…it remains stationary. It doesn’t stop me from trying, though.
I did one of my long (for me) solo walks yesterday, taking the highway to SBMA and then strolling around parts of the old Navy base I rarely see. It was nice for a change of pace and I managed eleven kilometers, almost double what I normally do. I broke my rule about not losing my cool when I decided to take a taxi back to Barretto. I always ask how much (the cabs are not metered), and the driver didn’t want to give me a straight answer. The last ride was 300 pesos, but this driver gave me the “up to you” routine. I wasn’t in the mood for playing games, and I gruffly told him to tell me how much. He said, “500 pesos,” and I told him to stop the car. Then he said 400 pesos, and I yelled again, stop! I exited the cab, walked across the highway, and caught a Jeepney back to Barretto for 20 pesos. Got out at Sit-n-Bull and had a great lunch.
The evening hours felt a little like old times. Swan had plans early, so we agreed to meet up later for dinner. I filled the hours with a mini-bar hop, spending time in Green Room and Roadhouse and spreading some lady drink cheer. Later, Swan joined me at John’s place for a nice dinner. It was my waitress friend Em Jhae’s last night there, so we bought her dinner, too. She almost cried when I gave her a nice tip as a going-away present. Then, after our meal, we met some of Swan’s friends at Voodoo for a couple more drinks. It’s been a while since I’ve done the night on the town routine. Good times!
Here are some photos from the day:
Facebook memories reminded me of the last family gathering with Mom and Dad back in 2009.
I follow politics but no longer engage in much debate. Still, sometimes I come across something too good not share.
Moving along, here’s today’s Quora Q&A:
Q: Is Angeles City in the Philippines a good place to live? Is it as bad as people say?
A: I personally wouldn’t want to live there. It is a city that has all the modern conveniences—shopping, an international airport, nightlife—and not much else, in my opinion. Angeles was one of the first places I visited in the Philippines, but I’d find myself bored and depressed after a few days. Not much to do during the day, and the girly bars get old before long.
I chose to live a couple of hours away in Olongapo. Here I have beaches to walk and mountains to climb. I can find most of what I need here, and Angeles is just down the road should I need anything that it offers.
That doesn’t mean that Angeles is bad, it is just not for me.
I am OK going to Angeles for a day or two, especially for an event like the Hash. But I prefer places like San Antonio/Pundaquit when I need a quick get away. In fact, I’m about ready now.
Alright, you knew these were coming:
Time to get ready for tonight’s SOB dance competition. Haven’t been to one for several weeks, so it should feel fresh again. I’ll let you know how that goes tomorrow.
Then he said 400 pesos, and I yelled again, stop! I exited the cab, walked across the highway, and caught a Jeepney back to Barretto for 20 pesos. Got out at Sit-n-Bull and had a great lunch.
So you didn’t pay the cabbie anything? We have taxi scammers in Korea, too, and I doubt they’d let you just walk out of the car without paying.
It was my waitress friend Em Jhae’s last night there
“Em Jhae” sounds almost Korean—certainly the “Jhae” part. But I’m guessing that someone was going for the “Spider-Man’s girlfriend” vibe.
I filled the hours with a mini-bar hop
This sounds as if you’re flitting from mini-bar to mini-bar inside a hotel. I suppose you could either lose the hyphen or use another word than “mini.”
a minuscule bar hop
a truncated bar hop
a shorter-than-usual bar hop
One thousand steps later, I was at the front gate of Alta Vista.
Looks like the entrance to some subterranean amusement-park ride.
7000 steps, the natural beauty of Subic Bay
Branches caught in wires… you guys get some strong winds.
The stats for the day, including my dog walk and bar hop.
Have you done the math as to how much you’re expending versus how much you’re ingesting?
Em Jhae enjoyed the birria tacos
Normally, when I see anything labeled “birria,” the food tends to be dark red. Is this a different kind of birria?
I ordered the Philly cheesesteak and was surprised to see it served on a bun instead of a roll. Still tasted good, though.
Yeah, I’d be more likely to call that a “cheesesteak burger” or something.
Time to get ready for tonight’s SOB dance competition.
Enjoy the female flesh before you. I hope you avoid being recruited as a judge.
Kev, the cab had gone less than a block when I exited, and he is lucky I didn’t report his scam attempt. I’m sorry I lost my temper, though. That is an unwise thing to do in this country.
There are a lot of gals named Mary Jane who go by “MJ.” I don’t know Em Jhae’s real name, but I suspect that is just her unique way of spelling MJ (we are Facebook friends).
I’m unfamiliar with birria–all I know is that is what the menu calls those tacos. They are tasty, though.
Nope, I’ve never been a calorie counter. Judging from my belly, I’d say I’m in the red.
Those branches in the wires are so typical of the way things are done here. Recently, they cut down a tree for road construction but couldn’t be bothered to untangle the branches. My photo was a tongue-in-cheek attempt to capture that unique beauty.
Yes, I avoided being a judge at the SOB. More relaxing that way.
Bravo for refusing to be scammed. I really hate that shit. Skin tax too. You try to be fair and even generous but some greedy fuckers just can’t resist a short-term money grab. Glad this one ended up with nothing. Abruptly getting out of a cab is not losing your temper. And you didn’t owe him shit. Stick to your guns.
DS, thanks. I think the fair fare is 300-350, and I would have tipped at least 50 on top of that. Instead, he wanted to game me. Fuck him. I know the cabs have to line up and take turns for customers, so I’m hoping he had to go to the back of the queue when I bailed.
For cabs, is it a fixed fare that is designated by the city or does the driver set the fare at whatever he thinks he can get?
If it is the latter, then I am not sure it is a scam. Not saying it is a rip off and I would be pissed also, but putting on my grammatical @Kevin hat, I am not sure it meets the definition of a scam. LOL
In Thailand, cab drivers are required by law to use the meter, but they often try and avoid using them and charge a fixed fee, especially in the tourist and expat areas.
SBMA has posted fares for various locations. If I recall correctly, Barretto is 300 pesos, but since I’m on the far side of town and up in the subdivision, I don’t mind paying a little extra. I don’t think SBMA enforces their fares, so I always ask the driver and this is the first time one was reluctant to state the price. That triggered my scam radar, and when he finally said “500,” I knew I was being taken for a ride (heh). Next time, I’ll take a photo of the price chart and challenge an overcharging cab driver.
There are some metered taxis around, but not on SBMA. I took a metered cab from Olongapo once and the fare was less than 300 pesos. I’ve read on some forums about those Bangkok cabs refusing to use the meter, and it seems to be a growing problem. Anyway, I don’t mind paying what’s fair and I usually give a generous tip as well. I just don’t want to be treated like a sucker.