If you have lived in a foreign country like the Philippines for an extended time, it is likely that after some time, in financial terms, you will begin to think in the currency of the country you are living in, instead of the country where you came from. When you first come to live in […]
Keeping up with the Jones’
I can’t talk about the attitudes of the typical European or Australian, because I am not from those places. I have a good understanding of the mentality of the average American, though, because I grew up there and lived there until I was 38 years old, except for a 2 year stint as a child […]
How do you like Soy Sauce?
As I wrote on Monday, Feyma and I spent this past weekend in GenSan. One thing that I enjoy when we go there is that it gives me a chance to talk with family members that we don’t get to see often. One of the people that I always enjoy getting together with is my […]
I Was a Bote Boy — And I’d Do It Again
What the heck is a “bote boy”? Well only those who haven’t lived in the Philippines will be asking that question. From the very north of the country up around Batanes and Loag to way down in the southland where this online magazine is based the tradition of the “bote boy” is common. “Bote” (bot-ay) […]
Where to put your money?
Yesterday, a friend of mine came to see me. His name is Rudolf Kotik. Rudolf is from Austria, although he has lived in the Philippines for 21 years now! He certainly is a long time resident, and in many ways, Rudolf has taken on many Filipino traits. Most of his actions, opinions and such are […]
Local Deliveries
I guess that it has been nearly 20 years now that in Western countries like the USA and in Europe, companies like Federal Express and others have been offering overnight deliveries of packages. I can remember when this first came into being, the fact that a package could be delivered from one side of the […]