OK, yesterday I wrote about things that I love in the Philippines. Whenever I meet with foreigners who are visiting here, one thing they always ask me is what I miss from the States. When I tell them how much I love living here, they almost always say, “Oh, come on, there must be some things you miss from the States?”
Well, indeed, there are things that I miss from back home, although I consider Davao as my home now. But, honestly, these things are minor compared to the things that I love here. Let’s have a look, again, in no particular order:
Family. Family was also one of the things that I love in the Philippines in yesterday’s article, how can that be? Well, of course I miss my family back in the States too. My Mom, while not at death’s door, is getting older, and I miss seeing her. I have a Vonage IP phone, though, here in my house in Davao. My phone has a US Phone Number from the same City where my Mom lives, so it is just a local call to talk to her. I talk to my Mom just about every day, and it’s also nice for the kids to be able to talk with their grandmother any time that they want. I also have a brother in the States, but for some reason, we are not that close. I don’t know for sure why, but a few years after we moved to the Philippines he basically cut off comnunications with me. I have been told that he is jealous because I have a good life here. I am sad about that, and I wish that I could get him to communicate with me, but so far all of my efforts have failed.
Fruits. Yes, there are wonderful fruits here in the Philippines, but there are some fruits that you can’t get here. I particularly miss berries of all kinds. I can get strawberries here if I go up to the mountains in Bukidnon, but that is only so often. I miss raspberries, blackberries and such, you just don’t find those here. Another fruit that I miss is watermelon – while you can get watermelon here, it is not nearly as good as the watermelon in the States. Many kinds of melon are not that good here – canteloupe and honeydew melon are two examples. Overall, there are so many good fruits here though, that this is a minor concern, except once in a while when you really miss something.
Shopping. Some kinds of shopping are just not possible here. For example, in the States there are the big stores like Costco, and also discount stores like Walmart. These stores seem to have everything under the sun. It is hard to find that kind of shopping experience here in the Philippines. To be honest, if you find any kind of good quality goods, in most cases the prices are prohibiitve. To be able to walk into a Costco and buy everything I need is sort of a dream these days. I know that Feyma would enjoy that a lot too.
Fry’s Electronics. Not only Fry’s, but a big computer store like that. Such places simply don’t exist here. Where I lived in the States, we had a 100,000 square foot Fry’s Electronics within driving distance, and I loved it. If you went there and browsed, they basically had stock of any computer or technology item that you had ever heard of. Here, even getting simple tech items can be hard, and also very expensive. Up until about 2 years ago, we were paying more than $6 for a blank DVD disk! At the same time, they were 10 cents in the States. If you look in a computer magazine and see ads for the latest items, it will be 2 or 3 years before we see those items here, if they make it here at all. This is something that I really miss badly.
Being a regular guy. It is nice being treated as “special” by people just because you are a foreigner. But, it gets old too. Sometimes I miss just being a regular guy. I mean, if you go out to the mall here, you can’t escape the fact that you are different. You are bigger. You have a different color of hair. You have a different skin color. You even think differently. Most of this, you cannot hide no matter how hard you try. I don’t have a big hangup on any of these things, but from time to time you just miss being able to blend into the crowd and be somewhat anonymous. You simply cannot ever do that here.
Stuff that works. In the States, and most Western countries, stuff works. If you get a 5 Mbps Internet Connection, they deliver 5 Mbps. Here, it doesn’t work that way. You order a 5 Mbps connection, and the real speed is 300Kbps. This is just how life is, things don’t work as you would expect them to. Technology is behind. Things are not smooth all the time. You have to get used to that, and it is something I miss from the States.
Driving. Yes, I love driving in the Philippines, but I also must say that driving here is a high stress thing. You must constantly be on the lookout and aware of what is happening around you. If you don’t pay attention, you could be killed. In the States, driving is much more controlled, smoother, and generally a more relaxed thing. Sometimes I miss that.
Specialty TV Shows. In the States, if you have Cable TV, or Satellite, you might have 300 to 500 Channels to choose from! Here, if you have the most premium cable available, or the highest channel package on the satellite, you might get 50 channels. Ten of the 50 are religious channels too! Other than that, you get the same old blah channels that basically have nothing worth watching. In the States, with so many channels, there are channels totally dedicated to real niche topics. Like TechTV, a tv channel completely about computers! There is virtually no variety on TV here, and I miss that.
