As I mentioned in an earlier post, my Fitbit died. And so did my back-up. Both displayed the same symptoms, the batteries refuse to retain a charge. Since I bought them both in Korea, pursuing a warranty remedy is out of the question. So, I begin my quest to purchase a replacement.

A quick online search showed several places where you can order and have them shipped. I’m not comfortable with that option given the transient nature of my housing situation (and the fact that I don’t know my address). So, I looked for retail outlets. At first it seemed I’d have to go to the mall in Angeles City, but then I saw something saying that a place called Tony’s Sport carried them and their webpage indicated a store right here in Olongapo at Harbor Point Mall.

So, I hopped into a Jeepney and made my way to the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (the old Navy base) then hoofed it over to the mall (about a kilometer away). Got to the mall and asked where I might find Tony’s and was told “oh, they closed in 2016:.” WTF? Anyway, I took a deep breath, relaxed, and accepted the Filipino way. Then I walked over to another nearby mall (SM) and had no luck there either. Walked back to the Jeepney stop and came home.

And here I sit with no Fitbit. Maybe I’ll head to Angeles this weekend.

I’ve got the Hash this afternoon so that will be good I hope, even if the steps go unaccounted for. I can actually gauge my step count by time as I consistently have a 7,000 step per hour pace. Still want my Fitbit though!

From this morning’s Fitbitless beach walk…

During which I popped into the Arizona Beach Resort and enjoyed their All-American breakfast. Why wouldn’t I? I’m an All-American boy! And I limited myself to one slice of toast and one taste of hash browns. Still gotta watch those carbs!

Alright then, time to get dressed for today’s Hash…

Our drinking club with a running problem!

Well, I was going to end this post with a joke about time travel. But no one thought it was funny. (Ahem)

Hmm, although I now have no excuses time-wise to not post something everyday here at LTG, I’m not sure it’s necessarily a good idea. Want proof? Try this:

A morning beach walk and breakfast. Then a longish walk up the National Highway through Subic town. Rainy season seems to have arrived and the clouds rolled in on the return trek. I ducked into Johannson’s and had a Coke Zero while waiting out the storm. The storm outlasted my patience though so I took a trike back home.

I’ve incorporated a daily nap into my routine now, so I took one.

Played in the dart tourney at Alley Cats bar and finished second. I’m making an effort to be more sociable, but it really is not my nature.

Came home and recharged my e-cigarettes then went to Treasure Island for some dinner (and more beer). Had the orange chicken, it was pretty good. Then I started feeling poorly (too much beer?) and headed back home. Took a two hour nap, woke up, and decided to keep the streak going on the blog by writing this post.

My decision making skills definitely need improvement!

A good day yesterday. For the most part.

Did my morning beach walk then headed over to my first and probably last “pool party” at Treasure Island. Close observers will note that I’m wearing my Hash shirt, which was my afternoon agenda….

So, there were bar girls frolicking in the pool…

…and engaging in games of some sort. Frankly, I found it all pretty boring and left after consuming the 3 drinks that came with the price of admission.

So, I came back home, took a power nap, then made my way to Johannson’s, the traditional meetup location for the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers. AT the appointed time (3:30) we loaded up and headed for the hills. Literally.

It’s pretty cool that the Hash here has it’s own truck for transport. It’s about as comfortable as it looks…

See what I mean?

The day’s trail…

It’s On-On!

The thing I really like about Hashing is that we hit places I’d never find on my own…

And probably wouldn’t want to walk alone anyway.

But it’s scenic…

And nice to be out and about seeing new sights…

Like these carabao cooling off on a hot day….

And it is nice to get away from town and traffic…

And see how the country folk live….

But watch your step!

It was hot (it’s always hot) but nice…

Your intrepid reporter engaged in Hashing!

This view may be familiar to discerning viewers. Yep, the Hash passed through my soon to be new neighborhood—Alta Vista…

But not for long. This is actually a shanty town right outside Alta Vista….

