TIDBITS

Someone, I don't know who sent me a website to look at. It is named www.consumptionjunction.com and it is one very, very X rated site and I was amazed at the ads and sites they offered. What surprised me is that they also list female contacts in Manila and other parts of the Philippines that can be contacted for various degrees of servicing and for sure it is not to accompany them to church. I only perused the site and did not sign on for any of the offerings, not because I am morally incorruptible, but because I am leery of any site that offers free memberships. I have been warned that sites such as this one, once you sign up, are susceptible to hackers, viruses, ads, etc. Bottom line, this is a strange site and it even mentions Pampanga and offers contacts with Filipinas. I am not condoning this site or promoting it at all, but then by even mentioning it I guess I am doing them an indirect favor. Aw hell, to each his own. I wish I could remember who told me about this site.

Recently I was informed that someone who was a near victim of one of those Police set-up scams contacted the Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) about his experience and that of many others and two PRA representatives from Manila visited him. They indicated that they would be looking into these incidents and would like any information available. In this regard, any retiree or Expat living here in AC who has been victimized can send me reports of their experiences, withholding names if you so desire and I will keep a file in case these representatives visit me. Lately, it appears that these police scams have been put on hold and that is good news. I do believe that as more victims step up and complain to various organizations, the more likely that such illegal actions will remain "on hold".

Hello Dan Egly who is freezing his ass off in Swisher, Iowa. Who ever heard of Swisher? I learned that you were presented with a new Harley in Nov and it still has "0" miles on it because there is too much snow. Is it true that it was -43 degrees in your area recently. It gave me a chill as I was swimming in 80 degree weather the other day. Of course it did get a bit chilly at night when it went down to 77. So, you had a 3 month TDY here at Subic many years ago and you have never got that experience out of your blood. You went and married your high school sweetheart, got stuck in Iowa and now missing out on the warm Philippines. Before you freeze your balls off, take a few weeks off and come on over for a visit. Who would want to live in Swisher during the winter? Despite the name I am sure none of those strange folks in San Francisco would ever consider it. Oh, one thing Dan, we have a lot of Harley owners here and they ride 365 days a year unless there is a typhoon, eat your heart out.

Thank you Max Benson for the following information: In response to your email, as per Memorandum Circular No. MCL-08-003 dated 22 January 2008, a no visa required temporary visitor arriving in the Philippines who wishes to stay here for more than Twenty-one (21) days but less than Fifty-Nine (59) days may apply for a visa upon arrival at the airport of entry upon payment of US$ 50 visa fee plus Php 510.00 for the Express and Legal Research Fee. Requirement for admission and application of visa waiver is a valid passport and a return ticket.

On 3 Feb I received this well written Email that I think reinforces my opinion and that of many others about the "Korean Invasion" of this City. I might even agree with the part about the local police. I have said many times to friends here that I think since the Koreans are paying their "tributes" to various officials that they expect the same thing from the bars on Fields Ave. I also feel that the Koreans would like to move aggressively into the entertainment area. We have two or three Korean run clubs now and they are not interested in joining any group that is not Korean. It is something that we have to live with and can do little about. You see, the Koreans are united where the various Expat run Clubs are not. Too many of them think that they can stand alone and also do not want to part with the money necessary to join a group that can have a strong voice representing their problems. It will be interesting to see how things develop in the next year or two.

"I don't know you, but next time I head down that way, I'd like to buy you a drink and have some conversation with you - if you choose. I recently read your Feb news letter about the crackdown in Angeles. I don't know if you are connecting the dots entirely but, the Korean invasion has a lot to do with what is going on down there. OK, OK, everything to do with what is going on down there! First let me throw a little disclaimer in here; I'm married to an awesome Korean lady and in general I like most Korean women as well as other Asians. It's the men that are spoiled little children at heart and think they can do whatever they want. In fact they have a saying here in Korea that many of them voice out loud "Ney-mom-iya" meaning I do what I want. The reason I bring this up is because you westerners think you are having a problem with the local police/government, when in fact it is directly caused by the Koreans. How do I know this? because when I was last down in Angeles about 1 1/2 years ago, I talked with many of the Koreans at the Clark airport (A bunch of disgusting drunken slobs who totally embarrassed my wife as a Korean) They were pretty free with information on how they plan to make Angeles their own personal playground. They didn't mention running out the westerners, but one only needs to listen to the Koreans here in Korea to know that is exactly what they want to do. One cannot venture into the "Glass-house" areas in Korea because the pimps have forbidden the hookers from taking on a westerner. They have been told that westerners spread AIDS and have many other diseases that will never be cured (Sound familiar). Of course Koreans are disease-free and offer no threat. Koreans are said to be "homogeneous", which in my opinion is another word for racist. My wife and I are hit with it whenever we are together in Seoul, some old fart will make comments about her being with a "Me-gook" (American). If a person is darker in skin color, it's twice as bad (Except when a Korean wants to get his freak on some young thing of a different race). I lived in Angeles back in the old days with my then Filipino wife and son (84-87). I loved it there and had many Filipino friends. I went back in 2006 and actually found one of my old friends living in Tarlac. He told me more about the Korean invasion and said that the locals are slowly turning in the favor of the Koreans due to the amount of money being thrown around. However he said there was an underlying hatred of Koreans by many Filipinos due to the way the Koreans treat the Filipinos like a sub-species of human. My wife again was very embarrassed having heard this. You see my wife loves all people and cannot stand racist pricks that act out like this. We were actually looking at Angeles as a retirement destination until recently when 2 Koreans were shot to death down there. My wife believes that the Koreans may be targets as a result of the way they conduct business and the way some ruin it for the rest. I don't know what the reason for their assassination was, but, I would bet heavy that they screwed someone over. Anyway, if you want to make changes to the way the politics is being played in Angeles, you have to know who your real enemy is. It's not necessarily the Filipino policemen or government officials who have been taking bribes since the beginning of time. It is more likely the Korean community of men who want their own private playground free of westerners. And I know they are paying the "right" people to make it happen. Good luck down there all. I will be down there sometime this year to get some R&R with the wife. We still love going to the PI and Thailand for that. Besides, I've calmed her down a bit since those shootings and may get here to look at some property again. Lastly, feel free to pass on what I've said here but, please don't publish my name, I have to live amongst the Koreans for now and damn, they just don't take criticism at all. Looking forward to meeting you one of these days."

