TIDBITS

The Horse extends a big hello to Kelly C. Chapman, a retired AF member living in California. Kelly served three tours at Clark and still misses Angeles City. He is a reader of this column and enjoys the memories that come back to him each month so this month Kelly, hope you enjoy the read and save up those bucks so you can come and visit us here. 

Guys, let me give you a warning about those lovely ladies you might decide to take out semi-permanent residence with here. Until you get to know and really trust her never, I mean NEVER give her access to your passport. Keep that document under lock and key. Why do I say this? Well, all too often that delicate sweet thing might get pissed off at you and decide to make your life miserable. Out of her list of 50 ways to get under your skin, number one is "grab that damn passport". Recently I have listened to one foreigner tell me his story of woe that included much more than the confiscation of his passport, in fact I think that the bitch he is involved with is up to number 47 on the list of 50. 

The good news is that the NBI Manila folks have eased off their phony raids on the Clubs here but the bad news is that they may be looking after individuals. It seems that one well known expat was picked up by the NBI while he was enjoying his birthday party at the Voodoo last month. The girl who accused him (lets call her Jane) is a friend of a girl who used to work in Club Rio and was a lady that he knew for a long time and trusted. The friend (Lets call her Mary) knew about the party and showed up with another girl. Once they arrived, they were let in and began enjoying the party. They were there for about 30 minutes when there was some hard knocking on the door. When the door was opened, the agents went to Mary who identified the person the NBI were looking for. They then took him outside where the accuser, Jane, was waiting and she identified him as the person who had "raped" her. He met the accuser during an afternoon party at his house earlier in the month. She was brought and introduced to that party by Jane. Now, folks, those of you who are familiar with Club Rio know that there are absolutely no "innocent" ladies there and in fact it is one of the locations one goes to for those really down and dirty interactions with the "not too innocent" ladies who are more apt to rape the customer rather than the other way around. I would think that any lady Jane would bring to a private party would also not be so innocent. So, needless to say, the lady, by association, merits disbelief. But, as it turns out that lady, regretfully is 17 years old. The expat was now treated to a free escorted trip to Manila where he was treated fairly decently while kept overnight. The next day he met Jane's uncle who ranted, raved, threatened and demanded 1.2 million pesos for settlement. Negotiations were started to decide the cost of his release. Now here is an unusual scenario which is completely new to normal procedures. A price was set, a down payment was made, the expat released with the understanding that he could return to Angeles City to raise the rest of the money. The expat is now working with a local lawyer to negotiate a more reasonable payment. There was a realization that it would be easier and cheaper to pay and obtain a "get out of jail pass" then go through the legal process and spend months in a miserable, stinking cell surrounded by scumbags. The Angeles Clarkfield Tourist Association (ACTA) is also looking into the details of this case through their legal consultant to understand the circumstances and try to assist this expat and hopefully avoid further such incidents. The lawyer retained by the expat is one I would recommend to anyone finding themselves exposed to legal problems in this town. 

The latest development as of 19 Sep is that he was supposed to go to the Manila NBI today (19 Sep) but told them that he was still trying to raise the money. They told him to appear tomorrow and negotiate with the family. On advice of counsel, he is not going, but has invited the ‘family’ to AC to discuss the matter. We are waiting to see if they accept the invitation.

On Fri 21 Sep I met the expat and everything had changed. In company with his lawyer he went to Manila and settled for P200,000 and was happy to do so. The lawyer's fee was $1,000 and he indicated that he was pleased with the way his lawyer handled things. Now, after talking a bit more I began to realize that if this had to go to court he would have been in a bit of a bind. It turns out that a few days prior to the start of this incident he did have a bit of a tryst with the complainant and unknown to him had gone to a hospital for an examination. So, it appears that this was not an NBI set up but a scheme cleverly planned by Mary and Jane. Man oh man, this sad development was able to come about because of a sex related get together at a private residence in which the expat thought he could trust the lady who brought someone new to meet him. Who was to blame here? The circumstances are not uncommon where two or three girls will visit someone they know and have a bit of an active afternoon or evening and bring someone new with them and the expat will not think of asking for age verification or even think that he could be set up. Events like this do not happen often and when they do we can only say "oh shit" especially when it is not black and white and the circumstances are a bit cloudy. I wish I could write something wise here to alleviate the situation but I am at a loss for words. All I know is that men have that instrument between their legs that all too often points us to trouble and sometimes relief becomes quite expensive. Angeles City is an ideal place for that relief but one must always remember that there are a few women around who can manipulate that instrument around to their financial benefit. Stick to the legally employed ladies folks, sometimes those "good deals" turn out to be rotten. 

Recently, I was informed of two more incidents that reinforces my fear that the old "set up" scams are alive and well. There were two incidents worthy of mentioning that took place in a rather upscale hotel not located on Fields Ave. Within two months, one incident each month, expats were involved in police actions of questionable procedures. I will not dwell on the details except to say that in both cases, allegedly underage girls were involved. In one, the local police entered a hotel room and accused the expat of being with an underage girl. The incident was settled without leaving the room for P50,000. In the second incident, the occupant of the room had a friend that brought in a younger girl to his room and within 7 to 8 minutes after arrival 11 law enforcement personnel entered the room claiming that they had received a complaint from a parent. He was taken to Manila with the end result of his paying 1.1 million pesos to obtain a release. He did not want to fight the charges because he had a sensitive job and did not want any publicity. Do both incidents sound suspicious? You bet! One was initiated by local police and the other, possibly Manila law enforcement personnel. The incidents were not reported to ACTA or to the City Director, Col Cunanan which is regrettable because we need to record and monitor such incidents so a file can be established. If it can be shown that these arrests are illegal or a result of a "set up" then action can be taken to stop them. But, tourists can help, and I hate to repeat myself, but stay away from free lancers and any ladies that appear to be quite young and especially be alert to any older "friend" who brings a younger guest to your hotel room. 

