Random Philippine musings

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
I got here three days ago and spent most of the time so far with my delightful daughter. When she saw me for the first time (after nearly four months) she jumped on me and squeezed me tightly around the neck and wouldn't let go. I have to tell you that made my whole trip worthwhile :smile:.

Yesterday I made it over Robinson's Galleria Mall to watch the Women's World Ten Ball. First I took the MRT, part of the Manila area subway system, and the line to get tickets is a mile long. Being a senior citizen I sneak in the back way (I'm a smart rat!). Once on the train (only 15 pesos to ride - .35 cts.) it is jam packed and no one can even get in the door when the train finally leaves the station. Can you spell sardine? But it so beats taking a taxi, which is far more expensive (maybe 300P) and will always get bogged down in the most horrific traffic you've ever seen.

Once getting off at the designated stop, I have to walk, and walk some more, negotiating long up and down staircases en route to my destination, maybe a kilometer away. This is par for the course when traveling in Manila. I always lose weight here, as I'm walking literally miles every day! And that's a good thing.

At the ENORMOUS mall I walk deep in the bowels before finding POOL! In a back atrium the TV table is set up with seating for perhaps 150-200 people tops. No matter, as fans line every possible viewing area, including balconies four levels high! I visit with my commentary buddies, Biboy Soriano, Anthony ? and Bob Guerrera and they fill me in on what's up. This is the last day of qualifying in groups and then the field of 48 is cut to 24 for elimination play. I will say this this the folks at Dragon know how to stage a "SHOW." And imo that's a good thing! They are producing Pool for television and do a damn good job of making it exciting for the masses. That is why these women are big stars in Asia!

The first match is Xa-Ting Pan against Lyndall Hurley from Australia, what looks like a mismatch on paper. They are playing on a Yalin table, a nice looking copy of a Gold Crown V. The pockets look fairly soft and both players run out almost every open rack! They are actually playing quite good, as this is Ten Ball, not 9-Ball. It goes 4-4 before Pan takes charge and runs out the last two racks, both not easy. She can absolutely play; solid, steady and unflappable. I like how she looks under pressure, very composed and focused. The Chinese (and Taiwanese) have a Zen quality to their play that puts them above the pack for the most part. Just like the Koreans in women's golf, the Chinese women have become dominant in women's pool, and I can see why. Only a handful of foreign women (the Fishers, Jasmin etc.) can challenge them for the titles over here.

I was disappointed to see not one American woman over here. I'm reminded how far the state of American pool has sunken too. Yes, there are reasons, but this is a World Championship and we have ZERO representatives.

After the match, I head over to the Metro Club, the premier card room in Manila and the site of a major tournament starting tomorrow. Again another long walk and getting directions here is a crap shoot. I am pointed in one direction after another and finally find my way to the correct location, albeit on the other side of a busy thoroughfare. I inquire about getting to the other side and am pointed to an over-crossing far down the road. I notice one small break in the center median where the more intrepid are crossing the road. They wait for a small opening in traffic and make their dash, first to the median and then to the other side. I will join them. Scary but also exhilirating! I love to challenge my aging body to see if I can still run and jump. I'm happy to say that yes I can and make it across without a scratch.

Once inside the Metro Club I'm somewhat disappointed to see a relatively small, dark and dismal card room. I'm so used to the plush card casinos in Los Angeles and Vegas. But there are games and the money is flowing. I put my name on the board and soon find myself in a 10 and 20p game, with a 1,000p buy-in. It's like playing penny ante poker and after quickly losing my 1,000p buy-in (about $25) I quit. I NEED to play in something a bit higher. I wait my turn chatting with a gorgeous waitress, and I do mean gorgeous! I discover she is engaged to an American from Arkansas. Smart guy!

After a while they call me for the 25-50P game, with buy-ins up to 5,000p, a little more to my liking. They are playing fast and I pick up some good hands right away. They try to bluff me with big bets (1,000p and up), but the money still seems small to me and I refuse to fold hands like top pair. I'm winning nearly 10,000p in the first thirty minutes before they see I am one American who is hard to bluff (the only foreigner at the table). I got my training years ago sitting at tables in L.A. full of Vietnamese players, and they were all very strong players. Not so here, as I'm guessing only two or three guys at my table understand the odds and correct play. The rest simply try to out bet you.

