So Who Wants To Leave And Why, Or Who's Staying For Life?

[BrettGC]

Just as a segue from Jeff R's post in another thread I have to ask the question.  I've spent a lot of time in PI, never lived there though so don't have that perspective.  My longest visit has been 6 weeks.  Yes, even in my times there I have experienced a little frustration, but then I sat back and remembered I'm not in Aust/Europe/North America anymore, and that helped put things back into perspective for me and made me remember why I want to be there so much.  I guess I'm lucky in that I've experienced many cultures in my life, for extended periods of time, so come to PI with fewer expectations than some.  I understand many of the comments are just pointing out the pitfalls, but as Jeff R has stated, some are just downright negative to the point of vitriol in some threads. 

 

I'm heading there permanently soonish, and love the laid-back attitude in PI, the friendliness of the people if treated as equals, and SAO would cut my nuts off if I didn't move :P.  I can even get past the corruption, it's nowhere near as bad as in Indonesia, Vietnam or Thailand, and has less of an effect on day-to-day living than in the three countries I mentioned in my experience. 

 

So I'm curious as to:

 

A.  Who wants to leave and why?

B.  Are you actually going to leave, if not, why?

C.  Who's staying and why?

D.  If you're staying, why is it better in PI than your country of origin?

 

Just genuinely curious here guys, this is not an attempt to make you feel that you have to justify your opinion or defend your views, just after information. 

 

Just as a random icebreaker, attached is a picture of the latest additions to our family.  Names are Bacon, Pork, and Ham :7_4_17[1]:

 

Edited February 12, 2014 by BrettGC

[MikeB]

Shortly before I moved to the Philippines, almost 3 years ago, I was pulled over with lights and siren by a Polk County, Florida police (sheriff) vehicle in our sleepy, private community and lectured by a very angry and red-faced uniformed female police officer because I had run a stop sign...on my bicycle. It was a 4-way stop intersection with not another 4 (or 2) wheel vehicle in sight in any direction. I decided right then and there I wasn't coming back. But I probably will because we have a baby and the educational standards, lack of opportunities and many other things have me leaning in that direction. For them, not me. I have no misconceptions about going back, there's nothing there for me.

[jon1]

After 7 years, I sometimes reminisce about the States. But then after a careful reevaluation I remember why I still stay and will never leave.

 

I have none of the stressors I had in the States. I enjoy the slower pace of things and have learned about what is truly important to me to be happy. I have a beautiful wife, secure place to live, plenty of hobbies to keep me occupied and at present my health is better because of that. Because of the above, I feel that I have a better quality of life and a lifestyle that would be hard to achieve on the same budget in the States.

 

This does not mean that I have gone native and immersed myself in their illogical ways of doing things. I just selectively engage their ways when I choose to on occasion. I do a lot of SMDH (Shaking My Damn Head) and just walk away from most situations. 

[jpbago]

Just genuinely curious here guys

 

Just curious or having second thoughts??

 

Don't worry. Jump in with both feet but don't burn any bridges.

[Jollygoodfellow]

I wasn't coming back. But I probably will because we have a baby and the educational standards, lack of opportunities and many other things have me leaning in that direction. For them, not me. I have no misconceptions about going back, there's nothing there for me.

 

Probably a bit off topic but I'm not sure about your reasons, there are a lot of born and raised, educated successful people in the Philippines. I think opportunities are connected to will, the will to find and to conquer an opportunity. The will to learn in the first place.

I also think it has to do with how a child is brought up, living standards and perhaps financial situation of the parents. In first world countries we might have a better education system but still not everyone will become a genius, not everyone will be successful.Those children with a poorer standard of living, welfare drug addicted family's most likely wont prosper in a first world country and those in the Philippines that struggle to put food on the table perhaps wont get an opportunity for good education and the parents wont see it as a priority in life either.

 

Who knows, if you take the child to the states there is no guarantee that child will have any interest in learning or finding those opportunity's in the future. Hard decision I'm sure.

