I Just Moved To The Philippines

Post your trip reports, travel experiences, and updates abroad. Or your expat story if you already live overseas. Note: To post photos and images, insert the image URL between the tags Image after uploading them to a third party site.
E_Irizarry
Veteran Poster
Posts: 2352
Joined: July 5th, 2008, 1:07 am
Location: The Corporation ( the U.S. of Gay )

Post by E_Irizarry »

xiongmao wrote:.........Funnily enough I even lost weight despite eating in Pizza Hut/McDonalds and drinking beer all night........ You do get used to the climate though.
It's called no additives or preservatives...no refining of carbohydrates. No polyunsat, but regular natural saturated fat that's good for the heart in moderation.
"I appreciate the opportunities I have in America. Opportunities that allow me to live abroad." **Smiles** - Have2Fly@H.A. (2013)

"The only way to overcome that is to go abroad to get a broad."
- E. Irizarry (2009)

"MGTOW resilience is the key to foreign residence. You better muthafuckin' ask somebody!!"
- E. Irizarry (2012)

"I rather be ostracized by 157.0 million (27.3% of the US of Gay pop), then to appease 1 feminist." - E. Irizarry (2013)

TanBoy by DNA | Despedido, Hugo Chavez...Descansa en paz!
Taco
Elite Upper Class Poster
Posts: 5383
Joined: July 9th, 2011, 9:30 am

Re: I Just Moved To The Philippines

Post by Taco »

davewe wrote:
Taco wrote:Creepy old guys - I see 60 yr old foreign guys with 20 yr old girlfriends at the mall, its weird
Whew! Thank God I am 6 months shy of that mark and my gf is much older, at 23. Obviously you were not talking about seeing us :)





Sorry Dude, I always regret something I say.

As long as your both happy, that's whats important. I've had Filpinas half my age take a liking to me but we didn't have anything in common, your case might be different. I wish you both the best of luck.
davewe
Experienced Poster
Posts: 1437
Joined: July 26th, 2011, 7:21 pm

Re: I Just Moved To The Philippines

Post by davewe »

Taco wrote:
davewe wrote:
Taco wrote:Creepy old guys - I see 60 yr old foreign guys with 20 yr old girlfriends at the mall, its weird
Whew! Thank God I am 6 months shy of that mark and my gf is much older, at 23. Obviously you were not talking about seeing us :)





Sorry Dude, I always regret something I say.

As long as your both happy, that's whats important. I've had Filpinas half my age take a liking to me but we didn't have anything in common, your case might be different. I wish you both the best of luck.
Don't worry about it, Taco. I was kidding with you. Sarcasm is second nature to me. I am very happy with my life at my advanced age, and not just the young gf part of it.
Jester
Elite Upper Class Poster
Posts: 7870
Joined: January 20th, 2009, 1:10 am
Location: Chiang Mai Thailand

Re: I Just Moved To The Philippines

Post by Jester »

davewe wrote:
Taco wrote:Creepy old guys - I see 60 yr old foreign guys with 20 yr old girlfriends at the mall, its weird
Whew! Thank God I am 6 months shy of that mark and my gf is much older, at 23. Obviously you were not talking about seeing us :)





You are my personal hero!
Jester
Elite Upper Class Poster
Posts: 7870
Joined: January 20th, 2009, 1:10 am
Location: Chiang Mai Thailand

Re: I Just Moved To The Philippines

Post by Jester »

davewe wrote:




Based on her triumphant smile and confident body language, it appears that your gf is quite proud of HER catch.
davewe
Experienced Poster
Posts: 1437
Joined: July 26th, 2011, 7:21 pm

Re: I Just Moved To The Philippines

Post by davewe »

Jester wrote:
davewe wrote:
Taco wrote:Creepy old guys - I see 60 yr old foreign guys with 20 yr old girlfriends at the mall, its weird
Whew! Thank God I am 6 months shy of that mark and my gf is much older, at 23. Obviously you were not talking about seeing us :)





