The guys I have known and kept in touch with since school days point blank refuse to come over here because of the bad reputation of the Philippines. Of course my next question relates to "what specifically" and they have no real answer.

I brought a mate down here yesterday for one night, Canadian guy, had dinner on the boulevard, he was so impressed he was kicking himself he had not done it sooner. (He has been here for 15 years)

The perception of people who have never been in the philippines is just incredible, they assume a place is terrible, out of ignorance. I had more trouble in New York in the 80's than I have ever had in 20 years here.

I have constantly tried to explain and invite people over to experience the warm smiles and hospitality for themselves. My parents took up the offer and now think like I do and just love the place. Unfortunately they are now too old to travel but they still love to keep in touch with the happenings, etc and they just adore my missus

As to the rest, I have just given up. Those with closed minds are the people missing out. I count myself blessed to have had the opportunity to have found this part of the world ..

AND... it is always a pleasant experience riding an escalator in a shopping center, unlike back in good ole Ozz ..

 

Ron, it's been my experience that many people that come back with a comment like that are extremely jealous of others that have broken free of the rat race.
The system threw ordinary working Americans over the side 30 years ago.
When it gets too crowded, and the bullshit gets intrusive and intolerable, there ain't a d*mn thing wrong with packing the suitcase and heading to places offering more to life. That's the American way anyhow.
"Go West young man" still applies.
"Go West ol' feller" works also.

 

Building off of what Mark said about the system. Maybe I am different, but if I could afford to retire with my new bride where I lived in beautiful Carlsbad California, I would move in a New York minute, rather than live here. My last divorce settlement and the cost of living in California made that an impossibility so I moved here where we can live a comfortable life style. I have taken the attitude that, given my situation, I am lucky and try and take a positive attitude. When the going is good, we love it here, when the going is bad, happy hour starts early. Life is good...

 

I think that is the bottom line for a lot of us.
I am living entirely on my social security check. In the US I would be single and living under a bridge or still trying to work to survive.
Here I live very comfortably and in a place that is a lot nicer, a lot friendlier and a lot safer than Houston Texas.

 

And, I also agree with Manzanita. I did have one (only one) friend that emailed me and said how much he envied me and how he wished that he had the guts to do what I did. He was my next door neighbor, 5 years younger than me, living alone, on his social security, with no friends and nothing to look forward to each day except more of the same.
And I think about Tom a lot. But he just doesn't have the nerve to do it. So sad.

 

Most of my friends either looked at me with envy or like I had lost me mind. Well, they knew I had lost me mind many years earlier, but this one shocked them. On a brighter note, I have conned my 62 year old sister, who has never been out of the US before, or east of the Mississippi, to come for a visit. She arrives Friday. Should be fun!




Larry

 

it's all a question whether someone can feel comfortable far away from his original roots; I am sure, everyone has some longing for the home of their origin once in a while BUT the best cure is probably to go back for a few months to see again, why in the first place you left.

 

A good topic you started here Ron.
It is funny and at the same time very interesting to read how friends 'back home' are reacting to us: the adventureous, crazy, stupid, suicidal, sexmaniacs, outlaws.....or whatever name they give us.
In a way I do believe that most of us surely are adventureous and a bit crazy (but in the good sense :D).
Who else will leave his protected life-environment and goes to quite unknown area.
In my case ....... when I left 5 years ago I told my friends that they better could not count on regular writings/emails/chats/... since I had to make new friends in my new country.
I have with a few of them still contact: average however of only 2 emails a year and a visit once a year when I'm in my previous homeland.
I don't need more contact since my friends here are of more importance to me.
With my family (some of them specifically) I email very frequently.
Most of them support me. None is giving me negative critics.
Some stepbrothers (I have 4) do envy me, some however without telling it to me :D). All are surely convinced that I feel very lucky here and always travel happily back home to the Philippines.
After they met my beauty queen beginning this year, they even can more understand and agree with what I did some years ago :D
But I never lie about other aspects here which (on the contrary to the good things) do make it for me less easy to adapt c.q. accept them and will probably never really change.
"You can't have it all" is my answer then.

 

And NOT to talk politics, but tomorrow should be "interesting" in the USA.
As for the names you used in your reply Jellyfish, I don't know about anyone else, but I've been called everyone that you listed.
Isn't it interesting the replys here and the way "we" think as opposed to our previous friends, neighbors, co-workers?
Are we crazy, or are they? Hummmmm
There was a quote I heard once, no idea who to credit it to, but it was something like "when the whole world is crazy, then only those that are not will be called that". That's pretty deep, but it applies to us. Just who are the crazy ones?