Magazines. I have never been a huge book reader, particularly fiction. I do read non-fiction to learn more. But, I have always been a huge consumer of magazines. I like to keep up on current events, and I devour such magazines. In addition to current event magazines, I enjoy computer and technology magazines. These kinds of magazines can be very hard to find here, and when you do find them, they are often very old and out of date. I miss this from the States. Of course, you can read much of this online, which is a savior for me, yet there is still something nice about having a magazine in your hands instead of reading it on the computer screen.
Bookstores. There is a real void of bookstores in much of the Philippines. There are more and more bookstores popping up in Manila, but if you live outside Manila about the only choice you have is National Bookstore, which I find pretty inadequate. And, if you are in a smaller town, even National Bookstore cannot be found.
Honestly, this is about all I can think of that I miss from the States. I enjoy my life here, and am pretty happy with everything here. Of course, there will always be a few things you will miss if you move away from your one time home, but I find this list to be pretty minimal!
Hi Bob – I must admit that there are plenty of "non-necessities" in the USA that I can do without in both the USA and the Phils (e.g., 500 cable tv channels available to a guy who would watch a total of 10 different channels – can only watch one at a time!). Don't think I'd miss them in the Phils as I don't miss them in the USA.
One thing I do miss while in the Phils: the excitement of feeling your Phil-bound airline flight go wheels up while climbing for the skies! 🙂
What a great list Bob.
I miss pretty much the same things but I would have to add friends to that list in addition to family as most of my good ones are there. Funny you mention Fryes. I am an east Coast guy and to my knowledge can't recall seeing one so I will say "Best Buy" for Electronics. I use the Internet for all my computer purchases. I literally dream about costco. I think Costco and Home Depot are the two greatest stores in the history of mankind. Nothing like a good Borders or Barnes and Noble. You can sit around for hours sipping Latte and reading magazines and books until you find something you like to buy not. One thing on your list I really miss is Half and Half cream. Don't know why you can't find it here. They seem to be big on whippping cream here. If they had it I would stay home and drink coffee instead of trecking to SB or Seattle Bean each morning as I have to do to get my java fix.. I also miss Cheescake Factory Restaurant and a better selection of quality Ice Cream
There are many more but above are my favorites
Hi Bob, driving is high stress? I don't think driving in Davao is that high stress, as compared to Manila. But then I don't drive in the downtown area here. 🙂
Books – second hand bookstores have lots of paperbacks and magazines – cheaper too. This is the same in NZ – books there are super expensive compared to US/Canada, so second hand bookstore is where I go.
I do miss the big electronic stores where you can spend lots of time browsing.
I*'d miss the slippery driveway that i snowblowed for the 3rd time due to the blizzard. I'd miss watching my truck slid 100 feet down the drive by itself in park after i just snow blowed the drive for the 3rd time. I'd miss cursing like a rabid sailor at the snow the whole time the truck would be slidding too. I'd miss that exhilarating feeling you get as you slid thru a major intersection red light and have that huge snow plow truck doing 50mph miss you by inches…GOD I LOVE THAT FEELING!!!! I'd miss not having any feeling in my frozen fingers and toes and that cold chilling wet spot in my pants caused from the excitement of slidding thru that red light as i dig myself out of the ditch i ended up in !
13 days 7hrs and 37 seconds and counting before I board the plane headed to Manila!!!!
About the cheesecake. The Cheescake Factory is actually a chain restaurant that has an incredible menu of very high quality food of different nationalities. In fact the menu is so big that you can get full just by reading about all the great dishes. Funny thing is I have never actually eaten cheesecake at a cheesecake factory restaurant. Usually, I am too full from the food LOL I do hear that is is great.
Brian – that was classic 😉
Driving in US is more "controlled", but because people expect / depend upon certain actions by other drivers, crashes can be at much higher speeds.
I've got three Fry's within driving distance, several Best Buys, and some Circuit City's with close-out, going out of business sales – sorry, had to bring up that economy thing.
I still miss my favorite Mexican food in California, Tex-Mex just don't cut it – hey, it's what I grew up with. It's been so long since I've lived in SoCal I rarely crave it now.
