Why Philippines?

[RBM]

 

Dave if your unable post this info on line would you be so kind as to PM me details, I am often in Dumaguete. Thanks ahead.

 

When you plan to be in Duma can you drop me a line, or PM I mean.  We could meet up, I would introduce you to my peanut butter loving friend (Scott who is in Moalboal today but will be back soon) and he would certainly let you sample his peanut butter and line you up with the guy who makes it (assuming you like it).

 

As with so many things Philippines, its the networking in real life among fellow expats that gets the good results  :tiphat:

 

 

Thanks a bunch Dave will do.

 

Expect be back there around mid December so shall send you a PM.

 

Bruce

[MacBubba]

Because it isn't snowing there (like it currently is in Toronto)!

[Larry45]

Good idea for a thread, Kuya John.  We all have our own reasons for coming to the Phils, but as many have said, it usually revolves around a woman (or women).  It's been 4 years since I first landed here, and I was in dire need of some rest and relaxation.  I looked at several countries, but I had already done Latin America few times, so Asia was interesting and on the radar.  I had some chat mates here, and just decided to throw caution to the wind and hop on a plane.  Ended up happily married less than a year later and now I am a contented family man, which is something I never thought I would be  :)  

[robert k]

Because on my 10k hike last night 7 or 8 people wished me good evening and only two kids yelled hey joe. :)

 

Ok, hope this isn't a double post

[Dave Hounddriver]

Because on my 10k hike last night

 

Not bad.  My partner and I do 5k a night and thought we were doing well :-)  People are friendly when we are out for our walk but I also found people friendly when walking in Canada.  Cooooolder  Brrrrrr but still friendly there.

[earthdome]

Because on my 10k hike last night 7 or 8 people wished me good evening and only two kids yelled hey joe. :)

 

I try to take a 2 hour walk each morning. Must be at least 10km. When a security guard wishes me a good morning I reply back magandang umaga which the security guards return with huge smiles.

[Thomas]

 

Because on my 10k hike last night 7 or 8 people wished me good evening and only two kids yelled hey joe. :)

 

I try to take a 2 hour walk each morning. Must be at least 10km. When a security guard wishes me a good morning I reply back magandang umaga which the security guards return with huge smiles.

WHAT?!!!   What have they fooled you that mean?  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just joking    :lol:

[John Mogusar]

I lived in the Philippins, North of Cebu City, for almost four years. I am planning on heading back there (hopefully for good!) in one year's time.

I'll mostly repeat what others have already said, but here's my list of reasons I love the Philippines (I tried to put them in order, but it's hard...):

1. It feels like every day is a permanent vacation, even after three years, and I would imagine forever...(in top spot because all of the other factors contribute to this)
2. Filipinas are among the most beautiful in the world and their personalities are charming.
3. Everyone is super-friendly (well, a few exceptions)
 * It's super-easy to make friends.
 * It's always easy to find things to talk about...they are very interested in learning about foreigners and where they came from.
 * Strangers are also friendly
 * People don't have unreasonable expectations of you (you can be yourself!)
4. Everyday life is very easy going
5. I love volleyball and karaoke...both of which are prevelant.
6. You can always find fun and cheap (or free) things to do.
7. Cost of living is low.
8. Weather (I like rain and don't mind the high humidity and high heat)

Here are possible negatives you will run into. They depend on your personality and likes.

1. Food...I was very disappointed in every day foods, at least in the Cebu area. (Don't know about other areas)
 * Food is generally very bland. MSG is a main spice, with not much else used. (Of course the reason for this is that they are poor)
 * In Cebu City, I did find some OK restaurants, but of course they cost $$$ and I could only eat there when I planned a trip into Cebu City.
 * The local market is open-air without proper handling. If you buy here, make sure you go early morning. Otherwise, the meats have been sitting out in the tropical heat all day.
 * Same with market restaurants and street vendor/restaurants. Often, the food is cooked en masse and left all day in the tropical heat. Be wary of what you eat. Start cautiously and you will eventually learn what you can and cannot safely eat.
 * I was never really sure if any of the chicken I bought for myself to cook was really safe. (I would think not, but I don't think about it!)
 * On the plus side, seafood is cheap! You need to find a decent supplier. Depending on where you live, certain seafoods are gathered near the coast and tons of sewage runoff.

2. Pollution
 * In the Cebu City area at least, people don't think twice about throwing their garbage anywhere. Beautiful greenery is marred by tons of trash randomly strewn about. In the rural areas, they have no garbage collection and resort to burning. These trash heaps often spread widely before being burned.
  * I did visit other islands and was struck by how much cleaner they were, especially in the city of Iloilo, where it was spotless.
 * Auto pollution is a big problem in Cebu City (and I'm sure Manila and other large cities) and on the main roads between cities.

