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New Living In Cebu Blog
This is the last entry in this original blog which has been renamed to the Moving to Cebu Blog.
I have switched to new blog software and continued the Living in Cebu Blog there.
Posted: Wednesday 20th December 2006, 11:07 PM
Computer Problems and Pirated Software
There have been lots of things to write about but it would seem circumstances here have conspired to stop me.
First my PLDT connection died and being used to it going up and down I foolishly waited almost two days to report it. I was busy anyway and when I finally did report it on a Friday nothing happened that weekend. I did get about an hour of internet on the Monday but it was not until Tuesday when I complained again that it was finally fixed. The ease at which it was fixed after that last complaint suggests that it was all along just waiting for the attention of someone that knew what they were doing.
Next my Computer started to crash every minute or so and I could not do anything. I have been running Windows 2000 on it. It was my attention to re-install it but my son has misplaced the disk. I decided to purchase a Windows XP “installer” disk from the market for 80 pesos. When I tried to install on a brand new hard disk I had purchased it failed and I eventually took the computer to my computer repair shop. It turned out that both the XP installer disk and my new hard disk were faulty. They replaced the hard disk and installed XP using their own disk.
At the same time I got them to fix the hinge on my lap top screen which was broken. Some 3 hours later that had finished both tasks and the total bill came to 450 pesos which is just on $9. Can’t complain about that!
So for the best part of two weeks I have been off the internet and for past couple of days I have been re-installing and configuring the system to the way I want it. There has also been a heap to catch up on.
I attempted to configure my desktop for automatic updates but Microsoft rejected it because it is not a legitimate copy of XP. Our house hold currently owns 3 legitimate copies (2 notebooks and Pro on a desktop) and it looks like it will soon be 4 because I want my system to be secure with all the latest patches.
Pity about not being able to locate my Windows 2000 which is also legitimate. Once I install the latest service pack and the 40 plus urgent security updates it fine.
A friend of mine recently showed me Word Press Blog software and I have decided to switch to using this instead. The ability to easily insert pics and links plus allow user comments will be great. This current blog software is very manual and adding a picture requires inserting raw html into the entry files. Probably happen in a week or so. I will try to import all my old entires.
Posted: Saturday 4th November 2006, 12:30 AM
Anti-Foreigner attitudes of many Filipinos - National Holiday for Ramadan
My two oldest boys went to Vudu which is a music venue here in Cebu. They were minding their own business and only smiled as advised when a group of Filipino youth started to laugh at them and make fun of them. These Filipino guys were drinking spirits as is common with Filipinos.
My boys had one drink only. One of the Filipino guys comes over and start pushing and grabbing my oldest by his collar. My oldest respond by immediately putting the idiot of the floor. Security responds by putting my boys and the other youths outside where the group can then attack my boys. Luckily my boys were able to jump into a taxi and leave but not before one of the group attacked my younger son.
It would seem that there really is no safe venue for my boys to go to without some sort of security guard. The Vudu venue is meant to be one of the better such venues in Cebu.
Filipinos drinking in gropus can be very dangerous. They are extremely jealous of what they perceive to be foreigners. In fact my boys are Filipino citizens and the oldest was actually born in the Philippines.
My boys know that fighting with Filipinos is a big NO NO. They never fight fair. They fight in gangs with weapons. The will usually try to jump you from behind if the opportunity presents itself. My boys know to walk away and never respond to verbal insults. My oldest simply forcibly detached the idiot from his person.
The longer I stay here the more aware I am of a deep jealously driven hatred many Filipinos have for foreigners.
I am advised by someone that spoke to the American Council today that almost every week an American citizens dies in Cebu. Many of these are murdered.
Cebu is not really the safe place the authorities would like to portray. Security is not a real priority for authorities but their international image is. Thus they will appear to respond and pay lip service to such security concerns.
Tomorrow the children have no school. Why? To celebrate the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Why declare a national holiday to mark the end of Ramadan in a predominantly Christian country. Could be some form of appeasement to the Muslim minority or perhaps it’s a matter of any excuse to have another day off. I have noticed that the Filipinos will jump at almost any excuse to have a day off.
Posted: Monday 23rd October 2006, 6:43 AM
Road works continue - Great Tip for anyone in the Philippines
Road works and delays continue around Cebu as the ASEAN draws closer. The other night I found myself in a shocking traffic jab along a major highway. Found out that they had blocked off two lanes of the three-lane road to work on it. The remaining lane not only had to carry all the traffic but was also subject to jeepney stop as that stretch of road is a major pickup and drop-off point. Attempting to do two lanes at a time was not at all practical from a traffic viewpoint. The only motivation was having it completed for the summit.
I have a great tip for both the expat and the tourist.
I have been traveling to the Philippines for almost twenty years. I remember back to my first trips when every few days I seemed to get a bad case of the runs. This problem has diminished greatly if recent years and I attribute that to mainly to the availability of clean water for both drinking and cooking. Despite this if you are in the Philippines and eat out you are still vulnerable to getting something that upsets the stomach.
