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The Philippines offers a fulfilling lifestyle characterized by vibrant culture, social connections, and abundant natural beauty, making it an appealing destination for long-term living and exploration.
The video explores the experience of living in Dumaguete, Philippines, highlighting the daily life, social interactions, and the appeal of the location for expats. The host discusses meeting fellow foreigners and locals, finding common ground with people from similar backgrounds, and the benefits of English being widely spoken. The discussion touches upon the challenges of finding new content for vloggers in a saturated market and the appeal of Dumaguete as a relaxed, long-term base, particularly for those not seeking a high-paced, business-building environment.
The conversation then shifts to broader travel plans within the Philippines, including potential trips to Mindanao and exploring different regions like Luzon, Cebu, and Bohol. The host shares insights into the IT industry and his career path, emphasizing a preference for sales and business-oriented roles within tech companies. He also discusses the importance of financial independence and the desire to achieve it to facilitate a permanent move to the Philippines.
A significant portion of the video is dedicated to the diverse and delicious fruits available in the Philippines, comparing them to Western counterparts and expressing a strong preference for local varieties. Fruits like bananas, mangosteen, and dragon fruit are discussed in detail, along with their taste, texture, and accessibility. The host also touches upon the ease of visa processes for foreigners and the welcoming nature of the country, reinforcing the Philippines as an attractive destination for long-term stays.
The latter part of the stream delves into the visual and sensory appeal of Southeast Asia, contrasting it with Western climates and highlighting the constant growth and vibrancy of the region. The host emphasizes the value of simple pleasures, such as fresh fruit, and the importance of living in the moment. The conversation concludes with expressions of gratitude for the viewers and a reflection on the fulfilling and meaningful lifestyle that the Philippines offers.
The Philippines offers a rich expat experience marked by vibrant social and cultural connections, alongside abundant natural beauty. Embracing the local lifestyle involves interacting with both locals and fellow expats to gain deeper insights and appreciate the unique characteristics of each region.
Yes, the Philippines is an attractive destination for long-term stays, offering a fulfilling lifestyle with diverse islands and cities to explore. The ease of visa processes and the welcoming nature of the country contribute to its appeal for foreigners seeking a permanent move.
Dumaguete provides a relaxed, long-term base for expats, distinct from high-paced business environments. The city is known for its welcoming atmosphere, with English widely spoken, making it easier for foreigners to integrate and enjoy daily life.
The Philippines boasts a diverse array of delicious local fruits, offering simple yet profound pleasures. Popular choices include bananas, mangosteen, and dragon fruit, which are readily available and enjoyed for their unique taste and texture.
Financial independence is crucial for expats aiming for long-term goals, such as living abroad without needing to return home frequently. It enables a more stable and less stressful experience, allowing for greater enjoyment of the lifestyle the Philippines offers.
The Philippines is appealing to foreigners due to its vibrant culture, social connections, and stunning natural landscapes. The country's welcoming attitude, coupled with the availability of fresh, local produce and a generally relaxed pace of life, enhances the overall living experience.
The video mentions that the visa process for foreigners in the Philippines is generally easy. While specific visa types aren't detailed, the ease of obtaining them is highlighted as a contributing factor to the country's attractiveness for long-term stays.
The host discusses his own career path in the IT industry, particularly in sales and business development roles within tech companies. This suggests that opportunities may exist in these sectors for foreigners. The video also touches on financial independence as a goal for living abroad.
0:41 We'll give it a little bit to let people come in. Hey, how's it going? Looks like we got somebody who's joined in. Welcome, welcome. Just here in Dumaguete. I'm going to be going to bed early tonight because I have a bunch of stuff to do for YouTube tomorrow. I'll be meeting up with Mike and interviewing him, and he'll be interviewing me as well. That's a big thing on the plate for tomorrow. I have plans to chat with Paul on Saturday, that should go well.
2:16 Feel free to chime in with any questions or thoughts. I had a job interview late last night. I'm not sure how that went, we'll see. I think the recruiter will reach out to me if there are next steps or if there are not. I have another job interview next week, so we'll see how they go.
2:46 I've just been enjoying my time here. Oh, welcome Mau Streets, you know. I'm not sure, I'll have to put that in the translator. Good afternoon. Yeah, great to see you. Welcome, welcome to the stream. I'm not sure what time it is if you're on the same time zone, Mau. It's about 7:15 p.m. here in the Philippines. The sun just went down maybe an hour and a half ago. I took an afternoon nap. I've just been really sleepy for whatever reason the last week. So I slept like nine hours last night. I woke up at like 10:00 this morning and then had an afternoon nap. Hopefully that won't stop me from getting to sleep at a decent time tonight.
3:41 I like to go to sleep around 10 p.m., so probably about two and a half hours from now, I'd like to be in bed. Got the alarm set for early in the morning. I'll hop on a jeepney and go to town, and then hop on a trike and head to the location to meet Mike. We'll knock out an interview. I've got some questions for him that I've compiled that I think should be helpful.
4:15 But yeah, that's mostly it. The weather's been off and on, kind of hot some days, or cooler. Some days are hotter. I did get to go swimming the other day, which was pretty nice. I went and swam at the beach here in Bongga, that was really nice.
