Manila

[QUOTE=EngineDriver;1944880]On my last trip to the Philippines, I found the number of people trying to scam me at every opportunity really irritating. It got to me. If I wasn't being mugged by trike drivers in AC, the hotel receptionist was trying to charge me for consumables I didn't consume, the bar girl was fleeing at 2. 00 am to "buy milk powder for her baby", the handicraft ladies in PG were trying to charge me 350 PHP for a little woven bracelet which took them five minutes to make (LOL) or the street urchins were trying to pinch the change straight out of my pockets. It's all pretty minor stuff, but it just wore me out. I haven't come across the sleight-of-hand money steeling trick at the money change office yet. May be they should learn this trick from their Balinese friends. I take my hat off to the foreigners who have succeeded in living in the Philippines.[/QUOTE]I have visited Phils maybe 100 times, give and take a few, the last 6 years or so and can say I've had next to zero scam attempts. Lies I've encountered but no worries I lie myself. Your post makes me wonder where you operate and how you lead your Phil stays in general. I myself stay in Makati, use hotel cars or pre-booked taxis, don't go to bars (use dating sites / fb / normal pickups). Many of your worries would end if you stay like in Fairmont / New World Makati. Its a quite nice area and hardly a beggar to be seen. Maybe this would let your blood pressure down to acceptable levels. Just saying.

[QUOTE=EngineDriver;1944880]On my last trip to the Philippines, I found the number of people trying to scam me at every opportunity really irritating.[/QUOTE]In most Asian countries, in particular Phil, you are first and foremost a walking wallet. First world problems.

[QUOTE=EngineDriver;1944880]Here's an example of a low level scam on inter-city bus routes. A pretty young girl comes on board and starts handing out these little notices. Then she starts selling local delicacies. I'm sure that the little sympathy note results in more sales. Her basket was empty after she walked up and down the bus aisle. If I just saw this in isolation, the story might have been half believable. Then I saw a young guy in Malate with the same note (pretending to be a poor college student) walking around selling pens.[/QUOTE]Had something similar on a jeepney while it was waiting to start its journey. Kid comes on and hands out small envelopes to everybody, some writing on it. I watched what the others did and most didn't even take the envelope so the kid just dropped it in their laps. Five minutes later, with the jeepney enroute, he comes around again and collects the envelopes and jumps off. Most didn't hand it back so he had to pick it up off their laps. I've no idea what the envelope said, not because of the language. Which might even have been English. But to avoid showing any interest.

[QUOTE=WestCoast1;1944961]Interestingly I've never had a money exchange miscount.

Have experienced this from time to time. How is this a scam? They are selling a small item, usually p50 or 100. Have seen the same note in both the province and Manila. The note is a standard fund-raising note, mass-produced to be used in any kind of sale.[/QUOTE]Eliciting undeserved sympathy to increase sales is scamming in my book. Sure, it's a harmless, low level scam but the endless tactics to grab money becomes really tiring. She was a pretty looking chick though and entirely doable. I could have bought the whole basket of that otak shit or whatever to save her the trouble of getting on and off buses!

[QUOTE=EngineDriver;1945086]Eliciting undeserved sympathy to increase sales is scamming in my book. Sure, it's a harmless, low level scam but the endless tactics to grab money becomes really tiring. She was a pretty looking chick though and entirely doable. I could have bought the whole basket of that otak shit or whatever to save her the trouble of getting on and off buses![/QUOTE]A scam must include an intended fraudulent activity. The scammer must knowingly lie about the product, or its price, or must lie about his / her intended use of the money received. You are describing an advertising tactic. Its not a scam, but it feels sleazy. And you're right, these kinds of things never seem to stop in phils.

Given that Manila and AC are scam central, I'm surprised this money exchange trick is not prevalent. On the other hand (no pun intended), our Indonesian friends are masters at it.

