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JUNE 2004 I apologize, Club Amore is open! It did close briefly but then reopened but with no noticeable improvements. The elections are over and the good news is that Mayor Lazatin has won reelection and that is good for the City and for Fields Ave in particular. This Mayor has always been supportive and protective of the businesses on Fields as long as his directives were followed. Pres. Macapagal won reelection as well thereby saving us all from the perils of Fernando Poe Jr but don't expect any dramatic changes in the country as there will be business as usual, hopefully, with continued stability. Starting this year Filipino Americans can apply for dual citizenship and the procedures are quite simple and the American Embassy has informed those interested that there are no legal conflicts with the United States's policies. June brings in the start of the rainy season so the temperatures should drop a couple of degrees. Weather wise it is an unpredictable 6 months but all you need is an umbrella and a hat as the action in town does not let up at all. TIDBITS A kind hearted contributor posted the following words about the "man in the wheelchair" who was a familiar sight on Fields Ave. Not too long ago I posted a picture of him in my column and I can assure you he was not a scam artist. In fact the wheel chair he used came from JC at Margarita Station who quietly, without any fanfare, goes out of his way to help many people in need in this town. I agree, the "man in the wheelchair" will be missed and the sad part is that he probably never realized how much a part of the Fields Ave scene he had become. May the "old coot" restt in peace. "The old man in the wheelchair has died. Never did know if he was a scam artist or not, but I never failed to give him at least 20 peso every day. Gave him that blue cowboys hat about two years ago It sure got faded out. I'll miss the old coot." If you noticed, the construction on the new hotel located at the former Woody's stopped for a couple weeks last month. Why? It seems that the original building plans that were submitted - and approved - called for a 3 storey structure. These plans were drawn up by Gerard's architect and met all Code requirements. This is a unique sort of a project. As part of the lease arrangement, Gerard is building the shell and the investors (same group as Pick Up Disco) are footing the bill for all of the interior work. At least one of the investors decided that a 4th floor would add a lot of potential revenue to the group. Part of this additional floor included a roof top terrace bar. Alas, someone from the City noticed that there was 1 additional storey and pulled the plans. Oops. City Code requires an elevator for any structure over 3 stories. Oops. That was a serious glitch and I heard that after a lot of appeals to the Mayor and the payment of a penalty (P2,000) construction was allowed to continue on the first three floors. A reliable source has informed me that a structural review must be made to determine if the foundation laid will support a fourth floor and regardless of the finding, still, an elevator must be installed, either internally or along the outside. Eventually all problems will be resolved but regretfully, the investors have suffered an extensive delay and additional expenses for overlooking an important requirement of the building code. A good lesson for future investors who plan to construct any buildings in Angeles City is to make sure that all requirements are fully approved by the City Engineers and, for sure, any major changes must be coordinated before hand. Well, since I first wrote the above I have been told that things have changed. I spoke with one of the investors and he told me that the elevator requirement can be waived by the City upon submission of the proper paperwork. Additionally, the fourth floor will be completed but the construction of that portion is being paid for by the investors, not Gerard, as Gerard committed only to constructing three floors. The end result will be that a new four story hotel will be completed and ready for occupancy this year and from what I have been told, it will be a class act. Now, as of 27 May, the restaurant is still up for grabs. The dining space is 97 sq meters and the kitchen is 48, with a rental of P30,000 a month to include water. Investors, if this is still available by the time you read this column, hurry up and contact Mark Smith as this has to be a very good deal. I was also told that the Mayor got very little support from the Balibago businesses. It's hard to tell from where their information comes from, but it's their firm opinion that the staff from a few bars on Fields Ave supported the opposition. It surprised me to hear of this because Mayor Lazatin has been very supportive of the bars on Fields Ave and Perimeter Road. I certainly hope that this information was incorrect and thank goodness the incumbent mayor is with us for another three years. There was a tale about a lad named "Mons", known as the "Prince of Denmark" who stays at the America Hotel every year who during his last visit imbibed a large quantity of alcoholic beverage. Now, there is nothing wrong with taking a bit of drink but Mons, one particular evening returned to his hotel and was amazed to find that the foyer décor had changed since he left that morning. Not to worry, he just wanted to get to bed so asked the desk clerk for his key to room 226. The polite desk clerk informed him that "Sir, we do not have a room 226". Mons, gazing through liquor filled eyes suddenly realized that he was in the Euro Hotel rather than the America and was able to turn about and stagger next door to his proper hotel and room 226 for a well earned rest. The "Prince of Denmark" nearly became the "Prince of Darkness". 
