Open Side Menu Go to the Top
Register
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines?

07-24-2007 , 07:32 PM
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? I think that would be a very interesting thread. My cousin was there for a vacation and he said it was great. He said hot women were treating him like a rock star and his money really went far!

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-25-2007 , 11:22 AM
i'm living here as an online pro at the mo, life is good
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-25-2007 , 11:56 AM
bit of a [censored] reply. i dont really know what you want to know, probably better if u give me some questions and i'll be able to answer.

i'm from the uk so i dont pay any taxes. i've been here for 4 months and i got 3 weeks left before i finish my round the world ticket.

i spent the first month travelling around and the rest of the time in manila. manila's ok, but i dont really like big cities so i'm leaving soon. I met a really nice girl here so i stayed. i live in a 5 star hotel which costs around $120 a night, its right in the centre of the cbd, near where my girl lives/works.

The women here are awesome, better looking then thai, and this place is just a horny nation. money goes so far. a night with me buying drinks for 4 or 5 people costs a absolute max of $50. there arn't that many young foriengers out here, businessmen and old pervs. i dont really associate myself with them.

theres [censored] loads of hoes, but i dont go with hoes, i dont agree with supporting the industry, but each to there own. theres plenty of nice girls around not to bother with them.

oh and nearly everyone can speak really good english. the philippines was also recently polled as the 2nd happiest nation in the world. everyone here is always joking about everything.

theres live poker here in manila. The main casino has games up to 10/20 i believe. the card rooms are really friendly too, and the standard is really bad. they also have a $400 tourney every week too. Also the appt is coming in sept for a $2500 buyin. they also have the philippine poker tour which i think is a $1k buyin quarterly or something but i'm not sure. i havn't been to the big casino, just the smaller one for small 30runner tourneys buyins ranging from $40-$250. poker is on the up here, but its a relatively new game.

in regards to poker i am able to play on the following sites here...

pokerstars, full tilt, crypto, prima, ladbrokes, boss network, mansion, pokerroom, ultimatebet and party.

however i may be able to play these sights because i'm registered as living in the uk with them.

i only play mtt's so all other sites arn't worth bothering with for me, but thats still a really good selection.

i like my girl so much i'm attempting to bring her back to england with me, going to the british embassy with here tommorow. I have to go back to finish of 9 months of uni. then i'm free!

anyway let me know if you have any questions

regards

Jaypez
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-25-2007 , 09:54 PM

Como Estaga?

I agree, I love Filipino chicks!!! I ve been with 2 before, a girl right outa the Philippines, and then a abf, American born Filipino, They are the best outa all the Asians, because they have some spanish in um which gives them some curves...

I live in China and I love the girls, but most of them do not have booties and boobies.....Filipinos also have nice wide eyes as well...

Anyways, how the beaches? have you gone?

Is it the typical bar girl scene where as in Thailand and China- there most of the time ho s?

Any pics of your chick?

Is manila worth visiting? prob similar with most other Asian cities?
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-26-2007 , 03:16 AM
10/20 NL?
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-26-2007 , 04:25 AM
Quote:
the philippines was also recently polled as the 2nd happiest nation in the world
link?
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-26-2007 , 06:47 AM
Yes 10/20 nl. I think it starts at 1 / 2 during the day and as higher stake players come the stakes go up in the evening. I have also heard theres a few aussie pros living here, but I havn’t met them, I havn’t been to that casino. I think I’ll go this sat to play the weekly tourney and find out.

The happiest people on earth… (I might be wrong about the 2nd but whatever.)

(no link, copying (with skipped bits) from lonely planet)

in a global survey conducted in 2005, Filipinos came out amount the worlds happiest people much to the filipines delight, surprise and busement. As Filipinos see it, tey are no hpppier then anybody else on earth, in fact generally speaking Filipinos tend to take a rather unfavourable view of themselves. Particually in comparison with the wealth of Americans, the old culture of Europeans etc etc.

but one thing Filipinos have is a boundless sense of humour, and this extends to a rare ability to laugh at themselves. Perhaps it’s a kind of defence mechanism, but even in the grim days under marcos dicatorship they endlessly cracked jokes about the police, the military and anybody and anything connected with the despised regime. Blah blah

while laughing at their problems Filipinos are in effect poking fun at their own helplessness Filipinos detest anything that acts as an obstacle to their fundamental love of life and freedom, yetsometimes when faced with difficulty a filipos reacion is to laugh. To the casual observer this may seem like an inexplicable bit of frivolity in the face of adversity, but theres more to it than meets the eye. To filipons freedom is more precious than material wealth and if they laugh at something that curtails or threatens this priority, its simply a way of coming to thems with the situation until they find a way to overcome it.

