Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines?

[mephisto]

JayPez. I really like what you said about the Filipino people and I am happy that you are really enjoying yourself there. But I must disagree with some of your statements regarding their view on material wealth.

"To filipons freedom is more precious than material wealth and if they laugh at something that curtails or threatens this priority, its simply a way of coming to thems with the situation until they find a way to overcome it."

"The average Filipino has very modest dreams; to have just enough to feed the family and be able to enjoy the simple please of life. Filipinos may be poor in material things, but as long as theres love and laughter they will find plenty to be happy about."

Although I don't disagree with what you said for the most part, I do disagree with you on their "very modest" dreams for a better life. Filipinos go abroad in huge numbers hoping to find a better life outside of the Philippines in order to provide for their family. They sacrifice so much and sometimes husbands and wives don't see each other for years on end. I can't speak for the people that you have met directly but my experience with filipinos inside and outside my family is that they care a lot about material wealth, and are ambitious about seeking better lives for themselves.

That's why you see so many filipinos abroad working as maids, working on cruise ships, caring for you as their nurse, working in Tim Horton's and the list goes on and on.

That's why so many of them treat you and I like a rock star, they generally want to find a better life, marry well, and for the most part get out of the country.

I don't want to take away from what you said because I think you accurately described Filipinos very well except for their ambition for a better life and their collective struggles' to escape poverty.

[JayPez]

[ QUOTE ]


The happiest people on earth… (I might be wrong about the 2nd but whatever.)

(no link, copying (with skipped bits) from lonely planet)

in a global survey conducted in 2005, Filipinos came out amount the worlds happiest people much to the filipines delight, surprise and busement. As Filipinos see it, tey are no hpppier then anybody else on earth, in fact generally speaking Filipinos tend to take a rather unfavourable view of themselves. Particually in comparison with the wealth of Americans, the old culture of Europeans etc etc.

but one thing Filipinos have is a boundless sense of humour, and this extends to a rare ability to laugh at themselves. Perhaps it’s a kind of defence mechanism, but even in the grim days under marcos dicatorship they endlessly cracked jokes about the police, the military and anybody and anything connected with the despised regime. Blah blah

while laughing at their problems Filipinos are in effect poking fun at their own helplessness Filipinos detest anything that acts as an obstacle to their fundamental love of life and freedom, yetsometimes when faced with difficulty a filipos reacion is to laugh. To the casual observer this may seem like an inexplicable bit of frivolity in the face of adversity, but theres more to it than meets the eye. To filipons freedom is more precious than material wealth and if they laugh at something that curtails or threatens this priority, its simply a way of coming to thems with the situation until they find a way to overcome it.

Filipinos speak some 70 languages and dialects, yet in none of them are words for depression anxiety anguish or even boredom. This says a lot about the natural dispoition of Filipinos. Unlike some other cultures where suicide is seen as an hoourable way out, the traditional Filipinos way of thinking does not even consider it an option. No matter how big the problem or how profound the tragedy , to a Filipino life goes on, it must go on and that’s all there is too it.

The average Filipino has very modest dreams; to have just enough to feed the family and be able to enjoy the simple please of life. Filipinos may be poor in material things, but as long as theres love and laughter they will find plenty to be happy about.


[/ QUOTE ]

i didn't write that i copied it from lonely planet

[mephisto]

Okay, but my comments still stand though.

[JayPez]

i agree with your comments, nice posts.

[mephisto]

Cheers mate, so tell me JayPez, can you tell me anything about the quality of the internet connection there?

As well what is your online playing schedule? Do you play all night long chasing european fish or just wake up extremely early to grind out the US players on US sites? Or do you just settle for playing normal hours grinding less tables in off peak hours?

[imakefrush]

I am in Thailand now and am split between the Philippines and Bali as my next destination. I would not want to live in Manila probably for the dame reasons I am not digging BKK right now. Are there any beach towns that are developed enough that have guest houses/ long term hotels, with reliable DSL?

[mephisto]

If you don't like BKK traffic, you will HATE Manila traffic, and that's the truth. I'd say Manila traffic is easly twice as bad as BKK's and the poverty level all around you is pretty horrible. That's why I highly recommend living and existing purely within the Makati disctrict, you basically don't need to leave that area and you would think you are in Honolulu because it's so modern.

As for internet connections, I would research this throughougly before making a destination stop somewhere outside of Manila to grind online. I'd say your best bet outside of Manila is Cebu as its prolly 2nd most developped infrastructure. It's a huge resort island and it's gorgeous.

[nutsflopper]

[ QUOTE ]
I'd say your best bet outside of Manila is Cebu as its prolly 2nd most developped infrastructure. It's a huge resort island and it's gorgeous.

[/ QUOTE ]

Do they speak as much english there as Manila or is it mostly indigenous ppl speaking Cebuano?

[Jim Kuhn]

I think most people there speak English very well. Can someone confirm that statement?

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
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[Point Point]

Is that 10/20 in US dollars? How many tables of it all over Manila? Is this game always on?

The part about Filipinos always being happy makes me worried. That means they never tilt. Actually, I've played with a bunch of Filipinos in Vegas and its true that they don't get affected by bad beats that much. I also noticed that they rely more on intuition and barely read poker books. This is good news.

I'm very interested in what Cebu is like. The people, cost of living, girls, poker. How much are boats there? My dream has always been to live in one as long as I have wireless internet access. Some guy told me that DSL is free for everyone in Cebu. Can anyone confirm or deny this?