Mabuhay Manila

Hey Jay, seriously man you might want to consider springing for a doctor visit. On another thread we find another AZBer who just returned from the P.I. is in the hospital with dengue fever. Link.......http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=199774

I'm enjoying your tales, both the narrative and the writing style.:thumbup:
 
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the_general said:
I'm glad to hear wonderful stories Jay. Too bad I wasn't able to meet you last Friday at Hobbies as well. But you met my friends, Darwin and maybe the others. Vic is the house pro there, very nice guy. All the people there are nice. If you're still here for the World Cup Of Pool, I would surely love to bump into you. :)

Les
Click to expand...


Hey Lee,

I will be working at both the World Cup this week and the Predator Ten Ball next week. Please come and say hi to me. You too Krypto. You called it right about having the "cowboy" spirit over here. I compare it too hanging out in Vegas in the 60's and 70's when it was totally mob ruled. I'm just an old cowboy with a cue, looking for a game. Sometimes if I play good I get the money and the girl! :wink:
 
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jay helfert said:
Hey Lee,

I will be working at both the World Cup this week and the Predator Ten Ball next week. Please come and say hi to me. You too Krypto. You called it right about having the "cowboy" spirit over here. I compare it too hanging out in Vegas in the 60's and 70's when it was totally mob ruled. I'm just an old cowboy with a cue, looking for a game. Sometimes if I play good I get the money and the girl! :wink:
Click to expand...

Totally...........................:thumbup:
 
AnitoKid said:
I like the part they bring in their champion and he turned out
to be Dodong Andam, who is also a buddy of yours, Jay! HA!

And you played at the YoYo (YOng and the YOung Once) Club's
9-ball tournament at Hobbies! I also play there - when work still
allowed me to do so. However, I'm on the graveyard shift now. Bummer! :(

I have scheduled my leave of absences for September 2010 - all to
coincide with the tours happening this month. Hope to see you sometime!

Btw, have you tried playing at AMF-Puyat Superbowl at the Makati Cinema Square, Jay?
You should try it! 20 pool tables there, including one Diamond! And I kid you not!
Members of the Makati Pool Association hang out there starting 5 PM onwards, Monday to Saturday.
It is also open on Sundays, Jay.

Here's looking to you having more fun and adventures!


AnitoKid
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Meeting up with Jeff (Masirib5) early afternoon at the AMF -Puyat Superbowl.

:)
 
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Now that you are in Manila, you can consider that Manila is your new donkey Russ!

--Jeff
 
Masirib5 said:
Now that you are in Manila, you can consider that Manila is your new donkey Russ!

--Jeff
Click to expand...

Funny Jeff!!! But i don't play so good, so I think I am the Donkey!!

I am having a great time here. Its just as I thought it would be and I feel totally safe here.

Just be firm with the hustlers/vendors and have a good time. :)

Most here are super friendly.
 
jay helfert said:
Hey Lee,

I will be working at both the World Cup this week and the Predator Ten Ball next week. Please come and say hi to me. You too Krypto. You called it right about having the "cowboy" spirit over here. I compare it too hanging out in Vegas in the 60's and 70's when it was totally mob ruled. I'm just an old cowboy with a cue, looking for a game. Sometimes if I play good I get the money and the girl! :wink:
Click to expand...

That's great news! Of course, I'll go up and say "hi". :) See you tomorrow at the World Cup! :)
 
Tbeaux said:
Hey Jay, seriously man you might want to consider springing for a doctor visit. On another thread we find another AZBer who just returned from the P.I. is in the hospital with dengue fever. Link.......http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=199774

I'm enjoying your tales, both the narrative and the writing style.:thumbup:
Click to expand...

It's a problem in the Philippines. I wear a mosquito patch everytime and I buy mosquito spray and spray my hotel room before leaving for the day.

My 2 kids in Cebu did get dengue recently, but it was caught very early on and they recovered very well.

Praying that he recovers well.
 
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jay helfert said:
They ask me if I want to play. YES, I answer, I want your champion! That brings a smile from everyone. They tell me they have someone to play me and they will get him. Soon none other than Leonardo Andam (the Rattlesnake) strolls in and takes one look at me and smiles broadly. He gives me a hug and the whole room smiles along with us. Leo tells them that he has known me since he first came to the USA over 20 years ago. We reminisce for a while talking about the upcoming tournaments.
Click to expand...

Great story Jay, all of it, but especially this part!
 
