Check out this Angeles Expat named Ted Lerner that I know and talk to every time I visit his coffee and bagel shop in Angeles City! He is quite a character and amazing guy with multiple talents and has been in the Philippines for decades with countless interesting stories to tell. He's always positive and in a good mood too, which is classic American of course. I don't know how men like him always stay upbeat and cheerful all the time.
His coffee and bagel shop is called CPI and is also a call center (for those who don't like to use Skype) and internet cafe too. It also serves European style craft beer and gourmet coffee brands too. It's one of my favorite places to chill in Angeles, in a quiet area away from the busy activity of Walking Street. I've been going there since 2007 and Ted always greets me with a smile and hello when he sees me. Rock and WorldTraveler have met him too. If any of you are interested in visiting CPI, go find America Hotel in Angeles City, just one block down from the luxurious ABC Hotel. You will find CPI right next to America Hotel and EuroAsia Hotel.
Ted is not only an author and business owner, he's a sports announcer who does voice overs too, and has a very good media voice that sounds very commercial. His website is: http://www.tedlerner.com
Anyway, check out his links below. First here's the two books he wrote, "Hey Joe" and "The Traveler and the Gate Checkers". I've gotten them on Amazon Kindle.
http://www.tedlerner.com/hey-joe/
http://www.tedlerner.com/the-traveler-a ... -checkers/
Hey Joe
“Hilarious…the must read!”
–Asia Pacific Business Traveller Magazine
“Hey, Joe, you like snake?”
“Hey, Joe, welcome to Tondo!”
“Hey, Joe, what’s your name?”
It’s the phrase that greets every foreign guy in the Philippines on a daily basis. And perhaps nobody personifies the meaning of this moniker better than Ted Lerner, an American whose popular, freewheeling column, “Hey, Joe,” has been entertaining readers in the Philippines and overseas for 20 years.
In “Hey, Joe,” Ted presents a collection of his best Manila stories, a kaleidoscope of funny and bizarre incidents, offbeat characters and keen observations dished up by a wide-eyed foreigner living in a city exploding with life, unfathomable urban chaos and a story around every corner. Readers will hitch a ride with the author and spend a night at the cock fights – the Philippines’ violent and gentlemanly national pastime. Walk through bustling, colorful markets that turn the senses on full blast. Experience the harrowing thrill of riding a bicycle through some of the world’s worst and wildest traffic. Visit a secretive girlie-bar reserved mainly for foreigners. Enjoy the party-like atmosphere in the cemetery of one of the world’s most unique observances of the dead. Lounge in the authror’s very own urban nipa hut. Hang out with the rather laid back and care free folks on Manila’s lively and teeming streets.
Simple daily living also provides material for fascinating and humorous reading. From his run ins with mangy Filipino mutts, to everyone asking him “Where’s my Christmas?,” to the characters who peddle every product under the sun through his neighborhood, the author captures perfectly the ups and downs of everyday life experienced by the foreigner living in one of the world’s largest and most chaotic cities.
In all, the 33 short stories in “Hey, Joe” paint a multi-colored portrait of this imposing Asian metropolis, a third world, urban travel adventure as told not only through a foreigner’s eyes, but also through his ears, nose, fingers and mouth. Indeed, like the city of Manila itself, Ted Lerner’s “Hey, Joe,” is a full body experience.
The Traveler and the Gate Checkers
“A journey that is by turns bizarre, joyful, surreal, mysterious” — Asia Times Online
TRAVELER_3DFor most people, life comes down to a daily chore of pile management. But for a traveler like Ted Lerner, life often revolves around dealing with gate checkers. Gate checkers? Yes, those people given a badge, a stamp and the authority to stop you from getting where you want to go.
In this his second book, the American author of the hilarious Philippine adventure, “Hey, Joe,” takes to the road in the gate checker capital of the world, Asia. No matter the obstacles, though, Lerner never fails to uncover the juicy stories and one-of-a-kind experiences which can only be found in the world’s largest and most populated continent.
From the sheer madness, and brilliance, of tortuously crowded India, to the wildly popular and barbaric realm of Japanese professional wrestling, to high class Hong Kong and its notorious, low down landmark, to jaded Thailand and untouched Laos and, finally, revisiting the teeming and seedy heart of Manila, this collection of five original travel tales will bring you decidedly off the beaten path, roaming as few foreigners dare, on journeys as unique as the countries themselves.
Part travelogue, part reportage, part outrageously good fun, with everything from sex to death and all the colorful life in between, Ted Lerner’s ‘The Traveler and the Gate Checkers’ presents a fresh and unusual version of Asia. So open your heart and mind and get ready for the ride. But remember; watch out for those gate checkers!
‘The Traveler and the Gate Checkers’ is now available in print and Kindle e-book on Amazon.com.
Media Praise for The Traveler and the Gate Checkers
“The Traveler and the Gate Checkers” is an excellent read.” — BusinessWorld,
“…the book offers a glimpse into everyday Asians’ lives, making it an extraordinary book that is unforgettable. A journey that is by turns bizarre, joyful, surreal, mysterious” — Asia Times Online,
“A hilarious look at traveling throughout Asia, from sacred cow rest homes in India to bloody wrestling matches in Tokyo.”— European and Pacific Stars and Stripes,
“Because he simply does not go with the herd, he encounters weird characters, extraordinary lives and stumbles upon magical places.” — Malaya
“Fascinating…perceptive…great descriptive writing!…sit back with a beer and travel through Lerner’s eyes. You will enjoy it.” — The Foreign Post
