Happier Abroad Forum Community

I'm Franco Reyes from the reggae rock band group Franco from the Philippines. I've been a long-time reader of Winston Wu. I even met my girlfriend Bella through HA. Check out our 2013 album Soul Adventurer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjbK1cszER0 We play music for the love of it not the profit. Jah Love.

Across The Milky Way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KDuz4WXNwI

Better Days https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAc9wM3sbGw

This Gathering https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9ApRsBqkWc

To Survive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bo0h_JaBZe0

Song for the Suspect https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZbJp1amugM

Castaway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-Ogwt1Zk7k

Enjoy Life. Let go of anger and resentment. Live at peace with jah's love.

We're all imperfect human beings in the pursuit of happiness. Whatever problems you have it will pass and things will get better.
I think women and society have been corrupted by materialism and money, but the music we compose is to uplift the soul and fill the world with spiritual love.

I travel b/w Cebu and Milan since my girlfriend works in Italy.

Welcome Franco. How did you find us? How did you meet your girlfriend Bella here? Are you Pinoy? Do you play in Manila? Maybe we can meet up sometime or arrange a HA meetup there.

Your writing about the Fascinating Observations of Filipino characteristics was beautiful. From then on, I was active reader of your site. I met Bella on the Asia dating services you advertise. She lived less than 30km from me. She's originally from Italy, but grew up in Cebu city. We're both Mestizos so we clicked right away. Without the resources of HA, I would have never discovered her. She has made me a more humble and sincere man.

Thank you Sir Winston Wu.

“Another trait of Filipinos is to live in today and to see enjoyment in very simple things. And if you learn the language you will see that every word sounds like a piano note and every phrase like a musical chord. So, their life is overflowing with meaning, beauty and significance that few foreigners can see.â€￾

Welcome!

I am looking forward to your comments about the Philippines.

Thanks for the info Franco.

So are you from a middle class Filipino family? How do you afford to travel so much?

How do you meet middle class girls from decent families in the Philippines? They act kind of snobby.

What is the difference between Pinoy and Filipino? And between Pinay and Filipina?

I will let Ladislav know that you like his quotes. Here are some more deep observations from him about the Philippines that he sent to my cell phone long ago.

Messages from Ladislav:

http://www.happierabroad.com/ebook/Page93.htm

- “Happy New Year to you too.

I hear about the US and anyway, now you are far away from it and you can see that when they say that people are all the same, they have not traveled enough.

Just keep in mind that the US is a land of practical opportunities whereas the Philippines is a land of romantic/social opportunities- tons of them. By combining a practical and a romantic country, each one at different ends of the globe, you live a perfect life.

This is my concept of "quilting your world" from many different countries each one providing you with what it does best. Just as long as you do not make demands on stones and turnips to give blood, and instead go to blood banks, you will be OK. You asked america to provide what it does not have- i.e, you were looking for water in the sahara. you need to go to the nile for water.

L.â€￾

- "Your experiences in this miraculous nation of redemption will need to be high in intensity so that they would be equivalent in value to decades of neglect back home. The new memories will, in due time neutralize the bad ones; and the bad ones, if they remain, will only serve as stern reminders of where not to be and what not to expect."

- "..... yes the Philippines liberates my soul- I can fully be myself here. This place is the capital of romance- it has a certain cord (musical that is) that hangs in the air and my soul chimes with it- so does yours, I guess."

- "The Philippine society puts primary emphasis on family, human relations and the development thereof- which includes sex, friendship, love, etc. Socially, it seems to be one of the most advanced societies on earth. Of course, these developments are not mentioned in the western press which only measures progress in political, technological and financial areas. If it started measuring societies by the healthfulness of social life, the place you are at would win hands down. Cheerz."

- "Do keep in mind that while we enjoy ourselves in the Philippines, there are oodles of lonely Asian-American men jacking off in the toilet with no hope in sight. It is all right for us to be hedonists, and to live abundant romantic lives, but we need to keep in mind other guys who are still encased in the lonely social prison in America. Our spirit is that of altruism and leading others and liberating them, too. There are huddled Asian American masses in the US yearning to breathe free as you are now. Do not forget them. Spread your message to them, but keep info. decent and not raunchy- confine it to romance and social life. Maybe you can start posting on various Asian American message boards or newsgroups. Many Asian American guys need it. There is a lot of frustration and hatred in the Asian American community. By establishing a rapport between them and the friendly Filipino people you will be helping both groups. It will help to bring more investors into the country as many Asian American men are seen as good people there and who will become good and responsible residents helping the economy and improving the international ties between the US and the Philippines."