5:00 Oh, it's good. I guess it's good I'm still sleepy. I was worried after I took my nap this afternoon that it might make me wired and wide awake and not able to go to sleep early tonight. So that's a good sign. Mau says, 'Anything interesting you're experiencing in Dumaguete you'd want to share?' Sure. Great question, Mau. I've been able to meet with a lot of people on the boulevard. You're probably familiar with the Boulevard. It's like one of the nicer parts of the city, or maybe the more foreign-catering parts of the city. They've got a lot of nice coffee shops down there.
5:50 I hung out in Tom Tom's Coffee yesterday for probably five hours just working on some editing, also watching some videos, and doing some job applications online. They have really great smoothies. A little bit pricey, but the quality is really good. I would say it's like half the American price. I paid about $4 for a smoothie, but the taste is really good. They, I went with a blueberry smoothie. So that was nice.
6:30 What else? Else, I've been to Dau a couple of times. I found a really nice pizza place in Dau. And then also, it's just a nice place to go walking because you can see the water from the highway. What else has been? Yeah, I mean, just meeting foreigners on the boulevard has been really interesting. I've gotten to meet several different guys that all have interesting stories, and I'm always trying to find out what brought you here to Dumaguete.
7:08 It's a very specific place, right? I mean, you're flying to the Philippines in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and then you're flying to a specific area of the Philippines. So you really have to go out of your way to get here. It's not a place people get to by accident. And they've had a lot to share with me about their experiences. It's been a great tutorial in a lot of ways because I came here five years ago and I enjoyed my time, but I didn't really interact with foreigners at all on my last trip, a little bit in Camiguin Island.
7:49 Hey Michael, good to see you. Welcome, welcome. You know, so I didn't interact with foreigners last time, and this time it's been mostly interacting with foreigners, some Filipino people as well. But interacting with a lot of different foreigners, which has been great to learn a lot of things that I just wouldn't learn. There's the Filipino perspective, which is extremely important. And at one time, I was the type that I thought, I don't want to interact with foreigners, I just want to interact with Filipino people. But now that I've gotten better at being a judge of character and meeting different foreigners, then they're really able to catch me up and help me get all kinds of insight into living here long-term.
8:33 One guy I hung out with several times on the boulevard, he's been here for almost three years, so he has a lot to impart. He's from North Carolina, and I'm from Tennessee, so we also have a lot in common as far as being from neighboring states back home. And I think culturally, there's some interesting synergy there. I wasn't expecting to meet people from the southern US for whatever reason. I just didn't expect to meet so many people from where I'm from, so that's been really nice to have those experiences.
9:06 How are you doing, Michael? How's it going in your area? Mau Streets says, 'Enjoying the food in Dag.' Yeah, I mean, the food here is solid. I had some fish and chips yesterday, that was really tasty. Today, I had more fried chicken. Crispy King is just easy, it's within walking distance of where I'm staying. The fried chicken is decent, it's crisp, they definitely live up to the name Crispy King, right?
9:44 And what else? Yeah, yeah, Michael, absolutely. It's so nice. It's been a surprise to meet so many people from where we're from, and it's a pleasant surprise, right? Because sometimes you wonder how much do I have in common with other Americans other than we're from the United States? It's a really big country. So to be able to meet people who we have shared experiences, we've been to probably some of the same music venues, we've eaten some of the similar cuisine, we're probably familiar with the same sports teams. It's a comforting feeling when you're so far away from home, right? I mean, here we are on the opposite side of the planet, we're about as far as you can get from the US.
10:34 And you know, I think we're probably what, 12 hours ahead of Central Time Zone here? So we're like the opposite side of the planet. And it's just been really nice to be able to interact with people that have similar backgrounds. And also hanging out with Paul and Mike, like both of them had lived in California, which I had that experience. So it's definitely there's a stronger connection there than I would have anticipated.
11:05 Some people are saying, 'Oh, well, you know, the US is a big country, like what do you have in common with other Americans?' But I found it to be great. You know, we've all had our... Yeah, absolutely, Michael. I absolutely agree. Yes, it is comforting to know I can chat with people with similarities. 100%, right? I mean, there's definitely some people over here with an IT background, and then also, of course, the YouTubers, right? They're not IT professionals, but they're definitely heavily reliant upon information technology to be able to deliver to their audiences.
11:47 Yeah, it's definitely a cool vibe here for sure. I wasn't sure if I'd like Dumaguete or not, but I do like it a lot now. If I were to settle here in the Philippines long-term, could I live in Dumaguete? I'm not sure if I could. There's a few reasons for that. One, I feel like I'm more oriented toward bigger cities. It's just where I lived growing up and where I've lived as an adult. It's not a big city vibe here. I can see why it caters to retired people, guys who are looking to just chill out, relax, not be in hustling grind mode, not be trying to build a business.
12:32 It's also somewhat saturated with vloggers, you know, just to be transparent. I mean, there's a lot of vloggers here. There's of course Mike, there's Paul 'Foreigner in the Philippines', Sizzy Kelly is based here, Filipina P is based here. So that's five right off the top of my head. But it seems like everybody's got a vlog here. There's just so many different bloggers here. So if you're trying to cover the area, I personally feel like there's limited new ground. You're gonna run out of content to some extent. Now, I think the guys with more established audiences, the guys that are catering to retirees, they'll always have content to cover, right? Because there's always going to be a stream of guys who hit retirement age who are financially independent that will land here.
