My Daughter YoHanna May and her husband Chris are one day apart for their May 2nd and 3rd Birthday. After Sunday Breakfast I took them to the Mall and let them both pick out a nice watch. Then back to our house and a party commenced, the whole family was there and a good time was had by all. (I bailed at 22:30 and took a well earned rest)
I had promised my grandson a trip to Ocean Adventure to see the whales and Dolphins (No one knew what a porpoise was.) and then I had the “GREAT”” idea to make it a family happening, and throw in a resort and swimming before the theme park. Planning ahead we would go to the resort on Sunday and Ocean Adventure on Monday.
You might be thinking that is an odd choice of days, but Sunday afternoon the hoards from Manila migrate back home and peace returns to our little corner of the world. Oh and the room rates are cheaper too. (Like that had anything to do with my decision)
The resort is on Subic Freeport called the CasaBlanca we will check in and swim all afternoon and into the evening, great restaurants at the resort and close by, is Vasco’s or Magellan’s Pub is a two minute walk away, and they have great chow.
So a good time will be had by the family.
But as this was a “Family” deal so Paul put’s his beer and cocktail consuming are on hold for the duration of the trip, nothing but Ice Tea for me. Well then we check in to the resort and head for the pool. Hot day cool water. The night swimming I passed on as night sleeping appealed more to me.
Let me explain my logic, I promised the kids we would spend the day at Ocean Adventure, My granddaughter is still on school vacation, my grandson is, well he’s two years old and calendars mean nothing to him. Plus I’m retired and all my days are a day off. So with the absences of tourists Monday at the Park will go smoother without the crowd. There were a lot of visitors there with tour bus after tour bus lining up to discharge the merrymakers. But it was not overcrowded
Quick funny story, I stopped to buy a bottle of water, when a large group of folks from India came by and stopped. One guy asked if he could take a picture with me, I said only if you also use my camera too and take one for me. I never found out why, until; later at the Sea Lion arena, where my new “Photo Buddy” explained it was because of my large mustachio, which 99% of all Indian men wear, and a few women also. We bumped into each other around the park and had some good laughs together. As I say, there are no strangers in my life, just people I’ve not met yet!
Why was he wearing that jacket, (See Photo) was it that cold and I didn’t notice?
Now to the complaints about the park, there were none! It is well maintained, clean as a pin, plenty to see and do, plus helpful employees about every 20 feet. All shows are announced in English, and if you start at 10:00 (AM) the shows flow to where by 14:00 (PM) you have seen them all. Very well planned and set up.
PNP 500.00 per adults and PNP 450.00 for children and children fewer than 30 inches short are free. As My grandson was removed from his perambulator and measured, and found to be 31 inches high. Snacks’ and souvenirs were reasonably priced and they didn’t gouge you when they’ve got you trapped inside, like they do at Disney Parks and 7-11’s
So all the May Birthdays are over and we did enjoy them all very much, there is so much to do and see here on our Islands if we stop grousing and get out there, and the best part is that so much of it is absolutely free, for the most part.
But you will be buying the family food three or four times a day.
But Paul, where is the normal mishap and the adventure that makes your life fun. Oh ye of little faith
So there I was driving back from Ocean Adventure late Monday afternoon. I was behind some guy that for some reason could not get his car over 30 KPH At a stop sign I shot out and passed him with a base police sitting right there (Of course I didn’t see him)
Sir you have 2 violations, not stopping at the sign and illegal overtaking. Yes sir I did that, but only because he was driving in front of me for 20 Clicks counting every monkey in the rain forest.
May I see your driver’s license; I forgot to bring it with me (Liar, liar pants on fire). Mr. Thompson that is now 3 violations, Do you have any ID with you? I did and of course it was expired.
I put out my hands and said Sir, with a smile; please cuff me now before I have anymore violations.
When he started laughing I knew it was over, and he warned me to not to ever do that again, and to have a nice day. Being polite never fails (Most of the time.)
Then Mayang started, saying I was speeding, wrong honey, stuck behind a slow car prevented my speeding, please chew my ass about the proper infraction. Mahal,BTW; “Did I get a ticket?”
Wow Paul you got out of those infractions with out even making a “Donation” that is pretty good. Sounds like a great Holiday.
James;
Rule number one, Never try to bribe a Free Port Policeman, they will add another charge to your ticket. But being polite and joking with them seems to work, as long as you admit that you were wrong most times they will let you go with a verbal warning.
Yes we all had a great mini-vacation and the weather was perfect.
Paul,
I’ve been reading your articles (stories) and truly enjoy them. Thanks for providing me a good laugh! I’m glad everything worked-out in your favor!
I hope you ran out and immediately bought a lottery ticket or do they have those over there? haha
Happy Travels!
Bill
Bill;
My wife has but one unfulfilled dream, and that is the winning of the Philippine Lottery. This I indulge her wants, she asked why I don’t play and I asked what if I win and you don’t?
