What Have You Learned About The Philippines

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Travis
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I know we are all on forums to learn so I am wondering what have others learned during their stays in the Philippines? I know I have learned to love the people & that those stone faced people in elevators usually turn into big smiling faces when I say a greeting to them so I wonder why they start out stone faced in the first place? is it cuz they are shy or cuz of how others have treated them? is province life better than city life? I live in the city & really like it & I am wondering if I am missing out on much by not traveling to the provinces & that is why I want to buy a bike & travel around the whole island of Cebu so has anyone done that & what was it like? is it safe for a lone American to drive around the provinces?

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oldutot
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Hi Traveler, I generally introduce myself and that breaks the ice, when speaking to most Pinoys. Just showing respect can give you a lot in return. I hope to do some island hopping when I settle there. For now I am coming up with a business plan of becoming a traveling balut saleman. My Bostonian accent will be my selling point. My sale pitch will be, that my duck eggs are Harvard and MIT educatedhystery.gif

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Travis
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Hi Traveler, I generally introduce myself and that breaks the ice, when speaking to most Pinoys. Just showing respect can give you a lot in return. I hope to do some island hopping when I settle there. For now I am coming up with a business plan of becoming a traveling balut saleman. My Bostonian accent will be my selling point. My sale pitch will be, that my duck eggs are Harvard and MIT educatedhystery.gif
good one thumbsup.gif I like your idea laugh.gif it would be nice to have more nice Americans like you to talk to cuz many I see here seem to be obnoxious & you seem very nice. I wonder if it could be that many of those who move here full time & have never been to a third world Asian country before become subconsciously disillusioned so they become obnoxious or maybe they just start out that way and get worse. We need more nice Americans here so come on down thumbsup.gif as Bob Barker would say cheersty.gif
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oldutot
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Hi Traveler, I generally introduce myself and that breaks the ice, when speaking to most Pinoys. Just showing respect can give you a lot in return. I hope to do some island hopping when I settle there. For now I am coming up with a business plan of becoming a traveling balut saleman. My Bostonian accent will be my selling point. My sale pitch will be, that my duck eggs are Harvard and MIT educatedhystery.gif
good one thumbsup.gif I like your idea laugh.gif it would be nice to have more nice Americans like you to talk to cuz many I see here seem to be obnoxious & you seem very nice. I wonder if it could be that many of those who move here full time & have never been to a third world Asian country before become subconsciously disillusioned so they become obnoxious or maybe they just start out that way and get worse. We need more nice Americans here so come on down thumbsup.gif as Bob Barker would say cheersty.gif
totally agree most kanos are disillusional. SugarwareZ-037.gif
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Jake
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I know we are all on forums to learn so I am wondering what have others learned during their stays in the Philippines? I know I have learned to love the people & that those stone faced people in elevators usually turn into big smiling faces when I say a greeting to them so I wonder why they start out stone faced in the first place? is it cuz they are shy or cuz of how others have treated them? is province life better than city life? I live in the city & really like it & I am wondering if I am missing out on much by not traveling to the provinces & that is why I want to buy a bike & travel around the whole island of Cebu so has anyone done that & what was it like? is it safe for a lone American to drive around the provinces?
