Holiday time

[Ototero]

Guys, I'm going on holiday on Wednesday for 15 nights in the Philippines. My family are already there, they had a 2 week head start.

So there won't be any stats during that time. Sorry.

I'm staying here:

http://www.oxfordsuites-makati.com/

I've stayed there before, really nice place, convenient for all the good restaurants and bars :icon_mrgreen::icon_rolleyes::):icon_wink:

[AMDave]

Have a terrific break Ototero!
That looks like a grand digs.
We will miss you while you are gone.

[BlackAdder]

Have fun...are things expensive there yet??

[Ototero]

You can choose to live like the locals (cheaply) or like a Lord (expensive) and everything in between.

I choose the middle ground.

[Beerknurd]

Have fun Stu!!!

[vaughan]

Enjoy your holidays. Looks like a great place. :)

[Borfil]

Hey Stu have a nice trip! Hope to meet you if you make it to Cebu!
As for things been expensive, well inflation has gone over the mountain at a rate of 14% a year and an increase of 5% in the last 4 month.

You can live good if you make dollards or pounds, but also it depends on your life style, and if you could live a good life say 1yr ago when the exchange rate was 57p to $1 you had it made, but today it is down to 43p to $1. thats almost a 20% drop, and the expenses dont change that much but become more expensive.
We are on plans to return to the states, we just spend 2 weeks a few month back, and things are much much cheaper there than here.
Take for example, I just had to buy a UPS to prevent damage to my pc as what happen a few days back, well the darm thing used cost me a little over $100 and it is at least 4 yr old, a new one here in Cebu China(unknown) brand can cost up in the 12000 pesos or about $300.

This use to be a very cheap place to live and you could live like a king with $1500 a month, but it has become little by little more and more expensive. The biggest problem is that very little is produce here that can bring hard cash, most of the export products is in the way of raw materials from mines, and almost everything is imported, then on top of that you have a gov, which find pride in exporting most college graduates to work overseas so that they can bring hard cash to the country, but that is a two side blade.
On one side the most prepared people are send overseas, while the mediocre and the uneducated stay behind, then they want to bring investment, but there is no personnel to run the industries.
Also the are pushing turisim like crazy, but outside a few resorts there is nothing to cater to the turist industry. Yes you have Manila, and a few resorts, but that it is all. there are no facilities to cater if you are traveling overland, no restrooms, good 3 star hotels, and the few good and safe hotes you find, want to charge the same as a 5 star Hilton, or Shangrila.

Well, each one has its one taste, I use to like it here, now I can't afford to live here, and keep a good solid middle class life style.
I'm not a rich guy, I'm retired and make a nice income in the upper 60's in my pension plus my business here, but for the money that we are spending here it is better to live in the states, Australia, Canada in the middle class than the middle class here.

[Borfil]

Stu my cell is (edited by Admins)

[NeoGen]

Borfil, tell us all about it if you happen to meet with Ototero! :)

Ototero, I guess you'll be seeing this only when you get back, but nevertheless, have great vacations!

Someday we should think about organizing something like an "AMD Users Global Meeting", to meet up with each others. Wouldn't that be something? :)

[Frederic Brillouet]

Borfil, tell us all about it if you happen to meet with Ototero! :)

Ototero, I guess you'll be seeing this only when you get back, but nevertheless, have great vacations!

Someday we should think about organizing something like an "AMD Users Global Meeting", to meet up with each others. Wouldn't that be something? :)
I'm in if I have time and enough money

[AMDave]

Me too.

If I have enough of Frederic's money, I'll make the time :icon_mrgreen:

[Frederic Brillouet]

Me too.

If I have enough of Frederic's money, I'll make the time :icon_mrgreen:
You'd better watch out or I'm gonna stuff a kangaroo down your pants

[AMDave]

Frederic!

That has to be the all-time best come-back line ever thrown at me.

That's Gold :icon_thumright:

[Nflight]

What he said ^^ I have side stitches !:icon_thumright: :rofl:

[Frederic Brillouet]

Haha, thanks guys :icon_lol:, the thought popped into my mind and voila, there it was :)

[AMDave]

Watching a big storm system over there.
I hope our members are safe:icon_neutral:
104

[AMDave]

Typhoon Nuri
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/wp200813.html

[Ototero]

We've experienced some severe weather here but it's not dampening our holiday.

Some stats are up btw.

[Brucifer]

Hey glad to hear you are having a good one there fellow MoneyBee enthusiast! :icon_mrgreen:

[Ototero]

Well I'm back...just,

1. Tropical Storm Nuri, killed dozens thoughout northern Philippines.
2. 2 bombs in Mindano killed some.
3. Bacame sick at the start of the 2nd week. (Lost 10 lbs :))
4. 2 policemen were shot in the head 100 yards from out hotel.
5. Went to a music club with a Senator
6. Visited some friend (rich) who is neighbours with the Aquinos (ex-president)

But glad to be back. Stats service will resume.