A result of the recent election is that Mayor Lazatin will be enjoying his last three years as Mayor and is happy that finally, his party will enjoy a majority on the City Council, the "seven dwarfs" are gone. A creditable source has informed me that now the mayor can realize his dream of creating changes on Fields Ave that will enhance the area and provide him with a legacy to be proud of when he leaves office. For years now, there have been attempts to create a "walk-a-bout" on Fields Ave where a portion of this thoroughfare is closed to traffic. It was tried before but the experiment lasted only a few days as opposition to the plan was mounted. There have been special occasions where the street has been closed for a one night special event that proved to be popular with the tourists. Now, for sure this project will be pushed through but the boundaries are yet to be determined. It is not certain as to where the closure will originate, either at Sub-Delicious or Illusions or how the traffic will be routed. This will take planning but believe me, it will happen and as early as this year. It was also mentioned that new standards and rules will be forthcoming for the bars on Fields Ave to comply with and those that cannot adjust will be denied licenses to operate. It is far too early for me to get any guidelines on this but I am assured that changes will be made. Additionally, the squatter businesses will be moved out and also, do not forget the plans for ShoeMart (SM) to construct a store on Clark and also upgrade the park to include cleaning up the checkpoint. This project has not gone away, just put on hold until after the dust from the elections has settled. These forecasted changes will most certainly be of high interest to club owners on Fields Ave. The "Horse" will try his best to stay on top of this and report whatever I can find out and am allowed to print. Last month I failed to mention two locations on Subic Base that I strongly recommend for a visit. One, the Subic Bay Yacht Club for the sheer pleasure of just walking along the façade and getting close up views of the yachts that are docked there; second, a short distance from the Yacht Club is the "Hungry Marlin" which is a great place to stop in for tasty meals, a nice bar, and a great view. It was a great pleasure to stop there for a few drinks and be able to look across the water at the Yacht Club and just enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. The procedures for the ACR-1 requirements (for permanent residents) continue to be a bit confusing. The latest word I have had from Jim Boyd at the RAO office is that due to complaints from foreigners living here in the Philippines about the excessive cost of the new requirements the payment of the fees is on hold but you are still required to process your applications anyway. To quote a memo put out by Associate Commissioner Arthel B. Caronongan that reads as follows: "Attached herewith is the Memo dated April 12, 2004 of Mr. Reynaldo S. Joson, Chief of the ARD addressed to the Commissioner thru the undersigned, recommending that the data capturing process and evaluation of the documents of voluntary registrants for the ACR I-Card Project be allowed and continued but the collection of fees shall remain deferred. This is to prevent the ARD and the ACR I-Card Center from being inundated with great number of applicants upon resumption." So, one should still take their ACR/ICR to the Philippine Immigration Office in Manila for processing but the $50 dollar fee does not have to be paid at this time. It is recommended by folks that have been there that you arrive early in the morning and proceed to window 1 to submit your paperwork. As you know, nothing is written in stone in the Philippines so before embarking on your trip to Manila, check with Jim Boyd at the RAO to make sure that nothing has changed. I received an update from Margaret, mother of Steven Davis on the fate of the individuals involved with the murder of her son. It reads as follows: "Well today we heard the two low life scum who murdered Steven have been given life sentences with no parole. A bit of a result at last. Steve's wife goes on trial on 14th June, and we desperately hope for the same result. BTW Re the article about a film, we are at present writing a book on the whole story, and are doing a 1hr documentary for the BBC; If this does lead to a film that would be great as a tribute to Steven. You know all he ever did was work and provide for his kids. He really was the LAST person who deserved this." All of the above is