- “Have you noticed another thing? In bars in the US you have 40 sweaty, yelling working men and maybe two ugly girls on stage and you can’t even touch them- you will be bounced out. And it’s supposed to be “The Land of The Freeâ€￾. In the Philippines- 2-3 ugly old guys in the bar and 40 sweaty working girls and there is no jealousy among the guys for bar girls. Now you know where the land of the free is.â€￾

- “Winston, got your email. Advice: every country you go to will have great benefits and gross and awkward inconveniences. You alone may try to change them but you won’t succeed- they take centuries to change. Better adapt to work within the systems that they have and try to see benefits in their inconveniences, as well. Try to be a bit more opportunistic- see opportunities where others see problems. Do not look for water in deserts- e.g. efficiency in the Philippines, friendliness in the US, but combine several countries- that is PT (Perpetual Traveler) way. Stop asking why things are the way they are. Why is the sun hot? Why is there a radiation belt outside the Earth? They just ARE. Ask “how can I deal with the situation and see the benefit in it?â€￾ Do not complain to the natives- they may not understand.â€￾

- “As you have observed in Russia, it was the opposite of the US, in that it was skewed in a different direction but still unbalanced. The Philippines is again unbalanced and is again an opposite of the US. Its social system is based on love, romance, family and friendship. In that respect, they have one of the most socially advanced societies on Earth. Many people have called it the best place in the world. But they are not advanced in practicalities and have not developed an organization/logic in practical things. But you can train them in that. On the other hand, it is very hard to train people in the US in the art of being friendly, respectful and loving. The US is a place where assholism in human relationships rules supreme and selfishness is not even contested. So, that brings us again to the realization that one never, ever can have it all in one country- it seems that the world is simply not designed that way and that every country is inherently and grossly incomplete.â€￾

(Comment: ‘assholism’ in human relationships- I love that, so true!)

- “Do you remember these pop song lyrics: "If I fail, if I succeed, at least I'll live like I believe......." also "I did it my way....." and ".... then the hero comes along, with the strength to carry on....." All the above things represent the American spirit of individual achievement and, ironically, you are using it, and following it while looking for collectivist cultures. In other words, you are looking for the balance between the two and, possibly, finding it.â€￾

- "One thing about the Philippines is that if you are a foreign, people will always want to befriend you. Thus, you will never be without friends there. That is guaranteed. Different countries guarantee different things. America guarantees political and religious freedom. Italy guarantees employment for artists. Saudi Arabia guarantees Islam. And the Philippines guarantees friends."

(Comment: I would definitely add above that the Philippines also guarantees men, both foreign and local, a GREAT love life!)

- “One more thing about Philippines- if you’re a comedian type with a sense of humour, a joker and a clown, Filipino people love you for that. If you are a live wire and talk a lot, they also like that. The more you talk, the more they like you. They will sit and listen to you for hours. Not so with their neighboring countries. To them, a man should be a sullen, formal, morose, discreet and tense robot to be respected. Neither a comedian, nor a chatterbox (like me) gets any respect, least so from women.â€￾

Franco wrote: The middle and upper class Filipinos are snobby and full of themselves. I can't stand it. I don't mind befriending them because they pay for drinks and hook me up with VIP access at the clubs. There's advantage to using well-connected socialite friends. Use people to your own benefit when you can, but don't make it a habit to screw over people. When Filipinos get a little bit of money they act better than everyone else and have a huge sense of entitlement. They copycat American culture and fads. They think the whole of America is like California sunshine and surf. They still believe USA as the land of milk and honey. They think money falls from the sky.

Yeah I've noticed that too. Filipinos corrupt easily when given money and power. It's weird and sad how that is. They are followers and empty inside.

