Remember serious road accidents, wait hours for ambulance and no helicopters!
Remember serious road accidents, wait hours for ambulance and no helicopters!
Thanks for the tip Michael. I will put Dumaguete on my list of places NOT to visitOriginally Posted by Michael Parnham
Couldn't have said it better, filthy also!
To be honest, and i've posted this a few times before, my wife was not at all eager to make the move. It took me a few years to chip away at her and finally convince her to agree. It's only been since living here that she's admitted she's now happy and at peace and that it was a good decisionIn my experience most of the foreigners where the ones who made the decision to move to the Philippines. We need one of Jamie's polls
Lets see. We have myself, Fred, Peter, Stewart and Jonjon who live full time in the Philippines and are active posters on the forum. Would be interesting to here there thoughts on the subject?
When we moved back to the Philippines, it was a joint decision. Kind of forced on us, as the Chinese were kicking me out for not meeting there residence requirements.
Don't forget she'd not lived here for 30 years so my case may not be typical.
One thing she did stipulate was not Manila and that we sell the house in Marikina.
She insisted on a safe and peaceful location. Luckily we found the almost perfect spot. Still renting and likely too for a couple more years to come I suspect.
We've never had any flooding at our place in Marikina nor any fear of flooding, but it's definitely a factor why we still didn't manage to sell it yet. We don't need to rush so we're not yet ready to begin the price lowering process.
Nobody should expect to find even a little bit of the UK here.
This is the Philippines, totally different environment, culture, thinking and behaviour.
Philippines is a big country splintered over many islands. There's diversity here. Some is easy some is not.
Holiday visits give, at best IMO, instant impressions of Philippine life. Bit like a photograph.
Varying between the highly romantic as seen through 'rose-coloured' glasses or something to grin and endure until you can return to the UK normality
Based on my own experience I'm 100% sure it's best not to finally settle on any specific location. Especially if that location is the partners hometown.
Calm down, and take a really good objective look around. Try to get a feel for the place on an everday basis. Just how many boxes does it tick in your retirement bucket-list.
If you think that those internet bloggers are telling the whole truth, think again.
Get your information from at least two other sources in addition to your own.
Read those blogs specifically targeting locations that interest you.
Make a contact with with some of the local groups. Even Facebook can provide good info.
Most importantly talk to those folks who are actually living in the Philippines and expecially in those in locations that interest you.
Always be careful about your reasons for choosing one location above another.
As an aside, I wonder how many people actually make objective choices as to where they live in UK, as opposed to those who live in a not-such-ideal location for reasons such as employment and family etc.
I spent most of my working life outside of UK and didn't plan to ever return on a permanent basis.
I came back to UK solely to take care of my elderly parents who, at that time, were most definitely not receiving the care and attention they deserved. Means I spent those years back in my hometown, in the same small village I grew up in.
It wouldn't be fair or true to say we were unhappy. But what a change I found in the environment and in the society.
The area had serious problems with gangs, drugs and anti-social behaviour. We kept ourselves to ouselves and managed to live reasonably safely by sticking to a set of coping strategies. Not ideal but we had little choice. I only needed to call the police a handful of times. We had the usual 'garden-shed' robberies, but thankfully nothing more serious.
On one occasion we did suffer a wheelie-bin fire which could have been serious but for the quick action of the village fire brigade.
It was around 2005 when we started to seriously consider when and where to begin a new reitrement life. As I said before, Philippines did not appear on our list at that time, but here we are.
At that time we also set into motion a plan to see and experience as much as we could in UK and also in Europe.
We did and we found many places in UK that seemed so alien and unattractive as well as a few places that would have made idyllic places to retire to if only we could have afforded it.
There are many places in the UK where I would never want to live. I could never see my way to fit in and would likely be living with stress, anxiety and fear. Most of the UK cities have such areas and I'm sure many on here know some.
Some of the places we stayed in where we really felt uneasy and did not enjoy and where we could never ever see ourselves living, or even visiting again, were Glasgow, Blackpool, Nottingham, Brighton, Chatham, Croydon, Bradford, Hull and many parts of Manchester.
Actually when we travelled into Manchester on the train it looked like a battle zone and gave us a stark warning of what could be around the corner of an unknown street.