At the wifes instance for the past month we started to buy and drink daily Yakult which is the fermented milk product that is meant to put good bacteria in your stomach. Since starting this regime we have noticed a significant improvement in our well-being and great resistance to any stomach upsets. All the children have also reported perceived positive benefits.
I notice that the Yakult brand and other substitute products are very popular here and seems to be sold in high volume. I can only conclude that it is being purchased for the same reason we have started to buy it. It is also much cheaper here than back home which is a bonus.
I recommend that while in the Philippines you have one a day of the Yakult or one of the other similar products.
Posted: Saturday 7th October 2006, 1:39 AM
Why I continue to live here / Magellan’s Landing Pub Marina Mall Mactan
I realize that I do write a lot of negative things about living here in the Philippines and to anyone reading may wonder why I would stay another day.
Many of the positive things about living here are somehow less tangible than many of the negative. There is a certain feeling of freedom here.
Life is less regimented and the pace of life is much more layback. In this regard it truly is an escape from the rat race back home. Right now I feel no inclination to go home. I am content to know that it is there waiting for me should I decide I want to.
The things I may seem to hate and complain in this blog are exactly the same things that facilitate that sense of freedom I mentioned. In other words to rectify all those negatives I write about the Filipinos would have to adopt an entirely new mind-set and the end result would be a very different Philippines that I feel would not be the place many of us would want to live.
I have come to the conclusion that the Filipinos like their Chaos. It is a smoke screen that enables them more flexibility. The apparent inefficiency and corruption are frustrating when they are inhibiting or obstructing you but when you understand the way things are done it is possible to have it work to your advantage.
It is a bit of a paradox…I hate the chaos on the roads but also enjoy some of the benefits of participating in that chaos.
I don’t have to wear a seat belt and if I forget to put it on (the wife is always telling me to) I will not be booked and fined. If it’s late at night or there is no other cars or police around I do not need to obey the traffic signals. Back home we would wait for minutes for light to change.
At the risk of sound irresponsible to many I enjoy the freedom to go out and have a few drinks and not feel paranoid about driving home. Back home it’s reached the point where most people are afraid to have anything to drink if they are driving.
Restaurant Review – Magellan’s Landing Pub Marina Mall Mactan
I have had a number of meals at this restaurant. It is an up market establishment and the prices are also on the high side. At first the prices only seem a little higher and then they add tax and a service charge. It was not so much the higher prices than annoyed me on the first visit but the extra slug on the bill at the end.
The menu selection is good and the service and presentation are both superior. This is a relatively rare thing in Cebu therefore I have continued to visit. All the food has been good with one exception.
I recently ordered the hamburger and did not like it at all. The patty was very soft and the bun was dry. The salad was insufficient and the cheese (cost 50 pesos extra) did not suit the burger. After two bites I put it down and ordered the bill.
Back home one might expect a replacement or refund but in my experience with the Philippines this is just not done. I was totally prepared to pay for the burger and leave without any complaint. It simply was not to my liking and perhaps others might like it.
The manager saw that I had not eaten the burger and came over and asked if something wrong. I said I just don’t like it and would prefer not to eat it and there was no problem. He asked if I wanted something else. I said it was ok. He came back a few minutes later and apologized profusely and repeated his offer. He suggested they replace it with the Fish and Chips, which he knows I have ordered in the past. I agreed as I could see it would almost be insulting not to.
On the way out I thanked the manager and told him to tell the cook not to be offended. I just did not like the burger and I would return again.
I have to commend this restaurant and its excellent customer service. The food is good (with the exception of that burger) and while the prices are higher than average so is my appraisal of this restaurant. Its on out list.
Posted: Monday 25th September 2006, 8:01 AM
Filipino Roads / Rasa Marina / McRice Burger
There is heaps of road improvements happening around Cebu on the routes to be used by officials in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to be held here in a couple of months This will be of benefit to the city after the ASEAN is over. Other beneficiaries will be Hotels, restaurants and varies entertainment venues. Read that official Tour Guides face instant dismissal if they are found taking officials to any establishments where ladies of ill repute may be found.
I have been here six months now and I am amazed at how fast the roads here deteriorate. It seems like every week there is a new pothole or piece of road crumbling away and ongoing repairs seems to be constant. I wonder about the quality of the road construction in the first place. Seems a little thin to me when the put down a new stretch of road.
There is another common road side practice I would like to have a gripe about. I see it all the time. Drive along the road and there a big rocks, logs or other large object obstructing the road. If you are new you wonder why but as you stay and observe you realise that they are placed there by people who stop to change a tire. When the people have changed their tire they just drive off leaving the obstruction. It’s that selfish attitude I talked about.
These obstacles must cause lots of damage as others hit them. When a Filipino driver sees such an obstruction they just drive around it. Today I was forced to stop for a large rock. Rather than wait for the ongoing traffic to pass and then go around it like a Filipino I got out and moved it. Strange looks from the locals seeing a foreigner doing this.