I won't miss TV – I don't subscribe now. But actually Paul you can watch more than one channel at a time – while visiting my cousin recently, my 70 year old Aunt "schooled" me in DVR operation 8)
I know what you mean about the anonymous thing – that's probably the hardest for me, especially being a big city guy my whole life…
Fry's story – visiting in Houston a while back, my cousin and I head over to Fry's around noonish. At some point his wife rings his cell and I could tell by his body language that she was NOT happy. We high-tailed it to the counter (past the candy line), paid for our stuff, and walked outside into the darkness suddenly realizing we had spent the entire afternoon and more than a bit of the evening like little kids in the toy store. It's like Vegas – no windows nor clocks…
sorry Bob – the mani are on my 🙂
ooops, I mean "on me"
here's something to lift your spirits Bob – the ice storm is so deep it's even hittin' Dallas tonight – I feel for all y'all up North!!
If I said what most Americans would want to reply to that on this night you might ban me from commenting on your site 🙂
All joking aside, it's bad outside – I don't expect anything worse than traffic snarls in DFW tomorrow, but north of the Red River (OK border) and pushing to the East Coast will be baaad – it's an ice storm not snow.
dangit – we went from you being depressed to US being depressed – how do you do it Bob 😆
…i think I'll dry my hair in the hot tub now…….
something i'll miss on occasion – a good sandwich…
Hi Bob,
I am not sure which one I lied best yesterdays article ar todays. Aw it was yesterdays, but todays at least made me think about what I will miss. I live in small Northern California area. No Fry's, Home Depot is hour away at 60 miles and hour. Granted you can get any magazine you what at supermarket, I could not even find a can opener there. But I do think I will miss the easy driving here. I am not sure driving there will ever be on my love list. While I was there this time I read in one of the tree newspapers I read everyday that the Philippines is working an a driving under the influence law. Now that just made me check out every taxi I got into. Somebody said here that drivers just depend on the other drivers doing the right thing. It is more likely that sometimes there seems to be 1 traffic officer for every 10 cars on the road, and I did not see many in Davao. What I did see were drivers looking out for other cars. Drivers being courtious, or at least more than here. Enough for now. Oh one more, not sure why but power went out a hoour or so ago so I had to start generator to keep pc going. Josey somehow does not beliave in America we sometimes have brown outs or cars slamming into poles. Have a great day. If the cheesecake is as good as someone said I'll treat you next time I am there. There is one in G Mall too.
oh you Davao guys think you're all that 🙂
Hey Andy, what part of NorCal do you live? My sister lives in Paradise…
Totally agree with Brian – having moved from NE Ohio to SoCal (Murrieta) with its many Fry's, true cuisine of Mexico (and other cultures), and just about everything else available to a Kano, I really, really miss all of those wonderful things that come with a drop in temperature. 😥
😆
It's about 54F (12C) right now with mercury heading "south" tonight, so might start having "flashbacks" later this evening. 😉
Hi Bob,
I agree with with you on the fruit part, the berries and the cantaloupe here are the best. In Oregon, you can just pick blackberries from the roadside and make it into a delicious hot pie or homemade jelly. Didn't you forget the peaches, plums and nectarines? Manila mango is the best fruit (in my opinion) but a sweet and juicy peach is very good too.
On electronics, not only does Phil lack big stores but I heard that electronic equipments are more expensive there in the Phil. A good brand of 42-inch 1080P LCD flat screen TV can be below $1000 here in the US but is about P70000 plus there. Does that sound right?
On the traffic, LA rush hour traffic is approaching the stress level of Manila's.
Gerry
Hi Bob! I will answer the sandwich question. Nope no good, hefty sandwich here. Hmmm… I miss Subway now (from Manila).
There is a Subway Sandwhich shop as if this writing in the SM Megamall in Manila it is just as good as the one in the states! You can smell the bread, ahhhhhhhhh
Hi Bob,
Gary I live in Lakeport, about 100 miles south of Chico which is very close to Paradise.
Bob I do make a very gormet Chocolate cheesecake. And I think what I read is yes you do have dui laws but not if you do not get in accident. I have to bring my spring form pans to make cheesecake. Josey was mad I did not put in suitcase. hehe
Hi
Well it has snowed here in Vancouver again today. The major snow from all of the blizzards in Dec and the beginning of Jan had almost all gone and people were thrilled to see it go and now ……..the freeways are bad and it is cold man cold!!!!!!
I envy you all in paradise!!!
Hi everyone,
I am not living there, yet, but, what I see here in the states, many of the outlets you miss there in the Philippines are massively laying off workers or closing their doors entirely.