Make no mistake though, relocating to the Philippines for retirement is a huge decision. It just has to be done for the "right" reasons. If you're struggling financially to live in the UK then I doubt you can afford to live in the Philippines, find peace and be happy.
We're lucky we have choices, there are a lot of great places in the world to consider if the UK doesn't cut the mustard in your retirement years.
Keep an open mind. Your outlook, wants and needs do change as time moves onward towards retirement.
I like Dumaguete but not because of the expats. It's my favourite city in the Phils to date. As for Angeles, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone other than a fleeting visit. Manila's OK for a few days but after that the chaos would be too much for my liking.
^
So true. Too many people out there like that in the UK especially. They've lived on the same street all their lives in some backward town or village where most think the same way believing in each others bullshit and what's written in the papers.
Can only comment on Manchester and the first four and I can see where you're coming from, although I didn't mind Nottingham.
Glasgow tops the lot in my book along with it's neighbour, a soulless concrete shithole which goes by the name of Livingston.
In my experience most of the foreigners where the ones who made the decision to move to the Philippines. We need one of Jamie's polls
Lets see. We have myself, Fred, Peter, Stewart and Jonjon who live full time in the Philippines and are active posters on the forum. Would be interesting to here there thoughts on the subject?
When we moved back to the Philippines, it was a joint decision. Kind of forced on us, as the Chinese were kicking me out for not meeting there residence requirements.
Don't forget SteveR..he lives in the Philippines!
-=rayna.keith=-
...When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible...
I would not force Keith to live in the Philippines coz I know he wants to live in Las Vegas..haha..although we are planning to buy a house in Cavite near my family because that's the place he sees acceptable for him whenever we go back home. It's near Manila where he can get whatever he needs especially with food, it's also near to a country life he has always preferred to be. As for me, I've always said that I would go back to the Philippines and would never stay here in the UK to live for the rest of my life. I told Keith if I die here first, he has to bring me back to the Philippines, ashes or my body..hahaha
Oh and about the British food, SO BLAND!Give me Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and other Asian food all the time, except Indian.
...When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible...
Snap!! Only difference for us being my Mrs was in the UK 21 years.To be honest, and i've posted this a few times before, my wife was not at all eager to make the move. It took me a few years to chip away at her and finally convince her to agree. It's only been since living here that she's admitted she's now happy and at peace and that it was a good decision
Don't forget she'd not lived here for 30 years so my case may not be typical.
I went to Manila for first time when I was 17 yrs old to spend time with my old man whom did business here.... That was the only reason for my visit at that time.
Wow lots of well travelled worldly people on here, I never went out of the country until I was 47 and the only food I've tried other than English is Chicken Curry!
Indian food is topsI would not force Keith to live in the Philippines coz I know he wants to live in Las Vegas..haha..although we are planning to buy a house in Cavite near my family because that's the place he sees acceptable for him whenever we go back home. It's near Manila where he can get whatever he needs especially with food, it's also near to a country life he has always preferred to be. As for me, I've always said that I would go back to the Philippines and would never stay here in the UK to live for the rest of my life. I told Keith if I die here first, he has to bring me back to the Philippines, ashes or my body..hahaha
Oh and about the British food, SO BLAND!
I actually searched out a good Indian food place in Manila and they are not easy to find
Top floor in some mall in Ortigas was all I could find but it was worth it = delicious
What about Chow King? for me the menu is the worst I have ever seen
Monosodium glutamate by the shed load I guess = Chinese food
Nothing on that menu even looks slightly inviting
Over fried and greasy salty Chinese food diba
^
So true. Too many people out there like that in the UK especially. They've lived on the same street all their lives in some backward town or village where most think the same way believing in each others bullshit and what's written in the papers.
...When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible...
After seeing how they made or even serve their food in the hawkers in Singapore, it put me off.Indian food is tops
I actually searched out a good Indian food place in Manila and they are not easy to find
Top floor in some mall in Ortigas was all i could find but it was worth it
What about Chow King for me the menu is the worst i have ever seen = nothing on that menu even looks slightly inviting
Quite a few Indian restaurants in Makati: Indian restaurants in Makati
Chowking is a mix of Filipino-Chinese cuisine. If you want authentic Chinese, plenty of them in Binondo, where the China town is. http://outoftownblog.com/top-10-must...rants-binondo/
I grew up eating Chinese food, having a Chinese blood in me that's a given. We usually dine in Chinese restaurants that are not really posh but all servants and cook are Chinese. There was one tiny restaurant in Quiapo that was our usual go to place but it closed a couple of years before I went to UK. Probably because owners were already old.
