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Thanks Good Enough! I am thinking about moving to Bukidnon, maybe Malaybalay, or Valencia City. I was going to build cabins and give them to any of the homeless up there. I also want to live there because I don't really like warm weather. Is that area safe, because from what I see, it looks pretty good and has almost no pollution!
Well, now we know what you mean by hug monster!
I think you'll enjoy the Philippines. Sorry to state the obvious, but it can be stifling hot, so a big guy like you might suffer a bit. I usually carry a handkerchief or bandanna to wipe off sweat. And as for a walk, there are numerous obstacles. It's not unusual to find a sewer hole with no cover. "Your not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. "
I suggested you hire an asst, but your bro is going with you. Great.
As for me, when I get a gal I can trust I give her a budget and tell her I don't want to deal with taxi drivers, shop staff, etc. In other words, I make her my "assistant" in money matters.
Anyway, this is your brother's holiday too, so you still might consider an assistant. Labor is cheap in the Philippines. You could ask your hotel staff for a recommendation.
Recently, I hiked a bit to see Kawasan falls. I knew I didn't need a "guide" so turned down a guy who offered for only 100 pesos. I just wanted to be alone with my gal. Several hours later the camera bag was feeling kind of heavy and I wished I'd hired the guide. Not to guide me, but to carry the damn bag. Duh.
X man
[QUOTE=Hug Monster]Hi Everyone,
SNIP
2. I have a little trouble walking very far and if I fall down, I am down on the ground until someone helps me up, and at 360 lbs. It takes a big person to pick me up.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Hug Monster]Hi Everyone,
All of your replies were very helpful and I feel that (based on your input), there shouldn't be a problem in PI for my brother.
For the person who asked me the extent of my disability... I have a few problems... Such as:
1. I take many meds and need reminders
2. I have a little trouble walking very far and if I fall down, I am down on the ground until someone helps me up, and at 360 lbs. It takes a big person to pick me up.
3. I am a little bit absent-minded and if I leave my money or passport on a counter, or in a taxi, I am in big trouble.
However... I am only 50 years old, my pension is $1100 a month, I have $115, 000 in a trust fund and I am a very nice guy. GIVEN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, how does this forum see my chances of finding a cute wife in PI?[/QUOTE]
You would find plenty of wife material in many dating sites, you need to scan it though, ask the expats here, they will help you. There are many nice expats living in PH from US, though you should be carefull from some. Do not lend money to anyone expat or pinoys...don't show off more money.
I don't think you will any any issues in PH...good luck
[QUOTE=Mattrick]Waterfront Hotel and Casino has a branch across the street from the airport. There is a KTV located inside if you are so inclined.
Crown Regency has a location in Lapu Lapu City as well but a little farther from the airport. On the second floor is a place called the '50's Bar' with a good mixture of patrons and live entertainment nightly.
Mermaid is probably the best bikini bar but there are a half dozen other choices including the recently opened 'Chili Peppers'.
There is a huge Asian style KTV on Airport road called 'White Castle'. Located in a mansion like house you can't miss the place.
Plenty of good Japanese and Korean restos in the area if you are into it.[/QUOTE]
Many thanks for the information about Mactan accommodation and nightlife. I have booked a room at Bellavista Hotel as it looked fairly good on the website and the reviews were encouraging. Will let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again.
Manta Ray
[QUOTE=X Man]Well, now we know what you mean by hug monster!
I think you'll enjoy the Philippines. Sorry to state the obvious, but it can be stifling hot, so a big guy like you might suffer a bit. I usually carry a handkerchief or bandanna to wipe off sweat. And as for a walk, there are numerous obstacles. It's not unusual to find a sewer hole with no cover. "Your not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy. "
I suggested you hire an asst, but your bro is going with you. Great.
As for me, when I get a gal I can trust I give her a budget and tell her I don't want to deal with taxi drivers, shop staff, etc. In other words, I make her my "assistant" in money matters.
Anyway, this is your brother's holiday too, so you still might consider an assistant. Labor is cheap in the Philippines. You could ask your hotel staff for a recommendation.
Recently, I hiked a bit to see Kawasan falls. I knew I didn't need a "guide" so turned down a guy who offered for only 100 pesos. I just wanted to be alone with my gal. Several hours later the camera bag was feeling kind of heavy and I wished I'd hired the guide. Not to guide me, but to carry the damn bag. Duh.
X man[/QUOTE]Hello X Man,
I lived for 3 years near PI and I am pretty aware of the hot weather.
So that is why , if I move to the islands , I will live somewhere like Bukidnon near the mountains where the air is cooler.