Another comment from a reader in Paraguay indicates that our Korean problem is not limited to Angeles City only:

"Harry, I enjoy reading your column. I wanted to tell you that Here in Paraguay we have the same situation with the Koreans. In the 1970's the country needed farmers. They saw how successful the Japanese were in Brazil as farmers. (Brazil has the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan) They brought about 18,000 Koreans in. They went into everything but farming. Here they are a very closed society. You will NEVER see a young Korean lady with a Paraguayan man but you do see Korean men with Paraguayan ladies. I have seen police cars with Korean flags next to a Paraguayan flag. A Paraguayan told me they have their own police."

In January's newsletter you referred to Byron Evans from South Wales, England. In fact, Wales is not a part of England and is a separate nation with our own language and Wales coincidentally thrashed England in Rugby yesterday. Cymru Am Byth ! (Wales Forever !) (Oh dear or dear, I stand corrected! Thank you Mr. Alan Jones for that information. Do I detect a strong sense of nationalism here?)

Here I was, all excited about this new Pacific Pearl Airlines at Subic until I read the comments from a resident at Subic who deflated my balloon of optimism. My goodness the pictures they send out of the plane and the information with it makes one feel that it is a top grade Airline. If, what was sent to me is true, then for sure I won't be a passenger on that plane.

"Harry, the articles are all are great I live here in Subic and it is great to see the news from Angeles, I wonder how much everything will be affected by the yet again delayed Subic Clark expressway, latest date is now March 15 as you know? I did want to point out one thing to you, Pacific Pearl Airlines is pretty much a joke here in Subic. They have yet to fly a single flight and have no real schedule. The aircraft is a very very very old 737 that remains broken to this date. Please have all your readers be very very careful if they are planning on or even thinking about these guys (rumor has it Mr Mike, Gloria's husband, is one of the money men) There is also a rumor that they will be shut down for lack of payment of fee's in Subic."

The following was sent to me by Mr. Howard McKay:

Re: your recent newsletter about who started 'prostitution'. According to Mr Pigafata who was chronicler for Magellen, when they landed at Cebu (this is before Magellan was killed) they were entertained by the Chiefs with 'fine food and naked dancing girls'. And that was 500 years ago. (Thank you Howard and that is why I don't understand the current attitudes of our local officials, after all, we are only trying to maintain a very long standing Filipino historical tradition. Imagine, back then they did not even issue those little pink cards. It took 500 years for some smart folks in the City Government to figure out how to make some extra pesos.)

I have a friend in Las Vegas, Bob Baucom, who had to be admitted to Summerlin Hospital to get an upgrade to his pace maker. Naturally, they put him to sleep for this operation that requires a bit of open heart surgery to connect the new device. His chest was open and the surgeon was busily working on the heart and cauterizing the connections to the valves or whatever, I don't know the technical terms to use here. Anyway, at this critical time Bob woke up and smelled the burning flesh, his chest open, the heart exposed, and calmly asked "excuse me, am I supposed to be awake?" Someone answered, "no you're not, we'll put you under again" and back to sleep he went. Now, obviously the anesthesiologist messed up and I am wondering what the hell I would say under similar circumstances. I doubt that I could be as calm. No doubt I would have yelled out, "Hey, what the hell are you doing, I'm awake and burning up." and then when the guy told me he would put me to sleep again I am sure I would have yelled "wait, before you do that, what is your name so I can sue your ass when this shit is all over!"

Around, around we go on a Merry-go-round and where the we stop no body knows. The saga of what certain City officials want the bars to pay for the ladies licenses each month continues. My sources have told me that an agreement for P100 per card was agreed and then the next day it suddenly jumped back to P150. The stumbling block appears to be the mode of payment. A legal method was suggested in that each girl would pay an additional fee to be added to the cost of getting her weekly smear at the City Health but this was rejected. It is suspected that this rejection came about because official receipts would be issued and it is believed that no one from this Jo-Jo group wants that to happen. At a special meeting of the Angeles Clarkfield Tourist Association (ACTA) the members agreed that they had no choice, a new "taxation" would have to be paid. It is rumored that the Doll House, Orchid Inn Group, Pink Lady, Dunk Shot and a few other establishments are already paying a monthly fee worked out on their own with certain representatives of whatever. The board of Trustees and the general membership have agreed to change the name of ACTA but keep the organization with new trustees to be elected in March. The name change is necessary for this new Administration hates, in a big way, anything previously connected with the Lazatin Administration. What the hell, that is politics and whatever makes the current Mayor happy is OK with current members of ACTA. The problem right now is getting the key people together to sit down together and work out a workable system. An additional "tax" is required, OK, then all ACTA wants is to sit down and work out a system that is amenable to this Jo-Jo group and does not require ACTA to be a collection agency. Something has to be settled and the Clubs are anxious to get back to business as usual. (Update) - I feel like changing the name of the "Jo-Jo" group to the "Yo-Yo" group because of the many times they have agreed to terms and then changed their minds. Even at the late date of 22 Feb the final details of how much more the Ladies will have to pay for their licenses (pink cards) is not settled. The figure bandied about is P100 per card, per month to be paid in installments when each lady reports to the City Hygiene for their weekly smears. Do the math folks, that is 6,000 ladies times P100 and the distribution of this extra money is not really clear. Supposedly 50% will be going to City Health and the rest - well, it will be going somewhere. Could there be the possibility that this extra income will be going to City Hall to pay for improved security, infrastructure and to supplement the local police budget in the entertainment area so that they can afford additional police personnel and gas for their patrol vehicles? Could this mean the end of the necessity for set-ups of Expats and tourists for extortion purposes? If that is the case, then there will be little or no objection to this increased "Tax" on the ladies. All the Clubs in the entertainment area want to cooperate and hope for a greatly reduced incidence of harassment by various law enforcement officials. The objective is to work together to make the entertainment zone the best there is and to create an environment that is safe and appealing to the tourists. I believe this can be accomplished.

