HarryTheHorse - Angeles City Expat Newsletter for May 2003

Welcome to the merry month of May dear readers. My trip to Las Vegas was very enjoyable and I was able to successfully complete some very important business there. It will be a long time before I venture out of the Philippines in Feb again. While in Vegas I found it to be cold, lots or rain, then warm for a week, then cold again and then warm a few days before I left. I never got around to visiting the famous Strip, but did get to visit the "Fremont experience" with my son even though I nearly froze my ass off. I enjoyed a first time visit to "Death Valley" and enjoyed a great meal at the famous J& R's Crowbar Café & Saloon in Shoshone, California that was established way back in 1920. A hardworking couple, Robin Baras & Jacob Blankenship have just been able to take ownership this year and continue to put out one fabulous menu. OK, I know you are not going to run over to Shoshone anytime soon, but if you do, for sure eat at the Crowbar. Now, for those of you living in Las Vegas or just visiting, get your butts over to Bob Taylor's original Ranch House for some great steaks, chicken and Ribs, seafood, and other specialties. You will have to call 645-1399 for reservations and directions. Don't ask me how to get there as a friend, Nick Teta drove at night and I'll be damned if I have any idea where it is except on the West side of town.


Wait for me AC!	How sweet it was.	Satisfied visitors.

As usual I flew Northwest with the overweight, nearly senior citizen flight attendants that I did not have to look at for long as I took my sleeping pills and dreamed of the sexy flight attendants on Singapore Airlines. On the way over I met a few lads that were sitting behind me who had just finished an enjoyable visit to Angeles City. They were first time visitor Mike Caras (Tula Vista, CA), and experienced AC visitors Bob Wratchford, (Imperial Beach, CA), Ray Via, (San Diego, CA) and Keith Sanders (Imperial Beach, CA). It appears that Mike Caras was on his way to becoming a legend as it was reported that in his first 24 hours in AC, he had two take outs and two short conversations and the final count was 16 different ladies in 21 days with the oldest being 24 years of age. Mike told me that he would return to Angeles City as soon as he sold everything he owned. He did not talk much for the rest of the trip as he soon fell fast asleep and dreamt of colossal amounts of super Viagra.

The one frustrating thing about Las Vegas is that I think I hear more English being spoken here than there. It appears that English is rapidly becoming secondary to Spanish and it can be very annoying. It was so nice to return here, enter a McDonalds and be greeted with a smile and "hello sir, how can I help you?" instead of a non-smiling individual who could hardly understand what I was asking for. This is becoming more and more common all over the Southwest as our politicians cater more and more to the immigrants, both legal and illegal that does not want to adapt to America or her native language. Our President Bush had the guts to go and do a bang-up job in our latest war but he better start using some of that resolve in taking on some serious domestic problems as well. A first good step would be in passing a law that English is the national language of America, not Spanish. Needless to say, I will no doubt have to carry a Spanish-English dictionary when I visit San Antonio, TX and Houston, TX in July to attend a USAF Tops In Blue 50^th Anniversary and past cast members reunion. It will be an exciting trip for me but short enough, I hope, where I do not have to skip a month in putting out this column.

More often than not one hears about problems between expats and local Filipinos but it is not unusual to witness a few conflicts between the expats living here. So be the case when the Swagman and Kokomos was closed down for 13 days recently and the various boards were ablaze with the details of what caused these closures. There were a few words thrown about by both owners Mo (Kokomos) and Bill (Swagman) but now that they are both open and time has allowed a few wounds to heal all appears to be well. I have spoken to both parties concerned and I am not about to go into any details other than to say, even we expats get upset with each other once in a while. Examples of how a bit of non-cooperation rather than cooperation between expats exist can be depicted by the continuing stand-off between the Cyber Care management (Rosie) and the Galleon (Bob Sullivan) which is still under litigation; the One-Stop (Ray S.) and the Nita's Pizza (Carl), two establishments standing side by side that used to get along until Carl decided that he did not like customers walking through his frontage into Ray's One Stop and thereby erected a wall between them and believe me, there is definitely a WALL between these two lads now; then we have the new barrier of cloth and rope between the Thi-Hi (Deery) and the Hang-out (Dave White), another two establishments that started out with friendly cooperation but has deteriorated into a bit of a "you stay on your side, and I'll stay on my side, never the two to meet". In all these cases there are legitimate reasons for the conflicts but it is too bad that that the fine art of communication, understanding and compromise are not made use of a bit more often. This is what makes life interesting in small town Angeles City.


