788 replies to this topic

[Macman]

Thanks for that, Shikariman. It's funny you mention it because I was just saying to Angel last night that we haven't had a blackout in a while.

I don't have a lot to say here because I talked about our Thailand trip in the Trip Report section. Here's something though. I had talked a long time ago about the caddie asking me for a loan of 800 pesos (about $19 US) for something for his kids. A few of the guys speculated that it might be the start of something bad. Well, at Christmas time I had decided to give him 1,500 PHP as a present. It sounds like very little (about US $35), but most guys don't give anything, and one of my buddies gives his caddie of 25 years a pair of pants that he picks up at a charity bargain place. They cost him 200 pesos (less than $5). Before I could give the money to him, he sent me a text, asking if he could borrow PHP 1,500. Just so there wouldn't be any confusion because of language, I had Angel text him back, telling him in Bisaya that we had planned on giving him that for Christmas, so just take it without having to pay it back.

Well, early in February, he asked to borrow another 1,500. That was on a Thursday. He said he would make the first payment of 300 pesos on the following Tuesday. I gave it to him, making a mental note that it would be the last time if he didn't pay the 300 to me. Needless to say, there was no mention of it on Tuesday. Two weeks ago, he asked if I could loan him 700 pesos to buy a cell phone. He said the one he's been using is his cousin's. I said I wouldn't because he never pays me back. This morning he asked me again. I refused again. He didn't look happy. Oh, well, it was a small price to pay for a lesson learned.

Today Angel and I are going house-hunting. It's a pretty big step, but I feel confident that it's the right thing for us. I was talking to an American last week, and happened to mention that we wanted to buy a house. He told me that there were some things I might be able to do to protect myself financially. He was referring to the fact that only a Filipino can buy property; an alien cannot. He said that he thought that we could put the land itself in her name, but put the house in my name. "That way she can't throw you out of the house if things go sour." I thanked him for his concern, but I explained that if anything happened to Angel or to our relationship, there was no way I'd stay here anyway, so it's a moot point. I'd be back home within the week. I've mentioned it before, but I'll say it again. From reading the Forum and from just plain common sense, I have kept my eyes open right from the beginning for any signs that this is not the "marriage made in heaven." I won't go into them now, but every single sign points to the fact that this is real. Of course things like this can always change. That's just life, but we have been building a life together now, and we're both happy. Prior to moving here, the doctors had been trying unsuccessfully to get me to take blood pressure medicine. Now my pressure is between 125 and 130 over 70. That's gotta count for something.

[Crackerjax]

Good to hear all is well Mac. If you're not stressing no reason for us to.

Probably not a bad time to buy in the Philippines as the both incomes and the cost of living in the rest of Asia and particularly China skyrocket. You can expect a knock on effect both in terms of increased foreign corporate investment as manufacturers move operations to the PI as well as newly wealthy Chinese discovering what is on offer as far as the Philippines as a tropical vacation destination. Can't even begin to impress upon you how many group tours were being marketed for Boracay over the recent Chinese New Year.

[Macman]

I hope you're right about foreign investment coming here, CJ, and I hope the powers that be here don't screw that up because of greed. I want Angel to have something after I'm gone. ( I'm assuming I'm going first, but who knows. Who gets the house if she goes first? )

[Macman]

I haven't posted here for quite a while for the usual reasons: I just don't have much to say. Angel and I have settled into a normal routine. My life is very mundane, but it's a happy one. We haven't had much luck in our house-hunting, but my friends here have urged me to be patient, and to avoid jumping into a quick purchase out of frustration. It's sound advice, I guess.

There are two things about The Philippines that I'd like to mention. Because of the risk of bank failures and the fact that the PDIC (Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp.) has a cap of PHP 500,000 (US $11,765 at the current exchange rate), it's necessary to spread your money around. Every bank has different regulations, but this one just seems ludicrous. I went to BDO, one of the largest banks in the country, to open an account. I said that I wanted a peso savings account but would be depositing a US check after the initial deposit. I forget the minimum required amount to open a peso account, but it's usually between PHP 500 (around US $12) and PHP 2,000. I was told that I couldn't deposit a check for US dollars into a peso account directly, so I would have to open a dollar account, wait for the check to clear, exchange it for pesos, and then transfer it to my peso account. "Okay, then I'll open both a dollar and a peso account today." "No, sir, I'm sorry, but you cannot open a dollar account until you've had a peso account with us for 6 months." I was stunned. I already had 3 bank accounts with Philippine banks, and had never run into anything like this. I said, "Excuse me, but let me see if I have this right. I'm trying to give you a check that's worth PHP 425,000 that I won't be able to access for 30 days even though you will have the use of the money, but you won't take my money. I must first give you PHP 500 and leave it here for 6 months before you'll take my money. Is that correct?" "Yes, sir." "So you won't let me give you $10,000?" "No, sir. Sorry." "Okay. Thanks. Bye-bye." I went to BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands), and opened an account with no problem. It seems that they were happy to take my money and use it for 30 days.

