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Bernardo And The 286 Philippine Tiles

August 31, 2010 By Philly 2 Comments

I published this article about a month or two back, but two items converged upon the calendar which made it appropriate to republish, slightly update, especially for those readers who might have missed it the first time.

The main news that made me think about a redux was the happy news I just read that good blog friends Bob and Carol Hammerslag have just about complete their custom, build your own home project in Iloilo. Congratulations Bob and Carol, we’ll be down for a “building inspector’s” tour someday soon I hope.

Recently I’ve been following a tale of several BBQ grill projects on Bob Martin’s Live in the Philippines site. see Bob builds a Philippine BBQ grill, Bob rebuilds his grill to make it better for Philippine cooking, the first installment of Paul Thompson’s grill project and the second installment of Paul Thompson’s grill project.

I also recently was in a conversation on a forum about moving to and living in the Philippines where there’s been some discussion on home improvement items and such.

Also I’ve been following my friend Bob Hammeslag’s blog series on building his own home in the Philippines.

So I thought I would throw in a few personal experiences to give a bit of the “flavor” here as it really is.

Tradesmen (carpenters, electricians, plumbers and such) are very easy to find here, and their labor costs, by American standards are laughingly cheap. I use a local fellow who is a passable carpenter, concrete man, tile setter and welder for about P600 a day … less if I can catch him in a vulnerable (no beer money in his pocket) mood. A plumber or electrician will be in the same price range here in the Metro Manila outskirts … often less farther out in the provinces.

How good are any of these guys? “aye, that’s the rub” as the Bard once said. If you don’t know something about the building crafts before you come here, it’s best to ask around and see if you can find someone whose work you can examine before you think about ay significant projects. Better yet, hire the guy to replace a light switch or fix a sticky door first … and then you’ll know pretty quick if you want to trust him for larger assignments.

A few things are nearly a certainty, though.

1. Expect to loan screwdrivers, hammers, measuring tapes (and very important for plumbing, Teflon joint tape) as a matter of course. It is the way it is.

2. Expect that explicit instructions are not going to be followed … language issues aside. You must follow-up on every step and again, never start something big unless you already have confidence based on something small that turned out OK.

3. Expect to be given a list of materials and told to go get what is needed. This, to me, is the antithesis of the usual foreigner preoccupation with the fear of being cheated on price, paying a “long nose tax” and all the other negative stories that continually make the rounds. However it really has nothing to do with foreigner/Filipino relationships, in general, no Filipino will trust a tradesman to give the correct price on purchased goods, so (at least where I live) it just is the default standard practice. After my first few attempts at being my own supply boy, though, I refuse to do it. Why?

First of all, I’m hiring him, not vice versa, and I don’t want to stand around in hole-in-the-wall building supply stores trying to convey to the clerk what a ‘left handed statisframmer” is.

Second, once the clerk determines what I have been sent for, (you can make book on this), two (or more) different “statisframmers” will be displayed along with the question, “Which one do you want, sir”? Would it surprise you to know that almost invariably the hapless homeowner will choose the wrong one? Yep, and that fact won’t be discovered until hours later, necessitating yet another trip to the same store. And di I mention the fact that most stores won’t give refunds or exchanges? Yep. All sales final is a very common rule.

Ever look at a display of 20 different circuit breakers, trying to imagine which, if any, fit the circuit breaker panel in your house … while the electrician sits in the shade and waits for you to return with your “bargain” purchase? Not me, my friend. I send the electrician to the supply shop and if the part doesn’t fit, it’s his problem. Did he charge me 225 pesos for a circuit breaker that should have cost me 200 pesos? Don’t know, don’t care, and at (almost) age 65, don’t need blood pressure medication either … the lack of stress involved with now having a properly functioning circuit breaker, first try, is worth way more than the 25 Pesos I might have saved.

4. One issue I don’t now the cure for though, is the quantity issue. If you are building something with a large quantity of consumables, say welding rod or ceramic tiles, expect to be frustrated by the Filipino trait of “making simot” … using the last remnants of mayonnaise from the mayo jar.

Bob Hammersdlag had an interesting take in his wrap-up article on building his own house in the Philippines, recently:

You will be responsible for finding, paying for and delivery of every bit of material for your project and for ensuring that it’s on site when needed. Don’t expect anyone to let you know what will be needed when. You have to plan ahead. If materials are not available when needed, your crew will try to keep themselves looking busy, but you’ll be wasting time and money. Further, most workers are happiest and most productive when they have an assignment and the tools and materials they need to carry it out. As soon as you return to the site with new supplies, there will be a request for something else they should have told you was needed. Count on it. You may think you’re the boss, but mostly you’ll be the gopher and slave.

More than 286 tiles

I had Bernardo do a significant project on the back of our house … building on a covered patio for storage and a “dirty kitchen” area. The walls and roof were all made up from welding together steel bar stock and the major building material of the Philippines it seems, concrete rebar. After long discussion I got Bernardo to order what turned out to be almost enough steel … but welding rod? Welding rod is sold typically by the kilo, 2.2 pounds. I think he started with a whole 2 kilos. If you saw the scope of the project, I’m sure even the non-welders among you would know how pitifully small the quantity was. Day after day, yet another trip for more rod. Exasperating at times.

And mind you, this wasn’t because he was running up the clock on me, we had struck a deal for a flat rate for the labor involved, so these constant interruptions were coming out of his pocket, not mine. The concept of “biting the bullet” and just ordering what was needed at one time is just beyond the beyond for many, otherwise quite intelligent tradesmen. Expect it, because it’s going to happen. Living here is what it is.

One part of the project involved what we in the project management business used to call ‘scope creep”. Part of the enclosed area consisted of a rough concrete workbench/counter sort of affair that was built years ago by a former tenant or the original owner. My wife Mita and I decided that we should have Bernardo smooth up and reinforce the counter and cover it in ceramic tile to make a clean, useful work space.

So we three discussed what was required, agreed on a very reasonable increase in the labor charge, and I let on to Bernardo that I had already measured and decided that we needed 286 (nominal) 6 x 6 tiles to do the job. He measured (with my tape, of course), did a little chicken scratching on the back of an envelope and pronounced that my figure were way off and the job would not take more than 270 tiles.

After many more minutes of discussion, which, as I recall included the phrase, “It’s my money, damn it and I’ll buy what I want”, Bernardo reluctantly agreed that we should order 280 tiles … mainly this was a grudging peace-offering to accommodate the clearly insane “kano” who simply wanted to burn his money to show off how rich he was.

Need I finish the story? Along about the 170th or so tile, Bernardo could no longer kid himself that he wasn’t running out of tiles, so he sheepishly told my wife (he surely wasn’t going to tell me ) that he was running out of tiles and would need 5 more. (total 285 if you have been counting). To save time, and avoid any possibility Bernardo and I might have gotten into a heated, “I told you so” confrontation, dear, peace-keeping Mita went and found a tricycle, had the driver take her to the tile store (about P30 fare each way) and realizing what her hubby had said back at the beginning, bought 6 more tiles and brought them home, just as Bernardo was installing the last tile on hand, number 280.

By this time I had found out what was going on and I just sat in the background on an old chair watching Bernardo work. Number 281 went in, number 282 and so on until … you guessed it, one tile was left and the space remaining un-tiled needed just one more … which had to be trimmed slightly to fit.

Kachink! Having expertly set 285 tiles without breaking a single one, as Bernardo trimmed the very last (number 286) tile, something slipped and it shattered.

Knowing that the mortar couldn’t stay useable forever, Mita quickly ran out to find a tricycle, hopped in, and another 60 Pesos in fares later arrived with a half-dozen more tiles … just in case. Bernardo set the last one and then went on with grouting and other finishing work. He never said another word about my estimating skills, and I never said a word to him, either. I might need him again for another project. It’s very important to remember the Philippine concept of “hiya” (saving face). He knew full-well I was right, to call attention to that fact or ‘rub it in” would be entirely uncalled for. Life here is what it is

Such is home improvement in the Philippines

By the way, in case you are wondering, the tiles cost a whopping 6 Pesos each, yet all this time and transportation expense was incurred just to ensure there weren’t a couple extra left when the job was completed. Now do you understand why the most important question about whether or not you can live happily in the Philippines has nothing to do with the usual “How much are your monthly expenses” variety?

And if all those grill articles made you hungry?Labor Day Weekend is approaching like a freight train. The end of summer (for you, but not for me). The return of Old Man Winter, heating oil bills and all those other reasons you have been “thinking about” moving to the Philippines all these years.

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Popularity: 44% [?]

You Are Never Going To Be Happy in the Philippines — Unless —

August 30, 2010 By Philly 2 Comments

How much does this sound like your reasoning behind moving to the Philippines … or wanting to?

… In life many of us chase the seemingly elusive ‘prize’ of happiness and seek it out in all sorts of places. We look for it in a marriage, we wonder if it can be provided by children, we go after it when we change our jobs and perhaps believe it will come to us when we retire…but the truth of the matter is, happiness is a state of mind and it comes from within.

The naked truth is, a great many of us here are here because we felt the Philippines would make us happier than living in the US or UK or Australia or where ever.

And yet, truth be known, living in the Philippines can not make anyone happy … even a Filipino. Nor can living back home make anyone happy, either.

You see, in reality, even though we spend a huge percentage of our lives either being unhappy, or being mad at someone or somewhere for making us unhappy, the truth is, we always control our own happiness. Happiness is one of the few things in your life that you always “own”, outright and utterly. No one else can control it except you … ans some people can’t seem to cope with this responsibility.

Here are a few ideas, coping techniques and philosophies you might find give you a “boost” on that always slightly elusive and arduous climb to happiness.

Positively manage Your Challenges: From day one, think this through and keep it in your mind. Moving to the Philippines will not be a ticket to paradise. Figure out, in advance, what you are going to do to cope with the individual challenges that will arise, no matter what you think. How many issues can you think of that might become a challenge to you, just from reading my blog, and a few others like, say, Bob Martin’s and Randy C’s and … oh I could put a lot of others in this space … what blogs do you read, and who else should I give a little “link love” to here?

Notice how every one of us has often written about things that didn’t go quite right … or worse yet, things that have gone pretty much horribly wrong. Imagine yourself in any one of these situations and figure out, now, while you are sitting comfortably in a controlled environment, power on in your home or office, food in the ref, hospitalization card in your back pocket, etc., just how you would cope. or could you?

You know, living here in the Philippines is not for everyone. Not at all. Certain things may just prove unmanageable for some of you … and this would be the time to think that part through.