Hey Traveler,I'm right with you buddy. A genuine smile with a simple greeting is usually the ice breaker no matter where you live. In the Philippines, I found that showing a random act of kindness to someone that sees you everyday (tricycle and jeepney drivers, street vendors, PNP, etc) could provide you with lasting respect and protection on the street. A bottle of cold water, leftover pizza, cheap sunglasses, etc given to a tricycle driver that always waits at your corner would be an example. Most of them will remember your kindness and will be your neighborhood eyes and ears for you and your family, especially at night.Regarding your adventure on a motorcycle around Cebu Island, I just googled "motorcycle clubsin Cebu" and got a lot of hits, including some U-Tubes. Here's one as an example:http://www.cebucybermoto.com/ I would highly recommend the buddy system on your firstride out.This is a bit off topic but the way I leave a lasting impressive of myself riding an elevator withcomplete strangers: I would let out an SBD and blame Joe (Oltutot) for the smell because he'scarrying those nasty baluts. I would pay extra to hear Joe's New England accent selling thosedamn things.Have a good one my friend -- Jake
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Art2ro
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:welcome: All I can say in general terms is, that any foreigner no matter where they are living, still have to be careful where ever they go weather it's in the cities or provinces! This is still a 3rd world country with all of it's quirks of which I mean, of the unstable government, anti-government rebel outlaws, religious fanatics, and just plain dishonest people! Granted that it has mellowed somewhat over the years, but anything can still happen at anytime and anywhere! The annual calamities due to mother nature is a given and any one visiting the Philippines should plan their vacations accordingly as to the best season in which to travel in the Philippines! That's about my 2 cents worth of what I've learned living in the Philippines! Just ask others here on the forum of the places you plan on seeing so that they can give you more precise information as to what to avoid for your safety! Have an enjoyable and safe stay in the Philippines! SugarwareZ-005.gifSugarwareZ-003.gif:cheersty::th_signs083:

Edited by Pinoy Art
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UZI
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I know we are all on forums to learn so I am wondering what have others learned during their stays in the Philippines? I know I have learned to love the people & that those stone faced people in elevators usually turn into big smiling faces when I say a greeting to them so I wonder why they start out stone faced in the first place? is it cuz they are shy or cuz of how others have treated them? is province life better than city life? I live in the city & really like it & I am wondering if I am missing out on much by not traveling to the provinces & that is why I want to buy a bike & travel around the whole island of Cebu so has anyone done that & what was it like? is it safe for a lone American to drive around the provinces?
Hey Traveler,I'm right with you buddy. A genuine smile with a simple greeting is usually the ice breaker no matter where you live. In the Philippines, I found that showing a random act of kindness to someone that sees you everyday (tricycle and jeepney drivers, street vendors, PNP, etc) could provide you with lasting respect and protection on the street. A bottle of cold water, leftover pizza, cheap sunglasses, etc given to a tricycle driver that always waits at your corner would be an example. Most of them will remember your kindness and will be your neighborhood eyes and ears for you and your family, especially at night.Have a good one my friend -- Jake
I agree with Jake. We always get a smile from the Guards as we go in and out of the Sub Division because we smile & wave to them too. We also give them a couple of bottles of Fundador for Christmas as well. I was treated well by our local PNP following a minor accident & invited them to the house for food & drink in return. When we use Tricycabs (sp) on visits to Naga Cebu, we always have a joke with the guy & give a bit extra if they are friendly. We are always remembered & get priority treatment when we need a ride. Same with our neighbors & even their maids. A smile & a good morning goes a long way in getting our little community looking out for each other.As for the safety side of things, well we have lived in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kuwait, Dubai & Norway too and can honestly say the Philippines in no better or worse than any other. Hong Kong has areas where you wouldn't go alone for example. Big cities attract ALL types. What I have found in the Philippines is a high level of paranoia. People THINK it is more dangerous but ask around & few can relate anything worse than a pick pocket or stolen cellphone. We have lived here for 4 years & feel as safe here as in the UK, if not actually safer.As for traveling around alone, if this is something you would do in any other country & have experienced, then you will be ok. I know a guy who posts on another forum who explores North Luzon all the time on his BMW bike alone & posts photos of great scenes. If not, then as Jake said, there are lots of bike clubs in Cebu & throughout the RP that regularly organise tours, so join up with one.:Policeman:Common sense is your best tool at all times.Uzi.
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Singers
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I know we are all on forums to learn so I am wondering what have others learned during their stays in the Philippines? I know I have learned to love the people & that those stone faced people in elevators usually turn into big smiling faces when I say a greeting to them so I wonder why they start out stone faced in the first place? is it cuz they are shy or cuz of how others have treated them? is province life better than city life? I live in the city & really like it & I am wondering if I am missing out on much by not traveling to the provinces & that is why I want to buy a bike & travel around the whole island of Cebu so has anyone done that & what was it like? is it safe for a lone American to drive around the provinces?