The other thing has to do with auto repair. The horn on our car stopped working, so I took it to the local Shell station. They worked on it for an hour and 15 minutes. They not only repaired it, but also checked out other parts and oil levels. The charge: labor PHP 250, parts PHP 200. Total PHP 450. That's less than $6 for the labor and less than $5 for the parts. I don't know about other parts of the world, but in New York, the standard rate for labor at a car repair shop is $120 per hour. Some shops will charge the full hourly price for any portion of that hour. So this job would have cost between PHP 6,375 and 10,200 in NY versus PHP 250 here. Unbelievable. On the other hand, a Kia Rio in NY is about $14,000 but more than $21,000 here.

[thailover57]

Good to hear from you Mac. Some of the banks here in Thailand have some weird rules as well. Wanted to send money from my USA account to the NY branch of the Thai bank and they denied the transfer. Ask why, and they can come up with no answer. I had to do a wire transfer.

As for vehicle repair, I don't want one. Baht buses work well. Motorbike taxis are an accident waiting to happen, I'll pass. Don't want that Pattaya bandage or cast.

Continue to be well.

[Macman]

Thanks, TL. I love that: "no answer".

I really need a car here, though. There are no taxis in our city; just tricycles. They don't go very far, so we'd have to rely on jeepnies or multicabs, which are a horror show. I found the transportation situation in Pattaya to be very good, but here ...

[Macman]

Angel and I took a trip Friday night to visit some relatives that most of her family haven't met. They got together via Facebook. The only one who has met them is Angel's mom. We went with her mom and her half-sister, as well as her uncle and his family. It was a very rural area. They had a house and some huts right on the beach. It was very Filipino, including eating with our hands (no utensils), and sleeping outside on bamboo slabs. (My friggin' hips hurt like hell in the morning.)

Well, I'm going back to the U.S. this Thursday, the 10th. I'll be there for 4 weeks, and I'm already starting to miss Angel. It's strange because I've been looking forward to this trip for a long time, but now that it's here, I'm feeling sad. I think I'm doomed to feel homesick for the rest of my life. When I'm here, I'm homesick for the U.S., and when I'm there, I'm going to miss this place and especially Angel. While I'm there, I'm going to go to the U.S. embassy and see about getting a visa for Angel. I know she can't live there, but maybe they'll let her visit with my guaranty. I hope so. I think from now on I'm going to go home twice a year for 2 weeks at a clip instead of once for 4 weeks. I miss the seasons (except the winter). I'll go back in May and October. That might lessen the pain.

[Macman]

Yes, PT. The only night we've spent apart in the last year was when she stayed with her mom overnight in a hospital when she (her mom) had a high blood pressure scare. I suppose it does make the heart grow fonder, but I really will miss having her next to me. I'll be running around a lot catching up with friends and relatives, but the nights will be lonely.

[jayarr]

I suppose you could do some kind of video call but of course nothing beats the real thing

[Macman]

Yes, jayarr, we'll do that, but you're right; it's not the same. We did that for a long time between trips before I finally moved here. It beats no contact, but ...

[Macman]

Well, I spent 4 weeks in The States, from May 10th until June 7th. Angel and I Skyped or chatted on the phone at least once a day, usually twice. I had looked forward to my visit ever since I got here last June, but 2 weeks into my stay, I really started missing her. I'll never do another trip for that length of time. I'm thinking of doing 2 trips a year for 2 weeks each time, but that could be a hassle. Here's why:

Once again I ran into the new law that passed in The Philippines last year. When I got to the Cathay Pacific counter at JFK in New York, I was informed that I would have to buy a ticket out of the country to show Philippine Immigration or they wouldn't let me in (actually, they never even checked). I was told to buy an open ticket out of P.I. that I could cancel as soon as I got here, with no penalty. They issued a ticket from Cebu to Hong Kong, and charged me $445. (BTW, the law still baffles me. Hey, I love the people here, but does the government actually think that there are hordes of Americans trying to sneak into this country?) Anyway, when I tried to cancel the ticket, I was told that it had already been done. I asked about the refund, and the lady said that I would have to send an email with the request, a photocopy of my passport, and my credit card number. I balked at sending those things via email for security reasons. I also pointed out that the refund should have been automatic. I made a purchase, Cathay Pacific cancelled it without my permission or request, and they therefore owed me the money. I asked why I should have to show my identity. I had presented my passport to their agent in New York, and used my AMEX card. I wasn't requesting a check. I just wanted them to credit the account that made the charge. I felt like disputing the charge with my credit card company, but that's a pain in the ass. Long and short of it, I sent a copy of my Philippine I card. I received prompt, personal replies to both of my emails, so it wasn't an auto-reply, yet I was told that it would take Cathay Pacific 4 to 6 weeks to process the refund. Obviously, that could have been done immediately with a couple of keystrokes, but they like holding my money, just like the banks.

Okay, I've finished my bitching. One thing I'll leave you with. Absence actually does make the heart grow fonder, for both Angel and for me. It's nice to be back.