Vibram Five Finger shoes are commonly referred to by their hard core fans as VFF’s.

In the past couple of years I saw this unusual pair of shoes appear in the blogs of my favorite writers, Tim Ferriss, Leo Babauta, Colin Wright and Julien Smith.

VFF’s are shoes that mimic the barefoot experience. According to studies I read in the Four Hour Body, the human foot is perfectly designed for mobility but our practice of wearing shoes had compressed alignment of our toes to fit the shape of our shoes.

Visit this post for the pictures.

I wanted to get myself a pair of VFF’s because I read about how it helps people strengthen their feet, correct their posture problems and works well for flat footed folk like myself.

The only reason I didn’t want to get a pair is because I have a thing against spending more than two thousand pesos (approximately $50) for a pair of shoes. I don’t recall my parents ever buying me an expensive pair of shoes so always postponed buying shoes of this budget level. But that’s for a different story. Moving on,

There’s also the fact that VFF’s attract attention and people will ask you about them a lot.

I thought about buying Merrell’s or Adidas’s more subtle barefoot shoes but I never got the color that I want or they don’t have my size on stock or the price was way above my budget.

I got an email from VFF Philippines that they have a 50% off sale at the SMX convention center so I went and see if I could get a pair that I’d like.

I initially wanted the classic but it felt like it might slip off if I ran at my top speed. I have the tendency to use my stuff for things they weren’t designed for. My current pairs of shoes are not designed for running and outdoor activities so I had to get a new pair.

The initial experience was strange because it felt like I was walking barefoot. If the floor was cold my feet felt cold. If I was walking on hot concrete, I felt the hot concrete at the soles of my feet. I also noticed how I felt like my feet are getting a workout because they are moving differently.

I settled on the sprint design because it I liked the available colors.

I spent 30 minutes looking at my feet trying trying to pick the one I liked.

The sales rep told me that he had been using his pair everyday for two years and it still looked fine.

I also felt like I would be getting more pairs in the future.

Have you tried the Vibram Five Fingers? Tell me about your experience in the comments below.

Nexus money is a money management app that helps you track your spending and your income. Logging your expenses and income is as simple as pressing (+) to input income and pressing (-) to input expenses. You then type how much and you’re good to go.

The interface is a lot like a small card taped on a board that has your daily income and expenses. Which gives you a good view of where your money goes.

After using the app for a while you’ll notice that you now have some info in your reports section. There’s a graph and a list of what you spent on which you can view as a list or by category.

The list allows you to have a clear picture of how you spent your money and can help you making wiser spending decisions in the future.

I recall that at one point I was spending more money eating out and then I decided to work on reducing that expense.

The graph also lets me know if my expenses are increasing or decreasing.

You can try the light version but I recommend getting the full version at the app store.

Nexus Money is the only paid app that I have in my iOS device. In fact it’s the only one I think worth paying for.

There are a lot of money management apps out there but it’s either too compliated that you wouldn’t want to use it or it’s too simple that you won’t take it seriously.

Ther free ones suck mostly as well.

The only thing I’d like Nexus Money to have is cloud backup and access but that’s more of a nice to have for me than a requirement.

Here are tips on how to use Nexus Money:
1. Key in your expenses everyday.
2. Do it as frequently as you can and try not to let a day end without completing it.
3. Add categories for expenses that you add frequently.
4. Use the reports to find out what you overspend on over time and the daily view to see expenses that you can go without.
5. Use the graphs to track your progress.

Nexus Money is created by Xiles. You may follow this link to download the full version of Nexus Money in the App store.

I’ll be on an indefinite hiatus for Philippine Island Living.

At the moment I’m working on my other blog, Call Center Training Tips.

I look forward to seeing you again soon,

Regards,

Kevin Olega

I have done it several times at first, with fear but after a few more times I think I could sleep on a bus safely when I need to. Here are some of my tips.

Pick a good seatmate – I normally pick someone cute to sit with so I have someone to talk to if ever I get bored. The other real reason is I don’t want to keep my guard up for pick pockets all the time so I often sit next to cute girls, nice old ladies or whatever that feels safe. I know it’s bad to judge seat mates based on appearance but it has worked for me so far.

Take the window seat – If I’m alone I normally take the window seat and I try to sit next to nobody if I can’t find a good seatmate.

Put your valuables against the wall and leave your open pockets empty. When I say open, I mean pockets you can’t guard with your hand. When I get myself a window seat I discreetly move my phone and my cash on the side that’s against the wall/closed window. That way I can take a nap with my arm or hand covering my valuables all the time and it is next to impossible to take my stuff without me knowing.

Know your destination – It’s a pain to take another bus back after waking up to find out that you missed your destination. You better have a good estimate of the travel time or ask the conductor or driver (if you’re seated near him) to wake you if you’re near your destination. I also recommend doing it twice as sometimes they tend to forget. I also recommend moving closer to the exit whenever you can.

Do you also sleep on the bus? Feel free to share your tips in the comments below.

Reason number one :
Ireneville is close to Shopwise and Santana Grove. Shopwise is a great place to do groceries because they have a good balance of local and imported goods for groceries and whatever we need for the house. There’s also restaurants around the area for great food at different and office supplies at National Bookstore.

Reason number two
Ireneville is close to BF Homes.
In case you’re not familiar BF homes is a residential and commercial area which is a lot like Quezon City where just outside the small subdivisions and village are establishments for almost your every need and more awesome restaurants you can explore.

Reason number three
Ireneville is an hour away from Makati and an hour and a half to get to Ortigas. I’ve been working in Ortigas for almost ten years now and it’s been pretty good. I just take a Sucat Tatawid jeep to the bus stop in South Super Highway and I take a bus to where the heck I’m going. There’s also an

Reason number four
Ireneville is far away but somewhat convenient from the business districts. It takes at least a couple of rides to get here and out of here by commute. Which is a good thing because if you’re working you can use the travel time to decompress and relax from whatever stressful situation that you encountered at work.

Bonus reason
Ireneville has a creepy entrance. Before you enter the residential area, just at the entrance are various warehouses and Hen Lin’s factory. What makes it awesome is that if you’re trying to keep a low profile Ireneville is a good place to do that. It’s not showy or flashy and you have enough space to do awesome things.

Are you from Ireneville? Did you live here before? Consider sharing your experience in the comments below.

The message last Sunday at church was about how desensitized we were about the situation of our nation. At the moment we only think of ourselves and our families.

Whenever we see calamities or unfortunate events it’s just business as usual in the Philippines and at the end we can take action. We start with prayer and from there God will move (mostly through us).

It all starts with us. When we acknowledge that we’re part of the problem we can also be part of the solution.

The message ended. Since then I was bothered as I moved around the metro for my errands. What I previously did my best to shut my eyes to had been revealed to me.

I saw a kid helping his friend walk. I had to look down and see that his friend had a deformed foot possibly crushed from an accident or deformed from birth.

I had three plates of sushi for dinner. The family had a celebration. I went to bed full and had a nightmare.

I was in a city I was not familiar with and there were a lot of street kids. I had a companion with special eyes who could peer into the persons background (don’t ask me how it’s a dream). Cute chubby kid played with me and my companion told me that the kid had ten months to live. I hugged the kid praying for him and promising him I’ll take care of him.

In my mind I was telling myself shit I had a financial setback and I have no idea how I’ll fund this crazy charity. I carried the kid and asked him where his parents were. As we were walking toward his house I woke up.

The dream felt so real. My heart felt broken. Somewhat somewhere I have no idea where a four year old kid in the street has only ten months to live or maybe less.

We are more powerful than we think. We are blessed to bless others. There are no accidents. These are not just empowering quoted to be thrown around as your Facebook status.

Here’s what we can do.

Pray. Do you have no idea what to pray for? Start with what you see. Acknowledge that God will move and will use you to channel his blessings. The extra money you have this month isn’t there for no reason. Ask for wisdom in what to do next.

Feed someone. It’s not much but one meal or one snack can help someone. Whenever you leave your house bring some food with you. Give it to someone who you noticed who hasn’t eaten. You probably have a list in your head of places that offer cheap but filling meals. I have a public collection of places thar offer cheap and filling meals at Philippine Island Living. That’s no accident. Buy a meal from there and give it to a street kid.

I have 3000 readers on my all my blogs and I’ll post this on each one. If each of us does this then we have 3000 kids that will be fed that day. That’s not a lot but that’s a start. When I worked for Nu Skin they proudly announced to their distributors that they accomplished giving out one million meals. They are a big organization. Let’s start with a few hundred.

Google children’s hour, KIVA, KMBI, Real Life Foundation or whatever group you wanted to support but been putting off.

I don’t have a lot of spare cash but I figure 20-50 pesos a day to but a meal can make a difference for someone.

I have some other ideas but I’ll just talk about what we can do for now.

I like Tim Ferris’s idea about supporting charities that empower instead of just giving help. Everyone has to eat first and immediate needs first need to be met before we change the world.

You have a skill that’s useful or access to opportunities. Give it to others for free. If you’re in IT teach someone how to make money from what you do. You can teach them to get a job in your industry. I started that with call center training tips to help shy people get hired in a call center and with minimal changes to help average income earning people have spare cash, free time and a clear head by not buying stuff they don’t need. You can do something like that as well. Teach others your skills. If you own a business help someone start a similar venture and share the market. If you’re afraid help someone become your supplier and pay them properly. If you’re an entrepreneur you probably have several business ideas that you won’t implement because you don’t have the time or don’t need the money or both. Give it to others. Don’t just let it sit there. Share your business ideas.

During the last election Manny Villar set up the best tasting noodle and fried rice Siomai stall called Panda Mein. I interviewed the cute staff manning the store is not an employee but a student and it turns out that Manny Villar is sponsoring this business to his scholars. He had my thumbs up then. That idea was awesome. He had my thumbs up then.

I found out that he spent a billion pesos campaigning. I also found out the guy who won and became president of the Philippines used as much money for advertising.

These days I don’t see an open Panda Mein booth and I’ve been craving for their hoisin sauce on rice.

Here’s a campaign idea. If you have a billion peso campaign budget and you used that to help others instead of posters and tv ads and so on on the condition that it will be a secret how would you think that would affect your campaign. Think with me here.

