Back in Manila again
- Thread starter jay helfert
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jay helfert said:Last night I took Michaela to Pool Fusion, which has nice Brunswick Metros. We start playing and the young house man sees I can play and challenges me. It's the PI. Why am I not surprised. He also asks about a bet. I tell him I play good, but he just smiles. I'm not really in the mood tonite. I just wanted a fun nite out with M. I agree to play him a few though and the kid (Mike) shoots straight. But he hasn't a clue about safety play in Eight Ball, so I win three in a row, with no bet.
His boss Troy comes over to watch. Now he challenges me. Okay, why not. He also wants a friendly game for 500p, a Race To Three. Sure, sure I say a friendly game. I play my best pool of the trip and win three in a row. Troy has one open shot and failed to get out. He says let's play again. So we do, but my heart isn't that into it. I want to get back to M. who is getting bored on "our" date. Troy plays very strong now, running out a couple of racks and wins set two. We are even, and I tell him thanks for the game. I give Mike a 50p tip for letting me use his cue, and we prepare to leave. OOPS! They present me with a bill for almost 500p, for the pool game and two ice teas. I'm a little pissed. I thought since I played with both house men, I would get a break or pay nothing for the pool anyway.
They are quietly smiling now, and I whip a 500p note on them. My only regret now is that I did not bear down and try to win the second set with Troy. I'll know better next time. Troy is Chinese/Filipino and he is a player. He smiles afterwards and tells me he is an amateur. Then he informs me that he has won the Manila Amateur Championship. You have no idea how good the "amateurs" are over here. Basically, a third tier player can be called an amateur. They are run out players. So, I am working my way up the food chain here.
All righty then, toughen up and bring back a scalp. Let 'em eat GINGERBREAD!
JoeyA
jay helfert said:Last night I took Michaela to Pool Fusion, which has nice Brunswick Metros. We start playing and the young house man sees I can play and challenges me. It's the PI. Why am I not surprised. He also asks about a bet. I tell him I play good, but he just smiles. I'm not really in the mood tonite. I just wanted a fun nite out with M. I agree to play him a few though and the kid (Mike) shoots straight. But he hasn't a clue about safety play in Eight Ball, so I win three in a row, with no bet.
His boss Troy comes over to watch. Now he challenges me. Okay, why not. He also wants a friendly game for 500p, a Race To Three. Sure, sure I say a friendly game. I play my best pool of the trip and win three in a row. Troy has one open shot and failed to get out. He says let's play again. So we do, but my heart isn't that into it. I want to get back to M. who is getting bored on "our" date. Troy plays very strong now, running out a couple of racks and wins set two. We are even, and I tell him thanks for the game. I give Mike a 50p tip for letting me use his cue, and we prepare to leave. OOPS! They present me with a bill for almost 500p, for the pool game and two ice teas. I'm a little pissed. I thought since I played with both house men, I would get a break or pay nothing for the pool anyway.
They are quietly smiling now, and I whip a 500p note on them. My only regret now is that I did not bear down and try to win the second set with Troy. I'll know better next time. Troy is Chinese/Filipino and he is a player. He smiles afterwards and tells me he is an amateur. Then he informs me that he has won the Manila Amateur Championship. You have no idea how good the "amateurs" are over here. Basically, a third tier player can be called an amateur. They are run out players. So, I am working my way up the food chain here.
Jay I think you have found Paradise, are you moving to the Philippines, or Coming Back to U.S.A. ??
CocoboloCowboy said:Jay I think you have found Paradise, are you moving to the Philippines, or Coming Back to U.S.A. ??
You know, I'm happy the moment my plane lands and stay that way until I have to leave. For me this is a special place. I have a wonderful loving girlfriend who doesn't mind if I play pool every day, as long as I bring her along.
Last night in the hotel I reflected on what it is about the PI I love so much. Manila is crowded, there is poverty everywhere you look, traffic can be a nightmare, and yet people are content in their lives. I see beautiful smiling faces everywhere I look. The women are radiant, and the men courteous and unfailingly gracious. So unlike what I'm used to in big cities in the states. The contrast is palpable.
Last night Michaela (or Bunny as her friends call her) and I went out for a late night walk after the heat of the day had subsided. We found a night club with live music and wandered in. I was greeted warmly as I entered and we were escorted to a table promptly. Two Margaritas later and we were gyrating on the dance floor. The place was packed with little room to breathe, yet everyone got along just fine. I heard no harsh words, no temper tantrums, no jealous rages and NO FIGHTS. In the PI, people know how to enjoy themselves and allow others to do the same.
