Will They Let Me Renew My Passport?

Morning Routine and Christmas Parties

0:54 Hey guys, hi. Good to see you. My hair is a little bit messed up, but uh, yeah, welcome, welcome. You're from Melbourne. Very nice. I think this is the first time I'm seeing you here on the live stream. I, uh, yeah, I woke up and so I thought I'd just hop on here. Hey 3p, good to see you. Yeah, I'm just, uh, enjoying. See, we're about a week out from Christmas and I'm just, uh, enjoying my morning. I'm gonna go out and film if it's not too rainy today. Uh, it looks like it's going to be pretty rainy this week here in Dagat.

1:32 And so on Friday, I'm going to another Christmas party. I went to one Christmas party last weekend and that was a lot of fun with some friends. Uh, some of you may have seen me on their channels, like Paul and, uh, Justin. Uh, was also there and it was just really great to see some of these friends and also meet some people I, uh, I was familiar with for a while, but just hadn't met in person. So, yeah, great opportunity.

2:02 And then Friday, I'll be going down to a suburb, let's say a suburb of Dumag, and getting together with some more friends for another Christmas get-together. So it's great because I've had quite a few Christmases alone and so, uh, being able to get together with friends is fantastic.

2:27 Yeah, I'd still like to keep putting out videos this week. I took a couple days off this past weekend. I just needed to refresh and kind of, uh, give my brain a little chance to, um, rest and also just kind of brainstorm on some new ideas I'm, I'm trying to flesh out and work on and trying to find priorities. Um, I've got tons and tons of ideas, guys, but trying to figure out which ones make the most sense or are the most valuable ideas. I think that could be the more challenging part.

2:59 But, uh, yeah, how, how's everybody doing today? Any, any plans this week? I imagine most people are still working this week, but hopefully you have some time off, uh, next week.

Passport Renewal and Travel Plans

3:44 Oh, very cool. So you're gonna be visiting Cebu for the first time in April? Very nice. Um, yeah, Cebu is great. I need to go up to Cebu sometime. I've got to find out if I could do it via mail, but I need to, uh, there's a bunch of things I need to do up there. One of the things I need to do is to renew my passport.

4:05 So let me grab my passport here. Here it is. Yeah, so I got to renew my, uh, passport here. This expires in, um, less than six months. Yeah, so my passport expires next summer and, uh, I need to go ahead and start on that renewal process.

4:37 By the way, guys, please give us a thumbs up if you can. It helps with the algorithm. Um, but yeah, so I've got to, I've got to renew my passport and, um, that can be done in either Cebu or in Manila. And, uh, and then I have to either go to Manila or hire a service to have the visa stamp transferred from, uh, this passport to the new passport, which is fine. Uh, I may make a trip to Manila out of it. Um, I still haven't spent any time in Manila besides the airport, so getting up there would be cool.

5:12 But yeah, in Cebu, 3p, I've got a bunch of collabs that I've kind of just been putting off for a while until I get up there. Uh, but that would, you know, that that would be a lot of fun to collab with some people. Some of you guys probably recognize that I've been in touch with for a while and I've even met several people from Cebu that have come down here to do meetups for vacation. So it's, uh, yeah, plus I like Cebu. I'm just, I happen to be a fan of Cebu. I like the cosmopolitan feeling of it. Um, I like the variety of activities. I like the restaurants. I like just the big city vibe.

5:51 I mean, it's just a very, you know, it's one of, it's one of my, I guess I've been to about a half dozen places in the Philippines. It's definitely toward the top of my list.

6:05 Um, Mr. Dave, I'm in Thailand taking a break from the Philippines. Yeah, enjoy Thailand, Mr. Dave. I still have, um, some Thai baht from, um, from Thailand. So I, uh, depending on when I go or if and when I go back to the US, I thought about stopping in Thailand. I, I like Thailand a lot. It's, uh, yeah, Thailand is fantastic.

6:42 Um, I may end up living in Thailand in the long term, uh, like when I'm, I'm fully what you could call retired. Thailand is definitely up there for me. Um, there's just certain things I like in Thailand that, uh, you know, meet my preference. I mean, I'm more of an introvert and I think Thailand is more introvert-friendly. Uh, there's some other things as well. I like, uh, I like the urban landscapes in Thailand. I think there's certain kind of city conveniences that are not necessarily as easy to find here in the Philippines.

7:22 Um, there's a lot I like about the Philippines too, but, uh, I think Thailand too. It was the first country I ever went to in Southeast Asia, so it kind of got a special place in my heart as far as, uh, just, you know, some of those formative experiences, some of those early experiences in Southeast Asia. Uh, I like Thailand a lot.

Expat Life and Social Dynamics

7:46 Uh, 3p, watched a few of your videos so far. Heard a lot about Dumag and Xats. How a lot of people are leaving? Not sure if that's accurate or not. Well, I don't think the Dumag ranks quite as high on people's lists today. Um, I think the secret's gotten out and a lot of people have moved to Dagat, uh, because they find out that it offers a lot of Western conveniences. Uh, it's got some big city amenities while maintaining a small town vibe, but the traffic's gotten bad.

8:19 You know, like, uh, like anytime a city gets popular, the traffic is going to increase. I've seen this happen in so many cities at this point in my life, and it's a substantial tradeoff. So if you're a person that you don't like the traffic, you know, that's, that's going to be a reason to maybe go elsewhere.

8:43 Um, I think Dagat is great, but it's not for everyone. I, I, that's why I hesitate to like suggest cities to people. People ask me, should I move there? Should I move there? And I'm thinking, I don't know. Like, um, it's not easy to find housing here in Dumag, especially if you're on a budget. Uh, it's not easy to not everyone is easy to get along with.

9:06 Um, Filipinos are great, but as far as the expats go, not everybody's easy to get along with. Uh, people can be kind of territorial here in Dagat. People can be standoffish, like Xats specifically.

9:25 They, yeah, I mean, there are people that that want to like sort of like lord over meetups and like act like they kind of run the place. And they, you know, it's just, you know, some of those toxic American behaviors are present here. Anywhere you've got a bunch of Americans, uh, you're going to have some amount of toxic American behavior. And yeah, I mean, it just, you know, I say it all the time, I didn't come halfway around the world to, uh, you know, to argue with other Americans.

9:59 And so as time progresses, I become more and more selective about the people that I hang out with. So I am more and more selective, and I've weeded out more and more people out of my social circles, uh, because there's a lot of people I don't want to hang out with. And I think that you'll probably find the same if you go to anywhere that's an expat hotspot. It doesn't matter what country you're in, doesn't matter what city it is. If it's a place that is popular for foreigners to go and live, then, uh, you'll probably want to be quite selective.

Social Circles and Personal Boundaries

10:31 I mean, I have friends that are super selective and don't really talk to anybody else. Um, they'll be friendly if you approach them, but they're not really looking to make more friends, uh, which is totally fine. I think it's a superpower to be happy alone, uh, to not need other people for happiness. I try to strike a healthy balance because I'm a content creator, right? So I've got to be open to and receptive to feedback and, uh, to talking to people that are viewers or subscribers.

11:01 I certainly, uh, you know, I don't, I don't want to act like I'm too good to talk to somebody that's supporting the channel. Um, there's a lot of wonderful people that are helping to support the channel. Sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming.

11:17 Uh, just to kind of add to your comment, 3p, sometimes it does get a bit overwhelming getting recognized every day. Like when I go out and do meetups, I do get recognized a lot.

11:36 Um, yeah, just at least once per day when I go out. Like I'm going to go out sometime today and I expect to get recognized. Um, and people are generally very nice. Like people that recognize me are generally very nice and, uh, you know, polite and kind. Um, nobody's been rude yet. I imagine it will happen at some point, uh, but fortunately, it hasn't happened yet.

12:04 Um, main reason I'm in Thailand is that it's not raining here for a few months. It's not great for dating. I'll be back in the Philippines or Indonesia soon. Yeah, I don't know. It's, um, guys, by the way, please give us a thumbs up. We've got 20 people in here. It helps to distribute the video to, uh, more people when we have those likes.

12:29 Um, yeah, Thailand, I like a lot. I mean, Thailand, like I said, my first love in Southeast Asia. The infrastructure is great, easy to get around. Um, food is fantastic. The, uh, people are generally very friendly. I had success in dating. I think not as much as maybe, I don't know, six, seven years ago. I think the secret's gotten out more about Thailand and more and more people are going to Thailand.