Flat tires are a common occurrence here. I was lucky enough to have my brother-in-law fix the first few but last week I was driving around and noticed my back tire going flat. Not a problem. Vulcanisers as they are called are all over the place. This a small operations set up on the side of the road to fix flat tires. Now here is another cheap service in the Philippines. My tire was repaired on the spot for 30 pesos. That is like 50 cents!!!
Restaurant Review – Rasa Marina in Mactan
Had a few bad reviews to start with and thought I had better write about one we actually like. At the Marina Mall on Mactan there are number of nice restaurants. Apparently a few of these have the same owner. In particular we like the Rasa Marina.
Malaysian is one of our favorite cuisines so to get our approval it has to be good. We have enjoyed a family dinner and a lunch there so far and will return. There is a good selection of dishes and the decor in nice. Prices are very moderate but would be considered expensive by Filipino standards. Not much else to say about it other then next time you are in Mactan and feel like Malaysian this is the place to go.
Mc Rice Burger
Hey got to tell you about the new hamburger from McDonalds that just appeared here this week. It’s called a rice burger. Similarly shaped rice cakes replace the bread buns. You can choose either beef or chicken.
Posted: Tuesday 19th September 2006, 9:35 AM
Olango Island Day Trip / Mongolian BBQ Resturant Review
Went island hopping last weekend. Took the car and put in on the Ferry which departed from near the Shangri-La hotel on Mactan. The destination was the Island of Olango. Not a whole lot there but an interesting day excursion non-the-less.
Firstly we got ripped off by the Trans-Olango Shipping Corporation Ferry which is the only service between Mactan and Olango. The cost for a motor bike is 100 pesos, a normal size car is 350 pesos but they charged us 900 pesos. My car is a larger 4WD but only perhaps 20 % bigger than the cars they charged 350 pesos for.
It covered insurance but there is no way the insurance would count for the difference and I would not hold my breath to ever claim insurance if the boat went down. Well I suppose I would initially hold my breath until the life jacket kept me afloat.
So back and forth cost 1,800 pesos. I really wonder if the full amount made it to the company. I doubt it. It seemed an arbitrary amount that was probably shared between the crew.
We arrived on the island some 10 to 20 minutes later (it is a really short trip). First thing we noticed was there are not many other cars on the island. One local commented that they hardly ever see a car like ours. NO wonder I thought if they are going to extort large sums of money for any car they think suggests the person is rich or more to the point a foreigner. It will certainly be the last time our car goes there.
We only saw probably half a dozen cars the whole day and all of them were less expensive type vehicles. The roads were surprisingly good (probably due to little traffic) and even the dirt roads were smooth.
We went to a so-called beach resort and had a picnic lunch. As is normal in the Philippines you are charged for even the most rudimentary shelter. In this case we paid 200 for a dilapidated hut that really offered little more than a roof and table with bench seating.
Next we went to the bird sanctuary which is the main attraction of the island. Its called the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary. The entrance prices were:
Foreigner - P100
Adult - P 20
Senior Citizen – P 10
Minors - P 10
They also had an additional P10 for photography
Now I have a thing about this attitude that foreigners should pay more.
I understand that some places back home have a different charge for locals and out-of-state visitors. The principle behind this is that the locals pay taxes which contribute to the upkeep of the facility. Often your car number plate is used to determine if you are a local or not. This I have no issue with.
This was not the case here. “Adult” is any Filipino and a “Foreigner” is anyone that is not. Racism I say. They would not see it that way. We would never discriminate like that back home. My brother in law talked to them and after showing my drivers license I was admitted as a Filipino. I Suppose I may have been the first person to even question or request the Filipino pricing. It was a matter of principle to me.
Once inside we were given a couple of pairs of binoculars and went to the area for observing birds which seemed to be on a rock floor, with various vegetation growing up through it, and mangroves along the seashore. There was an observation hut with a high powered lenz and descriptions of the various birds we could view. We were able to identify a number of the birds but they really were far away.
There are a few islands close by and we were told that you can actually walk to most of the islands even when the tide is in. There is a danger of accidentally standing on a Sea Urchin which is extremely painful.
We were back at the very long peer early and went to one of the very few restaurant type establishments. The water around this seems polluted and stinks to high heaven, one wonders why anyone would ever build a restaurant at such a location.
Another Restaurant Review.
Mongolian BBQ in Marigodon
As soon I went inside I knew it was going to be more expensive. Firstly the location is on the side of the island where all the beach resorts are located and secondly there were a lot of Koreans there and a parked bus.
Sure enough the price of a BBQ was 400 pesos per person which is still cheap in dollars but expensive by Filipino standards. The actually Mongolian BBQ was a disappointment. The available ingredients were not your usual selection. There was noodles, rice, fresh tomatoes and some other things that are not normally part of a traditional Mongolian BBQ. I was adventures and tried a little of each. Then there are the various oils and sources you add to your bowl. Ketchup was included. The result was unlike any Mongolian BBQ I have ever had and not very nice. I went back and made another using only those ingredients I thought were traditional and got a much better result but still not very good.