Finished the Hash at the “On-Home” rooftop of the Hot Zone bar.

The traditional gathering at the end of the trail.

Under a full moon…

Where I had a chance to assess my injuries…

I’m bleeding!

Right leg….

And left leg….both grabbed and stabbed by a heretofore unseen thornbush! Tricky bastard!

Anyway, I will survive. As punishment for spilling blood on the trail, I was directed to drop my pants and sit on this….

It was cold and slippery and the 5 minutes or so were rather unpleasant. Of course, I would never let on about that!

Anyway, I had a blast and will look forward to new adventures every Monday henceforth!

I would have given you all of my heart
But there’s someone who’s torn it apart
And she’s taken just all that I had
But if you want I’ll try to love again
Baby I’ll try to love again but I know

The first cut is the deepest
Baby I know the first cut is the deepest
But when it comes to being lucky she’s cursed
When it comes to loving me she’s the worst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gXXWjK0tD0

A memorable day yesterday. From what I can recall.

Sunday afternoon darts tournament. Which translates to drinking from one until six p.m. And throwing some arrows into cork.

And for the second day in a row I managed a first place finish. Slowly but surely my game is coming together again.

The only problem with an afternoon tournament is that when it’s done, so am I. Not much I can or want to do as a drunk man in the early evening hours. So I just came home and went to bed early. Which of course resulted in my waking up at o’dark-thirty this morning. Ah well, at least I didn’t have to work. Although oddly enough I did dream about work last night. I’m not sure that I miss working but I think maybe my subconscious is reminding me that there is more to life than darts and drinking.

I’ve got some ideas in that regard, just need to get settled in here first. Really want to get into my new house for example. I’ve been promised the rental contract today. We’ll see.

Meanwhile, on tap for this afternoon is the Treasure Island pool party. Never been to one before, but apparently it involves female staff from the various bars in town gallivanting about in bikinis. Luckily eye candy is on my diet! Afterwards I’ll finally make it out for my return visit to the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers. It’s On-On at Johannsen’s! Ran into one of the Hashers the other night at Cheap Charlies bar and he gave me a ration of shit about being here two weeks with no Hash. Time to get it done.

And of course, today is Memorial Day in the USA. The day set aside to honor and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of freedom. As is my custom, I pause on this day to remember my Great Uncle Frank who remained in Europe after the war.

And he’s one more arrow, flying through the air
One more arrow landing in a shady spot somewhere
Where the days and nights blend into one
And he can always feel the sun
Through the soft brown earth that holds him
Forever always young.

And of course, the Korean War Memorial in Washington, DC:

Here dead we lie
Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land
From which we sprung.

–Alfred Edward Housman

It occurs to me on this, my 15th day in country, that this is longest period I’ve ever stayed at one time. It definitely feels different. Not quite home yet, but then again, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt at home anywhere. At least since the marriage ended.

It’s different in a good way as I’m starting to feel like a member of the expat community now. I see people I know around town and we exchange greetings and it’s just a nice feeling somehow. I’m learning shit too. Had a nice long chat we my neighbor Bill yesterday and he gave me some good pointers on the best way to wire money here. Good stuff to know.

Another new friend is Jerry, who lives out my way on Baloy Beach, plays darts some, and is an avid walker. We had a nice long chat last night at the Alley Hideaway darts bar. He’s been living here for over 12 years now and he pretty much knows everything about everyone it seems. I mentioned my attraction to a certain waitress at Treasure Island and he apparently knows them all by name. When I fessed up that it was Joana I was craving, he said he couldn’t blame me for that. But, as I suspected, Jerry told me she has at least one boyfriend and will be joining him in Thailand soon. Ah well. He advised me to just be patient and the one that is right for me will find me. So yeah, that’s what I’ll do.

Speaking of the Alley bar, I got fitted for my Alley Cats dart team jersey last night. WooHoo! It will be good to be playing league darts again, that’s for sure. Played in a tourney last night and there’s another one tonight, and again tomorrow afternoon. It’s for sure a lot cheaper for me to spend my time with dart pals instead of thirsty bargirls!