great news and too bad the two killers did not get death sentences. In my previous comments a few months ago I wrote that I felt this murder was deserving of a book and also material for a movie so I am pleased to say that I was right on both counts. I am hoping to get a copy of the BBC documentary and of course, the book when it is published. Received bad news this morning (27 May) that Brown Sugar Papasan Peter was found dead in his room at the Skyline apartments. Initial reports reaching me indicate he died of a heart attack approximately two days before he was found. It is always tragic news to learn of an expats death in this town, but it is sadder still when that person is alone and days pass before the discovery. This is the second such incident in May, the previous one being an elderly gentlemen who was a member of the local VFW. I am hearing many good comments about Cambodia and the entertainment available there. If you plan to visit Phnom Penh, Cambodia try staying at the Walkabout Hotel and say hello to manager Cleve Harrop. For reservations and pick up Email: walkabout@online.com.kh. The rates are supposed to be reasonable and there is a 24 hour bar, restaurant. Tell Cleve Harry the Horse recommended you stay there. WORTHY OF DEBATE Last month I came across a very interesting post on the AC message board that I feel should be read by one and all but for those of you that are members of the board, bear with me as I am sure you have read this already. What make it interesting is that the author's comments are so different now from what he wrote a couple of years ago. Nevertheless, both items have elements of truth in them and also some opinions that can be disagreed with. I am not aware of rampant STD's in Angeles City and will have to enquire at the City Health about that but I guess the big question is what happened to his guy over two or three years to cause him to change his opinion so drastically? Having lived here for 24 years I must admit that I have grown more critical about the ladies working on Fields Ave and less and less trustful. The longer one stays here it is not that the joy and conveniences associated with Fields diminishes it is that one becomes less trustful and gullible to the stories these ladies can come up with. But, with experience comes wisdom and one only has to strain out the bad and enjoy the goodness that gets through. This takes years to accomplish so frequent trips to Angeles City are necessary therefore I recommend you book your flights as soon as possible. ITEM ONE (CURRENT) "Those who send money to these bar girls are idiots. The money goes to there philippino boyfriends. I would say 95% of all the bar girls have flip bfs they support and some goes to there families after all the drugs and alcohol has been consumed by her jobless flip bf. ITEM TWO (A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO) "Coming from the sanitized U.S.of A where we are overly taxed, overly regulated, any slip up will land you in jail. Even a mere look at a child to say hi and they think your a child molester.( I know there are, but I think this is generalized onto all american men nowadays) Smiling and saying hi to women then they think that you are sexually harrassing them and will report you to the manager or police. When you walk out into public its like you have to put on this front of being proper and correct and don't step out of line or your going to get nailed. Everything is clean and orderly and sanitized. So are the women in their attitudes also. GOOD OR BAD? It has been a while since I posted a joke in my column but this one was sent to me by Dave Baker and I am at a loss as to whether to classify it as fairly funny, real funny or rip roaring belly rolling funny? I figured it was humorous enough, or bad enough for one and all to read and make your own decisions. For me, I will ponder while I prepare my sandwich for lunch, with "Mayo" of course.. AS PAUL HARVEY SAYS, "NOW FOR THE REST OF THE STORY " Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico.... But as we know....the great ship did not make it to New York.... SOMETHING NEW The Swagman has added a Jacuzzi bath to two of their rooms and I have been told that they are well received. I got Remy to pose in one so you could see how they look. No matter how hard I tried I could not convince Remy that the picture would look better if she was undressed and posing in a bubble bath. At least you get the idea; it is just that you will have to find your own gal to share the delight of this tub. That should not be hard to do.
