Yesterday, Wednesday I watched most of the Arizona Cardnils and the St. Louis Rams on ESPN in the afternoon. It must have been a replay unless they started playing on Tuesday in the US. I believe it was 20-23 Rams when I had to leave. There is more and more pro football and an occasional college game, but for an avid football fan as I was, the Philippines is not the place you want to be to enjoy the sport. If I could only get someone to tape all the games and send them on a VCD maybe we could have a football TV club here. Anyone want to do it for a fee? Maybe I can find someone who will put it together on this side, maybe even me, I have so much spare time. :) I don't know if you are watching this in the US, but the Universal Fighting Championships. But here they are very popular with a lot of the guys I know, a sport that makes boxing look like a kiddy sport, and not questionable like ""professioal"" wrestling. No biting, no eye gouging, the only rules. The blood does fly. Food: I missed yellow grits when I came here, still harboring southern US blood. They are hard to find in Cebu and I nver saw them in Manila though I understand they are readily available in some places. Here you can them in the grocery store, imported and expensive. So I have my helper buy yellow corn and have it ground fresh at the market. Usually you can find a way to get something you may be missing in the States. I know you can get soy yogurt in the States now. But not here, or if so, rare and with sugar. So I buy Taho, processed soy bean curd from a vendor who comes by the house each morning and add yogurt starter. It is cool here now so takes about five days to make. In the summer time it takes only two days. I just add fresh fruit. If I want it sweet, I add rasin juice and green bannanas. Some guys from the middle east have an excellent starter I use. You can also make cheese with it, but I am not sure how. Last time there was hourse radish in my main store, I bought all that was left. I am almost out now but have not been looking for more. I use it to make remoulade sauce for my shrimp, a New Orleans sauce I have eaten all my life, when I could.

A good high gain directional antennae (Yagi Beam) on a pole to give you some elevation over local buildings will help alot. These look very similar to the UHF TV antennae's in the UK. The antennae is then pointed in the direction of the nearest cell site. Cell phones work on something called ""Line of Sight "" communication (except under special conditions). After all ""Cell Phones"" are only low power mobile radios at the end of the day that rely on the signal being relayed by your nearest cell site. Radio Amateurs have been using a network of repeater (relay) stations for mobile radios in the 145MHz and 440MHz band for over 30 years! As the frequencies used on the cell phones are in the UHF/SHF good quality coaxial feed cable and connectors are important. These types of antennae are available (locally made but not very good quality) in some of the cell phone shops in the shopping malls. I have seen this type of antennae in Audio Net in the Ayala Centre, Cebu. If you can not get any joy try having a look around for specialist Amateur Radio, Marine/Aircraft Radio suppliers the may be able to help. An alternative is to try and get an Amateur Radio magazine which may well be useful. I used to use SMC (South Midland Communications) in Southampton UK for my Amateur Radio gear when I was licensed. They may well have a web site now. The antennae is what will make a big difference but it means that your mobile phone will cease to be mobile when you are hooked up to your base antennae. Of course you must have a type of phone where you can use an external antennae. Motorola's ""L series"" has an antennae which can be unscrewed from the cell phone body. The cable from your base antennae can be connected to this phone using the correct RF (Radio Frequency) Connector. I do have the information available here so that you can manufacture your own antennae if you are interested (a bit of maths involved ugh!). You can stick a car cell phone antennae on a pole but you will need to make some modifications (something called a ground plane) to make it work properly. This is worth a try first of all. You can see how well you are picking (signal strength) up the cell site by the signal strength indicator on the display of most phones. My reference is the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain) VHF/UHF handbook.

