Philippine Photos for June 2008
My Photos for June can be viewed here. This month has one Trip to Cebu City to get my Visa extended.
Pictures taken in the Philippines. I’m an expat living in Northern Cebu Province. I walk up to three miles a day and take pictures as I walk. I like taking pictures of the people and all the colors. The Pinoy (males) are almost always happy to pose but the Pinay are almost always shy. I take pictures of babies all the way to old men. But it would be hard not to notice all the pretty Filipina in this country.
So far this month, I had one series of shots fouled up by Jermain’s toes and fingers. Well the prints anyway. He loves to try to sneak a touch of my camera and my notebook. I caught his toes on the lens of my cam but didn’t realize he had managed to mess it up. Luckily I had a protective UV lens protecting the main lens.
We were hit by Typhoon Fengshen (renamed Typhoon Frank in the Philippines) that left us without power for several days. Not a huge amount of damage but I did see one home near us that was destroyed. The picture for that will show up in the pictures for July though.
I really do need a new camera but at the moment that is just not possible.
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Hi Rusty; I sure enjoy your pictures, as they take me back to happier times. In the Philippines of course. I don’t know if you review this sight’s comments, as it is dated 2008. Would you be kind enough to e-mail me, for a short conversation. Thanks Guy
I am looking for pictures in Bogo City and it leads me to this page. Hope you can post some pictures of Bogo City.
Nice photo with your little pet. And the it has also a great sunset background.
Thank you Lito. :)
Rusty,
I like the picture of the Bogo traffic cops in your set of pictures Pogo City Festival 2008.
There were 2 cops wearing two big smiles. Not guns. Try that in Los Angeles or San Diego where I live. I am out of here in 2 years. I plan to retire in Batangas, 90 miles south of Manila. This will be truly a 2nd Life for me.
Thanks for making me appreciate what we have here in the USA. We are so spoiled.
Thanks,
jr.bertsch
I never made that comparison with USA cops but you are 100% correct. Cops in the USA are scary. LOL
Hold on Rusty; I’m a cop and I’m most certanly not scary! I will retire in four short years (can’t wait) from both the U.S. Army (CID) and the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (THANK GOD)!!! Your pics, videos and information have been a pleasure to see/read. I don’t know if I’m brave enough to move to the Philippines but it is most definately something I have wanted to do. A simpl life is most enviting. Jessie seems like an awsome woman. Thanks for the information and stay safe.
Ray
No offense intended toward the US police that are under paid and most work very hard to do a good job.
But you know, the PNP in the Philippines are not the most jovial bunch either. Actually, American cops are probably more friendly in passing. That’s in part though just the formal but polite nature one will often observe when interacting with Filipino that you don’t know. Especially if they are working.
But you guys are armed to the teeth you know. :) My experience with American cops is they are intimidating when you first encounter them but if you act like a responsible sane person they will let their softer side show a little.
Nothing really wrong with a scary cop. Let’s keep the gangsters in fear. :)
Did you see the video of the guy getting pulled over on his lawnmower? The guy is probably a good guy when not in a drunk induced stupidity moment. :)
Those two guys probably grew up together.
If you haven’t found your way to http://cebuexperience.com it has much more information about this Philippines, this is really just a personal blog that I might post anything on. :)
Now that I’ve thought about it, police in the US are nt as scary as the national police in the Philippines.
But the local cops are very friendly in the Philippines. They are proud and they should be. Filipino enjoy having their picture taken most of the time and the local police I’ve run across are no different
But the national police are far more aloof.
And then there is often military in the streets with their M16, now they are very scary looking. :)
Sorry for not getting back to ya sooner; its summer here in D.C. and it gets kinda busy when the weather is hot (hot to our standards / i.e. 90-100 degrees).
