"HEAD" LINE OF THE MONTH

While enjoying a few rhum and cokes at the Hangout recently the lads wanted me to pass on words of congratulations to Geoff Irvine and Terry on the birth of their 7 ½ pound baby girl. Damien and Whitey had a few humorous words to add but Neal warned me that Geoff might not be "kind" to this horse if I quoted them so all in attendance agreed that this simple, straight forward approach would assure me continued safe drinking at this fine establishment.

MONTE CARLO BAR OPENS

On the afternoon of 13 April I was able to catch Boss Bill taking a brief moment to relax in his new bar before the opening activities that evening. The bar is phase one of Bill's construction plans that include adding a hotel to the rear of the bar. This will not happen right away as Bill is still putting together his investment package and also would like to take a bit of time for the bar to become known. The bar is laid out like a long horizontal line that allows a lot of space for the dancers to do their thing. The one problem is that if you decided to sit near the entrance then you will not have a view of the stage unless you use the mirrors along the opposite wall. The Monte Carlo opens its doors at 7 PM but when I went in a 7:30 PM there was no music and the ladies were not up on stage yet, in fact, I thought it was still closed. The Mama San told me that the dancers did not start working until 8 PM and that has to make this the latest opening time for any bar in town. It is a comfortable place to sit, relax and enjoy the fine atmosphere for Bill has done an excellent job in interior decorating. It lacks the action and excitement of the Las Vegas Club but never the less will suffice as a pleasant place to drop in for a drink and to view the "line-up" of the hospitality gals on stage. I predict a slow start for the Monte Carlo but expect the action to pick up as time progresses.

No haircuts needed.

AYERS ROCK UP AND RUNNING (lost pictures)

The Las Vegas group of investors that have given us Cleopatra and the G-Spot have outdid themselves with Ayers Rock. This is a damn nice bar! It is classy on the outside and the inside but not pretentious. It is a man's bar with a combination of class and ruggedness and enough good looking women on stage to make Crocodile Dundee give up the Crocs for something a lot more tasty. By the time you read this the restaurant will be up and running and I plan to be there for a sampling of their steak dinner with meat provided by Bretto's. I like the location of the pool table located to the rear but on a raised platform, enclosed by brass rails which not only affords non-interference of play but a good view of the dancers on stage. There is a small pool to the left of the entrance in which management is still looking for a live in crocodile so if anyone has a spare one lying about, please donate it to Ayers Rock. There is outside girl watching seats on the ground floor as well as a balcony that affords an even better view. I have noticed, over the years, that many Mamasans are close to retirement age and not attractive but this is not the case with Thelma, Ayers Rock's very attractive, personable, young (24 years), single, Mamasan. She has to be the best-looking Mamasan in town and one of the most enjoyable to talk to. She has a five year old boy but don't let that stop you from courting this lady, I predict she will have many proposals of courtship. All in all, in my 1-5 scale I have to give five horseshoes to this new addition to Fields Ave.

QUACK-QUACK - IT'S THE DIRTY DUCK

I am not talking about someone's girlfriend but that is the name of a new small bar, located right next to Kokomo's. It was previously known as the Happy Hooker, and then the Blue Dolphin. It had a low key opening on 14 April and has been doing a brisk business since that date. I popped in on a Saturday afternoon at 4 PM expecting a quiet drink but to my surprise the place was packed, standing room only. Many familiar faces were on hand and everyone was having a very enjoyable time. For now, the "Duck" has to be the most popular afternoon in town and that brings smiles to the faces of the two big "Ducks" Eric and Thommo.
 

Before the Opening.

REOPENING

The Silk Stocking, located next to Treasure Island is scheduled to reopen on 1 May, no doubt with new accounting and security procedures in place.

BIG PLANS FOR VALENTINES BAR

If you peek in the door at the old Valentine's Bar that is under major renovation the first thing you will notice is that you are looking down. The floor has been dug out and dropped a few feet to make way for another of Richard's innovative grand designs. While sitting at the Tropicana bar I ran into Richard and was able to get a few insights as to what was taking place. The motif will replicate the Angkor Wat, located in Kampuchea (Cambodia) on the inside and also the exterior. There will be double levels of stage and seating, catwalks will be constructed above the customers seating area, a computerized ceiling (from Germany) will take you from day time to night with stars, meteors, and shooting stars. One will feel like they are sitting in the Angkor Wat with six interconnected stages. It will be more luxurious than the Blue Nile but smaller. The outside will resemble the front view of the Angkor Wat with 7 ft. flames coming out from a specially imported special effects machine. The estimated completion is still about two to three months away but needless to say, the opening will be well attended.

