Living In the Philippines, and Living with Filipinas and Filipinos

A couple of our friends we met in Dumaguete spent several weeks trying to purchase a used motorcycle and tricycle frame to drive all over the Philippines.  I advised them against purchasing a used motorcycle (I learned my lesson the wrong way buying a used motorcycle here).  Well, it looks like they pulled it off! For 30,000 pesos including that cool 125 with a clutch?  It it's as good as it looks, they did a great job shopping.

We've been looking at land on and off for a year.  

One of the recent finds we like is several hectares up in the mountains.

When we first looked at the property, the asking price was 1 million peso.  Then a few days later a woman we had met (who we hadn't even told about our visit to the property) texted us saying that the real price was 1.5 million.  

I sent my wife to offer 500,000, and she went, and as it turns out, that woman we'd met had gone *twice* to the owners, claiming to represent us.  Although they refused to lower the "new" price from 1.5 million officially, it was all good information.

Well, today was the first time I've noticed an advanced-fee scam email from the Philippines.  Certainly I've read about many Filipina scammers who scam money from foreigners online, and certainly I've received thousands of Nigeria 419 advance fee fraud emails.  This is the first from the Philippines.  I'm sure it won't be the last.  This stuff is becoming more popular, because with so many new internet users, there are always some people who might believe it. 

If you get an email like this, don't believe a word of it.

Hello friend

 I'm not worried.  Probably you don't need to be, either.  The health officials have begun quarantining some people in Cebu (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/star/20090505/tph-quarantined-cebu-possible-swine-flu-541dfb4.html) who appear to have the H1N1 flu.  In Manila, they've also found a few people with the flu (http://ph.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090525/tap-health-flu-philippines-5cc1ef8_1.html).  

Charles Richmond and Thomas Hunt have died.

I recently read about the tragic death of Thomas Hunt in Cagayan de Oro, where the poor old man not only had his marriage fall apart, but he died - perhaps of a broken heart.  I had never met him or corresponded with him.

Hello everybody and hope all is good with you..Im an American guy living in NewYork. I am 38 years old and am engaged to a beautifull woman from Ormoc City in Leyte province..We will marry when she gets her visa and travels to me..I have been to the philippines in 2008 and visited Cebu, Ormoc,and Bohol..I had a great time..Im thinking of living in the Phills one day soon and was not sure where to live..I was thinking Cebu, Ormoc, or Taclabon..Im not sure to buy a house w/lot or a condo..Can somebody give me some information?.. Thanks very much..

Here we have one video demonstrating how to use an electric kaguran, then a photo of a kaguran.  We like to make our own coconut cream cheese and coconut milk and coconut oil.  One of the great things about living in the Philippines for me!

This kaguran belongs to the barangay captain at a nearby town in Negros Oriental.