This page summary, takeaways, and transcript were generated
by AI from the video captions.
The video itself remains the source of truth.
Retiring in the Philippines offers a fulfilling lifestyle characterized by a lower cost of living, a strong sense of community, and a more traditional family-oriented culture, especially when embraced with an open mind and a partner.
Anthony, a retired American who survived stage three pancreatic cancer, shares his experience of moving to the Philippines six months prior to find a traditional wife and a more relaxed lifestyle. After his wife's passing, he sought a new home, considering Ecuador and Mexico before discovering the Philippines through YouTube. He was drawn by the lower cost of living, beautiful snorkeling sites like Apo Island, and the prospect of finding a traditional wife, which he found in Jane. He sold his possessions, moved with two suitcases, and has since found happiness and a sense of belonging.
Anthony's life in the Philippines with Jane and her three daughters is a testament to embracing local culture. He actively involves himself with Jane's family, a contrast to some expats who isolate themselves. They are in the process of buying a home, navigating the unique aspects of Philippine real estate, including potential termite issues and differing title processes. The idea of hiring a live-in maid is also being considered, further enhancing their comfortable lifestyle on a retirement income.
The video highlights the cultural differences and adjustments Anthony has made, from understanding 'Filipino time' to appreciating the strong sense of community. He contrasts the collaborative spirit found in the Philippines with the individualistic nature of American culture, referencing historical manufacturing trends and personal anecdotes. Anthony feels safer in the Philippines than in the US and finds the slower pace and community engagement highly rewarding, ultimately leading him to believe he is living where he wants to be.
Financial management and daily life in the Philippines are also discussed, with Anthony entrusting Jane with their budget due to her frugality, while still encouraging quality purchases. He shares insights into navigating local markets, transportation like trikes and jeepneys, and the importance of clear titles in property transactions. The conversation touches upon historical manufacturing contexts and the value of teamwork, concluding with Anthony's advice to enjoy the simple pleasures of life in the Philippines, like affordable meals and fresh seafood, which have positively impacted his health.
Retiring in the Philippines offers a fulfilling lifestyle centered on community and culture, with a significantly lower cost of living compared to Western countries. You can enjoy a comfortable life, potentially with domestic help, and experience a refreshing pace and strong sense of belonging.
Yes, the Philippines offers a significantly lower cost of living, making it an attractive option for retirement. This affordability allows for a comfortable lifestyle, including potential savings on daily expenses and even hiring household help.
Filipino culture is family-oriented and emphasizes community, offering expats a rich and immersive experience when embraced openly. Understanding local customs, like 'Filipino time,' and respecting traditions will greatly enhance your adjustment and relationships.
Many expats find the Philippines to be a safe environment with a strong sense of community, often perceived as safer than many Western countries. The emphasis on community and traditional values contributes to a secure atmosphere for those considering retirement.
Key benefits include a lower cost of living, a strong sense of community, and a more traditional, family-oriented culture. The slower pace of life and the genuine warmth of the people can lead to a highly rewarding and fulfilling retirement experience.
Navigating property purchases in the Philippines requires patience and local knowledge, as processes differ from Western practices. It's important to understand unique aspects like potential termite issues and differing title registration procedures.
The Philippines offers a significantly lower cost of living compared to Western countries. This allows for a comfortable retirement lifestyle, potentially even including domestic help. Affordable meals and fresh seafood are readily available, contributing to a more relaxed and budget-friendly life.
The video suggests that the Philippines provides a safe environment with a strong sense of community. The interviewee feels safer there than in the US. This perception is linked to the slower pace of life and greater community engagement found in the Philippines.
Navigating property purchases in the Philippines requires patience and local knowledge, as the processes differ greatly from Western practices. It's important to be aware of potential issues like termites and understand the unique title processes. Seeking local expertise is advised for smooth transactions.
