Journey to Samal » Retirement

It’s Not the Heat It’s the Humidity

Randy C — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:11:17 +0000

There is a saying I often heard stated when I lived in Arizona, “but it’s a dry heat”. Meaning, it’s hot, but could be worse if it was accompanied by high humidity.

In the Philippines you won’t hear such nonsense uttered. No, you’ll not only get that heat, but plenty of humidity. How much?

I won’t beat around the bush and make you read my whole article if that’s all you’re looking for:

The average monthly relative humidity of the Philippines varies between 71 percent in March and 85 percent in September.*

Where does that rank with other countries? Truthfully, I could not find that information. All that is told is that countries closer to the equator and surrounded by water, tended to be the most humid, as one would expect. So, many of the Asian countries and Australia can be very humid at times.

For comparison, Washington State, the state I live in currently, has some of the highest rated cities for humidity in the US. Those cities are on the other side of the state, near the ocean, and are very similar in average to what was stated above. Of course the climate there is much different, as rarely do they experience the heat that is so consistent in the Philippines. The temperature there will average much cooler.

There are a lot of things that one will need to adapt to if they plan to move and live in the Philippines. In fact, Bob Martin is currently writing an excellent series on Philippines Acculturation, in addition to his already great articles on SIR. I recommend anyone thinking of the big move to read these, because as much as you may think you know, you will undoubtably a lot learn more.

Regardless of all the long-term adaptations, the first thing that I’ll need to adjust to is the heat and humidity. Thankfully, that is something we all do naturally. Humidity has always bothered me a great deal, and I suspect I will not adapt as rapidly as some have, but the human body does quite well in this area.

Just yesterday we had unseasonably high temperatures here in Spokane. It hit a high of 43 degrees (Fahrenheit). It felt so warm to me after a few months of winter, that I had taken my coat off in the afternoon, even though I was running around outside. Now if this had been June or July and we had hit that temperature, after many days of 80 or 90 degree weather, I would have been complaining and pulling out the winter parka. Our bodies adapt. The same is true for pilipinos when they move here. After a short time the freezing temperatures of the mid 70′s, no longer bother them.

I’m sure I will complain, either externally or internally, about the heat and humidity when I finally move there. If I do, I’m just going to pull out some old photos of the six foot snow piles, and remind myself of what I could have been doing instead. That should be good medicine to take until I can fully adapt.

* pagasa.dost.gov.ph

We Don’t Want Your Business

Randy C — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:50:54 +0000

I’ve touched on this subject before, but it’s front and center in my mind again. This falls under the “adjustments” that I’ll be trying to make once I retire in the Philippines. I expect this will be one of those “adjustments” that I’ll be struggling with for awhile.

The need for services in the Philippines for myself and/or friends has come up a few times lately. The results haven’t been inspiring, to say the least.

You see, where I come from if you have a business, you want customers. In fact with the way the economy has been, it’s amazing what some business are doing to try to attract and keep customers. It’s actually refreshing to see customer service return to the fore front, because it had been sorely lacking in the recent years before the recession. Even prior to the recession, the goal was always to get more business. It doesn’t seem to be the case in many situations there in the Philippines. There are exceptions, of course. Even here.

Three instances come to mind that have all happened within the past few weeks. Three instances that make me scratch my head and wonder as to why is it like this.

The first situation was the attempt by my friend to have an aircon serviced. This particular company had serviced it last time, and they have signs all around the area promoting their service. They even have a phone number to contact them! So, an appointment was set up, and the day of the appointment they called to cancel, saying only that they weren’t working that day. No reason why. Attempts to reschedule resulted in no return phone calls or text messages. No communication. I suppose something could have happened to them, or their equipment. I wouldn’t bet on that, though.

The second occurrence had to do with another friend trying to find insurance for their home. A number of companies were called, and to be fair a couple responded. The others either didn’t answer numerous phone calls to their published phone number, or just didn’t reply to the request for a quote. This is more puzzling than the aircon cleaners, as these are supposedly established companies, as opposed to self employed entrepreneurs.

The third instance has to do with an event that I am trying to plan. I’ve been attempting, with help, to contact locations that advertise that they handle these kinds of functions, but again the response has been poor so far. I’ve received one incomplete response, have not been able to reach a second (evidently they don’t have email, which is probably just as well as it probably wouldn’t be answered), and a third referred us back to their website where the information that is supposed to be available is not attached as stated.

I’m sure anyone that lives there can give plenty of examples. I can even give you some here, but from my experience this seems to be much more prevalent there. I haven’t grasped yet how things get accomplished there. Is it a matter of continuing to try until you find someone that will do what you need, and then jump on it regardless, because there may be no one else that will do it?