13:29 But I think as far as younger vloggers, you make it up to Dau, you make it down to Dau and Valencia. I made it up to Valencia last weekend. Once you make it over to Siquijor, Siargao, once you've kind of seen the area, most of the attractions are the natural attractions. So if you're trying to do new stuff on a consistent basis, it could be a little bit of a challenge, right?
14:00 I would too, like, you know, it's something I'm going to contradict myself here. I thought dating would be fine here. I'm finding out, you know, it is somewhat saturated, right?
14:08 It is somewhat saturated right there's tons of foreigners here. It's also not the biggest city. In Cebu, you've got millions of people. In Manila, you've got millions of people. Here, I think it's like a few hundred thousand people in the metro area. And so, I think it's more of a place that if you're dating, if you found a significant other and you want to bring them to somewhere that's an enjoyable place to live, then I think this is the spot for that.
14:37 Michael, that's a great question. Have you ever tried more southern Luzon areas like Cavite or ever plan to? Long-term, my goal is to see most of the country. I don't know if I'll make it to Cavite on this trip. It kind of depends on if I get a job offer back home and got to go, then I'll have to delay seeing more of the country until my next trip.
15:03 I do plan to come back here again. So that's something that may happen on my next trip. Right, where next trip I land in Manila and then I focus on Luzon because this is my second trip to the Bayan region. I have tentative plans to go to Mindanao now in a few weeks.
15:30 So in a few weeks, I'm looking at taking a ferry to Dapitan and then I'll take a bus to Cagayan de Oro. And then either take a bus into Malaybalay or ride with my buddy. It depends on what day I land. If he's already up in the mountains, Malaybalay, then of course, I'm not going to ask him to come back down the mountain to pick me up and take me back up. So I'll just hop in a bus and go up there.
15:55 I'd like to spend a month in Malaybalay. Yeah, so I'm here in Dumaguete. So my tentative plan is to take a ferry. You basically take the ferry, I think it's about a 4-hour ride, and you land in Dapitan. And I haven't been to Dapitan, so that'll be interesting.
16:34 I'm not sure I think the earliest ferry runs at midnight and the last one runs at 2 PM. So you've got like a 14-hour window there. I'm tempted to go for the midnight one because landing there at 4 AM and then taking the bus means I'll be able to get to Malaybalay during daylight hours. And that's, I find that just to be helpful in the Philippines to try to travel more or do your arrival during daylight hours because if you're not familiar with the area, it's just easier to see, easier to navigate.
17:11 If you run out of data, you need to buy load for your phone. It's easier to do during daylight hours. But yeah, it's going to be interesting. So, tentative plans. There's two plans if I go to Malaybalay. This is what I'll be doing. If I go to Cebu, I'll also share that it's going to be a little bit different from this plan.
17:34 So, landing in Panay, I'll take a bus and we can just see here. Yeah, so that's not as bad, eight hours. But I guess it could be delayed more. So then I'd take the bus. We'd go through Dipolog. Well, there's I guess this is a little bit different. So yeah, go through here, come down through Ozamiz, through Iligan, stopping in Cagayan de Oro. I think there's a transfer point. I've been to the bus terminal in Cagayan de Oro, and then transfer and then go up through the mountains here and into Malaybalay. And it's a cooler city weather-wise, so that's something I'm really looking forward to if I do go this route.
18:45 Michael, great question. You know, I think Luzon is interesting. I want to give Luzon the attention it deserves. I mean, I think with Luzon, there's a lot to see. It is the new capital region, right? So you've got a lot of conveniences up there. Of course, you've got proximity to Manila. You've got Bangui, which Bangui is interesting to me.
19:19 Hey Alex, your demeanor is brighter than your last stop. Yeah, for sure. You know, it's been tough, right? Like I'm tentatively planning my return, and that's always an unhappy circumstance. Unfortunately, it's never fun to go back to the United States. Each time I've had to do that in the past, it hasn't been super pleasant. It is just part of not being financially independent. I know that I'll get there.
19:51 Coincidentally, I'm doing better financially than I was when I got here. Like I managed to moderate my spending so much, and then I also had growth in my investments. That I'm doing better on paper than I was a year ago. Now, I don't know how much of that is impacted by inflation. Obviously, prices have continued to go up in the last year. Not looking forward to paying those ridiculous American prices.
20:17 But yeah, you know, I'm just trying to sort out my opportunities and select my next opportunity back home. If I don't get an offer, I'll probably go back in January because I have confidence that I could find something that's not ideal, not in software sales. But, you know, it's yeah, I just need to add to the cash pile.
20:47 Sorry about that, Macau Streets. Thank you for the heads up on that. Michael mentioned the screen is kind of going black. It may be my connection. My connection here, maybe struggling a little bit. It's probably a peak internet usage hour, right? So everybody's off work and they're at home, and so probably everybody's online.