[BrettGC]

 

Just genuinely curious here guys

 

Just curious or having second thoughts??

 

Don't worry. Jump in with both feet but don't burn any bridges.

 

 

 

Nope, no second thoughts, just trying to pin down the negativity sometimes seen on here and wondering why some are in PI at all.  Also want to see some full-time expats view on why they stay.  Already Jumped mate, but yep, there's a safety net. 

[brock]

Their were lots of things I loved about the Philippines, And lots of things I didn't like, I am the kind of person who always speaks his mind and I always try to tell the truth as I see it,The one thing I really didn't like is always having the fear that if you say something to someone and they didn't like it they could have you deported at the drop of a hat, I didn't want that axe being held over my head. I just felt as though I was gagged all the time and dare not have an opinion.

[Thomas]

I decided right then and there I wasn't coming back. (/To Florida/) But I probably will because we have a baby and the educational standards, lack of opportunities and many other things have me leaning in that direction.

Well.

Concerning education:

Yes, AVERAGE education quality is much lower in Phils, but there are good educations there too. But they cost, so I plan to solve that by compleeting the public school with some homeschooling.

I don't know if USA has such too, but Sweden has DISTANCE elementary and high school educations following the Swedish school plan ment for kids to Swedes who work abroad some years, so the kids suit to switch between distance and normal school different years. If having good enough Internet, then such distance education can be needed. (BUT for my case it don't function with the Swedish alternative, because I don't plan to learn them Swedish enough to studying in Swedish.)

 

Concerning higher education:

Some depending of subject, A FEW are so complicated so tutor is needed regularly  =After reading is learned, most subjects can be learned by SELF studying reading. E g the best computer related developers have learned themselves, some even WITHOUT BOOKS, when being in the frontline so there are no books  :)    (E g the best software developers, who I have worked with, had learned the hardest parts by themselves.) 

I started at Swedish College, but I SKIPED it after the first semester, because in one subject they didn't teach the BEST method (which I knew allready by self studying) and in the other subjects I found them teaching to slow   :)    So I quit and have studied by myself instead, sometimes doing tests to get grades, when I have bothered to get documents. By references/showing I have got some rather high jobs anyway.)

=IF the child/grownup is interested, they can learn ANYWAY if just giving them access to useful information.

 

Opportunities: 

In Phils it's more COMPLICATED, and less opportunities as EMPLOYED,

BUT I say for investments and business there are MORE OPPORTUNITIES in Phils   :)    Yes, I know many have failed, but I guess most of them hadn't business experience or not even related handling knowledge for the business type they started...  There are several examples of foreigners SUCCEEDING in Phils. (E g within Call Centers or some production. There is a reason e g Adidas and Toshiba have production in Phils.)  The potential is high because of the very low costs for staff...

During the last 10 years the Philippine economy has developed much BETTER than the American and European. Because of the salary differences  - IF the Filipin politicians and officials don't screw it up to much  :)   - I claim the "western" economies are "dead" comparingly concerning improvement in the long run. That's one of the reasons I move from Europe to SouthEast Asia    :) 

= Although it's complicated and messy, I believe there are MORE future opportunities in Phils than in USA/Europe.

[brock]

= Although it's complicated and messy, I believe there are MORE future opportunities in Phils than in USA/Europe.

 

Yes Thomas, But also more opportunity to lose everything too.   ,Buyer beware,,

[Tukaram (Tim)]

Tomorrow is my 1 year anniversary here.  So far so good.  There are some complaints... but bad neighbors can be anywhere.  Where we are the beggars are not too bad, A simple "Get your f'ing hands off me" usually suffices.  

 

If I could move back to the US and not have to work (I cannot retire for another 5 years), be 10 minutes from a beach, and have all this amazing eye candy... sure I could move back.  I was not really unhappy there.

 

And remember if you are not happy here, and now, you probably won't be any happier somewhere else.