It doesn’t have to end here. Promise me that you will take action. If you know a businessman or a politician can you pass this message to him or her? You don’t have to use me as reference. I’ll let you have the credit. When you do I’ll refer to you as a champion who vanquished nightmares. Do it for the cute chubby street kid who has ten months to live and his family. Do it to make the country a better place. I know you hate to see them live this way as much as I do.

There are probably more. Please share in the comments bellow.

Photo credit.
Photo credit.
Photo credit.
Photo credit.

Traveling from Sucat to attend church at Robinsons pioneer takes a bit of toll on the belly because of the travel time. Despite leaving with a heavy breakfast we got there a bit hungry.

My brother discovered this place as a good spot for cheap filling food.

Enter Appa’s Korean Streetfood.

Appa’s Korean Streetfood serves three dishes at the moment. Their best seller was a bowl of Tokboki which is Korean noodles served with boiled egg, rice cake and fish cake in chili sauce. They also have their own version of dimsum called Mandu.

Budget is about 55 for the Tokboki with egg but if you want to try everything bring a hundred bucks or so depending on your appetite.

You can find Appa’s Korean Streetfood near the Robinsons supermarket at Robinsons pioneer.

Here’s what we ordered.

Fried pork.

Peppered squid.

Friend dimsum. I forgot the exact name.

I don’t recall the names of the meals but they’re all really good.

Head over to Mongkok to try them for yourself.

to watch Freestyle pefrorm.

Before that, I met up with my friend at Robinson’s Manila and waited for the others.

We got hungry and she pointed me toward this siomai place she’s been eating at regularly. She told me it’s so good she grabs some from that store almost every time she’s at that mall.

Enter Tsien Pao.

Tsienpao is a siomai food store in front of the Robinson’s supermarket at Robinson’s Place Manila.

TsienPao offers good siomai for under thirty bucks and they have fried and steamed options. Here’s what I got. for myself…

And here’s what she got after…

Just kidding.

Hi Eva, we’re glad to have you here on Philippine Island Living. Just so our readers will have a background, can you tell our readers about yourself and your blog?

Hi there. Well, for starters, I’m a 20-something blogger who works full-time at a BPO company. I’m into fashion, photography, visual arts, and traveling. I’ve been blogging for about five years. My first blog was a literary blog but it’s no longer updated. I currently have three active blogs. One of which is a personal blog, the other is a photography blog, and the third one is my focus blog, is all about fashion, food, travel, and lifestyle.

You write a lifestyle blog that has a mix of fashion, food and travel. How do you get to pick food places you go to?

I always like to try out something new. So whenever I go somewhere, I would always pick a restaurant or food place that I haven’t tried yet.

Do you go to hole in the wall type of food places or fine restaurants? Why?

Both. I’m not really picky about food places. I can do fine dining and all that but you can also take me to hole-in-the-wall types. You can even make me eat street food. As long as the place looks clean then it’s fine with me.

Can you share with us some examples (and maybe a few pictures) of places you like?

One of the places that I like is Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Well, love. I love everything about Vigan. I love the vintage feel of Crisologo street. I love how being there seems to transport me to another era. And then there’s Negros(Note: There’s a town in the Philippines called Negros, there’s no racist pun intended). I like how small the whole area is but there is just so much to see. I particularly fell in love with The Ruins in Talisay, Negros, which is what’s left of the Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson Ancestral Home.There’s also Boracay which has the two things that I love: beach and a good night life. Oh, and for somewhere that’s closer to home, there’s Intramuros. Again, vintage.
(Links: Bacolod, Boracay)

Boracay:

What do you enjoy most about life in the Philippines?

I love variety and there’s a lot of it here in the Philippines. It’s like you don’t run out of new things to see and new experiences worth remembering. You get different cultures just by going from one place to another. And the travel time is really not that long. A couple of hours can take you to a place where the dialect is different, the food is different but you’ll never feel alienated. That’s the good thing. You’ll always feel right at home.

Do you have a regular place you travel to?

Yes. For one, there’s Iloilo. I go there once every two years. Both my parents are pure Ilonggos. Our roots, both mother side and father side, hail from Visayas. Then there’s Bacolod. We also have some relatives there. Lastly, whenever I want to just get away from the city, there’s Batangas, Tagaytay, and Los Banos, Laguna. Batangas for the beaches. Tagaytay to relax and unwind. Los Banos for nature tripping and because I consider it as my second home. You see, I studied in UPLB so I lived there for about five years of my life.

Could you tell us a story of the most unforgettable travels in the Philippines?

One of my most unforgettable travels is our class fieldtrip to Ilocos. It was for our Humanities subject. That wasn’t my first time to Ilocos though. We stayed at a hotel in Kalye Crisologo in Vigan for three days and toured around Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. We even went to this beach in Pagudpud. And on the way home, we stopped by Baguio for some sight-seeing and souvenir shopping. Three epic days of my college life.

Then other one is just very recent. I went with my friends to Baler in Aurora. It was unforgettable for me because it has always been my dream to surf. Well, dream come true. I learned how to surf. Yes, I actually got to stand up on the board. Then I was wiped out, and got hit by the board and got tangled with the leg rope. Hahaha. But it was scary and fun and I’d really like to do it again some time.
(Links: Ilocos Trip Photos, Baler Photos)

Thank you so much for sharing. Are there any tips that you’d like to share with our readers?

Hmm. I would just like to share a tip for bloggers out there. Never go out without a camera, even if it’s just a camera phone. Because sometimes, those blog-worthy moments are the spontaneous and un-planned ones.
So that’s it. Thanks for having me here. I had fun sharing my experiences.

Want more of Eva?

Read more about Eva’s trip to Baler here. Read her blog Whatever Eva. Follow Eva on twitter.

I’m enjoying my life in the Philippines. For you to know what it’s like I’m opening up and sharing parts of my life. Here’s what I’m enjoying so far:

Transportation

I’m finally a freelancer. I live and work from anywhere. I’m also a minimalists. I don’t see the need for a car (or at least not at the moment because I won’t use it as much). I’m pretty good with traveling by bus. Sometimes by train and the usual public transportation. I’m trying to muster the courage to take the older trains that lead to the province. Maybe someday I’ll write about it soon. Public transportation is cheap and convenient. Taking it may sound somewhat a bit more stressful because you won’t always have a ride on demand but if you weigh it against the costs of buying and maintaining a car (gas, parking, cleaning, engine and wheel maintenance) then I guess it’s a fair trade.

Food

When I go to work I cook my own food. I also have carinderias that I trust just in case I don’t have time to prepare my own food that day. I like eating at hole in the wall types of places. I see more adventure in trying out meals there. I’ll recently wrote a few tips about carinderyas. There are pretty good restaurants to eat but I reserve that for weekends and dates.

Clothing

I get a lot of my work shirts and bags from a thrift store. Yes the ukay ukay. Thrifting allows me to find good brands of bags, and work shirts that are in pristine condition for under three dollars. It’s a skill that took me more than five years to learn. The Philippines has several malls all over the place. You’ll never have to worry about what to wear. Whenever I buy at the mall it takes me forever to pick one because I don’t often feel like spending a lot.

Shelter

I’m currently staying with relatives in exchange for contributing a but to the household expenses. This is a pretty common setup here. I’ve also rented my own place and a few times I shared a condo, and a room with someone else. I recommend renting a much smaller place than you feel you need and spending most of your time outside. I recommend investing in a really nice bed and not much furniture. That way it’s easy to move around.

Work

I work as a freelancer. I used to work in corporate sales so I get to move around and see different offices. I don’t have much recommendations for work other than to do well in it and save money.

Finances

I used the investment strategy I learned from church. Which is pretty much the same one successful investors and financial planners recommend. I live on 50% of my income. 10% of my income goes to God through the church. 20% goes to savings. 10% goes to investments. I give away the other 10% for people who need it. When you take care of your expenses well you can live an awesome life and since I started managing my money this way, despite only using half of my usual income I never feel like I’m running out of money and unexpected expenses don’t show up as often as when I was spending everything.

Spiritual

I go to church at Victory Pioneer. It’s a Christian church that has branches all over the Philippines. I like the way that their Sunday messages are easy to understand, relevant and actionable. Many positive changes that I originally thought was impossible began when I started going there. You’re free to join me at the 9am or the 11am service. Their Sunday messages are also available on podcast in their website.

Travel

I love to travel but initially I was scared of it because I thought that it takes a lot of money to accomplish. What gave me that impression is that when I worked in sales and we had goal settings travel budgets are crazy. Mostly because companies don’t want you to be out of the office so this is highly discouraged. In fact you can travel well with whatever amount you’re making right now. It’s not a fancy hotel and restaurant kind of travel. What I offer is more fun. You can see the places and interact with the people. Hotels and fancy restaurant’s are the same almost everywhere. Don’t settle for that and experience the real thing. Here are some examples:

Travel the City

I live in Paranaque so I’m a bus ride away from Manila, Makati, Quezon City, Mandaluyong and Pasig City. Try wandering around and look for something amazing. Do in by yourself or with a partner. Avoid the malls. Go on recommendations or just get lost and try something new (see the last tip if you clicked the link).

Travel to the Province

There are pretty awesome places outside of the city that doesn’t require a plane or boat ride. I recommend exploring Rizal (I have some pretty good experience at Morong, Cainta, Antipolo and Tanay), Tagaytay, Cavite, Batangas, Baguio, Pampanga and a whole bunch of places. It could be a day trip or the entire weekend. Try staying at a friend’s house or look for new friends on blogs, couch surfer or AirBNB. The best part? Your budget can range from $20 to $100 and it’ll be fun.

Travel to different islands

The Philippines have 7100 islands. Need I say more? I’ve been to Boracay and not much else so I can’t say much about it really. I’m planning to go to Bohol, Palawan, Cebu and Iloilo sometime next year.

Did I miss anything? Is there anything you want me to share? Have some suggestions. Feel free to contribute in the comments below.

If you work in the city and you have no access to a kitchen or have no time to prepare your food, you got to get your food from somewhere.

You can get a microwavable food at a convenience store like a MiniStop or a 711 or a fastfood or a restaurant.

If you’re on a really tight budget, then restaurants might not be a good option.

If you’re allergic to the taste of preserved food then you better stay away from convenience stores.

If you’re trying to save money, a Carinderya is a pretty good option.

