Can You Live Like A Filipino?

[Larry45]

I guess we have been living like a Filipino for 4 years now, as we are living comparably to our Filipino neighbors.  No vehicle, helpers, hot water, or washing machine.  But we have cable, internet and air-con.  As for Filipino food, it really doesn't need to stink.  I cooked a big pot of mongos tonight and it was awesome.  With rice, of course.  Certain foods cannot be eaten without rice.  I also buy my beer in quart bottles and have an azkal dog (although it's been trained to not bark incessantly).  We live basically like a Filipino, albeit quieter, less social, and arguably happier.  :)   

[Dave Hounddriver]

I guess we have been living like a Filipino for 4 years now, as we are living comparably to our Filipino neighbors.

 

Interesting when I think about it that way.  Many of the filipinos I associate with have a bigger budget than me and live better than me, my immediate neighbors included.  But when someone asks 'can you live like a filipino' I immediately think of half naked kids running around a squatters area.

 

Looking at my neighbors, I wish I could live like those filipinos.  They live better than I do.

[Larry45]

Exactly, Dave.  I actually used the term "live like a Filipino" when I was chatting my wife, prior to coming.  And I had the same visions.... nipa hut, dirt floor, and fish/rice every meal.  As we now know, they don't all live like that.  And as you said, lots live better than we do.  We just try to fit in and get along, and it's really not that hard, as far as living arrangements go.  

[chris49]

I guess we have been living like a Filipino for 4 years now, as we are living comparably to our Filipino neighbors.  No vehicle, helpers, hot water, or washing machine.  But we have cable, internet and air-con.  As for Filipino food, it really doesn't need to stink.  I cooked a big pot of mongos tonight and it was awesome.  With rice, of course.  Certain foods cannot be eaten without rice.  I also buy my beer in quart bottles and have an azkal dog (although it's been trained to not bark incessantly).  We live basically like a Filipino, albeit quieter, less social, and arguably happier.   :)   

 

Larry. We have many situations like that here.  I guess you have to think about whether it's sustainable long term. You know if the primary wage earner or OFW, retires or maybe passes on.

 

I think, I'm like you, live like a Filipino in many aspects, but rely on our income for the extra comforts. And I assume most of us are on pensions which run for life, which is a big difference, even a modest pension, will allow us those extras.

 

 I think our biggest adjustment, whether living like a Filipino or not is living on a smaller income than we had during our retirement years.

[expatuk2014]

Regarding Travel trikes 1st, we are lucky enough as the brother-in-law is our normal service driver, who also drives our van.

We pay him on average 150-250 pesos a day and feed him. if he is not avail then its stop a trike for the short ride to the Crossing as the local drop off point is called. if we have been shopping ( Robinsons) and get a trike from outside my wife always asks the price first

some will ask 40 pesos some will ask 50-70 !! ( They are rich price) if none say 40 pesos then my wife says no and we walk to the crossing 9 times out of 10 1 will follow us and say ok 40 pesos !!

Travelling around manila my sister-in-law is a college professor and whenever she needs to travel around manila

she uses the UV express

vans as she says they are a lot safer and they go almost anywhere in manila you just have to learn the routes they use.

As regards for living like a Filipino, it all depends on which Filipino you mean, for example can you live on the earnings a trike or pedicab

driver earns a day ? 150 pesos a day if he is lucky? 

Being an ex brit and seeing how hard the builders we employ work for 400-500 pesos a day, and the labourers 200-300 pesos a day

and I compare the british builders who work for an average 6 hours a day exc lunch breaks and get paid much more.

And you will rarely find a british builder willing to work over his hours, unlike here as no work no money !

The filipinos amaze me I can look out of my window and see children digging in the water for whatever they can find,

As the water level in the bay is low they have erected a basket ball net on the " beach". they ride around on old home made bikes and they use plastic shopping bags as a kite ! Not an Ipad or gameboy in sight !!

The Filipino is a very versatile  non materialistic person, 

[Dave Hounddriver]

The Filipino is a very versatile  non materialistic person, 

 

Until you marry her  :hystery:

[Gratefuled]

I neglected to mention that I love fresh fish. Yes,  There is  a street vendor that comes by my home early every morning. My wife buys her fish and she loves squid. I hate it. She buys other fish as well. It is very fresh. She eats fish almost every day.

I usually buy tuna steaks at the market. I love fresh fillets of  Red Snapper also. Sometimes I'll buy can tuna and make sandwiches. 

I used to take fish oil pills for cholesterol.  Four a day and that is expensive. I was told that if I eat as much fish as I say I do, that I don't have to take the fish oil pills. Ok, good news. 

I consider my diet as a healthy one. At least for me. Lots of fruit and veggies are always here. An abubdant supply of it and very cheap.

All of it locally grown. 

Like I said previously. I've adjusted ( adapted ) but I still miss the states.

