Time goes so fast, here it is August already and for some reason I am excited.  It could be because of some of the changes that the Webmaster Tom has made in my email address and the new settings for accessing Harry the Horse.  It might also be because Chuck and Tom have worked on my being using able to put the pictures in thumbnail format where folks can click on the picture and get an enlargement.  I thank the people who sent me emails giving suggestions on how to do that.  It could even be because the peso rate is good for me but probably most of all it is because Priscilla and I are healthy and looking forward to our trip to Vegas.  I am trying to gather material that I can hold for the October column since my dates of departure in Sep and return in Oct are both in the middle of the month which will make it difficult to keep up with everything.  Oh well, the main thing is that I got through July with no problems and hope my luck continues this month.  Still hoping for more monsoon rains so we can get through the next dry season without our wells running dry.  One thing for sure though, we will never run out of booze but if they come up with more taxes the prices will continue to go up.  One unknown at this time is whether we will have a change of Presidents, whether there will be a coup d'etat, but it is a good time to fly in and be a part of history.  See you in the neighborhood.

TIDBITS

Harry,

I was interested in the info in your july newsletter regarding licensing of satellite dishes, so I did a bit of browsing around the net for further info. You or the people involved may be interested in looking at the document at http://www.ntc.gov.ph/laws/mc-10-7-93-print.pdf  Cheers, Bill Mitchell, Boracay Island

(Thanks Billy, since I wrote my column the Swagman Hotel has been added to the list.  The law is pretty clear, it is just another one of those things that many folks don't think of or overlook)

Received an Email from Paul Turner who is renting one of the great, well situated apartments above the Lancelot Club.  I always wanted to see what those apartments look like, maybe Paul will take me on a tour one day.  One of the reasons he dropped a line was to ask me to tell anyone interested that apartment B, next to his is available for rent and he is hoping that there will be some takers as he misses having a neighbor.  This has to be a fantastic opportunity for any active bachelor, imagine having a pad in such a great location, right in the middle of the Fields Ave action.  Paul, if I was single and had the money to spare you would have me as a neighbor in a heart beat.  Paul also passed on that Richard (the popular chef of Indian cuisine) and his wife are still cooking up great curries  - from home now and he orders up food by text; eh, the delivery time only takes up to 2 hours from Manila!  His number is 0919-595-5700.

This is a very early advance notice for an event that is scheduled for Dec 2 and 3.  I wrote about last years event and how great it was so once again the City will be sponsoring the annual Sisig Festival.  Last year they tried to get the event in the Guinness Book of records but failed to attract any of the officials.  Maybe they will do better this year. 

The Jungle Bar on Fields Ave has been closed for renovations.  It is scheduled to reopen in late August under the name of Classroom 2 and I bet that will be a very interesting theme.  Any time I want to go out at night I can tell Priscilla that I am attending classes to broaden my education.  The Kitten Club has been renovated and now the Jungle club is having a makeover and I must compliment the owner for not being satisfied with the status quo but is willing to spend the money to bring a new image to his clubs. 

It makes me sad to report the closing of the Powder Keg as it has been a landmark in this town for many, many years.  It was not a tourist spot because of its location but all one had to do was visit the place one time and you were hooked.  It had a small town atmosphere, nothing fancy, friendly, good food, very affordable prices.  It had a place in the back for horseshoes, and old fashioned slot machine that worked, jokes posted on the wall in the men's room, very popular owner and managers, and a pool team with members that were always friendly.  Why did it close?  There were a couple of reasons, one of which was that business had dropped off a bit and increased prices of electricity and stock was taking a toll.  Another was that the lease on the building was running out but the main reason, or I should say the last straw, was when the female staff went to the labor board to complain about their wages; they wanted minimum pay scale, 13 month bonus, and other benefits.  Now, I know that many readers will jump up and say that this is not an unreasonable request, but then for a small neighborhood, it was a demand that was impossible to accommodate.  Some of the employees had been on board long enough to know the financial situation and the efforts made by management to just keep the Powder Keg open and their desire to keep everyone employed.  Last year there was not enough money to pay the 13 month bonus (not required by law) so the owner and the two managers used their personal money to sweeten their Christmas.  The girls made good tips and were treated well, there were no complaints and no notice that they planned to go to the labor board.  The only thing management could do was to close the bar and now all the employees are jobless.  The pool team has transferred to the Hole in the Wall and the Powder Keg menu has been transferred as well as the cook.  The Powder Keg will be missed, for the next few months folks here will tell their stories about the place and their memories but a piece of the "Keg" will survive at the Hole in the Wall and the familiar faces are still around and, well, life goes on.  By the way, it did not take long for the landlord to tear down the building, only about a week and I was told that some shops will go up in that location.  Rest in peace Powder Keg.

I just had to include the below comments from an active duty Marine as I was very pleased that I could reach out to this man and any other active duty folks that are doing so much in the battle against terrorism.  It is not easy being a marine Dave and I can understand your desire to return to Angeles City and get to explore Fields Ave and I will be proud to shake your hand if you make it to this old Horse's stable.  By the way, I did take the time to explain how I got my nickname.

