I’ve never seen a dog that sleeps in such bizarre positions though. He is a strange one for sure.
Oh, and that t-shirt I posted yesterday:
It upset my very liberal ex-wife Carol.
I mean, it’s clearly tongue-in-cheek. Mocking the standard lefty talking points a little, but obviously done in jest. I posted the photo on my Facebook page and Carol responded:
Ah a science denying misogynistic homophobe?
Geez. I answered: “I sincerely feel sorry for you if that is your take on this.” She asked how was it meant to be taken, and I said “sarcasm”. Her response was to repeat: “Yeah the shirt is misogynistic, homophobic and science denying. What it isn’t is funny.”
What could I do except apologize? “Triggered much? I’m sorry this is happening to you. Please find a safe space devoid of humor and parody. I hope you feel better soon!” I guess she didn’t accept my heartfelt concern for her and she responded thusly:
Please learn the difference between humor and snarkiness.
…in the adventure of my life here in the Philippines. Such as it is.
I ended my day yesterday on the Arizona floating bar, drinking ice cold Zeros and watching the sun go down.
It’s tough work, but somebody has to do it…
This morning I took a walk along the beach in Barretto. It’s been a few days since I’ve done so and I found this development “interesting”:
They’ve constructed one of those “floating islands” for the kids outside of the Palm Tree Resort. It’s a boom town here I tell ya…
I continued up the beach so I could breakfast at the Arizona Resort restaurant.
I like this “build your own breakfast” menu. Less than five bucks for a nice meal.I had a hankering for a waffle this morning, so that’s what I got along with 3 strips of bacon (each slice counts as an item) and a cup of coffee. Hit the spot.
After breakfast, I ventured out to find a meat market that I’d been told carried good imported Australian ribeye steaks. The shop where I used to buy my steaks hasn’t had any for over a month. Beef is not really a Filipino thing, the locals prefer pork.
Success! I bought these four for P1000, about five bucks each. Not bad really. I’ve got them marinating now and will grill them up tomorrow. Aussie beef tends to be tougher than I like, but I sprinkled some tenderizer on them too. We’ll see.
Once I got my meat home and squared away, I needed to head back to finish marking the short trail for today’s Hash.
The tools of the Hare–chalk, powder, and shredded paper.
Putting those tools to work:
Powder down…A paper path…Chalk pointing the way…
So, the trail is all set now. I’m probably going to go ahead and hike the short one again this afternoon to get some extra steps in.
What else have I got for you? Well, Facebook took me back to my old life in the USA. Seven years ago I fancied myself an aspiring professional darter.
But in reality, I was just a fat old fucker destined for a broken heart. My dart partner Chris would lose both his wife and son to premature deaths. My journey has been easy compared to that.
But enough about me. How about some politics? I got a kick out of these Bernie memes:
Che’s hero!That’s the ticket!Bring it on, bitches!
But for the record, I’m willing to take a stand on the issues. Here’s what I believe in:
Making the world a better place, one t-shirt at a time.
Time for me to get ready to Hash. Thanks for dropping by!
I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.
–Groucho Marx
That’s no joke!
Out this morning to mark tomorrow’s Hash trail. It went pretty well but still have a bit more to do. Will finish the section from my house (yeah, the trail goes through Alta Vista again) to Baloy Beach this afternoon. In the morning I need to go back and mark the 6K short trail section that diverges from the 9K long trail we marked this morning. A Hare’s work is never done it seems!
Just a couple places left where you have to fight your way through the tall thatch grass…
Today’s “interesting” photo feature is of the deceased thatch grass:
Makes for easier walking that’s for sure. And don’t worry, it shall rise again–right after rainy season.My favorite view from tomorrow’s trail.
Speaking of nature’s beauty, I’ve got a video of the girls from Rum Jungle doing their winning routine from Friday night’s SOB dance competition. My gal’s right up front, do you see your favorite Kevin Kim?
Sorry, the quality (especially audio) isn’t the best.
Still haven’t found any facemasks available for sale around here. I wonder if this really works?
Hey, it says it’s anti-virus…And you just can’t be too careful these days…
On a more serious note, another long term expat has passed away this week. He was known as “Aussie Bob” around town, although I had never personally made his acquaintance. He had a young wife and child I understand. It does occur to me that when you live in what is essentially a retirement community it’s only natural that us old fuckers will pass away on a regular basis. I’m just hoping it won’t be my turn anytime soon.
Rest in Peace, Bob. Glad you got to spend your final years doing what you loved.
What else? Well, it’s good to be reminded of the dangers that are always lurking around the next corner.
I’ve certainly experienced more than my share of maulings…
A lesson from the world of grammar:
Your welcome!
