tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64299825433810028482024-02-19T14:32:46.809+08:00An American AbroadThe Life and Times of an Expat outside the USUngarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-26748984434904908502021-10-03T17:04:00.009+08:002022-02-10T22:41:03.521+08:00Kleptocracy masquerading as meritocracy<style>
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<p>Some election thing is going on in Hungary. Not with ballots mailed to voters to be voted at designated polling places but some declaration of allegiance to one of the opposition candidates expressed at tents set up for this purpose by each candidate. Not really understanding the whole thing, I have refrained from exercising my civic right.</p><p>
</p><p>I was asked at a recent dinner with good friends what the greatest problems and potential solutions are. Well, it is complicated, so I laid out my thoughts in bullet form. If you need clarification, you know where to find me.</p>
<ul class="level1" style="padding-left: 0px;"><li><h2>Radical humanism</h2></li>
<ul class="level2">
<li>More that unites than sets apart</li>
<ul class="level3">
<li>We have far more in common with each other than differences between us</li>
<li>Focusing on our common goals works better than exploiting our differences</li>
</ul>
<li>Love is the answer</li>
<ul class="level3">
<li>No, <b>Sex?</b> is the question and <b>Yes!</b> is the answer</li>
<ul class="level4">
<li>Is a joke spread in singles’ bars</li>
<li>Deeper truth: life works better when approached with love and compassion</li>
<li>Not with enmity, ill will or malicious intent</li>
</ul>
<li>How love manifests in behaviors is what elevates us</li>
<ul class="level4">
<li>The key is what motivates action</li>
<li>To do the right thing for the wrong reason</li>
<ul class="level5">
<li>“The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason.” <i>— T.S. Eliot</i></li>
<li>“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”</li>
<li>Do NOT avoid doing the right thing</li>
<li>Ensure your intentions, motivations and aims are clear and noble</li>
</ul>
<li>Look at problems and opportunities from a higher plane of thought</li>
<ul class="level5">
<li>Put the problem in context</li>
<li>Know its sources, inputs, environment and effects</li>
</ul>
<li>Problems can only be solved where (context) they are defined or created</li>
<ul class="level5">
<li>Social problems with legal means?</li>
<li>Health issues with regulatory enforcement?</li>
<li>Ideological problems with military means?</li>
</ul>
<li>Stifle ego-driven demands and urges, avoid judgments</li>
<ul class="level5">
<li>Ego makes demands (more: not enough; better: not good enough)</li>
<li>Based on false assumptions of scarcity and perfection</li>
</ul>
<li>Find the proper role for the ego</li>
<ul class="level5">
<li>Who is running your life, making important choices? Ego? Higher Self?</li>
<li>Expressed as: rational mind (thoughts), heart (feelings), gut (intuitions)</li>
<li>Or some other, undefinable part of Self?</li>
<li>Role for the ego: to assess, analyze and advise – not decide</li>
</ul>
<li>Make choices, decisions for the greatest good, fully accepting responsibility for consequences</li>
<ul class="level5">
<li>Extra bonus: this is the path to self-confidence!</li>
<li>Mean well: Have clear and noble intentions, motivations and goals.</li>
</ul>
<li>Tune out rationalizations, biases and false narratives</li>
<ul class="level5">
<li>Powerful ego can rationalize the most senseless acts</li>
<li>Everyone has biases, e.g.: confirmation bias, selection bias, information bias</li>
<li>The media is full of false narratives: ALL narratives are false, abstractions</li>
<li>Influenced by the biases of writers, editors, publishers</li>
</ul>
<li>Be constructive, be a resource, create value and be of service, help each other</li>
<li>Educate by being, enlightening and inspiring</li>
<ul class="level5">
<li>Being: set an example, act in ways you want to be treated</li>
<li>Enlighten: teach how to think, not what to think</li>
<li>Inspire: paint an inspired, evolved vision of how things could be</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul><p></p><p></p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-46595552471426452222021-08-24T23:03:00.001+08:002022-02-10T22:41:21.289+08:00Afghanistan<p>A simple question, "Should the US and NATO troops withdaw from Afghanistan?" has no simple answer, but a rather complex one.
The simplistic answer is, "Of course, because we should have never been there in the first place." But as one might expect, simplistic answers are often without merit.</p>
<p>So why were we there in the first place? President Joe Biden said to fight terrorism. Therein lies logical fallacy number two: one cannot wage a war on terrorism any more than a war against lying and cheating. Terrorism is not an enemy but a tactic an enemy might use against us and one cannot win a war against a tactic. The source of terrorism is a difference in ideology: Islam vs. Judeo-Christiandom.</p>
<p>This leads us to fallacy number one: a problem can only be solved in the domain in which it is defined, where it is created. One cannot solve an arithmetic problem with a hammer any more than an ideological conflict with military means or a health crisis with legal means. We simply must stop fighting wars that cannot be won.</p>
<p>A military must have a clear mission: an indentifiable and identified enemy as well as a crisp vision of victory. In the absence of these, winning is not possible. Is it possible that the purpose of the wars in Aghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other countries was not victory but to just wage wars at a cost of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars?</p>
<p>Yes, we should have withdrawn from Afghanistan. (America doesn't lose wars, we just withdraw.) However, the withdrawal should have been painstakingly planned to ensure the protection and security of evacuees and the assets deployed, which was clearly lacking. This is not to assign blame, because when faced with something having gone awry, I am only interested in three things: how to fix it, how to prevent it from happening again and what we can learn from the experience.</p>
<p>How to fix it? Forget about some arbitrary deadline someone pulled out of the air. Use all available resources to protect and secure the evacuees and resources deployed. How to prevent it? Should a similar situation arise, painstakingly plan the process of evacuation for the safe removal of personnel and materiel. What have we learned? I hope this post answers the question.</p>
<p><i>If you liked the post — weather you agree with it or not — would you post a link to it far and wide so I may learn form insightful comments? I would appreciate it.</i></p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-23640468212450537622021-05-29T20:11:00.001+08:002021-05-29T20:11:39.047+08:00From Data to Wisdom<p>Never have so many been interested in data mining, machine learning, BIG data and artificial intelligence. The phrases have become the linchpins of many a successful career. Yet, the deeper understanding of how data becomes wisdom often eludes us. I will attempt to add a bit of clarity.</p>
<p>6. That is a piece of data. Meaningless, right? Six what? What does it mean? Data becomes information with context. If we add context, as in "There are six chairs in this conference room," it gains meaning, it becomes information. Perhaps not very useful info, but info nonetheless.</p>
<p>Information becomes knowledge when experience is added to it. If we add to the above information the experience expressed as the average number of people attending meetings in this room over the past two years is eight, the highest number was 11 and the lowest was two with a standard deviation of 1.8, then we have some knowledge that may lead to a decision to order two or three more chairs.</p>
<p>Now for the tough part: how does knowledge become wisdom, especially actionable wisdom? There are many knowledgable people in the world but very few wise ones. It might be educational to ponder the reasons for this, but that is not my goal. Knowledge becomes wisdom when it is used to achieve some noble and worthwhile goal. Knowledge for its own sake is like traveling without a destination. It might be enjoyable and fun but devoid a higher purpose.</p>
<p>Enough said. I'll see you in a year unless I have something to say sooner.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-20670920734338906382020-06-27T17:17:00.000+08:002020-06-27T17:25:47.325+08:00The crystal ball remains opaque<p>We live at a time when science and logic fail us. We experience events and consequences which can be supported by neither reason nor science. We need to better understand the context and gestalt before reacting.</p>
<p>Tensions have been gradually rising in societies during the past two decades, primarily a consequence of rising income and wealth gap. Further segmentation caused by the rapid evolution and adoption of technologies created a digital divide, adding to tensions. Of course, there is generational tension; we all blame our parents for our problems. Add to the mix preexisting racial tension and the stresses caused by the financial crisis of 2008. The situation could be called volatile. Then come the widely disseminated videos of police brutality and tensions reach a boiling point. Virtue signaling politicians want to be seen "doing something" which again lead to unforeseen and often unpleasant consequences.</p>
<p>To start at the beginning, there was growing inequality of income and wealth.Maybe this is the core issue we should be focusing on because all the upheavals may not really be about race or religion, cops vs. robbers. I have great respect and admiration for LEOs, most of them are really good people. There are some bad apples and they are sorted. We can let rhetoric or dogma divide us or a greater purpose unite us. The time to choose is now.</p>
<p>The traditional response to inequality was usually a raising of the income tax with the rise of income. This approach has two unintended consequences. One is to stifle innovation and investment, to drive new business formation to countries with friendlier income or wealth taxation. The other is the result of a new influx of tax revenue into the hands of governments with a ravenous appetite for spending. The result is the increase in the reach and growth of government.</p>
<p>Another institutional approach to inequality was antitrust legislation purported to limit the range of control one firm or one person can exert on an industry. During the past two decades antitrust laws have been weakened by many loopholes. Global companies with deep pockets can easily skirt the intricacies of regulation. The greater the regulation, the greater the power the government has over us.</p>
<p>The cost of a smaller, more responsive government is self-responsibility. We can find ways to shift from a culture of dependency to a culture of opportunity. Just at a time when social structures crumble, when the pillars of civil society, religion and government lose faith and support, we must envision structures that serve us as people, as a nation, as a society and not as black, brown or white, Christian or Muslim, democrat or republican.</p>
<p>Such a Utopian society will have extinguished corruption in all forms, will have imposed inviolate limits on the growth of government as well as its power to borrow or print money, taught, encouraged and actively supported entrepreneurship, removed all barriers to new business formation, specified the objectives and constraints of the executive, legislative and judicial branches ensuring their complete independence, free and independent media devoid of government ownership, influence or control.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-29550446513029755622019-05-19T01:28:00.002+08:002019-05-19T01:28:47.286+08:00Making a Uie<p>
What on Earth would happen if instead of focusing 90% of our attention, energy and reactions
on what is happening to us, on how the world treats us, we would spend all that
on how we treat the world around us?</p>
<p>Although the
90/10 ratio and suggested inversion is based on anecdotal evidence – my impression
of what people around me talk about, deal with and react to – it must hold some
water. If for no other reason than its commonality, its ubiquity, having
permeated every aspect of daily life.</p>
<p>People talk
much about how their environment treats them – prices are going up, the roads
are getting worse, the weather is getting weirder, people are getting ruder and
more aloof, and so on without end. Very little attention is paid on how we
treat the environment, our world and each other.</p>
<p>Would it
change anything if we were to invert that ratio, pivoted 180 degrees, made a U-turn, or in the
new street vernacular, made a uie? Would you then have a different experience
of life than the one you keep harping on? Could the experience of “not enough”
become an expression of gratitude for all that we have?</p>
<p>It seems
that we create the world we see, get to experience. We keep expressing, in so
many ways, that we are separate from it, when in fact we are a part of it.
Shakespeare wrote in <i>As You Like It</i>, All the world's a stage, And all the men
and women merely players”. Yet, so many of us behave as if we were the audience.</p>
<p>Detached,
separate, looking on, sitting quietly in the rows and pews of the theater of
our mental construct, watching and reacting to the unfolding events. Mostly
complaining. It is safer out here. I don’t want to get involved. One could get
hurt in all the drama, why take the risk? Where is the benefit in that?</p>
<p>The benefit
of experience is self-confidence, which is the first essential ingredient of
our relating to our world in a new way. It is key in all relationships.