Dear Harry the Horse - I know you often promote in your column the variety of recreational opportunities in Angeles that doesn’t involve bars; and I also remember that you were an avid horseshoe player until the ole knees gave out-- hope you will find a little space in your column to mention the Angeles Horseshoe league, still going strong after 18 years. We are always on the lookout for new players; a prospective player can simply go to the Villa Santol any Sunday morning from 10 till 1pm and ask any of the players there. Our website is loaded with information, pictures, and schedules-- www.doubleringer.com (NOTE: I was informed by the webmaster of this site that the website was closed down because of lack of funds to keep it going. That does not surprise me since a few of the lads that play horseshoes are a bit stingy with the peso, especially the "head shoe" but the sport is alive and well and it is a fun way to spend a Sunday morning and work off a hang-over. I used to play but my knee and back pain plus my aversion to getting up early on a Sunday morning led to my giving up plus I hated taking off my horse shoes each week and then having to nail them back on).

It has been well over a year since I made it to the Subic area and even longer than that since I tried an overnight stay. But, if the Subic - Clark toll road ever sees completion I will definitely be checking out some of the places in Barrio Barreto. Until then, I have to content myself with comments made to me by various travelers that have returned from their stays in that area. One person stopped by my stable to tell me that a great place to stay was "Harley's at Baloy Long Beach (www.harleyspub.com) and he also liked the Blue Rock. I have always heard good things about the Blue Rock but the name "Harley's" is new to me. Now, as he heaped praise on these two establishments he was completely opposite in his rating of a place called the "Mangrove", I might have the spelling wrong on this one. He gave this a very strong "no good" indicating that they charged a top price and it was so bad that he moved out after only one night. He visited during the rainy season and told me that it rained outside and inside and he was absolutely miserable. OK, I owe all this bit of information to one Harry Brown, from Darwin who was visiting during the month of August. I waited this long to give him enough time to get out of town before someone from Mangrove's starts looking for him. Sorry lads, it seems you should start doing a bit of repair work on the roof or else close when it rains. 

My big ears heard that the "Heartbreak Club" and the "DMZ Bar" have been sold to an American with big bucks and big ideas. Wee George, one of the long time managers of the Blue Nile has jumped ship and moved over to the Heartbreak. I have also heard that this new guy in town is looking at enticing a few other key Mamasans over to the Heartbreak as well, maybe like Mama Rose and Mama Sheila but since this is only 31 Aug I have plenty of time to research this a bit further. Later news revealed that maybe the deals are not closed because of a shortage of cash. Actually, this is a fairly interesting story. Still three weeks before this goes to press. Update: Well, things change quickly in this City. I have heard that the big bucks guy has had a few difficulties in getting his big bucks together. Wee George is no longer with the Heartbreaker as well as one of the Mamasans that moved over to the Heartbreaker. I have tried to call Tick, owner of the DMZ for an update but I think he may have changed his number. (Wee George is now at Shanno's Irish Pub)

Well, bad news, it seems that the female employees in Angeles City Philippines have jumped on the "sexual harassment" bandwagon. The Sun-Star 6 Sep 07 paper had reporter Rey Navales reporting that an American foreigner was charged for allegedly abusing a waitress working at a restaurant being managed by a group of US Veterans which, of course, is the VFW. The accused was identified as one Clifton Wilset, an official of the restaurant. The last name was misspelled as we know him as Cliff Wilsey, a long time resident of Angeles City. Allegedly Cliff grabbed the waitresses behind (one Rowena Amad Moquia) as she passed with a tray of food. Can it be that the ladies that we have kidded with, and teased over the years have now lost their sense of humor? But, one must remember that there is a big difference between a bar and a restaurant and most ladies working in a legitimate restaurant would object to the patting of their butt. It will be interesting to see how far this case is pursued. Needless to say, the lady is no longer employed at the VFW. Cliff, at this time, has decided to retain the services of a lawyer and does not intend to offer a monetary settlement as this might imply guilt. I hear the case is on-going and that Rowena has filed an illegal dismissal case with the Labor Board.

Update: I was able to contact Cliff by phone on 29 Sep, just hours before sending this column off for publication. Cliff confirmed that he has retained a lawyer and that he was invited to the Prosecutor's office on 24 Sep but only he and his lawyer showed up. The next hearing is scheduled for 8 Oct. He also confirmed that Rowena did file a labor case but after discussions with the labor board the VFW Management is confident that it will be found the case has no merit as they have proper documentation and Rowena was in fact a temporary employee. Cliff further explained that they found out that she was let go from two other places of employment, namely the Swagman (where she used a different name but was identified by a photo) and the Patio. Additionally, the VFW shift supervisor and two other waitresses have stated that Cliff had left the VFW building between 6 and 6:30 PM yet Rowena claims that the incident took place at 8:30 PM. Now, I realize that Rowena no doubt will have her side of the story to present but at this time no judgment should be made as to Cliff's innocence or guilt but there are some folks who might have already made their own judgment as to his culpability in this matter. Personally, I will wait until those legal people trained in law make their final decisions in this matter. I was not witness to this alleged incident so offer no opinion other than to say that I regret the negative publicity that this has caused the VFW and one of its long time members. 

As I reported before, one of the main reasons the Subic-Clark portion of the SCTEX Toll Road is delayed is, allegedly, because of the greed of certain highly placed Government officials who purchased land they knew would be part of the right of way and then are asking exorbitant prices for the right of way settlements. The problem is that this situation has not been resolved yet. Having this advance knowledge and using it in such a way, in the States, would land them in jail. I have heard that some Japanese contractors are pointing out that they are tired of being blamed for the delay as they indicate that the original contract was supposed to start in Nov 05 but was delayed for one year. Additionally, they have suffered some verbal abuse from some of the Filipino workers who have not forgotten World War Two despite the fact that most of them were not even alive during that time. I wonder what the odds are for the toll road being finished by Mar 08? Yes, the portion from Clark to Tarlac might be finished by Dec but not many of us care about that portion, we all want that short trip to Subic to become a reality!