...When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible...
You've just got to look at how much attention is paid to their establishments by Environmental Health Officers. They don't bat an eyelid at employing illegals so pay scant regard to food hygieneAfter seeing how they made or even serve their food in the hawkers in Singapore, it put me off.
I don't generalise like you do.My experience in Singapore that time doesn't necessarily mean the same everywhere. It just added to the fact that I don't really like their food. The only Indian food I can eat is korma, but it's not really a preference when dining out. I'm sure there are great Indian establishments all over the world, like there would be filthy English restaurants/establishments here in the UK.
...When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible...
A great response from many and hopefully great advice to,
A lot of you on here may have lived over there so you have the experience to say it how it is, others may know someone who knows someone else whos best friend knows someone who went there looking for a bit of rumpy pumpy but it did not work so he hates the place and the people too, but it takes all sorts to make the world go round they say,
I have only been on holiday so i am very new, but i do know what i want , i am not so naive to think its going to be paradise everyday , and sometimes i may think what the hell have i done too,
But i will make it out there someday
Keep them coming the good and the bad and not so ugly points of why living out there is great and not so great, but again please dont mention health over there compared to the NHS here
's all very well, Steve ... but, for the likes of me - who is now diabetic - and getting older
... access to FREE [at source] NHS care is vitally IMPORTANT ... alongside, of course, strong family ties.
Indeed you are right Arthur, the NHS is very important if i am thinking of staying here, but i am not, i have thought hard about this and i understand anyone who is getting on in life or has medication to help with the day to day living may think long and hard before ever leaving this country,
Strong family ties too, but with todays tech, i see more of my kids on the internet these days, plus what a great place they can come too where ever i live,
I understand that leaving the UK is not for everyone just like living here is not for everyone,
if what I've said above appears in any way selfish - especially with you and I BOTH being married to Filipinas - and with each of our wives' families living in the Phils ... but Myrna is in regular contact with her five brothers and their respective families in the Phils and she herself has made many new friends since coming to Perth.
Arthur how can anyone ever say you are Selfish , this is why forums like this are great, it gives good advice to those who are seeking things,
Thank you my good friend for your kind compliment ... I wish you and Ems the very best of luck wherever you decide to settle.
Ok this is a huge "aside", but don't forget, in the UK so called "Indian" food (Which is really Bangladeshi style or sometimes Pakistani) is full of a fat called ghee, a few other ridiculous ingredients which will stain clothes, and bear little relation to what people there really eat.
As an Indian friend of mine said, we'd be dead if we ate stuff like which is served in restaurants every day.
A lot of the "curries" are made for western tastes. Things like vindaloo and tindaloo which no Indian would be seen dead eating, and which are created for drunk white louts to try prove how well ard they are.
Does your partner/wife force you to go there? If you don't like the food, can't you buy what you want and cook it yourself or do you prefer to whine?
@ Fred - I presume you mean Palawan rarely has a typhoon as unless the reports from the last big typhoon were wrong - then Coron was hit
I always think of central Palawan when I mention that..Sorry.
Coron is almost as far North as Mindoro!
Very much the same as Thai food made in the UK and for good reason
Serving up proper Thai food here would be useless as most people could not eat it
With the amount of chillies most Thai's like to eat few people here could handle that heat
So for good reason most Thai food served in the UK is adapted to suit a more Western diet
Growing old in the Philippines with failing health is not a good position to be in
Not a good position to be in anywhere reallyGrowing old in the Philippines with failing health is not a good position to be in
I wouldn't want to generalise but it's not such a good position to be when living in the UK either.
Likely to happen to most of us at some point.
Happened to both my parents and was the reason for us to go to UK.
My wife was a community carer then a carer in a care home.
As far as the UK goes it's better to be banged up in prison than to be cast aside by family and dumped in a care home.
Sorry if it sounds like a rant, I do feel I'm entitled to after the way my parents were treated.
They were by no means a minority case. As my wife can attest.
Thank heavens those so called 'pathways' have almost been stamped out of the NHS
As you might guess, my view on the the care of the old and vunerable in the UK, especially those with failing health, remains IMO a national disgrace.
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