[QUOTE=Manta Ray]Many thanks for the information about Mactan accommodation and nightlife. I have booked a room at Bellavista Hotel as it looked fairly good on the website and the reviews were encouraging. Will let you know how it turns out.
Thanks again.
Manta Ray[/QUOTE]
Stayed at the Bella Vista years ago and it really is a nice hotel. Took a larger suite and was impressed. At the time there was a bar within walking distance across the street and to the left. Nothing else within walking distance, even the mall down the street is a little too far, might as well take taxi to SM. Enjoy.
HM, I have family in Valincea and a good friend of mine married my x-sister inlaws best freind's daughter. He 44 and her 22, They live in MD in the US have two kids a boy and a girl and she is a great daughter inlaw to his mother and stepfather. He spent a month there with no problem.
Hiring 5 girls to help does not seem like a good idea to me. I would suggest that you fly into CDO Cagyan Del Oro. Bukindnon is a few hours south from there. I would use CDO as a base and explore the citys you mentioned in Bukindnon.
There is a very good seven day adventist nursing school Called Mountian View in Bukindnon. You might meet so teachers there who could make a wife and nurse together. There are some nursing schools in CDO also. I do not know the names. Good luck.
Hi guys,
I just came back from Cebu and have been testing the door policy at various hotels in the five star arena. Just so everyone knows. The five star hotels are all under $100USD per night.
#1. Marco Polo has the most liberal door policy and will not question anyone walking through with you at any hour. Security is good and if a companion comes to your hotel while you are unaccompanied they will be asked for I'd (they can refuse to show) and then be brought to your room by security who will OK the guest w you. No late night policy, no issues, no employees chatting with your guests
#2. Mariott: has been good in the past but a couple months had an incident. It was explained to me by the head of security that an Ameican had a girl in his room that was. Well not supposed to be there. Go figure. Somehow the embassay was involved and things got ugly. Their door policy has since changed. Any girl that looks like she is arriving for more than a spot of tea after 10pm will need to be signed in (no I'd necessarily required). Security here is the tightest in Cebu and it feels like the US embassy in Lebanon.
#3. Waterfront: No worries if you enter before 10pm with your companion. After 10pm the policy becomes draconian. Sign in mandatory. ID mandatory. And you pay and extra $10USD for your guest to join you for tea. The policy is unwavering but they seem to be liberal in terms of what they accept as id. Again. Day time all are allowed in for tea.
#4. Maribago Blue Water: on mactan island and killer place. Staff will chat w your guests if you bring many for tea. Got to a point where I needed to move out. No issues on id, entrance, or timing of guests. Secuirty here is 2nd to mariott with heavily gated area and lots of big dudes looking watch. So far from the city.
[QUOTE=Hug Monster]Thanks Good Enough! I am thinking about moving to Bukidnon, maybe Malaybalay, or Valencia City. I was going to build cabins and give them to any of the homeless up there. I also want to live there because I don't really like warm weather. Is that area safe, because from what I see, it looks pretty good and has almost no pollution![/QUOTE]
I think you may have some misconceptions about Valencia and Malaybalay. First, these places are not really any cooler than Davao or CDO. They're either at or just above sea level. Second. as Gertrude Stein said when speaking (I think) about New Jersey, "There's no there there." These are small cities, with few to zero expats, and they don't offer much in the way of things to do. I've passed through Valencia more times than I can count and I've stayed in Malaybalay a few times on business, and I can assure you, though the towns are clean and reasonably pleasant, there is not much going on. These are not great locations (in my opinion) for a foreigner. Bukidnon is not a city at all, but a province in which Valencia and Malaybalay are located. It starts in the town of Buda, just north of Davao, and ends at the CDO city limits.
There are mountains around Buda, and the air is much cooler there, but there aren't any towns to speak of and there are no expats, so it would not be a terribly good location for you.
Whoever suggested that you establish a base in CDO had, I think, a good idea. CDO is an extremely pleasant city and it's large enough to have most and maybe all of the amenities that most foreigners would consider fairly essential to a decent quality of life. It's also got reasonable (though hardly first world) medical facilities if you need them. However, if you think you would like to live in Mindanao, and if proximity to reasonably modern medical facilities is important to you, the only real choice is Davao, with several large teaching hospitals.
You might also want to wait a while before you act on your idea of building cabins for the homeless. For one thing, you cannot purchase land on which to build the cabins, and for another, even if you could overcome this obstacle, you would be overrun by an army of poor people very quickly. It's a noble thought, but if you really want to help, you would probably be much better off working through an established charity or NGO here.