I was sure that as soon as the recent elections were over that there would be a lot of talk about giving Past President Joseph Estrada a pardon. Sure enough, that is in the news nearly every day now as they debate on whether to give him an unconditional pardon or not. The funny thing is that they have to negotiate with Estrada to see if he accepts this and you can bet that many of the general population are dead set against it!. This is a guy that while under detainment is living in opulent luxury in his 15 hectare Tanay Estate, dear oh dear, what a hard life. No less than Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno had to go to this humble estate to negotiate a settlement while sitting down at a lunch consisting of lobster, lapu-lapu, calderata, lumpia, and crab relleno provided by Estrada. Estrada has been convicted of "plunder" but of course denies all. What is obvious is that he is not lacking in money as he lives like a very rich person surrounded in comfort, a far cry from the jail cell that would await any normal citizen convicted of the same offense. So, it is one of those Philippine dramas that is interesting to read about on a daily basis and no doubt if Estrada is released on some sort of "deal" coming from President Macapagal-Arroyo he will no doubt star as himself in a movie about the whole mess and make a few more million out of the deal. It is nearly as amusing as the Imelda Marcos story who is another "poor lady" who has managed to elude the long arms of justice for many years and is also living in luxury. I love this country and its many dramatic stories and very different justice system.

The Doll House Hawaiian Junk Yard dogs are continuing their quest to out build everyone else in town. They are well on the way to completing another high rise bar right next to the Carousel Club. The outside is kind of ugly, no windows or anything but maybe as the end of Sept draws near it will take on a better look. It will be interesting to see the final outcome. If they continue the same management ways as used in the Doll House I don't expect it to be the most popular place in town. But, there are still plenty of suckers around that like paying three times the price for a hostess without the "mostest".

I need a rumor control number for this one. Next to the new Hotel going up beside the big Iglesia church on Perimeter Road the land has been cleared for another Hotel. I have heard that the owner is American and a 260 room hotel is planned with the entire bottom floor devoted to 7 or 10, repeat, at least 7 separate bars. I am trying to locate the owner to talk to him but have not run into him yet. All right Angeles City, onward and upward. More hotels, more bars, more fun and when that new toll road to Subic is finished you can run to the beach in 40 minutes which is a piece of cake. Hell, when I was a kid it took me a couple of hours to get to Rock-a-way beach to get my annual painful sunburn and there were no lovely ladies to return to. 

The "friendly" Koreans continue to slip into the Fields Ave area. The word is that the Koreans who own the Las Vegas Club and Agasya bought the Stinger Club effective Apr 08. It seems that they learned the lease was about to expire at the Stinger and they offered more than double the asking price and was able to force Gary out. I have never liked the Agasya Club because of the attitudes of the Koreans running the place so it will be interesting to see how the Stinger will be run and what new name, if any, they will give it. 

Gecko owner George has taken over the "Black Jack Club" and will rename it the "Bodyshop". Expect an opening around the end of Oct. Is this a record? Some guy enjoying a night at the Voodoo Club rang the bell 30+ times on a Friday night and then 105 times the next night at P4,000 a ring. 

A double birthday party was scheduled for some of my family members at my farm and I told the Mrs I wanted to add something different to the menu besides the usual rice, pancit, etc., and the cake. I wasn't quite sure what it would be but then I stopped by to see Irene at Sub-Delicious and got the idea of ordering one of their enormous "party subs" for P3,000. I was a bit hesitant because all the attendees were Filipino except for me and I wondered if it would go over or not. I had visions of trying to eat this colossal food item by myself for two weeks. The sub is loaded with various luncheon meats, lettuce, tomatoe, onions, and one hell of a big bun. On the appointed day the sub was delivered to me, nearly on time, and I carted it to the farm. Needless to say, when they all saw the box they were amazed and when it was opened there were gasps of disbelief. At lunch time, of course, the group had to have their rice, and other local dishes. At around 3:30 PM after a few pictures the sub was attacked and my Mrs had to fight to get in and save me a few slices. To my surprise they loved it and it was the hit of the party. Now I have to give the "party pizza" a try next. Thanks Irene, it was a quality offering and a great party ice breaker.

A couple of new Clubs opening soon on Don Juico Ave (Perimeter Road) - "Stargate", a 120 Sq. Mtr. large establishment being constructed by Neil of "Roadies" fame and with his past successes and experience I am sure that this will be the newest "hot spot" along this part of the entertainment belt. It is located near the Maharajah Hotel and will have easy access to parking. The second, much smaller, establishment is "Lil'l Rascals" run by first time owner Bill, an American who has a hotel somewhere in Mountain View. It is located just before the Galleon building, just in the front of where the Hotel La Casa is located.

Hey, good old Woody is back in business with his inexpensive trinkets from China and some state of the art surveillance cameras. He is located in the Hensonville area just around the corner from the Villa Modesto Hotel heading towards the Angeles City Sports Resort. Woody has had some bad luck over the years and this is his third location. He even tried to have a small beer bar adjacent to the shop but had to close it because so many people were drinking and not paying their bills. Now he is sticking to what he knows best, importing trinkets from China and selling them at very reasonable prices. Wish you luck this time Woody. 

Just before you get to the "Horney Toad" Club (previously 24 hour Massage) on Zeppalin St. Hensonville you will find a very small non-descript new Italian Restaurant named "Asti's". It is very plain and the majority of their menu is limited to a variety of pasta dishes. The prices are very reasonable with the owners being a Filipino couple. They have only one waitress and two would be too many. I have not had to opportunity to dine there yet but according to a very fussy Englishman by the name of Ian the food offered is quite delicious. Ian, who imbibes regularly every evening at Garfields is very particular in his dining adventures and he and his group of friends dine out every Friday at different eateries around town. Being English he is very stingy with compliments and will not hold back negative comments. He is quite positive about the Asti so I guess I will take the time to check out their offerings in the near future. I suspect it will be more of a neighborhood eatery for the locals rather than an attraction for tourists. My regret is that their only Italian offering is pasta as I have a few other favorite dishes I like to enjoy when dining out but they do have a good selection to choose from. So, Ian and his wine drinking gang have stamped their approval on the Asti and that is a good recommendation.

I have heard that a Korean Group recently signed a lease with the Clark CDC to take over the True North project which has been subject to a lot of controversy over the last few years. 

Have picked up some scuttlebutt that a Las Vegas group has leased 30 hectares on Clark and will be building a hotel with 200 luxury rooms, a golf course and luxury villas. 

