FSU vs Philippines

[TopSpruce]

Hey, I've been reading this forum and I see a lot of you guys have experience with multiple countries.

I was wondering how the Philippines compares?
Thanks for any advice and if anyone has any questions about Eastern Europe feel free to ask!

[Taco]

Hey, I've been reading this forum and I see a lot of you guys have experience with multiple countries.

I've been living in Eastern Europe and FSU(PL, UA, BY) for several years now. I originally expected to find a nice girl to settle down with and start a family, but I'm, having doubts. The girls are pretty, but unfortunately most lack traditional values or character.


I was wondering how the Philippines compares? I'm in my mid 20s so setting up a career is still important for me. Through my research, I've found that in the Philippines I could be making double or triple the salary I could make in Belarus. Also, the weather is much better

But, how are the girls there? If I stay in the FSU longer, I'm sure I can find someone(I'm fluent in Russian), but is it worth it? The divorce rate here is the highest in the world. Also, I see that Ladislav is also a fluent Russian speaker... and yet he isn't in the FSU, I think that may be for good reasons. My goals are to have some cool friends to hang with, a strong and loving family, and a good paying and interesting job.

So should I keep at it and stay put, or try Asia?
Thanks for any advice and if anyone has any questions about Eastern Europe feel free to ask!

Hi topspruce!

If you can make more money in Philippines than Belarus your crazy not to come here. I've been to Belarus and its the most depressing place I've ever been. The women in the Philippines are better too, they go down with the ship, Russian women don't. Its easy to make friends in the Philippines and you'll have high social status the minute you get here. You'll have virgin, teen, women flirting with you everyday. Everything is in English so the country is easy to navigate. The climate is very hot so be prepared to sweat.

I forgot to mention I live in Cebu. If you need any more info let me know.

[ladislav]

Where are you now? What country?

Ukraine is a hard country to find good women ( pretty women in droves, though) in unless you live in smaller towns and get to know the local people. But even then it's not easy. Many Ukrainian guys do not have good GFs, either.

Rural Russia is way better.

The reason I did not head to FSU but went to the Philippines is that I was a draft dodger ( back in the Commie days there- which was my only reason to go to the US) and I simply could not risk going back there- political reasons.

Thus I had to find an equivalent place- and after knocking around Thailand and Japan ended up in the Philippines.

By the time communism fell and visas became available for me and it became more or less safe, I had already gotten too much into the Philippines.

Anyway, to go to your question. Philippines wins hands down- English speaking, easy visas, a country patterned after America. Basically like going to Hawaii.

FSU may be an interesting place but do you speak the local languages and/or are you willing to learn them? Plus the culture is so different. I mean, if you like the place, fine, but it will present many more obstacles than the Philippines which is a ready to go in and live place for any American as it is.

UA, BY have nothing to do with the US, have no bonding relationship of any kind with the US culture or values. There is no connection. So, an American in his raw form will not fit in.

Eastern Slavs and Anglos do not mix in their "unadulterated" state. Plus, generally, Slavs and Germanics do not mix. It's like French and English Canadians- incompatible!

With Filipinos, there is an immediate mixing, and a bond of friendship and language as well as music and culture. They are the most America-loving nation on earth.

Philippines I say! Unless you are willing to learn Russian and really love those cultures and want to spend your life tied in with them.

...Belarus your crazy not to come here. I've been to Belarus and its the most depressing place I've ever been. The women in the Philippines are better too, they go down with the ship, Russian women don't...

Belarus people are not Russian by any stretch of imagination. They are basically Baltic people who have been Slavicized.

[Banano]

Lad

OP is fluent in Russian btw


What 2nd tier cities would you recommend in Russia? Is there any cheap city in Russia, something on par with PH price wise??

[Winston]

There are pros and cons.

1. Filipinas are easier to bed and not as picky. But they are not as smart, educated or intelligent as FSU women. Filipinas are simpler, unsophisticated, and not very bright to be honest.
2. There is a lower percentage of hot girls in the PH, not as high as in the FSU.
3. There is no real culture in the Philippines except for the primitive tribal cultures, but that is only for tourism and commercial purposes now. But in the FSU you have amazing rich culture and architecture all around you.
4. Food is not healthy in the PH. Everything is too sugarized, like in America. Filipinos don't know anything about nutrition and don't care if their food contains too many toxins, chemicals or sugar. They don't pay attention to such things, so any food importer can come in and supply the nation with unhealthy food. As long as they are full, nutrition doesn't matter. All they care about is the short term.
5. Weather in the PH is always hot and humid, not pleasant if you ask me. This makes it harder to think and concentrate. There's a reason why the greatest artists, writers and composers come from colder climates.