"Harry,

My name is Dave and I'm a Marine stationed in North Carolina. I just wanted to let you know I really enjoy reading your columns on line. I was in the Philippines once in 03 for Balikatan but we were not allowed off of Clark. Needless to say the Cab drivers did a good job of bringing Angeles City to us. It was like ordering pizza. My dream is to someday take leave and experience Angeles City without all the restrictions that come with going with the military. Until then I will continue to read your column. One question, how did you get your nickname? Thanks."

The saga of the Friendship Bridge continues.  The rainy season is here and the approaches are a mess and the traffic jam is worse than ever.  So, when is the new span going to be finished?  I guess it depends on what you call finished!  To me, it is when it is opened to two way traffic and no further construction is necessary plus that damn temporary bridge is removed.  Regretfully, according to a reliable source, this is not going to happen anytime in the near future because the governmental organization, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) still does not have the money from the GMA (President) fund.  I have been told that only 25 million pesos of the 47 million allocated will be released.  Now, originally, two years ago, this project was budgeted for P124 million but after all this time, the cost has risen to P160 million.  This was a joint effort between the Angeles City Government (20 million), BCDA (50 million) CDC (7 million) and finally the 47 million from the DPWH.  Hello gang, everyone paid their shares EXCEPT the DPWH.  They alone have been responsible for this shameful delay.  Recently, Governor Lapid demanded that action be taken to complete this very important infrastructure project but obviously, his instructions have fallen on deaf ears or maybe the President is too busy trying to keep her position as head of the country to be bothered.  But, wait, what about the 25 million that is now available from the DPWH?  Guess what, the amount, from what I have been told is enough to open only a one way system on the new bridge which will allow the old temporary bridge to be removed.  Oh happy days, we can expect to continue to put up with the horrible one way system that we have been using for two years, for God only knows how much longer.  Maybe we can find one of those Jueteng Lords to come up with the remaining P22 million which seems more likely than hoping that the present Government will come up with the remaining funds.  By the way it will be another three or four months before the bridge is open to traffic.  My contact told me that when he talked to the contractor he referred to the temporary bridge as being "suicidal" and that he was trying to finish the replacement bridge as soon as possible.  For sure, I will never use the temporary bridge when it is raining!  One humorous note is the sign you see as you enter the bridge from the Angeles Side that reads "No overtaking", only in the Philippines would a sign like that be appropriate under such conditions.

The Philippine International Hospital (PIH) is still struggling to stay afloat and there remains only minimal support for US Military retirees using the TRICARE healthcare benefits.  Again, I stress that any US Military Retirees with health problems think twice before deciding to retire in this area.  Health care is available but you better have the money to pay for it.  I compliment the PIH employees for their dedication and optimism as they informed me that their salaries were one to two months late which made it difficult for them to pay their bills and eat properly.  An example of belt tightening is that the Physical Therapy department has dropped from 22 employees to only 12 so the workload for each employee has increased dramatically.  Despite the strain the smiles, friendliness and helpfulness towards each patient is still evident and I sincerely hope that better days are ahead for PIH, it would be a great loss to this community if it had to close its doors.

I received an email from Margaret Davis, mother of Steven, who was murdered in Manila a few years    ago telling me that the TV documentary detailing Steven's life and death and their fight to get justice for him is to be screened nationwide on ITV (UK) on 5 Sep 05.  Margaret has promised to forward a copy of the documentary to me after the screening and I am looking forward to that.  Margaret is happy to let everyone know that Steve's two children are doing quite well under her care and by the pictures she has sent to me I can see that they are two beautiful kids that are enjoying a fabulous, safe, secure life.

Warning, there is a new procedure being used by thieves to gain access to residences to rob them and it is a bit scary.  I have confirmed that an expat resident of Ohio Street in Villa Sol answered a knock on his gate by two Filipinos who indicated that they were delivering a package addressed to his house.  When this victim looked at the package he told them that they had the wrong address and turned around to return to the house.  Suddenly, he felt a pistol pressed at the side of his head and these two pieces of shit marched him into the house and proceeded to remove articles from the premises.  His wife was present as well and needless to say, was terrified.  It is fortunate that violence was not used but the threat was there and the incident was reported to the police.  Since that time I have learned that this method was attempted against another expat but they were unsuccessful in gaining access to the premises.  Please take due care when someone approaches your residence with a package to deliver, especially if you are not expecting one.   

Oz the Pom reports that Lewie Lewis is working in Somerset, England doing surface dressing on the roads.  He plans to be back in Angeles City by the end of this year.  Maybe the Mayor will hire Lewie to dress up the roads around after all that experience, he will probably be better off than trying his hand at running a bar again.  We need you Lewie!                                

