Repatriation: Yes, you can go home again!

[sonjack2847]

1 hour ago, nor cal mike said:

Interesting that you think life will be better for your children in the PI. I think the same for my boys. Sometimes when I mention this to my friends I get that “you gotta be kidding” response. Our schools are headed in a direction I’m not comfortable with. I have my son attend school when we are in the PI. and I’m satisfied with the level and quality of learning. I will be making the permanent move within the next year. Hopefully I’m making the right move, but if not, I of course will do what’s best for my boys even if that means returning to the US. I think even in that case I will always visit and consider the PI. my adopted home.

I have made this decision based on many factors one of them being the way society as a whole seems to be heading in the UK.My information come from friends in the UK whom I trust.I can ,here,leave my wife and daughter a nice income when I pop my clogs,in the UK they would struggle on the pension I would receive there and I suspect would live in near poverty.I am trying to enroll my daughter in a better school here as the one she attends spend too much time singing and dancing science fare`s etc which my daughter is not involved in.My daughter also has Asthma which I reckon would be worse in the cold climate in the UK.

You also need a different type of streetsmart over in the UK and my wife and daughter are too trusting for that.

I will stay here and make a nice life for them.

[Jack Peterson]

 @Mark Berkowitz

I am not sure Mark will like this but I must say it as it came from the mouth of a true Blue Filipina ( My HTMBO) we sat on the Terrace on Sunday Afternoon and this topic came up. So my wife said to me Yeah well, can you remember Alan ( a friend that did as mark wishes) Yep I said , so I hope, that your Friend ( Mark) realises that this could cost him in Money and Stress as it did Alan. Remind me I said, Well not too long after they moved to the UK, the wife Lilybeth ( Elizabeth) started to get request for help and subsistence from them now they had left, then came the illness thing, Hospital Bills and the rest of it. Not going to make this long as i think we all know how these things are looked on by the family. Not going to say it will but I all fairness I can't say it won't, we have members here that have had this and it causes rifts, Rifts? yes rifts because the Emotional culture of the Wifes family can bring about disaster, Arguments start, One particular member I recall had enough and said NO but the wife decided to send behind the husbands back. Bad but it happens ( we have a Sister in law that does it)

I just hope that Mark has added this sort of thing into  the mix because it happens,   "Blood being thicker than water" Springs to mind.

Negative ? Oh  no, thoughts conveyed here are brought from a very level  headed Wife who has sooo many friends in this situation. There was a Story only last week about a couple that came on Holiday from Canada with their 2 children, on the Flight over she announced she had had enough of Canada and the Fact that the family were overbearing on Demands so she was not going back but staying with the family that she missed so Much. Sorry Mark But.......................... did you consider this sort of thing just might happen? Cos it does

 No one likes posts like this but 

Edited February 12, 2019 by Jack Peterson
spelling

[hk blues]

2 hours ago, sonjack2847 said:

I have made this decision based on many factors one of them being the way society as a whole seems to be heading in the UK.My information come from friends in the UK whom I trust.I can ,here,leave my wife and daughter a nice income when I pop my clogs,in the UK they would struggle on the pension I would receive there and I suspect would live in near poverty.I am trying to enroll my daughter in a better school here as the one she attends spend too much time singing and dancing science fare`s etc which my daughter is not involved in.My daughter also has Asthma which I reckon would be worse in the cold climate in the UK.

You also need a different type of streetsmart over in the UK and my wife and daughter are too trusting for that.

I will stay here and make a nice life for them.

Whilst our situations are no doubt different, you certainly share the same philosophy as I when it comes to comparing the UK with the Philippines.  I genuinely doubt that the UK offers so many opportunities that are not available here in the Philippines - simply put, my income level here puts me at an advantage over many whilst in the UK (given my probable unemployability in my profession which I left 15 years ago) puts me at a disadvantage over many.  So, I choose to roll with the punches here as it simply doesn't make economic sense to move back to the UK.  And that;s not even taking into account how my wife, son and I would adapt to a country which bears no resemblance to the one I left 25 years ago.  

I was slightly disappointed to read a comment in one of the posts saying that the place offers no opportunity for kids other than becoming an OFW - that is simply not true.  Yes, many choose the OFW route because they see it as an opportunity to move to lands of milk and honey and undoubtedly they can earn much higher salaries (but at what price?) than here - but I'm a fervent believer in the philosophy that salaries follow living costs - I earned 6x more in Hong Kong for the same work I do here BUT, I paid more than 6x more for a beer, more than 7x more for my TINY apartment and so on and so on.  Let's be fair guys, compare apples with apples rather than oranges.

[Mark Berkowitz]

Good Point Jack!  My wife and I have discussed this type of situation at great length.  

For what it's worth, my wife and I have already had this type of situation raise its ugly head while I was still in the Phils, and my wife finally said NO to her sister's never ending requests for loaning her (my) money... you know the type of loans that never get repaid?  Based on how my wife handled her family's needs in the past, I don't really see any problems coming up with money for family in the Phils.

