My retirement here is Not what I expected

[RBM]

10 hours ago, bows00 said:

I thought it would be the other way around - I would expect more noise in the cities.  Are you talking about rosters?

Yes this belief that the city must be noisier than the Provence is a common misconception. Having lived in both and a frequent traveler the Provence wins noise wise hands down. Seems to be a competition whom can make the loudest boom boom.

Also seems to be much harder to discuss noise issues with people in the Provence than the cities, not sure why how ever my experience.

Best and at times only soloution ....ear plugs.

[Larry45]

For a culture that continually promotes itself as being friendly and welcoming, I was expecting a little bit more decency, consideration and common courtesy.   Seems like everyone's main goal in life here is to see others fail, and the negativity drags you down.    At least the beer is cheap.

[robert k]

18 hours ago, manofthecoldland said:

Depnding on due diligence, research and previous personal trips, etc., many things still catch us off guard when we retire here. 

    What would you consider a few of your personal misconceptions that you had to revise your thinking on after retireing here ?

    I personally underestimated the time and effort it takes to get from point A to point B. I also underestimated how quickly my wife learned to spend all my income on apparently rational expenses. 

Yes I agree that it takes time to get anywhere or get any task done in which any part of it depends on anyone else. I kind of chuckle when people wonder what they will do with all their time. In the US I could usually get 5 things done by 10 am. By contrast If I can get 1 thing done by lunch in the Philippines I consider myself ahead. I have been known to push ahead and get two things done by close of business But I don't like to do that as the patience wears. I won't try to get 3 things done in one day because I am fairly certain I would get 0 things that involve anyone else done.

[manofthecoldland]

16 hours ago, Larry45 said:

For a culture that continually promotes itself as being friendly and welcoming, I was expecting a little bit more decency, consideration and common courtesy.   Seems like everyone's main goal in life here is to see others fail, and the negativity drags you down.    At least the beer is cheap.

For some reason, envy and jealousy seems to be more openly noteable vices here. People are supposed to outgrow that when they mature, or at least learn to mask it,  but many never escape the 'green eyes of jealousy syndrome' here.

    It seems not only embedded in cultures  with great wealth inequality, but sometimes I feel that it is actviely encouraged here, despite it being a long-condemned Christian vice.

    People are by nature, competitive, status conscious and upwardly aspiring.... but I've seldom encountered the more open-natured variety I come across here at times, where people openly state, "I want them to be jealous of me."  (they usually mean 'envious')

    The name of the game is.... 'How can I make others jealous or envious of me.'  It goes way beyond photo selfies with Singapore maids posing in front of expensive cars, or high-status backgrounds.

     Didn't anybody teach them that trying to purposefully induce those feelings in others is wrong. Apparently not. 

    Being an honest, hard-working person living a life of simplicity is not admired here for some reason.

   Maybe a counter-consumerism, anti-materialism culture only evolves after people achieve, gain and then realize the emptiness of attaining the Great Illusion and return to valuing intrinsic, time proven virtues.

   Maybe you have to run the gamut and grow really old to realize this. Hard to do in a youthfully demographic society where the 'have's' enjoy flaunting it at every opportunity.

   Yeah... its back to crabs in a bucket.

    Sorry for the rant/sermon, but I'm at the point where I understand, but don't endorse what I see a lot of, but its OK, since I have my peace of mind. People are people and are going to do what they will, despite what I think or feel... so I take the attitude of what a 10 year old boy once told me when his classmates were picking on him for being a 'river rat' (from a small village)...... "Let 'Em." He was above the fray and could care less about their ignorant opinions.

[chris49]

On ‎3‎/‎5‎/‎2016 at 2:30 AM, manofthecoldland said:

Depnding on due diligence, research and previous personal trips, etc., many things still catch us off guard when we retire here. 

    What would you consider a few of your personal misconceptions that you had to revise your thinking on after retireing here ?

    I personally underestimated the time and effort it takes to get from point A to point B. I also underestimated how quickly my wife learned to spend all my income on apparently rational expenses. 

Been here 10 years. In the beginning, no partner at that time as previous gf was still in Saudi. No car living in QC. So I got around in taxis, tricycles, jeepneys. I would frequently ask directions and I was shocked by the number of people who did not know their way around Quezon City. "Follow the jeepney" which was actually no help as they ply hundreds of different routes.

Then living single living rent free. I thought I would draw out 10k pesos/week from my Aussie account. We live on that now, but living single in the Metro area it was never enough.

[Nephi]

3 hours ago, robert k said:

--99Yes I agree that it takes time to get anywhere or get any task done in which any part of it depends on anyone else. I kind of chuckle when people wonder what they will do with all their time. In the US I could usually get 5 things done by 10 am. By contrast If I can get 1 thing done by lunch in the Philippines I consider myself ahead. I have been known to push ahead and get two things done by close of business But I don't like to do that as the patience wears. I won't try to get 3 things done in one day because I am fairly certain I would get 0 things that involve anyone else done.

Yep, that surly is the way it is here. I lived in Masbate province back in about 1998-99. Took all day to get many things done. To go to the bank I had to spend one hour on small (bonca) boat to go across the Ticao Straight. Then walk 20 minutes to the bank. Once there, it took about 2 hours to just make a simple withdrawal. At first it bothered me to the point of anger. Eventually I realized that what the heck; I'm retired and I have all the time in the world. There were friendly people at the bank, it was airconed inside, and newspapers to read. Eventually I learned to relax and simply slow down. That's when I started to enjoy life here and developed a new and different attitude.

 

Nephi

[Tukaram (Tim)]

4 hours ago, Larry45 said:

For a culture that continually promotes itself as being friendly and welcoming, I was expecting a little bit more decency, consideration and common courtesy.   Seems like everyone's main goal in life here is to see others fail, and the negativity drags you down.    At least the beer is cheap.

There is a lot of truth in that... but, on the bright side, when you DO fail... they will be there to have a beer with you, and a good laugh

(as a retiree - I got no problem with it. I am not trying to accomplish anything in particular ha ha)

[Jack Peterson]

Well it seemed to fit here  

[Nephi]

12 minutes ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

There is a lot of truth in that... but, on the bright side, when you DO fail... they will be there to have a beer with you, and a good laugh

(as a retiree - I got no problem with it. I am not trying to accomplish anything in particular ha ha)

Amen to that. Retirement is great..

[Nephi]

8 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

Well it seemed to fit here  

My luck--that stress ball would boomerang and come back and hit me in the head. Hahaha..