If you think Nero's, Blue Nile and Valentine's completes Richard's constructive ideas, think again. His ideas for the Tropicana are so mind boggling that I could not take notes fast enough. If this pushes through it will be the biggest project ever attempted on Fields Avenue and will transform this street into a major tourist destination. This will not happen this year, and maybe not even in 2003 because it will take a large infusion of capital, along the six million ($) range but let me just say that the plan is to flatten the present structure and start from scratch with a "White House" theme, theme rooms, 500" projector screen, ATM machines, inside bars, fast food outlets (inside) and much more. If all this takes place I predict that in a few years Kokomo's will be torn down and replaced with a much more imposing structure; Abad Santos and Real Streets will change their image as well and even now, Gerard Heinin is building a multi-storied edifice that will house an upscale cocktail lounge with a terrace overlooking Real St. and offer room accommodation as well. You can watch construction progress as it goes up next to the defunct Marine Bar.


STAGGER ON UP PERIMETER ROAD

Staggers bar should be open about the middle of this month. It is located next to the very well received Stampede Bar and housed in what used to be "Moondoggies". This is the newest venture of Stacy and Dave, a dynamic duo with high expectations for Staggers which will be open 24 hours. I thought that Stacy would give up "Good Times" Bar but someone told me that they would keep it going. This is something I have not confirmed yet, and will check it out as soon as I see Stacy.

RUMOURS CLOSES

Rumours Bar has closed its doors but it will not affect the night life at all for this bar never really did take off, especially after Wes had his legal problems and spent a bit of time as a guest of the Philippine Government. For long timers in town that location always brought back memories of Bobby Johns and the Starlight Bar. Bobby died of cancer a few years back and is still missed today. Any bar that he opened became a success as he had a following similar to John Hollis, Dave White and Owen Dolan. It will be interesting to see what replaces Rumours. Something else for this "Horse" to research.

AMERICAN EYE CENTER

Many Ex-pats in town are making the trip to the American Eye Center in Mandaluyong City to avail of laser surgery procedures for their eyes. The price of this treatment is only P25,000 per eye and that is far less than would be paid in the United States. Reports reaching me from those that have been treated by Dr. Benjamin Cabrera have indicated that they are 100% satisfied with the procedure. An evaluation examination to determine if a patient can be helped by this treatment is free. Further information can be obtained by accessing the website www.eyecenter.com.ph, E-mail info@eyecenter.com.ph or contact Dr. Cabrera via his E-mail Cabrera@EyeMD.net. Telephone numbers are 63 (2) 6360762, 638-5837.

GO2CALL.COM

This is a good site to check out. It allows me to call the States for less than four cents a minute, via my computer. It is fantastic and it works! Using my credit card I signed up for $20 worth of calls in advance and it takes quite a few calls to use that amount. One night I talked for 27 minutes and it cost me 95 cents. The one big problem I have is that I can access this site through my server, Tri-Asia, but I cannot connect to any number that I dial and that is very disappointing. I called the technician to see if I could get a good answer as to why this was but of course, did not get an answer. The only response I got was try again. Fortunately I also have Digitelone access and that service allowed me to complete my calls with no problems. The drawback is that I will be charged for access time on my digital phone bill whereby if Tri-Asia could be used, that time would be covered in my monthly charge. I must admit that all too often Tri-Asia is a big disappointment in the services provided. There are two servers I would recommend for those living in Angeles City, digitelone and ComClark. ComClark has prepaid cards available that allows you to use their system without going through the trouble of sign-up fees, hook-ups, etc. Tri-Asia has improved in the last year but needs to try a bit harder if they want to hold on to the customers they already have.