My trick to living here or anywhere for that matter is to find the funny part of my day, and skip the irritating parts, pop the top off a cold consumable and have a good laugh. Writing it down for LiP is just an added benefit. Thank you LiP readers, you also make my day.
Bob – so far this is the chuckle of my day! Other than trying to wake you up! haha
Bill Asberry;
My fellow esteemed co-writers on LiP point out more informative and technical matters concerning the Philippines. Whereas I point out the mundane day to day things, that will pop up while living here. One could rant and get high blood pressure over them, or stop and find the humor in each situation, which is the path I have chosen.
So if I bring a smile to your life, I just hope you will see the humor in your next encounter here and laugh it off.
Paul,
I haven’t arrive there YET! That day is nearing quickly! I hope I come fully loaded with laughter! haha
Bill;
I can sit on my wall in front of the house and talk to the folks in my purok, and pass an afternoon laughing and joking with them. I really don’t have to travel very far to see how things are done.
Bring a smile when you get here, it’s more important than anything else.
Paul, I can picture you in that very Filipino pose of sitting on your haunches in front of the sari sari store by the side of the dusty road at day’s end, shooting the breeze with Pinoys who are likewise seated on their haunches in sando and tsinelas, some stroking the feathers of a favorite fighting rooster. This is but a microcosm of the sweet life there that I will be experiencing soon.
John;
I’ve met two Kano’s that can squat Pinoy style in my entire life, I’ll be the guy on the log with the warm SMB and no rooster. I’ll save you a spot.
Ha ha… Paul’s articles seem to do that to people, Bill.
Yeah, he’s pretty colorful! 🙂 I got a good laugh over it.
Paul, I think most people know that just being polite and friendly to the police officer during a traffic stop could mean the difference between getting a ticket and getting just a warning, unless elither the motorist committed an egregious violation, or, is being combative. I get pulled over, oh, maybe once every 3 years, the last one occuring coincidentally just the other night as I was returning home to Delaware from northern Virginia. I saw the state trooper parked on the side of the road a distance away, and I immediately slammed on the brakes to slow down but it was too late. He already had me clocked going over the posted speed limit. I pretty much know the drill like keeping both of my hands on the steering wheel when the police officer approaches, stuff like that, and turning on my brightest smile, and apologizing upon being told, “Sir, I stopped you for going 49 in a 35 mph zone.” That’s a $45 ticket right there plus points off your record and a possible insurance rate hike, if I didn’t play my cards right. And I do have one card held in reserve. That card is perpetually paper-clipped to my registration card precisely for moments like the present in the event that all that smiling and apologizing have gone for naught. The state trooper briefly glanced at my driver’s license and registration, but took a moment to read the business card paper-clipped to the registration. He then handed them back to me with a smile of his own. “I’ll let you go with a warning, Sir, but please drive safely. We normally do not give tickets to family. Say hello to Officer Laurie Reyes in Montgomery County [MD] for me when you get the chance, will ya?” Sure will, Officer!
John;
Using nepotism is shameful (LOL) but I have seen idiots get outraged when pulled over and they ALWAYS received a ticket. In South Caroline my shipmate wanted to argue with the cop that pulled me over when I was speeding. The cop heard me tell him; “If you like those front teeth you will shut up right now!” I was warned with a smile and sent on my way.
You’re right, Paul, hiding behind the “nepotism” card is shameful, but only IF you abuse the privelege. In my case, though, note that I said I get stopped once every three years or so. Once in 3 years. I think that that is not only an excellent driving record, but it also shows that I am not in the habit of breaking traffic laws with the smug confidence that I would get away with it just by showing Officer Laurie Reyes’ business card to the police officer.
Here is the police officer who kept me from getting a speeding ticket the other night, speaking on behalf of autistic children (her specialty) at a presentation, FedEx 400 Race for Autism, held in Dover, Delaware, over the weekend. The guest speaker following her presentation was none other than Hall of Famer former Coach of the Washington Redskins and owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, Joe Gibbs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfQ_R7Xmbcg
John;
Wow you can still call them Redskins? I thought the senate blew off fixing the VA to solve that earth shattering problem.
That’s is a very nice thing Officer Reyes is doing for the community.
Thanks, Paul. I will tell Laurie what you said.
Hi John,
God bless Officer Reyes for what she is doing for people with Autism!
Thanks, Jay. I will tell Laurie what you said.
John,
I watched that race the Monday after it. Laurie should be commended for her involvement with Autism.
Thanks, Randy. I’ll pass your comment along to Laurie. You want to see something funny? At 5:12 of the same video above, while Joe Gibbs was taking questions, a kid in the audience asked, “When is the next time the Redskins are going to the Super Bowl?” LOL That kid was Ty – Laurie’s and Tarik’s youngest son. Tarik is, of course, my eldest son, the one taking the video.
That is funny! Yup! Sometimes it’s best friends don’t try to help! haha
Bill;
I would have put him on the street if he caused me to get a ticket.