So you have to consider all that.

Like you, I also found it hard to get good girls in the FSU. When I did find one, she wasn't my type and had a boring personality and was no fun. Then I finally did find a gem that was hot but I was already leaving. Just my luck again. It was a classic case of Murphy's Law yet again.

I also did not find FSU women as easy to bed as the myth said they were. I don't know why. They were super open, sociable, approachable and friendly. They were not afraid to talk to strangers and loved to flirt. But I couldn't take it beyond that. If I asked them to go to my room, they'd make excuses. Or they would come over, but would not put out.

So I don't know where this myth comes from that FSU are easy to lay. Some guys agreed with me and had the same experience, but others said that I was the only one who had trouble bedding them, which I didn't believe.

The PH is probably the easiest place to get laid though. But most girls you meet will be very poor and low class.

Why didn't you try the Baltic States or Poland?

[TopSpruce]

Hi, thanks everyone for the replies.

I tried Poland but found it far to westernized for my tastes(Krakow/Warsaw) or very few pretty girls(Lodz). Never tried Baltics but everyone I've spoken with has warned me away from there.

I heard good things about Provincial BY which is why I'm here in a midsized town. I speak fluent Russian, and fit in fairly well...though I found Ukrainian and Russian guys easier to befriend.

Girls here fall into the categories Winston mentioned(bad, or good but boring).


I'm pretty sure most of the myths about the FSU come from the girls who grew up under communism, they are getting old nowadays, but are quite sweet and good natured.

I think the food and weather are better in Phils than BY. It gets dark so early here now that its fall. Very poor choice of fruits and vegetables. Oftentimes at the stolovaya you get canned beets and sometimes fresh cabbage or carrot as a treat.

At first the Soviet nostalgia was cool (Wow, so this is what my mom was talking about her childhood being like!) ....but it starts to wear on you.

However, this place is a quite peaceful, orderly, and clean so it does have positives.

[ladislav]

Lad

OP is fluent in Russian btw


What 2nd tier cities would you recommend in Russia? Is there any cheap city in Russia, something on par with PH price wise?

In the Euro part, Tula, Ryazan, Voronezh, maybe Murmansk. Volgograd.

Then Vladivostok and Khabarovsk.

Rural Russia is maybe 20% more expensive than the Philippines.

[***JP***]

Hi, thanks everyone for the replies.

I tried Poland but found it far to westernized for my tastes(Krakow/Warsaw) or very few pretty girls(Lodz). Never tried Baltics but everyone I've spoken with has warned me away from there.

I heard good things about Provincial BY which is why I'm here in a midsized town. I speak fluent Russian, and fit in fairly well...though I found Ukrainian and Russian guys easier to befriend.

Girls here fall into the categories Winston mentioned(bad, or good but boring).


I'm pretty sure most of the myths about the FSU come from the girls who grew up under communism, they are getting old nowadays, but are quite sweet and good natured.

I think the food and weather are better in Phils than BY. It gets dark so early here now that its fall. Very poor choice of fruits and vegetables. Oftentimes at the stolovaya you get canned beets and sometimes fresh cabbage or carrot as a treat.

At first the Soviet nostalgia was cool (Wow, so this is what my mom was talking about her childhood being like!) ....but it starts to wear on you.

However, this place is a quite peaceful, orderly, and clean so it does have positives.

You can try the Baltics. Although I must warn you. Speaking Russian in Lithuania is frowned upon. Which is understandable cause of their history when they were in the Soviet days.

[Winston]

TopSpruce,
Why were you warned to stay away from the Baltics? The girls are very friendly and approachable there.

I had the same experience as you. When you go to the FSU at first you are mesmerized by the rich culture and authentic deep vibe (hard to put into words). But after you endure a Russian winter, it makes you gloomy and takes a lot out of you.

Why not try the FSU Asian Republics like Kazakhstan or Krygyzstan?

[deasil875]

Why not try the FSU Asian Republics like Kazakhstan or Krygyzstan?

Gorgeous Asian women there. Some even hotter than Japan, China and NE Asia in general.

[tre]

Why not try the FSU Asian Republics like Kazakhstan or Krygyzstan?

Gorgeous Asian women there. Some even hotter than Japan, China and NE Asia in general.