12:55 Uh, but I still am a fan and, and, you know, there's, there's a few women that I've met over the years in Thailand that are still single that I'd be interested in seeing again, uh, assuming I'm single. But, um, yeah, I felt like the interactions I did have there were genuine.

Travel Destinations and Long-Term Living

13:30 Um, and Indonesia's on my radar for next year. Mr. Dave, I may, I may try to go to Indonesia, um, and see what it's about next year, maybe early next year. I mean, you've got to do this, you gotta get this exit clearance if you stay in the Philippines for six months or longer, which February will be six months for me. Then I'll have to get an exit clearance and that's going to be kind of a pain.

14:01 Uh, so yeah, maybe I'll want to leave before then. And, uh, yeah, yeah, I gotta, I got to look into getting my passport done though. That's going to be, that's going to be a priority for me because that, if I want to go to Indonesia, I'm not going to be able to get into Indonesia with my passport, uh, under with under six months of validity.

14:25 Under six months of validity, so maybe I handle that in January and then, um, maybe I can go to Indonesia later. I mean, I will, I'll probably end up having to do the exit clearance, which it's not a big deal to me. It's just another thing you got to do. I don't anticipate anything being amiss there. I follow the rules here, but it is something that probably didn't take like a couple hours. Probably have to go take a cab across town or something like that, wait for the processing and all that, and then I'll have a time window in which I can leave.

15:07 So that's, I think that's part of the thing is that if you want to go within that time window, then you're like, okay, now that I've gotten approval, I need to hit this time window to exit. I could probably buy the ticket in advance, but it just requires a lot of coordination of moving parts. And so, I can see why some people, they want to leave before that six months just to avoid having to do that and saving themselves some time.

15:36 There, in Kenya, I had a beautiful, vibrant 20-something girlfriend. I love Africa. I think it's the friendliest continent, and it's usually safe. Uganda is friendlier, and it's good for dating. I left just before six months to avoid the exit clearance. I'd be in Indo now if it wasn't raining. I love Africa, but the flight is expensive.

16:03 Um, yeah, I mean, like Mr. Dave, I did a video, it didn't get the, well, I got a decent reception talking about the expense of Africa. I think Africa has a lot to offer, especially countries like Kenya, Uganda. I've heard great stuff about Rwanda, and I just pointed out the expense. And I think a lot of people got offended about it because they thought I was like, poo-pooing it. And I'm like, no, it's not about critiquing it, it's more about just pointing out the expense, right? For the guy who is hyper price-conscious or like prices top of mind for him, it's not going to be necessarily the most budget-friendly option.

16:44 Like I had one person from Kenya telling me that the real estate was more expensive in Kenya than Australia, at least where they were from in Kenya. And so when it's that expensive, then a person who might be thinking, hey, I want to buy a condo, it's not going to necessarily be a deal. That being said, if the budget is not as top of mind, I mean, Africa is definitely of interest to me.

17:11 Um, if I go back to the States and work for a while and I get a two-week vacation, I might look at Africa there. There's some places I really want to go that are just more expensive. And if I'm not working, it's harder to justify that in the budget. But if I am working, meaning I'm earning more money, but I have less free time, I'm happy to use some of that free time to check out Africa.

Southeast Asia vs. Latin America

17:38 Um, if I go back to work, top of mind is Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Chile, I may only do two of the three, or do them in two separate trips. If I've got two weeks off or something, maybe Argentina and Uruguay, or a week in Chile, a week in Brazil, something like that. But then after I get that done, then Africa could be on my radar because I'm almost done with new places in Southeast Asia.

18:12 As far as Southeast Asia goes, there's only four places, and two of them are not necessarily practical for long-term living. Like I want to check out Brunei, but I don't know anybody looking to live in Brunei. And Laos, I don't know much about long-term living in Laos. So, the two, and then Myanmar has some challenges right now. And so Indonesia is the last big one for me in Southeast Asia.

18:43 Um, and I'd like to travel more in Latin America, but I don't know that I go back and forth on living in Latin America because I, you know, I was in Bangkok earlier this year and met a new friend from Peru there. And I asked him, why don't you live in Peru? Peru is a great country, I lived there for a few months. And he said, safety is a concern. So, the main reason he's in Bangkok is that safety is a concern.

Indonesia Travel and Visa Considerations

19:12 Um, by the way guys, I hate to bug you, please give us a thumbs up if you can. We have 25 people in here, I think that's the most I've ever had on a live stream, which is wonderful. I really appreciate everyone supporting the channel, and yeah, definitely inspires me to keep rolling forward.

19:33 Um, but yeah, what Mr. Dave, what are some places you're a fan of in Indonesia? I have friends that are of course experienced with Bali. One of my really good friends here, he lives in Bali now, actually, and he's loving it. He has a business there, he's opened up a sandals or business.

19:57 And yeah, I mean, Indonesia, see, and I've got another buddy living in Indonesia as well, I think in the Jakarta area.

20:08 Um, hey Kyle, good to see you, welcome to the stream. I'm so glad you're joining us. I think it must be Monday evening in the States, it's probably late night, early morning in Europe, and then of course, it's morning here in the Philippines. I'm going to have some water really quick.

20:27 Guys, it's been a while since I've done a stream, so, um, feel free to chime in anybody with any questions that you have or thoughts. I know we're in the holiday season right now, so, you know, you may be planning your travels for next year, maybe planning some destinations for next year.

21:03 Mr. Dave, I only went to Tanzania and Kenya on my trip. Uganda, let's see, would much friendlier. I don't recommend it because they're not so welcoming. Got it, thank you for the heads up. Mr. Dave, I appreciate you letting me know.

21:18 One of my buddies actually went to Tanzania because his uncle has a nonprofit there, and he loved it. I think he did the big mountain there as well, he hiked that or part of it at least. He said it was a really fantastic experience, and Tanzania, from the photographs and from his descriptions, it seemed like a great experience.

21:41 Um, so yeah, very cool. Good to know also about Uganda. Let me pull up a map here because I am curious to learn more. I mean, you know, I say Africa, it's for the sake of discussion, right? Like there's only so much you could say with the massive continent, many countries, millions and millions of people.

22:06 But certainly, it could be said that certain parts of Africa are more interesting or more open or more accessible than some other parts. And I appreciate you adding that nuance, Mr. Dave.

22:22 Um, Biggie, welcome, welcome. Became a subscriber after watching your expat bachelor life video. Hope you are well. Thank you so much, Biggie. Welcome. Um, yeah, I'm doing well this morning. I'm just enjoying my morning. I slept really well last night. I don't know why, the last couple days I've been sleeping really great, so I hope to continue that.

22:46 Maybe because I've been having a little bit less caffeine. Um, but I've got to go buy more caffeine because I'm out of stock on caffeine. I drink a lot of energy drinks and coffee. And I'm feeling it a little bit, but on the other hand, I feel a little bit less awake, but I feel more relaxed. So sometimes it's nice to have a little break, probably let some of the caffeine work its way out of my system.

23:19 Yeah, I don't know how long bachelor life will last. I mean, it's like I'm having okay experiences with dating here.

23:28 Um, Indonesia is on my radar for that. It is something that is part of my interest in heading over there. Of course, the Visa is not so easy. The Visa in the Philippines makes it a very attractive option. Indonesia's Visa process is a little bit more complex. I'm not going to say it's not doable, but it's going to take more planning, more research.

US Passport Renewal Process

23:56 I'm very familiar with the Visa process here. I'm a bit less familiar with the Visa process there. Uh, good Dave, cool, welcome Dave. Good morning. The process of renewing your US Passport would be an interesting video, maybe different ways to get it done.

24:14 Yeah, so that's a good point. Um, I've heard you can mail it. I worry a little bit about mailing it because if I've got to do a Visa renewal and I don't have my passport in hand, it could be tricky. I prefer to do things in person when I'm abroad, just because I don't want to be in limbo where I'm having to go to immigration and say, hey, my passport is still in the renewal process. Can you give me some leeway? What does this look like?

24:45 You know, that kind of gray area where I'm following the rules, but can I renew my Visa when I don't have my Visa in hand? My Visa is still valid, but it expires while my passport is out of hand. So that's something I need to figure out. Maybe I could talk to a Visa service about it. I'm sure that they've encountered this situation before. It's not going to be totally new.

25:11 Um, Mr. Dave, Bogor is a great suburb of Jakarta, but Jakarta is great despite its signs. I get bored in Bond. I'm sure Yoga is great. I'm at a beautiful girl in Bonding, she was from Borneo. Um, yeah, Yoga is top of mind for me. Like, Yoga is the first place that was really on my radar for Indonesia, more so even than Bali, because I hear Yoga is like the cultural capital.