BlowFish said:
It's a problem in the Philippines. I wear a mosquito patch everytime and I buy mosquito spray and spray my hotel room before leaving for the day.

My 2 kids in Cebu did get dengue recently, but it was caught very early on and they recovered very well.

Praying that he recovers well.
Click to expand...



Well I know Jay is aware of the dengue fever and other problems, what worries me is he sounds like he may be pushing himself in the heat after having oral work done and being generally run down after the trip.Even the meds he's using can have a bad effect from getting over heated.
I've had heat prostration/stroke twice, it permanently kicks your butt. LOL
 
I'm feeling fine now, after three days on Amoxillin. The sore throat has almost completely gone away. Yesterday was the press conference for the World Cup at a very nice Italian restaurant adjoining the Mall where the tournament will be played. Matchroom always does it up right, with a nice buffet laid out for the assembled media. Seemed like every newspaper and TV station was there in force. At the podium were Efren and Django the defending champs, Dennis O. and Roberto G. the "2nd" team from the PI (I like their chances here), and Ralf and Oliver representing Germany, the runners-up last year.

When the time came for the media to ask questions, I asked Efren how it remains motivated at age 57, after forty years playing pool. He responded that pool has been good for him and made him a happy man. His life was good because of pool so he would always love the game. Then he added he has always been lucky at pool. I liked that last line, so Efrenesque!

The set up in the mall is awesome with seating for maybe three hundred around the table and FOUR levels of the mall overlooking the arena, with balconies all around. It will be packed each day I am sure, with people literally hanging from the rafters. This is Manila after all, the heart of pool on the planet!

Last night I went to Puyat's Superbowl to check out their new Diamond table. It is the first Diamond set up in the PI and is Efren's personal table. He comes by every few days to hit balls there with the locals. You can play on it any time, though the time is double that of the other tables. Last night the house pro, "Coach Boyette" was playing with a young player named Chris. He is really a coach working with the younger players at a training facility at Rizal Park. He can play too (what else is new), as I observed him running out with little trouble. Darwin introduced me to Boyette and we talked a bit between games. He was very stoked to be playing on the first Diamond in Manila (it had only been installed a week ago), and asked me if I had ever played on one. I said sure, I have one just like it in my home. This answer stunned him and he looked at me like what did you just say. I told him I had one of Diamonds old tournament tables and I also loved the way it played.

Darwin told Boyette and Chris that I was there to do commentary for the World Cup. That led to Boyette questioning me about my co-coms. Only later did I learn from Darwin that Boyette knew all about me and was just looking for my opinion on a couple of guys I work with there. Darwin assures me later that the very knowledgeable filipino audience enjoys my commentary but is more critical of a couple of the other guys. Interesting how cleverly Boyette squeezed some answers out of me about them. I can't really say anything critical of my co-coms. I enjoy working with all of them, and we are friends as welL. It's a tough audience to please over here. They take their pool seriously!

After watching Boyette pulverize young Chris he asks if I would like to play. I tell him sure, but I am still getting used to my new cue. They (Chris and Boyette) check out the cue and question me about it. Is it custom? Who made it? How much? etc. When I tell them the cue maker in Angeles who made the cue, they shake their heads knowingly. Seems in the PI pool scene, everyone knows everyone! Kind of like in America. I'm thinking I will have to play Boyette but a couple of players on the next table are waiting for his coaching help and he hands me off to Chris. Thank goodness, I didn't want to be a rack boy! Chris and I play maybe eight or ten games and split about even. He shoots good but loses the cue ball a lot. He is very friendly and we chat while we play. This Diamond is a little softer than mine with new Simoniz and slightly more forgiving pockets. But it is still a Diamond and I feel right at home, banging the banks in from funny angles. Chris has already learned that the banks play shorter on this table but he doesn't yet realize what you can do to a bank shot here. I show him a couple of good ones and that opens his eyes. He has one cross side bank at an acute angle and I can see he is hesitant to shoot it. I tell him it goes, just make sure not to double kiss the ball. He makes a swish in the pocket and is very pleased.

Darwin and I say our good byes and we are off to One Side. We enter to see a game in progress between Lee Van and Dennis. A Rotation Race to 16 for 50,000p we are informed. Dennis has a healthy lead 12-6 but Lee Van fights back to tie it at 13. Dennis is off balance now but shows a lot of heart and muscles up with a couple of excellent runs to win 16-13. After the match, I tease them that they will be playing each other for the next forty years! They laugh at this. Little do I know that they have been playing three days in a row now. Watching two great players play Rotation is a treat. It makes 9-Ball or Ten Ball look simple. This is a game that takes extreme talent to play well. And we have been watching two of the best. Efren is considered the best ever in the PI. And this may remain to this day!