Another example of why it is interesting to live in the Philippines! Today, Saturday, 9 Feb, is a day that without any warning, or explanation the Smart Cell phone system is down, at least in Angeles City. No one that I know of can make a call or text out with their cell phones. That lasted until after 10 PM so naturally, right away I listen to all the local gossip and the word is that the President of the Philippines had the system shut down because she feared a plot against her and family for the latest scandal brewing in the newspapers. Ah, what drama and no doubt by tomorrow there will be something in the papers about some type of technical breakdown with Smart. But, for this Saturday, finally, I did not use up my load, did not use my cell phone and even, dare I say it, went back to using my land line. In fact, I think the President is sleeping peacefully in her bed right now, dreaming of this day without the incessant ringing of hundreds of thousands of cell phones. Oh, excuse me now, I have to make 10 cell phone calls and answer 25 text messages before I go to bed. Damn, why couldn't Smart wait until tomorrow morning to get on line again!

Many of the Expats living here own automobiles and do a lot of driving and pray that they are never involved in an auto accident. It is bad enough when the accident is the fault of the foreigner but even when the local driver is at fault the police and the one who caused the accident do their best to place the fault on the foreigner. A recent example of this involved two Expats in two different vehicles, and of course, the old tricycle driver. Both Expats were using well trained drivers when one SUV was hit on the side of the vehicle by a tricycle which then bounced off the vehicle and went into the wrong lane. This maneuver resulted in an Expat owned vehicle driving in the opposite direction to hit the tricycle head-on resulting in the death of one tricycle passenger and injuries to the trike driver. Neither of the Expat vehicles were at fault as the Tricycle driver was drunk and witnesses were available to make statements as to who was at fault. Never-the-less, the police told one of the Expats that he should pay "consideration" to the family of the passenger or else he would write up the accident report in such a way that the issue would have to go to court. The owner of the vehicle that hit and killed the passenger was not in fault at all yet sums as large as one million pesos were being asked and court action threatened. This Expat had full insurance coverage and was letting the insurance company handle the details yet his life was threatened and he has had to hire security personnel to protect his family. Just another challenge to living in the Philippines. One must realize that even if a Jeepney or a Tricycle causes an accident nearly 99% of them will not have any insurance at all and not enough money to pay for any damages. So, what happens, nothing, the Expat drives off and pays for damages to his car or gets his insurance to do so. But God forbid the Expat is at fault because that is money in the bank for the Filipino driver. It kind of makes you think twice about that Sunday drive doesn't it!

I am sad to report that two of my favorite people have left the employ of the Clarkton Hotel, Chef Oliver and GM Ingo Holtz. Needless to say both parties are moving on to bigger and better things and the Clarkton will continue as a first rate hotel but for me, they will be missed.

For the guys sipping their early morning coffee at the Nellis AFB BX be advised that Uncle George was spotted back in town in the company of Joe Green. George was sitting at the SM Clark McDonalds making a cup of coffee last a long time as he watched all the good looking ladies pass by. Since I wrote this, I have seen George and Joe sitting at the same table on two other occasions. The staff at this McDonalds know them personally now.

Recently I attended a meeting with the Perimeter Road Bar owners in which they were gathering to discuss recent problems and how to resolve issues that were having an adverse affect on their businesses. A surprise attendee was City Director Col Gaddi and Major Aspe, Station 4 Commander. Their attendance was appreciated and questions were put to them by those in attendance dealing mostly with the security along Perimeter Road. It was felt that most of the police attention was geared towards Fields Ave and Perimeter Road was an after thought. Col Gaddi was forthright with his response. He indicated that they are not ignoring those establishments along Perimeter Road and up to the Friendship Bridge and in fact were in the process of increasing patrols in these areas. The problem was lack of manpower and budget that kept them from expanding their patrols to the degree they would like. The owners, as a whole, asked "how could they help" and with a bit more discussion it was determined that if there could be donations of money for fuel then the vehicle patrols could be increased. The group then indicated that they would be willing to assist with fuel costs and asked for a detailed budget to be prepared by Maj Aspe indicating what a monthly cost would be and to what degree would the patrolling be increased. A few days later I spoke with Major Aspe and he told me he was working on the analysis and would present it to the Group Chairman within a week or so. He was very positive and was happy to have this closer relationship with the folks beyond Fields Ave. Major Aspe also confirmed that he would continue as the Liaison officer with any issues involving Expats and tourists who might run afoul of the law. He would make sure that the legal rights of these individuals would be respected and that some of the questionable activities of the police in the past would not be tolerated under his Command. The Major is young, recently promoted, energetic and determined to run a clean shop at Station four and folks, that is something we Expats and tourists have been waiting for. Now, all we have to do, is wait and see and believe me, this Horse will be watching very closely.

I have heard that the banks have dramatically reduced the amount of cash that can be withdrawn from their ATM machines so be prepared for that when visiting. Before it used to be easy to get 20 to 40,000 pesos at a time but now it appears that single withdraws are down around 10 to 20 thousand and some as low as P4,000. I am not an expert on this as I have never used an ATM machine on a regular basis and do not know my pin card numbers. The last time I went to the States I did use a machine at my credit union once just to see what it was like. I have never used one here in the Philippines. I do know that many visitors to Angeles City would like to see one or two ATM machines on Fields Ave. Mo, at Kokomo's had one once but gave up on it because of all the problems and daily complaints.

It's a long way to go before the next elections in Angeles City but keep track of Councilor Yabut who is rumored to have aspirations to be the next Vice Mayor and already harbors ideas about Fields Ave. Somehow, at this early stage I do not think that the present Vice Mayor will be reelected to that post. Quite often in politics you have to start making plans and moves three years ahead of time.

The daily bus service from Manila-Angeles-Manila run by the Southern Cross Shuttle is becoming more and more popular with its top of the line new bus, built for comfort and safety. Its daily run has drawn many compliments from satisfied customers and owner Richard Giles has informed me that there is something to look forward to in the near future. As soon as the new toll road to Subic has been completed this shuttle bus is ready to roll with its new route, Angeles-Subic-Angeles-Manila route. The bus will be stationed here in Angeles City but at this time I have not been given the new schedule. I have not ridden in this bus yet but recently I was able to check out the interior and it surely looked like a big step up in comfort from the Fly the Bus which uses a rather aging bus fleet. It is good to have the availability of different schedules to get to Manila because of the two companies and of course to get back to Angeles City. Competition usually means better service to the paying public. By the way, the proposed opening of the new Toll Road has been pushed to the middle of April, depending on the availability of President Arroyo. Why wait until April, could it have something to do with the President's birthday?