I strongly suggest that before you make any commitments, you come here for a while and get somewhat acclimated to the country and to whatever city you decide to visit.
GE
[QUOTE=GoodEnough]I think you may have some misconceptions about Valencia and Malaybalay. First, these places are not really any cooler than Davao or CDO. They're either at or just above sea level. Second. as Gertrude Stein said when speaking (I think) about New Jersey, "There's no there there." These are small cities, with few to zero expats, and they don't offer much in the way of things to do. I've passed through Valencia more times than I can count and I've stayed in Malaybalay a few times on business, and I can assure you, though the towns are clean and reasonably pleasant, there is not much going on. These are not great locations (in my opinion) for a foreigner. Bukidnon is not a city at all, but a province in which Valencia and Malaybalay are located. It starts in the town of Buda, just north of Davao, and ends at the CDO city limits.
There are mountains around Buda, and the air is much cooler there, but there aren't any towns to speak of and there are no expats, so it would not be a terribly good location for you.
Whoever suggested that you establish a base in CDO had, I think, a good idea. CDO is an extremely pleasant city and it's large enough to have most and maybe all of the amenities that most foreigners would consider fairly essential to a decent quality of life. It's also got reasonable (though hardly first world) medical facilities if you need them. However, if you think you would like to live in Mindanao, and if proximity to reasonably modern medical facilities is important to you, the only real choice is Davao, with several large teaching hospitals.
You might also want to wait a while before you act on your idea of building cabins for the homeless. For one thing, you cannot purchase land on which to build the cabins, and for another, even if you could overcome this obstacle, you would be overrun by an army of poor people very quickly. It's a noble thought, but if you really want to help, you would probably be much better off working through an established charity or NGO here.
I strongly suggest that before you make any commitments, you come here for a while and get somewhat acclimated to the country and to whatever city you decide to visit.
GE[/QUOTE]
As ever solid advice from GE. Another place to consider is Dumaguete and the small villages around it. I think some of these villages are set higher up and are a little cooler and just 5-10kms out of town. Dumaguete has a sizeable expat community which in reality is important for most guys who want to have other guys to shoot the breeze with. Dumaguete is itself a short hop from Cebu. Dumaguete isnt such a great mongering destination precisely because there are so many ex pats/open minded girls but if you are looking for a long term wife/companion then there are loads of girls looking for that.
In terms of charity , i agree with GE don't start big projects, just be a generous guy now and then when you see a situation that a small amount of money can make a big difference in the life or someone who has been kind to you or otherwise won favour. Eg a $20 foam battress for a girl who has alwasy had to sleep on a bamboo floor or a 1200P electric fan for someone with no cooling in a stuffy shack.
[QUOTE=GregLondon]..........
In terms of charity , i agree with GE don't start big projects, just be a generous guy now and then when you see a situation that a small amount of money can make a big difference in the life or someone who has been kind to you or otherwise won favour. Eg a $20 foam battress for a girl who has alwasy had to sleep on a bamboo floor or a 1200P electric fan for someone with no cooling in a stuffy shack.[/QUOTE]
Excellent advice from GL (and also GE in an earlier post).
I have also spent different periods of time in CdO, Bukidnon and Dumaguete and what has already been said is accurate.
Regarding helping the homeless or the poor.
There are a number of Foundations based in the Phils run by philanthropical expats (who live here) and who ensure EVERY PESO that is donated is actually spent on the poor (not like the larger international groups like World Vision and CARE that take out a fair percentage for "administration costs".
I belong to a Foundation that provides eye glasses for the poor and also sponsors Night High School classes for the poorest of the poor in Manila.
The school providing this night high school service to our foundation charges ONLY 3000 pesos PER CHILD PER YEAR.
I sponsor 4 kids for the princely sum of 12 000 php PER YEAR (around $250 USD) and "my" 4 kids are now in 4th year high school. My meagre contribution has changed these kids' lives, and that of their families too because it has given them hope. I have met the kids and families on numerous occasions, and it is always very emotional. These kids have got NOTHING going for them without an education - they are desperately poor. I am looking at helping them go on to college if they have the ability and will.
This is a very good way to contribute if any of you wish to live here and play a developmental role in the community. Just PM me if you are interested in any way
[QUOTE=
The school providing this night high school service to our foundation charges ONLY 3000 pesos PER CHILD PER YEAR.
I sponsor 4 kids for the princely sum of 12 000 php PER YEAR (around $250 USD) and "my" 4 kids are now in 4th year high school. This is a very good way to contribute if any of you wish to live here and play a developmental role in the community. Just PM me if you are interested in any way[/QUOTE]
Imagine no mongering for a month. God knows how many you can sponser.
