Additional Web-Sites of Interest

In addition to the wonderful Blog "an American in the Philippines," additional web-addresses I follow that other readers might find of interest include: http://cebu.craiglist.com.ph/apa/ re: private property in the Phiippines listed For Sale on Craig's list and http://cebuexperience.com/ re: expats living in Cebu province.

Another Great Site regarding expats around the entire world is

http://www.expat-blog.com/

The EXPAT

EXPAT is an abreviated reference to expatriate, a foreigner resident, a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country or within a culture other than where that person was originally native or born and raised -- sometimes mistaken with "EX-PATRIOT" but this is derived from the Latin, EX - out of - and PATRIA - country or fatherland. Some famous examples of American EXPATRIATES would include writer Ernest Hemingway living first in Spain during that country's civil war and later in Paris, France during WWII; African-American singer and entertainer Josephine Baker living in Paris during the 1920s; and rock musician Jim Morrison living in Paris during the 1960s.
According to the U.S. State Department there are now over 250,000 U.S. citizens currently living in the Philippines.

New Book about Growing Up in the Philippines

New book describing daily life and growing up in the Philippines:

MIRROR OF MY PAST, THE REFLECTIONS OF A FILIPINA AFTER IMMIGRATING TO AMERICA, IS A REFLECTION OF THE AUTHOR'S THOUGHTS LOOKING BACK AT HER LIFE GROWING UP IN THE PHILIPPINES AND HOW SHE IS NOW ABLE TO SEE MANY OF THE EVENTS OF GROWING UP QUITE DIFFERENTLY WITH MORE EXPERIENCE IN LIFE. SOMETIMES EMOTIONAL BUT ALWAYS BRUTALLY HONEST, SHE LOVINGLY EXPLORERS THE COMPLEX ASIAN MOTHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP AND PROVIDES DEEP INSIGHT INTO THE EVENTS THAT AFFECTED HER SO AS SHE WAS GROWING UP. SHE TELLS OF HER STRUGGLES WITHIN HER OWN FAMILY TO MAKE HER WISHES KNOWN TO REALIZE HER DREAMS OF COMING TO AMERICA. AND HOW PREJUDICES AMONG HER OWN RELATIVES AND IN HER OWN NEIGHBORHOOD HAD A PROFOUND AFFECT ON HER CHILDHOOD. SHE OFTEN FANTASIZED OF LEAVING THE PHILIPPINES AND GOING TO AMERICA -- PERHAPS, IN-PART, TO FULFILL THE LIFE-LONG WISH OF HER GRANDFATHER WHO HAD FOUGHT ALONG SIDE AMERICAN TROOPS DURING WORLD WAR II. AND HOW HE, HIMSELF, HAD FILLED HER WITH MANY STORIES ABOUT AMERICA AND ABOUT AMERICANS BEFORE SHE HAD EVEN REACHED SCHOOL AGE. AS A RESULT SHE TELLS OF THE HEARTBREAKING EPISODES OF GROWING UP POOR WITH HER CLOSE-NET LOVING FAMILY AND, EVENTUALLY, HOW A CHANGE IN ENVIRONMENT CAN SOMETIMES CREATE A WHOLE NEW OUTLOOK ON LIFE AND THE LIVES OF EVERYONE CLOSE TO HER. MIRROR OF MY PAST REFLECTS ON HER LIFE AS MELBA FINALLY SUCCEEDS GAMBLING WITH HER LIFE, BENUMBED WITH THE ATTITUDE BAHALA NA (COME WHAT MAY) GETTING TO AMERICA TO REALIZE HER DREAMS. FINDING IT DIFFERENT THAN SHE HAD EVER IMAGINED, MELBA EXLAINS HOW SHE IS GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL FOR FORTUNATELY FINDING A LOVING AND CARING OLDER MAN AND NOW REALIZES HOW MUCH SHE HAS CHANGED, HERSELF, BY THE EXPERIENCE. ONCE REGARDED AS A TREMENDOUS OBLIGATION TO HER FAMILY, MELBA IS NOW LOOKED UPON AS THE GRANDE DAME OF HER FAMILY. MIRROR OF MY PAST EXPLAINS HOW THAT CAME TO BE.

(Xlibris Publishing, illus., 177 pages, HB $35, PB $21, available through your local book store)

I HIGHLY recommend this book. Not ONLY because it was written by my wife, but because it is so inspirational!

BEWARE of local Attorneys

I have been informed by my Filipino friends and relatives that when buying land in the Philippines to Beware of unscrupulous real estate lawyers. Supposedly there have been cases of attorneys drawing up legal documents that transfer property ownership to themselves once purchased.

Like anything else, it is best to check with past clients and locals to determine if any attorney you intend hiring has a good reputation, is trustworthy and has provided good representation to his previous clients.

All business and legal documents in the country are supposed to be conducted in English anyway, according to the law, so I don't know if such rumors are true or not. It is probably best, however, to check at the Registar's Office to make certain the proper names are listed as the owners afterward. -- if not, then you have another problem of finding an attorney to straighten it out and to deal with the crooked one.

