The Absence of Possessions

"The barrier that many find difficult to overcome is the attachment they have to their possessions. Many become possessed by the very possessions they have worked so hard to obtain, only to lose themselves in the illusion of the comfort that possessing something that devalues over time and along with it, the possession." Excerpt from The Book of Curthom

Since living here in the Philippines, I have come to accept the delicate balance between what you need and what you have. Oftentimes we think that we need more than what we already have only to be distracted by the attention the additional item in our life creates. It's amazing to me looking back in hindsight, how little is really needed in order to live a life of complex simplicity. As ironic as that may sound, it does take a degree of accepting your life as you imagine it to be to be at peace with yourself and the things that you don't have. Like many things in life, you will come to the middle ground within your understanding that all that you desire is not really necessary and that what you do have is more than enough, in fact so much, you share it with others. "Peace be with your understanding of the things you desire are not always your wants and that your needs are more than satisfied when you find yourself in the abundance of compassion."

Cost Of Living In The Philippines

The Philippines is dubbed to be one of The Eight Top Places In The World To Retire by “International Living.” I would argue that of the 196 countries, including the newest country, South Sudan on the continent of Africa, there are more than eight countries that make up an excellent environment for which to retire. The cost of living that you chose, largely has to do with which of the 196 countries you chose to live in.

One hundred ninety-six countries make up our Planet, so there are many more than eight countries in which to chose from to retire to, but the Philippines is the subject of this article. Of the 196 countries of the world, only 192 are members of the United Nations. Why is that important to understand? Well, if you chose to retire to any one or several of these 192 United Nation member countries and have a problem on the magnitude that you need United Nation’s intervention, you will sure be grateful that the country you retired to is a member, not only for the extra sense of safety that it implies, but for arbitration purposes too!

Two countries, such as Kosovo and the Vatican are also not members of the United Nation. Kosovo and the Vatican are independent countries, but I digress. The Philippines is a great place to live if you are willing to take the time to understand the culture, the people and the aspirations of those around you. The Philippines like most developing countries has what most foreigners to the country seek, such as friendliness of the population, fresh food and clean water, interesting terrain, seas and oceans and a vibrant culture that is sure to please any human with a pulse.

Perspective

Most visitors to the Philippines are blessed with a positive experience during their visits and at some point in their lives, chose to relocate and settle in the Philippines if not for the entire year, surely for many months at a time, while exploring other parts of East Asia and South East Asia. Staying in the Philippines for a few months makes it possible to save enough money to travel more extensively through out other parts of the developing world, although the developed world is considerable more expensive to travel to and stay for any period of time without substantial resources.

The Philippines government has many retirement schemes available for those interested in settling down and for many it is an affordable option. For those who are interested in buying real estate, it helps if your Asawa (spouse) is a Filipina citizen, otherwise you will be limited to just purchasing a condominium but not owning the property that it sits on. No foreigner can legally own land in the Philippines unless they are in a relationship with a Filipina or Filipino.

Budget

The cost of living in the Philippines is really a non-issue for the overwhelming majority of foreigners who have some form of reliable cash flow that comes in frequently enough that they are within whatever budget that they have set for themselves. It is generally those who don’t have a budget or don’t know what they’re spending whom often run into problems financially. Many foreigners have some sort of predictable cash flow and they try to stay within their budget. Having said that, you can live in the Philippines on $400.00 a month or $4,000.00 a month. It all depends on how you chose to live and where you live in the Philippines. The Philippines has something for everyone on every budget, but you don’t want to be broke in the Philippines, unless you have a cadre of friends that have your back.

The hardest decision for many who move to the Philippines is determining what sort of environment they wish to live, such as in the city, just outside the city by a few miles or the rural area or on or near the coast. The Philippines is just as safe as any big city where you’re from or any rural area that you’ve been to back home. The area you chose to live has a rather substantial impact as to what your cost of living will be. There are advantages to living in each area, no matter which area you chose to live. For example, if you chose to live in the city, you can anticipate lots of traffic, noise, people who are often in a hurry and the stress that comes from it all. If, you chose to live in a rural area, you can anticipate having to give up some of the conveniences of the city, such as a late night taxi or a meal outside your home and any nightlife, if that is your preference. If, you decide to live on or near the coast, there are the concerns about typhoons, tsunamis, flooding, mudslide (primarily in areas where there is little or no foliage around your dwelling), but you’ll have access to beautiful landscapes and fresh seafoods.

Food

You can live a relatively comfortable life in the Philippines if you live like a citizen from the Philippines, instead of trying to duplicate the place from which you came from. If, you try to replicate your life from your home country in the Philippines, you may find that it can get very expensive, very quickly, especially if you’re consuming imported foods from back home.

Philippines cooking and cuisine most foreigners who enjoy Chinese food will agree is quite delicious and nutritious, although for most of us, we have to be mindful of the salt (sodium) content of many dishes, unless we are sweating profusely each day, doing whatever. My meals are cooked in a dirty kitchen which is outdoors using the insides of a fresh young coconut (lobi), with one or two handfuls of rice grain placed inside and then placed on top of coconut charcoal to cook and about twenty minutes later, the meat is placed inside with fresh garlic, lemon grass and or peppers. Masarap (delicious) and satisfying when served.

If, you eat seasonal vegetables and fruits, which is almost laughable, now that I think about it, considering that the Philippines has basically two seasons, wet and dry seasons and fresh vegetables and fruits are available all year round. Elect to eat native foods of the Philippines and you will be in excellent shape financially, but if you eat fast foods that are located in the Philippines, you will blow through your budget rather quickly, but you’ll have comfort food that might remotely remind you of the familiar.

Furniture and Appliances

Bringing furniture from your home country to the Philippines is expensive when you compare the cost of furniture in the Philippines, that can be built from native materials, but more than a few foreigners do just that, import their lifestyles from back home. I sit on the bamboo floor and sleep on the bamboo floor with a Nilo wood pillow that looks like a half-round, one-foot fence post, but I understand too, that most foreigners want the pleasure of a mattress.

Appliances should be brought within the Philippines if at all possible and can be easily financed over a period usually not to exceed a year. A refrigerator is a must for most households, but since I don't store foods and eat fresh raw foods each day, I don't have a refrigerator. I do have a two burner gasul (LPG) stove that is more than adequate to cook with when it is raining. Most foreigners will want more conveniences, but I don't need more than that to live comfortably in the Philippines.

Housing

I live in a Nipa hut or bamboo house on the property of close friends, so there is usually someone at home all the time. My Ninong (Godmother) and Ninang (Godfather) are retired university professors and they have a nice piece of property not too far from the ocean and I enjoy my place there, but I know that most foreigners would be uncomfortable living in such a fashion.

Even with the number of times in all the many years that I have to replace the palm and bamboo thatched roof, side walls and floors, the cost of maintaining the place is about one or three months rent or household expense of many of my foreigner friends. There are housing choices to fit every situation from the native, like me, to the gated communities with ever-present security guards. How much you spend on housing largely depends on how populated the area you chose to live is and how close it is to modern conveniences.