Self-confidence means that we are comfortable in any situation, with anybody,
under all conditions. We feel just fine in our skin and we actually like who we
are. We make it clear what is okay with and for us and what is not.</p>
<p>Before we
return to how we relate to the world around us in more specific ways, there is
another premise to be addressed. We cannot change anything we are not willing
to accept. What we resist (and give energy to) persists. If we do not accept
the few extra pounds or kilos on our body, we cannot lose them.</p>
<p>This
all-encompassing acceptance includes ourselves, of course. We must accept ourselves
just the way we are or there is little hope of change. We even have to learn to
love ourselves unconditionally. Without self-love, there is little chance of
truly loving another. I am talking more about self-respect than narcissistic
love.</p>
<p>The next step is self-responsibility. Self-confidence comes from making our own
decisions and taking full responsibility for the consequences. Once we accept
all responsibility for everything we create, there will be no need to give up
the power over our emotional reactions to someone or something external.</p>
<p>The person
we are and the way we behave affects the world we experience. A loving person
lives in a loving world, a kind person lives in a kind world, an honest person…
you get the point. If we approach every experience with “I am going to enjoy
this” and “I am going to like this person”, perhaps we will encounter more
kindness.</p>
<p>What sort of world would we find if acted with more kindness, concern, and compassion towards
people, places and things? If we became more willing to genuinely express who
we really are? If we were so self-confident that we were even willing to be vulnerable?
I can already hear you say, “Everyone would take advantage of me”.</p>
<p>Would you
take advantage just because someone is vulnerable, just because you could?
Probably not, at least not if you are sufficiently evolved as a human being, if
you see yourself as a part of a greater whole. Perhaps this is exactly the behavior
we must model to others; this is what we need to teach our children.</p>
<p>Self-confidence
also gives us the strength to define and defend our personal boundaries, what
we can accept and what we cannot. I don’t envision a world of “doormats”, the “anything
goes and nothing matters” society popularized by the western world but one of
self-confident, self-responsible, loving people.</p>
<p>Visualize
such a world. See yourself making fewer judgments and accepting more, being
kinder to others. How does it feel? Now, I didn’t say the transformation is
easy or quick. I am only saying that it is really worth it.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-73572201734249428402018-11-25T14:56:00.001+08:002018-11-25T15:00:14.280+08:00Solving the Migrant Crisis<p>It has been a long time since my last post. Finally, I have reached the point when I am so fed up, so sick and tired of an issue that I feel compelled to vent, to post on my blog.</p>
<p>What got me going is the incessant chatter and inane actions to address the so-called migrant issue. All of Europe is abuzz about it and now the US is similarly engaged in harmful, venomous rhetoric.</p>
<p>Are there effective solutions to the problem nearly everyone is aware of? If so, why don't they come up, why aren't they being implemented?</p>
<p>There are two kinds of migrants and migrations: economic and martial (war related) and thus there are two kinds of solutions that need to be applied.</p>
<p>The solution to migration from war-torn countries is to stop bombing and to start rebuilding. It is not hard to understand that if your home, business or workplace is leveled by bombs, you would sooner or later decide to move on. The countries that took part in such military intervention need to take the lead in cease-fire negotiations and the rebuilding, with contributions from countries most affected by migration. It would cost significantly less than having to support the migrants at their destination.</p>
<p>Economic migration is caused by the developed world's zero- or low-interest rate policies, the unintended consequence of which was to export inflation to the developing countries. There, the cost of basic staples has risen to the level where most people are unable to afford them. Faced with the same circumstances, you would want to emigrate too! This has deepened the famine in Africa, reduced living standards in Latin America, brought about the riots of the Arab Spring and widened the economic gap between developed and developing countries. Creating wealth from the misery of others is unsustainable. The solution is for the developed world to provide economic aid (not money, primarily, but education, systems, and opportunities) to developing countries. This would also cost less than having to support the migrants in the developed world.</p>
<p>Yes, the migrants are different from us. They do not know which fork to use with their salad. They do not have forks where they come from, often no dining table or dining room either and many have never eaten a salad. This does not mean that they are not human, that they cannot learn. We have nothing to gain by calling them uncivilized or barbaric but a lot by understanding and compassion. If we don't want them here, then we must create circumstances there that would cause them to want to remain.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-17191822101605362052015-02-02T14:09:00.004+08:002015-02-02T14:11:07.083+08:00Disillusioned<p>Well, perhaps not entirely disillusioned but certainly disappointed.</p>
<p>The Philippines is such a spectacularly beautiful country, blessed with endless beaches and the tropical climate to enjoy them, populated by kind, friendly and joyful people. Then how come it has become such a third-world hell-hole where sewage flows in the streets, the air thick with the noxious fumes belched out by decrepit trucks and jeepneys and the landscape littered with the detritus of modern "civilization"?</p>
<p>How can it be that here in Europe we have had sewage and rainwater run-off systems built over 2,000 years ago (the Roman Acquincum), yet the Philippines, a country in the monsoon belt where heavy rains predictably fall six months out of the year, there aren't many and thus floods are so common that people expect them?</p>
<p>How can people care so little about their surroundings as to destroy them with continuous air, water and noise pollution and incessant littering? How is it possible to tolerate the dirty, hungry, homeless children sleeping in the foul debris in front of crowded fast-food stores and spending their waking hours begging for leftovers?</p>
<p>How can it be that the people do not demand the very basic necessities of reliable infrastructure like clean water, electricity, roads and bridges, public transportation, sanitation? How can a large and populous country like the Philippines which has some natural resources, not learn from its more successful neighbors, like Singapore?</p>
<p>I love the people of the Philippines and also its many scenic splendors. But I find it increasingly difficult to accept its many shortcomings. I have limited this post to only the most glaring irritants and in a future missive I might address some others, like its rampant corruption and steadfast resolve to refuse to evolve.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-66515177644187821312013-09-05T15:32:00.001+08:002013-09-22T02:06:00.044+08:00The Debate on Syria (Politics)I am dismayed, nay, shocked at the irrelevant drivel the mainstream media puts out about the civil war raging in Syria. The verbal diarrhea has reached epic proportions, a discourse devoid of facts, historical context and factual evidence.
<p>There are three critically important questions which must be asked <b>and answered</b> before any military engagement:</p>
<ol>
<li>Who is the enemy?</li>
<li>What is the objective, or what does "victory" look like?</li>
<li>What are the long-term consequences?</li>
</ol>
<p>These questions are not being asked, much less answered. Yes, there was sarin gas used in Syria, this much we know. The verifiable evidence (see the video below) points to the rebels (freedom fighters or terrorists, depending on your perspective) having used them. The <a href="http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36096.htm" target="_blank">"intelligence" briefing</a> issued forth by the US government contains only opinions, conjecture and innuendo but no verifiable facts.</p>
<p>How does a bunch of lunatics, who have been killing each other for centuries in the Middle East, threaten the national security of the United States? If some nefarious characters have the (however slight) <b>capability</b> to cause us harm justifies strong military response, then all male members of Congress should be arrested for rape and all female members should be detained for prostitution — they have the capability!</p>
<p>For further contemplation, I suggest you read this short essay on the topic: "<a href="http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-09-04/guest-post-us-going-war-syria-over-natural-gas-pipeline" target="_blank">Is The US Going To War With Syria Over A Natural Gas Pipeline?</a>".</p>
<p>To gain additional perspective and to put the matter into the proper context, please watch this short video:</p>
<iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dkamZg68jpk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen style="display: block; margin: 0 auto;"></iframe>
<p>Thanks for reading my rant, I had to get this off my chest. I value your comments and feedback, I learn a lot from my readers. By the way, if you have an interest in protecting your privacy, I highly recommend an <b><u>unbreakable</u></b> data encryption program for Windows called <a href="http://cryptogra.ph">Cryptogra.ph</a> — check it out.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-90727156847078357562013-02-03T23:58:00.000+08:002014-08-31T22:24:09.237+08:00Back from Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar (Immigration, Travel)We returned from our trip on January 16 and have been very busy ever since. I had to renew a vehicle registration with the attendant smog-test (what a joke; most vehicles here belch black exhaust like evil volcanos), stenciling the engine number, purchase of insurance, etc. This was the easy part. The difficulties began at the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in scenic Mandaue City.<br />
<br />
I have permanent residency (visa 13-A) in the Philippines, which is granted at first for a one-year probationary period. There is an incredible amount of paperwork involved, expenses of around 9,000 pesos, and an all day spent at the BI. For the privilege of being permanent resident, I am now obligated to pay 1,620 peso departure tax when leaving the country (which only applies to Filipino citizens and permanent residents), plus 2,800 pesos for various exit clearance, documentary and expediting fees to immigration at passport control. This fee is graciously reduced to a mere 2,200 pesos for subsequent departures within the same calendar year. Needless to say, since we travel a great deal, these fees are quite onerous.<br />
<br />
Back to my story with the BI. The time has come for me to apply for an Amendment of my visa for permanent resident, non-probationary status. This involves an incredible amount of paperwork, expenses of around 9,000 pesos, and an all day spent at the BI. I had to return a few days following the aforementioned ordeal for an interview with an immigration officer. My appointment was for 9:00 AM, and I showed up at 8:45 to ensure I would not miss my time slot (for which there are severe penalties). The immigration officer, and attorney, showed up at 10:30 without a word of apology or even as much as "good morning".<br />
<br />
The officer sent me out to have some copies made of some of my documents, pay some more fees for an "annual report" required of all foreign residents, then proceeded to initial every page. He asked me no questions during my "interview". He informed me that the amendment process takes about three months and I am not allowed to leave the country in the meantime, or I must start the entire process all over again.<br />
<br />
"We have plans and tickets to travel to Europe on March 14", I said with some concern. He asked, "Why are you going to Europe?" "To visit friends", I replied. After hemming and hawing for a while, he said, "Well, I could help expedite matters..." My wallet started to burn a hole in my pocket and my face acquired an uneasy twitch. "How much will such expediting cost?", asked I, naïvely. "Whatever you think", was the curt reply. I reached into my wallet and pulled out a 1,000 peso note, not having anything smaller on me by that time and handed it to him, cursing him silently. He scratched the top of his desk like a blackjack player asking for another card and said, "Another one -- courier and documentary fees, you see..." Thus another 1,000 pesos left the comfortable nest in my wallet and my diastolic blood pressure took another leap.<br />
<br />
I must now monitor the BI website to see when my status gets updated, then visit the BI again in Mandaue to apply for another ACR-I (Alien Control Registration - Immigration) Card at a great expense (about 7,000 pesos), all day at the BI and reams of additional paperwork. Then I have to wait for about two to three weeks for the card to be issued. No, they do not notify, I have to go to BI and check. I keep asking if is all worth it.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Bangkok Wat" class="imgPostLeft" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/Bangkok.png" title="John and Che in Bangkok, Thailand" />Now, about our trip. We had a great time, especially in Phuket, Phi Phi Island and in Northern Thailand. Bangkok is a huge city, notorious for its traffic jams, so we had to learn the public transit system. Mercifully, they have signs posted in English as well as Thai. There are lots of sites to see as well as some great shopping. The air was really polluted, so we were looking forward to our flight to Phuket.<br />
<br />
Phuket is a marvelous, magical and visually spectacular place, where huge cliffs seem to erupt from the Andaman Sea. The beaches are clean with fine sand and warm waters. We have visited many nearby islands, one inhabited primarily by primates of lower form (monkeys). We were based on Patong Beach, which is the liveliest part of Phuket Island, but had a chance to visit Karon Beach as well. Karon is the "quiet" beach -- just as beautiful but not as lively as Patong. In all, Phuket was a pleasant adventure.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Beach on Phi Phi Island" class="imgPostRight" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/PhiPhi.png" title="The beach on Phi Phi Island, Thailand" />We headed into Phuket Town to the pier to take a boat to Phi Phi Island, where we spent a few days (Ko Phi Phi Don). Very scenic, quite small but the people are friendly and the service is great. We returned to Phuket quite relaxed and ready to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia because out Thai visa was starting to run out.<br />
