Mr Lee Posted December 6, 2009 Posted December 6, 2009 New member Donald made a post here saying that he is a bit bored in retired life in the Philippines and asking for ideas to keep busy, so guys and gals do you have any ideas that keep you busy that you can share with Donald.I know that my wife and I are always busy with keeping in touch with friends, answering members on this forum and looking for news and info that members might need or like, and then there is the socializing with members and friends, and the walks in the malls, the movies, oh did I say eating out since we love to do that either with just my wife and I or with friends, sitting out on our patio and watching life in Cebu (we live in a high rise condo,) long walks around Cebu, shopping and always looking for new ideas to upgrade our condo, reading the news from around the world, watching TV when I even have the time, amateur radio and tuning in the world on my computer or radios, target shooting, reading books, reading Ebooks, personal things I will not mention and I am sure many other things and I just never know where the days go but my wife and I have been married 15 plus years and I have been retired now for about 6 years now and I am 61 and life is great and time just flies by and I just do not know how I ever had time to work before. :wt-hell: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Heart Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 I read a number of retirement books while thinking about retirement. They all recommended composing a list of things one would propose to do during retirement in advance. If one was unable to do this, then you were to think seriously whether you were going to be satisfied in retirement. While I have not officially retired yet, I'm continuing to work a US job while I position myself. I did compose my list and shared it with me wife as many things involved her. The promise was that many things would be more affordable to do here. I'm not sure if this meets the bill as it is just my wish list (I'm not totally engaged yet) and some are general. It was of sufficient length to convince me I was okay to retire. I offer this in the hope it may provide some ideas. Learn Visayan / Cebuano. -- I am looking for a tutor or class Ballroom Dancing - very popular here and something my wife and I were doing together before child. Spend more time with son with sports, studies, etc. (work always prevented this) Photography - I have my digital SLR and lenses used mostly in Auto mode -- .. I'd like to find a personal assistant to take professional quality Advancing Scuba licenses - just have open water, could add night, cave, rescue, .... master .. instructor Travel - visiting nearby countries (Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Hongkong) -- Cebu Pacific makes this affordable. Volunteer support to local schools - English and US studies, et al. Our school is always looking for volunteers, board members, PTA, etc. Gardening - recently found seeds and starting Fitness - Gym is a good place to meet people and spend 1-2 productive hours Cooking - learn to cook Asian / Filipino Cuisine - Is there a low cost cooking school? Build a web site sharing experiences, photos, pictures or for business - very low cost here to get technical help to build. Biking - Something done at home .. afraid do do here ... but someday maybe a new adventure. Reading - Great time with Amazon Kindle International works great here in the Philippines- Daily delivered New York times, 30 books in queue. Learn CPR together (want my wife to have these skills) Charity work Business assistance Ron New member Donald made a post here saying that he is a bit bored in retired life in the Philippines and asking for ideas to keep busy, so guys and gals do you have any ideas that keep you busy that you can share with Donald.I know that my wife and I are always busy with keeping in touch with friends, answering members on this forum and looking for news and info that members might need or like, and then there is the socializing with members and friends, and the walks in the malls, the movies, oh did I say eating out since we love to do that either with just my wife and I or with friends, sitting out on our patio and watching life in Cebu (we live in a high rise condo,) long walks around Cebu, shopping and always looking for new ideas to upgrade our condo, reading the news from around the world, watching TV when I even have the time, amateur radio and tuning in the world on my computer or radios, target shooting, reading books, reading Ebooks, personal things I will not mention and I am sure many other things and I just never know where the days go but my wife and I have been married 15 plus years and I have been retired now for about 6 years now and I am 61 and life is great and time just flies by and I just do not know how I ever had time to work before. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted December 7, 2009 Author Posted December 7, 2009 I read a number of retirement books while thinking about retirement. They all recommended composing a list of things one would propose to do during retirement in advance. If one was unable to do this, then you were to think seriously whether you were going to be satisfied in retirement. While I have not officially retired yet, I'm continuing to work a US job while I position myself. I did compose my list and shared it with me wife as many things involved her. The promise was that many things would be more affordable to do here. I'm not sure if this meets the bill as it is just my wish list (I'm not totally engaged yet) and some are general. It was of sufficient length to convince me I was okay to retire. I offer this in the hope it may provide some ideas. Learn Visayan / Cebuano. -- I am looking for a tutor or class Ballroom Dancing - very popular here and something my wife and I were doing together before child. Spend more time with son with sports, studies, etc. (work always prevented this) Photography - I have my digital SLR and lenses used mostly in Auto mode -- .. I'd like to find a personal assistant to take professional quality Advancing Scuba licenses - just have open water, could add night, cave, rescue, .... master .. instructor Travel - visiting nearby countries (Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Hongkong) -- Cebu Pacific makes this affordable. Volunteer support to local schools - English and US studies, et al. Our school is always looking for volunteers, board members, PTA, etc. Gardening - recently found seeds and starting Fitness - Gym is a good place to meet people and spend 1-2 productive hours Cooking - learn to cook Asian / Filipino Cuisine - Is there a low cost cooking school? Build a web site sharing experiences, photos, pictures or for business - very low cost here to get technical help to build. Biking - Something done at home .. afraid do do here ... but someday maybe a new adventure. Reading - Great time with Amazon Kindle International works great here in the Philippines- Daily delivered New York times, 30 books in queue. Learn CPR together (want my wife to have these skills) Charity work Business assistance Ron Ron, those are some great ideas. Thank you for listing them, and I can help you with a Cebuano teacher when the time comes because a friend of ours is teacher and runs a private school tutoring students and is expanding to teach foreigners Cebuano either in groups or one on one lessons at her school. Let me know once you move and get settled in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gold