Nita's	One Stop

Not too long ago I reported on the closure of HT GEES club after Harro fell victim to the not too friendly visits by the

City's task force and his decision not to fight City Hall, just take the easier route (a money saver) of closing for good. Shortly thereafter Harro announced that one and all should look for the opening of his new bar, Lightning Jacks; date unknown. Recently Harro informed me that he is planning an early May opening and the site will be at the old Top End bar that went out of business earlier in the year. He also related that he got a fair deal on the lease and rent which means the landlady that gave previous Top End manager, Ken a hard time must have had a reality check. One's mind set can change when a building sits empty for a few months. Now, I have lost count of how many "deals" Harro has been involved with in this town over the years but he certainly remains very optimistic, though certainly not rich. He keeps smiling and no doubt hopes that this "Lightning" will light up his way to success and I am sure that there are a lot of other mates that are hoping as well. One thing is for sure, only time will tell if Lightning Jacks is a success but for sure, Harro will give it one hell of a good try. More details and pictures to follow in June - Good luck Harro, we need more off Fields establishments to visit.

Recently two expats (managers from two different bars) were held up at gunpoint one night as they were entering the Marisol Subdivision and relieved of a bit of cash. Fortunately no violence occurred and since this was near the end of the Filipino Holy Week, no doubt the thief had made his penance and figured he could start all over again. Some people deserve to be nailed to the cross and left to rot. It is a tradition here where for a few days you see hooded men carrying crosses to various churches and others having their backs beat until the blood flows to atone for past sins. I can never figure out why it is only the poor that do this, where are the Estrada's, the Marcos clan and so many other persons of influence that really need to atone for all the evils committed by them? But, it is a very serious, somber time with events that attract tourists. One British lad, Mr. Jack Hill traveled to Mabalacat with his girlfriend to watch one of the many cross carrying events.

While there, surrounded by many Filipino onlookers he discovered that a pickpocket had made off with his wallet; a reminder that no crowd in the Philippines can ever be trusted to contain 100% honest people, even on sacred ground. There is no time out for crime!

One Saturday night while visiting a few bars I decided to check out the Pick-Up. This was a club that, when I last visited, kind of disappointed me due to its low attendance where the majority of the customers appeared to be Filipino. This time I found the place packed and there was a large contingent of foreigners in attendance. The dance floor was packed, it was nearly standing room only on the first level and the balcony as well. The mood was festive and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. The owner, Gerard spotted me and as I headed towards the stairs leading to the balcony I was surprised to see that he had come down to assist me as he remembered that, with my bad knees and back, I had difficulty getting up the stairs without a railing. I had suggested, before he opened that a railing be installed for folks like me and that is still on the drawing board. Never-the-less, the fact that this very successful, busy businessman remembered and came to assist me is a courtesy that I will never forget. That evening guest expat singer Mr. William Holland entertained those in attendance with his singing and two groups of dancers, Sweet Dreams/Final Collection provided some very professionally choreographed routines that drew large rounds of applause. I have been told that weekdays see a much smaller attendance but for sure, I will return again and stay much longer. Oh yes, it is best to get there about 10 PM on a Saturday night as that seems to be when the place starts to fill up and the action is continuous until the wee hours of the morning. One other tip, some of my single mates have told me that the "pick-up" opportunities are plentiful and can result in some very interesting evenings.


