⌛ Hello from new guy...long post...sorry

Hello from new guy, just visiting site (and earth..) and appreciate any input you offer on duma as well as nice info that I’ve already found on this site.
About me:
Last 8 years in chiang mai Thailand…. Great place!!... and before that 6 years in europe..and many other places before... including my home country usa. I am very young, 66 , and semi retired (not allowed full retirement because I don’t know how to play golf). I am not same as most expats. I rarely drink, never been to club or beer bar, and I live very simply (spelled cheaply)…mainly enjoy very good food and very good friends…both hard to find. Thai food is way over rated.. mostly chemicals, msg loaded (I’m allergic.. garlic too)…very heavy salt… they go by cheap rather than good.. though homemade by someone who has any sensitivity to taste can be great with many diverse fruits and veggies etc here. I imagine it will be similar in Philis…though hopefully Spanish and Japanese and American influences have fused interestingly with traditional recipes…and not just in junk food.

It feels like I am being called to the Philis… not sure why…hope fate’s plan is not that I be crocodile food. And to dumaguete in particular. I have been scouring the internet for info…this site very helpful..a few others too… but hard to get a picture of life there before visiting first time. Endless commercial sites, totally unrelated to key search words… photo sites that mostly show someone’s vacation and all the same tourist statue or building… and of course, countless offers by beautiful young girls who can drink or play pool and shop, and who want nothing more than to love and care for an old geezer…(that is satire for any of you who have been away so long to have forgotten your roots.) It’s pretty much the same in all of third world…and some of the second and first worlds too if there still is a first world.

I have grown kids in usa…a 14 year old daughter in france…’adopted’ kids in many other countries…not legally, just sponsored or helped… Here I try to help and support a number of orphanages… No save the world illusions, not sure how these kids will turn out…. Just try to let them have full tummies and education enroute. I was well off once, shared most of it..hedgefund collapse in 2008 was me and I wasn’t bailed out, haha,….. not funny…hahaha…. now I live ‘ok enough’ on a small social security with some augmentation after 40 years of initiation in trading worlds…(derivatives guru…your name makes me think we should have a conversation some day)…

I am sure you all like where you are and your lives as expats there… but every coin has two sides… would appreciate hearing the plusses and minuses from your viewpoints… my views so far? more English than here a plus…thai people maybe nicer but filis more friendly… food choices maybe a plus there…immigration and visa options a plus there too…
What are the minuses??? Here, I have never locked my door. I can leave money inside on the counter and the water delivery men will carry the water bottles inside, take the old ones, take the money and leave the change when I am not home. Here, the police are like keystone cops… its almost humorous and always friendly…never a hassle in general life…that would mean they had to work, haha….. I have very reasonable, excellent 3g internet which is important to me…(too old to be a techy.. heck, I don’t even know what 1g or 2g was)….the thai people are exceedingly friendly, helpful, nice…though impossible to relate to beyond that and superstitious to the nth degree though they call it religion…

I have an adequate apartment…40 meter square with small kitchen that saves a lot in eating costs… community swimming pool that I don’t have to clean haha (why I gave up my house).. community terrace… nice neighbors and staff… costs about 200$ a month for rent, drinking water, household water, electric, lousy cable (only have it for Bloomberg news), 3g internet… and its very nice place… I have a good deal for here but normal would not be more than 300$ for same. How would that compare to Duma?

Food costs are reasonable for cooking at home with very good western choices as well as good local produce markets… eating out cheap at street level (diarrheal roulette)… many reasonable thai and western choices (best pizza I’ve had anywhere in the world! An Italian guy makes with his thai wife..homemade sauce, imported cheese..thin but melt in mouth crust...) Lots of fancier choices that I once had frequented… and great music with amazing talent in musicians though they say Philis are same or better???

I can easily walk to most anything I need. I don’t have a car anymore but I LOVE my Honda Dream motorbike for a small city like this…and small trips outside it. Of course, I think it rains more in Duma than here. We have great weather, not tooo hot (almost always 29 or 30 degrees C…. except in April… never cold (though we feel cold in our winter if it dips below 24 degrees…not much rain and mostly at night…can live ok with just a fan except for a month or two each year… How does that compare with Duma? Do you get enough sea breeze for comfort? Is it humid off the charts? Or is it ok enough if one sits or stands in some shade??

