Is the gamble of living in the Philippines worth the rewards?

[Queenie O.]

1 hour ago, Mike J said:

Last Sunday when I went to church two little sisters came running up to give me warm hugs.  Fortunately even at my age the knees are sufficiently strong to hold up a couple of sweeties while enjoying Sunday service.  I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed the service.  Sorry for the camera shake as I zoom.  I don't think you will have any trouble picking out which two "love sponges" I am referring to.  It is the Philippine people that keep me here, especially the children (and the parents who let me spoil them). 

 

Thanks Mike! We can never forget the sweetness and honesty of the children especially here! You're fortunate to be in a position to witness it often. I enjoyed the video and sharing your love, and what you appreciate in your life.

[Queenie O.]

1 hour ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Yes! as always from Robert (usually) But those are things we CAN'T Change so they have little effect in Reality (and generally are only a concern when it suits us) to our Day to day Living, it is the things we can change that we should put our minds to

 Let's sit and ask Ourselves, What went wrong Today? what could I have done to ease the situation. Although we have no real say in what happens here in the PI does this mean we are lesser people? NO! I say and it all boils down to not Integrating enough with our Fellow Locals,

We hide behind our Walls & gates and do little to help the Filipino Understand us a little better. Kevin (Sonjack) and I + others that come to my Purok have little problem at all ( the Local Sori sori is great to us) and the same goes for Where Kevin lives. We can all have a moan (And we do) but we should site and say HEY! what am I moaning about and the normal answer is them and us differentials these things we can do something about and this in itself will make our lives here a lot better I am sure.

One of my Dogs went missing on may 3rd Thieves got in the main gate but met the Dogs who gave chase ( they [The intruders] left the gate open) Now we all talk about they way some treat the Dogs but in 24 Hours Mine was back Home, all through people locally letting us know where it was seen and when. This is what I mean,  OH! it is the Foreigners Dog, so we went and Got him, But if we were not known in the Area who knows?

 Long winded maybe but all these things come from doing what we can about things we can do things about and stop worrying too much about the Things we can't do anything about cos believe me. Attitudes and bureaucracy will be wherever anyone goes next 

Sermon Over 

 

True words Jack. There's a saying "The more you do the more you can do." that might relate to what you say. Getting out in the community and even in small ways can get me often "out of my own head" and back to feeling better at times.  Keeping in a mellow tone and accepting things as they are is a choice, and a practice in living well here. Things to work on I's say to be happy here.  Thanks.

[bigpearl]

4 minutes ago, Queenie O. said:

Thanks for the sensible and heartening words Steve.  As Deborah Kerr said in my favorite movie, "Night of the Iguana" about something that might happen to her in the future and how she will feel, she said "I'll know know it feels when I feel it."  I guess it's all in the process of doing that we learn to do it. 

Hope to meet you in the future too Steve.

Life, choices and things dumped on us are gambles, why live in a glove, embrace and learn, prosper and share as we do here, be wise and learn the good and bad. Ty for your post, made me and I am sure others re think.

Not been to Visayas yet but one day we will and look forward to catching up. Salamat.

Cheers, Steve.

[Gratefuled]

You and everyone here already know how I feel about this place.  Some even say that I'm a "negative thinker". The simple truth is that I call em as I see em. It's no paradise here, but it could be. I can point to other countries that were just as bad but have improved.  Some countries were devastated after a war but have prospered. The problem with the Philippines is the leadership.

One former president was quoted as saying something like, "it's better to live like Hell by a Filipino than live like Heaven by an American". Well, many try to blame the Spanish for their bad habits. Some blame the Catholic church. 

Reminds me of a quote on how to control people. 

1. keep them ignorant

2. keep them poor

3. keep them busy

Philippine leaders have managed two do this to their own people. while, their families become dynasties. 

Anyway, many expats are here because they cannot afford to live in their own country. Many come from places which are worse than it is here. While a few like myself are here because of their spouse. YEAH, but not for long. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

1 hour ago, Gratefuled said:

It's no paradise here, but it could be.