Hey Traveler,I'm right with you buddy. A genuine smile with a simple greeting is usually the ice breaker no matter where you live. In the Philippines, I found that showing a random act of kindness to someone that sees you everyday (tricycle and jeepney drivers, street vendors, PNP, etc) could provide you with lasting respect and protection on the street. A bottle of cold water, leftover pizza, cheap sunglasses, etc given to a tricycle driver that always waits at your corner would be an example. Most of them will remember your kindness and will be your neighborhood eyes and ears for you and your family, especially at night.Have a good one my friend -- Jake
I agree with Jake. We always get a smile from the Guards as we go in and out of the Sub Division because we smile & wave to them too. We also give them a couple of bottles of Fundador for Christmas as well. I was treated well by our local PNP following a minor accident & invited them to the house for food & drink in return. When we use Tricycabs (sp) on visits to Naga Cebu, we always have a joke with the guy & give a bit extra if they are friendly. We are always remembered & get priority treatment when we need a ride. Same with our neighbors & even their maids. A smile & a good morning goes a long way in getting our little community looking out for each other.As for the safety side of things, well we have lived in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kuwait, Dubai & Norway too and can honestly say the Philippines in no better or worse than any other. Hong Kong has areas where you wouldn't go alone for example. Big cities attract ALL types. What I have found in the Philippines is a high level of paranoia. People THINK it is more dangerous but ask around & few can relate anything worse than a pick pocket or stolen cellphone. We have lived here for 4 years & feel as safe here as in the UK, if not actually safer.As for traveling around alone, if this is something you would do in any other country & have experienced, then you will be ok. I know a guy who posts on another forum who explores North Luzon all the time on his BMW bike alone & posts photos of great scenes. If not, then as Jake said, there are lots of bike clubs in Cebu & throughout the RP that regularly organise tours, so join up with one.:Policeman:Common sense is your best tool at all times.Uzi.
Yes Traveller, Link -- M/Cycle INFO PI Compiled by a Canadian Tour operator Garry & Sheila (Filipina) BlancSeblonAs "foreigners" in Asian countries we are treated very well and a "Bad Foreigner" to restaurant Etc. Staff does not seem to spoil our welcome in the same venue. In PI you should get along very nicely with a smile or wave of greeting and be as safe as in any European country today!.As for obnoxious Kano?? who knows why they are arrogant. As you imply it is likely they "Brought" that baggage with them... to PI.I have on a few occasions felt the need to make a kind comment to a (insulted) Pinoy when a Kano has been a Pr1k!..:cheersty: so NOT my fault!! but I always feel ashamed of the rudeness some Westerners can show to locals in Asia...:gday:Kind wishes for your exploring... VIDEOUK Tom Edited by Singers
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UZI
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I know we are all on forums to learn so I am wondering what have others learned during their stays in the Philippines? I know I have learned to love the people & that those stone faced people in elevators usually turn into big smiling faces when I say a greeting to them so I wonder why they start out stone faced in the first place? is it cuz they are shy or cuz of how others have treated them? is province life better than city life? I live in the city & really like it & I am wondering if I am missing out on much by not traveling to the provinces & that is why I want to buy a bike & travel around the whole island of Cebu so has anyone done that & what was it like? is it safe for a lone American to drive around the provinces?
Hey Traveler,I'm right with you buddy. A genuine smile with a simple greeting is usually the ice breaker no matter where you live. In the Philippines, I found that showing a random act of kindness to someone that sees you everyday (tricycle and jeepney drivers, street vendors, PNP, etc) could provide you with lasting respect and protection on the street. A bottle of cold water, leftover pizza, cheap sunglasses, etc given to a tricycle driver that always waits at your corner would be an example. Most of them will remember your kindness and will be your neighborhood eyes and ears for you and your family, especially at night.Have a good one my friend -- Jake
I agree with Jake. We always get a smile from the Guards as we go in and out of the Sub Division because we smile & wave to them too. We also give them a couple of bottles of Fundador for Christmas as well. I was treated well by our local PNP following a minor accident & invited them to the house for food & drink in return. When we use Tricycabs (sp) on visits to Naga Cebu, we always have a joke with the guy & give a bit extra if they are friendly. We are always remembered & get priority treatment when we need a ride. Same with our neighbors & even their maids. A smile & a good morning goes a long way in getting our little community looking out for each other.As for the safety side of things, well we have lived in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Kuwait, Dubai & Norway too and can honestly say the Philippines in no better or worse than any other. Hong Kong has areas where you wouldn't go alone for example. Big cities attract ALL types. What I have found in the Philippines is a high level of paranoia. People THINK it is more dangerous but ask around & few can relate anything worse than a pick pocket or stolen cellphone. We have lived here for 4 years & feel as safe here as in the UK, if not actually safer.As for traveling around alone, if this is something you would do in any other country & have experienced, then you will be ok. I know a guy who posts on another forum who explores North Luzon all the time on his BMW bike alone & posts photos of great scenes. If not, then as Jake said, there are lots of bike clubs in Cebu & throughout the RP that regularly organise tours, so join up with one.:Policeman:Common sense is your best tool at all times.Uzi.