Not exactly sure what is going on with “my” house. I still haven’t seen a contract yet. Landlord is in Manila which doesn’t help matters much. Gem is doing her best to facilitate getting things done as promised. So hopefully there will be some movement soon. The caretaker let me inside for another walk around yesterday and I took advantage of the opportunity to snap some photos.

Two voids I need to fill in the kitchen…a stove and a refrigerator.

I’m gonna be lovin’ the view while washing dishes…

A spacious living and dining area. There’s actually an alcove not included in the photo where I’ll set up my television (also to be purchased).

The downstairs bathroom is rather unique. It’s pretty much an open-air shower set up. I think it looks pretty cool, but I’m already thinking it creates easy access for mosquitoes and the like. I doubt I’ll rarely if ever shower in there though.

Instead I’ll be using the handy master bath with a walk-in shower.

The master bedroom is plenty nice with built in closet/storage space and a great little balcony featuring the awesome bay view I’m paying a pretty penny for…

Anyway, that and two more bedrooms and a bath completes the package. Hope things turn out. Because whatever thought I had of saving money by moving upstairs from my current place to a more spacious and well-appointed apartment were dashed by this:

That’s the only access road to my current digs. Rainy season seems to have kicked off with afternoon thundershowers. We had a pretty good rain last night. I took a trike home which is good because otherwise I’d have been swimming across Lake Baloy to get home. This photo was taken this afternoon when the waters had receded enough to get around the edge without wading. That will not be the case once the rains come in full force. No thank you!

That’s it for today’s snapshot of life in the Philippines. It’s far from perfect here, but it is also oh so much better than the pathetic life I left behind.

There’s talk on the street
It sounds so familiar
Great expectations, everybody’s watching you
People you meet
They all seem to know you
Even your old friends treat you like you’re something new

Oh, my, my
There’s a new kid in town
Just another new kid in town

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAy49P8Tjuw

Two weeks into my life of leisure, where do things stand?

Well, I’m living large. Too large? Maybe still too much in the tourist mode, but I’m not bleeding red ink so it’s all good. I do keep track of my expenses on a handy phone app, here’s how it breaks down thus far:

Rent: 22,000 ($440.)
Eating out: 16,500 ($375.)
Transportation: 13,000 ($260.)
Drinking: 12,500 ($245.)
Charity: 10,000 ($200.)
Groceries: 7300 ($145.)
Domestic help: 5,000 ($100.)
Shopping: 4300 ($86.)
Entertainment: 2450 ($45.)
Phone: 1100 ($22.)
Laundry: 1070 ($21.)
Medical/Pharmacy 950 ($19.)
Hair/Feet 90 ($1.80)

So, double those totals and I’m still well within my monthly budget. When I start eating in more often, that should reduce food costs some. Rent will be going up of course. And I suppose if I have the good fortune to find a girlfriend, that will inevitably reduce my fortune somewhat. Just need to be sure she is worth it!

I walked on the old Navy base yesterday, and found this little piece of Korea inside the Harbor Point mall:

Korean culture is huge here. The girls love the K-Pop and Korean dramas….

Sad to report a pretty disappointing night out on the town last night.

These two sweeties from Alaska bar were the highlight of the evening. They assisted me in distributing kisses to all the dancers. Hershey’s kisses that is…

Of course, I wasn’t going to sit there buying lady drinks all night. I ain’t quite that lonely yet. So I moved on to a bar I hadn’t tried before called Rolling Stone. The minute I sat down, some random bargirl joined me at the table. I tried to explain that I wasn’t interested in her company, but she ignored my entreaty and began stroking me. Well, that rubbed me the wrong way (ahem) so I quaffed my brew and left the joint.

I really don’t like drink pressure. I’m generous enough and I’ll buy at the time of my choosing. Ask me and I’m unlikely to buy at all. I’m better off sticking with the hotel/resort bars where the staff has no incentive to drink on your dime. And of course, the dart bars are a refuge as well. Anyway, I did go back to Treasure Island for a night cap. Joana (a gal I’m smitten with) seemed more aloof than usual which turned my already sour mood more dour. Finished the night drinking alone at Lagoon Resort.