Have also heard that there will be a new Call Center on Clark occupying 5,000 sq. mtrs, eventually expanding to 8,000 and will initially employ 300 personnel that will increase to 2,000 once up and running at full capacity. This is a company that has call centers in Manila, Cebu and other locations. 

There is a lot of talk that Hong Kong Airlines will resume their flights to Clark this month. Sure hope that becomes a reality.

My goodness, every time I think I am finished writing this month's column someone or something happens that has me trying to add information before it is sent off. This time, at the last minute I get a visit from Roy (Brass Knob owner) and Richard Giles from the Southern Cross Hotel in Manila. Richard asked if I could announce his new Southern Cross Shuttle bus service that makes daily trips to and from Manila. This is good news for tourists and residents of this area. The Manila to Angeles run departs from the Southern Cross Hotel at 1000 hrs and departs from the Brass Knob for the return trip to Manila at 1300 hrs. The cost of the trip is P550, the bus is a brand new 24 seat Hino with extra wide seating, TV/DVD entertainment system and one hell of a good air-conditioning system. They have a hostess on board to answer questions and to serve soft drinks and beers (sorry, no hanky panky with the hostess). For P250 they also run a shuttle from the Hotel to the Airport. The Southern Cross Hotel is located at 1125 M.H. Del Pilar Street, Ermita, tel: 02-521-2013, cell: 0906-326-2146, Email: thesoutherncrosshotel@yahoo.com.ph. The Brass Knob is located at 440/21st Street, Don Juico Ave, Clarkview, tel: 045-892-5475, Email: brassknob@yahoo.com. The Southern Cross Hotel is located near the Swagman and the room costs are very reasonable with all the amenities included. It was a pleasure to meet Richard and his enthusiasm for the bus service and the hotel is infectious, so much so that I really want to take that bus trip, see the hotel and return. Right now, he only has the one daily run but if all goes well he will add a second run in the future. Richard indicated that he will use the one step at a time approach. OK, it sounds good to me and I was only too happy to pass the information on. 

Thank goodness for the VA Clinic in Manila and the great service they do for the retired US servicemen living here in the Philippines. They have upgraded the facility not only in appearance but in service. Despite fighting the God awful traffic to get there from Angeles City the bright smiles and great personalities of people like nurse Rowena Carbon and Dr. Cristina Abella make you forget your aggravation, aches and pains. I was really impressed with the Eye doctor and the modern equipment she uses for examinations. The X-ray technician gets a big thumbs up from me and oh, how I wish they had similar X-ray equipment here in Angeles City. I could go on and on but the point I am trying to get across is that this Clinic provides such a valuable service to so many that I hope they will continue to receive their annual budgets and never close. I also hope that everyone there realizes how much they are appreciated. I have never met Clinic Manager, Mr. Charleston but he deserves a 10 horseshoe salute for a job well done! (P.S. Nurse Rowena and Dr. Abella are still single and how that can be puzzles me. There must be some guys out there who will be lucky enough to win their hearts. I told Dr. Abella, who has a boyfriend that I want to go to the wedding when and if this "reluctant" boyfriend finally smartens up and asks for marriage)

Kevin Smith from Port Hedland, Australia sent me a fax asking me to warn folks that the customs folks at the DMIA are confiscating those pirated DVD's that one can easily purchase in town. His mate Trevor, from Perth purchased 10 such DVDs but after going through the X-ray machine at the DMIA to catch a Tiger flight he was invited by the police to open his bags. Needless to say, his nice collection of DVD's did not make it on the flight. The reason for confiscation was, of course, copyright infringement. Trevor and Kevin felt that there should be some signs posted at the terminal informing the passengers that pirated DVDs, once discovered, will be confiscated. I will make this suggestion to Airport Management personnel. Kevin wondered if this policy was in effect at Manila International as well and I am pretty sure it is because of the pressure on the Philippines to reduce the proliferation of pirated movies and music. I can not vouch for the consistency of local enforcement though but I bet it is one of those situations where you just have to take a chance on getting those DVDs through and suck it up if and when they are confiscated. Thanks for the info Kevin and I will be looking into this further. 

TAPS

WILLIAM P. HUGHES - U.S. Army retired, passed away on Monday, 27 Aug 07. Bill was the Judge Advocate for American Legion Post 123, a member of VFW Post 2485, VVA Chapter 887 and the Beagles Organization. This long tall, slim gentleman was well liked and was a great supporter of the Beagles. He will be missed in the community, another veteran and patriot that was drafted for active duty in the great beyond. I bet you old Pete Peterson is in charge of that special Angeles City Squad up there, a unit that is slowly but surely building up its numbers. 

THOMAS (ANDY) ANDERSON - U.S Navy retired, passed away at his home on 28 Aug 07. Andy was a member of the American Legion Post 123, VFW Post 11447, FRA 367 and VVA Chapter 887. Andy's passing was a shock to me. I have known him for many years and he was a member of my dart team. He was a great, big hearted when he was sober and stayed on the beer, but after a few Rum and Cokes he became one hell of an argumentative ex-submariner. In that state you wanted to whack him and vice versa. But, the next day all was well and you loved the guy. He was one of many characters that live in Angeles City and he will be missed. He was a very proud Navy man that never tired of talking about his submarine duty. I guess he will join Willie Hughes on that AC Squad because up there it does not matter what service you were in, the AC Squad takes all of the old soldiers that tipped a beer in Angeles City and with that qualification Andy should be a squad leader. Andy, for sure you will be remembered. 

In Feb 07 I took this picture of Ed Lyons at the Clark Cemetery as I chidingly told him I needed it for future reference. He knew what I meant and in his normal great sense of humor teased me back. I, and many other veterans in this area knew and loved this man for many years. He is an icon and a proud veteran right up to the end. On the morning of Saturday, 29 Oct I called Cliff Wilsey to get a telephone interview with him and he told me that Ed had passed away the night before at home. Ed was ill for a long time but he fought off each bout of illness and managed to make it to the VFW each time to announce he was feeling better. Finally, his body must have said enough is enough. The day he passed away he was seen sitting on his porch enjoying a smoke and a refreshing drink. This man will be missed, very much so but as he joins that heavenly AC Squad he will be greeted with a loud "Welcome aboard Comrade Ed, we sure do need your experience, leadership and patience. Your first job is to quiet down Andy Anderson, he has not stopped talking about submarines since the first day he got here". 