When I was renting a place in Makati and Ortigas, I usually ate at these places because they’re pretty affordable and the taste is pretty good as well. Not every place is the same so some of my experience wasn’t pleasant but despite that, the experience was generally good.

I consider the carinderya a good balance of cost and quality. You can get home cooked Filipino foods at a really low price (about $1-$2).

Have you ever tried eating at a carinderya? What was your experience?

I don’t recall eating at a good Korean restaurant. The only memory I have of Korean food is from the time I ordered Korean beef at a food court and not liking it. The only time I remember wanting Korean food was when I saw a TV feature on a “Traditional Royal Korean Dinner” which had like thirty to fifty side dish sized meals and would require me to go to Korea and pay about $200 to try out. So when Mau, my usual food buddy for the south invited me to try out her favorite Korean restaurant because she had a craving, I wasn’t too excited. Since I wouldn’t be seeing her for a while, I ended up saying yes, thinking about how far off before I get to try the “Royal Korean Dinner” and telling myself this will have to do.

Mau tells me that Hana Yo is a place with good and (keyword) affordable Korean food. Another plus point for me is that when we got there is that there are Koreans dining there. (My dad, who’s had lots of experiences with restaurants taught me that if a foreign restaurant has locals from their country eating there you can expect that the food is authentic.)

Since Mau, knew the place I asked her to pick the food. She started with Korean Rolls (a Korean Version of sushi that’s served warm instead of cold) and Jajamyeon (noodles with beef and a special Korean Sauce). Mau asked the waitress to split the bowl of noodles into two smaller bowls and I asked her if she was sure that would be enough? She said yes. I was looking at the price and I couldn’t believe her so I asked her to order another dish. She picked another bowl of Jjampong and had it split into two. When the food arrived I was surprised at the size and how filling the noodles can be.

We both went home stuffed even after the long walk home.

The experience was great, and the food was pretty good and super affordable. Php 600 would be enough to feed four people. If you’re tired of the usual meals, in the south and would like to give Korean food a shot head over to Hana yo at BF and try it for yourself.

Here’s what we had:

Food’s Here

Everything we ate

Hana Yo’s Apetizer

Hana Yo’s Korean Roll

Hana Yo’s Jjampong

Hana Yo’s Jajamyeon

Hot Jjampong

It usually takes me a trip to five different stores to find something I really like at an ukay ukay. -Kevin Olega

I got a lot of my work clothes from a local thrift store, commonly known as an ukay ukay.

I’m a guy and my experience involves buying bags, coats and jackets or long sleeved work shirts from ukay ukays.

In the Philippines, ukay ukay started in Baguio but has become widespread across metro Manila and other areas and the good thing is that there are more shopping options anywhere. I like it because I can get almost brand new items for usually a third of the price.

Ukay ukays or thrift stores in the Philippines are known for pre loved goods (other people say second hand) or factory excesses from over productions and sometimes rejects. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Here are some of the cool things I got from the local thrift store:

Porche design bag.

Minimalist work bag by Esprit

Minimalist messenger bag by Esprit

Work shirts from Esprit, Marks and Spencer, g2000

An a whole bunch of other things.

Here are some rules I follow when buying from the ukay ukay:

1. I have to like the style, the brand, the fit, the budget I set and it should pass for brand new without stains or small holes anywhere.

2. If it doesn’t pass the standards I set in number one, I don’t buy.

3. I look for reason not to buy by going through my step one checklist a few times because I don’t have to buy all the time and I’m willing to go through as many to find the one I want.

That’s pretty much it. What’s your experience?

We agreed that it would be a Saturday and we’ll leave super early in the morning and try to get there shortly after sunrise.

Mau and Kay got to our place at 3am. Ralph and Kay wasn’t here yet. We’re all pretty sleepy. I didn’t sleep right the day before and so did Mau and Kaye. Despite that, we were all pretty excited. Ralph and Kaye got to our house at 3:30am. We left immediately.

We had a stop over at Petron in Alabang to gas up. I bought them coffee. I was so sleepy I slept at the back despite the speaker next to my head playing Rap and R&B which was a nasty experience. I fell asleep none the less.

We got to Majayjay shortly after sunrise. The view had the usual green which I like so much. The early morning air was chilly. I went back to sleep. The road required going through zigzags and mountain like roads. Just like the ones going to Morong, Rizal only steeper. I went back to sleep. They woke me up when they found the place. Apparently Ralph and Kaye had the itinerary.

Let me tell you about Majayjay falls. Majayjay falls is as the name suggest, is a waterfall. People go there to hang out at the camp site and if you’re looking for a place similar to Boracay or any of the Batangas beach resorts,Majayjay is not the place for you.
-Majayjay is hidden.
-Majayjay is sought after by people who are in to nature trips and overnight camping trips.
-Did I say People go to Majayjay to go camping?  The experience is fuller if you have a tent and a means to cook at the camp.
-There are no super nice restrooms in Majayjay.

Ralph’s Plan and Budget.
I had no idea what the place is like and I entrusted everything to Ralph. Me, Mau and Kay each gave Ralph 500 pesos. Ralph told us it would be enough for the trip, though I had the feeling he and Kaye and April pitched in a bit of cash to make this trip possible.
Our budget covered:
Gas Expense to and from.
Our Food: (Barbeque’d Hotdogs, Rice, Pork Chops and Tilapia and corn)
Ice
Chips
Charcoal
Condiments
Dish Washing Stuff
Anything else I forgot.
Entrance Fees.
Camp materials rental. (Aparently the tent we brought wasn’t enough)

Kay also pitched in a box of Donuts from Krispy Kreme.
Ralph volunteered his car and to drive for us through out the trip.

When we got to the place we were greeted by the guy who ask us to pay the entrance fee and the parking. After finding a place to park we settled in for a bit. Mau and Kay took their pictures. We then took a short hike toward the camp site. There were two campsites. One is pretty near the waterfalls and the other one is near a stream which was separated by a hanging foot bridge.

We carried our stuff to the campsite and as soon as we got there we worked on getting settled, which included preparing the tent and starting the campfire. We had breakfast and lunch from the meals we prepared and then headed for the water for a short dip. We left shortly after lunch. Mau wanted to go shoe shopping at the town of Lilip so we went there.

Lessons:
1. Travel Light-hiking is no joke so you better travel light. All the strength in my arms got used up carrying the water cooler which contained the ice, meat and fish. Other campers brought folding beds and plastic chairs and benches. Yes, I said benches. I can’t imagine how they felt after the trip.
2. Get enough sleep. Trips like these require energy and not having enough will make the trip feel really crappy. You might end up like me.

What happened after we left?

We went to this place called the town of Lilip and it is full of slippers and sandals you can find a pair for two hundred to five hundred pesos. We had dinner at Atoy’s, home of the famous deep Fred pork chops. Afterwards we stopped by a friend who lived in Laguna Bell Air. Before the drive home, we stopped by Nuvali to stretch our legs.

It was an exhausting but fun day for me. When we got home, I spent the nigh at Ralph and Kaye’s place for a couple of bottles of drinks and a movie. I passed out on the floor fifteen minutes after we got settled due to exhaustion.

I’d love to bring you to one of these trips. I hope we could go there soon. For now enjoy the photos.

Majayjay Falls – Photos

On our way out.

The town of Lilip – Bayan ng Lilip

Nuvali – Stretching our legs

There are a lot of Japanese restaurants in the Philippines however getting fresh tuna sashimi at a cheap place would require a bit of their experimentation. I love how Japanese restaurants are homey and classy when it comes to the ambiance. At times I just want to ditch the ambiance and just go for the food because of the craving.

Enter Sushi Boi.

Sushi Boi has been my regular source of tuna sashimi when I’m on a budget. I go to the one in Pure Gold Agora when I visit my friend Sean.

Sushi Boi is a Japanese budget fast food that offers different kinds of Japanese food like the usual sushi, sashimi, beef rice meals and more.

I haven’t tried everything but their tuna sashimi is always fresh whenever I order and I’ve gone here to order tuna sashimi several times already. For Php 180 you can get 24 pieces of fresh tuna sashimi serves with Kikoman and wasabi.

Have a craving for tuna sashimi?

Head over to the closest Sushi Boi

Tuna sashimi buddies.

I was feeling pretty down the past few weeks and if you’ve been following the updates on my other blog minimal changes you’ll know why.

With all the drama in the past few weeks I decided to give myself a break and go for Ivy’s advice and get myself a nice serving of tuna sashimi. While waiting for Sean and getting a bit thirsty Zagu’s sign caught my eye. I find the marketing idea pretty good and it said I feel good with a small serving of Zagu, I feel better with a medium sized Zagu and I feel great on a large sized Zagu. I told myself what the heck? And ordered an I feel better medium sized halo halo flavored Zagu. Complete with pearls, natta , mongo and corn the refreshing goodness of Zagu halo halo not only quenched my thirst but changed my mood. Zagu can pretty much be found in any mall or large enough establishment in the Philippines.

It comes in many favors and you can try one or treat me to one whenever you feel depressed to change your mood.

I recently got invited to spend my Chinese New Year Dinner at the opening of Xoi Vietnamese Kitchen at the Alabang Town Center. On their brochure they boldly state that their restaurant is more than just Pho (Vietnamese for Noodles) which got me pretty excited to try out since Vietnamese Food automatically meant noodles in my experience.

For this event, I went with Eva of Whatever Eva and I had an amazing night trying out the food and sharing stories with her.

The event started with appetizers, some wine, an explosive fireworks display, the usual ribbon cutting, an interesting dragon and lion dance which taught me and Eva to next time, move away from the gong, and finally, more food to try out.

And now the good stuff courtesy of Xoi Vietnamese Kitchen:

I love their approach with Vietnamese cuisine. I find it both healthy and tasty.

The price of the items are pretty reasonable. I figure this would be a great place for a date or a small feast with friends.

I forgot to mention that they also had wine which would go great with their satisfying meals.

Thit Nuong Xa. Grilled lemongrass chicken and pork satay with scallion oil and peanuts.

(Top) Chao Tom. Prawns wrapped around a sugarcane, served with lettuce and noodles.

Two dishes here. Cua Rang Moui Toi, also known as chef Danny’s garlicky crab. Tom Noung voi Mi Toi, grilled prawn with garlic noodles.

