Am I Moving to Cebu?

Morning Routine and Channel Growth

0:20 Good morning everybody. We'll just give it a few minutes to get loaded up. I'm like half awake. Hey, what's everybody doing? How's it going? I'm just waking up here, just woke up pretty early, about like 5, 5:30.

1:10 Oh wow, we got four people. So this is a good time, I think, because we're probably right after people are getting off work in America. But anyway, yeah, okay, cool. I'm getting to register on the mic. Yeah, I'm doing well, guys. The growth in the channel has been awesome this week. It's really just growing a lot.

1:31 I've got more videos coming out. I've got probably a dozen that need to be edited, if I'm being honest. So I am really behind on editing. Hey Mikey L, good to see you. Welcome, welcome. What are you having for dinner tonight?

2:11 Um, there's cats outside. Sometimes animals will get to not getting along on the street, and I have to go out and clap. So I may do that, guys. I'll be right back. I'm going to go check on that.

3:08 Guys, sorry about that, guys. I just stepped out and just did the clapping thing. So, oh, chili is great. It is cold. Yeah, 40s Fahrenheit is pretty chilly. Good weather for chili. I used to eat a lot of chili growing up in Tennessee in the wintertime. It was a nice way to stay warm.

3:30 Put shredded cheddar cheese on top with the beans and the ground beef. Sometimes we buy it, sometimes my grandma would make it with like tomatoes. And yeah, really good stuff, guys. By the way, please give us a thumbs up. It helps with the algorithm. I noticed nine folks are with us right now.

3:54 And yeah, Mikey, that is really cold. I can appreciate that. I remember a lot of chilly winters with temperatures in the 40s. Gerard, it is 6:30. It's about 6:30 AM here, and before the world comes to life, then I thought it'd be a good time to hop on here.

4:21 And yeah, after this, guys, so yeah, here in a couple hours, I'm going to go meet Mike's Philippine retirement down at the Boulevard. I know Mikey is familiar with Mike. But yeah, I'm gonna go catch up with Mike after this one. But I'll go for at least an hour, and then I'll grab a shower and get dressed and then head down to the Boulevard.

Daily Errands and Editing Backlog

4:50 I've got some things I need to do today. Need to go clothes shopping. Need to hit the ATM. Those are the big things. Yeah, I mean, those are really the big things.

5:10 I probably won't be out all day, though. I'll probably come back kind of early because I'm so behind on editing, guys, that I need to hang out here like for a week or so and just edit, edit, edit. I've got so much.

5:25 It's like every day I edit one video and then I filmed two or three, so now I'm super behind. I, hey Alex, early start. Yeah, so it is an early start for me. Since I moved to a better place to live, I don't some of you may have been on some of the streams I had before, but it could get very loud regardless of the hour.

5:50 It could just get so loud it would be out of hand, such that I couldn't really make the streams effective. Like, I want every piece of content to be as good as it can be while still maintaining production. And so I'd try to do streams and it would just be so loud, I would be distracted. So even if at times it wasn't a bad experience for you guys, the audience, I just really want to make the best use of your time.

6:15 And also the people watching on replay, because we get a fair amount of people that like to watch these live streams after the fact, maybe the timing wasn't convenient for them.

6:30 Yeah, early morning though. So since I moved here, I sleep a lot better, mostly better. And so I can wake up a lot earlier and be a lot more productive. I'm also in the city as opposed to on the far outskirts. So being in the city, I'm just really close to my filming locations.

6:47 I can, I just have more access to coffee shops, places to meet up with people, more interview locations. Like yesterday, I did an interview with Chad of Chad Foster Explorers that hopefully I'll get that one. It's toward the back of the queue because I have so much.

7:06 Like, I've still got an interview I did with Mike and Paul a few months ago I haven't edited. I'm embarrassed about that one. But yeah, I've got a bunch in the tank that I just need to get through and get caught up on.

Hiring Out Content and Dating in Dumaguete

7:18 So it's like every day I edit one, maybe two, and then add several to the pile. So the pile just keeps getting bigger and bigger. If the channel gets big enough, certain pieces of content I will hire out for. I'd like to still do the long-form stuff myself, but making things like shorts and then also certain types of interviews that I do, it would be nice to just be able to offload some of that work.

7:47 Because it's going to get to the point where it's too much for one person. Nicholas, hey Alex, how is dating in Dumaguete? So I don't date a whole lot here in Dumaguete. I actually, the reason being is I met somebody I'm interested in. So the title of this one is, I might be moving to Cebu, and she lives in the Cebu area.

8:13 So, you know, I won't be, um, I just don't have as much, I don't know if you're going to call it need to date here in Dumaguete. I think some guys date here without issue. I don't think it's the best place to date here in the Philippines, if I'm being honest.

8:31 I think there's a few things that make it challenging. One, lots of foreigners, so you're not going to stand out here as a foreigner if you're wanting to have that, I don't know if you call it celebrity effect, but if you want to get that extra kind of over-the-top attention, I just don't see it being as common here in Dumaguete.

8:49 But also, like, two, a lot of the people that come here, you know, a lot of the women that come here, they're students, and so they're spending, it's a pretty big investment for their family for them to go to school here. And so they don't want to misuse those resources, right? They want to get their degree, they want to potentially get their first job, whether it be in the city or it be in Cebu or Manila.

9:18 So for them, you know, because it's so expensive, I don't know that they really have that concept. We have the concept back home of party school. I don't really know that they have that here. Not to say people don't like to have fun here, but it's just such a big undertaking financially. Seems like people really take it seriously here.

9:35 So that's another thing is they're thinking, well, should I really be dating if we're spending all this money for me to go to college? So yeah, that's just something else I'd call out. But yeah, so she's up in, she's in Cebu, she's in the big city.

9:53 I personally think as far as dating goes, like most guys, now this is just a general suggestion, I know some people will feel differently. I'm more interested in city people. So I grew up in a city in the United States. I feel that I can relate more to one of two types of people: one, people that grew up in the city, or two, people that moved to the city for work.

10:17 But that may not be you. Some guys are much more like they grew up in the country or what you could call a more rural area, and they want to be with somebody that's more, more of like, you know, used to a rural lifestyle. Why don't we pull up a map here just to give a better visual than me with the curtain behind me?

Big City Appeal and Cebu's IT Park

10:48 Here, we'll just pull up Kon Park. There we go. And so that's why I'm a fan of the bigger cities. Plus, you have like the sheer numbers. I mean, if you're wanting to just meet a lot of different people, the big city, it's a, if you look at it like a numbers game, you're going to have a lot more options in Cebu and in Manila.

11:13 Not that there's anything wrong with dating here. I think, you know, if you're a person that you like the smaller city atmosphere, I just don't know that it's the place I'd call the best or the easiest. Because the students are, you know, focused on education.

11:40 And I'm also interested in like somebody with a bit of professional experience that I can relate to in that way, because I've had some years in the working world. So seeing somebody else that, you know, they've also worked a corporate job or they've also been involved in business, see if that, that looks a little bit better than that.

11:59 That's of interest to me. By the way, guys, we have almost 30 people in here. Please give us a thumbs up. Welcome to all the new subscribers. So many new people have joined, and I greatly appreciate your support of the channel.

12:14 It's just been really exciting for me as a content creator to see things pick up. And yeah, I've got so much more coming. Do you follow Brian the Lion? He loves BGC. He posts hundreds of videos about how great it is.

12:29 So I'm not familiar with Brian. I'll have to check him out later on today. I think that, let's see, I think there's a lot that BGC has to offer. I could have, like, at my last, one of my former employers, could have worked my way into an expat job in BGC. I still kind of regret not doing that.

12:57 It wasn't a guarantee, but it was something I would be interested by. I think BGC is an awesome option. I think there's a lot of people that they want that big city lifestyle. Maybe they're from New York City, maybe they're from LA, maybe they're from London, and they want all those conveniences.

13:14 I know 30 and Wake Up. This is a guy I'm a fan of his channel. 30 and Wake Up, I think he recently moved to BGC and he's loving it. I mean, he's loving that he can go get Starbucks. The sidewalks are super wide.

13:30 You know, the thing I would say is that if you're a budget-conscious person, I don't know that BGC is going to be as friendly to people who are more oriented toward a modest budget. I think it would be beyond my capability right now.

13:46 Does that mean it's off limits? No. I think that as the channel grows, as I'm able to deliver more value to people, you know, it's certainly on the table. And it's relative, right? I mean, to live in New York City, you probably want at least a low six-figure salary. I don't know that you need that much to live in.