It is with regret that I report the recent passing of Clare, infant daughter of President Jim Curtis-Smith and his partner Ailyn. Clare struggled virtually from birth with a heart problem. She was only 4 months and 23 days old, and passed away on her way back to Angeles City after extensive treatment in Manila. Jim is the President of the RSL Angeles Sub-Branch. 

The SM Clark Mall Marketing office acted favorably on a suggestion by Road House owner Mark Smith to consider running a shuttle from the Mall to and from Fields Ave. Last month they tried this with the drop off and pick up point located at Kokomo's. This lasted only a few days as the driver of the shuttle was threatened by the tricycle drivers who are parked in that area. They threatened to cut the tires, and then actually threatened the driver with physical violence. The shuttle was shut down but ACTA has asked the Marketing office to hold a meeting with various key officials to discuss this issue further. I have discussed this with various business owners in that area who are appalled that these tricycle drivers should be allowed to engage strong arm tactics to stop a service beneficial to tourists in an area that caters to attracting tourists. Doesn't make sense at all.

There is a reason for malpractice insurance for doctors in the States as they are subjected to many lawsuits. Most times I think the settlements are far too high and also feel that folks sue far too often. But, there are many instances where doctors or hospital staff screw up royally and calling in a lawyer is justified. If there was ever a case in the Philippines whereby a law suit would be justified it would be when an American checked into Makati Medical Center for a routine appendicitis operation and expired the same night. I was told that the surgeons did a good job, no problems, but the interns that took care of post op procedures over sedated the patient to such a degree that he died. It was a case of carelessness, negligence, whatever but the family of the victim and his many friends were devastated. Makati Medical Center is a premier, top of the line hospital in Manila and one does not expect mistakes such as this. 

The Magic Moments Club has been sold to a corporation made up of expats and one Filipino. Think of Brian, Charles, Disco Dave and Roddy, the popular Filipino manager of the old Hole in the Wall. No major changes will be made but on 1 Oct 15 new ladies from the Province will start to work and the operating hours will be from 1200 hrs to 0200 hrs with some interesting introductory promotions between 2400 and 0200 hrs. The store that used to be used by the money changer next to Magic Moments actually is part of the Club and will be converted to a Bistro and some lodging for the girls in the back. That money changer business that was run by two sisters for so many years was closed when one of the sisters ran off with all the money. So much for family togetherness! As a further aside, Charles is the lad that will be building the Hotel that is next to the one being constructed next to the Church on Don Juico. He is part of a group of investors from Hong Kong. Before I heard that there will be 7 bars, then 10 and now 18 but not part of the Hotel building itself. The bars will be housed in a stand alone building on the opposite side of the swimming pool and 15 of them will be up for lease. This is what I was told by a reliable source but you know, once construction starts plans can always change. It is interesting as it introduces a very new concept in hotel design. Should be interesting. 

The wet market is gone from the Checkpoint area but some die hard stall owners are still selling their goods on what is left of the sidewalk. So, what will be constructed on that site? According to Gerard a MacDonalds restaurant will grace the area. I do believe that such an enterprise will be very successful at that location. Gerard is happy, no problems, all he has to do is collect on the lease agreement. Another Gerard project is underway as the area at the end of Fields Ave and McArthur Highway has been cleared of the stores that were there and construction on his hotel will be underway soon.

Update - Just before putting this column to bed I was able to contact Gerard and he told me there was a problem with the MacDonalds franchise in that there was not enough space for parking and that is still being looked at but it appears that he may have to do something else with that property. It is still up in the air at this point. Now, the other property at the end of Fields - he is having a meeting with City officials this week to determine if he will be allowed to go up 12 stories or have to reduce to 10 stories. Additionally, his plan is to use the first 5 floors for apartments and sell them and the rest of the floors for hotel use. 

The Yats Wine Club is offering something I never heard of before, Black Berkshire Pork (Korobuta). According to Chef Phillip it is a class pork from Snake River Farms in Boise, Idaho. I haven't sampled it yet but I was curious to know if there are any readers who are familiar with this food item? 

UPCOMING EVENTS

TOURISTS OF THE MONTH 

It was a pleasure to meet two very happy tourists that were on a three week vacation from the great very liberal State of California, San Diego to be specific. Both lads work with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and really enjoy their jobs. I believe that Ken Watkins, 46 years old, is only four years away from retirement and is checking out the Philippines for retirement. Jose Andujar, originally from Puerto Rico is 42 and has a lot longer to go before he can do anything other than use his vacation time to visit Angeles City. Both lads are single and plan to stay that way as long as they are in the States because, like many others, once you get a taste of the Filipina women and Angeles City it is hard to deal with the attitudes of American women and the silly dating games they play there. OK, I admit it, we kind of get spoiled over here and fortunately there are enough men in the States that have no idea about the Philippines and remain targets of American women. By the way, this is applicable to the fair lasses in Australia and England as well. While here Jose and Ken stayed at the Central Park Hotel and the Brown Sugar was one of their favorite watering holes. They have been coming here for four years and usually make three trips a year. The good news about these lads is that they are not Pelosi or Clinton fans so are always welcome at this Horse's stable and welcome to a free drink. Damn, I have to go to the bathroom, I always throw up when I mention or write about Hillary Clinton. 

