amatuertrader wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:13 am

Filipinos are mostly Christians so share many of the same values as I do.

Christian is quite a broad term. CoE is very different to catholicism which is very different to mormonism.

The values I share with just the 3 groups mentioned varys considerably.

Back to the food: Apart from the fresh fish, which was very good if a bit repetitive after a while. The fast food & other local stuff was pretty appaling.

Easily the worst in Asia (Cambodia slides in at 2nd from bottom)

I do agree with you food in the Philippines is horrible. Fast food was almost a treat given the uniform hygeine standards but what most locals eat is not palatable. Gen San Tuna is the exception. I usually cooked for myself, canned corn beef, rice with garlic and most locals thought I lived like a king. Very common practice is to share one galss around a table if you are drinking in someones home. Liquor is cheap, there are security guards armed with sawed of shotguns everywhere. The poverty is overwhelming, 1/3 of the country lives on less than 1 USD a day, most bridges have people living under them, most cemetaries in urban centers do too. Homes and appartment buildings have cages around them and at night it is not wise to venture far from your cage. The police rarely enter housing developments instead they are policed by the Tanod, volunteer locals. It is devoutly Christian ( the afterlife promised is far better than ones current condition). But Filipinos are very friendly, love to sing and speak English. I have no desire to ever return , I have been to nearly 60 countries and that is the only one I would turn down an opportunity to retun to even if someone else was footing the bill.

When I said they were mostly Christian and shared the same values as me, to be more accurate I was brought up as a Protestant Congregationalist while they are mostly old school Catholic.

I was named to be a God-father once and had to attend a church lesson that explained the difference between Catholics and Protestants. I wasn't really interested but it was a requirement. The slob that I am I showed up drinking a can of beer at 8am after a night out.

The church was kinda an informal affair on the beach. When we got here a bunch of old ladies were singing Happy Birthday to a statue of Mary and I have always wondered how they knew it was her birthday.

The indoctrination lasted about an hour. It was all in Bisayan which I don't speak so didn't understand what they were saying. But my wife told before hand that they will give me a quiz at the end and I had to pass it to become a Godparent. They actually give you a certificate when you successfully pass it. She said it's best to just answer "yes" to everything and you will pass.
I guessed she used that technique to get through highschool, haha.

Anyway, I sat in a pew and looked down at the floor like I was paying attention and saw all sorts of animals wander in and out. Chickens mostly but also a dog that had recently had a litter came in and was licking what looked like a puddle of blood under the pew in front of me. Probably afterbirth.

We then headed to the main church in the center of town which was a way cool old church made with cut coral blocks that was hundreds of years old. I was pounding down another beer outside and my wife said to put it down for a few minutes. Inside there was a coffin with a glass top that had a mannequin of Jesus in it.

After a few minutes of Latin mumbo jumbo they did the holy water and the father, son and holy spirit motion and that was that. I held the baby and we all posed in front of the alter for a photo op, and was offered printed copies of the photos for a fee.

When I said that it was helpful in our relationship because we shared the same values I meant as compared to Buddhists in SE Asia which felt no shame or guilt for lying, stealing and cheating on you.
Those Catholics know the 10 commandments which are basic to good behavior and clearly refreshing after failed marriages to Thai women.

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:07 am

Alex wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:48 am From everything mentioned so far, it doesn't sound very appealing to visit. I'd want to try that strange banana ketchup though, I've never come across that anywhere.

Never heard of that.....

I recall the best PI food i had was in a PI restaurant behind Chung King Mansion in HK> never found anything as good in PI thou.

it is no more unsafe than any place I have been and a lot safer than most places.

Have to disagree. I was out at night walking and felt a hand in my front pocket, spun aorund and it was this kid,couldn't have been more than 10 with his hand in my pocket. Thru him on the ground. This was back in the late 80's
If its so safe why did everywhere, ( not sure they still do) have old guys with shotguns out front?
Never felt safe walking the streets at night in Manila unlike other cities in SE Asia or even India

The guys with shotguns in front of businesses is a bit disconcerting at first but after a while you realize it is just for show. My brother-in-law was a bank guard and it paid only about $3 a day. I can't say I ever heard of anyone robbing a bank there but here in the States it is a regular event. I grew used to the armed guys and kind of like seeing them around.

In the cities there are those pick pocket kids but are easily chased away.
In the provinces I never saw any of them.
In Cebu there are some weird people who are not Filipino and are kinda like their version of gypsies. They live in floating shacks. I forget what they call them, but they are notorious for being untrustworthy and easily avoided and chased away also.

Foods in Phillipines are fine and inexpensive. Lots of huge malls everywhere and with hundreds of international and local food options. Just don’t take a soda with every meal and do order some side plates of local veggies. If you going daily to jollybees for ur 80 pesos crapy cheese burger alongside a big coke yeah then you will end up mail-nutritious as so many filipinos are.

Foods in Phillipines are fine

Certainly a novel opinion.

phuketrichard wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 9:07 am

Alex wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 8:48 am From everything mentioned so far, it doesn't sound very appealing to visit. I'd want to try that strange banana ketchup though, I've never come across that anywhere.

Never heard of that.....

I recall the best PI food i had was in a PI restaurant behind Chung King Mansion in HK> never found anything as good in PI thou.

it is no more unsafe than any place I have been and a lot safer than most places.

Have to disagree. I was out at night walking and felt a hand in my front pocket, spun aorund and it was this kid,couldn't have been more than 10 with his hand in my pocket. Thru him on the ground. This was back in the late 80's
If its so safe why did everywhere, ( not sure they still do) have old guys with shotguns out front?
Never felt safe walking the streets at night in Manila unlike other cities in SE Asia or even India

Things have change quite a bit imho, especially in the last 10 years. I too remember the times in the 90s when most of Manila was a dangerous slum and even in Makati kidnapping, muggings and shootings were an every day occurrence.
But walk around in the BGC, Greenbelt or Rockwell these days and you’ll feel perfectly safe. Those and other parts of the city have emerged as nice places to live for families (good schools and hospitals) a thriving tech scene. Decent nightlife as well.

I have heard people say that the reason why a 30 year old pretty filipina would marry a 67 year old foreigner is because everyone is so desperate to get off those islands.
I don't think that is actually true, lots of people just love living there and being with their families.

The reason has more to do with one member of the family going abroad to earn much better wages and then can support the whole family in the PI while they just lounge around the rest of their lives.

It works for me, I feel like I'm 30 again.
The age difference never comes up except when I see a photo of us together. I look like I'm the old fart in a retirement home having a weekly visit from my grand daughter who just brought me some cookies and keeps asking me how I'm feeling today.

Being an older foreigner gentleman is a selling point in the PI because they don't have to wait too long before they inherit all your stuff.

nemo wrote: ↑Fri Sep 04, 2020 2:35 pm

Foods in Phillipines are fine

Certainly a novel opinion.

Its about making the right food choices i often eat Vegan in Cebu restaurants around Escario and or super fresh huge Merlin fish steaks barbecued for 250 pesos near SM Mabolo. I even go to foodcourts in Ayalay cebu 4 th fl load up local steamed veggies with chicken and rice.. then for drinks a mango banana shake without that sweetened desert milk and sugar water only insert ice..