Best Posts in Forum: Expat Section

Great stuff in this thread - one of the worthwhile threads I have read over the years!

As to the kids visiting, each have different experiences. I am from Australia and have 2 kids 31 and 28 years old and whilst their first trip was last Xmas/NYE. I have one returning with his girlfriend in September and both coming with partners to my 60th in Manila in November with the other coming back to Dumaguete/Valencia afterwards with her boyfriend. They both love it here, love my chilled life and all looking to make this a base for further adventures from around here. They can't get enough of it and love it because they get free board and opportunities to explore a truly incredible area filled with natural beauty which is relatively cheap to experience.

It goes without saying but seeing them happy here makes me ecstatic.

 

Check out marriage in New Zealand. I (US citizen) married my Filipina wife there last summer. We did the application ahead of time, then picked up the license on day 2 after arrival, then got married on day 3 and registered it day 4. The office in Auckland is really nice. It's pretty easy: only needed our passports and my divorce certificate from my prior marriage. You can even choose to get married there at the office, but we enjoyed our beach wedding.

 

My 1st Chaperoned Date with my fianace, now Asawa.......Asawa paid :P

 

Sir a bit of advice. You have made the Police and the PDEA lose face twice and also the City Prosecutor, these facts alone do not lead to a long life here, never mind my opinion..

 

I fully understand where you are coming from - you want assurances before you change your 'comfort zone' to another place. But life does not work like that - you might as well ask people here what YOU should choose from the menu when at a restaurant. You are an individual and, as such, will have different worries and different coping methods. Best to just flow in the river that you find when you get there - if medical emergencies arise then decide at that time how best to deal with them and, depending on your ability to travel due to the illness, where to get treated. If you feel you want to stay forever then do so (but I know of someone who was certain in his mind to stay in the Philippines forever but after 30 years went back to the USA for the benefit of his Filipino family who all wanted to live there) but if, after any period of time, you decide you prefer the US then go back. Life is a risk from the moment of conception and it is best when we don't plot our future too much - far too many unknowns for that. Instead look at it as now having many choices - they are yours for the picking, depending on how YOU feel, not how anyone else feels about living in Dumaguete or the Philippines.

I know all about this - your thinking is identical to mine before I moved to the Philippines. I found many things I had feared turned out to be just fine. Like many people, my only regret is not moving sooner.

 

I am loaning her a laptop until she leaves as the police are holding their stolen/recovered laptop as evidence. Their cell phone was also stolen and I don't have an extra one to loan them. If someone has an extra cheapo Android phone kicking around that we could load Google Voice/Hangouts on, that would be awesome. Just PM me and I will arrange to pick it up. Thanks.

 

I think you overlooked parenting, or the lack of.