Maids

More than a few foreigners have one or two and sometimes three domestic workers or maids, who clean, cook, do laundry and teach their children the native languages Tagalog or Visayan or Chinese. It’s all a matter of personal preferences, but I do not have a maid. I clean my own Nipa hut, do my wash outdoors by hand and hang my clothes to dry in the fresh breeze, although there is usually someone burning cobra, which is dried coconut shell as charcoal to cook their meals, so my laundry smells like smoke most of the time. I cook my own meals and sometimes go out and eat at a nearby sari-sari (small store), which is often incredibly cheap and tasty.

Clothing

Unless you live in the Manila area and go over to the Divisoria Night Market, clothing is inexpensive for some, but expensive in my opinion, unless you buy from the Utay-Utays, which are tables set up like some flea markets in America, where the prices are generally fixed priced. Each table at a Utay-Utay will have clothing at a set price and you look for clothing that suits you.

Many foreigners will be frustrated that it is sometimes quite challenging to find clothing in their size, so it may be a good idea to bring as much as what you need to wear, when you come. You need at least one long pair of pants for casual outings and one long pair of pants for more formal occasions and if you like, at least one Barong Tagalog, which is mesh-like dress shirt akin to a suit in the Philippines, but more comfortable in its tropical climate.

Ultimately, what it cost for you to live in the Philippines or anywhere else in the world is largely depended on your lifestyle and your environment. I don’t drink alcohol or smoke and I don’t chase women or fool around with other men’s women, so my life is rather sedate compared to most of the foreigners that I have observed here in the Philippines. I don’t own a car here or a motor scooter, but I do have a hybrid bicycle that I ride occasionally, but my principle means of transportation is the jeepney, the trike, the bus, and the ship or ferry. I rarely fly except to enter or leave the Philippines to travel somewhere else, but if I’m just going someplace within South East Asia, such as Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam or Indonesia, I prefer taking a ship.

I find that the majority of people who overspend their budget in the Philippines, do so because of an unplanned emergency, too many girlfriends, too many expenses that probably could have been avoided if they had taken a little more time to do some research and counseling from those who have lived in the Philippines longer than they have, but mostly because they were in a hurry.


Currency and Exchange Rates

The exchange rate in the Philippines realitive to your home currency fluctuates from time to time and for many of us, too often, but still most foreigners do okay by not having to exchange their currencies too often. If, you’re fortunate to have a little money tucked away in some investment that pays in Philippines Pesos, you’re indeed one of the lucky ones. One other necessity is to develop right away, the instinct to adopt the idea of thinking in Philippines Pesos rather than your home currency. It’s okay to use your home currency for references, but the sooner you get used to the idea of thinking in Philippines Pesos, the sooner you’ll realize how expensive some things that you routinely buy are really not a good deal, such as the price of food items inside the mall, as opposed to the price of food at a mom and pop stand (sari-sari), just outside the mall. The same food essentially and actually better tasting oftentimes then the mall foods and definitely cheaper.

You will get the best exchange rates from the Chinoy-owned (Chinoy-Chinese-Filipinos) and Indian or Muslim-owned, foreign currency counters in the large malls such as SM, Ayala, Robinson and Gaisano. When converting your currency, use large bills because it brings a higher exchange rate and some foreign currency counters may or may not exchange smaller denominations. Most foreign currency desks won’t exchange coins, so hang on to that or give it away as charity or tips.

Major banks are just so-so for foreign exchange transactions and many foreigners tend to use bank atms for this, but be wary of the Philippines peso amount that bank atms will give you because many foreign banks will charge you a certain foreign currency transaction fee amount for each time you get money. Most credit unions charge about 2% foreign currency transaction fees, whereby many foreign mega banks will charge you a $5 foreign transaction fee plus 3-5% on top of that for the amount you withdraw.

Often, to get more substantial amounts of Philippines pesos for your needs, you will need to walk inside and use a bank teller, to save on having to withdraw multiple times to avoid the excessive foreign exchange transaction fees which add up over time to be a concern for most living in the Philippines. You may even want to consider opening up a bank account in the Philippines to facilitate some of your financial needs.

Expectations

I know that this article will disappoint many who read it, because they were expecting to see a dollar comparison of living in the Philippines versus where they live now. If, there is one point I wish to make about living in the Philippines, it is that it is all realitive to what standard you wish to impose upon yourself. You live a fantastically luxurious life here in the Philippines or you can live similar to what I do and have a fantastic experience that memories are built on. Pretty much whatever your budget in dollars or whatever your unit of currency is in your developed part of the world, you can live comfortably and in the company of people, you can call friends here in the Philippines.

You can’t be in a hurry when you live in the Philippines. Most of your overspending will result from being in a hurry. As Westerners, most of us enjoy conveniences of saving time and if you have money (relative to your home country, when you compare prices in the Philippines), it is too easy to overspend, because you want to save time. If, you’re truly retired in the Philippines, there is no rush to get anything done, unless you’re trying to impress your friends or those around you.

Health Care

Health care is reasonable in the Philippines and down right inexpensive if you plan ahead for medical care. More than a few Americans living in the Philippines are veterans of the U.S. military and some of them enjoy the added benefit of being able to use the Veteran’s Hospital located near Manila in Quezon City. Most of us rely on local medical providers for our ongoing chronic medical conditions and pay out of pocket for everything. Those who are married to Filipino/Filipina citizens can avail of different in-country health programs such as PhilHealth.

Hospitals vary widely in quality and location and if you have a life-threatening condition, you’ll probably want to live rather close to a comprehensive medical facility, which are generally located in the big cities. Private hospitals tend to be more expensive than the public hospitals, but the Philippines is becoming a place for medical tourist, so I really wouldn’t worry about health care too much. Quality care is available and affordable if you ask your Pinoy or Pinay friends who they recommend.

I live in the Philippines because I love the people and the culture and it is a healthy and an affordable place to live on my limited budget, whereby back in America, I would be just another homeless individual, struggling to make ends meet. In the Philippines, I can eat fresh foods, walk every day when I feel well and enjoy the company of great Filipino and Filipina kabigans (friends), who look after me when I’m ill.

Education

Education in the Philippines is free from age 7 to age 12, but many of the schools will have additional fees from time to time, to help support extra activities at school such as field trips and the like. Students will be required to furnish their own books and materials. Many foreigners send their children to public schools in the Philippines and some opt for private schools. Most of the schools require a uniform of some sort, so budget for that. There are numerous colleges and universities and a host of vocational and trade schools available also. Education is affordable compared to Western costs and the quality of education is generally dependent on the school funding and parental involvement.

Entertainment

Entertainment is one of the areas that you have a wide sway over, considering your vices if any and how much you entertain them while in the Philippines. I like to walk and sightsee and take a boat ride to other islands when there are promos. I spend a fair amount of time talking to locals and riding my bicycle to adjourning villages. I go to the mountains for several weeks at a time and I spend some time on the coast and very little time in the city, unless I’m going to some free event.

Entertainment is not really a challenge or concern unless you drink heavily and wonder where you are when you sober up or like to club hop or chase the beauty around you. If, you take your time in the Philippines and plan some of your activities, you will find that the Philippines has an abundance of things to do and most of those things cost less than you thought.