Let me add that if any of my family in the Phils ever has a genuine need to get funds for medical help, my wife and I will do whatever we can realistically do to help, without depriving our children and ourselves of our basic needs.

[Jack Peterson]

2 minutes ago, Mark Berkowitz said:

if

 Let's hope it is not when too often  

[nor cal mike]

23 minutes ago, hk blues said:

Whilst our situations are no doubt different, you certainly share the same philosophy as I when it comes to comparing the UK with the Philippines.  I genuinely doubt that the UK offers so many opportunities that are not available here in the Philippines - simply put, my income level here puts me at an advantage over many whilst in the UK (given my probable unemployability in my profession which I left 15 years ago) puts me at a disadvantage over many.  So, I choose to roll with the punches here as it simply doesn't make economic sense to move back to the UK.  And that;s not even taking into account how my wife, son and I would adapt to a country which bears no resemblance to the one I left 25 years ago.  

I was slightly disappointed to read a comment in one of the posts saying that the place offers no opportunity for kids other than becoming an OFW - that is simply not true.  Yes, many choose the OFW route because they see it as an opportunity to move to lands of milk and honey and undoubtedly they can earn much higher salaries (but at what price?) than here - but I'm a fervent believer in the philosophy that salaries follow living costs - I earned 6x more in Hong Kong for the same work I do here BUT, I paid more than 6x more for a beer, more than 7x more for my TINY apartment and so on and so on.  Let's be fair guys, compare apples with apples rather than oranges.

I’m happy to see that others think the same as I. This will be by far the biggest change ever in our lives and of course I have concerns. Thanks to you and sonjack for sharing your thinking.

[stevewool]

3 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

 @Mark Berkowitz

I am not sure Mark will like this but I must say it as it came from the mouth of a true Blue Filipina ( My HTMBO) we sat on the Terrace on Sunday Afternoon and this topic came up. So my wife said to me Yeah well, can you remember Alan ( a friend that did as mark wishes) Yep I said , so I hope, that your Friend ( Mark) realises that this could cost him in Money and Stress as it did Alan. Remind me I said, Well not too long after they moved to the UK, the wife Lilybeth ( Elizabeth) started to get request for help and subsistence from them now they had left, then came the illness thing, Hospital Bills and the rest of it. Not going to make this long as i think we all know how these things are looked on by the family. Not going to say it will but I all fairness I can't say it won't, we have members here that have had this and it causes rifts, Rifts? yes rifts because the Emotional culture of the Wifes family can bring about disaster, Arguments start, One particular member I recall had enough and said NO but the wife decided to send behind the husbands back. Bad but it happens ( we have a Sister in law that does it)

I just hope that Mark has added this sort of thing into  the mix because it happens,   "Blood being thicker than water" Springs to mind.

Negative ? Oh  no, thoughts conveyed here are brought from a very level  headed Wife who has sooo many friends in this situation. There was a Story only last week about a couple that came on Holiday from Canada with their 2 children, on the Flight over she announced she had had enough of Canada and the Fact that the family were overbearing on Demands so she was not going back but staying with the family that she missed so Much. Sorry Mark But.......................... did you consider this sort of thing just might happen? Cos it does

 No one likes posts like this but 

Amen to all you have said.

[stevewool]

5 hours ago, sonjack2847 said:

I have made this decision based on many factors one of them being the way society as a whole seems to be heading in the UK

in the UK they would struggle on the pension I would receive there and I suspect would live in near poverty.

You also need a different type of streetsmart over in the UK and my wife and daughter are too trusting for that.

I will stay here and make a nice life for them.

It is changing so quick the England we once new, or could it be we are getting older ‘ and sounding just like my dad’.

Having child later on in life must put a strain on your thoughts, what will be best for them , I am so glad I don’t have those things to sort out.

[Arizona Kid]

8 hours ago, nor cal mike said:

Interesting that you think life will be better for your children in the PI.

I think that life for my son for now is much better than what he could have in the US. A private school where he actually is learning something. No gangs, Taekwondo brown belt. And the life experience he will have under his belt if he decides to go to the US. or anywhere else will work to his advantage. IMHO. 

[bastonjock]

This thread is full of useful information and opinions and I really like this forum in as much that we share our lifes experience and very rarely end up with a heated argument 

Most if the positive and negative lies ahead of me in the Philippines, I'm returning in may for a couple if weeks and then again in November for a hopefully much longer stay 

I will miss my kids and grandchildren in the UK , I will probably miss the comfort of regular employment and income but I can always return to the UK and do some contract work should money become an issue 

I don't have a youngster and I have no plans to make one , if I did go down that route ,I would ensure that he and his mother have financial security all be it in the Philippines, I have a low opinion of anyone who knocks a young girl up and does a runner , 

I'm hoping to slow the pace of life down a bit , I'm tired of carrying poor tradesmen and having to drive around a large area to fix stuff that they cant , yesterday I did a 12.5 hour shift , Friday was 11.5 ,my normal day is 10 hours , I still need a purpose in life and a target to aim at but at 61 I'm finding 55 hour weeks a bit tiring 

 

Good luck with your plans mark