From what I hear from my expat friend there some of the things that are hard to find there and that I will miss are: bicycle tire patch repair kit, SOS pads, brand name washing powder, dishwashing liquid, floor cleaner, toilet bowl blue tablets, decorative dollies for tables, tin containers, ground coffee, #2 pencils, spices, veggies that I am accustomed to, Lawry's salt, cheap plug-in clocks, chilli with beans, Pepto – Bismol, sports memorabilia, chocolates, barbeque sauce, hot sauce.
Yes indeed, I have a packing list so that I will not miss these things. Will be more thorough on my next visit to see what needs to be added to the list.
You know what I have been here 7 months and I find you can get just as much as you can get in the US (almost) as in the US. True you may not have 1000 different kind of coffee’s and there are isles and isles of canned meats and tons of isles of dryed Milk and Milk products. I mean this is not near the US and is a different place on the planet weather wise. But there is Good stuff here, you guys all mention Costco but there is S&R which there are 5 stores here in Manila and they mimic Costco to a tee. There is Clark the old Airforce base and all the Duty free stores have again “almost” everything imported from the US there and in dollars and not Pesos! I mean you can go on for hours talking about the differences but in general there is almost everything here in Manila that there is in the US and IF NOT there is a substitue for it again “almost” as good! and on rare occasion even better.
Important to remember that most of us do not live in Manila. You could not pay me enough to live there.
I was misinformed or they are cheaper here. Thanks for the info.
I am not an "Americano" like everyone here thinks I am, so I don't know what the Americano misses back home. Where I came from in Australia, I miss the real burgers we make there and also the big juicy T-bone steaks cut from real beef. The taste of fresh salads and fruit & vegetables and freshly made pasta topped with real tomatoes sauces……
I miss the fairly clean air and the drinkable water straight from the tap.
I miss the book shops & electronic stores the most, just browsing the latest technology and seeing what new toys the stores have for us.
But other than that, the Pines is a great place to live if you like the simple life.
Ps Bob I think your being a bit low key on the babes here in the Pines, their awesome.
But keep it to ourselves, you don't want more foreigners coming in on the action……hmmm
well bob with the way things are going you may not be missing things like Fry's and Best Buy cause like in the case of Circuit City they just may go out of business !
Bob
can you inform me as to which is the least exspensive way for my Fiance to call each other? she lives near Cagayan De Oro and has a cell phone and i live in Ohio i have cell phone and home phone. Look forward to meeting you on my next visit my Finace has an uncle in Davao so we will kill two birds qith one stone.
Terry
Bob: like you, there is not too much that I miss from the States… Mostly food related. It helps that I travel there 5-6 times per year. As you said, nearly everything is available here, but not always costa-effective. For food, good cheese and dairy are here, but typically expensive. Also, forget any Mexican food in the RP (I got really excited when I saw the Taco Bell in TriNoma… I know… Not real Mexican, but it satisfies the craving. There is also an El Pollo Loco there. About the only thing I bring home from the States is Cholula hot sauce and the Mexican canned salsa.
Regarding sandwiches, with a few exceptions in Manila, the "high quality" deli meats can be tough to find, making a sub tough to get. Again, Subway will satisfy the craving, but it's still not capicola and good salami.
As to non-food, small clothing sizes is the only gripe… Being about twice the size as the average Filipino, it is just easier for me to buy clothing in the States or Europe. Only exception is suits and dress shirts, which I buy made-to-measure in HKG or SIN.
John,
I AGREE 100000000% the ONLY thing I have really to gripe about is small clothing. My underwear is size 40-42 in the US and I wear just straight up white briefs midrise. I DID find that Jockey is sold here in Manila and yes they carry Size 40 through at least 44 so for anyone who has issues these work great! T-shirts round neck on the other hand can be hard too find, 2X and 3X are not the same as in the US in fact Hanes even though they are here DO NOT even advertise the US 2-4X sizes here which is odd and X and XX large is too small. I am thinking Duty Free shops at Clark for this like Pure Gold in Clark but I have yet to investigate…
Thanks for another great and insightful article Bob.
I recently read that Amazon.com is releasing Kindle 2 soon. They will have virtually every new book title and most magazines available for electronic download. Rumor has it Kindle 2 will support color. Maybe that would address your craving for the printed word?
Do you make many trips to nearby Hong Kong or Singapore? I'm curious what the electronics stores in those countries are like. Are the prices reasonable?
