Best Posts in Thread: Happiness as an expat

Thanks, Gord, for sharing your insights. I agree with you completely that happiness here for expats is determined by our attitudes that we bring with us, not by external forces. I do, however, have to disagree that there are only two types of expats, "those that are happy, and those that are miserable." Most of the expats I've met in my seven years of living here fit somewhere in between those categories. I don't know anyone who is totally happy here or totally miserable. In between is a large continuum of us who are happy sometimes, and less than happy other times. If the happiness side of the spectrum weren't considerably stronger for me than the miserable side, I would most certainly leave the Philippines. But there are definitely things here that tend to get under one's skin - things that might lead one to have to register as less than happy, but certainly not miserable. Yes, attitude is important, but sometimes when I'm driving from Dauin to Dumaguete trying to dodge the kamikaze bikes, the wildly aggressive GT van drivers, the trikes that pull out onto the highway with no regard to oncoming traffic..., not to mention the vehicles with no lights or brights only those rare times when I dare drive at night, I find my happiness scale sliding somewhat south.

I looked a little further into your website, PhilX-Pat Corporation, and found it quite interesting. I did find a few things there at a glance that I would question. For example, in your section Investment and Business Opportunities, you state, "As a country breaking free of its third world status and about to become the next “Asian Tiger” , The Philippines is ideally placed for explosive growth. With a well educated , English speaking and cheap workforce unrivaled in South East Asia, and top notch communications infrastructure, the Philippines has all the necessary building blocks to further develop a booming Business Process Outsourcing industry." Gosh, is the Philippines really breaking free from its third world status? Maybe so, but sometimes that's hard to see. As for top notch communications infrastructure, I'm not sure where you're coming from on that, but most expats I know, including some who run businesses dependent on fast, reliable internet, would wildly disagree with you on that point. I'd be interested in seeing what other forum members have to say about these and other points your raise.

 

Lived in Baguio a year and a half and loved the kids at the market who would carry your purchases. They would have larger bags to sell for 5p and was a fun way to "give" them some money or food. Seems most homeless kids are boys and and help out with parking and begging, the market helper would be a nice addition.