Example of a foreigner doing it right in Philippines

[hammanta]

He has the goal of becoming Filipino (non-literal sense) and a movement called #BecomingFilipino.

https://www.facebook.com/becomingfilipino

https://www.facebook.com/jennermann/photos

A perfect example of a guy trying to learn and appreciate the culture. Just look at some of his videos and pics. I guarantee the guy is swimming up to his eyeballs in girls. Why? Because he is branching out and experiencing the country more than just P4P (which he still might do).

Good example of being happy abroad or at least appearing happy abroad.

[newlifeinphilippines]

Hammanta your not being realistic. No one including me has time to be prancing around like that with no point except to "immerse yourself" for many months like him unless they are rich or a con. Its time and money to stay there so either were spending it meeting girls or were doing work or running a business there. You wouldn't know cause you stay only for a few weeks at a time so your one of those 2 week millionaire guys in philippines. I suspect its a marketing gimmick especially with him making facebook youtube videos and the slogan becoming filipino that has marketing written all over ti. How is he able to prance around the country at his age with no work? I had to hunker down everyday to do work. im assuming either he is a missioanry or a marketing guru. Im pretty sure its obvious which.

I was gonna start watching his youtube videos been subbed a while but never got a chance to see it.

[hammanta]

Hammanta your not being realistic. No one including me has time to be prancing around like that with no point except to "immerse yourself" for many months like him unless they are rich or a con. Its time and money to stay there so either were spending it meeting girls or were doing work or running a business there. You wouldn't know cause you stay only for a few weeks at a time so your one of those 2 week millionaire guys in philippines. I suspect its a marketing gimmick especially with him making facebook youtube videos and the slogan becoming filipino that has marketing written all over ti. How is he able to prance around the country at his age with no work? I had to hunker down everyday to do work. im assuming either he is a missioanry or a marketing guru. Im pretty sure its obvious which.

I was gonna start watching his youtube videos been subbed a while but never got a chance to see it.

The guy has been there for a year or more. I never said you had to prance around and film all your experiences but to branch out a little and immerse yourself some. Look at how much he is enjoying himself, the people he is meeting and connections he is making. You don't have to be a millionaire to travel some NewLife. And even if it is a marketing campaign, he is still working is he not? He is finding a way to supplement his income. My last vacation in feb. to Phil was around 2.5 weeks. I spent in total $2600 and that's including my $1200 plane ticket to the country. So 1400 for 2.5 weeks including hotel in country flights, eating out and going to a resort for a few days. Nothing impossible whatsoever.

A plane ticket on Cebu Pacific round trip from Manila to Davao is like 50 or 70 dollars, cheaper if flying from Cebu. A decent hotel in Davao or another smaller city is like 30 bucks. I paid 35 dollars for a decent hotel on Puerto Galera, and that's a resort town. Bus tickets are practically pennies. What the guy is doing is nothing extravagant but for a person like you to do even a fraction of what he is doing would be an improvement in social standards.

Tell me this, in all the months you have spent there how many actual provinces have you been to?

I can say the same thing about you though. Not everyone works 7 days a week 14 hour days. If you make 10k-15k a month what is a 100-200 dollar weekend gettaway every month or 2 matter in the scheme of things. Some guys are able to take a few months off, while others may be able to work for a few weeks and travel other times. Other's may be retired.

My point is the guy is the guy is experiencing the country and most foreigners can take some notes from this guy. You don't have to be a nomad to immerse yourself some.

[newlifeinphilippines]

Hammanta your not being realistic. No one including me has time to be prancing around like that with no point except to "immerse yourself" for many months like him unless they are rich or a con. Its time and money to stay there so either were spending it meeting girls or were doing work or running a business there. You wouldn't know cause you stay only for a few weeks at a time so your one of those 2 week millionaire guys in philippines. I suspect its a marketing gimmick especially with him making facebook youtube videos and the slogan becoming filipino that has marketing written all over ti. How is he able to prance around the country at his age with no work? I had to hunker down everyday to do work. im assuming either he is a missioanry or a marketing guru. Im pretty sure its obvious which.

I was gonna start watching his youtube videos been subbed a while but never got a chance to see it.

The guy has been there for a year or more. I never said you had to prance around and film all your experiences but to branch out a little and immerse yourself some. Look at how much he is enjoying himself, the people he is meeting and connections he is making. You don't have to be a millionaire to travel some NewLife. And even if it is a marketing campaign, he is still working is he not? He is finding a way to supplement his income. My last vacation in feb. to Phil was around 2.5 weeks. I spent in total $2600 and that's including my $1200 plane ticket to the country. So 1400 for 2.5 weeks including hotel in country flights, eating out and going to a resort for a few days. Nothing impossible whatsoever.

