Best Posts in Forum: Off-Topic Forum

Very well done you! I appreciate your update and glad to read the positive improvements.

 

I enjoy waking up knowing i do not have to do anything i dont want to, My last 2 years at sea were a drag and its only the last few that i could be bothered looking at the ocean. so NO i do not miss working

 

Good news! I beat the Grim Reaper this time.

 

Its not just immigration though or LTO but virtually every government connected office has fixers be it getting a business license, getting a firearms license (didn't you hear after all a foreigner with firearms license already is 100% safe! hahaha), getting an annulment, or anything else. It doesn't protect you should they ever look over the stuff and see its not legit or had been fixed. Saying you didn't know is NOT an excuse to them or that the person seemed legit. Its not even an excuse if the fixer actually even worked for the office in question and was a genuine employee.

Simple rule of thumb, if anyone says they can take care of it real quick even if they say or don't say about its likely an illegal fixer. The Philippine government no matter what office is extremely slow, extremely annoying, and makes no sense. If what your doing seems fast, not so annoying, and makes sense.... it is NOT legit.

I've even been told by a government worker (forget what permit office though) and another foreigner that they knew the right people who could get me a firearm permit as a foreigner and both swore that if I had the permit granted it would fully protect me from the police or anyone questioning how me as a foreigner have it. I wasn't gullible though and laughed them off but to many suckers out there.

 

There are enough western style restuarants that you can go out 7 evenings a week at a different restaurant and get good "western" style food. During you transition period from US living to the Philipines you can rely on the just recently added 7-11 in town. They may have those 7-11 hot dogs, as I saw a couple of their employee chasing some stray dogs around the streets. Actually seeing the glaring bright colors of 7-11 sign in the background of the historic Church tower tonight did not make me feel we were making progress here, but just becoming "modernized" which I do not consider to be progress in all cases.

Some Western style restaurants with Filipino dishes for your spouse: Coco Amigos on the boulevard, KRI accross from Silliman U, (great food with smaller portions for those days you are on a diet) ., KFC for fast food in the mall (with white rice or mashed potatoes freshly out of the box), Why Not (European, Western and Filipino) on the boulevard, Casa Blanca on the boulevard, Mike's Beach Resort in Dauin (great American Hamburger), Jerry's Beach side RestoBar (Great Pizza and other things) in San Miguel, and Takkries French Resto-Snack House at the 7 Km marker in Bacong (Run by a french man and his Filipina wife... great pasta...NO white rice). Oxmox in Valencia with a number of Western dishes. I am sure you will get other recommendations but that will get you through the first week... oh Yeah there is a new McDonald's in town too. Do not fear you will get your daily required "dosage" of western food here now.

 

Nothing but positive experience with my wife's extended family. Honest, hard working and they know the limits of what we will do to help financially (health emergencies etc), which we always do. Maybe it's their upbringing. We are employing brothers to do minor construction works right now (please, no comments about local builder quality) while the fishing is not good.
We also help by housing and assisting a few nephews and nieces to attend college - breaks the spiral of poverty, so a long term investment.

 

67 when my son was born here and 6 years later, I can't imagine life without him

 

Merry Christmas everyone on this site.. We can only hope next Christmas is a lot better than this one..