<br />
Kuala Lumpur (KL) was a surprise. The city is booming, construction cranes are everywhere, the malls are jammed with people lugging full shopping bags with Gucci, Rado, Louis Vuitton, etc. logos on them. The city is cleaner than other parts of Malaysia (Johor Bahru, for example) we have seen. It is vibrant and thriving, public transportation (subways, sky trains, buses running on multi-lane freeways) is excellent.<br />
<br />
<img alt="In the Shadow of Petronas' Towers" class="imgPostLeft" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/Petronas.png" title="In the Shadow of Petronas' Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia" />We visited the Petronas Towers and the surrounding City Park. A marvel of modern architecture and oil industry greed, the towers are truly a sight to behold. From KL we flew Air Asia to Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand.<br />
<br />
Chiang Mai is a very pleasant, large city and the commercial center of northern Thailand. We rented a scooter and scooted all over Chiang Mai. We spent a whole day at an elephant sanctuary just north of the city, riding and swimming with the elephants. Chiang Mai has many beautiful, ornate temples well worth visiting. We spent nine fun- and adventure-filled days in Chiang Mai and got to know the place well. The days were warm but the weather cooled down at night so we did not even turn on the air conditioner.<br />
<br />
From Chiang Mai we took a bus further north to Chiang Rai, located at the foot of the Himalayas, near the Myanmar (Burma) and Laos borders. The weather was even more pleasant in Chiang Rai. It is a smaller but still bustling city, very pleasant and livable, with many attractions and even friendlier, kinder people than in Bangkok or southern Thailand.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Elephant Ride" class="imgPostRight" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/Elephant.png" title="Riding the elephants, Chiang Mai, Thailand" />We spent a day in Myanmar, just to renew our Thai visas upon our return. Things are very cheap in Myanmar -- a carton of Marlboro Lights (duty-free export made in Switzerland) cost 150 Thai Baht, or about US$5. One cannot even buy a pack for that in most US states.. My wife was in shopper's heaven, buying up souvenirs like there is no tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Our stay in Chiang Rai was the most relaxing. Our hotel was superb, the service and food were exceptional. We spent nine days in Chiang Rai as well, then flew to back to Bangkok, onward to Singapore and back to Cebu.<br />
<br />
I got back to working on my project and I am happy to say and I am nearly finished! Yey! It has come together well and also looking very good. I hope to publish it to Windows Store before leaving for Europe, God and the BI willing...Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comThailand15.870032 100.992541000000070.21731199999999973 80.338244000000074 31.522752 121.64683800000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-48063433222279156962012-12-01T14:53:00.004+08:002012-12-01T15:04:38.068+08:00Another trip (Travel)It has been a while since my last post (I have been very busy working on my Windows 8 project which is coming along great), so it is time to update my loyal followers, friends and family. It is also my birthday today, albeit I'd rather forget it than remember the relentless passing of time. As another editorial note, I have updated my post <a href="http://blog.jkorondy.com/2011/08/filipina-wife.html" target="_blank">The Filipina Wife</a>, so you may want to take a look.<br />
<br />
Christmas is not the time be in the Philippines. First of all the "season" begins in late August and lasts until Valentine's day -- stores playing "Jingle Bells" and other yuletide favorites non-stop, clerks wearing Santa caps or reindeer antlers and decorations go up for nearly a half a year. Around December 20 or so, the fireworks begin and go on every night well into the New Year. It is a loud (louder than usual), raucous time here. Major roads are closed to all traffic near churches that have "special" services and life is disrupted in many ways.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the only times more lively than Christmas are New Year's Eve and the local (city-wide) fiesta called "Sinulog". The place reminded of a war zone during these times: gunpowder smoke fills the air, loud explosions continue throughout the day and night, music blares from wall-size speakers that can make your eardrums bleed -- fun times!<br />
<br />
We planned to be away. We leave for Bangkok on December 11 and will return on January 15, 2013. In addition to Bangkok, we will visit Phuket, Ko Phi Phi Don, ride the elephants at Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai (in northern Thailand, near the Myanmar and Laos borders) and may take a little time out to visit Angkor Wat at Siem Riep in Cambodia. If I can find some reasonable air fares, we might hop over to Bali, Indonesia for a change of scenery, but as of now, the fares are really expensive (double and triple the usual) near the holidays. I will post pictures as I have the time.Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comTalisay City, Philippines10.2438889 123.833333310.1813869 123.75436930000001 10.3063909 123.9122973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-34315686361364964742012-08-10T12:17:00.000+08:002012-08-10T12:19:04.914+08:00Long Stay in Europe (Travel)<p>We have been in Europe now for a month and a half and having a wonderful time. We have explored most of Hungary, spent a couple of weeks in Budapest, visited Esztergom (with a brief peek into Slovakia), Vác, Pécs, Kalocsa, Szeged (twice), the lake Balaton (Siófok), the thermal baths of Mórahalom and Igal -- to mention just a few places.</p>
<p>We have spent an incredible week in France. Four days in Paris is barely enough to get a flavor of the city and we could have easily spent months on the French Riviera instead of just three days. Even though it is the most expensive part of the world, we found a hotel in Nice that did not break our budget but was clean and comfortable, right in the heart of the city. We made side trips to the beaches of Ventimiglia, Italy and to the opulence of Monte Carlo, Monaco. If I weren't lucky enough to win 100 Euros at the Casino Royale, it would have been too expensive. We also visited the historic town of Eze -- stunningly mideval.</p>
<p>We are getting ready for a trip to the German Alps and plan to visit many of Ludwig II's castles (Neuschwanstein, Hochenschwangau, Linderhof, Chiemsee, etc.) and some historical sites around Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen (like the passion play town of Oberammergau and the church of Weisskirche). We will also explore Salzburg, Austria.</p>
<p>Cheche has been posting many pictures on her Facebook page, so I will not upload them here.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-1141305313742347432012-05-14T07:39:00.003+08:002012-05-14T07:53:07.857+08:00Travel Plans (Lifestyle)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<p>It has been some five months since my last post. As I wrote earlier, I am busy finishing up a new project, an exciting new Metro style application for Windows 8. It really is great fun to be working with HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript and the WinRT class libraries, although I have done most of my past development in C#, XAML and WPF. I found that I can do more and with greater ease in HTML5. I want to become more proficient with SVG (markup language for graphics).</p>
<p><img src="http://www.axa-schengen.com/sites/default/files/schengen_map_en.gif" alt="Schengen Map" style="width: 550px; height: 515px; float: left; margin-right: 12px;" />We are making travel plans. We will be traveling to Europe for a 3-month stay beginning June 2012 (next month!) and we are really looking forward to our second trip there in two years. We will visit Paris, Germany, Hungary and other places as time allows. Unfortunately Qatar Airways has discontinued its direct service to Cebu from Doha, so we will be flying Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and then Qatar to Doha then onward to Budapest. Qatar has excellent service, it is truly a five-star airline.</p>
<p>December and January are challenging times to be in Cebu. The Christmas rush begins here in early September (or late August in some places) and the celebrations culminate in the second half of December. Celebrations do not imply genteel cocktail parties or elegant dinners but massive fireworks with so much noise that cities are turned into veritable war zones. Sleep is near impossible as the explosions continue well into the early morning hours. Even before all the Christmas presents have been unwrapped, the new year festivities begin. Even more fireworks, but not in some public park but everywhere. Streets get littered with the detritus of massive explosions and the air is pungent with gunpowder smoke — sometimes so thick that visibility is reduced to mere inches.</p>
<p>What could possibly follow this kind of mayhem? You would think some peace and quiet would be welcomed by the populace but that is not the Cebuano way. The biggest festival of the year in Cebu is Sinulog which takes place on the second or third weekend in January. Families gather for massive feasts, people travel here from far-away places, there are parades all over the region, people dancing in the streets, major arterials are closed off to traffic and (drumroll, please) enormous fireworks all night long. Last year we were unfortunate to get caught in the midst of all that as we were returning on the fast ferry from Bohol on a Saturday evening. We were wondering around downtown Cebu for hours trying to find a ride — any ride, taxi, jeepney, bus, anything — home, to no avail. We vowed "never again".</p>
<p>So we will be gone for a month from mid-December to mid-January, traveling around Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Indonesia. But that trip is far off, so more detail will follow later.</p>
<p>I am getting connected to the local techie and start-up community. This past weekend I was at a Startup Weekend in Cebu at the University of the Philippines in Lahug, Cebu City. It was well attended, had great sponsors and I had a chance to meet some really talented and fascinating people. I hoe to find the time to write about that in another post.</p>
</div>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comTalisay City, Philippines10.2438889 123.833333310.1813869 123.75436930000001 10.3063909 123.9122973tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-75963046232561886242011-12-31T10:48:00.001+08:002016-01-27T02:35:20.638+08:00The Philippine Art of Bill Presentment (Lifestyle)<p>A year ago last December 1 we rented a 2 br apartment in a large complex on V. Rama Ave, Guadalupe, Cebu. We had PLDT set us up with a landline and broadband DSL. We have not received a bill by the end of January, so I called PLDT. By way of an answer, I received the motto of the Philippines: "Wait for awhile". I repeated the same experience at the end of February and at the end of March, with the same results.</p>
<p>In early April, our phone and internet service was summarily disconnected. I called PLDT again and they read me the riot act about not paying my bill. I asked when were the bills delivered. "Ahem, hmm, they were not. But you are still responsible for paying." It turns out that the PLDT installer has recorded the wrong address. I nearly lost my composure. I told the agent that in the civilized world if this happened, the company would make an attempt to contact me via email or phone or both and correct my address of record.<a name='more'></a></p>
<p>As an apology, the agent informed me that I will have to pay a P1,500 reconnection fee. I felt my blood pressure rising but kept my cool with intense effort. I told the agent that it is not good customer service practice to have the customer pay for the mistakes of the company and if they want their money and my continued patronage they will waive the reconnection fee and all other fees associated with the past due account. Finally, a supervisor has done just that, provided that I appear in person before the minions of the PLDT god and settle my bill in full.</p>
<p>I did that, on the very same day and lo and behold, my phone and internet connection was restored in a week.</p>
<p>We moved into our new house at the end of September. Being the forgiving kind, I had PLDT set us up with a landline and DSL I was onto their tricks, so I carefully monitored my account on PLDT's servers. Again, the installer has recorded the wrong installation address, he even got the Barangay wrong but he nailed the province spot on. I immediately notified PLDT (customerservice@pldt.com.ph -- the email is incorrect on their website, they omitted the .ph).</p>
<p>Within three short days I received a reply from Ms. Epifania Quinto stating "we have a policy that billing address should also be same as the physical address per advisory of our billing division". In reply I informed Ms. Quinto that the physical address and the billing address were the same and that both were incorrect on their records, as unbelievable as that may seem at first blush.</p>
<p>Ms. Quinto got back to me within three days to let me know that to change the physical address, "an ocular inspection is required" and that someone from PLDT will come out to verify our address. It only took me a few minutes to understand that she meant "visual inspection" and not inspecting my eyeballs.</p>
<p>Two weeks later we get a phone call from frustrated PLDT inspector lost in the woods of Talisay hills, trying to find us. I told him, "No wonder, you have the wrong address for us." I gave him directions -- we are a 5-minute walk from the Talisay PLDT office. An hour later he shows up and we discuss our correct address and affirm under oath that the house has not been moved.</p>
<p>Two months pass and we are still not getting the PLDT bills. I hack into their servers (you cannot do anything with a bill you see on the PLDT website, not print it, not copy it) and discover that our address has not been corrected. I sent Ms. Quinto another email, visually annotated where the address is wrong and how it should read. I am waiting for the excuse why it cannot possibly be changed.</p>
<p>This is not an isolated incident. We are not getting our water bill, either. We have not paid a centavo to MCWD but have been enjoying the occasional water service since the end of Sepember. I have had monthly communication with Mr. Edwin C. Correos, Manager of Public Relations at MCWD but we are still at the "Wait for awhile" stage. In his last missive Mr. Correos assured me that he will cause our meter to be read post haste and notify the Billing Division to bill us. My assertion that our meter has been read twice by MCWD personnel has fallen on deaf ears.</p>