Quality of life is about a whole lot more than material possessions. It has a lot more to do with enjoying your everyday existence, and they do that quite well over here. There is a reason I keep coming back here. I have a great girlfriend yes, but it is the people who keep bringing me back. There is an unmistakeable friendly spirit I feel when I'm here. Even the armed guards you see in front of every bank and well stocked business greet you as you walk in. It is these common courtesies that I miss so much in the USA. The world I live in when I'm home is full of inconsideration on a daily basis. Unpleasantries are common and rudeness abounds. Yes, there are many nice people where I live in Los Angeles, but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule. The extreme opposite is true over here. Only the occasional short change artist (in the momey changing shops) or thieving cabby reminds you to be on your guard. And these people are easily avoided over here.
Even the disorderly flow of traffic does not create undue tensions. What appears to be "every man for himself" can be scary for first timers. But the large buses give way to cars at the last moment and pedestrians somehow navigate their way across busy boulevards. In this seeming insanity, there are few accidents and NO road rage. Some how, some way, every one makes it to their chosen destination. And that is the way of life in the Philippines. Live and let live and be kind ot others along the way. What's so bad about that?
Tonite I must leave for the states. Two weeks flew by much too quickly.
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jay helfert said:
Very interesting post, Jay. It's something I've been thinking about lately. In the few years I've lived in Texas I've been amazed at how friendly & courteous people are here compared to England. You can strike up a conversation with someone virtually anywhere, try that in my old stomping ground & it'll be a short chat at best.
So, I'm impressed with the folks this side of the Pond but it's true, the Asians seem to have been born with great manners & personality. I was in Singapore as a kid & was amazed at the difference.
Now, I've recently started work at a company that has many Asian employees & what a great bunch they are! So nice & once you get used to it they have a great sense of humour. The one thing that gets me is that a joke never seems to get old with them. You can hear the same line every day & it still gets a laugh!
Glad to hear you to had another great trip, as I expected you would. Hopefully one day I'll head out that way myself.
jay helfert said:
You almost got me teary eyed there Jay, brought back some fond memories...
I hate it when you're being nostalgic about my beloved country Mr. Helfert, it makes me
hate myself more for moving out of there and look for greener pastures in exchange for
better opportunities for myself.
jay helfert said:
Wow, all we did was start to warm-up and you already had to go! No serious business talk nor partying. Geez, 24 hours not being enough goes both ways doesn't it?
Have a safe trip and a relaxing sleep on your flight back to US. I know it won't be long before I see you again because........the islands beckon.
jay helfert said:Last night I took Michaela to Pool Fusion, which has nice Brunswick Metros. We start playing and the young house man sees I can play and challenges me. It's the PI. Why am I not surprised. He also asks about a bet. I tell him I play good, but he just smiles. I'm not really in the mood tonite. I just wanted a fun nite out with M. I agree to play him a few though and the kid (Mike) shoots straight. But he hasn't a clue about safety play in Eight Ball, so I win three in a row, with no bet.
His boss Troy comes over to watch. Now he challenges me. Okay, why not. He also wants a friendly game for 500p, a Race To Three. Sure, sure I say a friendly game. I play my best pool of the trip and win three in a row. Troy has one open shot and failed to get out. He says let's play again. So we do, but my heart isn't that into it. I want to get back to M. who is getting bored on "our" date. Troy plays very strong now, running out a couple of racks and wins set two. We are even, and I tell him thanks for the game. I give Mike a 50p tip for letting me use his cue, and we prepare to leave. OOPS! They present me with a bill for almost 500p, for the pool game and two ice teas. I'm a little pissed. I thought since I played with both house men, I would get a break or pay nothing for the pool anyway.
They are quietly smiling now, and I whip a 500p note on them. My only regret now is that I did not bear down and try to win the second set with Troy. I'll know better next time. Troy is Chinese/Filipino and he is a player. He smiles afterwards and tells me he is an amateur. Then he informs me that he has won the Manila Amateur Championship. You have no idea how good the "amateurs" are over here. Basically, a third tier player can be called an amateur. They are run out players. So, I am working my way up the food chain here.
When I was dating my wife I stayed with her family for a couple days and when we got ready to leave one of her sisters presented me with an itemized bill for the food I had eaten. I was pissed too at the time but what I didn't realize is how poor people are in that country compared to Americans. I was in the Navy making $2,000 a year and I was a millionaire compared to the average Filipino.
What a great post Jay. I couldn't give you more rep, yet.
Much of it is exactly the same way I feel about The Philippines and Filipinos. There's something about the people and the smiles, and it's real hard to put words to it.
Have a safe trip home!
Much of it is exactly the same way I feel about The Philippines and Filipinos. There's something about the people and the smiles, and it's real hard to put words to it.
Have a safe trip home!
jay helfert said:
I read you post, and you appear happy there.
You first paragraph said it all.
You know, I'm happy the moment my plane lands and stay that way until I have to leave. For me this is a special place. I have a wonderful loving girlfriend who doesn't mind if I play pool every day, as long as I bring her along.