3. Customer Service
 * Horrible. Just accept it. Don't waste your time arguing (too much).
 * You WILL wait forever in lines.
 * This and some other problems are a result of the very laid back culture. I've heard many foreigners complain about stuff like this non-stop, making themselves (and others listening) miserable. But you need to change your attitude. If these problems didn't exist, the whole fabric of the easy-going Filipino culture would be radically different. If you cannot learn to relax and just accept what happens in the Philippines, you won't survive. (Well, not without torturing yourself, anyway!)

4. Culture
 * Read the book "Culture Shock! Philippines". (http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Philippines-Survival-Customs-Etiquette/dp/1558680896) This is a MUST read for those considering visiting the Philippines. It will take you years to appreciate the cultural subtlety explained in this book!
 * As explained in that book, Philippines' culture appears deceptively like the United States or similar countries. There are many things different. For example, Filipinos generally avoid the reply "no." Instead, they have many different ways of saying "yes", and some of them mean "no." Certain body language is also used commonly, which Foreigners will not detect. For example, an open mouth means they did not understand. They also use there eyes extensively. Get the book...
 * Again, culture need not be a negative, but you must understand it.

5. Street kids
 * To me, this was one of the two most striking differences between the Philippines and the U.S. I saw abandonded kids roaming the streets homeless as young as four years old. They were all boys. (Where were the girls? Sex traffiked, I'm sure.)
 * I initially would often buy them bread. They were generally very nice to me. I befriended a couple of them. My friends told me never to trust them, but I didn't see harm as I lived three kilometers outside the city proper and they had no idea where I lived. My funds were tighter during the last year I lived there and it got to be a bit of a hassle buying bread for all of them all the time. There were a small group of kids who I didn't care for, as they treated others poorly, so I didn't buy bread when they were around.
 * Sometimes people would tell me they are taking advantage of me, but how much advantage could they take of me when I bought them bread for five pesos? The couple I had befriended I sometimes bought a whole chicken for and took them to eat at Jollibee a couple times. Their conversation was worth the price alone.
 * If I lived inside the city proper, I would not have bought bread for them, as I can imagine it would create a lot of problems.
 * I did read a good tip...buy a bunch of cheap suckers to hand out to the street kids and carry them with you.

6. Ignorant people saying stupid things to you.
 * And then there are those who yell out to you when you are walking down the street...I don't mind "Hey Joe!", the common thing they will say. I always reply with a "Hello!" (As a side note, this is in reference to World War II G.I. Joe. Filipinos still generally think very highly of foreigners as saving the country for Japanese occupation.)
 * Some will yell "Fu#$ you Joe!" Just ignore it. I think sometimes they just like to try out some unique English words they are proud to have learned. This only happened two or three times in the four years I was there. Who cares?

7. Noisy neighbors.
 * Ah, this may be the hardest obstacle for many to overcome. There WILL be noise. It is very hard to impossible to silence the noise, diplomatically or otherwise. Generally, get used to it or move.
 * When the neighbor blares his radio at 2 a.m. this may be hard to take. Fortunately, it wasn't a common problem where I lived. The few times it did occur, I just accepted it. If it happened frequently, I would need to move.

8. Medical
 * My entire experience with medical facilities and personel bordered on disaster. My advice is to get references from expats for decent doctors. Even after you find a decent doctor there will be troubles. I could write a post this long detailing my horrible experiences with doctors in the Philippines, both mine and friends.

OK, there is my somewhat brief list of positives and negatives...I can expand it you like! :)

[John Mogusar]

Forgot to mention two things:

 

Another definite negative: Traffic and the way people drive. Ironically, the drivers are actually extremely good with their depth perception and spatial skills. Unfortunately, they drive like they're in a NASCAR race...never mind that there is an ocean of vehicles. Fatal crashes happen often.

 

And finally a positive for me: I can work while I'm there. I play poker for a living (yes, it is work). And I even earn money in pesos, so I'm not affected by the exchange rate! The drawback for me is that the stakes are only high enough in a couple of casinos and I need to either locate close to them or have a long daily commute.

[Methersgate]

Traffic and the way people drive. Ironically, the drivers are actually extremely good with their depth perception and spatial skills. Unfortunately, they drive like they're in a NASCAR race...never mind that there is an ocean of vehicles. Fatal crashes happen often.

 

That is what I think, too.  I found, living in China after the Philippines, that China is very different - Chinese drivers seem to have negligible depth perception and spatial skills, but are (mostly) more cautious, although they, too, pay scant attention to traffic rules (both countries imported their traffic rules from the USA).