The cool weather did not last too long.  The last few days of February saw the temperatures rising and you know that starting this month we will see tank top wearing weather.  Pictured to the left is the facade of the new Stotsenberg Hotel on Clark.  It is a very beautiful hotel and the Casino area is absolutely fantastic with a scheduled opening for 8 March if all goes well.  The Hotel itself opened it doors to the public in early February and bookings were being taken as fast as the staff could answer the phones.  The pool area is a place of beauty and has to be seen to be appreciated.  The 11th annual balloon festival was the big event in February and that was pretty well attended.  So far, in March I have not been informed of any great events taking place but not to worry, every day is a party day in Angeles City.  I am beginning to see little tidbits in the local papers about a slippage in the construction timetable for the Subic - Clark -Tarlac construction.  Now, wouldn't everybody be shocked if the completion date was delayed.  Why, that never happens in the Philippines.  We are not far away from the May elections and that is circus time in the Philippines.  This is when movie actors, rebels, criminals, newscasters, jueteng lords and a few honest, experienced politicians all run for various political offices and get elected.  Meanwhile the Peso is getting stronger against the dollar and is hovering around the P48 to the dollar mark.  That is a big drop from the good days of P56 to the dollar and it makes construction a hell of a lot more expensive.  Thank goodness we have finished the renovations to the Hotel La Casa.  Well, come on over and enjoy the hot weather, clear blue skies, various beaches and those good old air-conditioned Clubs with all those ladies waiting for you. 

TIDBITS

My lovely Priscilla the Horse was full of oats this morning as she dropped off a large envelope mailed to me by Lew Stokes from Sunnybank Hills, QLD, Australia.  To my surprise it was a birthday card commemorating my 69th year and included some up to date maps of Australia and even one covering New Zealand.  Wow, a birthday card from the land down under, my goodness Lew, many thanks.  I think I will be using those maps to pinpoint where all the many folks from Australia that read my column come from.  By the way, I only have a party every five years so next year on 23 Feb 08 (Saturday) I will be having my monster blast so hope many of my readers will be in town and will drop by for a drink.  I use to have a party every 10 years but when I hit 60 I became less optimistic, so after 70 I may go for every three years and if I manage to make 80 then there will be a party every year.  Hee, Hee, if I reach 90, every damn day will be a party!

Finally someone has the guts to speak out the truth about Hillary Clinton.  David Geffen spoke out that Hillary and Bill as well, are able to lie with great ease.  This from a super rich guy that was a close favorite of the Clinton's when they were in office and even had many stays at the White House.  The reason I agree with this guy is that I have read a book that went into detail her ability to lie and other not too nice negative behavior she displayed as first lady.  If people are smart enough, read enough and take a close look at her, then in no way would they want her in the White House as President.  She was bad enough as the first lady!

Good news to pass on.  For those that knew Ted Pilgrim, owner of Emotions, the news out of Marachador, Queensland, Aus, is that he is out of hospital after a stay of a few months.  When Ted left the Philippines he was quite ill and doctors in Australia told he that if he had not gotten proper medical care in time he would have died within 48 hours or shortly thereafter.  He is at home but still not 100% as he remains a bit weak and is on oxygen.  But, better to be at home than a funeral parlor.  Good luck to you Ted, keep on fighting!

Be careful when buying street vendor Viagra/Cialis. Some of it doesn't work and now there are rumors of police sting operations on the street going on. Apparently (fake?) police not raking in enough dough on underage scams so they are now shaking down visitors for drug copies! To avoid this scam do not carry copy drugs around and use cel to make delivery arrangements in less public areas with your favorite vendor. I don't think vendors are in on the scam but who knows? (This was posted on a local message board by another one of those "I know everything" posters.  In actual fact City Director Col Cunanan announced a campaign a couple of months ago to go after vendors who were selling Viagra, etc. on Field Ave.  Why?  Because of two reasons, one it is illegal to sell any prescription drugs on the street and second, there have been many reports of fake Viagra and Cialis being sold.  Naturally, anyone seen purchasing these illegal drugs from a vendor on the street would also be performing an illegal act.  You might not like it but it is the law.  To avoid being a suspect STOP BUYING THE COPY DRUGS FROM THE STREET VENDORS OR BE PRETTY DAMN CAREFUL WHEN YOU DO)