[URL]https://www.travelfish.org/orientation_detail/indonesia/bali/bali/bali_overview/169[/URL]

[QUOTE=Vitaplex;1944973]Your post makes me wonder where you operate and how you lead your Phil stays in general. I myself stay in Makati, use hotel cars or pre-booked taxis, don't go to bars (use dating sites / fb / normal pickups). Many of your worries would end if you stay like in Fairmont / New World Makati. Its a quite nice area and hardly a beggar to be seen. Maybe this would let your blood pressure down to acceptable levels. Just saying.[/QUOTE]100 trips over six years confined to Makati and the Fairmont? You're putting us on, right?

A recent Anthony Bourdain episode on CNN featured Tony eating with Barack Obama in a small little eatery in Hanoi. The Vietnamese sitting around them seemed totally unaware what was going down--unless they'd been coached by cameramen (or Secret Service agents) to do so. Bourdain observed that many Americans are sheltered from the rest of the world, and that most Americans have never even had a passport.

But if you're serious about avoiding scams by sticking to Makati and the Fairmont, you should consider writing a book about it. Here's a title for you: "The Accidental Tourist. ".

If you're not serious, let me recommend Bourdain's show to you.

Or maybe you just got me? If so, good one.

[QUOTE=Vitaplex;1944973] I myself stay in Makati, use hotel cars or pre-booked taxis, don't go to bars (use dating sites / fb / normal pickups). Many of your worries would end if you stay like in Fairmont / New World Makati. Its a quite nice area and hardly a beggar to be seen. Maybe this would let your blood pressure down to acceptable levels. Just saying.[/QUOTE]When I travel in Asia, I like to immerse myself in the local culture. That includes taking buses, trikes, buying shit from street vendors etc. That's part of the allure. It's not about trying to save money. If I wanted a perfectly safe, scam free existence, I guess I can also book into the Hilton in my home city and order in as many Asian escorts as liked. Many people do.

[QUOTE=Simmer;1945008]Had something similar on a jeepney while it was waiting to start its journey. Kid comes on and hands out small envelopes to everybody, some writing on it. I watched what the others did and most didn't even take the envelope so the kid just dropped it in their laps. Five minutes later, with the jeepney enroute, he comes around again and collects the envelopes and jumps off. Most didn't hand it back so he had to pick it up off their laps. I've no idea what the envelope said, not because of the language. Which might even have been English. But to avoid showing any interest.[/QUOTE]A similar one I have seen several times in jeepneys on North Avenue headed to Trinoma and SM North: a couple kids jump on when the jeepney stops in traffic, sit at the rear entry, and play on drums improvised from number 10 tin cans. Their "music" lasts maybe two or three minutes--until the jeepney has moved down the road some distance. Then they move up and down the middle aisle of the jeepney asking for tips until the driver yells at them to get off.

[QUOTE=EngineDriver;1945216]That includes taking buses, trikes, buying shit from street vendors etc. That's part of the allure. It's not about trying to save money. [/QUOTE]I do likewise, but for me it is sometimes about saving money. One of the things I love about average Filipinos is that, much of the time, they don't take things too seriously. They just love karaoke and want to draw you into it. Many of them can't carry a tune in a paper bag, but they can sing loud enough at the right places in the song to score high points. Most also have a great sense of humor, and they're only too happy to include you in the insults--once they learn you don't take it personally. And many of the common folks, even women, love raunchy humor.

Once I was shopping in some of the craft stalls in the Ali Mall (in Cubao, behind Gateway Mall and SM) a little before Christmas. I was looking at hand-carved crafts to take home as gifts for friends and colleagues. One stall had a bunch of hand-carved figures with short chains to use as keychains. Most were clearly shaped to look like a phallus, but only about an inch in diameter and less than four inches long. I remarked to the woman running the stall, perhaps 40 ish and sort of a MILF, "they seem kind of small. " There were almost no other customers around, and so women in several nearby stalls picked up on the conversation and watched what was happening. With a straight face the woman looked right at me and said, "their Filipino-sized. " The other women just watched me with no expression on their faces, but once I smiled they all broke out laughing. Not too many places you could have that experience in the states or in Europe.