Now, before you commit the all too common expat blunder of showing up here, money in the bank, intending to show all the Filipinos “how things are done back home”, and then leaving in 6 months or a year, a gaudy-looking “expat mansion” for sale at half of what you have tied up in it all you have to show for your sojourn here.

You know this may come as a shock to you, but very, very few of you out there are smarter than the collective wisdom of those of us who have been here before you … and just because you may have more years of formal education, or the ability to write (and spell better than me or another expat you read often does not mean you are guaranteed success.

Think it all through now, while the thinking is still free.

Figure Out What You Will Do About the Separation of Distance: Learn to deal with a simple fact right now. If you come here to live you will be 7,000 or more miles from whatever you hold near and dear today.

The pull of parents, brothers and sisters, grandchildren and classmates and other friend so far away is going to be strong, and continually tugging on your heart-strings.

There are some coping techniques … VOIP video chats and phone calls, planning frequent trips, ferrying relatives over here from time to time, etc., but none of the coping is any better than a stop-gap.

Any way you slice it, the Philippines is along way (and a long time … the far right column is typical flight times in hours and minutes) from a great many places. What’s your strategy going to be?

Can You Start Now Developing A Positive Frame of Mind? I know some of you are going to get lost here about. “Oh no, “ you are saying, “Dave is launching of into one of those spiritual, or even religious areas. I’m a rough, tough, hard-ass rugged individualist, and that ‘touchy-feely’ stuff isn’t for me.”

Well think that if you will, and adios if you chose to stop reading here, but let me give you a parting shot or two to consider while you are traveling to the bar … or wherever you go to recharge your manly, “I can take care of myself” self-image.

The realities of retirement are sometimes difficult to come to terms with – as we age so our health can deteriorate, our energy levels can dwindle, our positive self-image can fade in a society obsessed with youthful beauty, we can lose loved ones and perhaps we can even lose our sense of identity when we leave our career behind. All of these challenges come at a time when we are older and therefor expected to be ‘wiser’ and more experienced at coping with change and challenges. This means perhaps people are less willing to offer support because they feel it will not be required or welcome – and for those of us living abroad and away from our extended support network, getting the help that might make things easier is perhaps more difficult…

This will come to all of us. No matter if we are an emotional, “touchy-feely” person today or as rough and tough as John Wayne always wanted to be perceived. When you have looked into the eyes of as many rugged individualist, sometimes hard-hearted, no-nonsense men as they lie on their deathbed as I have, you will then know I am right.

The sooner you come to grips with the reality that old age, weakness and eventually death comes to all of us, the sooner you can begin working on your coping strategies. now, today, when you still have that ‘chutzpa’ you’ve always been known for.

Hate to make this so blunt, really, but have you considered who will be at your bedside when you die? If everyone you have ever thought of being there lives back in the USA … or (sadly as some expats have voiced to me) if you don’t want “them” (meaning Filipinos) at your bedside, then obviously, you are barking up the wrong tree if you think moving here to the Philippines is going to make you happy in any long-term context.

Think it all through while you are still relatively young, strong, independent and while you still know all the answers as so many of my fellow expats seem to … because someday, just like someone I am currently spending a lot of time with, you to will have the eyes of a scared-looking little boy who perhaps has just had a vision of his mama.

Hard to believe, but most of us all end up exactly the same way, no matter what country we happen to be living in when the day comes that we finally stop living.

Popularity: 60% [?]

Filed Under: Editorials Tagged With: Can you find happiness in the Philippines. live in the Philippines, Living in the Philippiines

Health Care Costs and Availability

August 27, 2010 By Philly 16 Comments

We’ve mentioned this subject before, especially within the living in the Philippines or retiring in the Philippines context. Medical care seems to be one of the top areas of concern to everyone planning a move here to the Philippines. And of course, medical care and the costs you have to pay for it should certainly be an area of concern … but I often wonder just how much of an area of concern this should be … and further, if many of my fellow Americans are spending too much time obsessing over this issue rather than making it just a part of the overall decision plan.

As Americans we somehow have become attached to the idea that US health care is the “best in the world”. Well, it’s just find to believe that the USA id “number one” in everything … but it isn’t always the fact of the matter.

First in the World --- in costs

Actually under current, independent assessments … like the rankings of the Word Health Organization .. the USA comes out a distant 37th or so in overall citizen health rankings. I’ve written about this before … one article worth reading comparing the US health care costs and Philippine health care costs is here. I attached an appropriate graphic, and further down a music video … it’s informative, funny and sad, all in one.

But regardless of what Americans are spending right now, an operative question which often comes up is, what can I do about health care insurance if I decide to move to the Philippines.

So here are some answers, presented to the best of my abilities … you always need to check the facts for yourself because, as they say, YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary).

PhilHealth:

First of all, let me remind you about PhilHealth. I’ve covered it extensively and I don’t want to make this article too long, so you might want to read up on PhilHealth benefits or visit their site themselves. One way or another it is available to all, not just Filipinos and the cost, for the groups who have to pay, is very small … P 100 a month. $27 USD per year at today’s rate. If that is the sort of amount you need to budget carefully for, I don’t think you are a good candidate to read the rest of this article, sorry.

Recommendation: Whatever other choices you make, get PhilHealth for yourself, your spouse, minor children and for elderly Filipino relatives (it’s free for the aged, like US Medicare). I can’t believe how many people ignore this insurance, especially when they have elderly relatives back in the Philippines and then are staggered by Lolo or Lola having to go into hospital. It’s a no-brainer to me, get it.

Your Existing Insurance:

The first big bugaboo regarding moving to and living in the Philippines that concerns foreigners the most seems to be the fact that they immediately assume their current medical insurance will not cover them here.

That may be true, but in many cases it is not … and each of you making this decision needs to carefully check, independently, the facts on this regarding your very own policy.

I often get questions like “Will my Blue Cross” cover me there? The answer is, definitely, I don’t know. “Blue Cross” is not a single company, it’s a consortium of more than 50 companies in every US state as well as multi-state components such as the “Anthem” product line which provides the insurance most Federal employees call “Blue Cross”.

All plans may differ and you can not afford to make a decision based on what “Joe” says, or on “Mary’s experience”, etc.

Many US policies do cover pan members living overseas. For example, my own Federal GEHA plan does… in fact it pays claims at the preferred provider rate … a good deal for me. You MUST check for yourself.

Other Commercial Insurance Options:

OK, let’s suppose you can’t use existing coverage. Would you be able to buy insurance to cover yourself and your family here. And what kind of prices are we looking at? here are just three possibilities I have found. I don’t recommend any of these outfits, but I chose them carefully because I know they have, overall a very good rating with their policy holders, and they all have the modern outlook of giving you access to rates and coverage online, so people can make good comparisons for themselves. They are presented in alphabetical order.

Blue Cross Philippines:

Yep, not only is that name used all over the USA, but all over the Philippines as well. Here’s the main website for Blue Cross Philippines. They have a lot of offerings. They also make it plain what their offerings and restrictions are on the really elderly … something that many Filipino companies are a little ‘shy’ about owning up to.

There are many different options here, mainly having to do with three things … policy holder’s age, how much coverage the policyholder wants to buy, and where the policy can be used.

It’s very important to notice with this and any other company ho offers the option … if you ask for full coverage within the US,a s well as the country you are thinking about moving to? be forewarned .. the cost for US coverage is shockingly high. But for Philippine-only coverage,the costs are very reasonable … often a few hundred USD per year … that’s right, per year. For us Medicare-eligible persons, it seems very reasonable to just rely upon Medicare when we are back in the US, and buy Philippine-only coverage. Certainly worth checking out.

Bupa International:

This is an old-line international health care provider, based in the UK, who provides coverage to expats virtually world-wide. In looking up their various plans, I find they can fit very easily into many budgets … if, again, you exclude US coverage. Example, for a person my age, 64, coverage outside the US and also including the pre-paid option of repatriation to the US or another country for medical attention, is only about $3600 USD per year, or three hundred US per month. Many commercial plans that people already pay are in this price range, so while they are not cheap, they certainly fall within reason. As an interesting illustration … when I changed the requested quote to include US coverage. the cost jumped to almost $12,000 USD per year … yep, that’s how much extra you folks are paying extra back there in the USA for 37th place health care. Sad.

MEDEX Global Group, Inc.:

This is a US-based company. i sometimes run ads for them on the site, but I notice that they don’t attract much attention. They do not even provide coverage for US residents, but their coverage for US citizens residing in other countries seems pretty reasonable.

As with all these companies you need to look closely at all the plans, but as an example, their basic full coverage, including emergency repatriation, comes in at a slow as $1.16 per day .. about $36USD per month or roughly $436 a year. Certainly well within reason.

Conclusion:

It’s certainly well within reason to get your own health insurance in the Philippines. I’m afraid the US medical insurance, doctor’s promotional agencies, outrageous drug profits protection lobbyists and other such scum have perverted the thinking of many of my fellow Americans. remember, you all hail from a country who used to be brave and used to be self-reliant. Believe it or not, you still can be today … you don’t need “permission” to use the brains and courage God gave you.

I’ve also written on this subject before, listing other possible “freedom of choice” for health care candidates.

By the way, it’s also OK to laugh at ourselves. Many of the expats I know who are my age … even some younger … are letting themselves become so consumed by worry and “fear of the future” that they are already on blood pressure medicine, tranquilizers and who know what all else to make the drug companies rich. Relax and stop taking everything so seriously for a while … you’ll still live just as long, maybe even longer. This will help.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Filed Under: Medical Tagged With: Live in the Philippines, Living in the Philippinees, medical Insurance Philippines

Yes, We Went There Again — Casablanca Hotel, Subic

August 23, 2010 By Philly 9 Comments

Well, what else would you do if it were a rainy Friday and your favorite nephews had finished their term in pre-school … sit around and watch it drizzle, or hit the road.

We took off for the former US Navy base at Subic, now called the Subic Bay Special Economic Zone just before ten am and arrived at our first destination, Texas Joe’s, where the boys thoroughly enjoyed the classic wood hobby hours in the outside waiting area and then everyone enjoyed a delicious Texas-style lunch. I can highly recommend the “Bubba Burger” … friend Paul who had visited there recently suggested that would be a good choice and indeed it was. Hard to believe now that we can drive from Marilao, right outside the city limits of Metro Manila to the central business district on Subic in about two hours, but it’s easy now with the new roads, even for a relatively slow driver like me.

