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Foreign Drug Scenes

I know someone who claims to have taken an oz of weed to Dubai and sold it for a SHIT load of cash. She said she almost got bust as well, stupid...
 
Some info on the drug scene in Frankfurt.

The open drug scene has an interesting history there. The first open air scene was established at a park nick named "Haschweise" in the inner city belt of parks at which, as the name suggests, cannabis was the drug with highest availability. A hard drug scene evolved through the 70s centered on heroin. This scene was chased around the city during this period until it finally settled in the area in and around the main station in 1981. The drug scene became centered on a park in this area, where it was to remain through the 80s. The scene grew through assimilation of narco refugees fleeing repressive policies in other parts of Germany at the time. In 1990 the Frankfurt Resolution was formulated in Frankfurt which was a significant development in harm reduction in Europe- serious students of harm reduction have probably heard of this. It is around this time, i believe, that crack, long a peculiarity of the Frankfurt scene, first began to make an apperance. In 92' the open scene was again closed down by authorities and this time spread to and took root in various parts of the city and its suburbs simutaneously, akin to smacking a behive with a stick- oops. At this point harm reduction, as opposed to Gestapo style crackdowns, began to seem like a seriously good strategy to authorities.

Some background (for people with well managed ADD):

http://www.rusmiddeletaten.oslo.kom...er/rapport/sentralt/appendix sluttrapport.doc

http://www.uni-frankfurt.de/fb/fb04...prot_Frankfurt_Local_Drug_Monitoring_2005.pdf


Today- although I have not been there first hand lately and could not provide specific info of where to cop even if I knew (per BL rules and regulations) keep certain things in mind:

1.) The main station has a crack smoking room and safe injection room either in the station or nearby.

2.) Central stations are usually a good place to look in my experience (though have'nt been to Europe since 96').

3.) Red light districts are often though not always associated with drugs- sometimes area adjacent to district. Park outside Victoria red light district in Athens stands out in my mind.

4.) Street hookers are often a great resource in many countries!!!

5.) If you read the heorin helper article: news. The type of info that bluelight discourages- like where to go and cop drugs- media sources freely disclose, although by the time that info makes it to newspapers police crackdowns are probably imminent because the police are forced to respond by the good citizens of the area in question. Often, though, scenes reconstitute in days to weeks after the crack down in the same place or nearby.

6.) Avoid open scenes around election time. xth & mi--ion in San Francisco was historically a good example of election time crackdowns

From my perspective it is good to know right where to go in the interests of harm reduction first and for most. I consider lessening your chances of getting arrested, ripped off, or killed harm reduction.

Anyway dont know about UAE first hand. What I do know is that penalties are severe. Something like 4 years minimum for possession (although rehab available for citizens- those that turn themselves into the police that is.) Penalty for trafficking is death although this is often commuted to long prison terms. There is a toll free number for snitching on your neighbors and friends. Further, authorities employ blood tests and sensitive drug detection equipment.

Hash is the main drug used in the Emirates, followed by heroin, morphine and opium. Don't know about Captagon, but its conceivable that it is around based on the regional trends in that part of the world.

By the way, met someone who just came back from cambodia here in OB last night. Was there 10 days ago. Scene still booming for buds, pharms, heroin, ya ma, as of 10 days ago according to him.

By the way, anyone have any info about the drug scene in the South Pacific?
 
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^
i've personally never scored in frankfurt but
the scene in germany is mostly the same.
open air markets for heroin, benzos, cocaine
and crack are always near the main train stations.
(i already posted this here).

although crack is rather rare.
frankfurt and hamburg are an exception.

btw:
The first open air scene was established at a park nick named "Haschweise"
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its called "haschwiese" which means something like hash-meadow. ;)
 
MyDoorsAreOpen said:
Yeah. I heard about that, and decided I would NEVER set foot in the UAE in my life. After all, there likely are microscopic traces of marijuana on a lot of my possessions =D

The UAE is right up there with Singapore -- just NOT somewhere people who want anything to do with recreational drugs should ever grace with their presence.
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But the scenes exist, regardless. I was somewhat privy to the drug scene during my time spent in Singapore. And given that UAE has probably more money to throw around than any other place in the world right now, there has to be crazy underground scenes. Serioulsy, just interested as to what that would be like? Probably just like Miami :\
 
England has a huge drug scene, IME largely centered around universities... you can get pretty much anything... and up untill a few monthsago MDMA was all over the place... now theres a drought.;; there will be occasional droughts in smaller cities, resulting in prices going up...
 