Last month I headed for Manila to enjoy a days outing and of course we drove along that nice new super expressway that cost many millions to rehabilitate and for which all motorists are paying dearly in increased tolls.  Imagine my surprise when I saw that a long section of the road heading to Manila was under repair with only one lane usable; this after only a few months of use!  I guess the Lopes family were not any better at construction than all the other companies that tend to do less than quality work.  I admit that generally speaking, the drive to Manila on the expressway has improved immensely, but it is kind of annoying to see repair work going on after such a short time of use. 

Those Orchid Inn lads are at it again, onward and upward.  They have started work on the building opposite their new Hotel that used to belong to Johnny's Supermarket owners.  It has been gutted and I am told that additional rooms will be built and there will be a bridge walkway connecting the two buildings just like the old Orchid Inn and the Annex has now.  Additionally plans have been prepared for the tear down of the old bars on one side of A. Santos Street with new clubs to replace the old and also some townhouses to be built as well.  Opposite the Wild Orchid Resort the three clubs that were supposed to be closed down by end of December have been given a new lease on life.  It appears that the owner of the Honky Tonk bar, soon to be renamed, will be allowed to expand his interest and will do a bit of upgrading.  Bit by bit, things are changing on "blow Row" and believe me, there is much more to come.  It won't be just the Orchid Inn lads that will be making some exciting changes and additions.  Stay tuned for news!

What is happening with that large property on Perimeter Road located next to the Iglesia Ng Cristo church?  This is the property that was cited in a newspaper report for an attempt to reduce their capital gains tax obligation which everyone does here, but these guys got carried away and were caught.  Anyway, I have heard that it was supposed to be a new hotel going up on the site but rumor has it that the folks that put up the money for a down payment have flown the coop.  Remember folks, I said RUMOR, so I will have to do some digging to get the facts. 

That grand old man (I say that because he is one of the few people I know older than me) Clive Pollington celebrated his birthday last month and I was able to join with his many friends at Roy's Pub and Restaurant for a bit of refreshment.  I won't say how old Clive is because I forgot but 70 sort of rings a bell.  Damn, at 67 my memory is already slipping.  Anyway, it was a fun get together and the drinks, food  and jokes were plentiful.

REMINDER - Don't forget Mark Smith's "Christmas in August" fundraiser for the Bahay Bata Street Children's Center on the evening of 6 August.  It is not too late to donate to the cause as Rick from Rick's Cafe asked me pass on the information that he is taking in donations as well.  He wrote that paypal charges him 2.5% as a service fee but then he donates that portion so that the kids get the entire donation.  For more information write to Rick at daddyrick@digitelone.com.  Rick is working on two projects right now and I believe one is already finished and that is the screening in of the Nipa Hut to keep the flying critters out at night.  The second project will be the addition of a Subway style sandwich bar beginning this month and that will certainly catch the interest of this hungry horse.  Rick has been operating quietly on Fields Ave for quite a few years now and he runs an interesting establishment.  It is a great place to get away from all the noise of the bars and enjoy some tasty food and watch some great movies.  Rick is an innovator and you never know what new ideas he is going to offer at Rick's Cafe.  Check out his website at www.rickcafe.com and better still, check out the place the next time you are in town. 

Bad feelings at the DM Apartments in Santa Maria.  They had an Australian customer who is living in Bangkok that booked a room in the new wing for two nights and paid by debit card.  His name was Francis Rigby and he had stayed at the DM a year earlier and loved it.  This time though he came at a time when we have been suffering frequent brown-outs (no electric power, a common event here) and suffered through heat, no hot water and in fact, no water at all.  What upset him more was that his bed was not all that clean and smelled bad.  I guess the bed was the last straw so he decided to move to a different hotel and cancel his last day.  Frank expected a full refund for his last day but this was not forthcoming which is understandable since most hotels do not give full refunds but reputable ones will usually give a percentage of the money back. One thing led to another, Frank became angry with management and management lost patience with Frank.  Frank went to the Tourist Police for assistance and they tried to help but it was kind of out of their area of responsibility.  It was the owner's policy not to give refunds even though in this case, possibly, a compromise could have been arranged.  The lesson here folks is one, don't blame the hotel for the brown-outs as not all have generators and check the refund policies of a hotel before booking.  Frank will never go back to the DM because of the bed (Management said he should have reported it at 0330 hrs when he went to bed and they would have replaced it - eh, bad answer) and the lack of what Frank felt, of a helpful attitude.  Frank transferred to the Wild Orchid Resort, a hotel with a generator and of course, nice clean, smell good beds.  Gee, maybe I can get Paul Willis to send Frank a personalized invitation to stay at the Villa Modesto for his next trip.