No problem about bustin on the PO-PO Rusty; I’m quite used to it by now, besides I was just givin ya a hard time brother. It’s a common mistake people make with law enforcement officers as they (the public) typically only have contact with us when we are on duty and in uniform (armed to the teeth) LOL. I obviously can’t speak intelligently about the PI law enforcement but in America, it’s just a job we do but due to the nature of the job itself we kinda have to take it seriously. Although it may seem as we are armed to the teeth, we actually only carry a 9mm Glock and often find ourselves out-gunned as the bad guys usually have access to fully automatic weapons (at least it’s that way in Washington; it differs from jurisdiction to jurisdiction). Believe me, I’d much rather carry a 40 cal. Glock, a shotgun and an AR-15 but the city won’t allow it. Heck we can’t even carry a back-up gun. I wish we didn’t have to carry at all, but the criminal element seems to drive the requirement and the public and politicians dictate the many policies and restrictions imposed upon us. I’ve been shot once and stabbed twice in my career and it hurt every time!
That being said, once you experience a cop off duty, you’ll typically see a completely different, and very human, person. We try and leave our jobs behind us when we check off and become quite normal. If you and I ever meet (that would be cool) you’ll see what I mean as I will most certainly NOT be on duty.
After reading almost all your blogs, I must say that the law we enforce in the U.S. seems to be EXTREMELY different than that of the PI. Getting exported simply because one has been perceived as disrespecting a Filipino; WOW, that’s rough! If that type of law existed in the U.S. I’d have exported about half the citizens I come in contact with every day. As you can imagine, cops in Washington, D.C. don’t get much respect. Heck the city would be pretty much deserted with that law (I like it)!!!
I don’t mean to impose on you, but if I come to the PI for a visit (vacation) I’d like to meet you and Jessie. There is obviously so much I don’t know or understand about the Philippines but am eager to learn. I may take an early retirement as well and if I do, I may be looking to relocate much sooner than four years. The only problem is that if I leave early, my “take-home” pay after taxes etc. would only be about $3,500.00 per month and I am concerned that I couldn’t live well, much less treat a lady well, with so little mula. Once my military retirement kicks in I’ll get another 1,500.00 per month or so, so that may help a bit but I just don’t know since I am admittedly clueless about what it takes to live a decent life in the Philippines. I guess I’ll find out when I come and visit though.
Ok, I’ve written way more than I expected to so I’ll let ya go (sorry about that). Say “howdy” to Jessie for me and please take care of yourself. If there is anything you need from the states, please let me know.
Thanks,
Ray
You know, after I thought about my post, I think the police in the USA are friendlier actually but only AFTER the first few minutes of an encounter.
I’m thinking of when I was pulled over for a traffic violation. They were always very rigid and scary at first but soon after I presented myself well, they loosened up too.
That last little blonde that pulled me over was very warm in fact. Was disappointed when she got fired for a stupid reason if you ask me. They were gunning for her though, she went topless at a bar once. Surprised they didn’t nail her for that. Small city just outside of Memphis. I think she was a bit of maniac in her sex life. :) That’s the reason they canned her. Heck, I hoped she’d pull me over again since she didn’t give me a ticket. :) Just a warning, tag light out or something.
I worked for the IRS, trust me, I know about public perceptions. If you think police get a bad rap, take a look at a Revenue Agent. LOL Hey, I couldn’t whip them so I joined them.
You should be able to carry an AR 15, modified at that. :) You need it.
I’m from Memphis, though I didn’t see what the kinds of things you would, I was scared enough that I was packing a 45, nothing fancy like a glock. Was a cheap but very sturdy Ruger.
I wish I had a pension of $3500 a month. I don’t. It is more than enough. But, I can’t advise you to retire, that’s too massive of a step. I also have health insurance still, so that is a major consideration. My budget is in the manual but there’s lots of info about the cost of living on CebuExperience.com. I’ve started a new site dedicated to the cost of living in the philippines but there are only three articles on it for now.
I’ll be happy to meet you if our paths cross. I’m in a pretty remote area. I’m 120Kms north of Cebu City and don’t go to the City too often.
Though, I have a trip planned for Palawan in a couple of months and I NEED a new DSLR so I might just go do it. Probably not, I really can’t quite afford it. Pictures I take now are good enough for most people but they are not good enough for me.
If I buy it within the Philippines, I need to go to “The City” as I can’t even buy a cigar in Bogo City, where I live.
You should come for a visit. You’re likely still quite fit, the women will love you.