Redleader said:
But the scenes exist, regardless. I was somewhat privy to the drug scene during my time spent in Singapore. And given that UAE has probably more money to throw around than any other place in the world right now, there has to be crazy underground scenes. Serioulsy, just interested as to what that would be like? Probably just like Miami :\
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I'll grant you that. I could definitely see Dubai being the Miami of the Middle East.

I'm guessing the seedy gangland underbelly of Dubai would make Miami Vice look like Winne the Pooh, too. Where there's those levels of hedonism and money being thrown around, some pretty brutal organized crime is soon to follow.

I'm just saying I don't think I'll try my luck being a westerner with unclean urine and unclean clothing traveling there these days. I'd go to Singapore if I had business there, and just make sure to clean out my system beforehand, and not seek out any drugs there. You have a lot of courage having any involvement with drugs in Singapore, I must say.

There are very, very few places in Asia I'd get my drug tourism on in these days.
 
MyDoorsAreOpen said:
I'll grant you that. I could definitely see Dubai being the Miami of the Middle East.

I'm guessing the seedy gangland underbelly of Dubai would make Miami Vice look like Winne the Pooh, too. Where there's those levels of hedonism and money being thrown around, some pretty brutal organized crime is soon to follow.

I'm just saying I don't think I'll try my luck being a westerner with unclean urine and unclean clothing traveling there these days. I'd go to Singapore if I had business there, and just make sure to clean out my system beforehand, and not seek out any drugs there. You have a lot of courage having any involvement with drugs in Singapore, I must say.

There are very, very few places in Asia I'd get my drug tourism on in these days.
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Damn true.

A close friend of mine (French dude on working visa in Singapore) got sentenced to 8yrs in jail + 5strokes of the cane for testing positive for MDMA + possession of 4 ecstacy pills.

IMAGINE THAT. 8yrs + 5 strokes of the cane just for 4 ecstacy n positive for MDMA? On top of that, after serving his time in jail, he'll be banned from Singapore for life.

F*CKING CRAZY.
 
MDMAddict said:
Damn true.

A close friend of mine (French dude on working visa in Singapore) got sentenced to 8yrs in jail + 5strokes of the cane for testing positive for MDMA + possession of 4 ecstacy pills.

IMAGINE THAT. 8yrs + 5 strokes of the cane just for 4 ecstacy n positive for MDMA? On top of that, after serving his time in jail, he'll be banned from Singapore for life.

F*CKING CRAZY.
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What year was this? Was it just a random street-bust (as if he bought the pills in SP), or was he caught importing/exporting?

I know that Singapore is loosening up its laws for possession (not import/export or dealing, though) a bit. Or at least trying to incorporate rehabilitation and "strikes" into small posession charges. Or has been in the past few years. At least toward its own citizens, not sure about foreigners in the same situation.

What else I can say about the South Pacific...

Brunei I have a friend who grew up in Brunei. Absolutely nothing, not even an underground scene. Alcohol is even illegal to sell in Brunei. Customs, under certain circumstances, allows for a litre or two to be imported. She described traveling west and into Malaysia during her college years to party. Apparently they have a decent market for marijuana, and an acute market for stims and "supposedly" MDMA (though probably just random "E pills").

Singapore I was taken by a friend (Singapore citizen) to a part of Singapore called....;).....but known to be the dodgiest area of the city/country in attempt to show me Singapore's wildest side (which was much more full-on than I anticipated) and try to shock me. Where all of the (legal) brothels were, dodgiest nightclubs existed, and such. I was approached multiple times and offered weed, heroin and methamphetamine, none of which I had anything to do with. The dealers were actually very friendly and gentle, reflective of the Singaporean culture in general.

I went clubbing in SP, to Ministry of Sound and other trance clubs, and my drug-dar gave me the impression that only alcohol was in 99% of people's bodies. But then I went to private parties with a friend of mine who lives in Singapore, and that's where I actually saw people using methamp and marijuana. So it does exist, certainly.

