March is here and you better believe that it is beginning to get a bit warmer so bring your bathing suits and take the ladies out for a swim once in a while.  You will find though that the girls here hate the sun and would rather swim late afternoon or early evening as they do not want to darken their skin.  The biggest challenge is getting them out of their shirts and street shorts when swimming but if you can find some willing to don a bikini, well, that is a wonderful sight.  The peso is still under 55 to a dollar but hanging in there around the 54.50 to 54.70 rate which still is a good deal as you can get a hell of a lot of entertainment for your dollars.  Would you believe that the long awaited Subic-Clark road and the Clark-Tarlac road construction is supposed to start this month?  Well, that is what I am told but I will believe it when I see it.  Have also heard that the ground breaking for the Shoe Mart (SM) Mall on Clark is scheduled for March.  That should be interesting.  I wonder if there will be another Casino at Clark in the near future?  Could be, then again maybe not.  Dear travelers, be prepared for car pick-up rates at the airport and drop-off rates to increase as the toll rates on the expressway have gone up over 300%.  For my recent round trip visit to Manila, departing from Dau, cost me P408 where before I could travel for less than P100.  The ride is a lot smoother and quicker now but at a pretty hefty cost increase.  Well, happy March, lets get to the rest of the news!

TIdbits

I heard a rumour (the other spelling) so strong that it nearly kicked me in the butt.  Of course rumors (yank spelling) are just that, they could be true or maybe not but this one is too good to pass up.  I was told that the dynamic Orchid Inn Team has leased the warehouse (owned by Johnny's market) across the street from their new Hotel, the Wild Orchid Inn which will open around mid May.  Two stories of what may take place are 1) a 14 bar complex with a food court in the center 2) Additional rooms along the lines of the Orchid Inn Annex that has a connecting bridge between the two buildings.  Now, I did run into Ron Wakely shortly after I heard this rumor and he neither confirmed or denied the information but with a sly smile, he did tell me that "whoever leased that particular property might have some plans along those lines".  You see how hard it is for the Horse to get information, no wonder I am feeling older each day.  For sure though, whatever happens in that area it will be good for the tourists and the expats living here.  Upscale buildings, more lighting, more security, more fun and plenty of parking.

KEN Edwards, head man at the HonkyTonk Bar on A. Santos is happy to hear the above rumor as he is confident it could only bring more business to his establishment and the rest of the bars on "Blow Row".  Even without the improvements I have noticed that the HonkyTonk is doing a rather brisk business and the word spreading around town is that it is a fun place to drop in and visit.  It is well managed, the ladies are friendly, comfortable seating and a good viewing area.  The music is great as well, the night I stopped by the computer was putting out some great Blues songs and the volume was just right.

There are some very smart Filipinos who took advantage of the availability of the 200 stalls erected along Perimeter Road.  Initially, the rights to these stall were to go for 40,000 to 50,000 pesos each and many were obtained at this price.  Now, as I talk to some of the stall owners I find that the original owners of these stalls resold them from P100,000 to P350,000 each.  These are the stalls that were built to help the small business people that were forced out of their premises when the demolition operation was taking place.  It appears that some people have made a great deal of money out of this CDC program and I doubt that the people who made the money were from the lower social status of this town.  This goes hand in hand with the rumor, never confirmed, that some of those initial buyers were rather well connected to some key people at the CDC.  But, business is business and when opportunity knocks --- well, jump in if you can, especially if it is all done legally.   

There was another rumor floating around on the message board that Tick had sold the DMZ bar to the Doll House.  I went to Tick to find out if this was true and he emphatically said "no!"  Of course this could change because as Tick said, "Everything is for sale if the price offered is high enough".  I reported here last here that Tick was trying to sell the DMZ but no one was willing to meet his price.  If this Horse had the money I would do my best to buy that building because you are buying the title to the building.  It is common to buy the rights to bars on Fields Ave but very rare for one to buy the title as well.  Tick has promised to inform me as soon as someone offers a deal "he can't refuse". 

This is something different to look forward to - Dutch National Day.  Believe it or not, it is celebrated right here in Angeles City and on 30 Apr a portion of Fields Ave will be closed to traffic to accommodate a very large Dutch contingent living here in AC so that a day of fun and games can be shared with the public.  There will be nine teams participating in some sporting events that should be fun to watch.  One thing is for sure, the Dutch lads and ladies know how to celebrate this even and they believe in everyone having a good time.  In the April issue of Harry the Horse more details will be provided but for now, just mark this date on your social calendars as an event you do not want to miss.