Filipinos speak some 70 languages and dialects, yet in none of them are words for depression anxiety anguish or even boredom. This says a lot about the natural dispoition of Filipinos. Unlike some other cultures where suicide is seen as an hoourable way out, the traditional Filipinos way of thinking does not even consider it an option. No matter how big the problem or how profound the tragedy , to a Filipino life goes on, it must go on and that’s all there is too it.

The average Filipino has very modest dreams; to have just enough to feed the family and be able to enjoy the simple please of life. Filipinos may be poor in material things, but as long as theres love and laughter they will find plenty to be happy about.

Beaches are better then Thailand imo.

Hmmmmmm manila is a mixed bag, the traffics [censored] terrible. If you’ve got to get across the city during peak times it can take forever. Its polluted, dirty and it’s a mess. But the people are friendly. I dunno if I can live here, I’m gonna go and hit the surf island next week.

there are girly bars everywhere. it says in lonely planet theres 400,000 prostitutes here. but theres so many nice girls around you dont need to go to them. at the nightclubs are bars prostitutes go to them to, there is a grey area of what it means to pay for sex, but i got laid a few times in a month without paying.

I’m not gonna post a pic of my chick on 2+2, but my myspace is www.myspace.com/jaypahhee, if you can be bothered to look for her shes the one of the left.

Heres a couple pics of beaches

Boracay, main party island of the Philippines, well worth visiting if u come. pic was early in the morning so its quiet.



Sipalay, beach out in the sticks
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-26-2007 , 06:08 PM
For the live poker do you know how much the rake is? Or what the entry fee is for tourneys?

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-26-2007 , 09:49 PM
What are the prices for apartments in Manila? How much cheaper is it to move out 40-60 miles further? Can you rent motorbikes like in Thailand? What is the cost per day?

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-26-2007 , 11:10 PM
Hey Jim. I wouldn't attempt to drive in the Philippines let alone drive a motorbike (there are exceptions of course, like being in a remote area and u need your own transportation). Philippines is not Thailand as the drivers are crazy and the infrastructure is pretty bad. You definietely feel you are in a third world country when you leave the makati area of Manila. I wouldn't suggest it. It also takes you 2 hours to get from one suburb to another. Taxis are so cheap and easy, there's no point in stressing yourself out on the road solo.

Little about myself: I am half filipino and have been to the Philippines around 9 times in my life, sometimes for stretches lasting 3 months.

Let's talk about Manila

Pros:

-You get great value for your money. Cheap drinks, cheap food even in high end restaurants, cheap transportation, cheap movies (higher end cinemas than North America), cheap everything.

-The women love foreigners. I am treated like a rock star whenever I am there. When you walk in a club you feel as if you can pick up any chick (these are 100% not whore joints, I'm talking about the most posh clubs in Manila). Fyi, when you look at a hot girl, you see a hot girl, when a hot girl looks at you, they see a walking green card.

-Extremely friendly people, and they all speak english. It's actually a very english friendly country thanks to 50 years of American occupation (it was a friendly union for the most part, unlike Iraq). All street signs, billboard advertisements are in english.

-Bored of Manila? Why not try a weekend trip to Cebu or the other dozen 5 star resort locations around the Philippines for $200-$300 dollars/weekend? (Includes flight and hotel stay, ridic cheap)

Cons:

-Pollution is terrible in Manila.
-It's so humid that you never feel dry, especially after a shower. (AC is mandatory)
-Getting around Manila is a nightmare (2 hour traffic jams is the norm). If you plan on living there as a poker pro, find a place in the Makati area and you will never have to leave (clubs, shopping, high end everything).