The video touches on cultural differences and adjustments, including understanding 'Filipino time.' This refers to a more relaxed and flexible approach to punctuality and scheduling, which is a contrast to the fast-paced, individualistic culture often found in Western countries.
While the video doesn't explicitly detail currency conversion, one viewer suggests using a rough estimate of 50 pesos to 1 dollar for calculations. This can help in understanding local prices when dealing with pesos.
0:01 I want a traditional wife. I had stage three pancreatic cancer. Some expats don't want anything to do with their spouse's family. On the opposite, B to Seu hated it. B to Manila, hated it. Don't like big cities.
0:14 The only thing I'm going to have to be careful with Jane is that Jane is tight with a peso. You want to find a woman in the Philippines, hang out at the UK. She is more religious than I am. She's 7th Day Adventist, I'm Roman Catholic.
0:28 Cancer, man. I'm glad I served in the Marine Corps because it's the finest team in the world. Hey YouTube, Alex here. And in today's video, you're going to meet my good friend Anthony. Anthony is a retired American from the United States.
0:43 He started out his career serving in the US Marine Corps. He went on to work as a professor of accounting and more recently, he dealt with a battle with cancer. He was very strong and overcame that. And most recently, he has moved to the Philippines as of six months ago and met his lovely wife, Jane.
1:06 So we want to thank him and extend our gratitude to him for taking time out of his day to sit down and talk with us. Without further ado, let's get into Anthony's story. Please introduce yourself, Anthony.
1:17 Sure. Anthony Joseph Catalo II, but I go by AJ. It's easy to spell. And I've been in the Philippines since about July 17th. I will not be returning to the United States. I love it here.
1:30 Lots of positives, some negatives. How did you discover the Philippines? Probably the first time was in the mid-70s. I was in the Marine Corps. A lot of Marines and Navy guys were coming back from Subic Bay and they were coming back with Filipino wives, and they were pretty happy.
1:48 They were talking about the Philippines, and it stuck in my mind. I've been to Malaysia and Singapore about 22 years ago. My wife died. I'm a widower.
2:00 There was really no reason for me to stay in the US. I have no children, no biological children. I helped her with her children. My wife and she had two children, six grandchildren. We even bought one of them a house.
2:16 So we did a fair little bit for them. And so I thought, I want to live. At first, I thought Ecuador. I was thinking about Mexico. I was thinking about Costa Rica, but I was looking at places near the beach because snorkeling is my favorite thing to do in the world.
2:34 Ecuador is near the West Coast. Snorkeling wasn't quite that good. Costa Rica looked like it might be okay, but the cost of living was a little higher. I stumbled on to some YouTubes about the Philippines, and when I saw the numbers on the cost of living and started researching.
2:50 I saw all around is it down? I saw all these great snorkel sites and the turtles. Apo Island, I've been there twice. But by the way, I thought, you know what? Cost of living and the turtles. And then I was hearing about the women.
3:06 I'm a widower. I was 66 at the time. I'm 67 now. And I want a traditional wife. My wife was a traditional wife. She was a homemaker. I brought home the bacon, and she cooked the bacon.
3:25 She would do all the cooking. She was a great cook, great homemaker, and that's what I wanted. And you're not going to get that in America. Or you might, but it's really hard, especially at the age of 67.
3:38 So I decided to sell the house, sell the car, gave away everything in a 3,000 square foot house. Gifted it to a local charity, actually a church organization that had a resale shop. Donated some money to the Catholic Church. I'm Roman Catholic.
4:01 Gave some money to my family members, packed my trash, and moved here with two suitcases. You know, by the way, also, I should probably mention Mark Thornton. I talked to him on an interview before he passed away. I had stage three pancreatic cancer.
4:19 I got it about diagnosed four years ago. My wife had femoral cancer. She was supposed to live, I was supposed to die. The opposite happened. I had stage three, seven months of chemo. Just had my fourth year check-up here locally. Looks like I'm going to be okay for a while longer.