The most important question pertaining to this inquiry is ""Where are you going to build this house?"" The design of the house should fit it's location. When I bought my lot I had an idea of the house I wanted. It then took me a few years of studying the lot and weather before I started building-I was in no hurry. I tried to maximise my ""comfort zone"" by designing it around the weather, mosquitos, privacy, views, and how it should feel. Strength and security were a big psychological part of the ""comfort zone"" for me also. My house's sheltered terraces are most of my living space so therefore are the biggest part of my house. If one terrace is getting hit by the NE monsoon, I retreat to the opposite terrace, yet I am still outside and comfortable. Alot of expats come to Phil. and bring a design with them that is great if you have cool weather 4 months, snow 2 months and like to sit next to a fireplace- we live in the tropics-design your house for it. Alot of the local architect's education have been centered around American plans, so they think these are good designs for Philippine homes which many of them are a world away.

While I do drive sometimes this is the major reason while my wife insists I keep using our driver. Previously her family's driver hit a motor bike, where the motor bike was totally at fault, it came out to overtake, her family got the bill for one dead person and a more expensive one for the person who survived and is in the hospital. She kepts telling me if I am driving and being a foreigner, I will be left with a very large bill, much more than what the driver is costing. I thought insurance would cover third party liability, but the legal requirement only covers P 50,000 which I topped up to P 200,000. My insurance agent, says legally if it is not your thought you are only liable for P 10,000 but in practise you will be liable for much more. I used to drive on vacation in Bali and Phuket, and after reading a couple of sites like this, realised it was not very wise to drive yourself. In Bali they would say it must be your thought, because you are the one who is here in our country, if you did not come there would not have been an accident!

As for hotels, I stayed at the Metro Centre Hotel and although the rooms were a little run down at this point, it was adequate at a reasonable price. The rooftop pool was good and they had an exercise room up there. They also own Panglao Island Beach Resort and the Metrocentre can arrange a day trip over there to spend some time at the nice white sand beach. You mighthave the beach to yourself like I did. Also, there is a small cave on the property that the staff can show you (plenty of bats there), and the hotel is close to Hinagdanin Cave. You can stay at Panglao Island for the night, but it's expensive. The MetroCentre had a great restaurant on the second floor called ""Asiaitica."" Believe me when I tell you that it was the second best tasting food I had in the Philippines during my two month stay in 2001. The best was the McDonald's in the Ayala Center in Cebu. As for night life the MetroCentre had regular disco type nights most of the week. Attending is recommended. The staff were very helpful, too. A big disappointment in 2001 was the Bohol Tropics Resort which seemed to be undergoing some sort of renovation during my visit. Every attempt to get a break on the room prices because of this was met with arrogant disdain by the flaky hotel manager. I stayed here in 1999 and had a great time. Too bad things degenerated so much in two years. It is not recommended. Don't forget to visit the Plaza Marcella Mall which is a good shop. Also be forwarned that if you go to Panglao Island, the taxi drivers will expect you to pay twice the meter for their trip back into Tagbilarin. The best bit of advice I can give you is to go to the car rental location a block down from the MetroCentre Hotel on the same side as the hotel (I forgot the name of the place), on the right side of the block just in from the main street where you will find a driver named Nello, who was the best driver I ever had in the Phils. He was also a tour guide and took me all over Bohol and was the best at showing me around Bohol. The MetroCentre once set up a tour where Nello was my driver. He apparently works for the car service they use. You won't be disappointed!

I was looking at a business for sale in the Philippines. It's an internet cafe. Supposedly it profits 30,000 pesos a month. I have searched the newspapers and other websites, and found numerous businesses for sale including restaurants, and billiards establishments. Most seem pretty reasonable. About 5 to 10 thousand american dollars to purchase. Am I allowed to own or run a business if I'm not a Philippino citizen? It seems a person who has 20 thousand dollars on hand, could buy several businesses, and hopefully turn a profit to increase their monthly income. In the United States, you couldn't do this on account of it being so expensive to lease or buy property. I can risk 5000 dollars, but not a hundred thousand in America. Also if I find a business property for sale, and i can't legally own property, would someone who is a citizen, or who has a relative in the Philippines, be willing to put the property in their name, for a small monthly fee? It would benefit me to purchase property, rather than lease. If I decided to buy several businesses, I could use a silent partner,(just for the property ownership). Of course like I said I would be willing to pay a monthly fee to that person. This person, would have to be trustworthy, and have good refrences. I would consider half and half partnerships, as long as you have the necessary means and some business experience. I'm looking to make extra income while I live in the Philippines. If anyone can answer my questions, or is interested in possible future business ventures in the Philippines, please respond. Of course opinions as always are welcome.

