Ever Get Bored Or Lonely As An Expat?

[MacBubba]

I've been asked by my wife a few times how I plan to spend my retirement days in Marinduque.  I've yet to come up with a plan...she's the planner in this marriage. 

 

We've been married nearly 24 years, and I cannot say I've found myself bored.  Like Mike, my wife is the better English speaker and writer.  She's a bit anal though, and finds it difficult to keep from correcting my errors.  It's not a nice trait, and she knows it. 

 

I can't think of anything to teach her - academically or otherwise, she usually has the edge.  BUT...she doesn't know how to play chess.  Maybe that's how we'll while away the hours.

[Jake]

I've been asked by my wife a few times how I plan to spend my retirement days in Marinduque.  I've yet to come up with a plan...she's the planner in this marriage. 

 

We've been married nearly 24 years, and I cannot say I've found myself bored.  Like Mike, my wife is the better English speaker and writer.  She's a bit anal though, and finds it difficult to keep from correcting my errors.  It's not a nice trait, and she knows it. 

 

I can't think of anything to teach her - academically or otherwise, she usually has the edge.  BUT...she doesn't know how to play chess.  Maybe that's how we'll while away the hours.

My wife Judy is trainable.......I taught her how to play strip poker but she usually wins as I sit there butt ass naked

after couple minutes into the game.  I lose the game but actually, the game just started......he, he.

Edited May 8, 2014 by Jake
spil chek

[Ynot]

Im not convinced a high education = interesting conversation, I think its more to do with life experiences and the persons propensity to share those experiences.  I took the topic as do you get bored.  Í imagine a large percentage of the expats are retiree's and I must admit that when I do settle in the Philippines I too will be a retiree.   Despite having a good woman by your side, I think you need to have an interest otherwise you will eventually become bored.  A lot of retiree's having been retired for a year or two, then seek out work because they are BORED!!  They want to do something to tax their minds.  So communicating with the boss, and friends and having an interest or two will help to fight off boredom. 

[BrettGC]

Education, to my mind, does not equal intelligence, ever.  I lecture at the tertiary level and and spent most of the last 24 hours marking first year sociology assignments. One of my comments, that will probably be struck down by my faculty head, was exactly this:  "Did you even attend the lectures or tutorials? This is rote memory material; god help us if you ever have to actually grasp a theory or form an opinion based on that."  I also included a link to a job application as a stripper.  I suspect the student was a guy (assignments are submitted with a student number, not a name). He's the bottom of the bell curve.  Having said that, the best that was submitted was grammatically horrible, and I marked it down accordingly and will be pointing them at a really good English tutor, but hell, the student in question could argue a point and had me looking up references.  Smartest person in the class.  Those that confuse education for intelligence need to have a look at their own pretentious snobbery.  

[Jake]

Im not convinced a high education = interesting conversation, I think its more to do with life experiences and the persons propensity to share those experiences.  I took the topic as do you get bored.  Í imagine a large percentage of the expats are retiree's and I must admit that when I do settle in the Philippines I too will be a retiree.   Despite having a good woman by your side, I think you need to have an interest otherwise you will eventually become bored.  A lot of retiree's having been retired for a year or two, then seek out work because they are BORED!!  They want to do something to tax their minds.  So communicating with the boss, and friends and having an interest or two will help to fight off boredom. 

Hey Ynot,

I totally agree that high education does not necessarily mean an intelligent or interesting conversation.  I have been

exposed enough to the so called BS degree naval officers and worse than that, those young ensign wearing the big

ring to indicate they were Naval Academy graduates.  Sure they lack the experience but they are slightly smarter than

a door knob.  Common sense and strong leadership (people skills) is severely lacking.  

 

Now getting back to our companions in the Philippines who may share your boredom.  Perhaps learning a little bit of

her dialect may improve your conversation with her.  Afterall, it's a lot better to hear and understand in Tagalog, all

the nasty jokes going around the neighborhood.  Believe me, some of those lavanderas (washing ladies) can tell some

of the most nastiest jokes ever.  

 

And then, my fellow expats......you can whisper sweet nothings in her ear, all in her native tongue.  Would that bring

on more exciting conversations, rather than the typical western moans and groans......he, he.

 

Just sayin' -- Jake

Edited May 23, 2014 by Jake
spil chek

[davewe]

Im not convinced a high education = interesting conversation, I think its more to do with life experiences and the persons propensity to share those experiences.  I took the topic as do you get bored.  Í imagine a large percentage of the expats are retiree's and I must admit that when I do settle in the Philippines I too will be a retiree.   Despite having a good woman by your side, I think you need to have an interest otherwise you will eventually become bored.  A lot of retiree's having been retired for a year or two, then seek out work because they are BORED!!  They want to do something to tax their minds.  So communicating with the boss, and friends and having an interest or two will help to fight off boredom. 

I work within a large software engineering department and the guys and gals I work with are uniformly very very smart. I know that in any meeting I am not the smartest person in the room. But what they talk about personally are the most banal and inane subjects imaginable: guns and shooting, games, computers (what they don't get enough of that at work), how Apple is great/how Apple sucks. I am currently on an 8 week sabbatical and the best part of having 8 weeks off is not having to hear about these guys' lives. 

 

I had been trying to convince a friend to visit the Philippines and had even introduced him to a girl I knew (they are now married). He hesitated about visiting. Finally he went to a bar to meet some of our work buddies. The topic of conversation? Funeral plots! He decided to go visit her and the rest is history!

 

Invariably Mondays are the worst: "what did you do over the weekend?" When I am asked I usually avoid answering. If I am in a particularly cranky mood though I will answer - "I spent the weekend mostly screwing my hot wife." End of conversation :)

[Thomas]

A lot of retiree's having been retired for a year or two, then seek out work because they are BORED!! They want to do something to tax their minds. So communicating with the boss, and friends and having an interest or two will help to fight off boredom.

IF having to WORK to avoid becoming bored, then it's NOT depending of  the place, it's something wrong with the person's thinking concerning how to avoid becoming bored...

Many years ago I counted how much time I would need to do my hobbies as much as I want, and 24/7 wouldn't be enough, and that was before Internet...  :)   

 

I will start a business in Phils ANYWAY, although - except startup - I found most of the WORK boring  :lol:    

to try to make something my wife and kids can live of after I'm dead.  I plan to get old   :)    normaly we become around 90, but because of the age difference I suppouse they will survive me, so I better prepare some, although in boring point of view I would prefer to not starting any more business  :)

[Call me bubba]

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):

 

Thats funny yet ,, seems that a high number of expats have this background,

 my favorite line is " i am jake and these girls are my angels "

 

I know most Expats living in Philippines have a Filipina companion but do you guys ever get lonely or bored at times?

 

having 2 children I dont get bored nor lonely.

BUT i miss the "comrade"/social interaction /similar experiences 

or meeting of people my age( not 20-30yo )to have some kind of communication.

 

I try to attend the various "get together"(functions) that occur in MANILA/NCR.

 memorial day/veterans day, 4th of july etc..so that me,my children can be exposed to

the small slice of american culture that's here ,

Me have a decent conversation, to have a better understanding of living here,to know whats going on in the world

my children play or meet "new friends" 

Edited May 24, 2014 by Pittman apartments Sgn