[QUOTE=Been There]Actually no, I have not been to Junquera
As to the drug scene - that actually is part of my professional practice here dealing with addicts and their families. And without giving too much away, I was young when I first arrived in Philippines and I have first hand knowledge of Shabu and it's effects. It's nickname 'poor mans cocaine' is reasonably apt and like cigarettes and alcohol it is highly addictive. However it triggers aggression in some people, including me, and I stopped using it at the time mainly for that reason. Pilipino friends warned me I might wake up dead if I wasn't more careful when I was 'high' but I couldn't control it. And of course as with any illicit drug the quality is extremely questionable. I dont think legailising it anywhere is the answer, the only way to tackle these problems is through education and the medical treatment of existing addicts who genuinely wish to change their behaviours. For you guys reading this forum heading to Philippines become informed on the signs to look for that the girl you are considering taking back for some p4p is 'high' or shows signs of agitation or undue restlessness. Addicts are the same everywhere, she may well like you but she probably likes the drugs more and if you give her the opportunity she will depart with your dollars. It is actually reasonably easy to pick them out and using Shabu does not suddenly turn them into demons, it would just increase my level of alertness and if I felt it necessary I would be blunt. NO drug use when she is with me, no carrying drugs if we are together and no drug addict sob story - been there done that.
So I claim no knowledge of Junquera at all except for the excellent reports here on this forum but I can't believe it is so different to elsewhere in the Philippines. Similar to another member who posted in this thread my three years in Philippines was spread over some years, sometimes I'd stay a month and sometimes six or seven months. I think to really understand any place you have to speak the language but particularly so in Philippines. As is common throughout Asia, Pilipino's will tell you what they think you want to hear - in English! You gain a great deal of respect for a sincere attempt to learn even a little Tagalog - hey guys it costs you nothing but a dictionary and some time, and the good news is Tagalog is almost always pronounced as it is written, making memorising words much easier. And you do see a different side of the country if you become fluent.[/QUOTE]That article I posted what about Junquera. So lets not generalize the entire Philippines.
The whole Colon street/ downtown area is much different from the rest of Cebu. Of course you can find other area's in Manila and other big cities.
Shabu is a bigger problem now in the downtown area than it was in 1993. Back in 1993 it was only rugby users. You advice is very good about the drug scene here. If anyone is looking for drugs the downtown Colon area is a good place to look. Right in front of the SunStar building you can find sketchy looking people that can be more than helpful for a small tip.
Learning Taglog is an excellent idea and even better is Bisayan if you plan to spend a lot of time in the downtown Colon area. Less educated people in that area are not even that good in Tagalog. Bisayan is learned at home and spoken by everyone in Junquera.