As to the business aspect, I have no interest, as I have my hands full with my own business. However I must set Pete the moderator straight. It is not illegal to partner with a native citizen, as long as the citizen agrees to be responsible for the business, which they would be under the law. This includes being responsible for taxes and liability, for lawsuits against the business. Of course any american that profits from running a business, be it a partnership or not, is responsible for paying taxes to the government of the Philippines. There are loopholes in the law here, just like in America. I suppose many Fillipino's would be interested in letting you use their name, as the country has a high rate of poverty, and for most people here, the chance for more monthly income is hard to resist. Not only are you going to have to trust them, , but they must also trust you, to run the business responsibly. I would strongly recommend a partnership agreement to be signed by both people involved. Any lawyer can draw up a simple agreement for a small fee. Pete is right in one aspect. If you have no legal binding agreement on paper, there is nothing stopping your partner from walking away with the business, and pretending he doesn't know you. Also you must take into consideration, that if for some reason you decide to leave the Philippines, your partner may be reluctant to sell the property. I am certain you will get several responses to your questions, especially regarding the profits to be reaped from the types of businesses you are referring to. However, I advise you to look into the laws in the Philippines re. foreign ownership. What you are proposing is illegal, but you will find many interested parties that will allow you to use their names for your business. Just be prepared to also give up your investment at that point as your local ""partners"" will be the legal owners of your business(es) and you have no legal rights as you have violated the investment laws to start with. And please, don't post to the list with further propositions that violate the law.

My trips to Cebu are frequent and last 7-10 days. If you found a way to offer consistently good food, I'd be there half that time each visit. My real reason for replying is to let you know that I have an associate who's managed to keep a similar vision going for ten-plus years in another province. I've watched from start-up to now, and think staying in business has not always been the prudent thing to do. Would you like me to put the two of you together?

As we may already be aware, if property settlement goes to court, it could take years to resolve. Given a foreigner's limitations of property ownership, a judge might eventually rule to liquidate the property and divide the proceeds, if the case even gets that far. If both parties are motivated to be fair and avoid litigation, it can best be settled between their attorneys in a mediation mode.

I am informed that the quality of doctors in the Philippines is very high, with respect to training. What, however, is the level of ""service ethic"" of the doctors as well as the hospital staff, compared to other countries? Here are a couple of cases in other countries which illustrate what I am asking about.... A Costa Rican friend's mother had an emergency condition, and was rushed to the hospital. My friend says he literally had to grab a doctor by the shoulders and yell at him to get him to attend to his mom. The doc was on the phone chatting it up with someone about his girlfriend or something. My wife is from India. India has some of the best-trained doctors in the world. Her grandmother was in the hospital and was treated by very competent doctors. But the hospital staff were careless and apathetic and disorganized. My wife's grandmother died due to some stupid neglect of care by the staff. Is it the same, the opposite, or in between in the Philippines?

a) For Manila you can get DSL from Globe or PLDT for about P2500 a month or cable from Destiny or SkyCable for about the same price. I know that DSL lines and Destiny do not have limitation on the amount of data transferred. b) So for cable and DSL you leave it open and that will only cost you the electricity bill. Most people use prepaid card (mine says p100 for 20 hours) and those are time billed. A flat monthly rate is possible but I would not know the rate. c) The flat monthly rate for a phone line is about p670 and local calls are free. I do not know anything about Mexico but aside from this you can have prepaid fixed lines. No monthly cost at all but if you do not make that many calls you might as well buy a cell phone.