WE'RE GAME IF YOU'RE GAME

Yes, these ladies are ready to help you with your game, that is if you are up to trying the slot machines at the Blue Nile Arcade and even in the Club itself. The lady on the left is 21 year old Jane, I call her "Angelina Jolie lips" and she is a charmer. There is something sexy about her, the lips and the eyes I guess but definitely not the nose. Oh yes, she has a nice figure as well so I can live with the nose, after all, Mrs Horse has put up with my big nose for quite a few years. Nathalie is one of the slot machine assistants, 24 years old with three kids already, the last one a cute blend of British and Filipina. When I last talked to this lady in August she was on the way to winning a motorbike as she had 1.2 million points on her way to being the first slot girl to reach 2 million points. And last but not least is 22 year old Grace, a high school graduate from Samar and she is the bartender in the slot room. All of these ladies are single gentlemen and I think they are all well worth a visit and who knows you might get the jackpot, not from the slots, but by winning the hand of one of these nice, personable ladies. Good luck!
A bit of an update here. Nathalie did not win the grand prize, instead it went to the girlfriend of a big player who played enough to put Diane well over the two million mark. Then, recently I was informed that she won another scooter as her boyfriend continued his play and continued to add points to his girlfriend's card. Personally, I feel that one should not be allowed to win the scooter more than once so as to give some of the other ladies a chance to be rewarded and thereby retain the spirit of competition. But, no doubt some would disagree with me and I can live with that. By the way, more lines have been added to the slots and poker games as well with the best news being that the machines have been programmed to pay out a better percentage than when they were first installed. The results have seen more play action and many more frequent payouts. 

One complaint that I have heard quite often is that too many of the ladies crowd around a player and keep wanting to share the play action. Attention from ladies is welcome but too much of it can turn a player off. Management needs to look at that and this did not come from me, it came from some of the lads who gave the slots a few good tries. 

I WOULD IF I COULD

This saucy, slightly naughty lady who decided to stick her tongue out as I snapped the picture is 19 year old "CherryMa". Yep, that is the name that she uses and she is definitely a cute little gal that exudes a picture of sex. She is from Mindanao, has no kids and no boyfriend but I am sure that is only temporary. Somehow, she did finish high school, has one brother and one sister if any serious guys looking to court her should not be older than 30 years of age. Of course, age limits are out the window for those chaps that would like to stop by and entertain the lady. Would you believe she likes to play basketball and badminton.

I was a bit reluctant to post this picture because even though it is not X rated I am sure the thoughts that are going through your head as you look at her do tip the scale at XXX! I took another picture that was a bit more sedate but to be honest I kind of like this picture. I do not know where she got that dress as in this Club they do not have uniforms and have their choice of dress as long as the skirts and dresses are very short. 

OK, I will put in the second picture I took but I will not tell you where she is working. For those interested you can send me an Email at jimmy.harrythehorse at gmail.com and I will let you know. I can tell you that the Club is not located on Fields Ave. Those wanting to meet Cherry better hurry because the owner of the Club is afraid that she might not stick around too long. 

KOREAN FESTIVAL

The Koreans decided to hold a festival and closed down a large portion of the road leading to the Friendship bridge. They closed the street for two days, 22 and 23 Sep (Sat and Sun) and needless to say, there were a hell of a lot of pissed off motorists that had to take side streets to get to the Friendship bridge. Many people asked "who allowed this and why" and the answer is simple, they got a permit from City Hall and "why" is that like it or not, the Koreans pour a lot of money into the local economy. They are not the most popular newcomers to the City because they like to cater to Koreans only in their businesses, stick to themselves, have a small element of the Korean Mafia around and all too often are quite rude. You will notice that the streamer is written in Korean only, no English or Tagalog which sends the clear message that this festival is for Koreans only. This is not the first time that streamers have been put up along Don Juico and Fields Ave in Korean. They have built a subdivision near the Friendship area that is for Koreans only. Now, I have read that this particular festival is one of the biggest in Korea but when I went to visit the area it was raining too hard to get out of the car and it rained for two days. Those who complained about the road closure and the inconvenience must remember that at times Fields Ave has been closed for events like "Dutch Day", "Australian Day" and most recently a "Malaysian Festival" so I do not begrudge a road closure for a Korean Festival, but, because of the streamers I did not feel inclined to attend an event where I was not welcome. The one road closure I really dislike is the one that is coming up next month where they close a portion of McArthur Highway in the Diamond area once a year for an event I can't spell (I asked Priscilla to spell it - so - Tigtigan Terakan Keng Dalan which means "Music and dance in the street"). Talk about traffic congestion! Last year it was held at the SM Clark parking lot and it was the perfect venue. This year they have it back on McArthur and the only folks who attend are teenagers and pickpockets. Very few people like it and the businesses in the area lose money. So, the Koreans had their two days, good for them but maybe they can start realizing they are part of a multi-nationality community and could add a bit of English and Tagalog to their signs or just say, "for Koreans only".

THREE GENTLEMEN AND A STRANGER

While spending a few hours in Shanno's Pub I ran into Shanno, Dave, and Kevin plus one lad that no one could remember. Now, that is not to say that the fourth unnamed person is not a gentleman, absolutely not it was just that I forgot his name and when I called Dave and Shanno to get the name they could not remember him at all. I never got around to asking Kevin. The guy is not a stranger to me, I have seen him around for years I just can't bloody remember his name. The picture opportunity came up as I went into the pub to try and see a special RSL sponsored show featuring Australian personality Martin Pearson. I can't say a damn thing about the show because I got there too late for the afternoon performance and then had to leave before the second evening show. It really buggered me because I wanted to sit and enjoy a bit of singing and comedy. The good news is that the RSL raised seven thousand pesos and four chooks (You can figure out that word on your own mate) for a local orphanage. Well done lads and I am proud to pass on that this is only one of the many good deeds the RSL does in the local community besides downing a fair share of the local grog. Anyway, back to the happy trio plus one who you should be able to run into on any given night at the Pub, except maybe for the "stranger" who is a bit quiet. I am sure that the next time he sees me he will make sure I remember his name and maybe reintroduce himself to Dave and Shanno. 

EASY RIDERS HIT THE ROAD

It was a Sunday morning around 1000 hrs and these "not dressed for church" bunch of guys were gathered in front of the "Easy Rider" club on Perimeter Road getting ready for a group run to Subic. Various motorcycle clubs were represented here and the objective was to take a parting ride on the expressway but because of weather was changed to a different route and head for Subic. From what I understand effective 1 Oct the expressway was banning motorcycles from using the expressway, thereby turning back the clock a few years. At one time around five years ago or so, the expressway was finally opened to motorcycles and now, for no logical reason, they were reversing that decision. I believe that the various cycle clubs are appealing that decision and that there has been a slight delay on implementation. All together the group made for an impressive picture and it was kind of exciting to see them all together and then starting up their big loud machines and heading out on the road. Made me want to run out and buy a Harley but then I remembered Priscilla won't even let me ride a motor scooter anymore much less some big bike I could hardly hold up. So, I watched them take off and ride off over the horizon with thoughts of me leading the pack and I kept that thought as I climbed back into my dull, safe SUV with my brother-in-law driving and told him in a loud excited voice "hit it man, follow those bikes". He turned and looked at me with a bit of sadness in his eyes and said "get real man, relax you might have a heart attack". I slid down in my seat as we slowly drove to the farm and as I fed my ducks later in the day my heart was with those "easy riders" - quack, quack.