A JOY TO KNOW "JOY" (Picture lost)

Many words have been spoken and written about what is going on at Hidden Vale (formerly Greenlands) and Greg McDougal as well as the massive on-going construction that once completed, will transform this Golf and Country Club into a first class facility. With the daily pressures exerted by this transformation it is understandable that it may be difficult to find time to talk to Greg and additionally, one might find him in a bit of a cranky mood. Realizing this Greg has, wisely, hired a very charming, personable, experienced marketing lady, Joy G. Pena as Assistant to the CEO. There are times when we men lack the necessary patience to deal with the public and we bark without forethought. My wife, Priscilla the Horse has rescued me on more than one occasion. Joy is the person you go to first to ask questions about Hidden Vale, whether they are general in nature or specifically requiring an answer from Greg. Joy has Greg's ear and like many women, has the ability to pick the right moments to talk to him to resolve problems or to present suggestions submitted by members. This does not mean that Greg is not approachable but believe me, once you meet Joy and talk to her, you will realize why she was hired. Last year I asked Greg if he had considered the possibility of allowing founding members to use the membership fees paid to John Martin towards the new fees that will come into effect upon Hidden Vale's SEC approval. At that time he said he had considered but rejected the idea. Even though I realized this was a dead issue I still mentioned it to Joy and she said it was something that sounded reasonable and would discuss it with Greg. To my surprise the suggestion was approved and, in my opinion, is an excellent good will gesture towards the Greenland's founding members. It is realized that many members will not agree with me and will want more recognition but I think this is a step in the right direction. There are some people that have direct access to Greg that feel he does not have to do anything for the founding members and should not give them any consideration. It is a hard lines approach that distresses me but it is a good example of how management is being exposed to different sets of opinions. The good news is that Greg is trying to be reasonable and Joy is assisting him in that direction. No matter what the final result will be, for sure, not everyone will be pleased but for now, through Joy, the door remains open for discussion, suggestions and dialogue so don't just sit back and complain, take the opportunity to present your views now, before it is too late and believe me, a "no" answer from Joy is delivered a lot more gently than a "no" from Greg.

QUESTION OUT OF LEFT FIELD: Greg, will big time professional boxing be coming to Hidden Vale Sports Club sometime in the future?

LET THE GAMES BEGIN! (lost picture)

A fine picture of the Hidden Vale Sports Club's lawn bowl's team was to appear here but fell victim to my floppy disk error. This disappoints me as it depicted a great group of people who I feel will bring prestige to the Philippines and Hidden Vale during the 2nd Asian Lawn Bowls Championships to be hosted by Hidden Vale from 6 through 12 May. This prestige event will be attended by bowlers representing Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. There are 11 Gold Medals up for grabs and expectations for the Philippine team are very high this year as the Hidden Vale team has been able to gain experience by competing internationally and the men's triple team won a gold medal in the inaugural Asian Lawn Bowls Championships; additionally, the ladies fours are coming off a victory over the Australians in the Asia Pacific Championships last September. As well as they did in the past, their marked improvement over the last few months can be attributed to the professional coaching from Australian Rob Frizzell and the "can do" attitude of the players who have spent many hours of practice at Hidden Vale. Greg McDougall has installed three international-sized lawn bowls greens and they are a sight to behold. What a long way this sport and its facilities have come from its early days under John Martin. It is a dream come true for those players like Peter O'Donnell, Lowell Johnson, and others that have been on board since the first lawn bowls green was built at Greenlands. Thanks to Greg's enthusiastic support and desire to elevate this sport in the Philippines to such a degree that the Philippines, one year, will be number one in this sport - who knows, maybe that will happen in May! The men's team will consist of Damien Allison (HVSC), Tony Bradborn HVSC), Brent Chamberlain (Nomads SC), Edmond Dagpin HVSC), Marlo Dagpin (HVSC), Cliff Driver (Coconut Grove), Robin Girle (HVSC), John Nichol (HVSC), Peter O'Donnell (HaVSC), and Max Wilson (Coconut Grove). The ladies are represented by Elenita Atkins (Nomads), Lilia Benthall (Coconut Grove), Rosita Bradborn (HVSC), Sonia Bruce (Coconut Grove), Rella Catalan (HaVSC), Vilma Greenlees (HaVSC), Luningning Jucharyski (HVSC), Bienvenida Mercolita (Coconut Grove), Lennie Montgomery (HVSC), Adelaida Sanchez (Coconut Grove), and Maila Witheridge (Coconut Grove). Opening ceremony is 6 May, 10 AM and it should be impressive. I am looking forward to the use of the new observation deck that will be ready by the time this sporting event begins. Greg took me on a tour of the entire facility and it was very impressive. Come on out and cheer our Philippine team on to victory but win or lose, the Philippines and Hidden Vale Sports Club are sure winners for their accomplishments in promoting this sport. LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!

