Your biggest mistake

[sprink131371]

Expats, what was the biggest mistake you made when you moved there? This way I am guaranteed to make only alot of them. Rhoody, feel free to list several..........Nationals, what major screw ups have you seen the exapts make?

[Rhoody]

I already wrote plenty of them in other threads, and many "hit dogs were barking" ... where do you think my bad reputation in Duma comes from...

A major-common screw-up is the strong believe in the "but my case/situation/girl is totally different"-story...

On the same level is the "not taking enough time" issue, to learn about this wonderful country (understanding might not really be possible for long-noses).
knowing the Cebu-airport, the road to dumaguete, some watering-holes and Lee Plaza is in combination with the first point almost a "the bad philippinos ripped me of" warranty...

the biggest mistake I did ??? for sure the partially first, in combination with many other smaller ones.
Ticking that off as "tuitition-fee" or life experience, learning from the mistakes, avoiding phrases like "but in my country..." and only asking ONE "why?-question" per day helps a lot to have a happy life...

[neil domaille]

can anyone tell me of a budget hotel near manila airport for a one night stop over thanks neil

[davfitz]

Now here is a good illustration. Neil domaille is seeking a budget hotel near the airport in Manila. That his post ends up on this thread is a tiny mistake. It is no big deal and probably not his fault or worthy of blame.

OTOH, we are asked to bare our souls and confess all to a brand new poster, who has recently joined the forum. Why should we?

Mistakes? Only one: taking so long to get here.

[sprink131371]

I just got the long nose reference.....duhhhhh. Rhoody I am looking forward to drinking some cold brews and talking BS. Your attitude reminds me alot of me. davfitz, I am surely not asking you to "bare" anything. Maybe I should have phrased it differently. Looking for "didn't put the micro chip in the dog, bring enough deodorant, didn't bring my nations flag, not enough toilet paper, not converting my cash to gold, etc......I am trying not to make the mistake you did. I have got to get out of here SOOOON! Hope you guys have a great evening.

[Pedro]

I stayed in one for one night with my family last year very close to the airport with lots of fast food and a mercury drugs nearby, unfortunately I don't remember the name. Just ask a taxi for a local pension house or hotel, there are plenty. A good driver will offer to pick you up in the morning and get you back to the airport. I believe it was only about 1200 php for the night. Sorry I cant be more specific but it was only a last minute decision to get some sleep after long flight and then continuing on our way to the domestic airport.

[derivative_guru]

Good question!

This may not apply much to you because I did not come here as a retiree, rather to open a marketing office for my business. I am guessing you will be retired when you arrive.

However, my biggest mistake was thinking after one six-week investigative visit that I had a pretty good understanding of the country and how things would operate. I was sorely mistaken. Everything took much longer than I anticipated to accomplish and the cultural gap was much wider than I thought on first glance and the nuances of those cultural differences are difficult for a foreigner to master even after years on the ground. However, I think those issues would be far less problematic for a retiree than for someone conducting business from here.

There are many little things I would bring with me: spices and foods that you like that may be hard to find here. For example, I love Mexican food and making my own salsa...yet cilantro is quite rare here. I plan to bring seeds back after my next trip. Also, there is a Greek seasoning (Cavender's) from the US I like to use...also not to be found here. Sometimes, I like a taste of my own brand of bourbon from the States (Old Forester)...mostly one can only find Jim Beam here.

The other big thing is clothing. If you are a larger size, you will find shopping for clothes difficult here. Even the larger sizes rarely fit because the difference in the Asian versus Western body shape. (Westerners have larger derrieres...) Stock plenty of underwear, shorts and jeans from the States.

Also...towels and sheets are of poor quality here. I suggest bringing those form the US as well. And, as you probably know, electrics are expensive and inferior quality here. You will want to bring as much of that from overseas as possible. Be sure to check to input voltage before plugging in! You would need to invest in some step-down voltage regulators.

Hope that helps!

[sprink131371]

derivative guru, thanks so much! Exactly what I was looking for. I tried to tell my wife the other day about sheets and towels as we are leaving almost everything behind for now. How about the TP? I have that soft American rear. I am still a ways from retirement, just burnt out here and with an offer TOO good to pass up. I guess it is time to start collecting crates from work.

[derivative_guru]

Oh, I remembered a couple other things. Sugar-free items are hard to find here. When I go back to the States, I buy things like Crystal Light drink mix, sugar-free Jello, Torani sugar-free coffee syrups, big bags of Splenda (they have it here but it is pricey!). I also bought a cappuccino/espresso maker and juicer from the US. High-quality appliances are hard to come by here and often two to FOUR times the price in the US. Again, you will probably need a step-down voltage regulator, but a small price to pay in my mind...

[sprink131371]

I have a feeling this move is about to get a little more pricey. Small price to pay for happiness, sanity, and Karma.