Got to run now. I have been texted that I'm working the first match today with Ted Lerner. Hopefully there is an internet feed for the World Cup. This will be one great event with all the top dogs here. Single elimination, races to eight. There will be upsets aplenty!
 
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jay helfert said:
I'm feeling fine now, after three days on Amoxillin. The sore throat has almost completely gone away. Yesterday was the press conference for the World Cup at a very nice Italian restaurant adjoining the Mall where the tournament will be played. Matchroom always does it up right, with a nice buffet laid out for the assembled media. Seemed like every newspaper and TV station was there in force. At the podium were Efren and Django the defending champs, Dennis O. and Roberto G. the "2nd" team from the PI (I like their chances here), and Ralf and Oliver representing Germany, the runners-up last year.

When the time came for the media to ask questions, I asked Efren how it remains motivated at age 57, after forty years playing pool. He responded that pool has been good for him and made him a happy man. His life was good because of pool so he would always love the game. Then he added he has always been lucky at pool. I liked that last line, so Efrenesque!

The set up in the mall is awesome with seating for maybe three hundred around the table and FOUR levels of the mall overlooking the arena, with balconies all around. It will be packed each day I am sure, with people literally hanging from the rafters. This is Manila after all, the heart of pool on the planet!

Last night I went to Puyat's Superbowl to check out their new Diamond table. It is the first Diamond set up in the PI and is Efren's personal table. He comes by every few days to hit balls there with the locals. You can play on it any time, though the time is double that of the other tables. Last night the house pro, "Coach Boyette" was playing with a young player named Chris. He is really a coach working with the younger players at a training facility at Rizal Park. He can play too (what else is new), as I observed him running out with little trouble. Darwin introduced me to Boyette and we talked a bit between games. He was very stoked to be playing on the first Diamond in Manila (it had only been installed a week ago), and asked me if I had ever played on one. I said sure, I have one just like it in my home. This answer stunned him and he looked at me like what did you just say. I told him I had one of Diamonds old tournament tables and I also loved the way it played.

Darwin told Boyette and Chris that I was there to do commentary for the World Cup. That led to Boyette questioning me about my co-coms. Only later did I learn from Darwin that Boyette knew all about me and was just looking for my opinion on a couple of guys I work with there. Darwin assures me later that the very knowledgeable filipino audience enjoys my commentary but is more critical of a couple of the other guys. Interesting how cleverly Boyette squeezed some answers out of me about them. I can't really say anything critical of my co-coms. I enjoy working with all of them, and we are friends as welL. It's a tough audience to please over here. They take their pool seriously!

After watching Boyette pulverize young Chris he asks if I would like to play. I tell him sure, but I am still getting used to my new cue. They (Chris and Boyette) check out the cue and question me about it. Is it custom? Who made it? How much? etc. When I tell them the cue maker in Angeles who made the cue, they shake their heads knowingly. Seems in the PI pool scene, everyone knows everyone! Kind of like in America. I'm thinking I will have to play Boyette but a couple of players on the next table are waiting for his coaching help and he hands me off to Chris. Thank goodness, I didn't want to be a rack boy! Chris and I play maybe eight or ten games and split about even. He shoots good but loses the cue ball a lot. He is very friendly and we chat while we play. This Diamond is a little softer than mine with new Simoniz and slightly more forgiving pockets. But it is still a Diamond and I feel right at home, banging the banks in from funny angles. Chris has already learned that the banks play shorter on this table but he doesn't yet realize what you can do to a bank shot here. I show him a couple of good ones and that opens his eyes. He has one cross side bank at an acute angle and I can see he is hesitant to shoot it. I tell him it goes, just make sure not to double kiss the ball. He makes a swish in the pocket and is very pleased.

Darwin and I say our good byes and we are off to One Side. We enter to see a game in progress between Lee Van and Dennis. A Rotation Race to 16 for 50,000p we are informed. Dennis has a healthy lead 12-6 but Lee Van fights back to tie it at 13. Dennis is off balance now but shows a lot of heart and muscles up with a couple of excellent runs to win 16-13. After the match, I tease them that they will be playing each other for the next forty years! They laugh at this. Little do I know that they have been playing three days in a row now. Watching two great players play Rotation is a treat. It makes 9-Ball or Ten Ball look simple. This is a game that takes extreme talent to play well. And we have been watching two of the best. Efren is considered the best ever in the PI. And this may remain to this day!

