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Vacation from a Vacation

July 29, 2010 By PaulK 9 Comments
corruption

Huh?  Whazzat you’re talking ‘bout, Paul?  Are you thrusting another mind-bender on us? Many have been wondering what I’ve been up to.  It seems as though the last, three-part article was a little bit much for some readers.  Other readers wonder if something is wrong and that I’m relying on “back-up, just in case” articles to fill the void. Rest easy, dear readers:  I’m fine, and all is well.  I am currently taking a little vacation.  As the title says, it’s a “Vacation from a Vacation.”  Let me explain. First, let's see how the Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary defines the words “vacation,” "retirement," … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Paul Tagged With: Adjustment, Business, Daily Life, Expats, Financial, Ilocos Norte, Living in The Philippines, Paul Keating, Retirement, Travel

Getting to the Root of the Problem

July 28, 2010 By Jawz 22 Comments
xray

I remember it started in 2004. Granny gave me cloves to bite on, but I found cold milk, settled over the painful tooth-area, to be the best remedy. The clothes didn't numb the pain. The dentist thought I needed a root canal, but my mom seemed to doubt the idea. The doctor thought of possible sinus infection, and gave me antibiotics. It cleared up. It almost flared back up in 2007, but more antibiotics did the trick. In late 2008, it hit at its worse. I was soon to have all 4 of my wisdom teeth extracted, yet the dentist said nothing seemed odd about the x-rays. The doctor I visited couldn't figure it out either. The neurologist wanted to rule … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Jawz Tagged With: Daily Life, Davao, Expats, Financial, Health Care, Jonathan Watson, Living in The Philippines

One person can’t really make a difference

July 28, 2010 By MindanaoBob 55 Comments
As a foreigner, you are an Ambassador here in the Philippines, so act like one!

You hear it all the time - One person can't really make a difference. When it is election time, a lot of people don't vote, and when you ask why they say... One vote can't change anything.  Frankly, I don't think it's a good habit to get into having that kind of attitude. How does this apply to the subject of this site, living in the Philippines?  Well, just keep reading, and you will understand. The fact is that as a foreigner living in the Philippines, you are part of a very small minority.  Yes, there are tens of thousands of foreigners here in the Philippines, but on a local scale, you are often a very small part of the population, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bob Tagged With: Adjustment, Bob Martin, Communication, Daily Life, Expats, Living in The Philippines, Mindanao, Relationships, Travel

Monsooner or Monlater, You’re Gonna Get Wet

July 27, 2010 By JohnM 24 Comments
A Monsterous Typhoon

Here in the Philippines, the climate is tropical. What does that mean? Well, a few of things. First, the tropics is the area located between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer... Everything in the middle. Because of the location of the Philippines (Between 4° 40' N and 21° 10' N), the country is wholly, 100% tropical. Next, the location means that the length of your day is relatively consistent throughout the year: Roughly 12 hours in most of the country. Therefore, there is no "daylight savings" or "summer" time here... There is no point to adjusting the clock. It gets dark at about the same time in December (In the far … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Daily Life, John Miele, Living in The Philippines, Luzon, Mindanao, Visayas, Weather

If It’s On The Menu

July 26, 2010 By Paul Thompson 44 Comments
Pool

The Advertisement said that every Friday Night they served Mongolian BBQ, I’d been there before, just two weeks prior, it was good. (Their lunch menu has a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich that is the best I’ve had outside of Philadelphia.) My buddy has just come home after being to sea for the last three months. We decided to head over to the Casablanca Hotel on Subic Freeport and chow down on Mongolian BBQ. The added benefit was their huge pool with a swim up bar, when you order food, you may swim gratis. The Kid’s like that. We met there at 18:30, I with my family and assorted kids, and my friend with his family and some more … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Paul T Tagged With: Adjustment, Daily Life, Entertainment, Expats, Filipino Culture, Food, Living in The Philippines, Paul Thompson

Finding a house to rent in the Philippines

July 26, 2010 By MindanaoBob 28 Comments
Look for a sign on houses for Rent!

Often times here on LiP, I like to share e-mails that I get, along with my answers.  I get a lot of e-mail every day from readers, and I am happy to answer them as best I can.  It's part of having a popular website to get such inquiries, so I am always happy to receive them. Often times, though, I get the same, or very similar questions repeatedly.  When that happens, I know that it is something that I should address here on the Live in the Philippines Web Magazine, because if I get a question just once that usually means it is not a question that lots of people are looking for the answer to.  But, when I get the same question dozens of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bob Tagged With: Bob Martin, Daily Life, Expats, Filipino Culture, Houses, Living in The Philippines

The Death of a Tourist in Gen San. Part 2

July 23, 2010 By GenSan Chris 43 Comments
Jock in his Coffin.

As I explained in Part 1 of this still unfolding drama, Jock, a Scottish Tourist fell sick and unfortunately died in hospital in the early hours of the 24th May 2010. Now most people will be thinking that this is a simple case where a person dies, he gets in-turned and the story is closed but unfortunately in this case the story is far from being over. Today, 6th July 2010 I am continuing with the story because even now, 6 weeks after his death, the body of Jock is still laying in the funeral home, un-chilled and with no decision as to what to do with his mortal remains.   I have now contacted a City Councilor and a Doctor Friend to see … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Chris Tagged With: Daily Life, Expats, Filipino Culture, Financial, Living in The Philippines, Mindanao, Travel

Exclude Me? Pt III

July 22, 2010 By PaulK 10 Comments
Form-25551

In Part I and Part II of this series, I introduced you to the  Foreign Earned Income Exclusion and Housing Exclusion and Deduction,  a list of definitions, the "mechanics" of the exclusions and deduction , explained how they reduce the income tax liability of qualified taxpayers, and discussed IRS Form 2555-EZ. Now for the heart of it all -- employing the earned income exclusion and the housing exclusions/deductions, and completing and filing Form 2555. The same caveats of not being all-inclusive and being current as of the date of writing, as explained earlier in the other parts of the article, still apply. If you have a personal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Paul Tagged With: Business, Daily Life, Expats, Financial, Living in The Philippines, Paul Keating, Taxpayers

Living it down

July 21, 2010 By Patrick Duffy 13 Comments
Carabao

Today, we have another installment from Patrick Duffy's Guest Series here on LiP. MindanaoBob Today I arrived at my Nanay’s house in Dolores, Eastern Samar. It being a Saturday, others have insisted on my joining them to go and the festivities at their town plaza square. It is also Valentine’s Day and my friends search for a “part-time” Valentine on this special night for me. San Miguel is my choice of beverage throughout the evening as we walk; I am more comfortable this way although I am the mosquito’s choice of fresh blood. I wished I had brought a tennis racket or at least golf clubs. I meet new friends and feel transported … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Guest Tagged With: Adjustment, Daily Life, Filipino Culture, Living in The Philippines, Patrick Duffy, Travel

Once you’ve been an expat you can never go back

July 21, 2010 By MindanaoBob 115 Comments
American writer, James Agee

I believe that John Miele and I have entered in to some kind of mutual zone of conscientiousness.  A couple of weeks ago, John wrote about body hair, and I followed him when I wrote about shaving in the Philippines.  Lately, I've been wanting to write an article about being an expat and that causing you to be stuck in some kind of limbo between where you are from and where you currently live, then John wrote his article yesterday about Expat Life.  I'm not trying to copy John, but we seem to have similar thought patterns in our heads lately!  That could be a good thing, or a bad thing, I suppose.  Let's just say it's good and move on! I … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Bob Tagged With: Adjustment, Bob Martin, Daily Life, Expats, John Miele, Living in The Philippines
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