Heart Posted December 7, 2009 Posted December 7, 2009 Mr. Lee,I'm moved. Here in Cebu since already since July. I'm ready to get started depending on the time requirements of a program as I still have some work demands. These demands are at are at night with monthly trips to the US for a week or two.I am open to all options to learn. I must warn that I'm severely language impaired which is why I thought an individual tutor was my only hope. Last language was Latin learned in High School and via church and as you know memory is among the first things to go.Ron I read a number of retirement books while thinking about retirement. They all recommended composing a list of things one would propose to do during retirement in advance. If one was unable to do this, then you were to think seriously whether you were going to be satisfied in retirement. While I have not officially retired yet, I'm continuing to work a US job while I position myself. I did compose my list and shared it with me wife as many things involved her. The promise was that many things would be more affordable to do here. I'm not sure if this meets the bill as it is just my wish list (I'm not totally engaged yet) and some are general. It was of sufficient length to convince me I was okay to retire. I offer this in the hope it may provide some ideas. Learn Visayan / Cebuano. -- I am looking for a tutor or class Ballroom Dancing - very popular here and something my wife and I were doing together before child. Spend more time with son with sports, studies, etc. (work always prevented this) Photography - I have my digital SLR and lenses used mostly in Auto mode -- .. I'd like to find a personal assistant to take professional quality Advancing Scuba licenses - just have open water, could add night, cave, rescue, .... master .. instructor Travel - visiting nearby countries (Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Hongkong) -- Cebu Pacific makes this affordable. Volunteer support to local schools - English and US studies, et al. Our school is always looking for volunteers, board members, PTA, etc. Gardening - recently found seeds and starting Fitness - Gym is a good place to meet people and spend 1-2 productive hours Cooking - learn to cook Asian / Filipino Cuisine - Is there a low cost cooking school? Build a web site sharing experiences, photos, pictures or for business - very low cost here to get technical help to build. Biking - Something done at home .. afraid do do here ... but someday maybe a new adventure. Reading - Great time with Amazon Kindle International works great here in the Philippines- Daily delivered New York times, 30 books in queue. Learn CPR together (want my wife to have these skills) Charity work Business assistance Ron Ron, those are some great ideas. Thank you for listing them, and I can help you with a Cebuano teacher when the time comes because a friend of ours is teacher and runs a private school tutoring students and is expanding to teach foreigners Cebuano either in groups or one on one lessons at her school. Let me know once you move and get settled in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted December 7, 2009 Author Posted December 7, 2009 Mr. Lee,I'm moved. Here in Cebu since already since July. I'm ready to get started depending on the time requirements of a program as I still have some work demands. These demands are at are at night with monthly trips to the US for a week or two.I am open to all options to learn. I must warn that I'm severely language impaired which is why I thought an individual tutor was my only hope. Last language was Latin learned in High School and via church and as you know memory is among the first things to go.Ron I will send you a private message with the contact info. This lady and her sisters are like my own daughters and one of the sisters is married to a friend of mine, so please treat them and the other teachers nice. Thank you in advance.As for hard to learn, I am dumber than a box of rocks when it comes to learning languages and I am not even that good with my own language :lmao: but I have managed to understand way more than I could ever speak. If and when the time comes to move full time to the Philippines then I will also take lessons from her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMason Posted December 15, 2009 Posted December 15, 2009 I'm only semi-retired as of now, but I've kept myself busy with travelling, cooking, photography, and computer games. People seldom mention gaming as a retiree's hobby but you'd be surprised how many older people are into computer games. The best ones are those that require social interaction with other players or teamwork to win. My personal favorites are World of Warcraft, Civilization, and Travian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abw Posted December 15, 2009 Posted December 15, 2009 Ron, those are some great ideas. Thank you for listing them, and I can help you with a Cebuano teacher when the time comes because a friend of ours is teacher and runs a private school tutoring students and is expanding to teach foreigners Cebuano either in groups or one on one lessons at her school. Let me know once you move and get settled in. Lee, I was also thinking to learn the local dialect, which is Illongo in Bacolod/Silay. I'd have to say I'm pretty hopeless picking up new languages...as soon as I've learn't a new word, it just disappears So I do like the idea of a private tutor to slap me each time I get it wrong. Just wondering, what's the normal going rate for a tutor? Are paid by the hour or day or month?Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Lee Posted December 15, 2009 Author Posted December 15, 2009 Lee, I was also thinking to learn the local dialect, which is Illongo in Bacolod/Silay. I'd have to say I'm pretty hopeless picking up new languages...as soon as I've learn't a new word, it just disappears So I do like the idea of a private tutor to slap me each time I get it wrong. Just wondering, what's the normal going rate for a tutor? Are paid by the hour or day or month?Andrew Andrew, most of the tutors that I have heard of charge foreigners by the hour and I guess you will have to pay extra for the teacher to slap you. :lol: As for rates, I think that will depend on if you get a licensed teacher or not and what the going rate for teachers are in that area. The lady I referred Ron to is in Cebu City and runs an actual school for tutoring children who go to private school and need extra help, and she also teaches adults Cebuano to fill in the gaps in her schedule, and that of the teachers in her school and I am sure to help make a few extra pesos for herself and the other teachers who work for the school. She will not tell me her rates since I think she thinks of us as parents and I try hard not to get into her business yet I always try to be there if she asks myself or my wife a question. I am sure there will also be many teachers in your area who can tutor you and you will learn if you use it daily. My wife and I speak in the house and sometimes in public when we do not wish to be understood, or should I say she speaks and then I speak and she laughs at my pronunciation but I do understand her and give her the correct reply just not the way a Filipino would say it as I guess my hearing just cannot differentiate tones. :lol: Ask your wife to also help you and I am sure you will learn quickly. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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