14:19 Anthony Norris, are you going to do slow travel through Cebu? Yeah, so Anthony, what I'm looking at right now, because...

Slow Travel in Cebu and Condo Leases

14:23 What I'm looking at right now, because I was last in Cebu about five years ago, and the woman that I met, I'm seeing now, she has told me Cebu has grown and changed a lot in the last five years. What I'll likely do, Anthony, is I'll rent the first month in IT Park. IT Park or in proximity to IT Park is just super convenient if you're a person that's not wanting to drive around. Like, I don't want to drive around. It's just, you know, it's easy mode. You're going to walk out your front door and you're going to have like restaurants, shopping malls, dry cleaners. You're going to be able to get around on foot, pedestrian-friendly, you know, just very, very convenient to be able to do that.

15:16 And then from IT Park, I'll travel around in Cebu. So I could go check out different areas. I mostly spent time in Mactan and IT Park and the Capital Site Area. So being able to see some parts of Cebu like that, that I didn't see last time. I also spent some time in the Reclamation Area, but seeing some places like I don't think I ever made it to Mactan New Town, so I mostly was in central Mactan. That might be cool. There's a number of YouTubers I plan to collaborate with in Cebu, like John Smo, if any of you are familiar with California Expat, also Wang, and then Heidi. Those are on the table for potential upcoming collaborations.

15:59 So yeah, I will be doing slow travel. That's definitely my style, Anthony. Just like last time I was in Cebu, I was just there for a week. And so, you know, I don't want to call things rushed, but you know, I was anticipating going, like leaving the country after that trip. And this time, going for at least a month, maybe longer. I'm starting to reach out to different condo buildings to try to see, hey, if I want to stay in Cebu, do I, what's the word I'm looking for? Like, you know, do I want to get a long-term lease? I should have something, I should have some of those options lined up so that if I decide to pivot and stick around longer than just a month, then, you know, I'll have those options in the tank.

Cebu Island and Leaving the US

16:49 I could technically, if I wanted to, which would probably be what I really should do, is go up for a month and then that first week, just walk all over the parking area and the surrounding neighborhoods and just go in every building I see until I find something that I like and meets budget. And then just, you know, hey, let's set a start date for after this month is up. But yeah, Cebu is on the radar. I was just in Cebu Island last week, so I didn't make it to the city, but I was in Cebu Island and it's, you get certain really nice conveniences up there that I'm interested in.

17:31 Congrats on the success of the channel. I was here a few months back and it's great to see the growth. Much deserved. Thank you so much, John Paul. I really appreciate that kind comment. I'm definitely flattered by all the support and just really appreciate it. It's something that I really enjoy doing. It's a lot of fun for me. I think more and more people are going to want to pursue this lifestyle and having resources, information resources, people that actually have explored a lot of these places is what will be helpful and could provide comparison, contrast, comparing, contrast, that kind of thing.

18:09 Are you more content there than the United States? I'm seriously considering leaving Australia for Asia. Oh, absolutely. The only reason I would go back to the United States is for money, point blank. That's the only reason I would go back to the United States is to earn more money. There's nothing else that is so important to me in the United States that I need to sacrifice my happiness. Do I have friends there? Absolutely, wonderful people that I do miss. But, you know, if the rest of my life it sucks, like, it's not worth being back there just to meet up with friends, just to complain about being unhappy.

18:49 I don't want to bog them down. Some of my friends are not very happy in the United States either, but they're not necessarily in a position to leave for a while. So that's the main reason I would go back to the United States. Everything else is ancillary, literally only just to make money. Like, hey, I need a cash injection. I need, you know, cash for, like, what's the word? You know, to not sell assets or whatever.

BGC Lifestyle and Budget Considerations

19:33 Mikey says, I've watched a few of Brian's videos. He sure does love BGC. Yeah, I think BGC has got a lot going for it. I'm not one of those people that's a hater on it. I think that there's a reason so many people want to live there. You know, you really have a very convenient lifestyle there, plenty of shopping. If you're a person who wants to travel to parts of Asia, you're not too far.

20:15 Actually, yeah, so you're not too far from the airport, right? So you could probably get a cab and a reasonable well, Manila traffic is can be kind of wild, but you're not that far from the airport. I mean, you're not having to cross Manila to get to the airport. So if you need to fly to Bangkok or, you know, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, you're not that far from the airport. So that's another big thing if you're a traveler.

20:46 Then, you know, there's a lot to love there. Brian pays $620 for a deluxe condo. That's a very reasonable price, Nicholas. Yeah, I mean, you compare that to Manhattan, you can easily pay four grand for that, maybe five grand a month or upwards. I mean, Manhattan rents have continued to tick upwards. Mettech, you should move to Cambodia because there's far less competition for vlogging there. Yeah, it's just not the cards right now.

Expenses in BGC and Visa Situations

21:21 CBGB, $2,000 a month is good for BGC. You know, I'm not sure. I haven't spent time in BGC, so I can't really do that. I should probably try it for like a month and report back to everybody, like, hey, this is what I spent in BGC. And so it's certainly something I want to do in the future is go like rent a condo for a month and just make a note of my expenses, make a note of, you know, what I purchase, what it costs, what the lifestyle is like. It's going to be more condo-oriented up there for sure, not as much, I think, like, you know, just you're a little further from nature.

22:12 But yeah, IT Park offers a lot of conveniences by foot. Be ready for traffic once you exit that bubble. Yeah. So last time I was in Cebu, I stayed in the Capital Area and, certainly, there is traffic. Like I would take a Jeepney or a Grab taxi or walk because of the traffic in Cebu. And so it's certainly, I mean, it's a very popular city, lots of people moving to Cebu for work, to work in the call centers, BPO, business process outsourcing. Like it's definitely a business city and so it does, you know, a lot of people there.

22:58 As regard attitude. Okay, I see Met Kambo Vlogs and For Real are my two favorite Cambodia vloggers. Both seem like great people. Metag JP, if I move there, I will try to promote Cambodia via YouTube. Yeah, I love Cambodia. Mettech, you know, there's, I think the Visa situation is a big one. I mean, it's not readily apparent to me that there is a long-term Visa solution that I'm familiar with to stay in Cambodia long-term.

Cambodia vs. Philippines and Personal Preferences

23:27 And for me, I always want to be following the visa requirements. So that's one of the wonderful things about the Philippines is it's very clear that I'm able to stay here without major concern for up to three years. And then I could leave and come back. And then also, like the woman I'm interested in, like she doesn't live in Cambodia. So for me to go to Cambodia, would I mean, at that point, I just go back to America to make more money because I'm interested in her.

23:57 And now, you know, we're still getting to know each other. And I mean, I think Cambodia is awesome. It's not something where I just, I don't, it's not the cards right now. There's something for everybody. Mettech, I don't think there's any one solution for everybody. That's why when people tell me or people ask me, where should I go? I'm thinking, you know, discovery trip, right? Figure out the right place for you. What's right for one person is not right for another person.

24:38 I have subscribers in every Southeast Asian country. I have guys that love Vietnam and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. I have guys that they're fans of the Philippines, they wouldn't want to be in a country where English is not as prevalent. It's not like, you know, back home where I moved to a certain place because that's where the job is. Like, San Francisco, I moved there for the opportunity to earn money. I love that city a lot, but if the opportunity wasn't there, I wouldn't be attracted to that place. In Asia, you have more flexibility as far as like, where do I want to go? Where do I want to be?

Slow Travel Philosophy and Living Costs

25:17 Guys, by the way, please give us a thumbs up if you haven't already. It does help to distribute this to more people. Vagabond Awake, he's big on slow travel. Yeah, I've been a fan of Vagabond Awake for years now. I think that his style, not being over the top, not being flashy, is really cool. Sometimes I don't think he always effectively communicates his really high level of travel experience because he's living the lifestyle. It's normal to him, right? And so he can do things really cheap.

26:02 I recently did a video with Chad Foster Explorers where I explained how I'm living on like six to $700 per month here in Daggett. And now I could spend substantially more than that. Like he's in the same position Vagabond Awake is, he could spend substantially more. But for him, it's kind of a game. I do have some concerns sometimes where he doesn't necessarily provide context as much as I could, saying, okay, I can do this because I've lived in five different countries, I've traveled to 20 different countries, I've spent several years outside the United States. I've tested and practiced, I've made blunders.

26:44 I've made blunders, I've made financial mistakes traveling abroad. Part of the reason I don't do budget videos is because it's not just about your expectation, but also your experience level. If you've never been to another country, moving to a hardcore province of a country you've never been to and totally dropping your standard of living is going to be extreme.