The Swiss Chalet is doing so well that the owner is building an eleven room extension next door.  It should be around three more months before completion. 

Mega bucks paid for the rights to Silk Stockings which has been closed for many months.  The way people are throwing around money lately maybe I can still sell the Brooklyn Bridge.

Was it a good idea or a bad one, you decide!  There were some members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) located in Clarkview that felt it would be a good idea to have a members only lounge.  This idea had been floating around for quite a while and at a general meeting a few months ago, it was decided to try it and the entire bar area was turned into a Members only Lounge.  Wow, this action resulted in more opinions being voiced than the Bush/Gore Presidential election, it definitely was an action that was not very welcome.  Last month, at no surprise to anyone, the decision was reversed but there still remains a small cloud of resentment from those folks that, temporarily, found themselves on the outside looking in.  The question remains, is a Members only Lounge still a good idea?  Obviously not the way it was handled the first time, but in my opinion, it would still be a nice thing to have.  The problem is the space and the money it would take to build a proper lounge that would not adversely affect the many non-members that use the VFW and spend a fair amount of cash.  Note that I wrote "nice to have" not a necessity and it would require a lot of effort by the Post Home Committee (PHC) to come up with a feasible suggestion.  Regardless of the ups and downs of the local VFW and the differing opinions of the members, one must realize that this VFW is one of the best in the Pacific and far better than many I have seen in the States.  Controversies will continue to occur but they will always be settled for the good of the Post as long as the membership takes the time to listen, analyze, and vote accordingly. 

During a conversation with Secretary Diaz I was told that along with the plans for the Subic-Clark toll road the abandoned partial flyover meant to connect the expressway to Clark will be completed.  This flyover will cross over McArthur Highway at Mabalacat, near where Makro is located.  This project was started at the time the Expo was being built and one can see the support foundations when traveling to Mabalacat or by driving out the road that runs parallel to the OMNI Aviation on Clark.  Once completed this would cut down traffic exiting at Dau or Angeles heading for shopping at Clark.  Lets keep our fingers crossed on this one.

For the last couple of months I have not written anything about the Hidden Vale Sports Club.  I informed Greg (owner) that I would not write anything until I could see a definite improvement in the way the Club was being run and that there was something credible that I could pass on.  In the past many promises were made by management to the members but very few made the light of day.  The credibility of the Club was at an all time low and no one knew what to expect next.  That was the past, now the future looks much brighter as a new management team has taken up the challenge to turn Hidden Vale into the Club it always had the potential to be.  With the full concurrence of Greg McDougal and his family the previous management team was eased out and a consortium of individuals were brought on board to completely reorganize the operation.  Greg agreed to take a back seat so that he could attend to his health and leave the day to day operation of Hidden Vale to this new group.  In the short span of one month the Club has taken on a new look and the atmosphere has been electrified, with Mark Smith applying his organizational skills to whip the place into shape.  A new board of directors has been appointed and meet at least twice a week, old employees were released and told to reapply for their jobs if interested and only those with positive attitudes were rehired; fees were adjusted for members and non-members; a new menu is being developed with adjusted prices; Chris Locher from the "C" Italian Restaurant was brought on board as Chef with the full authority to develop a quality menu at affordable prices; the kitchen has been completely renovated; the sports bar at the T-house has been improved with new waitresses that cater to the lawn bowlers and anyone else that will be using that location to relax and have a few drinks; new uniforms of shorts and white t-shirts for the ladies has improved their image; strict management rules for the staff to observe have been instituted; accounting procedures improved; administrative procedures improved; procurement controls implemented, etc.  In other words, at last, there is a team on board that Greg can depend on and can positively know that they are there to not only look after the interests of the membership but for sure, his interests as well.  The objective is to make Hidden Vale a profitable business operation and also to bring back membership confidence in the Club.  There remain some financial problems to resolve but this is a priority item that will be looked at aggressively and when necessary, arbitrate solutions that are amenable to both sides.  In the past I have been excited about the future of Hidden Vale and then let down, hard, but once again I have that warm fuzzy feeling that there might be light at the end of the tunnel.  For those considering membership I would suggest holding off for a month or two to give this new team a chance to prove themselves but it appears that if all goes well, memberships in Hidden Vale will be a hot ticket item.  By the way, a new membership will cost $1,200 and Filipinos have the option of paying P5,000 a month for one year.  This is a fair price and one that management feels will be affordable to the general population.  Current members need only to continue paying their quarterly dues.  For now, pay those back dues, take the time to visit, use the facility, eat there and observe.  I sincerely think that this time, it is going to work and by God, it's about time!