25:39 And for me, culture, food is the number one reason I travel. Let's just be honest here, guys. Number two is the culture, just learning about different cultures, learning about the world. Super interesting to me. Number three is probably dating. That's top of mind for a lot of guys. And number four, cost of living. But it's hard to really rank them. I think different reasons are top of mind for me at different times.

26:15 Different even different times of day. Like if I'm hungry, then food. But if I'm lonely, then probably dating, you know, it shifts around a lot.

26:24 Um, Tanzania is a super special country, amazing people, but it's Muslim, so it's not great for dating, but it's possible to date. After my video watching, Uganda seems like the best for dating. That's great to know, Mr. Dave.

Travel Experiences and Cultural Nuances

26:42 Um, okay, I see it's north of Rwanda. I

26:46 Okay, I see it's north of Rwanda. I used to watch one guy, and he took his channel down. I can't remember the name of his channel, but he was a big fan of Kalala. He lived in Kalala for a while and really enjoyed it there. I don't know what happened to him. He did some of the original stuff I watched from him was in Merida, Mexico, and then he spent some time in Colombia.

27:09 He was from, I think he was from Baltimore. I still don't know what ever happened to him; he's never resurfaced. His content was interesting, but he, yeah, hey Tony, thank you so much, Tony. I appreciate that. It's good to see you, and I hope you're having a good evening in Canada.

27:42 That's another big appeal of Indonesia. I get a lot of pressure to shave. I'm prone to skin issues, so a lot of people ask me, 'Why don't you shave?' I'm prone to breaking out, and it just looks and feels awful when that happens. So, for me, having a beard, one, I don't have an issue with the way I look, but two, it's a comfort thing.

28:12 That's the reason I'm looking at Indonesia, is that the attitude toward beards in Indonesia is totally different. I think part of that is their faith traditions. In Islam, beards are ranging from accepted to maybe even for some adherents, considered a requirement. So, that's a big appeal.

Beard Preferences and Shaving

28:50 Yeah, let me do that. That's a good point, Biggie. Let me make a note of that because that's a big appeal for me of Indonesia, if I'm being honest. It's not that I'm—it's a lot of trouble to shave. Two, the problem doesn't go away unless I were to get laser hair removal on my face, which I don't really think sounds appealing to me.

29:18 The beard's just going to grow back, right? And so, I get all these bumps on my face, and then I've got to go shave it again, which is painful. It doesn't ever really go away; it just keeps growing back. As I get older, it grows in thicker. It's not really like I know a lot of guys do it, but to me, it's just a hangover from like a requirement from the military.

29:50 The big reason why shaving became a big thing is there was this idea that guys will have to wear a gas mask. I'm not in the service. I shout out to our service members; I have nothing but the utmost respect for members of our military. But if the only practical reason to get rid of it was for that reason, and I'm not in the service, I don't make the connection there.

30:21 I've had a lot of people tell me too, like, 'Oh, you need to do this for dating and this and that.' I'm not opposed to doing it, but all this dancing around to try to change myself to find someone. One, like I said, there's places in the world where a beard is totally normal, even a requirement for certain faith traditions.

30:51 If you can grow it, I've heard in Indonesia, it's seen as a blessing, like, 'Oh wow, you're blessed with a beard.' I'm not faulting people for having that preference either. If somebody would prefer to date somebody without a beard, nothing wrong with that. It's not about trying to compromise on everything so that you become a totally different person.

31:21 I've seen a lot of relationship stress over compromises that people weren't really willing to make, but they just tried to force themselves to make that compromise. There's 4 billion women on the planet, and let's say of those 4 billion, even 500 million are within my requirements or whatever. You know, legal, not far above me in age either.

31:50 There's one of those women out there that's comfortable. That's how I feel. Big E is like, 'I'm happy to trim, I'm happy to shape it. I'm not even opposed to shaving on occasion.' But to constantly be in there like, I don't know, it's uncomfortable.

32:14 I'll look into that. Somebody recommended a double-edged safety razor. Okay, it's a lot less irritating. Okay, I'll keep that in mind, VA, because I'm not opposed to shaving it, but the discomfort, it's just painful. I don't understand going through that pain just for that purpose.

Weather and Travel Plans

32:33 Hey Doug, good to see you. Welcome. Bea, good to see you. Bea, how are you doing today?

32:48 So, yeah, so that might be one area, guys, where a video about Red Rock Hot Springs in Ocean 24, hot springs in Valencia, might get views. Very cool. Yeah, yeah. Dave, cool, that's a good call out. I haven't been up there, but I'd like to get up there at some point. Maybe I can meet a lady with a motorbike.

33:10 The woman I've been chatting with, she borrows her sister's motorbike, so she can only borrow it some of the time. I don't know if we could make it up there. She actually lives in Valencia too. But yeah, I need to talk to her. Maybe that's something that could happen.

33:35 I'm not a fan of a woman wearing a ton of makeup, so it's okay that we have preferences. Exactly, Biggie. There's nothing wrong with preferences; everybody has different preferences. If I ask a hundred guys what they find attractive, I'm going to get a hundred different answers, and same with gals, what do you find handsome in a guy? You're going to get a hundred different answers.

33:58 It's part of what makes the world a beautiful place, that we have unique differences and that we can make choices. We have agency to make different choices and find what works best for us. So, yeah, I'm right there with you. I think it's a wonderful thing that we can make choices in life.

34:21 Bea says, 'Pretty good. I hope you're doing well.' Yes, rainy in the Philippines today. Yeah, it's definitely going to be rainy this week in the Philippines. Let's see the forecast.

35:10 Guys, yeah, so it's going to be, the temperature band is pretty small, like it stays within a certain temperature band, but it's going to be rainy today. It's cloudy now. It's going to rain at noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. Wow, okay. Yeah, so it's going to be raining until probably 10, 11 p.m., maybe midnight.

Philippines Living and Weather

35:35 I'll probably go out because I need to. I do need to go to the grocery store. I wanted to go last night, but by the time I got around to it, they'd already closed. I'd gone down to Robinson's Mall, but there was a big line.

36:00 So, there was a big line at Robinson's Mall, and I didn't feel like standing in the line. So, hey Paul, good to see you. Hey Mark, good to see you.

36:14 Bea says, 'I don't check the forecast. It's pretty much the same weather all year in the Philippines. If it's not raining, it's hot and humid.' That's what I'm starting to learn, Bea, is that I just need to accept the weather pattern here as being either raining or hot and humid. It does feel hotter up here, like in Dagat, compared to where I was at before.

36:49 So, for those who don't know, this is like one of my favorite places in the Philippines. It did feel cooler down there. Now, I don't know if that was just me, or if it was because I was in the water a lot more. It's pretty remote, and so at first, I thought, 'I don't know how much I want to put this place on the map,' because it is pretty remote, but it's so beautiful.

37:15 This place is amazing, and yeah, I hope to go back at some point. You can fly in or you could take a ferry in, but as you can see, it's like off on its own. It's not connected to the mainland. It's a very specific place to go to. I don't even think you can get there from like Bais.

37:41 I don't think the ferry goes there from Bais. For me, I had to fly into Cagayan de Oro and then come up here and then take a ferry over. You can fly; they do have an airport on the island, and it's a lot of fun.

37:57 Just look outside your window, you can pretty much tell if it's going to rain or not. It does get a bit cooler around December to February. Got it, Bea. Yeah, I was last here about five years ago, and it did seem to cool off in December, especially toward the end of December. That was welcome.

38:18 In Thailand, it got a little chilly, even when I was in Chiang Mai. We can pull up Chiang Mai here. I was in Chiang Mai this time last year, and it definitely cooled off.

38:53 But yeah, what is everybody up to today? We've got 22 people on here. Thank you so much, everyone, for joining us this morning or evening, depending on where you're at in the world. The weather here is pretty nice. I like the weather most of the time. I actually like the rainy days, Bea, because it's soft. It feels softer on the eyes and provides some contrast, like it makes you appreciate the sun.

39:22 I also think they tend to be good days for doing indoor activities. Like if I need to go shopping, if I need to go to the mall, if I need to handle certain chores, it's nice to have some rainy days for that where I could do the indoor stuff and I don't feel like I'm wasting nice weather.

39:55 In the Southeast US, it's warm here for this time of year, 60s. Also, yeah, I'm from the Southeast; that is pretty warm for the Southeast. It's good to get that rain, I think. That'll help with the farmers and that kind of thing.

