Right. Also, wise expats know to keep a low profile. They don't flag themselves as big spenders or stay in fancy hotels. They rent small apartments, keep a low profile, never loan money, and limit their contacts to a select few.OutWest wrote:It's more a matter of simple reality- most western men are not prepared to live in the third world. They have lived relatively spoiled, not used to dealing with the hardships that many of those all around them may encounter. There are things that are inconvenient hereJester wrote:Outwest this is a fairl bold statement. The kind I like, because you have something to say.OutWest wrote:Most men should not go to places like the Philippines, and it is certainly not some kind of ideal retirement destination- it only would work for a few men, not most.
Care to elaborate?
and few will fluff your pillow in the process. Standards of sanitation are far lower, and a host of various risks may bit the unwary. An inexperienced traveler can get bit pretty hard.
Most men want some version of the suburban comforts they are accustomed to. You have to learn how to navigate the immigration/visa issues, and there are a multitude of pitfalls with corruption, and just plain backward attitudes.
Living in the Philippines for whatever reason, including retiring here, is best for experienced adventuresome souls.
If you have the adventuresome quality, but not the experience, better to get some mentoring and then take some trips to get some experience, whether the Philippines or anywhere else. For the Philippines and many others as well, (Like most of Latin America)
the rule of law is not established to the point where it is any kind of retirement "haven". Sure, it can be done, but that is for the men who are willing to take some risks, gain experience, and who enjoy being outliers. If you have a decent income, Uruguay or Chile
are legally more established places. For all the talk, the actual numbers of men who do this kind of thing is very small, so as you see, most rule themselves out right from the get-go.
This kind of thing is simply not everyone's cup of tea. For a very few, it works just fine.
Outwest
Either that, or they make friends with powerful people who can help them in emergencies.
Unless you are a playboy, sexpat, or serial dater, I don't see what the point of living in the PH is anyway.
Also, it seems that Asian foreigners like me don't get scammed as much as white foreigners do. As an Asian, they see me sort of like a distant cousin. Plus you don't draw the attention that white people do, unless you open your mouth and start speaking English.
As for me, I ride jeepneys and stay in cheap places. When I look like I'm on a budget, I don't attract scammers as much, though I still get people asking for loans.
It also always pays to bargain on prices in advance, where the prices are not set.
Furthermore, if you live there, you also know where you can go to not get ripped off and who you can trust. So you go to the same restaurants and use the same barbers and hire the same drivers that you know, etc.
GROW UP 
ASSOHOLIC
