Getting up early to do something for someone else was once my way of life but now, I only get up early when I want to, not because I have to! I love the smell of work in the morning is something that I never really enjoyed but it was a requirement for a number…
Man, oh, man! We saw a 5 foot monitor lizard in our bamboo forest down at the farm in the province and the kin folk got excited! Good as barbecued iguana and it tastes just like chicken! Sadly, though, that is exactly why there are fewer monitor lizards in the Philippines! People eat them and…
I’ve had the pleasure of watching the Philippines National Soccer team, The Azkals, play in Bacolod at Panaad Stadium against the Pakistan team. Yes, they kicked butt and won! Hip, hip hooray!! A number of expats have asked me, “Gary, what the hell is an azkal anyway?” Basically, an askal in the Philippines is a…
Do you remember the words to the old song, “Looking for love in all the wrong places?” There is a lot of truth in the song and people the world over make mistakes by looking for their lifetime partner in the wrong places. Retiring to the Philippines as a single guy and looking for your…
It doesn’t matter if you are visiting in a native house, in a condo, in a bungalow or in an exclusive mansion, you will find one product of the Philippines on every table. Banana Ketchup! Jufran is the brand of choice but there are about a dozen different brands of banana ketchup. It is a…
One of the major concerns an expat has when considering retiring to the Philippines is the housing question! This was a concern 28 years ago in the Philippines and it remains a frequently asked question in 2014. Most expats are not interested in living in a native nipa or bamboo house but believe it or…
There are a number of taboos in the Filipino culture that are best avoided at all costs. Most Filipinos are very friendly, loving and hospitable people but there are some actions exhibited by both expats and Filipinos alike that can put you on the wrong side of a gun in a heartbeat! I have found…
All through the ages, Man has the urgency to new discoveries. Well, not all men but at least Adventurist Man! Hey, that’s me! I am a lifetime member of that Club. Amazingly, a number of my high school classmate still live in the same area of rural Alabama where they were born, raised and studied….
In the Philippines, there is a saying that has the exact same meaning as the words of Forrest Gump in the movie. ‘Tanga is as tanga does!” Yes, stupid is as stupid does. Over the years, I have listened to a number of expats complaining about their number one mistake in the Philippines. When I…
As I have explained a number of times in the past, one of the goals of the Bureau of Immigration and the Philippine Retirement Authority is to make it easier for expats to retire to the Philippines. The key word is easier, as I never said “easy.” Of course, there are requirements that must be…
No, they are not working on a chain gang! Although that may well have been a much better option than to experience the now outlawed Wheel of Torture. Some police stations had a Wheel of Torture, which they subjected prisoners who had committed heinous crimes and others who were drug traffickers. Spin the wheel and…
There are many fabulous places in the Philippines to retire, live and enjoy life. A Philippine jail or a Philippine prison is not one of them! Not even for a single night! This article is my first installment in a series about Philippine Prisons. I want to be perfectly clear, I am in no way…