788 replies to this topic

[Macman]

Yeah, I know what you mean, Nix, but I'm probably going to have to invest in something here, or at least put a large chunk in a Philippine bank, if I plan to stay here permanently. Another avenue is marriage to a Filipina, but obviously we can't do that.

Well, I played the tournament. I started out well, getting a par on the first hole. I had a fair share of pars, but also had a few disaster holes. I walked the course, as is my custom, while my partners all rode. Back in the States, I used to play 4 or 5 times a week on a very hilly course, and always walked, either with a push/pull cart or carrying my bag. Here, on a very flat terrain and with a caddy to carry my bag, I was dragging my ass all over the course by the 13th hole. It's the damn heat. We started at 7:00 AM, about an hour and 45 minutes later than we usually start, and finished at around 11:45, about 4 hours later than we usually finish. That gave the sun ample opportunity to try and kill me. I also have a nice case of sun poisoning on my lower lip, thanks to last week's beach trip and my subsequent sunning episodes during the week, plus playing Thursday afternoon because we were rained out in the morning. (Shhhh, Don't tell Pacman. I don't want to hear any I-told-you-so's". I wouldn't have put sun screen on my lips anyway, so ...) I'm fine though, but I played like crap towards the end. I had a 10 on a par 5 that I usually par. As for my lip, 2 nurses told me to stay out of the sun for 5 days, at least during high-risk hours. I'll still play my regular games because of the early finish time.

After the tournament, Al came over to me during lunch, and said that his wife and Angel would be coming out at around 1:00 Pm to pick us up. At 1:30, he went downstairs, came back and told me that they were there, and he'd be leaving. He suggested that I stay and let them take Angel back home, because the raffle had some pretty good prizes (along with very minor ones), and you had to be present to win the major ones. We were also in a club meeting, and I figured I should stay for that, even though I didn't understand a thing because it was all in Bisaya. I went down to tell Angel to go back with Al and his wife. Naturally she rushed over to me, hugged me, kissed my cheek, and took my picture. The caddies were all hanging around down there because they hadn't been payed yet. (I don't know why the club didn't pay them immediately after the round, instead of making them hang around for 2 1/2 hours. They had collected our entrance fees before the matches started.) You had to see them checking us out. I won a pretty nice fan, by the way. I also got to meet a lot of the local movers and shakers; always a plus in this country.

I know what you're thinking (especially you, Packers). You think Al and his wife wanted to get Angel alone for some more hard selling. I figured the same thing. Not so. Angel said that the wife was very understanding about us having other priorities. When she came to our place, instead of meeting her on the road, Angel invited here in to our place. She told me that she wanted her to see that there were many things we still needed to buy; that I wasn't some rich American. For example, we have an old tube television. Yes I could buy a flat screen (which are very expensive here), but I told Angel that we have to save for things like that out of our monthly budget,and she understands that. We also need a couch. Anyway, it worked out very well, and the couple is still very friendly towards us. I'm sure the selling push will revisit us down the road, but that's fine. (British empire people say, "the couple ARE still friendly ...," right? American English uses it as a "collective noun". I used to watch a lot of hockey, and at first I thought the Canadian announcers were ignorant. I'd hear them say things like, "Montreal are really skating well now." After hearing it by so many obviously intelligent people, I eventually caught on.)

Well, no worries about getting into any sun trouble today. It's pouring.

Macman

[Surin Nix]

Mac, I'd suggest you take Tiger's advice out there:

[Macman]

Nix, the only way that would have helped is if I wore it over my head. Other than that, no need. I only play one course nowadays.

Macman

[Macman]

Well, I'm going to buy a used SUV. It's hard for me to get used to the prices of cars here, but there's no getting around the fact that I have to buy one. If it weren't for golf, I could probably get by without it. I had an offer on a nice Honda CRV, but it was an automatic, and very expensive. It's much more advisable to have a manual transmission that uses diesel fuel here, so I'm getting a Mitsubishi Adenture.