Yeah, I’m looking for love in all the wrong places, I know. Speaking of which, I reactivated by Filipina Cupid account today. What could go wrong?

Whatever it is, you’ll hear about it here first. Stay tuned!

This pretty much captures the sentiment underlying my move to the Philippines:

I’ve sacrificed enough of my future lamenting the mistakes of the past, don’t you think?

One giant step forward is reaching a decision on where I’ll be laying my weary head in the future. And so I have.

The approach…

The view from the street…

The front entrance…

The “other” side of the house…

The back side features a dirty kitchen/maid’s quarters on the bottom, a balcony on the first floor living area, and a balcony off the master bedroom…

But this view is what ultimately sealed the deal for me. Even better from inside the house. Every day I will wake up and be reminded of why I came to the Philippines…

So, the house is not perfect. It’s been vacant for over a year and needs some serious maintenance. The landlord promised to get right on that and said it should be move in ready in two weeks. I’ll be responsible for providing two a/c units for the upstairs bedrooms, a refrigerator, and a stove. I’m sure I’ll need to fill out the existing spartan furnishings as well.

The rent is 45,000 pesos a month ($900.). That’s at the top end of what I had budgeted for housing. I can afford it but obviously, every dollar spent on housing is one less available for other things, like travel. Anyway, I’ve got sufficient savings as well, so I’m not going to have to curtail any of my retirement dreams in order to live large in this large house. And besides, did you see that view! It’s worth it to me and that’s what matters most.

Stopped in at a local pharmacy this morning to get something for my LBM (liquid bowel movement). I thought it would run its course, but last night was as bad as ever. Anyway, the pharmacy gave me a one week regimen of antibiotics (without a prescription!) and some other pills to take after every poop. Here’s hoping that firms shit up.

My own personal pharmacy. Hey, as long as it keeps me on my feet and active, I’ll be happy.

Fitbit has indicted me for collusion with the Russians. Apparently.

This badge represents a lifetime distance of 5,772 miles—the same length as the Trans-Siberian Railway in Russia! With an achievement this big, it looks like you’re en route to destination fitness.

Ah well, I’ll continue on being a self-satisfied smug bastard. Thank you very much!

Or as we say in the Philippines “Tagay!”

While I was enjoying my solitary breakfast this morning at Arizona resort it occurred to me that it feels like I’m still on vacation. I was wondering how long that feeling might last, and then I thought “Hell, wouldn’t it be great if everyday for the rest of my fucking life felt like a vacation day?” Here’s to hoping that’s the case.

Ten days into this new life now and in some ways it’s starting to feel like home. I’ve got my regular hangouts where I’m always greeted with a hearty “welcome back, Sir John!”. Yeah, they’re bar staff and they work for tips, but still. Actually, I had a pleasant chat with Jerry, the manager of Treasure Island where I spend quite a bit of my “bar time”. And Barretto being the small town that it is, I’m also on a first name basis with a few of the local expats. So that’s nice. I’m sure with time I’ll integrate myself more fully into our happy little community here.

Anyway, the house search continues apace. The one across the street that I posted yesterday is a no go. The owner responded to my email yesterday saying she had decided that she only wants to sell, not rent or lease. And sure enough this morning I see the sign has been modified crossing out rent and lease.

The beachfront house viewing has been rescheduled for tomorrow morning. I did a walk-by yesterday and I’m not too hopeful that it will meet my needs. As I said it is very pricey and from what I saw, not worth it. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised, but I’m not counting on it.

Tomorrow afternoon I’m meeting with the owner of some houses in the coveted Alta Vista subdivision. My understanding is he has three. And if I got the right information from the security guard, this is one of them:

The front.

The back.

The long view.