Malaysia I was only on mainland Malaysia (connects Singapore to Thailand). There's a scene for trance in Kuala Lumpur (capital). MOS just opened a club there, but under a different name. From a few locals I met, MDMA, speed, coke, amphets, and opiates all exist, and are more open in the party scenes than in Singapore or HK.

Rural areas in Malaysia along the coast, which are smaller tourist attractations, seem to have a somewhat open market for weed. And according to a local I hung out with for an afternoon, stimulants work their way to the rural areas, and occasionally tourists can strike gold.

Thailand If you have any street smarts, it's very easy to find drugs there. It's Thailand, for God's sake.

Cambodia If you have any street smarts, it's very easy to find drugs there. Though a bit more intimidating - language barriers and just a bit more confusing.

Hong Kong I was in Hong Kong for a couple of weeks. During this time, I was only approached once (by a foreigner) and offered cocaine and/or weed. I didn't do it. I went to several nightclubs and such in HK and never really got the feel that drug use is done much in public.

Phillipines I was only in Manila, but there's definately a less-than-classy street scene, and then there's a club scene, where drugs are traded fairly openly. Manila is a rough city, though. I think that most of the drug trade would be run by very ruthless people.

New Caledonia Huge open marijuana scene, where the police basically turn the other way. Kind of like the Jamaca of the South Pacific.

That's about all I know from that part of the world...
 
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although ive curtailed my drug use hugely lately, much to the relief of my insane intelect, this is a very interesting thread - and bl is still in general. :) drug users are just often clever, interesting and unpretentious. then you get into hard drugs/users and its bye-bye fun-time. hehe.

anyway. about the germany thing. i can see it, being the richest european country, having tons of drugs around, but a lot of travel experience is very random and personal. i found german so-called potheads smoke like a .0001 of a gram with a bunch of tobacco, but that was only one group of people so obviously it means nothing. i guess i was just saying germany sucks because of WW2 :) lol
 
Thanks Redleader for the kickass post!

What I've learned about the drug scene in the Pacific Islands so far:

In Guam one can find cannabis, meth, heroin, and occasionally coke and E. The meth comes from East Asia mostly. The cannabis is from both local sources and Palau. The heroin is South East Asian but some tar finds its way to the scene.

In the Northern Marianas one finds meth and cannabis primarily.

In the American Samoa and Western Samoa cannabis and methamphetamine are most prevalent. Even though both Samoas are seperated by only 50 km the meth found in the Western Samoan market comes from New Zeland and in the American Samoa comes from North America. The drug laws in the American Samoa are draconian, even by American standards.

Tahiti has a scene for cannabis and recently for meth but both are very underground. The Tuamotus are a better bet for weed.

If New Caledonia is a sort of Jamaica of the South Pacific, Palau is something of a Jamaica of the North Pacific.
 
KS78 said:
I know that there are really big open air markets in Spain, Portugal and Switzerland. I saw a documentary regarding drugs in Spain and people were literally in line on the street to get their fixes (H & Cocaine mainly), there were hundreds on these lines. Once they hear the cops are coming they just disburse and as soon as they leave the street, back to business. I don't remember the name of that doc., but you can find it easily on YouTube.
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I dont know about switzerland, but in spain and portugal (where i live) it's soo easy to get hash or H one gram of H here it's about $$ and hash it's not sold
by weight but by size. The standart it's a 'conto' that costs $$ too and about those open markets they're true i've been to several of those markets.

Ps: *snip snip snip*
 
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I travel ALOT. I am a dual Israeli/US citizen who lives in the Philippines. In my country of residence, the drug of choice by a long shot, is methamphetamine hcl. in smokable form. Indeed, it is the drug choice for the entire Pacific, from the Rim (Asia) all the way east to Hawaii.

In the Philippines it is called "Shabu," which is a Japanese slang word meaning "Go Fast." The manufacturing and 1st Tier of the Trade is entirely controlled by Etnic Chinese, mostly Tawainese but in recent years some Mainland Chinese from Fujian Province as well.

It began with importation only but then quickly moved to large scale laboratories within the country. Having 7,107 islands offers organisations alot of places to lay low. Employing only degreed chemists from their home countries, they manufacture in 100 kilo lots, in 3 to 5 day runs and then in less than week onto another place, in most cases.