Eva’s Favorite, Canh Ga Chien voi Toi. Fried chicken lollipops with garlic and scallions.

Two types of signature Vietnamese rolls. Goi Cuon, fresh rolls with shrimps, pork, lettuce and noodles. Bo Bia, rolls with dried shrimps, Chinese sausage, jicamas, carrots, and eggs.

This is Me (obviously stuffed) and Eva. Check out her blog here.

I’ll definitely come back to this place. If you’d like to also give it a try, head over to Xoi Vietnamese Kitchen at the Alabang Town Center near the parking close to Powerbooks and Starbucks. Look for this sign and enjoy the food, wine and company.

They also have a branch at the 5th Floor Atrium,SM Mega Mall

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My Chinese New Year at Xoi Vietnamese Kitchen

This is one of my (and my mom’s) favorite spots to enjoy good food. This is seemingly invisible place in the middle of Shopwise Sucat, just between the meat and vegetables section. Le Gourmet is a deli, a coffee spot, a sort of sandwich shop and a salad bar all rolled into one. It’s the kind of place where you can get food that’s served in upscale restaurants for a fraction of the cost. Here’s what we ordered tonight.

I got excited and took a few small bites before I took the photo.

A meal like this would cost less than Php 200 but that’s not all that you can get.

A beef pastrami sandwich complete with veggies and condiments is just Php 50.

A Frankfurter (sausage) would be Php 60 and they’ll heat and slice it up for you.

A large serving of German Cream Cheese for under Php 100

A decent serving of potato salad is just Php 60.

One or two would be just a bit over a hundred. A real restaurant, from my experience charges a lot more.

You can get different sorts of ham, cheese, sausages and meat here so be sure to check it out.

The best part? You can either buy it as part of your groceries and prepare it at home or if you’re like me, you can have their staff prepare the meal for you.

Here are some pictures so you know what’s available:

Tuor’s Lousoy Chicken? You say? Is that a mutant from a horror movie because it sounds like it. Long story short, a few months ago Ralph brought me to a place called Tuor’s Chinese Cuisine and ordered Lousoy Chicken. It’s a deep fried quarter chicken meal for Php 70 it comes with Chinese fried rice soup and a wide variety of sauces and gravy. It also tastes better than the famous fried chicken from “the house that fried chicken built”.

If you don’t mind a typical carinderya setting at the side of the road near an airport then head on over to Tuor’s Chinese Cuisine and order Lousoy Chicken. The skin is super crispy and juicy has a feeling that it melts in your mouth. The rice and soup are pretty average but the chicken is amazing.

It’s near the flyover near NAIA and its open till around 2am which made it the usual food stop for us during late night road trips.

They’re also the home of the chili oil thats as hot as ignited napalm.

Get the softest moistest bibinka for under 20php at Bininkinitan.

For the longest time, I’ve been seeing the food stall of Bibinkinitan and for the longest time I’ve been ignoring it.

My relationship with bibinka is pretty neutral. I don’t particularly crelave for it nor do I crave for it. So so as others might call it.

Recently, our family got a visit from a relative who lived in the states for several years and who’s obviously looking for food that is only mostly available in the Philippines. He got a box of six bibibkas from Bibinkinitan and when I tried it out it was pretty good. I have no food tasting expertise nor have I tried a hundred different bibibkas. I only tried a few and most of them remind me of puto.

I can say that for twenty pesos soft, moist, buttered bibibkas with cheese and bits of salted egg from Bibinkinitan is pretty amazing.

I usually get two for forty bucks.

What’s your experience?

This place is somewhere I want to be many years from now.

Retirement in the Philippines

At the time of this writing I’m 26 years old. I’m single and I’m looking for ways to support myself outside of formal employment. I hope to get married and retire in the Philippines. I’m open to travel. In fact, I set myself up to be location independent, hence, the minimalist practices I write about in my blog called minimal changes.

I don’t like the idea of being employed abroad for long periods of time but in case you were able to do that, kudos to you. They say retirement in the Philippines is great if you have money. What I like about the idea of retiring in the Philippines is that you don’t need a lot.
If you have dollars, euros, pounds, yen or won it’s value can be multiplied by two, three, five, ten or more. Even if you have pesos you can still do pretty well if you manage your money well.

Retirement in the Philippines:My Vision

I see myself retiring in the Philippines with my wife in a small town outside the metro. We’ll get to enjoy the surrounding area by traveling locally and exploring our surroundings. I’ll spend most of my time taking care of my wide and on the side running an intentionally small business, doing freelance consulting, writing for blogs, sharing my knowledge for free and volunteering to support causes I believe in.

What is your vision for your retirement in the Philippines?

I’m currently enjoying my large Boracay Lamp. I got one recently for the relaxing effect and mostly because I’m tired of the usual fluorescent light at work and the super bright white light at home.

I got mine really cheap for 350. The nice old lady from baclaran sells the huge ones for 400 but gave me gift bucks as a discount. I was with Kate my master price negotiator friend and I could have asked her to help bring the price down but I didn’t because I wanted to bless the old lady. I’m not the kind of person that feels good when I haggle the price to the point the seller almost doesn’t make any money. I believe I am blessed to bless others but that’s just how I am.

You can get one from her too in Baclaran. Near the church. At the entrance of the Redemptorist street I you’re coming from Roxas Boulevard.

Do you have a lamp you enjoy? Share it in the comments below.

Rice meals are the most common available foods when eating out in the Philippines. Almost all cafeterias, canteens, eateries, fast foods and restaurants serve rice meals.

A rice meal contains rice as the staple and ulam (the main dish). Rice meals are often served in canteens, cafeterias, and fast foods as a rice bowl or rice toppings or on a platter.

There are tips to eating more rice or eating less rice. I’ll save that for a different story.

What is your favorite rice meal?

If you live in Sucat a good option to get to EDSA is to use the MGP bus.

The MGP bus is an ordinary “non-airconditioned” bus that runs from Sucat to Fairview.

It’s pick up an drop off point in Sucat is between Goodwill 2 and Caltex in front of Loyola Memorial Park.

The MGP bus seem to be the preferred bus of people who live in Sucat because it enters the Sucat road to stop at their terminal at almost every trip and the ones who live near the Sucat highway area, Goodwill2 area, UPS-V area and Ireneville area are within walking distance.

The MGP is that the ideal bus for people who would want to fall asleep because all the busses are equipped with a stereo and large speakers and the drivers play a lot of Love Radio, Big Radio and Win Radio or a cd mix of local songs and old school songs.

The MGP bus is relatively fast because it fills up with passengers from the terminal so it does not stop to pick up passengers at the Sucat or Bicutan bus stops. On the Southbound route MGP busses do not seen to pass by the Crossing area a lot because it usually hits standing when it gets to Ayala.

I now mostly take the MGP bus on my way to work.

What bus do you take?

Bartolina's Famous Birthday Spaghetti

Broke Travel Adventures: My Birthday Celebration.

Here’s the story on how I got the idea for Broke Travel Adventures:
I celebrated my birthday last October eating at the canteen, having a FaceTime session with Ish and feasting on Sean’s home-made spaghetti. The day before that my workmates asked me to treat them. I bought pizza for everyone and they pitched in for some ice cream.

I then decided to make my birthday extra special. This is my first time to celebrate my birthday with friends (not at work) and my first time to treat my friends and pay for everything.

I couldn’t do it by myself so I asked Ralph for a little help. I used whatever money I was able to muster and transform it into a broke travel adventure (something we ended up calling trips that were fun yet didn’t require a lot of money).

The cast:

1. Yours truly
2. Ralph – He’s my college friend, a brilliant strategist and the designated driver.
3. Kaye – Ralph’s girlfriend.
4. Mau – High School friend.
5. Kay – Mau’s boyfriend.
6. Gwen – friend who lives at our place.
7. April – Raplh’s sister.
8. Justin – My brother
9. Josh – My cousin
10. Mom – My mom
11. Juna – Gwen’s Friend

These are the people I have to feed

I only have a couple of thousand pesos left to spare and since it was my birthday, everyone seemed to expect me to pay for everyone, so here’s how we planned it and set it up.

The idea was to have the food at home to minimize overeating expenses while outside. I ordered pizza from Pizza hut. At the moment you can get 2 family sized pizza’s for 499php and I asked Ralph to buy chicken for me. Since Ralph’s the designated driver I asked him how much the gas would cost and he said it was 600 to and from. That’s from Sucat to Tagaytay and back. I gave him about a thousand for good measure. We still had toll and other expenses to face.

They got to our place around lunchtime. We had pizza, chicken, rice and soda at our house. We set of to Tagaytay at around 2pm. We stopped by Petron Alabang for gas. Our first destination was Nuvali (which was along the way) where we went to pass the time strolling and hanging out. If you live in the Metro, Nuvali offers a breath of fresh air, literally. Nuvali, unlike the usual malls in the metro, is not limited to a view of painted glass, concrete and steel. Nuvali has open space. Lots of open space and greenery. Think Eastwood city or Bonifacio High Street without the surrounding huge buildings and a thousand times more free space and greens. If you’re claustrophobic like me, you’ll love Nuvali. You can enjoy the greenery, the open space and the swarm of Koi. If you’re like me who’ve never seen a swarm of Koi in action, I posted a video below.

When it started to get dark we headed over to Tagaytay and had Bulalo at the Mahogany Market. The Magogany Market is, yes, a market and it has local restaurants that served good and affordable Bulalo. A huge bowl of Bulalo is 300php and I ordered 2 bowls for everyone. It was more for all of us. It took us longer with Ralph and myself to finish the remaining beef.

We spent the rest of the night at Java Jazz where we had authentic hot chocolate and mocha with ice cream for drinks. We’ve been regulars at Java Jazz. It’s a nice spot to chill in Tagaytay. It’s a coffee shop filled with art and a cozy ambiance. At 10 we headed home and passed by the closest pasalubong shop.

