If I had had the information in this comprehensive manual, I would have been in the Philippines a year before I actually made it here.
So if you have no internet and no water and no power what is a man to do? Easy, join me on a beach with a cup of coffee.
Living in the cities has many advantages and disadvantages.
The advantages include availability of services, foods and getting things done. Yes, even in the Philippines you can get a few things done in the city areas like Manila and Cebu. I am not saying it easy, as getting anything done in the Philippines seems to take ten times longer and allows you to bash your head against the wall as the rules change every few minutes, depending on who is serving you.
I have to say the city life can be fun. The bars and the restaurants and places to go. There are hospitals and doctors and even sometimes water, electricity and internet. In fairness there are service interruptions in the city locations, but in the main they pale into insignificance with the provincial areas where water, electricity and internet are switched on and off at the will of..well who? No body really knows, as nobody seems to actually be in control.
Switch to the provinces and the beach areas and life can change.
The pollution levels drop so much that you forget you are being poisoned by Jeepneys all day. The air is so much nicer that you feel better instantly. Add the sound of the waves beating or caressing the sand and rocks and you get to see that the city workers are missing out on so much. Wouldn’t everybody like to walk around a beach everyday, have a cup of coffee and talk to other like minded people. Isn’t it great resting with locals and talking about life? Well, its great for awhile and you realsie that the locals are desperately looking for work and money and you appear to have it-even if you have not.
They put up with the power outage’s and water interruptions, they are very use to it- buy are we? Nope. Most foreigners here live with the internet for work or to stay in contact with friends and family abroad. This maybe not as crucial to the local populaces,but for the foreign element it is a chore and a frustration trying to find a service that will stay connected.
The honest truth is that every internet provider works for a while than drops in quality and customer relations as they will flood one area with customers and then the service will just drop. The chance of the area being upgraded is poor unless somebody important lives there. The communications in the Philippines is bad at the best of times, add in the factor that is more or less a monopoly and you can see no one cares if its not working. Stick with us as you have no choice anyway.
So if you have no internet and no water and no power what is a man to do? Easy, join me on a beach with a cup of coffee.
John is a very young 57 who has lived in the Philippines for over ten years and makes his living online as an SEO consultant and copy writer along with other online resources. John has lived in Davao, Manila and in Puerto Galera and has become an honoury Filipino. His hobbies include traveling and 1970s culture. For any articles or online work please feel free to contact John on [email protected]