I think one deep reason is because Filipinos tend to have "infant souls", meaning that their soul is on the "infancy level". This documentary series called "Soul Ages" explains it well. In this part, it goes over the characteristics of the "infant soul" and what parts of the world are on that level. It's chilling accurate and matches Filipinos exactly.

Franco wrote:The middle and upper class Filipinos are snobby and full of themselves. I can't stand it. I don't mind befriending them because they pay for drinks and hook me up with VIP access at the clubs. There's advantage to using well-connected socialite friends. Use people to your own benefit when you can, but don't make it a habit to screw over people. When Filipinos get a little bit of money they act better than everyone else and have a huge sense of entitlement. They copycat American culture and fads. They think the whole of America is like California sunshine and surf. They still believe USA as the land of milk and honey. They think money falls from the sky.

I don't know who you met, but I found a whole lot of Filipinos of old family wealth who were incredibly humble and friendly, at least considering their status. Perhaps, like in any country in the world, there is a distinction to be made between the educated rich and the rich daddy's boy, or the "gotten rich quick" kind of guy. The latter are almost always blissfully oblivious about the commoner's struggle, they expect to be served everything on a silver tray and, when they did work hard to get up there, they keep the aggressive, cynical and standoffish attitude that shaped up their ascent.

From what I have noticed, many of the old money Filipinos are educated at high schools and colleges run by religious orders, usually Jesuits or Dominicans. Jesuits have a fantastic reputation for teaching how to be smart yet humble, ambitious yet empathic and helpful towards the weak and the poor. The spirit that informs their education system is all about nurturing the intellect and the soul at the same time. Be open to the world and the ways of the world, while retaining one's own integrity. Pope Francesco, a Jesuit, is a good example of that kind of Jesuit. And so is that other pope candidate, Cardinal Tagle, Jesuit-educated.

Winston wrote:Yeah I've noticed that too. Filipinos corrupt easily when given money and power. It's weird and sad how that is. They are followers and empty inside.

I think one deep reason is because Filipinos tend to have "infant souls", meaning that their soul is on the "infant level". This documentary series called "Soul Ages" explains it well. In this part, it goes over the characteristics of the "infant soul" and what parts of the world are on that level. It's chilling accurate and matches Filipinos exactly.

Interesting point Winston, but I really don't believe this theory applies to Filipinos as a people, in general. Your statement reminds me of what General MacArthur famously said about Japanese people during WW2: “Measured by the standards of modern civilization, [Japan] would be like a boy of twelve as compared with [the Anglo-Saxon] development of 45 years.”

We always tend to compare cultures that had a different starting point, a different history and a different development path, with our own, with what we are used to see and hear, learn and feel. Which is a very thick filter, and one that often stops us from even wanting to look at the picture in its entirety. I was lucky enough to be given a chance to access the (probably thin) slice of Filipinos who are better educated than any average Westerner, have PhD in medical research from German universities and send their kids to Tokyo Waseda and Princeton. And the same who pick up their uniforms two afternoons a week and volunteer as firemen or red cross officers, dealing first hand with people who never had any of what they had, and even lost the little they had.

Sure, the masa is the masa, and the masa girls make the bulk of the examples we like to throw to the lions in a forum like this. Thing is, when you meet the "others" and realise what the real fabric of a complex country such as the Phils are, there is no way back to that partial, crude and slightly arrogant view.

publicduende wrote:

Franco wrote:The middle and upper class Filipinos are snobby and full of themselves. I can't stand it. I don't mind befriending them because they pay for drinks and hook me up with VIP access at the clubs. There's advantage to using well-connected socialite friends. Use people to your own benefit when you can, but don't make it a habit to screw over people. When Filipinos get a little bit of money they act better than everyone else and have a huge sense of entitlement. They copycat American culture and fads. They think the whole of America is like California sunshine and surf. They still believe USA as the land of milk and honey. They think money falls from the sky.

I don't know who you met, but I found a whole lot of Filipinos of old family wealth who were incredibly humble and friendly, at least considering their status. Perhaps, like in any country in the world, there is a distinction to be made between the educated rich and the rich daddy's boy, or the "gotten rich quick" kind of guy. The latter are almost always blissfully oblivious about the commoner's struggle, they expect to be served everything on a silver tray and, when they did work hard to get up there, they keep the aggressive, cynical and standoffish attitude that shaped up their ascent.