I suppose, just like any place, after living there long enough I’ll have encountered enough people that I can count on, and have built a network of others that can direct me to those that can help with the various tasks that need to be accomplished. I also suppose that I’ll “adapt”, at least partially, and as others do, just say this is the way it is.

I’m pretty good at adapting, but some things are going to be more difficult than others to embrace.

No related posts.

Living on Samal Island

Randy C — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:50:31 +0000

A little under four years ago I made a trip to the Philippines that began a love affair with this little island off the Davao Gulf commonly known as Samal Island. It was then that I agreed to purchase land near the White House, with hopes of eventually retiring there. Thus began this blog.

Four years can be a long time. Do I still have intentions to retire on Samal?

That’s not an easy question to answer.

Many things have changed during that time. I’ve had a couple of additional and extended trips to the Island Garden City of Samal. It’s all been documented here, which was the original purpose of this blog. From buying land on Samal, until retirement there.

Some events in my life have naturally been of personal nature, and I don’t feel the need to expound on in a public forum such as this. Other events, such as the realization that the plot of land that we purchased was difficult at best to reach, were just a matter of looking at things in a more practical manner.

My anticipated retirement age has also changed a number of times during that period. Sometimes a little longer, and occasionally much sooner. As of today I have a good idea when that will be, but there are a number of factors, as always, that are out of my control. I will know when the time is, when I do.

So I’ve avoided answering the question long enough, but as you can see, I don’t have a complete answer. If I were to somehow retire today, or soon, it appears to me that I would live in the greater Davao area. At the least, somewhere outside of Davao. That is where I have come to feel comfortable, and where most of my friends and acquaintances are located. Admittedly I have not traveled extensively throughout the Philippines, but I am comfortable with Davao, the people, and what it has to offer. Of course it is close to Samal, and I can visit whenever I desire.

At this time it appears to me that it would be more realistic to look into having a vacation home or bahay kubo on Samal with which to spend time at, much like my friend Kevin plans to do. If I were to need to live on Samal sooner than later, I would prefer to have something closer to the concrete road going from Babak to Penaplata. That makes sense to me, and is still very secluded. Of course I may feel differently down the road a bit.

I’ve met a surprising number of people, both in person and online, that live on Samal, at least part time. Ellen, Uli, Travis and Mae, Jack, Cleo, Matthew, and Angus. Probably more, I apologize if I missed someone. The point is, it can be done and many are doing it. I’m impressed by each and every one of them. A bit envious, too, I might add.

Samal Island holds a very special place in my heart. It remains to be seen if I end up there or not.

I Have Square Feet

Randy C — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:16:47 +0000

SpongeBob may have square pants, but I’ve got square feet. No, not the kind you walk with, but the kind you measure with.

There are a lot of adjustments to make when moving to and living in the Philippines. I’ve touched on the differences in electricity, language, currency, cultural and more. Another that can be a bit challenging for some, myself included, is the unit of measure used there (and the rest of the world except of course the United States, Liberia and Myanmar).

Thankfully there has been some introduction to the metric system for those of us that are still in the dark ages. It is prevalent in many parts of life, just not our standard. I can remember a time while I was still in school when we were told that we would be converting to the Metric System. That never took off, much as many things political here tend not to. One administration decides one thing, a following one decides another. One step forward, one step back. But I digress…

The U.S. Metric Study recommended that the United States implement a carefully planned transition to the principal use of the metric system over a decade. Congress passed the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 “to coordinate and plan the increasing use of the metric system in the United States”. The Act did not stipulate the conversion happen over a decade. Voluntary conversion was initiated, and the U.S. Metric Board (USMB) was established for planning, coordination, and public education. The public education component led to public awareness of the metric system, but the public response included resistance, apathy, and sometimes ridicule.[6] In 1981, the USMB reported to Congress that it lacked the clear Congressional mandate necessary to bring about national conversion. Because of this ineffectiveness and an effort of the Reagan administration to reduce federal spending, the USMB was disbanded in autumn of 1982.

I have trouble converting distance, or area, into metric when I have a need to do so quickly. If someone says a place is so many kilometers away, I have to ask “how long to get there?”. When looking at land, or a house, I need to do the calculation back to square feet for it to register.

I imagine this will come over time, with the benefit of living there and experiencing it on a daily bass. It will become visual as well. I believe this process is very similar to the peso issue, where those that move to the Philippines just start thinking in peso at some point, instead of converting everything in their head. It probably happens unbeknownst to the individual, just a natural progression.