21:11 And yeah, I could imagine it's definitely there's a heavy load being placed right now on the systems. Chris says, planning a trip to Yogyakarta in a few weeks. Enjoy, Christopher. I hope you have a wonderful time in Yogyakarta. I'm looking forward to hearing more about your experiences in Yoga.
21:41 I think it's just a, you know, it's going to be a really interesting cultural experience. You'll probably learn a lot. I'm sure you can learn a lot online, but being there in person, seeing the sites in person is a whole another level. And I'm sure you'll encounter wonderful locals who have a lot to share about their city. And it's a sizable city too.
22:06 You know, something I've learned about Indonesia, partly through you, Chris, is it's really populated, right? Like there's a ton of people there. So for those who may not be as into small towns, like I think, you know, Yoga is like three or four million people. It's a pretty sizable city, so it'll be interesting to hear about your experiences there for sure.
22:39 So, Macau, great question. If you want to stay long-term in the Philippines, what three reasons why you'll do that and where in the Philippines? That's a great question. So for me, if I stay long-term in the Philippines, one would be having a significant other here. If I end up in a committed relationship with a woman here, then naturally I'd want to stay here.
23:05 So that's the number one reason, significant other. Two would be the English. I have, you know, it's definitely been really good for my mental health to be here and speaking English with people, being able to talk to so many people. On one hand, I think I'm introverted. On the other hand, it's like, I don't know how much of that is just being in the US where, you know, people aren't super social like they used to be.
23:30 I think the people here are still very, very social. Like the other night, last weekend, had an amazing time. Went out to this, it's like a same competition they had among different local high schools. I ended up meeting the principal of one of the high schools, and then he's trying to set me up with one of his vice principals. It was hilarious.
23:54 It really was hilarious. And, you know, talking to different people, I mean, it was just meeting one person after another. I just would talk to so many different people, and they're so friendly here. Like the people here are so friendly, so kind and warm and welcoming, curious. And I'm, I could be kind of a private person, but I'd ask some questions about them and their lives and show also a lot of enthusiasm for the Philippines because I do have a lot of love for this country.
24:22 I think it's just a really special country with amazing people. So yeah, one, relationships. Two, English. The third would be ease of visas, right? I mean, it's just very easy for Americans to sort out a visa to stay here long-term. You get the sense that they want you to stay.
24:46 And so, you know, having that confidence of knowing, hey, I could stay here for up to three years. If I get married at some point, then that I pivot to the what's called a 13A Visa. You know, so knowing that there's that longevity, that it's a long-term kind of a place. It's not something where, oh, I've been here a year and, oh, who knows what's going to happen.
25:08 No, no. I mean, there's Americans that have been living here for many, many years. So yeah, knowing that Americans are welcome, knowing that I can sort out a visa and not be kind of, there's some level of nervousness, right? I mean, you want to make sure you follow all the processes to get your visa done. You don't want to let that lapse.
25:37 I think it's very important to follow all the proper rules, regulations, the visa requirements as a foreigner. It's not something I take lightly. The privilege to stay here long-term. But yeah, great question, Macau Streets. Christopher says, taking the luxury train. I will grab some photos and share during the trip. One, full. Yeah, I'm excited to see what that experience is like.
26:02 I thought you'd have to fly, so the fact that you could take a luxury train is even better. I'm sure that's going to be a really nice experience for you. If you ever want to talk about stock options or high-yield dividends, ping me. Definitely, Michael. I'll definitely reach out to you. That's something that, you know, once I've got like some kind of regular income back home, it's something I need to get more into because I'm part of the way there, right? I'm not at zero.
26:30 I'm not in the position where I'm trying to build, you know, some wealth.
26:35 I'm trying to build something from scratch or from zero, but I'm not where I need to be. I need to sort out the grind to get where I need to be because once I hit my financial independence number, then I can come over here and not ever worry about going back home. That'll be a great feeling.
26:57 It will also be confusing to not have that same sense of urgency and rushing that I feel like I'm in now. I'm trying to rush toward financial independence because life in the States ain't getting any cheaper. Wages have definitely been negatively impacted by the downturn in tech, while expenses are higher than ever.
27:34 Great question, Michael. Thank you so much for offering. We'll have to get together at some point. If you go to Luzon, I'd recommend Baguio and Tagaytay. That's a great idea.
27:53 Tagaytay, oh yeah, it's beautiful. Wow, that's incredible. Looks like they're building a hotel here. I love the fog too; it's gorgeous up there.
28:21 I am talking to a woman in SEO, so I wanted to mention that. That'll be the next topic of this livestream. We'll go for another 30 minutes. I think I'm going to try to cut these down to an hour for the near future because I just get worn out beyond an hour.
28:36 To keep the quality up, I think they're just better at an hour for right now. Anyway, I also have a ton of different things going on.
28:52 Michael says, 'I plan a visit to Tagaytay and Batangas.' I hope you have a wonderful time in Tagaytay and Batangas, Michael. I think both are great.
28:59 Michael asks, 'What are your main IT proficiencies? I'm curious about your history and experiences.' Let's see here. I'm more on the sales side, Michael. My first IT job was a help desk job, which was okay. It was just a seasonal role for a retailer, Kirklands, if I'm not sure if you're familiar with Kirklands.