The EASTER HOLIDAY

I have already experienced a number of holidays in the Philippines such as Christmes, New Year's, and Easter. However, I am NOT into dragging American customs into the islands in an attempt to pollute or Americanize the Filipino celebration of any holiday. I prefer, instead, to experience the differences and take part in how they observe the events. Easter is a good example of those differences.

Easter week is an intensely religious period of observance in the Philippines. Many Philipinos return to their family homes from all around causing delays and crowded conditions at airlines, ferries and bus terminals all around the Country during the week before the observance. In addition, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are ALL Official Holidays. It is sadly observed as "the Day God died" and on Maundy Thursday all the shops close, Postal service stops for the week and Banks, too, close for the period -- so if you are going to need money, plan ahead because ATMs often run out of cash. Also, by Thursday nearly all the traffic stops, as silence reigns throughout the country as people somberly attend church services. Even Philippine Airlines' flights stop and do not resume until the following Saturday in observance of the period.

Beginning that Thursday night, and during every evening afterward, long processions of people, many carrying various-sized floats displaying statutes of "Mama" Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and a number of different Saints, slowly walk through the neighborhoods gathering additional followers on their route, reciting the Stations of the Cross and the Rosary as they parade along. All along the route, family members come out of their houses and join in with the procession.

On Easter morning before dawn, every neighborhood church presents a widely attended Passion Play at the end of the Saturday night procession, and then at dawn everyone attends the Easter morning Mass.

ORIGIN OF THE USER-NAME

The reference "AngloBoy" came about nearly 12 years ago as I and my wife's family walked into the church yard of the Catholic cathedral in Lapu-Lapu City one Sunday morning. Of course, I towered head and shoulders above the sea of Philipinos gathering within the walled-in church yard as we approached the church entryway.

As we passed by the balloon vendor -- yes, I said Balloon vendor, he entices and tries to sell large balloons with images of Jesus looking out from the inside, to all parents and children walking to Mass -- other vendors, by the way, sell peanuts, candles and various other religious items in a carnival-like atmosphere outside the cathedral before and after each Mass.

Now, up to this time I had become accustomed to hearing "Hey Joe!" as I had walked down the Philipino streets. That is another Filipino reference to saying "hi" to an American, or any male Europeans or caucasians, for that matter, seen passing by.

As we passed by the balloon vendor, I heard in good English, "He-e-y-y An-glo-Boy! L-o-o-K every-body, we have an An-glo Boy here! How 'bout buying balloons for your family?

Referring to Anglo-Saxon, of course, this "Boy" was probaly twice the vendor's age. At any rate, He said it with a big smile, knowing he was putting me on the spot. I told him "maybe after Mass" as we headed on into the church. I just couldn't see any of us sitting in church during Mass, holding a balloon of Jesus floating over our heads.

Ever since then, many in my Filipino family laughingly refer to me as "AngloBoy".

DREAMS ARE WHAT THE FUTURE IS MADE

OK, here's the plan. We know three couples who have packed up during the past year and moved to the Philippines to live full time. One couple built a new house. One couple bought an existing house. And the third couple constructed a beautiful houseboat and live that lifestyle. We, my Filipina wife of 12 years and I, plan to take the plunge as soon as I am able to retire within the next two years. My in-laws are sent out to look over areas and property each time we find some listing of interest. We seek a small farm or a parcel of flat land with a small house that my father & brothers-in-law can add on to as time goes by. By planning this far ahead we hope the transition takes place smoothly. We have worked out the pros & cons of selling or renting out our USA home.; the benefits of renting for 3-4 months in the islands until we actually find the property we are are seeking; the best procedures for selling-off our stuff here in the states and steps for returning to the USA to work for a year or two once we get the place established in the islands -- to refill our back account with what was spent.

All the details are being worked out as we plan, such as our 17-year-old neice planning to work as our live-in housekeeper and my body-guard brother-in-law working as driver & care-taker.
Even details of room, board and monthly salary are worked out assuming the economy of both countries remain close to present-day values; otherwise re-negotiations and adjustments will become necessary when all becomes reality.

Our property interests on the islands have been found on various (Phil) local realtor websites, private owners' listings on the internet --"Craigs lists" of private property has been a prime source of privately-held, decently-priced listings, -- and of course when my family hears about property becoming available in their vacinity. In fact, we have already made several good deals on purchases of lots in their neighborhood using this latter method.

Luckily my in-laws are good at construction and remodeling and can take any basic structure and add rooms and various other needs as long as someone (namely me) can finance their construction supplies. Fortunately, their labor cost is figured into their "personal satisfaction of seeing a job well-done," being properly fed and cared for and a little spending money. I couldn't ask for a better trade-off.

We are currently looking for fairly flat land having a small one or two bedroom house and a few coconut and mango trees in the half- to three-quarter-million peso range.