How to be happy as an expat in the Philippines

Delete.

😂

Jackson4 wrote:

😂

What you describe when you look at the handrails on your staircase IS an optical illusion. You can take any two straight lines, placed equal distances apart and as the lines get farther away they ALWAYS appear to get closer together. If the lines continue to travel away from you they will eventually appear to merge in the distance. They don't actually merge but they APPEAR to.

Things to consider when you retire in the Philippines.
1. Stay out of politics and keep a low profile.
2. Don't get into money lending business
3. Be friendly and live simply.
4. Do not share what you do in and out of your home. Any personal information can lead to trouble.
5. If you are willing to help within the community, be anonymous as possible..
6. Equip your home with CCTV cameras and always good to have a firearm for protection.

i dont understand, frontiers are closed and you tell us your story and your life opinion big house, good health .....
Im not rich and i want to go philipines thats all no need house and others just simple life

Sadly "fffffrrreeedddooommm" still  comes with a price tag.

Cheryl wrote:

Hi everyone,

Being happy is surely our common goal, whether we are living in the Philippines as an expat or somewhere else.
We would love to know your tips and tricks to be fully fulfilled and happy as an expat in your host country.

Thanks for your contribution!

Cheryl,
Expat.com team

Cheryl, I think Id be happy if I get to have a merienda with a pretty lady as yourself.   

Hello sir,
Easily to be happy here in my country if you have already someone before you comeover if you moved here with your family learn how to know what is Philipines are Filipinos are friend and loving so I think you don't need to worries about how you be happy.
Welcome to the Philippines and enjoy my country and be friendly as well.
Cheers.

How to be happy? Wow, what a question, happiness is pursuing something that you enjoy, if this brings you joy then you have succeeded. Happiness, rather the pursuit of happiness requires something external to yourself, in other words “I’m going fishing” is a pursuit of happiness, whether it brings you joy depends on the expected outcome, “I’m upset, I was fishing all day and did not catch anything, vs I’m happy I caught a lot of fish today”. So, the joy one feels is lessoned by the expectations one has on the outcome of their adventure. If one does not have any expectations about the outcome then you feel joy when you do something that makes you happy.  It’s a great philosophical question and also one which has troubled mankind forever. This is why there is so much misery in the world, our expectations far exceed our abilities to have joy. This is my two cents woth, peace and love.

Money & Health thats all I see is needed for my continued happiness here.
If either one of the above 2 were to 'breakdown'....I'd rather be somewhere else.

manwonder wrote:

Money & Health thats all I see is needed for my continued happiness here.
If either one of the above 2 were to 'breakdown'....I'd rather be somewhere else.

Yes your Health is your Wealth. (Seniors)

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

Cheryl wrote:

Hi everyone,

Being happy is surely our common goal, whether we are living in the Philippines as an expat or somewhere else.
We would love to know your tips and tricks to be fully fulfilled and happy as an expat in your host country.

Thanks for your contribution!

Cheryl,
Expat.com team

Cheryl, I think Id be happy if I get to have a merienda with a pretty lady as yourself.   

Gardo you’re not supposed to get fresh with the moderators 

Lotus Eater wrote:

Gardo you’re not supposed to get fresh with the moderators 

Who knows?        Can't blame a poor sap for tryin'.   

Michael P. Carter wrote:

How to be happy?  So, the joy one feels is lessoned by the expectations one has on the outcome of their adventure. If one does not have any expectations about the outcome then you feel joy when you do something that makes you happy.  It’s a great philosophical question and also one which has troubled mankind forever. This is why there is so much misery in the world, our expectations far exceed our abilities to have joy. This is my two cents woth, peace and love.

Great post. 

I will have low expectations, keep low profile, enjoy the nature, enjoy the lovely Filipinas and just be stress-free.

Hey Michael P. Carter... wow what you stated about how to be happy and pursuing something that you enjoy.. yes that is where you will find happiness and the outcome? well, that's another ballgame in itself however, it does play a integral part of ones' happiness or being happy mainly... with what ya got.. what ya do.. who ur with and how ya treat folks and what ya are.     I tend to lean towards the latter of subjects.  And yes, that is a main part of the hate in the world today..no happiness.  Shame.
Any-who, kudos on what you wrote.

What's going to make me happy as an expat? 

The food is going to make me happy. 

Bulalo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z9DYdoA1_A

Pares
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnd-mZmke1A

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

What's going to make me happy as an expat? 

The food is going to make me happy.

Yes, you have passed the age group when its Sex and are in "Food age" but havent reached "Easy poo make me happy" age yet     

(That's NOT made up by me. It was some kind of research, which found out that was the most common in different age groups.)

Also, meeting  Sinabmarine ladies there would make me happy. 