Borfil, sorry I didn't ring, see note 3.

[NeoGen]

Wooow!! Tropical storms, bombs, people shot in the head... that was some adventure! :)

Next thing you know Hollywood studios will be hiring you for the next Indiana Jones movie. :icon_lol: :icon_mrgreen:

But glad you're back safe Ototero! You better now take a few more days of vacations to rest from those other vacations. With all those adventures you probably got back more tired than when you left. :icon_lol:

[Borfil]

Hey guy thats ok. Glad to hear you are back home safe.
Yeah, things are getting a bit hairy here. thats one of the reason, we are placing the house and the business for sale and get the hell out.
The situation here even if noone else want to admit it is getting worse. And if this gov or the next dont change its way of doing thing there will be a revolution here within the next 5 to 10 yr.

You might had notice the disparity between the rich and the poor is getting worse in Manila, here in the south ( Visaya) is much worse and in Mindanao forget it.

I have notice in the past 2 to 3 month that there is a strong recentment in the locals towards middle class and us expat. You cant see it if you do not know how it was before. But in Cebu we had one brittish, two German, one Aussy and 2 american plus 5 korean killed in the past 5 month, while in the last 3 to 4 years we only had a few koreans killed.

I still ride and go around, but I always hang around with my local group and we always have an ex Gen. and his son a representative who go with us and we carry 6 or seven body guards plus we all carry our 9mm or 45's just in case. No need till now to use them, and hope that will never had to.
At least were I live is a very close and guarded suibdivision were you most enter with a pass and the homeowner is notified first if you have a visitor. We have a place of about 400 homes and at least 100 belong to expats, either living here permanent or for vacations.
I was the charter HOA president so. I at least manage to set things up western style and use my military background to stablish security mesures, but still that do not make us any safer than the rest, but at least give us some sence of safety.
I love it here, but the economy is been driving by profesionals leaving the country and going to work overseas, so the ones that stay behind are the scum and the rich which can leave whenever they feel.

Cebu was a lovely city till about 4 or 5 years ago, but as of lately if you pay attention you notice the increase of poor people in the streets, the standby's in almost every corner and the deterioration of the law and order, it been a very subdue transition from the Philippines I use to know but it is getting there. And now you got the muslims getting all hyper and demanding their independance and it consist of some of the riches land in here both in agricultural and in mining.
Curroption , well that is a way of life here. You want something from the goverment or need to register your car, its all who you know and who are your contact to have it done and you must pay.
They might help yopu at the begining but it is like a business promo. first time is free but they get you the next.

Whe we got my wife passport 12 years ago it cost only 500pesos, last year her renuval, cost 1000p for the gov and an additional 5000p to have it proccess that went to the agency workers. She travels every 6 month back to the states for a month to mantain her permanetnt visa and have only just 7 more month to qualify for her citicenship. If things go well, we hope to be out of here by next may 2009 and in No. Carolina in our Vacation home in Ashville.

Well guy I hope you enjoy your vacation and hope you are feeling well by now.

[Borfil]

To bad I missed you Stu. I see you got sick. Was it the Montesuma or in this case the Pilipino revenge! HA HA HA . thats common here, no matter how high class the restaurant are here they don't give a damm about how to keep food preserved.
Were I'm located, we do not get typhoon, or at least we get one evry 15 to 20 year, most are diverted to the north by the Mountains in Bohol or Leyte.

Stu it would had been nice for you to come down for two or 3 days, I had plans to have a small party for you here, with some of my friend from England and some Aussy's. Anyway we had the party anyhow or you might call it a pre October Fest part, we had 2 pigs some 10 cases of local beer and 4 cases of lager and we got 2 cases brit lager and 1 lamb, plus a few bottles of Chivas and Jack Daniels. Actually we were about 30 couples that got together in our subdivision club house just to party last week end a week ago. I think it was the time when the typhoon was hitting Manila.

Well guy it be next time.

[Ototero]

Hi Borfil,

I think I caught a cross between flu and sleeping sickness. I had headaches, was very tired and had no appetite. It all lasted until the day we went home.

Never mind, shit happens. We still seemed to do more this trip than on others.

We had drive to the Hidden Valley and the hot springs, great day out. Then we took a trip to Pagsanhan Falls, another great out.

The only thing I really missed out on was night clubbing. We only managed that twice instead of 6 or 7.

[Borfil]

Well at least you made it in one piece. Yes thr fall are nice. I love going to 100 islands the view and the beach are lovely. Yeah there is nothing like the clubing in Manila. I just love some of the clubs with the copy bands they can put music just like the orig bands. Just have a few drinks close your eyes and you cant tell-the diff. Cheers.