Packed dance floor	Jacko on the hunt for ---

Blue Boar Inn ladies	Bill Holland

great choreography

On the Saturday night that I did a bit of barhopping I found that the Blue Nile was packed, exciting, and good fun. I left there and went into the Bedrock - BORING, there was only one other person there. I ordered a drink, never knew if there was a manager as no one came up to say hello; if he had I would have bought him a drink in sympathy. I finished my drink and visited the Camelot, another bar that was packed, full of life and was very enjoyable to be in. My next stop was Ayers Rock, which regretfully, was dismally empty, boring. Too bad, this place has potential, just need some better folks to run it I guess. Maybe it was just one of those off nights, but it was a Saturday. Stopped in to see Treasure Island (Manager Troy), packed but then it does not take many people to pack this tiny place. It was interesting, especially when a customer paid for three "ladies shower drinks". This original idea, which takes Robert Sullivan's shower shows a bit further, is where a customer pays P250 for a lady to take a shower on stage. When you have three rather sexy gals on stage taking a shower that is very revealing you do experience the urge to run up on stage and at least volunteer to soap their backs (fronts?). Mo has informed me that in the very near future the upstairs area will be open for business but if you think I had trouble with the stairs at the Pick-Up you can be sure that these stairs are nearly impossible for me.

Overheard some very positive comments for the "Bunny Ranch" but some suggested that if Bill moved his wife out to the province he would do a lot better there.

Is there a connection between Orchid Inn's Ron Wakely and the Chicago Park? Why do I hear talk of a 10 pin bowling center? Will be looking forward to talking to Ron to see what details I can pass on. He's a busy man lately and hard to find.

Have heard that Gary Stone was back in town and was seen holding forth at the Stinger Bar.

Chefs Dallas (previously with Orchid Inn) and BJ (previously with Tropicana, Orchid Inn, Greenlands) are now employed by Mo at Kokomos. You can see Chef Dallas during the day and BJ at night. Their menu is undergoing an extensive update so be prepared for some new delicacies to be offered. Dallas is from Sydney, Australia and he told me that he will be featuring daily specials that will be rotated each week so one will never know what the special will be day to day. Variety and experimentation are the key words here so dining at Kokomo's should be rather interesting in the immediate future. Naturally there will be some price changes as well but only as necessary to keep that all important profit margin and at the same time meet the continuous fluctuation in cost of goods.

Kokomos " Motel" is nearly full and Mo's adding 4 more rooms. They will be ready for occupancy in early June

Voodoo has 16 new ladies on the job so get out there and do some quality control checks.

Shanno's bar has been renamed the "Lollipop", courtesy of Mo. Not sure if it has improved business any but stop in and say hello to manager Don).


A new location for Dallas	BJ on Board as well

The Blue Nile experienced a standing room only crowd on Monday, 21 Apr as they featured a special, short notice performance by Baby M. I had no idea who she was but it appears that she is the hottest rage in Japan and has the number two record in popularity there now. Despite the short notice there was a great turn out as Baby M sang her heart out with other short performances by the two dancers that travel with her and a special bit of comedy by "Tina Turner". Baby M had just completed a benefit performance over the weekend in Olongapo for the street children there and graciously volunteered to perform at the Blue Nile the night before she was leaving for Japan. Nice show Richard, keep up the good work.

By the way, the Blue Nile Executive Club is still open to the public. I discussed this with Richard as I am aware that those who paid memberships are kind of wondering what to expect. He asked for patience for those that put up the 10 grand to join for they will see an increase in value. He further elaborated "There are plans in the works that will bring a lot of excitement to Fields Ave!" Richard indicated that he is Fields Ave positive and that he wants to make fields Ave into a very special place. Let me stop here, best to just wait for further news on this topic. Geographically shifting a bit to the Olongapo area it is well known that Richard is investing money in that area. He told me that "the top bars in Angeles City will be duplicated in Subic". No doubt you can guess which bars he is talking about so this is another area that I will have to keep an eye on and try to keep the readers up to date on. I do believe I will have to get my old horse's butt out on the highway and travel to Subic to see what is happening in that area. I keep hearing good things about Thommo's Blue Rock so that facility is at the top of my list to check out. Before I found that the Olongapo area was boring at night but I suspect that this is changing for the better and that there is a move afoot to draw more of you visitors to that area, especially Barrio Baretto.