Have you seen any improvements in Internet speeds and reliability over the last few years? If you could get reliable connections and reasonable bandwidth, virtually any programming you'd wish to access is available via the internet.
Something I could not help but notice during my visits was that it seemed factory made ( assembled ) PC's are not as easily and readily available there. I believe most of them to be custom assembled by independent Computer Stores and dealers which is something that is dwindling here. I bought a couple of 17 inch square LCD PC Monitors from a store in Iligan and I believe I paid the equivalent of about $200 each for them, that approximates Manufacturers " List Price " here in the USA.
Possibly the fact that compared to here, there are a lot fewer people that have their own PC's ( or Mac ) at home that this kind of equipment has not reached mass market proportions in The Philippines so it may not be possible for the larger chain stores to sell " Boxed" PC which is most common here by major electronic retailers.
Another item I noticed that I had not seen here is the use of " AVR " ( automatic Voltage Regulator ) commonly used on PC's there even in the Internet Cafes. I realize the power may not be as regulated as ours but I am still curious about what is in the commonly used " AVR " in The Philippines. Possibly a saturation transformer ?
It could at first imply due to currency exchange that there would be many bargains in The Philippines, and there are some good ones like Hotel acomodations and restaurants but when it came to PC's and related items it did not seem so. Also I believe the price of a PC in The Philippines does Not include an operating system where as here when you buy a " Boxed PC " ( a complete PC with kybd, mouse, speakers everything except the monitor ) they come with a licensed operating system built in from the factory.
I have considered the fact that with the comapritively lower cost of labor in The Philippines it may be more cost effective to buy a custom assembled PC from an independent dealer that it might be than to buy a " Boxed " PC as they are marketed here. Here, a PC like you would buy in The Philippines would cost a lot more.
Hi Gary,
I live a little south of the DFW area and the ice was pretty bad everywhere wasn't it? Could not believe all the accidents, pile ups on freeways and bridges, and people stranded. When it's 21 degrees with everything coated with ice, I can't believe people think that they have to drive some where.
I just got through watching Hawaii Five O on TV and reading everybody's articles on what they miss from the states. What a good way to spend your time on a cold day! I don't think that I would miss that much if I were living there. I like too much of what I read about the Philippines that I feel what ever I miss here that it wouldn't be too hard to get over. Maybe like you say Mexican food, but I like Asian food better.
I got a question for somebody, what area of the Philippines has temperatures that may be similar to Hawaii's 80 degree highs? Have been to Hawaii and I thought this has got to be the closest place to heaven.
Thank You,
Dale
Bob I can help you with the TV selection. Hook up a sling box through my cable here. I can spoil you for a year or more and then I will be ready for my own expat journey. (waiting for citizenship) I think in the past we have discussed ebooks like the Sony and Amazon's Kindle. I do not recall the specifics but there seemed to be road blocks due to being there. I have a friend that lives there and has the Amazon Kindle. He loves it and reads daily newspapers and magazines, buys books, etc like he was here in the U.S… If interested let me know and I will tell you how to contact him. You probably already know but I will let you take the lead on that. Ron
Yes, Costco is heaven sent.
I was not a cheesecake eater until I tasted Cheesecake factory's anniversary chocolate cheesecake. One slice is like $7.50 but I can make it last for 3 to 5 days. As you can imagine, the calories would be "gi-normous" at 800 cal. per slice so I have a bite or two after meals and it gives me my sweet fix for the day. 🙂 But, if I live in the Philippines right now, I probably will not miss it as much because there are just so many good food there.
To Ed Griffin, Mongol pencil # 2 is the best. Ticonderaga is not even close. I even asked my brother to bring me a box when he visited the Phil. last month. 😆
Hi Bob, I think Manila mango is called as such here in the US to differentiate it from the mexican mango which is green and red on the outside but yellow on the inside and it's more roundish than the manila mango. Although it's called Manila mango, i think they come from Mexico ( at least the ones I've seen here in California would have a sticker that says product of Mexico) but the seed came originally from the Philippines compared to the Mexican specie which is the rounder and bigger kind. I'm guessing the Cebu mangoes are the same specie as Manila mangoes. Philippine mangoes are the best!
I agree with you 100% on internet connection (that works) and driving with less stress. These two, I would miss so much when I live in the Philippines.
hey Andy, Lakeport looks nice – i've never been to Clear Lake, I'll have to check it out next time I'm in NorCal.
hey Dale – the ice turned out to be not too bad in Dallas, north-ne of us got zonked.
