Philippines/Vietnam Report #1 - Just Back!

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davewe
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Re: Philippines/Vietnam Report #1 - Just Back!

Post by davewe »

Mr S wrote:
Rock wrote:Hmm, I never saw non-metered taxis is Cebu City. And they can be a bit hard to get during rush hour period or sudden rains. I probably took over 30 taxis during my stay there. I also took jeepneys several times. No funny business in either case. All taxis were metered, used it, and actively returned the change. Where did you find non-metered taxis? Were they empty jeepneys? Were they way out in the province? During the couple of times when I just couldn't get a taxi (sudden rain), I would have been happy to take a non-metered taxi and pay a premium. But to my knowledge, I never saw one.
Anyplace where dumb foreigners would hang out at night is where you would have non-metered taxis, which are basically private owned cars who are just trying to scam ridiculous amounts of money off of newbie night-life foreign men who are too drunk to notice or don't care about spending money. They hang out at Mango square, Mango ave, the big discos, Arena KTV, etc; in the later part of the night, usually after midnight. They will also hang out at upper scale foreigner hotels that are known to have a lot of P4P foreigners, (Not Marriott type).
Well I'll certainly plead guilty to being a dumb foreigner but the two non-metered ones we grabbed we're not at night or around the bars or nightclubs. One took us to a variety of tourists spots like Magellan cross for maybe a couple hours. In neither case did I feel that I paid an excess amount, I was just annoyed that they would not quote me a set amount that they wanted.dont know how common this is, but it happened twice.
Last edited by davewe on January 4th, 2012, 12:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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davewe
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Post by davewe »

E_Irizarry wrote:@DaveWe,

Do they like Black guys and spanish-speaking dudes in Viet Nam?
I only saw a few black tourists, so I cant really say. And as I mentioned I really don't know whether they like westerners at all, white or black.
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xiongmao
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Post by xiongmao »

Nice trip report!

Did you have much trouble finding decent Filipinas on dating sites? I know there are a lot of scammers. I think you did the wise thing of learning about the culture, I find Asian women aren't terrible imaginative and after a while you soon get to understand their normal behaviour.

I think Vietnam is the next big thing for Asian dating. The Vietnamese women I've seen on dating sites are generally stunning, but I guess you need to put in some work on the language thing or find an English speaker. I've heard that Chinese men are getting fed up with demanding Chinese women, so they're also getting wives from Vietnam!

As to the age range girls will date, well this is simply supply and demand. Look how many Filipinas are on Cherry Blossoms compared to other races, and also factor in how few men are interested in them compared to Thailand (popular with older men) or China (popular with younger men).

I have a friend of friend with a Filipina wife 25 years his junior - they seem to have a good marriage and they have a kid. Sure, sometimes they run off, but I guess it's worth the risk.

Anyway, here's a couple of Vietnamese girls I found on DIA:

Image
Image
Image

Maybe Winston can find us some more!
davewe
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Post by davewe »

xiongmao wrote:Nice trip report!

Did you have much trouble finding decent Filipinas on dating sites? I know there are a lot of scammers. I think you did the wise thing of learning about the culture, I find Asian women aren't terrible imaginative and after a while you soon get to understand their normal behaviour.

I think Vietnam is the next big thing for Asian dating. The Vietnamese women I've seen on dating sites are generally stunning, but I guess you need to put in some work on the language thing or find an English speaker. I've heard that Chinese men are getting fed up with demanding Chinese women, so they're also getting wives from Vietnam!

As to the age range girls will date, well this is simply supply and demand. Look how many Filipinas are on Cherry Blossoms compared to other races, and also factor in how few men are interested in them compared to Thailand (popular with older men) or China (popular with younger men).

I have a friend of friend with a Filipina wife 25 years his junior - they seem to have a good marriage and they have a kid. Sure, sometimes they run off, but I guess it's worth the risk.

Anyway, here's a couple of Vietnamese girls I found on DIA:

Image
Image
Image

Maybe Winston can find us some more!
Here's the thread about Cherry Blossoms where I give my original experience: viewtopic.php?t=11057&highlight=&sid=ae ... 79f6e5ec34

Sure, there are scammers, but even more women really wanting to find a nice guy. You can debate about the reasons; a better life, a non-cheating guy, supply and demand as you indicated; it's best to experience it rather than pre-judge.

