Life's hell in the east

I have always viewed my year in the Philippines with mixed feelings. Although the inability to even look for work was frustrating - being idle drives me spare, even when I can afford it - I have always thought that the Filipinos are extremely gracious people, especially when you consider how the Marcos regime plundered their country for decades.

I don't have many photos of that year, but I found this one recently. It was taken at the Batangas golf course some 30 miles south of Manila. Almost all of the caddies were women, and they always preferred to caddy for the Yanqui - mainly because we were not Japanese. (The Philippines is a popular golf destination for the Japanese, as they can play there for a week for the same price as they would pay for a single round back home.)

Unfortunately the color has already faded from this picture and I haven't had time to Photoshop it, but at least it's scanned for posterity. I still remember being embarrassed when the locals would compliment my pasty complexion. Most Asians crave pale skin in the way many Europeans crave a mahogany tan. You can literally buy bleach-based soap in any Manila grocery store, which is a popular item although I doubt it ever helped fade anyone's skin to mestizo paleness.