[manofthecoldland]

I neglected to mention that I love fresh fish. Yes,  There is  a street vendor that comes by my home early every morning. My wife buys her fish and she loves squid. I hate it. She buys other fish as well. It is very fresh. She eats fish almost every day.

I usually buy tuna steaks at the market. I love fresh fillets of  Red Snapper also. Sometimes I'll buy can tuna and make sandwiches. 

I used to take fish oil pills for cholesterol.  Four a day and that is expensive. I was told that if I eat as much fish as I say I do, that I don't have to take the fish oil pills. Ok, good news. 

I consider my diet as a healthy one. At least for me. Lots of fruit and veggies are always here. An abubdant supply of it and very cheap.

All of it locally grown. 

Like I said previously. I've adjusted ( adapted ) but I still miss the states.

I had to laugh when I started reading this. Its common, if you live in a fresh locally caught fish place, to have vendors walking by with buckets of fresh fish for sale. My wife was absent and I was alone in the house. Outside my semi-isolated house on the edge of rice fields but close to the ocean and the fisher folk, I heard a persistent cry of .... "daaaa..... daaaa". 

   I go down and see a young man with a bucket. "Asawa ko hindi ditto, sari".... 'my wife not here, sorry'. I sing out, not really knowing what he was selling. It never occured to me (my wife wises me up later when I tell her of the encounter)  that he was singing out the locally abbreviated form of "isda".... fish.

   I love fish and always have. Born on the Great Lakes and used to the 'Friday fish fry' tradition, coupled with 20 seasons as a commercial salmon fisherman and 25 years as an Alaskan subsistence net fisherman with an Inuit first wife who loved dried whitefish and pike (silik)... the PI is a wonderful second home for me. The smell of dried fish is good to me. But my wife doesn't serve it to me here. She spoils me with big fish cross cuts. I eat soooo good here. Life can be very good here. I hope you all take advantage of what the PI has to offer.

[chris49]

 

I neglected to mention that I love fresh fish. Yes,  There is  a street vendor that comes by my home early every morning. My wife buys her fish and she loves squid. I hate it. She buys other fish as well. It is very fresh. She eats fish almost every day.

I usually buy tuna steaks at the market. I love fresh fillets of  Red Snapper also. Sometimes I'll buy can tuna and make sandwiches. 

I used to take fish oil pills for cholesterol.  Four a day and that is expensive. I was told that if I eat as much fish as I say I do, that I don't have to take the fish oil pills. Ok, good news. 

I consider my diet as a healthy one. At least for me. Lots of fruit and veggies are always here. An abubdant supply of it and very cheap.

All of it locally grown. 

Like I said previously. I've adjusted ( adapted ) but I still miss the states.

I had to laugh when I started reading this. Its common, if you live in a fresh locally caught fish place, to have vendors walking by with buckets of fresh fish for sale. My wife was absent and I was alone in the house. Outside my semi-isolated house on the edge of rice fields but close to the ocean and the fisher folk, I heard a persistent cry of .... "daaaa..... daaaa". 

   I go down and see a young man with a bucket. "Asawa ko hindi ditto, sari".... 'my wife not here, sorry'. I sing out, not really knowing what he was selling. It never occured to me (my wife wises me up later when I tell her of the encounter)  that he was singing out the locally abbreviated form of "isda".... fish.

   I love fish and always have. Born on the Great Lakes and used to the 'Friday fish fry' tradition, coupled with 20 seasons as a commercial salmon fisherman and 25 years as an Alaskan subsistence net fisherman with an Inuit first wife who loved dried whitefish and pike (silik)... the PI is a wonderful second home for me. The smell of dried fish is good to me. But my wife doesn't serve it to me here. She spoils me with big fish cross cuts. I eat soooo good here. Life can be very good here. I hope you all take advantage of what the PI has to offer.

 

 

Yeah those Lake Trout and Bangus have a bit in common.

 

Late afternoon, per Gina's advice is a good time to buy from the door to door guys. That would be the morning catch. Take a good size Yellow Fin, cut it up raw, eat it sushami style with wasabi, toyo, calamansi. Use the head to make sinagang na ulo...or sinagagang na isda na ulo. Rapsa, rapsa, rapsa.

[Gratefuled]

Here is my experience with a trike driver.

I had just arrived on a jeepney when a Trike driver offered to take me home. I agreed. When we arrived, I paid him the usual 7 Pesos. He said, NO, it's 35 Pesos. I asked ,why?  He answered,"pakiao".  I said, "no, i only pay 7 pesos from my home to the main road so why should I pay 35  from the main road to my home" Again, he answere, 'pakiao".  He refused the 7 Pesos. So I gave him last chance, take it or leave it. He left without the 7 pesos.

It was only later that I learned that "pakiao" means that I pay for the other 4 passengers who he would receive money from if I had waited for the Trike to fill up. 

I didn't know this and I'll never pay 35 pesos to ride alone. I can wait for 4 others. It is just from the main road to my subdivision and not from subdivision to main road. 

Sounds like a "ripoff" to me.