i have to give you props well played. if you don't mind i'd appreciate more pics of your place. i'd like to see what you can get for $500.

thanks for the info

My apartment. It has a balcony, good sunlight, a washer & dryer in the bathroom, etc. It's nothing special but I don't need anything fancy.

25k is an absolute steal for that place in Joya. Very nice - you may have avoided the White Man tax I think...or it's possible I'm just a sucker and dislike haggling and an easy mark.

that's not bad at all. I like the hardwood, its better for my allergies. Do they make you sign a lease, or is it as simple as give money have room?

Does anyone have any advice on Boracay?

I will be headed there for about a week (its a long flight from London) at the start of next month with my girlfriend. I want a quiet and exclusive place to chill-out and relax. I would also like to take her out to some fancy restaurants and stuff but no heavy partying or drinking. I have heard that White Beach is very noisy and touristy but on the flipside the other secluded beaches can be quite inconvenient.

Any tips?

i'd take it for $500. it gets the job done.

Hey guys, im gunna head down to the PI for the APPT couple of questions.

How dangerous is manila, like if I wanted to go clubbing and stuff how worried shoudl I be.
Should I even consdier it?

ARe there nice clubs next to the hyatt where the tournament will be held?

Is it ok to wear jewelry such as necklaces and earrings ? lol

thx for ur help

The Two Seasons hotel is very nice..its a small hotel but first class.The suites are very spacious.If price is no problem book the haven suite, the best view and you get a balcony with its own jacuzzi. Your girl would love it.

food kinda sucks on boracay though especially if you are looking for fancy places....Boracay is really more for partying and drinking..if you want to relax and check out nature Palawan is much better. Lots of fancy places to stay at, Aman Pulo being the nuts

Hyatt is in the Malate area. The clubs there are more of the honky tonk girlie type as well as a few remnants of the "bohemian" scene. If you like to gamble Malate is the pool hot spot of the philippines the best pool players in the world battle for big money every night at a place called one-side serious cheese and you can bet on the games.There is also a place called players den with poker and pool tables. Masters Poker is also in Malate..easy games over there.

Malate is not as safe as Makati so do not be too flashy.

If you want to go clubbing take a cab to Makati or Fort, totally safe over there, worlds apart from the scene in Malate.

voycontodo: I've only been to Boracay once (in Nov, 06 before I moved to Manila) and it was very quiet, so perfect for what you want. The resorts were nice, but there was no net at ours. I've since heard the entire island has been wired up with fast Wifi though. To the best of my knowledge, there is no nice restaurants in Boracay.

freedom18: The Philippines is a 3rd-world country, so you need to keep that in mind. But Manila is not that dangerous - you'll find that most people are very friendly. Makati area is very safe. Malate (where Hyatt is) is more dangerous as it's a much poorer area - there are no good clubs there. You'll want to head up to the Fort / Makati area for good nightclubs. If you're going to be out and about at night, I wouldn't advise flashing expensive jewelry - maybe keep it in your pocket and put it on at the club or something.

Where's the best place to find a furnished 1br for 2 months?

I'll be moving in to a place today for 26k peso a month, 1 bed room, bathroom, living room and kitchen. You pay 1 month deposit on moving in. I can post pictures of that later if there's interest for it, not sure how good the internet speed is there yet either, so I can post an update on that too. It's at Baywalk in Malate. Malate is quite safe in my opinion as long as you use common sense, walk in the larger streets, don't flash your money, cabs after finished up casino etc. I've been here a bunch of times, like staying there cause of all the poker rooms and the pool bars.

Slider when you do arrive? If you want to crash at my place in Rockwell when you land for a bit, you're more than welcome - I have a spare small bedroom and my apartment is wired up with fast net.

(pics below)

http://www.jonnyvincent.com/2008/07/22/my-puppy/

Thanks spangle and yoyo for your input!!!

Thanks for the input on Boracay. More advice would be welcome.

Is pool the national sport in the Philippines? It seems almost every Filipino I meet is good at it, and there are so many Filipino top pros. Are these pool places (where they play for big money) actually legal or are they underground?

Also how does it work, why the hell would anyone want to challenge a better player for money?? Once you become a top player how on earth would you find anyone willing to play you?

These places are regular legal pool halls, just like in the states nobody pays attention to the NO GAMBLING sign. The talent pool here is sooo thick that if you walk in you will see world champs playing up and comers or unknowns for big money..EVEN..no spots or handicaps like in the states..There was a big tournament here last week and the American pros got massacred in the money games. You can bet on the matches a bookie will help you out for 10 percent..If you like pool you have got to check the clubs out it is common for the world champs to be playing on any give night.

What about the schools, colleges??

I'd say it is cockfighting, which is a popular (legal) gambling pastime. Some people are squeamish about such things, but I have enjoyed it the times I went.

boxings no 1

hi guys, ive just moved out to alaya alabang is real nice out here, paying 60k a month for a 3bet house, will try and put some pics up soon.

If anyones going down to hyatt for the appt event keep an eye on the MTTC forum hopefully we can organise a meet up, would be good to meet some other fellow poker pros out here.

later

jp

haha,

hi yoyo just realised thats you jonny, i met you at both appt macaus see you at hyatt

Just like in the USA you will get different answers depending on who you ask. Ask a football fan and he'll say football, ask a baseball fan and he'll say baseball, ask Joe Redneck and he'll say NASCAR

If I were really being honest, I would probably say basketball. I just wanted to see if anyone else found cockfighting interesting. I'm thinking of buying a t-shirt at a cockfighting store that I saw at the Mall of Asia and wearing it if I see people protesting the KFC back home when I return to the states.

I don't think you'll get any reasonable answer other than cockfighting, boxing, basketball, or billiards though.

i'm half filipino/half white, and i'm fully americanized and never been to the phillipines but i'm thinkin about traveling there. will the people be able to tell i'm half white and not fully pinoy or w/e?

Do you mean just by looking at you? It depends a bit on just how you look. You're obviously going to give yourself away if you are put in a situation where you have to open your mouth and speak. There are lots of people of mixed heritage, so it's not unusual. If they don't think you are part white, then they may think you are part Chinese, if you have lighter skin. The mestizo look is prized by some, especially in women.

Part of it is how you act. One big tell that I am US-born is that I eat rice with a fork instead of a spoon. I do, however, try to blend in by wearing long pants more often than an American would typically be comfortable wearing in this sort of weather.

But it's not like you'll get a bunch of people noticing you in the mall if they see you walking. Maybe if you are unusually tall or handsome. You're not going to be marked immediately as someone to be scammed, robbed, or kidnapped, if that is your worry.

Im half jamaican half filipino how concerned should I be , only stay in my hotel in malate and taxi out to Makati?

Also you mentioned the weather and jeans, how hot is it over there?
Currently im in Japan and its definitely bearable, but the Philippines is much closer to the equator.