You are my personal hero!
:) Thanks Jester. As the current marketing slogan goes, It's more fun in the Philipiines.
User avatar
xiongmao
Veteran Poster
Posts: 2897
Joined: March 9th, 2011, 9:09 am
Location: London
Contact:

Post by xiongmao »

Wow, exotic Asian lady there. Wow. I always tell my dating site members that if you want to date the hottest girls, you've gotta live in Asia.
I was Happier Abroad for a while but Covid killed that off.
Fed up with being foreveralone.jpg? Check out my comprehensive directory of dating sites.
Love Chinese girls? Read my complete guide to Chinese dating.
Taco
Elite Upper Class Poster
Posts: 5383
Joined: July 9th, 2011, 9:30 am

Re: I Just Moved To The Philippines

Post by Taco »

davewe wrote:
Taco wrote:
davewe wrote:
Taco wrote:Creepy old guys - I see 60 yr old foreign guys with 20 yr old girlfriends at the mall, its weird
Whew! Thank God I am 6 months shy of that mark and my gf is much older, at 23. Obviously you were not talking about seeing us :)





Sorry Dude, I always regret something I say.

As long as your both happy, that's whats important. I've had Filpinas half my age take a liking to me but we didn't have anything in common, your case might be different. I wish you both the best of luck.
Don't worry about it, Taco. I was kidding with you. Sarcasm is second nature to me. I am very happy with my life at my advanced age, and not just the young gf part of it.
It takes a while to get used to the fact that women over the age of 25 are too old for marriage here. However, what I find really unnerving is when women under 18 yrs old flirt with me. This has happened to me regularly and I just try to think about the saddest thing I can when it happens, like my dad's funeral.
Taco
Elite Upper Class Poster
Posts: 5383
Joined: July 9th, 2011, 9:30 am

Post by Taco »

8 Month Update

Random Thoughts…

Once you get past the lying, cheating, stealing, diarrhea, vomiting, ants, flies, termites, cockroaches, rats, dogs barking, cats fighting, roosters crowing, crowds, drunk guys singing karaoke, crazy driving , strange smell at the mall, and hot as hell weather, this country has some charm to it. If you have an easy going personality you can adapt to the culture within two or three months. If little things tend to bother you it might take six months or more. Perfectionists will definitely suffer the most here.

The Philippines can be a very, very frustrating place for most foreigners that move here. Low standards to nonexistent standards are the norm for every facet of life here. The lack of quality control and accountability will drive you insane. Simple problems can take weeks and months to resolve. Simple questions to qualified “professionalsâ€￾ here will likely draw a blank stare and confound the wise.

The work ethic here leaves much to be desired. Wages are low so people lose their motivation. Threatening a lazy employee doesn’t work because there not making any money anyway so they don’t care if they get fired.

If you start a business here I recommend an online business with foreigners as your primary customers. Me and my wife had a small business catering to local Filipinos and while we were making money we had to work 16 hours a day just to make $50 or $60 dollars. When your product is second rate it means your in the volume business which in turn means you have to work long hours to turn a profit, not my idea of fun.

If you decide to live in the Philippines I highly recommend moving to a city far away from your girlfriends or wives family, I have already had some bad experiences with this. Most likely, your Filipinas family will not stop bothering you until every last cent you own is in their pocket. Also, there are many issues with jealousy and gossip. Should you own something your Filipinas family wants they can get very jealous which is usually obvious.

I ran into an expat a few weeks ago who told me his total monthly expenses for himself, wife and son amount to $750 a month. If you have a small plot of land where you can grow your own food you can probably get by on less than that. A monthly income of $800 a month is considered middle class here.

The climate here can be very uncomfortable(hot) for foreigners. I recommend living at a higher elevation to make it more bearable. Any town or city above 3,000ft will help make your stay here a pleasant one. Baguio and Taygaytay City are two of the most livable cities in all of Southeast Asia both are located on mountain tops.