I was wondering how long it would take for the Roselle/Guy (Pacific Breeze/Central Park) and Ron Wakely (Orchid Inn/Wild Orchid) feud to erupt again.  It has been relatively peaceful for a few years but now with the close proximity of the Pacific Breeze, especially the annex, to the Rovimar Buildings (the new Wild Orchid Condos) problems with setbacks and easements have brought these two groups together in not a very happy atmosphere.  This time, though, it has brought to light the questionable procedures of the City building office and the work of their engineers.  I admire both Roselle and Ron and their problems are between themselves and no one should be taking sides.  Both parties offer great hotels and are smart business people but the questions being asked and debated affects all the investors who are currently planning future construction projects in Angeles City, particularly along the entertainment belt.   Be absolutely sure that your contractors pay utmost attention to all details concerning easements, setbacks, and all other criteria needed for occupancy and business permits.  The other problem that is related to this mess is that this year many businesses have suffered delays in obtaining their new business permits because of encroachment.  It is required by the zoning ordinance that the easements of buildings must be 3.6 meters from the curb of the sidewalk.  What is driving people nuts is that there is no consistency in implementing this requirement on existing buildings.  Some businesses are being penalized while others, within sight, have the same violations but nothing is said to them.  Mayor Lazatin has promised to start an "honest to goodness" investigation into the various alleged shenanigans of the City Building Office.  I wonder though how in-depth this investigation might be since most politicians will be distracted by the upcoming May elections.  The outcome of the Pacific Breeze/Orchid Inn Group controversy does not hold any importance to anyone other than the primary owners involved.  What is important is that all businesses, old and new, are treated EQUALLY and FAIRLY by those in the business of issuing building permits and that the 3.6 meter easement requirement is not directed ONLY to those businesses located in the entertainment area.

Last month two tourists from England were involved in an incident in which one of them had his pants pulled down from behind by some girl outside of Subdelicious.  Soon thereafter the PNP Police Aides (Tourist Police) arrived and took them to the PNP Tourist Assistance Center.  They were not, as some punters reported, taken directly to Station 4.  While at the Assistance Center various personnel tried to talk to them, including the Director of the Police Aides, Rey Lacquian, to calm them down.  Regretfully, these lads had consumed a few drinks and were arrogant, argumentative and down right rude to the folks that were trying to help so the incident could be resolved without sending them to Station 4.  Naturally this was not the story that was bandied about on Fields Ave.  Anyway, because of being uncooperative they were sent to Station 4 and allegedly, were held for five hours and had to pay P7,500 each to be released.  Regretfully, there were a couple of procedures that the PNP Police Aides failed to do.  When such a situation occurs they have been instructed to contact a member of the Angeles Clarkfield Tourist Association (ACTA) board of Trustees so that he could report to the Center to assist and try to convince the foreigners to calm down and cooperate so the matter could be resolved without further complications.  This was not done!  Secondly, if a foreigner is sent to Station 4 a member of the PNP Police Aide should remain to witness whatever final action takes place.  This was not done. It is the objective of ACTA, if possible, to settle simple incidents involving foreigners without involving the PNP at Station 4.  In this case, the two foreigners were out of line in their behavior AFTER being detained by cursing the Police Aides and telling them they had no authority, and go ahead and put us in jail.  If a trustee was called and attended, even with that attitude one final attempt would have been made to resolve the situation without sending them to station 4.  Folks, the PNP Police Aides do have the necessary authority to detain personnel and there is a PNP Major assigned to the Assistance Center to back up that authority and take further action if necessary.  It is a lot easier to deal with people if they cooperate and not let excessive drinking cloud their ability to control themselves or their ability to use common sense.  ACTA personnel will always try to assist in defusing a situation involving foreigners but success is not guaranteed.  It depends on many factors but for sure, help will be offered and I can vouch for that since I have been called late at night, or even rousted out of bed to assist and believe me, at times it takes a lot of patience to deal with some folks but it is worth it if the end result is positive.  By the way, the details of this incident and the alleged payment of P15,.000 has been forward to the City Director and to the Commander of Station four.  (on 26 Feb I spoke with Col Mangune in his office and he informed me to tell one and all that he is not a short, fat, ugly boss!  Additionally, he showed me a large supply of Viagra and Cialis that he had confiscated from Fields Ave vendors and was keeping for evidence that his office was complying with the City Director's instructions to stop the illegal sale of these items.  He also informed me that on 28 Feb he will have three of his station four investigators transferred away from station 4 because of evidence that these men were involved with extortion actions against foreigners.  The incident with the two British lads was not entered into the police blotter for that night in question.  The Col will investigate to try and find out exactly what happened.  There is a concerted effort by ACTA, Station 4 Commander and the City Director to improve the reputation of Station 4 and we are making progress but overnight success is not possible.)

It was a pleasure to meet Ernest Becher, a long time reader of this column who has lived in Subic, Barrio Baretto for 14 years.  Ernest hails, originally from Zurich, Switzerland and returns there once in a while.  Ernest just wanted to check out my stable and greet Mrs Horse and I. 

What a big surprise I had on my birthday when a big bearded, happy go lucky lad from Korea popped in to see me and shake my hand for mentioning his place in my column a while back.  This was the famous "Mojo", owner of Mojo's American Bar in Tongduchon, Korea and he is the head of the 20 strong American Steel Motorcycle club (ASMC) in that area.  His presence along with two local members of the ASMC highlighted a quiet evening at the bar.  If you want to know more about "Mojo's check out his website at www.mojosbar.com.         