In the meantime I’ll just have to deal with my square feet. SpongeBob would be proud.

eBay from the Philippines

Randy C — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:06:00 +0000

As I continue down my slow, but steady, path of Spring Cleaning, I’ve found myself selling on eBay to a much larger extent then I ever have previously. I’ve learned a few things along the way. One of the most significant is the fact that if I offer international shipping I will have a better chance of selling an item, and probably at a much better price.

I had always been leary of offering overseas shipping due to the extra costs involved, and potential problems that could arise from a shipment that was lost or damaged. The options for shipping carriers aren’t that great, either.

To my surprise, I’ve actually been having fairly positive results with my efforts so far. As I mentioned, a few items went for much more than I expected, and those went to places like Japan, Hong Kong and Australia. I even sent a couple of small table lamps that were made of blown glass, and therefor somewhat fragile. Everything has arrived in perfect condition.

So how have I done it? So far I’ve only used USPS Priority Mail for all packages. A majority of the items were small enough to fit in the Priority Small Flat Rate Box, which is pretty reasonably priced and very reliable (so far). It is also pretty quick, at least for international delivery.

The items that were too big for the Priority Small Flat Rate Box were still sent USPS Priority, but in my own packaging. The size and weight determined the cost. If you know that up front, the delivery cost can be calculated by eBay depending upon the destination. Your customer will know before they buy the cost of their shipping.

One downfall of the international selling is that PayPal charges you an extra percent for customers outside of the United States, even Canada. That extra percent is for your total amount of your sale, including shipping. Since you are now also charged a final fee from eBay on the shipping, the extra cost of shipping international can really eat into your profits. I’ve countered that by adding a handling fee, especially on the more expensive and/or heavier items.

This all got me to thinking about how I could make this work from the Philippines. There are a number of items that I could see listing that I’m sure would have interest around the world. That’s not a problem at all. What to do about shipping from the Philippines, though?

I’ve had mixed results in having things sent to me from the Philippines. FedEX has been reliable but VERY expensive. No, to make this work I’d need to use PhilPost or find another carrier that was reliable and inexpensive. PhilPost offers a number of different international options, and truthfully I haven’t had a chance to try them all. Not all would work for every item or every country:

Letter Post
Letters, cards, and other printed matters for delivery in any part of the world.

International Express Mail Service (IEMS)
The fastest means of sending documents, goods and other time-sensitive items abroad. Currently, the Philippines has agreements with 50 countries for the reciprocal exchange of EMS items.

Air Parcel Post
The most convenient and economical means of sending merchandise and other bulky items to foreign countries worldwide. Air parcels are transported to the country of destination by air.

Surface Parcel Post
The cheapest means of sending parcels to foreign countries with which the Philippines has bilateral agreements. Otherwise, parcels may be sent only through intermediary of the United States of America. Surface parcels are transported to the country of destination by interocean vessels.

Insured Parcel Post
Parcels with a maximum insured value of P5,000.00 may be accepted for delivery in selected foreign countries. At present this service is available only in Switzerland and USA.

Registered Mail
Letter post items destined for foreign countries may be accepted as domestic registered mail subject to the same conditions as those of domestic mail.

International Reply Coupon
International reply coupons are sold to postal customers for use in prepaying reply postage from other countries, present rate is P 115.00 per coupon.

I know some there have had problems with PhilPost, but I’ve really only heard about incoming packages issues, not the other way around. That’s not to say they don’t exist, and that’s what I need to look into further.

I currently have a small package on it’s way to me. I’m not sure what service was chosen, but I intend to research it further after it arrives. That’ll give me a good idea of time and cost, at least for one service option. I may test a few others, too, and see if if I can’t find a reliable/affordable solution within PhilPost. That would probably be the best fit for what I’d like to do. If not, I’ll continue to look.

Oh, there might be a couple of other things to work out — like PayPal, for instance, but eBay from the Philippines just might be in my future.

The Visa Question

Randy C — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 19:42:37 +0000

If there is one topic that every person moving to the Philippines will have to eventually research, it has to be “what to do about a visa”? There is so much information on this subject that I have no intention to try to tackle it again in this article. No, I have a good idea already which visa I would prefer to get.

I wish it was as simple as figuring out which one you want and/or qualify for. That is complicated in and of itself. The fun only begins when you begin to look into the options. As much as some will tell you not to be concerned about it, it does take some thought and planning if you don’t want to be scrambling later on.

After reading all the articles, checking the immigration website, and pondering my options, I concluded that I’d like to get a 13a Permanent Resident Visa when my time comes. Geez, that is easy, isn’t it? Well, no it isn’t.