<p>MCWD's billing database has no record of any invoice for our account number. I even searched by meter serial number and account name. Not a trace.</p>
<p>Wanna hear about VECO (Electric Co.) or Cignal (Satellite TV provider)? No, you probably don't. They cannot find us. We are in a subdivision of 48 homes located 120m off the Cebu South Road, a 140m from the VECO office. Not really the end of the earth. Their installers found us without any problem (I drew them all maps).</p>
<p>I find it unbelievable that in a society where everyone over the age of 3 days has a Facebook page, utility companies cannot deliver their bills to their customers. I practically begged them to send me their bill as a PDF via email but that is advanced technology beyond their reach.</p>
<p>Thank you for putting up with my rant. I feel better.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-43810018348276963642011-12-19T17:00:00.001+08:002011-12-31T11:46:31.951+08:00Bread and Circuses (Politics)The title phrase, originally <em>panem et circenses</em> in Latin, was first coined by the Roman poet Juvenal around 100 AD. He used the metaphor to depict the Roman populace's only remaining concerns amidst its widespread apathy and ignorance of the once great nation's birthright and politics.<br /><br />
As I reflected on the 2012 Presidential race after watching the last Iowa GOP debate, it came to mind that the bread has been scarce but circuses abundant.<br /><br />
Political rhetorics aside, it is quite amusing to watch the GOP contenders compete with one another on who is most consistent conservative. If that was the sole criterion, Ron Paul would have already won. No one can compete with Dr. Paul on consistency.<br /><br />
As for the Democrats, is there not a single person in the entire Democratic Party who thinks that they might be able to do a better job than President Obama? You could randomly pick a senior from any high school in the land I am sure they would be no worse as president.<br /><br />
I came across this short video about Dr. Paul's foreign policy of non-intervention. I think it is well worth watching.<br /><br />
<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I8NhRPo0WAo?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I8NhRPo0WAo?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-69187728420609347632011-12-07T14:09:00.001+08:002011-12-19T17:06:14.243+08:00A Special Circle of Hell (Opinion)<p>Dante Alighieri could not label Circles 8 and 9 of Inferno (Hell) properly because cell phones did not yet exist in the year 1300 when the Divine Comedy begins. Circles 8 and 9 are reserved for souls guilty of sins of malice (fraud and treachery) and should more properly be labeled "Verizon".</p>
<p>I have been through nine circles of Hell with Verizon Wireless. My two-year contract is up with them today, Wednesday, December 7, 2011, which is a red-lettered day on my calendar for this very reason.</p>
About a week ago I sent customer "service" a nice email requesting to cancel my service upon contract expiration. I have included all my relevant information, even my SSN. I cannot cancel via their web site; they require me to call them so they may verify my true identity.<a name='more'></a>
<p>With Verizon, every human must have at least three passwords: one for on-line access to account and billing information, one for voice mail, and a "billing password" needed to make changes to the account. Well, <i>mea culpa</i>, I forgot the billing password, since I have little occasion to use it.</p>
<p>I received a very polite form letter advising me that I must call Global Customer Support (at my expense, sorry, no collect calls) so they can verify my identity before closing my account. In my reply I explained that it is difficult for me to call as it would cost me $2.40/minute to listen to their on-hold music for 30 minutes and that I would welcome their phone call to me. I gave them my local cell phone number as well my home and office land-line number.</p>
<p>After two more form letters beseeching me to call Global Support, I threw in the towel and called them. I was only on hold for 15 minutes before a gentleman came on the line. He politely explained to me that I either needed by billing password, or he will need to call me on my Verizon phone. After listening to me that I have not had service for over a year, since I live in the Philippines, he admitted that they have no protocol for situations like mine. I then shared with him my plan based on my only remaining option, and stop paying them. I even suggested that he send me a code via SMS (which I can get) to my Verizon phone and then I would read him back the code. He said "that is not the protocol, he must speak with me on my cell phone."</p>
<p>Several more form letters have issued forth from Verizon Wireless. All of them polite and all of them keep repeating the same useless information without any evidence that they have understood my situation. I am reproducing the latest one below, it should be good for a laugh.</p>
<blockquote style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 1.2em; color: BurlyWood;">Dear John,<br /><br />
My name is Trish and it is my privilege to address your concerns today. Unfortunately, since our Global Support Team in an inbound call center rather than outbound they are unable to call you for account verification. I do apologize for the inconvenience and advise that you get in contact with them as soon as possible to process this cancellation. I am sorry to hear that there was such a long wait time, you may want to try calling later in the evening as that is when call flow is less.<br /><br />
Below I am providing the number to the Global Support Team for fast and easy access: <br /><br />
Global Support Team: 908-559-4899, open 24/7/365. <br /><br />
John, today I have educated you why the Global Support Team is unable to call you and provided you the number to call them. If you have any further questions or concerns please feel free to reply to this email or you may ask Global Support upon reaching them. Thank you for using Verizon Wireless products and services and have a wonderful week. <br /><br />
Sincerely, <br /><br />
Trish <br />
Verizon Wireless<br />
Internet Response Team<br />
</blockquote>
<p>Having been so thoroughly "educated" by the CSR urchin named "Trish", I am inclined to call Global Support again just to let them know what they can do with their next bill — not that it would cure their chronic protocol deficiency but it will surely make me feel better.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-63348028672232762302011-12-07T07:58:00.001+08:002011-12-19T17:06:45.518+08:00More Americans Go Abroad for Economic Opportunities (Econ.)<p>So little is worth listening to (or reading) on CNBC that I was shocked to find this article of some relevance.</p>
<p>CNBC is one of the pillars of "MSM", or the main-stream media, owned by General Electric. Thus (and this should not come as a big shock), its talking heads and writers serve the interests of whose logo is on their paychecks, the corporatocratic oligopoly effectionately referred to as MSM.</p>
<p>This veritable but rarely verisimilar arm of the once-relevant fourth estate has published the following story on their website: <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/45567659" target="_blank" title="Read 'More Americans Go Abroad for Economic Opportunities' on CNBC. Opens in a new tab or window."> More Americans Go Abroad for Economic Opportunities</a> and it is worth reading!</p>
<p>Sorry about the short post, I am busy working on a new project.</p>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-90815300806422473152011-12-05T07:19:00.006+08:002011-12-07T08:36:14.834+08:00Letter to Husband (Humor: Joke)My Dear Husband,<br />
<br />
Before you return from your business trip, I wanted to write to let you know about a tiny little accident I had with the pick-up as I was trying to park it in the garage.<br />
<br />
Luckily nothing serious happened, I was not injured, please do not worry about me.<br />
<br />
I was just returning from grocery shopping. As I turned into our driveway, instead of the brake, I stepped on the gas.<br />
<br />
The garage door got slightly dinged but fortunately the pick-up stopped immediately after jumping up on your Vette.<br />
<br />
<img height="258" width="400" class="imgPostRight" title="A minor scratch" alt="A minor scratch" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBv89erh8KtvsJKcH8pKj7OY499HPqW5OzhGwGHaraSWzYFRAsa_sElV1syM5OBfVggHEJhr_BgsjQH8Nz7uVDkkTItMcbVPY3s6Ih8xI-d3h8UW2wsvDNtr1Zj0mZsyYyEggWzZ0Y6g/s400/car_scratched.jpg" />I am very sorry about that, but I am sure you will find it in your kind heart to forgive me. You know how much I love you, baby!<br />
<br />
I am attaching a photo about the minor scratch on your car.<br />
<br />
I can hardly wait until I can hold you in my arms!<br />
<br />
Your loving wife,<br />
<br />
Hugs & Kisses<br />
<br />
P.S.: Your girlfriend called.Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-38703091697608051862011-09-14T08:26:00.010+08:002014-08-20T23:06:06.411+08:00Singapore & Johor Bahru, Malaysia (Travel)We have taken a week off from the hustle and bustle of finishing the building of our townhouse, the preparations to move to Talisay City and flew off to Singapore for a week of R&R. It has been quite a reprieve from the disorganized mayhem of the Philippines.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Tiger Airways" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/tigerAirways.jpg" class="imgPostRight" title="Tiger Airways" /><a href="http://www.tigerairways.com/sg/en/index.php" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Tiger Airways (opens in a new tab or window)">Tiger Airways</a> has excellent and inexpensive, direct service from Cebu City's Mactan International Airport to Singapore's <a href="http://www.changiairport.com/" target="_blank" title="Visit Changi Airport (opens in a new tab or window)">Changi Airport</a> (Budget Terminal). Unlike Cebu Pacific and AirPhil Express, they fly in the middle of the day and not in the middle of the night. We left Cebu at 12:30 in the afternoon on September 7 and arrived at 4:20 PM in Singapore. Tiger Airways is a budget carrier, so you will have to pay for extras, such as checked baggage, first boarding, preassigned seats, drinks and food but the service is excellent, the aircraft are new, clean and comfortable and their on-time arrival record is very good.<br />
<br />
<img alt="EZ-LINK (CEPAS) card" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/CEPAScard.gif" class="imgPostLeft" title="EZ-LINK (CEPAS) card" />Changi airport is probably one of the world's best, most well-organized airports. Neither US nor Philippines citizens need a visa for Singapore, so Immigration and Customs was a breeze. Free shuttle bus takes you from the Budget Terminal to Terminal 2, where one can connect to the <a href="http://www.publictransport.sg/publish/ptp/en.html" target="_blank" title="Visit Singapore Public Transport (opens in a new tab or window)">Singapore public transport</a> system (MRT station in the basement, bus depot at ground level). You can purchase an ez-link (CEPAS) card at the MRT Ticket Office (S$5 plus S$7 load) valid for trains and buses all over the city. There are no terminal use fees or departure taxes at Changi Airport, only excellent restaurants, stores and great (really) duty free shopping! <a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<img alt="JB Sentral" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/JBsentral.JPG" class="imgPostRight" title="Sultan Iskandar Complex, JB Sentral" />We took a Tiger Airways cross-border bus from the Budget Terminal to Johor Bahru, Malaysia. We had free promotion (now expired) tickets, normally S$7 each person. The bus stops at Singapore's Woodlands Checkpoint for exit processing, then crosses the causeway to Malaysia, stopping again at the Malaysian Sultan Iskandar Complex (JB Sentral) checkpoint for inbound immigration. No visa is required for US or Philippines citizens. Our hotel (Suria City Hotel) is a short walk from JB Sentral.<br />
<br />
We booked the <a href="http://www.suriacityhotel-johorbahru.com/ppc/index.php" target="_blank" title="Visit Suria City Hotel (opens n a new tab or window)">Suria City Hotel</a> via <a href="http://www.agoda.com/" target="_blank" title="Visit Agoda.com (opens n a new tab or window)">Agoda.com</a> for five nights for US$163.15 total, or $32.63 per night. The same room would have cost us over $150 per night in Singapore. The room was large, clean and comfortable with all the requisite amenities (free LAN internet, cable is available for a MYR 10 deposit). The service was OK, nothing exceptional but no complaints, either.<br />
<br />
<img alt="Johor Bahru" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/johor-bahru.jpg" class="imgPostLeft" title="Johor Bahru" /><a href="" target="_blank" title="Visit WikiTravel (opens in a new tab or window)">Johor Bahru</a>'s City Square Mall (one of its largest) is directly connected to JB Senter (via an overpass) and it offers many restaurants and shopping opportunities. There is also a small supermarket at the lower level. Prices are generally lower in Malaysia then in Singapore. For example, a pack of Marlboro cigarettes cost S$10 in Singapore (just over US$8) but in Malaysia the price is MYR 10 (about US$3.30). Only one open pack of cigarettes is allowed to be imported into Singapore per person and they do check at the border.<br />
<br />
We felt quite safe in Johor Bahru, even though it is a predominantly Muslim country and we were there on September 11. We had no unpleasant incidents anywhere. The city is quite cosmopolitan with excellent services although it does not compare with Singapore. The food is very good and transportation is easy. Public buses run anywhere and taxis are inexpensive (MYR 3 base fare, 20 ringgit will get you all the way across the city).<br />
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Most every day we crossed into Singapore. A short walk from our hotel to JB Senter where we exited Malaysia and took a Singapore SMRT bus (950) across the causeway to Woodlands Checkpoint in Singapore where we cleared immigration and got back on bus 950. It terminates at the Woodlands Interchange, where we caught the <a href="http://www.smrt.com.sg/trains/routemap/routemap.pdf" target="_blank" title="MRT/LRT System Map (opens a PDF document in a new tab or window)">MRT</a> Red (NS) line which goes into Singapore city center. We bought ez-link cards for S$25 each, it got us all over Singapore for 5 days (trains and buses) and when we left, we still had S$5 refunded to us. We traveled all over the island, visited Sentosa Island and many sites. The ez-link card is one of the best travel bargains around.<br />
