All Americans are Rich!
Hey ]oe, give me all your money! A child playfully shouted out as I walked past the other day. I’m certainly living better than these children. They were outside their home as I walked by. The home is not much more than a shack. These kids mean no harm and I take no offense. However, it is telling of what many Filipino believe. They probably would be surprised to find out just how poor some Americans are. Some Americans are just as poor as many Filipino. Many Americans are even poorer.
I often wanted to go take pictures of old broken down, mostly abandoned, homes in the rural areas of North Mississippi. One problem, sometimes there are people living in those buildings. There is a lot less of that every decade as things are getting better for the poor in the USA. Well, there are fewer Americans that are that poor.
Some Americans now live in what to many Filipino would consider to be a nice place. But the local government built some of those places and it is a pit of crime. Most of the people that live there believe there is no hope of every escaping. And most never escape, a few trickle out here and there.
Then there is the majority of Americans that live nice but just getting by from pay check to pay check.
They have no money to spare. Like the guy in the commercial talking about all his stuff then says something like “and I’m in debt up to my neck, someone please help me.” While those Americans are rich with things they are broke in cash. That it is their choice is of no significance.
This is not a complaint in any way, I have no complaint with the belief but anyone coming to the Philippines should be aware of this common belief. If you meet a girl and fall in love, her family may believe you are rich and if you don’t help them all, then you are selfish.
Even though these were children, they are only repeating what they have been taught, or picked up from others, intentionally or otherwise. I don’t know if it is intentional. It doesn’t matter. What matters is your in their home land and your living in their culture and it is up to you to thrive in it or not.
Most Filipino have a smile on their face and they get through their hard times. They seem to be happy to me, no matter how hard things get. But before you judge anyone, you should consider things from their point of view and you should be careful.
I have found the Philippines a wonderful place. There are people here that will kill you for you cell phone, cell phones are like cash here. There is a huge demand for them and a thief can be assured of a quick sell if they snatch one. In larger cities, it is considered foolish to take your cell phone out on the street.
It is a wonderful country but be careful, remember you are not at home. You don’t blend in and things are a lot different here than in the USA.
I’m so glad I’m here but I never was one for blending in. : I love all the different things. Things the Filipino take for granted are wonderful to me. And I’m sure some of the things I left behind in the states would seem wonderful to me now. I do miss central air and sugar free Nestle’s Quick.
By the way, the picture of the home in this article is from a North Mississippi home and yes, people lived there. I once lived about five miles from that home.
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I work in Minnesota for a company with a very large international presence. They have a manufacturing plant in Lapu-Lapu, with an executive opening for which I am qualified, and one that would be considered a promotion. My wife and children are open to the possibility of such a relocation (still need to apply internally for this). One child is college age and the other is jr. high. How hard is it fir families to adjust socially to such a different culture? If it were just me, no problem ! Need to balance family concerns against professional opportunities. Any feedbacK? thanks
Paul,
Really glad you stopped by and hope you’ll continue. I may be about to scare you away. I love it here but I’m strange. LOL I really don’t know how others would see it. Especially American women.
I would say that you should not move your family here until you come for a visit first. You also need to work out the schooling before you come.
This is a totally different world. It is very poor and totally different from anything I expected.
I would not bring my high school age daughter here. I would leave the college age girl to finish her college there. I do not think your children will be happy here. You’ll likely be able to rent a huge home, you cannot buy here unless you’re a citizen.
I love it here but I was able to do what I did because I had no real roots to hold me in the US and living on retirement income, it would be hard for me to have any kind of life in the US.
I miss many things about the USA. You and your wife, you might love it here but only if you’re really adventurous.
I don’t know of any schools that equal that of the US. Very few children can speak English here. I don’t think you’ll be able to find a suitable school for the high school girl. I believe it might require home schooling with a tutor. You could very likely hire a tutor, probably a live in one.
Probably the best way I can give you an idea is with this. Most homes do not have hot water. Almost no homes have hot water at the tap. Some have small water heaters that hang on the wall and heat water as they go through that.
But I really would say to anyone to visit before the plan a move here.
