Happier Abroad Forum Community

Hello HA, PaulB here. I'm an Asian from the U.S. but have been living in Manila for over 3 years. Great content on this site. Thought I would register and possibly participate.

Welcome. But how did you end up in Manila? What do you do there? Why are you happy there?

Manila is considered one of the worst cities in Asia. Every travel site and blog has only negative things to say about it. It's polluted and has nothing beautiful or fresh to look at. Why did you choose to live there? What's your story?

We have a lot of threads about the Philippines in the Asia section, if you want to look at them. Many of the sticky threads there are related to the Philippines.

Winston wrote:Welcome. But how did you end up in Manila? What do you do there? Why are you happy there?

Manila is considered one of the worst cities in Asia. Every travel site and blog has only negative things to say about it. It's polluted and has nothing beautiful or fresh to look at. Why did you choose to live there? What's your story?

We have a lot of threads about the Philippines in the Asia section, if you want to look at them. Many of the sticky threads there are related to the Philippines.

Thanks Winston.

My story: I found online poker in college, made a comfortable living for years, decided to move overseas in search of greener pastures, traveled all over Asia looking for the most suitable city for me and settled on Manila.

I agree it's not for everyone but it suits my preferences more than any other city I've come across. I also think I come from a background that can tolerate a lot of the bad things about Manila.

But what does Manila have that other cities don't? I can't think of any "pros" there (not talking about whores), only cons.

1. Low cost of living
2. Plenty of attractive easy-to-get girls
3. Better English than most cities in Asia
4. Lots of things to do, classes, hobbies, etc.
5. Good variety of affordable food
6. Easy visa renewals

Can think of plenty more, but those are the ones that stick out.

PaulB,
Have you managed to break into middle class circles there? Or are all the friendly girls the low class ones? Are you able to meet any girls in Makati or Ortigas?

I've seen many light skinned snobby tall girls in those areas, but they don't look approachable at all. They walk with that "I'm too cool for you" kind of body language and don't even look at you if you say hello. They act like they are in LA or something. lol

billy wrote:Hi Paul, welcome. Which hobbies and classes do you have?
Did you manage to make a social circle?

How do you manage to deal with the weather there?

Classes: Tagalog, swimming, scuba diving, freediving, jiujitsu, photography, cooking, woodworking.
Hobbies: Traveling, fighting games, food tripping, and until recently, photography (sold all my gear).

Social circle: I used to hang out mostly with poker friends, but these days I usually just hang out with my girlfriend or meet up with new girls. Every few weeks I meet up with friends from the fighting game community for casual sessions and every few months or so, I join meetups organized through websites that I regularly visit (reddit, couchsurfing, etc). There's a community here for almost everything.

Regarding weather, the heat isn't really a problem since I'm usually somewhere air conditioned (home, at the mall, in a taxi, etc). The rainy season gets to me though. I'll have to get a car or something.

Winston wrote:PaulB,
Have you managed to break into middle class circles there? Or are all the friendly girls the low class ones? Are you able to meet any girls in Makati or Ortigas?

I've seen many light skinned snobby tall girls in those areas, but they don't look approachable at all. They walk with that "I'm too cool for you" kind of body language and don't even look at you if you say hello. They act like they are in LA or something. lol

I've met girls living in multimillion dollar homes in gated subdivisions to dirt poor girls living in squatters' areas. You probably know this, Winston, but I'll explain for anyone who doesn't:

In the Philippines, the social classes are as follows:
class A: the top 1%, celebrities, politicians, judges, big business owners, etc.
class B: higher-up business professionals, lawyers, government officials, etc.
class C: business professionals, call center agents, office employees, etc.
class D: people working at SM, waitresses, maids, teachers, drivers, etc.
class E: everyone else (I'd guess more than 50% of the population)

I'd say friendliness levels are about the same across the board, but when it comes to dating, I avoid both ends of the spectrum.

Also, in my experience, light skin does not automatically mean higher class - there is a slight correlation but it's not significant enough to stereotype. Clothes/accessories are a much better indicator.

billy wrote:Thanks Paul, great info. Are you planning to stay longer? Which would be alternatives for you? Do you miss something there?

Yep, am here indefinitely.

Outside of the Philippines, Bangkok.

I miss NY pizza.