MAGELLAN'S (VASCOS)
When you find yourself visiting Subic Freeport Zone you must take the time to eat lunch at Magellan's, owned by Brian J. Homan. Now I get confused as I was told the company name is Magellan's but the restaurant is named Vasco's. Whatever, it is a fascinating place to visit for Brian is a well known wreck diver and has two rooms dedicated to wreck artifacts. It had been a few years since I last visited and I was amazed at the changes and how it has expanded. I was especially pleased to see the guest rooms available for rent as they are roomy and beautifully furnished. The charges are P2,500 for the family room and P2,000 for the standard with two family and five standard rooms available. Additionally, there are plans to build an apartment complex (Sunset Apts.) with units available for sale and rent. Regretfully, my notes on the prices of the rooms are missing but I believe the family room goes for P2,500 and the standard room, P2,000. For reservations and clarification you can call the office at (63 47) 2521845/1843 or email at seagypsy@info.com.ph
NUMBER 100 Some honors are hard to come by and I am sure Jim Farley would rather some one else get a cup for his/her 100th dialysis treatment at Philippine International Hospital (PIH) but believe me, he was sure happy to still be around to receive this rather unique recognition. I guess if you went back to when he first started those treatments at other hospitals before PIH was built he should have an award for 500 or more treatments but it was kind of nice of PIH to make a fuss over one of the most genial patients any hospital could have. I wonder what kind of award they will give Earl Dodge?
COMMENTS FROM BLUE ROCK MANAGEMENT Last month I wrote about the Blue Rock Resort and my disappointment with the rooms and that I was sorry I was not able to obtain or see the newly built rooms. I received a very nice e-mail from owners Allan and Tommo and have reprinted it here. I agree, they must be doing something right and for sure, the next time I will give plenty of notice of a visit so I can get one of the new rooms. Meanwhile, don't wait for me folks, contact the Blue Rock, make your reservations, and then guzzle down some of those cold beers while soaking up the atmosphere. You might even get Tommo to smile! Mate Just finished reading your short story on Blue Rock Resort and Dive Centre on your recent stay and appreciate the feedback; yes, we are renovating the older rooms during the low season and I am aware of these problems, but our priority was to build the new ones first so that we could have some up market rooms available in Subic Bay. Two years ago I would not have stayed at Blue Rock either, the beach was dirty, the bar sucked, the restaurant sucked and the accommodation sucked. But 2 years on Tommo and I are pretty proud of our developments and in our opinion we have now one of the leading, if not the best, resort in the area. NOW We have atmosphere, great food, coldest beer and getting there with the accommodation. As you said it was hard to get a room. Our annual occupancy last year was 78% and so far this year we have not had a month under 82%....so we must be doing something right. Once again mate thanks for the constructive feed back and next time give me a bit more notice and I will arrange one of the new rooms. Allan / Tommo Regards BLUE ROCK RESORT & DIVE CENTER
NOTE TO ALL GUESTS RESERVATIONS: All reservations must be reconfirmed 5 days prior to the reservation date otherwise the reservation will be automatically cancelled. It is also Resort Policy that after 4pm on the day of your reservation you do not show, without prior arrangement with management, the room will be made vacant. Check in and out time is 11.00am Credit Card facilities are available at the resort ( VISA, MASTERCARD, AMEX) however an 8% surcharge applies. CREDIT CARD SCAM This message was sent to me and many others but I am sure that it was meant for me to reprint it here as a heads up about the latest Master/Visa card scam going around in the States. Guess no matter where you live there are some pretty clever con artists ready to get your money. Hope this information is a help to all credit card holders. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & Mastercard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself. Thanks to Dr. Pat Cloney for passing this on. Those con artists get more creative every day. My husband was called on Wednesday from "VISA", and I was called on Thursday from "MasterCard". The scam works like this: Person calling says, "this is , and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My Badge number is When you say "No", the caller continues with, "Then we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works. The caller then says, "he needs to verify you are in possession of your card". He'll ask you to "turn your card over and look for some numbers. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are your card number, the next 3 are the 'Security Numbers' that verify you are in possession of the card. These are the numbers you use to make Internet purchases to prove you have the card. Read me the 3 numbers". After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, he'll say ,"That is correct. I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?" After you say No, the caller then Thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do", and hangs up. Long story made short, we made a real fraud report and closed the VISA card, and they are reissuing us a new number. What the scammers wants is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master card direct. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement, you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or harder to actually file a fraud report. What makes this more remarkable is that on Thursday, I got a call from a "Jason Richardson of MasterCard" with a word-for-word repeat of the VISA scam. This time I didn't let him finish. I hung up! We filed a police report, as instructed by VISA. The police said they are taking several of these reports daily! They also urged us to tell everybody we know that this scam is happening. Please pass this on to all your friends. By informing each other, we protect each other. Thank-You. PLACE YOUR BETS Last month there was a special pool match at the Owls Nest between Jim Kelly and Hong Kong Gary. The format was 8 ball, race to 11 for P30,000 plus side bets, and winner breaks. Quite of few expat pool players showed up to watch this event and the winner, after an exciting, see-saw battle was Hong Kong Gary who, by the way, was catching a flight out of town the very next day. Now, there was a bit of controversy at the end as to what the pot actually was. Jim insisted that it was only for P10,000 not the P30,000. Gary stood firm on the original bet that everyone present had thought was for 30 big ones. After listening to this debate for 15 minutes after the match I left not knowing the result and to this day, still do not know. I keep forgetting to ask but anyway, it was fun to watch but at times it became a bit tedious as both players, especially Jim, took a bit of time in lining up each shot. Owner Terry was the referee who did manage to miss a few obvious foul calls but did a fairly good job anyway. It was my first time back to the Owls nest since they did not let me take any pictures a few months ago. I figured since Terry was there this night that he would allow me to get a picture of some his dancers for publicity purposes. He still did not allow it because he said that too many try to take "sneak pictures" so they have a no picture policy. I explained that I was not sneaking any pictures, just coming right out and asking but he still said no. Maybe due to his legal problems in the past Terry is justified in being a bit paranoid but after looking at his dancers, believe me, he has nothing to be nervous about. WHAT A DIFFERENCE A BAR MAKES
Why have I not attended the Kitten Club's Wet T-Shirt Contests before? Maybe I was brain dead, lazy, distracted, too busy but for sure, whatever the reasons, they were not good enough. After I left Owl's Nest I made it across the street to the Kitten Club as earlier I had promised manager Hans that I would return. Wow, what a great fun atmosphere I walked into. The place was alive, plenty of customers, cute friendly ladies on hand and a friendly management as well. What a difference from the previous location I had just left. Here is a bar that is working hard to provide a bit of entertainment to go along with just the normal routine of bored ladies on stage just going through the motions and not wanting to work hard to get a ladies drink or two. It was fun to watch the ladies on stage dancing while getting a bit wet and looking a little more sexy as their costumes became a bit damp, then followed up by the regular dancers and for a laugh you have to see "Myra" dancing to a song called "Butsekik". Myra qualified as my "I never would "girl" of the month" but she told me that she secretly admired Kokomo's Mo but was heartbroken because he would never pay any attention to her. But I have included pictures of three ladies that I think are worth a visit to the Kitten Club especially Janie, who is from Samar, 20 years old. Janie would be my "I would if I could" girl of the month as she is attractive, has a nice bearing, is the manager's choice and is a favorite with the customers. I was not alone in this choice and as I watched her being escorted out of the club by a smiling customer I knew that my choice was a good one. Not only was the Kitten Club full of good looking ladies, wet T-shirts, exotic dance contest and a rather unique individual but there was plenty of food offered as well, Imagine a free Aussie BBQ with potato salad, cole slaw, pieces of meat and great door prizes, even the chance to win a holiday in Boracay. A word of advice, even though the signs outside indicate 7pm till late do not get there that early, a better time would be between 8 and 9 PM. I