O.K. Rusty now my turn to give Paul a different perspective! Come for a visit first indeed but I think in the long run there is no better education than travel. I think that the cultural difference would also be of great benefit to your children. I have been looking at the pros and cons of children’s education in the Philippines and in Australia and I have come to the conclusion that they are better off in the Philippines as here they learn respect!!!!!!!!! everything else can be learnt from a book! I think your kids would also learn to appreciate the things they have a lot more than they do at the moment. Also be prepared as the Philippines is not asia as you would expect it as it has such a strong Spanish influence it makes me think it is qa little like Mexico.
Anyway I hope allgoes well in the long run.
Cheers
One more thing I forgot to mention earlier! I am strange to!
I agree with most of what Andy said with two exceptions. You can’t learn what I learned in college from a book. You need an exceptional professor that can naturally pull out the best in you and teach you how to think, without a book.
Also of course, when it comes time to look for a job, there is no substitute for a degree.
With that said, better off not getting a job and instead starting a business and for that, you don’t need a college degree and high school diploma.
Something else I’ve learned since I responded is that there is no middle school here. Kids go 1 though 6 then they go to high school. There are no 7th or 8th grade. Most kids are 15 to 16 when they finish high school and enter college at 16 usually. I personally would make sure my kids where educated in the US. But Andy does make valid points! I just couldn’t see my children not getting that paper to make it official.
Another thing to add is you can very likely hire a teacher to work for you and teach your kids at home.
Living abroad is certainly an education in itself and probably learn more but of a different nature than you would from a formal education.
Rusty, do you have any advice for an american now living in the PH in lapu-lapu. as I have found it difficult working for american call-center jobs. they all seem to require me to have a work permit to apply and get interviewed. even though I have explained to them that DOLE requires a contract for employment to get working visa. FYI i have a tourist visa. I do love it here and I have adapted easily here, as I wasnt well to do in the USA.
Jeffrey
Hi Jeffrey, sorry for the late reply. For some reason, the software sent your message to spam and I didn’t know it was here until just now.
I don’t know what to say. That’s a Catch 22. How old are you? You know they can discriminate based on age and sex here?
Kind of sounds like the call center just giving you an excuse. They could interview you if they wanted too. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear but I think that’s what is going on.
It might be helpful to you to ask that question on http://heyjoe.ph there is someone there that may be able to help you more if he chooses to do so.
I know someone that got a job at a school that teaches English without a permit. I think they did some fancy wording on the contract, I’m uncertain on how they worked that out. I doubt such fancy wording is legal but who am I to say.
paul,
the phils are run by the vatican. watch religulous by bill maher, then you will know what it means.
if you want orderly, clean, safe and civilized, try malaysia. you will get the different cultural experience without the ordeal of living in the fourth world where you get discriminated against all the time.
in malaysia you can buy property and it is easy to get a residence permit.
fred
There’s nobody named Paul here.
I don’t get discriminated against here, if anything I get special treatment.
The Philippines is a wonderful place to live.
I would like to visit Malaysia and Indonesia. I think my safety would be a bit more of a concern there since I’m white and a Christian. No, I’m not slamming all Muslims, I just point to the Bali attacks!
hi rusty,im marina from davao i would like to share also that yes, you are right only few filipino can speak english but,on the other side i can tell that it is also depend what kind of people you are with all the time,it is not general that because you are a degree holder means you will earned a lot of money…yes travelling is education itself correct..but so many people dont understand why because they never been somewhere unlike you my husband been so many different countries but, he still want to learn more what is in around the world,good school here is plenty but it is also depends how your children handle and if they are willing to pursue thier studies and learn so many things in the world..even if you graduated anywhere in the world it is still the same..you have to make money and live…this is how powerful GOD is..he made everything and everyone different just to make us learn and discover his creation..thank you..and more power…
I usually say that most Filipino you meet on the street cannot speak English. Even more Filipino have problems following my English as I may use some uncommon words and I’m form the southern USA where we speak with a lot of contractions. So while I can usually understand their English they don’t understand me.
From time to time I run into people that do.
Workers in the larger chain stores usually speak enough that I can communicate with them but even there, it can be a bit of a challenge.