The boys ate fast though, and after all, they had been promised swimming (the sun was out by now, an absolutely lovely day). So we piled in the trusty Adventure (almost 40,000 km on it now and it hasn’t skipped a beat, what a great investment that car was … those of you who refuse to have a car and drive yourself in the Philippines just don’t realize what you are missing).

Our main destination was the Casablanca hotel, restaurant and condominium complex, just a 20 minute drive out on the Argonaut Highway, heading toward the airport.

(For those who might not have driven in the US for a while, or those who seldom see a traffic light even powered, let alone being observed, let me remind you … on the SBEZ, people actually stop for stop signs, observe traffic signals, follow speed limits, and if you happened to get stopped by a traffic officer, do not, under any circumstances attempt to bribe him .. it’s against the law. Oh, and did I mention no smoke belching, road clogging tricycles allowed either?)

Arriving at the Casablanca, the ever hospitable host, Kristian had our room already ready, right at poolside. We were in a ground floor unit, exactly like the one pictured, the patio doors in the center were out main entrance and the ample living/dining/kitchen area, along with the generous private bedroom would be behind the windows to the right. At over 7 meters by over 7 meters these are very ample single bedroom units, about twice the size of what passes for a one bedroom condo in Metro manila. You can see floor plans and more details on Casablanca’ own excellent website, here and here.

Splash, and the boys were in the pool before I even finished locking up the car and signing the register in the reception office. P3600 for a unit like this (rainy season special) seemed like a pretty darn good bargain to me. I’ve paid more and gotten a lot less, even here in the Philippines.

Notice also that these rooms have very decent monthly rates available. Especially the one and two bedroom condos are equipped and sized so that a couple (or a couple with several children, could just live there as long as you cared to ..they are that big and comfortable.

There are a number of units for sale as well (see the inquiry form here to get a personal condo sale quotation), and the management stands ready to managed purchased units for absentee owners … in other words you can live here part time and rent your unit out to recoup expenses when you are living elsewhere. Very flexible arrangements.

After a few Margaritas (the only good ones I have found so far in the Philippines, I was hungry again (time had passed, it was getting dark, time for dinner anyway). Rather than go inside the restaurant, where the Friday night special was an excellent Mongolian barbeque, we just ordered at our table right at poolside and right outside the door to our unit.

The boys, of course, were very interested in why we adults were drinking out of strange (to them) looking margarita glasses. So we ordered them pineapple juice in margarita glasses .. oh what a hit that was.

The restaurant has a top quality Swiss chef, and I have found the food excellent and quite reasonably priced … all except the steak I ordered that night … very tasty and excellently presented, but with way too much gristle to suit me … you have to watch out for steaks in the Philippines, almost always better not to order one, because they almost always disappoint … Filipinos in general love fat and gristle, personally I can’t abide it. Likewise, as a general rule, the salt. I’ve had more meals ruined for me by excessive salt than for any other reason … Philippine-branded soy sauces are exceptionally salty, thus anything that might be soy sauce flavored is likely to be over salted by along shot. It’s no wonder hypertension (high blood) is a big problem in the Philippines, the vast majority of restaurants just tip the salt shaker way, way too much. Anyway, enough on the salt rant.

There’s enough on the international menu to please any palate. A cousin came by to chat later in the evening and stayed for Friday night special, Mongolian barbeque. He pronounced it excellent and finished every morsel, so I believed him For a guy who said he wasn’t hungry to begin with, he did a darn good job enjoying the Mongolian barbeque.

Sleeping in the extremely quiet area where the Casablanca is located is excellent …no traffic noises to speak of, fresh breezes off the water which is only a few feet from the whole complex … restful and relaxing, and if you aren’t sleepy the Wi-Fi Internet is excellent … worked very well and much faster than my Wi-Fi at home.

In the morning the boys were up early and of course, into the pool. after a suitable time of soaking and splashing around … measured by the amount of ‘prune skin’ visible, we got them out and went into the restaurant for breakfast.

What do you want to drink, boys? Easy … margaritas …their special ones. What do you want to eat? Calamari rings and pizza, the hits, for them of last night’s supper.

Well, they’re o
nly young one, and therefore if they want calamari rings and pizza for breakfast, then that’s what they shall have. Their mom had American style hotcakes, made well, with good maple syrup, often hard to find in the Philippines. Mita had an excellent cheese omelet and I had a man size American breakfast with a big portion of scrambled eggs, sausage, good beacon and excellent toast … tasted like home cooked bread, very nice indeed.

All too soon it was time to pack up and get on the road for some family commitments and our trip home. Will we be back to visit the Casablanca again? You bet we will. There are far too many places in the Philippines that “say” they are interested in the tourism business, far too few, that like the Casablanca actual ‘walk the walk” of making tourist feel wanted and welcome. A big thanks to the owner, Gunnar, who made it all happen to begin with, Kristian, the general manager, and all the friendly, accommodating staff. Recommended.

Popularity: 38% [?]

Filed Under: Travel Reviews Tagged With: Casablanca, Live in the Philippines, Living in the Philippines, Subic

Just Refuse To Pay The Fear Tax!

August 23, 2010 By Philly 10 Comments

Seth had an interesting post that he happened to pen at virtually the same time I wrote my “Just Give Up” opus last “Opinionated Monday”.

Here’s what happens as a result of security theater at the Orlando airport:

You wait in line at least twenty minutes

There’s a scrum of pushing and shoving

The staff are unhappy and not afraid to share it

An unreasonable workload leads to fatigue and errors

People miss their flights

Here’s what doesn’t happen:

Security is not increased

Peace of mind is not enhanced

In other words, we’re paying a significant tax (time and money) and getting nothing in return. In fact, we get worse than nothing. We could call it an anxiety program, instead of a tax. (After all, when you pay a luxury tax, you get some hard-won luxury as part of the deal).

The reason the TSA keeps changing the rules is not because the rules work, but because changing the rules creates more anxiety (for bad guys, they say, but for us too). …

We pay the fear tax every time we spend time or money seeking reassurance. We pay it twice when the act of seeking that reassurance actually makes us more anxious, not less.

We pay the tax when we cover our butt instead of doing the right thing, and we pay the tax when we take away someone’s dignity because we’re afraid. (my emphasis)

Here’s another “breaking news” item I just came across during the time I started drafting this post and then sent it off to publish:

“TSA was notified of a passenger allegedly smoking onboard American Airlines Flight 117 from John I. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX),” the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement.

This caused the diversion of the aircraft to an alternate landing site, the confinement of all the passengers in Gulag-like interrogation areas and then finally resulted in the aircraft being sent on it’s way after about 6 hours of delay, lost time, lost wages, added on expenses and so forth.

Why? Because of a recognized terrorist threat? No, because an American Citizen was rude enough/unlawful enough/ignorant enough to light a cigarette in a place he was not allowed to. Wow. Surprised they didn’t land the plane in the desert and just nuke everyone on board … real hardened criminals there, especially all the innocents who did not break the law, but still were treated and inconvenienced as if they had.

Before you rabid anti-smokers out there get on your high horse, I used to fly when smoking was allowed on aircraft and I still fly today. Even as a smoker, I certainly support a smoking ban on airline flights, because the air on board is unhealthy enough without subjecting non-smokers to my habit … but Jesus, people, can we have a little bit of intelligence here … a measured response to the level of the threat?

The guy broke the law. So take him off the plane and deal with him as the law requires … but subject all his innocent fellow passengers to a captive situation like they were? Complete lack of control and intelligence on the part of our government … rampant display of arrogance, actually, in my view of course, since I know Carnivore is reading my blog posts to make sure I don’t use bad words like bomb, and terrorism, and overthrow and civil disobedience … and other words that are no longer part of free speech.

And then again, just before I was ready to go to press I got another news item involving air planes, terrorism paranoia and the aggrandizement of government agencies who somehow have forgotten their place … yes, Secret Service and TSA, I’m talking about your own disloyalty to the oaths you are supposed to serve under (more carnivore fodder there, eh?)

Two fighter jets were responsible for a pair of loud sonic booms that shook Western Washington Tuesday afternoon. The Oregon Air National Guard F-15s took off from Portland, Ore. in pursuit of a seaplane that breached a 10-mile restricted fly zone around the president’s Air Force One.

The intruding plane left the restricted area shortly before the fighter jets arrived and later landed in Lake Washington, outside of Seattle, where the unsuspecting pilot and passenger were awaited by the Secret Service. The pair were unaware of President Obama’s visit and the restricted fly-zone.

The explosion-like sounds heard throughout the area were caused by shock waves produced when the jets exceeded the speed of sound.

At the time, Air Force One was parked at a nearby air field while President Obama was in Seattle visiting an eatery and attending a fundraiser.

The President crisscrosses the country at will .. for important things like fundraisers. OK, fine, he’s the elected chief executive, and certainly he is so far less of a traveler/delay causer than his predecessor or his predecessor’s predecessor .. although I I were in the President’s shoes, I’d travel less and use the money to create more honest jobs … but hey, that’s just me.

But he’s my issue. Even when the president isn’t on board.the Secret Service expects everyone to know where Air Force One is (technically it is never Air Force One when the President isn’t on board, but you wouldn’t expect new reporters to understand the laws of our land). They only understand hyperbole and fear mongering.

In the name of “Presidential Security” we launch fighter aircraft from hundreds of miles away to “protect” an airplane that doesn’t even have the president on board. Why? because we are powerful agencies and we CAN, not because there is the slightest indication of any threat to the president. Sad.

Also note, that just like in 2001, the Air Force still arrived too late to do anything about the threat, had it been real. So in nearly 10 years now, almost a decade into this “War On Terror”, we, the people have accomplished exactly what?

Sacred the crap out of a lot of people and instilled fear in the hearts of Americans who actually have nothing to fear.

The heck with these Tea Parties and other Fox News propaganda, let’s revolt against the damnable “Fear Tax” Americans are paying … remember who we are and then act accordingly … and just say no to Federal Agency jackboots … do we still have the guts to live by our own Constitution? What sayeth you?

Popularity: 24% [?]

Filed Under: Editorials Tagged With: Live in the Philippines, Living in the Philippines, Why living in the Philippines is Safer than Living in the US

The Rodney Dangerfield of the Philippines — Can’t Get No Respect

August 21, 2010 By Philly 3 Comments

Heard it again just the other day and wondered, yet again, what is it so many of these folks have heard? A fellow was asking me some advice about a business idea and listing of some of the cites around the Philippines he had thought through where he might sell his product, and true to form for so many folks in the “Philippines wanna be ” community, he end his list with the comment, “of course I’m sure it would sell in Angeles City, but I don’t know if I can deal with the crime and the prostitutes there.” I mean I could almost picture this fellow spitting in disgust at the end of his statement.