Hi Harry, - "I have just read your column and was looking at the same time for any mention of the rise in the price of ladies' drinks. I played pool with a little floozy in 'Doll House' and had to pay 250p each for her three San Miguels. That was expensive until I sat with a lady in Lancelot and the price for that lady's San Miguel was 300p (same drink, the girls might be maxing out here). If the lady drinks a soda, it is the regular price of 150p. But what lady is going to turn down the extra, even though she might get pissed.

Surely, the bars and the girls, have got to lose customers in the long run. I wont be buying ladies drinks in Fields when I can have five or six beers in a perimeter bar for the price of one lady's drink and where lady's drinks are still reasonable. This way of 'The Sting', the Filipinos do on a regular basis--especially car repair shops, as repeat customer is not in their business dictionary. Maybe the bar owners have been here too long and are getting affected by Filipino con tricks. Regards, JG (I believe I have mentioned those bars that use different prices for their ladies drinks. I remember warning readers about it and telling them to specify the drink before ordering for the lady. Most of the ladies will try to hustle the expensive drink, especially if she knows the customer is not aware of the system. Not all the Clubs on Fields Ave use this tactic so you have to shop around or, as this person found out, you can move on up to the Perimeter Road Clubs where there is hassle free fun at half the price. Many of the ladies drinks at these clubs average around P85).

One of my favorite eating places is the Philly Steak and Hoagies concession located at the Clark SM Mall Hydro-market where delicious Hoagies are served up quickly at very reasonable prices. Rob, the man from Philly has presented me with a serious problem. My doctor has told me to lose weight, to lower my cholesterol count and to watch my diet because I am borderline diabetic. My dilemma is that I want to eat at Rob's place at least twice a week and can't do so if I listen to my doctor. I did manage, with great difficulty, to cut back on my hoagie in-take but then Rob went and destroyed my will power completely when he introduced a new item to his menu which has blown my mind. He calls it a Focaccia Burger for P159 that is absolutely delicious and is big enough for two people to consume if they are light eaters. The "Focaccia" is the bun and it is white in color, very light and delicious. The meat is mixed with a subtle mix of seasonings that give it a very pleasing flavor and believe me, the size of the sandwich is such that not many folks will try a second serving. Even as I write this review I am trying to restrain myself from jumping in my car and getting over to SM to buy another one. Damn, I am hungry so I better have Mrs Horse make me a simple sandwich to take my mind off this new treat. The bun is what puts this burger over the top, it is such a treat to eat. I did not have my camera with me so did not take a picture, in fact I was not going to order one. My intention was to just mention this addition to Rob's menu but then I realized that without trying one I would not be able to give an accurate review so I said the hell with my diet, lets go for it. I can now honestly say, this hamburger is a treat you have to try. I have not steered you wrong in the food department before and I stand by this recommendation. So, Rob, any further deterioration to my health will be your fault because I know I have to eat that hamburger again as well as my Italian Hoagie. (By the way folks, the Focaccia bread is Italian and you can find the recipe on Google)

Now that I am on a food kick let me write, briefly, about the Puzzles Cafe located near the Phoenix Hotel. I did mention it last month but I had not eaten there yet. The man behind the scenes in running the place is retired military man, and life time VFW member Mike Scully. When I visited there he was busy creating ideas on his lap top computer and no doubt adding to their excellent menu. I tried their offering of enchiladas and they were delicious. I have been told that their burritos are just as good and that they also offer "breakfast burritos". The place is spotless, service is fast and friendly and the prices are very, very reasonable. Mike is usually available to have a chat with and that is always good for business. I suspect that more and more VFW members will be dropping by to check out the offerings, especially those with a fixed retirement income because as the dollar keeps losing ground against the peso, those delicious low cost meals offered by Mike gain more and more appeal.

Once in a while I come across a lady that catches my eye and I get to take her photograph without an interview. In other words other words I don't get any details other than her name and the fact that I thought she was cute. So it is that I briefly met Cristina who works at the Road House as a waitress. I don't get to the Road House as often as I would like, especially during their happy hours as I enjoy the dance routines of the ladies on stage and even the videos that are shown on the TV's. There have quite a few good looking ladies on board but I think Cristina depicts why folks looking for someone special should take the time to visit this first rate Club.

Thank you Nigel Graham from Laguna who sent me an article from the 16 Feb 08 edition of the Philippine Star titled Angeles & Demons written by Filipino reporter Paolo Lorenzana. This guy decided to make an impromptu visit to Fields Ave from Manila based on conversations he heard on an Airplane coming here and comments overheard in the customs line. He mentions an "American expat who'd ditched his life in Bumf*uck Idaho after falling in love with the psychedelic reverie of a city and subsequently, the filipina bargirl he decided to make his wife". He refers describes foreigners he saw in the immigration line as "pasty, paunch-sporting foreigners with hairy backs and yellow toe-nails". I resent that, my nails are not yellow and there is no hair on my back. What is this guy doing, lifting up shirts and inspecting feet? He referred to Fields Ave as a "bastardized Disneyland, decorated with the fanciful construction of theme hotels, spas, and the variety of adult entertainment establishments that try to out do each other in all their glaring, mock-spiked tawdriness". He must have been in the Blue Nile. He asked if "Kokonuts connote the immensity of its bargirls' mammaries?" Hee, Hee, see, at least he had good eyes. They did go in to the "Coyote Ugly" club that he referred to as "a joint". It must have been a slow night as he described seeing "the dancers painting their faces in front of mirrored walls and one dancer was actually leaning against a pole in a state of slumber." He was able have a conversation with "chubby hostess Jenna" who talked a lot and worked hard to get him to dance with some of the girls and spend money to no avail of course. I am pretty sure the hard working Filipino did not have much of a budget. When he mentioned Angeles as the "City of Angels" he went on to write that "there are more fallen angels considering the underground sex industry here has sucked its fair share of underaged girls into becoming slut machines to eager Americans who've got the dollars to feed them". After Coyote Ugly he moved on to the newly opened Atlantis Club that he described as "a space-age bordello" and he was not impressed at all, especially with the dancers and the girls on the sidelines that "begin to mimic the tai-chi-like dance moves of a thin, middle-aged American (probably a screw away from leaving his life in Bumf***, Kentucky". My goodness, this guy must have heard comments from his parents over the years and does not realize that in this year of 2008 there are far more varied Nationalities here than Americans. This guy has no idea where Idaho or Kentucky is on the map and I am sure he does not know that many of the girls that come here to Angeles City to work have been victims of young Filipino predators in some Bumf*** small Province interested only in screwing some young underage Filipina virgin and then dumping her after succeeding in his quest, especially if she gets pregnant. So ended a visit by a reporter that came here from Manila with curiosity and a desire to write about something that might put a little life into his column for the Philippine Star. I am sure this guy already knew before he started his visit that he would be writing a negative review and needed a bit of spice to boost up his readership. I picture him now as he ponders over his next article while residing in some little Bumf*** barrio in Manila. Please, Paolo, the next time you get a hard-on, stay in Manila, you have enough sleaze at your doorstep without coming to Angeles City.