27:28 I mean, I live better here in the Philippines on six or 700 per month than I did in California on a six-figure income. That's just my perception. That's a whole another discussion, though, because it comes down to individual preference.

27:50 Some people would not be comfortable on a modest budget here, where they would be thrilled to have that higher budget in California. I'll say it that way.

Chains in Dumaguete and San Francisco Weather

28:07 Thank you, Dave, I appreciate that. That's very kind of you to say. Is there a Jack in the Box? No, Kevin, not to my knowledge. I haven't seen one here, but there might be one in BGC. I haven't seen one here in D MTI.

28:22 As far as some of the chains we've got, why don't we pivot back to doag Getti here? Let's see here, so we've got McDonald's, we've got Chow King, Jollybee, and KFC is another one that's popular here. Those are the big ones.

Cambodia's Underrated Appeal

29:01 San Francisco is experiencing a cyclone right now. That's terrible. My buddy in San Jose was telling me about that. Gerard, that's really unfortunate. I hope everybody's okay and in San Francisco is okay. It's sad to see because I think that area is not really used to inclement weather to the same extent that maybe some other places are.

29:30 It would be great to have another vlogger over there. I was there last year and went to Kampot for the first time. It has a great small-town feel, but the expats have their fair share of oddballs. I love Cambodia, by the way. I think Cambodia is underrated.

29:47 You're not going to hear me criticize the place. I think it's awesome. I've heard it's changed a lot in five years too, so I'd like to go back at some point. I also have a friend there who owns a hotel and a cafe in Phnom Penh.

Makati vs. IT Park and Provincial Life

30:07 She struggles a bit with English, but she's been super kind to me and always asking when I'm going to come to Cambodia. Using the translate app, there's a lot there.

30:41 I like that it's got a small-town feeling. The city in general is smaller than my hometown. Mcello, I've been in Makati for two years now and I'm down to explore Cebu somehow. I haven't gone down there yet.

31:05 In Makati, you have so many conveniences. For a lot of people, when it comes to Cebu or Manila, Makati, they pick one or the other because both are very built up. You have all your conveniences, your shopping, your Western amenities, your airport, everything you could want.

31:34 If you're in an IT Park, you're not missing out on a whole lot in Makati, and vice versa. If you're in Makati, you're not missing out as much from IT Park that you get more value from going to Boracay or Palawan and Dumaguete, or some other parts of the country.

Retirement Visas and Cebu Area

31:53 Medtech, yeah, I will be 55 next year and will qualify for a Cambodia retirement visa. Very cool. Medtech, I would love to see you vlog there. Please do, because it's just such an underrated country in a lot of ways and doesn't get the attention I'd like to see it get.

32:24 Dam cars, the best place near your lady and not too far from her. Yeah, so she's from Cebu City, or I should say the Cebu area. I don't want to get more specific than that because I really do want to keep her private.

Privacy and Relationships

32:43 I don't expect to put her on vlogs or anything like that, for if ever, but for a while. Because, yeah, I mean, she's a nice person, and the internet is full of not very nice people.

33:03 Plus, you know, I've also heard, and I've just got to be transparent here, the challenge too with including your significant other, assuming you're not married, is that if you ever break up or something like that happens, not saying that I see that happening or want that to happen, half the audience leaves because half the people were watching for her.

33:28 I'd rather just be my thing. Plus, she's got like a career and she's really busy with that. So, if I were to go up there, we'd be spending time together in the evenings or weekends, not so much kind of like the hangout all the time thing that you see more of here in Daggett.

33:45 Anthony Norris, good place to work, not so for living. I agree. Anthony, great place to work and earn money, terrible place to live for quality of life broadly speaking. There are some awesome places in the US, but most people have to work so hard to pay their bills there these days, they just can't enjoy it like they could in the past.

Dealing with Difficult Expats

34:07 Medtech, nice one. You have a few years on me, so I'll be working in the west until then. Can you tell us all about a couple of the strangest expats you can run into over there? No names needed.

34:20 I mean, I think just on average, John Paul, this is something I would watch out for: people with high conflict personalities. You're going to meet expats in any hot spot or destination that they've got this personality issue where they like to argue, they like to start conflict, they want to bicker, and they have this way of manipulating you into an argument.

34:53 I've met some people that they'll pretend to be your friend, they'll be over-the-top friendly, they'll be super nice, and then slowly but surely they just kind of weave their way into these long and drawn-out arguments. A big one that I would look out for is if somebody contradicts themselves. That's a big red flag.

35:16 If I meet somebody and they're telling me the sky is blue, okay, the sky is blue. Actually, it's purple. There's a lot there. Honestly, if I'm going to be honest with you, John Paul, there's just too many to count. But I would really look out for the ones that are argumentative, complain incessantly.

35:35 Not general critique. I think I'm just as skeptical of the person who's always positive as I am of the person who's always negative. The person who's always positive, I wonder what they're trying to sell me. The person who's always negative is annoying.

35:53 I would keep an eye out for people that contradict themselves, for people that argue a lot. If you meet somebody that, you know, that's part of the reason I started my channel is I wanted to meet other expats that I felt like were stand-up guys.

36:13 And there's transparency there. Some people say, why would you trust a YouTuber? Well, the thing about YouTube, especially expat YouTube, is you share a lot about your life, and you can draw lines. Like, okay, they said this, and then you meet them. Does that line up with how they act or what they said? There's accountability there when you're doing a personal lifestyle vlog.

36:36 As opposed to how-to guides like working on your car or some other thing that just doesn't get into personal life. So, yeah, I mean, don't be afraid to walk away either. If you meet some weirdo like, 'Oh, you're from the US? I'm from the US. We're friends.' No, there's over 300 million Americans. Just simply being from the United States is not a sufficient reason for me to be friends with somebody.

Quality Expats and Trusting Your Gut

37:03 In fact, if anything, it makes me more skeptical because it's not, you know, to become an expat, all you have to do is buy a plane ticket. It's not like we're having to go and get a certain specialty education. It attracts all kinds.

37:34 There's a lot of good guys out there too, I should say. Especially through the channel, I meet more guys I perceive to be good guys or quality guys than I do bad ones. But the bad ones stand out more in some ways because the good guys, they're quiet. They're not making a bunch of noise.

37:55 They may be vloggers. I've hung out with Mike a lot, and Mike is who he says he is. I suggest, same with Paul, both of them have been very good to me. Same with Chad. All three of those guys have been very good to me.

38:14 Strange guys more just kind of a blanket term of like, if you see somebody that seems like the type that likes to argue or they're being too friendly. That's a weird one because back home, people are not that friendly. People are kind of rude, actually. They're kind of gruff.

38:35 So you come here and somebody's being friendly and you're like, 'Oh wow, like it's so awesome.' I'm not talking about Filipinos. Filipinos are generally very friendly. I'm talking about expats here. If an expat comes up to you and they're super over-the-top friendly and you get like a weird feeling, trust that feeling. There's a reason they're being over-the-top friendly.

38:53 They probably want to sell you something. They probably want to ask you.

Navigating Social Situations and Cebu Condos

38:56 Something they probably want to ask you for. Something they're probably trying to set a certain narrative to. Unfortunately, there are a lot of strange people from the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada that choose to live outside of those countries. So, I've become more and more selective about whom I associate with. I'm getting better at figuring people out and knowing who to focus on. I'd rather put my limited time into the guys I really get along with and let the people I don't go with do their own thing. I don't feel guilty about it at all, and you shouldn't either.

40:12 It's hard to figure out too, because there are people that hide it well. They hide whatever issue they've got going on pretty well, and they're just good at navigating social situations. But they usually eventually show their issue in the long term.

Stream Engagement and Bohol City

40:36 Rory says, 'In the city of Cebu or near the city, high-rise or small house.' I'm not sure what you're talking about, Rory. If you could expand upon that, I'm looking for where I want to stay. I'm looking at condos in IT Park because that's just going to be the most convenient way to do things for me personally.

40:58 Hey Alex, hey Dolphin, how are you doing? Feel free to chime in, everybody. We're running to the end of the comments here, so we've got 25 people on here. That's awesome. This is the most people I've had on a stream, so it looks like this is a good time for everybody. But yeah, feel free to chime in with questions.

Honest Expat Content and Realistic Expectations

41:18 You enjoy Bohol City? Oh, in Mindanao. I think this guy, he's not vlogging anymore. Redneck, and he was living in Bohol. I think he's probably still there, but he chose to wrap up the vlog because, yeah, I think you just saw some of the drama going down.