Travel here is easy…and the threads on the different choices from Cebu to Duma sound intimidating…errrr, adventurous… … though after the first exploration and if I move there, my primary traveling would be walking to market or café or friends (or bicycle or motorbike) and strolling along the sea… no sea here in North Thailand.

Ok, this is getting way long…sorry…… but figure you can’t tell me much about life there if you don’t know a little about who I am and how I live… simple, and from the heart. The head has a tiny tiny section for knowledge and skills but otherwise is made up of words with Problems, Fears, and Wants… Love and Happy are only in the heart. Very simple, but not ez, haha… get to work on it over and over each day, hahaha. All the best to you and sincere thanks for anything you can share about real life in Dumas. Cheers, j.

 

I have never been to Thailand so I can't compare the two regions beyond what you have told me. I don't think you would go wrong trying out Dumaguete though. Because you are not rooted to any one country, you can come here, try it out for a while and if you don't like it then you can move to another area or go back to Thailand.

Weather
Again, I don't know how it compares, but I'm from a cold area in the N.W. U.S. and I can go all year with just a fan. Sometimes it's nice to kick on the AC for a few minutes, but it's not a necessity for me.

Housing costs
Your housing will likely be less than Chang Mai. I had a furnished studio (I have since moved into a house) apartment and all the things you mentioned (no swimming pool, internet was 1 mbps from cable provider) for about the same as you mentioned. If you get the same thing unfurnished (or even one bedroom) then you can knock off around $100 from the monthly fee.

The place I stayed when I got here was relatively expensive for what it was but it's very well kept up and owned by an American expat. He has plans for a pool I believe.

Culture
I can't see Dumaguete being more colorful than Chang Mai. I'm sure there is a lot more of an expat community there and Thailand probably makes for a better brochure for it's tourist attractions and food. The Philippines isn't known for it's food but as a new arrival you will have plenty of space for new adventures. Getting the right ingredients for meals is a challenge both for home cooking and for the restaurants.

Transportation
Getting around here using the trikes is really cheap. If you already enjoy driving your motorcycle, then you should have no problem getting around here.

I can't come up with any negatives, but I'm probably the wrong foreigner to talk to for that. There are others here who can talk (b*tch) about negatives every day, all day long. Maybe I would have more if I were to compare the two countries but I can't.

 

I'd be happy to converse, Alien John, I am sure it would be interesting. I am an ex-Morgan Stanley guy before I started my own firm.

I welcome you to visit Dumaguete and I even offer to guide you. (Let's call it Wall Street professional courtesy ;-) However, I have lived in Thailand and I now live in the Philippines. I live here due to my demand for English language employees. If I were retired, I would live in Thailand. Truly AJ, Thailand is better than the Philippines for most foreigners: less crime, less pollution, less corruption, much better developed, lower costs, MUCH better food, massage, etc...the list goes on. In mind mind, the Philippines only beats Thailand in terms of: girls, immigration policies and English skills (and possibly SCUBA diving, but I'm not experienced enough to really know that for sure).

Oh yeah, booze is cheaper in the Philippines.

Visiting is cheap...I welcome you, but I also give you the facts as I see them. I am planning a trip to Chiang Mai soon, so maybe we can help each other out. Drop me a PM!

Sawasdee Ka and Mabuhay!

 

Here I suggest you do exactly the opposite. You're example is more of the exception here now that the rule. Used to be like that as well but unfortunately not anymore.

Good luck in your plans and enjoy the Philippines..

