Americans grew up with black cats, broken mirrors, Bigfoot, and the Boogeyman. Filipinos have aswangs, duwendes, kapres, tikbalangs, and plenty more. After retiring to the Philippines, I discovered our superstitions may be differentābut the reasons behind them aren’t.
Retirement in the Philippines comes with surprises. This week’s surprise involved a missing denture, a family investigation, and a rat that apparently decided to steal YaYa’s teeth.
In 1970 it was a twist. In 2026 itās someoneās life. Same songādifferent world. I love āLola.ā That riff is a forever riff.The kind of song you hear once and your brain keeps humming it while you make coffee. But then you read the lyrics. And you realize: this isnāt just a song.Itās a time … Read more
One of the most important lessons an American expat can learn in the Philippines is that “yes” doesn’t always mean yes. Understanding the Filipino Soft No can save you confusion, frustration, and hurt feelings.
If you’re retiring in the Philippines, there is one local institution you’ll encounter sooner or later: the barangay. Part local government, part neighborhood association, and part community support system, the barangay plays a far bigger role in daily life than most Western retirees expect.
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
Whatās inside the fakes, whatās legal, quick tells on the street, and a simple rotation plan so your watches donāt die in the box. Street finds: a two-tone Sub look and two Daytona looks. Yes, replicasāand yes, good-looking. Iām a watch guy. I rotate them like jewelryādifferent vibe, different day. In Manila Iām forever offered … Read more
In 1992, a national bottle-cap promo promised big cash to lucky numbers. Then the nightmare: due to a numbering/printing fiasco, tens of thousands of people believed theyād won. What shouldāve been a feel-good campaign turned into street protests, factory blockades, and reported injuriesāalong with news reports citing five deaths tied to the chaos.Courts and regulators … Read more
Most expats land here with two priorities: a cold San Mig Light and a selfie by something blueāocean, pool, neon bar sign, pick your flavor. Indigenous culture? The craft traditions? For a lot of them, thatās background noise. Back in the States, I keep in touch with folks who arenāt just doomscrolling headlinesātheyāve got curious … Read more
In the Marines, fitness wasnāt optional. It was your ticket to promotion and the difference between making it or not. Twenty-mile hikes at route step (forty inches heel-to-toe), regular PT, and at 5’9″ and 160 pounds I was a lean, mean, fighting machine. After I got out in ā72, the pounds crept on. I fought … Read more