Hello, Cebu!

Sasha V. · Post by **Sasha V.** » February 21st, 2012, 8:19 pm

Hey Folks,

I posted an intro a little while back, and, due to some favorable circumstances, have managed to get my butt over here to the Philippines.

I've been here for a week (and plan to stay for a few months), and while I can't claim any real depth of experience, I would be more than happy to field any questions anyone might have about my experience so far.

For a little bit of context, I'm 30 years old, 5'8, about 155 lbs, and you can judge my 'looks' from my picture.

mercurymarch · Post by **mercurymarch** » February 21st, 2012, 8:46 pm

Hey, that's great!

I am heading over to Cebu in April. I have several questions if you don't mind answering them:

How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Cebu city? I looked online and I found several nice ones listed for $500-600, which would be fine, but I am curious if it's possible to get a better deal.

Are the power outages as frequent as I've heard? Do you have brownouts all the time?

Is it true that most medications can be purchased over the counter? Are the prices the same as in the U.S. ?

I've heard theft is pretty bad. How much of a problem are break-ins in the city?

And finally: What kind of budget do you live on (if you don't mind my asking)?Would 1500-2000 dollars a month be enough to survive on?

Thanks

Sasha V. · Post by **Sasha V.** » February 21st, 2012, 9:29 pm

Hi Mercury,

I am probaby the wrong person to ask just about all of these questions, but i will answer what I do know.

I am currently renting a place for a bit under $500/mnth. It is overpriced for what it is, but 'nice' by local standards. HOWEVER, that might not be considered nice at all by your standards. No hot water, no real kitchen. There are certainly cheaper places than 500-600 usd, but they may not have everything you want, and maybe not even things you might expect but not even think about. It would probably be best to ask a local if you want a better deal than what you will find online.

Power Outages: no idea! Only been here a week.

Medications: No idea!

Theft: Also no idea, but you would probably be wise to have your pricey belongings and wallet NOT in plain view. I live in a building with a guard, so maybe that helps.

Budget.. so far around 1000 - 1200, but I probably live very differently from most. I don't drink, go out at night, or spend lots of money on fancy food.

Hope that helps!

mercurymarch · Post by **mercurymarch** » February 22nd, 2012, 11:57 am

Thanks Sasha. I'll be careful about making sure my apartment has hot water before I rent it.

I think given my lifestyle 1500-2000 a month would be okay for me.

Hope things work out for you in Cebu.

pete98146 · Post by **pete98146** » February 22nd, 2012, 12:07 pm

What are your opinions about the women? Are you there just for fun or looking for a wife? What is your plan of attack for meeting ladies there? Best of luck to you! After graduation, my wife moved to Cebu with her sister for employment. It's a neat town!

Find a date and go check out LaTegola in Balinad for some good italian food!

Sasha V. · Post by **Sasha V.** » February 23rd, 2012, 5:39 pm

I have lots of opinions about the women, but in general I like them.

What I find best about the people here (and the women) is the nearly complete lack of pretension. Even if you go to upscale Ayala mall, maybe 5 out of 100 girls at most have that "I'm too good for everyone around me" look. In my home NYC, you'll be lucky to find 1 girl out of 100 hundred that doesn't.

Besides that, the girls here are really sexy.

Now, I know everyone keeps talking about how Filipinas are ugly, but here is my take on that...

Filipinas have different features than most of us white guys are used to. The 'cutest' ones look good, of course, but the average ones don't look like the 'average' girls that we are used to.

What I think happens is that we normalize and ignore the mediocre people of our own areas. There are tons of really unattractive women all over the world, especially in america where people tend to be extremely overweight... but what happens is that we just ignore those people - after all, they are all around us every day.

Then you come to the Philippines, and yes, there are tons of average looking girls.. but they look *different*. Honestly, after a few days, you get used to it. I'd much rather look at an average Filipina than an 'average' american woman. The average filipina is sweet, has kind eyes, a good heart.. and isn't 15 kilos overweight.

As for the cute girls.. they are *really* cute, there are lots of them all over, and they are approachable.

As for your other questions...

I'm not looking for a wife, mostly for fun - and by fun I mean fun, not just sex. I've already met a few really sweet, wonderful girls that I am friends with - I can totally understand why men come here for wives.

In terms of meeting girls, most of my contacts have from online, though I have met a couple of people in person, too.

pete98146 · Post by **pete98146** » February 23rd, 2012, 6:14 pm

Good for you Sasha! Best of luck to you! Seems as if you are having a blast!!!! I too find the filipinas pretty and sweet. Nice to have a positive report about Cebu/Phils!!!

Keep us updated friend!

davewe · Post by **davewe** » February 25th, 2012, 12:24 pm

Nice analysis, Sasha. I too really enjoyed Cebu and will be there in a month, though only for a day or two.

While it takes all kinds of People and everyone has different tastes /cliches, it's hard to imagine going to Cebu and not having fun with girls.

Enjoy!