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER

Every Saturday night from six to eight PM there are five Clubs on Perimeter Road that hold an affair that might have you sweating with desire as they present their version of "Saturday Night Fever". They go in rotation starting with Stampede, then Emotions, Magic Moments, La Bamba and Streaky's. I don't know how La Bamba got into the act since that Club is on Fields Ave but you will have to find out for yourself which Club is hosting a particular Sat. I believe 6 Oct will find the action at the Stampede then go in order from there. I have not attended one of the events yet but plan to do so. So far comments around the neighborhood have been pretty positive. I believe the cost is around P550 with some snacks thrown in. It ain't like the old days but of wild entertainment but it certainly is better than nothing. 

PARTY TIME FIELDS AVE STYLE

This is something you can try at home and to tell the truth it is a bit of a Filipino tradition. The first two pictures show a birthday celebrant after he had his face shoved into a body cake and the lady with the white cake face was caught too close to the action and had to suffer the consequences. It was all in fun and it did take a bit of cleaning up afterwards. It was on stage at the Blue Nile Executive Club and the last picture shows a few of some inspired Fat Boys after their Friday night weigh in. These lads, compared to most of the other lads look a bit underweight to me. They were hard to miss as they went barhopping as they were wearing some strange looking outfits. Needless to say, they stood out and believe me, they were having a hell of a lot of fun. So guys, remember, the next time your wife's birthday comes around, give her a bit of cake - literally. 

CLIVE THE DAREDEVIL

This town is full of personalities that have interesting backgrounds and one of them is Clive Pollington, the innkeeper at Roy's Pub and Restaurant next to the Orchid Inn. The next time you are in town pop in there and say hello to this very quiet, dignified man who one would never believe he had such a hell raising exciting career, many years ago, popping around race tracks in England with his ass hanging out nearly to the ground in the sidecar of a racing motorcycle. I had been in the Pub many times without really looking at the pictures on the wall showing Clive in many of his winning exploits. This year was the 50th Anniversary of the Isle of Man Centerary Tourist Trophy (TT). Clive and his partner won this event in 1979, 80 and 81and their names were listed in the souvenir program. It is still in his blood as each Sunday he runs his own powered up Go-Kart around the Clark Go-Kart track and his eyes light up when he relates stories about his old racing days. So, on your next visit, stop in for a chat with Clive and take a look at his pictures then share a drink or two with him. You'll enjoy the visit.

A WELCOME ADDITION

The transformed A. Santos Street saw the official opening of Shanno's Irish Pub 22 Sep 07 and the Honorable Mayor Blue Boy Nepomuceno graced the even with his presence and the cutting of the ribbon. It was a glorious evening with the very large pub filled nearly to capacity and in true Irish spirit the grog was flowing, the patrons were laughing, drinking, eating and just having a jolly time. There were many familiar faces in attendance and unlike many openings in which it is difficult to mingle because of being so crowded up in a small space, there was plenty of room to negotiate about and greet people. Another plus was that there was no blaring loud music and one could have pleasant conversations without shouting. Ron Wakeley was all smiles as he not only had his family present but his son and daughter-in-law was on hand for the event and his son has joined the family business. What a wonderful treat for a father and to also have his brother Kevin on board as well was icing on the cake. There is no doubt in my mind that Shanno's will be a huge success and you can believe me when I say that Ron W. still has a few more construction projects up his sleeve and we have not seen the end of the Orchid Group's expansion plans. Enough said, lets get to some of the pictures of the party folks.

A NICE GUY

Ulysses Price was going to be my Tourist of the Month but then Ken and Jose got that distinction and I thought about hold off until November to feature Mr. Price. But this man was too interesting to put off and I did promise to put his picture in this month. He is working somewhere in Afghanistan and he took a liking to my employee, Monique who I am sad to say, in no longer at my stable because she very recently became a permanent companion of one of my customers. Ulysses, while here, had some problems and underwent emergency dental and medical treatments. He had to have two teeth extracted because of two old root canals that had become infected. He was treated at the dental clinic located within the Divine Shepherd Hospital and was so happy with the care he received. Regretfully, he also encountered a viral infection which required a hospital stay of two days. So, he had a bit of bad luck during this visit. When in town he stays at the Orchid Inn and enjoys the Flamingo Club. He has remained single and is now 58 years old. Good luck Ulysses and stop by my stable the next time you are in town. 

IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!

Man, I hate to waste a picture and kind of lose a story but then, at least this time, it is not a complete loss. You see, a few weeks ago I attended a very festive evening at the El Mexicano Grill and Panchos Bar on Perimeter Road, close to Friendship. The occasion was to celebrate the coming together of owner Nigel Hogge and Rico of Rico Pollo fame in a partnership that was aimed at saving this restaurant that was running in the red. Rico and his wife Anne were in great form and the place was packed and for the first time I saw that great long bar full of people. There was even talk that a Call Center might occupy the empty space on the upper floor. Man, the food that night was great and I got to sit with the Uy sisters from Johnny's Supermarket and believe me, you sit with those ladies and you find yourself laughing the night away, they have such great personalities. Alas, not long after this great evening of optimism each time I passed the place I saw the sign "closed for renovation" and no activity. Then I heard that the place was closed for good. On 27 Sep I called Nigel and got the news that he had given up on the place because he did not have the time since he was so busy in Manila and trips to Japan. The bottom line, Nigel related, is that he did not put in enough time when he first got here to do proper research on the location. He realized that he should have spent six months looking around before making any decisions. Now he realizes that the place was far too big and also, as we all know he is situated right in the area dominated by Korean and Japanese restaurants. So guys, the Rico connection just ain't gonna happen, it is dead in the water. 
Nigel is going to sell the rights in the hope of getting some of his investment back and he is in negotiations with (hee-hee, I bet you can guess the rest) a Korean investor who has shown an interest in the place. Too bad, Anne looked kind of cute in her Mexican hat!

