ExPat getogether Experiences

[PeterC]

Having lived here for over 10 years please allow me to offer my experiences to new expats considering forming a regular meeting.                                                The benefits of chatting to your own alien species one in a while is just wonderful, subjects such as daily comparisons with foreign life, memories shared about original country living give so much pleasure.  We all have our standards and its not uncommon for us to choose similar Filipinos as partners from the same standard of our lives (almost). Meeting a new expat is great to offer the meeting place and discuss timings etc. I accosted several expats in SM or round about San Pablo and they in turn met others and welcomed them to the group.  I began with us 4 UK guys and we got on very well. Then some other nationalities arrived and meetings expanded to peoples homes for events such as the Manny Paqiou fights. Problems arose with the wives who joined together and gossiped about weird stuff that should not have been talked about such as who got the most pensions and who spent the most money and who had the most expensive house etc.   Despite this we had some memorable events with Kareoke and jokes etc. I WOULD SERIOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT EXPAT GROUPS ARE FOR JUST THE EXPATS AND WITHOUT WIVES. Our group in San Pablo split up 3 ways and if something was said that a wife didn't like, she would not let her husband attend the meetings. We lost 3 nice guys because of gossip by the wives and it was the guys who were disadvantaged.                                                Blokes can usually get on with other blokes what ever their background and its very enjoyable, even if you wouldn't necessarily be friend back in your home country, a regular monthly meet is welcomed. 

[Dave Hounddriver]

31 minutes ago, PeterC said:

I WOULD SERIOUSLY RECOMMEND THAT EXPAT GROUPS ARE FOR JUST THE EXPATS AND WITHOUT WIVES.

There are many who would agree with that statement and some who dare not because their wives read this forum too.  The other side of the coin is that forming a friendship with someone who's wife does not get along with your wife will just drive a wedge into your relationship.

There a group of friends (not forum related) in Dumaguete who get together a couple times a week.  We meet once a week where wives/gfs are optional and another time where it is guys only.  Seems to work so long as the group leader has a strong enough personality to tell those who do not fit in to hit the road.  Not everyone fits in on the sole criteria of being an expat.

[Jollygoodfellow]

8 minutes ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

Seems to work so long as the group leader has a strong enough personality to tell those who do not fit in to hit the road

[stevewool]

We have some great people we meet up with here in England but it is always as couples, the wives go off and prepare the food and talk the talk and us men just moan about this and that while having a beer.

Its fun but i would hate to be married to the other blokes wives because all they seem to do is show off and put others down, the only good thing is the do keep the beer coming to our hands with out us having to move.

[PeterC]

My wife is an ex-maid and we met in Hongkong, she was a single lady and with no experience of other relationships and so when thrown together with what I would call "Street wise" ladies, she didn't altogether enjoy the conversations and where they were leading too.                                        After 10 years here I was becoming grumpy and slightly depressive, not sure why but guessed it was because of being surrounded by Filipinos and not my own species. A fellow Brit from Tagaytay visited with his g/f and we chatted non stop for an afternoon. He said that all was well with his g/f but he missed a "meaningful conversation" and I realised later what he meant. I enjoy fishing and found a place in the North in Pampanga called Freshwater Fishing resort that looked interesting, it was also close to a bar area where there would be many expats to rub shoulders with. I found another Brit here who also enjoyed fishing and we set off to explore. Angeles is like Piccadilly circus at night and we found many places of interest including a Bar/rest-house that did Sausages and Mash potatoes !!! The fishing resort was 3 large ponds packed full of Red Tilapia, Catfish and Cream Dory and they were easy to catch with a staff chap removing the fish and baiting the hooks. We could have the fish cooked there if we wished and we did the Red Tilapia...very nice too.  The complete episode was 3 days and on return I felt much better with life as a whole but the ladies of our group put some awful ideas into my wife's head which she couldn't cope with and we had some domestics over it. As I say this strange feeling is occurring after 10 years living here and just wanted to share my experiences.

[Jack Peterson]

12 minutes ago, PeterC said:

Filipinos and not my own species.

 Do I take it you don't think Filipinos are Human like us but some sort of Alien?

[sonjack2847]

1 hour ago, PeterC said:

but the ladies of our group put some awful ideas into my wife's head which she couldn't cope with and we had some domestics over it.

I had the same when I visited Thailand.I find it important to talk to other expats a couple of times a week even though I can have a very good conversation with my wife.

[Jollygoodfellow]

1 hour ago, Jack Peterson said:

Human like us but some sort of Alien?

My ARC says Alien. 

[Gary D]

Completely understanding what PeterC means when he said "species" but to be anatomically correct he should have said "phenotype". Yes we caucasians are of a different phenotype to our wives who are of polynesian extraction.

[Jack Peterson]

1 hour ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

My ARC says Alien. 

Yesh but