29:39 Most of my experience, Michael, is on the sales side, so actually selling IT services. I started off at a company and I'm not going to name them out of respect. That was more in helping them with contract renewal, so I was an account manager. This is an IT digital ops platform.
30:01 Michael, I'm happy to PM you these separately offline. Out of respect for them, it's been so long since I worked at that retailer, I didn't mind mentioning them. But some of my more recent experience, I prefer not to share it on stream, but I'm happy to PM you separately.
30:17 I was an account manager there, so not in a technical role. I was helping them to maintain those relationships with customers, helping the customers to get their accounts renewed, upgrading their packages, increasing their license counts, and getting those contracts signed to prevent lapses in service.
30:42 Then I pivoted toward more of the hardcore sales at a fintech company, where I was actually doing a lot of cold calling, cold emailing, trying to get meetings set, trying to set appointments for our fintech solution. So not in the sense of working with SQL or interacting with databases, but actually doing more of the business side of the company.
31:12 I call it IT because it's working for tech companies, but not in what I would call a non-technical role. But you know, I also looked into going back for my masters in IT. My concern about going back to school is that it just pushes moving over here down the line several more years.
31:37 I would like to be moved over here in three or four years, as opposed to six or seven. I know I should be patient. I know all of you guys have done your time. Moving over here in your 30s is a pretty big ask.
32:01 But at the same time, it's not about the journey; it really is about the destination. The Philippines is an incredible country. I'm so much happier here. I feel so much more fulfilled here. I look forward to getting out and interacting with people.
32:18 Journey with our Miracle Prem, welcome. This is my first time having you on the stream. I think I've seen you on a few other streams before, but yeah, welcome to the stream. Thank you so much for joining. It looks like you may have a channel; I'm definitely happy to check it out when I get some time.
32:40 Bohol is a great island to retire. We have a lot to do here. We have Panglao with its white sand beaches. Yeah, Panglao is high on my list. When I was in Cebu last time, I actually dated a woman from Bohol, and she was telling me all about it, how wonderful it is, how beautiful it is.
33:00 She relocated to Cebu for work, working in a call center. But every holiday, she would take a ferry from Cebu back to Bohol to spend time with her family, and she always had a lot of positive things to say about Bohol. Let's pull that up. I'll come down here to Panglao.
33:28 Yeah, it looks like something out of a movie. It's just stunning. That's absolutely gorgeous, and you're making a solid case, Journey, for me to come check out Bohol at some point. Maybe if I go up to Cebu for a month, I could do a weekend trip out to Bohol.
33:50 As I said, I'm talking to a woman in Cebu. I'll get back to her after the stream. That's one of those beautiful things about Cebu is that if you want to. I do apologize if you hear dog noise in the background; I went to check it out, but I think it may be a neighbor.
34:19 Yeah, it's super beautiful. This looks like something out of a movie; it's really incredible.
34:53 Michael, I'll definitely be sure to PM you because I wouldn't mind transferring to more of the technical side. I know that I have the shirts for that. You mentioned the AWS shirt, and another friend of mine has mentioned getting a Salesforce shirt. I think my personality is more suited toward more technical roles; I just don't have the technical skill set yet.
35:11 I did make it to a junior level in computer science, which I feel like shows some technical aptitude. But, man, that talk is having a rough time.
35:30 There's an older blogger named Barry that lives not far from me. He invited me and my girl to come stay a couple days with him and his wife. They're going to show us some cool places. Yeah, I think you're going to have a wonderful time, Michael. It's I feel like you can't go wrong here in the Philippines; there are so many nice places to see.
35:47 Some people make the point that the islands look similar, but I don't feel that way personally. I think they all look interesting and unique. I think a better way to separate them is like big city versus small town versus more like a resort or vacation area. Manila and Cebu are big cities; if you're a big city person, they're perfect for that. You've got the highrises, the skyscrapers, the modern shopping malls, and a lot of different activities.
36:27 Then the small towns have more of a laid-back vibe; you get to know people and talk to people a bit more. And then the resorts are all about the beaches and the mountains. So I think there's a lot of variety here, and I'm glad to hear that you've got some hosts, Michael, that are going to help show you around. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.
36:49 He lives in Alon-alon, so why don't I pull up Alon-alon?
37:11 Oh, okay. Oh, wow. I love the fake snow. I got confused for a moment, Michael. I'm thinking, 'Is this really the Philippines?' because we never see snow here. But it's yeah, this looks stunning, and I love the Christmas spirit. Christmas is going to be starting next month here in the Philippines and it will go on until January.
37:56 The bananas are delicious here too; they are so fresh and sweet. My host family here, Anita, she boiled some, so I got to taste the boiled versus the fresh. I think I like the boiled a little bit better; the texture is different. It's just a different flavor, but I definitely enjoy the boiled a lot. The fresh is good too; you can't go wrong, but the boiled, I think, is my preference.
38:26 GMM, welcome. Good evening from Bangkok, eating dinner almost 7:00 PM. Are you enjoying the Philippines? Yeah, GMM, it was a great decision to come here. I've had so many opportunities to socialize, to meet different people. I've been talking up a storm, just getting to know different people and socializing. It's been a lot of fun. What are you having for dinner in Bangkok?