40:17 Yeah, it's, that is pretty warm, especially for mid-December. I remember where I'm from in the Southeast getting pretty cold in December, even cold in November. Hey, good to see you, Matt. It's a cold, wet one in Washington.

40:39 I'm curious about the California weather too. Oh, it's raining. Yeah, it's raining in California too, like the East Bay where I used to live. I used to live around Oakland, California.

US Job Market and Financial Planning

41:02 I used to live not too far from Oakland, and yeah, it's a cold day, a cold, rainy day in uh in.

41:26 Oakland and uh what else do we have going on? What do I have to do? So yeah, I need to go get groceries. I need to do more research into my passport renewal. If I could just mail it up to the Consulate in SAU, I'd prefer to do that, and that would just save me some, save me some hassle. So maybe I'll go down there this week to the Visa, one of the Visa services, and ask them about passport renewal because if that's something I got to do coming up, I probably want to get a head start on that and, you know, just be proactive about it and know what I'm looking at.

42:04 Because I don't, you know, I've got to do my next visa extension the first week of February. And I just don't want to be late on that. I do need to film a video today, so maybe I could get that done on the boulevard. Yeah, maybe I could get that done on the boulevard.

42:44 Dave says my daughter lives at Lake Merritt. Oh, very cool. What a small world. I have a friend of mine's sister actually lived near Lake Merritt as well. Yeah, Oakland's got a lot of interesting stuff going on. I'm, I may be going back there in the spring. The job market's starting to pick up, and to be honest, guys, it's kind of hard for me to turn down, you know, some of these opportunities that are just, you know, really, really high quality.

43:23 Opportunities. I'm not quite at retirement yet, so getting some of that money would be, yeah, would be helpful for me. And I know I'm starting to realize Southeast Asia will always be here. I like living here, but I want to balance living here with also planning for the future.

43:49 And I'm getting closer. Like, just for full transparency, the living here for the last year and a half has been very beneficial for me financially. My investments have done well, but I've spent very little money. So as far as the finance goes, I benefited from living in Southeast Asia, and I may stay. I mean, I spent such little money here compared to what I spend back home for a high quality of life. I'm not opposed to staying here longer, but if I get, you know, money talks.

Passport Renewal Logistics

44:24 Let's say money talks. Can't you renew your passport at the US Embassy? Hey, good to see you, Metal Gear. So I can, so that would be in Manila, so I could go to Cebu or I could go to Manila. Those are the only two places that I'm familiar with. And if I could mail it in for more flexibility as to when I need to go to Cebu, then I'd be happy to mail it in.

44:49 Yeah, that's top of mind. Doug says, I just got a new passport. Wasn't too hard, but then you need to get the new passport stamped at the main immigration office. Yeah, exactly. So you got to fly to Manila. Now, my thinking would be to just stay in Manila for a month.

45:21 Doug, I could do that. Okay, so yeah, so Doug's thing is, I could hire a service. There's services here in DTI that will do that for you. It's like 7,000 pesos, I think, if you want to hire somebody to basically run your passport to Manila, get the visa transfer, and then bring it back to you so you don't have to do the trip.

45:43 Some people like that. I need to make a trip to Manila at some point anyway. And for me, if I'm going to Manila, I may just make it a month just to give it a solid go to explore some of the city. Spend some time up there just to, you know, do the rounds as well. Collaborate with a number of different vloggers. There's a lot of reasons for me to go to Manila.

46:09 And if I'm going to go all the way to Manila, maybe make it a month-long visit just to get a bunch of things done at once. Mr. Dave, as of six months ago, you can't pick up your passport at any consulate or embassy. Mailing is the only option. You can have Air21 pick up and drop off your passport to you. Yeah, so thank you for the heads up on this, guys.

46:35 I need to go ahead and get on it then. If it takes a month, I could send it in now and then ideally get it back in like mid-January. Yeah, that would be good.

US Financial System and Expat Living

46:56 Yeah, I got to look into this because it's just coming up faster than I thought. And this is the first time I'm doing a passport renewal. The good news is it's not going to take me three or four months. I've heard right now for folks in the United States, passport renewal is taking like three or four months if you don't pay for the express option. And I wouldn't want to wait three or four months. That's a long time to wait just to get your passport renewed, so a month isn't too bad. Yeah, not too bad.

47:34 I'm not sure if you guys ever use these. These inhalers are really nice. This was like 100 pesos for this one, and I'm not sure how long it lasts, but yeah, really nice thing to have. In fact, I can probably change the name of this live stream. Will they let me renew my passport? That would probably drive a lot of attention.

48:00 An idea is to have the passport mailed to a condo hotel in Manila. Then when you go get it, go to the immigration officer for the office for the stamp transfer. Not a bad idea, Mr. Dave.

48:15 Yeah, Metal Gear, my crypto is done decent. I didn't make the best picks, but, yeah, overall, you know, things are going well for me in that arena. And, yeah, that'll create more opportunity. And, you know, if I get this new role, then I'll definitely be buying more because, yeah, I mean, I think we're witnessing a change in the financial system.

48:44 And people are losing, have lost a lot of faith in the old financial system, and they're seeing the rampant inflation. And, yeah, I mean, it's driving a lot of people to Southeast Asia, to Latin America, parts of Eastern Europe, parts of Africa, where you can have a more comfortable life without being on the hamster wheel in the US, where people are seeing a decline in the quality of living and a decline in their standard of living. And they don't like that.

49:23 I mean, it's nice when things are getting better. It's not so nice when things are getting worse. And I think things are getting worse for a lot of Americans, and they're tired of it. So, yeah, I mean, I've almost forgotten what it's like to be in the US. And when I talk to people back home, everybody seems very stressed out and just kind of worn down and beaten down. And, you know, just this kind of like low-grade frustration.

49:54 I have two months' extension still, two and a half weeks left on my old extension that gave me a big window to get the new one back. And getting the new passport stamped by immigration. Yeah, what I may do is just make it a trip to Manila. I'd prefer to go to Cebu to do it, but I mean, Manila makes more sense for practical reasons, Mr. Dave.

US Culture and Expat Life

50:52 Now that I remember when Air21 came with my passport, I was not at the hotel, and they refused to let the hotel hold it. So my recommendation is to mail it in right now after you extend your visa. So I extended my visa a few weeks ago, and, yeah, so maybe like it's something where I'll reach out to them even today and just say, hey, what does this look like? I'll go ahead and mail it in. I'll make the payment online. I've got the money to make the payment online. I just need to have the link to make sure that I complete it properly.

51:28 Doom Hower says, I've forgotten what it's like to be in the United States after four or five years. I would probably have culture shock there after a week or two. Yeah, I just have culture shock talking to people on the phone. Like, I forgot how kind of messed up things are. I forgot how stressed out people are. I forgot how riled up people are about politics, American politics.

51:54 I don't miss it, to be honest. I miss some of the people a lot. I miss some of the conveniences, but aside from that, I don't find myself missing it. In fact, I miss it less than I did a year and a half ago. It just isn't what it used to be. It's a lot more stressful, it's a lot more fast-paced. People sound panicked when I talk to them.

52:24 And it's, you know, the crime has gotten to be pretty bad from what I hear. I remember crime getting worse when I was there a year and a half ago. And, yeah, it's just confusing. I mean, I feel confused, and I know I'll feel really confused when I go back. I'll have to go back even just to visit at some point. It's just like another planet in a lot of ways.

52:58 And, yeah, I don't know what the future bodes for it. I think there, I suspect now, this is not financial advice. I'm not making any suggestions on what to do. I suspect there will be a melt-up, that asset prices will melt up over the course of the next few years. And then it may, you know, and we'll probably go from there. But I think, yeah, that's it's Doom Hower. It's just strange, man.

53:27 Like, it's living in Southeast Asia feels more like the norm to me now, where people are generally polite. Not everybody, but, you know, people are on average more polite. And, like, I just forgot how rude Americans have become. I don't know if Americans have always been this rude or always been that rude, but that's one of the things I noticed when I talk to people back home is that they have like this sarcasm infused in a lot of the interactions, and they just take so much time to be inconsiderate.

54:04 I don't know why that is. I don't know if it's just the people I'm talking to. Yeah, I don't miss that at all. I don't miss the way people treat each other back in the US. Like they just don't like each other. I don't know if it's just me. Guys, chime in if you feel differently. Maybe your area is a little bit different. Maybe you have a pretty tight-knit community where people are nice to one another. But I just have...

