…then love the one you’re with. I was the DJ during my dinner date with Swan last night, and I played a lot of love songs, but not that particular Stephen Stills classic. That’s not the kind of love I’m hoping for.
The steaks were high but they were worth it.
The steaks had been marinating in the fridge, and knowing I wouldn’t be home for lunch or dinner, I fired up the grill after the dog walk and slapped on the meat. Tender and juicy! A nice start to the morning.
The grocery shopping went fine; this week’s total expenditure was “only” 13,000 pesos. Still a tad over budget, but way down from the 18,000 I spent last week.
Coming home from Royal on the National Highway I was witness to another example of the insanity demonstrated by Filipino drivers on a regular basis.
After we dropped off the groceries, my driver took Swan and I back to Olongapo to search for some hiking shoes at the SM Central Mall. As I expected, the rumor of a store selling my preferred brand, Merrells, was unfounded. I don’t buy Nike products, and Adidas didn’t have anything that seemed appropriate to my needs.
Oh, and I learned some more French: Succès de scandale! Althouse was blogging about how the low-rated Justin Aldean song, “Try That In A Small Town,” has skyrocketed to the top of the charts since the crybaby lefties tried to cancel it. Good stuff.
You might also find this vlogger YouTube video I came across where he interviews an Angeles City freelance prostitute interesting. I had mixed feelings about it, frankly. I do feel sorry for these gals that choose the oldest profession, but in almost every case I’ve seen, it’s the only viable choice and best opportunity they have to earn a living. When the do-gooders come in and shut them down, it’s the girls who suffer—some rescue. Oh, and she claims she started at 12 years old. I think that’s most likely bullshit. You just don’t see that; almost everyone knows better than to partake in someone underage. Sad if true, but I don’t think so. Anyway, watch it if you want and make your own judgment.
Okay then, I feel like I’m forgetting something. Oh yeah! The dinner date with Swan!
The rain had been falling off and on for most of the day. I carried my umbrella and used it once during the ten minute walk.
After we ate, we went back to the patio. Since my arrival, Swan had been playing mostly romantic songs from a YouTube playlist. I volunteered to connect my Spotify app to her Bluetooth music box and play some of my favorites for her. I was actually quite impressed with her wide range of music familiarity, recognizing most of the songs and artists I shared, some of which were older than she is. So, we have similar tastes in music which is nice.
I’m drinking beer and Swan is sipping red wine. And then she comes out with a small glass of wine and takes this picture:
Well, I think it is fair to say that the question of her comfort level with me in the house has been answered–she seems fine with it, and in some ways, it is like he is still there. Now it becomes a matter of how am I going to feel about being the third wheel in this relationship. The selfish demon in me started trying to raise some negative feelings, but I resisted and told him to shut the fudge up. I focused instead on the positives. I’m glad Swan can be open about her feelings around me, I’m happy that she makes me feel welcome, and if I have to share her with a dead man for the time being, so be it. Her happiness is my mission.
Swan invited me back for a Thursday dinner/beer on the patio, and I accepted. I think her goal is for me to make staying home a better option than the bars. Well, I didn’t spend any money on beers and lady drinks last night, so that will help the budget. And Swan has agreed to join me for an adventure in Vietnam later this year, so saving some cash for that is a good plan. I’ll be glad when I’m not walking back home in the dark, though. Still, it was a good night, and I’m looking forward to a replay come Thursday.
Well there's a rose in a fisted glove And the eagle flies with the dove And if you can't be with the one you love, honey Love the one you're with
That was my breakfast, not my dinner.
Lookin’ good. Hopefully, the steak isn’t well done.
After we dropped off the groceries, my driver took Swan and I back to Olongapo
Nooooooooooooo! Spot the error. A basic one.
re: succès de scandale
Yeah, success from (as a result of) scandal, or even “success of a scandal.”
I do feel sorry for these gals that choose the oldest profession, but in almost every case I’ve seen, it’s the only viable choice and best opportunity they have to earn a living.