I walked by this morning and took a closer look without actually trespassing. It does not appear to have an occupant, although there is furniture inside. Both are good signs if I’m correct in my assumption. I like the location in that it is the first house once you come through the security gate, so that makes for easy access. Whether it is high enough up the hill to afford the views I’m hoping for remains to be seen, but I’m thinking at least from the upstairs I should have bay and mountain views.

One downside is that it has a smallish yard and it is not fenced. That raises some security concerns (although the house is within view of the guard shack) and also makes my dog plans more complicated. I’ll ask the owner about fencing at least part of the yard. Otherwise, I really like the place and can picture myself living there for the long term.

So that’s today’s update. Yeah, how about that. Daily blogging here at LTG. Well, after all, I do have more hours to fill these days. Now I can bore you loyal readers to tears more often.

Cheers!

Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.
Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Where everybody knows your name,
and they’re always glad you came.
You wanna be where you can see,
our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows
Your name.

I’d be a failure as a doctor. I have no patience.

Yesterday’s interview of a potential driver got off to a rocky start when he showed up one hour late. Yeah, yeah, I know all about “Filipino time”. But the one quality I require of an employee is reliability. His pricing seemed a little high as well. Anyway, I have his number. He can wait for my call. And wait.

No response to the text I sent inquiring about the house I’d love to call mine in Alta Vista. I’m going to ask a Filipino friend to call them and see what’s up. Meanwhile, I’m scheduled to look at a beachfront house tomorrow morning. It’s pricey at 45,000 pesos ($900.) per month. We’ll see if it knocks my socks off. Otherwise I will keep looking.

This just became available (or at least the sign went up yesterday). I’ve emailed an inquiry. It’s right across the street from where I’m currently living. I love the big fenced yard which would allow me to get a dog or two, something I’d really like to do. I crave companionship and loyalty, rare qualities in the human species these days. At least for me.

Speaking of which, let me introduce y’all to Ester.

Ain’t she sweet? There’s no denying we make a great couple.

I’m proud to call Ester my partner. In darts. We took a third place finish last night!

Yeah, yeah. I’ve been here over a week and still no girlfriend. What’s wrong with me?

I’m just going to have to be patient. All good things come to those that wait. I’m just hoping that my investment in this farm pays off soon:

It could happen! This is the perfect environment for money trees….

Or as the locals call it, LBM. I assume that’s liquid bowel movement which is an apt description for what ails me. I’ll just have to be patient I suppose while it “runs” its course. Ahem.

Anyway, it made for an early Friday night. I was able to enjoy the Son’s of Baccus (SOB) dance contest however before exiting for the comfort of my home based toilet.

My photography skills were not up to par, but here’s a taste of the competition:

Tonight I’ll play in a darts tournament. And I *might* have a lead on a sweet house in Alta Vista subdivision.

The view I aspire to. The view to which I aspire. One of those.

Onward!

Wrapping up my first week of being retired. Where does the time go?

Well, last night I spent some time in the bars. Primarily Voodoo and Hot Zone. Voodoo was a big disappointment. The lineup of dancers was for the most part plus sized. That’s okay, I’m not there for the “take-out” anyway. But before I could even order up my first beer two gals came off the stage and hovered around my table giving me those big doe eyes which translates to “buy me a drink”. No thank you!

I moved on over to Hot Zone which is almost always a fun place to hangout. The dancers are actually talented and seem to enjoy putting on a show. I know I enjoyed watching them. Later some hashers came in and one of them actually remembered me. I mentioned I was now a named hasher and of course he asked what name? I proudly stated “Cum Together” but he didn’t seem too impressed and indicated that after my fifth hash with the Subic Bay kennel odds were good I’d be renamed. I honestly don’t care one way or the other.

So when it came time to take a piss I was surprised to encounter a rather unique urinal:

Hey, when you got to go you got to go! I actually found it quite funny and posted the photo to my Facebook. A couple of folks said in the comments that it was inappropriate and “not cool!” I responded fuck your PC bullshit. I moved to the Philippines to escape all that SJW melting snowflakes crap.