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<a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Singapore" target="_blank" title="Visit WikiTravel (opens in a new tab or window)"><img alt="Singapore" src="http://wikitravel.org/upload/shared//thumb/0/01/Singapore_Skyline.jpg/350px-Singapore_Skyline.jpg" class="imgPostRight" title="Visit WikiTravel (opens in a new tab or window)" /></a>Singapore is simply phenomenal. It is a vibrant, bustling city with exceptional services (transportation, government, hospitality, commerce, recreation, etc.) It is a society that works and works well. I was prepared for a police state yet I saw no police presence anywhere except at the border checkpoint. Getting around is easy, the language is English (mostly, albeit Chinese and Malay are spoken and can be seen everywhere). The city is clean and very comfortable. Traffic moves and there is no smog. Singapore is also expensive, especially when compared to the Philippines or Malaysia.<br />
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One of the most striking things about Singapore is the vast diversity. Westerners, Malays, Chinese, Pacific Islanders, Indians all live together in apparent harmony in this small island nation which has no resources yet is boasts a thriving economy. Muslims proudly display their flag on their apartments and houses, many languages can be heard in various public places.Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comSingapore1.352083 103.819836000000011.213633 103.573908 1.4905329999999999 104.06576400000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-78596766324328271432011-08-26T09:10:00.013+08:002011-12-19T17:08:18.015+08:00Retrench or Expatriate? (Economics, Lifestyle)<img alt="Going Expatriate" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/goingExpat.png" class="imgPostRight" title="Going Expatriate" />The economy of the western world, meaning mainly the US and Europe, is not getting any better. Unemployment is high and rising, the private and public debt burden is skyrocketing out of control and civil unrest is growing. The mainstream media bubbleheads try very hard to paint a rosy tint over the already manipulated government statistics but if you dig a bit deeper, you can find the truth. It has an ugly brown color. I encourage you to subscribe to alternative media RSS feeds, such as <a href='http://www.zerohedge.com' title='Visit ZeroHedge (opens in a new tab or window)' target='_blank'>Zero Hedge</a> (excellent agglomeration of relevant news with many sage and some inane comments), <a href="http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="Visit Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis (opens in a new tab or window)">Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis</a> (more analysis not just a mash-up), <a href='http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/' title='Visit Calculated Risk (opens in a new tab or window)' target='_blank'>Calculated Risk</a> (focus on the economy with emphasis on real estate), <a href='http://www.businessinsider.com/clusterstock' target='_blank' title='Visit Clusterstock (opens in a new tab or window)'>Clusterstock</a> (not just about economy and finance but lots of fun reading, too), <a href='http://kunstler.com/blog/' target='_blank' title='Visit Kunstler.com (Clusterfuck Nation; opens in a new tab or window)'>Clusterfuck Nation</a> (exceptionally well written essays by James Howard Kunstler, author of "The Long Emergency" and several other books, published about once a week) and finally Karl Denninger's <a href='http://market-ticker.org/' target='_blank' title='Visit The Market Ticker (opens in a new tab or window)'>The Market Ticker</a> (acerbic comments on the economy, finance and politics). Reading these blogs regularly will give you a more balanced view of the economy, finance, politics and the world in general.<br />
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The decision whether to batten down the hatches for the coming (raging?) economic storm or to relocate to another country is a major one and it depends on many individual factors, such as family, friends, health, finances and a host of others. One of the biggest factors for me was the question whether the system can be repaired (changed from within), or is it so corrupt, so irreparably damaged that it cannot be fixed. All other things being equal, if you believe that the system can be righted over a reasonable period (e.g. within your lifetime or less), by all means protect yourself and your family. If you believe that the problems are chronic and terminal, then you might want to consider expatriating.<a name='more'></a><br />
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The national debt of the US and many other western countries is so huge that is cannot be paid back over any reasonable time. Should creditors demand higher rates of interest, servicing that debt will become more onerous and eat up a larger share of each nation's productive capacity. Raising taxes to cover fiscal deficits and debt service is an option but will have deleterious effects on economic growth as well as increasing the level of discontent.<br />
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The aphorism "debt which cannot be repaid will not be" is axiomatic yet it seems to be ignored. There are three possible paths out of the current morass and none of them are pretty.<br />
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<h2>Repudiation</h2><br />
Governments may repudiate (renege on) their obligations. This has happened before, even in the US (refusing to redeem gold and then silver certificates, for example). There is quite a bit of chatter in cyberspace about declaring a part of the US' debt "<a href='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odious_debt' target='blank' title='Visit Wikipedia (opens in a new tab or window)'>odious debt</a>". From Wikipedia, "In international law, odious debt is a legal theory that holds that the national debt incurred by a regime for purposes that do not serve the best interests of the nation, should not be enforceable."<br />
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<img alt="US $10 Gold Certificate, 1928" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/usGoldCertificate.png" class="imgPostLeft" title="US $10 Gold Certificate, 1928"/><br />
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Repudiation often has dire consequences, especially in international trade. Should any large-scale repudiation occur, it is conceivable that exporters would refuse to sell their oil and other natural resources, manufactured goods and services which would send the entire world economy into a tailspin. The value of the currency of a repudiating nation would also dramatically decline.<br />
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<h2>Hyperinflation</h2><br />
The more typical response by governments with an unmanageable debt burden is to inflate their money supply, essentially to print more money. Inflation benefits borrowers and punishes savers and lenders. Hard money borrowed is repaid in the future with increasingly softer (weaker) currency. If I borrow $300 to buy a suit and then repay that $300 some years later when the same suit costs $800 or even $1,800 then I benefited at the lender's expense.<br />
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<img alt="Zimbabwe Money" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/zimbabweDollar.png" class="imgPostRight" title="Got change for 100 trillion?"/>Prevailing interest rates are supposed to factor in inflation expectations. In other words, if a lender expects higher inflation during the term of the loan, it will demand a higher rate of interest from the borrower. This is true during "normal" economic times, however central banks, with the leadership of the US Federal Reserve (a private institution, about as "Federal" as "Federal Express") has manipulated interest rates on government obligations (Treasury bills, notes and bonds) to be so low as to have an effective rate (yield minus the rate of inflation) which is negative. They did this by buying trillions of dollars worth of Treasury (and other) securities using freshly "printed" money. The mis-pricing of risk is further exacerbated by flight to safety, as investors seek safe haven during times of economic turmoil.<br />
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The result of all this intervention will inevitably be massive inflation. There is no way to have all this liquidity sloshing around without ensuing inflation. The Fed needs a vibrantly growing economy before it can think about mopping up all the excess liquidity (draining the money supply) by selling off its assets (government and other bonds for cash). Doing so would certainly would slow the economy, hence the need for vibrant growth.<br />
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<h2>War</h2><br />
<img alt="Bread Line" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/breadline.png" class="imgPostLeft" title="Bread Line, 1930, Great Depression"/>Another, rather ugly government response to chronic economic malaise is to declare war. This option is usually reserved for global superpowers with the capacity to wage a credible, winnable war. Today there is only one of those, the USA and the US is already engaged in at least three wars: Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. I am not counting the other nonsensical "wars" on terror and drugs. One cannot wage a war against terrorism any more than one could go to war against lying or cheating. Terrorism is a tactic an enemy might use for political or other gain and it is impossible to wage a war against a tactic.<br />
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During times of war, many rights and obligations are suspended or erased. War can also be an instrument to acquire more assets (resources) as well as territory (tax base). War is ugly and destroys the wealth of nations and mis-allocates productive resources to non-productive use. Any war must be righteous and just, waged against an identifiable enemy, with clear objectives and a clear vision of victory. War cannot be justified solely by a shaky scaffolding of emotional sound bites.<br />
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The decision to retrench or expatriate is a big one. Consider the alternatives and consequences wisely. I have studied all the options for a couple of years before moving to the Philippines. So far, it seems that the decision was the correct one but time will tell. I am certainly not forsaking my US citizenship. I take my pledge of allegiance seriously. I have sworn an oath twice (once in the US Air Force and again when I became a US citizen) which I will honor forever.Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-58418390424390651772011-08-23T09:40:00.016+08:002014-04-19T21:37:48.215+08:00The Filipina Wife (updated 4/19/2014)<b>Update: April 19, 2014</b><br />It has been nearly a year since my last update. I have not forgotten about you, dear reader and I offer you the latest developments herewith. We are now in Hungary, more or less on a permanent basis (is anything permanent in a life that is temporary?) mainly at my wife's choice. I hardly influenced her decision at all.<br />
<br />We both have adjusted well, perhaps too well. Adjustments were needed to the waits of our clothing and our belts. My excuse for gaining weight is that I have quit smoking (again), my wife does not have a convenient excuse. We went back to the Philippines for the coldest three months here and that required an even bigger adjustment. I almost turned around and came back. It was difficult to get used to living in a filthy, dirty third-world country again where water service was disrupted more than it was on, where the electricity would go out without notice for hours and in some places, for days, where customer service is an alien concept and so are vegetables, perhaps with the exception of kankong and pichay, both unfit for human consumption.<br />
<br />Three months there was more than enough and we are both very happy to be back in Europe. In fact, my mother-in-law is also here with us for a three-month visit. We are hosting a small family reunion next month, so we will not be traveling for a while. Before Yolanda's arrival, we did have an opportunity to take a 4-day holiday in Tauplitz, Austria with our dear friends from Kalocsa. Tauplitz is in a spectacularly beautiful region called Salzkammergut, surrounded by the high Alps and not too far from Salzburg.<br />
<br />I am teaching, I am programming and I am having the time of my life. I would love to see my children and three beautiful grandsons and hope to have an opportunity to do just that sometime soon. Cheche is a miracle -- supportive, loving, kind -- and I continue to be blessed to have her in my life.<br /><hr /><b>Update: May 10, 2013</b><br />
<br />Since this is such an immensely popular entry (<u>the</u> most popular, in fact), I will write a short update to my original (August 23, 2011) post. As of December 1, 2012, we have been together for over two years, and married nearly as long. In that short time, we have traveled the world, moved into our new home and made many new friends.<br />
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I was seriously wondering how she will like living in Talisay after she has seen Paris, tobogganed in the snow of the German Alps on the Zugspitze, beat the casino in Monte Carlo, and enjoyed the nightlife of Nice, Vienna, Budapest, Saigon and many of the world's cities.<br />
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Well, Cheche is the same, modest, happy-go-lucky, joyful and content woman I married almost two years ago. No demands, no expectations. Loving and attentive as ever, takes pleasure in the smallest things. I kind of expected a changed mentality with blind pursuit of things Gucci and Louis Vuitton and that never happened. She is happy to shop for her clothes at the local "<i>ukay-ukay</i>" (second-hand store), although she knows and manages our monthly budget and could shop at department stores.<br />
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One big question on many readers' minds has to do with the financial support of her family. As I said, we have a monthly budget and we rigorously adhere to it. One line item is "Family Help" and frankly, it is not a lot on money -- only 2,000 pesos per month. Cheche usually uses this to take her mom shopping in Bohol at a supermarket but sometimes she, or Cheche's aunt, would rather have the cash. Support of the extended family is one key element of how her family will view you, so think about this carefully. You do not want to become the family's ATM machine yet at the same time they need to know if there is a dire emergency, they can count on you.<br />
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As a rule, we do not lend money. If immediate family has a real need, we will probably cover the expense (hospital bill, repair bill, etc.) but we rarely hand over cash. There were a couple of times when a member of her extended family was in a bind and really needed a short-term loan and we gave it to them. We have been repaid in full. They know (from Cheche) that if they do not pay us back, there can be no more "<i>utang</i>" (loan) and they want to keep the line of credit open.