Broke Travel Adventure Budget Breakdown:

Pizza 500
Chicken 200
Drinks 160
Gas 1,000
Dinner 700
Java Jazz Drinks 0 (I asked them to pay for their own drinks.)
Total Cost: 2,360

Java Jazz Mocha

Broke Travel Adventure Tagaytay tips:

• Bring friends and pool resources together – I brought the cash, Ralph Brought the car, Kaye brought the bargaining skills etc. Teamwork significantly brings down the cost of the trip and the stress related to travel.
• Have someone who knows the place – I’d probably be lost without Ralph and Kaye on travel’s like these. Ralph knows where the good places are because he has the free time to travel a lot.
• Bond with your people and not with your gadgets – if there was one thing I can change in the trip is that I was mostly taking pictures or playing with my iPod Touch. I didn’t get to talk much to everyone.
• Wear shorts – It’s not too cold in the Philippines. In fact we’re a country notorious for being hot and humid. Travel is more enjoyable light and when I say light I mean in any way possible. Shorts are light and cool. Need I say more.

Nuvali Lake with Fountain

Broke Travel Adventure Tagaytay Pictures:

Nuvali Koi Swarm

Nuvali Has Lots of Free Space and that includes parking.

Nuvali By the Lake

Nuvali By The Lake Group Photo

Nuvali: One Last Look at Night

Tagaytay Java Jazz

Nuvali Swarm of Koi Video:

Nuvali Swarm of Koi

When you live in the Philippines and you have no car and will be taking public transpiration it’s usually a hassle to find seats during rush hour.

I almost always get seats in the MRT or in a bus. Here’s a quick trick I use to find free seats.

In most cases, people don’t pack themselves tightly enough to accommodate more people so to almost everyone, there seems no choice to remain standing.

In a bus I already know that there’s a side that seats 2 passengers and a side that seats three passengers and six passengers at the back I the bus. I look for free space by counting the heads vs the seats as I enter the bus to find free space and in most cases there’s a couple of invisible seats nobody seems to notice.

On an MRT:
Both sides of the MRT can fit an equal amount of people. I simply count the number of people on one side and the number of peoria on the other side and if the number is no equal, I look for small gaps or spaces between the seated passengers and ask if I can still squeeze in/kasya pa po ba? Then I’m seated.

If you live in the Philippines, what are your commute tips?

Baguio Broke Travel Adventure

My workmate’s wedding was held in Baguio and it was my first time to go there so I decided not to pass the opportunity up. We left Friday night and got there dawn, Saturday, it was a long and, toward the end, a bumpy ride for me but it was all good.

We stayed at the Medrano’s apartelle which was owned by my workmate’s friend’s family. It’s a great place to be if you’re going out as a large group such as a medium sized family or a big barkada. The room we stayed in has four small bedrooms, a living room, dining and kitchen area and one bathroom with hot water. Most of their available places seem to have a similar area.

The place offers free wifi in their homey feeling lobby and the place is basically pleasing to the eyes wherever you look.

I like how they handled the little things well. The blanket and the pillow seems to be the perfect size for me.

Bring your own towel, soap, shampoo and toiletries because they do not provide it. There is a nearby store however where you can buy those for the typical store price. Use a small microfiber towel for a lighter load.

The good thing about going to a place where a friend invited you is that you’ll have somebody who offers to cover for your food, lodging, transportation or whatever hassle the travel might incur most of the time if not all the time. The Baguio area has a lot of places to eat sleep and transport yourself anyway so you wouldn’t find it troublesome to go there by yourself without a guide.

Now I’m inspired to vagabond there for a solo adventure.

Going back. Baguio has become modern so places like Jolibee’s and McDonalds and 711 and Andok’s and Mini Stops. It’s a good thing and a bad thing. Good thing because it’s convenient to grab a bite or to get an item usually found in the cities in Baguio but it’s a bad thing because it’s eating up the business of the locals which might be a good thing because it could force them to hit back the market with something better.

Saturday:
We had breakfast at Andoks.
Had Lunch at McDo.
Went to the wedding at Camp Dangwa Chapel
Dinner at the wedding reception at Hotel Supreme

Sunday:
Breakfast at Jolibee Session Road
Went strolling and shopping at Burnham park and Black Market area. (I bought an iPod Touch Case, Strawberry Preserve, Ube Jam, Lengua de Gatto, Choco Mallows and Peanut Brittle)

We had lunch at the Camp area (with my friend’s family)
On the way home, after The Gas Station Stopovers Marcos Hi-way in Pangasinan we had papaitan at Lisa’s in the town of Sison.

It was a tiring trip but a really enjoyable trip. I sure miss the cold air in Baguio and I hope to visit there on a December or a Flower Festival in February.

My Broke Travel Adventure Lessons:

Travel really light. It’s a nice place and you better enjoy it.
Take less photos. Really enjoy the place, take a shot or two but be present.
Be adventurous with food. Noticed how we ate in Jolibee, McDonalds and Andoks? Those food stores are also available in Manila. I wish I got to try more authentic local recipes.
Have a parnter. – Solitude is cool but I enjoy having osmeone to share things with better.

The Broke Travel Adventure Trip Would cost about:

500-800 For the fare one way

500-1000 Per Night for Lodging

50-200 For Food

Pasalubong Varies

Broke Travel Adventure Baguio Pictures:

Medrano's Apartelle

Medrano’s Apartelle Front View

Medrano’s Apartelle Lobby

Medrano’s Apartelle Lobby Facing the Rooms

Medrano’s Apartelle View from the Bed

My Friend’s Wedding at Dangwa Chapel

Burnham Park

Burnham Park at Monument

Burnham Park Catching up on Sleep

Black Market Area

Black Market Area Looking for Good Deals

Camp Dangwa Not Letting Go

Camp Dangwa Kevin with new friends.

Going Home

I met a lot of friends who were super excited when the iPhone came out. Unfortunately as soon as they made the purchase they became short on cash because a lot of them paid an arm or a leg and in some cases both to get one. The typical Filipino worker earns an average of 15,000php – 35,000 php per month and if you spent 40,000php for an iPhone upfront or about 3,000php per month in installment that’s oing to hurt your budget.

But I want an iPhone!

I do too. So it took me a while to figure out the answer. I considered buying second hand but I have trust issues when buying electronics and besides paying 10k-15k for an iPhone 3g or paying 13k-18k for an iPhone 3gs is a bit steep and I doubt I could get a good deal on installment. An iPhone 4 at the time I wrote this is still around 30k and 25k for second hand. After trying out the retina display I no longer felt like wanting to pay for an iPhone, iPhone 3g or iPhone 3gs.

Speaking of second hand deals.

What if you got an offer from your friend to buy an iPhone at a third of the price?

The condition of the iPhone is brand new.

It comes with iOS and is compatible with iOS5 so you’ll have access to most of the 500,000 iPhone apps.

You got retina display for the world’s coolest pocket computer.

It’s a super slim iPhone prototype.

You can buy it for a third of the price.

It just has a few hardware problems:
The manifacturer tried to build a super slim version that they forgot to consider adding space for a sim card slot.
They attached the iPhone 4s’ front facing camera to the front and the rear of the iPhone since most people use the fron facing camera most of the time they thought it’d be twice the fun. Uhmmmm. Okay. I probably would use the front facing camera to take pictures of myself most of the time anyway.

Is that all? That doesn’t sound so bad.

How much different is your iPod touch from your iPhone? Not much really. I’ve been playing around with iPhone4′s for a few months now and I can’t tell the difference except for the weight because my version is much much lighter.

How to I use my iPhone I mean iPod Touch?

• I use it for Facebook via the Facebook app and the Facebook messenger app which I use for chatting.
• I use Google’s voice search (Yes I said voice search) using the Google Search app.
• I use it to tweet on Twitter.
• I use Facetime for Video Calls and iMessage to text other iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch’s that’s connected to the internet.
• I use it to write some of my blog posts via the WordPress app. I keep most of it in SimpleNote or
• I got to control my spending by downloading Nexus Money by Xiles.
• I use it to digitally store my notes by taking pictures when I write big.
• I use it to take pictures whenever I can. Check out some of my shots taken on the iPod Touch during my birthday.
• I use the camera a lot. (Like a scanner, extending my brain and for fun)
• Here are some tips to improve your shots.
• I use the idonethis app by idonethis.com as a logbook, inspiration journal, a list of accomplishments and a whole bunch of things. (Must check out)
• I use it to read eBooks via iBooks and Kindle. (I recently read the Flinch by Julien Smith and I’m currently reading Steve Job’s Biography.
• I use it to surf the net, play games and listen to music.
• I use it as a Bible Reader. (NASB is free if you get Olive Tree bible reader and register)
• I use dropbox to transfer files and have backup everywhere I go and to transfer photos wirelessly. (if you get one through here we both get extra 250mb free)
• I got games. (Face Fighter, The Creeps, Vegetable Samurai, Monster Chorus (For Kids) etc)

Despite all that there are limitations but here’s how to make the most of it:
Use your mobile phone to call and text.
Take camera’s in good lighting. Daytime shots are great.
Go online through a wifi hotspot.
Use face time and iMessage to call and text other iPhones, iPads, iPod touch’s.
Buy a rear case. (Really Really important I don’t care how careful you are)
Get free paid apps by downloading app shopper.

That’s my solution for iPhone envy. What’s yours?

You might also like:

WATCH YOURSELF IPHONE, I CAN HAVE THE IPOD TOUCH AND TACOS

Forget the iPhone—The iPod Touch is Good Enough 

How to Satisfy Gadget Envy | minimalchanges.com

Tea affects its environment. The thin is the environment also affects tea. If you’ve ever left tea in the cupboard only to find it smelling like soap or coffee or something else. Likewise your cupboard may start smelling like tea.

Bread and noodles tasting like tea doesn’t sound like a good idea.

Here’s a quick tip. Put your tea in a sealed container to retain freshness an to keep other odors out and keep its natural aroma for as long as possible. A glass jar or a plastic lunchbox will do.

For the longest time I wanted to travel. I’ve been stuck around places I’ve been comfortable in it’s embarasing that I never got to really do so.

When I asked myself why, I learned that all my reasons are just excuses and I ended up begining anyway.

The bottomline was I was just too lazy and scared (of nothing really) to give it a shot.

I used to think that travel is expensive. But my experience tells me otherwise.

The first time I travelled was in Boracay. My dad and my sort of step mom sponsored the trip. I didn’t spend much but I knew the trip was expensive. This sort of gave me the feeling that it was expensive.

The next time I traveled was in Sariaya, Quezon Karlo, my high school best friend. I didn’t spend a lot for the trip the first time and I learned that 1,000 – 2,000 Philippine Pesos was more than enough for a weekend here.