Moving Abroad and Financial Readiness

54:32 Nice to one another, but I just have the sense that that's uncommon. If that's the case for you, how do I know when I'm finally ready to make the move abroad? Yeah, it depends on your situation.

54:41 I think a lot of it relates to your financial situation. What is your investment income or business income? Like, what are your expenses going to be like abroad? I'm a fan of doing a discovery trip and getting a sense for what you'll spend each month.

55:03 That changes with inflation, and that changes with where you locate. Big cities abroad are going to be more expensive. Vacation destinations are going to be more expensive. Small towns in nowhere will be cheaper. College towns tend to be a little bit more budget-friendly.

55:23 But yeah, you need to, I would suggest doing a discovery trip and selecting a couple of places that you've read about, you could see yourself living, and then go figure out, does it match my expectations? What do I need to live here?

55:35 Go and do a trip to the grocery store, make a note of the prices of the things that you like. It's really more and more a financial question. You're ready when you're financially ready.

55:47 Health is also up there, but it's really just a question of, do you have the money? Do you not have the money? I think a lot of American people would leave if they had the money.

55:58 I think if they had the financial resources, with the amount of information that's available on the internet, I think you'd see a lot of people packing up and leaving, especially single men, bachelors. I think a lot of bachelors would just be like, 'Ah, you know what? There's nothing for me here in the US anymore. Might as well go somewhere else where I feel like there's more on offer for me.'

56:22 When you go to the embassy, I would go and I get there an hour early. It was a long line waiting to get in. Thank you for the heads-up, Doug, I appreciate that.

56:31 Yeah, I've heard about that, that the embassy tends to be quite busy and you got a lot of people down there. By the way, I think we may have a different batch of people. Guys, please give us a thumbs up if you can. It helps with the algorithm.

56:47 Mistrust, jealousy, nihilism are taking hold. It'll get worse as the country does. Yeah, I agree, Jim Hower. You know, as the economic gap widens and you have a tale of two countries, people lose faith that they're going to be able to improve their life, improve their education, move up in the world.

57:13 Yeah, I mean, people will become more and more unhappy because that was the promise of the United States. That was why people wanted to live in the United States: that they could improve their lot in life. And if they feel that they cannot, it's not going to be pretty.

57:28 I mean, people, when they feel that the system is no longer a ladder up, but they're just on a treadmill, it's going to have major consequences. I mean, it's just the way it is. Maybe things will change, you know, but I don't rely on hope as a strategy.

57:48 I don't sit around and hope things are going to get better. I believe in taking action. I believe in trying to do things that could set you up for success.

58:01 And I think one of those things Americans are going to find increasingly to be the case is that they could leave the United States. If they're financially prepared, they could go to some other country.

Global Economic Trends and Investment

58:11 Even just spend some time traveling abroad. Maybe they don't make it a permanent move, but maybe they take six months or a year to go travel in Latin America or Southeast Asia, or maybe the Balkans, or maybe even parts of Southern Europe.

58:27 I mean, parts of Southern Europe can be much more affordable than the US. I had a friend in Denmark, of all places, recently, and said, 'Yeah, I felt like the value for money was better in Denmark,' which is a notoriously expensive country.

58:46 Yeah, I get along with people in the Philippines, but certainly there's some challenges. Mr. Dave, there's some challenges.

59:07 Anyway, have Air21 pick up your passport. I mailed mine at an LBC office, and they sent it to...

59:24 But yeah, guys, feel free to chime in with any thoughts you have. I think most of the folks in the chat either want to leave the US or they already have left the US, depending on where they're at in their journey.

59:36 And you know, I commend everybody for being willing to try it. I have more and more friends willing to try life abroad, people I never would have thought would leave the US to go visit somewhere else. They are more and more willing to do so.

59:52 And so that's always really interesting to see and hear people's reasoning.

1:00:13 Yeah, oh Biggie, if you're still here, let me know. Yeah, you make what you think is good money, but it just seems to not have the same purchasing power. I mean, that was what I dealt with. I finally got to a six-figure job.

1:00:27 And people were telling me, 'Oh man, you know, you got this great job.' And it's like, 'Ah, you know, I rented a small, very small studio apartment in California.' And people say, 'Oh, it's California.' Well, a lot of the really well-paid jobs in the United States are in California, or are in Texas, or are in New York.

1:00:48 You know, that's just the nature of the game, is that the high-paid jobs are in the places that are expensive. Most people don't have jobs that are high-paying in cheap places.

1:01:01 Cost of living is related to people's income. So, yeah, I made what I thought was good money, and I did live far below my means. By the time I got to the good-paying jobs, I just basically didn't live it. I didn't spend any money on entertainment.

1:01:20 I would work from home part of the time, and I would just go straight home after work and research Southeast Asia. That was what I did for well over a year. I'd already visited Southeast Asia, just researching like, 'Where do I want to go? How can I moderate my budget?'

1:01:45 And that's how I spent a lot of my time, was just trying to figure out how to get out. And not spending money, realizing, 'Hey, if I spend, you know, $20 on a meal here, which I would do once in a while, that $20 can, I can eat for multiple days of good quality food if I take this money outside of America.'

1:02:13 So yeah, that was something that was top of mind for me. Yes, everyone thinks I have it made, and compared to them, I do. But still, it doesn't feel like I have the wiggle room I used to have.

1:02:24 They don't want deflation. The only way that the Ponzi scheme of the US financial system continues is if they just keep inflating. They just keep making the money worth less and less because they can pay back the debt with weaker dollars.

1:02:42 And also, weaker dollars means better business for US exports. So they don't want the dollar to be so expensive that other countries cannot afford to buy American-made products like software, hardware, construction equipment, American food.

1:03:02 America produces a lot of excess food that gets sold to other countries. So there's this battle of trying to figure out how to maximize revenue. They don't really care about the American people as much as they care about business interests.

Dumaguete Living and Family

1:03:23 And so it's that's why it's good to invest, is that that's what the system is set up for: to help investors and to help business interests. You know, the regular American Joe is seen as disposable.

1:03:51 Yeah, I'm starting to get ready for my trip. Hey Doug, holler at me when you come down here. It'd be great to meet up while you're in town. If you have time, Doug, it'd be great to meet up, get a cup of coffee or something like that.

1:04:07 I always like to see folks when they come here to do meetups. And it's, yeah, I mean, it's Dumaguete is a charming city in a lot of ways. No, it's not perfect, but I happen to like living here. I think it offers great value for what it is.

1:04:28 Is it a Manila? It's not a Manila. Is it a Bonifacio Global City? It's not a Bonifacio Global City, but it is an interesting place with a lot of characters. I mean, there's so many interesting characters here in Dumaguete that it's got a lot of unique charm.

1:04:46 Doom Hower, no, 'lifing' it is a good process to go through. Every successful person I meet still carries that mindset, even younger guys with money to retire already.

1:04:57 And I think too, it's valuable to lower your threshold for happiness. My threshold for happiness when I was younger was super high. I had to have this, I had to have that. I had all these desires that I couldn't control, and I was deeply unhappy.

1:05:15 And now I just want for shelter, but I don't want for shelter. I have an apartment. I actually really like here. I want for food, but you know, I don't really want for food. I have pretty good food here in Dumaguete.

1:05:28 Transportation, I walk a lot, which I know is not what a lot of people would prefer. But I look at it as like a blessing that I'm in good enough shape to be able to walk around. It's, I'm very fortunate to be able to walk around. Not everyone has that good fortune.

1:05:45 Like you did, Big E says, 'Like you did, I'm putting money away now in hopes that it will go further in my retirement years in a place like Southeast Asia.' I've lived abroad before, and I enjoy being in and around different cultures. I'm really only in the US now because I want to be near family.

1:06:01 Hey, that's awesome that you've lived abroad. You've already taken a big step that a lot of people haven't yet taken. So you already get it, and you already know that the grass can be greener.

1:06:13 You know, some people tell me, 'Oh, it's not that much better.' But the most important decision anybody can make is where to live. It affects their jobs, their health, their cost of living, their weather, just about everything in life is location dependent.

1:06:31 Location dependent, somebody working in Tech in the Bay Area, could you make this money elsewhere? They would tell you no, I need to be in the heart of the industry. Tell somebody working in film, could you do this elsewhere besides LA or Atlanta, or New York City? No, you're not going to move to rural Wyoming and work in film, unless there's some secret out there I don't know about. Location makes a difference, it affects every part of life.