Agreed! I used to work with a girl that immigrated from that area. She was attractive, smart and I liked her accent. She was also very loyal, even though her bf was a complete nobody. This was a HUGE contrast when compared with my experience with immigrated women from Russia or other surrounding areas. Immigrants from most areas around Russia are much worse than their born and raised American or Canadian counterparts. In my experience, they are backstabbing, argumentative, unattractive sluts...terrible. Maybe it's just my personal experience with them (worked with several), but I'd say they are the worst immigrant women hands down. I'd feel very sorry for any man that would bring one home for a wife...what a nightmare!

[tre]

Also, I agree with much of what Winston said about the Philippines, especially the diet there. I could not keep the fat off while there....it was nearly impossible. They even put processed sugar in their honey...no joke. In a country where fruit is EVERYWHERE, you could not find 100% fruit juice. To get a sugar substitute, I had to go to a pharmacy and have them pull it from behind the counter....crazy. In the Philippines, people were very nice. Some would try to overcharge me for Tricycle rides, but my GF (Filipina) would correct them...lol. Some of the men would smile and yell "Joe" when I would walk by and give me a high five. I'm white, athletic and I keep my hair short, so I guess they think I look like Military (GI JOE)...lol. Weather depends on where you are in the Philippines, like most larger countries. I wore light shorts, light, moisture-wicking shirts and sandals. We both "dressed down" to look like we were not rich. It makes little sense to dress up in the Philippines IMO.

The thing is, poor people eat rice and fish so they are pretty lean. They work in the sun all day so they get plenty of exercise. Those that are rich in the Philippines eat way too much sugar and do nothing except shop and lounge. They have maids, nannies and drivers for anything that requires responsibility. The incidents of diabetes and obesity is high in those that have means to purchase the wrong foods and don't have to do anything that requires physical effort.

As far as the people of the Philippines being dumb....I don't think they are any less intelligent than anyone else. They are uneducated, but can learn if they want to and have the means to. Sometimes they do have to be pushed as it seems they are not very motivated to excel. In general, I think they are a happier people than most and much of their culture is based around food and family. Oh, and they LOVE to dance and sing Karaoke...lol. If they are attractive, you will find them looking at themselves in the mirror often and they will take "selfies" a lot as well. Like most of Asia, they will bleach their skin to look whiter than they are naturally. That is something I'll never understand and something they will abandon if they immigrate to the USA (where people tan to look darker).

[Taco]

5. Weather in the PH is always hot and humid, not pleasant if you ask me. This makes it harder to think and concentrate. There's a reason why the greatest artists, writers and composers come from colder climates.

Interesting point. I struggle with the climate a lot. Hot weather makes your thyroid perform inefficiently which in turn makes you tired. You'll feel tired and you haven't done anything the whole day.

[have2fly]

I've been living in FSU for a year now. I made huge progress in understanding how the culture changed over the years that I've been out living in the U.S. I will write sad and good facts in my observation:

1. People don't trust much. Yes, apparently there used to be bonding and affection in post-Soviet days, but with rich vs poor segregation and all kinds of Western ideology people are less likely to trust one another. Also most people do not believe me that I say I am American, but came to live in FSU for some time. They think I am BS'ing them! Who in their sane mind would leave wonderful America? Yeah, they dream about living in America, but I left it to live in some FSU country for a few years. Many just don't understand it and think there is some kind of trick in what I say.

2. Good looking girls are plenty, but finding a decent one for a family is not easy. NIGHT CLUBS ARE WORTHLESS WASTE OF TIME, at least in FSU for sure! Girls that waste their time in nightclubs are hookers, hot-wanna-be duck-face blondes, sluts or just go there to boost their ego. I picked up my fare share of girls in night clubs, but they mostly expected the worst out of me upon introduction, I heard all kinds of stuff - they expected me to be married, looking for easy sex, looking for p4p, that I may be broke and try to take advantage of them etc. Basically, girls that go to night clubs do not expect guys there to be good quality. Which brings another question - why are THEY going there? When I ask them, they say: to dance and have fun, but nothing personal. THAT IS A HUGE CHANGE from my childhood, since in 1990's disco's were best places to meet new people. Girls would come to look for guys and would expect guys to come talk to them. I remember it so well! Too bad that went away, very sad!