Angel called Immigration yesterday to see if my ACR card was ready to be picked up. Guess what? It wasn't processed. They said that we forgot to send them one item that is required; the receipt of my visa extension. They said they had no contact number for us, so it's just been sitting there. It's really nuts. They issue me the extension, and then they require that I photostat the receipt of the extension that they issue. Huh?? Plus, you pay for everything. If they have to send something to the main office in Manila, you pay the postage.

One more thing that takes getting used to is the constant presence of firearms. There's an armed guard anywhere and everywhere at which there's a possibility of cash being on hand; ATMs in front of banks, inside the bank, the golf course (ffs), the malls. There's even one in a small restaurant to which we sometimes go. I'm not talking about a fancy restaurant; this is about as informal as you can get, and it's not even enclosed - it's open with a roof over it. The food here is extremely inexpensive, and this place is never crowded (we're often the only customers), so there can't be a lot of money around. It's strange to walk into the shack that serves as our club house and see a guy with a submachine gun standing there. He's a very friendly guy, but jeez ...

Macman

[thailover57]

Mac, ten years ago my company said the number one industry in the Phils was kidnapping foreign nationals and holding them for ransom. If the family didn't come up with the money quickly, they would sell the person to another group. I think this may be the reason you see so many guns, etc. I hope not, but who knows. Please be careful.

[Macman]

I don't know, TL, maybe. There doesn't seem to be much threat of that here. I know that our State Department warned Americans not to travel south of Midinau though.

Angel just got back from buying some rice. Coming back home, she got the same tricycle driver she had going there. He told her that a lot of his passengers that have seen her have commented on how beautiful she is, and asked if she's a ladyboy. He said that he wasn't sure at first, and agreed that she's very beautiful. (I guess she's been a passenger a few times before today.) Believe me, that made her day.

While she was gone, I was thinking that it's easy to prove that she's truly a woman. She'll want to buy a new pair of shoes, even though she already has 14 pairs, including a few pairs of boots. She'll stop and window shop and gush over a new handbag, even though she has 7 of them. On the other hand, I had told her that I wanted to take care of cleaning the frying pans because she was scrubbing them too hard,and wearing off the non-stick surface. You have to hear her moaning when she thinks I'm putting a few too many drops of dish-washing liquid in the pan for soaking. Ohhh, I'm wasting so much money. So now she dilutes the stuff. If that's not a woman ....

Macman

[Surin Nix]

So how long have you been there in total Mac?

Any second thoughts? Regrets?

Nix

[Macman]

It'll be 2 months on Tuesday, Nix. No second thoughts, no regrets, but certainly pangs of homesickness from time to time. I'm glad that it's so inexpensive to call back to the States, but living with Angel is even better than I thought it would be. She's an absolute doll.

Macman

[Surin Nix]

It'll be 2 months on Tuesday, Nix. No second thoughts, no regrets, but certainly pangs of homesickness from time to time. I'm glad that it's so inexpensive to call back to the States, but living with Angel is even better than I thought it would be. She's an absolute doll.

Macman

I am delighted to hear that!

What a great story of a man living his truth, on his own terms. I admire you for that.....and continue to wish you and Angel all the best. Someday, I hope to meet you two.

Nix

[thailover57]

I second SN's comments. Good for you Mac.

[indigo66]

I know that our State Department warned Americans not to travel south of Midinau though.

Sorry to interupt you but I'm sure you're talking about Mindanao instead of Midinau. I'm not into hairsplitting.

I've been several times to Mindanao, never had problems there. That area is undervalued and also unknown territory to lots of Filipinos living in Luzon. I've been to Basilan (the island of kidnappings) but not any further than that, too dangerous ...

Good luck with your girlfriend.

[Macman]

Thanks, Nix and TL for your comments. I appreciate it. Indigo, you're probably right. I find that there are a number of places to which my friends refer that sound similar to another town. That reminds me of something that I keep forgetting to post. A while back Nix asked me if they still have the "Philippine Rabbits" here, and I said that they have what they call "jitneys." Actually I misheard. We have "jeepnies." Hey you know what name I love? There's a town in Bohol named Tagbilarin. Doesn't that have a Celtic ring to it? Sounds like it should be right around Tipperary instead of here in P.I.

Macman