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My Experience in Dumaguete City

Discussion in '☋ Dumaguete City ☋' started by Rev. Robinson, Jul 6, 2007.

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  1. 2blackbelts

    2blackbelts DI Member

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    My experience...

    I have been following this post for awhile, and enjoy many of the comments and comparisons. Some good, some bad, and some quite informative.

    It is only human nature for an expat to compare Dumaguete to the city or country they came from. That being both the good and bad each one has to offer.

    I think most of us realize ( at least the rational ones), that the Philippines is still more or less a third world country, and is still growing and trying to progess. Both inside and outside influences have hindered and helped this situation.

    However, what I really can't stand is for someone like Yabs to group the people of a country into one, large, slave mongoring, evil, imperialistic country.

    Yabs, you continually talks about the evils of the US, yet, wasn't the US the primary saviour of England during WWII ?

    I support our soldiers 100% in Iraq, even though I don't support the war. Letting Libby off was wrong. There are hundreds of other instances I can cite as well. However, for you Yabs to continually berate the US and it's people is bordering on mentally obsessive. There are other countries as well that could easily fall into the same mold as you cast the US.

    I live in a beautiful home in the US, and was lucky enough to retire at a fairly young age. I am building a great estate outside of Dumaguete. Yes, I want better shopping. Yes, I want better healthcare for everyone and not just me. Yes, I want a better economy and more money for the residents of Dumaguete. What is wrong with this? Does everyone have to live in huts and scratch out a living to feed their family? Is the status quo the only solution?

    Progress always seems to bring egress as well. However, I feel the good that comes out of it outweighs the bad.

    Lighten up Yabs, just because I'm American doesn't mean I'm evil, nor does you being British mean you're an "egotistical limey". We can all live together.

    2 blackbelts
     
  2. Timn8ter

    Timn8ter DI Forum Adept

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    I'm getting away from the original topic but I feel the urge to comment.

    The United States of America is a great and wonderful country, one in which the negatives are greatly outweighed by the positives. Life, on the whole, is very good.
    The problem is, when a country becomes affluent, especially on the scale found in the U.S., the population becomes complacent. Why bother getting involved with social issues when you have a comfortable home and your belly is full?
    The other problem of affluence is the younger generations forget what sacrifices were made to get to this point and simply expect to have a comfortable lifestyle and endless toys. They also are ignorant of what it takes to maintain this type of affluence. Without constant diligence it will not last.
    Finally, we forget our own history. The U.S. has made some huge blunders, domestically and overseas. Too many people have the erroneous belief that the U.S. is benevolent and always has been. Not so by any means. Many also believe because our style of government is successful here it can be exported to any country in the world and will succeed there also even though there is no evidence on which to make such an assumption.
    I like to hope that each successive generation that comes along, whether it be in the U.S., the Philippines or anywhere, will learn from the mistakes of the past and do a better job than the previous generation. It's a nice dream.
     
  3. John

    John DI Junior Member

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    Just like to add to points here.

    Point 1: The idea that the US saved the UK in WW2 maybe true but is also so short-sighted as to not warrant further discussion.

    Point 2: The 4.8 Billion people living in developing countries can't all live a 1st world lifestyle or anything that even resembles it anytime soon, there's not enough energy and the climate change would be serious. So by how much do we all want the Philippine's economy to grow? Haven't most expats got conflict's of interest, don't we like the fact that it's really cheap, as long as we've all got our land bought before any property boom?

    The Philippines will always be however it is when we find it and we'll just deal with it in our own way, for richer or poorer.

    The whole topic...

    However well-meaning it's a little insensitive, the Philippines is the way it is for good reasons, there are good points and bad points. In my two years there I took the good with the bad, and found little bad. I prefer the traffic, I don't mind waiting for things when I've got all the time in the world, I don't mind the systems and processes when I know the infrastructure doesn't exist to make things better. I appreciate someone filling my gas tank up, it's an extra job and I don't mind paying for it. I've been caught out by the Lee Plaza no paper trick, yeah it's pathetic, but if there was paper it would go missing or LP would become THE CR.

    As for Traffic light's, Neg Or is well provided for by the lights in Tanjay.
     
  4. John

    John DI Junior Member

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    Just like to add two points here.

    Point 1: The idea that the US saved the UK in WW2 maybe true but is also so short-sighted as to not warrant further discussion. UK is no better than USA, both just as corrupt as Phils (we just stiff other countries rather than our own) just a little better at hiding it.

    Point 2: The 4.8 Billion people living in developing countries can't all live a 1st world lifestyle or anything that even resembles it anytime soon, there's not enough energy and the climate change would be serious. So by how much do we all want the Philippine's economy to grow? Haven't most expats got conflict's of interest, don't we like the fact that it's really cheap, as long as we've all got our land bought before any property boom?

    The Philippines will always be however it is when we find it and we'll just deal with it in our own way, for richer or poorer.

    The whole topic...

    However well-meaning it's a little insensitive, the Philippines is the way it is for good reasons, there are good points and bad points. In my two years there I took the good with the bad, and found little bad. I prefer the traffic, I don't mind waiting for things when I've got all the time in the world, I don't mind the systems and processes when I know the infrastructure doesn't exist to make things better. I appreciate someone filling my gas tank up, it's an extra job and I don't mind paying for it. I've been caught out by the Lee Plaza no paper trick, yeah it's pathetic, but if there was paper it would go missing or LP would become THE CR.

    As for Traffic lights, Neg Or is well provided for by the lights in Tanjay.

    John
     
  5. The Dane

    The Dane DI Senior Member

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    WW2 ... I believe we saved each other...