Yes Traveller, Link -- M/Cycle INFO PI Compiled by a Canadian Tour operator Garry & Sheila (Filipina) BlancSeblonAs "foreigners" in Asian countries we are treated very well and a "Bad Foreigner" to restaurant Etc. Staff does not seem to spoil our welcome in the same venue. In PI you should get along very nicely with a smile or wave of greeting and be as safe as in any European country today!.As for obnoxious Kano?? who knows why they are arrogant. As you imply it is likely they "Brought" that baggage with them... to PI.I have on a few occasions felt the need to make a kind comment to a (insulted) Pinoy when a Kano has been a Pr1k!..:welcome: so NOT my fault!! but I always feel ashamed of the rudeness some Westerners can show to locals in Asia...:gday:Kind wishes for your exploring... VIDEOUK Tom
I was reading this story on another forum on how an American in Cebu got angry over a faulty battery in a cheap China Copy cellphone his girl had bought. We all know that customer service here has some way :th_signs083: to go to reach Western standards but do you think this response is a good way to deal with it?
I was livid at this point, so I looked at the glass counter and asked them, "How much is this counter worth? A little over 2,000 pesos right?" So I grabbed the counter and started shaking it to see if it would be manageable enough to toss it through the glass window. One of the guys (who I think was the store manager but too scared to admit it) there runs and calls the security guard.The security guard comes in the store and I told him to mind his own f&^&%cking business. He took a step inside the store with his hand on his gun. So I start charging after the guard. His eyes got big as 5-piso coins and he ran out of the store. He went to get backup.
This guy was a hair away from getting shot IMHO & there would have been PLENTY of witnesses to say the guard had no choice but to shoot the crazy Kano. What would the Sun Star :cheersty: have made of that story & what long threads we would have had discussing how there must be more to the story. Life is too short for old men acting all Macho SugarwareZ-267.gif in a foreign country. Smiling gets MUCH better results too. :th_signs027:Just my dalawa centavosUzi.
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Mr Lee
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Wow Uzi, that example seems like one stupid Kano IMO. IMO when a few pesos can solve the problem then I would rather just spend those pesos and not get into a fight or show Filipinos what an Arse I can be. I have to admit that while in the US that I have demanded customer service and even yelled at a manager or four in my days, when they did not seem to solve the problem the first time but it has usually been because I feel more like a consumer advocate and try to make sure others who are not as street wise as I feel that I am, will not get robbed by something someone refused to fix because they felt it was not important enough to go to the trouble, but you will never catch me doing that in the Philippines except possibly to bring a problem to the owners or managers attention. The old saying that you get more with honey than vinegar really applies in the Philippines because I have found that most Filipinos do not respond well to threats and may even go against someone who did that verses someone being nice. In the case of the example, how much can a new battery cost, maybe p200 or p250 or maybe even less, I would have just went to another store such as the one in SM that specializes in China batteries and bought a new battery and saved my blood pressure because that small amount is not worth getting a stroke over or making us all look bad, such as what that guy appeared to do.Now with all that said, what really happened may be another story than what he posted because some people like to make themselves out to be tough on forums when they are really not much in real life, so I would take that post with a grain of salt. In the US I have destroyed items that managers refused to make good, just to show them that it was not the cost but the principal that I was upset about and that usually got their attention and in the case of the example, I would have gone to the owner or manager of the mall or location that the business was in and made them aware that the store was selling faulty items and maybe they would have eventually had a talk with them, but in the Philippines probably not.   :thumbsup: 

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