Maybe the time in you life has come to move there, and live life, there until you are no longer happy in PI. You are an american citizen, so you can always come back to the USA if you wish.
Glad you had a great time there Jay.
I hope you open a nice hall in Angeles City someday.
I hope you open a nice hall in Angeles City someday.
Someone reminded me here about Southern hospitality. And I have to agree. From Texas to Georgia and North to Kentucky and Virginia are the friendliest people in the USA. This is a huge generality, but I do believe in Southern hospitality. It truly exists for me. New Orleans has always been my favorite big city to visit.
When returning home yesterday, I became glaringly aware of a big difference between Western and Eastern culture. At the Hong Kong airport, I was waiting for my connecting flight to Los Angeles, when a large group of American women sat down near me. They proceeded to talk loudly about their "seminar" in Hong Kong, repeating the mantras they had learned and describing for all to hear what foods they liked and basically everything that happened to them. If you were within 20 feet or so, you couldn't help but hear everything. They all spoke so loud, with frequent loud laughs and yells. Often they had two or three loud conversations going on at once.
I was trying to read a book and found myself mildly annoyed by their behavior. To me, it was rude and disrespectful of the other people around them. I don't really care how much they enjoyed their trip or what they did. I had zero interest in any of it.
Contrasting this I remember what it was like in hotel lobbies and restaurants in the Philippines (and in China also). There is relative quiet, conversations are shared with only those next to you. I cannot hear (nor want to) what is being said on the next table over. Asian people know how to modulate their voices so only those who they want to communicate with can hear them.
After a while, I moved a few rows away from the loud women, where I could only hear their infrequent yelps. Directly behind and across from me were an Asian couple and three Asian men. The couple behind me were talking quietly and I could barely hear their soft voices from only a few feet away. Across from me, the men also spoke with each other. I could tell because their lips were moving. I heard nothing.
Maybe I am being too sensitive, but it's just something I notice now. Even while in the nightclub the other night in Manila, I didn't hear any voices yelling out. Everyone spoke in tones that the music drowned out. Only those around them could hear what they were saying. The only voice I heard clearly was Michaela's and the waitress. Somehow, there is a civility to this that I appreciate.
When returning home yesterday, I became glaringly aware of a big difference between Western and Eastern culture. At the Hong Kong airport, I was waiting for my connecting flight to Los Angeles, when a large group of American women sat down near me. They proceeded to talk loudly about their "seminar" in Hong Kong, repeating the mantras they had learned and describing for all to hear what foods they liked and basically everything that happened to them. If you were within 20 feet or so, you couldn't help but hear everything. They all spoke so loud, with frequent loud laughs and yells. Often they had two or three loud conversations going on at once.
I was trying to read a book and found myself mildly annoyed by their behavior. To me, it was rude and disrespectful of the other people around them. I don't really care how much they enjoyed their trip or what they did. I had zero interest in any of it.
Contrasting this I remember what it was like in hotel lobbies and restaurants in the Philippines (and in China also). There is relative quiet, conversations are shared with only those next to you. I cannot hear (nor want to) what is being said on the next table over. Asian people know how to modulate their voices so only those who they want to communicate with can hear them.
After a while, I moved a few rows away from the loud women, where I could only hear their infrequent yelps. Directly behind and across from me were an Asian couple and three Asian men. The couple behind me were talking quietly and I could barely hear their soft voices from only a few feet away. Across from me, the men also spoke with each other. I could tell because their lips were moving. I heard nothing.
Maybe I am being too sensitive, but it's just something I notice now. Even while in the nightclub the other night in Manila, I didn't hear any voices yelling out. Everyone spoke in tones that the music drowned out. Only those around them could hear what they were saying. The only voice I heard clearly was Michaela's and the waitress. Somehow, there is a civility to this that I appreciate.
jay helfert said:
I'm glad you enjoyed your trip in the Phils. Jay. I hope you also enjoyed the wide variety of oriental dishes that would feed your appetite. I hope that nothing is Kosher for you since most Filipino foods are considered sinful.
anyway, I might as well inquire. what is your favorite Filipino dish?
Hail Mary Shot said:I'm glad you enjoyed your trip in the Phils. Jay. I hope you also enjoyed the wide variety of oriental dishes that would feed your appetite. I hope that nothing is Kosher for you since most Filipino foods are considered sinful.
anyway, I might as well inquire. what is your favorite Filipino dish?
MICHAELA!!!
Just kidding. Well, I don't care much for the breakfasts, but anything else tastes good to me. Even their burgers and chicken have a fresh taste to them. And the seafood is excellent, maybe because it is also served fresh daily.
I have visited the open markets (like the one in Quezon City across from Araneta) and seen all the fresh meat, seafood, poultry and produce being delivered daily to restaurants and private individuals.
I'm a very reformed Jew, meaning that bacon and pork may pass these lips.
