About freetheirminds2

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Some Forum Posts:

Philippines: Earth quakes:

Dear Axelnoah: Earthquakes? You have a greater chance of being hit by lightning while you are getting bit by a snake. Earthquakes are the and should be, one of the least of your worries. There are a few things to be concerned about (but not worried)t here such as dengue fever, perhaps, a tropical infection from a smallcut, dysentry from mistakenly drinking from a tap, an STD of some type, the dangers of the traffic or maybe getting caught in a typhoon. All these can be avoided with a little common sense. I guess earthquakes are scary 'cause there is little you can do if you have the outrageously bad luck to be caught up in one. But most folks survive--its the aftermath and shortages of water, power, food etc. which are more dangerous. So stock up.

Philippines: PNP cops involved in Korean Slaying:

With all due respect, I think any faith in President Duterte to make a clever decision is misplaced. I think these gigantic misteps will continue. The phenomena of these poorly thought out decisions may be an ingrained national trait and sadly there is no remedy.

Philippines: Jobs:

I met an expat pig farmer once and he seemed jolly enough. Then there are bar owners or managers I met around La Union--I knew five or six of them. You need some capital to start it up though-maybe $20,000 USD but be darned careful 'cause one guy ended up living in a tent by the river. I met a guy who told me he knew a couple of guys who were teaching in Filipino schools (no, they were not pediphiles). I also knew a guy who ran a computer cafe (called Antz on Uranus) but he sold out at a loss and after some hassles by some resentful natives. I knew another guy who haf some kind of on-line business that paid him enough to keep him pretty drunk all day. Knew an expat from Germany who sold ads in the Bluebook for Angeles City. Some called him Adolf (but he was not Hitler). All in all, kind of a chasing your own tail endeavor--finding work here. I applied for a teacing job at a local school. I got the feeling they did not hire me because it would have raised some eyebrows. I look upon the issue as a kind of colonial hangover we have to endure because of our past sins like bringing a semblence of civilization here. he he. I say let 'em stew in their own juices whilst I sip this mimosa. lounging in my skivies, after sleeping 'til noon.

Philippines: Casino in Manila:

Hello, I have been to three casinos in Manila--the one near US Embassy most recently. I have never been asked for a passport at any of them that I can recall. I do not carry my passport usually and I do not ever recall being turned away for that reason. One time, though, in San Fernando (LaUnion), I was turned away for wearing shorts. But I think they have changed that policy now..

Philippines: On my search to find a Philappino Wife:

I get the impression you worked with Filipinos in a country OTHER than the Philippines? Having lived for five years with a Filipina in the US and having lived with another Filipina for another five years in the Philippines, I can say this. There is a great difference between how a Philippino will act or behave in their own country compared to how they act when abroad. You say you love the Philippino culture? What part? The bad food, the way they clean themselves after they defecate, the unremitting noise, the disrepect they have for human life, the incredible corruption especially in the police, the god-awful TV or the silly cinema they produce, the cheap products that abound here, the awful smells, the rampant pollution, the tendency to cheat foreigners, the distaste they have for foreigners behind smiling faces? Good luck my greenie, you will need a truckload of rabbits foot. I do enjoy the weather here most times but not the biting bugs or dengue. I also like the lovemaking which is better than I can find at my age in my own country. But finding a genuinely authenticly good Filipina is your task and it can be done but the search is frought with possibilities of wrong turms. Probably the worst is that LOVE IS BLIND. So you have to complete your quest with impaired vision.

Philippines: How's the real estate?:

IMHO, a resounding NO. Yeah, you only can buy 40 percent--the rest belongs to wife and family. and your heirs will never get it. There is a chance you will return to your country much poorer than when you arrived. (note: I am understating everything here in order to meet this site's standards for respect. But just multiply everything I say by a factor of two.) You could buy a condo in the province but even there the space is rather small. Buy a small condo in Manila? Yeah, if you can stand living in a very crowded and polluted megatropolis. If you are unlucky enough to have a legal problem with your real estate purchase...there is an excellent chance you will not be given a fair shake in the courts or elsewhere. Some Philippinos may not have a sense of "fair play" as we westerners understand it so beware in all your dealings with Filipinos. Foreigners are not overly respected here. Life is hard and a problematic for many Filipinos here so sometimes they are not overly generous or understanding of foreigners who come here and want to take advantage of their precious country by buying real estate. But you say, of course, I am not like that. Well, good, just convince 50 million Filipinos of your good intentions and everything should work out fine. he he.

Philippines: Roxas city:

You would be smart if you and a million other potential immigrants would visit the area and actually. live there for a year before you invest your hard-earned money. You might find that the "beautiful" scenes do not make up for the multitude of adjustments to your lifestyle you will have to make.

Philippines: Why are the Philippines so poor?:

Largely for my own academic interest and my inability to come to a satisfactory answer, I pose this question, asking for comments. The answer given most often by Filipinos and expats is Corruption. Which one hears orobably too much. But if it is only corruption---well, how does that work so pervasively and for so many years. I have my own thoughts on this subject but I am interested in different ideas.

Philippines: Emigration Clearance Certificate:

Go to Philippine Bureau of Immigration in Intramuros, (you probably can get this done in an outlying office but I don't know for sure). bring your plane ticket or computer printout (but if you don't have you might be able to get clearamce anyway), fill out a form (probably the same old general form they use for everything), maybe give a picture (I forget), pay 1,500 piso (what I paid 2 years ago), get a one page document you "might" be asked for at airport (I was not asked for it). So it is relatively hassle free if you do not mind too much a trip into Manila. I do not know if you could get one at the airport but I doubt it 'cause it requires a computer check to see if you are wanted for some crime or debt for which, if you are, I guess you could be held up.

Philippines: Puerto Princesa 2017:

A fool and his money are soon parted. Philippine version. A foreign fool and his money are SOONER parted! Do not buy anything long distance. Scams aplenty abound. Do the people you are talking to EVEN own the land they purport to. Sometimes they do not. Get a lawyer to help you, then hire another lawyer to watch the first one. Yeah, I know...you are no fool. Hey, I thought the same way when I first arrived. But I learned the Pinoys are not as dumb as they look. and this is no paradise even though we all believe that when first we step off the plane. The first scam is the overpriced taxi. A taxi for half the price is a block away.

Date Joined:

10/30/2016

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88

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