Dangerous is a song unless you want to be stupid
The favourite song among dancing girls at the moment seems to be:
That girl is so dangerous
That girl is so dangerous
That girl is a bad girl
I've seen her type before
She's so dangerous
That girl is so dangerous
That girl
Is a bad girl, yeah
For those who do not pay bar that maybe so, as well as others who stick their necks out.
I say this as I was scanning through the latest Harry the Horse article noting the catalogue of disasters, including thefts, scams and getting shot, that he recorded. All very unpleasant and I can understand why some people reading his column can be put off coming to Angeles and was not surprised to see that Kevin Wakely, of Orchid Inns fame, had tackled him about doing Angeles a disservice. Harry defends himself, and I agree, saying it is better to warn people and that he believes Angeles has a lot to offer and is a great spot to visit. Absolutely correct but two thoughts struck me: firstly the incidents in which people got hurt and robbed suggested that those people really were almost looking to be mugged. I mean walking from Fields to the ATM in SM Mall at 1.30 AM is at best dumb, and wandering pissed down Santol Street in the wee hours is not something I would recommend to anybody other than somebody I wanted to get ripped off, or worse. I have to travel down Santol Street regularly, and at night I hate it and all my senses are on full alert and I drive quickly and stop for nobody. In fact I normally detour and go on a longer route. The second point was about Wakely complaining: I often feel that business owners could help more than they do. ATM machines is a point in question; why has a major hotel like the Wild Orchid not got one, or even two ATM machines in it? Why do not business owners not get together and see that ATMs are easy to get to and safe? After all it is the difficulty is getting cash that drives many to carry more than they normally would! Closing your eyes and saying to people like Harry you are driving people away when you do little to help resolve these problems is disingenuous. Bar owners can do more to help security. The ABC hotel is an example it now has an ATM that surprise surprise seems to take all cards: if they can do it why not others?
I would say to anybody thinking of going to Angeles is that it is no worse than any city. That means you need to obey the rules. Don’t walk down dark streets late at night, be wary when using ATM machines: walking away from one is a sure sign you have cash. Don’t flash your cash, don’t pick up people off the street, and certainly do not go to a place they suggest. All simple rules and it is amazing how many times people ignore them. Add to that the Philippines is a very poor country, and many people are on the poverty line. 200 peso ($5) is a day’s wage for many. That makes us, with what we think is not much, a positive millionaire which is why the girls love us so much; remember it is not for our girth and tattoos but our OAP. In addition corruption is endemic which compounds all these problems. And in truth it is little different to places like Pattaya, or elsewhere in Asian. if you do not think about what you are doing you are at risk. As the old Sergeant used to say in Hill Street Blues – be careful out there.
Angelwitch remains popular but has received new impetus by introducing new tops. The tops are in effective a silk scarf hung round the neck. It works well if you like a little gentle titivation, or maybe more if you are lucky (see pics). If you want extra fun all you have to do is look for the girls who have used a thread of cotton to stop the scarf falling away as they move around, or climb onto the stage, and with a quick twist said cotton will break making a wild girl wilder.
It was greeted with much expectation but the Cebu Pacific Bangkok to Clark flight is becoming something of a nightmare with the flight unreliable at best, and a downright con at worst. I was booked on it in January and turned up at Bangkok Airport only to be told the flight was cancelled but I could catch the Manila flight some five hours later and I would be transferred to Clark, which meant an ETA of 4 am. I declined and took Thai the next morning. But I have struggled to get a refund. In the end I was told I would get about 60% back and that would take three months to process. I am still waiting. Two weeks ago the Cheap Baron and a mate were coming for a long week end and exactly the same thing happened, except they did not come because they had to be back in Wednesday to work and feared the Tuesday flight would suffer the same fate. They were told initially they would get the same as me 60% in 3 months and then, in another twist, they were told they had used the outward ticket and would therefore not get their money back. So Cebu Pacific is effectively saying that one of their flights which did not fly did fly. That must be a first!
It seems to me Cebu Pacific are operating a heads they win and tails the passenger loses scam. If the flight is cancelled, and it often is, they either get extra traffic on their seldom full Manila service, or if the passenger declines that option they still get 40% of the fare, if not the whole lot. I know cheap airlines are cheap but this look like a con. I am just waiting for O’Leary of Ryanair to hear about it and for I am sure it will soon be added to his business model!
For anybody who wants to risk money and time on Cebu Pacific they still claim to operate the Manila Clark – Bangkok service but only twice a week: Tuesdays and Saturdays. As they say you pays your money and takes your chance. Methinks I will stick with Thai!
Shano’s Bar has finally changed hands. I had heard it was for sale and it needed to be; the crass incompetents who ran it proved once and for all that an idiot, or in this case a bunch of arrogant idiots, cannot run a pub. The good news is that the buyer is George of Gecko’s fame. The pool area will become a poker room, and the pool will be moved to the totally unused raised area. Talking to George there will be many simple changes, many of which managers all have been wanting to make, but the committee could never decide on anything other than to have another drink - OTH (on the house) of course. Shano, who recently returned as manager, will remain in charge and it is interesting how much more focused he is, and seemingly the whole staff, now they know where they are going. I suspect that this bar will now take off!
Another sale has which has been equally required is Kelly’s sale to the Pasha group of Viper Room and that abject failure - Bourbon Street. Kelly is better known for selling bars, or rather shares in them, than his management capabilities which seemed to be limited to mass firings after a day on the sauce, neither skill exactly a benefit to a business. The hope is that the Pasha Group might now open a half decent eatery where the failed Bourbon Street stands. In the Viper Room the staff might learn that working does not mean sleeping on the banquette. Last time I went in it was indescribably bad; if there was any management it was sleeping with the staff!
Further down Fields, towards McArthur Highway, between the new MacDonald’s and the new Walkabout hotel, a bar complex is going in which is being likened, I fear somewhat naively, to Nana Plaza. There will be about six bars as well as an operation based on the lines of Hard Rock Cafe.
Lollipop continues to underperform despite having Macka as manager and the reason is obvious . There is little or no discipline as that is down to the mamasans who seem totally disinterested. Getting a drink can be a struggle and look no further than the banquette by the door where several service girls will be observed with their feet up. There are some fun funky girls working there so it should do better. I am told the mamasans have been there a long time and removing them will be expensive; I have the suspicion it will not be as expensive as keeping them. In addition Lollipop is now opening at 3 pm and closing at Midnight. It seems those waitresses just need more beauty sleep!
On the renovation of for DMZ now called Valhalla, despite a slightly strange design only incorporating part of the area it seems to be coming together. I have popped in a few times recently and the girls are chatty and the music is probably as good as anywhere if not better and mainly features old pop and rock. As a result the place has quite an atmosphere most nights, as well as an English manager called Daniel, who hails from Grimsby. In addition they have a daily happy hour from 8 pm – Midnight that sells me an SML for 60 Pesos!
Midnight Rodeo was originally a scruffy little bar opposite the side of Kokomos. It has now reopened directly behind Clive’s Bar (opposite the side of the original Orchid Hotel). I have found it a good spot to pop into when all things a gogo start to bore. The live music is largely Country and Western but most bands will break away from that to play requests. I have to admit that when it is really hopping, and it is popular, the dance floor looks a little like a Darby and Joan club where the daughters turn up to dance with their aging fathers. But the music is of a high standard and most nights there are no karaoke singers determined to prove they did it their way, badly. I sometimes wish Paul Anka had never had that dinner with Frank.
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