I was riding a taxi from Abreeza mall to our house. When the taxi cab driver saw one of my son with me he could tell that my son is a multi-race. So he asked me if my son is mixture of German & Pinoy? I answered him politely nope. He then asked again what country, I told him the USA. He said oh, the US. I have my son and ex-wife there. So I asked him did your wife marry a foreigner? He said yes. He said actually she really is not my wife. We didn’t get married, we were just together for a long time. So I kinda tease him maybe your partner got tired of waiting for you to asked her to marry her? He said maybe and just move on with out me. We kinda both laugh on that.
Anyway, he was really curious with the life in the USA. I told him that maybe his son could petition him later for him to go there. He said maybe. He said that his son did not expressed any interest of getting him. He told me that he still continue communicating with his son there. I could tell the taxi driver really is interested to go to the USA for he wants quote and quote to make his and his new wife and kids have a better life. I can’t blame him for wanting a better life. He really regretting not finishing school, its imminent when he’s talking.
I asked him how old is his son. He said he just turn 20. He said his son had been in the States for 5 or so years now. the son’s working at McDonald and studying college too. I could tell that he is really proud of his son. Which he should be. He said that his son told him that he cannot send money for his dad because he is paying his brand new car right now. He said his son bought an Audi car. I don’t know why he mentioned the brand of the car. I said really, that’s a very expensive car. He said his son said that he needed that car for his job. So I asked him then what’s the position of his son at McDonald? Is he an executive? He said his a server. I just said ah okay. I just said that he probably needs it then. Well, if the son thinks he needed that car, so it’s his choice. But the taxi driver really said his frustration that his son did not bother to send him money. I didn’t say anything because it’s not my place to tell him what to do.
For me in my opinion, it’s okay for that kid to not support his dad here since he is going to school. But I don’t think he really needed that expensive car for him to go to work. When we were there in the States before, kids of friends of mine who were going to college bought used cars for them to go to school and to go to work. It’s too early to show off a very expensive car. I asked the taxi driver maybe his ex-partner were the one paying the car, he said no, it’s just his son. I just didn’t know that the son can afford an expensive car payment, plus school, plus his personal things.
Because of the taxi driver’s dilemma I was thinking then for my son Aaron. Since AJ is getting serious of going to the States to visit GrandMa and maybe to study. I was thinking then what’s best for AJ to do when he will be in the States by himself without Mom and Dad. Just Grandma will be there with him. I would not want him to be burden with car payment. For me if he wants to study in America, he can ride the bus. So many buses route from my mother-in-laws house to the nearest college there. I would rather he uses the extra money for his personal things than the car payment. Hopefully Aaron will think it through on what to do than buying stuff that’s not so necessary for him. Anyway, that’s just my opinion.
Cheers!
That poor kid can’t even afford to change the oil on that car! A server at McDo’s?? Never saw one in the States. What a sad story.
Hi Gary – Yep a server. I guess he had to had that car. He just didn’t think through what he really needs in his life. Bad choices.
Good to see you here again. Have a great day!
Speaking from own experience, living both Philippines and US, his sons actions of getting a new audi out of mcdonald’s income is a total miss. So sad indeed. Unfortunatley, that’s the myth for most people living in the 3rd world, like in my own country – Philippines. The general mind is that ..life is so easy and abundant abroad, like the US. The fact is, living anywhere around the world is not easy nor difficult. It’s all about practicality. You dont buy things you can not afford, or will make your life miserable. Common-Sense must be in effect at all times, in all walk of life, else…you’ll pay the price! For taxi driver..making a family, a children or son, in his case. is not about western union money$. For his son, it’s good to learn a lesson early. And i would say, the harder, the better. If education fails, experience can make you a better man, or even worse. Hope this will works for his brighter future!!!
Hi Danny Sy – Well said and good advice indeed.
Thank you so much for your thoughts. I really appreciate very much. Have a good weekend!
I have a 17 year old son, and I was once 17 once myself. For a young man at that age, it is all about having the car. At our age we can look at it with more wisdom, and realize that there is more to life than having a car. But then, we aren’t that age anymore.
Hi Jamie – Yep, we used to be at that age. Now as a parent of 2 seventeen kids, Bob and I try our very best to help them decide and plan ahead for their future. We had to guide our kids hopefully our kids will see through what best for them to do.
Good to see you here. Thank you for stopping by!
Its some filipino mentality…have a nice c
Its some filipino mentality…having a nice car is their pride..used common sense…life here in usa is not easy..be smart..
Hi viahfey – Well said. I agree with you.
Thank you for dropping by here!
You guys are all thinking the kid has a new Audi maybe he has an old beater Audi from a buy here pay here lot.