Many readers have asked about the status of the medical care problem encountered by Health Visions and CyberCare.  Nothing new folks, they are still trying to work out solutions with TRICARE but medical care for the US Military retirees remains the same, be prepared to pay out of your pocket and submit your own claims for reimbursement.  Letters to your Congressman might help but I still recommend that one does not plan to retire here if encountering medical problems.    

Justice prevails at Confettis Night Club; sources have informed me that Mal will take over the club again and it will reopen on 1 Mar.  This was one of those Angeles City stories that involved loss of money, intrigue, deception, lying and an expat victim that was able to prevail and gain legal success which all too often is very difficult to obtain.  It is not necessary for me to go into details here other than to say that one Filipina who tried to cheat a foreigner out of something that was rightfully his failed in her attempt.  Unfoutunately, the success has to be tempered with the regrettable loss of income suffered by the expat.  But, on 1 Mar we can, once again, enjoy the fun entertainment offered by Confettis.

On 20 Feb Mo's Place hosted a hugely successful pool party .  A total of 58 ladies did all they could to entice votes out of the 11 judges that paid P5,000 each for the full attention of the ladies and during the contest the judges had their laps full.  For the first time, even two ladies from the Midnight Rambler in Subic participated in the event.  First place went to a lady from Suckers which means that the lineup in that establishment has improved over the past few months.  The food was plentiful featuring tiger prawns, burgers, bratwurst, seafood, sweet and sour pork, etc.  Would you believe that 600 ladies drinks were sold and one customer spent P50,000 on ladies drinks.  Mo kept P20 from each ladies drinks with the rest going to the girls and the bars they represented.  Tickets were P1500 each or P2,200 for imported drinks and a total of 70 tickets were sold.  The next pool party will be held on Memorial Day weekend, 29 May, make your travel plans now. 

Congrats to Kinet Missille and Pierre Sivertsson, two dart players from Sweden who won first place in the blind draw doubles dart tournament at the Blue Boar Inn (Hotel La Casa) on 29 Jan.  This was part of the Australian Day Fiesta activities where 7 teams from Olongapo (Barrio Barretto) showed up for a challenging evening.  John Slater, Australia and Eduard Engel, Germany teamed up to take second place.  Highlights of the evening were John's 132 out and Simon's 180.  The bars in Olongapo support darts and currently there is an 18 team league, regretfully, there is no dart competition in Angeles City.  But, two dart boards are available at the Hotel La Casa/Blue Boar Inn and steel tip players are more than welcome to throw a few arrows.  This RSL sponsored Australia Day dart tournament will be hosted by the Blue Boar Inn again next year and it is hoped that many more players will sign up to play.

I am one of those permanent residents that applied at Subic for the new $50 I-Card that will replace the ACR card that we have been using for the past 10 years.  Last month I made the trip to Immigration in Manila to complete the transaction necessary to pay for the card.  Believe it or not, they did have all my information in the computer and it was not difficult to retrieve the form but because my address and marital status had changed the procedure became a bit more complicated for me.  Fortunately, Priscilla the Horse was with me and she told me to sit down and wait while she did all the running around.  Two hours later, just one minute before lunch time she had finished the process, paid all the fees and was told that the card could be picked up around 15 Mar.  Naturally, we will call first.  Of course, the extra process required the payment of three different fees and each time my Mrs was charged an extra P500 for the "express service" at the cashier's window.  The system works, especially if you do not have any changes to be made from the original ACR but it certainly is a shame that the Philippine Government is hitting the foreigners for this extra $50 fee every year.  Sure wish that the US would reciprocate and charge all green card holders in the States 50 dollars every year as well.  When I go to Manila to pick up the card I have to ask if I still have to pay the fee for an exit/reentry card every time I leave the country?   

Recently I dropped into the Caddy Shack and found an old acquaintance sitting at a table who wanted to tell people he was alive and well.  Now, he has lost a bit of weight but Cheyenne was in high spirits and told me that he was as fit as ever.  So, Cheyenne is no longer considered missing in action, so do not send flowers, just stop by the Caddy Shack and shout a few drinks. 

Just as I was completing this column the AC message board post below was forwarded to me.  This was obviously submitted by an active duty soldier in Iraq who is thanking the lads here in Angeles City for their posts to the board that enable him to share stories, laughs and tears with those of us sitting here, comfortably enjoying our San Miguel beer and the the women of Fields Ave.  Imagine, he is thanking us but I am sure that everyone would want him to know that we are the ones thanking HIM.  Thanking him for his sacrifice at low pay, thanking him for his loyalty to the US, thanking him for helping to give a taste of democracy to a people that have never seen it and praying that he survives the dangers over there so he can make it to Angeles City where WE WILL BUY HIM THE MANY DRINKS HE DESERVES.  I don't know you Texicanslim but when you get to Angeles City drop by the Blue Boar Inn and this Horse will be honored to put a couple of beers out for you.   

