Ever Get Bored Or Lonely As An Expat?

[Thomas]

 

 

Well. Perhaps depending of I don't communicate any much with people from Manila, because I don't like Manila  :)

but of the 5 most clever Filipins I know, only one is from Manila, and she is the highest educated, but the LEAST clever of them  :)

 

this has kind of gone off at a tangent but i find that not only people in Manila tend to be better educated and more wordly, but even lower class people like taxi drivers have better contributions to make if you get talking to them which can be not so easy as obviously in bigger cities people tend to be less communicative and can seem kind of alienated - especially, if you have been in the province for a while. They may not be so friendly. But that does not mean they are not ok. They have just seen more. Manila is just going up a couple of gears compared to provincial cities. Although I don't much like Manila either.

Well. Rural itt's more common with "conversations" of "Hi. How are you" type, but I believe it depend of many of them living rural don't have any good English knowledge, but often their knowledge level is OK, but they have to low self asteem concerning English to realy dare to try. But when finding them, who dare to talk, I find the RURAL communications much more interesting.

 

Yes, sure you are corect, Manila people have seen  more, but WHAT have they seen more?   :)    I'm not interested in talking about things as fashion, flashy shops, soap operas, restaurants and bar life,

I'm interested in things as where are there rivers suiting canoeing, what crops are they growing (I wonder because I check which of my business ideas suit where), any local sports at any level, land which I can be interested to settle at, building techniques, available skilled handymen, where to find interesting shops as e g local produced furniture, traditional culture...

[MacBubba]

Yes, sure you are corect, Manila people have seen more, but WHAT have they seen more? I'm not interested in talking about things as fashion, flashy shops, soap operas, restaurants and bar life, I'm interested in things as where are there rivers suiting canoeing, what crops are they growing (I wonder because I check which of my business ideas suit where), any local sports at any level, land which I can be interested to settle at, building techniques, available skilled handymen, where to find interesting shops as e g local produced furniture, traditional culture...

 

Some folks who live in Manila take a keen interest in rural matters.  Actually, I have met a good number of them who have travelled extensively not just outside of the country, but also nearly everywhere in the Philippines.  When they go to the provinces, they know the points of natural interest, the best of crops and food items to take back, the local crafts (including furniture) to purchase, the festivals to attend, and I'm sure the list goes on.

[Mike S]

Just strike up a conversation with all of the expats that are former SAS, Navy Seal, Green Beret, Delta Force, Marines who served on the Space Shuttle.

 

That will take care of any boredom. 

 

:1 (103):

 

Ahhhhhhh ..... I see you've met all them also ..... we are truly blessed with there knowledge and presents ..... NOT .... :thumbsup:

:cheersty:

[Mike S]

Well folks I hate to keep bragging but I have no problem having a great conversation with my asawa .... on just about any topic you choose (except maybe US politics) .... she has a vocabulary that is second to none and she can spell in English twice as good as I can .... in fact i ask her to spell words for me that i can't .....

 

Now to the topic of good ol' boy bonding .... don't need it .... never have .... if I wanted to talk all the nonsense about where I came from I would still be living there and not here ..... besides if I need more technical information on subjects I can always get it from the internet .....

 

But as I've said so many times "different strokes for different folks" .....

 

Don't blame your partner for being a poor or non existing conversationalist .... I mean face the facts .... you found her and chose her so it is up to you to stimulate her language skills .... now I'm not saying to teach her to discuss Einstein's Theory of Relativity ..... but how hard do you really work at teaching her ..... or are you just interested in keeping your sweet young thing chained to the bed ..... most Filipinos I have found are not dumb but as you know they are not taught in schools to think for themselves and the ones you do find are in a minority ..... so you ..... if you expect a long term relationship ..... are the one who is going to have to put forth the effort to teach her ..... not just once or twice a week but everyday if need be .....

 

My personal opinion is if you can't communicate and not willing to develop a communication you are both just wasting your time ...... sex is great folks and when you reach your late sixties it is still great but good communication usually takes place more often ..... take it from someone who knows from experience .... but then i suppose you have to have been there to savor this dish ..... :thumbsup: :tiphat:

:cheersty:

 

But to answer the original post I can honestly say that not for one second have I ever felt lonely or bored ....

Edited May 8, 2014 by Mike S

[BrettGC]

Triple like Mike S.

[Jack Peterson]

:lol:  Bored or Boring, I still think me Signature, says it all

 

 

 

JP :morning1: just now  :hystery:  After 2  :cheers:   :tiphat:

[Tukaram (Tim)]

The only time I get kind of bored is like right now - it is too damn hot to go outside most of the day (even my girlfriend doesn't go outside).  And during the rainy season.  But being housebound for days on end I think it is stir crazy, not boredom.  At our new apartment we have good internet (so far), so I can surf around online a lot.  I meet with a group of expats twice a month to practice my English.  Most of them are ok as long as we can steer the conversation away from world politics, or expat complaints ha ha...

 

I just need to quit taking so many vacations.  We spent a lot of money last year traveling around the islands.  Fun... but hard on the budget.

[Dave Hounddriver]

The only time I get kind of bored is like right now - it is too damn hot to go outside most of the day (even my girlfriend doesn't go outside).  And during the rainy season

 

:hystery: Too hot or rainy just about covers every day here

[Thomas]

most Filipinos I have found are not dumb but as you know they are not taught in schools to think for themselves and the ones you do find are in a minority ..... so you ..... if you expect a long term relationship ..... are the one who is going to have to put forth the effort to teach her ..... not just once or twice a week but everyday if need be ..... My personal opinion is if you can't communicate and not willing to develop a communication you are both just wasting your time ...

I agree.

It make it easier by picking a clever wife, who like to learn things.

I exersise my perhaps future wife in thinking and planning ahead. During that it's English exersise automatic.

After I have moved and got things running, it's time to start studying the local language for me, assisted by her.

[cebu rocks]

bored yes ... lonely never

 

I have found it hard to meet people here on the same level as my self  ie: interests ,age , education

 

Although I have met hundereds of expats I have only bonded with a few enough to go visit or have them over for a night or 2

 

Boredom comes from not having enough conversations with friends for me . I want to be challenged by itelligent conversations

 

At first I thought man i will never get sick of riding motorbikes and swimming in the ocean but day after day it gets old after about 3 months

 

Once I start building a house it will fill lots of time for me with many challenges so that will slow the boredom but finding a group of like minded guys to

 

shoot the breeze and hang out with would be the ideal .. Unfortunatly the friends I do have are a lot like me and got bored so they go home to work

 

not so much for the money but for the challenge and comforts they miss..

 

Like many here the internet helps with forums like this