I’m gonna keep on keepin’ on as long as I can!
Another good day in the life. A Candy Walk, a feeding, and a pool party with the neighborhood gang filled the Sunday hours in a satisfying fashion.
The party began at four, so I went to Hideaway early. No Jewel Cafe this week; I just gave the girls cash for some chicken and meat sticks. A couple of beers later, and I caught a trike back home. Then, it was off to Maksil’s place for the neighborhood gathering.
It was an easy stroll home after I’d had my fill of beer and fun—and it didn’t cost much, either!
- Alcohol: 240 pesos
- Lady Drinks: 450 pesos
- Charity: 1800 pesos (Hideaway feeding)
- Trike: 400 pesos
- Lunch 550 pesos
- Tips: 50 pesos
- Trash Collection: 100
- Total for October 13: 3590 pesos
I posted a video about island hopping in Pundaquit yesterday, and coincidentally, Facebook memories reminded me this morning that it was one year ago that I was doing that tour:
Eight years ago, I won a darts tournament in Bangkok:
Ten years ago, I posted something that is truer now that it ever was:
I don’t like the leftist agenda, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for the people who like the leftist agenda, denigrate means “put down.”
Today’s YouTube vlogger declares that calling the Philippines “third world” is a myth. That made me laugh because he lives in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the enclave of Manila where the rich folks live. That ain’t the real PI, dude! I often joke that Alta Vista isn’t in the Philippines, but I can hear it from here. The squatter villages and shanty towns are a lot more authentic representations than BGC. Still, the video offers some nice street scenes of the place where the wealthy (locals and expats) can live and pretend the rest of this third-world country doesn’t exist.
Today’s lame humor:
Hash Monday has arrived once more. This morning on the dog walk I was greeted with this:
My big news is that tomorrow, after shopping, Swan and I will travel to San Narciso to stay overnight at the Mope Beach Resort. The motivation for planning this adventure is that there is a scheduled all-day power outage for Wednesday. No need to stay home for that! We’ll see how the logistics work out, but I may have to alter the blog posting schedule some. We shall see.
Oh, and my buddy Kevin will be heading out for his annual cross-Korea hike tomorrow. You can follow along on the adventure here. Good luck, stay safe, and have fun, Kev!
Today’s closing song is one I had totally forgotten until I saw it mentioned in passing on the Althouse blog today. I also learned that the songwriter/performer, Mason Williams, was a comedy writer for the old Smothers Brothers show. Damn, what a talented man! Glad to get reacquainted.
It was also fun to watch these two hear it for the first time:
I am surprised you are unable to swim, John. Have you never had the desire to learn?
Oh, I know how to swim, Scott. I just don’t enjoy swimming pools that much…
Yeah, I could only watch the first half of that video. That guy has his head up his ass. I am not saying that the PI is a terrible place, but like any country, there are things that a foreigner is immune to.
A foreigner is insulated from a lot of the BS that the locals put up with, especially with they are not fluent in the language and do not read/watch the local news, etc. And also, our money buys comfort that is out of reach for many locals.
I was in Thailand during the last coup (2016 or 2017) and for me, life went on with no more than a hiccup. I know that the locals did not feel that way at all. While I interact with the locals (as you seem to do also), we live in a bubble in a developing country.
Brian, yes, I agree foreigners always have a layer of insultation protecting against the harsh realities the locals experience. We can see it sometimes and be empathetic, but that’s not the same as living it. This vloggers take would be like post a video of Martha’s Vineyard and saying, “See? There’s no homeless in America.”
I was in Thailand on vacation in 2016 when the King died. The police swooped in and shut down all the bars. I was talking to an expat I met and speculated who might ascend to the throne. He told me to shut up and never mention anything about the royal family to him again. Apparently, it is a crime to say anything that might be perceived as negative about the Crown. I’ve been back to Thailand a couple of times, but have never forgotten that police state vibe. Do you feel anything like that there?
Thailand and the king is a VERY sensitive subject. The old king was pretty well liked across the board. The new king (old kings son) is, how shall I say, more disliked than liked. Some of the stuff he (and his wife) do and the lifestyles they lead are pretty appalling. But, the powers that be still support him, so even though the majority are fed up with him, unlikely for things to change in the short term. Regarding the bars closing – for any major religious (Buddhist) holiday or holidays associated with the royal family, the bars are closed. These are known in advance so people plan around it. The kings death was kind of a one off unexpected occurrence.
I really have never gotten that police state vibe here. A lot of people talk about problems they have had with the “boys in brown” as the police are called, but so far, so good for me. I dont do any thing stupid, respect local customs, and if I am in a situation where I am not sure of how to act/react, I err on the side of caution and have never had a problem.
There is a lot of discontent bubbling under the surface in Thailand, but because of the reasons I mentioned in my original reply, the core reasons go unnoticed by me. Ignorance is bliss I guess. LOL
Brian, it was my first time in Thailand. I was vaping on the street and an expat warned me I’d be arrested if the police saw me. It was hard to believe vaping was illegal and smoking is allowed everywhere. I’m lucky I didn’t get caught at the airport bring my pens and oil into the country. By the time I made my second trip, pot was legal. I’d quit vaping by then so don’t know if that is still a crime.
I understand the closing on holidays thing. Last time I was in Bangkok there was a Buddhist holiday and bars had to shut down. Oddly enough, the beer bars were serving coffee. Or at least there was something in those coffee mugs. The only time I’ve seen bars closed in the Philippines (other than during the scamdemic) is on election day here. Foreigners are exempt from the no-drinking edict since we can’t vote.
You are doing it right by turning a blind eye to the politics surrounding the King. Weird that criticism of the government is considered a crime, but things seem to be trending that way in the USA too. Stay safe!