I'm not sure where you grew up, but if you're rooted to a certain place, especially if you've lived your whole life in just one place, a move anywhere will separate you from all the things you are familiar with. A move to another country multiplies that. No matter what, there will be things you miss, that is just a given. But that is just a trade-off, I mean I miss things from the Philippines when I'm in the US. I still on occassion miss things from CA where I grew up.
Nobody responded to your climate question – perhaps the forum??
Hi Dale and Gary – Sorry, I missed the climate question. When the conversation started out "Hi Gary" I assumed it to be a conversation between the two of you and didn't read it in it's entirety. That's why I didn't answer the question – I didn't see it at the bottom there.
Well, some areas where you might find that type of weather would include Tagaytay, Marilog Davao, a few other mountainous areas. I want to say Baguio, but it is likely colder than you want, it is often below 80 there.
Bob
Im a So Cal boy and i like my food. I thought it was hard to find a good sandwhich there In the philippines also. No Mexician, not even a taco bell. Taco bell was mexican when i lived in PA. Can you buy the fixins for burritos and tacos in Davao? ( good hamburger, refried beans, flour tortillas, corn tortillas, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, green onions, etc)
To the guy in NorCal. I have a sister in Paradise. there is also a pizza place there in Chico called the Red Lion. they have a pizza there called the "garbage can" Is it still there?
Hey There Gary and Bob,
Just wanted to get back and say thanks for the response. Gary,I live south of Fort Worth in the Granbury area and yes I have lived here all of my life. Thanks for the information.
Thank you Bob for your input on area concerning the climate. I will be sure to add it to my notes.
Ya'll have a great day !
Dale
Hi Bob,
Regarding electronics, I recommend to all US LiP readers to buy their gadgets here in the US, shipped it via Phil companies delivering balikbayan boxes and you will still have a cheaper product. My friend just did this last year. He bought a fridge, GE stove/oven and 3 LCD flat screen TVs in Best Buy and shipped it all to Manila. He said it is still much cheaper and you get a better model. The goods arrived after 5-6 weeks all in good condition. Just be careful on who you pick for your freight forwarder. I can provide for more details if you need the specifics.
Gerry
Hi Bob -You brought up a very common problem – voltage difference in the Phil. I guess he made outlets with 110 volts. I guess that is doable without using outside transformers.
Hey Gerry, did the stores ship the stuff, or friends / relatives?
Hudson and Bob – how can I say this, that ain't the Mexican food I crave. Taco Bell is to Mexican what McDonald's is to an American home cooked meal – simply fast food. And I get that Feyma makes Mexican food regularly, but that would be like a Mexican wife making Filipino dishes 🙂
Now all y'all's tastebuds might be satisfied (sorry for the southern drawl), but I spent a good 40% of my childhood in East LA, I miss the FLAVA!! Currently I'm in Dallas which is the northern tip of Tex-Mex, but it ain't what I grew up with in LA.
No harm / no foul, I just wanna set the record straight for anyone who thinks they can get Mexican food in RP. If your expectations are Taco Bell then yes you can, but if your expectations are East LA, San Antonio, or locations south – NO!! But, DUH!! Can you get Pinoy flava in Guadalajara?
Hey Bob, all's good.
I know you didn't mention Taco Bell, I'm just saying that for those who grew up with a Mexican Nana who made fresh food… well 'nough said 😉
I love the food in RP, especially in Southern Mindanao – Davao / Gensan – I'm not knockin' it one bit. Quite the contrary. Where else can you find the quality of fish & fresh fruit? I also love adobo, sinigang, pancit, lechon, lechon manok, rice toppings, BBQ sticks, mani, fried eggs with rice, halo-halo…
I'm just saying not to expect to find the food of other cultures – or least don't expect it to be the same as you are accustomed.
Hi Gary and Bob,
My friend went here, bought it and shipped it himself ( from a San Diego freight forwarder) to Manila. He had it custom packed and still came up cheaper. Any more details you can email me directly and will be glad to help.
Gerry
I don't know what I will miss until I get there …Phil n Jess
Bob,
I have been reading this for several years I think but I seldom post. Lately I seem to have gotten behind.
Tech TV is no longer on the air. I don't know why, I used to enjoy it, but no more.
The older man, maybe 50 now that was on the show does video podcasts also audio podcasts. His name is Leo LaPorte. It is still the same topics. Anything new and techie.