4:43 In fact, the prognosis is pretty favorable. So I just came here and I found Jane.
4:53 How did you meet Jane? Filipina Cupid. I said, look, no strings. I just want to have dinner with someone. I met the why not. Jane drove in torrential rain on her scooter. I met her, and the smile, that was it. It was done.
5:12 Her smile, that's all it took. And she's very soft-spoken. She's from Negros Occidental. The culture is a little different. She smiles, she's happy. She has three wonderful daughters. I got to meet all of them.
5:30 A 22-year-old radiology major going to school in Manila. A 19-year-old pastry chef major going to school in Manila. And then we have her 16-year-old, who I call the vampire, because she likes to stay up all night. And I know she's out there doing vampire stuff.
5:54 So things are pretty good. All of her kids are good, her family is good. That's really important. You don't want to marry into a good family. I think that's at the age of 67, I know these things.
6:07 Girls are easier than boys. Boys would be more likely to challenge you. You've heard the expression mama's boy, daddy's girl. That's kind of where they originate from. So a boy, when they hit their teenage years, might challenge you.
6:22 A girl would be more likely to challenge the mom at that age. You know, just the way it is. I don't know why. So I'm pretty happy and we're meeting with the lawyer today. Might be able to buy a house.
6:36 We're hoping. I call it the termite house because Jane discovered there were termites in the tree. Well, if the floor is cement, and the walls are cement, and the roof is metal, all I have to worry about is the trusses, right? If there's wood.
6:54 And we're getting it at a price that I'm comfortable with. If I have to replace them with metal, I'm okay with that. You mentioned in your background, you had family in the trades. You think that's helped you with evaluating a home for sale?
7:11 Well, it's different. They have stick houses in the US, so I can mix and pour and finish cement. I can do any kind of floor. I can do ceramic tile. But why would I? I mean, at $67 a day, there's no way in the world I will ever do any of those laborious tasks again.
7:29 I did rewire a house. I did all the home runs on a house, but I did not install the 200 amp box. And I would not connect to the box because a guy was explaining electricity. He said, here's a 100 amp pole, here's a 100 amp pole. Touch it, you die.
7:46 I said, okay, I'm running the home runs. I'm hiring an electrician to connect. And that's what I did. On one, I've remodeled two houses. So remodeling here is different. It's more with a cement wall, you know, and a cement floor.
8:02 You're talking about paint, spackle, and paint. That's about it. It's not like, well, you can knock out a wall here, but it's not like you're as likely to do it in America. If you have a house built in the 50s, you want to open up the floor plan.
8:19 Yeah, I could do that. I could knock out the wall, put in a beam, $1,500, you're done. You're ready to go. Here, I guess you could do something kind of like that, but the house we're looking at is western style. The rooms are big. That was one of my criteria.
8:34 I want a big Western bathroom. We have two. I want a nice kitchen. I do not like tiny little kitchens. And the living room, or the main area is huge. It's open. I like open floor plan. So I'm pretty happy.
8:51 And it's a three-bedroom, two-bath. Jane came up with the idea, and I think it's brilliant, of turning the carport into a fourth bedroom. That would mean we could be now.
9:04 I'm different from some expats. Some expats don't want anything to do with their spouse's family. I'm the opposite. I want them. I want their family involved with us as much as possible.
9:16 Three daughters, four-bedroom house, perfect. Each daughter has a room when they want to come and visit. We've talked about a live-in maid. I know how much that costs. I can swing it.
9:29 That might be a really good idea. Live-in housekeeper. They're so cheap here. I mean, it just doesn't if it takes us three, four hours to cook and do dishes and clean, maybe five hours a day, maybe it's worth $150 US a month plus room and board to have buying extra time with your loved ones.
9:53 Yeah, and the place we're getting, I hope, is a fairly healthy walk, but I can walk to the beach. And I love snorkeling. I've been on 35 snorkel in Mexico, Southern Caribbean, Eastern Caribbean, Western Caribbean. Did a lot of cruises and did excursions off the cruises.
