Makati City, Philippines

[slang]

So how is the light rail, you might ask? A great deal. The railcars are clean, cool and cheap to ride.

Very interesting. Much different than home.

[slang]

So we stumble across a man that has a fighting cock out in front of his barbershop. She asks if I can take some pictures, he says yes....and I resist using the strangely akward, but totally culturally acceptable phrase...."nice cock ya got there".

[slang]

Taking photos here and there in the midday heat, just minding my own business and enjoying all the fascinating things to see here..

Next thing I know, a motorcycle cop rolls up and politely asks me what I'm doing taking all the pics.

slang -"Just very interested and curious about Makati, Ma'am"

cop - "No more photos....this is private property"

slang - "ok, I've not come all this way to get arrested, how should we fix this? Do you want the photos erased?"

cop - "no, just......no more pictures please...have a nice visit...no more pics please"


Fair enough.

[slang]

How popular might a movie about cold weather be here?

[slang]

The SEA games were in Manila this year. Hooray for parking lots in the streets and cabs waiting for half hour intervals without aircon.

[slang]

Ever been outside the US and not speak the native language....and realize you probably should before you go out like you belong there?

I have now.

This is the line at the MRT, light rail, in what I can only assume was some type of spot check for terrorists.

We all know how many Americans like to blow things up....but not with little body bombs. Not our style.

So the line that normally moves quickly is now slowed down to a crawl because of a (outter) body and bag search in which there is only one officer conducting the searches.

The Filipinos were all pretty patient about the whole thing but let me tell you, I'd have taken a freakin' cab if I knew the line would be moving that slow and to take another 45 minutes.

[slang]

We went to to the volcano yesterday. The little one that pokes out of the ocean.

We didnt get more than 2 miles away though due to my extreme frugality and the expense of taking a boat to the island and then riding a horse up the hills, etc, etc...

It's a very nice looking area there so the photos came out pretty good.

[slang]

Originally Posted by Griff

You should really be carrying shims so they know you're serious about your drink. (match books may suffice)

shims are cheap too. I'm all over that suggestion Griff.

[wolf]

Originally Posted by slang

The hospitals here are not the same as the US either so after busting your ass, there's not nearly the chance that some talented doctor can repair it without shipping you back home.

That is because all of their talented doctors fled the country and are here working in the US being paid by insurance reimbursment, rather than in chickens and pigs.

[Tonchi]

OK, Slang, by mutual agreement Luisa and I will not be making any further comments on this thread. I thought your decisions were "strange" in the beginning, but now it has moved through "weird" and gone to "surreal". Because I choose to believe you are actually an intelligent man, I have to say you are doing all this as part of a deliberate plan


Luisa says:
Crap! Bonifacio city! What was he doing taking pictures at a military camp? ?He wan'st int he comemrcial district. He was out of bounds on military proeprty. That was no cop. That was military police!
Tonchi says:
what did I tell you
Luisa says:
Of course nobody else would be telling you this.
Luisa says:
I now believe he took those pictures for a reason.
Luisa says:
That is the entrance tot he camp
Luisa says:
Jesus christ!
Luisa says:
I am inspectign the photo he took where the cop approache dhim.
Luisa says:
He was at PACES. That is our rapid response Kidnap team.
Luisa says:
They are called in for immediate action on terrorist threats.
Tonchi says:
Accidentally there, of course
Luisa says:
What in the blazes!? If he weren't american he would have been hauled in for questioning and beaten to a pulp at the very least.
Tonchi says:
maybe he was, or at least arrested
Luisa says:
No. he said he wasn't.
Luisa says:
American's don't get arrested here.


BTW, you don't have to kill us now, we're already on the same side

[slang]

Originally Posted by Tonchi

....gone to "surreal". Because I choose to believe you are actually an intelligent man, I have to say you are doing all this as part of a deliberate plan.

The plan is what it always is when I travel. To understand and be able to fairly compare that country in all aspects to those things in the US. For understanding of those people and that culture as much as possible in the short time that I'm there.

That's always the prime directive although most everyone thinks I'm with the CIA or some spook BS.

Not true. I'm just curious and have a camera with a large memory card.

To capture all those seemingly insignificant things that I see that are somehow different but are of little or no consequence.

I've got over 2 gigs of "common" photos of all sorts of uniquely Pinoy sights and things.

There's only been one man at the barangay that's even asked a single question about the numbers and sorts of photos that have been taken aside from the nice lady on the motorbike.

After an hour of conversation and a few follow up chats, he's comfortable with me hanging around now.

Still dont have a photo of him though.

Originally Posted by Tonchi

Crap! Bonifacio city! What was he doing taking pictures at a military camp? ?He wan'st int he comemrcial district. He was out of bounds on military proeprty. That was no cop. That was military police!

And what a lovely military cop she was. Not great with English but very pleasant.

That shot was taken 100 feet away from "market! market!" and there were exactly zero signs on site or on the net that no pics should be taken there.

A truly lovely area I might also add. The most "fun" and pleasant area that I've seen here so far.

Originally Posted by Tonchi

BTW, you don't have to kill us now, we're already on the same side

No doubts about that. Aside from some wiseasses, people here take good care of me. And when ever possible we stop to chat and answer questions people might have.

[slang]

Originally Posted by wolf

That is because all of their talented doctors fled the country and are here working in the US being paid by insurance reimbursment, rather than in chickens and pigs.

Yes, the chickens here are tastier but nothing like getting paid in solid western currency.

Dont let them hear you say that all the talented docs came to the US though, they get a little defensive when you reach the boundries of that conversation.

[wolf]

Only because it's true.

[Luisa]

No objections from me. I acknowledge the fact that we have a major brain drain going on here. Doctors have actually stopped being doctors and started studying to become nurses in the hopes of getting the better life anywhere but here. In fact, at this rate, we have the practicum nurses outnumbering the practicum doctors at any given time in any given hospital. Pretty soon, we may have the nurses doubling as doctors.

Now if only these doctors turned nurses would remember that they were hired as nurses and stop messing with the REAL (read as accredited to practice in that country) doctors prescriptions and diagnosis in whatever country it is they are in so they would stop getting black listed and deported in shame then coming back here and telling horror stories about why this and that country is racist and bad.

:

[Luisa]

Originally Posted by slang

That shot was taken 100 feet away from "market! market!" and there were exactly zero signs on site or on the net that no pics should be taken there.

Okay Slang, just so you know, Market ! Market! is located within the "demilitarized" zone of FORT BONIFACIO. It is located within a military camp and right now, nobody really knows where the boundaries stand. Long story, has to do with some unpaid real estate taxes and idle military property and stuff. Too boring to tell. It really seems to me that you found yourself within, if not too close to, the military zone. Be glad you are a tall, well built American, the cop did not dare try to shake you down for a "picture taking fee" or anything. He probably figured you could hurl him into the place he was guarding with one hand tied behind your back and cut his losses before you got wise to him .