CAR DIRTY? CALL THE "DOCTOR"

It is one of those ideas that many folks will be saying "why didn't I think of that". The ladies in town have home service for their nails and toenails so why not something for the guys? Now we can sit back with a can of beer, watch the TV and have the Auto Doctor drop by and wash our cars for us. It is fantastic, Cenzo De Sequera has moved his mobile auto detailing & car wash service from Manila to Angeles City. All you have to do is call him, set up an appointment and he will drive his self-contained truck to your home or anywhere in Angeles City and proceed to wash it and provide other services if desired. He charges the same price as drive-in car washes but this is much more convenient. Playing pool somewhere and you want your car washed, call Cenzo, tell him where and when and he will wash it while you are spending a few hours inside the bar. His truck contains two water tanks carrying 400 gallons of water and he has the pressure hose hook-up. It is great, I had mine done while eating breakfast at Ray's One-Stop. The only thing he could not do for me was vacuum as he needed an outlet for that. This is a great service, if interested call Cenzo at 0916-541-4247, a deluxe carwash will cost you only 60 pesos, such a deal you won't want to pass up!

THAT GRAY CLOUD AGAIN

Last month I mentioned that there was a gray cloud hanging over the entertainment district because of the latest actions of the Immigration folks against foreign investors. Since then I have verbally warned many people to be conscious of the fact that Immigration Commissioner Andrea Domingo will be enforcing the policies regarding the working of foreigners living here on tourist visas. The requirements for various work visas was published in the various newspapers recently and that should have served as a warning that Immigration folks would be coming down hard on working tourists. Many Ex-pat tourist visa holders have been employed in Angeles City and for sure it is illegal but for many years authorities have looked the other way. It is also illegal for a tourist to be an investor in a bar here. Immigration folks are no longer looking the other way but right now are on an active campaign to go after illegal workers. It is a time for those ex-pats affected to kind of lay low and wait for that gray cloud to clear out and let things settle down a bit. If caught, it will cost you time in Immigration detention and a possible loss of two hundred thousand pesos or more. The Ex-pat is illegal and BI folks are legal and all you can do is negotiate. Don't say you have not been warned!

BAR AID HOLDS FUND RAISER (lost pictures)

Those members of the Go2Phil message board that participate in the Fields Ave Bar Aid activities are lads that like to enjoy themselves when they are here but do take time out from entertainment to leave some good will behind. Last month they held a very small private fund raiser at the Cotton Tail club for the Bahay Bata Center for street children established by the Rotary Club of Clark Centennial. On hand were good folks like Peter (FFUB) Hittias (Organizer), Wally World, FODSKI, Bubba, Paulie, DOCZOM, Marco (Toonman), and Redhorse (cofounder of Bar Aid). I know I did not get all of the names but it was enjoyable to be able to match some of the names on the message board to actual persons. It was great of these guys to get together to try and help out a worthy project such as this Center. It is up and running but now the effort is to be able to get enough funds to sustain the daily operational expenses. A simple wet T-Shirt contest was held with the judges being issued water guns that required a lot of refills. There was a bidding for the one vacant judge position and Eric Hecley from Guam who bid P3, 000 for the honor, won it. All in all about P40, 000 was raised and believe me, it was appreciated as the money will go to a very worthwhile cause.

PLEASE USE COMMON SENSE

Despite warnings about the Santa Maria area another Ex-pat is attacked while going home, drunk, around 4 AM. He was stabbed in the back with a large knife, but not seriously and will survive to be a bit more sensible. Some folks thing "it will never happen to me" or get drunk and lose common sense thereby putting themselves in danger by walking home during the danger hours of 3-5 AM instead of taking a trike.