Most of the food at western restaurants here sucks. McDonald’s was ok but Pizza Hut and KFC made me sick. There’s one expat owned pizza restaurant in my city which serves mediocre food that I can tolerate. The best food I’ve eaten here are simple dishes with rice, meat and vegetables that my wife makes everyday.

Filipinas

You need to be very cautious which women you date should you decide on a short term fling or a long term relationship, it’s not always obvious which women can be trusted. My experience has been women with a strong work ethic and long attention span are usually more trustworthy. Women that talk excessively, dress sexy and get bored easily should be avoided. I see lots of older guy with sexy young women but these flings rarely amount to anything long term. Generally, these men find an even sexier woman or they get ripped off so badly they can’t afford to date anymore. The more patient you are the more likely you’ll find the girl of your dreams.

I have women half my age flirting with me almost every day. During most of these encounters I haven’t shaved, showered, brushed my teeth or even combed my hair and some even know I’m married. My point is you could be in a coma and still get a girlfriend in 2 seconds here. The women that work at the open air market selling fish, fruit, rice etc… are my biggest fans. No matter how boring you are or how bad your social skills or how average looking you are, most Filipinas will find you very attractive.

My expat neighbor dumped his 32 yr old Filipina girlfriend last Saturday after he spent $40,000 on her in a year and a half and had a new 18 yr old Filipina girlfriend on Sunday. The lesson here is don’t waste your time dating bitches In the Philippines, just show them the door. Just remember, you’re a hot commodity here which might not be obvious at first if you’ve been living in a western country your whole life.

Conclusion

You can definitely be happy living in the Philippines although it does take more persistence. If your used to having the best of everything you’ll find it difficult at first. Also, it helps to start some new hobbies when you move here besides getting drunk and fooling around. I took up small scale chicken farming since I like eating chicken a lot. If you’ve been to the Philippines already and didn’t enjoy yourself I suggest living in China for a while where conditions are generally worse.
CerealKiller
Freshman Poster
Posts: 136
Joined: August 23rd, 2012, 9:23 pm

Post by CerealKiller »

Some nice posts Taco.

I'm actually thinking of visiting the Philippines very soon. I've noticed that although the PI is a perennial favourite topic on HA, I haven't seen much in the ways of which places in the PI have the best beaches, scenery, etc.

Ergo, I have started a new thread on exactly this topic: viewtopic.php?t=17874

Your - and other HA members' - opinion would be much appreciated in this matter. Thanks!
User avatar
xiongmao
Veteran Poster
Posts: 2897
Joined: March 9th, 2011, 9:09 am
Location: London
Contact:

Post by xiongmao »

Yeah, nice update Taco. I'm in Guangzhou now, which is just a couple of hours flight from the Philippines, so I'd love to visit at some point.

I take it the weather is just as hot and sticky as it is here? Sometimes we get the tail-end of your typhoons.

Anyway I guess we have the same problems you have - heat and humidity, noise, dirt and general chaos. But I love it. One thing the Cantonese here don't tolerate though is bad food. I was in a restaurant and they served a guy's wife cold food - and he went absolutely crazy! I must say that the food here is exceptional.

It's also quite cheap to live here, especially if you live in a less popular neighborhood (e.g. no metro station) and eat the cheapest foods. Some stuff is really cheap here (e.g. rice, tea), but other stuff like almonds are almost the same price as in the UK.

Also the cheapest food tends to be rendered down insides of animals or bits of tree. It's hard to like this stuff unless you're born here.

I find I'm quite enjoying my minimalist lifestyle. I have 1 suitcase of stuff, a computer and a decent camera. That's it. I don't watch the TV.

But I love my new lifestyle of eating all my meals in restaurants and having a load of spare time to go and seek out the wonders of this vast metropolis.