[QUOTE=Red Kilt]
I belong to a Foundation that provides eye glasses for the poor and also sponsors Night High School classes for the poorest of the poor in Manila.
The school providing this night high school service to our foundation charges ONLY 3000 pesos PER CHILD PER YEAR.
I sponsor 4 kids for the princely sum of 12 000 php PER YEAR (around $250 USD) and "my" 4 kids are now in 4th year high school. My meagre contribution has changed these kids' lives, and that of their families too because it has given them hope. I have met the kids and families on numerous occasions, and it is always very emotional. These kids have got NOTHING going for them without an education - they are desperately poor. I am looking at helping them go on to college if they have the ability and will.
This is a very good way to contribute if any of you wish to live here and play a developmental role in the community. Just PM me if you are interested in any way[/QUOTE]
Very good work...keep up
[QUOTE=Hug Monster]Hello, Everyone.
As my Pseudonym would imply, I do like to hug and cuddle A LOT. However. I am not opposed to having sex, it's just not something I see as a "Goal" when I visit a bar or go on a date.
My question: As I read this Forum, I see a lot of stuff about Bar-Fines, Pro's, Semi-Pro's, etc. And how easy it is to get laid in AC, Cebu, Massage Parlors, and a lot of places. I also read a lot about how you can pretty easily go to a mall and meet a couple of girls, (shoppers or employees), who will go back to your hotel and play-around with you, while there is an assumed "Tip" for her when she leaves. I am heavy, but not ugly. I am very kind and clean. I will have a NICE hotel room or Condo to go to.
I am only looking for a wife or companion whose looks are a little above average and whose attitude is Kind and Pleasant. I don't want to "Pay" for intimacy I. E. Barfines.
SO HOW ABOUT THIS since there are so many people looking for jobs in PI, I can hire 4-5 young ladies to spend a week with me, helping me find a wife. At $5 per day, per person, this will NOT be expensive. We meet at Jollibee, or my hotel, or a Mall and talk about our strategy, during which there might be a tickle-fight, or an innocent hug, or other types of flirting. That way, if I don't find a "Wife" by way of the search, I may have a few good contacts among the 4-5 helpers, if there are any sparks during our week together. I see this as a WIN. WIN situation, because if our goal is to find a wife for me and it does not succeed, I will still be spending at least 40 hours a week with 5 young ladies for a total of $125 a week, without paying for "Intimacy"
Is this such a crazy idea?[/QUOTE]I would also suggest using websites like Blossoms and FilipinaHeart to provide you with more options.
I'm surprised no one has really analyzed this one yet.
It sounds crazy, but it also sounds very interesting. In the chat forum people write about how to handle multiple dates in a day (avoid overlaps), and others are either for or against the idea of a chat contact bringing a friend. For the record, I usually allow female friends/ cousins and on several occasions found that the chaperone facilitated the tryst, or in two cases, provided future dates since the original target was unsatisfactory. You seem to be approaching things from a different angle. The more the merrier.
The fly in the soup is the intense jealousy you often find with Filipinos. As soon as you show any favortism for a gal, you might get bad vibes from the others. Are the five actual targets, or just facilitators?
Rather than make it one week paid employment, you might consider a one day or one evening free dinner. Maybe some extra reward if she introduces you to a winner...although that goes without saying. I can't think of any reason to eat at Jollibee though.
As others have said, you might want to try the chat route, Cherry blossom/Filipinaheart/ Cebu?? Cebuana... ( I can't remember...), or even DIA (free).
Good luck. I'm looking forward to hearing how this strategy works. How long will you be in Philippines for your "search"? X
[QUOTE=Hug Monster]SNIP
I am only looking for a wife or companion whose looks are a little above average and whose attitude is Kind and Pleasant. I don't want to "Pay" for intimacy I. E. Barfines.
SO HOW ABOUT THIS since there are so many people looking for jobs in PI, I can hire 4-5 young ladies to spend a week with me, helping me find a wife. At $5 per day, per person, this will NOT be expensive. We meet at Jollibee, or my hotel, or a Mall and talk about our strategy, during which there might be a tickle-fight, or an innocent hug, or other types of flirting. That way, if I don't find a "Wife" by way of the search, I may have a few good contacts among the 4-5 helpers, if there are any sparks during our week together. I see this as a WIN. WIN situation, because if our goal is to find a wife for me and it does not succeed, I will still be spending at least 40 hours a week with 5 young ladies for a total of $125 a week, without paying for "Intimacy"
Is this such a crazy idea?[/QUOTE]