I next need to decide whether I want to apply for that prior to moving, through the consulate in San Francisco (consulate that covers Washington State), or wait until I’ve already moved. I’ve read that it is a much easier and quicker process in the States, and you avoid the multiple trips to Manila, assuming you are not living in the area, which I do not intend to do.

Contrary to what I’ve also read, it is likely to cost me more to get the 13a here in the US, as the requirements are much different to do it here than in the Philippines. For one, I need to get medical tests done, Unfortunately, as much I’ve I’ve tried, I cannot get a complete answer as to what is required for the blood work. The definition of “complete” doesn’t mean anything to my clinic. They want to know specifically what they are testing for.

Additionally, there is a requirement for an “in person” interview, which would be quite expensive for me, as I would need to get to San Francisco, probably by plane. Some have said this isn’t required, you can do it over the phone, but I could not get the consulate to confirm that. They said they would schedule the interview after receiving the paperwork, leaving me to wonder if I could do it over the phone, even though I asked specifically.

The consulate does have a list of paperwork requirements. They are different than the Los Angeles consulate, and both are different than that of the Bureau of Immigration site. That also leaves me wondering if I’d be sending in everything needed.

If I decide to get the 13a after moving to the Philippines, it could cost me less (potentially) in dollars/peso but likely will take much longer. As I mentioned the requirements are much different, a lot more paperwork including a petition from my spouse, but the medical tests are also not needed. I’m not sure how many trips I’d need to make to Manila, but several is likely.

I’d really like to get it in advance, if I can work out the logistics and requirements. It would be great if I didn’t need to make a personal appearance in the San Francisco consulate, but I feel that I need to plan on that. If it’s not needed, then that will be a bonus.

I’m sure I’ll get this worked out, as many others have before me. I just wish I knew exactly what is required, but even that seems to change constantly. So, I’ll just have to plow through it and hope for the best. It’ll get done one way or another. I think that is a mantra I need to get used to.

No related posts.

The Autumn of My US Life

Randy C — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:20:19 +0000

It’s Autumn aka Fall here in Spokane. Depending upon your viewpoint we are blessed or cursed with four seasons in this part of the United States. I find good and bad in all of them.

Autumn is probably my favorite time of the year in terms of the beauty of the city. The turning of the leaves is really breathtaking. Unfortunately that means the majority of those leaves will be “falling” to the ground soon. Having three VERY large trees in my yard means many hours of raking and bagging. That is of course if I can get them up before the coming snow buries them for the winter that is ever approaching.

This Autumn has been a little different for me. It is more like Spring, in that I’ve been doing quite a bit of Spring Cleaning. I’ve decided that it was time to start getting rid of some things that I no longer need, and I do not expect to accompany to the Philippines. Some of the “stuff” around here has been here going on 20 years, and frankly it’s time to do something with it. Some I’m selling, and some I’ve giving to charitable organizations.

Though it is a little early, I’ve decided to sell my Fender Harvard (already sold) and my 2000 R9 Les Paul Historic. These are two items that I once thought that I’d never sell, but things change. Selling them now is somewhat symbolic to me, and reinforces my commitment to move, at least in my mind.

This spring cleaning has given me pause at times. Not that I’m attached so much to this stuff. I’ve realized that is not the case at all. No, it has opened my eyes to the fact that I am in the “Autumn of My Life”, or entering the end of my time here. At times that’s pretty scary to consider. Other times it is a big relief to know that I have a road map for my retirement.

How long my Autumn will last is still unknown, just as how long our season will last this year. Winter may come early, or it may hold out for awhile yet. My Autumn has begun. Time will tell when it ends.

Samal Seasons

Can I make it in the Philippines

Randy C — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 22:58:44 +0000

Are there obstacles? Oo (yes), there are many. Sometimes they seem to be overwhelming. I’ve listed many of them before (virtually all articles on my blog), some are more specific to me (vegetarian) and many others are the standard objections most foreigners have (weather, corruption, cultural differences, etc.)

So what if I do fail? And what exactly is failing in this situation? Do I pick up and move home (where is that at that point)? Move to another country? Possibly.

At times I have given my potential move too much thought. Tried to analyze too many details that I couldn’t possibly determine until I’ve experienced them. Other times I’ve found that I’ve not researched, or even considered, some basic function of life there and how I might manage it.

It’s always great to read other’s views on their recent moves and adjustment to life in the Philippines. I always learn a great deal, but I’ve also seen that what each one focuses on, or experiences, is often quite unique. That could be because of different living situations, family and locations. More likely, to appears to me, it is largely a matter of personality.

Other than moving there, which I can not do as of today, the best I can do is visit as often as I can. Observe as much as possible. Experience as much life as possible in a natural setting, as opposed to as a tourist. Will that replace the real life, day to day practicality of living there? I know everyone agrees, it does not.