I once remarked about the Filipino sense of humor to a well-placed guy I met at UP. I suggested that their humor helped Filipinos cope with chronically depressing and sometimes tragic situations. He suggested that humor that helped them cope might also be an unfortunate outlet for feelings that might better be directed toward changing the system.

I saw that scene of Bourdain and Obama in the hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and it certainly looked as though the other patrons didn't know or recognize them. But I also saw a photo of the mob scene outside, waiting to get a glimpse of the American president.

[QUOTE=SoapySmith;1945210]100 trips over six years confined to Makati and the Fairmont? You're putting us on, right?

A recent Anthony Bourdain episode on CNN featured Tony eating with Barack Obama in a small little eatery in Hanoi. The Vietnamese sitting around them seemed totally unaware what was going down--unless they'd been coached by cameramen (or Secret Service agents) to do so. Bourdain observed that many Americans are sheltered from the rest of the world, and that most Americans have never even had a passport.

But if you're serious about avoiding scams by sticking to Makati and the Fairmont, you should consider writing a book about it. Here's a title for you: "The Accidental Tourist. ".

If you're not serious, let me recommend Bourdain's show to you.

Or maybe you just got me? If so, good one.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=EngineDriver;1945216]When I travel in Asia, I like to immerse myself in the local culture. That includes taking buses, trikes, buying shit from street vendors etc. That's part of the allure. It's not about trying to save money.[/QUOTE]Same here. I know very little Tagalog, much to the annoyance of SWMBO, but occasionally you hear things said about you. I was in Divisoria once and some woman called out gwapo to me so I turned around, just to make sure they were talking about me, and replied something appropriate in Tagalog. She went bright red while all the women around her roared with laughter. Didn't need to but went back and bought a T-shirt to show all was good.

I won't eat off street carts but have no problem with the small portions of mystery meat from mall food courts, though still don't understand why "vegetable" side dishes often contain shrimp. Still make Hershey's every now and again.

One day I'll get robbed or scammed. That's life. Hopefully minor so chalk it up to experience and move on.

[QUOTE=EngineDriver;1945216]When I travel in Asia, I like to immerse myself in the local culture. That includes taking buses, trikes, buying shit from street vendors etc. That's part of the allure. It's not about trying to save money. If I wanted a perfectly safe, scam free existence, I guess I can also book into the Hilton in my home city and order in as many Asian escorts as liked. Many people do.[/QUOTE]I was just answering you as you used words regarding the endless line of scams, like and I quote: "it got to me". Really irritating" because it sounded in your prior posting on this matter you wanted to put an end to it. I gave you a way out so to speak hehe. Many reasons I stay in Makati of course but what you described is amongst the top 3 of them. No worries, happy travels and hunting.

Visited LA Cafe last Thursday. I was surprised by the quality of girls. Way better than my last visits. I have visited un-frequently over the past 5-6 years. Girls move around a lot and it can be difficult to decide if you should engage in small talk or not. They are quick to understand if you are not interested, so no problem. Ended up with a cute girl from Davao, 25 years old. She first wanted to go with her friend but I rejected. Turned out to be very horny in bed and she had a killer body. Her personality was a bit "over the top" for my taste but I can not complain her services. Damage: 2500 peso. She stayed until I had to check out at 10 AM the next day.

[QUOTE=Aviator12;1945464]Visited LA Cafe last Thursday. I was surprised by the quality of girls. Way better than my last visits. I have visited un-frequently over the past 5-6 years. Girls move around a lot and it can be difficult to decide if you should engage in small talk or not. They are quick to understand if you are not interested, so no problem. Ended up with a cute girl from Davao, 25 years old. She first wanted to go with her friend but I rejected. Turned out to be very horny in bed and she had a killer body. Her personality was a bit "over the top" for my taste but I can not complain her services. Damage: 2500 peso. She stayed until I had to check out at 10 AM the next day.[/QUOTE]Aviator, is that the going rate for LT at La Cafe? 2,500 Peso?

Don't want to upset the market!! LOL.