"I would like to take some time to personally thank everyone who posts here. As a newbie, you have all made me feel very welcome and have offered up some great advice. As some of you may have heard, I am in Iraq right now and planning my first trip to AC in May (1-10).

With everything that goes on here it is great to be able to escape for a while and read the posts which ya'll submit. some of them just put me on the floor rolling laughing. Things here are so tense and edgy that having the opportunity to laugh a little and daydream about my trip is a very welcome diversion from the daily death and destruction that occurs here. Much of the time we are all pretty somber and withdrawn choosing to keep our feelings hidden away inside and at times there is very little to laugh about. That is why the humor and stories which are posted here mean so much to me. I have shared some of the more humorous trip reports with several of my buddies and we all had the opportunity to "experience" life in AC through your eyes.

I again would like to thank all of you who post here and encourage you to continue. Please know that we appreciate all the stories, pics, and even the flames that have become a highlight to each day.

On a very personal note, I would like to extend my gratitude to those of you who have served our country in the past. Your sacrifice has made possible the freedoms and rights which we enjoy today. I wish all of you could have seen the pride in the faces of the Iraqis on election day. Most of these people have never lived under such a system of government that is now being formed. Even in the midst of the election, the Insurgents tried their best to disrupt and destroy what we have worked for here. At one particular polling station, as a large group of Iraqis were assembled to vote, mortars came in on our position hitting several of those waiting their turn; without any direction at all the people broke ranks and saw to the wounded. Once those injured, or killed, were taken away they returned to their lines to await the opportunity to cast their vote in this historic election. As dangerous as it is, many of the Iraqis left the blue ink used to fingerprint the ballots on as long as it would last. In a very atypical gesture for them, the display of a blue finger tip had become a tribute to their new found freedoms. Some people will still say that we have no business here and that US soldiers are being needlessly slaughtered; but to them I would say that until you see the tears of joy and share the hugs of happiness from these people you cant possibly understand what they are feeling. I for one am proud to be a part of it and will remember the good from here as well as the bad.

So tonight as you make your posts or are out on the town in AC, please remember that each of you in your own way are helping those of us who are here. I wish each and everyone of you a great day and hope to meet some of you during my visit to AC and the chance to buy ya'll some drinks."

Take care and God bless,

Texicanslim

DOLL HOUSE

I had the opportunity to check out the Doll House on 14 Feb, the night for romance, and found a good seat at the table against the wall that is used as a back drop for the entrance to the Club.  I settled in with pen in hand and proceeded to observe the action.  Sometimes I am so grateful for the comments on the AC message board as quite often someone on the  board will make my job easier than normal.  In this instance, a friend sent me the comments written by "Road Slut", (love those NICs) and I found that he took the words right out of my mouth, well, the one's I was thinking but did not write up yet.  Being a Las Vegas resident I thought of that City, not Bangkok, but I agree that the interior is eye-catching, and it loudly yells out that the two lads from Hawaii have a lot of money to throw around.  The lighting, sound system, seats, seating arrangements, bathrooms, etc. are right up there in luxury, BUT - and there are always BUTS, where is the fun!  This is a place you can take your wife or girlfriend to and not worry about her being embarrassed but then how often does one take his wife or girlfriend out to a bar in Angeles City?  This is a DISCO bar without the space for the customers to dance.  The Doll House dancers are very average, even some below average, i.e., #57 who had a gut hanging over her bikini bottom and a butt that that King Kong would have loved.  Now, I wondered why, after enticing many of the girls to move over from other bars, and also spending so much money, the owners suffered such poor eyesight.  Then, the biggest joke of the night had to be the "Solo Dancers" who charge a P3,000 escort fee versus the P1200 for the regular dancers.  I saw four of them perform during the time I was there and believe me, the first two did not look as good as some of the P500 ladies on A. Santos Street, the third one was a bit better looking, no tits, did splits, did some bends and had an obvious attitude, the fourth one was the better of the previous three but did not do much other than try to give the impression that her farts smelled like perfume.  Only those tourists with too much money to spend, or some rich Japs or Koreans would be stupid enough to pay the P3,000 fee, but then when I mentioned this to one of the better looking Mamasans in attendance she told me that many had taken these "special" girls out already.  Now, don't get me wrong, the Doll House itself is impressive and deserves a visit but do I think they will keep their 7/24 hour schedule, nope!  The 24 hour operation seems a bit too much, economically, but then I could be wrong.  Let's give that a "wait and see what happens" time period.  Oh yes, I would have spent more time in the Doll House that night except that Paul Willis saw me and those of you that know Paul can imagine what happened.  After many minutes of listening to Paul talk, and talk, and talk some more about subjects that I had no interest in or even remember, I found that my ability to concentrate was rapidly diminishing so finally, I left, determined to return to the Doll House on a night that the lovable Paul Willis stayed home.