On rare occasions when I’m bored I’ll provide an answer on Quora. As often as not, I’ll leave a pithy and snarky answer. I do occasionally give a serious response, and wonder of wonders, this one to the question of “How was your first trip to the Philippines” has nearly 1000 upvotes:
The first thing I noticed on my first visit to the Philippines was the poverty. My plane landed in Manila coming in over the river that was lined with squatter houses and full of trash. Once on the ground my driver took me through one of the squatter villages and actually apologized for what I was seeing but said it was the fastest way to my destination. It was all pretty shocking and eye-opening, I’d never seen anything quite like it.
After spending a few days here something else became quite apparent. Despite the poverty, the Filipino people are the happiest I’ve met anywhere in the world. The family is really the center of life here, and the generosity and love within the family is really something to behold. I’d never seen anything quite like that either.
I wanted to see and learn more so I kept coming back for visits (I lived in Korea so it was an easy trip). I eventually decided this is where I wanted to live, so I retired in 2018 and moved here permanently.
Here’s a funny and sad anecdote I can share. I brought my Korean girlfriend here for a visit the year before I retired. She had a blast and was treated like a rock star (Korean culture in the form of K-dramas and K-pop music is big here). On our last night in the Philippines, she broke up with me. I asked her why and she responded “because we have no future. You want to retire here. Who wants to live in a poor country?” I told her that you can live in a rich country and pretend this world doesn’t exist, or you can live here and try to make a difference. That’s what I want to do.
So, I have two helpers and a driver. I’m making a difference for them. I do some charity projects that make things better for some. You can’t help everyone of course, but it feels good to know that my presence at least is helping a few. I’m glad to be here!
Anyway, it was nice to get the positive feedback.
I’m dealing with some bullshit woman issues lately (ha! the story of my life!) but trying to stay strong and resolute (this time). So far, so good. I’ll take inspiration from wherever I can find it.
Well, walking is what I do! Walk on!
I hear some people been talkin’ me down, Bring up my name, pass it ’round. They don’t mention happy times They do their thing, I’ll do mine.
Ooh baby, that’s hard to change I can’t tell them how to feel. Some get stoned, some get strange, But sooner or later it all gets real.
Happy Leap Year, everyone! I’m not sure if that’s even a thing. I’ve not even heard this 29th day of February mentioned in passing. Oh well, only four years until the next one.
I celebrated Leap Year’s Eve with a night out on the town. I wasn’t feeling like playing darts, and with nothing better to do I changed things up by attending the SOB dance contest. This week’s venue was Man Cave and there was a full house:
It’s been a couple of months since I last attended one of these dance competitions. I declined the offer of being a judge and just chilled out watching the show from the back. I did concur with the decisions of the panel on the top three finishers though.Alaska did their usual costumed show and earned third place.The Wet Spot team took second place. This gal is my favorite. I don’t barfine (pay to take a girl home) these days, but if I did she’d be the type I’d go for.The Rum Jungle girls did an old school sexy dance routine, and that’s what I enjoy most.This Rum Jungle dancer was red hot. Couldn’t take my eyes off her while she performed. I was surprised to learn later that she is a cherry girl (virgin) and not available for take out. I’m sure she was very tired this morning because she was running through my dreams all night!And as you’ve probably surmised, the Rum Jungle gals earned this week’s SOB crown. Well done, ladies!
The man on the left in the photo above is Dave Fisher, a legend here in Barretto. He owns several of the bars and at least one hotel that I know of. At the Aftermath event in Rum Jungle, Dave joined me at my table and we had a very enjoyable chat. Dave’s a licensed physician who prior to retirement worked for a large pharmaceutical company in Europe. He still maintains a residence in Amsterdam and splits his Philippines time between Manila and Barretto. The guy is in his mid-seventies and shows no sign of slowing down at all. Had a great time hanging out with him.
I did pretty well with the raffle prizes as well. I also had my name drawn for the “Find the Joker” contest. There were about 35 cards left in the deck to choose from for a prize of P17,000 ($340.) Alas, my good fortune did not extend to this event, I pulled an 8 of clubs.
All that activity kept me out later than normal and I’d been drinking SML’s (Zero was out of stock again). I had intended to walk home, but a few steps down the highway I thought better of it and summoned a trike. I’d spent enough time walking that damn highway the past couple of days. Why push my luck?
Today’s “interesting” photo comes from my afternoon walk yesterday:
When it comes to litter, I suppose it all adds up. Coincidentally, that may be the number of beers I drank last night. But who’s counting?
The good news is I can probably mark myself safe from the Wuhan virus:
Whaddaya mean fake news? I believe it so it must be true!
Speaking of the worldwide epidemic that is bound to kill us all, still not much happening here in the Philippines. Or at least, nothing much is being reported. They have however banned entrance from Korea now, so if any of my old friends from there were planning a surprise visit, you’ll need to change your plans. For now at least.