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<b>ORIGINAL POST FOLLOWS</b><br />
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As discussed in the <a href="http://jkorondy.blogspot.com/2011/08/filipino-character.html" target="_blank" title="The Filipino Character">previous post</a>, Filipinos are amiable, easy-going, cheerful, happy people by nature. They bear their burdens with stoical equanimity and are accepting of hardships and differences.<br />
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<img alt="John and Che in Iloilo" class="imgPostRight" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/Iloilo.png" title="John and Che in Iloilo, Negros Occidental" />The Filipina wife is in a class of her own. I have traveled extensively all over the world, have lived on three continents and I can unequivocally aver that the Filipina makes the best wife for any man but especially for an older westerner. I will highlight some of the reasons for this conclusion, but first, the requisite disclaimer.<br />
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Not all Filipinas are alike. There are plenty of schemers and gold diggers, opportunists, users, takers and con artists. There are self-serving sycophants here just as there are in any culture. However, that is not the norm. If you look for your Filipina wife in bars, mega-malls, free Internet dating sites, you might get disillusioned and disappointed. There are plenty of horror stories out there. If, on the other hand, you look for a woman with solid values, traditionally raised, "simple girl" typically not from a big city but from the provinces, your chances will be immensely improved.<br />
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"Simple" here refers not to the woman's mental capacity but to her spectrum of needs. It is an adjective they themselves use to describe their lifestyle, lack of make up, adornments and needfulness. A "simple" girl bears the characteristics I describe below, as contrast to "city girls", "bar girls" and "mall walkers". <br />
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Devoted</h2>
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First and foremost, the Filipina wife is devoted -- to her husband, to her family, to her large extended family and to God. It seems that there is nothing she would not do for her brood, even at the point of self-sacrifice. "Circumstances don't matter, I am your wife and I will be by your side no matter what" seems to be their motto. A Filipina wife (<i>asawa</i> in Cebuano and Tagalog) will work tirelessly all day long, never asking for anything, with a smile on her face and a song on her lips. They will endure almost any condition without demands. Not only will an asawa not ask you to help with the dishes or other housework, she will insist that it is her job.<br />
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<img alt="Cheche with a few of the family kids in Anda, Bohol" class="imgPostLeft" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/CheAndaKids.png" title="Cheche with a few of the family kids in Anda, Bohol" />She will carry a "face towel" with her, only to wipe your sweaty face or back when you are hot. She will offer to massage your foot (or any other part) if she senses that you are tired. She will offer to wash your feet in the shower and scrub your back and generally take care of you like no other.<br />
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I am not talking about loyalty, even though many western husbands of Filipinas would describe their wives as loyal beyond reason. In my experience, loyalty leads to complacency, taking each other for granted. The ideal, in my opinion is mutual devotion and unconditional love.<br />
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Before you leap to a conclusion about the hard-working asawa, let me quickly disabuse you of the notion of getting a domestic slave. As a husband (<i>bana</i> in Cebuano, <i>asawa</i> in Tagalog), you have a responsibility to her her as well. Your primary responsibilities to her are to love her unconditionally, to provide for her according to your means, to care for her and her family, and to respect her. If you live up to your responsibilities, you will have an incredibly satisfying marriage.<br />
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It is advisable to hire a "house helper" to do the chores around the house like laundry, cleaning, cooking, washing dishes, grocery shopping and alike. A live-in helper costs 1,500 pesos (US$35) to 2,000 pesos (US$47) per month, plus room and board. A house helper will unburden your asawa from these chores, allow you to travel without leaving your house empty, care for your pets, and to deal with issues as they arise. <br />
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Ageless</h2>
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Happy Filipinas are ageless, playful and easy to laugh. But my point here is not mainly about her but her attitude towards age. In western cultures, older people are marginalized, ignored and shunted aside by youth revering Madison Avenue mentality. In Asia, age is respected and the wisdom of experience is highly valued. Your asawa will not care if you are 50 or 60 or even older.<br />
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<img alt="Cheche in front of the Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam" class="imgPostLeft" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/CheBenThanh.png" title="Cheche in front of the Ben Thanh Market, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam" />Earlier this month I had an occasion to visit the US Consulate here in Cebu. While waiting my turn I overheard a man in his 70s ask the agent about a "Legal Capacity to Marry" affidavit. The agent asked a few questions, among them, "How old is your fiancée?" The man replied, "19". It is quite common to see "May - December" marriages here and no one seems to think anything of it.<br />
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My wife is 29 years old (OK, 30 but please keep it to yourself and remember that the best ten years of any woman's life are those between 29 and 30), university graduate and without children. She did not think anything of my age of 60 (when we met and were dating, now 61). She never asked if I had money or how much, in fact, she never asked me for anything of tangible value.<br />
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Try to get used to the strange notion that your age does not matter here (unless you are looking for a job — good luck with that — it is very difficult for foreigners to get a job).<br />
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<h2>
Frugal</h2>
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A good asawa is frugal beyond measure. She has been raised to waste nothing, especially food. My wife saves every plastic baggie, every piece of string — it might be used again and again. She shops for the best quality foods but insists on the lowest price and will go to the trouble of taking a jeepney to the public market to get the freshest fruits and vegetables (on market days when the produce is freshest) at the lowest price. It may not matter to you whether she pays 65 or 70 pesos for a kilo of mangoes, but it is a matter of pride to her.<br />
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She will not make a remark if you spend 70,000 pesos for a motorcycle yet she will watch every peso passing through her hands — it is your hard-earned money after all!<br />
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Loving</h2>
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A good asawa is affectionate and tender, loving and caring, gentle and kind — in every sense of the words. She will hold your hand public, hug you and kiss you without any prompting in private and she is an adventurous tigress in the bedroom. Once she grows comfortable with you she will lose all inhibitions and signs of shyness.<br />
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<img alt="Cheche in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam" class="imgPostRight" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/CheVietnam.png" title="Cheche in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam" />The typical asawa material Filipina is very sensitive. She will react to your every mood and every inflection. Take good care not to scorn her or raise your voice or express anger towards her. If you get frustrated, be sure to explain that it is not anger directed towards her but you are venting your frustration about some event or circumstance.<br />
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I had one incident (so far…) with my wife during our seven months of married life. She is a cheerful, happy-go-lucky person with a child-like curiosity about everything. One day I got flustered about one thing or another and she gave me the silent treatment. You know it, I am sure. "What's wrong?", "Oh, nothing." kind of thing. I kept prodding her often, asking her to open up and talk about what is bothering her but to no avail. Finally, I asked to her to sit down for a serious conversation. I explained that is it not possible for me to have a relationship with someone who refuses to relate to me. Did she want our relationship to suffer or even end? She came to realize how important it was to me and she opened up. She told me that she felt I no longer loved her and that I was angry with her. I explained that in fact that is not the case, that I love her very much and I was just venting my frustration, of which she was in no way the cause.<br />
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Grateful</h2>
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Gratitude is a naturally inbred attribute of most asawa-quality Filipinas. They are raised that way, to be thankful for the smallest blessings, to take nothing for granted. My wife is now an incredible cook — she cooks the most amazing European dishes with apparent ease. After finishing dinner she carefully prepared, she never fails to thank me for the food. She thanks the store clerk, the taxi driver and everyone who does anything for her. Before going to sleep, she thanks me for loving her.<br />
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Yes, I have been blessed; I am very fortunate to have Cheche in my life and as my wife. You might be wondering how I came to find her, to woo her hand and to marry her. Here is a brief version.<br />
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After having read about a bunch of Filipino and other Asian dating sites, I signed up with <a href="http://www.cebuanas.com/?cid=korondy" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Cebuanas.com (opens in a new tab or window)">Cebuanas.com</a>. It is a site where you can browse people for free but you have to pay a nominal fee to make contact. This is the very reason I chose them. The totally free sites seem to have more opportunists and I believe you get what you pay for. The women don't have to pay at Cebuanas.com, only the men. Nonetheless, there seem to be a better caliber of candidates there then any other site I have visited.<br />
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<img alt="John and Cheche" class="imgPostLeft" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/JohnCheche.png" title="John and Cheche" />I signed up with Cebuanas.com for three months for $60 (they have a promo as of the date of this writing, you can get it for less than $50), thinking that if I don't find the love of my life in three months, I might as well give up. Within one month I was emailing (I was still living in the US at that time) with more than sixty Filipinas.<br />
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I had ranked all my contacts and paid most of my attention to the top three. Cheche was always number one, but the rest of them rotated positions as I learned more about them. I started using Yahoo Instant Messenger and Skype to video chat with Che and after about three months of getting to know each other, I arranged a three-week visit to the Philippines. I have been here before and I fell in love with the islands and I knew I wanted to retire to somewhere in Visayas.<br />
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Cheche is from the island of Bohol and she was working as a travel agency officer in Tagbilaran. This was great because she had access to a fast internet connection. She scheduled her vacation for the duration of my visit and we met for the first time at the Tagbilaran airport. I flew from Spokane, WA via Seattle, Seoul, and Manila to Tagbilaran, staying overnight in Manila to be rested and fresh for our first encounter. She met me at the airport with tears of joy in her eyes.<br />
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<img alt="Cheche Making Pogácsa" class="imgPostRight" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/ChePogacsa.png" title="Cheche Making Pogácsa" />We had an incredible holiday on Palawan (where I originally wanted to settle) then returned to Bohol where I met most of her large family. We spent the remaining time on Bohol, thoroughly enjoying each others company. I left to return to the US with a heavy heart, Cheche bid me a tearful good-bye at the Tagbilaran airport.<br />
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We continued to stay in touch, knowing that there was more to this than a single encounter. She cancelled her Cebuanas.com membership and I let mine lapse. Six months later, it was time for another short visit. I booked a two-week trip (I was out of vacation time by then but not yet ready to retire) and we met for the second time at the Manila airport (NAIA). We enjoyed an incredible two-week holiday on Palawan (Busuanga, El Nido, Puerto Princesa), then Iloilo (Negros Occidental), Cebu City (Cebu) and Puerto Galera (Oriental Mindoro). It was a whirlwind tour as we were now actively looking at areas for us to settle. We said our good-byes with heavy hearts in Manila.<br />
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Six months later (November 23, 2010) I returned to the Philippines and left the US to retire here. We rented a two-bedroom apartment in Cebu City's Guadalupe barangay and got married on January 7, 2011. We have been traveling in the Philippines (at first), visiting many of the more than 7,000 islands. Lately we have expanded our horizons and visited Vietnam, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic. In a couple of weeks we leave for Singapore and Malaysia and have plans to visit Thailand and Indonesia soon. We are building our house in nearby Talisay. I have never been happier.<br />