The comments below were not edited by me so the misspelled words and typos are not mine.

"well i deceided to venture into the dollhouse last night for the first time with my girlfriend and 2 of her friends to see what all the hoo haa was about...as i entered my first impression was..WELCOME TO THAILAND..this place is straight out of the GO GO manual but that said i was quite impressed with the lay out and sound and lighting...ok now to the girls...i had this dejvu feeling as i scanned the room and reconised girls from all over the other from angeles...not many new faces...the dancers outfits are quite eye appealing and there is a good view of the dancers from all angles..the waitress that was assigned to my area was very pleasant, polite and attentive which can be a good change and something other bars should adopt...but once inside for a while i got this cold sterile type of feeling...very few dancers smiling..realy u could have been forgiven for thinking u where in any gogo bar in thailand.. - now a couple of bad parts .. - those fucking steps into the CRs have got to go...there a accident waiting to happen..i felt this is not the type of bar where a group of guys could wind-up and have a little fun in..its to clinical and any activity out of the ordinary looking ,chatting and buying lady rinks seemed to be frowned upon and stopped by a very gastapo type of mamasans saying..."im sorry sir but please dont play with the girls susu, its not allowed in here"...the guy that this was said to was only about 3 meters from me and he replied.."this is the philippines right" and then a quick chat in tagolog from the mamasan to the girl seen the girl get up off the chair and head out the back leaving the customer sitting there with a full LD and no girl..... now he wasnt being over zealous with the girl..actualy he just had his arm around her and rubbing her tit.. he then went to pay his bill and was surprised when the waitress told him he had to pay for the ladies drink...a stunned look on his face and only a 100p note was handed to the waitress for his smb and out the door he went...i dont blame him..

then i had what i would call quite a trivial problem but encountered a similar response..1 of the 3 girls that was there with me suddenly notice a FLY was doing breaststroke in her white wine...she had on a small sip out of the drink so it was still quite full...i called the waitress over and ask her to replace it...new drink arrives and along with a 120p bill for the replacement...i looked at the waitress and she knew what i was going to say and interupted me before i could say anything and said..."sir if i dont charge u for the replacement drink the management will take it out of my salary".....realy....summoned the head mamasan over and what seemed like hours bashing my head against a brick wall trying to explain that it was not either my girls fault or the waitresses fault that a fly decided to commit suicide in the drink and told her u cant expect the waitress to be standing over their customers with a fly sqatter...as a lot of u guys know im far from being a cheap charlie but there was no way i was paying for that drink and i didnt..but after assurance from the mamasan that the waitress would not be charged for the replacement drink..i knew different...the look on the waitresses face told the story so before leaving i gave the waitress a extra 120p above her tip coz i knew as sure as shit she was going to be responsible..

back to the so called SHOW GIRLS...the 2 i seen in the time i was there where quite attractive but to the regulars here in angeles they will reconise these 2 as bad attitude girls from a previuos bar that had trouble with them..ok only 1 showgirl on stage for 2 songs...no real entertaining dancing just a slow shuffle disguised as sensual and again not a sign of any teeth,,(no smile)and when finished she was gone to some unknown parts of the bar never to be seen...thats a bad move guys...if u intend to charge 3000p ewr for a showgirl i think it would be better to have her wandering about mingling with the guys..

the other noticable thing thats so thailand orientaited was all girls have a number on the costume and if u want to buy a girl a drink u have to notify the mamasan and not directly call the girl off stage which is the routine here in angeles..something that i noticed that seemed to off putting to the dancers was that the 3 DJs where between every song hanging out of the windows or the DJs box with their tongues hanging out perving on the girls...this was making the girls quite uncomfortable...get em back in their box...

just an qick overview and opinion...nice decor and nice setting but with a cold empty feeling about it..for the guys who own it, i wish them the best and hope it works but its a big gamble bring THAILAND to ANGELES with filipino staff...not realy my kind of bar but good luck guys"

THE PASCHA CLUB