The new hotel being constructed by the past owner of the Swagman Hotel, Bill, will be named the "Walk-a-bout with an estimated soft opening around June this year. It is located near the end of Fields Ave, just past the Chic and Rib restaurant. The ground floor will be occupied by a new Club being put together by Gary Stone of Stinger fame. At first my contact told me that the Stinger had been sold to Koreans but then told me that this did not happen. It was true that the Koreans tried to get it but the owners changed their minds. I have heard that Gary will have his new place open sometime in July 08.

Recently I met the owner of a hotel in Manila who asked if I could introduce my readers to his establishment. I am always interested in learning about hotels in Manila that offer reasonable rates so I asked that he forward me some information. Shortly thereafter he forwarded the following information: CASA NICAROSA, a luxury inn, a hidden treasure in the heart of Manila.

Casa Nicarosa is set to welcome business travelers and tourists, to its charming home. It is the place to stay for months and even for just a day. The Victorian gate, the lush plants lining the driveway up the steps to the ornamental iron doors are truly inviting. And once inside, guests can choose from any of its roomy standard, deluxe and suite accommodations. Each room is equipped and furnished in a way that defines comfort. A big veranda on the second floor offers the respite you are looking for - a place to enjoy the morning sun and even your favorite book to read and with a wifi zone your internet access is limitless. Casa Nicarosa opens with its introductory rates per room for single and double occupancy: P 1500.00 – for standard room, P 2000.00 – for deluxe room, P 2500.00 – for a suite room, P 600.00 – for extra person, Plus 10% service charge, Inclusive of continental breakfast. We invite you to visit us at CASA NICAROSA at 2116 Madre Ignacia St. Malate, Manila so we can show you around. For reservations, call us at (632) 536-1597 or email: casa_nicarosa@yahoo.com.ph. Discover this hidden treasure….have a comfortable stay at CASA NICAROSA. (This hotel is located near the Manila Zoo and only a few streets away from Roxas Blvd. I found it to be a convenient location).

I wonder if there is a gray cloud floating over Wee George's head as he has definitely had a run of bad luck lately. First he had a black out and collapsed at work and hurt broke his shoulder and was recovering from that while wearing a sling. Then, in late Feb he slips in the shower at home and made the injury worse. He found himself in AUF hospital, underwent surgery where they put pins in his shoulder and put him in his room to recover from the operation. While both he and his companion were sleeping at the hospital someone entered his room and stole all his money, cell phone, important documents, etc. They cleaned him out and this was in what is supposed to be a hospital with tight security. Now, we get the AUF denial exercise where the police and the hospital security are telling George that his girlfriend had to be the one stealing his possessions since she was the only one in the room. This lady has been with George for quite some time and has no need to steal anything but then AUF Hospital will do anything to cover up this alleged breach in their security. This is not the first time I have heard of security problems at this hospital but nothing was proved and I guess this incident will not be any different. I do know one thing, if I am ever admitted to this hospital I will probably my own guard posted in the room. (Needless to say George checked out of the hospital in record time and I am sure he will be back to work at Shanno's Pub in record time as well. He is a tough Scotsman).

TAPS

With great sadness I report that Irma R. Buizon, long time companion of Bretto passed away last month after a long fight with breast cancer and then bone cancer. She was only 38 years old.

On 19 Feb a fine member of the American Steel Motorcycle Club (ASMC) lost his life in a motorcycle accident. Dana "Weiner" Moen (51 years young in age) was a popular member of the ASMC and an experienced bike rider but even with his experience a terrible accident could not be avoided. He clipped a tricycle that caused him to go into a ditch and then hit a very unyielding wall. This illustrates the dangers of driving in this country, whether it is by motorcycle or automobile. The motorcycle clubs here in AC and elsewhere stress safety first, pleasure second but sometimes fate deals an ugly hand. The members of the ASMC are like family and they look after each other and the loss of one is a loss to one and all. The Horse extends condolences to Dana's family and fellow members of the ASMC.

THE 2008 CLARK BALLOON FESTIVAL

During the period 7 to 10 Feb the annual Balloon Festival was held at Clark with the cooperation of the Dept. of Tourism and Clark Development Corporation (CDC). This year the weather did not cooperate in that high winds kept the balloons grounded for much of the event. Never the less, huge crowds were drawn to the fair grounds despite the P100 entry and no discount for young children. For some reason the organizers appeared to be not interested in providing any entertainment at night as was done in the past. Where were the bands, where were the rides, where were the special entertainers. Why, on the first night was the event closed down at 6 PM without any advance notice to the concessionaires. Each night, by 8 PM there were hardly anymore attendees as the public left with disappointment in that the evening had to end so early. In previous years this Horse used to see large crowds still on hand as late as 11 PM. There was excitement in the air as the balloons, still inflated, were tied down for all to see and the young and old could see and listen to some bands. There was more for the young children to do. It appeared that the organizers, this year, only wanted to make their money on entry and parking fees and raking in the money from some big sponsors like San Miguel and some meat company that garnered some exclusivity arrangements. The excitement was there in the daytime as Kites were flown, various air displays were presented, some military vehicle and equipment displays were interesting but somehow, overall, it just wasn't the same as previous years. I must indicate that the weather did not cooperate as the hot air balloons flights were nearly non-existent because of the high winds and this was a big disappointment. Was it worth attending? Of course it was! It gave thousands of people a chance to enjoy something exciting and different in this area and that is sorely needed. I am only saying that it was not as good as previous years when more attention was made to entertainment that lasted into the night and allowed the food concessionaires to recoup their investments and make a decent profit. It was a struggle for most on the Thursday and Friday and only the weekend brought in enough people to bring smiles to those many who rented spaces for the serving of a variety of food items. Let us hope that, next year, the organizers put a little more effort and consideration into their plans. I have heard that the head organizer, each year after the Balloon Festival is able to purchase a new car; no doubt, this year, he will be the only one who made an exceptional profit and might be able to buy two cars, the rest, well, there are always reasonable prices on motor bikes.

