A few tidbits from Malate
Greetings one and all from Malate. Am here for a 5-day short stay as part of a larger Asia trip that also includes KL, Bangkok, Pattaya and Isaan. Budget is generally tight, but this sidetrip was made possible with low-cost carriers and the (now-expired) Orbitz $200-off-for-5-days deal from last summer. That deal dropped the cost for the Palm Plaza to $123 or so all-in for 5 nights, or around $25 nett/night.
Flew Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur to Clark. Very inconvenient departure time (7:20 a.m.) for the one flight, but fortunately the bus service from KL Sentral to the faraway airport runs all through the night. The plane was about 70% full and the fare (booked well in advance) an amazing $60 or so all-in for the nearly 4-hour flight. The bus service from Clark to Pasay (P350) worked pretty well, and then it was a taxi.
Didn't take long to see that the chemistry just seems to work better with Filipinas vs. Thais. I also like the pricing better, at least compared to Bangkok. Didn't even make it to L.A. Cafe the first night; found one at G-point (well, more like she found me, but she showed enough interest and enthusiasm to close the deal and didnt' seem to mind P700 ST).
Second night was at L.A. and surrounds. Tried the L.A. annex and ended up taking a 23-year-old who didn't seem polished at the game and wouldn't have made the grade most times because of feigning interest (failed the "kiss test" and indicators like that). But it was 11:30, I wasn't totally over the jet lag and she offered P500, so that was the tiebreak. She wasn't that skilled but was very tight, which made the difference. She tried to renegotiate price afterward or get me to pay P1000, but I held her to the original except for about P150 taxi money plus the P500 (They'd given me P95 in P5 coins as change at the bar, so I gave her all those). The GFE element wasn't there, but the physical part was good.
Elsewhere, the Robinson's Place addition ("Midtown") has opened and businesses are starting to fill the new spaces. Italianni's will be arriving in April. There's also a fountain outside that looks a lot like the one at Royal Garden Plaza in Pattaya.
On the downside, the beggars, hawkers, con guys and others are as thick as ever on the streets, as are the people sleeping overnight. Most irritatingly, whole rows of streetlights put up during the Atienza administration are being allowed to fall into disrepair under current mayor Fred Lim. It's hard to think of a quicker way to shoot yourself in the foot and erase the hard-won tourism ains than to allow the streets of Ermita to be dark again at night.
Only in the Phillippines legality!
Ok we al have whinges about life in Phils now and again vs our own countries. Was reading Englsih papers online this weekend and theres a story of an English guy and a Filipina
Seems the girl was with the normal no good lazy Filipino jerk/He sent her to Dubai to work. And she was sending money home. They agreed to separate but as you know. Can't get divorce but can apply for annulment. Anyways both parties were ok about this and agreed to annul.
An English guy meets said Filipina and some how. (how did this happen? ) gets her pregnant.
Filipino spots an opportunity and states that unless he recieves GBP 7, 000 US$14, 000 Peso 560, 000 as compensation. I.E. more than several years income for a labourer, he will not agree to the anulment or the contents of birth certificate.
Meaning the incredible situation, that the genetic father of the child, the Brit will not be recognised on the birth cert as the father as the girl wasn't married to him at the time. Even more bizarre, the Filpino would be recognised as the father. Amazing. Even more amazing, the Brit and the girl could be jailed for up to 7 years for adultery. Apparantly its a crime there. When I think about the number of married women I banged when I was there id be jailed for life.
Only in the Phils