A while back, in a totally different matter, another online friend wrote about a foreigner he knew who had suffered a misfortune or two, and he ended the account of his fellow expat’s hard times by saying, “Of course I can’t help him because he’s chosen to live up there in Angles City, next to all the whorehouses.”

Does this look like a whorehouse to you? Selling for about $65,000 USD. Or this townhouse? $334/month Furnished 2 Bedroom Apartment Fully furnished at $334 USD per month? These are just a couple samples I pulled at random from current listings in Angles.

You know one of the things I have noticed is, in many cities in the Philippines you can’t even find listings of homes for sale or rent. It’s as if you have to be a member of some private club just to find houses for sale or rent.

In Angeles City this certainly isn’t the case. Just take a look at this Blue-Book publication (you can download their current issue in .pdf format) and see some of the flavor of what’s available to expats in Angeles City. there isn’t another city in the Philippines that even has such a publication, let alone some of the services offered in Angeles.

There are many, very “livable” older subdivision homes for sale or rent too. One unique feature found in no other city I know of is that many of the rental homes on the market today are in subdivisions that were built back in the US Air Force days and the homes had to be very “Americanized” in order to be approved for servicemen’s off base quarters.

Angeles City is a medical education center for the Philippines. There are dozens of hospitals including a couple well regarded teaching hospitals.

There are two major shopping hubs .. one of the larger SM malls and a huge new Ayala property called Marquis Mall.

And restaurants and food stores with products and cuisine from all over the world? Oh yes, you bet. Exploring the different restaurants in Angles can be an experience all on its own.

And a real jewel in the crown of Angeles City is the airport. If you’ve ever been through NAIA airport in Manila, you know one of the chief reasons many visitors to the Philippines never make a second visit. For an international airport serving the capital city of a whole country, NAIA … well, let’s just say it leaves a bit to be desired, shall we?

Clark, Angeles City’s airport is a full-fledged international airport with service to domestic destinations and a dozen or so international cities. And it’s clean, modern, spacious and fully “no hassle”. I highly recommend it, in fact one can often get a good travel deal from the US by looking for a discount flight into Hong Kong and then continuing on to Clark via PAL or Cebu Pacific. A worthy asset.

Now before you get the idea I am ‘selling” Angeles City (I’m not, I don’t even live there), let me assure you I am not selling anything here. (If I were, I’d be selling Subic, just a few miles down the brand new, international standard SCTEX toll road )

But what I get a bit upset about is, the massive amounts of information that circulate about living in the Philippines on line. And the way certain places get reputations they don’t deserve, just from a certain group who know nothing at all themselves, but spend their life repeating all the hearsay they have heard and passing it on as if they had actually seen things for themselves. You may not always get the information from me that makes you say, “yes, yes, he’s right, that’s what so-and so-said”, but what you will get from me is honest personal opinion, and if I haven’t had first-hand knowledge, I’ll tell you so.”

Would Angles City be the right place for you to settle in the Philippines? Maybe yes, maybe no, but for goodness sake, base your decision making on fact rather than fiction … for your own peace of mind, OK?

Popularity: 26% [?]

Filed Under: Things to Do Tagged With: Angeles City, Live in the Philippines, Living in the Philippiines

How Do You Cope With Living in the Philippines?

August 16, 2010 By Philly 9 Comments

This article kind of pairs up with the “slow down” one I wrote recently It’s mainly an expanded answer I gave to an interesting comment I received from a reader … keep those cards and letters coming, folks.

Here’s an interesting comment from faithful reader, Dave from Texas:

… More and more frequently I think about leaving the rat race and retiring. I could easily live on my savings until age 70 and collect SS at the maximum rate for the remainder of my life. Some questions I’ve been asking myself are:

1. Will I be able to adjust to shopping Filipino style: going to a store and spending excessive waiting periods to complete my transaction. The horror stories of mall shopping in the Philippines can be sobering.

2. Will seeming bureaucratic inefficiencies drive me to insanity? Reading about what should be a simple process of paying bills or renewing immigration documents is somewhat intimidating.

3. Sorry this is not in stock. I take for granted I can get just about whatever I want today. I rarely have to go to more than one store to find it.

I guess I can get used to the crowds, beggars, various forms of pollution – litter, smog and noise. I can even get in the habit of carrying my own TP. I suppose one could always hire a “professional shopper/line waiter. It’s one of the advantages of a third world country – low cost of labor.

How do you cope with things like these Dave?

Well the short answer is, I just do *sigh*. Looking at your concerns objectively and one by one, let me say in general I’ve experienced frustrations like many of my Philippine frustrations back in the USA … in some cases, maybe worse here, in other cases, the frustrations are just more noticeable because they are ‘different”.

Mall Shopping:

In the US I am well known for avoiding malls like the plague. In the Philippines it seems quite the opposite. I visit our local SM City on virtually a daily basis it seems. Not that I like the place any more than any other mall, but here I find different things are a lot more important>

Convenience. Almost every store I ever want to go to, from buying some plumbing item for the house, to buying myself a new package of underwear, to getting a haircut or a manicure to buying fresh flowers for the table and a fresh salad to accompany whatever Mita is cooking for lunch is there …no searching, no wondering where to go, just follow my well-worn path down a couple local streets. Also the local branch of my bank, BDO is in the mall, so I get 7 day a a week, 10 hour a day banking hours, even on all holidays except Easter and Christmas day. Also, when you have a local branch available like that you don’t have to live in fear of an ATM outage when you’re short of cash … just step up top the counter with your passbook in hand (you do remember passbooks, don’t you?) and withdraw, just like we all used to do back in the pre-ATM days, if needed. Hard to beat.

Every other store I visit always has plenty clerks readily at hand and is never crowded in the morning when I typically go. I also buy regularly from several small kiosks in the aisle of the mall … people know me on site, ask about my health, my wife’s welfare, where my two little nephews are whom I take with me often, etc. It’s just like home there.

Parking: A big consideration. Many places in the Philippine shave no place to park, or else the parking lots provided are a cruel joke. here I can just drive in and park in am ample, well-patrolled parking lot. If I want to I can have the car washed right where it sits while I shop … and in addition to the regular security patrols, SM provides a basic theft prevention service … when you drive in you get a ticket from the guards and you must produce the receipt or your registration and proof of ownership before you can drive out.

If I chose to drive into the city, I zip right through the dedicated ‘Easy Pass” only lane … it’s great how no one else seems to want one of these great gimmicks, and when I get to the city mall I’ll have acres and acres of basement parking … but with a fee of 30 Pesos all day … about $0.66 USD cents at today’s rate.

Exercise: Let’s face it, it gets hot here. One reason I go to the mall most every day is mall walking along with whatever shopping needs doing. An hour’s walk around the perimeter of both floors is about 3,000 brisk steps (or 2.6 km) in air conditioned comfort. there are lots of free-standing gyms and fitness centers on local streets as well, and a swimming resort along the road to our local mall I am ashamed to say I have never checked out.

Mall horror stories? Not from me, YMMV. Unlike the malls in the US, I love going to the mall here. (also, I live near family. If I really didn’t want to go to the store, I could easily send a niece of nephew, they’re always up for a trip to the mall). Everything needed to live without the mall is within easy walk of my house as well … or at the press of a few keys to text. There are 6 or 8 sari-sari stores on every block, a bigger grocery store 2 short blocks away, a dozen food delivery places, filtered water delivery, delivery ladies who come buy with fresh fruits and vegetables (and fish and meats to order) several times a week.

All told it’s way, way more convenient than all the freeway driving I had to do in the US for shopping on a regular basis. And although I have a car and enjoy driving, I don’t need one at all … tricycles are available by texting or waving my hand from my front door to go anywhere local, and a walk (or tricycle ride to the major Jeepney stop two short blocks away will give me access to a 40 or 50 cent ride to Metro Manila.

These are things to consider when you are going to live somewhere long-term. I’d hate to grow old in the US, because you HAVE to have a car, and (as will come to all of us someday), when that day comes you no longer are safe driving, you’re essentially ‘dead’ … a huge burden on other people to get you places. Some cites are still blessed with senior ambulatory services, but I don’t want to live out my life as a pitiful old fart waiting for the city “short bus” to come get me … and in today’s budgetary climate, how many cites are cutting these services, drastically. Here, I take care of my own needs, I don’t live as a ward of the city and a burden on other taxpayers.

Bureaucratic Inefficiencies:

Paying Bills: Well it is true this used to be an issue. But I just paid my monthly cable TV bill today .. 550 pesos … about $12.22 USD … includes the ‘big three’ movie channels, ESPN, the big news channels and Discovery and Nat Geo, along with a couple dozen other channels I never watch … and I realized it’s the only monthly bill I now have that I have to leave my house to pay. My rent I pay over the fence to my next door neighbor. Electric, Internet and my BDO credit card I pay on line via the bank’s excellent online bill pay system. I carry the BDO Philippine Master Card just for the purpose of things like grocery shopping, hotels, larger restaurants, etc., so I don’t have to carry wads of pesos around with me. It costs 75 Pesos a month and it’s well worth it. I normally visit the bank once a month to deposit a US dollar check from my US credit union and transfer dollars to my pesos account for the upcoming month’s needs. The cable company is the only one who hasn’t gotten on the direct debit bandwagon, so I stop at a local Bill Pay Center that’s on the way to the mall … takes 30 seconds or so for the guy to take my cash and issue a receipt … done and dusted. When I had a car payment, that came directly out of my pesos account monthly, and when my annual car insurance is due, they send a bill, I pay that online as well. Not much hassle in bill paying, pretty much the same as when I was paying bills back in Colorado.

Bureaucratic Inefficiencies: Oh yes, we have them, but really I don’t see much hassle factor. You do have to be flexible though … which goes along with the “out of stock” situation. Example, in January when my license plates needed renewal I drove to the local LTO (Land Transportation Office) in our town, backed my car into a stall in the adjacent emissions testing center .. there was no one waiting .. and stood with the emissions tech next to my license plate while the boss snapped a picture to prove the test was done with the owner present. this is part of a huge program the LTO is vigorously pursuing to stamp out ‘fixers”.

Then I went to Window One and asked what form to fill up … I mean you go to Window One at every motor vehicle department I have ever seen, except when I lived in Japan .. it was Window 0 first there . Filled up the form, handed it in in Window two, sat on a bench in the shade and chatted with other drivers there about where I came from in the US, how much did it cost to get license plates renewed in the US, how I found Filipino driving, etc., and waited for the guy in Window Three to call my name.