I WOULD IF I COULD

When I am rushed for time or get so busy that I do not have time to get down to Fields Ave I search for my special lady of the month at either Thi-Hi or Honey-Ko's and at times I like to get up Perimeter a bit further and check out Neal's Stargate Club or Roadies. It is true that I have a soft spot for Thi-Hi as it is real close to my stable, the Mamasan Josie is a super lady, Derry, the owner is old and cranky like me and the ladies are friendly. Many folks tell me that they don't like the Thi-Hi because there are no dancers. This is one of the reasons I like the place because the music is from the 50's and 60's and played at a very comfortable sound level. Another reason is that it is nice to get a break from dancers who all too often look bored to death and be able to talk one on one with the ladies. I admit that some are a bit heavy, some a bit older, some not beautiful but in general, they look good to my old eyes. If I want dancing girls and music a bit more modern and louder it is easy enough for me to walk a couple of meters next door and jump into Honey-Ko's. If I want to just sit outside and drink some cold ones with a cross sampling of Expats that live here and some tourists with no music and no dancing girls I can stop at the Hang-out that is situated between the two Clubs. Drink prices are reasonable at all three watering holes and there are no ladies drinks as high as P190. So, now I have to present 25 year old Maricris from the Thi-Hi who has no boyfriend and no children but has a great smile, nice personality and other attributes that make her a very desirable young lady. She is neither skinny or fat but has that build which leans towards voluptuous. Maricris is a high school graduate, has two sisters and one brother. Her mother died of a heart attack a few years ago and Dad works as a plumber in Zamboanga, Mindanao. Her man of choice would be someone between 40 to 60 and quoting Maricris - "not too horney". If you are interested you can contact her by emailing maricris_salvador83@yahoo.com.

TOURISTS OF THE MONTH

Now you can't tell by looking at the picture but Jim Morton and Greg Wharton are two very happy fellas. They showed up at my stable more than once and we had some great conversations and they enjoyed the humble, inexpensive food served up by Mrs. Horse. We certainly do not have any gourmet chefs here but the chow we do serve up appears to please most people, especially the good ole boys from Illinois and Iowa. Jim is from Springfield Illinois and works in the State Treatment & Detention Facility there and has 14 years to go before retirement. He has three kids and visits AC every three years while his wife manages a trip every year.

Greg Wharton is from Keokuk, Iowa and is retired. He had a tavern for 12 years, then went on to be a mass transit supervisor for the City busses run by Para Transit. He and his wife have a place in Cagayondedoro, Northern Mindanao where they share their time between Iowa and Mindanao. Once a year he visits Angeles City and always stays at the Clarkton.

It was certainly a pleasure to meet up with these two fine gentlemen and they had many positive things to say about their latest visit to this area. They recognized that there are many more places to eat fine food now and despite the drop in the dollar exchange rate they admitted that one could enjoy a relaxing, enjoyable vacation here at very reasonable prices.

I LOVE THOSE "CHERRIES"

Over the years many of the readers of this column have been damn kind to me in bringing me goodies and souvenirs from various countries. When I needed assistance in delivering needed items folks volunteered to carry them over for me. When I mentioned my hot sauce collection some folks added to my collection and so on. Well, in my January column I wrote about the 12 Australian cherries I bought in Manila for P100 and how I hated to eat them so quickly. Let me explain, I AM talking about real cherries, not the two legged kind so don't go off on me here. Anyway, I figured I would never get to eat any Australian cherries again, especially not the quantity I would like to consume. You can imagine my surprise when an Australian from Adelaide, Brian Diamond bought me a whole container of cherries and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. I could not believe my eyes, there they were, in all their glory, delicious, juicy, red Australian cherries. As Brian and I carried on a conversation I kept popping cherries in my mouth and must have eaten 50 of them within minutes. Later, I took them upstairs to my office, put them in a plastic bag, and stored them in the fridge. Needless to say, over the next few days I was in cherry heaven, popping them into my mouth and spitting out the pits as fast as I could.

I did manage to listen to Brian long enough to find that he has been visiting Angeles City since 1993 and used to stay at Woodlawn Park until they changed management and the service went down hill. On this trip he stayed at the Seinpost and loved it. They have a swimming pool there that does not have a shallow end at all, the entire pool is 6 ft. deep. I was really touched by the thoughtfulness of Brian and again I must say thank you, thank you again and again. I meant to freeze one cherry to keep as a memory but my son snuck in and ate the last two when I was not looking. I just released him from detention last week!

UPDATE: Would you believe that a week after I polished off those cherries from Brian I returned home one evening to find another plastic bag of cherries from Australia in the kitchen. They were delivered by an Australian named Steve who I did not meet. The box he used to drop them off in had his name and location in Australia but regretfully, before I could write that information down Priscilla put the box outside for garbage collection and when I was ready to write this bit of an update it was too late, the garbage was collected (Darn, I thought I wrote the information on a slip of paper). So, Steve, you know who you are and I want you to know that I am rapidly consuming those cherries and so far, no stomach ache. (Oh happy days, I found my note at the last minute. The cherries came from Steven Atherton from Pasloe Vale, Victoria. Thanks Mate!)