1:06:59 And that's the beauty of the modern world is that we're more mobile than ever, and that we can go and live in different places and experience different things. Being close to family is a valid reason, I don't blame you there. For you, family being a priority, there's nothing wrong with being in the US and being able to spend time with the people you care about.

Personal Philosophy and Travel

1:07:23 Family is not a priority for me, so that's part of what makes this so easy. Family is just not a concern for me, and so it makes it a lot easier to be over here.

1:07:42 I'll drop my email in the chat. Feel free to send me an email, and we can exchange contact information. I have a general idea of that area, we could always meet up at Robinson's. Robinson's is a great option, it's nice and air-conditioned, and there's some good restaurant options.

1:08:46 But feel free to send me an email, and we can hammer out the details, but that sounds great. I rented a house in Binh for 15k, it's still the nicest city that I found. It's nice being in Thailand for a while.

1:09:08 Binh sounds really nice. I know there was a guy from Texas or Oklahoma who lived in Binh, he had a channel for a while that did really well, but I think he took his channel down. He decided it just wasn't for him.

1:09:30 It's a trade-off for sure. I'm a fan of the cities in Thailand, that's something that will never get old to me is exploring Thai cities. The energy, the vibrancy, the safety, I like Thailand a lot. I would not be unhappy living in Thailand.

1:09:56 The main reason I left Thailand, by the way, is that my visa was close to expiring, and I wanted to try something different. If I had to get on a plane and go to Thailand tomorrow, no problem. If I were to stay in the Philippines tomorrow, not a problem there.

1:10:11 I look at it as different flavors. Neither one is superior, they just offer different things. Both are interesting. I like the English in the Philippines, I like the nature in the Philippines. I like the food in Thailand a little bit better.

Family Dynamics and Life Abroad

1:10:39 I like exploring some of the cities in Thailand a lot. Jerry says, 'I spent my whole life living for family, just thinking maybe it's my turn. If not now, when? I'm in my 60s now.' Yeah, I was fortunate to come from a messed-up family, so I'm the first to admit it. My family's got a lot of issues.

1:10:56 I found out at a young age I don't want to be like them. So it was a no-brainer to travel and experience life abroad. I was harassed about it, told this and that, and I just ignored it. I've been low contact with my entire family for all of my adult life.

1:11:22 As soon as I turned 18, I cut off the majority of my family. And what little family I speak to, I speak to very infrequently, like once every few years. They're very, very toxic, and I don't want to be part of that dynamic.

1:11:39 I know some people are too embarrassed to talk about this kind of thing, but that's just been my experience, and I'm not going to be apologetic about it. I try to do my best, I follow the rules, and I found that for my life, I'm just happier traveling. I'm happier being around people I choose to be around.

1:12:01 That's the beauty of social media, is that we're all agreeing to be here on this stream. Yeah.

1:12:20 Big E, I visited Thailand. I need to visit the Philippines before retirement. Yeah, the Philippines is worth a visit. The beautiful thing about the Philippines is, even for people that maybe living here isn't the right fit, it's an awesome country to take a vacation in. The islands are gorgeous, there's so many beautiful islands. The people are generally friendly to outsiders.

1:12:45 There's a lot of friendly people here. It's set up to get around very easily for tourists, like there's ferries, there's boats, there's planes. They want people to come here and have a good time. So even if you find out, 'You know what, it's not for me for living,' maybe the heat isn't for me, maybe I found that there's some other places that are closer to home.

1:13:14 You're halfway around the world from the US, so if you want to be close to family, the Philippines isn't necessarily the easiest option for Americans. But yeah, and once again, with the family thing, I'm not suggesting that applies to everyone. I think a lot of people have great families and healthy families.

Philippines vs. Thailand and Heat Tolerance

1:13:33 I wasn't blessed in that way, and that's okay. I'm blessed in a lot of other ways. I've had a lot of fortune in my life, and I don't want to downplay other parts of my life that I'm very happy with. Yeah.

1:14:03 I'm not sure what I want to film today. I've got a bunch of ideas in the tank. Yeah, HP, I'm not part Filipino, but I do get that question sometimes. Some people think I'm half or maybe a quarter or something like that. No, I'm not Filipino, but I do love the Philippines.

1:14:26 Big E, I've lived in Djibouti. 117 in March, I think the heat wouldn't be a problem for me. That is very hot. I could not handle that kind of heat, especially with humidity. I'm not sure if Djibouti is humid, but yeah, that's really hot.

1:14:52 I think the heat wouldn't be a problem. Yeah, if you're the heat to me, I get it. I mean, I run an AC a lot, so that's a big expense that I pay for. If I averaged out all of my AC bills over the last year and a half in Southeast Asia, it probably works out to like 50, 60 bucks a month.

1:15:15 For me to run AC as much as I do, I do spend some of my time at malls and air-conditioned environments, which helps to moderate the cost. And also, I just always end up in a mall to handle errands, to have lunch. Malls in Southeast Asia are generally very nice environments. You can do several different things at once, like phone service, food, some shopping, pharmacy. All these things you can just handle in one place, and you have AC, so I'm a fan of the malls here. I think they're great.

1:15:55 It's something that isn't really as much of a thing in the US anymore. So, I'm close with them, just that I'm mostly ignored at home. Don't blame them. I'm older, they love me. Found myself 90% of the time alone, just wanted a little adventure.

1:16:13 Yeah, well Jerry, that's a great point is that in America, people are so busy. I have people tell me, 'Oh, why don't you take care of your relatives?' This and that, I've got to work in the US. It's a very luxurious experience to not have to work as a young person. There are some young people that are very fortunate to not have to work, maybe they married into wealth, maybe they bought some crypto early or something like that.

Young People's Financial Struggles

1:16:40 Most young people have to work. They do not have the opportunity to skip out on work. Many young people have to work second jobs, they have to drive for Uber. You know, they've got to work all the time. So, as much as they'd like to spend time with family, doing so would put them in financial jeopardy if they want to pay their bills, if they want to pay their rent, for their food, their transportation.

1:17:15 It's a luxurious experience to be able to just hang out. Most young people are not in that position. Most young people are trying to get ahead, trying to stay afloat. To have this experience where they could just hang out is not realistic. I had to move for work, so I did not find jobs to be to my liking in my home state. And so that's part of the reason I moved to California is that there were far better opportunities for me in California.

1:17:42 What kind of laptop do you edit on? Yeah, so I use an M2 MacBook Pro. It was pretty expensive, I spent about 3,200 on it a year and a half ago, and it's still running strong. It's really helpful for me for chopping up 4K footage, it just gets right through it. And I'm very fortunate to have this laptop, it makes it saves me a lot of time in editing and producing my content.

1:18:19 It's on the coast, so it was also humid. Yeah, 117 and humid is, woo, that's really hot. TJ, you always come up with interesting topics. It's refreshing from the same old videos. Thank you so much, TJ. Yeah, I plan to do some of the topics that have been covered already to give my own original take.

Vlogging and Realistic Expectations

1:18:38 But that was one of the things I set out to do with this channel is what could I talk about that other people aren't talking about? Now I'm starting to notice some people picking up some of my topics, which is fine, I don't mind. I get it, but I think a lot of people are afraid to offend people. I think a lot of people are afraid, 'Oh, I've got to cater to expats because if I don't tell them what they want to hear, they're not going to watch.'

1:19:03 Yeah, I want people to trust me. I don't really care if I'm not the absolute most commercially successful YouTube channel catering to expats. That's fine with me. But I want to prepare people that are going to come over here because they're sold.

1:19:21 They sell these house on dreams that living overseas is perfect. It's not perfect. I see it as a tradeoff. We're making a conscious tradeoff. We're giving up some things to get certain other things, and it's important to discuss those because pretending it's all good and everything's perfect does nobody any favors.

1:19:44 I think that's where we run into some of these problems that we see in expat communities, in the Philippines but also in other countries, where people have mismatched expectations. They think that it's going to be a certain way that it's not. They've only ever seen the positive.

1:20:03 I don't think that I'm negative either. I think I'm neutral. Some people would call me negative because they see neutrality as negative. They think the default is positive, and I tend to be an optimistic person, but I also don't believe in being so optimistic that it becomes toxic positivity.

1:20:23 There's a lot to love about life over here. I'm generally very happy, but am I happy 24/7, 365? No, that's not really realistic either. There are some times where it's not all sunshine and rainbows.