My goodness, I had a report of another pick pocket incident at the Clark SM Mall recently.  This time it took place in the SM HyperMart and the gentleman was crowded about by a pregnant woman and a few other females while in one of the aisles.  Initially he was annoyed at being shuffled about but it took him a couple of minutes to realize something was amiss and he checked for his wallet.  Yep, the wallet was gone along with P10,000 and the ladies were not to be found.  So, he reported the incident to a guard on duty and he just smiled and did nothing else.  The guard service at SM, as far as protecting customers, sucks with a capital "S".  

Just in case there is a big shot from Fox News that might read this column could you do something about getting rid of plastic face Greta Van Susteren.  All she does is repeat everything that was already covered by O'Reily and Hannity and Combs.  Transfer her to NBC or back to CNN or put her show on at 0300 hours so only people with insomnia could watch her.  Her show sucks and she asks some of the stupidest questions of her guests and bleeds a story to death.  Also, please, I volunteer to take a shovel and bury that damn Nicole Smith myself!  Maybe I am the father of her kid, I remember I had a wet dream about Nicole and her big boobs one night and maybe somehow, that sperm was carried by wind all the way to the Bahamas and got into her when she was spreading her legs for that Bahamian Immigration official.  Enough is enough on this Anna bimbo who was smart enough to get some rich old guy to marry her so in his last months of life he could suck on her tits or something.  Hell, he went out with a smile on his face.  I don't blame him, after all there are a lot of old guys coming here to the Philippines to do the same thing, only difference is they sure ain't rich but they are just as happy.

The following information was forwarded to me by D.R. Butler.  I had no idea that I had to be worried about peanut butter but thank goodness, after checking my stock, that the Mrs. buys good old Skippy brand. 

Thank you for your inquiry to CDC-INFO. In response to your request for information about the recent outbreak of Salmonella, we are pleased to provide you with the following information and referral. At this time Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter have been implicated in this outbreak. If you are concerned that you may have suffered from a Salmonella infection due to eating one of these types of peanut butter, please follow the recommendations below:
Check the product code listed on the lid of the peanut butter jar. If the product code begins with 2111, please do not eat any more of the peanut butter. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), recommends that all potentially contaminated peanut butter be discarded. If anyone in your family has a severe illness with bloody diarrhea or fever or currently has symptoms lasting more than three days, they should consult a healthcare provider. Ask your healthcare provider to test a stool sample. If the sample is positive for Salmonella, the healthcare provider will then report the case to the State Health Department which will report it to the CDC. If the illness is/was not severe OR has passed, just throw away the jar. A stool sample is unlikely to detect evidence of past infection.

Lewie Louis and Richard are building up their customer base every Friday night as they offer their "Pearl of India" authentic Indian cuisine at the Simple Asia Restaurant.  It is located on Friendship Highway just past the Cold Drop starting at 5 PM until late.  I was told that they will open any day for parties with 15 or more diners.  They do outside catering and take out frozen dinners are available.  For info telephone 0917 459 6248.  The prices are reasonable and personally, I think the curries offered are delicious.  I have an English friend, Ian, who is constantly looking for a good Indian Restaurant and he has classified Richard's offerings as good but not top drawer.  But then Ian is English, and you know how fussy the English are.  Now, for Aussies and New Yorkers like me, who only look for a good feed, believe me, a Friday night trip to the Pearl of India will not be a wasted trip.  Oh, did I mention it is buffet style?  You can go back for seconds, thirds, etc.  

Speaking of Simple Asia, I took Mrs Horse there for our Valentine's meal and it was terrific.  We were impressed with the romantic garden setting, so much so that if we were both 35 years younger it might have inspired us to some late night activities.  The band there was terrific but at the price they charged to perform they should have been.  Our service was terrific and the food was delicious, with the cost being P600 plus for the evening.  But, alas, what went well for us did not go well for some of the other diners.  It seems that more diners showed up then anticipated and, regretfully, they ran out of the featured menu items.  This did not go over well, and they were offered the regular Simple Asia menu items.  Again, later on those items were no longer available either.  Of course, poor Vicky, the owner, was beside herself and a bit embarrassed.  Some of the guests were not too tolerant of the situation and were a bit upset.  But, the problem is that Vicky is still a bit new to the restaurant business and she is learning by her mistakes.  I do believe that next year I will return to Simple Asia on 14 Feb because I am sure she will be better prepared and I sincerely believe that the garden setting was and is the most perfect place for such an event.  But, just in case, maybe I will bring a few items to eat with me, one must be prepared for emergencies.   

This month we skipped the Knights of the Brown Ring (AH Club) meeting again but we will start up again on Saturday, 7 Apr 07 and will continue each first Saturday of the month until further notice.  Same place, same time.