The uniformity in operations means that there are very few organisations in the trade.

Until 2006 purity was always in the high 90th percentile, often 98%. However, as the interdiction increased many fold, and as the level of addiction leveled off, shoddier product began to become more common (but is still relatively rare).

The smallest retail unit is called a "Piso" (Piece), and is good for roughly 5 mouthfuls of smoke, and costs 100 Pesos. 44 to 52 Pesos =1 US Dollar. It comes wrapped in tiny plastic corners of bags which are usually melted closed, and rarely in tiny clear ziplocs.

In the larger cities you can get 1/4, 1/2 and 1 gramme portions but I could not honestly tell you prices on those. By and large you only find Pisos readily available on the streets.

Street dealers buy in retail units called a "Bulto." Bulto does not designate a particular unit, more of a generic term like "Rock" would be in the US, etc. They come in 5,10 and 25 gramme rocks. A 10 gramme can cost 30,000 to 60,000 Pesos, and a 25 gramme 70,000 to 85,000 Pesos.

As I said it is smoked, since it is what Americans usually call "Ice," but unlike the US, there are no fancy glassware pipes or vapourisers to be had. There are 2 kinds of implements used: I) Tinfoil "Boats," the kind used to smoke methamphetamine on the Mainland (Thailand and Cambodia), and II) Tinfoil sheets as in the Dutch version of "Chasing the Dragon" (the process of smoking Heroin #2, heroin freebase).

Drug spots, where you can buy and smoke are usually called "Tiangge."

The Philippines is unique in Asia for its almost complete absense of opiates/opioids, including even licit RX. Korea has no street scene but at least you can get codeine when you medically need it! Cancer patients in the Philippines get anti-psychotics!

It was not always like that. 1 out of 4 Filipinos is either entirely Chinese or is at least 1/8th Chinese, or so the government says, etc. Until the 1920s the country had the same government operated opium dens found throughout SE Asia, and like many other places, only Ethnic Chinese could partake since it was deemed to be a specific trait of male "Chinamen."

Of course in reality 1 out of every 4 customers was believed to have been non-Chinese. WWII ended the vice, which had continued as a grey market commodity even after closure of govt. opium shoppes at the end of the 1920s.

From then, until the early 70s, some modicum of opiate addiction continued to perisist in the largest cities, peaking in the very late 60s/early 70s. At that point it made its way out of the slums and into the best universities where it ensnared the children from the wealthiest families.

At this point 3 Chiau-Chiau Triads controlled the entire domestic market. The 3 groups imported large loads of morphine freebase and manufactured #3 for the domestic market, and #4 Heroin for export in large lot runs.

Popular belief is that in the end there was only 1 operation, but in reality the largest 3 continued all the way to the finish line. It is only that Lim Seng (his nickname) refused to surrender his wealth and go into exile quietly like his competitors.

The Marcos dictatorship moved on all 3 when the richer young people developed addictions, the other 2 left, Lim Seng believed himself impervious to prosecution because of liberal payoffs but in the end he wound up having his face shot off by a 6 man Firing Squad on live TV.

Within 6 months heroin addiction literally disappeared from the streets.

In the late 1980s the govt. then banned ALL opiates/opioids, even codeine compounds like Tylenol 3, etc. The WHO (UN medical watchdog) then sued the country. The case dragged on for a few years and finally, facing imminent loss, the govt. cut a very clever deal.

The WHO has a 3 Step Pain Ladder for the prescription of opiates/opioids. Step I is NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatorie drugs).

Step II is an NSAID AND a codeine or hydrocodone classopiate/opioid.

Step III is morphine, et al.

The govt.'s deal was to accept a 2 Step truncated system with only Steps I and III. Ergo, you got an NSAID OR you got morphine, oxy, fen and so on. Sounds great, yes?

The problem though, is this: When you have a system that has been without ANY opiate/opioid for more than a decade, and the substances have been absolutely villified over and over...AND THEN introduce THAT truncated system physicians are ONLY going to ever prescribe Step II for the absolutely worst terminal patients.

Anyway, I can speak on why they did it, how it worked some other time...simply trying now to explain just why there are no Prescription Addicts in the country.

