European advice about tipping does not travel cleanly to the Philippines. Here, tips are usually not demanded ā but they are appreciated, useful, and often a meaningful gesture of respect. I read a travel piece about tipping in, primarily in restaurants, in Europe that basically said this: Donāt tip American-style.Donāt scatter coins on the table.Donāt … Read more
Filipinos know global problems affect prices. What they do not trust is how quickly every problem becomes someoneās excuse to charge more. The truth is not all economics and not all greed ā it is a mix of both, and ordinary people pay the difference.
Why does a relationship that might generate gossip and criticism in America often attract little attention in the Philippines? This post explores age gaps, foreign boyfriends, chismis, family expectations, and why Filipino culture often views these relationships very differently than the West.
One of the fastest ways for an American retiree to get frustrated in the Philippines is to take every āYes, sirā at face value. You ask:āCan you finish this by tomorrow?āThey say:āYes, sir.ā Tomorrow comesā¦ nothing happens. At first you think youāve been lied to. You havenāt.Youāve just bumped into one of the deepest cultural … Read more
After more than a decade living in the Philippines, one American retiree compares doctors, hospitals, dentists, healthcare costs, and veterans care with the United States.
If you’re considering retirement in the Philippinesāor already living hereāyou’re invited to join our growing Facebook community where expats, veterans, and retirees share their experiences and advice.
If you grew up in the United States, you know exactly what to expect on the Fourth of July: parades in the morning, BBQs in the afternoon, fireworks when the sun goes down, and the whole nation calling it a night by 10 p.m. sharp. One day, one celebration, one set of traditions. Then you … Read more
In the U.S., when the power goes out, we call it a blackoutāwhich makes sense. If it happens at night, everything goes dark, and thatās usually the moment people start imagining monsters coming out of the shadows. Americans even have famous blackouts that live in the national memory. The 1977 Great New York Blackout turned … Read more
Most guys on YouTube will tell you why you should retire in the Philippines. Iām going to tell you how I actually got hereāmistakes, bad bets on love, busted expectations and allāand why that long, messy road eventually pointed me to Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. This isnāt theory. Itās twelve-plus years of boots-on-the-ground experience from … Read more
Iāve been glued to ChatGPT for six months now. Iāve pushed it, broken it, confused it, and even had another modelāGrok 4ātap out and tell me it was āworn outā and wanted a different topic. Thatās when I realized something: The most important rule Iāve learned is simple: new topic = new chat. Every time. … Read more