Conclusions: If I continue on improving my earn rate the way I am doing now, I will for sure spend at least 6 months in the Philippines, it's a great place for people like us.
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-26-2007 , 11:32 PM
JayPez. I really like what you said about the Filipino people and I am happy that you are really enjoying yourself there. But I must disagree with some of your statements regarding their view on material wealth.

"To filipons freedom is more precious than material wealth and if they laugh at something that curtails or threatens this priority, its simply a way of coming to thems with the situation until they find a way to overcome it."

"The average Filipino has very modest dreams; to have just enough to feed the family and be able to enjoy the simple please of life. Filipinos may be poor in material things, but as long as theres love and laughter they will find plenty to be happy about."

Although I don't disagree with what you said for the most part, I do disagree with you on their "very modest" dreams for a better life. Filipinos go abroad in huge numbers hoping to find a better life outside of the Philippines in order to provide for their family. They sacrifice so much and sometimes husbands and wives don't see each other for years on end. I can't speak for the people that you have met directly but my experience with filipinos inside and outside my family is that they care a lot about material wealth, and are ambitious about seeking better lives for themselves.

That's why you see so many filipinos abroad working as maids, working on cruise ships, caring for you as their nurse, working in Tim Horton's and the list goes on and on.

That's why so many of them treat you and I like a rock star, they generally want to find a better life, marry well, and for the most part get out of the country.

I don't want to take away from what you said because I think you accurately described Filipinos very well except for their ambition for a better life and their collective struggles' to escape poverty.
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-27-2007 , 03:07 AM
Quote:


The happiest people on earth… (I might be wrong about the 2nd but whatever.)

(no link, copying (with skipped bits) from lonely planet)

in a global survey conducted in 2005, Filipinos came out amount the worlds happiest people much to the filipines delight, surprise and busement. As Filipinos see it, tey are no hpppier then anybody else on earth, in fact generally speaking Filipinos tend to take a rather unfavourable view of themselves. Particually in comparison with the wealth of Americans, the old culture of Europeans etc etc.

but one thing Filipinos have is a boundless sense of humour, and this extends to a rare ability to laugh at themselves. Perhaps it’s a kind of defence mechanism, but even in the grim days under marcos dicatorship they endlessly cracked jokes about the police, the military and anybody and anything connected with the despised regime. Blah blah

while laughing at their problems Filipinos are in effect poking fun at their own helplessness Filipinos detest anything that acts as an obstacle to their fundamental love of life and freedom, yetsometimes when faced with difficulty a filipos reacion is to laugh. To the casual observer this may seem like an inexplicable bit of frivolity in the face of adversity, but theres more to it than meets the eye. To filipons freedom is more precious than material wealth and if they laugh at something that curtails or threatens this priority, its simply a way of coming to thems with the situation until they find a way to overcome it.

Filipinos speak some 70 languages and dialects, yet in none of them are words for depression anxiety anguish or even boredom. This says a lot about the natural dispoition of Filipinos. Unlike some other cultures where suicide is seen as an hoourable way out, the traditional Filipinos way of thinking does not even consider it an option. No matter how big the problem or how profound the tragedy , to a Filipino life goes on, it must go on and that’s all there is too it.

The average Filipino has very modest dreams; to have just enough to feed the family and be able to enjoy the simple please of life. Filipinos may be poor in material things, but as long as theres love and laughter they will find plenty to be happy about.

i didn't write that i copied it from lonely planet
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-27-2007 , 03:31 AM
Okay, but my comments still stand though.
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-27-2007 , 09:34 AM
i agree with your comments, nice posts.
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-28-2007 , 05:09 PM
Cheers mate, so tell me JayPez, can you tell me anything about the quality of the internet connection there?

As well what is your online playing schedule? Do you play all night long chasing european fish or just wake up extremely early to grind out the US players on US sites? Or do you just settle for playing normal hours grinding less tables in off peak hours?
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-29-2007 , 01:23 PM
I am in Thailand now and am split between the Philippines and Bali as my next destination. I would not want to live in Manila probably for the dame reasons I am not digging BKK right now. Are there any beach towns that are developed enough that have guest houses/ long term hotels, with reliable DSL?
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-31-2007 , 04:21 AM
If you don't like BKK traffic, you will HATE Manila traffic, and that's the truth. I'd say Manila traffic is easly twice as bad as BKK's and the poverty level all around you is pretty horrible. That's why I highly recommend living and existing purely within the Makati disctrict, you basically don't need to leave that area and you would think you are in Honolulu because it's so modern.

