New to the site, traveling to Philippines

[Dimitry]

Hello, my name is Dimitry, I am born and raised in Latvia (I'm ethnically and culturally Russian though), have been living in America for 18 years. I found this website a while ago and every point about American women was spot on for me. I have been struggling with my dating life since I moved here at age 17. It took me a while to realize (thanks to this site as well as my own conclusions) that it would be very difficult for me to find a girlfriend in America. I consider myself pretty decent looking guy, slightly above average, not a "weirdo" or a "creep", I'm not extremely social like most Americans, I'm kinda more reserved and introverted but I do have normal social skills and able to connect to people well in general.

I lived with my parents until I was in my 30's (don't judge!) in Sacramento and at age 33 I moved to Los Angeles where I am pursuing acting career. I had a brief relationship with one woman in LA but I didn't really like her and she was cheating on me so that was the end of it.

Since I am struggling with my love life so much, I decided to travel to Philippines in the end of November and see what will happen there. Unfortunately, I'm going for only a few days (to Manila) but I can probably extend my stay if I have to. I've never been to any Asian country before (I visited several European countries, Mexico and a few states in the US).
I am not very rich, so if you have suggestions on how to save money there, it will be very useful.

[Zambales]

Is it really worth going just for a couple of days though? Also, is Manila the best place to look for a woman? In my opinion, no! Will you even meet anyone suitable in that short space of time? Unlikely. It's not like the women are queuing up at the airport waiting for you to arrive.

What do you actually know about the Philippines and Filipina's? There's a lot to learn and you should be aware of the pitfalls before you even think about purchasing an airplane ticket. It's not as straightforward as it seems.

Anyway, welcome to the forum.

[Dimitry]

I don't know much about Philippines, but they are not Martians - they are people and I will probably be able to communicate with them somehow.
As for the length of the trip - I can probably extend it, if it's worth it

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

Hello, my name is Dimitry, I am born and raised in Latvia (I'm ethnically and culturally Russian though), have been living in America for 18 years. I found this website a while ago and every point about American women was spot on for me. I have been struggling with my dating life since I moved here at age 17. It took me a while to realize (thanks to this site as well as my own conclusions) that it would be very difficult for me to find a girlfriend in America. I consider myself pretty decent looking guy, slightly above average, not a "weirdo" or a "creep", I'm not extremely social like most Americans, I'm kinda more reserved and introverted but I do have normal social skills and able to connect to people well in general.

I lived with my parents until I was in my 30's (don't judge!) in Sacramento and at age 33 I moved to Los Angeles where I am pursuing acting career. I had a brief relationship with one woman in LA but I didn't really like her and she was cheating on me so that was the end of it.

Since I am struggling with my love life so much, I decided to travel to Philippines in the end of November and see what will happen there. Unfortunately, I'm going for only a few days (to Manila) but I can probably extend my stay if I have to. I've never been to any Asian country before (I visited several European countries, Mexico and a few states in the US).
I am not very rich, so if you have suggestions on how to save money there, it will be very useful.

Hey man it's all good that you lived with your parents for that long. Only in North America would you be shamed for that; don't listen to such unfetteredly foolish people.
As per bold, the problem, like H.A. poster steve55 says, "Location! Location! Location!". Los Angeles is hyper-pretentious. Sacramento is easier (not literally easy) than Los Angeles by a landslide.

[Dimitry]

I'm only here for acting. LA has one advantage is that there are a lot of foreign women fresh off the boat who are not Americanized yet. As far as native population goes, it's bad in both cities, maybe a little better in Sacramento.
But you see, even fresh off the boat foreign woman quickly gets accustomed to a life here - there are just a lot of choices here with men and not many would choose financially struggling, not the best looking guy (not the worst either though). So, that's why I decided to go to Philippines and see if the situation will be different. Based on what this site says and other sites say, Philippines seems to be a great destination for that.

[E Irizarry R&B Singer]

I'm only here for acting. LA has one advantage is that there are a lot of foreign women fresh off the boat who are not Americanized yet. As far as native population goes, it's bad in both cities, maybe a little better in Sacramento.
But you see, even fresh off the boat foreign woman quickly gets accustomed to a life here - there are just a lot of choices here with men and not many would choose financially struggling, not the best looking guy (not the worst either though). So, that's why I decided to go to Philippines and see if the situation will be different. Based on what this site says and other sites say, Philippines seems to be a great destination for that.

Surprisingly NorCal is becoming decadent now. It wasn't that bad when I first came up to SF Bay Area almost 20 years ago for my first IT job in California. Even ghetto ratchet trill chicks knew their worth and gave it up on the first date now even they are picky...the BBW and SSBBW ones too. :-/

[ChinaFan]

Dimitry,

A few days in Manila as an introduction isn't advisable. Manila is 80% slum, 10% pretty university campus and 10% malls and high-rise condos.
I actually would advise Hong Kong then dip into ShenZhen and GuangZhou. Better infrastructure beats Pidgin English.

I'm on an app called HelloTalk where I can do language exchanges. You can connect with Chinese males and females who can show you around. The culture and mannerisms will be an eye-opener.

If at all possible, see if any members here or other expats can show you around wherever you go.
I rent a house in Angeles City. If you go to the PI, you need a day to adjust to jet lag then a few more days to get around and enjoy the beautiful natural sites. I wouldn't trust a random Pinoy to guide you. You'll be asking to get scammed.

To save money, I use Agoda to book hostels in advance. If you are flexible, see if any of your friends work with airlines and can get you standby tickets that can be 75% off normal fares.

[Zambales]

I don't know much about Philippines, but they are not Martians - they are people and I will probably be able to communicate with them somehow.
As for the length of the trip - I can probably extend it, if it's worth it

Communicating is one thing, trusting them is another. A foreigner will be a target for the unscrupulous if he's not careful, especially in Manila.

You'd be better off catching a flight to Tagbiliran in Bohol and heading to Alona Beach on Panglao Island. It's only 30 minutes from the airport. Far nicer surroundings than polluted chaotic Manila where everyone is rushing around. It's also friendlier.

[redfeather]

I will give you my feedback. I just returned from spending two weeks in the Philippines with my gf. I flew to Manila and we spent 3 days in Manila which is just another big dirty city with pollution. We took the bus from Manila down to Bantangus, and we crossed on the ferry boat to Puerto Galera which is an island vacation beach destination. PG was very beautiful, and we spent 5 days in PG snorkeling and island hopping. We returned back to Manila and spent several more days until I flew back. If you are only going for two days...I would say your trip will be a bust. I believe you need to stay a minimum of 10 days in order to get over the jet lag, and give yourself time to meet quality women. I would also recommend searching in the southern half of the Philippines and stay away from the northern part of the Phils. My gf is from the southern part of the Philippines, and my gf even said you had to be careful with women from the Cebu area. My gf sister was working in Cebu, but she moved back to their home province and changed jobs. So, that is my feedback for you. Thanks.

[rabbithabit]

best places for easy girls is Angeles City and Cebu not Manila in Philippines. Manila girls are upscale like in USA