38:58 Journey says, 'Yeah, we are building our second little house here at Buav Vista, Bohol. It's right across from Cebu City.' Yeah, and see, that's where you have the best of both worlds, Journey. Let's back up here.
39:28 You know, you can easily get to Cebu City. So if you're ever wanting the big city vibe, you can easily go there. You can do your shopping, and you can probably have, I've heard there's plenty of international cuisine in Bohol, but if there's something you want that you don't have there, you can go up to Cebu and experience that. You get that vibrancy. I'm sure you've got some friends in Cebu City as well. It seems like everybody I talk to anyway has friends in Cebu.
39:55 And then you go back to your tropical paradise, right? Cebu is tropical, but it's certainly more of a business city.
40:03 Certainly, it's more of a business city, a place people go to do business and a place where people would go for healthcare. It has a little bit of a different vibe than the others, but I like them all.
40:20 You're in Northwest B, so that makes it even easier. If you're over here, it's probably a faster ferry. I'm not sure if you go to Taby Lauren, but if you come down here to Taby Lauren to take the ferry, I'm not sure if you can take the ferry direct from some of these other cities. But yeah, great options there.
40:42 Now, in the Philippines, you have a chance to practice driving a scooter or just go to a really small town and pay a guy to teach you. Some of my friends here have been pushing me to ride a scooter, and it's like, I need to learn. I want to learn, but I don't want to do trial and error.
41:08 The turns are what get me. I'm fine accelerating and decelerating; it's knowing how to turn safely that is a big part of what I want to get down. Some of my friends have said, 'If you can ride a bicycle, you're fine,' but I still would like to learn.
41:28 So that's what I'll do. I think it's a good point to just pay somebody to teach me, take some time with me, and show me how to ride safely. I think it's worth the time investment and the money investment because it's potentially very dangerous.
41:44 I hear and see about it all the time: people getting in accidents and getting hurt because they don't know what they're doing or aren't accustomed to it. So that's a good call. I just need to find maybe some motorbike lessons.
42:10 Okay, cool. Yeah, I'm gonna go to this driving school there. I found a driving school here; I'm gonna go down there and ask them to just teach me because that way I can be safe about it, learn from professionals, and it'll be all around better.
42:39 The big bananas that people like in the West are the most tasteless. I absolutely agree. They taste like nothing. I think partly because they have to use preservatives and they're also not fresh; they're coming from the Caribbean or somewhere else. By the time they get there, you're getting a subpar product and paying a premium for them.
43:07 Here, you just pull them out of trees. But there, they've gone up to probably 45 cents a pound or something, so they're not exactly cheap like they used to be. I remember when I was a kid, you could get them for like 19 or 29 cents a pound.
43:22 They don't really taste like anything, but they also don't really cost anything. Why pay a lot for something that just doesn't taste like anything? The bananas in Thailand were really good; I used to get those sometimes in Shanghai from the local farmers market. They're kind of plaintains, like the small ones, really good stuff.
43:49 The smaller bananas here are much better. They definitely have a better taste. Speaking of which, I need to have some turon at some point. I remember turon from my last trip here; they're almost like these banana-filled egg rolls. They put caramel on top, and they're really, really tasty.
44:11 I saw a place at the mall here in MTI at Robinson's that offers those, and I'd like to go try that. GMM says holy basil stir-fry with pork and a fried egg. That's something that Thailand does really well; some of the best cuisine in the world.
44:33 I love that holy basil stir-fry. I used to get that a lot for breakfast in Bangkok. I'd walk by the Thailand Girl Scouts or whatever, and to help raise money for their organization, the scout master, or the leader, would set up a table outside and sell the Pad Krapow with a fried egg. It was like 40 baht or something like that; very economical.
45:09 I'd pick that up and toss it in my backpack, take it back to my apartment, and have that for breakfast after a workout. I was a member of Fitness at the time, so I'd go to the gym, do my workout, and then pick that up and eat it. Sometimes I'd grab a coffee from 7-Eleven as well, but it was a great way to start the day.
45:40 You can catch a ferry to Siargao from GFE in one hour. That's so fast; you can't beat that. One hour; there are people who commute longer for work. So to get to Siargao in an hour, you've got an amazing location there.
45:59 To have the beach vibe, the relaxed setting, but also be an hour away from Siargao. I'm sure there are people who live in Siargao that take longer than one hour to get to work. I know the woman I'm talking to lives close to her work, but I'm sure others have to do more of a super commute.
46:23 So yeah, I think your location is very, very special. I could see why you would decide to live there, and I'm sure your significant other is part of that. She may be from that area, but in that case, her family chose very well.
46:41 Journey says you should try the fried bananas on a stick. Got it. Yeah, I'll definitely keep an eye out for those. Michael says banana C, but his favorite is the mango steen fruit. Mango steen is my favorite fruit too.
46:55 Mango steen is like the perfect blend of sour and sweet. I like it better even than the longan and the rambutan. It's just got the texture; it's softer. I think mangosteen is my favorite fruit.
47:21 I used to get it all the time in Thailand. The prices in Thailand are, I'd say, half the price of here. I used to specifically go to the fruit market in Bangkok and buy like three kilos. I had a vendor that was really consistent as far as quality goes.