Whatever you do for entertainment in the Philippines, be aware that it is an unspoken custom that if you invite someone to go somewhere with you, don’t be surprised if they show up with one or two extra folks that you didn’t count on. It is common in the Philippines for a woman to have an escort if she is from the village and maybe less likely to have an escort in the city. Just be prepared for the unusual and enjoy yourselves.


Lifestyle and Environment

Sure there are foreigners who live in gated communities and big high-rise condos here who look down on foreigners like me, but I live with the Filipino people and interact with them every day and have learned to speak many of the dialects of the islands here and surrounding countries. To those foreigners I say, in the Filipino tradition, “more power to them,” I’m just making my way in life, trying not to create any drama for anyone, in hopes that no drama will impede my path.

No matter what lifestyle you chose to live in the Philippines and no matter what environment or area you chose to live here in the Philippines, remember this one truth about the Philippines; no one builds a fortune here in the Philippines that can’t be taken away from you, unless you build that fortune with the many friends you have garnished during your stay here that isn’t based on money. People will be drawn to you for one or two reasons or both; you have money and you don’t mind sharing it and/or, you are simply, simple, but genuine. "More power to you, should you decide to join us the land of smiles."

Three Questions About The Philippines For 2011

No matter how remote off the beaten path I find myself in The Philippines, just about everyone I meet or spend some time with talking about life in general, ask one or a combination of the three following questions. I'm usually asked why am I in the Philippines? How long have I been in the Philippines and why is it that I don't have a girlfriend or a wife? So, to bring the top three questions back for 2011 in hopes that others can extend their comments to the conversation, here are my understandings as what I have either personally experienced or observed, while in the Philippines.

Why is it the population census states that the ratio of women to men in the Philippines is 1:1, but boots on the ground, shows otherwise nearly everywhere you go?

Overwhelmingly, as I travel from Luzon to Mindanao and places in between, I find that there is an imbalance of more women than men. Does it have to do with that there are more women working in the cities and so they migrate for work? I don’t know for sure, but I do know that when I am in the remote areas of the Philippines, far removed from the cities, that the ratio of women to men, seems to confirm what the census states.

What is the difference between dating a “holy, holy woman” and a “non-holy, holy woman” in the Philippines?

From what I have observed and from what I have experienced from visiting and living the Philippines is that, a woman who is “holy, holy,” is someone worthy of taking to visit your parents and has an active relationship with her religious faith. Someone who is indirect about what she wants from you. A woman who is non-holy, holy, may or may not have active participation with her religious faith and you may want to think about a bit more before introducing her to your family. Someone who is more direct about what she wants from you.

Why is it so difficult to meet someone who is worthy of your time in Manila, Cebu or Davao?

You can certainly meet someone who is worthy of your time if you’re not in a hurry to form a relationship, but are patient and understanding and accepting, that it takes time to build and nourish any relationship that creates a meaningful emotional bond for each of you.

If, you would like to join the discussion about Filipina women and foreign men or pinoy, feel free to leave a comment.

Are You Involved In A Relationships With A Filipina?

Any man who is involved in a relationship with a Filipina needs to understand the three principle influences on his Filipina. These three principle influences are the reasons why your Filipina does what she does and behaves in the way that you may find pleasing, unattractive or a matter of further discussion. Most of these principles are somewhat familiar to Western men or foreigners, but how they are interpreted may be foreign to most men outside of the Philippines.

The three most common relationships in the Philippines are familial kinships relationships, ritual kinship relationships and something called, “utang na loob.” Familial kinship relationships involve blood relatives. Ritual kinship relationships are numerous ceremonial relationships a Filipina has to her religion, her in-laws, her school, classmates (barkadas and kabigans), her co-workers, if she has been gainfully-employed for some time and professional associations.

The utang na loob relationship is generally what confuses most foreigners who are involved with a Filipina. Utang na loob translates literally as “debt to inside” “inner debt” or translating loosely, as “being grateful.” To understand utang na loob, you have to accept that Philippines society at its foundation is a society based on granting favors and accepting favors and this helps to keep interpersonal relationships grounded in the concept of reciprocity.

It is this reciprocity that holds Philippines society together at the interpersonal level and is expected by anyone and everyone who hopes to live within this society. Through the act of giving and receiving favors, one establishes utang na loob, or becoming in debt to someone. To whom a Filipina is in debt to depends on her status in society and the status of the person she is receiving from or granting to.

Utang na loob is but one of two types of debt that a Filipina incurs in Filipina society. The difference between the two involves the amount of emotions involved. The reciprocity of granting and receiving favors that exists in the Philippines to keep relationships favorable can be broken down to these two acts: contractual and utang na loob.

We are all familiar with contractual acts that involve a written or oral agreement between the receiver and the giver, such as a contract to build a house or provide a service. In a contractual act, each person involved knows their duties and carries it out appropriately and their is generally little or no emotion involved and when the contracted act is completed, all involved go on to something else.

With utang na loob, the giving and receiving of favors may be unmeasurable depending on who is giving a favor and who is receiving a favor. The most common utang na loob is the granting of a parent to their children, such as bringing that child into this world and a debt that the child could never repay. Every child is expected to take care of their parents in their parent’s old age.

Another common form of utang na loob is the sister or brother who provides for the education of her sister or brother and then their are the utang na loob of others, such as a lawyer who frees a wrongly arrested person for an alleged serious offense or the doctor who saves a person’s life. These acts of utang na loob can never be measured or paid back, so a person is forever in debt to the giver, whose status is greater than that of their own. So, in essence, being grateful is another aspect of Philippines society.

Being grateful and being aware of the gratitude that a Filipina has for her familial kinship relationships, ceremonial or ritual kinship relationships and utang na loob relationships, should help to clarify why your Filipina acts or behaves the way she does. Say for instance, you gave your Filipina a gift and she accepts it, thanks you and walks into another room and you’re left puzzled. It is considered rude in the Philippines to open a gift in front of the person who gave it to you. If, you open a gift in front of the person who gave it to you, they may deem you to be greedy or worse yet, that you will expose the gift they gave you to everyone else looking and that the gift may not be as opulent as the next person’s gift.

Foreigners involved with a Filipina will have to be especially careful when interacting with her family, for you may have obligations that you aren’t aware of if you don’t remember the act of utang na loob and how it influences everything around you while in the Philippines and even after you leave. If, you have a problem in the Philippines, just remember to consult with your Filipina first or a well-intended foreigner who have been living in the Philippines for a number of years. Also, think about reciprocity, receiving and granting favors, familial, ritual and utang na loob relationships and be grateful that you are able to travel to and stay in the warm, friendly and beautiful Philippines.

Giving Birth In The Land Of Paradise, Consular Report of Birth Abroad

You’re in the Philippines and your significant other, girlfriend, fiancee, or wife gets pregnant from you and you want to give your child U.S. citizenship. How do you go about it?

Under current Philippines law, a child born to a Filipino/Filipina parent upon filing for and taking an oath of allegiance, establishes or regains Philippines citizenship, irrespective of where they were born.

When you’re child is born in the Philippines of a American Citizen and Filipina/Filipino, you will have to get from the National Statistics Office (NSO), a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate.