Definitely try the Scandinavian buffet at the Niagara on A. Santos Street every Sunday, 6 PM.  This is definitely one original buffet and something everyone in town should get over to try.  It will only cost you P300 for a memorable feast.  Get there before the "Horse", I eat a lot!

My prediction for the American Idol this season.  No male singer will make the final two. The men sucked on the first night and the females kicked ass.  As usual I agree with 98% of the evaluations given by Simon, my gosh, maybe I could stand in for him one night during the season.  Please, write in to American Idol and tell them to make "the horse" a guest judge, all expenses paid of course.  I need a trip to the States again!

This website was passed on to me by my good friend Joe Nelson and it is something that not only every American should read but any population throughout the world where radical Islamism is sprouting its ugly head.  I agree with every word presented here and I am afraid that America will never wake up in time since so many people in the States are just too blind to see what is happening around them.  Even now we have to watch on TV that American traitor Jane Fonda sprout her nonsense again and watch and listen to an evil Hillary Clinton spinning her web of lies as she tries to jump from one platform to another trying to convince people that she is not a die hard left wing liberal, which she really is.  She will say and do anything to get a vote.  People are so worked up over the Iraq war and hate Bush so much that they do not bother to look at what is happening within America itself.  Our liberal leaders only want to get Hispanic votes and appease the Muslim fanatics that are plotting against America yet live in American cities where they try to force their culture on various communities.  It is ridiculous that any Senator be allowed to take his oath of office on any book other than the bible.  It is ridiculous that any group of taxi drivers be allowed to keep operating when they refuse to take passengers that are carrying gift bottles of wine.  Will America wake up in time, I doubt it. Will France, Germany and Spain wake up in time, hell, it is already too late for them and England is dozing as well.  There is one country that has woken up and that is Australia, a country of men and women with guts but even there liberalism is seeping in.  Iraq is serious, very serious but it will pale compared to the future violence that will take place in America when fanatical Muslims finally activate their plans to eradicate our democracy and freedom of religion.  The World Trade Center destruction was just an appetizer.  Wake up America!  http://patriotfiles.org/civilizationcalls.htm

One Oliver Tiam wrote me a while back and informed me that "if any of my readers should need an IT expertise, be it a website or stuff like that, please refer them to him at email redver74@yahoo.com or phone 639174780877".  

Word of advice.  Even though you elect to leave your visa with the Swagman Travel office next to margarita Station for their renewal service, or any other travel agency, the ultimate responsibility for that renewal rests with you.  Recently I was called to intercede on behalf of a tourist that had left his visa with this travel agency for them to notify him in time to renew the visa.  They do this every three months for him but on this occasion they were not able to contact him to go to the office to pay.  It seems they only review the visas on file once a week, on Sundays and when they called this individual, he claims that he did not receive a call or a text message.  This resulted in a late visa renewal and a penalty being charged.  He felt that he should not pay the penalty.  the swagman agency would not return his passport until all charges were paid.  After consultations and calls to supervisors, the Swagman agency was kind enough to drop the penalty charge as long as he paid what was due.  The lesson learned is that the owner of the passport should keep track of renewal dates as well, just in case something like this happens. 

The Horse has to renew his ICR card.  Mine has an expiration date.  The fee to do this earlier this year was P3,500, now it will cost me P5,500 for the International Travel Agency to do it for me.  The fee went up on 1 Feb.  Danny, at the Agency will do it, and that fee is only P500 but the guy in Manila who processes it charges P2,000 for him to do his job.  Naturally, I will pay for this renewal, I have no choice but I have heard different stories as to whether this renew is good for five years or yearly.  As usual the Philippine Government is not quite sure what the hell to do.  But, one thing is for sure, if they can figure out a way to get a peso out of a foreigner they will surely do so.  The breakdown of the fees now are P2,500 for the card, express fee P500, MISC liaison officer service fee P2,000 and Angeles Travel Svc fee P500.  You have the option of doing all the paperwork by yourself but it will take two trips to Manila and still have to pay extra to get anything done. 

The ABC had a manager, Roger, who was in for a while but is now out.  The new guy in as manager is now Ray Souvala of "One Stop" fame.  Ray has been bouncing around Angeles City for many years and has enjoyed an array of different jobs and endeavors.  He has a wealth of experience in the food and beverage field along with extensive management experience.  I would suspect that he has taken on a bit of a challenge at the ABC Hotel and we all hope he is on board a bit longer than his predecessor.      

How bout this one - and it appears to be true.  Personally I feel that these prisoners should stand on their heads to take a dump for all I care.  Why are we kissing these Muslim's asses?