WORDS FROM NORMAN

There is an interesting site on the internet called the AC2 message board run by a lad with the fake name of "mindlinker" and every so often I peruse the site to review comments from various individuals who all use original nick names in an attempt to hide their identity.  Quite often some very good information  is posted but there is a lot of rubbish as well.  Boy, it can get down right evil as some lads go after each other in what is called "flaming", and some, like "Nogas" are just plain confusing to the average reader as most of his posts originate from some sort of "twilight zone".  To my surprise when checking it out last month I came across a long post from "Norman",  a well known contributor to the board and one of the few not afraid to use his real name.  What surprised me was that Norman was able to get something on the board that was well received by 99% of the readership and suffered only one "flame".  Normally, "Norman bashing" on the board is a popular pastime for the many subscribers to the AC2 Message Board.  But, in this case, I was impressed, so much so that I had to insert his comments below.  Why?  Because, ole Norman did a good job of explaining what a Club owner must overcome to own an establishment in this town and it may be the only post he submits this year in which he had so many nice comments from the readership.     Norman wrote:

"So, getting that "crucial info" out of the way, let me proceed to give you my merely biased-opinion (due to living in AC, that is) regarding why we should give these guys who invest/build/buy a gogo bar in AC, who some appear to hate so much, a break.

Here goes..

What are our "worries" as a punter/customer in AC? Well..we worry about being erroneously charged on a bar-bill, we worry about being charged for two LDs for a single bottle of SMB, we worry about a girl waitress presenting a Premium LD of their own-accord without your pre-approval, we worry about runners, refunds, early-leavers, ST-scams, tip-demands, getting BJs, getting a GFE, etc.

Or, there are several/few/many punters/customers who worry about none of that, all they care about is getting laid once or twice a day by a girl half or a third of their age. (Isn't that wonderful!)

That's a lot for a punter to concern himself with, hence we have the ultimate option and freedom to let our feet do the talking and only frequent those bars and BF the girls where/which we discover the least problems. This is where a punter's "experience" is to his ultimate advantage.

Putting that into perspective, it is completely possible/probable for a punter to visit and enjoy himself in AC without any "problems" whatsoever, where your worst "mistake" could only cost you an additional $3, or $21 USD.

Now, where are all us punters having all this fun, entertainment, excitement, and sometimes "worry"? In AC, on a street with a hundred of so gogo bars, all opened/bought/invested-in by a group of blokes/goons/barowners from various countries and varying backgrounds. (Now Norman, did you have to use the term "goons" - I only know one club owner in town who is trying to live up to that title)

No, they might not be the nicest blokes to have a sleep-over with. No, they might not have the highest-IQ (shit Norman, did you uncover my highschool transcripts?). Yes, they might actually have no clue whatsoever about running a bar of any kind, much less a gogobar. Yes, they might even be considered "scumbags" by some. (if you want real "scumbags", you should meet some of the blokes who own bars in Nana, Soi Cowboy, and Pattaya ) but the fact remains..these guys are the reason, however negative, that these bars exit in the first place, which is the sole reason we choose to visit this dusty dirty little shithole (now with $60 to $85 USD hotel-rooms, and bars renovated to look like a Vegas-strip) (I agree with the reason for being here but it upsets me when someone calls AC a "little shithole"!  Dirty?  Sure, but not that bad.  Dusty?  yep, I'll give you that but, please Norman, a "shithole" it is not!

We enjoy at their utter expense, and their constant worrying. What "expense"?

Try bar-rental-rates that often start at $1000 USD per month.

Try an electric-bill that rears from $1000 to $3000 per month, depending on the size and layout of the bar.

Try paying salaries of approximately 4000/month x 40 dancers/waitresses/staff= $3000 USD per month, and that's for a VERY small bar with extremely limited staff. Imagine a larger bar, with a 100 dancers/staff.running around $7000 USD per month in salaries alone. $5000 to $12000 USD per month is a hell of a lot of drink/LD/BFs a bar has to peddle for a profit of $1.00 per drink to $8.00 per BF. That must be two dozen BFs and a hundred or so drinks each and every night, on average.just to break even.

Of course, these numbers are very general and not nearly exact, but its only to give you a perspective to consider before you think that the bars are "raking in the money."

Ahh yes, consider the licensing fees, the hygiene-fees, and all the other "unofficial fees" that have to be paid by the bars, often making the operating-fees pale by comparison.

All fees/costs/expenses aside.forget the finances..we punters have our "worries". What "worries" could the bar-owners have?

Where do we start?.......

Imagine being a foreigner, opening a red-light district in a country that views foreigners as "targets" as opposed to "investors".

Imagine having a red-light-district business in a fake-catholic country, which might/is/somewhat views your business as a "grey-area-illegal" industry.

Imagine having employees/management that occupies every second of their day viewing you as the "rich-foreigner" and dreaming of ways to rob from you more each and every single day, which they already do in countless ways.