National Statistics Office, Manila

You will need to obtain from the U.S. Embassy either in Manila or the U.S. Consulate’s Office in Cebu, an Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Form DS-2029. There are additional requirements that you can read at the Embassy Site.

For example, if you are not married and living in the Philippines and you have a baby with your girlfriend or fiancee, you have the additional requirement of having to produce proof of legitimation. Legitimation is essentially providing proof that a relationship existed during the time of pregnancy and afterwards. The standard of proof is similar to that of apply for a Fiancee Visa where you have to prove your relationship with correspondence letters, e-mails, photos of the two of you together, hotel receipts and any accounts that you hold jointly, etc.

You will need to file for your child’s passport (Form DS-11) and social security number at the same time you do the Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad. You can apply for your child’s social security number at the time of their registration for a passport only if they are under 5 years of age.

You will need to gather your forms for Consular Report of Birth, DS-2029, and Form DS-11 for Application for U.S. Passport and the Application for a Social Security Card (SS-5-FS) and State Department Regulation passport photos of the child and baby pictures.

You will need the NSO certified birth certificate, your U.S. passport, a marriage certificate or proof of your relationship with the mother (or father). You will need any issued government ID’s for you and your significant other or wife. You will need proof of your U.S. residency and your proof of legitimation.

Once you got all your documents and evidence together you will need to mail everything or send by courier, to the U.S. Embassy at this address:

Citizenship and Passport Unit, American Embassy, 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Ermita, 1000 Manila.
If, you need assistant you can contact the Embassy at: (63) 2-879-4747 between 0730 and 1630 hours, Monday through Friday. The U.S. Embassy is closed on U.S. and Philippines holidays.

The Embassy Citizenship and Passport Unit will schedule a personal interview appointment in which time you and your significant other and the baby will show up. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad fees are about $65.00, but check with the Embassy to make sure there hasn’t been a fee change.

The benefit for the child is U.S. Citizenship and Philippines Citizenship. Dual citizenship is something that may appeal to most who have an intent on doing business in the Philippines and the United States in the future.

U.S. Passport (DS-11) fees are $80.00 for the passport and $25.00 service fee (execution fee). If, you get the Passport card along with your child’s passport, that is $15.00 more, or $95.00 for the passport and card, and of course the $25.00 service or execution fee. Check with the Embassy for the most current pricing, as they sometimes change without notice.

U.S. Embassy, Manila

In Philippines, an Awkward Triangle of Pain

The Philippines, beautiful seas and the infamous urchin.  If, you’ve been in the Philippines for any length of time, at some point during your stay or visit, you may have encountered the beautiful coastal resorts, whether by 5-star accommodations or by Nipa hut.  It doesn’t matter whether you’re paying P12,600.00 ($300.00) per night for your seaside retreat or P924.00 ($22.00) per night, if, you spend any time any the Philippines actually in the water as opposed to just admiring the water, you are bound to have encountered the Philippines sea urchin.

The Philippines sea urchin isn’t the type of sea creature that you would forget easily, because the encounter is generally up close and personal.  Sure you may have taken in the native seafoods while living or visiting the Philippines, such as gambas (shrimp), pusit (squid), alimango (mud crabs), talangka (small crab), lapu-lapu (Cebuano fish), bangus (milkfish), and sea urchins.

Many people encounter the Philippines black sea urchin when they eat local foods and not know it. You may not have realized you’ve eaten sea urchins, but if you’ve eaten a fair amount of sushi during your stay or visit in the Philippines, there is a good chance that you have eaten the insides of a sea urchin.  In sushi, it is called, Uni and in Italy, it is called, Ricci di Mare.

Sea urchins are spiny and their spikes are poisonous and can cause a tremendous amount of pain when you step on them while wading around close to shore or in water that isn’t too deep.  If, you’re swimming horizontally in deep water, sea urchins are less of a concern for most, but walking to your boat, or deep water, is generally when most people encounter the sea urchin.

If, and when you do step on a sea urchin you have a number of choices to go about alleviating your pain and getting on the road to recovery quickly.  How you go about resolving your dilemma with the sea urchin, depends on how close you are to a town, city or sari-sari store.  If, you’re in the remote areas of the Philippines like Jolo, Sulu, Basilan or off the beaten path in Mindanao or Babuyan, then your treatment will seem unorthodox but effective.

If, you’re in the remote areas of the Philippines, where I find myself most of the time, you would simply get something such as tweezers or fingernail clippers and grab each spine, one-by-one and pull them out.  If, you favor something for pain before you start, the specialty in the “real” Philippines is the young coconut water drink, Tuba.  It will give you a relaxing composure before you start.  Be careful not to break the spine while its still in your skin, so take your time.

If, you’re in the jungle of the Philippines, you may find Tuba readily accessible, but the likes of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide or another antiseptic, probably impossible to find, so in that case, just use some fresh urine, preferably your own to wash down your foot or hand, after you’ve gotten out all of the spines.  Don’t worry it won’t kill you.  This was our method of antiseptic in Cambodia and Vietnam also.  Remember that when you are far away from the modern world, indigenous medicine works best.  You don’t have time for hesitation or fear, just do it.  Enjoy the lovely people and places of the Philippines and don’t forget, that a smile goes a long ways here and in all of Asia.

How To Meet A Filipina Worthy Of Your Heart

How far would you go to satisfy the yearnings of your heart? How far would you go to meet the person who makes your heart beat? The days of looking through an agency’s catalog and sponsoring a woman to be your wife is long gone. There are some that still exist, but often their female profiles are outdated. The reality of love today is going online to explore the possibilities available and when you feel comfortable, go to country where the woman who has caught your interest lives.

Many men who visit the Philippines for the first time fall in love with the people, the culture and the country and make as many trips back as their time permits. At some point within those visits, they fall in love along the way. Here are some tips on finding a Filipina who is worthy of your heart. Beauty is as common in the Philippines as rudeness is, in some overcrowded city anywhere in the world, so focus on the internal beauty rather than what is easy on your eyes.

Don’t be put off by the frequent times you encounter a Filipina who may not speak impeccable English. You will miss the gems in the rough, if you do. Many Filipinas speak broken English, but if you are patient and willing to spend time with them to understand them, you will often find the time is well spent. English is the language of education in the Philippines and depending on how much exposure a Filipina has to other speakers of English, will probably determine her willingness and proficiency at speaking and understanding English.

You will find out most often that the Filipina who you may have hesitated in communicating with because of her broken English, in actuality speaks several languages of the Philippines. Don’t be in a hurry to rush into any relationship with anyone in the Philippines as a general rule. Take your time and get to know the woman that you want to spend your life with and more than often that means getting to meet her family too.

The Philippines like many countries in East Asia and South East Asia has a fair number of women with degrees and advance college degrees. Which surprises many men from the West. You will find that direct confrontation or meeting a single and eligible Filipina is often discourage by Asian culture. Much of it has to do with “saving face,” or avoiding having to say no. In this respect it would be much more acceptable if a foreigner wishing to meet a worthy Filipina, introduce himself thru a Filipino or Filipina friend whose opinion he trusts.

