⌛ Getting married in Dumaguete.

Hi There,
My name is Alan from Wisconsin, USA. I will be spending time in the Dumaguete area from the last week in April to the first week in October 2010. My fiance from Lapu-Lapu & I are getting married @ the Bishop's Palace in May 2010.

Because of President Obama's purposeful dismantelization of our Capitalistic country, I am considering permanently moving to Dumaguete. What sights do any of you recommend seeing & what should I know about Philippine customs & lifestyles ?
Alan

 

if 'dismantelization of our Capitalistic country' is an issue with u, u are making an error picking the philippines. just search gdp growth rata since marcus's inauguration and then figure out why

maybe a better reason for setting up permanent residence somewhere, might be that u like the place

 

Alan, welcome.
You have questions which are not easy to answer in a reply.
The best thing to do is take some time behind your PC while reading a lot of topics on this forum.
Use the search function or read it all :D:D
There is still a lot of time for you before you move over next April
You 'consider' still, so 'inhale' all opinions of forum members.
Maybe you hate the new Robinson and want to stay away for that reason
Maybe you like a slow and peaceful transportation system and don't mind road works :D.
To be honest ....I like it here very much and hope you will do soon too.
Good luck for you both.

 

Hey Barramac,

That's the reason why Philippines will not prosper because of its people...they always say negative about the Leaders but they don't realize that the people itself has a big responsibility in making the change. If you want to change our country, it should start from your self and teach others to do so.

 

Another one fresh off the boat.

All the more reason to stay. I myself can not wait until the US offers a public health care option. Maybe we can bring the unions back and give something to the people. Naw that's too socialistic, but I can dream. Just you move to the PI. Its the best thing that can happen to you. :p

 

Personally, I have never seen a society that is more naturally inclined to socialism (or really communism) than the Philippines. It's the Filipino way...if you have, you must share. If you have a lot, you should share all until you have just as little as anyone else...sounds like something Marx would have appreciated, diba?

I think the only reason the Philippines isn't socialist/communist is because the votes of the masses are so easily bought by the rich businessmen and landowning classes.

 

Welcome Packer fan. Hope Bret Favre did not spoil your fun last week. Anyway, cmon guys, give him a break. Do not turn this thread into another political debate. He just want to get married and move to Dumaguete. His reasons are his own. Why don't we help him with his questions. He wants to know about Philippine customs and lifestyle so why not share with him what you like about the Philippines and it's people. Put all the negatives aside.

Ralph1862, let me remind you about something. By you joining this group you become part of our family. The family unit is very important in the Philippine society. Big events like this, the family is central in the celebration so we should all be invited unless you want to be an orphan pretty quickly . Don't forget to bring some nice Wisconsin cheese with you.

Seriously though, I think you need to hear it from the expats in this forum. To some the adjustment is pretty rough to others it's a welcome change. So maybe if they can share their stories with all of us we could learn something.

 

Good point Panday_Pera...all the expats in this forum should share their experiences either bad or good

 

I wasn't intending to shift this to a political discussion...just letting Ralph know that if he is wanting to relocate to a firmly capitalistic society, this might not be what he is hoping for.

Sights and sounds to see depends on your interests...I prefer more nature-oriented things and meeting nice locals...if you like that also, I suggest renting a motorbike and riding around and exploring. Valencia is a good place to start since they have a lot of good, concreted roads. You can island hop and rent bikes in most places you might go. Make some friends along the way, both expats and locals, who can recommend where to go in different places. Several great diving/snorkelling spots are in the area. Small resorts abound and are inexpensive...again, ask for suggestions from ppl you meet along the way. Nightlife is fun in both Cebu and Manila, but during the day, I find the traffic and pollution to be quite a drag.

Oh, you also asked about customs and lifestyles...hmm...well, on the surface the Philippines will not seem a lot different from the US, but under the surface it really is. As a newbie, what should you know? Family is of the utmost importance here. Time is a relative thing. Everything will move much slower than you are accustomed too. Educational levels are much lower than you are accustomed too and most people aspire to be "simple". They don't like complexity and are not ambitious. They want to have enough food to eat, some sort of roof over their head and no stress in their lives. Most people here are very poor, but they are happy. If you can slow down and embrace the simpler, slower life, you will have a good time. If you expect things to "work" as they do in the West, you will be frustrated beyond belief.

 

Great start dg.

Let me add that simple life in the Phil is probably simpler than you think. Your fiancee can probably tell you, we recycle everything that can be recycled to death. When you go to a house and they serve you food on a plastic plate, cups, etc. do not crush or throw them away afterwards. Chances are they will be washed and reused. Just ask politely where you can put them or just set them down next to the sink. To some extreme even things made with styrofoam are recycled so when you are using your styrofoam cups, etc. try not to bite the edge of the cup or leave any marks.

Once you get used to this very simple life, if you want to, then you will realize how wasteful Western or other more industrialized societies are. In the Philippines you will learn frugality to the extreme.