47:49 Mangosteen is one of my favorite fruits. Sometimes I get durian as well if I was feeling like a high roller. The mangosteen is considered a cooling fruit, and the durian is a heating fruit. So you get this interesting effect where you maintain your temperature.
48:08 As opposed to if you just eat the durian, you feel kind of hot. If you just eat the mangosteen, well, just eating the mangosteen is fine because you're in a hot tropical environment, so that's nice.
48:29 Yeah, Michael, you've got to try mangosteen sometime. So this is mangosteen. I just kind of squeeze them and tear them, and then you get this white fruit. Some vendors, their quality is a little bit less consistent.
48:54 I haven't had any here by the way, but in Thailand or Vietnam, you open it up and it's kind of rotten. But some vendors I've had are awesome, and the entire bag is good. It's got this soft white flesh.
49:09 Be careful because the purple part can be staining, Michael. So you won't want to wear a white shirt or a light-colored shirt when you're having this, but it's amazing. It's just so tasty; I could just eat kilo after kilo of these and never get tired of it.
49:36 Yeah, mango is amazing. I think mango is actually the national fruit of the Philippines, and the mango here is delicious. One of the best desserts I've ever had in my life was at the SM City Mall in Siargao, in the Reclamation area.
49:56 It was this like mango thing; it had mango in it, whipped cream, and cake. It was like 100 pesos or something like that. One of the best desserts I've ever had anywhere in the world. I still think about that dessert.
50:10 If I make it back up to Siargao, I'm gonna be going back to SM City to try to get it again. The mango is perfectly ripe, sweet, juicy, flavorful, that brilliant yellow-orange color. It's amazing.
50:25 I've been talking to my friends from India too, and they're like, 'Oh wow, we have that in India.' So there's just this nice connection that you feel to other friends.
50:45 Star apple. Have I tried? Let me pull up Star Apple. That sounds familiar. Is this guava? I don't know if I've tried this one, Michael. This one looks really good though.
50:58 I like the colors. The colors of the fruit in this part of the world are just so vibrant. I have seen it. What do they call that? I think they call it starfruit. I've occasionally seen it in the West, but you'll pay like $10 equivalent for just one of these fruits.
51:16 So not something I'm able to justify spending on, but over here, it's much more accessible. I've seen these; I saw these in Vietnam. Occasionally, I'd see one on the ground, of course, I'm not going to pick it up and eat it, but I'd see it on the ground sometimes, maybe a vendor had one fall off their truck.
51:44 What does it taste like? Star apple tastes like Michael. GMM says the downside with the Philippines is if they don't grow it locally, it has to be transported by ferry, that makes the prices higher.
51:53 Certainly. Definitely, that's a reality. If the product is not produced locally, then we do have to pay a premium for it. Never...
52:08 I never tried star apple. We look for them in the night market near me. Keep an eye out for it. I don't know if I ever saw it in Thailand, but it may have just been that I wasn't going to a big enough market. Oh, very sweet and soft. Nothing like an apple.
52:23 Okay, I want to try that because that sounds amazing. It's something that if I see it here and I'm going down to the city tomorrow, I'm staying outside of the city. I'm going down to the city tomorrow. I'll go to the fruit market and I'll ask around for it because that sounds really good.
52:45 Very sweet and soft. I like soft fruits a lot. I think that's something that you like about mango steen. It's very, very soft and tender. It's got the sweet and the sour flavors. There's nothing like it.
53:01 In Thailand, they call it the queen of all fruits. Durian is the king of fruits, and then mangosteen is the queen. I'm not sure what to compare it to.
53:18 All right, yeah, I'll definitely keep an eye out. I like dragon fruit a lot. Why don't we pull up dragon fruit here? I haven't yet tried it here. I've seen a few vendors for it, but I'm a fan of dragon fruit.
53:32 It's got a mild flavor, but I find it to be really nice for hydrating. So like if I'm a little bit dehydrated and I'm drinking water, I find it's also nice to mix it up and have some of this dragon fruit.
53:45 It's another one of those things that I got to try here because back home, it's just so pricey that it's just really not accessible. It's also not fresh back home. I mean, they've got to transport it such a far distance.
53:57 I did try it in San Francisco, and that was a nice reminder of this part of the world. But yeah, dragon fruit is incredible.
54:11 Love testing new things. Nobody remembers a wimp. Yeah, I mean, this is a great part of the world to try new things. It's just so different than where we're from.
54:24 And um, yeah, you can just have so many, so many interesting fruits for sure.
54:35 Star apples are good. We have a big tree. Oh, that's got to be amazing. You can go and have it anytime you want. You could just pick it out and chop it up and have it fresh, as fresh as it gets, right?
54:50 You can't beat having a tree in your yard, like you're not even having to buy it at the market and wait until you get home. You have it right there at your kitchen table or your dining room table.
55:02 Ah, that's so nice. That sounds like an incredible place that you've got. You are surrounded by these wonderful fruit trees. I'm sure you've got some other fruit trees as well, probably some coconut trees there.
55:15 And it's a nice visual too, just to see, just to be surrounded by life. You know, it is so, I think that's why partly why Southeast Asia is so appealing.
