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Some of the most valuable lessons are in that first job stocking shelves or doing similar mindless work. Lessons such as getting out the door in time for being at work when you are suppose to start. Getting to work even when you don't feel like it. Having to focus on a task for more than 5 minutes so that you can get something done. Having to deep focus on a task which might take a little brains. Having to sell (your services to your employer, your employer's services to customers.)

The world of work is so different from that world where people don't need to do much to get by, even if they have to go hungry occasionally. They can live off support from their family. Maybe pick up the odd job at their convenience for a little bit of money. Maybe the family hits the OFW or foreigner support lotto. If they don't feel like doing something, it's so easy to stay home and do nothing.

Maybe the actual farms are different. Maybe these people know how to hustle, but probably not in an urban jungle.

A job which pays nothing would be good for a lot of people who would otherwise have nothing else to do. Get the basics down if you have never worked (in the U.S. this would typically be a minimum wage summer job) and then look for something else when you hit your learning plateau. If nothing else, for better or for worse, a job might shift your tempo in life (AKA - entering the rat race.)

Unfortunately, the job world is complex to navigate and some people just don't have it. That's why the U.S. is so competitive, we know how to hustle. We know how to create something out of nothing. When I couldn't find a job doing something I loved in my local area, I created my own job by striking out on my own.

As a region, Asia seems to have difficulty in it's people learning to navigate between black, white and gray. They seem to get stuck on the solids and don't realize that really, everything is gray. For every rule, there is a work-around. A rule which provides information in writing hides much more information in what it doesn't say. They get intimidated, but don't realize that nobody really knows what they are doing (just be a good actor, show confidence, bust @ss and get lucky.) They're afraid of failure and rejection, but don't realize that every great achievement of our time on this planet was met with 90++% failure rate.

I don't know how to teach this stuff. For starters, I'm an alien, and a crazy looking one at that. It seems the kids here only listen to people who have badges of authority handed down from above. You want to make a potential employee feel safe and successful? Hand out ID cards attached to lanyards. Every step of life here from elementary school to college and job comes with a different badge. If you don't have one, then you must have gone off-track somewhere.

People just need to realize that everyone's sh*t stinks. We all do our thinking with a mass of meat so disgusting looking that we would probably pass out if the were to see it on the kitchen counter next to the keys. It's amazing anything works in this world, and in the Philippines, it just BARELY works. Nobody here is special. People who look special are just more effective bullshit artists.

Keep in mind, the global economy basically tracks back to the U.S. creating money out of thin air and hoping everyone just sort of goes along with the illusion. It sort of works. We have made a lot of "progress" in the past 50 years. But it starts with bullshit and ends with bullshit.

Tell the fam to quit taking no for an answer (and don't take yes for an answer either) and just start making stuff happen. Put in the work, but bring plenty of bullshit as well, it's what makes the world go round.

 

@blueskies
@luvdox for future Reference

"Cats n Dogs" Veternary Clinic. Dr Michelle Olarte lic no #6871. DMD Pad, off Valencia Road, Bagacay Opposite Lee Hypermart turn left at Edelweiss coming from Robinsons or right if coming from Hypermart

(035) 420 9067 Landline.

0917 722 4274 cell phone.

Happy Animal care one and All.

JP

 

Hmm, expert? Not me, but I do have a few thoughts about the whole ASF thing.
1. As of the latest report date (January 19) there are still active cases of the disease in Negros Oriental, in Ayungun and Tanjay (see picture).
View attachment upload_2024-1-27_11-50-41.png
2. It is an incredibly contagious disease, that spreads very easily. It is caused by a virus that is not dangerous to humans, but all the more so for Pigs (wild and domestic). It can kill any infected pig within a week. The problem is that it spreads not only from pig to pig, but also through pork meat, whether raw, frozen, dried or -under-cooked. Moreover, it can spread through a certain family of ticks, which is why it is probably almost impossible to eridicate the disease once it has become endemic in an area.
3. There is a vaccine, developed in Vietnam, but I am not aware that it is being widely used and/or available.
4. Basically the measures being applied (culling, no transport, keep out meat from infected areas, etc.) are in my view mitigation efforts, they won't get rid of the disease.
5. The Philippine government has extended its "lower import tariff" for pork for another year, all through 2024, in an effort to stabilize the consumer price of pork.
6. The cultural thing in the Philippines of slaughtering pigs/piglets in uncontrolled environments (the Lechon thing) will definitely not help to bring ASF under control.

 

I retired to the Philippines in 2016, after testing the waters a year earlier. Sold/donated everything I owned except for what would fit in three large balikbayan boxes, and never looked back.
My decision to move here was mostly inspired by three things: love, the much better social acceptance of a fair sized age gap here, and the existence of a favourable tax treaty between my home country and the Philippines.
That last part enabled us to buy a nice house and live a good life here. Happily together for 7 and a half years now.
View attachment upload_2023-7-25_9-31-46.jpeg
Obviously, life here has its ups and downs like everywhere, but our little oasis of quiet within a short distance of everything we need helps.
As for "many having missed the boat" as far as property prices go, yes prices have gone up quite a bit over the past 5 years or so, but there's still a considerable price gap with most places in Europe. At around 5 to 6 million peso one can still find/build a fairly nice house here, less than that as you look further away from Dumaguete. If looking for a rental rather than buying a place, 20-30k a month is the going rate for a reasonably attractive 2-3 bed rental with aircon within Dumaguete.

 

Maybe you should meet a few more builders here before you continue to crap all over people you don't know.

In the 12 years I've been here I didn't notice collapsed building all over the place. There were some pretty severely damaged buildings from a 6.9 earthquake which is understandable.
People here listen to you and come to believe a carpenter here can't even install a door lock set. When my carpenter was making some mortice and tenon joints for a door he fit the pieces together then took them apart and started to shave away bits of wood. I asked him why he was doing that, they fit perfect. His answer; "I need room for the glue". People here have skills. He cut the cornice molding over my cupboards with a handsaw. I couldn't make that cut with a $1500 compound angle miter saw.
If there are failures due to the crappy materials available here it not right to blame the failures on the builder.

Your Sir Dave need to get out and meet more people before you crap on everyone.

 

We enjoyed our evening there last night. As a previous poster mentioned very surprised once door opened to see the amazing decor and red colours, certainly different.
The Spanish owner was very open an attentive, he was often at table clearing plates away an chatting. Very nice guy.
Beware the portions are enormous, biggest experienced, after we shared a starter both of us were full. We did partake in a main how ever left totally full. Owner treated us to a coffee an a Spanish snaps before leaving.
One thing to note is the emphasis is definitely on karaoke which may not suit everyone, as soon as 8pm came he gave my partner a song book an encouraged her to sing. We are not into this but many could well be.
It was very quiet, we had the large resto pretty much alone.
Quality of food was fresh an good, for our tastes would of preferred it spiced up, still this could be Spanish style, you will not leave hungry.....

 

Showing pictures of a dead man in an endless loop is not an opinion, it is degrading the victim. that's the reason I do not like it.