    One nation would not have been on top without the other...

    Anyways.. that is a long time ago...
     
  6. jss

    jss DI Member

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    1)no, the japanese saved U.K. if it did not take a vacation in hawaii, u.s. would not have been interested in taking a trip to europe. :smile:

    2)U.K./U.S. is just as corrupt as phil? Do you really believe that? Corrupt, yes. But JUST AS corrupt? BETTER at HIDING the corruption? reallY? Talaga??

    3)Y shouldnt developing countries and its 5billion people have same standards of living as those in developed countries? because of climate change???? oh comon! If the whole globe begins to develop, there will be plenty of clean energy source that WILL BE developed because they will be cost effective by then. Now that is a short-sighted commentary from a developed national point-of-view.

    4)Things in general are NOT cheaper here. I made a post somewhere specifying with facts why this is NOT TRUE. Things are overpriced compared to its value. Thus, there is no VALUE in the goods. VALUE means that the goods are priced fairly or slightly less than its fair value. In phil, things are CHEAP, but it is not VALUE purchase because what you get for your money is not VALUE. 30pesos street food may be cheap, but its not value because what you get for the money is crap. A porche would be a VALUE BUY if you buy it for 100,000thou dollars if the market rate is 120,000thou. You can get greater definition of what i mean by googling the definition of VALUE.

    5) property boom... uhhhh, look at posts here in this forum about real estate. most people are complaining of overpriced real estate, both for purchase and rental... It has already started booming, for no good reason.

    6)the topic is NOT insensitive. It is insensitive to who??? The locals with no money? This forum is not designed for poor locals. Obviously, no member of this forum would be stupid (or insensitive) enough to discuss many of the topics on this forum with poor locals.

    7)toilett paper. Yes! one should carry some cash with them whenever they go out. Yes, they should have underwear on at all times in case they are cought in a medical emergency that requires taking off pants!! same thing, one should ALWAYS have some paper with them when going out in phil. Its just one of those must-do things here. You just have to accept these negative aspects of living in phil as a part of life, and you must be ready for them. Brownouts? that sucks. but have a generator. There are many things expats should be prepared to ACCEPT when they decide to live in phil.
    They dont have to LIKE it, but they must ACCEPT it. I have. I just express my displeasure now and then on this forum because wanna-be expats to phil should know/wanna know.
     
  7. jjrbus

    jjrbus DI New Member

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    I read this thread with interest, someone mentioned NYC compared to Duma. If I had a absolutely no choice on somewhere to live except NYC or Duma. I think I woud have a brakedown trying to make the decision! One is as bad as the other.
    Now if it was NYC, Manila, Duma and Cebu. Duma wins !!!!!!!
     
  8. Swany

    Swany DI Senior Member

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    Welcome jjrbus; Good for you for choosing Dumaguete. I am looking foward to going back to live in Dumaguete within a few years. Here in calif. there are so many crimes, home invasions, carjackings (you'll be lucky, if you get away alive. advice; let go off your car), murders (you get shot without knowing who did it), too much to mention.
     
  9. Timn8ter

    Timn8ter DI Forum Adept

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    Perhaps a posting closer to the OP.
    One of the things that stood out on my first visit to PI was the air pollution in the larger cities. The buses, jeepneys and tricycles that belch smoke in the densely populated areas can be a real shock if you've not experienced it before. This is not uncommon for cities Asia. If you're going into one of these areas it doesn't hurt to have a kerchief or small towel to cover your mouth and nose with.
    The city is obviously noisy but there are noises to contend with in the provincial areas as well. If you're near a main road the vehicles may not have mufflers and most people have chickens and dogs which may make noise most of the night. It's not unusual for someone to have a karaoke machine, recorded music or live music for a special occasion playing loud and late.
    If you're unaccustomed to a lot of ambient noise it may take some time to get used to.
     
  10. OP
    OP
    Rev. Robinson

    Rev. Robinson DI Member

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    Wow, I never intended for this thread to cause so much emotional distress by some of you out there. It was not meant to be and it is not a complaint. I was stating the fact that I had to get use to these things and I hoped it would help others to know about these things instead of being surprised by them.

    When I enlisted in the Army in 1969, there were many advertisements about the benefit of serving in the military. Some people said I would go to Vietnam, I probably would come back a handicap or not at all. However, none of them told me how bad it would be to go through basic training each and every day. PT, KP, guard duty, in your face Drill Sergeants all day long, getting up so early in the morning, long marches, eating in a hurry, eating potatoes 3 times a day, going to sleep at a certain time. It was a wake up call for me and it was something I had to adjust to doing. I went to Vietnam, and fought in a Recon unit during my tour of duty. I did not get wounded but I watched a lot of my friends die. This I also had to adjust to seeing. I stayed in the service for twenty years and there were many up and downs and many adjustments, but I always kept it real when anyone asks me about the service. I told them what no one else would tell them, I told them what they did not hear from advertisements and what they could really expect. That did not change their opinion about the military but it helped them be prepared for what was to come. They had time to make an adjustment before taking on such a venture as the service.

    I love my home country and I love it here in the Philippines. If I rubbed someone the wrong way with my post, grow up and learn to recognize facts from complaints. There was nothing in my post that was a complaint, insensitive, harmful or wrong. They are the facts as they exist and I am able to adjust to all the difference that I have pointed out (and believe me there are a lot more) and that is what we all have learned to do since we have been here, adjust.

    And it seems I will have to adjust to people on this forum with tunnel vision. But that is OK, because I will adjust to this as I have everything else in my life, and I will not let any one with a difference view than I have change this, as I will continue to post on this site and fellowship with those that enjoy my company.
     
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