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I just read a fantastic post about this topic, you might enjoy the perspective of a Filipina wife. Please visit <a href="http://filipinaaz.com/2012/02/eye-opener-for-both-western-men-and.html">An Eye-Opener for Both Western Men and Filipina Women</a> at FilipinaAZ.com. It is well worth a read!Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-65784394028401047852011-08-17T18:25:00.012+08:002013-09-06T01:55:16.147+08:00The Filipino Character<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">There are many compelling reasons to live in the Philippines: the tropical weather, stunning beaches of white sand and warm, caressing water, low cost of living just to name a few. The most compelling reason of all, however are the Filipino people. While generalizations are inherently misguided and most often wrong, there are some clearly observable and unique traits among the Filipinos which apply to a very broad spectrum of the population.<br />
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<img class="imgPostLeft" title="Marian Rivera" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/MarianRivera.png" alt="Marian Rivera" />First, a bit of background color. With tongue firmly planted in cheek, I assert that the most valuable export of the Philippines is the Filipino. According to the most recent (2010) Philippines <a title="Click to visit Philippines Census (opens in a new window)" href="http://www.census.gov.ph/data/pressrelease/2011/of10tx.html" target="_blank">census data</a> available, there are 2 million Filipinos working overseas, sending or bringing home 141.2 billion pesos (US$3.3 billion) of foreign income during the second half of 2010. They are referred to as OFWs, or Overseas Filipino Workers. The women work as nurses, maids, <em>au pairs</em> and alike in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and many other countries. The men work as sailors, IT technicians, laborers, etc. all over the world. You will find them in fisheries in Alaska, aboard freighters in the Indian Ocean, in hospitals in Christchurch, New Zealand and all places in between. In the Philippines, there is a special financial services industry segment which caters to OFWs (remittances, money transfer and money exchange).<br />
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Unskilled laborers earn about 150 pesos (US$3.50) per day in the Philippines while skilled workers about twice that amount. By working overseas, a Filipino can earn from 2 to 5 times as much. They are perfectly OK sleeping on a plywood platform or even just a couple sheets of corrugated cardboard, eating a couple of lumps of rice, maybe with a few pieces of chicken or fish thrown on, and "showering" from a barrel of cold water with a pan. In spite of conditions most westerners would consider horrid, they never complain, never demand, work hard and follow orders and rarely if ever ask for anything. I know a very smart and pretty young lady (Michelle) who works (and lives) in a small convenience store (called <em>sari-sari</em>) for 1,500 pesos (US$35.30) per month. She wakes up at 5:30 every morning and opens the store at 6 AM. She does not stop until the store closes at 10 PM, then she closes the books for the day and finally goes to bed at 10:30 or 11 at night, thanking God for the wonderful life she has. She does this six days a week. On Sundays, when the store is closed, she cleans the store and the house, does the household laundry and other chores as needed. She cooks, cleans, chops firewood, stocks inventory, tends to customers and does all the menial work around the house and store. All the while, she has a smile on her face and a kind word for everyone.<a name='more'></a><br />
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Filipinos are very amiable, to the point of avoiding conflict at any cost. They are eager to serve and to please, they greet strangers with a broad smile and a friendly "hello". They do not insist or demand and they are not in the least judgmental. They are also very sensitive to criticism and tolerant of others to the extreme. Most Filipinos ave very shy and do not talk to strangers easily unless approached and even then, responses tend to be monosyllabic single words.<br />
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Filipinos are very happy people, they tend to have a sunny disposition. They love to have fun, to sing, to have a party. There is a fiesta somewhere in the Philippines every day and on those days businesses (and often major streets) close. Filipinos do not need an occasion to celebrate, only an opportunity. "Christmas" here starts at the end of August and lasts until the end of February.<br />
<p><img class="imgPostRight" title="Pollution in Manila" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/ManilaPollution.png" alt="Manila Pollution" />Sounds like heaven? Not so fast. All these wonderful and admirable traits have a dark side as well. Being tolerant in the extreme means that Filipino society willingly accepts and tolerates behavior not condoned anywhere else. Taxi and jeepney drivers pull over to the sidewalk in the middle of the city and urinate on the wall in broad daylight. Cars, trucks, buses, jeepneys honk at pedestrians and each other every chance they get and the noise can be deafening. Children throw trash wherever they please and no one says a thing. Children play in the middle of busy streets in the city, screaming at the top of their lungs for hours and no one considers this behavior unfit for civilized society. Drivers routinely cross into the wrong side of the street or road, run red lights, drive the wrong way in one-way streets, park anywhere including the middle of the road, turn without signaling or even looking. Speed limits and stop signs are ignored more often than obeyed. The only observable law of traffic is the law of physics: the bigger vehicle has the right of way. All this is accepted as the "way things are". Amazingly, accidents are quite rare.</p><p>Vehicles belch black smoke into the air already polluted by sidewalk barbecues burning wood from coconut trees. All trucks and jeepneys run on bald tires. This must be a local ordinance or divine law since I have not seen any exceptions. All commercial and government systems are incredibly bureaucratic, involve reams of paperwork and lots of waiting. Tap water is non-potable, drinking water is sold in plastic bags by <em>sari-sari</em> stores for 1 peso, in bottles of varying sizes up to 5 gallons (35 pesos) by water filtering outlets. Cities have no storm-water drainage, so during periods of heavy rain, many streets are flooded. Pedestrians cross wherever they feel like, sometimes wading in knee-deep water (remember, most Filipinos are quite short).</p><p><img class="imgPostLeft" title="Pinoy Men" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/PinoyMen.png" alt="Pinoy Men" />Government services are a joke and one must hire "fixers" at various offices to get things done, or "wait for a while", a favorite Filipino expression. I bought a Yamaha motorcycle last December (9 months ago). The dealer was supposed arrange for the required documentation, registration and license. I am still waiting for my registration, conduction permit and "annual" registration sticker. It is all good, since the cops never bothered me about any of these things. There are taxes and fees (mostly petty nuisance) for the things one would not expect, such as a fee for using the terminal at the airport (on top of the 1,620 peso "foreign travel tax" Filipinos and permanent residents must pay when traveling overseas), or a fee for using the restroom. There are fees for every sheet of document the government produces, plus of course the inescapable 12% value-added tax (VAT) on top of it all. There are fees I have never heard of and may not even have an English translation (what on Earth is "arrestre"?) All this is accepted with incredible grace and aplomb.</p><p>Finally (I know I have taken up too much of your time already), Filipinos have some rather strange mannerisms. Affirmative answers are rarely verbalized but indicated not with a nod but with a slight raising of both eyebrows. If you miss the eyebrow action, you might miss the response. Negative questions are usually answered affirmatively, which means "you are correct." The question "Don't you have any Dr. Pepper?" will be responded to with the aforementioned eyebrow action, meaning "yes". This should be interpreted as "Yes, you are correct, we do not have any Dr. Pepper." Westerners are used to a different kind of response, such as "Of course, we have Dr. Pepper" or "I am very sorry, but we are temporarily out" or perhaps a negative response, "No, we do not." This can be very confusing.</p><p><img class="imgPostRight" title="Miss Philippines" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/MissPhilippines.png" alt="Miss Philippines" />Filipinos point not with their finger(s) but with their lips, as if they are trying kiss someone. They pucker at the thing or person they intend to point out. This gesture can easily be misconstrued as a romantic advance, when in fact it is quite innocuous. Filipinos beckon one another with their hands pointed downward instead of up. When a cop's arm is swinging in the downward direction as if they wanted to slap their knee, it means move ahead or come here. Silence here means not acquiescence but disagreement and "yes" does not mean agreement but an acknowledgement that your utterance has been heard (although it may not have been understood). The western concept of "personal space" is unknown here or if it is, it is measured in millimeters and not inches or feet. If a Filipino does not make a lot of noise (talking, singing, playing the music oh so loudly, buying special de-mufflers for their vehicles, honking incessantly), then he is either unhappy or very ill.</p><p>All in all, the Filipinos are lovable, easy-going, stoical, tolerant, fun-loving people. It is a joy to live among them, even if they are far more loud than their western counterparts.</p></div>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-9294753502214790832011-08-12T18:16:00.002+08:002013-09-06T01:41:39.794+08:00The Best Place to Live in the Philippines<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands located in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean, stretching from 3.5° N to 18.2° N of the equator. Thus, the climate is tropical. This means that it is hot and humid here, all the time. There are two main seasons, wet and dry. The wet, or rainy season is between June and October and the dry season is from November to April or May. During the rainy season it can and usually does rain every day, albeit the sun comes out quite often. "Summer" here is between March and May, that is when the schools are out and the weather is the hottest. The best time to visit is between November and February — the weather is very pleasant and rain-free days are most likely. That time may be winter in the northern hemisphere but in the Philippines is still warm, even at night. Most Filipinos have never seen snow except in movies and on TV and many dream of experiencing it.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luzon" target="_blank"><img alt="Luzon" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Ph_locator_map_luzon.png/220px-Ph_locator_map_luzon.png" class="imgPostLeft" title="Map of the Luzon island group. Click to visit Wikipedia (opens in a new window)." /></a>The Philippines has a total population of over 95 million people and it is the world's 12th most populous nation. It is crowded here, no question. It is not unusual for a Filipino household to have 20 or more people living in 3- or 4-room house. Many young working people rent "bed spaces" in boarding houses where they sleep 20 or 30 to a room, dormitory style. It is not unusual to have 30 to 50 people in line ahead of you when you go to the bank, to buy movie tickets, or at the grocery checkout counter. OK, back to geography. The Philippines have three main island groups. Luzon is the northern third of the country, Visayas is the middle third and Mindanao is the southern third. All of them have very nice places to see and even to live and all of them have areas I would not recommend.<br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luzon" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Wikipedia (opens in a new window).">Luzon</a> is the most economically, politically and culturally important island group and it is the home of the capital city of <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Manila" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Wikitravel (opens in a new window).">Manila</a>. The National Capital Region is the most crowded, congested and in some ways most polluted area of the Philippines. If you live here as a foreigner, you cannot avoid visiting Manila since that is where all the major government offices as well as foreign embassies are. The smog is as bad or worse than Mexico City and the traffic is horrendous. <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Baguio" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Wikitravel (opens in a new window).">Baguio</a> is the "summer capital" of the Philippines, north of Manila in the Cordillera Central mountains at an elevation of 1,500 meters (4,920 feet). Its climate is subtropical highland and thus cooler than lower elevations. Luzon is in the middle of the "typhoon belt" and severe typhoons occur frequently. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are also frequent. <a name='more'></a><br />
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We have been to Manila many times and are not eager to return. We have also visited <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Galera,_Oriental_Mindoro" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Wikipedia (opens in a new window).">Puerto Galera</a> at the northern tip of Mindoro Island, Oriental Mindoro Province. Puerto Galera is the playground of the wealthy from Manila, it has many nice resorts but the place is quite remote. Bus or van service runs from Manila to Batangas at the southern tip of Luzon Island, then a quick boat ride to Puerto Galera. The various resorts in Puerto Galera offer transfer service from Manila directly to the resort. Many resorts include the transfer in the room rate (no extra charge).<br />