10:13 And Apo Island, I had a blast. She, Jane and her three daughters had never snorkel. And you know, they put on a vest. You've got a vest, you're not going to sink. No, I mean, I can't even swim to the bottom without the vest. I have trouble getting down that deep.
10:30 I probably have to leave the air out of my lungs, and I'm not confident enough to do that. Yeah, so they all had an experience, and they had a blast. And Jane's holding on to the life preserver with both hands. And her oldest daughter is not the.
10:45 So I asked the daughters, I said, okay, how many of you want to go skydiving with me? Because I've done some skydiving. Wow. I said, it's going to be tandem. You don't have to worry. Well, the two thrill-seekers, yeah, yeah, let's do it.
11:01 And then the one, the oldest, no, no, I'm not going to do it. And Jane won't do it. But I think the closest place to skydive might be Cebu, and it would be tandem. These would be tandem. You're connected to someone who's done 1500 jumps. You're not going to have a problem.
11:19 Life's good. And I, if we get the place close to the beach or close enough to the beach, I've already ordered metal detectors. I'm going to be that old guy on the beach, that 67-year-old decrepit guy with the metal detector, looking for pesos and centavos and bottle caps and the occasional ring.
11:41 I'm probably talking too much. No, no, no worry. What was the moment like when you realized, I'm here for good? In my case, I probably made that decision before I left America, and I never wavered, really.
11:50 Look, the cost of living here, the weather.
11:59 Look, the cost of living here, the weather. I've lived in a variety of places in North America. The last place I lived was Pennsylvania, six months of snow. I don't ever see it again. I've lived in places where you get eight months of snow. People complain about, actually Jane complains about the heat here sometimes, but I'm originally from Tucson, Arizona.
12:19 Which means in July and August, you hit 115. So when it hits 88 here or 90, it doesn't bother me. It's like nothing. Is it a different kind of heat? Yeah, in Tucson, it's a dry heat. You open the door, it's like opening the door to a blast furnace. It just hits you head to toe.
12:46 Do I like the heat here better? Yeah, I do. I'm in a talkative mood today. Yeah, I'm sure I'm jazzed. I had my cancer test yesterday and found out I'm not going to die real fast, so I'm kind of feeling up. Haven't come down yet, so I'm a lucky guy. I'm living where I want to live. I can live okay on my Social Security with a live-in housekeeper.
13:13 I've got some trips planned, a few little trips planned. Hopefully, we'll do a 16, 17-day tour. It'll be a guided tour of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Thailand. After Jane gets used to traveling with that passport, I'd like to do a Mediterranean cruise. I've done 10 Caribbean cruises and one Alaskan, but I've never done a Mediterranean.
13:43 I was watching Mark, and he's spent his life on cruise ships, and he said the best was the Mediterranean cruise. So I made a mental note, and I want to do one of those before I croak it and before I get too old to enjoy it.
14:05 What are some other places you'd like to see in the region? Oh, here in the Philippines. Well, let's see, we've been to Bayan, we've been to Bolod. Been to Siquijor, hated it. Been to Manila, hated it. Don't like big cities. Don't like... Trappal Island, we've been there twice. I haven't really thought about that because I was kind of focused on the next big trip, which is, like I said, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand.
14:37 And then after that, I want to do the Mediterranean. I haven't really thought about more Philippines places. It was interesting, Bayan, where the trikes were electric and very quiet, and you sit really low. It only seats one person usually. That was interesting. The trikes are different in Cebu, different in Bayan. I just assume they'd all be like here.
15:07 No, Bolod, is that how you pronounce it? The people here are much friendlier here than there. In fact, I would say of the places I've been, the people here are friendliest of any place I've been so far, which is a handful of places. That's my perception.
