This is the last time I’ll post about my Wednesday—this week. I promise!
As usual, the Wednesday Walkers gathered for our group hike at 0900. This week, our journey took us up the final climb of Monday’s Hash trail that I had wisely chosen to avoid. Going up that way yesterday confirmed that it was indeed an ass-kicker, despite being the easiest of the insane hills the Hare laid out for the Hashers foolish enough to follow his trail in its entirety. Anyway, I’m glad I explored that path, and I have now added it to my “never again” list.
I spent the day alone as Swan was having some family time on the river in San Marcelino. So, I was on my own again when beer o’clock rolled around. I opted to pay a visit to Cheap Charlie’s. One of the old crew greeted me (I forgot her name), and she asked me about Marissa. Yep, she’s been gone a while. She told me she had a baby and was just now returning to work after almost four years. I was going to buy her a welcome back drink and asked how much for a single. She told me they had changed their prices and only offered lady drinks for 250 pesos. Nope, my rule is no more than 200 pesos. Oddly enough, when I declined to buy the drink, she was no longer interested in talking with me, so she got up and left. Funny how that works. It’s a stupid pricing policy. I’ll buy two (or more) lady drinks at 180, but not even one for more than my 200 maximum. I guess I’m too cheap for Cheap Charlie’s.
I did my nightcap at the Green Room. Swan messaged that she was home again, so I finished my last beer and joined her there.
I’m still being an asshole on Facebook:
Enough politics; no minds will be hanged anyway. I just do it for the reactions.
Today’s episode in The Story of My Life tells the story of my seeing a Korean stage production of The Wizard of Oz in Seoul. The role of Dorothy was played by the girlfriend of a friend. I even got invited backstage after the show.
This is not a Facebook memory, but something I saw there that triggered memories from my glory days in the 1970s.
Today’s Facebook memory is from a life that is no longer:
Today’s YouTube video talks about expectations versus reality when you move to the Philippines. It made me think of that old Stones’ song lyric: You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.
Humor time:
And there you have it. I’m writing this post from a hotel room in Barretto at the Outback Resort. Two thousand five hundred pesos to avoid the all-day power outage in my neighborhood. Oh well, it’s best that I shower up before visiting Dr. Jo.
Good luck with Dr. Jo.
Re: I was going to buy her a welcome back drink and asked how much for a single. She told me they had changed their prices and only offered lady drinks for 250 pesos. Nope, my rule is no more than 200 pesos.
Blowing you shit, but I remember you posted something (maybe from the “Story of My Life” series?) about either a scouting trip or the early days of your time in the PI. You sarcastically laughed at the expats who bitched about paying an extra X pesos for a beer or other drink, which in the grand scheme of things is chump change, and you said you would never be that guy. LOL
You truly have localized!
(Having said the above, I would probably do the same thing in your shoes. More the principle of it than anything else.)
PS. Hope the doctor visit went well.
Brian, I was referring to beer prices. When I first moved here I thought if funny how the expats bitched that a bottle of beer in one bar was 90 pesos, when you could get it in another bar for 50. I was like, who cares? I was paying the equivalent of 350 pesos for an SML in Korea. Lady drinks are a scam, but I participate because it helps the bargirls supplement their meager wages (around 300 pesos a day if they are lucky). My generosity has its limits, and I won’t be a total sucker when the LDs are way over priced.