If you like a Mongolian BBQ then you will probably not like this. The selections of ingredients are more to Filipino tastes. Rice and Noodles just don’t work in my opinion. It is an eat all you can but even so I don’t feel its good value for money and its not a place I will bother going back to.
Posted: Saturday 16th September 2006, 9:45 AM
Alien ID card / Island Choice Resturant Review
I have already related my experiences in submitting various papers upon arrival to complete my permanent residence visa. This sage continues. The last stage is obtaining an Alien ID card.
According to a Filipino friend I spoke to the introduction of this Alien ID registration card came from the American Government who saw it as part of their strategy to combat terrorists. has forced registration card on the Philippines government. He said the implementation has been forced on the Philippines government who apparently were not keen on the idea.
Given the relatively high tech equipment being used, which includes an electronic finger print scanner and digital camera it does suggest some foreign influence (money).
I lodged my application back in April when I first arrived in Cebu. They told me to come back in three months time. I did so and was told to come back a month later. I returned only to be told again to come back a month later. This time I waited almost two months before returning today.
I did not have any of the paperwork with me but had some ID and was hopeful they would be able to locate me and give me my ID card. The gentleman typed in my surname and given name and was able to bring up my record on the computer screen including my picture.
The then spent some time looking for something and later returned to the screen. Eventually he pointed to a field on the screen. It said something like for review but not as logical as that. I was then told that this usually means that the application is missing information.
He then asks me if I have my original receipt so he can look up the application to determine what might be missing. One would have thought that something as basic as date the application was made would be on the computer record but no so I was told. I now need to bring in my receipt with the date the application was submitted they could find out what might be missing.
These cards need to be reviewed every year and I may just have it in time for next year.
Another Restaurant Review
I last wrote about our visit to Tequila Joes and thought I would continue to review restaurants that cater to foreigners.
Island Choice – Mactan
Our first impression of this place was very good. It’s located just past Giasano on the same side or the road. It’s a large restaurant with good air-conditioning and comfortable seating. The place is clean and seems will thought out. They have an adjoining delicatessen with imported products and a large selection of wines. They also bake European style bread in the pizza oven, which is used in the restaurant and sold.
My first experience was ordering a hamburger, which I was one of the best I have since arriving in the Philippines. On subsequent visits I have ordered the same hamburger and received 3 different version with none being as good as the first. I have given up on getting another good hamburger there.
The menu seemed very comprehensive which impressed us in the beginning. We kept going back to try different things but we have found it to be a very hit-and-miss experience, and nothing has really impressed. Inconsistency is one of the things you have to deal with when you live here.
I was also served the very worst Club Sandwich I have ever encountered in my entire life – it was just not edible. I pulled it to pieces before deciding that there was nothing salvageable in it and left it. The waitress enquired as to why I did not eat it and I told her politely that it was awful. She removed the plate and that was that. No offer to replace it or provide refund, as we would expect back home.
They have started running a Friday night buffet, which was good for the first few times but then the quality reduced (suspect due to cost cutting) and it became boring.
The restaurant is moderately priced and service is good. It is a place that seems to promise so much but there have been too many disappointments and therefore Island choice is no longer our choice.
Posted: Monday 11th September 2006, 9:21 AM
Mexican Food and Gambling Over Coffins
Friday night if family night out. Over the past few months we have explore many restaurants on Mactan and surrounding Cebu.
TEQUILA JOES (review)
Tonight the family wanted Mexican and the only Mexican I knew was Tequila Joes at Ayala. I had been there once before and was impressed but decided to give them another chance. Firstly upon entering there was not obvious seating available for us, and none of the stuff seemed to pay us any regard so we stood in the middle of the restaurant feeling a bit silly. We left and did some window browsing before returning later.
When we returned there was available seating so we went in. Eventually a waiter came over and cleared away the last diners plates and took our order. One interesting observation was that despite being a Mexican restaurant there were lots of Filipinos there eating typical Filipino food like pork chop and rice.
We ordered Mexican food. When it arrived it was even worse that I remembered it last time. We ordered six different dishes which was about half of the Mexican menu options. The family was totally unimpressed with the food. Not much else to say about it really.
More restaurant reviews soon.
GAMBLING OVER COFFINS
To totally change the subject while we were driving home the wife noticed people gathering around a property as we drove by and saw a coffin inside. She said that people inside were gambling and that she thinks is totally disrespectful and hypocritical. She then explained that such public gambling would normally be illegal and subject to police prosecution but it is tolerated when a coffin is present. Therefore people jump at the opportunity to gamble publicly when there is a death. A practice she finds disgusting.
Posted: Friday 8th September 2006, 11:01 AM
Don’t buy your Cel phone in Cebu
A few days ago I lost my cel phone. What made it worse is that with the pre-paid system when I lost my phone I also lost my number. They cannot give you back your old number.
The only way you can hold on to the same number is with the post-paid or plan system which is becoming more popular but will never suit the majority of people who are unable to budget for it.
So I am in the market for a new phone. I actually went to the Telcos and just like back home they have plans, which include a free phone. The phone I wanted required a two-year contract and monthly of around 1500.