I actually befriended a few Cherry Blossoms girls who I was not interested in dating. One in particular is very sweet, quite inexperienced with men, and we've become good friends, with me prioviding advise on men, and her giving me insight into Philippines culture and where Philippines girls are at. Yes, you will have to dodge some landmines, but these sites are a lot more fun than US dating sites and if you are careful and determined you can find some great women.

Pete posted some great advise on how to use these sites, targeting the kind of women you want.
djfourmoney
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Post by djfourmoney »

Seeker wrote:
davewe wrote:As to the Philippines - let's face it it's the girls. The stereotyped notion that they are just interested in you because they are poor or want a green card is too simplistic. They genuinely have a different attitude than what an American would ever experience at home. You will have to decide to either accept their different attitude or not.
It depends entirely on the guy. I certainly don't see many good looking or even ok looking women with older Western men, in fact I hardly see any and most of the women have a dull expression on their faces. Everyone knows the reason why they're with them but out of politeness nobody says anything.
It is simplistic in the sense that -

If you are poor, wouldn't you like to improve your economic situation? We all know what women will do to improve their economic situation (World's Oldest Trade and related occupations...) While we wouldn't consider this "Prostitution" it IS an exchange. Women have value because they reproduce children and in a world that depends less and less on man's strength. We give them value in a marketplace, right? You want a wife/girlfriend/mother of your children that gives women "value".

Marriage to a richer man than you is NORMAL... How many men in Western Culture marry DOWN, quite a few. This notion of marrying your economic equal is another unintended outcome of Feminism.

Green Card Hunters are looking to make their own economic opportunities and only use you as a vehicle for that.

Not that simple but not that complicated either...
davewe
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Post by davewe »

Seeker wrote:
davewe wrote:As to the Philippines - let's face it it's the girls. The stereotyped notion that they are just interested in you because they are poor or want a green card is too simplistic. They genuinely have a different attitude than what an American would ever experience at home. You will have to decide to either accept their different attitude or not.
It depends entirely on the guy. I certainly don't see many good looking or even ok looking women with older Western men, in fact I hardly see any and most of the women have a dull expression on their faces. Everyone knows the reason why they're with them but out of politeness nobody says anything.
As I said in my initial post, I wasn't going to post pics or get into the who is or who isn't good looking enough. Tastes vary too widely. And frankly, if I find a girl really hot, what do I care if someone else doesn't?

I will say that I saw many middle aged white guys with younger Filipinas; at the malls, at hotels, in lines at airports with their kids. The women ranged from plain to fantastic, but in all cases were better looking than the guys, including the girl I was with! As to dull expressions on their face, if you ever watch AW with their husbands or bfs in tow - now those are dull expressions.
davewe
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Post by davewe »

djfourmoney wrote:
Seeker wrote:
davewe wrote: It is simplistic in the sense that -

If you are poor, wouldn't you like to improve your economic situation? We all know what women will do to improve their economic situation (World's Oldest Trade and related occupations...) While we wouldn't consider this "Prostitution" it IS an exchange. Women have value because they reproduce children and in a world that depends less and less on man's strength. We give them value in a marketplace, right? You want a wife/girlfriend/mother of your children that gives women "value".

Marriage to a richer man than you is NORMAL... How many men in Western Culture marry DOWN, quite a few. This notion of marrying your economic equal is another unintended outcome of Feminism.

Green Card Hunters are looking to make their own economic opportunities and only use you as a vehicle for that.

Not that simple but not that complicated either...
I can only report my first hand experiences. Anyone can either accept them or discount them - makes no difference to me. But these attitudes are strictly cultural and my fascination with foreign travel is in seeing how people in other countries are the same and yet different from us.

But here's a story that recently happened to me. I'm in a restaurant with my kids, ages 15 and 12. They start talking about their mother's cousin who is 60+ and has a 20 year old gf. Both my kids have watched enough American TV to know that this is clearly WRONG! My son states the sterotype "We know she only wants his money." I remind them that not only does the cousin have a little money but that he is a cultured, fascinating guy who always has women around him and who my kids like a great deal. Nevertheless my kids are adamant - the relationship is wrong. My kids only have vague notions of my dating life and rarely seem to care. I ask, "So do you want to know about me and who I date?" My sons rapidly nods his head. I smile and pause. "I never date women my age. I only date young and pretty women." The look on their faces - priceless!

Yes, women the world over want to be taken care of and money is part of that. But in the Philippines and other countries its far more complex than that.
cadams84
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Post by cadams84 »

I watched a show on TV about Russian women that would marry American men and come to the United States. The answer on whether they love their American husbands or not came down to them basically saying American treat them better than Russian men, and if an American man can provide a stable home and family they learn to love them.