There have been, in 1 city (only THAT city), 3 opiates/opioids of abuse: The most popular is Nubain (nabulphine hcl., a mixed antagonist/agonist related to oxy-morphone and only in injectable form), Stadol (butorphanol tartrate) in an intranasal mist, and tramadol in tablets and injectable (Tramal).

Nubain has a few hundred regular users and addicts in the Kinasay-an Pardo and Kamagayan neighbourhoods in Cebu City, on Cebu. Available in ampoules for 100 to 200 Pesos, or single injection dosages for 10 to 30 Pesos each.

The problem there is that when addicts buy by the dose, they take the addicts syringe and load it from an ampoule along with up to 20 other users. As a result virtually every heavy user of the substance has HIV AND HCV (Hep-C).

In the Philippines, there are 3 classes of drugs: I) OTC, II) Controlled (require General Prescription but possesion without Presciption is a 30 day jailable offence), and III) "Dangerous Drugs," which in the US would equal CDS, i.e. "Schedualed Drigs." There are no different levels like in the US, UK and so on.

Dangerous Drugs require an S2 Prescription, a 3 sheet Script of which less than 20% of physicians are even able to write. Then, most of THEM are not willing to pay what they consider a steep price for the Script Pad!

Nabulphine is a Controlled Drug, which makes it VERY attractive in a country that until 2007 executed for 10 grammes of poppy seeds (now it is only Natural Life and a fine).

Stadol ceased production earlier this year I believe, and I am not sure if the 2 generic manufactuers will be imported to take its market share, which was miniscule. I do not know about pricing

Tramadol is OTC, just walk in and pay 55 Pesos per 50 mg. capsule (1.05 US). I do not know about pricing for the ampoules.

As a result of all the factors I mentioned, there is no diversion of Rx substances like morphine, etc. so that if you cannot stomach Nubain or tramadol, you are out of luck.

Cannabis is common in some places. The place where it is most common is in central and northern Luzon, the island Manila sits upon. From Baguio to Sagada, in the Cordiellera Mountains it is a huge industry.

As soon as you get out of the bus station in Sagada they try to sell it which is highly unusual in the Philippines where there is no heavy selling in the street, and NEVER to froeigners (another unique aspect of the country, regionally).

Sagada is in the homeland for the Igorot Tribe, who until the early 1970s still hunted heads. Until the end of the 90s it was virtually independant with most villagers organising under the Maoist insurrection (NPA, before them in 1969, the Huk).

They have hashish as well but most of it is sent down the mountains to Baguio which has more white people than any part of the Philippines due to its cool mountain weather.

Cannabis, ALWAYS Sativa unfortunately, is called "Bontoc," among other things. A kilo is 425 Pesos in Sagada, all bud (less than 10 US Dollars).

As you go to the lower mountains, towards Baguio, and then on into Manila 8 hours down (or more sometimes), it can go as high as 2200 Pesos per kilo. 5 grams is the usual retail unit in Sagada, and usually costs from10 to 20 Pesos, but in Manila it costs up to 200 Pesos.

Hashsh, OK quality, nothing special (but I AM Israeli soooo), goes for 1000 Pesos per gramme in Manila (CRAZY EXPENSIVE) but up in Sagada it is 300 Pesos per.You can get a kilo in Sagada for 20,000 Pesos.

Cannabis is commcericaly grown for export to Amsterdam, and the Pacific Rim on Luzon, in the Igorot lands. It is also grown on Mindanao, where I live (I also have a home in Cebu).

On Mindanao you find incredibly large plantations of it and so it is generally free for locals and not sold to foreigners that I know of, in less than tonnes (not many foreigners ever step foot on the island anyway unless they are in the arms or drug trade, or Intel)...

There is SOME MDMA in the biggest cities: Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iolio, Baguio and Borocay, a fanct resort island. The crappy Chinese imprints are as cheap as 200 Pesos (less than 5 US), and the decent European made are up to 1000 though my bros-nlaw say it is usually 800 per now.

Suprisingly cocaine is available, if you will pay 90 US per gramme. The great thing though? Never stepped on.