I was easily using that much per month when I first arrived but since I got my landline, which I use for international calls I am maybe using half of that. Plus I do not want to commit to a 2-year contract.
So I visited all the phone retailers on the 3 rd floor of SM. There was significant price fluctuation between them so worth shopping around.
The phone I am looked at is the Motorola V3x and I priced it in Manila less than a month previously. I was think of getting it then I doing a hand my down with one of my boys. The price then was around 15 T using a credit card to purchase.
The price I was getting in SM Cebu was around the 17T. I have noticed previously that phones are more expensive here in Cebu compared to Manila. The best price I found was around 16 and I went back to purchase only to discover that it only included a one month warranty and I would have to pay closer to 18T for a full warranty.
I know the phone I priced in Manila had a full warranty for just over 15T. I had priced the phone the day before for around 15
I was at Marina Mall on Mactan Island on the same day and got a similar quote that included a 6 month warranty. They did not have stock but said they could get it in the next day. I asked if they accepted credit card and they said yes but only Master Card. I ordered the phone in and arranged to come back the next day to collect it.
I arrived about 1 pm and was advised that the phone would not get there until after 3pm. We had a lunch and then the wife went shopping at Giasano close by while I went for a massage.
We then returned to Marina Mall and the V3x had arrived. The shop attendant asked me if I had a sim. I had purchased a new one, which I was using in an old phone I had and gave it to her. She put it in and I had a play with the new phone.
I then pulled out my Citibank Gold Master card and they looked at it strangely. No Sir. We only accept BPI Master Card.
Wish they had told me this yesterday. I have just wasted half a day going there to collect it. You get this sort of thing all the time in the Philippines.
Tomorrow I will go to Ayala and I will come home with one whatever the cost.
Posted: Wednesday 6th September 2006, 5:08 AM
Replacing the Kitchen Mixer
Some things can be really cheap here. I guess they are able to use components and parts that would not be approved back home.
The kitchen mixer was leaking and loose. It was obviously a very poor quality tap. When the wife’s brother estimated the cost of 500 Pesos for a replacement mixer we decided to replace it without contacting the owner.
He actually spent 800 pesos on what seems like a sturdy enough unit. Better than what we had anyway. It was still not up to the standard of mixers you buy back home.
Early this year I was in the hardware back home buying a new mixer for the shower we were renovating. They are a similar price to Kitchen sink mixers and we replaced that a few years before.
The cost of the cheapest unit back home was around $100. You could spend more than $1000 if you wanted to. I settled on a model that was recommended to my by my plumber. It cost about $275.
In the Philippines you can buy a cheap mixer for around 250 pesos ($5) and apparently the unit we just replaced sells for about 400 pesos ($8). We spent double that 800 pesos ($15).
So the cheapest unit in the Philippines is $5 and the cheapest I found back home was around $100. The may well be cheaper mixers available back home but not at the store I was at and it seemed to carry a good product range.
I spent $15 replacing the mixer on the kitchen sink here and seem to remember paying around $275 back home.
There really is no comparison in quality. The unit here is flimsy and obviously cheaply made compared to what I purchased back home. The Philippines unit defiantly will not last anywhere near as long but how many $15 units can I buy for $275…
Posted: Wednesday 30th August 2006, 6:52 AM
Philippines is full of the unusual
The Philippines is full of the unusual and over time you become less observant of it.
Last month I was driving over the bridge that joins Mactan Island to Cebu and my brother-in-law who was on holiday here in the Philippines pulled out his camera expressing amazement. There was a motor bike was passing us on our right. To set the scene it was dark and raining heavily. There really was not sufficient room to attempt to safely overtake on the right but that is a non-issue here in the Philippines. Despite the already poor visibility and strong wind on the bridge, the passenger on the back, who was most likely the guys wife, was using an umbrella, but not just for her own comfort. She had it over the driver also who almost had his face on the handle bar of the bike. She continued to push it down in front of his face and the wind kept lifting it up. The driver kept having to look under or around the umbrella as the position changed due to wind and her readjustment. It was comical to watch. It was also extremely dangerous but again that is nothing new here.
Last week I was driving through Basac with my family and my second oldest son pointed out a guy riding a peddle bike. The traffic was crawling and he rode in front of the car and into a lane on my right side. What was unusual about this rider was that he only had one leg. In his right hand was some sort of home made crutch. He did not seem to have too much trouble maneuvering the bike. As far as I could tell the bake was not modified in any way. His technique was to peddle with his left foot and then push down with his crutch in his right hand.
Also last week I went for a hair cut at my regular place. This is a medium sized place with three barber chairs and also offers a range of other services. To my surprise I find they have now set up a Karaoke for the clients. When I walked in a lady having a pedicure was looking up at a TV monitor and singing her heart out. The scene looked so surreal. Only in the Philippines I thought.
These are far from being the most unusual things you will encounter in the Philippines but these are the most recent things in my memory. As my brother-in-law pointed out the longer you live here the less likely you are to notice such things.