Got to run now. I have been texted that I'm working the first match today with Ted Lerner. Hopefully there is an internet feed for the World Cup. This will be one great event with all the top dogs here. Single elimination, races to eight. There will be upsets aplenty!
Click to expand...

That's what I'm talking about!
Now I can get some sleep.
 
vickoy said:
very kind words, i just know how to hit balls hahahaha Yes, hope to play with you next time.

Hej Krypto, hope to meet you as well in MNL
Click to expand...

Hey Vickoy. Sure thing my friend. I'll be in the pool room near Mandaluyong where the locals are making payday of the Gago Cano from Alabama (smile).

Hey, Jay. For those of us arriving to watch the Sweet 16 and International on the North EDSA, when and where can we score tickets for some decent seats? I'll be in school until 4pm, but hope to get there each evening before 6pm. Will I still be able to get a good seat, or should I just stay at the poolroom and forget about it?

As far as Jay's illness, I just want to remind AZ Members visiting Manila to keep a careful check on your drinks when you are at the bars and clubs. Sorry to say this, but some folks will drug you, and yes it has happened to me once in Bacolod City. I'm not much of a drinker, but I could tell when it hit me as it came on strong and fast (a sudden staggering intoxication). I immediately got up, overpaid my bill to avoid any delays and barely made my way back to my room. I did pass out on my bed fully clothed. The headache lasted for another full day. I am sure this isn't what happened to Jay, but it is prudent to have those San Miguels delivered unopened and in the bottle unless you are with several friends to back you up.

Looking forward to more stories Jay. I'm gonna have to buy that book of yours man, but I want it autographed by the Man.
 
Krypto said:
Hey Vickoy. Sure thing my friend. I'll be in the pool room near Mandaluyong where the locals are making payday of the Gago Cano from Alabama (smile).
Click to expand...
hahahaha maybe you're just a giver, we have a lot of billirds friends at your area (north). They usually plays at elbow room or Rob Galeria. Les (TG) is on that area as well so he might play with you or refer you to decent players.
 
Arrived at the World Cup of Pool tournament rather late, around 4 PM.
Shook hands with the main man - Jay - while Team Korea
was battling it out with Team Italy. The gorgeous duo of Team Korea
were dressed in all black outfits. Twas one interesting match!
To wit, Yu Ram Cha seemed to have gotten better and stronger
in her game! And I kid you not!

One unforgettable shot from Yu Ram was her attempt to hit a 5-ball
that was partly covered by a cluster. Not only did she hit it,
she managed to pocket in via long rail to the corner pocket!
This had the crowd applauding!

Ted Lerner was also there - had a great conversation with him about
Django Bustamante. It's been quite a time since I last saw buddy.
Django's wife also came to see him play, as well as Susan Reyes, wife of the Magician.

Notable personalities in the stands included Masirib5, The General, Vin, and Kaduku (Roleigh). Bob Guerrero, Anthony Suntay, and Biboy Soriano
were also at the media table. I think i saw PoolHustler there at the
stands, too.

Here's looking forward to more exciting matches!

AnitoKid
 
AnitoKid said:
Arrived at the World Cup of Pool tournament rather late, around 4 PM.
Shook hands with the main man - Jay - while Team Korea
was battling it out with Team Italy. The gorgeous duo of Team Korea
were dressed in all black outfits. Twas one interesting match!
To wit, Yu Ram Cha seemed to have gotten better and stronger
in her game! And I kid you not!

One unforgettable shot from Yu Ram was her attempt to hit a 5-ball
that was partly covered by a cluster. Not only did she hit it,
she managed to pocket in via long rail to the corner pocket!
This had the crowd applauding!

Ted Lerner was also there - had a great conversation with him about
Django Bustamante. It's been quite a time since I last saw buddy.
Django's wife also came to see him play, as well as Susan Reyes, wife of the Magician.

Notable personalities in the stands included Masirib5, The General, Vin, and Kaduku (Roleigh). Bob Guerrero, Anthony Suntay, and Biboy Soriano
were also at the media table. I think i saw PoolHustler there at the
stands, too.

Here's looking forward to more exciting matches!

AnitoKid
Click to expand...

Great read AK, thanks my friend.
 
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