41:39 Guys, I'm going to step away to the restroom. I'll be back in like two minutes. Apologies, I just, when you gotta go, you gotta go.

42:59 Okay guys, I am back. So, thank you so much, everybody, for chiming in. I just wanted to give a shout-out. I just got an email notification from a person named Mr. John C, who bought me a coffee or used to buy me a coffee. Thank you so much for the support. I really appreciate it.

43:23 I'm not sure what your tag is, but yeah, I have to give you a shout-out for that. It's very kind and it really helps me to continue to make honest content as an expat. That's one of the biggest goals of this channel is to just provide honest insight and honest discussion.

Dating Challenges and Collaborations

43:46 You know, some channels, like vacation bloggers, this is part of the reason I don't do as much of those. They're trying to sell you on something. And of course, I mean, I work in sales. There is a business component to most YouTube channels, especially sizable ones. But I think helping to set reasonable expectations is important.

44:10 I think part of the reason there are challenges within expat communities or expat interactions, or with expats going to other countries, is that the expectations are not realistic. You know, there are sometimes situations where guys expect that they're going to land and then, you know, they're going to have a girlfriend within five minutes. I don't think that's realistic.

44:37 So let me get caught up here. John Paul, yes, I ran into a few of them on my travels. But Paul and Sunshine shoulders seem like good guys. Did you meet Sunshine? So I haven't yet met Calvin. I am in contact with Calvin. Like, I've got his contact info and we've interacted a bit on Facebook. I need to go at some point up there, or but I also heard he comes down here.

45:06 So I've heard he, Calvin Peri, periodically comes down here for his visa stuff, right? And so I'm gonna keep an eye out for him. I'm sure I'll see him if he comes down here to do an extension at some point because he's on the, he's like toward the north end of this island of Oriental.

45:43 But yeah, I do watch Calvin from time to time, and yeah, I'd be happy to collab with him at some point. I think it'll happen eventually, to be honest. I do think it'll happen eventually.

Cebu vs. Manila and New York City

45:52 I second JP about the strange expats. What are the major differences versus Cebu? Um, you mean in terms of Dagupan City or if you could expand on that? Okay, Billy, I'm just not sure if you're asking me to compare Cebu and Dagupan City, or Cebu and Manila. I don't have much experience in Manila, so I can't speak as much to that city.

46:18 Dolphin, I'm living in Cebu Business Park. Yeah, if I make it up there, when you're up there, Dolphin, I'll be happy to meet up. Maybe we could do an interview with you. But if not, no worries. Still happy to meet up. I just, I'm trying to get as many meetings scheduled and handled as possible for when I'm up there.

46:42 Michigan Sensei, I believe California Expat is also currently working in Cebu. Yeah, John is great. I've been in touch with John for like, gosh, I think about three years. So yeah, John has been very nice to me, and he is definitely on the list as far as collaborations. He and I have even talked about doing some longer-form content. He's thrown around the idea of doing a podcast format.

47:22 Mr. Dave, I'm from New York City. Oh, very cool. I love New York. I haven't been back to New York in like 10 years, but I like New York. I have a great time every time I go to New York City. There's nothing like it in the world.

City Preferences and Personal Choices

47:35 Let's see. The Philippines life. The Canadian guy sold me on Iloilo. Everyone said it was a great city for cycling, but it ended up not being for me in other ways. A lot of people like Iloilo, but I think it's like every city, it's not going to be for everybody. Like there's some awesome cities out there that some people love.

47:55 I mean, my hometown, we talk about it for a moment. I'm from Nashville, and I'm not a fan of Nashville, but a lot of people love Nashville. I think it's overcrowded, I think it's overpriced. Other people feel like it's the coolest place they've ever been. They love to live there. They love the lack of state income tax. They love the slower pace than like a New York or LA.

48:18 So yeah, people definitely feel differently about certain places. And opposite that, I love the Bay Area, California, and California in general. Other people, they can't stand California. So it really comes down to the individual as to what they're seeking. But I don't think anybody should feel bad about having preferences.

Davao and Albania Comparisons

48:38 I think there's something for everyone. You, me, Dave. You must be a cyclist. Deval is a great city for cycling at the coastal road. Yeah, I mean, I've heard tons of great things about Deval. I personally enjoyed my time in Cagayan de Oro, which is the opposite, like the north end of Mindanao. And I've heard Deval, and I've seen videos too.

48:58 Like one of my favorite vloggers, who I ran into in Peru several years back, actually. If you watch his video on Cusco, I'm in the video. You'll see. I think it's called 'S Life'. He's a retired veteran and he's traveled all over the world. But he did a Deval vlog, and it looks super clean, super organized.

49:24 Yeah, Deval is of major interest to me. If I wasn't going to go to Cebu, like if I hadn't met this woman who's from Cebu, I would probably be going to Deval. I'd like the bigger city atmosphere. I'm curious about Deval. It's got a lot of conveniences. It's a bit more spread out, I think, than Cebu or Manila. But just the orderliness is a big intrigue.

49:52 Matt says, 'Yes, I'm in Albania.' I think the bloggers all highlighted the great stuff and it's safe, but there's some downsides which they don't highlight. Um, I may have to go out there and get these dogs to shoe these dogs. Oh no, okay, good, they ran off.

Upsides and Downsides of Living Abroad

50:25 And I was gonna make a joke about being in a rough neighborhood, like rough like dogs. Once in a while, they congregate and get into little arguments outside. Not a big deal, I just clap a few times and they scurry off. Yeah, it is kind of funny.

50:50 Let's see. I'm in Albania. Wow. There's no perfect place, Matt. You know, I'm right there with you. And there's tactful ways to approach these things too. Like you don't have to say, 'Oh, this.' Some people say, and I do not agree with this, some people say, 'Oh, I can't stand Filipino food.' This and that. I love Filipino food.

51:13 I'll be very honest about it. I say it's not for everybody. Not everybody is accustomed to it. Not everybody is used to it. I happen to think it's delicious. I don't expect everyone to find what I find delicious to be delicious. For me, the food here, I mean, it's like, okay, yeah, certain things are, you could call more fringe, like Balut. But like I love Lechon.

51:36 Okay guys, I'll be right back. I'm...

52:17 Um, so anyway, sorry about that guys. I just had to go and check that out because it, anyway, not a big deal. Um, so let's see. Let me get back on track. I apologize for that. Shoot, I just dropped my trash bag. Anyway, um, okay, let me get caught up here.

Dating Strategies and Cultural Differences

52:42 Yeah, so that's what I think is trying to find that honest information. Matt, where you have a sense of what are the upsides, what are the downsides? And that way, people can find the places that are good for them. Like there's other places that...

53:07 Dude, there's like a pack of roaming dogs outside. So that's something to get used to here. They just, I don't know, they get into it.

53:26 And there's a lot to love. I mean, there's a lot to love, but it certainly comes with trade-offs. So let me get back on track. Marcello, I think it's perfectly possible to have a girlfriend within five minutes if you're using dating apps.

53:37 The problem is, you'll learn after three to six months that she isn't a good girlfriend. Yeah, so I would agree with that, Marcello. There's no reason to rush into it. There's a lot of awesome people.

53:47 It's important to take the time to vet people and find the right one. I believe this will reduce heartache and unhappiness down the line. Even going on a ton of first dates, which I get pushed back on, doesn't mean you're inviting them to spend the night. You can go out with someone and not even kiss them.

54:15 I don't think going on a lot of first dates, getting to know the culture, and asking them to show you around the neighborhood is a bad thing. Learning about the different options, neighborhoods, and meeting different people won't hurt you. It helps you look out for red flags and green flags.

54:48 You might find out on the second date that there's something about her you don't like, and you don't know what it is. You could realize you should have waited a bit longer. I don't think there's anything wrong with waiting, especially here where there are so many wonderful women available.

Dating in Cebu vs. Dumaguete

55:08 This is one of my perceptions, and it's open to change. I think the difference between back home and here is that back home, most of the good ones are taken. Here, there are still plenty of wonderful women who are not taken. So, I don't see a need to rush.

55:38 Which city is better for dating, Cebu or Dumaguete? Easy, Cebu. Cebu and Manila are by far your two best options. They are the most densely populated cities in the world, with millions of people in the metro areas. Tons of people move to these cities from around the country, so you get a wide variety of people.

56:08 The woman I dated in Cebu happened to be from Bohol, so there are a lot of different options in those two cities. Dumaguete is like 150,000 people, so you just have a much smaller pool of potential relationship candidates. Your best options are the big cities in the Philippines if your primary focus is dating.