3. About finding girls. The biggest issue for me is actually MEETING girls. Once I am able to introduce myself, I capture their attention really well. Since I live in another city from the one I was born, finding girls for me is extremely hard. I work my standard work week, eat at some cafe and go home. WHERE do I meet women? As I said, night clubs are waste of time. So in the shop, cafe, gym, book store etc. NOT SO EASY. Apparently those decent good girls don't have the money to visit those places (Ooops), so where do I find them? Best choice is through friends, ask people around you, even sales clerks after decent long conversation, waitresses if they have single girl friends etc. I feel like I met thousands of people by living in FSU for just ONE year, but I still do not have enough. I also understand how much power I have in FSU, I am known by many high-level restaurant owners, bar owners etc. Give me a few more years and I will become city-wide-known persona. I networked with way more people compared to living in the U.S. for years and years! Now I want to meet quality girls, those 8-9 on 10 scale for long term. There are many of them, but again, not so easy. Many are dating someone, many of them are dumb as f**k, many have kids, many work at strip clubs, many are very spoiled etc. Although I went out with models many times. Real models, 9.5 on the 10 scale, those girls that you see on magazine covers. So far no luck in personality department with them. Those bitches are so spoiled, they have no money, no job, live with their parents. But they have the looks and lots of guys chasing them, so they think they have an edge. I just dump them and move on. This made me thinking that it could be better to look for family-oriented girls in Muslim countries, like Uzbekistan or Kazakhstan or just outside of big cities.

4. Good things. Food is wonderful: I am loving my borsch and vareniki, fresh salads, awesome meat and fish dishes.
People: still easy to meet, still easy to talk, still easy to get phone numbers. Especially if you are in your everyday routine - like you go to a cafe for lunch, you see a waitress. I guarantee that I will be able to get a phone number from at least HALF of them. Good luck trying that in the U.S.
Men: are still respected. Women still look for men and dream about meeting their "prince" as they put it. In other words, decent guy who is able to be a father and family provider, but who is also romantic - whatever that means to every girl, since everyone is different.
Society: still very healthy, kids are not living in their smartphones, play in the yard a lot. However, internet is becoming popular and some teenagers are now Facebook dependent, just like in the U.S.
City life: filled with lots of events. Concerts, shows, conferences - everything is happening right around you! You feel in the middle of active life and you feel like being a part of it. Public transportation is very cheap, taxi is filthy cheap compared to Western prices.
Apartments: great quality, easy to find, much lower prices for bills compared to the U.S. Rent could be a little high, depending where you want to live, but still most much cheaper than the U.S.
Sex: still good and fairly easy to get. I don't even have to play any games, I court girls, take them for a dinner and try to hug and kiss them during a walk after our dinner. They most likely say "not so fast", which I already know and expect. Then I meet them again a few times. Even if we make out, but without sex, I push hard saying that I don't want to waste my time on relationship without sex. In most cases they put out.
P4P and strip-clubs: Very decent quality. Have to be careful, DO NOT go alone as you may be robbed or charged triple price. Strip clubs are ABSOLUTE waste of money, since they charge $100-150-200 for a 7-minute private dance and 1 hour p4p costs the same. In general, p4p is not needed in FSU, there are plenty of women around.

On topic: Belarus is not yet spoiled by Western manginas since their president hates Westerners. However, I do agree that Belarusians tend to be a little awkward IMHO. I dated some girls from Belarus and could never be exactly on the same page with them. Also, in the U.S. immigrants from Belarus tend to stick with themselves separately from other FSU folks, compared to East Ukrainians, Russians, Moldovans, Kazakhs and even some Baltic people hanging out together.

I honestly do not find PH girls attractive. I may need to visit the country to change my mind. I agree with Ladislav that rural Russia should be good. Russian girls tend to have lots of drunk, drug-addicted guys around them and good ones are hard to find. If I was given the choice, I could consider Russia over Ukraine because Americans still need visa in Russia. For cities, I would pick Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Volgograd, Ryazan, Voronezh, Krasnodar, Nizhny Novgorod, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok or Rostov-on-Don. Moscow and St.Petersburg seem very spoiled with lots of rich expats and filthy rich locals as well. Rural Russia is also 3-4 times cheaper than Moscow. There is also a choice of even smaller cities and villages - those girls live in basic conditions, growing their garden foods and milking cows It may look great, but consider their lack of hygiene, lack of education and world knowledge. Also are you going to be comfortable with that kind of simple lifestyle and is it worth it bringing one of them back to the U.S.? Those simple girls may have major brain damage from culture shock.

[gsjackson]

Have2fly, welcome back. Your insights into US culture vs. FSU are the deepest we have here.