I recieved mixed responses on my buffet/restaurant idea. I have people saying they'd eat there, while others say I'd have a tough time with all the competition. I guess I agree $8 american is a lot for a meal in the Philippines. I'm in Chicago, so $25 bucks a meal seems good to me. I personally eat out 4 or 5 times a week. However, you are all right in the fact that people who move to the Philippines are doing so because they want to pay less. Everyone seems to agree that the restaurant sounds good, but the price is high. What I'm going to do over the next couple of months is research the price of beef, chicken, and pork, in Cebu. I figure in any restaurant, the main expenses are meat, cheese, and employees. With labor so inexpensive in the Phillipines, labor won't be my biggest concern. I will have to train my employees to cook western style. Although there are some who already know how, I understand they may be in greater demand. I would rather buy my meats already processed. If anyone shops frequently in Cebu, I'd like to know the going average rate of beef, poultry, and pork. As far as fish goes, I understand it is relatively cheap. If anyone has contacts in the seafood business there, or within 70 miles of Cebu, I'd be interested. I'd like to invest in a walk in freezer. Or 4 large floor/deep freezers. That way I might be able to get better deals on meat if I buy in bulk. If anyone has an opinion on any of this, I'd like to hear. If I can cut the cost of the buffet down to php 200 to 250, and still make a profit, I'll do it. My main two concerns are the cost of meat in Cebu, and if anyone rents, or leases business space in Cebu, I'd be interested in the going rate. I'd like to lease something in a high traffic area. If you know someone, or if you have space to lease coming up in a few months, please contact me. Thanks everyone, for all your opinions. Also thank you Don. You are always a wealth of knowledge.

In my experience, asking a foreigner member of the extended family to subsidize monthly car payments is the height of exploitation of a family relationship. Interest rates are high over there and loans are short-term. If he cannot afford the car anyway but with high-interest monthly payments, he shouldn't be buying the car (IMHO). Why is it that brothers-in-law always seem to be the ones whose requests are most outlandish? I had the same experience with my first wife's (the Mexican one) 6 brothers. Two of them showed up at our house after a third brother was killed in a bar fire. They came to mourn the death (for a couple of weeks) and I made the mistake of buying the first six-pack. Well in the week and a half they were there, I got to know my brothers-in-law. They wore my clothes, pulled my telephone out of the wall, wanted to fight me on the front lawn, one had to be removed by the Sheriff deputies after my wife crawled over the back fence to call the police from a neighbor phone (our phone had been torn off the wall). The height of the unrealistic expectations was reached on two occasions during this visit: While we were claiming the personal possessions of the deceased brother from the Coroner, my wife told the coroner to send the $80 he had in his wallet (when he died) to his wife in Mexico. The other two brothers were expecting to get that $80 and I thought they were going to start fighting with us in front of the Coroner office. The other high moment was when one of the brothers asked me to stake him to a large cocaine purchase when he got back to Los Angeles with the promise of a 100% return on my investment. Just mention brothers-in-law and I get pressure on my brain... My current brother-in-law, however, is worth more money than me and is more likely to be receiving my requests than the other way around (if I happen to end up in his neck of the woods, Pangasinan).

Filipino Baby is on the website if you want to take a quick listen: www.livinginthephilippines.com. If it is not working, let me know. I guess I will put some other songs on it so people can click on and listen.

In short they sell for way above market price but you do not have to pay if you can find other people who will buy from you. And probably you have too find lots of them as that is not specified. If they are lucky you fail and they make a profit. For me it is easy to see were there money is coming from and probably not even illegal. By the way buying solid gold will keep you in your current job as it does not generate extra money for you. Certainly not if bought at these prices. Just browse around on the internet and try to find the lowest price for these coins. Believe me it is way below their asking price.

hello to all, here is a recipe to make your owm.......maybe someone would like make and give it a try.........for years, years ago, in europe, middle east, and asia i was in constant pursuit of sour cream to no avail most of the time............here is recipe i found just now............. Warm one cup heavy cream to about 100°, then add one or two tablespoons of sour cream, cultured buttermilk, or plain yogurt (make sure you buy a brand that contains active cultures). Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least nine hours before refrigerating.