Imagine dealing with mamasans who try to run your business to maximize their own profits/theft while ending up driving your bar-business into the ground with their tactics. (Norman, I learned recently that you are on the Mamasan's  "hit list" now)

Imagine having a staff with the maturity-level of kindergarten kids, who cannot/refuse to be taught simple logic. It's like beating one's head into the wall. (ah yes, but many are more logical than NOGAS and we still love him)

Imagine having staff who hate you when you catch them stealing and feel you are wrong for taking disciplinary action. Imagine receiving threats from your staff/ex-staff/family of staff/family of ex-staff.all this in a country that is not yours, and they actually feel is theirs. (they are misguided little puppies but it IS their country and those damn pups can BITE, but point well taken)

Imagine having "officials" from various "agencies" in AC and in the PI never-ceasing to have you up in their target-range. Where pissing off the wrong-person, even unintentionally, could easily dump you in a heap of trouble and cost you a substantial amount of money.

Finally, imagine having 50++ or so employees/staff just looking for an excuse, even the remotest one, to relieve you of your money, business, and if the complaint is serious enough, even your life.

Frankly, if you handed me any amount of money, I wouldn't remotely get involved as a bar-owner or even manager/papasan, much less "investor" in any bar in AC. The headaches, worries, hassles are simply too great - compared to the current dismal customer-numbers and minimal profit-margins as a result. (Does that mean I can't sell you the Blue Boar Inn?)

Please don't misunderstand me, our Filipino hosts are/can be wonderful people, but to work with them, much less employ them here in the PI, much less in a red-light-district like AC takes a sheer lunacy....perhaps call it courage or fondness of self-abuse.  

Those are the blokes who are bar-owners in AC. We may not like them but they are the ultimate reason we are here in AC, and here on AC2, posting stuff about AC. Yes, without the bars, we could still easily find girls in AC or the PI, but not with so few "strings attached" as is the benefit the bars give us. (Now Norman, there are many likable bar-owners in town, there are just not that many who understand you like I do - I lied, I don't understand you either - smile)

HOW NICE IT IS

Beeline John complains to me that I am taking the easy way out when I insert information submitted by readers of my column or when I copy from the AC Message Board.  I am guilty as charged but I feel that when I come across information deserving of being shared with others than I will not hesitate to reprint it here.  Hence, the below comments were placed on the AC Message Board last month and it is something, I feel, should be read by anyone that travels in and out of this country through the Manila International Terminal.  It is so easy for folks to pass on negative comments about their experiences in this country but when I read something like this, I am reminded of why I, ultimately, like living here; hope you agree with me. 

"On my return trip home to California we arrived at the Manila international terminal about 3 hours ahead of time as we wanted to try to get some preferred seats on Asiana airlines. The line out front was fairly short and as we entered the main terminal they sent us to our respective security check point where they x-ray your bags prior to entering the main terminal. The way my bags were stacked was with my two check-in bags on the bottom and my carry-on bag on top. I sent my carry-on bag through first and then proceeded on loading my two checked bags and my jacket and travel pouch. When I went through the check point and I saw two carts over to the side of the scanner available so I hurried over to get one for me and one for my buddy.

Then I proceeded to load my two checked bags onto the cart and grabbed my jacket and travel pouch and off to the ticket window with my buddy. The ticket window was close and we proceeded to the weighing of our bags. Then my buddy said 'Wally, where is your carry-on bag?'. shit, I must have left it at the scanner so I hurried back over there and asked if a carry-on bag had been set aside. They looked around and so nothing had been turned in. They told me to go to the Information Booth and report the bag missing.

So off to the Information Booth (IB) we went and reported the missing bag. The gentleman behind the booth radioed for a supervisor to come to the booth where I told them I was missing my carry-on bag and I described it to him. He said he would notify the airport police to come down and in the meantime for me to walk around and see if I could spot the bag on someone else's cart as they might have picked it up by accident (I thought, yea like hell it was by accident I thought to myself).

I took a trip around the terminal ( luckily everything is in one big room there) but to no avail. I figured my bag was toast. I went back to the IB and a airport police corporal was there who took down my information regarding when I entered the scanner, description of my bag and the contents (I did not mention my AC pics. lol). The supervisor and corporal also took a turn around the terminal to see if they could spot a bag matching my description but to no avail.

They then said they wanted us to go upstairs to the security room and view the videos of the scanner area so off we went. It was kind of a funny feeling, here were two tourists walking through the terminal (one white and one black) accompanied by two police officers and two security agents. I bet everyone thought we were terrorists or something.

We went into a room that had a very elaborate security center with a ton of video screens. They set us down in front of one and started their video of the scanner we used. I told them I thought we went through the scanner around 10 am but when we finally saw ourselves it was 10:19am.

I was the first to go through the scanner and they saw me put three bags on the belt (I really think they wanted to be sure I came in with three bags and did not mistakenly leave one in the taxi because they were counting the bags out loud (by now our group upstairs had grown to about 8 people.

Then lo and behold the mystery unfolded. Actually before I was able to go through the scanner area myself my carry-on bag came out of the machine and a porter on the other side loaded my carry-on bag onto a cart that belonged to an asian lady. Right in front of me was another tourist who stood out like a sore thumb by the way he was dressed, he had on ¾ length pants and a tank top. The group watching with me said the man was talking to the woman and that they were together, I just thought the man was checking out the woman but it did not matter. We watched the direction they left but unfortunately the cameras could not pick them up after that. But the group said it looked like they were going in the direction of the China airline check-in.