Posted: Monday 28th August 2006, 11:28 PM
Dance venues around Cebu
The Filipinos are known throughout Asia for their love of music. Visit places like Singapore and the live band and singer in the nightclub or hotel restaurant are more than likely Filipino.
Most of the Pinoy singers and bands only cover the music of others. Very few do their own original material. There are a few exceptions but even many of them are not all that original. Its true that this same criticism can be made of most new music around the would.
Anyone that has visited the Philippine or even just associated with Filipinos knows how much they love to sing. Almost any party you got to will end in gathering around a karaoke and taking it in turns to sing all the timeless love ballads.
Twenty years ago the songs of groups like Air Supply were very popular and today nothing has changed. It would almost be a challenge to go a day without hearing one of their songs. It may be possible if you lock your self in your home but if you turn on a radio or visit anywhere music is played then chances you will not be able to avoid hearing it.
As much as I enjoy many of the older melodies it does tend to get a bit monotonous. You tend to hear the same old songs over and over again. Mixed in with the latest pop hip-hop tunes and Rap.
Rap is the popular with the Filipino youth. There is also a Filipino version of Rap but it’s more melodic than the original version and does not seem to focus on the same negative themes.
What is almost totally missing in Filipino music scene is alternative and electronic dance music. My kids are more into techno/trance/house than Rap and hiphop (with the exception of my second oldest who is into break dancing and thus likes some hiphop).
They have found it difficult to find a venue around Cebu that plays something other than pop/hiphop/Rap. So far they have found only two venues that play some alternatives.
There is a dance venue called Vudu which has an upstairs lounge that plays alternatives later at night. According to my kids there are not many Pinoys at this venue. Its mainly full of expats and they are predominantly of European in origin.
There is one other venue that also plays alternative music called Kasadra. It is located next to Sunflower Disco with is a very popular live dance venue here in Cebu.
When the kids mention to their Filipino friends they like Techno they are told that is gay music. Such is the attitude to electronic dance music here in the Philippines.
Posted: Wednesday 23rd August 2006, 8:21 AM
Using ATM's in the Philippines
Despite so many things being cheaper here it still relatively expensive to live. I just keep taking large amounts out of the bank and it just keeps disappearing. I am sure this is a universal experience for all but there really are so many hidden extras here. Everything costs. You pay for everything. The small things that they would not dream of charging you for back home are not free here.
I seem to go to the ATM every other day. Everyone puts out there hands for money and while I can account for all of it I am still amazed at how fast it disappears.
The last few days have not been good days to visit an ATM. The line of people waiting to use the ATM has been very long. This happens in the middle and at the end of each month when many workers are paid.
Anyone that have visited the Philippines knows what prolific text message users they are and how fast they are at composing and sending messages. Yet when it comes to pressing a few buttons at an ATM their skill on the cel phone keypad is not transferable. They are painfully slow to watch and seem to think about each button they are about to press and look at the screens for long periods of time.
They also like to get multiple account balances before they can make a decision to withdraw any money. They will get these balances and stare at them for long periods as if they are going through the allocation of funds for various expenditures (and that might be exactly what they are doing).
They are oblivious to the fact that there is a long line of people waiting behind them. This is a typical Filipino trait. No real consideration for others. I have talked about it on the roads but its apparent in almost every aspect of their lives.
They are also shocking line jumpers. The will blatantly step in front of you should you leave enough space at the ATM or any other line.
The concept of cooperating and taking turns is alien to them. If there are two ATM machines there will be two lines. Back home we would automatically make one line to feed both machines.
It is wise to plan ahead when you are approacing the middle, end of the month or some sort of public holiday as the long lines of people will often they exhaust the available cash from the machine, and if this happen close to or on a weekend the machine will not be restocked until the following Monday.
Many ATM’s have limits on the amount of cash you can withdraw in a single transaction. For many this is only 4000 pesos. The Equitable ATM’s allow me to take out 5000 pesos using my PLUS card. If you can use the BPI Express machines you can actually take out 20,000 pesos. Unfortunately my PLUS card does not work in the BPI Express ATM’s.
Posted: Sunday 20th August 2006, 2:10 AM
Filipino Racism Towards Foriegners
I have spoken about how most Filipinos embrace Western culture and genuinely welcome foreigners. This is fundamentally true but there is a small minority with resentment and racism toward foreigners.
I believe most of it is based upon jealously and an inferiority complex.
This phenomenon is far from being limited to the lower less educated social classes. In fact it occurs middle and even some upper classes attitudes.
Take for example the comments of the Filipino Rotarian when responding to a comment about Filipina women being interested in meeting foreigners. “No respectable Filipina women would be interested in a Foreigners…these girls are trash”. He was addressing a large group of Rotary club members that included many foreigners married to Filipina women. He effectively just told them that their wives are “trash”.