There are more than a few Filipinas wishing to meet with a foreigner for a possible long term relationship and marriage, but only if, he has references or has been recommended by someone she trusts. You will note that while you’re in the Philippines, many people will ask you about your marital status and depending on how you answer, will often make an introduction on your behalf.

You might as well get used to texting, because many of the Filipinas that you will communicate with, will want to text in the beginning and maybe even after getting to know you. Texting is an inexpensive way for most Filipinas to communicate with you and even after they feel comfortable knowing you, will probably want to continue texting, due the relative expense of voice calls. We take it for granted here in the West or back in our home country, where communicating by voice is second nature to breathing. It helps if you have a mobile phone that has a QWERTY keyboard. You can usually pick one up new for under $150.00 at your favorite wireless store once you’re in the Philippines or off of eBay for under $100. Just make sure that it will work on the GSM standard of the Philippines, which is 900 and 1800 GSM.

In honesty if you have the time to spend in the Philippines in respect to a month or two or three, you can meet a really nice and deserving Filipina. The Philippines has an abundant labor supply and the competition for employment is so great that the likelihood of the cashier you met at the mall or one of the eateries you took your lunch in all certainty has at least a college degree. The number of available jobs are scarce in most parts of the Philippines that the employer can choose the most eligible and talented worker for their positions and the college degree is generally the measuring standard.
So, in essence you are surrounded by well-educated Filipinas everywhere you go, but you just might not realize it, if you are in a hurry all the time while there.

It’s important to understand that whomever you get with in the Philippines, that you two are on the same page when it comes to understanding one another and what you expect out of life. It is easy to get blindsided by the beauty and the kindness and miss out on what’s truly important and that is that you two are compatible with one another. Now there all sorts of definitions for compatibility, but it basically boils down to what she expects out of you and what you expect out of her. You don’t want to get with someone who says one thing and when you settle down with her, becomes someone that you don’t even know anymore.

You want to get with someone who is realistic about life and your life together and with most Filipinas, that means providing something for her family too. Agree on how much you two can contribute to her family and make sure that it is something that is well within your budget or you’re going to have problems down the road that could have been avoided.

The key fellows is not to get too hung up on a Filipina’s education or lack of education. Look for common sense and intelligence. If, a Filipina is truthful with you and takes time to explain things to you, thing consider her willingness to be understood as a good sign and attribute in a Filipina.

Be especially careful when meeting with any Filipina who starts to tell you about all the drama in her life, insinuating her hardships and how she is so into you and would like to hang out with you, but her needs to be met first. A woman who asks for money either directly or indirectly, probably isn’t the woman you’re looking for. There are some women who do things for money and your intention is not to fall in love with a woman who is over zealous about intimacy.

A decent Filipina is not going to spend any time alone with you without an escort that is generally a family member. There is a chance that the Filipina you are dealing with is not who you think if she is available anytime you call her, even though she’s told you that she has a job. If, she has phone calls at odd hours of your time with her and/or she tells you that she can spend all week with you, but she will need help paying for this or that, than she is probably not the one for you.

A decent Filipina may have one or two calls on her mobile phone, while you’re out on a date, especially if it’s beyond the time, she is supposed to be back home, so expect that. If, she can spend the night with you and she has no escort with her, then maybe, she doesn’t work and maybe, you’re just someone she’s taking the time out to be with, while you’re there, but what happens when you leave?

If, you haven’t met her family yet, or she doesn’t mention or talk about her family, that may be a sign that relations between her and her family are not going well. Don’t you think you should find out why, before investing your heart? Filipinas as a general rule are particularly close to their families, so to meet a Filipina who isn’t, is strange at the least and you should find out why?

Guys, what I’m saying is, take it slow. I know that loneliness will have you do otherwise and the time you spend in the Philippines you will want to take it easy and take your time. Don’t get caught up in the excitement of the beauty all around you. Look for the woman who has the qualities you are seeking, but most of all, make sure that the two of you understand one another, because if you get that wrong, there is going to be a lot of heartache for both of you in the future. You can find the Filipina who is worthy of your attention and everything that you two are seeking in life, but you’ve got to live one day at a time. Best wishes and enjoy yourselves along the way, with the person who warms your heart.

Texting To The Philipphines

The Philippines like so many countries in East Asia and South East Asia, texting is a less-costly and efficient means of communicating in-country and abroad. Most of us in the West, would simply just grab our landline or cell phone and call up whoever we wanted to and think very little about the cost of it all, until of course we looked at the telephone bill closely.

SMS or texting is a more efficient way to go for many of us, not only because overwhelmingly that is the way the majority of cell phone users in the Philippines communicate. The cost for a voice call for most foreigners or Westerners is an expense that we could bear if we had to, but learning to send and receive texts at a fair price is a bette way to go.

Many carriers in your home country will give you international texting for a few dollars more a month and some mobile phone plans include unlimited international texting. For example Cricket Wireless will give you unlimited texting to the Philippines for $70 a month. Some have reported difficulties texting to the Philippines from the United States using AT&T’s and Verizon’s network, so you may want to avoid these two U.S. wireless carriers.

As wireless carriers go, Metro PCS is my favorite due to no-contract, no-guessing what your bill going to be, because the taxes are included in your monthly bill, so no surprises and for about $50.00 a month, you can get unlimited voice and unlimited worldwide texting.

Smart Wireless offers the USB, Plug-N-Talk that comes with a earpiece and microphone and you can purchase a load or refill in Pesos online from PlugNTalkLoad for $40.00 for the USB device and loads in various amounts. You get a SIM (subscriber identity module) card with a Smart Cell Phone number. So, when you use it from the States, the person you're calling in the Philippines, sees a local Philippines number. You plug it in to your computer and it gives you direct VOIP calls to a mobile phone in the Philippines for P7.50 to P8.50 a minute. There are no charges for receiving calls or texts to your Smart Plug-N-Talk device. Text messages are about P1.50 to P3.00 per text, depending on time of day sent.

Yahoo Messenger is a popular instant messaging platform used by many in the Philippines and allows IM from a PC or mobile phone. Yahoo Messenger is widely popular in the Philippines and most of your friends and relatives will have some familiarity with how to use it.

Chikka is an instant messenger that enables you to send free text messages to cell phones anywhere in the Philippines. There are two versions of Chikka: Version 4 allows you to text from a mobile to a mobile and Version 5 allows you to text from your PC only. It doesn’t matter if they have Globe, Smart or Sun as their carrier, it is free for them to receive your text messages.

You can even send text messages from your PC or mobile phone to someone in the Philippines, but if they were to send you a text, depending on who they have as their carrier and the time of day that they text you, the cost varies between P1.00 and 2.50 per text. Depending on how much the person you are texting needs to reply back to you, it may be cheaper for them to get a bucket of Chikkas to text you back. A bucket of Chikkas can be as low as P5 for 10 messages or P10 for 20 messages.

Many of the people whom I text in the Philippines own computers but are often away from their computers when I need to text them and then there is probably an equal number of friends when I come to the States, that don’t have computers, but have cell phones capable of receiving my texts. So, when you decide on which platform best suits you and the person you’re communicating with, bear that in mind.

