788 replies to this topic

[thailover57]

SN, are you sure it wasn't a "heated" dog? Sorry, back to the report Macman. I do enjoy reading it. Maybe you should get some Nerf balls for Angel to practice on in the yard.

I'm with you on the sun - never used sunscreen. I lived in MA and RI. Visited a cousin in Florida and went to the beach. He said the sun is so hot here you have to use sunscreen. Okay, used it and never got close to a tan. In LOS, I have a "sandal tan" on my feet just from walking around during the day - white bands where the sandals cover my feet.

[Macman]

TL, I'm of the opinion that one day they will find that sunscreen actually causes cancer (putting all those chemicals into your blood stream through your skin, and causing a deficiency in Vitamin D). As far as I'm concerned it'll be like the old, "Margarine is good for you and butter is bad. Oh, wait, sorry, it's the opposite." - 30 years later. I'd better not start on my rant.

Since I started playing golf about 15 years ago, I pretty much don't do anything else. As a result I have this crazy golf tan. My friggin' feet are snow white. Since we pretty much stay out of the sun from about 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM here, I guess they'll stay that way because when I do my "sun walking", I usually wear running shoes. Angel told me that her cousin commented on how beautifully white my feet are. It's the same old "the grass is always greener on the other side" bit. Women here use "whitening" soap. So white people try and get darker with a nice tan, and darker people use whitening products. God sure has a great sense of humor.

Macman

[pacman]

My friend tells me that I should stick to either Mitsubishi or Toyota because they have service centers in town, and that I shouldn't buy a new one. He says it will be harder to sell it if I change my mind in a few years and want to return to the States because the price will be too high.

That is weird advice to give someone, "don't buy a new car"... so who does buy them then? And where will this guy be if you have trouble with a second hand one, because I am sure you won't get much warranty. If any!

Oh, I get it, he just happens to have a friend selling a car & he is on a commission if he can sell it. It wouldn't be a Mitsubishi or Toyota by any chance?

I would be instantly suspicious about advice like that, it will be too expensive for who? Him? He might be hoping to get it when you leave. Weird!!

And watch out for that tropical sun, you can be burnt so fast & it can be very nasty. Wear a wide brimmed hat, always cover your neck, ears & shoulders & protect those lilly white feet.

I fell asleep in the sun in the tropics many years ago. I was covered in sunscreen everywhere, everywhere except my feet. They took years to heal & I had spent all my summers on the beach getting tanned.

You have no idea how strong the sun can be & how quickly you can be seriously burnt. Ignore it at your peril. And use sunscreen, the risks you describe are nothing compared to the alternative.

[petesie]

What...burnt feet..?

[Macman]

Pacman, the advice my friend gave is only because I've only been here a short time, and he realizes that I could very easily decide that I can't hack it here. This is a fairly poor area, and he felt that trying to sell a fairly new car in a situation where I have to get rid of it quickly will be very difficult because of the high price. I would wind up taking a bath on it out of necessity. As for him having a used one to sell, it's quite the contrary. I'm not sure why, but there doesn't seem to be a used car market here. Right now, there's nothing available. It seems that the best way to get one (especially if you're looking for a particular make) is to let the new car dealer know that you're in the market. If he has an existing customer who wants to buy a new model, he can put us in touch with each other. I'm sure it's a different situation in Manila. My friend has nothing to gain from his advice. He told me that I should take my time and don't jump at anything, which means that he has to go out of his way to pick me up for golf three times a week. By the way, this guy has also given me advice that I'm quite sure you'd agree with regarding Angel and life in general here. He's always warning me to trust no one, to be sure to guard my money and my financial data, etc. Although he likes Angel, He's very cynical about things like this; constantly telling me how his fellow Filipinos think all Americans are rich and will take advantage. He stressed that I should never lend any one money, especially her relatives. I honestly don't think that he has an axe to grind with the car.

"Only mad dogs and Englishmen ..." I'm being careful. As I mentioned, I'm very gradually increasing my time in the afternoon sun. For the most part, the only time that I'll be exposed for any length of time will be our monthly 18-hole tournament. I'm hoping I'll be inured to the harmful rays by then.

Macman

[thailover57]

"Inured?" I like a man that knows the language!

As for the car, maybe the used market in Manila is better and you can ferry one over - just a thought.

[pacman]

Macman, I am sure your friend has your best interests at heart, I was only playing 'devil's advocate'. I have been warning people about what can happen in Asia for a long time. Forgive my cynicism, it is either that or blind faith.

I don't wish to disparage him, he knows the car market in the PI, I don't. And if cars are so hard to sell, I like Thailover's advice about getting one from Manila, or wherever the hot spot for used cars is. Let the market difficulties work for you for a change.

As for that Blackguard Petesie's sarcastic comment about burnt feet, I can assure you they were no fun. Here in Australia, we have places where exposure to direct sun without suncream can put you in hospital within 30 minutes. Of course, not having any ozone layer overhead doesn't help. We are very accustomed to how dangerous the sun can be. 'Inuring' yourself is really not possible. Not unless you have built up a dark tan, something I doubt you have the time or the fortitude for. The public service message here in Oz is 'Slip, Slop, Slap' - slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen & slap on a hat. It's a bit corny but I can offer no better advice.

[Macman]

Yeah, TL, I may eventually have to do that. For now, I'm going to see if my friend has any luck. He's retired now, but he was a car dealer for 15 years, among other things, so he has a few connections. The Mitsubishi dealer here is his very close friend, but he has nothing at the moment. As long as he doesn't mind picking me up for golf, I'll follow his advice and take my time about it.

Pacman, believe me when I tell you that I appreciate your cautioning words. I've been lucky enough to meet some people whom I can trust, but even with them I keep my eyes open. As for the sun, I know the dangers. I'm particularly vulnerable, being fair-skinned and blue-eyed. On top of that, as I mentioned before, I have a golfer's tan. I've been to the beach exactly once in the past 15 years. That was with Angel last October when we went to Panglao Island, and we went swimming at about 8:00 AM. I know that the tropical sun here is a far cry from that of New York, but I used to spend pretty much all day outdoors, so I've built up a pretty decent base tan. Of course, our past winter changed that some. We're going to the beach this Saturday. I asked Angel if there's shelter from the sun where we'll be, and she said there are cottages. I'm figuring on 20 minutes exposure at the most.

My balikbayan boxes arrived today!! That was pretty much the last thing on my worry list. Now I have clothing, golf balls, vitamins, all the necessities. Now if I could just get a nice ham on rye sandwich.

Macman

[Surin Nix]

You probably feel a little bit like a Vietnam era US serviceman getting a care package from home.

....except that there's no war (fortunately).
....and you're retired and living with a lovely lady.
....and golfing everyday.

You're familiar with the official formal attire of the Phillipines, no doubt, the "Barong Tagolog".

Here's a style that I thought might look good on you.



Nix

Attached Files

•  barong tagolog.jpg   57.12KB   196 downloads

[Macman]

Ah, Nix, what a shame. My closet is completely full after getting my balikbayan boxes. Too bad, because otherwise I'd run right out and get a couple of outfits like that. Damn!

Macman

[jayarr]

that outfit won't help convince philipinos that lb lovers aren't gay

[Macman]

You're probably right, jayarr. As much as it pains me, I may have to give up on that outfit, and stick with Nike-type clothing.

Macman