A plane ticket on Cebu Pacific round trip from Manila to Davao is like 50 or 70 dollars, cheaper if flying from Cebu. A decent hotel in Davao or another smaller city is like 30 bucks. I paid 35 dollars for a decent hotel on Puerto Galera, and that's a resort town. Bus tickets are practically pennies. What the guy is doing is nothing extravagant but for a person like you to do even a fraction of what he is doing would be an improvement in social standards.

Tell me this, in all the months you have spent there how many actual provinces have you been to?

I can say the same thing about you though. Not everyone works 7 days a week 14 hour days. If you make 10k-15k a month what is a 100-200 dollar weekend gettaway every month or 2 matter in the scheme of things. Some guys are able to take a few months off, while others may be able to work for a few weeks and travel other times. Other's may be retired.

My point is the guy is the guy is experiencing the country and most foreigners can take some notes from this guy. You don't have to be a nomad to immerse yourself some.

I get what your saying im just saying that to prance around for months on end is foolish in regards to time and money if your there for long visits. Your still in tourist mode This is a marketing gimmick on his part. Maybe when im fully retired i can do what he does hahaha

Yeah i can take breaks whenever i want but its in my interest to not be lazy and keep up in my work evryday. Even doing it everyday i actually fell behind on what i needed to do. Now that i been home in america for 3 weeks i been working every day since i got home sometimes till late at night. I actually make more like 16K a month at the moment but it will change up or down its unpredictable long term which is why im busting my ass while the getting is good and im saving.


Keep in mind i have a online work i need to keep up everyday while you just sit on an island everyday so different situation. Also I stay longer than 2 weeks. Even my very first 2 trips in philippines were both 1.5 months long and i had lots of fun in those 2 trips so costs add up fast. The last 2 were 6 months . I did more of the touristy stuff when i first got there. It costs time and money if your constantly roaming around. With all the money im spending every dollar counts so I can't be going all over the place like you. Also i can't focus on my work if i constantly am planning or doing trips. Im the type that has to give my work 100 percent focus or i lose track. Im a frugal spender so i dont like spending money on going places. Ive done bus trips to angeles, all over cebu a few times, and also bohol. I enjoy the bus ride trips but i dont like spending the money or time to sit at a resort so i only did day trips this last stay and the last stay before that last year i didn't go really anywhere far cause of issues with the gf

[davewe]

He has the goal of becoming Filipino (non-literal sense) and a movement called #BecomingFilipino.

https://www.facebook.com/becomingfilipino

https://www.facebook.com/jennermann/photos

A perfect example of a guy trying to learn and appreciate the culture. Just look at some of his videos and pics. I guarantee the guy is swimming up to his eyeballs in girls. Why? Because he is branching out and experiencing the country more than just P4P (which he still might do).

Good example of being happy abroad or at least appearing happy abroad.

Nice discovery, hammanta. Looks like he's having a great time.

Actually there are quite a few young travelers like this, in the Philippines and throughout Asia; probably throughout the world. How they finance it - you'd have to ask them - but in the Philippines there are lots of very inexpensive Pension Houses (my wife use to work in one) that cater to the living on the cheap/backpacker crowd. It's a little too rustic for me now, but when I was younger I would have done it.

There's one guy who's very popular and has a website at http://www.idreamedofthis.com/

He spent a year or two in the Philippines on the cheap and hard to believe, did not spend most of his time chasing girls. Can you sustain this lifestyle forever? No, but when you're young you are not thinking of forever.

Anyway, I wish some of the ex-pats who whine about the Philippines would try to immerse themselves in the culture but most won't - understandably I suppose. Most just want to immerse themselves in a Filipina

[hammanta]

He has the goal of becoming Filipino (non-literal sense) and a movement called #BecomingFilipino.

https://www.facebook.com/becomingfilipino

https://www.facebook.com/jennermann/photos

A perfect example of a guy trying to learn and appreciate the culture. Just look at some of his videos and pics. I guarantee the guy is swimming up to his eyeballs in girls. Why? Because he is branching out and experiencing the country more than just P4P (which he still might do).

Good example of being happy abroad or at least appearing happy abroad.

Nice discovery, hammanta. Looks like he's having a great time.

Actually there are quite a few young travelers like this, in the Philippines and throughout Asia; probably throughout the world. How they finance it - you'd have to ask them - but in the Philippines there are lots of very inexpensive Pension Houses (my wife use to work in one) that cater to the living on the cheap/backpacker crowd. It's a little too rustic for me now, but when I was younger I would have done it.

There's one guy who's very popular and has a website at http://www.idreamedofthis.com/

He spent a year or two in the Philippines on the cheap and hard to believe, did not spend most of his time chasing girls. Can you sustain this lifestyle forever? No, but when you're young you are not thinking of forever.