Philippines Vacation, Philippine Travel, Philippines Tours

Like a tide that goes in and out, Philippine Travel feels that way sometimes. It doesn't matter whether you are taking a Philippines vacation or Philippines Tour, leaving is infinitely more emotional than arriving for most of us that travel to this South East Asian Pearl of Paradise. Each time that I land in the Philippines the excitement is palpable and my emotions run the gamut of longing to that of eagerness. Arriving is always filled with anticipation and as the days linger into weeks and weeks into months, the day comes to return to the country of my birth.

Sadness chases me as the day of departure haunts me like the sweat that baptizes you in the Mindanao heat. The long dusty and windy bus ride gave me plenty of time to reflect as to how is that I chose the Philippines out of some many countries in South East Asia and I was left with this indisputable truth that most foreign men will assert also.

There are younger women of legal age in great contrast, no only in sheer beauty, personalities, but also quantity compared to the many countries that most men migrate from to put "boots on the ground" in the lavishly splendid lands of the Philippines.

For anyone with a sense of wonderment or a taste of adventure, the Philippines massages not only the ego, but reinforces the average man's masculinity, with the frequent infectious smiles and the kind of attention that is rarely experienced in the homeland.

You can find everything that you are looking for in the Philippines, intelligence, substance and personality. You can even find the things you aren't seeking such as attitude, betrayal and rudeness. It's really up to the choices you make and your circumstances. I know that these are just partial reasons of why the Philippines is such a magnet for so men through out the world. The friendly people and the relative low cost of living if you watch your budget and the availability of quality medical care in the cities and the opportunity to pursue your dream, however you interpret that dream. I leave you with an excerpt from the Book of Curthom:

"I love the life I live and I live the life that I love and I believe everyone who inhabits this Earth, should try their best to live their dreams and even though you may have awaken to find your dreams unfulfilled, don't ever stop dreaming, just remember to share that dream with the person who warms your heart and you too will have warmth." Curthom

Filipina & The Secret Lives of Men

Filipina and the secret lives of men. What a man wants and what a Filipina wants is ruled by this secret. A secret the Filipina knows about privately, but is hesitant to admit publicly. Denying this secret as not existing, affects what a Filipina really wants and who she winds up with? Does she just settle or wait for her ideal man? This question has been asked of every Filipina, Filipino and foreigner that I've encountered since moving to the Philippines and from what I've been told and from my own personal experiences, this is a short summary of what I believe to be true.

If, the Pinay is serious about love she is more than often looking for a man to settle down with. By settling down, this means she is looking for someone that she can call her own. You know, a man who won't sleep around and a man who will defend her honor as a woman in public and at home.

Every Filipina that I ever dated spoke about their life being on loan from God and that they were seeking meaning to their lives and if they were not in a relationship with the one they loved, then their lives were filled with emptiness and with the exception of their belief in God, had little meaning. When I was in the Filipina dating phase of my life, I found that the majority of the Pinays that I had the pleasure to hang out with were slow to anger, but my unwillingness to commit, was a deal breaker. I didn't want to chose anyone to marry while in the rebound phase of having just gone through a messy divorce. I felt it wouldn't be fair to the Filipina and it wouldn't be fair to me. Your emotions are too eager to be with someone, but for all the wrong reasons.

Some Pinays have had the unfortunate experiences of having had a boyfriend or two and failed in both relationships and when I asked why, the reason is often that the former boyfriend had another Filipina on the side. Most Filipina women give their all when they are in love and are sometimes very idealistic about love and romance, many times they deny the warning signs and rumors about their other half, until confronted with an "eyewitness account" of wrong doing and betrayal.

For the most part, a Filipina woman will forgive her wayward boyfriend and hope that whatever triggered her anger gets settled right away and she and her love can move forward. This is an act of kindness and the influence of her upbringing to forgive those who are human and commit acts that they may not approve of; a willingness to resolve any conflict soon, rather than later helps her to accept her boyfriend's shortcoming in hopes that he doesn't do whatever it was again.

Every Filipina I had the luxury of their company told me that they wanted to meet a man who was loving, caring and understanding, but oftentimes met someone who was just an option and not really serious about them or distracted by the attention of another Pinay. I will be the first to admit that their is no shortage of Filipino women looking for someone to call their own and the problem as is as I understand it and have been told by many Filipinas is that the overwhelming number of available Pinays make it too difficult for most men to restrain or refrain from committing to one woman. Now, the secret is out. Lot's of extremely attractive Pinays and beautiful Filipinas to choose among and there is no rush to do so!

This presents a serious dilemma for the average Filipina, because no matter how genuine her intentions may be, this is a fact that is often overlooked or frequently denied by most women in the Philippines. It's not that there is a shortage of eligible fellows to choose from, I've been told that it's just that the men most Filipinas encounter, understand this secret that there are many beautiful Pinays in their environment and there is no expediency to choose one. The majority of men that I have had conversations with and lived among, as what I have come to understand, simply admit that there are lots of beautiful Filipinas and that as a man, you should take your time and find a "good Filipina wife" when you're ready to settle down.

This short observation in which I have observed from my time living in Luzon, Visayans and Mindanao and living with a Filipino family and speaking frankly with numerous Pinoy and Pinay friends over the last three decades. Your experiences may be similar or totally opposite that of my own and I accept and understand that, so I hope that there were some insights about Filipina relationships, if not, why not share some of your own.

"To grow in understanding starts with a seed of patience and a fertile mind willing to accept change." Excerpt from the Book of Curthom

Philippines House

Hotels in the Philippines run the gamut of cheap to expensive beyond belief and like many foreigners who chose to spend some part of the year or the entire year in the Philippines, choosing a comfortable and affordable house in the Philippines is essential to beating the high cost of being a foreigner in a country where there is widespread price discrimination.

Price discrimination is not the sole domain of the Philippines, but for the most part anywhere a foreigner travels throughout the East and South East Asia region. So, it helps if you have a trusted friend who can negotiate on your behalf for the essentials, otherwise look forward to paying a great deal more than you should for many things.

I settled on a Philippines house on the water, although mindful that it is now the raining and typhoon season, which is basically from June until about October of each year. Unlike living far from the coast and having to deal with large areas of land that has been completely deforested and having to deal with mudslides, here on the water, our constant look out is for the ever changing tide and high winds.

A place on stilts is idea because it protects you and your things from the swelling bay waters and the sometimes sudden ripples of water that comes in with the high winds. On a good day it is great for fishing right off your balcony or out in a small boat. This is the idea living arrangement for me during my stay in the Philippines and out of the many properties in the Philippines, it is my favorite no matter if I am staying in Luzon, Cebu, Mindanao or any of the other 7,000 plus islands. I leave you with a short excerpt from the Internationalist, Curthom.


"When I lost my way in life, my travels to the East and South East of Asia, exposed me to the philosophies of the East, which in part became my road map for life. A path as Ancient as time, but as fresh as that first step. Treking this path for half a century has given me to wisdom to know nothing and the ability to question everything!" Excerpt from The Book of Curthom.

Filipina, Is She The Perfect Partner For You?

How do you determine or not if a relationship with a Filipina is the right woman for you? Would you want to take a single Filipina as your girlfriend, fiancee or wife, how can you best decide?