Of course, if I was still working that’s the kind of photo that could create some problems for me. But I ain’t working no more and I will post whatever I please thank you very much.

What else? Well, my balikbayan box has arrived in Manila. Now to figure out how to get the big ass and heavy thing up here in Olongapo. I’ll worry where to put all the contents of the box in this small apartment later.

It appears to have come through relatively unscathed.

I actually need to make a trip to Manila to initiate my retirement visa application so I’ll try and arrange to bring it back with me then. Maybe next week.

I’m interviewing a potential driver in the morning. I don’t need one more than once or twice a week for shopping and the occasional trip to Manila. I went to the grocery store yesterday and the taxi charged me 400 pesos, which is inclusive of the “foreigner tax”. I expect a Filipino would have paid 300-350 for the same ride. I’ll tell your what though, I’m not going to be one of those guys who get incensed over what amounts to 50 cents. Still, I’d like to have a reliable driver I can call on when needed with a prearranged pricing agreement.

Speaking of the supermarket, Royal Duty Free, I was a little bit disappointed. It’s a big store but the selection of things I would normally buy was limited (or maybe I just couldn’t find them). Prices were higher of course than what I’m used to paying in the commissary, no surprise there. But really, with the exception of meat, not really outrageous. For example, I like to snack on Planters Deluxe Mixed Nuts. I was paying about $5.35 a can on base, and at Royal I paid $6.60. Again, not too bad.

I was really unhappy with the fresh vegetables, especially the total lack of celery, one of my favorite snack options (sometimes with peanut butter). Oh well, next time I’ll try the other large supermarket, Puregold, and see what they stock. The store appears more upscale so perhaps I’ll find more of what delights me.

Really though, after seeing how much meat costs I might be better off eating out at the multitude of dining establishments right here in my neighborhood. Especially unless and until I purchase a grill. My crockpot is packed in that balikbayan box, so that will also give me more options once I have it here.

Life is good regardless. Happy to be here experiencing it.

No, I’m John from the earth!

It’s been a hot ass week this week. You know it’s hot when even the natives are complaining about the heat. I’m sucking it up and still getting my 20,000+ steps in everyday, but it’s a chore.

They tell me it’s a bad idea to engage in politics here. Thus I’ve taken measures to ensure my redneck is covered.

I’ve dreamed about an easy and comfortable retired life, but I never expected I’d be riding the gravy train like this:

Yesterday’s lunch: Salisbury steak covered in mushroom gravy!

And last night for dinner I had a delicious chicken fried steak covered in gravy.

It was dinner with a view for dessert you might say.

This morning for breakfast I enjoyed me some shit on a shingle. Smothered in gravy of course!

Anyway, I seem to be settling into a comfortable routine here during my first week of being re-retired. I get up in the morning and walk the beach. Eat. Come home and relax, then take another walk (the killer walk during the hottest part of the day). I’ve re-introduced a short afternoon nap into my regimen as well. Then I walk back into town for the evening’s entertainment. This usually involves beer drinking, if you can imagine that.

I’m not looking to buy a car, but if I was I wouldn’t mind this one I saw on yesterday’s walk:

A 1966 Ford Galaxie. Pretty damn good condition for a golden oldie, that’s for sure.

Played in another darts tourney last night (finished 4th, there are some really good players here). Interestingly, one of the guys I met used to play in Songtan and we have some mutual friends. That was pretty cool! It appears there are dart events on five different days here each week. That’s probably more than I’ll want to participate, but it sure beats the options in Anjeong-ri (or Seoul for that matter).

Still plan to find a gym to build some upper body strength. I guess that’s called working on your core? Anyway, I hope to employ a trainer at least in the beginning for both the “how to” and some motivation to do the work.

Today I’ll be making my first trip to the grocery store so I can fill the larder and hopefully start eating at home more often. It’s not expensive to eat out here everyday, it’s just hard to find healthy choices. Too much gravy!

It might also be a good idea for me to get my head. Into a good book.