56:34 You're going to have more options, more places to go, more restaurants, and more anonymity. For me, I get recognized by people who are part of my lady's family. They'll tell her, 'We saw the guy you're talking to at the mall, here, there.'

56:47 If you don't want to be pressured or critiqued for going on many first dates, which I don't think anyone should feel guilty about, then be honest. Explain that you just want to get to know them, there's no pressure, you're new, and you're not trying to rush anything.

57:25 Assuming you're being honest and explaining, 'Hey, I just want to get to know you, no pressure, I'm new here, I'm not trying to rush anything, I don't have expectations about this or that,' you'll be fine. If you're new here, you probably don't know much about the culture.

57:41 I only met three or four Filipino people before I came to the Philippines, so I didn't know much about it. There was a steep learning curve for me, even though most Filipinos speak English. I would ask friends, 'Hey, is this normal? What does this mean?' and they would fill me in.

58:12 If I didn't have that friend to talk to, I might be dating the wrong person and not knowing it. I push as far as if your primary focus is dating. Cebu is like the second city of the Philippines, almost like Chicago or Los Angeles, whereas Manila is more like New York City.

58:47 Dumaguete is a college town and a retirement destination. People move to Cebu for work, while people move to Dumaguete to slow down and relax. One city is for business, the other is for chilling out or studying. That's the big other thing: preparing themselves with a quality education.

City Vibes and Social Life

59:19 So, very different purposes for people being there and very different vibes. When I was in Cebu, it's business. People are there, they're going to work, they're commuting, they're trying to get things done. It's just a different vibe from Dumaguete. I like both, but they provide very different experiences.

59:52 It's hard to say as far as X-Acts. I think just tread cautiously. When I first got here, I thought I had all these friends, but I realize I have quite a few acquaintances and some good friends. So, you may feel lonely coming from back home where it's hard to make friends.

1:00:15 Life revolves around work, and then you come here, and people are social. They have free time to hang out, so you may feel like you have friends. But just take things slow, don't rush.

Davao City and Party Scenes

1:00:27 Mr. Dave, I've spent over a year dating. It's cleaner than Cagayan de Oro, the cheapest durian in the world, and other good fruits. That sounds great, Mr. Dave. I love durian. I've got to come down to Davao at some point. It sounds like a real gem. Are there any financial advisors there?

1:00:45 I recommend just sticking to what you know in your home country. Medtech, I think you mentioned being from the UK but having spent a lot of time in the US. It doesn't matter what country we're talking about; I generally recommend just sticking to what people know.

1:01:20 Yeah, Davao is well laid out, not dense like Cagayan de Oro. But again, this is not a good region for having fun with people. It's more conservative, maybe for an older guy. Davao is good. I'm more of a 'long in the tooth' kind of guy; I'm not really a partier.

1:01:39 That's part of the appeal for me as far as Davao goes: knowing that I'm not going to have to go out and have fun. Not that I'm against it, I'm just... I did so much of that when I was younger that I got my fill of it. There's more of that in Cebu, right? Cebu definitely has a party scene.

Channel Growth and US Lifestyle Discontent

1:02:04 Michigan Sensei, please, if you do end up living in Cebu, please do more interviews with cosplayers. Happy to do that. I had a lot of fun interacting with the cosplayers there, and I'm still friends with the one who helped lead the conversation. She's just so talented and has a good sense of humor.

1:02:40 How are you doing with income these days? Are you still applying for jobs in the US? Yeah, so my income is definitely ticking up with the growth of the channel. Part of my thought with the channel is that if it covers my general expenses, my investments will grow because I'm not selling investments to fund my lifestyle.

1:03:10 Basically, I'm talking to a job in Alaska. I thought about going and working in Alaska for six months, a summer tourism job that could help me grow the channel and add more people to the audience. It's not an emergency situation where I'm out of money.

1:03:32 I would say I'm about halfway to my goal, where I can move overseas permanently. The second half will be easier than the first half because of compounding interest. But simultaneously, I'm unhappy back home. To be fully transparent, I just don't like living in the United States.

1:03:56 I'm happy to visit, but I just feel like I've been there, done that, seen everything I wanted to see. It's just not a happy lifestyle for a lot of people, and that includes me. I don't like the winter. The culture is just... people are stressed out, people are not happy.

Deceptive Online Practices and Bohol City

1:04:15 I think boots on the ground, Billy, is best, like actually coming here. In that case, I had the same experience, Billy, where I would get hit up for money. I don't like that. I don't even know if their pictures are real. I don't know if I'm talking to who I'm talking to is really who I'm talking to.

1:04:47 The internet, in many ways, is a wonderful tool. In some ways, it does empower people who are deceptive.

1:05:03 Journeys in Bohol, I think Tagbilaran would be a good option. Less crowded than Cebu or Davao, and you have beautiful beaches in Panglao close by. I'd be happy to visit. Journeys, I think it'd be really cool to go there to meet up with folks. I think Raque also lives in Bohol, so I may run into him.

Language Barriers and Social Connections

1:05:23 I'm a newbie to the Philippines. I need a change from... My main issue is the language. Yeah, English is great. That's a big appeal of the Philippines.

1:05:48 Yeah, I mean, I spent a year in Thailand, and the challenge I did have there at times was just not having the English. It's great in Bangkok, it's...

1:05:58 The English here is great in Bangkok, it's decent in Chiang Mai. But you do feel kind of lonely after a while. I mean, I had a buddy here in Dumaguete who lived in Thailand for 15 years, and he said he did get lonely after a while because of that language barrier.

1:06:11 We're here. I mean, I have conversations all day long. After our conversation here, I'm going to be going down to meet up with Mike, and we're probably going to hang out for several hours. We might end up hanging out for four or five hours, and we'll be talking the whole time. This is the least lonely I've ever felt in my life.

1:06:30 The social climate here is awesome. You meet people all day, every day. I have to turn down social engagements here. I've just... and part of that too is just being a vlogger. I mean, if I socialized all the time, I would never be able to put vlogs out, and my vlogs are social. I mean, like, I'm having conversations with people, sometimes I'm doing interviews.

1:06:52 But the English here is just amazing. I mean, you have a... I feel like you have a deeper connection, or you can build a deeper connection with people here because of the English. It just adds a lot of depth to your interactions.

1:07:17 Your interactions, if you're trying to date here, you can have like, they get American culture. The woman that I'm chatting with now and interested in, she knows a lot about America. We have great conversations, and I think that would be harder in some of the surrounding countries. I know it would be, actually, from personal experience, that it would be harder in some surrounding countries where English is just simply not as prevalent.

1:07:45 You might really like them, but you're not going to have the same depth of interaction that you're going to have if you both have the same language.

Dating Scene Differences

1:07:59 Even the attractive ones are taken or have tons of guys chasing them. I'm just watching from the sidelines for now. Yeah, I absolutely agree, Michigan Sensei. After dating over here, I can never date in the US again. It's just like, there's no point.

1:08:11 I mean, they like you. You come here, and like, I'm almost... I don't want to say burnt out, but just the amount of gorgeous women I see everywhere, it's... I'm desensitized. And then, if I were to go back home and visit, I would be like having my head dunked in ice water.

1:08:34 It's just the... yeah, I mean, I mean...

1:08:42 There's a lot of reasons for that. Some of that is the... the...

1:08:49 There's a lot of reasons for that, Michigan Sensei. I'll just say, needless to say, you're on point there. I remember growing up, and my mom, like, it was so awkward, she'd get hit on all the time, and it was just super awkward. I don't want to get too much more into that, but yeah, I mean, even she was approaching 50.

1:09:11 I think a lot of guys are... so, something I like about here, unlike back home, when you go out back home, the guys are like fighting over the pretty girl. They're like, 'Oh, I want her attention, I want her attention.' Here, there's so many attractive women, it's just so much more chill. Guys aren't buying for the one attractive person in the room or whatever.

Age Differences and Cultural Happiness

1:09:38 It's anyway, there's so much I could say about that. Michigan Sensei, age difference an issue? I'm in my 50s. I don't think so. Like, I look at it just like consenting adults. That's my rule of thumb.

1:09:55 Consenting adults. That's how I define it. And yeah, including the rules or laws of your home country, not what we think they are, not what they might be. But yeah, and for what it's worth, the woman I'm interested in now, she's in her late 20s. We just have more in common, generationally, culturally. We get each other more.