The island is a transshipment point for heroin and coke as they cross the Pacific, fisherman always turning in stray kilos of coke, 1 here, 2 there. It is a status thing with the rich to do it even though they can easily get some of the best methamphetamine in the world for alot cheaper.

The very poor make do with "Rugby." It is a rubber cement that they huff in plastic bags, often on street corners...almost always the very young, 6 or 7 year old boys...

*NOTE TO MOD: I am not sure what Mods in THIS forum believe as far as "Prices" go, though I know that allowing prices are at the discrepancy of each forum. That said, if they are NOT allowed in THIS thread I do believe it is counter-intutive. To have folks describe "Drug Scenes in other nations but to ban pricing. Anyway, I am sure you will tell me if it contravenese some here-to-fore unknown policy, etc.

(Edited for spelling)
 
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This thread is very interesting.

Rachamim, I found your post very informative and interesting, you are obviously well informed of the drug situation and politics in your country.
 
ClassAallDay said:
Meth on the other hand has a big stigma, but there is also a HUGE meth scene with people levels of society, it is very secretive. We have street dealers, but i have little experience with these as I look very young and no need ;-). There are lots of house dealers where you can go and chill/smoke but usually run by scum bags and the standard of meth is disgusting, MSM is unused but the equally bad B12 is the norm.
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From what I've experienced, the standard of meth over here in NZ is actually pretty good in comparison to other countries. Maybe I've just been lucky with my sources, but the product is usually very clean with a high purity. Rarely cut with anything.

I'll also mention ecstasy as a drug popular in NZ, especially in the major cities with good nightlife scenes. Quality varies. I've experienced everything from pure MDMA powder through to pills containing little or none of the drug at all. As in other countries, other substances are sometimes passed off as ecstasy to unsuspecting buyers. BZP (only recently made illegal) is becoming more and more common in these rip-off pills. This is one reason why I've stopped using ecstacy myself... I just can't be certain of what I'm buying any more.
 
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Rachamim, do a lot of foreign drug tourists come to the Philippines these days? From the sounds of it, no, I'd guess. I remember reading a magazine article a few years back about Philippine immigration grabbing and deporting a whole bunch of lower class American beach bums from popular seaside towns around the country. They sported every vice and addiction imaginable, and the locals found them a nuisance.
 
MyDoor: Well, they do a "round-up" every 3 or 4 years (nothing at all like other Asian nations) and only really hassle Red 'ight Districts.

In 2007, the year I moved there full time, they grabbed ever foreigner they could find in the Kareoke and Massage shoppes as well as discos and dragged them to some gymnasium out near Makati (Manila suburb where the Airports are).

They recorded passports and let them find their way back into Manila. Those that do not carry passports, and there are many, they were kept up to 3 days until embassies went ballistic.

It is actually 1 of the easiest Asian nations with regard to tourists, 2nd perhaps to Cambodia. In the Philippines you can still stay for 1 year (with 90 day renewals) before a Visa-Run. Wish Thailand had stayed that way!

Drug-Tourism is not an issue. There were times, or so I am told, when Luzon (Sagada, Baguio) was the eastern terminus of the "Hippie Silk Road." Indeed, that is how those head hunters on Luzon began making hashish!

You would think, with NZ (as a poster just said) and parts of Australia having terrible problems with methamphetamine, that you would see true Drug-Tourism, but nope. Now Sex-Tourism unfortunately is always there.

There was a case before I left in May, some old British bloke. He had moved to Luzon for some local girl, she died. He invested in some European con-artist's Get Rich Scheme and lost eveything. Since the late 1980s he existed on handouts from villagers, sleeping in the rough, eating rice when fed, etc. The mayor called Immigration personally, saying 20 odd years was too much hahahahahahah. Geee, you think?

The point though, they are crazy about foreigners (officialy) because of the currency. Culturally they endure them, and as long as foreigners do not move south of the Visayan Islands they are generally safe...
 
my dad just got home from vietnam
he got beat buying weed
there

hahahahaha

:D


my dads a fat face of bad karma
 
sounds like a neat place, the phillipines. some day ill visit, crash at your place k rachamim :) jk lol

i think most places have that routine' round-up every few years. just to pretend to the ever-fearful middle and upper classes that their sad world isnt crumbling into criminality and untameable wilderness.
 
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