That’s my Facebook profile picture. See, I can smile. Until some bitch stabs me in the heart and takes it away from me.
For my morning walk, I went the opposite direction on the National Highway towards Olongapo City. It’s a bit dangerous in the face of oncoming Friday traffic, but I was feeling suicidal brave. Made it to the Kalakayan gate of the old Navy base, then turned around walked back to Barretto on the beach.
That’s the Navy base on the other side of the river.The beginning of the beach portion of my hike.I got a chuckle when I discovered I was walking part of the trail the Manila Hashers did on Sunday. They named several of the “bitches” along the way. All in derogatory terms of course…This beach had been trashed by a long-ago storm. It wasn’t particularly stinky though.It’s been quite a while since I’ve done this beach walk. Those fookin’ rocks haven’t gotten any easier to climb over though…Not as long as yesterday’s jaunt, but still a good walk.
I know, I know. You are asking yourself “does this guy do anything besides walk?” Why, yes. Yes, I do! Last night I went out on a little lonely bar crawl. Even visited a new (to me) place called Captain’s Arms. Turns out the manager there is the ex-girlfriend of one of our Hashers. She gave me a warm welcome which was nice.
The view from the upper level of Captain’s Arms is quite nice. In addition to watching the cars pass by, you can watch the sun go down over the bay. Beers are cold too.You can also see the mountains out back. And last night they were on fire. Burning down that thatch grass I reckon to make life easier on us Hashers. The bar also featured this shrine which seems to have most of the bases covered. I asked the Gods if I might meet a good woman tonight and apparently I haven’t got a prayer.
So, in addition to Captain’s Arms, I visited Out Back, Cheap Charlies, and finished up at Queen Victoria. Went home with my brain sufficiently numbed to enjoy a peaceful sleep.
Buddy and Lucky were excited to see me! Okay, truthfully I took this photo on my way out. They both do go crazy when I get home.
What else besides walking and drinking? Well, I found this grammatical question somewhat interesting:
Useful information to know, although I don’t give a fuck since I’m no longer working.
It seems lately I’ve been finishing my daily post here with a funny meme take on politics. How about this:
It’s for the common good after all…
Alright, time to do some afternoon steps. What about tonight? Well, a big thank you to Kevin Kim for providing me a useful tool in making that decision:
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you Carefree highway, you seen better days The morning after blues from my head down to my shoes Carefree highway, let me slip away, slip away on you
–Gordon Lightfoot
Feeling down in the dumps this morning so I headed out for a long walk to Subic town and back.
I took the Subic bypass highway going and the busier National Highway coming back.
For whatever reason, I’d never actually done this walk before. I guess there is just not that much of interest to me in Subic. But I was curious about what this store may be like:
Its name seemed oddly familiar somehow…
Nothing like a Wal-Mart back home though. It was actually more mall-like, with several shops and eateries. The Waltermart itself was a grocery store.
The “interesting” photo from the walk would be this example of riverside living:
Probably wouldn’t be to my liking…
Anyway, it’s been quite a while since I’ve done walk this long without a break. I was tired at the end, but maybe slightly more right in the head.
Three miles per hour. That’s a pretty decent pace for an old fucker,
I’ll leave you with some words of wisdom from a dog’s perspective:
Buddy says “life’s a beach”.
It’s the bitches you gotta look out for.
The ladies come to see you If your name still rings a bell They give you damn near nothin’ And they’ll say they knew you well So you tell ’em you’ll remember But they know it’s just a game And along the way their faces All begin to look the same And when you stop to let ’em know You got it down It’s just another town along the road
Another day, another hike. Hey, it’s what I do. When I’m not drinking beer anyway. Today I met up with the remains of the Wednesday Walkers. Günter has run that group into the ground with his insane marathons and only a few die-hards remain. My Hash buddy Scott and I had already decided what we were going to do and figured we’d invite anyone who cared for a sane walk to join us. Turns out Günter was a no show, so the seven of us set off for our adventure.
We caught a bus out to Castillejos, 12 kilometers or so down the highway. And then we commenced walking.
Off we go!Country living at its maybe not so finest.Before the parting.
So, we had intended to go up over the mountain and down into Philseco. But when we commenced climbing a local warned us that the way we were attempting was not easy. He was strident enough in his entreaty to turn around that four of us did. Almoranus the German and two others insisted on going forward. And we haven’t seen them since. Us that remained instituted Plan B, which was to walk around the valley and circle back to Castillejos.