If, you are at all looking to date a woman from the Philippines or from the United States or wherever you two are fortunate enough to have met, you have to consider this one belief, if you are to succeed with her and her family. Yep, that's right, you are going to have to take into consideration, the family she comes from, because if you ignore this basic truth, should you two get together in any kind of relationship, you're going to have one stressed out Filipina in the long term.

Family is as important to a Filipina, as eating rice several times a week or almost every day. It is a source of life and represents who she is and why she even exists, so a great deal of emphasis is accorded to one's family and it should be and why this astounds some Westerners or foreigners who get with a Filipina, I don't know. Let me share with everyone what I have learned from my relationship with a Filipina and much of what I'm about to share with you can be applied to a relationship in general, irrespective of your mate's ethnicity.

Some of you may be interested in an Asian woman because of the popularity of martial arts movies and some of you may have garnished an interest in Asian women from your travels throughout East Asia and/or South East Asia. However, your interest or preference for a Filipina materialized, if, you should understand what I'm about to write, you will have a challenging and yet, wonderful relationship.

First and foremost, there is no perfect person for you and you will never be a perfect person for the person you're seeking or the woman you're with. Shocking, but true. There is no perfect relationship. There is only a relationship where two people are willing to communicate, compromise and respect one another enough to allow love to flourish, in spite of their differences.

We can no more expect perfection from an imperfect mold, than we can from imperfect mothers and fathers. So, before a man and a woman enters into a relationship of intimacy, that may or may not produce a likeness of themselves (children), a man and a woman must first understand and respect, that they are imperfect.

Knowing their imperfections as a man and as a woman, will help them to proceed in their relationship to work towards a more perfect union. A perfect union is perfect only to the two people it concerns. To those looking outside of their perfect union, only imperfections can be seen and criticism, although sometimes as caustic as acid, should be deflected, just like a walk in the rain. Don't be too overly concerned about what others say, unless they too, live in a perfect union.

Life in a perfect union is one of great bliss and blessings and only those within it can feel this, first with their hearts and secondly, with their actions towards one another supporting that perfect union. Bear in mind, that even knowing that we are not perfect and we should strive to have a more perfect union with the one that we love. Don't let the drama within life cloud your judgment and force you to forget or suppress this elementary truth. Remember, no matter what we think or how we feel about someone or something, the truth always remains the truth, no matter who is interpreting it. Until the day becomes the night and the night rests, for another day, thanks for visiting. Curthom

Jealousy & Filipino Women

Jealousy is an illness that starts deep within the psyche of a person and takes root of their heart causing untold number of emotional outbreaks and actions that are both real and sometimes violent. At its root, a jealous person is insecure about something and your mission is to find out what that something is.

If, jealousy is not treated through counseling and in the worst of cases, medicinal intervention, jealousy, like cancer can spread beyond the brain and the heart, leading to actions and reactions that are neither safe to the individual going through the episodes, but dangerous for the offending person of the jealous-enraged mind.

Jealousy if left untreated can overcome all in its path and like cancer, have detrimental effects to everyone around the person affected. You can best help someone who is only superficially jealous, that is, they murmur or backtalk about their displeasure about something that you are doing or saying that triggers their behaving seemingly irrational to what should be just a conversation.

If, you know that by saying a particular thing or mentioning a specific subject will trigger an emotional response from your fiancé or spouse, avoid talking about that particular subject or topic. Try to talk to your fiancé or spouse, as to what is it that makes them so mad and try to discover the why; it makes them so emotional or jealous.

In extreme cases, a jealous fiancé or spouse may not say anything, but react by withdrawing from you, something referred to as Tampo in the Philippines. Tampo is not unique to the Filipina, which is the act of sulking or pouting when your fiancé or spouse feels that you have hurt their feelings.

Tampo may last for a few hours, a few weeks or even a month or so, but when it lasts longer than that, there is something else going on and you should sit down with your fiancé or spouse and talk about what is it that is upsetting her.

If, she reacts in a jealous manner, try to find the cause of her feeling the way she does. The basis for the majority of jealous leanings have to do with a sense of some need not being met or a belief that there is someone else in your life, who is threatening the relationship that you two share. Find out what it is and talk about it.

If, communicating and I mean sitting down in a neutral place, that is, a place that your fiancé or spouse is comfortable with and you are comfortable with, to discuss what’s going on in her thinking or your thinking.

Being jealous, affects men as well as women, so even though this article mentions fiancé or spouse, bear in mind that men are just as jealous as women. Many men are very good at masking their jealousy, so it may seem harder to interpret. A sign that a man is jealous of his woman is that, a man will ask questions about elements of time and place. What did you do today? Where did you go today? Why did you go there? When did you go there? How long did you stay there? Who did you meet there?

A man will ask questions in order to ensure himself that he is the focus of your life and if you present yourself as being the only person that matters in the relationship, then you are going to have a problem. If, the man feels that he is the only person in the relationship and does things without consulting you, then your relationship is going to have a problem.

Let me give you an example.

When I first met my wife she was everything to me, my Alpha and my Omega. She was the reason my heart beated and the reason why I drew breathe into my lungs. I centered all of my attention around her, until 16 years later, she had grown up and decided that she did not want to be married to me anymore. She didn’t want to be married at all. She wanted to continue her affair of 4 years with a married personal injury lawyer, whom she met when she wreaked our car, four years earlier.

Throughout those 16 years, I watched her grow up from being a scared young woman, who upon her first time going to a drive-thru Kentucky Fried Chicken in the Philippines and jumping out of the taxi to run up to the drive-thru speaker to put in our order, to a woman with feminist leanings, who told me matter-of-factly, one day, that she could run up to the wall, where the two corners meet and then run into the bathroom with her cell phone and call 911 and when the police arrived, tell them that I assaulted her.

I was in awe, with my jaw gaping open, wondering where did that ideal come from, when I heard it. I couldn’t believe that the woman, who was my world, could come up with such nonsense and actually believe it. The scary part for me is, if she did run into the wall on purpose and called 911 and the police came, I would go to jail no matter how much I tried to explain the truth!

I tell this story to state this and that is, a jealous person manifest their insecurity, their rage and their actions in ways that can not always be explained in some psychological journal or themed blog, such as this. There is no way for you to know exactly what a person is going to do or when are they going to do it. You can only hope that through communication that the two of you will come to some understanding that both of you can live with, if not, then the two of you will find a way, to live with the memories, be them good or bad.

If, you have a fiancé or spouse who is jealous that may be okay, because a healthy dose of jealousy gives you two something to talk about and when you make up, it is generally quite intimate. If, the jealousy seems to you a bit overboard and you have discussed what is triggering the belief, then perhaps, marriage counseling is something that your relationship can benefit from.

People will avoid counseling sometimes because they don’t want to admit that there is a problem. No matter how much one partner tries to get the other to agree on counseling, the other partner resists or seems to sabotage the relationship. Even if only one of the partners is willing and goes to counseling, the relationship may benefit enough that the other partner may be convinced to join in. After all, it is the relationship that will suffer, but it is the people involved whose memories carry with them the times when everything was so lovely. Isn’t lovely worth fighting for?