1:10:29 I think there's a lot of... like, in my opinion, there's more attractive women of different ages. I think part of it is the culture. People seem happier now, more cheerful, more upbeat. They're surrounded by family. They're not like burned out from working in a stressful environment to the same extent. I'm not saying that as a blanket statement, but I've noticed that a good chunk of people here, after work, they go back home and they hang out with their family.

1:11:04 I remember growing up, after work, my mom would come home and sit on the couch and watch TV by herself often. So, people can recharge more here. Like, I felt like in the US, my batteries were empty, and they just kept trying to get more juice out of them. So, I think that's why you see...

Filipino Communities and US Pace of Life

1:11:23 See you. You know, I... yeah, anyway. Michigan Sensei, did the bar not have many Filipinos there? There were plenty in San Diego when I was living there. Yeah, there are Filipino people. There's just a couple challenges there, Michigan Sensei.

1:11:38 One is just the work schedule. So, I was working in tech, so I worked like 50, 60 hours a week. And when I wasn't working, I was just like trying to rest. And then they were kind of far too. So, I was in the East Bay, but I was in the Berkeley area, and a lot of the Filipino community in the Bay Area was south, so like Hayward area, Union City is another area with Filipino community. So, you know, fair distance from me. I did spend some time down there. I did go. That was the first time I tried Filipino food was in Union City. They had like, almost like a carinderia style kind of place.

1:12:22 And I think it's just the pace of the US. I went to middle school with a Filipina friend of mine, dated a Filipina in high school. But there just weren't that many. They're like, you know, one here, one there. Different from here, where of course...

Realistic Expectations and Transportation

1:12:50 Yeah, Mello, I mean, that's going to be a transactional kind of a situation. Like, guys have to be realistic. You know, I've had friends tell me about their challenges there. I'm just thinking, like, you've got to be realistic about it. I mean, think about, were you interested at that age? And that's probably not. You know, when I was like, you know, when I was 18, I'll just say it, when I was 18, I was dating other 18-year-olds.

1:13:19 That was just my experience. Okay, Billy, I don't have a motorcycle license, so I will get around by foot. I believe in Davao, we may need a motorbike. Yeah, you'll probably need a motorbike in a more spread-out area like this. I don't ride motorbikes, so if you want an alternative, Billy, living close to like the big Davao malls will probably say... will probably, you know, you won't have to ride a motorbike.

1:13:50 A motorbike. You... you could, you know, you could get to like what you need in the immediate vicinity. The malls seem to be surrounded by businesses here, and so you're able to like have lunch, go banking, maybe see like a tailor if you need to get something repaired. Like I need to get a couple of things tailored, so I'll probably find a tailor somewhere around here.

1:14:18 Around here. In the coming weeks. But yeah, if you want an alternative to not riding a motorbike, I recommend like downtown or being near malls, because I'm just not open to riding a motorbike. It's just a risk I'm not willing to take. And that's how I kind of sidestep that. And I have friends that don't ride either, and that's kind of how we get around.

Judging Others and Loneliness Epidemic

1:14:44 It. McNeil, I agree, highly. Like, would be for money, me, I think Amazing Philippines is also based out of Cebu. I don't know if I've... let me look up Amazing Philippines. Does that sound familiar?

1:15:05 I've never heard that. That's surprising. Oh, no, I think I maybe have seen... Oh, it looks like he's in Dumaguete right now. I see he's posted. Maybe somewhere else, but it looks like... Oh, no, I think it is somewhere else. It looks too busy. I saw his latest vlog here, he just posted 40 minutes ago. But I'll check it out. Thank you, Michigan Sensei.

1:15:28 McNeil, I just... I don't judge, bro. Just be honest. I agree. Yeah, I don't... I'm not a judgmental person. I try not to be. Because with being judgmental, and this is different from having judgment. Like, judgment for me, yeah, if I'm looking at places to live, yeah, I'm going to judge. I'm going to try to figure out which place I like better. Nothing wrong with that. But when it comes to judging people...

1:15:49 But when it comes to judging people, it feels awesome at first. Oh, I'm so good, and they're so bad. And then you isolate yourself. Ultimately, like if you're judging other people, it feels great at first. You get a dopamine boost. Oh, I'm high, I'm up here, and they're down here. And then you're lonely because you've separated yourself from other people.

Personal Finances and Relationship Goals

1:16:11 I talk about it all the time, like a lot of guys back home are lonely, they're isolated. It's no wonder they're hard to get along with. And yeah, I mean, that's why so many are coming over here because it's a second chance at life. And yeah, so I'm right there with you. Just having open and honest discussion, honesty, and searching for the truth has served me very well.

1:16:39 Well, can I ask what your target in pesos to live monthly?

1:16:55 Billy, you know, probably like, I don't know, 70, 80k is like, you know, my what I call my budget, different from my operating expenses. I could probably get by on a thousand per month. Thousand US, like 60k. My rent, I expect to be like 20 to 25k per month. Electric will be, I don't know, like 3k. I'll be out a lot because, you know, I'm going out a lot, going to malls, going to restaurants, exploring different parts of the metro area.

1:17:35 So yeah, that's kind of where that's at. Cars, I think nobody is perfect. Same with places to live. I choose a mix that meets my needs. As far as dating, I found good Filipino dates only to evaluate the possibility of marriage. Yeah, cars, I think that's a great point. That's a solid point. And that's, I think, where I'm at with the one I'm interested in.

Provincial vs. City Living

1:18:05 Yeah, all about open discussion. Hey, great to see you, Charles Jupiter. Jay, I've seen several lonely foreigners hanging out alone in their... sorry, sorry store in the province.

1:18:29 Yeah, that seems to be a common theme that like guys will want to open a sari-sari store and they will... I don't know, I just don't understand it.

1:18:50 That's why, Jay, that's why I'm a fan of being in the city. I don't blame people for wanting to live in the province if you're from a rural part of the US, like if you're from a small town, if you're from the...

Social Life in Dumaguete

1:19:03 If you're from the country, then I guess it makes sense. I'm a city person, so I like the city conveniences. I wouldn't be happy living in the province long-term. I've spent some time in the province at this point; it's fun for like a week, but I just get bored. I mean, I'm used to being in a city where I can snap my fingers and try a different restaurant, go to a different shopping mall, or see a movie.

1:19:39 If I want to meet up with people, it's super easy to meet up with people in the cities. If you're in Cebu, or you're in Manila, I could have a different get-together every day. Here in Dumaguete, it's that way. Just to kind of give you an idea of my social life here, it's very, very different than back home. Here, I've got a group that meets every Thursday, Friday typically I'm running into friends in the evening.

1:20:11 If I don't have anything scheduled for Friday, I always go out to the Boulevard. Or well, no, it's not Friday, today's Saturday. I lose track of the days. Go out to the Boulevard, I'm going to run into friends. Saturday, same deal, I'm going to run into friends if I go out to the Boulevard. Sunday, I do some tutoring online, and so I get my social interaction that way, but if I want to, I go out to the Boulevard.

1:20:38 Basically, there are meetups all the time. There are different kinds of group meetups. I've got friends all over town. If I want to have a hangout every single day, I could do that here. It's very different from back home, and that's something I really like about it here.

Mike and Janet's Hospitality

1:21:03 Oh, Michigan Sensei, I wonder if Janet will be doing her live stream when you go down to visit Mike. I'm not sure. I don't know if the shop will be playing music or not. Typically, that could be a challenge. I know Janet's had some challenges as far as just making sure she doesn't have copyright music.

1:21:23 But I, you know, it's always a lot of fun. Jen's a lot of fun. She's a lovely woman, and they, yeah, they're awesome people. Mike and Janet have been very, very good to me, and I have nothing but positive things to say about them.

1:21:39 I just actually spent time with them. Do we, when did we hang? Thursday. Yeah, we hung out Thursday and had lunch. Well, we, so I joined Mike on his live stream, which was a lot of fun. We did the live stream his, Wednesday. Losing track of the days, guys. I mean, that's how awesome it is here as I lose track of the days.

1:22:00 I'm not counting down the days until the weekend. So yeah, and then after we went and had lunch. Yesterday, I hung out with Chad. That's who I hung out with yesterday. And just being downtown, like I run into people. So even aside from needing to schedule stuff, aside from needing to set stuff up with people, it's, yeah, I mean, it's just you just run into people.

Being Recognized and Loneliness in the US

1:22:24 Like I go to the grocery store, I'm liable to run into somebody. Every other time I go to Robinson's Mall here in Dumaguete, I'll pull up Robinson's. So every time I come here, probably every other time, somebody comes up and introduces themselves to me, recognizes me from my channel.