THE LEWIS GRAND HOTEL

This is the newest Hotel in Angeles City that is nearing completion with an anticipated opening date during the first week of April. It is a beautiful edifice designed to mirror the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. It will have 68 rooms but will open, initially, with 48, featuring 4 Presidential Suites, 16 Executive rooms, 16 family rooms with the rest being superior rooms. There will be rooms on the ground floor facing the pool that will have a floating bar and a band on top of the floating bar. The third floor will have a coffee shop and the main floor will feature a first rate "Alfresco" dining room. The Chef is on board already and he is Chef Richard Logro who has his own culinary school. Richard is also the son of the first Executive Chef of the Philippines who guided his son into the culinary business. Until recently Chef Richard was enjoying a long stint as a chef on a luxury liner but was talked ashore by the owner of the this Hotel. The management staff of this hotel is led by General Manager Mario B. Almeida, and assisted by Sales and Marketing Mgr, Michelle M. Tayag who came over from the Stotsenberg Hotel (Clark Freeport Zone). The initial office staff I met impressed me with their youthful exuberance, friendliness and accessibility (In other words they were super nice to this old horse even though I interrupted their lunch). The room prices, at the time I interviewed Mr. Almeida were still in the proposal stage awaiting approval from the owner. Folks, this will be one beautiful hotel and it is already an impressive sight. The location is convenient, located on Don Juico Avenue (Perimeter Road) with plenty of parking space and a great view of Clark. I am sure many of you reading this and planning your next trip might be interested in being some of the first to stay at this hotel, especially when they post their promotional room rates. To get at the front of the line submit your enquiries to mickytutski@yahoo.com or mariobalmeida@yahoo.com.

THE CLARK AVIATION BAR

This bar is a hidden secret at the moment because it is tucked away in the Clark Freeport, heading up the hill towards what was to be the True North Resort. It is in the Clark Aviation compound (A flight training facility) that sits at the back end of Mimosa compound. I was completely surprised that this beautiful bar existed and even more surprised that it was available to the general public. My discovery was made possible because I stopped by to see Mr. Ingo Holtz who has taken over the management of this facility that includes the rooms for aviation students, the bar, canteen and eventually a hotel that is in the planning stages. Ingo recently left the Clarkton Hotel after six busy years and I wanted to drop off my birthday invitation to him. I planned to stop for 15 minutes or so but ended up staying with him, consuming cups of coffee for three hours. When he took me into the bar I was amazed at the layout and also the more than reasonable prices for their meals. Would you believe that nothing exceeded the basic price of P60 and an additional P10 for rice (Sorry, I went back a week later with the family and the price had gone up to P75 and P15 for the rice and that was still reasonable. Ingo explained that the bar was using the same pricing as the employee canteen and they were losing money) At that price I decided to treat my wife, son and her nephew to a meal there and we returned later in the evening. I did make a mistake though, I was so carried away by the prices that I ordered three slices of delicious apple pie and nearly had a heart attack to find that each slice was P120. Lesson learned - enjoy the meal but stay away from the dessert. The portions were just right, the food delicious and the staff very friendly. Even more impressive was the design of the bar, it was first class and featured a pool table and dart board. I will try to talk Ingo into organizing a dart team to enter a local league that only has four teams at this time. It was my pleasure to meet rick Norman, the Flight Operations Manager who promised me a tour of the two flight simulators featured at this aviation school. A third one is planned for the near future. For information about the school contact Rick at rick.norman@alphagroupclark.aero or view their web page at www.alphagroupclark.aero. The specific address for this compound is 1092 Jose Abad Santos Ave, Clark Freeport, Pampanga 2009, Philippines. You better believe I will be eating many lunches at the bar but will skip the pie (because of my diet, of course). I realize that many of you will not be able to find the place and not have transportation either so you can contact me for a ride out there. My fee will be reasonable, one slice of apple pie (because it was delicious)! One sad note, Ingo will not let me eat in the employee's canteen!

I SUCK YOU LICK

That title is not original, if you look at the top row, far right picture you will see the very sweet picture of a beautiful Filipina wearing a shirt with those words. I happen to run into an old friend, Stuart Christopher Lambourne, sales manager for G&R Enterprises. He is working for a company that makes some pretty sexy outfits for the ladies that work in the Clubs here and they also export their products as well. Stu tells me that they are a bit more expensive than the outfits they sell in town but are of a much better quality. For sure, some of the outfits shown here are pretty eye catching but then so are the models. I am wondering how many of those outfits would look just as good on the ladies working here. Regretfully, none that are working in my stable would do these any justice but I can see the potential in quite a few of the bigger clubs. Anyway, if you are interested give Stuart a call at 0916 763 0324 or Email at slammaangeles@yahoo.com.au. This is not a paid ad, my only interest is, if any Club orders any of these outfits please let me know as I want to take pictures of any ladies wearing them.

AS EASY AS ABC

Good things come in 3's and two new offerings by a proud Chef Franz has made life more pleasant for ABC Hotel guests and even expats living in the local area. First off, the poolside bar opened last month and it has added a very nice touch to pool side relaxation whether you go swimming or not. It was an instant success with its subdued lighting, friendly bartender and excellent service. Naturally it had a touch of the "Gerard decor" and I liked the model airplane hanging from the ceiling. In the evening from 6 to 10 PM one can enjoy the daily Caribbean Grill offerings for P550 that includes a salad bar and grilled meats prepared personally by Franz and always has a smile on his face and makes time to chat with each diner. Booze, food and casual dining with friends next to a pool, what more could one ask for? OK, throw in a good looking lady and the plate is complete. Wait a minute I mentioned the number three so what am I forgetting? Oh I know, the massage parlor I did not know was even there. There one can find some of those good looking ladies trained in the art of massage who will help you to relax and enjoy a very professional treatment guaranteed to make you forget all those sore muscles brought on by stress and a hard day at work.

SADDLE UP!

Can you imagine this, they tried to put a saddle on my old sore back but soon realized that I was too old to ride and even too old for stud service. Who are these folks? Why, Guy Hilberto and company who officially opened the El Kabayo Riding Stables & Cowboy Western Town at the Clark Freeport Zone on 23 Feb. This opening surprised the hell out of me. I did not realize what a great job these folks did and what a wonderful addition to family oriented activities offered at Clark. It brought back memories of the riding stables and picnic grounds offered by American officials when the Americans occupied Clark. Once again horse back riding is available for half hour and one hour rides. There is a "sheriff" on board (Gabby Rina La O)and later on with further development staged gun fights will be presented. There is a souvenir shop, a steak and grill house offering some decent food, leisure & trail rides, riding lessons, riding tours and a location to rest your tired buns after bouncing around on a horse for an hour or two. I had a conversation with a few of the horses who told me how happy they were to be able to make so many folks and children happy. They offered me some delicious hay for lunch but I declined and decided to get on home before Guy tried to saddle me up again. This is a great place to take the kids for an outing they will never forget. Well done CDC, at last you are thinking about families instead of just golfers and locators. The El Kabayo can be found along Gil Puyat Ave, the road heading towards the Mabalacat Gate on Clark.