I would say the boy is on the right track why support a father that deserted him and his mother and who is now married to another woman
The Taxi drivers dilema was caused by the taxi driver himself what has he done to better his life and his current families he needs to help himself and not dream of Western Unions from affair
I believe he is just asking you about the states as he is trying to understand why his son that he abandoned is not supporting him
He has the same conception as most people here that everyone is rich if they are in the USA and he deserves a free ride from his son that he abandoned years ago
Hope the kid does well in the states and his next car is a Mercedes 600SL
Tom
Well, the article does say “brand new” Audi, but perhaps lost in translation etc, it is a car “new” to it’s current owner. What riles me a little about this story, is that it’s the boy’s life, and if he wants a car and he can afford it, he should have the car. Perhaps if the father had taken more responsibility for himself when he was younger, then he wouldn’t be complaining about his bad luck now. Also, perhaps it’s a small Audi…they are not all expensive cars; fairly run-of-the-mill in a western economy these days.
I do understand the way that the Philippine culture places a kind of guilt on relatives; the crab mentality thing, but I think it’s a shame a lot of responders seem to think that the lad is being selfish by not supporting his father, especially when we don’t really know the circumstances. My two-pence worth!
Hi Jim Hannah – The father said its brand new and I believed him. He seems to know about car. For me the kid should get his life better before thinking of others especially he is still studying. If he wants to give good for him. If he can’t good for him too. He definitely is not selfish for not giving. He has to take care of himself first. That’s just my opinion.
Like what I said,I would not want my son to be buying brand new car while studying. I just don’t want my son to be burden with car payment.
Nice to see you here again!
Hi Tom Moskal – You know what just talking at the taxi driver he knows a lot about car. You know what I even mentioned to him maybe its a used car. He said nope, it’s brand new. I’m with you if the kid can’t give to his parents good for him. He just wants his life to be better. Why worry about others when he is working for his future. My only thing why buy car that’s so expensive when he is trying to go to school.
I’m hoping for that kid to have Ferrari or Lamborghini or Rolls Royce later if that’s what he wants. As long as he can afford it. That would be a good achievement for him. His hard work paid off then.
Have a wonderful day!
I am sure the Audi is used, and depending on year, they are pretty cheap to buy as they dont hold their value like a Japanese brand car, just expensive to maintain. Also maybe the step father helped out.
As for taking public transport, it really depends which city he lives in. I went to college in So. Cal, worked at a Wendy’s and lived at home. There is no way you could take a bus in Orange/LA county. Plus if he grew up in the states, then having a car is a rite of passage into adulthood. If he moved there when he was 14, then he was in his formative years and likely become much more Americanized.
That’s interesting Don. Is that really the case in the US? In Europe, an Audi will hold it’s value much better than a Japanese car; they’re better built you see.
Here in the UAE, Japanese cars hold its value more than other made cars. Used European cars you can get for peanuts except for beemers. I guess it has to do with the maintenance cost since most spare parts of European made cars are so expensive.
Hi Don – That was the first thing I told the dad. That his son might bought a used Audi. He said that nope, his son bought a brand new Audi car. Nobody’s helping out the son he said.
I’m with you if no other transportation buying a car is a go. Problem is does it have to be brand new Audi? Used car is good if starting a life plus he is still studying. I can understand if he is an executive there. And get good salary. That’s just my take. And I would not want my son be burden of paying something just for the looks.
Happy to see you here. Have a great day!
I think the father does not have the correct story and do agree in substance with the poster above that if the father is out of the boy’s life and did not provide for his mother and him (otherwise why marry and move), then he should not expect support from him.
The cheapest new Audi is an A3, which will still be low $30’s after taxes. At interest rate of 12% plus insurance will mean a payment of over $1000. So if he works at McDs full time at minimum wage, he clears $1800 without taxes. So he must be getting help from his parents.
But I get your point that there are more affordable options.
Bingo. No way this story flies. I’d lay odds the taxi driver embellished just a little, and the twenty year old is embellishing a lot.
A particular item for folks thinking back to “how it was when I was that age” is that the world we grew up with is gone, and it’s not coming back. Unemployment for twenty year olds is stratospheric and huge %s of young people live at home well into their 30s. The stigma on that is gone because it’s normal now in the US.
That 20 year old will never finish a 4 year degree. He can’t afford it. If he was one of the 1.1 trillion dollars of student loans, he would be living on them rather than occupying study time flipping burgers.
Wonder what led the taxi driver to say German first.
Hi Owen – To be honest I do hope and pray for the success of that kid. I’m happy that the mom brought him to America to better his life. I hope he is smart enough to make his life better there.
*** Wonder what led the taxi driver to say German first. *** — I think if that person’s tall and big. That’s just what I’ve been hearing.