From what I have noticed, many of the old money Filipinos are educated at high schools and colleges run by religious orders, usually Jesuits or Dominicans. Jesuits have a fantastic reputation for teaching how to be smart yet humble, ambitious yet empathic and helpful towards the weak and the poor. The spirit that informs their education system is all about nurturing the intellect and the soul at the same time. Be open to the world and the ways of the world, while retaining one's own integrity. Pope Francesco, a Jesuit, is a good example of that kind of Jesuit. And so is that other pope candidate, Cardinal Tagle, Jesuit-educated.

Winston wrote:Yeah I've noticed that too. Filipinos corrupt easily when given money and power. It's weird and sad how that is. They are followers and empty inside.

I think one deep reason is because Filipinos tend to have "infant souls", meaning that their soul is on the "infant level". This documentary series called "Soul Ages" explains it well. In this part, it goes over the characteristics of the "infant soul" and what parts of the world are on that level. It's chilling accurate and matches Filipinos exactly.

Interesting point Winston, but I really don't believe this theory applies to Filipinos as a people, in general. Your statement reminds me of what General MacArthur famously said about Japanese people during WW2: “Measured by the standards of modern civilization, [Japan] would be like a boy of twelve as compared with [the Anglo-Saxon] development of 45 years.”

We always tend to compare cultures that had a different starting point, a different history and a different development path, with our own, with what we are used to see and hear, learn and feel. Which is a very thick filter, and one that often stops us from even wanting to look at the picture in its entirety. I was lucky enough to be given a chance to access the (probably thin) slice of Filipinos who are better educated than any average Westerner, have PhD in medical research from German universities and send their kids to Tokyo Waseda and Princeton. And the same who pick up their uniforms two afternoons a week and volunteer as firemen or red cross officers, dealing first hand with people who never had any of what they had, and even lost the little they had.

Sure, the masa is the masa, and the masa girls make the bulk of the examples we like to throw to the lions in a forum like this. Thing is, when you meet the "others" and realise what the real fabric of a complex country such as the Phils are, there is no way back to that partial, crude and slightly arrogant view.

The super rich in the PI are the Chinese - they are hard-working, frugal, and disciplined. Of course they are more well-mannered and cultured because they are well-educated and wealthy. Confucian values dictate sincerity and kindness. The other Filipinos indulge in decadence and greed which spoils their character. Integrity and honesty are priceless virtues. The Filipino pride is also a downfall from grace.

Franco wrote:The super rich in the PI are the Chinese - they are hard-working, frugal, and disciplined. Of course they are more well-mannered and cultured because they are well-educated and wealthy. Confucian values dictate sincerity and kindness. The other Filipinos indulge in decadence and greed which spoils their character. Integrity and honesty are priceless virtues. The Filipino pride is also a downfall from grace.

Didn't you just say on another thread that the Chinese are rude, materialistic and far detached from true Confucianism? If you're using religion as a moral gauge, then by the same token Christianity also preaches kindness, empathy and charity.

Many Filipino-chinese made a fortune in the Philippines because back in the 70s/80s they were the poor and destitute migrants with nothing to lose and something to prove, while Filipinos were revered as the darlings of Asia, almost on a par with the Japanese.

When in Davao I met a nerdy looking, modestly dressed and soft-spoken Fil-Chinese. I had an amiable conversation with him about Europe, fine wine and food and was quite impressed about him sounding educated and far more wordly than his appearance would betray. At the end of the conversation another Filipino friend told me two things:

- he was the scion of one of the most powerful families in the Philippines, owners of a small trading/estate empire and minority shareholders of Cebu Pacific Airlnes;
- his father used to sell balut on the streets and didn't even have a roof of his own to go back to.

One's fortunes don't necessarily negate another's. The notion that smart Filipino of native or European ancestry and Filipino-Chinese can reach middle and upper class status can happily coexist. In fact Filipinos are particularly happy to call Filipino anybody who takes on a Filipino passport, regardless of census and ethnical background.

publicduende wrote:

Franco wrote:The super rich in the PI are the Chinese - they are hard-working, frugal, and disciplined. Of course they are more well-mannered and cultured because they are well-educated and wealthy. Confucian values dictate sincerity and kindness. The other Filipinos indulge in decadence and greed which spoils their character. Integrity and honesty are priceless virtues. The Filipino pride is also a downfall from grace.