15:26 Yeah, and maybe Siquijor for a day trip. Maybe you mentioned previously you want to go for 16 days. Are there certain highlights, like Cambodia for example? And Coron is very popular. Well, I haven't digested that because I haven't been there. I just looked at 16 days for four countries and I looked at the price and I thought, I can afford this.
15:50 I think for both of us, it would be 5K US, 5 grand US. I figured, I looked up the flight real quick, and I figured, and I did contact them. I asked them, I said, this is 16 or 17 days, if you're traveling with just one suitcase, are people shipping stuff home? And they said, yes, they do. And I said, okay, that's what I wanted to know.
16:14 So I'm figuring maybe a thousand bucks for trinkets and stuff because we're going to want to buy stuff for daughters, three daughters, and stuff like that. Whenever I go anywhere, I've traveled a little bit, not as much as you, but I have traveled a little bit. Every state in the US other than Hawaii. Canada, even worked there one summer, taught at a university there. Italy, England, Ireland, Cancun, Jamaica. I think that's it.
16:53 And whenever I go somewhere, if I go on a trip and I'm spending all that money on a trip, I'm coming home with some trinkets. It doesn't make sense not to. I mean, if you're spending 5,000 on a trip, spend a hundred bucks and get a piece of artwork or something, right? It just, you may never go back there again, and you're decorating a home, right?
17:15 So yeah, you and your wife have a lovely home to decorate. Yeah, she told me, she said this about 10 days ago, probably doesn't think I was listening. She said, when we get the home, you know, I want to buy stuff to decorate it with. I said, of course. Of course. The only thing I'm going to have to be careful with Jane is, Jane is tight with a peso. She's tight with a buck, and I'm going to have to encourage her to buy high-quality stuff, maybe at a little slower pace.
17:52 But I want her to buy really good stuff that will last our lifetime. Please give us a thumbs up if you enjoy this content. Please comment down below if Anthony's story resonates with you. And finally, subscribe to the channel down below if you want to see more content like this. Back to Anthony's story, what has Jane taught you?
18:13 I'm always asking guys, what has your Filipino wife taught you? The correct price for a trike, how to take a jeepney. We take jeepney all the time. How to stay at a distance when she's at the market buying vegetables, fruit, and fish and chicken, so that I don't have to pay. She doesn't have to pay foreigner price.
18:48 Jane is very soft-spoken, and I'm a loudmouth American. I'm scary, you know? But you know as well as I do, when you get two Filipinos talking on the phone, you think they're angry with each other, and they're not. They're going very animated. So it's just a perception thing.
19:07 And what I did, and what's going to work for us, is my Social Security check. I'll just put it into a joint account and see how she does with the budget, because she's going to do better than I am. On the big purchases, I'll probably have to bump her up and say, don't buy the cheapest recliner, buy the next step up, something like that.
19:31 I might have to do that a couple times. But today, I mean, I love it. When the best way you want to find a woman in the Philippines, hang out at the UK. If they're shopping at the UK, they're good. If they're shopping in Robinson's, you just don't know. But when there's a sign that says P10 everything, P10.
19:53 Yeah, she also taught me how to ask for the bill. You do this when you're ready to leave the restaurant. That's what you have to do. Maybe she's going to teach me to be a better man. That would be good. We say grace before meals. She's religious. I'm religious. She is more religious than I am. She's Seventh-day Adventist, I'm Roman Catholic. I respect her Sabbath, and they're both Christians, so it doesn't matter.
20:27 It's not a problem, it's not an issue. The people at her church are very nice. Some attended our wedding, one gave his blessing, one of the elders. Oh, when I went to book the second trip to Apo Island, I came up, I got a deal for 21,000 and change for the five of us. She got a deal for 16 and change. It did take her 10 minutes to beat me.