Anyone needing information on where to rent billiard tables or needing accessories or anything regarding pool table needs can contact Jim Kelly at 892-6669. Recently he was able to obtain some nice house cues for me from Manila at a very reasonable price and for sure I will be seeking his advice on other items I might need. I did take a nice picture of Jim to present here but when I got home I found that I had forgotten to insert the compact flash card in my camera. Sorry Jim, but then you did say you didn't like to have your picture taken.

Caught Simon, AKA "Spankit" getting a head job while enjoying a few drinks at the Hang Out. There is no extra charge for this service and Spuds will lick it clean for you when finished.

After a hard day's work at the office Dave Mar knows how to unwind and relax at his favorite smooching, oops, I mean drinking establishment - Honey Ko's)

Have you eaten at the American Legion Post 123 lately? Give it a try, Joe Carsley is working wonders in the kitchen and is determined to present some great additions to the daily fare. I tried a five meat sandwich during my last visit and it was fantastic. You don't have to be a member to eat there so get over there before this hidden secret is discovered by too many people.

Did you know that the French Bakery has a branch in the Dau Pure Gold store? They have great breads and pastries and it sure saves going all the way to SM, San Fernando for those delectable treats. Disregard the "French" in the name, it is run and owned by Filipinos. Sorry folks, I'm a Yank and not all that pro French at the moment.

The word is out that the DMZ bar is becoming quite popular. They have 25 girls working and folks tell me that 11 of them are great. That's not a bad percentage.

There's a new owner at the Blue Fox with old timer Duke hanging in as manager.

This young lady could not stop laughing as she said "oh Allan, your goatee is so funny looking and it tickles!" By the way the next meeting of the Knights of the Brown Ring (AH Club) will be on 3 May and Allan will be giving his new goatee a real testing.

TAPS - We remain a close knit community here in Angeles City so it is always very sad when we have to announce the passing of fellow expats, especially those that are well known and respected. Sadly, I must report the sudden, unexpected death of C.T. Jones, American, who passed away at his home in Timog Park at 0230 in the morning.

Long time resident of Sunset Valley, Harry McNamara (Australian) suddenly collapsed and passed away as he was being driven to the hospital.

American John (Pete) Peterson, retired military, passed from our midst in April after a long illness. I knew Pete for many years and always respected the upbeat outlook on life that he showed on a daily basis even though we all knew how he fought his various illnesses over many years. His biggest comfort was the loyal support of his wife, Leila, that he courted when she worked in the office of the Top Hat NCO club so many years ago.

I always call her "Rose" but her real name is Myra and she has been selling flowers on Fields Ave since she was nine years old. She is 32 now and has a BS degree in Business but still finds that she can make more money selling flowers and remain independent as well. Not quite independent though, for despite her age her mother still follows her around to make sure that some overly interested guy does not get too close. Now fellas, this can be a real challenge for some industrious single guy determined to overcome many obstacles to court this fine, smart, happy, ever smiling young lady. Beware though, the biggest obstacle is her mother and boy, she very seldom smiles and can be mean as hell. If you are shy I would be more than glad to arrange an intro for anyone coming to town to seek this lady's hand. It would be one hell of a courtship but if you ever get her to the alter, I'm sure there would be no shortage of flowers for the event.

She may have turned 34 on 20 Apr but no one can deny that Dolores (Honey Ko's supervisor) still has what it takes in the personality and body departments. I arrived too late for the food but the ladies were still in a festive mood and I suspect, that even 20 years from now, Dolores will still be able to out dance most of the ladies in town. Happy Birthday Dolores, may you stay slim and trim for many more years.


It's my b'day	Still firm at 34

The Dirty Duck's day time manager, Todd, selected this charming lady to represent the bar in May. Her name is Joy, 25 years old, single, and no kids yet. For those of you that like them a bit thin, this is the lass for you and I am sure she could bring a bit of "joy" into your life one evening. Drink prices at the Duck are P35 until 5 PM, P50 thereafter with ladies drinks being P125.