Vacation vs. Living Abroad

1:20:39 I think sometimes people also get it in their head that vacation mode will reflect day-to-day life, and that's not always the case. Coming here on vacation is generally different from living here. I came here for a month vacation five years ago, and that experience was different from me living here for over four months now.

1:20:59 I've been here in the Philippines for over four months, and it's wonderful in a lot of ways, but you have to have a different attitude toward budget. You have to have a different attitude toward things that could be charming on vacation, but can wear on you when you're living here. That's a big thing.

1:21:19 It's also to help people find the right place for them. Some people are unhappy as an expat not because they're unhappy as an expat, but because that location isn't the right location for them. So maybe they need a bit more money to live in a different location that would be more in line with their preferences.

1:21:36 Maybe they need to look at some other visas in some other countries. Like they want to live in a certain country, but they would need to jump through some more hoops for that visa.

1:21:52 I think there's something for everybody abroad, but not everything is for everybody. Not every place is for everybody.

Electricity Bills and Editing Software

1:22:02 I'm getting robbed. My power and subbu is 10K. That's pretty expensive, Jerry. That's a pretty high bill.

1:22:09 My bill was like, my last bill was, I think, 800, but that was for two weeks. This bill will probably be 2 and a half K. I've been running my aircon a lot this month, and I expect to pay for it, maybe 3K or more.

1:22:26 I have friends whose electric bills run around 5K, and so I'm expecting it to be a little bit pricey. If you like heat 115 or higher, come to Arizona. Dry heat or not.

1:22:35 I didn't find the Philippines any worse than a Missouri summer. I edit with iMovie on iMac. I don't find the Philippines bad because where I grew up in the Southeast, it reminds me of that.

1:22:51 It reminds me a lot of the Southeast, and so it doesn't feel like, I mean, it's hot, but it's not something I'm inexperienced with. It's what I grew up with in Tennessee.

1:23:21 Yeah, so I use iMovie as well. I just want to clarify that I do use iMovie. I've had people suggest CapCut to me and also Final Cut Pro, so those are potentially on the menu in the future.

YouTube Monetization and Financial Goals

1:23:38 But yeah, how about the reality of making money with YouTube? I'm still in the red on YouTube. So the amount of money I've spent on equipment, software, I don't expect to make money on YouTube for a long time.

1:23:57 I'm covering some of my expenses, but you know, that's one of the reasons I would consider going back to work in the US, is that six figures in the US or very, very modest amounts of money in Southeast Asia.

1:24:19 If I'm looking at just the financial, it doesn't make financial sense to do this, but I enjoy doing it. So for me, it's a lot of fun. It's a hobby.

1:24:28 The bigger thing for me has been connecting with people. I get along with. I met a lot of people that are really cool and interesting, and helping people is also valuable to me in the long term.

1:24:41 I think that the channel will grow and that more and more people will be watching. But yeah, I mean, if I looked at it purely from a business perspective, I also don't push people to donate. I don't push people for super chats.

1:24:58 I ask for subscriptions, I ask for people to subscribe or to give thumbs up or to give comments, but I don't really like push the audience to contribute. If people want to contribute, it's welcome.

1:25:11 Certainly, my equipment is not free. Certainly, my software subscriptions are not free. But to try to rely on that from a time perspective, it makes more financial sense for me to be in the US and working.

1:25:30 But it costs more money there. My quality of life is not as good. It's more stressful. It's a rat race kind of feeling. I don't become a very different person when I'm in the US. I'm stressed out and I'm just not very happy in the US.

1:25:47 So I'm trading money earning potential for a quality of life in the present, with the idea that YouTube may eventually become big enough or grow large enough to help sustain me over here. But I don't count on it either.

1:26:08 My bigger goal is to have my investment income pay all my bills and then do YouTube on top of that. If YouTube doesn't work out, whatever my investments are covering my day-to-day expenses, it doesn't really matter if it succeeds or not.

US vs. Southeast Asia Quality of Life

1:26:22 I think those are the most honest channels where it's icing on the cake as opposed to, okay, I have to have this work out. That's just my thought about it because if it has to work out, you can get into clickbaiting or you can get into doing shock content or, you know, hot takes or just trying to stir up drama, which I'm not interested in.

1:26:57 I am in my early 30s, I am 32. The difference in attitude is what I found most refreshing when living abroad. Generally, people outside the US are more appreciative of what they have.

1:27:08 That's a big part of that is, you know, the industry in the US. They want people to feel insufficient. They want people to feel insecure because they're easier to be sold to. If a person feels bad, they're going to go out and spend money to feel better, and that's good for business.

1:27:25 But it's not necessarily good for people in the long term. I think it's better for people to hold on to their money, to make wiser financial decisions, live below their means, prepare for a rainy day.

Air Conditioning Costs and Food Quality

1:27:39 Split air runs most of the time. Three kids here, two, but still 10K. Yeah, that's a lot, Jerry. That might be worth kind of maybe it might be worth getting you. I don't know if you've gotten your aircon cleaned. I've heard that can be an issue.

1:27:54 Shoot, I probably need to get my aircon cleaned. I would, yeah, I would look into that, Jerry. Not so much saying that you're being overcharged or not being overcharged, but rather maybe there's some things you could do, like getting the aircon cleaned, maybe having it serviced, maybe calling out a technician and saying, hey, can you take a look at my aircon? My bills are running pretty high. Is this something that we could adjust?

1:28:19 How would you describe the quality of food compared to the US? Most of the population in the US is overweight, and I theorize the food products are at least part of the culprit.

1:28:29 Yeah, so one sec, guys. I'm going to just turn off my air. Oh man, I had to turn it back on because they're playing music. Yeah, they're always playing music.

1:28:49 It's okay. I eat some imported food, like I eat imported steaks. The chicken is good. It's like a meat and potatoes kind of country, or meat and rice.

1:29:02 I would say there's somewhat limited vegetables here. Not that they're not here, but you know, it could be.

1:29:19 If you're a healthy eater, you want to budget more for that. I think healthy food here can be costly. It's just the nature of it.

Food in the Philippines

1:29:29 I think if your top-of-mind concern is food, then a lot of people would struggle in the Philippines. I like the food here. Personally, I like the food in the Philippines, but I'm pretty adaptable. I can find things that I like everywhere I go.

1:29:51 I haven't been to a country where I haven't been able to find good food. I think you do have to seek it out in the Philippines. I think you have to look it up more. It's not like Thailand, where I can just walk down the street and find good food.

1:30:05 Here, I have to do some Googling. I have to ask friends for recommendations. I have to be willing to spend a bit more money. Thailand has a lot of food on the street or very modest cost restaurant options where I could spend say $2, $3 for a good meal.

1:30:20 I think it's harder here in the Philippines to spend $2, $3 for a satisfying meal. They import a lot of food, and so that drives up the cost.

1:30:31 But yeah, I think if your top of mind is food, you're going to have to make more adjustments here. I like the tuna here a lot. I like some of the fruits that I find here to be quite nice.

1:30:41 Not quite the same variety that you might have encountered in some other places. And part of that is just the nature of being an island chain, being tropical. It's yeah, there's a lot that goes into that.

1:31:01 I think that food could be, it's something that some people do struggle with here. Some foreigners, they do find that they're not able to get the foods that they like or the foods they're accustomed to.

Channel Monetization and Support

1:31:20 That kind of thing. Can't even hear it. Thank you for the heads up, TJ. I appreciate it. I I

1:31:26 The heads up TJ, I appreciate it. I always tend to be cautious about it because sometimes they'll turn the volume up anywhere there's music. Sometimes the volume can get turned up, and so yeah, we thought about using Patreon. I have Dream Thread, but I'm not sure exactly yet what I would offer. But it's a great call out that I could do Patreon. I have some channel memberships, Stream Thread, if you want to check the memberships out.

1:31:50 I got to be honest, at this point, the memberships for my channel are more in a supportive capacity. Like, hey, you want to support the channel. Members have told me, just release content for everybody. I just want to see your channel succeed. With live streams for members, it's not always easy to find a time that works for everybody. I think several of my members are back in the States, and so the coordination there can be challenging.

1:32:18 I think also the interaction, right? It's, you know, here like with the audience being the wider channel, it could be easier to get interaction with the um. It could get easier to get more interaction to make the streams more engaging or more interesting. But yeah, thank you for the call, Dream Thread. Like I said, if you want to help support the channel, at this point, Dream Thread memberships are a great way to help support the channel.