Anyway, I wish some of the ex-pats who whine about the Philippines would try to immerse themselves in the culture but most won't - understandably I suppose. Most just want to immerse themselves in a Filipina

It was funny because he had come to my girls town a few weeks after I was there and her friends joked that it was me (being young and white I guess), but she sent me the link and I've been following him ever since. Seems like a legit guy to me and I like his passion and adventurous attitude.

I too wonder how they fund these extended trips. Trust funds, savings, or perhaps he works as a scuba instructor or something else. I may send him a PM and ask cause I'm that curious haha.

I don't mind cheap travel, but I'm not the biggest fan of pension houses. I like my privacy plus I'm not into drugs or the hippie sphere and that tends to be what a lot of backbacker places are like. Not all are like that but I've met my fair share of those types.

Anyway, I wish some of the ex-pats who whine about the Philippines would try to immerse themselves in the culture but most won't - understandably I suppose. Most just want to immerse themselves in a Filipina

I couldn't agree more. When you find an interest in the people and culture you open yourself up to truly being happier abroad. I understand wanting girls and sex but when you become totally consumed with them I can see how that can lead to a miserable life abroad.

[Ghost]

-----

[newlifeinphilippines]

He has the right idea. We're way past the age of showing up in a foreign country and just finding decent women. These days, you better know how to work things online, better be prepared to travel and get used to local conditions, and you had better learn a language at least to conversational level. Requires time, effort, and coin. I failed when I tried in the Philippines.

did you use online or offline or both? What were some of your experiences? You seem level headed so you make me curious

[hammanta]

He has the right idea. We're way past the age of showing up in a foreign country and just finding decent women. These days, you better know how to work things online, better be prepared to travel and get used to local conditions, and you had better learn a language at least to conversational level. Requires time, effort, and coin. I failed when I tried in the Philippines.

I think in a way it would be completely hazardous not to do that anyway. Think about all the time and effort that goes into finding a women in the States. All the years wasted on shitty women, the money spent on failed relationships, the time invested in developing friends. If a foreigner put forth even a fraction of that effort in another country (learning the ways, making connections, traveling...) then I feel he could succeed pretty well in most countries. If you put forth no effort in learning the culture or the people you are already significantly limiting your pool of women, even in a place like the Philippines.

Of course money and time are a huge factor to this. But if a foreigner has the resources and ability to do this, there's no reason why he shouldn't, especially if he is looking for a quality woman. Plus finding joy in a place just makes life that much sweeter. I've had some of my best experiences by just incorporating into another culture. Sharing lechon with some locals, camping out with friends on a white sand beach, riding jeepneys, hiking a volcano, seeing a poisonous snake 10 feet from me in the water... All of those make the experience, not just women. Well that is how I view it anyways.

[Ghost]

-----

[hammanta]

I immersed myself. Not as much as this guy, though. Not to the point of trying, almost to the point of hilarity, to be or to become a Filipino. I will never become a Filipino. I'm not born there, I am not a native. I keep it real.

That said, I do try and learn the language, honor the culture and customs, eat and live as the locals eat and live. I drink with them, talk with them, joke with them and befriend them. I've been commended for trying any food offered even if it is downright weird, for always eating rice like they do, basically for not being a whiny c**t like so many Americans and other Westerners are.

Many people go to the Philippines, but few immerse themselves truly. This guy seems driven and passionate, and it looks like he's having a fun time doing so. I don't think his Philippines is necessarily the real Philippines... the Manila crowd, the city folk, the pageants... I've stayed clear of those for the most part. I have been drinking with rice farmers, teachers and fishermen, miners and even priests. Been to rural and remote areas. Visited schools which students never saw a white man in person. Rode the back of dump trucks across dusty, narrow mountain roads. I think I had a taste of the REAL Philippines. And I don't think middle class Manila based Filipino's represent that well. You gotta go rural sometimes to experience the lives of 90% of a country's population and know how things are truly.

He has posted videos of him in smaller cities and provinces (Iligan and Davao come to mind). But Kudos to you. I've done some of things you have but with a lot shorter time period in the country. It is quite the experience. My favorite is playing basketball with the locals and them constantly asking me if I played in the NBA lol (I'm quite good but no where near NBA caliber)

living like a Filipino and shitting into to a squatter, living in a box, and showering with a bucket

Not really. I hated the fact my in-laws had no proper CR. They had a toilet, but it had no seat. So I simply went out and bough a toilet + seat. It required no water closet so I was able to buy one for less then a thousand pesos. Showering with a bucket's not that hard, really. You can boil some water and pour it with the cold, then the water will be comfortably lukewarm and showering quite enjoyable, in my experience. Sure it's all very basic but it's nothing horrid about it any non-spoiled Westerner couldn't survive.

Showering isn't quite a big deal for me but the lack of AC in many places is. Horrible feeling getting out and sweating right after bathing oneself. I worked construction for a few years where I had to shit in a Johnny Blue in the dead of summer so the lack of quality toilets doesn't really bother me either.