I do like phone cards for the landline phones. They allow you to place a call without using coins. I find them very cost efficient, even if it is sometimes difficult to find a phone which takes them. Even tourist and visitors might want to try one of them out for P100. Here in Cebu there are two main phone Companies. PLDT and Globeline. I carry a phone card from each of these companies in my wallet where ever I go. These cards do expire - but usually it is after a year or so. If I don't find a phone which takes my phone card, there are often phone available which take coins or from vendors which give you 3 minutes for about P5.

I'm missing something here. You said to make your own SOUR cream you warm thickened cream then add SOUR cream? Kinda defeats the purpose doesn't it? Was it a typo? Did I miss something vital or am I simply being obtuse? Please put me out of my misery as I am hanging for a potato in the jacket with sour cream and some chives and a juicy steak. I have found everything bar the sour cream. Perry hello to all, here is a recipe to make your owm.......maybe someone would like make and give it a try.........for years, years ago, in europe, middle east, and asia i was in constant pursuit of sour cream to no avail most of the time............here is recipe i found just now............. Warm one cup heavy cream to about 100°, then add one or two tablespoons of sour cream, cultured buttermilk, or plain yogurt (make sure you buy a brand that contains active cultures). Allow the mixture to sit at room temperature for at least nine hours before refrigerating.

the idea, i believe, is to add an active culture to heavy cream. that culture can come from an existing sour cream, or buttermilk, which is cultured these days, or yogurt which also contains a culture or starter as called by sour dough bread makers and certain pancake makers....

I drive a motorcycle and a car here in Manila. I've always driven ""aggressively defensive"" too, but just as important, I've been training myself (not fully there yet)to avoid anger and reacting to stupidity. That part seems harder, but I see the benefits. I try to notice the Filipinos drivers who are relaxed and don't drive aggressively, to remind myself. As a result I arrive at my destination more relaxed. What I do worry about at times are those buses and trucks that we read about, losing thier brakes -or the driver falling asleep! I also stay off the roads here after midnight if possible.

My Children carry Canadian and Philippine passports. My Filipina wife and children are all planning on visiting the Phillipines next year for about 3 months. I would like to avoid the travel tax for my children when we depart the Philippines for our return back to Canada. If they leave their Philippine passports in Canada and enter the Philippines on their Canadian passports can they get a Balikbayan entry and therefore avoid the travel tax on their departure from the Philippines. Thanks and any input would be greatly appreciated, Bahala na

The steps you describe are how we have read that Filipino nationals will be able to reclaim Philippines citizenship, as a result of recent RP legislation. This is the first time that I have heard anyone describe the steps as if they were in place. The legislation is only a couple of weeks old.

It is more that gender is not used in Tagalog. There is no he or she so the translation will always give problems. Even with people coming from the most excusive private schools here in the Philippines. That's on of those things that makes live wonderful.

Sounds like she has lower vowel trouble. Its a consanant problem with my wife too. Plus she mixes her he's and she's and it can get very confusing. I wonder if there is a hidden gender at work here? The Anonymous Bear. You got that right with the ""i"" and the ""e"" thing, also ""a"". My Visayan gf just about drives me crazy sometimes with her pronunciation of those vowels.

Can foreigners operate bank Filipino bank accounts such as savings accounts with card access and time deposit accounts. Can anyone recommend a good bank for card access and for time deposits (any idea on the interest rates?)

Australia has always been within the Asian region. Most of its landmass falls within the degrees of longitude of Asia, it's closest neighbour is part of Asia, not the Pacific. There was a move afoot in the 80's and 90's to acknowledge this. Not including Australia as part of ""asia"" puts it where? This is an intrinsic part of developing a more realistic mindset for Australians to include themselves in the region of their closest and most numerous neighbours and trading partners. It could be argued by the same logic that the Philippines is a Pacific nation, not an Asian one, or the UK not a part of Europe due to the Channel. Only a very thin bit of a very large island continent actually touches the Pacific, the rest is the Tasman Sea, the Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean (very asian) and so on.