Dealing with Trolls and Vlogging Benefits

1:32:58 What do you think about these people like that guy trashing? That's a great point. You know, I don't really like any kind of drama or any kind of attacking person. I have experience with dealing with some trolls. I think you've got some people on the internet, a small amount of people, but a nonzero amount of people that are deeply disturbed.

1:33:27 And you know, it's unfortunate. I think the best way to handle that is to ignore them, to not give any attention. A lot of these people are desperate for attention. They're looking for attention. Any, and it's a risk anytime you're trying to build wealth, which is part of the value of vlogging for me, is not just the financial, but also the social capital.

1:33:51 I've met so many cool people through vlogging, which could be described as a form of wealth that I wouldn't have known if I didn't put myself out there. But anytime you put yourself out there, you are going to get people attacking you. Anybody trying to build wealth will always be attacked by people trying to play status games.

1:34:11 They think that some of these people that want to attack, they don't want people to come to the Philippines. They don't want people to come to Thailand. They want to be the only foreigner in town. They want to be the only Pat around. They don't want people to succeed. They don't want people to be informed.

1:34:31 And anybody that's vlogging in a way that could, you know, benefit them, the vlogger, through financial benefits, through social capital, through also learning new things. I learn a lot of things just because I've got to do vlogs, and so I've got to be paying more attention in a way that if I wasn't vlogging, I wouldn't have to do.

1:34:55 And there's the wealth component. Financially, vlogging can be lucrative. Some people say, oh, I've had people tell me, oh, don't do it for this, don't do it for that. Anybody that's good at anything wants some level of compensation for their time to focus on it.

1:35:09 Does it help anybody if, you know, all the vloggers went away? I don't really think it helps anybody. I think the vloggers actually do a lot of good for a lot of different places, and they increase tourism, and they increase informed tourism, and they increase awareness and knowledge.

Dumaguete City and Diet

1:35:32 And, you know, that's just the way it is. Some people don't like the idea of people engaging in business activity in general, and vlogging is just an extension of that. They would prefer to live in a more, I don't know, like a society without any business, and that to me doesn't sound too pleasant, but, you know, to each their own.

1:36:05 Yeah, Dumaguete in general is a very polarizing city. A lot of people either really like it or they really don't like it. I tend to be one of those people that overall likes it. I think it offers a lot of convenience. I think it offers great value for money. I think it offers a charming small town atmosphere.

1:36:21 I think it offers different neighborhoods for different people. A lot of people that are in relationships, they like Valencia. I happen to live near downtown because I'm a single guy, and I like walking a lot too. So being near downtown allows me to walk around a lot.

1:36:47 My diet has really gone downhill. I was moderate carb in Colombia and was training for a marathon. Here, I still run daily, but I'm sluggish. I've gained about 5 kilograms. High carb.

Dietary Habits and Travel Comparisons

1:36:57 Yeah, I think Doug, the big thing here is that you have to be more mindful here, right? Like I'm not saying you're not. I have the same issue here too. I've lost weight coming here from Thailand, mostly because I just eat less.

1:37:17 I find that in Thailand, I have a tendency to overeat because the food to me is just some of my favorite food in the world, and it's also so cheap. So it's like, oh, I can go out and eat breakfast for $2, and lunch for $2, and a late lunch for $3, and dinner for, you know, $6. And so I just am constantly eating here.

1:37:42 I just don't eat as much, you know, for better or worse. I eat lunch and dinner, that's about it. So I've actually dropped weight here because of that.

1:37:53 And rice is a big one too, Doug. It's not easy to go without rice here. Rice is so huge, and it's, I found rice to be even more prevalent here than in Thailand. Rice is big in Thailand, don't get me wrong, but here a lot of dishes are like meat and rice, or vegetables and rice, or fish and rice.

1:38:15 Thailand, I found some places, especially in Chiang Mai, that are just like stir-fried vegetables with some rice. But I don't know, I get what you mean though. HP, I lived in Thailand for one year. I'm excited to try out the Philippines for comparison.

Travel History and Future Plans

1:38:33 Did you ever consider trying out other countries, and how long do you plan to stay in the Philippines? So I lived in Thailand for a year, HP, from last summer to this past summer. I lived in Thailand primarily, Chiang Mai, Hot Yi, Bangkok, Krabi Province, and Pattaya. I love Thailand and I'd like to go back there at some point.

1:38:59 I also visited Vietnam. And yeah, so next up on my radar, HP, is Indonesia. I'd like to go to spend some time in Indonesia. I'm not sure when I will do that. I'd like to do that next year. We'll see how things go.

Blogging Platforms and Desserts

1:39:34 Do you use WordPress for vlogging or just YouTube? Just YouTube at this point, but I should probably do a WordPress. That would really help to expound my horizons.

1:39:48 Yeah, snacking at night, there's a lot of good snacks, Doug. Like, the Philippines has amazing desserts. I mean, the desserts here. Thailand gets a lot of credit for their desserts, but the Philippines has some fantastic desserts.

1:40:02 I was at a party last weekend and the desserts were fantastic. The coconut and the rice desserts, and the cakes, and the pastries. Like the pastries here are incredible. I go to this bakery at the W, not all the time. There's like a club and bar here in DTI called Why Not, and they've got a bakery, and I'm there almost every day.

1:40:24 I'm embarrassed to say that, but I'm there almost every day. It's, you know, that's something that's preventing me from losing the last probably five kilos that I need to lose is I stop in there and I get these apple desserts. Like there's this apple custard kind of bar thing they have. They also have donuts, cream-filled donuts.

1:40:49 They have some cakes too. One that I want to try, they have this blueberry cheesecake they do that looks really good. And there's a lot of desserts. There's a big dessert culture here that makes it challenging to lose weight.

Bangkok Neighborhoods

1:41:05 What district did you live in in Bangkok? I lived all over the city of Bangkok, so I spent time mostly in East Bangkok. Also time in North Bangkok. I like, I'm partial to Ekkamai. I'm partial to Victory Monument is a nice neighborhood as well.

1:41:30 There's Dream Thread. There's a lot of great neighborhoods. You can't go wrong, in my opinion, you can't go wrong in Bangkok. I will say if you're new to the city, look at East Bangkok, because West Bangkok is cool, but like you have to, what's the word? It's kind of like Brooklyn.

1:41:47 If you go west of the river, it's more like Brooklyn, not in terms of danger, but just, um, you're not going to get as much of the tourism kind of vibe as you will East. Now they're developing it and it's growing, but east of the river, that tends to be where, like on the circum-vet line of the BTS system, that tends to be your best introduction as a tourist.

1:42:15 It costs a bit more, but you're going to have ease of access to transportation and getting around the city. I think that's where I would recommend starting out. As far as my favorite district, I keep that close to my chest because I have some haunts that I like to go to, and I'll keep them on the DL for now.

Indonesia's Potential

1:42:40 I'd like to try Indonesia as well. Yeah, Indonesia is, you know, a lot of people really like it. A lot of people have been telling me about it. My buddy that introduced me to Cambodia, he lives in Indonesia now and he likes Indonesia a lot.

1:43:01 It seems like a cool place. It's on the up and up, like the country is on the up and up. They're improving a lot of things. They're, you know, the economy is growing. They're bringing some manufacturing there. Indonesia seems really interesting and a little underrated compared to some of the more well-known neighbors like Thailand, I think Philippines as well. So I'm looking forward to it.

Coffee Culture and Pastries

1:43:38 Donuts are God food, and I wasn't a I like donuts. Mr. Schafer, I like donuts a lot, guys. I'll probably wind down here in the next few minutes because I'm starting to lose my voice a bit.

1:43:47 Doug, I like the coffee shops and after a run, I

1:43:50 After a run, I shower and then go to a coffee shop to get a cafe Americano and a pastry. The coffee culture here is really good in Dumag; I like that part a lot. Good coffee is everywhere in this city, and it's such a nice thing about living here.

Closing Remarks and Future Content

1:44:12 Any last questions or thoughts, guys? Feel free to chime in. I think it's going to be a wonderful day, and I hope everybody is doing well wherever they are in the world. We're so fortunate to live in the modern world in many different ways.

1:44:43 I've enjoyed this conversation with all of you and look forward to chatting again soon. Anybody watching this on replay, give it a thumbs up; it helps with the YouTube algorithm. Please comment down below: Do you have any plans to travel next year? Do you have anything on your radar?

1:45:06 Finally, if you want to see more content like this, please subscribe, and we'll see you soon. Have a great day, everyone. Thank you, Mr. Dave, and I'll see you all soon. All right, take care, everybody. Bye-bye.