20:54 What? That's just really impressive. You know, that's one of those things where you found a nice wife is that she's trying to save you money. Well, she's saving us money because the money is going. I'm not doing the allowance thing. I understand some guys do, maybe it works for them. My Social Security will be going into a joint account here monthly, and I'll just, I don't really worry about it.
21:23 I'm having a tough time getting her to take money out. I told her, go up the bank, take 50,000 pesos out or whatever. She said, that's too much. And she did finally take 30 out. So I'll just have my Social Security check every month go in there, and we'll see how we do. And if there's a big purchase we want to make, we might have to save for a few months, and she can manage that.
21:48 I think she's probably very good at managing money. I'm not worried about the money. Okay, it's not. I think a lot of guys are. I'm not. We're married, man. It's, I'm from a community property state. What I have is hers. And I think too, with your accounting background, you've learned over many decades how to manage money.
22:14 Right? How to... Doesn't mean I don't make stupid mistakes. Doesn't mean I don't pay three times what I should in the market. Doesn't mean that the trike driver doesn't get $150 for a $20 trip or 20 peso trip. It's different, you know.
22:33 Oh, and this is interesting. I have to tell you this. It fascinates me. You know, when you buy a house, the taxes have to be paid up. Okay? You cannot transfer the title. The people were buying the house from, the woman is not poor, she's obviously wealthy. She traveled from Florida to Australia. She's traveling in Australia right now. She's not a poor person, has not paid her real estate taxes for 20 years since 2005, 72,000 pesos.
23:06 Which to an American, or that's nothing. I paid property taxes that was my property tax for a year. Ditto. So, and you sometimes hear the story, the reason the rich people get rich is they don't pay their bills. They don't charge any penalty or interest here. This woman is brilliant. You get 20 years of interest. If someone gives me 20 years of interest-free use of their money, I'm not going to pay my bill. I'm going to put it in a savings account, earn interest.
23:35 Right now in America, where I'm from in Pennsylvania, three years of no taxes, you have a sheriff's sale, man. It's in most states, I think. Yeah, the real property taxes fund the schools, fire, police, right? So it just fascinates me that in the Philippines, they haven't figured out that if you give me interest-free use of your money, I'm not going to pay my bill. I'm just not going to pay it. Why would I? Why would I pay my bill?
24:10 The woman is brilliant. She's behaving completely rationally. It's just interesting. It is interesting if you study finance your whole life. You know, it's well, you don't have to study finance to know that.
24:23 I don't have to study finance to know that if you're going to give me interest-free money, I mean, I know guys who get these credit cards with, I don't do this, but you could get these credit cards where you can transfer a balance for free for 120 days or six months. They'll borrow money against it sometimes with no fee. It's an introductory offer, and they'll take that money and put it in a bank account and earn interest on it. I knew a guy who did that all the time, and maybe he's making a couple hundred bucks on each card, so he's behaving in a completely rational fashion.
25:00 It's kind of fun, it's interesting. Another thing when looking for a house here, I asked a question: 'Oh, it's 7,000 square meters, looks like it's 1.7 kilometers off the main highway. Is the road okay?' Oh, the road's perfect. So you take the road, and the road is so bad. We've had this happen twice when we were looking. The road is so bad that it would destroy a car, destroy a scooter, destroy a 4x4. And the only way you can get in and out of 1.7 kilometers rather is by dirt bike.
25:43 But the lot is great, it's 7,000 square meters, it's beautiful. You just can't get to it because they have these dips with these big boulders that'll destroy your vehicle. But it's interesting, they'll say, 'Oh, the road's great.' Well, it isn't. 'Oh, the title's clean.' No, it's not. You need five signatures, and two of the people have died. Or you need eight signatures, and the lawyer will say, 'I have a good lawyer.' He said, 'Oh, it'll take more than a year to get clear title.' And I said, 'Well, but they, you know, they're trying to sell you because in this culture, clear title, they don't care.' But where we're from, title is everything.