Why do I think I can make this work? Because I’m determined. Determined to spend some of my life experiencing, learning, adapting – living. Doing something other than working to meet the demands and criteria of bosses that have no interest in my welfare. Just so I can pay the ever increasing costs of taxes, utilities and day to day expenses of surviving. Why can’t I do that a cheaper level and make my own determinations about what is important or not?

I no longer care about having expensive things or hobbies, and no time to enjoy them. I’ve been moving to a simpler life for many years. Some of it forced, and much of it with purpose.

And it seems such a waste of time, if that’s what it’s all about. Momma if that’s moving up then I’m, moving out – Billy Joel

I’ve chosen the Philippines from what was a chance visit initially. Much like life in general. It was not in my vision to retire there 6 years ago when I first went there, but I have come to see that not only could I, but that I wish to. In many ways it will be very challenging, but my challenge. One that I have chosen, at least I think so. Others may feel it was chosen for me. Same result, either way.

Try. The only way I can fail is if I don’t try. And if I do try, than I haven’t failed. Not from my perspective.

I Want Hairy Ankles

Randy C — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 16:21:16 +0000

I’m a hairy guy. Everywhere except my head. Pilipinos naturally are less hairy, for the most part, but even by American standards, I’m just really hairy.

Additionally, as you might surmise, I’m white. Pretty stark white when I haven’t had much sun. When compared to the locals of the Philippines I stand out quite visibly. I recall hearing the term “ivory snow” from a couple of young girls that where admiring(?) me during my first visit to the Philippines. At least that is what is sounded like between the giggles they were exchanging.

It doesn’t bother me, as I understand that not only am I a foreigner, but I look quite different than what many have seen before. In the province I was almost an 8th wonder of the world. That wore off fairly quickly though, and soon I was just a little bit unique, if not odd. Well I’ve always been odd, so that was nothing new to me either.

One spot on my body that has a lack of hair is my ankles. Not because hair doesn’t grow there, but because of wearing socks for a greater part of everyday.

I’ve been working non-stop, save a vacation here and there, for over 35 years now. Every morning I get up eat, shower, shave, and put on my work clothes before I go “punch the clock” (in reality I’ve almost never had to do that). Where I’ve worked, that includes the obligatory shoes and socks. Over the many years of doing this my ankles have worn almost entirely bare of hair. Combine that with my very white (puti kaayo) skin, and sunglasses are recommended for viewing.

I got to thinking about this, and wondered if this ankle hair would grow back after all this time, once I was finally able to retire in the Philippines. I have no plans to be wearing socks, except on the few occasions that require a more formal attire. For the most part I’ll be dressing like most there – t-shirt, shorts and sandals (tsinélas).

Let me be clear, I don’t really care if my ankles are hairy or not. Actually it would be much more comfortable, in the heat and humidity, if I had a lot less hair in general. No, this is symbolic for me. If I can grow that ankle hair back I’ll feel that I’ve really retired, and I’ll be living on Pilipino time.

Head Shaving Clippers | Oster Classic 76

Work on Samal Island

Randy C — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 19:15:57 +0000

One of the things I have to determine by the time I retire is whether I will continue to try to earn some extra income, or just live off the pensions that I will receive. This isn’t as cut and dry and it used to be. These days you can easily (relatively of course) earn income online and from anywhere in the world. Samal Island is about as remote as you can get, being the tropical island it is.

I have interest in earning an online income, as well as you may, also. There are a lot of resources, online of course, to get you started in that direction. I don’t plan on going into them in this article. Instead I would like to explore what work is available for an expat in such a limited region and limited job market.

For the most part I believe one would need to consider running their own small business. A store, restaurant and service related are the types of things I’m thinking would work. Of course, these are not going to make you lots of money and could potentially require a great deal of work. That is the trade off, at least for me. How much work will I want to do?

Farming and agriculture offer some interesting possibilities. The Samal Dairy Farm is an example of a need that is being successfully met right there on the island. Raising cows for milk and cheese is not in my area of expertise, but it shows that there are possibilities for the right product.

I can see some coconuts, mangoes, bananas, and even coffee as items that could be grown and sold for profit. In some cases you might need to have a specialty, such as organic, to compete. Exporting of things like coconut oil could also be worthwhile, again if your product was specialized enough.

I’m sure there are a lot of possibilities. I suspect when it comes down to it, I and going to explore what I can do online. That’s where my interests are anyway. It’s a competitive world out there, but if you can find your niche you can can make a living even on a place as remote as Samal Island.

Note: another post from a blog that I haven’t maintained to this point.