Best Posts in Forum: Off-Topic Forum

I've lived here since early 2016.
We have travelled to the Netherlands (together) to visit family and to get married in 2018 and again in 2022, mostly to visit family and to do some touristy stuff.
I travelled back on my own in 2017 on the occasion of the birth of my 2nd grandchild, and again in 2019 because my mother's health was in serious decline. Sadly I missed the birth of my 3rd grandchild because of covid travel restrictions.
In the opposite direction, my eldest daughter visited us here in 2018 and 2023, and my youngest visited in 2017, 2019, 2022 and we met them in Bali early this year.

Obviously I have pretty strong ties with my kids, and yes of course they would prefer papa/opa (granddad) to live nearby instead of a 16 hour flight away, but they do recognize that a happy father in the Philippines is better than a lonely father nearby, and they understand and accept my reasons for living here rather than there. Obviously Whatsapp helps to stay in touch with family also.

I also recognize that if my daughters would have been just starting out in their adult life when I left, it would have been a harder decision to move to the Philippines. As it is they are both in their mid/end thirties, have a stable life with a good partner, nice house and excellent jobs, so doing really well.

 

I have enjoyed recreational activities in the cold and the heat. Snowmobiling the trails of Wisconsin's north woods was a whole lot of fun. Noodling the Washita river in Oklahoma summer is quite enjoyable too.

When working outside in the cold gloves are like a women. Can't work with them, can't work without them. Working in an non A/C barely heated truck shop I've dropped tools from my hands being too cold to hang on, not from sweat making them slippery.

I'd rather drive during a summer downpour than a winter blizzard.

Retirement? If I had to choose between sweating or shivering I'd choose sweating.

 

Being obese here is generally not considered unhealthy at least not until someone has a heart attack or stroke. Then all a sudden everyone saw it coming.
There was a comercial on TV for cheese showing a morbidly obese 10 year old stuffing his chubby little cheeks. They were trying to put forward cheese as a healthy life style. If that were my kid he would be on a diet of air and water.
Personally I think I could lose about 10 kilos. My wife says if I if I drop the weight she will be embarrassed because people will start saying she doesn't know how to cook for me.
It's mostly perception here as to what is considered over weight.

 

A while ago my wife and i went back to live in the UK due to the fact that after 18 months of no work it was the only place i could get a job in my line of work.
I have a grown up son and daughter there 35 and 37 years old now and at the time we went back a new born grandson.
We were back there for 3 years and i think i was lucky if i saw them more than once or twice a month and only if i put in the effort to call them or invite them for a meal.
Due to the UK home office BS which makes it difficult and costly for legal people to get visas and mainly the fact that they refused my Filipino stepdaughter a visit visa we left and returned to the Philippines.
So for me leaving family behind was not a hard choice, i think i have more contact with them now on facebook than i ever did when i was there in person.
Sad but true

 

For me, during Covid, I deal with very few people now and being more of a loner, I like that better. Stress is less now that my wife had Pfizer and I don't have to stress as much when she meets with her unvaccinated friends. No face to face school puts stress on my wife playing teacher with our son. My wife has learned to cook pasta and other dishes I enjoy so not going out to eat is not an issue.
Most of the world news sucks so I pass on watching news and watch Netflix and sports on laptop. If only I wasn't getting older no complaints but considering the alternative no complaints. Stay safe

 

I definitely go with this "retirement" plan.

I look at the way my wife was treated by her parents, I find this very believable.

After finishing her schooling, she was told not to search for a job or even worse plan for a career.

Whilst her cousin (grew up together, same age, educated together, same schooling, best of friends then and still now) had the full support of her parents and followed a career that took her to Manila, Cebu, Arabia and now USA,
Sherry was turned into a yaya for her mother. Her brothers moved on and she had free available time. Took in onto herself to do a Carers Course (Aged and Child) to enable overseas posting, with the help of her auntie.
Parents found out and it was stopped by them. Comment to Sherry - "That will teach you to aim for something better than what you are". They then "allowed" to have a few jobs - never more than 2 years - picked by them.
And insult added to insult - she was allowed to keep just enough income for travel and clothing.

Anyways almost 10 years later.

Her last job at Comelec came with a supervisor who noted Sherry's unhappiness and lost love soul. The same supervisor is now one of our best friends. She encouraged Sherry to search for something different - online dating.
Online - at work - parents will never find out. And they didn't - till the day I arrived . Big Big boy, older man, swept their little housemaid (by now 32 years young) off her feet - up up and away.

Anyways Sherry came to Australia and we married. Planned to stay in OZ but my health did not want to co-operate. So instead of trying in Australia to make it work, we returned back here.

Build a house in Dumaguete (away from parents in Tanjay). Supported the love of my life finding the strength to stand up to her parents in spirit and voice. They accused her of not being married, being the shame of the family, not being as good as her cousin, being with such an old man and then IT IS YOUR JOB TO LOOK AFTER US - LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR YOU - WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN WE ARE GETTING OLD - THAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE DAUGHTER.

And my little lady sunshine let fly. Years and years of anger, frustration, tears, sorrow, disappointments, shame, etc were let loose.


Anyways - I think I went off-track a little here, but you are right. It is the Pinoy Retirement Plan.

 

When I lived there, I LOVED the smiles everywhere! It didn't matter if they were rich or poor, the Filipinos always had a smile to offer.
I miss the instant welcome you get from everyone. People you have never even met before treat you like family, with open arms and FOOD!!
I miss hearing the ocean waves as I would walk along the Boulevard every morning, watching the crabs climb up the rocks, and the old lady who was always there taking her bath.
I miss my friends that are there. I had so many friends that I do not have here in the US. I think everyone is just too busy with work and life here, we forget to stop to enjoy life and friends.
There are so many things I love and miss about Dumaguete/Philippines. My husband is buried there, I miss him very much.