26:26 It's everything. It's just real different. I'm merely describing, I'm not really, well, I am complaining a little bit because they wasted my time. You know, we have MLS, you look at the real estate, you look at the price. Here, they don't want to give you the price first, right? So I've actually gotten nasty on Facebook and said, 'This house has no price, it must be free.' Or if they don't show pictures of the kitchen or the interior, this house, I'm a jerk. This house has no interior. Sorry. Oh, I'm sorry. That's okay. This house has no kitchen. This house has no bathroom.' And then they'll respond, and I'll say, 'Look, just give me all the information in one shot. You're wasting my time.'
27:13 And every once in a while, one of them gets angry and says, 'You're wasting my time.' I said, 'Okay, block.' Did you share? You mentioned the difference in time. Has it been an adjustment for you? You go from the pace in the US, which is super fast, to here, it's much more relaxed. Has it been a significant adjustment for you? You're a happy-go-lucky guy, so that's where I think you have an advantage over some guys.
27:39 But yeah, if you could speak to that. I do move faster than Jane. The other day, she cooked me a great breakfast. I did the dishes, which I enjoyed doing, cleaned the floor, took out the garbage, organized some stuff, spent about three hours running around. She's lying on the couch looking at me like, 'Yeah.' And so I stopped for a moment and I said, 'Man, I always said, American time, not Filipino time.' And she has a good sense of humor, she understands sarcasm. But yeah, I work, I move faster, no question about it. I get more accomplished. I'm a 'get 'er done' kind of guy.
28:25 Larry the Cable Guy, 'Get 'er done.' The culture here is not so much. In Mexico, it's 'mañana,' man, tomorrow. The Spanish, of course, occupied Mexico, and Mexicans came from the local indigenous people and the Spanish. And here, I think Chinese and Spanish primarily. Yeah, mixture of Chinese, Spanish, and Indigenous. Yeah, yeah. Well, the 'mañana' part appears to be consistent between Mexico and the Philippines. The only difference is here, we call it 'Philippines time.'
29:02 It's funny, man, it's funny. But I don't get angry. So if I'm waiting for an hour in the grocery store in line, I don't get angry, it doesn't bother me. Today, I went into the bank, they could, I guess they could tell I'm over 60, took me to the front of the line. I've had that happen a few times. Senior, right? Took me to the front. You haven't had it happen, you're not a senior. No. Very polite, very nice. There's no crime here that I'm aware of. I'm sure there is, but there's no crime, and I'm safe, and it's pretty good.
29:41 Do you feel safer here than back home in America? Yes, yeah, not even close. Different, different world. And I was living before I left America, I was living in a relatively safe area, and yes, I feel safer here. I mean, just look at 2 AM on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, take a trike, take it down the National Highway. Maybe the reason is because there's security everywhere, who knows? Don't misunderstand me, I own eight firearms. Before I left the US, I gave them to my cousin. I have nothing against guns, but I, it may be here that's, and that's probably why less of a drug problem here. They can't afford the drugs. Can't the drugs. Can't afford the guns.
30:32 I think there too, there's a greater sense of community here. You know, you go out and you see, you know, I found in America that the social climate kind of went down over the course. I mean, I'm only 32, but when I was a kid, people would get together, it seemed more social. Where it seems like, especially after the COVID era, people are not quite as social. Where here, I don't think it's COVID, I think it's culture. You think it's culture? Yeah.
31:03 Because I can relate. So let's say when I was, I'm 67, say 50 years ago, I'm working on my car in the front carport. Next door neighbor comes over, he says, 'Hey, what you working on?' Neighbors come over for a barbecue. Pretty rare to see that in America today. I was, when I was a little kid, riding my banana bike, I fell and skidded. I guess I had time to heal. I was bleeding all over my arms. You were banged up. Asphalt? Yeah, rough asphalt. Two houses down from mine, the neighbor brought me into their bathroom. I'm bleeding all over their floor. They clean me up, walked me home, made sure I was okay.