Nice info here. My Filipina friends are probably category C. I'd say they're the best ones for American dudes to date. They're not just marrying for money - they really want someone who will love them and not cheat on them etc. etc. etc.

Do you feel safe in the Philippines? I got followed in Guangzhou and I'm aware that I stick out like a sore thumb in Asia.

Come on Paul. I'm sure if a Filipina celebrity from the top 1 percent class wanted you, you'd take her in a heartbeat rather than avoid her. lol

How did you meet middle and upper class Filipinas though? Aren't they kind of stuck up and reserved?

I don't like how snobby they are, since they have no reason to be snobby.

Have you noticed that a lot of middle class Filipinas are very argumentative for no reason and quick to debate things she knows nothing about? That attitude sucks from them. Even the Filipinas on CouchSurfing are like that. They have this really bratty attitude.

Unlike Chinese girls, who look cute when they're mad, bratty middle class Filipinas don't look cute at all when they sneer and become argumentative.

The ones I see paying for their own meals at restaurants seem very closed and standoffish when I try to start up a conversation with them. I guess when Filipinas have money, their attitude turns to shit. Why is that?

billy wrote:Paul, I like your lifestyle. I think many herer do. So, you are a very good example how it can work.
Why are you on this site? You already have reached your goals. Or do you want to help us to be happier
abroad? Which you already did with your answers.

Maybe you could say something about your background.

As I mentioned earlier, I think there's some great content here and I can always learn something. There are also a lot of topics that I'm not knowledgeable about that have already been discussed here and on other forums.

What about my background would you like to know? I'd be happy to share as long as it's not too personal.

xiongmao wrote:Nice info here. My Filipina friends are probably category C. I'd say they're the best ones for American dudes to date. They're not just marrying for money - they really want someone who will love them and not cheat on them etc. etc. etc.

Do you feel safe in the Philippines? I got followed in Guangzhou and I'm aware that I stick out like a sore thumb in Asia.

In general, I do feel safe. But in some areas, and when I'm riding jeepneys, I don't like to take my phone out because I don't want to get it snatched.

Winston wrote:Come on Paul. I'm sure if a Filipina celebrity from the top 1 percent class wanted you, you'd take her in a heartbeat rather than avoid her. lol

I honestly would not have a long-term relationship with any well-known celebrity. I've seen celebs out in public - they have zero privacy and can't even shop in peace without being approached for an autograph or picture every minute. For someone like me who likes to do normal things, it would be a logistical nightmare to have a famous girlfriend.

How did you meet middle and upper class Filipinas though? Aren't they kind of stuck up and reserved?

I don't like how snobby they are, since they have no reason to be snobby.

Have you noticed that a lot of middle class Filipinas are very argumentative for no reason and quick to debate things she knows nothing about? That attitude sucks from them. Even the Filipinas on CouchSurfing are like that. They have this really bratty attitude.

I've met some middle/upper class girls through online dating, some through friends, and some through direct approach.

My encounters with them have been pretty cordial. If they were stuck up, snobby or bratty, it certainly wasn't bad enough that I remember it. In fact, I'd say those negative characteristics would be more common in lower class girls or social climbers who are insecure with themselves, either with money or social status.

The ones I see paying for their own meals at restaurants seem very closed and standoffish when I try to start up a conversation with them. I guess when Filipinas have money, their attitude turns to shit. Why is that?

The problem here might be more internal than external.

billy wrote:Thanks for your openness.

I would like to know where you grow up. And why you chose PI and not
other countries.

And do you plan to work in a specific field?


Which countries did you live and what would be your recommendation for the average guy who wants to live in SEA. Do you plan to marry and have kids?

I grew up in NYC. I chose Manila for the reasons I mentioned before (3rd post of this thread).

I've only lived in the Philippines but visited China, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

For the "average" guy, I would not recommend SEA at all. I think you need to be extremely patient and resourceful to live in SEA and actually enjoy it. The "average" guy is the opposite.

I don't plan to marry and have kids, but that can change at any time.

PaulB, thank you for posting here and sharing your experiences. It is nice to see a calm level headed approach and description of an area.

Hey PaulB

I was also raised in NYC and love just about everything about the city.. except for the people.

Do you think I would do well in Manila?

everyone who is not a one eyed leper "does well" in the phillipines.. lmfao