Another warning, be careful on those rental motorcycles. Last month an Ex-pat, speeding on Perimeter Road, bumped a car, causing him to crash and suffer injuries and also causing the vehicle involved to lose control and crash through a store window finally settling inside the store. The driver of the car was a policeman adding to the Ex-pats bad luck.

SONS OF BACHUSS (SOB) SCHEDULE

May 2 - Shanos, 9th - Angels, 16th - Voodoo, 23rd - Treasure Island, 30th - Blue Fox

TV STAR

Fawaz Habar Kozma became a TV Star for a few minutes on the night of 23 Apr as he and three of his Syrian mates decided to argue with and attack an ABS-CBN news crew that, while filming a documentary on Angeles City night life, happened to catch the four enjoying the sights along Abad Santos Street (Blow Road). Upset with being caught on film the four demanded that the crew hand over the tape and camera. Leading the four and the main subject of the filmed confrontation was Kozma and the TV news coverage was quite entertaining as he displayed his communications skills with the local media in the street. To be quite honest, this is a lesson of how not to behave if one is a foreigner and would like to stay out of jail. Kozma did end up in detention in Manila, at least for 6 days and I am sure his release will cost a few pesos. It is one of those spontaneous reactions that tend to get one in trouble regardless of how
right that action may be perceived at the moment. Right now, in Angeles City, it is not a time for a foreigner to be confrontational with the locals. If you are seeking Kozma's autograph he might not be visible at Kokomo's for a while but for sure this is a man that does not stay down for the count.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wet T-Shirt contest - Kokomo's - 4 May - start 11 AM
Meeting for Knights of the Brown Ring (AH Club) - Blue Boar Inn - 4 May - 12:30 PM - Entertainment provided by Honey Ko ladies.
Memorial Day Ceremonies - American Legion Phil-AM Post 123 - 30 May
Clark Cemetery - 10 AM ---- Special social at Post Home (MacArthur Hiway) after the services.
Post 123 25th Anniversary three day Celebration, Memorial Day weekend - 31 May, 1-2 Jun
Parade from Astro Park to Hidden Vale Sports Club - 9 AM - 31 May
Various sporting events - 31, 1-2 Jun at Hidden Vale Sports Club - Contact the American Legion, Post 123 for schedule of events.

CAN'T BEAT THE MEAT!

How bout 500 pesos worth of various cuts of meat for P100? Sound like a good deal? It is if you are lucky enough to hold the winning ticket every Thursday and Friday at the Hang-out. On those days, at 5 PM a raffle will be held with the prize being a meat tray provided by Bretto's. Cost of ticket is P100 and proceeds collected will go to the Angeles City Hot Rod Club. This horse had the opportunity to participate and was able to see a great selection of meat being won by someone other than myself. The Hang-out remains the main watering hole for this horse and now I may win a bit of a feed as well. What more could a horse want? OK, maybe a couple of young fillies! (oops, only kidding Priscilla).

THEM THERE WEDDING BELLS

Those wedding bells are not really breaking up that old gang of mine but the are making that dynamic computer guru Tom Deasey settle down to a more sedate life.  Tom is the talented lad that puts together the Go2Phil site and is the webmaster that puts out "Harry the Horse".  I don't usually cover weddings but for a free lunch at a great eatery like the Fortune Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant you better believe this horse will cover the event.  Actually, many readers of this column know Tom and I figured they would enjoy seeing these pictures.  Vergie and Tom are very much in love, for now anyway, and they do make a great couple, but with the addition of their new rugrat, they will be trading in Tom's famous little motor scooter for a car, a big one of course as no doubt, more little rugrats will be added in the near future.  Congrats Tom and Vergie and thanks for feeding the Horse.

Do I really want to do this?

Gotcha!

We Ate, Tom Paid, Great!

I'M OUT OF HERE! SEE YOU IN JUNE.

It has been frustrating getting through the loss of my pictures, a horrendous virus and my computer giving me a hard time. Thanks to a posting on the AC2 board I was able to find the URL that helped me get rid of the virus and help from other sources to repair my Norton program. For those that think that this column is getting too long the June issue will be much shorter because of the Bangkok trip but it is a break that Priscilla and I both need (Eh, that is what Priscilla tells me) so it is time for me to close out April, welcome May and hope like hell that they are kind to horses in Thailand.