Thanks for the quick response Rusty, and thanks for the advice as well. When I come to visit I will most certainly come to you and will not expect you to spend $ and time traveling to the city. I’ll keep ya informed when that may be but all I’ll ask is for some good directions and the how-to’s on the way in which I should travel from the airport to your location. I will not impose on you and Jessie! I’m sure you two have better things to do with your time than baby sit a white boy from the states LOL. Heck I consider myself very fortunate to have people like you that are willing to help a complete stranger get around and understand the culture (very important).
When I was serving during the war in Baghdad Iraq I made several mistakes with the locals regarding their very strict culture and had to learn the hard way. Luckily, I was taken under my interpreter’s wing and a couple of other “Green Zone” locals helped me waddle my way through as I established a repore with the people there so that I could complete my many missions. People like you are rare in the states (as you know) but very refreshing when discovered.
Thanks for the tip regarding the income question as well. $3,500.00 ($5,000.00 after military retirement kicks in) per month is barely average here in Washington, D.C. so forgive me for asking what may seem a rather stupid question as I have no way of comparing with the PI and only have the high cost of living here to compare my retirement with. To give you an idea, I pay $783.00 per month (every month) just on property taxes for my house here; its crazy expensive in Washington.
The good thing is that I am healthy (so far) and will be eligible for insurance from both the D.C. government and the military just incase as I get older I need it. For now though, I only see the doctor once a year for my annual physical; well, and the dentist every 6 months for your basic cleaning (I hate going to the dentist). Other than that I’m just your average 45 year old blond hair, brown eye white guy (thin on the hair these days though). Nothing special for the ladies to look at other than the fact that compared to their average height in the Philippines I’m 6’ tall which may seem a bit large to the average Filipino. My primary reason for looking at moving to the PI is the low cost of living you have mentioned and the stunning countryside, but the beautiful women there (Asian women are rather gorgeous) is a plus. I rarely drink and have no interest in doing the bar thing (I won’t pay for sex). It’s just not my thing I guess.
So there ya go; you’re officially communicating with an average Joe that wishes to live an average life (if not somewhat simple) away from all the blood, guts and crime I have been exposed to over the years. If the typical Filipino woman is half what you describe Jessie as being, they have got to be some of the finest women in the world. You simply can’t find that type of quality in the U.S. Ok, I’ve written a lot again so I’ll let ya go but will most certainly stay in-touch. Please feel free to e-mail me on my personal e-mail address any time and I meant what I said, if you need anything, give me a yell. When I come visit I’ll pack an extra suitcase to bring you, Jessie, and the kids some stuff from the states. Take care and we’ll talk soon.
Thanks,
Ray
I forgot to comment on the deported for insulting a Filipino issue. It is without a doubt possible. I saw a loud mouth American getting mouthy with an immigration officer in Cebu. He said something like “What will you do if I don’t lower my voice?” She said “I might deport you?” He shut up then. lol.
I’ve not seen anyone deported for that but I have seen on hotel manager hauled in to explain why some senators felt they had been treated rudely by him. They were trying to get him to reduce some fees at the hotel.
Naw, paying for sex does zero for the ego. :) Most Filipina are looking for a better life but I know of cases where the Filipina is slaving in a mall while her kano (white guy) is sitting at home. Many, but not all Filipina prefer Westerners. There are many reasons for that. I think it causes some friction between us and the local pinoy (men).
On $5,000 a month, you’ll be living like a king. :) Or you can be if you want. I have a four bed room home, 1/2 mile from the beach and I pay less than $280 a month for it.
Directions to Bogo are simple, there’s only one highway. :) But you’ll likely take a taxi to the North Bus Terminal and they will drive you to Bogo, everyone should take a bus trip at least once. Though it is not as scary as it use to be. The bus drivers killed some people so the authorities slowed them down and hopefully stopped the crazy bus races. No, I’m not kidding.
You can take a taxi all the way to Bogo though for less than $50 but they will smell that you’re new and try to charge you twice as much. :) That really hacks off some, they see it as corrupt. I don’t know, what’s more American like than charging the price you can actually get. :) it is called the Kano price. I get charged that all the time and now my GF does too in Bogo.
I need to change out one of the advertisements here. It is showing the old link for the manual and it cost $10 more there. I started offering a different delivery solution that cost me less so I lowered the price.