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Davao

August 31, 2010 By JohnM 60 Comments
Didn't want to leave the pool!

Well, after two and a half years of living in the Philippines, and writing on this blog for two years now, we were finally able to take a weekend break and visit Davao. First off: What a really nice place! We thoroughly enjoyed our trip, and felt that it was much too short... That's how a "vacation" should be. When Rebecca and I were dating and during our first year living here, we travelled frequently, with Becky joining me overseas occasionally, or on domestic trips that I took for work. When Juanito entered the picture, those types of activities dropped off immediately, between the back and forth to Abulug and Juanito''s adoption paperwork … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Davao, Expats, Filipino Culture, John Miele, Living in The Philippines, Travel

TV in the Philippines

August 10, 2010 By JohnM 46 Comments
Rachel Ray

I'm not a huge fan of TV... I watch it, but really only certain programs. Note that I'm NOT one of those people in the States that claims to only watch PBS. I'm no scientist, but I think that if everyone who made that claim actually followed through, then PBS would, by far, be the highest rated network in the US, with Discovery and History running right behind. Does it make you any less highbrow if you simply enjoy the WWE, American Idol, or Rachael Ray? Note that I like WWE, only watch Idol for the terrible singers, and find Rachael Ray incredibly annoying. Sometimes the pure idiocy that is professional wrestling is a nice break from thinking. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Daily Life, Entertainment, Expats, John Miele, Living in The Philippines

My 13(a) visa experience

August 3, 2010 By JohnM 64 Comments
John Miele has a 13(a)!

I am not an attorney, nor an expert, nor do I play one on TV. I am merely relating the experience of the visa process as I experienced it. Don't take my word as law. Long article here... I've been living in the Philippines a total of 27 months now, and I moved here on a tourist visa, extending when I had to extend. Living here on a tourist visa is entirely possible, though there are a few hiccups that you may encounter: An ACR is normally required for any type of loans, like a credit card, mortgage or a car loan. (NOT all banks, and some will accept an ACR issued after the second extension) Likewise, some utilities, like postpaid … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Expats, Immigration, John Miele, Living in The Philippines, Travel

Monsooner or Monlater, You’re Gonna Get Wet

July 27, 2010 By JohnM 29 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

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

July 21, 2010 By MindanaoBob 117 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

Expat Life and being an American: What does it mean?

July 20, 2010 By JohnM 78 Comments
Expat John Miele

By the very nature of the term, expats are caught between two worlds: The old and the new. When you choose, and it is a choice, to live in a country other than that of your birth, you are leaving the old behind, and this includes your beliefs, mores and values with which that you may have grown up. Eventually, if you live in a place long enough, you begin to lose that which makes you different. The connections with the old become weaker. The relevance in daily life of your old ways changes. You begin to assimilate. This applies to all expats everywhere, whether in the Philippines or Timbuktu. This also applies to each and every OFW who leaves … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Adjustment, Daily Life, Expats, John Miele, Living in The Philippines, Luzon, Manila, Relationships

Naked and looking like a Sasquatch: Musings on body hair

July 6, 2010 By JohnM 40 Comments
Behold... The Sasquatch! I'm not this bad.

When I first started writing on LiP, I wrote about going to the barber here. I go to Newsbarbers, at Ever Gotesco, and a haircut costs around 100 pesos, including tip. Yes, there are cheaper barbers, but Newsbarbers does a nice job, no wait, and quick: In and Out. Barbers here also have no problem trimming eyebrows or digging out ear or nose hairs. Good old fashioned service. No saloon crap. Just cut my hair! So, I'm sitting there getting a haircut, and the barber says, "too much white..." while holding up a shock of my hair. I look in the mirror, and think, "OK, I'm getting f'***ing old". So, he says, "I'll put colors in there for you." Uhhhhhhhh...... … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Daily Life, Expats, Getting Older, John Miele, Living in The Philippines, Relationships

Korean Food in the Philippines

June 29, 2010 By JohnM 19 Comments
Delicious!

Korean food is one of my favorite types of food to eat. When prepared by a skilled chef, Korean food can be highly sophisticated and absolutely delicious. At its' best, Korean food can be the epitome of civilized dining. Unfortunately, at its' worst, Korean food can be truly awful. The secret to good Korean food is rooted in ancient Confucian philosophy: It is a question of balance. Texture, flavor, and health, all in perfect balance. This is what skilled Korean chefs excel at preparing: Salty vs. Sweet; Spicy vs. Mild; Sour vs. Bitter; Green vegetables vs. Red vegetables; and so on... Meals are traditionally taken "family style" with everyone … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Daily Life, Expats, Food, John Miele, Living in The Philippines, Travel

Manila

June 22, 2010 By JohnM 78 Comments
Another side of Manila - What a beautiful skyline!

Manila. A quick browse around many Philippine web sites, blogs, or travel guides will show much disdain for Manila. Crowded. Polluted. Crime ridden. Dirty. Manila is all of these things, but there is so much more to the picture. No one can argue that Manila isn't crowded and dirty. The traffic is horrendous. The infrastructure is crumbling. It is a rather ugly city, visually speaking. However, there is so much more to Manila that lies just below the surface. The city that is full of life. Daily life that is all around you, but seldom noticed behind the dilapidated facade that Manila presents to the world. Manila is real. No … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Daily Life, Expats, John Miele, Living in The Philippines, Manila, Travel

Claustrophobia

June 15, 2010 By JohnM 42 Comments
Trinoma Mall

OK, I'll reveal a bit of personal information about myself that most people don't know: I'm claustrophobic. Why? I have absolutely no idea. It's not so much about being locked in a closet or something similar. That really doesn't bother me so much. In my job, I've had to climb around in confined spaces on ships, such as in a lazzarette, or a vent, or a funnel, or under a helm. My worst nightmare is the old standard "buried alive" routine. I've told Rebecca that when I croak, burn me, feed me to the sharks, anything... But don't put me underground. Illogical? Certainly. Will she do the traditional Filipino custom when I'm gone? (Above ground … [Read more...]

Filed Under: John Miele Tagged With: Business, Daily Life, Expats, Health, John Miele, Living in The Philippines
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