entered at 7 PM and that is when the girls are just getting to work and getting themselves ready, there were not customers present at that time. Don't be too late though as it does get packed and the good seats are taken. VOODOO NEWS: In what must be a 1st for Angeles City, Voodoo has enrolled its entire staff (including dancers) in the Philippine Social Security and Healthcare program. Each employee is given all the benefits of belonging to SSS and Philhealth. To my knowledge no other bar and only a couple of other establishments in town have taken this step to help their employees. Many of the clubs cannot afford these benefits but for those that can, this might be one way of cutting down the turnover rate of the ladies. They will be reluctant to switch to another club and have to give up their benefits. Could this be opening up a Pandora's Box? ATM ON FIELDS AVE. By the time this goes to press, there will be an ATM located at Kokomo's. Mo has finally done it! It's a United Coconut Planters Bank unit that accepts most cards, is limited to P20,000/day for local withdrawals and card limits on foreign cards. LAWN BOWLS There is not much to be excited about when the subject of Hidden Vale comes up especially when no general membership meeting has taken place to explain why Hidden Vale members must submit applications to become members of a club most feel they already belong to and if passed by some unknown "membership committee" then have the honor of paying an "administrative fee" (P3,000) for a membership card with their picture on it. God forbid that someone should ask questions or voice anything negative as Greg has been overheard saying "if you don't like it, then f--- o-". Despite financial problems at Hidden Vale Greg has been telling people that all problems will be resolved and that various construction projects will be starting up in a few weeks. Of course, no construction has been started and this "couple of weeks" story has been told and retold for over a year. There is yet another management team (the third or fourth one) aboard that will solve all problems; this should be good news for a staff that has been short changed on their pay for months. People are wondering why a copy of the SEC approval has not been posted, could this be because the SEC has stipulated at what price memberships can be sold for and management does not want this to be seen? A letter sent to and received by Hidden Vale on 25 Mar asking specific questions about the new application procedures from three members (George Brown, Alan McLare and David McLare) has not been answered. I guess the membership is not allowed to ask questions and if they do, then no answers are forthcoming. There must be money rolling in from somewhere because there is a rumor floating around that Greg has obtained funding to build a second resort, similar to Hidden Vale in Tagagtay. Isn't that amazing! Additionally, both John Martin and John Nichols have stated that they have won their court cases against Greg but to date no monies have been received. There remains a pending court case between Greg and PhilSundt construction. Greg insists that he has a mountain of evidence that supports his side of the case and of course, PhilSundt, a very reputable company known for its integrity in business dealings says very little except, "let the court decide who is right or wrong". So far the new management team appears to have done nothing to improve the service, the food or the facilities at Hidden Vale but maybe it is too early to look for miracles. I am sure that Greg thinks people are out to ruin him but that is not true. Most Club members want him and Hidden Vale to succeed as they still believe in Hidden Vale but regretfully, after many, many broken promises from Greg no one believes what he says anymore. Where is the construction, where is the club house that has been promised for years, where is the loyalty to the members, why keep blaming others for one's own mistakes? How long can members hang on to a thin string of promises that is never fulfilled? No Greg, the members do not want to ruin you, they just want to feel that they belong to a club that appreciates their membership and would like to see something more concrete than just broken promises. Thank goodness for the swimming pool as this remains one of the best in town and thank goodness for the faithful, dedicated lawn bowlers who continue to bring publicity to Hidden Vale by their accomplishments on the international scene despite receiving hardly any support from Hidden Vale management. How well the lawn bowlers have been doing is demonstrated by the fact that some players have been selected to represent the Philippines in the World Championships. The men will compete in Ayr, Scotland and the women will compete in Royal Leamington Spa, England, North of Birmingham. Six men and six ladies will represent the Philippines and the men are players from Hidden Vale as are three of the six women. Two of the men, Damien Allison, and Peter O'Donnell