PHILIPPINE CRICKET 6'S GOLF DAY

OK folks, I have no idea what this is about. First off I don't play golf and cricket bores the hell out of me but in all fairness I realize there are a few souls in town that enjoy both activities and I do try to be fair in publicizing any events that may get a bunch of lads out of the bars and into some sunlight. A flyer promoting the Philippine Cricket 6's Day was delivered to me and it appears that on Friday, 7 Mar, this event will be held at the Mimosa Golf Club, Angeles, Pampanga. Registration is at 0830 hrs with first tee off time at 0930. There is a four man team social scramble at a cost of P3,500 per player (now I know why I don't do this sort of stuff) to include green fee, tournament fee, caddy fee, golf shirt and prizes. Drinks and presentation will be at Yats. Please register your team with players' names and handicaps to richard@sinclairjames.com or 09173840064. You can also call 63-2-889-6145, fax: 63-2-889-6144 and also give www.sinclairjames.com a hit for further information. Even if you are on your own, without a team, not to worry they will be able to fit you in with a team. Now, doesn't that all sound terribly exciting and I am a bit curious about it all. It sounds like a bit of fun and a good get together. Maybe someone can buzz me and let me know what time they get to Yats and I can get there to get a few pictures of the winners of the many prizes offered.

YATS WINE CENTER

Wine, wine and more wine, loads of it stacked neatly in various rooms and even a few hundred on the floor of one room waiting to be sorted and placed in its proper location. This is another project of that hyper-active, fast talking, innovative Philip Golding who holds court at the Yats Wine Club and Restaurant on Clark. Many long timers to this area will remember that the building housing this new Wine Center used to be the USAF Weather Station when Clark was manned by the Americans. Needless to say, once again I was filled with nostalgia as I visited a building that I was familiar with so long ago. If you enjoy wine you absolutely have to visit this new center. You will be greeted by aging Englishman Mike Phillips, originally from Canterbury but has been residing in Angeles City for 9 1/2 years. He is the key man at the Wine Center and, by the way, heading up the wine selection at the Simple Asia Restaurant on Friendship Highway. Yes, folks, yet another Philip project. He is now running the restaurant at Simple Asia, but NOT the Garden. I can't keep up with this guy. Look for the Simple Asia name to be changed in the near future. Anyway, Philip has some exciting plans for the Wine Center where one can go and buy a bottle of wine with a very wide price range and many different labels. If you are like me, Mike will assist you in your selections. My price range started at P200 and that did not go over too well. They have a deck you can access that offers a great view and you can bring your own food there and have a picnic. There are other activities planned but I could not remember them all because I did not have my pen and notebook with me at the time. That is me holding a very large bottle of wine and I needed the assistance of Mike to pick it up. Look, stop by there and enjoy a visit, it is interesting and I am pretty sure you will not be able to resist buying a bottle or two. OK, I did buy a few and yes, they did cost me more than P200. Now, I am sure you noticed that I referred to Mike as "aging" and you are asking why would Harry do that. My answer is that if I have to age I want everyone else to do so as well and Mike is aging, but damn it, slower than me. It must be the wine!

MY BIRTHDAY BLAST

Bear with me this month. I am going to finish up this month from some of the pictures from my two parties. You can skip this part because I realize that I should not be doing this but I kind of wanted you to share the complete joy I had at this time. I do not have any pictures of the first event at the Monte Vista Villas on Clark. We have pictures and a video but I did not have time to scan the pictures presented me and we did not use my camera at all. Most of the pictures are from the second party at my stable on the actual day of my birthday. The one on base had more than 200 people in attendance and it was terrific. The food was absolutely fantastic, the venue was beautifully laid out, the band was good and the event was going well until around 8:15 it started to rain. That was just when everyone was eating and of course we had it outdoors in a beautiful garden setting. It did not drizzle, it rained hard for thirty minutes and we lost a bunch of folks that decided to go home. But, after it stopped enough stayed to keep things going until after 11 PM and take advantage of the open bar. I realized after the invitations were sent out that I should have asked folks not to bring presents, instead I would have a collection box set up for the Street Children's Center and raise a bit of money for a good cause. I decided to do that at the second party because, as you can guess, many of the gifts were wine and I ended up with more than I could drink in two or three years. So, I decided to ask for donations as the guests came in and also to have a fun wine auction as well. Additionally, Tess and Roy from the Brass Knob brought alone a few ladies that could participate in a semi-strip auction as well. Despite not many people in attendance for the second party we had a lot of fun and we raised P21,000 for the Center that I passed over the next day at the RC Clark Centennial Rotary meeting. All in all, it was a momentous occasion for me and the two parties will represent one of the highlights of my life and it was actually fun reaching my 70th year.

It is already 27 Feb and thank goodness there are 29 days in this month. I have a deadline of 5 PM today to get this ready for my expert Ellie to get to my stable to zip it all up and get ready for publication and I just made it on time. Would you believe that 29 Feb is Richard Agnew's birthday. I have not met all that many people who were born on leap year. I guess on the other three years they celebrate on the 28th. I wonder how many of the readers of this column were born on 29 Feb? Also, happy birthday to Orange Lion's Pascal, 27 Feb. Tonight Mrs Horse and I are taking my son to the Holiday Inn for dinner and I can relax and enjoy the dinner knowing that I completed this month's column and can relax a bit. But, tomorrow is the ACTA Trustee meeting and I have to prepare the paperwork for it. I do not know the future of this organization that has worked so hard to over the years to improve security, reduce crime, help foreigners, both expats and tourists, pave roads, install lights, install security cameras, create a bicycle patrol and so much more. We were proud to be able to work with City officials and tried to do the same under the new administration. It is so disheartening to hear from some sources that the current Mayor and those under him have a strong dislike for the ACTA, especially some of the key law enforcement groups. That is regrettable but I still hope that after the elections we can adjust to the needs of the current administration and be able to convince them that our interests are not selfish, we love this City and want to be part of its economic growth. If it is not to be, so be it, this Horse is more than happy to have more free time to spend at the farm feeding my ducks. After four years of being ACTA secretary I am more than willing to pass the reins to another. The not so honest government officials or bent policemen, con-men and others would rather not have any organization looking over their shoulders and monitoring their nefarious activities. It is definitely an interesting time in the City and no matter what folks, be happy and for sure be kind to horses.