So there I was answering these comments on LiP when I realized…
Hi Paul,
I enjoyed your article and pictures. For some reason your article reminded me of the Monty Python movie “Life of Brian” where they were singing, “Always look on the bright side of life!” while being crucified.
Take care!
Jay
Jay;
You’ve not seen anything until I start speaking Latin. (Same Movie) But I do try to see the positive side of things, it makes life easier for me and others.
Realized that these comments are automatically imported to liP?
You finished my thought Bob!, I nodded off.
My Birthday as well. Birthdays are or can be a lot of fun here in the PI. From what I remember…I enjoyed mine…
James;
My buddy and I both have 13 July as our birthday, if you want to see a party, that my friend is a party. Rain or shine, we even had one during the start of a typhoon.
Paul,
Glad everyone had a great time. The parks and resorts there are just as good and alot more inexpensive. Like John above, whenever I got pulled over in my county, the officer would look in my window and just smile and walk away since I knew most of them.
Randy;
Well there you go, you guys trading on special treatment while I have to work my butt off being charming, not fair, not fair. (LOL)
Hi Paul, sounds like you all had a great time. I know what you mean about those returning to the Big City from the weekend. Where I live it is something similar. I have always called them ” The Weekenders “. I know every once in a while you try to slide an intentional typo or error to see if anyone spots it, at least that is the impression I get sometimes LOL. This could very well be a typo since the letter keys are diagonally next to each other ” PNP 500.00 per adults and PNP 450.00 for children ” was that supposed to be PHP ? Mix that line with the one about you being pulled over for a traffic violation could really get someones imagination going LOL.
I Always appreciate the humor in your articles and it has come in handy for me at times when I visit. Usually at one time or another during each of my visits a situation will come up out of nowhere that could easily bring my temper to a boil but I have learned with the help of your articles to throttle back and find the humor of the situation. The best episode of that was the time I went to a supposed 24 hour franchise at 10:30 PM and was informed ” Yes Sir, we don’t have any coffee ” . I started thinking to myself ” That is something right out of the LIP website coming to life right in front of me and I had a good laugh out of it.
Bob (New York)
PNP:: Philippine National Peso. That is what the newspaper calls it, but I see where you’re going in reference to the traffic stop. (LOL)
I was at the car dealership Friday and I was drinking a coffee from MacDo’s but with a Starbucks right next store. The kids at the service desk asked me why and I laughed and said; “I can order MacDo coffee in less than five words, which is imposable at Starbucks. The room full of Pinoy’s all started laughing and agreed with me.
Wasn’t you that said a Philippine 7-11 is open 24 hours, but just not in a row? I had to go behind the counter at Dunkin Donuts and show the young lady how to brew the coffee there. No one ever showed her how to do it.
Hi Paul – Happy birthday! You are right, being polite to the police is never detrimental. As a joke in Australia, when I got pulled up by police for random breath testing, they always ask “Have you been drinking today sir?”. My reply while smiling politely was always “Definitely not officer, I never drink and drive, but I have had a lot of rum balls though”. It always was taken well.
Brenton;
My friend in Florida was complaining that he failed the breathalyzer test. I said; “That’s wonderful, so they let you go?” “No they arrested me!” he said.
Well then you actually must have passed, since finding alcohol on your breath is the purpose of the test.
PS – That happy birthday was for your daughter and her husband. It reads different though. Lol.
Brenton;
I understood your birthday greeting, and I’ll pass it on. (Thanks)
You can usually avoid getting a citation by being polite, or making the officer laugh.
Once, many years ago, when I still drove a patrol car, I pulled an older man over for speeding. I asked him if he knew why I pulled him over. He looked at me without cracking a smile, and said, “Because you thought I had some donuts?”
It made me laugh, so I let him go with a verbal warning.
On the other hand, I cited some people I originally intended to give a warning to, because they were rude and obnoxious. Following the “golden rule” usually pays off.
Bill Mac;
I thought it was because car tires look like donuts? (See I’d get the ticket for that one) I was on a ship in Florida (Navy) and 7 two week reserves showed up. The fit in like they had been there forever, and we had a ball together tearing up the Jacksonville Beach towns. The last day we found out they were all policeman from Ohio. We requested them back the following year.
Cops have been known to party like sailors. That’s because a lot of them are former sailors.
Bill Mac;
That ‘splains that. (lol)
Hi Paul. I love your style. You got out of paying for traffic violations with your wit. Glad to hear that you had a wonderful time celebrating your family’s birthdays. Have a great day!
Roselyn;
Thank you everyone seemed to have a nice time, the traffic policeman was a good guy who made me laugh too. My wife still thinks I should have gotten a ticket because I deserved it, until I asked if she wanted to pay the fine?
Hi Paul, looks like fun days for all.
I gave up having Birthdays a few years ago 🙂
Chas;
As long as there is another birthday, I know I’m beating the odds.