have tasted international competition before. Would you believe that the men only have to pay their air fare to Scotland and then their lodging, meals and transportation is paid for but the women, in addition to paying their air fare also have to pay for lodging, food and transportation with no help from the Philippines, and of course, no support from Hidden Vale. The Hidden Vale ladies are represented by Ronalyn Greenlees, Rosita Bradborn and Rella Catalan. This really is a big honor to qualify for the World Championships and one Filipina, living in Australia will be with the Philippine team and she is a past World Champion so the ladies team is highly rated. Folks, the ladies need sponsors as they only get lunch of curry, fish and chips and that is all. If there are folks interested please contact Peter O'Donnell at robberpod@digitelone.com or call 09198342457. You know how expensive lodging and food can be in England so any help would be appreciated. There is a good chance they will return with the gold, especially if they don't have to skip meals! A BIT OF SCOTCH PLEASE If you miss those small friendly butcher shops where you get to hobnob with the friendly butcher and order those special cuts of meat and then try to negotiate a bit of a discount, look no more. You can feel at home as soon as you enter McGowans Meat Shop located on Perimeter Road just before the Galleon Building and the Hotel La Casa. Inside you will meet the kindly Scotch butcher by name of Ian who is more than happy to converse with you but he does talk with a bit of Scotch and you might have to slow down his rate of speech so you can understand what he has to say. Once you get him to speak slowly you will find that he is telling you about the fine selection of meats available at his shop at very reasonable prices. This shop is still relatively new, having opened only a couple of months ago but with each passing week it appears that more and more folks are discovering this store and the wide variety of fine quality meats, cold cuts, cheese and dry goods available. Why not pop in, meet Ian and look around. He might not offer you a drink of scotch but he more than enough Scotch hospitality to make you want to return to McGowan's Meat Shop.
SEEING DOUBLE?
The reason for the title is that last month I took a picture of two twins that were working at the Rising Sun who were twins and I took their picture. I thought it would be a good PR photo for this bar that used to be the "One Stop" but has a new owner, Spenser, and is under renovation. But a few days before the end of May I heard that the ladies had new uniforms and I thought I would update the picture. Good thing I did as I found that they were AWOL from work and that it was not the first time. It seems that management was ready to release them whenever they decided to show up again. Oh well, it was a good idea but at least I can report that the extensive renovations to the interior are just about complete and the inside bar will be ready to open during the first week of June. It is located just around the corner from the PIH Hospital, on the right hand side of the street. If you are driving, be careful as it is difficult to park because of the traffic at this location. It is across the street from the Silver Bullet Club and the clientele is mostly expats living in the area as it is a bit off the beaten track for the tourist trade. If you make the effort to get there, you will find that you have three bars to visit, Rising Sun, Silver Bullet and the new One Stop, all within a few meters of each other. You could find yourself having a very nice afternoon in this area. ANOTHER DISAPPOINTMENT
I thought that I was going to be able to feature two more ladies working at PIH but when I went back to clarify the names I found that one of them, Charie Alcansel had already departed for a job abroad. But, Maureen Ubaldo was still working, still single, and still bubbling over with tons of personality. She is 26 years old and has one child, 5 years old. Both ladies are college graduates with a degree in BS Science, Respiratory Therapy. Charie had provided me with her email address and cell phone number but maybe, even though she is working out of country, may have kept her email address. You can give it a try - chariemay01@yahoo.com, by the way she is 27 years old and prefers men no older than 40. Maureen did not provide a telephone number or email address so if you want to contact her just send a note to me and I will drop it off. I am glad Maureen is still with PIH but I will miss Charie as the both of them together could make you laugh and forget you were in the hospital trying to pass some pulmonary test that I failed three times. LOOKING GOOD If you happen to be on Abad Santos Street and stop by the Black Pearl you may be lucky enough to see this charming lady sitting outside. Would you believe she has four youngsters already and still looks this good? Want to know more about her, well stop by the Black Pearl, she may or may not be there.