So downstairs we went to the China airlines area and the supervisor and corporal were interviewing some baggage agents and I could tell by their hand actions they were describing the tourist with the funny pants. They then came back to me and said they wanted to check us in and get us to the customs area. They hand walked us all the way through and actually went to the front of each line we came to. It was hard way to be treated like VIP personal. lol.

We got to the final customs area and the corporal was walking to one side of the lines and I thought he was going to escort us on to the other side when all of a sudden he stopped and pointed to a bag. I looked at it and said yes, it was a bag just like that. Then I looked up and there was the funny pants man. It WAS my bag. I checked inside and showed the corporal and supervisor my Wally World cap that I had described and everyone let out a cheer. Funny pants man almost shit as he claimed he did not know the bag was not part of their group. They were actually a small tour group and had about 8 carry-on bags sitting there. I guess when they started to get on the plane they would have discovered it (maybe???). So I told him to relax as we saw the porter cause the mix-up on the security screen.

Hell, I don't know who was happier me or the group that was escorting me around. They were all high-fiving each other. I started to reach for my money to give the guys a reward but they said no, it was just part of their job and they were happy to help.

These gentlemen were very courteous and patient during the whole process which took about 45 minutes in all. I just hope that if this happened in my country that we would do the same fine work.

If you ever need assistance at the International airport in Manila I would recommend that you ask for LITO V. DELA ROSA (Terminal Operations Assistant) and CPL BING L.JIMINEZ (Team Leader).

I definitely will be sending a letter of accommodation to the airport thanking these gentlemen."

TOURIST POLICE

Despite some ill-informed negative comments from a few tourists and expats living in AC, the ACTA Tourist Police under the leadership of Richard Agnew and Dir Rey Lacquian are having some very positive results in reducing the crime rate in the tourist zone. Last month quick action by the Tourist Police enabled them to catch a cell phone snatcher who victimized a young lady in the vicinity of Johnny's Supermarket and turn him over to the PNP; A Filipina tourist from Perth Australia left a plastic bag containing jewelry worth P162,000 pesos in a Tricycle that she used upon leaving the Midnight Rodeo at 0230 hrs and reported the loss to the Tourist Police.  The Tourist Police were able to trace the owner of the Tricycle and assisted in the recovery of the jewelry.  This action was made possible through the assistance of other tricycle drivers, the president of the Balibago Tricycle Association and the honesty of the tricycle driver.  Additionally, the Tourist Police remain active in ridding Fields Ave and outlying areas of the hustlers that prey on unsuspecting tourists.  Granted, because of a lack of personnel they cannot cover all areas, especially during daylight hours but this situation will be improved as 50 volunteers will attend a three day training session this month which will double the present force.  The Tourist Police and the PNP continue to work together with the active encouragement of Major Detran, Capt Aspe and Capt DeGuzman.  Station four Commander Maj Detran has started a flag raising ceremony on the first Monday of each month at Station 4 in which the PNP and the Tourist Police attend to listen to a guest speaker and also to receive certificates of commendation for those individuals that excelled in their duties the previous month.  The business community is starting to take notice of the Tourist Police and recognize the need of this volunteer organization, so much so that PAGCOR, through the Angeles City Casino provided the funds needed for the August training camp.  TP Director Rey Lacquian spends countless volunteer hours supervising the Tourist Police and also has set up a system to make sure that honesty amongst it members is a primary objective.  Last month one of the full time Tourist Police members was dismissed for accepting money from the hustlers that we are trying to get rid of.  Rey had set up a system that can monitor the actions of the Tourist Police on duty and when a "bad apple" is discovered, after quiet investigation and finally confrontation, dismissal is swift and final.  This program is still new folks, and as with anything new, there will be a few glitches, but I assure you that to date there has been overwhelming support from the community and any complaints are taken very seriously.  So far, the compliments have outpaced the complaints and it can only get better.  

FIXING THOSE EYES

A couple of months ago I had an enquiry about where to go for laser eye treatment in Angeles City.  I recommended an eye clinic located at Robinson's Mall, San Fernando.  The individual I sent the information to followed up on my suggestion and now wants to share the information with anyone who might be looking for similar treatment.  I hope that the following information will be helpful.

MO'S POOL PARTY

	N0. 72 was the Horse's Favorite.