I have talked to several women online that said they did not care about money or moving to the United States. I have met plenty of women in America that first ask what you do and how much money you make. I believe it all depends on the person.

One thing that really bothers me about people here in the United States when they find out I am going to these Asian countries. They keep using the term "Mail order bride" and say "Why don't you just send for one?". It is really not just about getting any woman. They do not understand.
pete98146
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Post by pete98146 »

cadams84 wrote:I watched a show on TV about Russian women that would marry American men and come to the United States. The answer on whether they love their American husbands or not came down to them basically saying American treat them better than Russian men, and if an American man can provide a stable home and family they learn to love them.

I have talked to several women online that said they did not care about money or moving to the United States. I have met plenty of women in America that first ask what you do and how much money you make. I believe it all depends on the person.

One thing that really bothers me about people here in the United States when they find out I am going to these Asian countries. They keep using the term "Mail order bride" and say "Why don't you just send for one?". It is really not just about getting any woman. They do not understand.
Don't let that term bother you. If presented with that question, I ask them, "what exactly is a mail order bride"? They can't answer the question because there is no such thing as ordering a wife out of a catalogue. Instead tell them that you date internationally and you prefer to look at all your options.

Regarding your first sentence, these types of marriages have been popular overseas for eons. Ever stop and wonder about arranged marriages in India? Same thing happens. The parents want to make sure their children are marrying a good candidate. Usually love occurs on the back end of the process.

What we take for granted here in the US does not always happen overseas. American men are popular because we tend to treat women well. So yes, they could care less whether they come live with you or you live with them as long as you are a good guy that can meet some basic needs and you stay loyal and don't beat her to death. When these girls say they are simple, they mean it :) Compared to AW, their list of things needed to keep them happy is pretty darned short.
Seeker
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Post by Seeker »

djfourmoney wrote:If you are poor, wouldn't you like to improve your economic situation? We all know what women will do to improve their economic situation (World's Oldest Trade and related occupations...) While we wouldn't consider this "Prostitution" it IS an exchange. Women have value because they reproduce children and in a world that depends less and less on man's strength. We give them value in a marketplace, right? You want a wife/girlfriend/mother of your children that gives women "value".

Marriage to a richer man than you is NORMAL... How many men in Western Culture marry DOWN, quite a few. This notion of marrying your economic equal is another unintended outcome of Feminism.

Green Card Hunters are looking to make their own economic opportunities and only use you as a vehicle for that.

Not that simple but not that complicated either...
I'm not disagreeing with any of that, my point is that these women are NOT ATTRACTED to the older yet financially stable men they settle for. They're settling with someone who they hope will provide stability over the long term, but it's not love in the romantic sense. Over the last few years living around Asia I've met a few of these younger women who made the choice to shack up with a much older man for some reason. Sometimes I've had the temerity to ask "Do you love him?", and all but one of them answered "NO", the only one that didn't tried to get into my pants that very same night.

But let the guys continue to indulge their fantasies.
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Winston
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Post by Winston »

This is a post to try to jiggle this thread back into view in the trip reports section.
Check out my FUN video clips in Russia and SE Asia and Female Encounters of the Foreign Kind video series and Full Russia Trip Videos!

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davewe
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Post by davewe »

Seeker wrote:
djfourmoney wrote:If you are poor, wouldn't you like to improve your economic situation? We all know what women will do to improve their economic situation (World's Oldest Trade and related occupations...) While we wouldn't consider this "Prostitution" it IS an exchange. Women have value because they reproduce children and in a world that depends less and less on man's strength. We give them value in a marketplace, right? You want a wife/girlfriend/mother of your children that gives women "value".

Marriage to a richer man than you is NORMAL... How many men in Western Culture marry DOWN, quite a few. This notion of marrying your economic equal is another unintended outcome of Feminism.

Green Card Hunters are looking to make their own economic opportunities and only use you as a vehicle for that.

Not that simple but not that complicated either...
I'm not disagreeing with any of that, my point is that these women are NOT ATTRACTED to the older yet financially stable men they settle for. They're settling with someone who they hope will provide stability over the long term, but it's not love in the romantic sense. Over the last few years living around Asia I've met a few of these younger women who made the choice to shack up with a much older man for some reason. Sometimes I've had the temerity to ask "Do you love him?", and all but one of them answered "NO", the only one that didn't tried to get into my pants that very same night.

But let the guys continue to indulge their fantasies.
In that case, thank God I have a rich fantasy life :)
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