I have written about the Indian food served at the Blue K before but my schedule did not permit me to sample the Thursday night buffet served up by Chef Richard (from North India) until last month. Manager Yves and Chef Richard are pleased with this weekly offering and well they should be. For those that enjoy a good curry experience I can guarantee you will not be disappointed. On this particular evening they offered vegetable samosas & salads, gegetable fried rice, baigan bartha, fish masala, beef with veggies (hot), chicken Methi (mild), raita, papad, parantha and a great rice pudding for dessert. Does that make you hungry?


filling up	The good, the dynamic & the beautiful

It seems as if more and more Chinese restaurants are opening in town. The latest to open is the Luk Foo Cantonese Kitchen conveniently located at the Puregold Supermarket Complex, McArthur Highway, Dau, Angeles City. Priscilla and I have eaten there twice and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Our favorite item to start off our dining experience is the hot sour soup and this has become a tradition with us no matter which Chinese restaurant we eat at. The Luk Foo has a very pleasant interior and the service is fast and friendly. The fact that we can enjoy a bit of shopping first and then relax with a good meal afterwards without having to drive elsewhere is a great convenience. They are open from 10:30 AM - 10:30 PM.

I think these pictures alone can let you know why I enjoy dropping in to visit this establishment. The ladies certainly exude personalities that let the customers know they enjoy the hell out of their jobs. Need I say more?


Entering Camelot	Bra adjustment

Memories are often of treasured moments in one's life, especially for parents who have the thrill of raising a son or daughter. The memory of birth, first steps, first day at school, graduations, etc. Anyway, you get the idea but imagine how great a memory it would be to be able to throw your son a fantastic 21^st birthday bash in Angeles City at a location like the Blue Nile Executive Club. Many years ago my 16 year old son visited me in Angeles City and I introduced him to the Fire Empire and other establishments on McArthur/Fields Ave. He still discusses those memories with me but his mother, for some reason, does not. Of course we were divorced at the time and they were living in Las Vegas. Regretfully, I was not present at his 21^st birthday but Matt, an Australian working here was and he gave his son, Matt, on 12 Apr , that dream party at the Blue Nile. Larry McGeechan and son Matt are from Mornington, Australia, but I had no idea where the heck that is. Larry explained that it was a peninsula near Portsea, Victoria which did not help me at all. Anyway, it was one of those "priceless" moments for Larry and a great memory for them both as Matt enjoyed the festivities and the large crowd in attendance, especially the many lovely ladies that surrounded him all evening. The next day Larry's memory was a bit hazy due to his large consumption of alcohol but I was able to assure him that the evening was a complete success and that he had a good time.


Six? At 21, no problem!	Priceless moment

Something to chew on! Information Services. For all your sporting needs contact peter or Keith on - 0918 - 900-7613 or 0920-9050230 (text) or Malou 0919-868-4459. Published here as a favor to "Big Foot" (who now owes me a drink).

The other day I noticed that a Filipino was busily painting the poles outside of the hotel but figured Barangay officials were behind this project and thought nothing of it. Then I met up with Mark (Tripod) Kurzyniec and he asked if I had noticed that my poles had been painted. Turns out that Mark is behind this and it is costing him forty pesos a pole and so far fifty have been beautified. He has no idea how many more will be painted but he figures it is his personal community project. Now I have seen many different ways for expats to occupy their time here in Angeles City but this is a new one. Maybe, since Mark did try to partner up with Stacy (Good Times) for a while and it ended up as a disaster for him which made him feel like hitting his head on a pole a few times, he figured it would less painful to just paint them. It could be that since he recently married, his love is so strong that after painting all the poles he will add the name of his lovely wife to each pole. Or, it could be that because of the very hot weather a critical portion of his cerebral cortex has temporarily malfunctioned. Whatever, the poles are beautiful Mark, thank you.