"C'mon si Olive ay aking sinabmarine
Pero sya'y bitin pa rin, sya's bitin pa rin
Gusto nya lagyan ng margarine
Para aking lasapin, aking lasapin C'mon"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrwfjWUckQE&t=21s

coach53 wrote:

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

What's going to make me happy as an expat? 

The food is going to make me happy.

Yes, you have passed the age group when its Sex and are in "Food age" but havent reached "Easy poo make me happy" age yet     

(That's NOT made up by me. It was some kind of research, which found out that was the most common in different age groups.)

Haha, why can't it be both?  See my other post.   

Beaches is also another thing that would make me happy there.  I swam in both West and East coasts here in US.  Nothing spectacular compared to what is there in Pinas.

In my younger self, I like surfing.   I still do but I am being smart on this.  As I am aging, it would be best I avoid potential injuries that comes with the sport of surfing. 

As such, I am more into diving nowadays.   Freediving is my favorite sport now.   It's just diving without the scuba gear.  I still like scuba diving but my scuba dive partner died of Covid in 2019 so I am on lookout for a replacement.

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

As such, I am more into diving nowadays.   Freediving is my favorite sport now.   It's just diving without the scuba gear.  I still like scuba diving but my scuba dive partner died of Covid in 2019 so I am on lookout for a replacement.

One who went around the world making documentaries about nature adventures as diving said Palawan had the best diving he had ever seen.

Water things - beside sailing and canoe - are almost the only sports, which I havent liked, perhaps depending of I am crap at swimming 
but I know a Filipina, which had plans to start a business aiming mainly at diving tourists at Palawan, but she did put it on hold because of covid.  So I guess she know some divers.

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

coach53 wrote:

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

What's going to make me happy as an expat? 

The food is going to make me happy.

Yes, you have passed the age group when its Sex and are in "Food age" but havent reached "Easy poo make me happy" age yet     

(That's NOT made up by me. It was some kind of research, which found out that was the most common in different age groups.)

Haha, why can't it be both?  See my other post.   

Perhaps you are in the age at the switch between sex and food   

Although there is a big difference between thinking of sex "all the time" as teenager boys,
and being interested in relation with women... 
My grandfather never lost intest in women, because he became only 95yo            And I am old but aim at marry and get kids anyway if my old sports injury get solved enough to travel.

coach53 wrote:

[Perhaps you are in the age at the switch between sex and food   

Although there is a big difference between thinking of sex "all the time" as teenager boys,
and being interested in relation with women... 
My grandfather never lost intest in women, because he became only 95yo            And I am old but aim at marry and get kids anyway if my old sports injury get solved enough to travel.

How young  are you?   I'm in my late 40s.   

Thanks to Enzyte Bob, the commercial not our EB member  , we can do more now.   I see men having kids even in their 50s and 60s.   It's actually preferable to have kids late, OMO.    .   One will have more means to provide a better quality of life to the kids.  A father can enrol the kids to more sports, arts and hobby activities and not be limited to what one knows.

So yes, wish you good recovery from your leg injury and come back in Pinas, get married, eat balut along with blue (or yellow pills) and you'll have kids in no time.   

Then one day, let's get together for a drink or two.

Gardo Fuentes wrote:

coach53 wrote:

[Perhaps you are in the age at the switch between sex and food   

Although there is a big difference between thinking of sex "all the time" as teenager boys,
and being interested in relation with women... 
My grandfather never lost intest in women, because he became only 95yo            And I am old but aim at marry and get kids anyway if my old sports injury get solved enough to travel.

How young  are you?   I'm in my late 40s.   

Thanks to Enzyte Bob, the commercial not our EB member  , we can do more now.   I see men having kids even in their 50s and 60s.   It's actually preferable to have kids late, OMO.    .   One will have more means to provide a better quality of life to the kids.  A father can enrol the kids to more sports, arts and hobby activities and not be limited to what one knows.

So yes, wish you good recovery from your leg injury and come back in Pinas, get married, eat balut along with blue (or yellow pills) and you'll have kids in no time.   

Then one day, let's get together for a drink or two.

I am 68 so I think its time to start a family 
Thank you, although I am functioning without Viagra and such still,  An ex gf even found I functioned some to often  Perhaps because  of I have never smoked or got drunk - I have never needed because I am crazy anyway     
(But my grandfather, who married and got kids late, started his first business at age when normal people retire, became 95 and got fired when he was 92       At old age he started drinking a half glass red wine per day because he had heared thats good to become old. I believe big part of reason he got that old was he never thought of himself as old.)

68 is the new 48!       Not joking here, especially for expats in the beautiful paradise that is the Philippines.

I have to agree with this entirely, in my 50's and early 60's I loved sex and liked food, now I'm in my 70's and I like sex and love food. Interesting...