His video podcasts are at http://stickam.com/ I don't know what hours he is there.
He is also at http://twit.tv/ From the iTunes store his podcasts are a free download.
Also he has podcasts on http://www.kfi640.com/pages/podcasting/
I enjoy techie stuff, but he gets way over my head more than I like to admit.
Hope you get some enjoyment out of it.
Dan
Just found your website. Great to read and reflect on the things of
everyday life here in the Philippines, and Davao, from an American
viewpoint. I have been living here in Davao for about 1 year. I too
have been frustrated in a few things here like the driving! Most
drivers here do things because they can! If there were patrol police
cars here, I think driving would improve. The city is missing out
on lots of revenue in tickets!! What is up with the left turn yield
signs? if you do yield and take a left on a green, a traffic dude will
blow his whistle until it melts! TAKE THE SIGNS DOWN. It's to bad you
cannot take a left on a green light because it would help the bad traffic. I could go on and on but all in all I love it here and
those things we all complain about really don't matter.
Can't change em'. love the site! good work!
Bob Knowlen,,Port Townsend, Wa.
Hi Bob – Nice to meet you! Hmm… you are from Port Townsend? That is where I was born, and I have been there many, many times. I've been living in Davao now for almost 8 years, and 2 years in GenSan before here.
Driving.. actually, I love the driving here! I enjoy driving here. Of course, I hate it, though, when traffic is heavy , and I think to myself that it would be much quicker if everybody followed the rules of the road (except me, of course!).
Yeah, they really don't understand about the "Left Turn Yield on Green" thing, do they? 😉
I hope to meet you soon, Bob.
I really enjoyed both of these articles and wish I would have looked them up and read them a long time ago. to throw my two cents worth in, I cant make any comment about the things I love in the Philippines because I have never been there yet. as far as the things I will miss in the states while I am spending my retirement years in the beautiful island country of the RP, I doubt there will be that many. Here are some of the things I am truly looking forward when I am living there at last.. Now, granted, I love WalMart and I understand Id have to go across the sea a ways to find one in China. but with the economy taking its toll on everything here in southern Missouri, there are very few shopping trips to Walmart anymore and not much money to spend on the things that really arent necessary. So I have really weaned myself away from WalMart and am looking forward to the new ways of shopping in the Phils. there may be some of the weather I might miss especially spring and autumn. but i am not a really outdoorsy person anymore anyway so I doubt I will complain of missing the weather back home. I know I wont miss the extreme cold, having to worry about my high electric bill from trying to keep warm or having to watch my son struggle to accumulate enough good firewood to feed our woodstove all thru the winter months. I wont miss being stranded in my rural home because I cant afford to own, run, or maintain a vehicle anymore due to the high prices of everything anymore. I am so looking forward to grabbing a jeepney, taxi or trike and pretty much being able to go anywhere I want not far from my home there. I will not miss the healthcare here in America. It scares me to death and I try very hard to avoid using any of it here. I cannot afford dental care or new eyeglasses as often as I need them here in America. I am looking forward to services that are affordable because my Medicare doesnt pay for those things here anyway and I am tired of doing without things I really need. as far as food goes, i am sure there will be many things I am used to eating that wont be available there. I know the things I am looking forward to there are the availability to more fresh meats and produce. I am really tired of buying produce here that was picked green and shipped here and lacks in flavor. I also am looking forward to a nearly constant growing season there where I can grow some of my own food year round. A
Hi Donna – Thanks for your comment. Of course, there are pluses and minuses on each side of the ocean. The trick is learning to enjoy the pluses, and not want for the things you can’t get anymore. Personally, I have pretty much found that place, and I hope you do too after arriving here! 😀
Hey Bob, how are you? 🙂 I was just reading your blog and I found it interesting. I lived in Davao Oriental but soon gonna leave this place. I’m going to Canada hopefully within this year.
Love to read what your complains about what here and what are not here.. haha that’s funny. Well, that’s philippines is, as what others want, we want to improve Phil. But how can we do that? Well,
Too many things here that you can’t love and you can’t take. But that’s how they act. So I hope you have more patience to this annoying people or what so ever. God bless you Bob.. Take care.
Hi April – There are challenges in the Philippines, but I still love living here. The pluses here are far more than the minuses in my view. Good luck to you in Canada!
🙂 Thank you… And you too, take care always. God bless you!