Didn't you just say on another thread that the Chinese are rude, materialistic and far detached from true Confucianism? If you're using religion as a moral gauge, then by the same token Christianity also preaches kindness, empathy and charity.

Many Filipino-chinese made a fortune in the Philippines because back in the 70s/80s they were the poor and destitute migrants with nothing to lose and something to prove, while Filipinos were revered as the darlings of Asia, almost on a par with the Japanese.

When in Davao I met a nerdy looking, modestly dressed and soft-spoken Fil-Chinese. I had an amiable conversation with him about Europe, fine wine and food and was quite impressed about him sounding educated and far more wordly than his appearance would betray. At the end of the conversation another Filipino friend told me two things:

- he was the scion of one of the most powerful families in the Philippines, owners of a small trading/estate empire and minority shareholders of Cebu Pacific Airlnes;
- his father used to sell balut on the streets and didn't even have a roof of his own to go back to.

One's fortunes don't necessarily negate another's. The notion that smart Filipino of native or European ancestry and Filipino-Chinese can reach middle and upper class status can happily coexist. In fact Filipinos are particularly happy to call Filipino anybody who takes on a Filipino passport, regardless of census and ethnical background.

Stop talking garbage. The Fil-Ams who don't speak an iota of their mother tongue are not real Filipinos. Filipinos learn English, Filipino languages in school. The Fil-Ams weren't taught by their parents thus losing their cultural heritage. Most Filipinos who have the resources to get out of the PI do so because other countries pay higher wages. China will continue to dominate militarily and economically while Philippines will have exploding population with no infrastructure besides whore-mongering and scamming to support its corrupt people.

Garden gnome you can't talk objectively about things you don't know anything about. Plus, stop using Google to stalk me. Get a life man.

Franco wrote:Stop talking garbage. The Fil-Ams who don't speak an iota of their mother tongue are not real Filipinos. Filipinos learn English, Filipino languages in school. The Fil-Ams weren't taught by their parents thus losing their cultural heritage. Most Filipinos who have the resources to get out of the PI do so because other countries pay higher wages. China will continue to dominate militarily and economically while Philippines will have exploding population with no infrastructure besides whore-mongering and scamming to support its corrupt people.

Who mentioned Fil-Ams? I thought the exchange was about Filipino-Chinese who live and have been educated in the Philippines. Most of the powerful families I met in Davao had some Chinese, Spaniard and sometimes Japanese ancestry, and they would make no secret about it. China will continue to dominate alongside Russia, but its limits are quite clear to everyone: financial and estate bubbles, endemic corruption (on a completely different scale than the Filipino will ever have).

Filipinos move abroad to work, while China has bee selling tens of millions of his poorer citizens off to a condition of de facto slavery. Which one looks worse to you? Things are only now starting to change, and slowly, one mass protest and suicidal wave at a time. And by the way, a fresh graduate working in a specialised call center in Metro Manila can easily make $40/50K pesos a month. If there's a wages depression problem, it's in the third-tier cities and rural areas, where well paying jobs are a lot scarcer.

I am not saying China is paradise or hell, I recognise the Chinese government some merit and acknowledge that their ambitions to become THE new Eurasian superpower (in partnership with a strong Russia) are more than legitimate.

But...hang on, in your exchange with Ghost weren't you the one saying that China is the peak of moral decay and corruption? Now China dominates and the Phils are the pits LOL What kind of discussion can one have with someone whose opinions vary between opposites at every new post?

I think Ghost is right, you're one the biggest morons ever to grace these pages. And those who know me know I don't reach negative judgements so lightly.

Franco wrote:Garden gnome you can't talk objectively about things you don't know anything about. Plus, stop using Google to stalk me. Get a life man.

LOL Doing a single Google Image Search to call you on your bull is what you call "stalking"? If the real Franco Reyes or his agent knew that a useless idiot with too much disposable time is using his name to post sexual fairy tales on a fringe forum, what would they do?

I think it's quite clear to everybody that it is you who need a life of your own, so you don't have to impersonate others'.