I am writing for LIP since almost one and a half years. I am glad and honored to be able to do so. During the last months I received a lot of emails - mostly from LIP readers asking many questions about the life in the Philippines. Several readers clicked on some of my blogrolls... and so on and so on. Some email senders told me many personal stories and asked me, if I could publish them here on my blog. Up to now I really hesitated to do so, because I thought it's really to personal and LIP might not be the appropriate place for it. After having lunch with Bob (and Feyma, as well as two other expat friends from Australia and Israel) in my … [Read more...]
POLLILIO ISLAND PART TWO
February 27, 2009 By 11 Comments
Well we survived the night in Port Real and we had boarded the little boat that was taking us to Pollilio. It really was like a banana boat, piled high with coconuts and bottles of fizzy pop and nothing much else. We passengers were more like an after thought that the main reason of transit. But that was fine, it was all good fun and as usual everybody was really friendly, the crew, other passengers so there were no problems. We relaxed up on deck, watching the mainland disappear from sight and then we settled back, anticipating our arrival at our Filipino friend’s family home. It was an uneventful boat ride, although very pleasant indeed. … [Read more...]
Happy Days (NOT)
February 27, 2009 By 81 Comments
The last few days have been tough days for me. I am not going to go into detail about it, but I'll tell you a little bit. It all has to do with problems with plumbing in our house. The landlord has people working on this for us, trying to get it fixed, but it is very slow going. Honestly, I've been hard on Feyma about it, because I am just so mad and inconvenienced that I don't feel well, and I guess I have nobody else to blame it on. I don't know for sure why Feyma puts up with me when I get annoyed like this. I guess she loves me, that is the only reason why anybody would put up with me through this little ordeal. The thing is, this … [Read more...]
15 Famous Filipinos Every Foreign Resident Really Should Know About
February 26, 2009 By 38 Comments
The Philippines, like every other country in the world, has had its’ share of heroes, notorious figures, and villains who changed history and determined the future course their country would take. The Philippines has a rich history, shaped by colonialism, revolution, dictatorship, and bravery that is completely unique and fascinating. Because it is a duty of foreigners to try and learn as much about the place in which they live (and it IS a duty), I have chosen the following 15 people that I feel are the most heroic, or notorious, in Philippine history who have shaped the country into what it is today. I am limiting this list to people who were … [Read more...]
Something that bothers me
February 26, 2009 By 103 Comments
I love Filipino people. They are without a doubt some of the friendliest, most accommodating people in the world. Sometimes they are accommodating beyond the realm of comfort, though, and this is something that often bothers me. An example of what I am talking about is when it comes to food. Sometimes, during the day, I might ask Feyma what is for dinner. She will tell me something that sounds real delicious. For example, I really enjoy Shrimp. So, maybe Feyma will tell me that we are going to have sauteed shrimp for dinner, and I might be looking forward to that during the day, because it is something that I enjoy. When it is … [Read more...]
Tourist Visa & 16 Months
February 25, 2009 By 72 Comments
As most expats know, we can extend our tourist visa for 16 months but then we must leave. Many refer to it as a "visa run" and that sounds like a good name for it to me. There is some controversy about if you can leave, go to another country and come right back or if you must stay out for three days. I read on the BI site that it was three days, or at least that's the way I remember it. Now I can't find that. Many expats say they didn't do that, that they came straight back. Many say they didn't have an onward ticket too and no one asked. Others where forced by the airline to purchase an onward ticket before they would fly them … [Read more...]
What about my citizenship?
February 25, 2009 By 99 Comments
One question that I get from people all the time has to do with Citizenship. The question usually comes from Americans, and that is what I will address in this article, because since I am an American, I really don't have much knowledge about Citizenship issues for Countries other than the USA and the Philippines. The question that I hear all the times goes like this: Questioner: OK, so you live in the Philippines? What do you do about your US Citizenship? Me: What do you mean, I don't understand what you are talking about. Questioner: I mean, when was the last time you went back to the USA? Me: It's been about 9 years since I've … [Read more...]
Rental Thoughts Philippines
February 24, 2009 By 16 Comments
As many of you already know, my wife and I rent the home we are living in right now in the Philippines. To many Americans, long accustomed to buying more house than they can afford because “real estate always goes up” renting instead of buying is perceived as a very bad thing … an admission that I am unsuccessful or one step ahead of personal bankruptcy or the bill collector. Yet another “ran off to the Philippines failure” in some people’s view, I am sure. Well opinions are just like armpits, everyone is entitled to a few, but for those that do feel that way, my own opinion is, you would be wrong. I am heading into my retirement … [Read more...]
What happened to my brother?
February 24, 2009 By 76 Comments
My parents had three kids. I am the oldest, and my brother is the youngest. My sister was 2 years younger than me, but she died at age fifteen, and I was 17 when that happened. So, during my adult life, my only sibling has been my younger brother. When I moved to the Philippines, my brother didn't seem to understand very much about the place. He asked me if I could actually live here with no running water or electricity. I explained to him that both running water and electricity were available here, and many other conveniences as well, even modern ones! From the way he talked, he seemed to think that I would be swinging on vines, … [Read more...]
Frugal Experimentation
February 23, 2009 By 8 Comments
In his 2003 book Value Leadership, management guru Peter S. Cohan discusses different ways companies create value and improve performance in a variety of organizational settings. In this week's edition of the Small Business File, we look at Cohan's advice on what it means to 'Experiment Frugally', especially in the context of small business in the Philippines. According to Cohan, frugal experimentation involves creating an environment in which companies can harness 'accidental discoveries' that create value for both customers and partners. In essence, companies that experiment frugally are those that take on a Darwinian approach to the development … [Read more...]
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