When he did, he handed me a sheet to show my charges … about P3,000 since it’s a nearly new car still, then I went to Window 4 to hand in the bill and my money. Went back to sit on the bench until my name was called from Window 5.

In a few minutes the Window 5 guy called me, handed me an OR (Official Receipt) and said, “No renewal stickers, sir, out of stock, Come back in 30 days. You are legal to drive with your expired stickers and this OR.”

So I guess that’s pretty inefficient, apparently they forgot to order stickers. But, all in all, no big deal. I was in and out in under 30 minutes, and second week in February I drove over again, handed my OR directly to the guy in Window 5, he handed my back the OR and my shiny new “2010” stickers. The second trip, including sticking on the stickers didn’t take 30 minutes … about par for the course.

This was mostly all done in English by the way. My wife was with me on the first trip and did get into the conversation quite a bit, though. And while I am grateful for her assistance, I’m resolved to do it all on my own next time. I’ve learned the hard way that taking family ‘helpers” along, or worse yet, paying “fixers”, often gets things all screwed up. It’s not that they don’t mean well. In fact, it’s often a case that they try to do too much for you, sometimes asking special favors that annoy people and build up that hidden resentment against the foreigner throwing his weight around.

I mean truly, if you go on your own, what’s the worst that can happen? You get treated like you don’t know what you are doing by a rude clerk? Well, you don’t know what you are doing, and rude clerks are a hazard of life world-wide. It’s part of paying the tuition of life. Just learn from the experience and next time you will know what you are doing. You can’t learn to surf by reading a book, and you can’t learn how to live in the Philippines unless you learn how to fend for yourself.

Now with the Bureau of Immigration? Never had a problem. Just remember to wear shoes, long pants and a proper shirt, fill up whatever simple forms you are asked to, when the cashier calls your name, pay, when the immigration officer walks out of the back room with a handful of passports and calls your name again, go collect the passport and leave. You also can use a licensed agent for visa renewals, most travel agents are accredited, so it’s possible to almost never visit the BI.

I just read some very cogent similar advice from a foreigner whose been in the Philippines a lot longer than me.

Forget about the 2 words "WHY" and "SHOULD" or you get constant headache trying to understand why things happen like they do in places outside your own country, especially the Philippines. Acceptance is the preferable attitude. There are too many things for you to question, so it’s better for you not to start. So just relax and enjoy the positive aspects of your surroundings with a sense of humor.

Anyway, David (and others), hope these thoughts may help you a bit with the idea of what you will need to adjust to here. There’s another article I wrote with some good illustrations on these points … dealing with the inefficiencies and keeping you cool by deciding what you really want in the first place here.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: frutrations Philippines, License plates Philippines, Live in the Philippines, Living in the Philippiines

Should We Just Give Up and Die Now, Save Worry and Handwringing?

August 15, 2010 By Philly 15 Comments

You know, from time to time I receive emails from the US Embassy regarding closures, hours of service changes and (not within recent memory) legitimate issues I should be aware of as a US citizen. But this mail, received on Friday the 13th, my time, has got to take the cake. I mean if the world is really this dangerous, is it even worth breathing?

A clear case that illustrates what I say about what our once fearless and proud society has become that perhaps makes some Americans wonder … folks, we didn’t used to be this way. Skulking in the shadows and afraid of our own shadow. My little miniature Schnauzer, Otto, who sometimes hides under the bed during lightning storms is certainly braver, overall, than the guys and gals at the State Department who feel that warnings like this are needed by American citizens. I think they missed a couple serious concerns in their warning. People have been killed ort injured by chunks of “blue ice”falling off aircraft on the way to the airport … and I also heard that breathing in tobacco smoke is hazardous to our health too … didn’t see those clear and present dangers addresses. Everything else imaginable? Yep, and a little more.

The original mail was all crowded together and hard to read … I’ll spread it out a bit so you can read it easier and lie awake and worry all night as I now will (NOT)

U.S. Embassy Manila

Warden Message

August 12, 2010

THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES IS TRANSMITTING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION THROUGH THE EMBASSY WARDEN SYSTEM AS A PUBLIC SERVICE TO U.S. CITIZENS IN THE PHILIPPINES. PLEASE DISSEMINATE THIS MESSAGE TO ALL U.S. CITIZENS IN YOUR ORGANIZATION OR NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

WORLDWIDE CAUTION

August 12, 2010

The Department of State has issued this Worldwide Caution to update information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout the world. U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. This replaces the Worldwide Caution dated February 12, 2010, to provide updated information on security threats and terrorist activities worldwide.

The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations, and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas. U.S. citizens are reminded that demonstrations and rioting can occur with little or no warning. Current information suggests that al-Qaida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics including suicide operations, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, and bombings.

<<<< Ever ask yourself, if they know so much about these guys, how come, with the billions in no-bid contracts for private mercenary forces, the clandestine forces of the CIA, the Department of State’s own clandestine forces, PLUS the entire US military and our allies, we still have done virtually nothing for years now, except send out emails alleging “current information”? >>>

Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. Examples of such targets include high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, hotels, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas, and locales where U.S. citizens gather in large numbers, including during holidays.

U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure. Extremists have targeted and attacked subway and rail systems, as well as aviation and maritime services. In the past several years, attacks have occurred in cities such as London, Madrid, Glasgow, and Moscow.

<<<< Notice that according to this, no city or country, with the possible exception of Antarctica is safe? >>>>

Credible information indicates terrorist groups seek to continue attacks against U.S. interests in the Middle East and North Africa. For example, Iraq remains dangerous and unpredictable. Attacks against military and civilian targets throughout Iraq continue. Methods of attack have included roadside improvised explosive devices, mortars, and shootings; kidnappings still occur as well.

<<<< Damn, and here I was planning a leisurely vacation in Iraq. I mean are they so stupid that they think you and i are dumb enough to know that an active war zone might be a little unsafe to travel in? >>>>

Security threat levels remain high in Yemen due to terrorist activities there. The U.S. Embassy has had to close several times in response to ongoing threats by Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). U.S. citizens have been the targets of numerous terrorist attacks in Lebanon in the past and the threat of anti-Western terrorist activity continues to exist there. In Algeria, terrorist attacks occur regularly, particularly in the Kabylie region of the country. In the past, terrorists have targeted oil processing facilities in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

<<< Another example of the extremely obvious. Likewise a perfect example of how our country deals with threats .. we close the embassy and scurry inside, that’ll teach the bad guys who is boss >>>

A number of al-Qaida operatives and other extremists are believed to be operating in and around Africa. Since the July 11, 2010, terrorist bombings in Kampala, Uganda, for which the Somalia-based, U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization al-Shabaab has claimed responsibility, there have been increased threats against public areas across East Africa. The terrorist bombing in two public venues in Kampala, which resulted in 74 deaths, highlights the vulnerabilities of large public gatherings in East Africa and around the world. Additionally, the terrorist group, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has declared its intention to attack Western targets throughout the Sahel, which includes Mali, Mauritania, and Niger, and has claimed responsibility for kidnappings, attempted kidnappings, and the murder of several Westerners.

U.S. citizens considering travel by sea near the Horn of Africa or in the southern Red Sea should exercise extreme caution, as there has been a notable increase in armed attacks, robberies and kidnappings for ransom at sea by pirates. Merchant vessels continue to be hijacked in Somali territorial waters, while others have been hijacked as far as 1,000 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, Yemen, and Kenya in international waters.

The U.S. government maritime authorities advise mariners to avoid the port of Mogadishu, and to remain at least 200 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. In addition, when transiting around the Horn of Africa or in the Red Sea, it is strongly recommended that vessels travel in convoys, and maintain good communications at all times. U.S. citizens traveling on commercial passenger vessels should consult with the shipping or cruise ship company regarding precautions that will be taken to avoid hijacking incidents. Commercial vessels should review the Department of Transportation Maritime Administration’s suggested piracy countermeasures for vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden.

<<< Another huge example of the obvious. Don’t worry, though, effective countermeasures are being taken against these pirates by, among others, the Chinese navy. Yep, you got it. We’ll sit and watch US-flagged vessels get attacked and depend upon the Chinese to protect American citizens. I watched a show about cruise ships the other night and one of the drills the crew has to practice is to shoot fire hoses at potential pirate boarders. According to some idiotic, gutless rule, American merchantmen are now not allowed to carry weapons of any kind. Whose brilliant peace initiative was that. Disgusting.

Did you also notice the impeccable logic in the advice to mariners? Since merchant ships have been attacked as far as 1,000 miles off the Somalia coast, mariners are advised to remain at least 200 miles off the costs. Why is that, to save the pirates having to otherwise expend the 1600 miles round trip fuel they would otherwise have to expend? I mean if you are going to issue a warning, at least have a purpose behind it … like since the pirates have a known range of a thousand miles, wouldn’t remaining 1200 miles off the cost have some safety merit? I guess I am totally ignorant in the ways of the sea, or government warning logic. >>>>

The U.S. government continues to receive information that terrorist groups in South and Central Asia may be planning attacks in the region, possibly against U.S. government facilities, U.S. citizens, or U.S. interests. The presence of al-Qaida, Taliban elements, Lashkar-e-Taiba, indigenous sectarian groups, and other terror organizations, many of which are on the U.S. government’s list of foreign terror organizations, poses a potential danger to U.S. citizens in the region. Terrorists and their sympathizers have demonstrated their willingness and capability to attack targets where Americans or Westerners are known to congregate or visit. Their actions may include, but are not limited to, vehicle-born explosives, improvised explosive devices, assassinations, carjacking, rocket attacks, assaults, or kidnappings.

Some examples include Pakistan where a number of extremist groups continue to target U.S. citizens and other Western interests and Pakistani officials. Suicide bombing attacks continue to occur throughout the country on a regular basis, often targeting government authorities such as police checkpoints and military installations, as well as public areas such as mosques, and shopping areas. In Afghanistan, remnants of the former Taliban regime and the al-Qaida terrorist network, as well as other groups hostile to International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)/NATO military operations, remain active. There is an ongoing threat to kidnap and assassinate U.S. citizens and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) workers throughout the country. In India there is a continuing threat of terrorism as attacks have randomly targeted public places frequented by Westerners, including luxury and other hotels, trains, train stations, markets, cinemas, mosques, and restaurants in large urban areas.

Supporters of terrorist groups such as the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, al-Qaida, the Islamic Jihad Union, and the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement are active in the Central Asian region. Members of these groups have expressed anti-U.S. sentiments and have attacked U.S. government interests in the past. Previous terrorist attacks conducted in Central Asia have involved improvised explosive devices, suicide bombings, assassinations, and kidnappings.