I eat a luscious steak dinner served to me by Ms. Philippines herself. OMG she's so lovely! The total meal is about $10 and I give her a 50p tip. She is thrilled to get such a big tip! The game slows down, but not before I watch several players buy and buy more chips, pouring thousands of pesos into this game. The house is taking a big cut from each pot but this game is still beatable. I quit after a few hours ready to return to my hotel. I cash out 6,500 to the good (about $160), a nice score over here.

That's when I notice THE POOL TABLE hidden in a corner of the room. A game is in progress, some strange form of Eight Ball. Turns out that Rey-Rey, an excellent player who looks like a clone of Alex (turns out he's Efren's nephew) is spotting the other guy the side pockets to the full table. Rey-Rey must make ALL his balls in the side and the other guy can use all the pockets. I've never seen a game like this, a huge handicap. To be continued!
 
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I got here three days ago and spent most of the time so far with my delightful daughter. When she saw me for the first time (after nearly four months) she jumped on me and squeezed me tightly around the neck and wouldn't let go. I have to tell you that made my whole trip worthwhile :smile:.

I trust your girlfriend gave a nice tight hug (or something) too! :eek: :D

I hope we get some more cool stories of your trip, as in the past. Are you planning on getting into any action?
 
NICE! Keep the stories coming.

I sometimes imagine that I am seeing it through your eyes.

Take some pics of the card rooms, the event room and other areas and post them in your threads. I want an updated picture of the pool player LoLong.
 
Part Two:

This computer is freezing up on me and making it difficult to post.

Anyway, the game is for 2,000p and it's a Race to Three. I'm the only foreigner watching and of course they begin to hustle me to play. It's a big crowd around the table and everyone is laughing and joking in Tagolog. I don't understand a word but I love it anyway. Little Rey-Rey looks like a clone of Alex and is a good player. That much I can see. He eventually wins (the other guy is helpless, missing many easy shots). Now the hustlers go to work on me. I Know I'm in a bad spot here but no matter, I'm itching to play anyway. I don't have my cue or my tools but one guy agrees to let me use his cue.

I get hustled hard by a guy who based on what I can understand is the best player there. I tell them that I know the filipinos are the best players in the world but there are some Americans who can play too. I say that I like to start at the top and work my way down. They all laugh at that. I convince this guy to play me Bank Pool and he agrees to a race to three for 2,000p. I'm unfamiliar with the table or the cue and I'm playing a very good pool hustler. The games are close and he catches on quickly and makes some good banks. I finally get a feel for the table and run a three in the last game. I had already scratched about three or four times in the first two games. I just had no idea how it rolled and these tables over here take some getting used to. He wins the last game 5-4 and I quit. I'm still a pretty good winner for the day and now I will be a familiar face in there when I return. I like it that way. I'm going back later today to play in the big poker tournament scheduled to start today. 5,500p entry fee and a million peso guarantee (about 50K). Small by our standards but big over there. I will bring my cue this time just in case. :smile:
 
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WOW Jay,
after talking to you in Burbank about your daughter wondering why you were in the box, I can just see her clinging to your neck:D

Keep the stories coming, and take notes for your next (or third?) book.
:D:D
 
I talked to one of my customers at work the other day and he's engaged to a girl in the Phillipines. And we're in Arkansas.

What are the chances that.....? Nah.

Jay, has anyone mistaken you for Bruce Willis over there yet? ;)
 
I talked to one of my customers at work the other day and he's engaged to a girl in the Phillipines. And we're in Arkansas.

What are the chances that.....? Nah.

Jay, has anyone mistaken you for Bruce Willis over there yet? ;)

Ask him if she works at the Metro card club in Manila. You never know. They don't even know or care about Bruce Willis over here, but they all know Shane Van Boening!
 
Thank you for Sharing Jay...you put me front row,really
enjoyed the read..hope you win the card game.
 
welcome back to manila jay. you must have ridden the lrt at rush hour, from 7am to 10am then 4pm to 7pm. after those times the trains are not crowded anymore.
 