55:27 Is that in the West, we have these kind of rough winters, and it seems like everything shuts down, right? You don't have that here. Like you've got a kind of a winter kind of, but it's still not really a winter. The weather just cools off a bit.
55:43 It doesn't get super cold, though. So everything keeps growing, and stuff grows super fast here as well.
56:03 Smoothie with dragon fruit and watermelon equals five stars. I haven't tried that combination. Um, yeah, I have. I haven't had the combination in a smoothie, but I have had that combination just like at my condo table when I lived in Chiang Mai.
56:18 I had a great watermelon vendor. It was like 40 baht for like a sizable watermelon. And then the dragon fruit was, I think it was like 40 baht a kilo or 50. It was pretty reasonable.
56:32 So I'd buy both and chop them up and then have them together at my kitchen table. It was a really, really nice combination.
56:40 If you're unsure, just ask the vendor or the fruit Auntie to show you how to eat. That's a good. Yeah, that's absolutely a great way to enjoy things here is just asking people because they're excited about it, like they're excited about their product.
56:57 They know people love it. They know it makes people's day. It's such a simple joy in life to have the fresh fruits that we have here in Southeast Asia.
57:07 There it's a big part of what I love about this part of the world is you have all these what I call simple pleasures. You're not thinking, oh man, I need to go, the only thing that'll make me happy is a Lamborghini or a fancy sports car.
57:20 It's like a simple piece of fruit can really rejuvenate, invigorate your day, put a smile on your face. It's something that's nice to share too, right?
57:30 Very easy to share fruit. You just need to cut it up. Um, yeah, yeah, Journey, I mean, I think that's incredible. You've got a big tree in your yard.
57:40 Um, I, yeah, it's, it's such a special part of the world here that we're so fortunate to be able to spend time in. And it lends itself too to living in the moment, right?
57:54 Being in the present, enjoying the present moment. That's another big part of living over here that I love is that you know, we are more often living in the moment.
58:09 We are more often thinking about the simple things in life, the things that, you know, it's not necessarily easy to move to a different country.
58:20 And in doing so, and undertaking these challenges, we create a lot of meaning in our lives. And enjoying the fruit is a celebration of that meaning, right?
58:30 The amount of hard work that that tree did to produce that piece of fruit. You know, Mother Nature reigning a lot to stimulate the tree to grow because these fruits are like really water-intensive, right?
58:44 So if you're in a dry climate, like I've lived in Colorado and in California, very dry states, you just don't have the year-round fruit that you have here, right?
58:55 You've got like in Colorado, you've got like a peach season, you got apricots. Of course, California's got a lot, but that a lot of that is more related to their, you know, them modifying the environment there like through irrigation.
59:11 Here that's not needed. Like stuff just grows in people's yards, and it's beautiful to look at. Like I like just riding around and seeing all the palm trees, the coconut trees.
59:23 It's, it's just such a visually stunning place, like the region in general. Thailand is very similar, like a very visually appealing place.
59:33 It's intellectually stimulating too. I feel like it stimulates my mind and, yeah, I really enjoy being in this part of the world.
59:40 But um, does anybody have any last thoughts or questions? We're coming up on an hour now, so I think I'm going to wind the stream down. It's been, you know, it's been a great time catching up with everybody.
59:51 Welcome as well to the channel, Journey. I think you're a new subscriber. Much appreciated for your viewership and your sharing about your life in Bohol. I'm definitely will try to check out your channel, but I'll try to drop you a line if I make it out that way. I'd love to link up at some point, maybe get a cup of coffee.
1:00:15 There are many dragon fruits in the Philippines. Um, yeah, lots of dragon fruit here. I've seen a ton at the fruit market.
1:00:29 Moving condos tomorrow, by the way. Did find a nice bigger one-bedroom with a pool and gym in the On Nut area, 310 per month. I wonder if I can even rent a tent in any Western country for that.
1:00:42 Yeah, probably not. You're probably living in a car for that. I had a similar conversation with Mike about that where he's talking about his rent, and I'm like, yeah, probably be rough digs for those kinds of prices in the West.
1:01:01 I'm having nothing but always great chatting with you and listening to your story on your path. Yeah, thank you so much, Michael. I appreciate your insight. Seeing somebody from where I'm from achieving this kind of lifestyle is inspiring to me. It pushes me to continue to work hard, try to grind it out.
1:01:19 I know it's attainable for me. I've seen it in action, and you're part of that story, Michael. It's a great place for a kid to grow up. We brought our daughter. That must be your miracle premie. I, you know, she's so fortunate to be growing up in such a wholesome environment.
1:01:35 I see the Philippines as being a very wholesome country, a very family-oriented country, a very relationship-oriented country. It's, I could go on and on about how much I love the culture. I'll probably do a stream about that at some point, maybe even a video about it at some point.
1:01:52 But uh, it's been just, it's been such a welcoming and wonderful place here. Um, but yeah, good Philippines dragon fruit. Well, thank you so much, everybody. I'm going to go ahead and wrap this up.
1:02:03 I hope everybody has a great weekend. If I don't catch you this weekend, and um, yeah, we'll see you soon, everyone. Bye-bye.
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