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<img alt="Palawan Jeepney" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/PalawanJeepney.png" class="imgPostLeft" title="Jeepney (nearly full) on Palawan near Sabang" /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visayas" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Wikipedia (opens in a new window).">Visayas</a> is most often frequented by foreign visitors, as it offers some of the most spectacular destinations. <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Cebu_%28city%29" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Wikitravel (opens in a new window).">Cebu City</a>, the "Queen City of the South" is also referred to as the "southern capital of the Philippines". Cebu City is a vibrant and fast-growing metropolis and vast commercial center. Cebu City has many of the same problems as Manila, albeit to a lesser extent. The island of Cebu has many pleasant towns, such as Bogo and San Remigio in the north, Argao and Oslob to the south, Badian, Moalboal, Barili and Toledo City along the west coast. Long-haul, air-conditioned bus service connects all these cities to Cebu City, the capital of Cebu Province.<br />
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Visayas is outside of the range of typical typhoons and it is seismically stable. It has no active volcanoes. The most popular tourist destinations are Boracay and Palawan islands in Western Visayas and Bohol in Central Visayas. <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Boracay" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Wikitravel (opens in a new window).">Boracay</a> is famous for its white sandy beaches (second best beach in the world per TripAdvisor), luxury resorts and hotels but it is pretty remote. There are no supermarkets on Boracay and you have to take a pump boat from Caticlan (36 minute flight from Manila) to reach it.<br />
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<a href="http://www.elnidotourism.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="El Nido, Palawan" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/ElNido.png" class="imgPostRight" title="El Nido, Palawan. Click to visit El Nido Tourism (opens in a new window)." /></a><a href="http://www.palawaniana.net/places-to-visit/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit palawaniana.com (opens in a new window)."> Palawan</a> is the most scenic, cleanest and greenest island of the Philippines and it is its the westernmost major island. Direct daily flights to Puerto Princesa (Palawan's capital) operate from Manila and Cebu. Palawan has fantastic beaches (central and south Palawan) and unparalleled scenery (El Nido area in the north). Purto Princesa is growing very fast. Robinson's is building a huge mall there (the island's second). Other areas of Palawan are remote, difficult to access and have limited services. Of several tourist attractions on Palawan, the Puerto Princesa Underground River is the most noteworthy. It is a candidate to be one of the "New 7 Wonders of Nature" and definitely worth a visit. In the last two years Palawan has been overrun by land speculators, so property values have skyrocketed. Land is more expensive there than in many parts of the US. We originally wanted to settle around Puerto Princesa but got quickly discouraged by the high prices.<br />
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<a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Bohol" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit Wikitravel (opens in a new window).">Bohol</a> is a very popular tourist destination and home to many foreigners. It is my wife's birthplace and she has a large family there so we visit at least every month. The island is located just SE of Cebu, a 2-hour boat ride (SuperCat, Weesam, OceanJet) away. Some of the nicest resorts are on Panglao Island's Alona Beach. Panglao is connected to Bohol by two bridges and is a 15- to 20-minute ride from Tagbilaran. Anda, on the eastern tip of Bohol at the tip of a peninsula, is well worth a visit. Anda is also a popular tourist spot, albeit more remote than Panglao — 100 km north of Tagbilaran. The capital of Bohol Province is Tagbilaran city, which has a domestic airport with daily service to Manila. Tagbilaran boasts two malls, BQ Mall downtown and Island City Mall (ICM) a bit farther out. ICM is the bigger and nicer mall.<br />
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<img alt="Tagbilaran, Bohol" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/CPG_Avenue%2C_Tagbilaran_City%2C_Bohol.jpg" class="imgPostLeft" style="width: 448px;" title="CPG Avenue, Tagbilaran, Bohol" /><a href="http://www.bohol-philippines.com/tagbilaran-city.html" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit www.bohol-philippines.com (opens in a new window).">Tagbilaran</a>'s big drawback is its incredible traffic congestion. Unlike in Cebu City, motorized tricycles are permitted in Tagbilaran and they clog up the highway and streets to such extent that getting around is difficult. Property values on Bohol have also risen substantially over the past couple of years, but it is still a very desirable place to live. The island's attractions (Chocolate Hills, Tarsier Compound, Alona Beach) keep drawing tourists from far away places. Bohol is near enough to Cebu City as to make a day trip to Cebu possible — for shopping and services one cannot find on Bohol.<br />
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Other nearby islands well worth a visit are Camiguin, Siquijor, and the Camotes Islands. <a href="http://www.camiguinisland.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit www.camiguinisland.net (opens in a new window).">Camiguin</a>, albeit small, it is a wonder to behold. Located SSE of Bohol and just N Mindanao, it is off the beaten trail. <a href="http://www.markmaranga.com/ardent-hot-spring-camiguin/" style="font-weight: bold;" target="_blank" title="Click to visit www.markmaranga.com (opens in a new window).">Ardent Hot Springs</a> is a national treasure and quite undiscovered. Several hot and warm pools (heated by the island's volcano) offer a relaxing experience. The entrance fee for a day is 30 pesos. Boats from Jagna, Bohol and Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao service the island. Siquijor is also small (the smallest of the Philippines' provinces) but quite picturesque. Siquijor is famous for its "faith healers" — just don't call them "witches"! The Camotes Islands is two small islands (Pancuan and Camotes) connected by a bridge, plus a third small island (Poro) nearby. Camotes is located E of Cebu and N of Bohol, also a 2-hour boat ride from Cebu City. Camotes are very remote, there are no services to speak of but two very nice resorts. Santiago Bay is the nicest.<br />
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We have not traveled in Mindanao. The US Embassy in Manila discourages Americans from visiting, however the norther part of the island is quite safe. The southernmost part is the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). It is definitely not a good idea to travel there unless you are among the most adventurous.<br />
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What is the "best" place to live in the Philippines for an American? It depends on a myriad very personal and individual factors. Is proximity to western class services, such as medical care a priority? Congested cities offer many conveniences but they tend to be dusty, dirty, polluted and very noisy. Rural areas are not well supplied, most staples are bought and sold in "public markets" or "wet markets". If you have to have your Frosted Flakes, they might be hard to find. For us, we wanted to be fairly close to a city but not in it so we have access to services but don't have to endure its drawbacks. We bought a townhouse in a guarded subdivision in Talisay, a short walking distance from Gaisano Grand Fiesta Mall in Tabunok. Our property is far enough from the main road so there is no noise or dust, up on a hill so there is always some breeze off the sea, near enough to the beach. Talisay is 8 km from Cebu City and there is a fast road (South Road Properties, or SRP) that makes it easy to get to the port and even the airport. We move in at the end of September. I will likely write a post about the experience of building and buying a house.</div>Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6429982543381002848.post-87303592732027901122011-08-05T19:35:00.003+08:002013-09-06T01:56:15.339+08:00The Journey BeginsI have been traveling to the Philippines for several years and I have grown to really like the place but most importantly, its people. In November 2010 I have finally taken the plunge and moved here — not without apprehensions and reservations. The move was easier than I expected but certainly not without its snags and snafus.<br />
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<img alt="Beach on Palawan" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/Palawan%20Beach.png" class="imgPostLeft"/>I grew up (I think) in Europe and spent the first 20 years of my life there. The next 40 years (essentially my productive span) were invested in the United States (mainly in California (both Southern and Northern) with stints in Colorado (Fort Collins), Washington (both state and D.C.), Idaho, and Montana. The last however many years I have I want to live in Asia — it has a nice balance and symmetry to it.<br />
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Other web sites and blogs gush about the Philippines, its people and the way of life here. I will give you a balanced, honest perspective on what it is like to retire to the Philippines, to live here, to meet people and make friends, about relationships and even marriage. I have nothing to promote, nothing to sell you. I write this blog because it is my joy and it helps me put my experiences into perspective and persistent record for any who care to read it. <a name='more'></a><br />
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As I said, I have nothing to promote, nothing to sell to you but that does not mean I don't have my biases (after all, doesn't everyone?) I like it here. I love the tropics, the easy and low-cost lifestyle but I especially love the Philippine people -- the easy-going, amiable, agreeable, accepting Filipino and Filpina, or as they call themselves, the <em>pinoys</em> and <em>pinays</em>.<br />
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Of course, there are challenges, huge ones and quite a few. According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_settlement_in_the_Philippines#cite_note-StateBN2007-0" target="_blank" title="Wikipedia (opens in a new window)">Wikipedia</a>, there are more than 250,000 Americans live in the Philippines. This number seems low to me by about 50,000 or so and the number seems to be growing daily. Some of them really like it here and adapted well while others complain of incessant boredom, the pollution, the congestion and traffic, the noise, the "anything goes" <em>laissez-faire</em> mentality, the whores and ladyboys, the corruption, the government -- you get the idea.<br />
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The cities, especially the big ones, are incredibly crowded as compared to cities in North America and especially Europe. Even the center of small cities and towns are jam packed with people. Standing in line is <em>de rigueur</em> everywhere, if at the neighborhood <em>sari-sari</em> (convenience) stores, which are everywhere. The supermarkets (exist only in bigger cities) can be so crowded that is nearly impossible to navigate the narrow aisles with a shopping cart. Of course, the Filipinos stoically accept this as the way it was meant to be.<br />
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<img alt="Beach in Argao, Cebu, Visayas" src="http://www.jkorondy.com/blog/pics/ArgaoBeach.png" style="border: 4px inset #d7d7d7; border-radius: 6mm; float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 4px;" />Of course, there are uncrowded, unpolluted pristine beaches, too, like the one on the right. This picture was taken at midday in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argao,_Cebu" target="_blank" title="Wikipedia (opens in a new window)">Argao</a>, Cebu Island, Central Visayas on a beautiful day. Not a soul in sight! Argao is located 68 km south of Cebu City. It faces the Bohol Strait, looking across it at the island and province of Bohol. So you see, there is a balance here and trade-offs galore.<br />
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I will write more about all the drawbacks I mentioned above in another post -- I don't want this to be too long and bore you to death. Look for posts about air pollution, noise pollution, corruption, traffic, personal security, scams, poverty, and the "wild east" syndrome.<br />
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Other posts will be about the people, both Filipinos and American expats and my experience with each of these groups. I also hope to give you a structured geographical primer -- the most frequently asked question I get from people visiting here is "what is the best place to live or retire in the Philippines?"<br />
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Other questions involve shopping: where can I get this or that. I hope to address this topic as well. Briefly, you can get pretty much anything here you can get in the US but you have to find the store, which is not an easy task. The information infrastructure is as undeveloped here as the other kinds, but I am working on changing that.<br />
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I hope you enjoyed this post and if you did, I hope you will subscribe to the RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed at the top of the page. In any case, I would love to hear from you, so by all means leave a comment. I value your feedback and impressions.<br />
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Enjoy the content, your day and if you come (or if you are already here), your visit to this beautiful country of incredible contrasts and even more incredible people.Ungarohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05326745242888261395noreply@blogger.com