The FARANG Speaks 2 Much

Part 1

3.] Makati (P.Burgos). Burgos is another spot where many bars relocated after previous purges and it’s pretty much wall to wall gogos and freelancer pickup spots dotted with a few hotels and eateries stretching from Makati Avenue up until the next main junction – where there is now, I can proudly report, a new place offering lady boxing and midget wrestling (I didn’t go in…). Just beyond this junction after Montana and High Heels, you come to a place called Jools next to an English Pub called the Woodmans Head.

Back to the main strip – there are too many places to mention easily and since events had conspired against me, on this occasion I only called in for a drink at an old favourite called Bandido to check out how things might have changed. Basically, not much apart from the prices – beers now 150 pesos, ladydrinks 350 (ouch!) and barfine 2,200. But it’s a nice set-up, you go down some stairs to enter and there’s a largish central stage area where the girls dance with seating all around. A few lookers and not too pushy. From what I recall, the other gogos are not actually that different, so maybe worth a bit of window shopping before you choose a place you like. There is also a good sports bar called Heckle and Jeckle on a road immediately east and parallel to Burgos which is frequented by freelancers and which has pool tables and live music: also a similarish place called the Filling Station on Burgos itself.

I used to visit Jools a lot when I lived nearby and it used to have two parts, an upstairs where I hardly ever went and a downstairs which was my regular haunt. It was a big place with a stage and excellent bands, 2 pool tables and a great atmosphere: also almost the only place where I’d never get hassled. Almost everyone who worked there was happy, sociable and fun to spend time with but it never made much money and is now converted into an expensive Japanese run club. But Jools upstairs is still there and worth a visit. And since I still know some of the people working there, I went a couple of times this visit. The thing that’s different about Jools is the dance routine/ shows they have almost every night (except Sunday I think). There are three groups of dancers at different stages of training – the beginners, the, er… not quite beginners and the show girls themselves (around 12 altogether). The shows are very Vegas, so probably not to everyones taste and mostly raunchy rather than erotic, but it’s all very, very well done with props, stage sets multiple costume changes, etc.. And amazingly, they have 3-4 sets every night each with 4-5 routines in each set and apparently every night is completely different. Yet on the two evenings I was there, I never saw any of the girls miss a beat. No nudity or topless dancing – see through tops are as explicit as it gets. I’ve always been there with one of the part time mamasans I know; otherwise you’re likely to get mobbed by the many predatory hostesses. Beers here are 150 pesos, ladydrinks 350 and barfines apparently happen by buying 10 ladydrinks, so effectively 3,500. But I was told the girls are allowed to refuse. Overall I think it’s definitely worth a visit just to see a bit of the show – there’s no cover charge and it begins at 10, then again at 11.00 etc… But maybe just nurse a drink and be prepared to bat away the attention if you’re not keen on being joined.

What else to say? Firstly, what is the Filipina like? Well if Thailand is the land of the ‘high average’ in terms of looks, then I’d say the Philippines is much more the land of variety. Firstly, although there are many girls unfortunate to have been struck particularly hard with the ugly stick, at the top end, the Filipina can without question hold her head up to any completion. But also, there’s the racial mixture of Austronesian, Chinese, Spanish and Indigenous - and all the shades in between. And more: I asked one girl in Makati if she was Chinita, but no, this splendid specimen was actually half Filipino, half Korean. The personality of the Filipina? Hard to summarise and as an outsider I may be off the mark, but I’d say that more than almost any other nation I’ve encountered their emotions are very close to the surface. If the Filipina is happy, she will glow in the dark. If she is not happy, there will be no more than a token show of politeness covering the grumpiness. If the Filipina is mad; watch out. Also, I think they live very much ‘in the moment’ without always being too bothered by what happened yesterday or what tomorrow might bring. So generally speaking, tragedies are dealt with and you move on. Money earned today is for spending, not saving. But also, more than most people I’ve met they really seem to have the capacity to quickly accept and adapt to whatever circumstances they find themselves in. So maybe they’d rather not be working in that bar, but once they’re there, it ain’t gonna get in the way of having fun. Practicing catholic? No problem, bars aren’t open Sunday AM. Have to say I can never completely get my head around that one though (how do they reconcile the work and the indoctrination?)…. Having said that, although there are many rampant Catholics plying their trade, I do sometimes think that for the majority, 400 years of Spain + 50 years of the US have left a pretty thin veneer over some very Asian socio-cultural norms. A word about the “girlfriend experience” after the recent chatter on “The Dummies Guide to Negotiating Price with Gogol Girls”. A comment was made about this being almost unique to Thailand, but I’d say it’s far more significant a phenomenon in the Philippines. Most of the time the Filipina wants to be your friend simply because they are very, very sociable and it’s completely natural to want to make some kind of connection with the person sitting next to you.

Places to stay or go short time? Because I lived there and always rented, my knowledge of how individual hotels react to guests is limited and some places definitely do make it an issue. But The Pearl Manila in Ermita (junction General Luna and Taft) is ok. And last week I was in a great place in Malate at the junction of Adriatico and J Nakpil called the Adriatico Arms where no eyebrows were raised. Most of the hotels in Burgos are also monger friendly. There are also several short time places; the girls know where they are.

Is Manila dangerous? It is a bit disconcerting at first to see so many security guards around Manila packing guns, but after a while you begin to realise that most of them actually smile, open doors and ask you how you are. In fact, for most it’s just a regular job and I suspect the majority would shit themselves at the prospect of confronting a hardened criminal or terrorist. But in the 2 plus years I worked in Manila, I can honestly say I never once found myself in a difficult or threatening situation. There are reasonably regular stories of Japanese ‘tourists’ being kidnapped and even killed, but it seems most of these are somehow linked to Yakuza in some way. Some parts of London are certainly much more scary than anywhere I visited

Finally, my recommendation for a Friday evening in Manila: Miss Universal to get tanked up and enjoy the show, then onto LA Cafe. And for Saturday, head up to Makati to catch the footy in Heckle and Jeckle, a stroll along Burgos sampling the wares and then catch the show in Jools. Enjoy…

A few other random things. My last post was on China Love Links, so before my visit - and in the interests of equity, I also felt compelled to also pay a visit to Filipinaheart. But there’s not much to say; far more messages and interest shown (including many in late teens / early twenties), but way too many god-fearing zealots for me to bear. The only interesting thing to report is that I’ve now been contacted by 4 Filipinas working in Bangkok , which took me a bit by surprise.  But has anyone been to Sunrise Tacos on Suk recently? American owner, but now seemingly 100% Filipino staff! Last time I was there I even heard them having to apologise to a Thai customer because there was no-one who could actually speak Thai..