UK Prison Toilets Now Shari'a-Compliant Toilets in one London prison are getting a face-lift - or rather, a change in direction - to accommodate Muslim inmates who can't use them while facing Mecca, a British newspaper reported. Government officials acknowledged using tax dollars for the changes to the facilities, but maintained that moving the toilets was part of an on-going refurbishment, according to an article in The Sun. Islamic code prohibits Muslims from facing or turning their backs on the direction of prayer when they use the bathroom. Muslim prisoners complained of having to sit sideways on toilets so as to not break code. Faith leaders in the government pressured officials to approve turning the toilets 90 degrees at HMP Brixton in London.

TAPS

AUSTRALIAN MURDERED IN DAU LAST NIGHT -

When I arrived home from manila tonight at about 11 pm, I was informed by the landlord that my friend who just lived across the street here, was violently murdered tonight about 8.30 pm by a crazed Ex-boyfriend of the lady that had been living with Dave for many years.. I am sad to say DAVE HUTTON got stabbed to death by a crazed ex-boyfriend of his long time companion... The only details provided at this time was that the guy scaled the security fence and pounded on DAVE"S door, when Dave then opened the door, the attacker immediately delivered the fatal stab wounds. Dave's girl was injured in this attack also. however is currently recovering.. Remember guys.. This was not a wild mongering guy. Any of you that have ever met him , will know that he really was a quiet decent caring guy that sent his girl through nursing school and took good care of her....As of this time, i just met with the barangay people, and they assured me the attacker has been arrested and will be taken to San Fernando for arraignment in the morning. and from there will be detained in Muntilupa. awaiting trail. .. SAD THAT SOMEONE HAD TO TAKE THE LIFE OF SUCH A NICE GUY.. DAVE. WE WILL MISS YOU.. FOR ANYONE OUT THERE THAT KNEW DAVE HUTTON, I WILL POST ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS IT BECOMES AVAILABLE,DAVE was a regular afternoon guy usually Frequenting Moons bar or Helsinger, Purly Gates, in Diamond Subdivision.

Article from his Local Newspaper, where he came from in Queensland Australia.  

THE YEPPOON community is in shock after learning of the stabbing death of former resident Dave "Doughy" Hutton. The former policeman, 62, was rushed to the Angeles University Medical Centre in the Phillipines on Saturday night with stab wounds to the chest and face. He was pronounced dead on arrival. Speaking with the Morning Bulletin yesterday from the Phillipines, longtime best friend and former Capricorn Coast resident Rick Iveragh said, Dave had been living in the Phillipines for 18 months with his partner Merly Fernandez and her three kids. "Losing Dave has left me with a huge hole in my life, every morning we would SMS each other so we knew that each of us were alive and well," he said. "Over here we are on our own and you need good mates like Dave." "We went fishing together, we went everywhere together. "Dave came here to retire." A report from the Sun Star Pampanga newspaper in the Phillipines reported the 26-year-old suspect, a former live-in partner of Hutton’s wife, Merly Fernandez, was arrested immediately after the incident.  The report said Hutton and Fernandez were having dinner at 8:30 p.m. Saturday when Canuel barged into the couple’s apartment. It said the suspect destroyed the front door of the house and assaulted the victim using a bladed weapon. Mr Iveragh will today drive to the Australian Embassy in the Phillipines with Dave’s post mortem report. Mr Hutton will be cremated Thursday morning in the Phillipines and then a wake will be held at the Moons Bar where he drank with his friends. "I’ll be flying home on March 5 with Dave’s ashes so his family can bury him." The Phillipines man said. Yeppoon resident Tammy Cranny, a cousin and great friend of Mr Hutton, said it was a great shock when she heard the news. "Dave lived life to the fullest, he was someone you thought would last forever. "If Dave gave you his word, that meant you could take it to the bank. The man who killed Dave took a very special person," Ms Cranny said yesterday. Mr Hutton’s family was well known for their bakery that opened before the World War II in Normanby Street, Yeppoon. "He will be missed by a lot of people from the Coast," Ms Cranny said. "He was larger than life."

TOURISTS OF THE MONTH

From left to right lets greet Roy, Lee and Brian (Mooka) from Mandurah except for Lee who is from Perth, Australia.  These old warriors met many years ago in Vietnam where they all served at the same location and have stayed mates for all these years.  Roy and Mooka are married but Lee is a widower and has a bit more freedom than his mates.  They were visiting only for one week and were staying at the Fiesta Garden Hotel.  They are friends of Doug Errington, past president of the Angeles City RSL.  They were enjoying themselves at the Jan meeting of the AC Businessmen's Association luncheon at the Fiesta Garden.  Mooka got his nickname as he served in the English Army for two years before signing up with the Australian lads so the called him a "member of the King's Army - Mooka) and that NIC has stuck with him all these years. 

Lee is checking out Angeles City for possible permanent residency and so far it is looking pretty good to him.  By the way, they just put in a railway line from Perth to Mandurah so I guess that brings a bit more civilization to Mandurah.  These are three great lads and I hope to meet them again. 