PIZZA ZONE
Good East Coast pizza has taken roots on Friendship Highway. It is newly opened and owned by a Boston lad (well, suburb of Boston) and his wife, John and Gina Rowlands. They specialize in making a very thin pizza crust and the toppings are delicious. Personally, I like my pizza a little thicker, but no problem they will make the pizza special to your taste. A friend of mine called me up to tell me about it and he was raving about how good the pizza was. When I went in to check it out I met a customer that was having his second pizza within the last 24 hours. His name was "Mofo" and he was getting a few adjustments on his order as he likes the crust extra thin, likes oil on the pizza pan instead of flour and likes it cooked longer so the cheese is slightly brown. I took Priscilla and her sister with me in the evening to check out the taste and no one was disappointed. There are more and more places in town offering pizza now and I reserve judgment on all of them for everyone has their own version of how a pizza should taste. Right now, Pizza Zone offers three sizes, 9, 14 and 19 inch and guarantees hot and fresh pizzas delivered within 30 minutes. You call or text them at 0919-593-5902, operating hours are from 1100 to 0300 hrs daily. I did take a picture of John and Gina but regretfully, somehow, when I tried to download it to my computer the picture disappeared from my flash card. Can't figure out why that happened, it was the first time for me. John and Gina are very nice hosts and when I asked him what made him decide to open a pizza parlor here his answer was simply "I wanted some good east coast pizza". They will be adding some Italian dishes to the menu in a couple of weeks and maybe, later on even some sandwiches.
DEE BEES DELI AND EXOTIC GARDEN
The last four pictures for this month's column depict a section of Friendship Highway leading to the Friendship Bridge that illustrates my belief that there is a gradual upgrading of this area, food and entertainment wise. Dee Bees Deli, owned by Andrew Gross has been open for a number of months and they offer five star grain fed Australian beef flown in fresh killed from Australia. A large majority of their customers are the hotels in Manila but they are also building up a local customer base as well. Naturally the prices for the Australian meats are expensive but you pay for the quality, additionally they do offer aged Australian beef that are local lot fed at lower prices. Like any store one should
shop around, compare prices and make your decisions based on your preferences. Next door to Dee Bees the Exotic Garden, also owned by Andrew should be open some time this month. This establishment will feature karaoke music and a very large disco dance floor in the back. The outside, if you pause to look as you drive by is being turned into a very nice garden type motif, with tables, chairs, and Bahay Kubos to compliment the outdoor karaoke singing. A large area will be covered to protect customers from weather conditions.
Believe it or not, beef is not Andrew's first love, instead it is coffee. If you mention coffee Andy's eyes light up and he is more than happy to speak of his coffee plantation in Honduras and how proud he is to be Vice Chairman of the Australiasion Specialty Coffee Association. Why mention all this coffee stuff? Because Andy is putting together an enormous coffee roasting machine which, when completed will be moved to the duty free zone (CSEZ). He will be importing coffee beans from all over the world, roasting them and selling them to the hotels in Manila as well as to local merchants. Does this mean that coffee lovers living in Angeles City will be running out to purchase coffee grounding machines? Might be a good idea! |
Baloy Beach, Bo. Barretto, Olongapo City. 2200. Philippines
+63 45 224 9042
+63 45 222 7910
Tommo - +63 9209104246
The Knights of the Brown Ring (AH Club) will meet on 5 June. Also mark 3 Jul on your calendar. I think I would be safe in reminding girlfriends and mothers that Father's day is on 20 June and oh yes, don't forget to be kind to horses. |