Happy to see you here. Have a nice day!
Feyma,
All too often, kids put money into their cars here in the United States. I did it myself, unfortunately. I’ve spent WAY too much money on cars. money I wish I had now for retirement. While his son may have bought an Audi, it may not be new. I know a lot of people say new, but they mean that it is new to them, but not brand new. I doubt anyone would give a car loan to someone working at McDonalds for a brand new Audi.
I hope your son thinks it through and realizes that the money he makes can be put to use better in many ways. Especially if he is planning on having a family at some time. Saving money early will allow him to have a family more easily, and also to retire sooner.
But, kids here are out to impress their friends, and feel the need to drive expensive cars, own expensive phones, and wear expensive clothes. Hopefully, being raised by a giving family such as yours, he will see things differently. If the taxi drivers son can change in five years only to buying expensive things, anyone else can too. But, let him grow up, make his mistakes, and he will be a better man from learning from them in the end. 🙂
Good luck. I hope he turns out to be a great man you can be proud of! 🙂
Agree with Scott. We all can give words of wisdom about wasting money on cars and such. But since we all did it ourselves (and heard the same story from our parents), its falling on deaf ears.
craziness. I make decent money here in the states as a courier of medical supplies. I drive a 95 Plymouth voyager for work and do about 1200 miles a week about 250 a day. I paid $600 for the car and found my wife the same one for $1000 . no payment and one makes us money . I truly don’t believe his son has an audi unless his mom married a rich dude who paid for it. audis ain’t cheap and maintance can run ya up a pole. it maybe the filo in the USA thing of bragging to make it all sound like peaches and crème over here. either that or his son is just liein thru his teeth. just my 2 cents.
Bubba:
I thought the same thing. I live in Kentucky, and the cheapest Audi starts at around $34,000.00. I just cannot see a McDonalds server affording one those cars.
Hi Feyma,
Nice article! When our youngest so got baptized in de la Paz there was another baby being baptized at the same service and the father was from Germany. There was also another German expat living near the church. When I see a white person in the Philippines I tend to think USA or Australian, but people come from all over. I suspect the car was probably purchased by the step father.
The peer pressure here in America doesn’t help. Many young people feel pressured “to adopt a type of behavior, dress, or attitude in order to be accepted as part of a group.” And the ones that don’t bend to the peer pressure often ends up getting ridiculed. It’s sad, but it’s true!
If he works at McDOnalds and drives a brand new Audi. Either hes a part owner or else he gets Obama stamps. I dont mean to be rude but a new Audi payment is about $600 a month. Add car insurance $120 a month, and then rent, and utilities and food… Thats why I like the Phils, I can ride a taxi from one end of Manila to the other for $5.00 so I dont need car payments, insurance etc.
Feyma,
Will try not to say anything controversial…
When my son was in highschool I had an ’87 BMW I wasn’t using at the time. He was a responsible kid getting good grades with a conservative attitude. I let him use it at the time. His friends – peers demeaned it calling it the ‘box’ old square car. He lost interest in it and wouldn’t maintain it. He wanted a new pickup truck like some of his friends had. Said NO. He dropped out of college and his mother gifted him with the bright futures scholarship money I had paid in. He bought a crotch rocket motorcycle with it. Live and learn… I still have the now 25 yo BMW, he doesn’t… Btw the BMW only cost $3k 14 years ago.
In regards to your children “needing” a car in the states if they come to study, the whole car as a right of passage has started to change, and many teenagers don’t even bother getting drivers license, much less a car anymore. If a student lives on campus, like I did in college, there as no need for a car. I personally did not own a car until I had almost graduated law school at 26. All the car money went toward tuition.
The taxi’s name is really nice and i hope, whoever hire the cab would end up….so happy. Mali means wrong, Gaya means copy and MaliGaya = Happy!
Wait…isn’t divorce banned in the Philippines? Then how can his “ex-wife” move to be with a new man in USA taking their son with them ?
The article clearly explains that the mother and father were never officially married.
Oh! sorry, thank you bob for pointing that out.
best case scenario….
2012 audi A3 $26,000
no deposit/ monthly payment would be around $475 add insurance full coverage for a 20 year old $200= $675 a month throw in another $30 bucks a week for gas so his monthly car expense is $700ish.
Mcdonalds average salary
$8/hr at his age x 30 hrs (assuming he’s a full time student) and (Most universities/colleges say not to work more than 15/16 hours because more than that will start to affect your studying.) =$320 minus taxes = $270.
The young man is basically working to pay for his car. Not much left after food and going out to pay for his school.
So chances are high, the step dad and mother are paying a portion of the loan. If you ask me, not a good lesson to teach a young person about the importance of saving for a rainy day…….