Sorry Rick, I just have to mention Mo's Pool Party but I won't go into any great details because it was basically the same as all the others and as usual, it was a huge success.  Lets face it, this is one event that many, many people look forward to, especially on a very hot day and Mo puts on a great show.  It is well organized and there are women, women, women and more women parading around in very sexy bathing suits with tops that look good when wet.  There were 73 contestants in all and the judges, who paid a hefty sum for the privilege spent many hours closely examining the qualities of each lady.  It was a "hard" job but they withstood the heat of the sun, the knocking over of their drinks, lack of time to eat properly and the occasional lady with bad breath to come up with the following results:  1st place - Myra from Treasure Island (P5,000), 2nd place - Jennifer from Geckos (P4,000), 3rd place Mylene from Treasure Island (P3,000), 4th place - Marisol from Lollipop (P2,000) and 5th place went to Liezel from Voodoo (P1,000).  Additionally, each winner received a gift certificate equal to the cash award.  The nice thing about these contestants is knowing that each of the 73 ladies are available at the various clubs they work at and you can survey the attractions and decide which ones to pursue after it is all over and they go to work.  Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could do this at the Miss USA contest, the Miss World contest, etc., but then no doubt they would all have attitude problems.  Imagine, 73 lovely ladies, oh dear, oh dear, how sweet it is and Mo is laughing all the way to the bank!  It was hard to concentrate but I did manage a few pictures but you can see a much better report and pictures if you join the Go2Phil site, John Bee did an excellent report and his pictures were great.  (By the way, number 72, 5' Rosana, from Samar, representing the Las Vegas Club was my favorite). HELP Dave Donney is trying to prove that working in Iraq is dangerous for your health.  I am still experimenting with the pictures and when you enlarge this one it will be blurry because I had reduced it and then enlarged it and, well, I just need a bit more practice!

THE UGLY AND THE BEAUTIFUL

I took these pictures in the Hole in the Wall when I went to catch the tail end of their bar-b-q day and I was supposed to add the pictures in the Jul column.  I will let you decide which of the folks featured represent the ugly and which ones are in the beauty column.  I won't say because those motorcycle lads are bigger than me and I still want to enjoy the good hospitality and food at the Hole in the wall, especially since they have added the menu from the Powder Keg.

MAGIC MOMENTS

Des is probably wondering when the hell I was going to mention my thoughts on his Club after my visit there.  Well, better late than never, I loved the place. It had plenty of ladies some great, some not so great but that is OK, you can't have 100 beauties, even the Blue Nile has a couple of very average ladies as well.  But, at the Magic Moment you have a management that is friendly and attentive (Des and Dennis),a nice mix of expat and tourist customers, a good pool table and nice seating and best of all, local drinks are only P45.  The location is very convenient especially if you are driving as parking is no problem.  The size is good as well, not small and not too big.  I guess what I am trying to say is that you will not be disappointed if you make it a point to visit this Club, I certainly wasn't. 

 

TOURISTS OF THE MONTH

Give a hearty greeting to Mick and Tony from Moonee Ponds, Melbourne, Australia who I found at the Orchid Inn bar one fine afternoon.  They were enjoying themselves and I think their favorite past time was teasing the hell out of Shanno.  When I asked them which bar in town they considered their favorite they could only say that it was too hard to decide.  They liked them all!  I love talking to Australians, not only because they know how to have a good time but because they live in some strange towns.  Who ever heard of "Moonee Ponds"?  Is it on the map?  Only kidding folks, I am sure we must have lots of visitors from that town, it is just that Mick and Tony are the first one's I have met.  I might be wrong though, maybe Mick and Tony are the first and only visitors from there.  Oh well, at least I now know that such a place does exist.

AMERICAN LEGION POST 123

I finally had time to go to a general membership meeting at the American Legion Post 123 last month and it certainly was interesting.  Over the years this Post has suffered controversy and experience a roller coaster ride of ups and downs.  Presently they have a membership of 148 regular members and 134 life members which isn't all that bad.  Like all Veterans Associations meetings there was a lot of protocol to deal with that required a lot of standing and sitting in the beginning, saluting, hats off and on and all that stuff.  The one tradition that touched me was what they call "Post Everlasting" where they recognize members that passed away since the last general meeting.  The surviving families are invited to attend, words are spoken, a recording of taps is played to include a rifle salute and a special receptacle is placed where the names of the deceased are set aflame and allowed to burn during the playing of the taps.  For some reason taps always brings a few tears to my eyes and this was no exception, it really was a very touching event.  As the meeting progressed we finally got to the latest controversy that involved the leadership of the Post and a few key personnel.  The main question was the status of the Post location and whether they would have to move and honor a lease contract signed by a member in what he thought was good faith.  He thought wrongly and so ensued a hot debate that covered that subject and the final decisions as to the succession of leadership.  Anyway, after a lot of hot air had warmed up the room I believe that the new Commander is Ray Jones, the first Vice is Ski, 2nd Vice is Jerry Bristle and the Finance Officer is Walt Howard.  The General Manager is Shawn McNeil and kitchen manage is Jerry Bristle.  I think they have Joe Carsley washing the pots and pans.  The bottom line for now is that the Post does not have to move out of the premises as the owner has not found a buyer for the property yet so they are safe to stay for the rest of 2005.  When the building is finally sold they will be given a six month notice.  It was brought out that it would be prudent to continue with their search for a new Post home instead of sitting and waiting for a notice to move.  They will never find the good deal they have enjoyed for many years in that they occupied the present site rent free and still found themselves in financial difficulties.  The new team is determined to bring life to the Post and start earning enough money to cover any future transition, to include having to pay rents.  Let there be peace in the Post guys and good luck!