Ish and I secretly traveled to batangas for an overnight trip one Christmas. It only cost us 3,000 php to stay there. (I hope one day I’ll have more trips like this with Ish)

Ralph drove me to Tagaytay almost everyday for a few months and I payed for the gas until I ran out of cash.

I went to Malaysia Ish and Jay pitched in for my ticket then I paid them. This was my first out of the country trip. It shouldn’t cost a lot but I was a hoarder and spent more than I should. Total cost was 40,000 Philippine Pesos.

Afterwards, I didn’t get to travel for a long time.

I hit a roadblock and all the travel I did was basically from traveling to work and back home and going to Ish’s palace at Morong during weekends (I don’t get to do that much now).

I read Leo’s article about traveling locally and I’ve been struggling to give it a shot. When my chance finally came I started.

I had Ralph bring us (Me, Ralph, Kaye, Mau, Kay, April and Gwen) to Tagaytay and had a stop over in Nuvali (somewhere in Laguna).
We had Bulalo at the Mahogany Market and bonded at Java Jazz in Tagaytay.

Total Cost of trip for everyone 3,000php (not counting pasalubong and the drinks at Java Jazz I didn’t feel like paying at that point)

I realized that traveling is a lot easier than I expected and my excuse was just an excuse. Just try it. Look for friends who’ll go with you and get started.

We’re thinking of calling our cheap and fun travels, our “broke adventures”.

After the trip we’re planning on visiting Majayjay falls next week.

I’ll tell you about it soon.

Here’s a travel tip I discovered by accident:

A few days ago I had a sleepover at a friend’s place. I came from the office and know that I’ll be going straight to in the morning. I packed one regular face towel and two small (face towel sized) microfiber towels. When I took a shower in the morning I pulled out a microfiber towel and to my surprise, I was already dry. I didn’t have to use a second one or the regular face towel.

I’ve been moving around for a while, and when I became a minimalist, the towel even the smallest one is the heaviest part of my gear.

Use a small microfiber towel when traveling instead of the regular sized towel to travel lighter. It also works especially well for staying at places that don’t provide fresh towels.

A small (face towel sized) microfiber towel might do but I’ll bring two for good measure. Ladies might need to bring two because they have more hair to dry.

Tho downside could be that you have to get dressed in the shower but I think it’s worth it considering I’m carrying an eight of a regular sized towel in my bag.

Update: I tried to travel with this towel again and it turns out that one is enough but just in case, bringing an extra wouldn’t feel like a hassle because if it’s small size.

How do you travel with a towel?

If you want to rent a house, consider an appartment.

If you want an appartment consider a condo.

If you want a condo, consider a studio.

If you want a studio consider a room.

If you want a room consider room sharing or bedspace.

The only reason I’m getting a place to stay is for a place to stay. It’s a roof over my head a place to rest and to crash when I want to sleep. I don’t see much reason to stay too long at it aside from those reasons.

Do you?

What are your favorite MRT tricks?

Sulit.com.ph has a large amount of sellers for brand new and second hand items.

What I like about the site is that I don’t need to make an account to view what I need and most sellers also post their contact information on their ad.

Things I usally check on sulit.com.ph:

1. Gadget Prices (phones, computers, accessories)
2. Properties – Places to rent, Current Prices for properties for sale.
3. Car Prices – Current selling prices
4. Services – You get the idea
5. Second Hand (Pre Loved) Items: shoes, bags, accessories etc.

Tips for Canvasing:
1. Check multiple adds
2. Call to ask for more details
3. Don’t buy immediately

There you go. Where do you go to if you want to know the price of an item in the Philippines online?

I often get frowns or rude remarks for not practicing this. In school I learned that Filipino’s have an intense attachment to formal titles because they have a global inferiority complex. I believe this attachment is a solution to attack the wrong problems.

I do make exceptions when I mock someone or just do it for fun. In a previous job I addressed people by their title and maybe a bit of a description when there’s more than one like cute hr, younger accountant or granny sales manager.

I also forgot all their names all together. People didn’t seem pleased and I had a hard time writing letters because I had to go “Hey! What’s the name of our older accountant? I need to get some checks signed.” The response is usually a raised eye brow.

I know that the purpose of this practice is to treat our “superior” elders with respect. The thing is, we are supposed to treat everyone with respect and we don’t really need to tag anyone as “superior” in order to start respecting them. I don’t mock people with the same or lower experience as I have.

The next time somebody asks me to call them sir or ma’am, I’ll ask them if they enjoy being called sir or ma’am? If so I just might. I’m thinking most people don’t really.

I know we want a world where we can communicate what we want to say clearly.

Let’s not add to to the bureaucracy shall we?

This is not a holier than thou sermon to say how blessed and fortunate you are. (It’s not such a bad idea to think of yourself along those lines instead.) Preaching makes me feel sick. I also admit doing all those things before. At times I feel helpless when I see children and (worse) old ladies begging for alms on the street. Situations like that make me cry inside.

I propose a solution that can not only help people but help yourself as well. Here it is:

When you give, (hopefully without expectation of anything in return) you benefit more because you put yourself in the driver seat of your life. It makes you feel great and puts things in perspective that you can do something about the situation.

Here’s the practical application:

How do you save money if you have no budget for savings?

Pull out 20 bucks and go to the nearest bakery and purchase pandesal worth 20 bucks.

Remember that kid or old lady you’ve been waiting to give help to?

No I’m not going to ask you to let them live in your house and educate them to find them a job.

The pandesal bag in your hand can help them.

When you do it everyday for as often as you can you are making room on your budget to do great things.

Key word is to make room.

For about five years I couldn’t save any money and it doesn’t matter if I made six thousand pesos per month or a six figure income in a month. A couple of years ago I tried doing the opposite of wanting to keep money for myself. I followed church advice to give 10% of my income. For a person like me who makes about the same as everyone else (which I think is pretty small) I did it anyway.

Doing good never feels pleasant at the start. Guess what? Doing so made me realize that I can live on less.

Hello eye opener! I spent less than I earned to give out my cash and it looks like I can spend a little less more to start savings for my goal.

A few weeks of saving a few hundred bucks a week later turned to saving a few grand later.

Guess what? I learned to save.

Care to try it out?

Give out a bit of cash to help someone out? A kid or old lady from the street without enough to eat? A bit of cash to help your church? Form a habit to do it on a regular basis. Spend less and start saving a bit of cash for yourself as you realize that you can live on less.

I hope the one in the mirror makes the change.

It’s definitely slower because there are more pick up and drop off points compared to the MRT.

I get to avoid long ticket lines, and physical struggles to enter the train due to the massive number of people at almost any given time. I also don’t usually get to stay standing throughout the duration of the trip.

The best part about taking the bus when traveling along EDSA is I get to sit down most of the time. Buses have more opportunities to find a seat. There are some exceptions of course like during rush hour but I usually get my seats.

Buses operate 24 hours a day in EDSA and I get to support a local business that provides jobs for Filipinos.

Bus rides are relatively cheap with open air and Air conditioned variants.

Some buses allow vendors who peddle nuts, water, and some other snacks for times that you are hungry.

I do sometimes get to meet attractive ladies on a bus so keep your eyes peeled.

I recently had my hands full so I wasn’t able to update the site. Now I’m back to help you. Initially I didn’t know what my site will become. Philippine Island Living seems to be a broad topic. It talks about finding life, love and retiring in the Philippines. It talks about opportunities to take advantage of. It also has comics about Philippine life. I’m torn between building a guide, a comic and a blog on this site.

After pondering for a while it seems that the best thing to do is throw everything I have on my wall and see what would stick. After all nobody writes well enough about the Philippines anymore.

I, Kevin Olega accept the challenge to be the front man and writer about living the Philippines. Now that’s over. I’ll get back to writing and posting guides.

I really believe in the abundance of opportunities here and I hope to make a lot of them available for you. Please let me know in the contact section anything you think I can help you with and then let’s see what we can do about it.

Thanks for all the support,

Kevin

Philippine Island Living is not:

• a travel blog
• a food blog
• a Philippine events blog.
• a Philippine wiki
• a Philippine directory.
• a Philippine information site.
• a retire to the Philippines site that invites dirty old men to make out with Filipina Girls.

Philippine Island Living is my blog and I’ll do to it whatever the hell I want to do to it so fudge you for suggesting all the crap that made me realize that everyone’s doing it and it sucks to do it. I’m playing around with my Philippine Island Living. It’s my Philippine Island Life and I’ll describe it the way it is. Love me, hate me, I don’t care anymore. I just hope you have as much fun reading it as much fun as I have creating it.

I’m sorry I forgot to announce that I’m on hiatus and will be back in a few more weeks. Preparing some stuff for you and redesigning the blog. See you when I get back.

Thanks,

Kevin

Recently I saw the film Fight Club which reminded me of my dad because Brad Pitt/ Tyler Durden urinates on soups and defiles food as revenge against people who treats food service people like crap. That got me thinking if there’s a way to get the maximum dining experience.

Most of my restaurant experience had been very pleasant. Maybe it’s because I am just patient, or a nice guy or easy to please? Maybe it’s because i hate seeing or hearing people who bitch around at restaurants for the most absurd reasons.

Sometimes people don’t get the best at restaurants. Sometimes a small dissatisfaction turns into an argument which escalates into a fight, or a class action lawsuit. Being the lazy person that I am I don’t want to engage myself in any of these kinds of activities. I don’t know about you but I feel it’s a hassle to argue small stuff or fight or sue people. It’s just too much work and it’s such a bother and nothing good ever comes out of it.

