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Adventure in the Philippines
Are you tired of the everyday routine of life in the USA? Are you burned out from working hard for many years? Do you want a change of scene? Are you ready to begin an adventurous "retirement"? I cannot think of a better place to get away to! Believe me, I have experienced it firsthand.
Everything is different here. After all it is halfway across the earth from the USA. What do you expect?
It is not a carbon copy of the USA. Very little is the same. Maybe some malls and skyscrapers in Manila seem familiar but nothing else will.
Most Filipinos have learned English in school but use it mainly to communicate with us Americans. I actually love not being able to speak their language. When dining out or eating in fast food restaurants it is relaxing not to be able to understand what they are saying. I do hear the occasional "kano" which is short for Americano. I don't know what they are saying, and I don't care. In five years, I have learned enough Tagalog (Filipino) to use for travel but not much more. For example, it helps to learn words and phrases to use when riding in jeepneys (read this article to learn the words and phrases), buses, tricycles and pedicabs. Most Filipinos living in Manila speak "Taglish" which is a combination of Tagalog and English. Outside the Greater Manila area, in the provinces, people speak their own local distinct dialects.
To get a feel for what you will see in the Philippines watch these videos by the BBC.
Watch a video about Conflicts and War in the Philippines.
Watch a video about Philippine poverty at my Poverty in the Philippines page.
I have lived in Angeles City and Magalang (both in Pampanga Province) and in Paranaque City (in Greater Manila.) Have traveled to Bataan, Batangas, Cavite, Cebu City, Dasmarinas, Mexico, Olongapo, Quezon City, San Fernando and Subic City. Have flown 850 miles South of Manila to Cagayan de Oro and the Southernmost city, General Santos City, on the island of Mindanao without incident. Hope you enjoy your adventures in the Philippines.
If you are a foreigner, please share with our readers your most memorable experiences in the Philippines by entering your comments below.
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