If you are fairly well off it could be.  The people with absolutely no money tend to agree with a lot of the negative things you have mentioned in the past.  Remember this quote:

There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"

[stevewool]

I am not there yet and all i have to go on is what i read here , see in the news and from other forums too.

There are many more people who call the Philippines but seem to go there for there holidays and to the same places they have been calling all year, i wonder why that is.

I have been to some wonderful places yes its where the tourist go and maybe its a little better , but also i have been to places where there is no tourist and i am invited into the locals houses and its great, but i am on holiday.

Living there well who knows, but as some has mentioned , the whole world is changing , where is safe , where is going to be called home , its easy staying where you was born everything seems to be safe within reason , the bomber may be in another city.

One thing that jumps out from a few of us is our partners happiness , if they are happy then we are happy, maybe thats just what they are wanting for us too.

[stevewool]

8 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

If you are fairly well off it could be.  The people with absolutely no money tend to agree with a lot of the negative things you have mentioned in the past.  Remember this quote:

There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"

Thats where we all differ "whats well off"

[Kuya John]

4 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

 Remember this quote:

There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell
And I was thinking to myself,
"This could be Heaven or this could be Hell"

Just to add to that Dave......"There are no more frontiers, we have got to make it here"......the eagles has landed

Great topic Queenie. 10/10

My own experience of Philippines, has always remained the same, the land of happy smiles, most of the people will share what they have with you

and ask only your friendship, kindness towards them brings it's own rewards.

I have visited many beautiful places this land has to offer and I'm sure there are so many more hidden gem's to be explored.

Most Filipinos I know in UK long for their retirement to return "Home"

I feel drawn back year after year and envy those of you who are living their dream there.

Paradise it may not be, but it certainly is close to my heart for all the good reasons......JB

[sonjack2847]

Firstly I didn`t consider it a gamble to come here and I still don`t consider it a gamble to stay here.In the last 5 years I was in the UK I had more serious crimes committed against me than I have had here in fact the last 5 years in Dalaguete and here in Dumaguete I had no crimes committed against me. There were a few crimes in Cebu city but not serious.In the UK there was a high amount of stress put on me.When I first came here it died down until it started again and the stress was from the UK.Things here then didn`t seem so pleasant but I soon realised that the stress was not from here.Once I realised that my life became a lot less stressful and after a while the stress from the Uk also faded.

The paperwork here can get to you but you have to get through it and always treat the people who are dealing with you with respect.If you don`t treat them right you are likely to either end up deported or just stress yourself out.I hear people here getting miffed about no licence and no plastic licences,well who really cares,I have my plastic licence but I don`t have my plates so I made one.This was accepted by the highway patrol who stopped me the other day.See no stress just go with the flow and enjoy yourself instead of getting miffed about something you have no control over.Yes I do moan from time to time but that is usually with friends and it is just to get it off my chest as a problem shared etc.

There are times when I wish we could do a few more things like trips etc but my daughter has school and has asthma so it is not always possible. My wife and daughter are happy so that is all that matters.I enjoy my life here much more than the Uk and in all fairness I have been looking for a way out of the UK for a very long time.It would have to be really bad for me to leave here.

 

[AlwaysRt]

7 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

Let's sit and ask Ourselves, What went wrong Today? what could I have done to ease the situation.

It does not occur to me to ask what went wrong. I guess I am too much a glass half full guy and would think that was great, or that could have went better, then I think well maybe tomorrow it will. In the same way I do not look at being here as a gamble, an adventure maybe, a new experience, another day in the rest of my life. Certainly I get frustrated at things and can mouth off with the best of them but when I am done talking about it I am also done thinking about it. Stuff happens, that cannot be stopped, but you do not have to think about it all the time. Live and enjoy the now, refuse to let the 'maybes' bring your spirits down.

Be aware, be vigilant, but don't worry... be happy.