 

alien john, you made a good posting.
I mean, you have some questions and the way you have introduced yourself makes it clear for readers what kind of answers have to be given.
I have been in Thailand I believe 4 times, but always as a visitor for only a short time: between 1 week and 4 weeks.
I have been in Chang Mai as well.
I loved Thailand and the food there (better and more local choises than in the Ph. Sorry, that's MY taste).
The people are very friendly, which is not that different from here.
It's safer than the Philippines, although I guess that that is difficult to judge (location dependent).
I should like to see relibale statistics about that (are they existing ? ) but also your experience tells me that my opinion seems correct.
It's hard to communicate in Thailand, unless you're in the tourist area.
And learning Thai is a bit too much asked and only possible for the VERY clever onces.
Cost of living: don't have enough experience having been only a tourist and business visitor there, but I had the rough estimation that it is not THAT different from the Philippines (my last visit to Thailand was however in 1997!!!, so it could be completely different now).
The girls are beautiful, but is that different here ? Here they are differently beautiful :D. But imo the average (but what is average ?) Thai girl is more pretty but less easy regarding social contacts.
The temperature instrument in my house indicates nearly constantly 32 degrees Celsius (maybe I have to check if it's still functioning )
The sea breeze is mostly there (I live near the sea). Diving is imo better in the Philippines than in Thailand. 'Similan islands' however was a fantastic dive experience for me (1987).
The Philippines has many more good dive sites and the variety of species is much bigger.
Corruption here is much better You know what i mean with 'better' !
It's raining of course a lot in the rainy season but I love that coz it gives less dust and we don't have to spray the garden twice a day
Housing cost looke to me quite comparable with here bases on what you mention for your situation in Chang Mai.
Transport: not any problem here: You loose counting the tricycles, jeepneys, busses, and.....motorbikes here in Dumaguete in only one houre.
The busses from Cebu to Dumaguete (and to many other places) are frequent but the traveling time is so long coz of the road situation (repairs/new roadcover/etc...).

Get a ticket to here and look around for some weeks and decide

 

Lots of good replies, thanks to all. Derivative Guru, I cannot figure how to send a private message...my brother got all the computer genes... but do contact me when you come to Chiang Mai.. I know the town a wee bit. my email is usa then j for john and ande from anderson and i use hot mail dot you know ...not sure if urls are allowed here but i can't figure how else to send message...even with the faq page and member list and etc.

 

that might be answered in the new members announcement :

Dumaguete City Forum - Announcements in Forum : General Chat

anyway, just post your mail here if you like, when it falls into the mod-cue, I make sure it will be approved

welcome also from my side to DI, enjoy your stay in our little community

 

Difficult to compare Chaing Mai to Dumaguete. Chaing Mai is more comparable to Cebu City. I much prefer Cebu and the Phils to Chaing Mai and Thailand but it'a a matter of taste. The reasons I prefer cebu include the majority of people speak good english, the live music scene is way better, the beach is closer, there are few tourists and expats compared to Thailand and the people in the visayas have a charm and sense of humour that I haven't found elsewhere in asia.

 

rhoody, thank you... please forward my message with my email above to derivative guru in case he doesn't check this thread again..
the replies i received were very helpful, straightforward... it helps me plan a visit to visayas...
You are german? I was on the 'wall' when it opened and stayed for sylvester's nacht... I will never forget the beautiful, haunting sound of the wall peckers in the middle of the otherwise silent night.... my friend has a car shop near potsdamerplatz... i took one of his giant sledge hammers to the wall...and near ruined myself as it bounced of barely making a dent...my friend laughed and, pointing at the wall, proudly said: 'german made', haha..truly memorable, poignant experience back when it was all honeymoon and before the marriage when they wanted to put the wall back up again, haha... in the grand scope of things, that unification is a simply amazing feat.
thanks for passing my email to Deriv Gu....and what are your impressions and comments on life in the philis? best wishes, j.

 

Thailand Philippines

I lived in Thailand for a few years then Moved to the Philippines I have stayed in the Philippines but I did marry a Filipina which I would choose over a Thai wife which I also had one of those for a short time. It almost like apples and oranges the two places are so very different but the same. It really comes down to what makes you happy for that I would say you have to come see it for yourself.

As you know Thai's have there down side but so do the Filipino's and again it comes down to which you would prefer. For me I prefer the Philippines. But this is just how I see it..