1:22:54 And at first, it was a little strange, right? 'Cause like, I'm a normal person. I'm not, by no means a celebrity, but to get recognized and have people thanking you, it's a good feeling. Knowing like you're having a positive impact and that the vlogs help people to learn about these places and ideally save them some challenges or some missteps that they might not have anticipated.

1:23:21 So it's hard to feel lonely when people are coming up to you like, 'Hey man, I saw on a vlog, really enjoyed it, super entertaining, super informative.' Back home, of course, like I feel super lonely back home. I'm sitting in an apartment, I just work until my brain is not thinking clearly. Probably live far away from other people. Traffic is bad. You don't talk to your neighbors.

Profitability of Loneliness in the US

1:23:49 I mean, life in the US is all about the dollar. It's designed around the dollar, and that's why there's a loneliness epidemic. I mean, some people have called it the new smoking. I think it's only going to continue to get worse. I mean, I don't see the loneliness situation getting fixed in the US. I just don't see the incentive being there to fix it.

1:24:11 I mean, loneliness is profitable. If you want to make money off a lonely person, it's much easier than somebody who has a sense of community that's happy. Like, it's easier to make money off of somebody that's isolated. They're going to spend more money to try to avoid that feeling. They're going to make more financial mistakes trying to avoid that feeling. They're going to need more healthcare because their health is going to suffer from being lonely, their physical and mental well-being.

1:24:39 It's very profitable in the United States to have so many lonely people. It's, and we live in the attention economy, so everybody is buying for attention. Everybody's competing for attention. So the lonely person that's maybe got some issues, it's not super fun to be around. They're just not going to get the attention.

1:25:02 Where in the past, maybe they would have gotten more attention. Now it's like, no, no, no, this thing over here is more entertaining, this thing over here is more engaging. And yeah, so I mean, it's just it's sad. I mean, it's very, you know, life in the US, it's very, very materially wealthy. People have all kinds of material wealth, the latest cars, computers, houses.

1:25:22 But as far as from a relationship perspective, unless you're like a celebrity or a sports player, you are a CEO, most people simply cannot maintain a social life. Many, I should say, many people cannot maintain a social life to the extent that they would like. Most people will have to sacrifice some element of their social life to work, to be productive, to pay the bills, to avoid going into debt, or to avoid going into worse.

Latin America and Hidden Gems

1:25:59 Yeah, it's just, I mean, like I said, some ways it's great, but in other ways, it's challenging.

1:26:15 Yeah, that's not the same, Charles. If that were a solution, you wouldn't see so many guys that want to come to Southeast Asia or go to Latin America. I mean, if I was wanting to meet a Latin American woman, I just go to Latin America. I'd probably rather live in Latin America if the finances were in order.

1:26:38 I think Banh is a hidden gem, friendly people, two big malls, no trafficking, close to Chara and Kigan. Kigan is awesome. I think Kigan is one of my favorite. I don't know if you call it a hidden gem, but Kigan is awesome. It's a little bit remote, but it's fantastic.

Banh and Travel Logistics

1:27:01 Yeah, Banh, let me pull up Banh on this map. Here, so I've been to almost to Banh. So I've been to Was it Magsaysay or... no, okay, I didn't make it to Banh. So I made it to Bingan. So I did the ride from Cagayan de Oro up to Bingan in a minivan and then took the ferry to Kigan. So I didn't make it this far, but yeah, Banh, let's see what Banh looks like.

1:27:44 Here, and that looks nice. Like I like the bridge.

1:28:19 Regular Guy said the friendliest people he met in the Philippines was in Banh. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I mean, it looks it's not on the tourist trail, right? You're not in Boracay, you're not in Palawan. It's not a big city like Manila or Cebu or Davao. You do have to go out of your way a little bit to get there if you're not flying there.

1:28:39 You're going to have to go around like what's back up here? You'd fly into like Cagayan de Oro, Lingayen, and then take a bus all the way around the edge here, right? So it would probably take you from CDO to Bingan was like two and a half hours. So it'd probably take you about four or five hours to get to Banh. But I mean, you know, you still, it looks beautiful, to be honest with you.

Expat Reinvention and Sales Background

1:29:09 I let's see what else is there. Any, yeah, that's gorgeous. Good to see you, Devin. See many if you ride a scooter very slowly, it's safe, kind of. Mr. Dave, but I just am not big on the idea of riding a scooter.

1:29:38 Nicholas says many people become expats to reinvent themselves, lying about their past. I absolutely agree. Yeah, I mean, you'll never meet so many ex-Navy SEALs, former bankers, former lawyers, former doctors. I tell people, look, I've always done some kind of sales job, not glamorous, often stressful. And most people don't have a positive association with salespeople, so, you know, that's just been my background.

Dumaguete vs. Cebu and YouTube Mentorship

1:30:10 Not the most interesting. Billy, 100%. So Dumaguete is suited for tires. That's a reason why I'm looking at Cebu City. Dumaguete to me is the place most will come to slow down, and I'm still trying to accelerate. I'm still trying to grow the channel, I'm trying to expand my audience.

1:30:40 And in some ways, Dumaguete is fantastic for learning. You could call it like a mini Hollywood vibe in some ways. There's, you know, I've gotten, I've had so much coaching from Mike, from Paul, from Chad. Those are the big three, the biggest Dumaguete vloggers. But also Sizzy Kelly, like Kelly Stephanie is her name. She's been good to me, just teaching me. Her partner or boyfriend, David, he's been good to me as well.

1:31:05 So many people have coached me. Like that's part of the reason the channel is growing so much faster is that they will sit there and they will take my video and they will tell me, 'You're doing this wrong, you're doing this wrong, you're doing this wrong.' And it's all love. It's never, 'You're a bad person,' it's never, 'You're dumb.' It's like, 'No, you can do this, but you've got to structure it in this way.'

1:31:23 Because I'm not an organized person. I'm all, I'm ADHD, I'm all over the place. I need somebody to sit down and tell me, 'This is what you're doing wrong.' And that critique has helped me level up rapidly. I've had more learn more about YouTube and basically what helps me to feed myself in three and a half months than I did in the previous three and a half years.

1:31:54 So they're just always giving me ideas, 'Try this, try that, don't do this, don't do that.' It's, I've been very blessed that they have been so...

1:32:03 I'm blessed that they have been so welcoming and so good to me and so encouraging. It's a mutually beneficial kind of thing because I always jump at the chance to help them out and do what I can. Even though I have less to offer them than they have to offer me, I still want to meet them halfway and try to show up on time. I think I made that mistake when I first met Paul, as I was late because I was coming all the way out from the D area. Now that I'm downtown, it's super easy to meet up with folks.

Positive Role Models and Mental Health

1:32:38 I've just learned so much from the people here, and it goes beyond just the business aspect. They're just likable. The fact that they can go through what they've been through and still be friendly, kind, and down to earth is amazing.

1:33:00 Michigan Sensei, that's been my impression too from watching YouTube videos. I'm here for the vibe and the fun. It's just a really fun vibe here. Even in Dumaguete, with the more laid-back vibe, it is nice.

1:33:18 I struggled to find positive male role models in the US. My dad was not around when I grew up, and my stepdad had an adult beverage issue. I didn't really have any positive influences growing up as far as other men guiding me toward positive decisions. Being here, I've got these guys that want to see me succeed. They actually invest the time to mentor me.

Honesty and Unapologetic Attitudes

1:33:52 My mental health has improved a lot from being here, in part because these guys are like, 'Yeah, I made these mistakes, don't make these mistakes.' Owning up to it, like some of the guys I grew up around who were older, they would always put out that I'm perfect, I know everything, I've done everything right, I'm infallible, I don't make mistakes. Really narcissistic people, let's just get down to it. A hyper-conservative environment can create this: we can't talk about the problems, we want to look perfect, we're super concerned about our reputations, so we don't want to be honest about life's difficulties or challenges because to do so would be to admit our failings.

1:34:42 I don't have that experience here in Dumaguete. I meet guys with challenging backgrounds who have made major mistakes and who are very honest. Something I like about Mike, Paul, and Chad is that they are unapologetic. Back home, I feel that as a guy, I have to constantly apologize. I'm sorry for existing, I'm sorry for this, I'm sorry for that. It's not like that here; they don't apologize. They're very honest. If you ask Mike why he moved here, he'll tell you he moved here for the women.