There are actually a couple of Rotary Clubs here on Mactan and one in particular seems to have a majority of foreigners as members. This is the Rotary Club of Central Mactan, which broke away from the main Mactan club due to the arrogant German charter president who wanted his own club and was unable or unwilling to work with Filipinos. I am told this particular ex-President blamed Filipino politics for the breakaway but it is the opinion of the person I spoke to that he was the number one problem.
There is also a bit of an anti-foreigner attitude in local press. When you have been here a while and continually see articles that vilify foreigners you will start to get the picture. As one expat said to me “if foreigner farts it will be reported in the paper and it will say the smell is 100 times worse than it is”.
It seems like some Filipinos are using foreigners for scape goats to deflect focus away for the real issues.
Most readers have heard that Magellan was killed by Chief Lapu Lapu here on Mactan. If you visit the shrine there is a plaque that celebrates this a victory of the Filipino people in defeating a Foreign invader.
The reality is that the whole thing was a set up. Magellan arrived to see Chief Lapu Lapu with only one boat out of his fleet and just 80 men in what was meant to be a meeting. He was ambushed by thousands of natives and basically murdered. There was no invasion.
Now it’s a matter of Filipino pride that Chief Lapu Lapu killed the first foreigner to visit the Philippines.
What is ironic is that Magellan brought Christianity to the Philippines and that Chief Lapu Lapu was a Muslim. This the arrival of the Spanish stopped the advancement Islam to the entire Philippines. Something the majority of Filipinos today would think was a good thing. Yet they take pride in the fact that this Muslim Chief killed the first foreigner to visit their country.
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MB's Mactan Business
Posted: Wednesday 16th August 2006, 3:42 PM
Don't come to Cebu in December 2006
Cebu city is to host the next ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Summit in December. I have been hear for four month now and know it will be a great time to be away from Cebu. The traffic is already bad. Perhaps the worst traffic system I have ever seen. Cebu is the City of no left turn, no u turn and often no right turn forcing traffic to go for long distances in the opposite direction to which it wants to. Thus keeping more cars on the road further congesting traffic.
This will not be an issue to the official ASEAN traffic and routes as they will simply totally block off local traffic leaving other areas of Cebu totally grid locked. It will hell for those that live here but the locals are used to being treated this way and will just make do. At least with advance notice I will have the option of leaving.
I read in the local papers that the Hotels have been ordered not to accept any bookings for that period to ensure there are enough hotel rooms available for the officials. There are expected to be an extra 15,000 foreign visitors here at that time. The demand on services will be stretched to the max.
Cebu is also one of the dirtiest cities in the Philippines. Everywhere you look rubbish is one the side of the roads and every vacant lot resembles a rubbish tip with small hills of rubbish. Sure its like this in many parts of the Philippines but Cebu would rate among the worst.
Then there is the pollution. Think that because Cebu is a smaller city there is less pollution than say manila? Remember the rubbish I just mentioned? They burn it here all the time. Then there is that traffic I was talking about and all those dirty busses, Taxis, Jeepneys and Trikes with exhaust emissions that would be off the scale.
They have testing stations but these are at the time of registration and I am told by a local that the system is corrupt. A hundred few pesos is sufficient for a clean reading. There is no actually on-the-road monitoring or enforcement.
I remember taking a show and washing my hair one evening last month and then going out for a ride in the City. Upon my return I ran my finger nails in my hair and scalp and was horrified by the black soot. This can not be healthy for the lungs either.
Posted: Sunday 13th August 2006, 5:58 AM
Getting things repaired is cheaper in the Philippines
To continue with what is cheaper here. Getting things fixed is generally much cheaper as is anything that primarily involves labor.
One of the first things we purchased when we arrived was a rice cooker. This died a month or so back and was surprised when the brother-in-law said he would take it for repair. Normally we would just put something like that in the trash back home but here in the Philippines it was repaired for just 120 pesos (less than $2.50).
A couple of months back the wife’s notebook would not boot after one of the kids had been using it. We did not have the system disk and there was very little I could do. We took it up to a local computer repair shop not really knowing what to expect. I let the wife go up there with her brother. To my surprise they were back an hour or so later with the system working and had paid just 320 pesos ($6.25) for a technician to fix it on the spot.
Even the cheap and nasty microphone I purchased for the Karaoke system was sent off for repair. I think the microphone only cost 250 pesos (less than $5) and would defiantly be a trash can item back home. Here they determined that the wire needed replacing and did this for 150 pesos. Not sure if one should spend 150 pesos repairing a 250 peso microphone but it done.
Posted: Saturday 12th August 2006, 12:37 AM
PLDT
Been away for a week and tried to post a few things but the site was down for some reason. Back now.
Got back to find some urgent business that needed to be sorted over the phone.
Have a PLDT line that is blocked from international calls. I was planning to remove the block, as I need to set up my fax machine, which is otherwise not very useful.
So I suddenly need to make an urgent call to the US. My only current option is my cel phone and from past experience I know that load can run out very quickly. I check my phone and there is less then 300 pesos load. I check my wifes and there is almost 400 pesos load.
I call using the wifes and after spending some time trying to sort out a problem the phone dies at the most critical moment. I quickly pick up my cel and call back and find my self I a long queue. My phone also dies before I am able get back to the person I need to speak with.