<<< geez, Uzbekistan and Eastern Turkistan and even Afghanistan, were they wantonly murder innocent medical aid workers requires a special world-wide notice to “inform the (clueless) American public”? Interesting enough, they don’t issue any warnings regarding the hazards of doing humanitarian relief work around Israel … I suppose getting the crap beat out of you by a Us “ally” isn’t as painful and dangerous as if it had been an attack by al-Qaida. They also, this time, seem to have completely ignored the Philippines (perhaps a first), where the MILF and other al-Qaida-backed groups have been operating with virtual impunity for years, and were undisclosed American forces operate combat support missions on a daily basis. Very selective in their warnings and areas of interest these folks from Foggy Bottom. >>>>

Before You Go

U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department’s travel registration website so that they can obtain updated information on travel and security. U.S. citizens without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, U.S. citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in case of emergency.

U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security. For additional information, please refer to “A Safe Trip Abroad.”

U.S. government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

As the Department of State continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, such as Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as Country Information. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, outside the United States and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday, Eastern Time (except U.S. federal holidays).

American Citizens Services
U.S. Embassy, Manila, Philippines
Telephone: (63 2) 301-2000 extensions 2246 or 2567
Fax: (63 2) 301-2017

<<<< OK, enough editorializing. I’ve complied with my civic duty and the request of the department of State to pass the information on to all US citizens in my organization.

Can’t write any more, I have to crawl under the bed with Otto and drag my computer in their with me, anybody know if I can book a flight to Antarctica? >>>>

Popularity: 27% [?]

Filed Under: Editorials Tagged With: Only thing to fear is fear itself. or woukld that be considered a subversive statement today?

Bet You Never Thought You’d Hear Dave Agreeing With the AARP!

August 13, 2010 By Philly 2 Comments

Yep, times do change, don’t they. I’ve been disgusted for years by many of the head in the sand, sell Wall Street and “Massive Insurance Co.” plans to seniors who didn’t need them approach of this gigantic marketing giant. I’m still not a member, and likely never will be. But as my old friend Par Warhoe always said, “Even a blind hog will find an acorn once in a while”.

Affording Retirement

Social Security Alone Isn’t Enough

Checks from Uncle Sam account for just 40 percent of income for those 65 and older.

by: Jonathan Pond | from: AARP | June 17, 2010

For pre-retirees, this is a wake-up call. Since Social Security doesn’t supply enough income for people to get by financially for even two weeks of each month, how do you make up the difference? According to the EBRI study, pensions and annuities account for about 20 percent of income for the over-65 population, though this percentage may decline as companies terminate pension plans and taxpayers object to generous benefits for public sector employees.

The upshot is that people over 65 will need to rely on earnings (my emphasis)and personal savings to meet nearly half of their retirement income needs. It’s a scary thought, but one that needs to be confronted.

Develop a game plan

Start by figuring out where you stand right now. Use AARP’s Retirement Nest Egg Calculator to crunch the numbers on your current savings and your future income needs. If you come up short — as many people do — think about ways to close the gap, perhaps by increasing your savings and prudently investing those funds that are earmarked for retirement. (or developing a second income, perhaps right from the chair you are sitting in now as you read this) …

It’s not too late to get started

If you’re rapidly approaching retirement age, or find yourself forced to retire early due to job loss or health problems, here are some last-minute strategies to close the gap:

Downsize. If you can get by with a smaller residence, downsizing (or renting) can free up needed funds and reduce your living expenses.
Relocate. Moving to a lower-cost locale in the U.S. or overseas (like the Philippines, maybe?) after retirement can also cut your cost of living.
Put off retirement. You can increase your savings, perhaps dramatically, by continuing to work, if you’re able to do so. (or shifting your focus into an online source you can work from anywhere)
Delay Social Security. Delaying Social Security benefits can result in a higher benefit check for the rest of your life.

All the information presented on AARP.org and by www.philFAQS.com is for educational and resource purposes only. We suggest that you consult with your financial or tax adviser with regard to your individual situation. Use of the information contained in this website is at the sole choice and risk of the reader

You might enjoy reading a bit more about the practical aspects of empowering your own retirement…

Popularity: 9% [?]

Filed Under: Retirement Planning Tagged With: Don't be a slave to Social Security

Slow Down in the Philippines

August 12, 2010 By Philly 16 Comments

One of my long-time Australian readers sent me a link to a nice article from an Australian expat living in Indonesia. It made for some good, and thought-provoking reading.

Even though there are a huge list of differences between living in Indonesia and living in the Philippines, there are definitely some important lessons we expats often could learn from this article:

One night this week, as I strolled home from dinner with my wife, I did something I do all too rarely.

I walked slowly.

Mimicking the pace of the footsteps of those Indonesians around me, my speed more than halved. As my heart rate slowed, the lingering anxiety about the day’s travails and the next day’s deadline quite miraculously seemed to ebb away.

The mind was unburdened. Senses enlivened. Self-obsession gave way to a quiet meditation on the surroundings. Crossing Jalan Asia Afrika, the reflection of the lights off the street, wet after an afternoon storm, dance. Past the shopping mall and down into the kampung, I notice the smells from the vendors’ carts as they fry up tofu, nasi goreng and other delicacies.

Shopkeepers who would usually watch silently as I thundered past come up and say hello and ask after the family. I pay attention to the evening call to prayer and the fine quality of the singing. Later on, a frog jumps among the tangle of vines of a large banyan tree.

Simple pleasures, but rather wonderful nevertheless

One of the things I noticed when I moved to Jakarta was how – even in this bustling city of more than 8 million people – the locals walk at such a languid pace.

Early in my posting, rushing to an appointment, my taxi and a dozen other vehicles suddenly stopped on one of Jakarta’s main thoroughfares as a group of people, their hands held out and palms raised as if activating some kind of force field, idly sauntered across the road.

I was agitated, but the taxi driver was not bothered. Not a single horn tooted.

A few days later, at the city’s famous Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, I observed a Western office worker barreling through a crowd of locals to the bemusement of those around him.

Time and again, I would see it.

Foreigners taking some time out at the park, or promenading in the popular expatriate enclave of Kemang, invariably streaking past everyone else, jumping from the pavement to the road and then back again to avoid the potholes, carts and cigarette stalls.

As one Jakartan put it: ”These bules, they walk like they are being chased by a ghost!”

Like many city-bred Australians, stressed out and always in a hurry, travelling by foot has typically involved going, quite subconsciously, at full tilt, whether to get to the office on time, an appointment or to the shops to get that missing ingredient for dinner.

It’s a habit so ingrained that, even after 18 months in Indonesia, it still takes a deliberate, self-conscious act to slow down.

I am not sure exactly why Indonesians jalan-jalan [walk] so pelan-pelan [slowly]. I’ve met more than one expatriate who has found it infuriating.

No doubt the soporific combination of heat and humidity on the equator plays its role. Perhaps it’s an act of self-preservation given Jakarta’s pavements, if they exist at all, are perilously riddled with holes.

There’s a great Indonesian expression, a hangover from the colonial era that’s still common today, which is also illuminating. Belanda masih jauh [Holland is still far away] is often the rejoinder to anyone who is rushing unnecessarily, or becoming agitated if things are not quite going to plan.

And things in Indonesia don’t always go to plan. Punctuality is not held at a premium. Bureaucrats are maddeningly ponderous. Sending a letter by post brings new meaning to the expression snail mail.

Often, though, the remedy for frustrated expats is to go with the flow, and go slow. (my emphasis) Thanks Tom Allard and the Sydney Morning Herald

I couldn’t agree more with this article, which is why I published it in it;’s entirety .. and remember, if you didn’t read the intro, my opinion is that although this is written about Indonesia, it is completely applicable to living here in the Philippines.

So often I hear from fellow expats how things are always going wrong for them, how they have grown to hate it here, how they can’t stand Filipinos and even how they are planning to give up and go home .. and the root cause of their dissatisfaction is, 99 times out of 100, the fact that they are just frustrated that things won’t move at the pace they are used to, and government rules and procedures that just seem downright, well, “foreign”. Perhaps because they are.

A long time back I remember losing an online friend over an exchange he and I had in a forum group. My former friend made the comment that “if only the Philippine would do, this, and this and this and that, they would become just like Hawaii.”

My response to him was, “Why on earth would we want the Philippines to be like Hawaii. heaven forefend.”

My friend got angry and said that my response was flippant, that I was too much of a wise ass, and that I wasn’t smart enough to see why the Philippines should remake itself in the image of a US state.

Well, flippant and a wise ass I may remain until this day, but I am still exceptionally grateful that the Philippines is not Hawaii or any other US state. The differences, when you get right down to it, are the reasons I like it here …in spite of, or because of, a slower, more laid back way of life.

Many Americns say they share that view with me, but often their attitudes and actions prove they are thinking otherwise. “Why doe sit take so many steps to get something done at Immigration, or the LTO, or wherever?”

“Why don’t ‘they’ computerize this or that function and make things more efficient?”

And so on and so forth.

Why isn’t it living in the Philippines like living in the US? Simple. Because it isn’t. here’s what you get when you type “efficiency” into an online English/Tagalog dictionary:

Search result for efficiency: No match found!

To my mind this is one of the most critical parts of the move or don’t move decision each and every expat needs to make. Instead of continually obsessing on day to day costs, one really needs to carefully consider for themselves if they can slow their pace and also adapt. In my experience a great many Americans and other foreigners can not and they thus condemn themselves to “eternal frustration” during their stay here, unable to accept thing they way they really are.

Please take this advice in the spirit it is written and think the idea of living in the Philippines through very carefully. If you can’t adapt to a very different lifestyle, one that to standard American norms is horribly inefficient and frustrating at times, better think again.&#
160; Not everyone is suited to living the the Philippines. Paul Simon said it years ago:

Slow down, you move too fast
You got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobble stones
Looking for fun and feelin' groovy …….

Popularity: 32% [?]

Filed Under: Editorials, Uncategorized Tagged With: live in the philippies, Living in the Philippiines, Pace of life Philippines

A Surplus of Riches — Or Comparisons of Riches.

August 11, 2010 By Philly Leave a Comment

Just yesterday I found and wrote about a neat online expense comparison tool called Expatistan.com. Expatistan take costs from cites around the world, mostly input by local residents, and cleverly compares them to local costs in a city you might be interested in … giving a quick and first hand look at what it might cost you to live in a far way place.