FORTY DAYS AFTER

One of the nicer traditions I have experienced in the Philippines is the 40 day observance of those who have passed away.  On a beautiful sunny morning last month the wife and family of Bill Lyons gathered at the Clark Cemetery to bid Bill a final farewell.  It was a small group but the size did not matter as it was mainly a time for a son and a wife to remember the man who was a big part of their lives for so long.  After the ceremony the group gathered at the VFW for some food and social time and forty days after Bill was laid to rest I like to think he joined us, in spirit, for that gathering at the cemetery and maybe even for a bite to eat.  Hey, don't laugh, you never know!

NO MORE "BUSSING"

The first time I met David R. Butler (D.R) he was visiting the Philippines he was already a traveler here since Aug 2003.  Never-the-less he was still a tourist so I featured him as my Tourist of the Month of May 06.  He was getting ready to go back to Richmond, Virginia to drive a bus again for a while, despite already being retired.  At that time he was seriously thinking of settling in the Philippines, Angeles City, of course.  I had not heard from him for a while until one morning I ran into him at the American Legion.  To my surprise he proudly told me that he had found a great woman, Marissa, and. lo and behold he married her.  Now, why the hell a good looking 31 year old lady would want to marry D.R. is a mystery to me.  Could it be that he has a special charm that knocked her off her feet?  Was it temporary insanity on her part?  Or could it be that this charming lady found all the goodness in D.R. and figured she better not let him go?  I think that is the real answer.  All those bus driver friends of his back in the States, "eat your hearts out", you should be so lucky.  D.R. and Marissa, congrats and may you have many happy years together. 

BRING ON THE HOT SAUCE  

Pictured to the right is that dapper guy from New Zealand, Ivon, who arrived at my little guest house with a surprise.  He brought me six bottles of different hot sauces to add to my hot sauce collection.  It has been a while since I was able to add new items to my collection because I did not go to the States last year.  I believe that I could safely add that I have the biggest collection of hot sauces in Angeles City.  I have a couple that I love using for those folks that come by and tell me that you cannot make my Chile hot enough to bother me.  Please, please, come by and make my day!  The big bottle displayed is not a hot sauce but a bottle of wine affixed with a rather unique label.  Thanks for remembering me Ivon and naturally his favorite place to stay while in Angeles City is the Hotel La Casa.  There ain't that many places in town where you can get a decent room for only P800 a month and believe me, you can have a bit of fun in our restaurant/bar as well.  OK already, I have to plug my own joint don't I!

 LOVE THAT KANGAROO

Many thanks go out to Mark and Annette Curtis from Gosford, Australia who stopped by to wish me a happy birthday and also present a very nice stuffed Kangaroo to Priscilla the Horse who, along with our son Jason, loves stuffed toys.  Well, to tell the truth I kind of like them too.  Annette used to man the reception desk at the Fiesta Garden many years ago until she was nicked away by Mark, one of those "love at first sight" experiences that has lasted and produced a handsome son, Ron, 19 years old, which gives you an idea how successful this match-up is.  Annette is from Pampanga as is Mrs Horse so they enjoyed chatting away in their own dialect. 

COME DANCE WITH ME

The lovely Cathelene B. Ganas is bringing ballroom dancing classes to the Hensonville area.  She will be providing lessons for the young and old at the CG Dance Studio, White House Hotel, 4180 Zeppellen St., Hensonville, Malabanias Rd. Angeles City.  This is just around the corner from the Divine Shephard Hospital (Old PIH).  The minimum cost is P200 every 2 hours Mon thru Fri, private tuition is the same rate.  There is free dancing every Saturday night from 6 to 10 PM.  For more information or reservations call Cathelene at 0910-603-7692.  Cathy is married to Sydney, a retired animator who used to draw all those cartoons you see on TV and the movies. Now, I wonder, if I enrolled Mrs. Horse for some courses if after a while she would develop the same waist size as Cathelene?  I better be quiet she may want to send me. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY - "I REALLY LOVE THIS TOILET"

I think his name is Simon and I caught him in action at "Roadies" when he forgot to close the door to the toilet.  Now it was not my intent to hang around toilets but it was located just where I was trying to take a picture of my "I Would If I Could" girl for this month.  I had not been at Roadies since it opened but I heard that it was packed every evening, especially for the Happy Hour.  It was very crowded and one cal tell how crowded it is when the air-conditioning does not quite cool the place off enough.  It was wall to wall people and there were many local lads present that I recognized.  One famous celebrity on hand was J.C. of Margarita Station fame who looked comfortable and happy as he occupied one of the prime back seats.  My objective was to visit both Roadies and Lost In Asia Clubs to find my special lady for March.  These two clubs are next to each other and I like the owners, with the "Great Harro" being a special character that I enjoy talking to.  As I said earlier, Roadies was packed with the lades gobbling up the two for one happy hour beer.  That might change a bit as I was told effective 1 Mar the happy hour will feature local drinks at P40 with non-happy hour prices going up from P55 to P60.  Why?  simple answer Greg and company were losing money on the happy hour.  Changes were necessary, sounds like good management to me. 
Next door at Lost in Asia it was quite a bit quieter and less crowded so I was able to spend some quality time with Harro and his Mrs who I actually was able to get a smile from. 
At Roadies I had to add a second lady because the first one was good looking but had a real shitty attitude problem.  That was 20 year old Jackie.  But, Lindy, 24 years old was sweet and bursting with personality.  I think Jackie might be in love with the T-Bird Roadies bartender/bouncer.  But hell, life ain't always easy!