Australia has always been within the Asian region. Most of its landmass falls within the degrees of longitude of Asia, it's closest neighbour is part of Asia, not the Pacific. There was a move afoot in the 80's and 90's to acknowledge this. Not including Australia as part of ""asia"" puts it where? This is an intrinsic part of developing a more realistic mindset for Australians to include themselves in the region of their closest and most numerous neighbours and trading partners. It could be argued by the same logic that the Philippines is a Pacific nation, not an Asian one, or the UK not a part of Europe due to the Channel. Only a very thin bit of a very large island continent actually touches the Pacific, the rest is the Tasman Sea, the Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean (very asian) and so on. The best English in Asia is spoken in Australia, unless you don't subscribe to Australia being in the Asian region in which case my money would go to Singapore, followed by India for sheer numbers of English speakers.

1: Based on my profile, do you think I can reasonably survive on $1400 a month with a girlfriend? Yes, easily! 2: Are there any areas that are safe and cheap other than Cebu that you could recommend. We would like to live within a few miles of the beach at least. My wife and I plan on retiring in the Subic Bay area. It's not as crowded as Cebu City and there are plenty of retired Americans living there. 3: This is the most important. I understand that you can only stay 59 days at a time on a visa extension. How can I get around that? I do not want to be a Philippine citizen. Is it possible to leave the country for a day or so every 59 days and then return and repeat the process? Based on my income and profile, do you think I could qualify for a longer extension? If your girlfriend is a Filipina and you get married, you will qualify for a Balikbayan visa which allows you to stay up to a year without leaving the country. Otherwise, you have to deposit $50,000 or more in a Philippine bank for a retirees visa. 4: Last question. Does anyone know where people can get a breakdown of the cost of living in the Philippines? Every post I read is vague. Here's a repost from the AC3 board which is very detailed: This is just a current update of my expenses. Remember, I am married and have a 22-month-old son (the 18 yr old is back in the US joining the Marines). I have not gone native, but still make some concessions to economic realities (means I buy mostly local items, imported only on exception). For the most part I go to the local market for fruits and veggies, meats from an established meat store (Mother Earth - by the processing plant only), pork and chicken wherever my wife buys it, and the grocery stores (JJs, Johnny's, and SM in San Fernando) for the rest. I have always lived within Sta Maria I 5 minute stager from Fields Ave). There are other areas cheaper/more expensive, nicer/worse, etc and all I can say is you normally get what you pay for. Like anything else determine your needs in priority order, and then shop around. I stay where I do because it is a good location for getting around town and bar hopping. EXPENSES: These numbers (averaged and rounded) are for 2 adults, 1 baby, in a 2- bedroom, up/down (two story), 1 bath (shower) apartment, with carport, in Sta Maria I, and without A/C (fans in every living area going most of the time). House Rent P7,000 Electrical P1,100 This is no dishwasher, clothes dryer (but washer), water heater AC or other big electrical users. IMO They are not needed. Hot water to shower is from a ""on-demand"" electric thing that on is the showerhead. If A/C, expect to pay around P175 per day per A/C unit. Bottled gas, P 285 1 bottle every 2 months or so. Water P 50 Filtered. Do not recommend you drink the tap water. Trash pick up P 60 Per month (not required, but I also give a P100 per person Xmas bonus) Phone P1,100 Basic Rate. Will vary depending on long distance calls (national and international) Internet P2,750 Cable modem, +$300 for cable modem. Not avail in all areas. 75 hours between 8 A.M. and 8 P.M. but free (not metered) from 8 P.M. to 8.A.M. Cable TV P 495 Transportation P 500 Includes Jeepneys and trikes. If I go to Manila, I get a car & driver for P1,600 for 12 hrs. Household P 400 A week Includes soap, tissue paper, toothpaste etc. Misc Expenses P 500 A week. Clothes etc. Wife ""Maint"" P 500 This covers her shoes, clothes, Cell phone ""upgrades"", and call cards. Groceries P3,500 A week.. This is a VERY rough estimate and perhaps a bit on the high end (remember I have a son in disposal diapers). It varies greatly and is difficult to pin down depending on what we buy. Some weeks it is a 3/4s of that, other times it is more. Restaurants P 250 Local inexpensive places. P 700 Local nice places. P 600 Per person (and much higher) ""upscale"" We rarely go to an expensive restaurant here. We can find food as good as or better for much less. This just takes some experimenting around. Entertainment P1,500 Per week. This is for our drinks and pool table fees (Wife says no LD/BF/TG) You now have a good idea of what it costs ME to live here. You may pay more/less depending on your lifestyle and required comforts, but I think this will get you close enough for planning purposes. I did not include ""family support"" for my wife as she has cut them off after her mother died and I had to ""rescue"" her body from a medical school (P35k) as her husband and other kids would not pay the hospital/burial bills. Last item is this: I highly recommend you DO NOT move here until you stay here for an extended vacation (say 6 months) ESPECIALLY if you have never lived in a third-world country before. This is not the same place you are living at now and not everyone can make the change. The ""party"" life gets old. The customs are different. When you step off the plane, YOU are the foreigner. The locals can speak the language; you are the one not communicating. I live here because I enjoy it and have found life beyond the bars. Yes I get frustrated at times, but I always remember I can get the next plane out.