I have TONS of Philippine Musings. LOL. Bought my Honey Mo's family a Piggery. Of course they ran it into the ground. I'm so foolish what did I expect?
True story. My friend "Ed" from Canada, built a house and Sari Sari store for his Honey Ko in Naval, Biliaran. Stocked the the place...At the end of the month...His inlaw's were perplexed? "No money" how am I going to replenish the store???

Should'a thought about that before you celebrated your windfall "It's not an endless gravey-train".

The typical Pinoy sees a "Kano" and ATM appears on his forehead.

Back to Ed. He bought a new Honda TMX 155, put a trike on it, licensed it, give his brother in law a chance to make an honest living without holding out his hand...fair enough.

Ed told him to change the oil every 2000 klicks...take care of it. Went back to work, came back to the PI 16 months later...still hasn't changed the oil...Ed got pissed off. His brother in-law learned his lesson. Ed went back to work again....next time he "visited" his brother in-law had unscrewed the odometer cable, so it wasn't accruing any mileage.

I said "Ed" why didn't you just buy a case of oil, so he didn't have to "worry" about it".

Because he would have sold it!!!

There are "Hustlers" at every level of society in the PI and Pool is the least of the worries.
 
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Thank God for Jay compared to you Pangit. You always manage to put some negative spin on everything. Always negative on the Philippines and Filipinos. What the hell does your post have to do with what Jay is talking about? You are a sick MF, MF.

Jay loves the Philippines and has great experiences and learnings that he shares. You share sh_t!

Can't you bring yourself to say anything positive, ever?
 
Dickbag retired military expat musings aside, I really enjoy just about any of Jay's threads. I particularly enjoy the threads about visiting the Philippines, and hope the computer issues clear up so more can be posted.
 
Thank God for Jay compared to you Pangit. You always manage to put some negative spin on everything. Always negative on the Philippines and Filipinos. What the hell does your post have to do with what Jay is talking about? You are a sick MF, MF.

Jay loves the Philippines and has great experiences and learnings that he shares. You share sh_t!

Can't you bring yourself to say anything positive, ever?

Although I can appreciate the insight that I, an american, can take in from Pangit's post, I see what you are saying. I am attracted to positive people and always try to look for the good. Jay, from all that I know of him, has always done the same and found the good more often than not. But yet, Pangit related an insight to a country/culture of which I am not very familiar. That's educational, but may be treading on Jay's thread a hair.

There's bad EVERYWHERE. Choose what your focus is upon I say!

Keep the "diary" coming Jay!
 
Thank God for Jay compared to you Pangit. You always manage to put some negative spin on everything. Always negative on the Philippines and Filipinos. What the hell does your post have to do with what Jay is talking about? You are a sick MF, MF.

Jay loves the Philippines and has great experiences and learnings that he shares. You share sh_t!

Can't you bring yourself to say anything positive, ever?

'Gitty brings a bit of balance to Jay's wide-eyed optimism. Both's good.
 
I have TONS of Philippine Musings. LOL. Bought my Honey Mo's family a Piggery. Of course they ran it into the ground. I'm so foolish what did I expect?
True story. My friend "Ed" from Canada, built a house and Sari Sari store for his Honey Ko in Naval, Biliaran. Stocked the the place...At the end of the month...His inlaw's were perplexed? "No money" how am I going to replenish the store???

Should'a thought about that before you celebrated your windfall "It's not an endless gravey-train".

The typical Pinoy sees a "Kano" and ATM appears on his forehead.

Back to Ed. He bought a new Honda TMX 155, put a trike on it, licensed it, give his brother in law a chance to make an honest living without holding out his hand...fair enough.

Ed told him to change the oil every 2000 klicks...take care of it. Went back to work, came back to the PI 16 months later...still hasn't changed the oil...Ed got pissed off. His brother in-law learned his lesson. Ed went back to work again....next time he "visited" his brother in-law had unscrewed the odometer cable, so it wasn't accruing any mileage.

I said "Ed" why didn't you just buy a case of oil, so he didn't have to "worry" about it".

Because he would have sold it!!!

There are "Hustlers" at every level of society in the PI and Pool is the least of the worries.

See, you just proved that everything bad that I have said about you was so true!!! You are really an ass. Ever have anything positive to say? If its so bad there in PI, why the Fvck are you living there??
 
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