Best Posts in Forum: Dumaguete City

I live a more respectful lifestyle here now than I did most of my years in the U.S. Maybe just older now and enjoying this chapter.

 

I witnessed a foreigner verbally attacking a sales associate at Lee Hypermart several years ago. I felt horribly for the girl and I did feel obligated to apologize to her for his behavior. I told her I was so sorry how he spoke to her and that we aren't all like that. She smiled and said, "Thank you, ma'am". If people are that unhappy living in a country not their own, then they should go back. The visitors should never expect the host country to change their ways to accommodate them, they should be appreciative of their hospitality.

 

I have lived here over 5 years on a tourist visa, it costs less than 1USD per day, just follow the rules and advice of the Bureau of Immigration. If you plan to stay more than 30 days, visit the Bureau of Immigration office in downtown Dumaguete around your 3 week in town.
Stay in a hotel for your 2 week visit, many to choose from, Go Hotel next to Robinson Mall is inexpensive, easy to navigate to and from, and a lot of places to eat and get coffee nearby.
If you are an experienced motorcycle rider, renting a motorbike works great, many rental places at Santa Rosa and Perdices street in downtown Dumaguete. Wait to buy any cars or bikes. It may not seem like it when you are on the road here, but we drive on the right side in this country.
Explore one hour north (Bais City) to one hour south (Saiton City) ,if you see an area you like, ask the local or neighbors if there are any rentals nearby. There are some online ads for rentals but many only known by word of mouth.
I visited Thailand before and liked it very much. The advantage of the Philippines is the people are very friendly and speak English, the culture is more western than any other Asian country, the cost of living can be low and the quality of life can be high if you make good choices. The are adjustments and annoyances to living here. There are many expats from many countries, many places to socialize, the Filipinos make good friends too.
Remain flexible and have the least amount of commitment (housing, vehicles, business, relationship) in your first year if you decide to stay.
Good luck.

 

Yessss got all the blood we need and even more donors now, so we have a standby for operation day. So no more stress hunting, focus on operation day and recovering!!

Thanks for all the help, you are beautifull people. If there is a public notice it can be removed.

 

This "lack of common sense" is a common trait across many Asian countries. It's certainly not exclusive to The Philippines.
I have encountered the same problems living, working, and running a business in China and Cambodia.
One must understand though, that a lot of it comes down to their education. In Western countries we are taught to question things, use our imagination, have our own point of view, and "think outside the box". In Asian countries they are taught to copy and remember what they are told and then regurgitate it come exam time. Try asking a typical Chinese teenager to use their imagination and you'll understand what I mean.
There's no point in letting it get to you or trying to change the system, it ain't gonna work. Just pick the bloody olives or mushrooms off the pizza when it arrives if that's what it takes.

Having said that, I've met a huge number of expats who are also pretty bloody stupid too

 

The actual traffic law says that even if it is posted "No Parking" you are allowed to temporarily stop for the purpose of picking up or dropping off a passenger or goods from a business. You are supposed to put on your blinkers and are allowed up to 15 minutes. Twice I've received tickets for that and I went into the office and explained that I wasn't "parked" I was just "temporarily stopped" to make a pick up, I brought a printout of the regulation with me to show them, and they voided the ticket.

 

my missus, when I 1st met her, never paid anything, but I thought her the error of her ways, now she is the one who reminds me, when it time to pay here SSS, she pays it herself 20k a month (she sees her uncles and aunts struggling and struggling every single day (everyday going to bed not knowing where the next mouthful is coming from is down right heart wrenching), they go around like zombies, sat her down one day and explained how it was going to be when she too was 60+ especially if i was already dust in the ground, after a few chats she finally got it (locals become eye blind, and numb to what they see about them, the poverty they come to see is to accept as the norm and that is the future that waits them......i shook that woman, and now we have our own two little ones running about, she now gets it, she sees the neighbours kids with no shoes or one shoe or two left shoes.............every month no with out fail, she pays it herself from her own money, and she also has another axa savings plan of 10k a month which she also pays into now, she has been doing that for 3 years and has 360k of her own money that she is well proud of, when i met her she was a lowly secretary in the local LGU making a chicken a day in terms of salary, now she does all her own stuff online (virtual secretary) on the upwork platform and she makes 100k a month all her own money i dont touch it, she does what she wants with it

 

This is a personal view (of course) and you may dislike it or not, at your whim: In a country which has respect for its elected leader, I do not feel it is the right of foreigners to show such disrespect. Let the people decide on policy, as far as is possible, at the ballot box.

Also, negative, rude and disrespectful comments about any senior politician (and leaders of other organisations) may serve only to make life more difficult for your fellow expats - and every expat here should be on the lookout for the welfare of every one of us.

 

When was the last time you had to renew your vehicle registration, I got a ticket 3 weeks before my registration was due to expire and on the advice of my friends was told to ignore paying the fine, well guess what when I went to renew my registration on June 19 got the sorry sir you have to go to city hall to pay your ticket which was now double because I did not pay it within the 1 week time frame.'' READ AND HEED''