Another Lurker emerges, …

[HaroldC]

squinting, into the light- just to introduce myself- see P-L profile for more.

(And, no, you of elephantine recall, I am not THAT Harold, who stated categorically on 03/08/2002 that all Filipinas are liars and then disappeared- I am the one who admits all humans will lie when it suits them.)

I did my marathon lurking here back around 2000- read through all the archives then and have done so again- yap, all of it. Thank you, Patrick, for a fine service.

I am delighted to find so many old guard still around- I will likely need your expertise and support. I feel like I know some of you, so if ever I should come across in too familiar a manner, I apologize.

What prompts this coming-out is that I have my first serious prospect with whom I talk on the phone daily.  She lives in Iligan; and, yes, I am up on the terrorist thing. My take is that I am more likely to be blown up or beheaded here on the freeway; or head-on a 1200# moose at 75, a local elaboration on highway mayhem. I am inclined to visit Mindanao just to give ‘em the finger, so to speak; but that’s my hubris.

Enough for now. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for all you have taught me so far.

[Peaches]

... in response to Another Lurker emerges, …, posted by HaroldC on Aug 6, 2003

It's always nice to have precautions when we know  that the area
we wanted to visit  is a little dangerous.  Just be careful and be
safe.

Goodluck.

[HaroldC]

... in response to Re: Another Lurker emerges, …, posted by Peaches on Aug 7, 2003

Peaches; and I wish you well too.

P-L Member since January, 2001- Wow!

People keep mentioning precautions- but they never say what those might be! so I don't have a clue.

I have lived in some pretty rough areas of USA- South End of Boston, the flatlands of Oakland, CA- so I guess I will be all right.

[outwest77]

... in response to Thank you for your good wishes,, posted by HaroldC on Aug 8, 2003

I would say precautions in general in the phils.

Dont flash cash,

Be Humble, friendly, Smile a lot, be Respectful of everyone , remember you are a guest in their country.

Should any police situation arise where you are involved, you are the foreigner , you will lose, It is their country.

Smile, dont raise your voice or make a scene if someone is charging you too much, be firm, but polite, and calm.

Take a copy of your passport with you in your wallet, Leave most of your cash, your real passport, credit cards, etc in the hotel safe, and take a small amount of cash with you along with your copy of your passport. Thats what i do.

Set up a Yahoo account if you dont already have one. Email yourself your credit card numbers and the 1800 numbers for customer service, in case they get lost. Ditto for your passport copy if you can scan it. Also plane ticket numbers for the airlines number in manila etc or your travel agent in case you need to get ahold of them and lose the number. I just make a folder in Yahoo called travel.

Be sure if you go to an internet cafe while you are in the phils, and you log into yahoo, you make SURE you close yahoo completely, I often find when me and my gf go to the internet cafe, that the last user did not completely close yahoo and his or her email or yahoo messenger is open, Happened to me once when i forgot too.

[Nathan]

... in response to Another Lurker emerges, …, posted by HaroldC on Aug 6, 2003

    I did not find Iligan all that bad...using due caution.
You can always meet in Cagayan De Oro as well, not too far away, with more giong on anyway, and you should find CDO quite safe with a little common sense.

Nathan

[Peaches]

... in response to Re: Another Lurker emerges, …, posted by Nathan on Aug 6, 2003


Tell her to email me @   design53@cox.net

[Nathan]

... in response to Nathan, where is Zen?, posted by Peaches on Aug 7, 2003

  Hi there,

  I think we had an old email address....she will be in touch soon now that we have the new address...

   I hope all is well for all of you!

Nathan, Zenny, Tehanie

[Peaches]

... in response to Re: Nathan, where is Zen?, posted by Nathan on Aug 8, 2003

...i'll wait for her email

[HaroldC]

... in response to Re: Another Lurker emerges, …, posted by Nathan on Aug 6, 2003

Naw, I'll be going all the way (figuratively speaking)- I want to see my lady in her natural state (figuratively speaking).
I'd love to hear what you know about Iligan- like exactly what is 'due caution', a disguise?

[Nathan]

... in response to Re: Re: Another Lurker emerges, …, posted by HaroldC on Aug 7, 2003


   Like I said, as long as you go dressed as a moslem woman
wearing a burka, you will have no problem! LOL!
   Actually, it is nothing like that. There are a few areas to avoid, especially at night. Your hosts will be able to
point them out to you, but Iligan is safer than Zamboanga in my opinion. Come back proud if you want, but go humble, and you should be fine.

[HaroldC]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Another Lurker emerges, …, posted by Nathan on Aug 8, 2003

That's the belly of the beast!

My lady says that Iligan is just as safe as Cagayan de Oro, which looks right- the State Department advisory says especially southern, central and western Mindanao. Iligan is sort of western but has a big mountain between it and those areas. And it looks like a long boat ride from the Sulu to the Bohol. It stikes me that the Abu Sayif are probably opportunist monkeys who stick close to their trees or do hit-and-run on a beach with a fast boat. Moro are probably more sophisticated but take time to plan their op's- and I am a politically insignificant target. Common brigands are the same everywhere.

State also suggests that cabs (with locked doors and windows up) are safer than public transport. I think that is bass-akwards. Much easier to jack a cab, especially BY a cabbie.

I intend to take precautions above and beyond those I would take in any big city, especially at night- and I will avoid any place even remotely uninhabited:

Keep a low profile.
Don't go with strangers (Thanks, Mom!)
Avoid foreigner haunts (who wants to hang with them, anyway).
Vary dress and routine.
Be alert for surveillance. (Normally I would wear shades for inobtusive look-around but I made the mistake of telling my girl she would not be able to see where I was 'glancing'- so, NO DARK GLASSES.)

My biggest worry is bringing crap down on her house- maybe I can recruit a Baker Street Irregulars. I'd dearly love to carry but know that's out of the question. And if I do get grabbed, I AIN'T gonna go...

Hey, this'll be fun.

[Dave H]

... in response to Another Lurker emerges, …, posted by HaroldC on Aug 6, 2003

Hi Harold,

I'm with you and Ray, "F#%$ THE 'F#%$ing' TERRORISTS!" Have a GREAT trip when you go and give 'em (the a'hole terrorists) the finger from me too!

Dave H.

[HaroldC]

... in response to Welcome Aboard!, posted by Dave H on Aug 6, 2003

OK. Send me a finger, and I'll give it to 'em.

[Dave H]

... in response to Re: Welcome Aboard!, posted by HaroldC on Aug 6, 2003

N/T

[Ray]

... in response to It's In The Mail! LOL (n/t), posted by Dave H on Aug 7, 2003

ROTGDFLMHAOCUMSL!

And to think that I almost asked him to shoot them a moon for me...