A black piglet. Didn’t see a poke though.Green Acres is the place to be/ farm living is the life for me/land stretching out so far and wide/keep Manhattan just give me that countryside. Ha! I did that from memory!Something about this tree spoke to me. I think it was saying “keep on walking, Joe”. And so I did.Hmm, this field under cultivation lay between us and where we needed to be. And it wasn’t just under cultivation, it was also underwater.
At some point, we lost the path and had to wing it a bit. And it turns out we had to do a water crossing. Well, actually, we had to do three water crossings. But once your shoes are wet, does it really matter?
Wading in.A bit later we were fording a stream.And at last, our last crossing. Edward was a gentleman and carried his gal across all three wet spots.The last of the open spaces before we hit the road back to Castillejos.And then we popped into the Roadhouse for some liquid refreshment. A cozy little bar that I quite enjoyed.On the bus ride back to Barretto we were “entertained” by this guy preaching the Gospel. It was actually quite irritating, but what are you gonna do? When he was done with his sermon, he walked among us handing out donation envelopes. I declined to contribute to his rudeness. I told my seatmate that if he had offered me an envelope in lieu of the preaching I’d have gladly made a donation. And yes, I know it is Ash Wednesday but I don’t like being forced to listen to words of faith. And it was in Tagalog, so themessage was lost on me anyway.
And that was today’s walkabout. Just under 7K all told. Enjoyed the scenery and the company.
I’ll close with a little bit of politics in the form of a meme if you don’t mind:
I’m out on the highways and byways, up in the hills, and passing through some sketchy areas on a regular basis. But it seems the most dangerous place I experience is right here at home.
Danger lurks at every corner…
So, I’m heading into the kitchen and have a sudden sneezing fit. Which caused me to somehow lose balance and stumble into that baseboard corner.
And this was the result.
I’m not sure if there is any significance to the fact that only the middle toe was impacted, but it seemed like a big “fuck you” somehow. This happened prior to the Hash and I wasn’t sure if there would be any effect on my hiking. Turns out I only felt pain when going downhill. It seems fine today though.
Yesterday’s Hash was nothing to complain about, which coming from me is a pretty big deal. It was, in fact, Saturday’s trail in reverse, but since I’d only done the flat portion then most of the hike was new to me.
I actually did the entire 7K trail, which has been an unusual accomplishment of late.And we are On-On!This is why I prefer the Subic Hash to Manila, no ifs, ands, or butts about it.This portion of the trail was a little nerve-wracking for me, especially that first part. It’s all a question of balance I suppose.I much prefer this kind of bridge!The first climb was to be up Black Rock Mountain and that objective is now in sight.And on up we go!No idea why they call it Black Rock…And the goal is achieved. The climb to the top was actually easier than I remembered. And I love the view from here.Looking back towards my Alta Vista subdivision. I thought this rainbow may be right on top of my house. Alas, there was no pot of gold waiting for me when I returned home.A little clearer shot of the rainbow. We had a few sprinkles earlier in the walk.Filipinas on the rocks.The climb down Black Rock was much steeper and more challenging. Fortunately, the rock surface is not slippery at all so it is easy to keep your footing. I took it slow and easy regardless.After another short climb and a stroll through a neighborhood, I was safely On-Home at the Hunters Inn on a very peaceful Subic Bay.At the conclusion of our Hash circle rituals, this dog who belongs to a Hasher and accompanies him on the trail, enjoys some time on the ice.
It was a pretty uneventful Hash, but I had a little incident when it was over. The on-home was in Calapadayan, about 5K from Barretto. I wasn’t about to walk the highway at night, especially after drinking quite a few beers. I also didn’t want to wait for the Hashmobile to be loaded up and ready to go. Instead, I opted for a Jeepney ride back home. About three-quarters of the way there I had an “oh shit!” moment, realizing I had left my hat and walking stick on the table back at Hunters. I called out “para po!” (stop please), hopped out of the Jeepney, crossed the highway, and quickly caught a Jeepney going in the opposite direction. Made it back in time to retrieve my stuff and catch the Hashmobile back to Barretto. I had the driver drop me at the road leading to Alta Vista, and hopped out. As I was walking home I experienced another “oh shit!” moment. I had left my phone in the truck. So, I started running back up the highway hoping I’d catch the truck on its way back. And not too far up the road the Hashmobile was pulled over letting some other Hashers out. They had my phone in hand and were having a good laugh at my drunken expense. I’m sure I’ll spend time on the ice next week for littering. Ah well, nothing lost at least.
And so ended another adventurous day. I hope you enjoyed the re-telling. I found a handy little guide I use to hopefully improve the quality of my writing.
Easy for you to say.
And the toe jam football I played reminded me of the song that bears my Hash name:
He wear no shoeshine He got toe jam football He got monkey finger He shoot Coca-Cola He say I know you, you know me One thing I can tell you is You got to be free Cum together, right now Over me