I WOULD IF I COULD

While visiting with the Winchester Club Manager Paul, hailing from Manchester, England I decided to take the time to find my "I would if I Could" lady and decided on 26 year old Summer, hailing from Bicol.  She is very available, is the only girl of the family but grew up with four brothers.  She likes singing (wow, surprise), cooking and dancing.  Her email address is stuburn22@yahoo.com.  Now, after I took a picture of Summer I saw Rubilyn pass and decided to throw in another picture to sweeten the pot.  rubilyn is 20 years old and I did not seek out any other information, I just wanted her picture.

WILD ORCHID RESORT

By now you have heard of the Wild Orchid Inn Resort, no doubt seen pictures of it and know the prices they are charging for the rooms.  Last month the owners hosted two events, one a dry run opening with persons attending by invitation only, the second event was the grand opening a few weeks later in which Mayor Lazatin was scheduled to perform ribbon cutting honors.  Regretfully, the Mayor was called away to a special meeting in Manila where many Mayors from various provinces were called to a meeting with President Arroyo.  Fortunately the Mayor's attractive daughter, Janet Lazatin was kind enough to grace the event and added a bit of grace, charm and class to the ribbon cutting.  The blessing ritual was

performed by Msgrs Sonny Fahed and Abelando Basilio from Immaculate Conception Parish, Balibago, AC.  Both events were well attended and absolutely fantastic with everyone in attendance being very impressed with the food, swimming pool area, lobby, rooms, well, just everything.  It is a very, very nice hotel and already they are nearly at full occupancy.  Some comments have been made at the prices being charged in that they appear to be expensive at 59, 69 and 79 dollars but what many fail to realize is that the many of the tourists coming to Angeles City now are more than willing to pay a higher price for quality rooms.  Anyway, I won't get into all that, instead I will just provide present a few pictures of the hotel and the people that attended opening festivities.

YATS COFFEE SHOP

I'm sitting here trying to figure out how to describe the newly opened Yats Coffee Shop and I hate it when I have to struggle for words.  It is not because of a lack of interest or anything negative, just the opposite, I really love the place, it is just that there are so many new innovations that I fear my words will not be adequate.  Now, one negative for tourists and some expats is that the location is awkward to get to.  It is located inside the PhilExcel Compound on Clark (CSEZ) just off the main road (Roxas).  Why is this place different?  It is sort of an upscale fast food dining treat in that various sandwiches and dishes are already prepared by the Yats Wine Club chef (George), wrapped and placed in a see through refrigerator.  A customer only has to select from the daily menu and the item will be heated by microwave or even grilled in the back.  It is quick, inexpensive and convenient without losing any of the tasteful quality.  Since it is a coffee shop they are offering a full range of coffee choices to include all that yuppie Latte stuff that I never drink but is popular.  One can order a coffee, grab a table, relax and read or watch TV.  Since the Yats folks are running the shop you better believe that wine is available.  In fact, they have a nice private room that sits 6 to 8 people with the wine racks on taking up two of the walls.  It is ideal for a small meeting where privacy is desired.  Every Friday an afternoon buffet is offered for P280.  The day I was there the menu consisted of oven roasted chicken, mahi mahi fillet, stew of mix vegetable ala provencale, steam rice and lemon citrus meringue.  You can even shop for wine to go while dining or drinking your coffee.  Simplicity is the name for this shop and it requires a minimal staff of only two to three people.  It is open from 0800 to 2100 hrs and I sure think it is worth a try.  I plan to spend time there to enjoy a sandwich, read a book and just relax and maybe even check out the buffet on Fridays.  I may even take Priscilla with me as it far less expensive than taking her to the Wine Club and far classier than where I usually take her - McDonalds!

GOOGLE EARTH

Here is something different and useful.  My computer Guru Chuck found this site, http://earth.google.com/ and the following file Angeles.kmz and you can explore locations in Angeles City or if you want to follow your route from Manila Airport to AC, it is mapped out on this program. 

I am out of here not before reminding folks that the Knights of the Brown Ring will meet on 6 Aug, with the Honey Ko ladies in attendance and I have been informed that Jasmine will join us as well.  My Email address is easier to remember now as all you have to know is @harrythehorse.com and you can put anything you want before the @, i.e., badboy@harrythehorse.com, or lacasa@harrythehorse.com.  Additionally you can access the column by going to www.harrythehorse.com.  This is new but the link will still appear on the go2phil.com site.  I enjoy your emails and hope that you will all be coming here in August as the peso rate is still favorable to the dollar, the weather is a little cooler (when it rains or is cloudy) and there are always changes on Fields Ave.  Remember though, be kind to horses.