I think your liberalism is showing, Mr. Former Government Worker! I seriously doubt it’s “the only viable choice” for any of these chicas. As for opportunities, well, if you play your cards right, sex is definitely a money-maker, no doubt about it. My brother Sean (cellist) went to music school with a slim, cute classmate named Megan (violinist). I later found out that Megan paid off her entire scholastic debt, and her rent, by stripping. Now, stripping is a look-but-don’t-touch business, so there may be a qualitative difference between that and prostitution, but she’s still selling a form of sex, at least by providing lame, horny guys with a wank fantasy. So yes, the trade is undeniably a quick way to make cash, and Megan fell into the right market. A lot of women in the sex biz, however, don’t, and they remain in constant debt, probably because a huge cut gets handed to their pimp. If a woman’s going to go down the carnal path, she should try to opt for Megan’s way of doing it: look but don’t touch, and be your own boss. It’s up to the women to make themselves aware of their options instead of acting trapped. Of course, Uncle Kev would advise these women to avoid that path entirely and cultivate other talents and skills. What would you say to Gracyn?
Swan also provided an appetizer of Spam and cheese on crackers while she finished preparing our dinner.
You can dignify those by calling them “canapés.”
Dinner is served! Beef bulgogi and rice. Yum!
And it looks quite good.
I’m happy that she makes me feel welcome, and if I have to share her with a dead man for the time being, so be it. Her happiness is my mission.
That seems to be about the best you can do. I can understand a certain level of discomfort and impatience, but you’re playing the long game and trying to combat any selfish impulses. All good.
The rain clouds impeded my first sunset from the patio, but this wasn’t bad.
That’s actually quite beautiful.
And if you can’t be with the one you love, honey
Love the one you’re with
I’m not sure I get the song’s logic. It’s like telling the American soldier, deployed overseas and with a wife waiting for him back in the States, to go on and boink the willing local chick who’s right in front of him.
Or is this a song of self-sacrifice in that the guy, who’s away, is telling his girl (“honey”) that it’s okay if she hooks up with someone else because her happiness is that important to him?
I just read the lyrics to get the context… and I’m still confused. The singer is a guy, and he’s talking to another guy (“There’s a girl right next to you/ And she’s just waitin’ for something to do”), and it really sounds as if he’s telling him to just bang the local girl. While that sounds like plausibly man-to-man advice (“Gitcher rocks off”), you have to wonder how the girl back home is gonna feel. The more I think about it, the more I think this song is sinister.
Anyway, here’s to more dates with Swan and fewer trips to the bar. She might make an honest man of you yet.
I must confess that I never heard of Justin Aldean prior to this nonsense. So I checked out the song for myself. It’s ok, not great. I won’t go out of my way to hear it again. Offensive? Obviously some folks are actively seeking reasons to be, or at least act, offended. There’s power in that these days. And as is so often the case, many are choosing to react to subjective negative descriptions and interpretations of the song, rather than the actual song. And so many in the media just pile on, lest they be viewed as insufficiently outraged and fall under suspicion themselves in the farcical Woke American Cultural Revolution Snowflake Festival.
Regarding the underage thing, it certainly does happen — but not necessarily with a foreigner, who would be wise to steer very clear. Quite often a relative or neighbor or other familiar person is initially involved, and then it expands and continues…
Anyway, keep taking the high road with Swan.
Cheers!
DS, yep, there apparently is a huge market for faux outrage these days. I’d never heard of the song before reading about the trumped-up controversy. Reading the lyrics is all that is required to see what the song is really all about–you fuck with me, I’ll fuck you up. Only a pussy would feel otherwise. The left’s hypocrisy is on full display here–not a peep about the rap songs explicitly calling for violence.
Yes, I have heard stories about how so many young girls are abused by family and neighbors. That’s a sick aspect of this culture. The girls aren’t even getting paid for that! In this case the young woman claims she was “sold” into prostitution by her mother at age 12. I doubt she was walking the streets of Angeles at that age, it would be way too obvious for the authorities to ignore. That said, some underage working girls make their money through blackmail, often working in conjunction with corrupt police. There’s a saying, “15 will get you 20 in this country.” The thought of getting inadvertently involved with someone underage is terrifying to me. When in doubt, I just walk away.