Here’s a list of my strategies and things I do:

1. Try anything once or twice – I normally suggest going to a place twice because maybe you ordered something you didn’t like the first time and their specialty is still waiting to be tasted.
2. Never go for eat all you can deals – it’s just a waste of money because you only get to pig out and you’ll feel stuffed after and never satisfied.
3. Go for fine dining restaurants instead of all you can eat buffets – the price is about the same and the food is guaranteed to taste better.
4. Eat with other people – share the bill and taste more food.
5. It’s always about satisfying your taste and never about pigging out.
6. Be patient with others – is waiting ten minutes longer really worth grumbling about? Think about this if you’re waiting the time is spent with your food being made special with either the good stuff or the nasty stuff depending on how you treat your attendant.
7. If there are choices, go for the smallest size – You don’t really need to go extra large with every drink or meal. I know it’s how fast food restaurants would like you to eat but hey there’s more to life than that large drink/meal. Try more food from other places.
8. Never order extra rice – if your meal has one cup of rice that will do. Divide your rice into four then go for it bit by bit.
9. Opt for an actual restaurant over fast food
10. Smile – You’re cute but people won’t realize it until you wipe that frown/serious look off your face. Nice people are nicer to nice people. The person attending to you at the restaurant is a nice person.  Attract positive treatment by displaying your positive attitude. Smile!
11. Be nice and polite – The people who are serving you are in charge of your food it will affect your service. If they missed anything always say things in a nice or polite way. Always pay good things forward.
12. Be specific – everyone has a different background and some people may take things differently from what you mean. 13. When in doubt, clarify. If you’d like your coffee black tell them.
13. Ask questions – you’re not a restaurant expert. You don’t know what you don’t know. Maybe the restaurant happens to have the best salad’s in the area but you offered something else. Ask.
14. Ask for the best – not the most expensive. A good trick is to find out what the restaurant is known for and what the waiter/waitress recommends. If it’s a match you have a winner.
15. Service is usually 15-30 minutes – or longer but chill now’s your time to bond with the person you’re with.
16. It’s Fine dining – enjoy being there, the ambiance, the people, you’re company, being there and just enjoy yourself.
17. If it’s a date – now’s the time to talk. You’re alone together and you have the best excuse to talk. You’re waiting for the food. Time to get those questions out.
18. If it’s a get together enjoy the company – maybe it’s the people you’re usually with, or people you don’t see all the time enjoy every moment.
19. Don’t rush enjoy your food.
20.. Don’t work at the restaurant. It’s bad manners.
21. Taste don’t gobble – what you’re eating is good food and you won’t appreciate it if you just put it in your mouth, chew and swallow
22. Smell your food – Food can be appreciated by our 5 senses and smelling next to taste is the most pleasurable.
23.  Say thank you – It’s a forgotten art and people who mastered this gets the best treatment everywhere.
24. Tip well – just give them extra. It will make you happy because their service will be up to speed.
25. Try a new place – Go out of your comfort zone and try something new. You’ll thank me for it

In a typical Filipino family setting, the daughter is usually the favourite. Both Filipino fathers and Filipino mothers treasure their daughter as a gem or as some might say their most prized possession. As the daughter grows up she learns and masters housework and family budgeting from her mother. Her father at the same time supports her with all her needs and as a result the daughter passes on the same kind of care to her future family. Filipinas are ingrained with mind-set to work hard not just professionally but at home as well.

The Filipina woman is flexible and is willing to learn anything she needs. For high level skills the Filipina might need a bit of encouragement (Filipinas seem to have a bit of inferiority complex despite having been blessed with many talents) but it’s all good.

A Filipino woman does not compromise. To complete her mission she’ll gladly sacrifice herself (time, effort, dreams and all) to complete it. The large amount of single moms and women taking care of their families (usually both children and parents) are a proof of it. That’s what you can expect from the Filipina woman.

Love for family is the least you can expect from a Filipina woman. Since that’s the case this love for family extends toward husbands then spills over to the rest of the family.

Got a Filipina wife? Share your stories in the comments bellow.

A few years ago during the Olympic games in Germany, a terrorist group had planned to stir up a war by kidnapping Israel’s Olympic team and holding them hostage. German special forces came to Israel’s aid. With the snipers in position and the response team ready to strike, the full moon appeared, making the appearance of the snipers visible to the terrorist group. Knowing they will be overrun by the response team or picked off by the snipers one by one, the terrorist group decided to conclude their terrorist act by blowing up their location which killed the terrorist group along with the Israeli Olympic team.

What’s interesting here is that this news was reported after the incident. After the incident means that after the incident was concluded and the German Government had been able to fully explain to the parties concerned. News in first world countries shows facts of what occurred reported briefly. Please note that what occurred means the news is reported after things had happened and not broadcasted while they are happening.

The news in the Philippines shows a major opportunity in the Philippines. If you’ve seen Philippine based news long enough you’ll notice the following:

• The news in the Philippines is much like tabloid/gossip news the usual topics are celebrity scandals and promotions, petty street crimes (to make the local live in fear and feel better by buying a product from the advertisers/sponsors), Philippine bloopers (a detailed feature on what Filipinos do wrong to make Filipinos unproductive and feel sorry for himself), Week old technology news (if you’ve heard tech updates from the news it’s already a week old), Week old news (yes they keep the current major news on feature for a week yes an entire week for the top 2 or 3 topics), Corrupt Government official of the week (one that gets investigated but never penalized),And many more.
• As much as possible (usually means every chance they get) the news team in the Philippines will broadcast situations as they happen. If they could show a live blow by blow hostage drama incident on TV they will even if it means acting as a security camera for the hostage taker(s) they will do it.
• A news team in the Philippines will often want and every chance they get, will showcase court processes on TV most of the time.
• To extend air time the Philippine news team will sensationalize events or give a full showcase on petty crimes and make the Philippines look pathetic to the international community. Sensationalized events are usually talked about for one to two weeks after the incident where the Philippine news team is actually going to broadcast interviews of all the people not involved or concerned (i.e. the suspect/victims: parents, children, neighbors, cousins, distant relative, classmate etc.) these people are shown on TV for questioning to present cases from “all angles”
• Events that should bring dishonor to the Philippines are delivered on live telecast. Without giving the government or parties involved a chance to fix the problem.

• By taking away opportunity from most people – Fear is a good de-motivator and less people attempting risk means more opportunities for the risk takers (i.e. big businesses). The major message in the news is that it’s a dangerous world out there so try to be safe, stay at home, buy the products our sponsors are selling and you’ll be just fine.

• By improving the situation for other people  – Effective entrepreneurs never complain unless they’re asking for help or have a solution. Making a profit from improving the situation of other people seems to be the best way to go.

Major Opportunity for Improvement

If you’re working for a news team, you probably know this already. I know your job is to deliver who, what, when and how but never why because that’s up to the people to think about. But please be brief when it comes to the bad news, we don’t need all the boring details of the matter. We don’t need opinions of relatives or live broadcast of the event. Stop showing images of the roadkill or reenactment of a rape scene on TV, or some guys brains on the floor. Please do not be an early warning device for terrorists by broadcasting sensitive information like live blow by blow hostage taking scenarios, courtroom drama for famous people, the Presidents exact location in a motorcade (Assassins will use this every chance they get). That is either private or can wait. Letting people know fast does not improve the situation. It merely lets people know. Stop insulting public servants, they need respect and privacy also. Its hard to work with media broadcast disgracing your name. Yes a lot of these people are corrupt, but a lot more of them are actually commendable.The parties involved need privacy to plan, correct and improve the situation.

Major business Opportunity:

If you’re an entrepreneur or investor or you want to be one you can start investing or building your business in the Philippines. Sure the news is yelling it’s not a good idea to do so but will that be your only source of information? Having only one source of information is a dangerous thing. At this point you’ll probably say well I have more than one I rely on the TV news, Radio News and Newspaper I also sometimes read news from Yahoo or Facebook. Well friend that’s not your only source. Try doing a market study in the Philippines. Talk to people who are making money. Try offering a product or a service before putting up your enterprise here. Invest small in a few places and see where that takes you.

Another major business opportunity in the Philippines is called Filipino Time. Filipino time is a habit and phenomenon where a lot of Filipinos do not normally come on time to their appointments. The worst case of Filipino time or Filipino Timekeeping is that the Filipino forgot all about his appointment and does not show up for it.

Filipino time is does not just occur in social gatherings but in other important gatherings as well. If you’ve lived in the Philippines long enough you’ve probably seen the following occur:

• You and your Filipino friend agreed to meet on 3pm and your Filipino friend shows up at 5pm.
• You tell your friend you’ll see them next week and your friend agreed to meet with you however next week comes and you’re in the Starbucks where you agreed to meet but you’re friend is out of sight. You call your friend and your friend apologizes that he/she totally forgot.
• You’re interviewing a Filipino for a job at 8am and the Filipino applicant shows up 30minutes late.
• You just hired a Filipino employee and the employee’s home is an hour’s commute from the office, your new Filipino employee shows up at work an hour after the log-in time and says “sorry I’m late boss. I got stuck in traffic.”
• You’re looking to buy some things and you finally decide to meet-up with this sales-person about this widget you’re considering. Anyway this widget sales-person had been religious at following up so you decided to buy from him/her widget person shows up late and this doesn’t happen once but a lot of times with a whole lot of widget sales persons you meet.
• You have business with a Filipino client and your Filipino Client shows up at exactly an hour later.

This does not happen all the time but this does happen quite frequently though. Filipino time is a Filipino bad habit to most people. I see Filipino time as a major opportunity for improvement and a major business opportunity in the Philippines.

A lot of foreigners actually like working with Filipinos because they’re excellent team players, hospitable, customer oriented and they actually love their jobs. In fact Filipinos are the favourite employees in many nations that even when Filipino time does occur, it get’s disregarded (and is usually tagged as a minor downside with working with Filipinos) because of the upside of working with Filipinos.

Filipino time is a major opportunity for improvement because if Filipinos actually showed up on time their productivity will soar and they will no longer be seen by the international community as the people who don’t show up on time. Again, this is an image not all Filipino’s have. We just got tagged because of a lot of Filipinos who practiced Filipino time.

How do I solve Filipino time?

If you’re a Filipino, show up on time for all your appointments. Leave the house earlier. Manila traffic is one and a half hour from anywhere to most other places in Manila so leave earlier. Traffic is not an excuse. Waking up late is not an excuse. Preparation to leave the house late because you woke up late does not count as an excuse. Sleep earlier and stop watching Filipino news or the crappy Filipino Telenovelas (soap operas). They’re crappy anyway. If you actually come to your job/meetings on time, you’ll get extra income for it. No more salary deduction due to late or lost sales because you’re client left already or worse you just gave your client a bad impression.

If you’re a foreigner or someone that gives opportunity please give it to the person who comes on time and don’t give opportunities to people who don’t deserve it. i.e. Somebody that practices Filipino time.

Why is Filipino time a Major Business Opportunity in the Philippines?