JACKIE AND LINDY - ROADIES CLUB

On the far left is the good looking Jackie with the attitude.  She is a doll and has a great smile as well as a few more pleasing features.  From Bulacan, this 20 year old likes dancing.  She has a 2 year old girl but then after talking to her T-Bird friend did not want to answer any more questions.  Oh well, can't win them all.  Take Jackie one night at a time.

Now Lindy was a different story.  After I told Greg about the difficulty with Jackie he confirmed to me that she all too often develops one hell of an attitude problem.  So then he led me to Lindy who was more than happy to present a good image for the Club and her boss.  I did not have enough time left to talk to her for any length of time but if I was to recommend a lady worth spending a few pesos on ladies drinks on it would be this sweet young 24 year old lady.  Lindy has class!  She is from Mindanao and has a 6 month old boy.  She is a high school graduate and loves playing badminton.  She enjoys conversing with mature men and those of you who are forty plus are in her acceptable age bracket though she kind of laughed when I mentioned 69.  I think that age might be out of her range for anything serious but I might be wrong. 
So, there you go, two choices, take your pick.  I might have just caught Jackie on a bad day but I think every day is a good day for Lindy.

LOST IN ASIA

Normally when I am featuring a girl or girls from a Club I do not include others in the pictures but I will make an exception because I kind of had fun doing this one.  First, Harro wanted me to take a picture of me ringing the bell since my name is the first one on his bell ringer mirror.  I posed but I looked so damn bad I did not include it.  But, I still looked like bad in the picture to the left but not as bad as the other one.  Now, that is the one and only place in town you will see my name because I am a cheap sod.  The middle picture is Harro's choice for my column and she is a cutie.  She is 21 year old Jenny from Olongapo.  I think she was an excellent choice.  To the right is Ronalie, 18 years old, from Cebu.  She has worked for Harro the last 3 months.  She likes to dance, of course, and would like a husband between 25 and 30.  Well then, who the hell is that lady next to Ronalie?  She is none other than Grace "I can handle Harro" Harro.  Yep, the big man's wife for 8 years and at a young 29 years old has produced three children, with Harro's help of course.  We have Crystal, 7 years old, William the great, 5 years old and finally, Hanna at 5 months.  My goodness, Harro should be donating to a sperm bank! 

MONTHLY DART TOURNAMENT

On the night of 24 Feb 07 the Hotel La Casa hosted it's first monthly open  steel tip dart tournament.  It was a small turn out, only eight players but we managed to have our blind draw doubles match anyway.  The tournament is open to all dart players with an entry fee of P500 with P100 going to the house and the rest in payout. The first local drink is on the house and local drink prices are reduced to P30 for the players. Four dart boards are available for play in a well lit area. Trophies are presented to first and second place finishers. This is one of the best venues in Northern Luzon for local dart tournaments.  We hope that future events will attract more players with the only requirement to be 16 and above. The next tournament will be on Saturday, 31 Mar, at 7 PM.  The venue is also available for any group wanting to hold their own tournament or for practice. 

DO YOU HAVE A CRAB PROBLEM?

The only problem Chef Chris of "C" Italian Restaurant had was having enough crabs on hand to satisfy the demand for his fresh Maine Lobsters that he offered on a test run early last month. They were ordered through a company in Manila that has them flown in and as you can see by the picture, delivered to Chris alive and ready to bite your fingers off.  The price of P4,500 featured a 700 gram lobster with all the trimmings and even though the demand was there for this test run the price does not allow for this to be, at this time, a regular offering.  When the Deli is opened in early May then a tank will be installed in which the live lobsters can be kept on hand.  Until then Chris informed me that if a group of people would like to have this special lobster offering then at least a week's notice in advance is necessary.  Those that would like to order live lobsters to cook for themselves then Chris can order for you and the cost would be P2,500 a kilo. 
Chef Chris continues to build on his reputation as an innovative master chef who constantly looks for ways to bring originality to his menu.  Not content to just stand by his standard menu which could win awards he reaches out for those little extras that keeps his fans asking "what's next Chris?"    