The steak came out medium, so not perfect, but it was alright.
I should have written that my driver took Swan and ME back to Olongapo. That’s the way I would have said it; not sure why I wrote it the wrong way.
Canapés it is, then! I’m not a fan of Spam, but these really were quite tasty.
Regarding the Stills song, I’ve always thought of it as being about getting over a broken heart. “Don’t sit crying over good times you had” and “Turn your anger right into joy, she’s a girl, and you’re a boy” seem to suggest that fucking is a suitable method of forgetting. Now, the other night with Swan, I was thinking in similar terms as if I were giving her advice: He’s gone. I’m here. Love the one you’re with. Nothing sinister about that!
Well, I do hope that Swan provides some balance in my life. I don’t intend to abandon my bar life completely, but I know I would enjoy having some semblance of home life. There’s a whole world of Netflix to explore!
Kev, I forgot to respond to the prostitution aspect of your comment. When I first started visiting the Philippines, or more precisely, the prostitution bars, I was very conflicted. Were these women being exploited, and was my presence contributing to their sexploitation? I eventually came to the conclusion that the girls were there by choice (obviously, human trafficking is a whole other scenario). Talking to them, I learned that salaries in “legit” unskilled jobs like working at the mall are incredibly low. One girl told me she makes more weekly than regular jobs pay in a month. I came to the conclusion that men sell their bodies as laborers carrying bricks on their backs all day. How is it different for a woman who chooses to make a living lying on her back? Again, no one is being forced to work in a bar, but as unpleasant as it must be (I still feel sorry for the girls), it is the best option for making a decent living (heh, in an indecent fashion) available for many of them. When the do-gooders come in and shut down the bars, the girls inevitably wind up on the street without the protections the bars provide. That’s not being rescued! Anyway, a woman should be free to choose what she wants to do with her body.
Here I was thinking that only Koreans are enamored with Spam. Not a big fan but do like it in my Budae Jjigae. Anyone ever gift you some Spam when you were in the ROK?
That breakfast steak was looking good. I’ve had steak and eggs for breakfast at the Waffle House but I’m guessing yours was a tad tastier. Ya got to admit though, you can’t beat the Waffle House atmosphere at 3AM on a Saturday. Just ask Kid Rock.
Those two construction workers “doing work” must be unionized. The guy in the orange shirt looks like he’s doing a stretching exercise while the other guy is supervising him. McCrarey, tell them fellas if they want to goof off all day they need to get a government job. US Government that is.
That really was a very nice pic of the beer can, wine glass and shot glass.
Have a great day McCrarey! Peace Out!
Soju, nope, never been gifted Spam, but I’d buy it in the commissary and share with friends in Korea.
Man, I’d love to find have a Waffle House here. Lots of American chains here, but nothing like that Southern-style eating.
Those construction guys aren’t working for me, they are beholden to my future landlord. I’m sure they were at the end of their shift when I arrived. I had to jump over that newly laid cement.
Yep, I could get used to the life being under Swan’s care.
When I saw the title of this blog post, I immediately thought of another song:
Glenn Frey – The One You Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmV9vk2950o
..I know you need a friend.
Someone you can talk to
Who will understand.
What you’re going thru.
When it comes to love.
There’s no easy answer.
Only you can say.
What you’re gonna do.
etc.
Yeah, that’s a good song too and fitting. I’ll play it for Swan next time I’m the DJ.
Another one I’ve been thinking of playing is the Elton John “Love Song”:
The words I have to say
May well be simple but they’re true
Until you give your love
There’s nothing more that we can do
Love is the opening door
Love is what we came here for
No one could offer you more
Do you know what I mean?
Have your eyes really seen?
You say it’s very hard
To leave behind the life we knew
But there’s no other way
And now it’s really up to you
Love is the key we must turn
Truth is the flame we must burn
Freedom the lesson we must learn
You know what I mean
Have your eyes really seen?