As far as ladies, well if you want to date a young Chinese "10" then you're gonna have to have some serious game and some serious money. But it's easier to date the older women. And one good thing here is that the women age exceptionally well. There are 50yo women in this city that still look really stunning.
I was Happier Abroad for a while but Covid killed that off.
Fed up with being foreveralone.jpg? Check out my comprehensive directory of dating sites.
Love Chinese girls? Read my complete guide to Chinese dating.
The_Adventurer
Experienced Poster
Posts: 1383
Joined: August 23rd, 2007, 9:17 am

Post by The_Adventurer »

Great posts Taco. I had a good time in the Philippines, but I think it also made me lazy. Looking back, I could have made anfilm or something of great value with all the free time I had. One thing I have to disagree with you on, though, is the idea of conditions being worse in China. I have said it many times before China is HUGE. The place I live is cheaper, higher quality, with faster internet and better girls than anywhere I have been in Philippines. Of course not all of China is like that.
Taco
Elite Upper Class Poster
Posts: 5383
Joined: July 9th, 2011, 9:30 am

Post by Taco »

The_Adventurer wrote:Great posts Taco. I had a good time in the Philippines, but I think it also made me lazy. Looking back, I could have made anfilm or something of great value with all the free time I had. One thing I have to disagree with you on, though, is the idea of conditions being worse in China. I have said it many times before China is HUGE. The place I live is cheaper, higher quality, with faster internet and better girls than anywhere I have been in Philippines. Of course not all of China is like that.
The standard of living is higher in than the Philippines. However, China has the worst culture shock of any place I've ever been. Most expats never really get used to it, they just get more stressed out the longer they stay there. The Philippines has a lower standard of living but less culture shock because its an English speaking country. Chinese women are usually better looking than Filipinas but Filipinas are much less demanding. That said, I see a Filipina stunner about 5 times a day where I live and I don't go much.
User avatar
xiongmao
Veteran Poster
Posts: 2897
Joined: March 9th, 2011, 9:09 am
Location: London
Contact:

Post by xiongmao »

Yes China has the worst culture shock, I'd agree with that.

My first time in China was in Wuhan, deep in rust belt country.

I got there at night, and it didn't look too bad. But the next morning I went for a wander outside the hotel and after 10 minutes of walking realized that this was a really strange place! Thank goodness there was a McDonalds outside the hotel or I'd have starved to death before my girl came to meet me a couple of days later.

There are some stunning women here, that's not in doubt. I'll walk to the supermarket and see at least half a dozen 10's. Actually I even quite fancy the old girl who works in the mobile phone shop, even though she tried to rip me off!!!

And yes Chinese women are fairly demanding, although some just want a baby and others just want to be loved.

If you like smart and sophisticated females though, Chinese women are perfect for you. Last weekend I dated a career girl who could easily have made boardroom level in the UK. And today I saw another Western man with a Chinese wife. They were an older couple but she was still very attractive. They were choosing wine together in an upmarket supermarket.

Well if anyone's thinking of living in China, it does help if you're a little crazy yourself.
I was Happier Abroad for a while but Covid killed that off.
Fed up with being foreveralone.jpg? Check out my comprehensive directory of dating sites.
Love Chinese girls? Read my complete guide to Chinese dating.
momopi
Elite Upper Class Poster
Posts: 4898
Joined: August 31st, 2007, 9:44 pm
Location: Orange County, California

Post by momopi »

My culture shock #1 in China was upon landing at Beijing Airport. The airline had left behind a lot of luggage at LAX due to weight concerns, and they didn't mention it until after we had landed and could not locate our luggage. The airline staff asked the passengers who could not find our luggage to form a line by the customer service desk. Immediately, a large crowd of passengers rushed the desk. It was like a school of fish running in one direction. Myself and a few other passengers stood back to gawk at the mob.

Lessons learned: China has more people than any other country on the planet. People do not form lines and will jump queues to get ahead. Because if you don't or cannot fight your way to the front, you will find yourself standing behind a large number of people. It's kind of like the lunch counter in Japanese anime/manga. Only the strongest or fastest can fight their way to the front to get the best yakisoba bread or the last curry bread.

Image
Post Reply
  • Similar Topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Return to “Trip Reports, Travel Experiences, Expat Stories”