In the meantime I have the wife and family trying to call PLDT to try to open my land line for international calls. The numbers to contact them in the PLDT phone book don’t work. The wifes older sister that is visiting get through to a PLDT support line and works through getting the block removed.
I have sent the brother down to the Sari Sari (local shop) to try to top up the wifes phone with load. Normally you can buy a scratch card with 300 and 500 pesos credit but they don’t have. Has to be e-load and has to be loaded 100 pesos at a time. This finally started coming through after the phone had already died at the critical moment.
The wife and older sister have just about finished the process of getting the phone un-blocked. I joke to the wifes sister that we will probably now be told that it will take 24 hours. I was wrong. PLDT informs us it will take 4 days for the changes.
Not really going to help me with my urgent call. I ask the wife to ask them if they can do a Manual Operator assisted call. The wife hands the phone to me for me to ask the support person directly. Yes sir and she provides me with a 3 digit number. I thank her and quickly go and call the number “This number is currently not available from your service” or some such response is what I get.
I am annoyed with PLDT to say the least and this is typical of all my experiences with them to date. They are the only service I can currently get as Globe Lines told me to come back and ask them in a few months. Anyway chances are they would not be any better.
So back to the Cel phone. Now loaded with almost 700 pesos I call back and I am finally able to fix the problem.
The wifes sister suggests I switch my cel to a plan so I don’t have the problem with running out of load. I had enquired about this with globe only to be informed I would need to get a new number. They could not transfer my existing number.
Posted: Thursday 10th August 2006, 4:32 AM
Rainy Season - Dinning Out - Service Charge
It’s finally raining heavy here tonight. It’s meant to be rainy season and we have not seen much. We have had the odd shower but not much more. No doubt the roads will be flooded now and the open sewers overflowing. Nice thought…
There is to be a Fiesta in the village we live in. Preparations are underway. The area for the fiesta is dirt so it will be nice an muddy for them tomorrow. Asked the wife what impact the rain will have. She said none really – they will continue on with it regardless.
Funny because the International School where I send my children will cancel classes if it rains a little. Its not like they are teaching in the open either.
Went out for dinner tonight to a Malaysian restaurant. We are a family of six and everyone had more than their fill. The bill was 2,600 which is very cheap compared to back home.
It included a 10 percent service charge. I explained to the wife that we did not need to tip as they had a very healthy tip in the bill already. My wife engaged the waiter in conversation and he explained that apparently they only see about 2.5% of that service charge. The owners take the rest out to pay for breakages and other maintenance.
I wonder what would happen if I broke a plate or glass. In some places here in the Philippines the owner will add the cost to the bill.
There are no real consumer laws or labor laws here so business owners do what they want.
Posted: Friday 28th July 2006, 10:34 AM
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Previous Entries
New Living In Cebu Blog
Computer Problems and Pirated Software
Anti-Foreigner attitudes of many Filipinos - National Holiday for Ramadan
Road works continue - Great Tip for anyone in the Philippines
Why I continue to live here / Magellan’s Landing Pub Marina Mall Mactan
Filipino Roads / Rasa Marina / McRice Burger
Olango Island Day Trip / Mongolian BBQ Resturant Review
Alien ID card / Island Choice Resturant Review
Mexican Food and Gambling Over Coffins
Don’t buy your Cel phone in Cebu
Replacing the Kitchen Mixer
Philippines is full of the unusual
Dance venues around Cebu
Using ATM's in the Philippines
Filipino Racism Towards Foriegners
Don't come to Cebu in December 2006
Getting things repaired is cheaper in the Philippines
PLDT
Rainy Season - Dinning Out - Service Charge
Juices, Shakes, Soft drinks and Alcohol.
Rainy Season - Brown Outs - Bad attitude of some Pinoy toward foreigners - Fruit and Veggies
NEW HOUSEMAIDS - MORE ON DRIVING - COST OF MOTOR BIKES
Housemaids leaving
Is it really cheaper to live here?
Chaos on Philippine Roads
Getting my Lic. part II
Paid traffic violatin - Gettng my License converted
Waiting in the Philippines
Buying shoes in the Philippines
Weddings and Driving around Cebu
Arrival In Cebu
We have arrived !!!
Best places to live in Cebu
Storage Options
Things are really moving now...
Big Clean up and through out
Concerns about education in the Philippines
Medical Attention in the Philippines
Four Months to go...
Security concerns with Keyloggers at Internet Cafes
Philippines offers lowest living costs for expats--survey
Are we really leaving?
Arrange for people to act on your behalf back home
Finishing stuff around the house
Taxation considerations
Advice on finding a place to live
Filipino Passports / Permanent Residance
What to do with the dog and car
Renting around Cebu
More Archives
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If you are moving to Cebu then its a great idea to learn the local Cebuano language. I have found a great teacher listed at the Filipino Language Learning Resource.
If you live in Cebu then you should learn Cebuano and here is a great teacher I found that is also good for any translations you might need
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