Recently I had to replace three of those wonderful second hand cable boxes that were forced on us by Dennis Uy. Now, I can't complain about the service I received, it was prompt and the technicians did a great, no questions asked job. The only question I had was why the technician didn't show up on the previous evening as promised? His explanation was that he was busy because he had to service 22 other locations that were having problems with "the box". When I talked to Jack Uy, he told me that subscribers were complaining less and were getting used to the boxes. My feelings were that the subscribers hated the cable boxes and are being FORCED to get used to them because they have no choice. Now, there is the rub, a lack of choice, there is no alternative cable company to turn to which appears to me, represents a monopoly. That is regrettable because maybe this is the best system offered but I will never know because I cannot compare. Personally, I hate the fact that I must move to within a few feet of my TV for the remote control, which must be purchased from Dennis, to be effective. I presume that Dennis must have thousands of these cable boxes on hand so he can replace the many that become inoperable on a daily basis. How about those remote controls? Some last only a month or so and when the customer calls up to complain is told to purchase a universal unit as there is no replacement; doesn't seem quite fair! OK, the Uy brothers are nice guys, I like them, they are good, fair businessmen and their products at Savers Mart are top class, BUT, sorry, I am not convinced that those cable boxes are the best way to go. For sure, maybe the subscribers are getting used to them, just like a kid gets used to toilet paper, but it is still a lot of shit to swallow.

It is very seldom that Vegas Dave Hamilton drops by the Blue Boar Inn to play darts with the Horse but he did so recently. Since he let me beat him, I figured he wanted a favor. Sure enough, the next day he dropped off a handwritten ad which follows: "Vegas Dave, OMNI Insurance, stopped by the other day for darts here at the Horses' watering hole. He disclosed he can now provide "full comprehensive Insurance" for American cars over 10 years old that have been restored. This is the 1^st time this type of coverage has been made available. So stop by and see Dave in his ofc. (next to Domino's) or call him at 0919-459-1244. His email address is: vegasdave@omniplans.com. *Humor it up some for me. Thanks". OK Dave, here is the humor, I will be sending you a bill for this ad plus you owe me a drink!

Yes, it is military exercise time again and Clark is being filled up with US GI's that will be training with their Philippine counterparts. Once again they will be restricted to the base during their off duty time, never to see the lights of Fields Ave; never to enjoy the delights of conversing with the charming ladies all too eager to meet them. But, and this is an important but, there are a number of "FIXERS" all too eager to take advantage of their situation, as well as the greedy taxi drivers that ply the roads of Clark. The fixers go to various clubs on Fields and negotiate early releases for the girls at the customary price, then turn around and charge the GI's two hundred percent more. This means that the ladies and the bars lose money in that no ladies drinks are served and there are far less entertainers available for the customers on Fields that would spend on ladies drinks. The taxi drivers that take the ladies home in the morning are notoriously unfair as they charge double their normal fare and enjoy taking advantage of the women even though most of them have not received any taxi fare from their hosts. GREED is the name of the game folks. It is not just the Americans that the fixers go after, a source has informed me that the Korean tourists staying at Fontana and Mimosa are fair game as well. They are charged four hundred percent more and are happy to do so. So folks, when you hear rumors that the bar owners are taking advantage of the GI's on base, this is not true. Their business is appreciated but it is the FIXERS that are doing the dirty deeds. It is up to the visiting GI's to get a little smarter in their business dealings with the locals and also wise up to how many Filipinos are all too eager to rip off the ladies as they depart the base. Fellas, this is not Okinawa where a tiny ladies drink cost $10 and she only takes five minutes to consume it. The bar owners on Fields Ave and Perimeter Rd. are fair and will look after you but I sure can't vouch for the locals that miss the days when Clark hosted the US Air Base and the pickings were easy. Be careful, be wise, but don't be cheap charlies either.

All afternoon pool leagues were cancelled one Friday afternoon last month as the VFW hosted a Coalition Appreciation Day at the Ponderosa. Regardless of what one's feelings might be about the war the fact is that soldier's from various coalition countries were fighting and getting killed or wounded. They fought bravely and deserve to be recognized for their dedication and bravery. The turn-out was large and it was a very fine day. It was a pleasure to meet special guest Gary Walker, Security Manager at the British Embassy, Manila. Following are a few pictures of the various folks attending this event. Hope you recognize a few.

Yes, I know there were a lot of pictures this time and you guys with a dial up connection will find it a bit slow to load but I think the pictures make it a bit more enjoyable to read and look at. Tomorrow, 25 Apr, ANZAC will be observed here so God Bless all you good Aussie lads that read this column, you're the best! Don't forget 11 May is Mother's day so make plans to take your favorite lady out. Oh yes, don't forget to be kind to horses.