I cook and eat mostly at home (just another excuse for the girls to come over on their own time) and I don't drink alcohol, so my grocery/laundry bill comes to maybe 4000 to 5000 peso/month at most. So I can live here for about $600 USD/ month very comfortably. Without nightlife spending, of course

I would not describe the first year as a touristic delight but it does take some years to fully settle down. Funny that you state that one would try to change things. I doubt if that works in any way. It is you who has to change and adapt to a new environment. For sure it helps if you are already familiar with the culture. I also keep in mind that I can always return to the Netherlands or any other place. I treasure my passport and am making sure my kids have both their Dutch and Filipino passports at hand. Come to think of it I really enjoyed flying around and visiting places here during the second year. There is clear water, white beaches and coconut trees all around and contrary to my country man I pay only US$ 70 for a round trip. I hope Perry can give some more info as well? Is it what you expected it to be? For me the feeling are mixed between great and a complete nightmare the latter having nothing to do by the country itself.

Well I finally got here and everything is great, but I can't seem to get any money out of my bank via. ATM. Oops. The only bank I have been able to use here is CitiBank, but it's over a half day of traveling round trip. I was told that The Bank of the Philippines would work also, but also it doesn't accept my atm card. Can anybody suggest anything?

It is settled than, you all seem to agree that English is spoken more widely and more clearly in Manila than it is in Cebu. So if I were to visit the Philippines I would have an easier time communicating with people in Manila and a more difficult time in Cebu... RIGHT??? I will be visiting the Philippines eventually and I am open minded to the idea of finding a serious girlfriend there. I like the beautiful Filipina look better than the beautiful American girl look, but the beautiful American girls can speak English. Long, deep, intellectual conversations with people who don't speak English well is often unsatisfying. Also, I can imagine that our cultural differences would contribute to further misunderstandings. In spite of these two enormous problems I am still foolishly attracted to Filipinas, so if I don't come to my senses before I have a chance to go there. Would you recommend I spend most of my time in Manila where English is less of a problem or is Cebu a better choice? Does anyone one want to recommend a third city?

filed an I-129F last June and the paperwork was forwarded on to Manila in August. But INS forgot to approve the petition. So I have been calling them weekly for the last 4 months trying to get them to tell me what the hell was going on. Always, the reply I got was ""call back in 30 days"". Yesterday, I went to my congressman's office (for the second time), and with 1 phone call, the petition was approved and notification sent to Manila. Finally, there's a light at the end of the tunnel! I think I'll vote Republican next time. Also, we will be in Malapascua next week. Anyone else on this board planning to be there?

If you have a dollar account you can sell your dollars to a money exchange dealer or in SM department stores. They have higher rates than banks...and longer lines too. Then deposit the money again. This way, you get more for your dollars.