In les than 24 hours I was made aware of a similar tool know as numbeo.com, which performs some very similar functions and in a roughly similar manner as expatistan.com.

Judging by the time I have spent playing with these tools I find that I have been missing something like this for a long time … perhaps without knowing what I was missing.

I know I always get many queries about costs of living in the Philippines, and by watching the search engine queries come in to the web site I find that cost of living comparisons are a big item of interest. So, for all of you focusing on this aspect of living in the Philippines, here’s a great alternative:

Numbeo works very similarly as Expatistan. You can select a pair of cites to compare basic living costs and the system will spit out a table that gives you a percentage based comparisons of cheaper or more expensive prices in your target city.

Any tool such as these will be handicapped by the amount of data available and the currency and correctness of that data.

I like the system Expatistan uses best, because it allows you to immediately update costs for those cases when you know the system’s assumptions are off, and for the cases when you know you want to bias the figures with costs you happen to know already.

Both systems, though, are excellent examples of using the Internet for something more substantive than playing Farmville on Facebook, and I applaud them both.

One thing of considerable interest to me is, when you compare two cites where you are very familiar with costs (in my case I focused on Denver and Manila), the systems agree within a few percentage points of each other … which they of course should, unless one or the other has gross errors).

But at the same time, my oft referred to “Big Mac Index”, published for years now by the prestigious Economist, and criticized by some as being “too simplistic”, agrees within a few percentage points as well. So simplicity, as in the case of the Big Mac Index, or a bit more sophistication, as in the case of Expatistan or Numbeo, take your pick … the result is still the same … it’s give or take at least 40% cheaper to live in Manila than in a large American city … and there are days that all i care about is the price of an ice cold San Miguel (65 cents US equivalent, today at the sari-sari store around the corner from my house), so why bother making things more complicated?

Popularity: 11% [?]

Filed Under: Costs Tagged With: cost of living Philippines, live in the philippies, Living in the Philippiines

A (soon to be) Definitive Answer to those Cost of Living Questions

August 10, 2010 By Philly 4 Comments

Thanks and a big tip of the blog hat to frequent reader John form Austria for sending this my way. It’s a really kewl tewl put together by just one guy with a sense of purpose, and if we can get enough people participating it will become a very useful tool for expats here in the Philippines and allover the world as well.

What is It? A website and cost of living tool called Expatistan.com (gotta love that name, eh?)

Who Built It? A fellow by the name of Gerardo Robledillo. Big thanks and a double tip of the hat to Gerardo!

How does it Work? Here’s the basics from their FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):

How do you find the prices?

Short answer, I don’t. You do.

Expatistan is a collaborative effort. Prices are added and improved by other users of the website, just like you. Think of it as a Wikipedia for prices. At the moment, there are around 18,300 prices entered by 5,000 users for 289 different cities.

Some of the prices are wrong. Will you fix them?

Well, you can fix them yourself. And entering the correct prices online is probably easier, faster and less boring than having to type and send an email with a long list of prices in it.

How do you know that the prices entered are correct?

By relying on the power of big numbers, and collective wisdom. If you ask one person what is the price for a beer in New York, he may be wrong, he may even be wrong by a long shot. But if you ask 150 people, and you average their answers (in a clever way), then there’s a very good chance that the answer will be pretty accurate.

Anyway, whenever there is not enough data for a city, or if the application suspects that the data is incorrect in any way, there will be a prominent warning in the page alerting of that.

Can you add my city to your index?

Probably, but you will have to ask.

I have started by adding the biggest 850 cities in the world (since I had to make the cut somewhere). I have done that to try to minimize the dispersion of the price entry. The smaller the city, the more likely that only a small number of people will enter prices for it.

Of course, there will be exceptions to this rule. There are some smaller cities that are very popular among expats, or are important in some way. Zürich is a perfect example. It has an official population of only 350,000 people, but it’s quite an important city, with a huge expat community.

If you think that your city may fall in this case, then please, let me know about it (using the contact form at the bottom of the page). More often than not, I will add your city.

Pretty interesting if you ask me … and one of those “head slapper”,”Why Didn’t I Think of That” ideas.

Now I know, immediately, I’m going to get mail and comments from folks who say, “It doesn’t list my city”, or “the prices are too high, too low”, etc.

Well re-read the above Q&A and you(we) can fix it ourselves. I’ve already updated a bunch of prices for Manila, if you are interested in prices in other Philippine cities, just make a request, as Gerardo suggests.

Go forth, compare, enjoy.

Popularity: 18% [?]

Filed Under: Costs Tagged With: Costs Philippines, Live in the Philippines, Living in the Philippiines

Are You On The Map?

August 9, 2010 By Philly 3 Comments

An old joke says that tri-lingual means to speak three languages, bi-lingual means to speak two languages, and mono-lingual means you are an American. But English is not the only language spoken in the USA: Ethnologue lists 162 living languages in the US.

Just take a look at the Modern Language Association’s Language Map of the US. It lists the number of speakers of the top 30 languages, from 28 million Spanish speakers and 2 million Chinese speakers to 118,000 Hungarian speakers, and displays the geographical distribution of each language by county or zip code, as you choose. Language Map

What does it mean?

The MLA Language Map is intended for use by students, teachers, and anyone interested in learning about the linguistic and cultural composition of the United States.

The MLA Language Map uses data from the 2000 United States census to display the locations and numbers of speakers of thirty languages and three groups of less commonly spoken languages in the United States.

The census data are based on responses to the question, "Does this person speak a language other than English at home?"

The Language Map illustrates the concentration of language speakers in zip codes and counties. The Language Map Data Center provides data from Census 2000 about over three hundred languages spoken in the United States, including actual numbers and percentages of speakers.

Data from the 2005 American Community Survey about the thirty languages most commonly spoken in the United States provide a snapshot of recent changes in American language communities.

Why Post it on PhilFAQS?

Well, in the four years I have been living in the Philippines I find that one of the things Filipinos, as a rule, are least interested in seems to be their own country. Sadly.

There are thousands of smart programmers, web designers and engineers, language majors, linguists, sociologist, anthropologists, et al, out there, many unemployed or under employed.

All the data that is needed to construct a similar map for the Philippines is already being collected on a timely basis by the Philippine Census people .. they come to my house every two years or so.

I hear all the time that Tagalong is (or is not) as widely spoken as some people say, that Bisaya is not the second most common language, Ilocano is (or vice-versa), “Dear Philly, I am moving to Podunk City, Podunk Province, what language is most common there?, and the list goes on.

Here’s you chance guys and gals … who wants to step up and build a map useful to your country and the rest of the world as well? (write me privately if you want to, via my “Contact” page above, I can provide some limited server support, etc.)

Popularity: 5% [?]

Filed Under: Phils News Tagged With: Living in the Philippines, Philppine Maps. Live in the Philippines

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay … Yet Another $770 a Month in the Philippines Angle

August 8, 2010 By Philly 2 Comments

Years ago my elder brother, a social worker by profession, had a job in far upstate New York, where the economy temporarily boomed back in the 1960’s, during the construction of the massive St. Lawrence Seaway System. Well once the canal and locks and other work was done, there was little or no work up in the far northern New York counties … just as there isn’t to this day. But people didn’t tend to worry … they had “the Welfare”.

A big part of my brother’s work was the administration,applications, protests, fraud investigations and tons of other paperwork and court cases involving “the Welfare”. He didn’t much care for the work, but he kept plugging away at it until one day an event opened his eyes and he put in his retirement papers.

A young couple came to him, the woman obviously pregnant, and stated they had a question for him. “Sure, he replied”, as a dutiful Public Servant, “How may I help you”?

They told him they were getting married, and they had come into his office to find out how much “the Welfare” would pay them married, or living separately, so they could chose the most profitable course for their future.

Digging a little into the records, my brother found that all four parents of the couple were "on “the Welfare”, and seven out of the eight grandparents were also on “the Welfare”. (grandparent number eight, he exception, was a member of a local Native American tribe and was on the dole from the tribe rather than the state of New York).

(Oh, and for those of you reading this from the USA, bubbling over with the scarcely-hidden racism I see so often these days, all these folks except the Indian fellow were ‘good old” White, European stock, all born in the USA for generations. In those days there were virtually no Black Americans in his county and Mexicans (the current scapegoat for anything wrong in the USA) were unheard of.)

My brother (child of two WW II vets and a decorated Korean War vet himself) said that was the day that “did it” for him. He put in his papers, left New York for good, and moved to a little cinderblock house down in central Florida. In his own words he told me, “Dave, I may not be living as great a retied life as many do, and I sure didn’t follow a lot of the ‘rules of retirement’ in building up my investments,etc., before I retired, but I am happy. I just could not stomach putting another whole generation onto the horrific system that makes people dependent on the government from birth until death … never knowing the joy of actually making their own way.” “It just didn’t seem like America to me anymore.”

Well, it just doesn’t feel like America to me anymore, either. Recall I wrote just a week or so back about a construction worker who had been out of work for TWO YEARS and had yet to think of anything more productive to do except teach his young daughter to fish. Waiting, waiting, wishing, wondering … kind of like Otis Redding sang in 1967:

Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun
   I’ll be sittin’ when the evenin’ come
Watching the ships roll in
   And then I watch ‘em roll away again, yeah
I’m sittin’ on the dock of the bay
   Watching the tide roll away
Ooo, I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay
Wastin’ time …

Let me ask you this, are you doing something, today, for your own future, or are you sitting and “Wastin time … ?

So what prompted this latest “get off your butt and work for yourself” diatribe, Dave?

Simple. As many of you know I enjoy watching the search terms that people use top find their way to PhilFAQS. Yesterday one came through that I could not believe … had to look several times to see if it was real. Certainly seemed to be, came from an individual SBC Internet provider account in California. What was it?

“If I only make $700 a month, can I get Food Stamps in the Philippines”?

As my old friend Dave Barry frequently asserts: "I am not making this up".

Now I’ll excuse this hapless Internet searcher for not knowing that we don’t have food stamps here in the Philippines. We don’t have Medicare, 99 weeks of Unemployment Insurance free tuition community colleges, free busses to transport the elderly back and forth to their doctor’s appointments, or virtually any of the other “the Welfare” safety nets and stopgaps that Americans have come to regard as normal. I mean, after all, the schools in the US virtually don’t teach geography or anything much about other countries … and if you don’t ask then how will you know?

But the part that is most troubling to me is the idea that anyone in California, US of A, would be happy enough with $700 USD a month to be looking around to see if s/he could live in another country on that amount.

