Manila, Phillippines

[Mission]

So I have this opportunity to go to Manila and do some history snooping through a most bizarre set of circumstances that came about this week. For those of you who don't want to read the intrigue and adventure (so to speak) of how this came about, I am looking for info on what might be interesting in the GAoP sense in Manila. For those of you who like a yarn, settle back in your easy chair.

I read this newspaper called Investor's Business Daily that has a page called "Leader's and Success" every day. On Monday last, they had an article about a spy in the WWII named Claire Phillips. Manila was a location where we got our behinds handed to us; it's right near the site of the infamous Bataan Death March. Claire's husband was killed in action there and decided she was going to help the war effort. She established a bar where the Japanese hung out so she could use liquor and feminine wiles to coax secrets out of them to report back to the Allied forces. You can actually read the whole article yourself here (although I don't know how long IBD will have it up there).

Usually I read these profiles, feel a little bit smarter and then go on my merry way. When I find one that particularly interests me like this one, I start digging and trying to find books on the person profiled. In this way I have read about many fascinating people you don't often hear about like publisher Bennett Cerf, photographer Margaret Bourke-White, and dancer Doris Humphrey among many others. But I couldn't find any books on Phillips. I did find she published an autobiography in the late 40's called Manila Espionage, but it cost about $300 - more than I'll spend even on a period surgical book.

However, I also found through Amazon that a woman named Edna Binkowski had published a book on Philips in 2006 called Claire Phillips aka "High Pockets". High Pockets was Phillips' code name because she used to smuggle messages out in her brassiere. For some reason a book published in 2006 wasn't currently available. This didn't make any sense, so I did a search on Ms. Binkowski and found this page which gave her email address. So I emailed her.

She answered with info about purchasing the book and then explained that she was giving a tour of Manila, Bataan and local environs focusing on Claire Phillips. She sent me a link to her web page, which is here. This intrigued me, so I emailed for more info. The trouble with emailing someone in the Philippines is that it takes a day to get a response. It turns out that Edna (who is much younger than her name sounds) was born in the Philippines and is a self-described "history nut". She is also fascinated by Ms. Phillips, thus her reason for writing the book and doing the tour. The tour is about half as expensive as the airfare and includes most of the meals and all of the lodging.

To be honest, it was the quirky way this all came about that captivated me. Who could resist it? Not me, apparently. So now I am planning a trip to the Philippines. The question, which I have already asked, is if there is reason to extend my stay and search for piratical things of interest. Not modern piracy, which doesn't interest me a whit, but GAoP and + 20/-100 years.

[William Brand]

Cool. Discretely ask about madak without getting arrested.

[Mission]

Cool. Discretely ask about madak without getting arrested.

Er...I must admit illicit activities (particularly those that have the potential side-effect of causing my imminent arrest) are probably not going to be a salient feature of my inquiries. Although it appears anything and everything goes in Manila from my research. This is actually listed in the 'Con' column of my decision-making tree. (Some pirate I would have made. It's a good thing I chose to be a surgeon.)

[William Brand]

Please tell me that you're taking a good camera.

[Guest]

(Some pirate I would have made. It's a good thing I chose to be a surgeon.)

But you didn't choose to be a Pyrate Surgeon, we pressed ye inter service.........

[Mission]

Please tell me that you're taking a good camera.

At present I don't have one at all. The one I took to PiP has started refusing to upload for some reason. (Plus it's a pain in the behind to carry around because it's so big.) I actually researched and bought one off eBay, but it turned out to have a mechanical problem so I sent it back. So I know what kind of camera I want (and it's no longer in production), I just have to wait for one to come up on eBay that sells for what I'm willing to pay for it.

Although my photography acumen is pretty weak. I took a two week trip to Australia in 2005 and took about 20 pictures. Between the pictures I took at PiP this year with my and Mary Diamond's camera, I believe I shot more photographs than 30 years of other vacation photos combined. (I am serious.) I guess I just prefer to paint word pictures.

(Some pirate I would have made. It's a good thing I chose to be a surgeon.)

But you didn't choose to be a Pyrate Surgeon, we pressed ye inter service.........

True. It is one of the reasons I chose that character.

[Graydog]

After you have read the history you can see the movie:

"I was an American Spy" which is the story of Claire Phillips aka "High Pockets", made in 1951. It plays on late night TV every now and then.

Movie Info

[Mission]

After you have read the history you can see the movie:

"I was an American Spy" which is the story of Claire Phillips aka "High Pockets", made in 1951. It plays on late night TV every now and then.

Movie Info

Thanks for the tip! I should see that; I actually did know it existed. I first want to read the book so I know fact from fiction, as you suggested.

Alas, I have postponed my trip to a more opportune time for various reasons. I want to check into getting a small cannon, though...