LEARNING ABOUT WINE

The Yats Wine Club (www.Yatswinecellars.com) has come up with a great idea, a series of weekly lessons that will teach you many things about wine. There will be 30 lessons stretched over 30 weeks and I am going to reprint lesson one for you here. If you are interested in receiving these lessons, I know I am, then send an Email to the address I listed here. Hurry because they will only accept the first two hundred who sign on. I am happy to say that this is a FREE offering and you know how much I like free offerings of food and drink. 

Lesson One: How to preserve left-over wine for tomorrow?

You open a few bottles during a dinner party for friends and there is a lot of left-over wine. It is a terrible waste to pour good wine down the drain. Can these half-finished bottles be saved for enjoyment the next day? The answer is CERTAINLY YES. Let's understand the problem first before we discuss a solution. The problem can be expressed in one word - oxidation. Oxygen in the air causes the wine to deteriorate. All we need to do to preserve a semi-finished bottle is to eliminate or to reduce oxygen contact with the wine. Here is an easy and inexpensive way to achieve this. Transfer the wine from the bottle into a smaller container such as a small plastic mineral-water bottle, so that the wine fills up the entire bottle leaving very little room inside for air. This immediately reduces the air-to-wine ratio inside the container. To achieve even better results, we must reduce the negative impact of air contact with wine by reducing oxygen's oxidizing power. This is done very simply by lowering the temperature of the container, as low as possible without freezing the wine. At very low temperature, oxidation hardly occurs.

We can't rejuvenate wines. At best we can only stop or slow down its deterioration once the bottle is uncorked. So if you notice half way through dinner that some of the wines will not be finished, start the preservation process earlier so the wine is fresher to begin with when it enters the smaller container. Sparkling wines can be resealed with a Champagne stopper (costs about p500 each) and kept reasonably lively overnight if stored in cold temperature. Its pressure of the fizz inside the bottle prevents external air from entering. Furthermore, Champagne is very high in acidity which helps to preserve it against oxidation also. For very serious - read expensive - wines especially older and more fragile bottles, you might have to invest lightly on a pump-and-stopper apparatus. It will set you back p1000 and change but your leftover can be enjoyed for 2-3 days. Of course, why would you take that long to drink it? That's beside the point. This gadget allows us to create a vacuum inside the bottle by pump air out of it. Don't apply it to Champagne of course. You don't want to pump the bubbles away. Next lesson: simple ways to differentiate a good from an ordinary wine.

HARRY THE HORSE COMPLAINT DEPT

Usually I finish my column with my horse picture but I figured I would be different this month. As you can see, I welcome all complaints and criticisms just stop by my stable and I will give you a proper greeting. If you click on my picture you should be able to see my Email address at the bottom of your screen.

Many people have asked me how I came up with the name "Harry the Horse" and I wish I could come up with some dramatic reason for the name but in all honesty I have no idea. The column started way back in 1970 when I was stationed in Bangkok Thailand and produced a magazine for the consolidated miliary Clubs there titled "BANCOOM" and I wrote a gossip column called "from the horse's mouth". To hide my identity I used the name "Harry" for the horse. The title "Harry the Horse" was born here when I started writing my column for the local TV guide and that lasted for one year. The column was dropped when a new editor was hired and after around six months it was picked up by the lads who ran the "Go2Phil" web site and the rest is history. Then people asked "how do you think of all the stuff you write about". Well, years ago when I use to MC shows at the NCO clubs and entered the Air Force talent shows I used to think up my comedy routines while running 5 plus miles at a time. Now, since my body is falling apart I find that I do my best thinking when taking a dump. At my age, sitting on the pot can be such a pleasure and in-between reading my books and magazines ideas pop into my head. The problem now is that I don't like to travel because I am so attached to my comfortable bathroom. I fear that if I change toilets all my good ideas will vanish! Another problem is that my eight year old son now wants something to read every time he takes a dump. I hate to think that the only thing I will pass on to my son when I finally croak is the ability to read and think while taking a dump. Somehow, the thought that he will only think of me while participating in his daily constitution is a bit unsettling. 

One thing I thought about the other night is something called the permanent EWR. I really mean BF but like some other words that are no longer acceptable I cannot use "BF" but you all know what I mean. Anyway recently one of my favorite ladies was signed out on a permanent "EWR" by a lad that only knew her for two weeks. One night after doing so I saw them together after he had quite a few drinks and here was his new lady admonishing him to go home since he was a bit drunk while she went off to do something. Now, two weeks ago, this guy had his independence and now suddenly, in the guise of loving care this new lady in his life was taking control of him. No doubt, within a couple of months this new love of his life will be carrying his money for him and giving him a spending allowance instead of the other way around. How do so many men who come here to escape the hardness and dominance of women in their own countries allow themselves to fall into the same control they were trying to escape from? It is a trap people! The Filipina spins a web of gentleness, charm and subservience until you have fallen into her clutches. Depending on which Province she comes from you can go to sleep one night and wake up the next morning under her complete control and you do not realize the situation at all until it is too late. In no time at all, you are asking permission to go out drinking with the boys and then you have to ask for some money to do so. You rationalize that she is just looking after you but remember, in prison the guards look after you as well. But, you are in love and you find that you like being taken care of, you are hypnotized and you are so happy you never wake up to what has happened to you. So now, remember, the permanent EWR is the first step to a happiness you never wake up to until it is too late and that is the difference between the women you left behind in your various countries and Filipinas. The women, for example in the States, take control and let you know it right away but the Filipina lulls you into a permanent state of servitude in which you never escape. Of course, you are so happy and content and in love that you just never realize what has happened to you. Ain't that wonderful!

So now I am really out of here and next month I will go back to my regular closing but remember, be kind to Horses. Eh, excuse me, it is time for me to collect some spending money from Priscilla, one of the most kind, wonderful, loving woman one could ever hope to have.