Friends, any of you who started today, and out in as much time as most Americans spend watching TV a few nights a week, could be making more than $700 a month in say,the 99 weeks my fisherman friend sat waiting for something to happen. Watching the ships roll away in other words. It won’t fall in your lap, but if you work, and follow a proven system that involves delivering value with the knowledge and skills you already possess, it can happen.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Filed Under: Editorials Tagged With: Don't get a job!, Get a job Philippine, get a life

More Subic Destinations — Johan’s Resort

August 7, 2010 By Philly 3 Comments

Last week the UnofficialCook and i went to Subic to have lunch with friends and then to attend one of the regular mixers put on by the Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce (thanks for inviting us, Susan), held at Johan’s Beach and Dive Resort. Now immediately many readers are going to say, why would Philly be going to a Chamber of Commerce affair? is he planning on “putting up a business” as we so often say here in the Philippines?

Nope. I’m retired and plan to stay that way so far as the Philippines is concerned. Of course I do have a business .. I make a nice little monthly income through a number of on-line ventures, and unlike a J*O*B which so many of you seem to be enamored of, I can turn the wick up higher, or turn it down and let it simmer as desired. I can’t be fired and I report to no bosses (and since 100% of my income comes from outside the Philippines, I only pay the taxes I need to pay to the US).

But just because I am not a Philippine business person doesn’t mean I am not vitally interested in Philippine business … and unlike so many of my fellow expats who seem to have one nasty misadventure after another with Philippine business, I find that getting to know Filipino business people not only expands my horizons, but makes the way through life here go ever so much smoother. I’m often quite “put off” by the way fellow expats try to make the adventure of living in the Philippines an “us” versus ‘them” affair. I find the more Filipino friends I meet, the better life goes here.

Two very interesting folks I met were Carlo Zialcita, office chief for the Clark-Subic Satellite office of the Philippine Retirement Authority, the folks who bring us the excellent, but widely misunderstood SRRV (Special Resident Retirement Program). I had no idea the PRA had so many office and ‘real people’ on the ground in support of the program. A very interesting statistic Carlo shared with me was the demographics of the visa program. Being a typical American, even though I advise people not to fall into this trap, I did and I assumed the USA and then probably the UK and some other European nations would be in the lead for new visa holders. ha. Not so much. Chinese, Korean, Japanese and then the USA in a distant fourth place. Seems like (my opinion only, of course) a lot of other nations are much smarter at realizing a good deal when they see it. Interesting. You can always call Carlo to learn more, his office is 047-224-1471 (to call from overseas, dial your country’s IDD code (011 in the US) and then 6347-224-1471).

Met many more friendly and interesting folks there as well … including some fellow foreigners living in the Philippines on the SRRV and enjoying it as well as a fascinating lady from Australia who lives here with her husband on a very rare breed of residency … a Quota Visa … something that seems to be a very well protected secret. Hope she comes by and emails so we can get in touch and find out more info on this aspect of living in the Philippines.

view from the beach at Johan's beach and dive resort But wait. I started out writing this article to talk about Johan’s Beach and Dive Resort where the mixer was held, and I haven’t even mentioned it yet. Typical of me, off on a tangent.

You’ve heard me mention before there are a lot of good places to dine, stay and to have fun around Subic. Johan’s is certainly very high on that list. Located on Baloy Beach off the National Highway right at the border between barrio Barrette, Onlongapo City and Subic Town, Zambales. Johan’s is a small (physically) hotel, bar, restaurant, PADI-certified dive school and general all ‘round activity center that will take more than one visit to explore thoroughly. Johan’s is a lot bigger than it looks!

One thing the have I already know about which is pretty unique to the Philippines … suppose you wanted to fly all the way to the beach of your resort? No hours on a bus fighting traffic to cross the plains of Luzon .. just get on a plane and get dropped off on Johan’s beach. You know me and airplanes. That is not me flying the seaplane, but someday, you never know …

The parts of Johan’s I did have a chance to sample were just great. Since we were attending the SBFCC Mixer we decided to try the rooms at Johan’s .. why drive later after the party?

Room at Johan's beach resort We made reservations for one of the most basic of rooms … we did, however spring for the upgrade of air-conditioning, looked pretty much like the picture, and for only P1000 per night the room was highly satisfactory. Remember, this is a beach resort, not a five star hotel, but it was clean, comfortable and had all advertised and required amenities and then some.

But when you are staying at a place with as many activities as Johan’s offers, the room is really secondary … just a place to rest after you have eaten and drunk your fill in Johan’s outstanding restaurant and bar facilities. Wow. Talk about a hidden gem. I bet I have driven past Johan’s (a block away on the National Highway) at least a couple hundred times already .. some of those time, hungry . How I wish I had stopped before.

Johan, who has been in the tourist-pleasing business in the Philippines for more than 25 years now, is a European-trained chef … and it shows.

The first time the Cook and I sat at one of the restaurant tables I was puzzled by what looked like a loose-leaf binder book the wait staffers seemed to be carrying. Then our waitress handed me one. It was the menu!

I haven’t seen a menu that extensive in years … specialties from all over the world. And beer? More than 50 specialty brands, from Johan’s native Belgium all across Europe and the rest of the world as well. No place else in the Philippines comes close. And open 124-7 as well? How convenient is that. I liked it.

For the catered mixer Johan and staff served up a very large buffet … food from all over the world, including more ways to prepare and season oysters and mussels than I can remember. Breakfast the next day was very nice too … the Cook and I thoroughly enjoyed our stay and very much appreciated Johan’s individual attention and conversation. We’ll be back. Recommended.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Filed Under: Things to Do Tagged With: live in the philippies, Living in the Philippiines, Philippine hotels, Philippine resorts

Where Have I Been Lately? Casablanca Hotel Subic

August 4, 2010 By Philly 12 Comments

A week ago on Monday the Unofficial Cook and I took had a lovely lunch with my good friend Paul and his lovely wife Mayang at the Casablanca Hotel inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ – Formerly the US Navy Subic base) . You’ve heard me mention Subic many times before, and it’s pretty likely you’ll hear me mention both the SBFZ and the surrounding area of Olongapo City and Subic town.

Why? Because I go there often, and I like the place.

Why? Because people are friendly there, businesses are well organized to serve the visitor, roads are maintained and not clogged with tricycles (people even stop at stop signs … go see for yourself) and I love being able to be so close to the sea. And we both love to eat, and there are a number of places in the Subic Bay area who will not disappoint on that score.

But on this trip I have to say we found a gem that does a whole lot better than “not disappoint”. The facility is immaculate,with plenty of paved parking easily accessible, right out in front. Inside it is easy to see the owner used nothing but the best in building materials and techniques.

In addition to standard hotel rooms (and as you can see from the graphic, the “standard” room at Casablanca would be a “superior” or higher at most Philippine hotels, the hotel also offers 1 and two bedroom condo style units for rent at nightly, weekly, monthly, or even longer-term rates if you ask the management.

People often ask me for recommendations for places to stay for a few weeks or a few months in the Philippines, so they can have a base of operations and not have to put up with the expense and inconvenience of a regular hotel room.

Short and medium term rentals are hard to find … and many that are available are … well to put it frankly, crap. The Casablanca has great deals and their property is immaculate .. I inspected a one bedroom unit, and not only is it clean, very comfortably furnished, and well off-street and away from traffic … it is about twice the size of a comparable unit in top of the line Makati condos .. places that sell in the 6 to 8 million Pesos range and that rent for $2000USD per month and up.

And instead of living in the city, you are on the shores of Subic Bay, with no peddlers, smoky tricycles, hookers and all the other “street life” you will find in big cities. Philly rates this establishment a true bargain, especially at current off-peak “Rainy Day” rates. Recommended.

(and for those of you not too familiar with our Central Luzon “rainy season”, it’s not all as rainy as you might think. Showers most afternoons, a few heavy rains often at night, and temperatures usually substantially cooler than the hotter months earlier in the year. It seldom means days of rain where you are cooped up inside, but you might have to dodge a shower or two as you go about your daily fun activities.)

Now as I mentioned, the reason I went to Casablanca was a lunch engagement with my fellow blogger, Paul. He claimed that a place he knew on Subic served Philly Cheese steak sandwiches as good as they serve in Philadelphia. Having been to South Philly myself for the “real thing”, and using the nickname “Philly” as well, I just had to call Paul on this … and the only way to know if Paul knew what he was talking about would be to put the sandwiches to the test …so we did, meeting for lunch at 8 bells on the forenoon watch at Casablanca.

The menu there is not huge, but it’s broad enough to suit most anyone’s taste … and yes, the Philly Cheese steak could easily pass for the “real thing” from South Philly … although without the dripping oil and mess … at my age, I don’t need the fat anyway. Pleasantly absent were the all so common Filipino beef gristle, globs of fat and murderous little bone chips. An excellent sandwich.

The rest of the menu items all seemed equal or better quality and the staff gives prompt, attentive and pleasant service. Very reasonable prices as well. Again, Recommended.

And it’s safe to say one of the highlights of the visit was the personal care and attention of the establishment’s GM, Kristian Nielsen. Kristian gave us personal attention every step of the way, proudly showed off the rooms and the pool (with swim-up bar, how kewl is that?), and answered tons of questions about the facilities. He’s the kind of guy who instead of trying to just “sell you a room” sat with us and asked who would be attending a planned family trip, deciding if two single rooms would best accommodate our group, or the one bedroom condo offering, and then showed us everything to make sure we knew what we might be booking. So different to the average hotel experience where it is expected you know what you want, you’re asked to make a snap decision between room choices, and if there was something that would have suited your group better, you will never know … as long as they have your dough.

Thank you, Kristian for the service, for the great training and leadership you give the staff and for a very enjoyable conversation with our meal … we’ll be back for sure.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to remind me that I didn’t make the room rates easy to find. Fixed that. Also, when I published the article earlier, I noted that the Casablanca’s main web page had one of those “talk to us now by instant chat” buttons, (which often prove worthless). I pressed it and got an answer in 45 seconds. Great communication. Other hotels who want to learn how to make money in the Philippines will do well to copy some of the ways the Casablanca staff tries to be accessible to their clients.

Another item I probably should have mentioned. This hotel is on the waterfront side of Argonaut Highway, very near the Tipo gate of Subic, but it is not “beachfront”. There is no beach directly accessible from the hotel property. There are excellent white sandy public beaches in easy driving or shuttle bus range … just didn’t want to make it sound as if it were directly on the beach.

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Filed Under: Things to Do Tagged With: Philippine things to do, Subic hotels, subic restaraunts

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