Integrating into New Cities

1:35:20 Billy Deval and Sabu, if you're a bigger city guy, I think it's awesome. They're going to be easier to integrate into. They're going to be easier to move to than most other cities. Dumaguete is an exception because there are so many foreigners here, but in Deva and Sabu, you get off the plane, and within a couple of days, you'll have a SIM card, you'll have a data plan, you'll probably have some places you want to go out to eat. You'll be able to walk around an air-conditioned mall, maybe you forgot something you need to buy, clothes you need to get. Hey, you want to meet up for a date? Like, 'Hey, let's just meet at IT Park,' or 'Let's just meet here, let's just meet there.'

1:36:05 I feel that the further away you get from what you're used to, the more degrees of separation that you get, the harder it's going to be. So if you're from a big city, another American big city, not a big deal. Another big city in the UK or Australia, not a big deal. Okay, next step, you go to a big city in Asia. Okay, that's going to be different. Okay, you go to a medium-sized city. That's another degree of difference. Then you go to a smaller city. That's an even bigger degree of separation. That's going to be different from what you're used to.

Meeting Friends and Weather's Social Impact

1:36:41 Good morning, Janet. Good to see you. I think I'll be seeing you and Mike in about an hour, hour and a half. I'm going to wind down probably in about 15 minutes somewhere in there because I want to come see you and Mike this morning. Janet, if you're with Mike, you may have some other plans or things that you're working on this morning, but it's always nice to see you and Mike.

1:37:08 My voice is starting to go, guys, if you can't tell. So I got to give it a little rest and drink some water before I go and see Guapa Janet and Tito Mike. Winter storms in the US can also put the kabash on many social activities, thus adding to the loneliness epidemic. Absolutely. If I look outside and it's snowing, or there's cold rain and it's overcast, that's a lot of effort. Here, it's sunny. You can see how beautiful and sunny it is. It's not a stretch for me to just go down to the boulevard, meet up with people.

Local Perceptions of Expats and Filipino EQ

1:37:50 The weather is a big part of why it's so easy to be social here. Davao has a legit airport. There's nothing really amazing about the city; it just doesn't have traffic problems. There are almost no foreigners, so the locals are very friendly. I do find at times in many expat destinations, the locals can get burnt out on expats. Expats tend to have a reputation for arrogance, impatience, entitlement, inconsiderate attitudes, and behavior, a lack of cultural sensitivity. At their worst, this isn't all, but this is just a tendency that a lot of local people have kind of shared with me.

1:38:31 When I ask them, 'Hey, have you dealt with issues like I have?' Friends that work as waitresses here in Daggetti, and I kind of press them. They're so polite, they're so friendly, but I kind of press them, 'Hey, have you seen any bad behavior? Tell me about it.' Because I'm embarrassed about it, but I want to validate them and let them know, 'Hey, there are people like that. Okay, don't internalize it, don't feel like you've done something wrong because some American loses his patience.' He's probably like that back home; he's going to be like that wherever he goes. He's got an internal issue.

1:39:06 I find Filipino people generally very easy to get along with, very high EQ, very high emotional intelligence, very aware of how to navigate social situations in a healthy way.

Blogger Learnings and Handling Notoriety

1:39:21 Brett Deval said it really well: 'A Thai person might get you for a few dollars. A foreigner is going to try to sell you a business that doesn't exist.'

1:39:43 What are the key learnings from these bloggers? Persistence. For me, it's part of its age. Seeing guys that are 70 vlogging, okay, now I have no excuse. Sometimes I'll complain, 'Oh, I'm 32 now, I'm too old to vlog.' Yeah, right. The fact that my friends here are in their 70s and still vlogging away, more successful than ever, more productive than ever, creating value for hundreds of thousands of viewers and people. They've inspired me; that's been a big one.

1:40:23 Just having that inspiration. And I would say also just a lot of little things about YouTube that are not necessarily readily apparent to an early or small-time creator, just like how to navigate certain situations, how to move forward, how to be prepared. Like I think too, how to handle becoming more like having more notoriety. It's a little bit strange to get recognized on the street, and that's been something I've had to learn from.

Successful and Down-to-Earth Vloggers

1:40:55 But all kinds of things. I mean, they've showed me a person can have some level of fame and still be down to earth. I expected Mike and Paul to—I mean, they've got big channels, they are two of the biggest expat vloggers in the world, in my opinion. And yet, they're so down to earth. They don't ever big-time me. No, they're so helpful. Mike and Paul, and Chad as well. Chad's been in and out of town, so there are times when I'd be happy to hang out with Chad, but he's jetting off on a vacation, and more power to him. He's having the time of his life; he's earned it. Chad worked really hard to get to where he's at.

1:41:44 All the vloggers here have been very, very good to me that I've spent time around. The ones that really stuck out to me, the big ones, you could think of just learning you can be successful and not be a jerk. Because growing up, I associated success with being a jerk, and I self-sabotaged because I didn't want to be successful. It's wrong, capitalism is bad, and I don't believe that anymore. I think they provide an incredible amount of value, they help a lot of people, and generally, they are forces of good.

Managing Heat and Editing Software

1:42:22 I don't know. I think it comes down to the individual. I wouldn't make a suggestion there. How do you manage the heat? I go to malls. I run the aircon a lot too. I'm not running the aircon right now because I think it creates some background noise I don't want in the stream, but yeah, I'll run the aircon a lot.

1:42:44 CapCut. I hear is very popular. When I vlogged in Thailand, it was hard learning to edit, create thumbnails. Maybe I will use CapCut next time. Yeah, vlogging is super challenging. It's way more challenging than it looks. That's part of why I admire guys like Chad, Mike, and Paul because they make it look so easy when it takes a lot of work to get to their level, a lot of effort over a long period of time, very consistent effort.

Travel Vlogging vs. Information Content

1:43:19 They're just so persistent; it's really incredible to see. And part of it too, Billy, I'll give you like a pointer or thought here: travel vlogging is super competitive. That's why I do information-style, it's just not as competitive for my skill set. If you want to be a quality travel vlogger, it takes a lot of time, a lot of effort. You're having to dub over.

1:43:48 If you're recording in noisy environments, you're going to have to dub audio on top of it. It also is unpredictable. For me, I've got my filming spots, so I can get a vlog recorded in like an hour or two, depending on ambient noise. That's a big one. With a travel vlog, maybe you go out and film all day to come up with 10 minutes. There's so much more variables when it comes to travel blogging.

1:44:26 Most people go on vacation anyway, they're going to spend money to do it. So to actually make money at travel blogging, I think it's harder these days. That's why I cover XAT topics. One, I feel like I'm better at providing information there. Two, I feel like my background really applies well to this niche.

Learning YouTube and Early Vlogging Experiences

1:44:49 The XAT niche is different from the travel niche. You're learning 10 different things at a time to be a YouTuber. You're making thumbnails, you're making videos, you're doing audio, you're interacting with an audience, and you are understanding the online aspect of it because potentially millions of people could watch you. There's so much to learn.

1:45:11 Timothy Ward released a short today to just tell us, record and upload. That's how I got started. Six years ago, I was in Thailand and I just put a clip of me trying Thai Red Bull. I did it for fun and never anticipated making a dollar. When I came to Southeast Asia last summer, I'm like, okay, well let me document these countries because they were some of the first to reopen after the pandemic. I just ran with it and I've had a lot of fun with it. I've made a lot of friends through vlogging.

Dumaguete's Shopping Options

1:46:09 A big problem with Daggett is that there's only one mall. You've got more malls than that, as far as a western-style mall. You could say Robinson's, but they've also got Unimart, they've got Ever Mall, they've got Tops and Bottoms, which is more like a Ross Dress for Less. They've got several, they're just kind of hidden. You have to kind of wander around and find stuff a bit more.

Winding Down and Future Content

1:46:42 I love Daggett. I think it's an awesome city. It's certainly not for everyone. Some people will be happier in a bigger city. I think I'm going to wind down here because I got to hop in the shower and then throw some clothes on and head down to meet some friends. If you're vlogging, I'll be happy to check your channel out.

1:47:07 I think I'm going to wind down here. If you're watching this on replay, give us a thumbs up. It helps with the YouTube algorithm. Additionally, comment down below where you want to live if you come here to the Philippines or Southeast Asia. Comment below, let us know. It helps to generate interesting discussion. Are you interested in Sorsogon, Manila, or Daggett where I'm at right now? It's always fun to discuss where you want to be based, and it helps people to get a better sense of what's on offer out there.

1:47:37 If you enjoy this and want to see more content like it, subscribe to the channel down below, and we'll see you soon. Thank you everybody. Have a good weekend.