As for internet connections, I would research this throughougly before making a destination stop somewhere outside of Manila to grind online. I'd say your best bet outside of Manila is Cebu as its prolly 2nd most developped infrastructure. It's a huge resort island and it's gorgeous.
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-31-2007 , 04:54 AM
Quote:
I'd say your best bet outside of Manila is Cebu as its prolly 2nd most developped infrastructure. It's a huge resort island and it's gorgeous.
Do they speak as much english there as Manila or is it mostly indigenous ppl speaking Cebuano?
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-31-2007 , 04:27 PM
I think most people there speak English very well. Can someone confirm that statement?

Thank you,

Jim Kuhn
Catfish4u
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-31-2007 , 09:21 PM
Is that 10/20 in US dollars? How many tables of it all over Manila? Is this game always on?

The part about Filipinos always being happy makes me worried. That means they never tilt. Actually, I've played with a bunch of Filipinos in Vegas and its true that they don't get affected by bad beats that much. I also noticed that they rely more on intuition and barely read poker books. This is good news.

I'm very interested in what Cebu is like. The people, cost of living, girls, poker. How much are boats there? My dream has always been to live in one as long as I have wireless internet access. Some guy told me that DSL is free for everyone in Cebu. Can anyone confirm or deny this?
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-31-2007 , 11:00 PM
Quote:
If you don't like BKK traffic, you will HATE Manila traffic, and that's the truth.
Manila traffic is not only worse than Bangkok traffic, but there is no public transportation like the Skytrain to easily get you places.
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-31-2007 , 11:11 PM
Everyone speaks English very well in the cities/
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
07-31-2007 , 11:22 PM
Quote:

The part about Filipinos always being happy makes me worried. That means they never tilt. Actually, I've played with a bunch of Filipinos in Vegas and its true that they don't get affected by bad beats that much. I also noticed that they rely more on intuition and barely read poker books. This is good news.

Filipinos are quite emotional people--after all, this is a country where making fun of someone in a karaoke joint can get you stabbed to death--so they are capable of tilting. On the other hand, there is a prevalent cultural attitude referred to as "bahala na", or "come what may" which results in a certain stoicism when faced with bad things. Being an ass at the table and getting them to hate you as a person may be more tilt-inducing than a simple bad beat.

Filipinos who gamble usually have a lot of gamble in them and a healthy regard for luck, so my guess is that you'll find less weak-tight players than you would among Caucasians and you'll find more tricky LAGs capable of changing speeds on a whim rather than design, who might jam a draw if they think it will come and fold if their intuition tells them that it won't. This doesn't necessarily make them good players, but it does make them annoying.

In terms of pros who have been on TV, think Toto Leonidas. Then imagine them as not as skillful, yet instinctive enough to often smell traps and smart enough to not give you too much action if you are an obvious straightforward nit.

[This is all psychological guesswork based on gambling with Filipinos at non-poker games. I'll try and check out the poker next time I vist family there.]
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
08-01-2007 , 01:54 AM
I've been in manila one month last year and I didn't liked it that much. I liked Thailand a lot more. The people can be friendly and nice thats true, but its very poor and dirty, you see homeless people everywhere, and a lot of cockroach too. The average girl is fat also, witch is unlike all the other places I've seen in Asia. The food wasnt very good most of the time. The only places where I've eaten well were in big 4-5 stars hotel. All that said, its an experience to see the sprawling huge city that feel so much busy. A walk on the bay on a festive evening can be fun too.
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote
08-01-2007 , 07:01 PM
Yeah Raven, that's why if you ever go to live in the Philippines, just go direct from the airport to the Makati district, never leave that area as it's by far the most modern and chic. Whenever you want to take weekend trips, again direct from makati to the airport and take a flight to cebu, nothern luzon, or the other 123523543 beautiful islands that the Philippines have to offer for so cheap. I think with this formula anyone considering living there to grind online will have a great time.
Anyone to ask about living in the Philippines? Quote

      
m