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Exchanging Currency in the Philippines

The question that I get asked by those who are on the way to the Philippines and those who have just arrived in the Philippines is where is the best place to exchange dollars for Pesos?

The number of Pesos that you can get for your dollars varies widely and it is worth your while not to be in a hurry to exchange any quantity of your dollars to pesos until you bear some of these suggestions in mind.

Most banks in the major cities in the Philippines would be more than happy to take your dollars for Pesos, but you may not like the exchange rate, which are generally a few pesos lower than the exchange rate that you will receive at an accredited foreign currency kiosk located in one of the malls.

M. Lhuillier Pawn Shops which are quasi-financial institutions all over the Philippines. If, you find yourself a bit of a distance from any major city, there is a good chance that you can probably find a M. Lhuillier Pawn Shop within a short travel distance.

The exchange rates at M. Lhuillier Pawn Shops aren’t that fantastic and are maybe a few pesos better than the Western Unions located in the Philippines, but it may be your only choices, depending where you are in the Philippines, when you need to do an exchange.


For those who are relatively new or in-country for the first time, I generally tell them to go to accredited foreign currency desks within the shopping malls, such as Ayala Malls, SM Malls, Gasiano Malls or the Robinson Malls, the Greenhills Mall, to name a few.

Wherever you find a rather large population of Westerners, you will find more than a few folks looking to seek their reward, and you have to be aware that some of them make their living off of cheating foreigners out of their money, so heads up!

As a general rule, you will get better exchange rates if you are exchanging $100 bills than you would if you were doing $20, $10 or $5 bills.

Always count your money at the counter, sheltering what you received as best as you can in front of you—no matter, the urgency of the exchange teller asking you to step aside in order to take the next person behind you.

Once you leave the teller window and there is a problem with the amount and you step back up to the teller, be advised that even though you are in the Philippines, you are still in Asia and the concept of saving face applies, so don’t get into a personal and loud confrontation. You may not like the outcome.

Try to limit the number of times that you have to exchange dollars to pesos, because no matter what the exchange rate is, you are going to lose money over time, due to the foreign exchange service fees.


If, you are going to be in the Philippines for more than six months at a time, it probably would be a better deal to set up a dollar and/or pesos account with one of the banks in the Philippines. You’ll need an address and the appropriate visa from the immigration for this, but you’ll benefit in the long-term.

Are Filipinas Romantic By Nature?

There are those who believe that Filipinas are romantics at heart and then there are the detractors who say that it depends on the Filipina in question. Which is it and why should you care?

Some argue that in the Philippines culture that Filipinos (men from the Philippines) are pampered and some Filipinos are not as expressive as some men in other cultures.

It is common for the the Filipina to initiate the romance at the onset of a courtship. This puts a considerable burden on the woman in Philippines society, in that if she wants to be involved with a Filipino, she has to make the first move more than often.

Some preclude that this is the reason why so many Filipinas fall for men that are more expressive and societies where men tend to be more expressive generally exist outside of Asia. There are men who still love to open doors, pull out a chair and say what they feel without reservation, but not every man realizes how much the lady of their dreams yearns for more of their attention.

Having a relationship with someone outside of the country in which she was born can lead to financial stability, flowers and chocolates and a general sense of well-being that she is the only person in the world that matters to her sweetheart.

However, the reality that not all men from the West are romantics and a desiring Filipina needs to be reminded of that fact. This is predictably easy to forget when the Filipina is involved in a long-distance relationship and it’s not until she is up close and personal that she finds out.

Some would argue that men throughout the world have been left confused as to what women want in general and what Filipinas want in particular. Without communication that is understood, each sends the other the wrong signals and that is the beginning of future drama.

Many men prefer women from Asia, but not all for the right reasons. The reason you may prefer a women from Asia, may be totally different than another person’s reason for preferring an Asian mate. There are as many reasons as there are varieties of Asian women.

What many Western men have expressed is that they prefer women from Asia because they feel that many still possess the values of loyalty and faithfulness that is often sorely lacking among women of their own culture.

More than a few Western men are from divorced parents and know first-hand how that affected their relationship with women in their lives. There is the trust issue and there is the question in the back of their minds, will I have to go through a divorce one day?

Time reveals that more than a few do and are devastated when it happens.

In many countries, many women are liberated in that they wish to have all the benefits that men have and some even act like men, so why is it a surprise when some men treat these type of women like men? So, are Filipinas romantic by nature? Maybe, maybe not! It all depends on the Filipina. They may start off in a relationship as being romantic with you and then for reasons beyond your understanding begin a long period of not speaking or interacting with you and then one day or evening, just up and leaves you for reasons that make absolutely no sense.

My advice to any man or woman looking for someone equally as romantic as themselves is to take your time and just be yourself, all by yourself, until you meet someone who likes you back enough to disturb your balance, where you find it difficult thinking about anyone else, but them. No sense in going out leading others on, when your intention is to just have fun, because everyone eventually gets hurt when you do that. As best as I have observed, love waits for nobody and time passes us all by, when we let it. Live and let live and if you are lucky in love, be grateful and reciprocate that love!

Magic Jack & Long Distance Calling

If, you believe that saving money is the same as earning money, then you are in for a pleasant surprise with Magic Jack. Configured properly, Magic Jack gives you the potential to lower your long distance to calls to practically zero dollars, beyond purchasing the hardware and service.

If, you are in the Philippines, have someone you trust, purchase a Magic Jack for you at Walmart, BestBuy or RadioShack. When you purchase your Magic Jack in the States, at that time you will receive a U.S. area code and telephone number at that time. It really doesn’t really matter what area code you finally decide on, so long as the area code you pick is a U.S. or Canadian area code, that way your calls from the Philippines to the States or Canada will be free.

If, by chance you purchased your Magic Jack locally in the Philippines, such as off Sulit

Or some other local venue, you will have to send it to the United States or Canada to get it activated with the appropriate area code and phone number.

You want to take the time to activate your Magic Jack in the United States or Canada, so that you have a U.S. or Canadian, area code and phone number, then you will not have any problems when it gets to you in the Philippines with dialing the States or Canada.

The reality of course is that the Magic Jack will work anywhere in the world where you have access to a decent Internet speed and preferably, high-speed Internet. If, you are overseas and you are able to purchase a Magic Jack, there is a good chance that all you have to do is plug it into your computer and follow the on-screen instructions, pick your area code and you will be assigned a telephone number and in less than four minutes you are ready to start making phone calls.

One thing to remember is that your Magic Jack may not work at all if you activate it overseas, such as the Philippines and you are using your address in the Philippines. In order to activate your Magic Jack in the Philippines and actually get it to work, you will need to use an address and phone number for the United States or Canada.

Whether you choose to purchase and activate your Magic Jack in the States or Canada or the Philippines, you will probably appreciate having a cordless phone to use with it. That way, you can pace about the room while you are talking.

To begin using your Magic Jack, just plug it into your computer and follow the on-screen prompts and you will be ready to start calling others in less than four minutes. Magic Jack pretty much eliminates the excuses you once had about calling your home country, so give someone you know a call!