31:47 Today, they'd probably call an ambulance and just watch and wait. Of course, I'm from the generation, you didn't wear a helmet when you rode a bike, right? And you did things that sometimes kids can't do today because it's dangerous, like play tag, dodgeball, right? And some things they restrict today in schools because you might get injured. They're concerned about lawsuits. Yes, they are. The lawyers. It's the lawyers.
32:16 So has the culture? Yeah, the culture's changed a lot. Used to be, yeah, neighborhood block parties, cookouts, neighbors helping each other out. My father was a plumber, pipe fitter. A person had a plumbing problem, he was not the tidy bow man, he did new construction. And a neighbor had a problem, and we went over there and spent a few hours, didn't ask for any money, anything, just helped them out. I was raised, like I said, in the trades, so I know how to do things. Just people help.
32:50 Growing up, my father was a plumber, pipe fitter. When someone wanted to build a house, add a room to their house, enclose the carport, porch, whatever garage. They don't have garages out there, really have carports. This is in Arizona. Me and my father went, I'm 12, 13, 14, 15. An electrician and his son, a carpenter and his son, a mason and his son. We go get it done, and the men would have a beer, and the kids would have hot dogs and soft drinks. You know, and mostly we were the gophers, right? Because we were learning the trade. It was a good way to grow up. It was a good way, a lot of teamwork.
33:37 That, yeah, that is gone today. Yeah. What you just said is so interesting. A friend of mine came to visit, and I asked him, he went to Thailand, and I asked him, 'What did you notice about Thailand that was different from the US?' He said, 'I noticed that people work together, teamwork. I noticed that people seem to just collaborate and try to get things done more effectively than we do back home.' Yeah, well, we're very individual-oriented. Look at Superman, Batman, individuals, right? The hero, it's the individual, isn't it?
34:13 Keep in mind, after World War II, we were the only country with manufacturing ability. You wanted to buy a car, you had to buy it from us. Look what the Japanese had to do for decades. They had to pull together, work as a team. This way, they like baseball, by the way, teamwork. And it wasn't until the mid-80s when the Japanese automobiles started to overtake American and Germany. The same thing, the German automobiles, the technology started to overtake. So you look at it in a historical context. You blow up the manufacturing capacity of the world, Japan, Germany, Europe, Italy. You blow up all the factories, you have to buy your junk from us. Back then, it took a decade to build a steel plant, and you needed the steel plant to build more plants. So things move very slowly.
35:02 They move slower, they move faster. You can build a factory or plant in like three years now, or maybe even less. Back then, it might have taken a decade, you know? So they had to pull together and be a team and be selfless. And one of the things, some of my vet friends will appreciate this. I'm glad I served in the Marine Corps because it's the finest team in the world. Selfless, absolutely selfless. Your pal is there, they're going to help you out. You're carrying too much weight? Here, give me some of it. Just that simple.
35:34 You don't see that, you know? And part of it's the lawsuits. You can't be the Good Samaritan if you're going to get sued, right? It's a little bit, a little bit difficult. So these cultures, in that regard, they're superior to ours. Thank you so much today, Anthony, for your time, and we really appreciate the patience of your lovely wife, Jane, as well. I just want to give you the final word before we wrap up today.
36:02 Well, come here, have fun, go to the mercado, have a lunch for two for 300 pesos. Live it up, you know, eat out, eat a lot of fish. I don't eat too much beef anymore. My blood pressure's dropped from...
36:17 My blood pressure dropped from 120 over 80, which is normal with medication. I might have to back off on the medication. It's dropped to 100 over 70 the past few months, so I must be doing something right here. I think it's Jane's cooking.
36:31 You have a great day. Thanks for having me. Thank you for your service, Anthony. Thanks so much, everybody. We'll see you soon.
Follow the journey through expat life, travel experiences, and the realities of living abroad while exploring different places, cultures, and everyday life overseas.