NEW AT THE ORANGE LION

I stopped by the Orange Lion one Friday night last month when I heard that they were going to have a live combo playing some relaxing music there in the evening.  This of course, is something new for them and I thought it was something worth mentioning.  I remember when this Hotel first opened and I was impressed with its relaxing lobby and recreation area, as well as the outside seating which allowed a great opportunity to watch the various interesting denizens of the day and night pass by.  At that time, the menu was limited and offered only snacks and various sandwiches.  You can imagine how pleased I was to see a very busy menu presented to me and the variety of selections was quite impressive.  After a couple of years in operation they still maintain their one price of $50 a night for any of their rooms, all of which are quite comfortable.  But, getting back to the live music, on this first night the group was more than one hour late and their excuse was that had to finish another gig first.  Of course, in true Filipino style they did not notify the management nor offered much of an apology.  Fortunately, once they set up and started to earn their fee, the music was quite good.  The name given to this entourage is "The Second Try" and I considered that a very appropriate name as I can imagine that they have experienced many "second trys" in their short careers.  The groups performing will be switched every two weeks in order to reach different musical tastes.  All in all though, well done Pascal and Jack for bringing something different to your hotel that will be appreciated by those guests staying at your hotel and those locals who just enjoy the pleasant opportunity to relax, eat and chat in your dining area.  

There is no story here.  This sign just caught my eye as I was heading towards Hensonville and I just had to stop and take a picture.  I did wonder what could have happened to cause this place to be not just closed, but completely closed.  It is obvious that not much thought went into the sign, seems like some employees got pissed off and just quit!

LOLLIPOP - LOLLIPOP, LOLLIPOP

Need I say more - the sign says it all.  The prices have been rolled back on Tuesdays and the place is jammed with folks that dig the roll-back.  Of course, as you can see by the expressions and body language of the dancers that they could care less.  Hell, after a few drinks they all start to look better anyway and at reduced prices you get there faster.  Good idea? You betcha!

Whew, I am exhausted.  My aches and pains are telling me to get my ass to bed.  Before you quit reading please check out the info about the Manila Street Guide that I left for last because of the ordering form.  I don't know how the hell Charlie Kemplin and his staff put out these maps and guides but I am impressed.  Shucks, I just can't get my brain to think of anything else to say so look, I'm outta here!  Be kind to horses, don't shoot the old ones. 

EZ MAPS LAUNCH FIRST EVER, METRO MANILA STREET GUIDE

Finding your way through the complex, and sometimes chaotic, street network of Metro Manila is a daunting task. To make life easier in navigating the big city, leading mapmaker, United Tourist Promotions (UTP), is launching off the press, the new, EZ Metro Manila Street Guide (MSG), the definitive street map of the metropolis. This “healthy” MSG is packed with 179 pages of full-color, up-to-date and easy-to-read street maps which include: 5,650 buildings and landmarks, more than 17,000 streets; as well as, government offices, embassies, MRT and LRT stations, bus terminals and airline offices, hotels, restaurants, malls and business establishments. Each listing is alphabetically indexed for quick and easy reference. “The EZ Metro Manila Street Guide is the ideal and handy guide for travelers, tourists, expats, diplomats, students, motorists, messengers, professionals and practically everyone who wants to master the metropolis like the back of his or her hand,” says EZ Map president Charlie Kemplin. According to him, UTP spent almost two years producing the MSG by actually driving through the streets of Metro Manila’s 14 cities and three municipalities using GPS data to ensure that information is accurate, up-to-date and user-friendly. Kemplin added that the MSG contains a simple “how to” section on the use of maps, useful contact details on various general and emergency services, tourist facilities, key government agencies and diplomatic missions.The MSG also includes highly detailed maps on the Makati and Ortigas Central Business Districts to help executives easily locate buildings and venues of their appointments. As a special introductory offer, the EZ Metro Manila Street Guide is available for only P399 until March 31, 2007. After that date, the MSG will sell for P499. For more information, call (02) 551-0196, e-mail: utp@ezmaps.info or log on to www.ezmaps.info.

You are cordially invited to take advantage of our special introductory offer to purchase the EZ Metro Manila Street Guide for only P399 per copy!  
This special offer expires on 31 March 2007, afterwards the price of the guide will increase to P499.00. Save P100 per copy now, that’s a 20% savings, by filling out the order form and faxing it to: (02) 551-0196 or you can email your order to: utp@ezmaps.info. 

Any Harry The Horse reader in Metro Manila or Angeles can take advantage of the P399 introductory price and purchase directly from the publisher until March 31^st. If in Manila, simply call 551-0196 or 551-0197 or in Angeles, call 322-8767 or 625-7708. UTP will ensure your readers get their copies at the special introductory price and FREE delivery within Metro Manila and Angeles.

EZ Metro Manila Street Guide^®

SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER ORDER FORM 
 

We provide Fast and Free Delivery within Metro Manila. 
 

FAX to (02) 551-0196 or email your order to: utp@ezmaps.info.

An EZ Maps representative will call you shortly to arrange delivery and to pick up your payment.