Consider this scenario. You’re setting up a company in the Philippines. All the preparations are complete from paperwork to deliveries and what you need now are clients. You set up a meeting with the prospects that you want to be clients and they agree to meet with you. You come in fifteen to thirty minutes in advance and you notice that you’re the only person at the meeting place. You have time to spare to freshen up. You’ll sometimes need to because of the Manila traffic which is another Major Business Opportunity. You’re client arrives on time and he tells you he doesn’t have a lot of time. You then introduce yourself, company, benefits of your products/services and your client agrees to do business with you. As your client is leaving, you see a Filipino rushing to the scene on his phone and your new client picks up his phone and says that he already gave the business to you.

It’s a best case scenario for you if you come to your appointments on time. You might say it’s exaggerated but it does happen quite a lot. Many Filipinos say it’s not a good idea to sell or do business in the Philippines because of the competition. I say most of the competition is blown away by them not showing up on time or not showing up at all. When you come on time you build trust with your client. When you come on time all the time you win their respect because you respected their time and your time as well.

A famous business speaker said that “Success is 50 percent showing up and 50 percent participation.”

I agree.  Showing up on time gives you a definite advantage over all the competition.

What other opportunities do you see open up for you because of Filipino Time?

Pwede na is a Filipino mindset that means good enough. Pwede na is a mindset most Filipinos have and is usually the attitude towards work.

The term Pwede na has been criticized by productivity junkies (people obsessed with excellence and workaholism) as doing something that is just good enough to pass requirements and is useable but not excellent. Productivity junkies link the pwede na mindset as a Palpak (failure) result. Productivity junkies bash the Pwede na mindset by comparing the Filipino Pwede na mindset with our other Asian neighbors.

They say the Japanese has an attitude of excellence and perfectionism when conducting work and doing the simple things which actually gives them the right to charge high for their wares because the poor Japanese worker had put his/her very soul into producing the product.

The Chinese however use their creative genius and lack of mercy to mass produce a multitude of goods ranging from plastics to electronics. They can copy anything and mass produce it for a fraction of a cost and are not afraid to use child slave labor if they have to in order to deliver your desires in large quantities very quickly.

If you’d like to mass produce something, go to China, I can’t vouch for the quality though it seemed questionable. Japan can give you perfection at a price. In fact Steve Job’s of Apple corp said that he initially wanted Apple Computers to be like Sony (a Japanese company).  This generalization leaves the Filipinos with the Pwede na mindset at a loss compared to its two northern brothers.

I disagree.

Pwede na mindset is the perfect balance between quality and cost. Compare it to food. The Japanese quality is like Fine Dining, which is pefect but expensive. Chinese are like fastfood, cheap, fast, plenty but has questionable quality, heath benefits and ingedients used. If that’s the case then filipinos are much like cafeteria food. Cafeteria food tastes more like home kooked meals than fastfoods with less preservatives but are not as epensive as restaurants. What I’d like to add is that there’s a lot of variables that we can tweak in order to get the results in a way that we would like to achieve.

Back to reality.The Filipino pwede na mindset means that you’ll have the quality of your goods at a useable condition at a reasonable cost. Because of the Filipino pwede na mindset, we can guarantee that we are able to offer you basics but nothing fancy. That’s why Filipinos are good in the service industry. Because their skills are good enough (pwede na).

How to turn Pwede na into an Opportunity.

Pwede na is always a good start in any case. You already have something you can use. If you really like excellent results, then start with pwede na and improve it little by little until the results are excellent. If you’re excelent and you’re competing with pwede na even a slight hint of excellence is already a huge advantage. Use it if you’re doing business in the Philippines. Pwede na is a major opportunity that comes from the understanding that nothing is perfect and that what you have right now can be used. In fact Microsoft Corporation started out with a Pwede na operating system offered at the right place (IBM) at the right time (when personal computers are emerging). A good example of transitioning from pwede na is Apple Computer’s strategy. Apple’s products are not the top products in terms of latest technology and features. In fact most power-users consider apple’s products to be basic products because there are always products out there that have double the features compared to what Apple is selling at the moment. You can get an Android phone with top notch specifications for a phone, a Google Chrome OS which is the latest advancement in Cloud Computing, a custom built desktop that you can upgrade and modify for your personal computer needs. Did you know that Nokia and Sony Ericsson have cameras with the highest megapixels for mobile phones at the moment? What Apple makes sure is that they have pwede na hardware but they try to excel in specific areas where they can improve and nobody else seems to care about but customers. Apple’s pwede na hardware and specifications did not prevent them from dominating the market.

Here are a few things they did with Pwede na:

• Only a small percentage of computer users are obsessed with technology so they focused less on the specifications and more on making their technology easy to use.
• The higher and faster tech is the easier it can crash so they made sure the speed and capacity of their hardware is pwede na (good enough) but stable. In fact its so stable they even offered excellent customer support for their products which is what most people need anyway.
• Pwede na is not really a keeping up with the joneses approach but rather sticking for your values. Did you notice that while everybody else is offering tons of new features (most people don’t use anyway) Apple is  making basic products that work well?

Maximizing the pwede na mindset involves that you focus on what needs to be focused on and less on what others are obsessing on. What’s important is that when you have reached a point that what you’re offering is pwede na, make sure you’re next upgrades are not better than everyone else but focused on what customers care about. Don’t go for bigger market value, reputation, size or bells and whistles in your business. Serve your customers well. Take the time to talk to them and always give them more of what they want and not some useless feature they don’t care about.

What do you think about the Pwede na business opportunity?

Successful people see opportunity in every difficulty.

Most people are not trained to see opportunities so they simply pass opportunities by.

Successful people often find opportunities in unexpected places and most people end up saying “why didn’t I think of that?”

I’m writing about a series on business opportunities in the Philippines.

Some of them are obvious opportunities that nobody does anything about. Some of the opportunities are pretty lucrative if you take action.

Some opportunities will offend you and some will inspire you.

The opportunities I’ll be putting up will be up for grabs so whether you’re a Filipino  or simply someone who wants to find life, love and a great retirement in the Philippines it will be useful for you.

Please note that if you’re a filipino some opportunities will be a slap in the face but as much as I don’t want to give you a slap in the face, I hope this slap will wake you up and allow you to benefit from all the opportunities in the Philippines you’ve never seen because both your eyes are fixed on getting out of the Philippines.

So without further adieu lets begin exploring major business opportunities in the Philippines

This is a quick guide I put together for people looking for a place to stay and are on a budget. I hope this will help you out. Please contact me for questions so I can include information when I update this guide.

• Rent a house or an apartment in a Regular village $500 up –  This is usually a price of a house in a typical village in Metro Manila. Prices may vary depending on the size, accessibility, and the offer of the owners. This is the usual option if you have a family or would want a bigger place to stay. An advantage to renting a house or an apartment is that you’ll have space for parking. If you don’t have a car the villages are typically 2-3 rides to your target location.
• Rent a condo $500 up – Renting a condo in Metro Manila usually means that you prefer accessibility over the size of real estate without compromising on comfort. A typical condo in Metro Manila usually has its own clubhouse which may include a pool, gym and other facilities. Condo’s are typically accessible to pretty much anything you need
• Rent studio $200-$300 – Renting a studio is  the best option if you’d like your own place but at the same time keep the costs down. Renting a studio in the Philippines that you’ll be getting a place that may be part of a house, compound, building, etc. Since it varies from place to place. I would suggest that you look around different studios before taking your pick. Studios generally are a bit larger than a room and usually is more flexible for your needs.
• Rent room $80-$150  - Renting a room is a good option if you’re pretty okay with sharing space with others. Rooms for rent usually means shared, bathroom, kitchen and common areas. Sometimes you can get your own bathroom.
• Bedspace $20-$50 – Bedspace is another term for room sharing, which means you’ll be sharing space with different people. If you’re okay with that then this is the option for you. When looking for bedspace options, scout in nice looking places first. Personally I don’t recommend bedspacing in ghetto areas since water is hard and the smell is usually unpleasant.  If its just you and you want to live in the philippines cheap, this is as cheap as it gets.

Please note that this is an estimate of the usual rate in the city. Cheaper  options are found in the province or semi-provincial locations or in ghetto locations within your favored city.

If you’re really looking for a place in the Philippines. Just go to Sulit.com.ph then type the location you’re looking for then type your budget. Just browse through your options and ask around.

Please add peso equivalent, a little more info and format properly

One of the first questions people ask when it comes to moving to the Philippines is “where do I live?” Sure you can stay in a hotel for a few days or with friends who’ll let you but at one point you’re going to have to pick a place where you can stay a little longer.

(please note that the prices are estimates and may be lower or higher depending on where you get a place to stay)

Here are some options:

• Buy a house or a condo – ($60,000-200,000 or 3-10 million php) this is a common option for people who want their own place. May be a bit pricey but you get to own the place. Although Philippine laws have ways to prevent non-citizens from purchasing property there are a few ways to work around this.
• Rent Executive Village ( starts at $3000/month or 150,000php/month) so you want to live in a big house in a really nice place. Look no further. Most houses in exclusive village have a minimum of 5 bedrooms complete with a maid’s quarters and a garage that can fit 2-4 cars. Your house will always have play space for either a swimming pool, a basketball court or a gym (or all 3). Security is pretty tight. You’ll have 24 hour frequent roving security around you’re village. You’ll have about 2-3 small teams of guards manning your village. An Executive village is usually inaccessible by public transportation(from your Village gate to your house) so it’s easy to track who comes in and out of your place.

Notable Places include: Forbes Park Village,  Multinational Village, Green Meaddows VIlage, Magallanes Village,  Dasmarinas Village, Vale Verde Subdivision, Ayala Alabang.

• Rent Exclusive Village ($1,000/month – $2000/month or 50,000php/month – 100,000php/month) this is a less expensive option for first class living. Although exclusive villages do include most of the features executive villages have they don’t have to be as big or as grand. A typical house in an exclusive village will have a land area of 500 – 1,000 square meters. Security is tight. You’ll have 24 hours roving security as well around your village (A team of guards). An exclusive village may have some of the key features of an executive village but not all and the good news is that building regulations in an exclusive village is not as strict. You can build a duplex, compounds, apartments, town homes etc and your options are not limited to just a single mansion.

Notable Exclusive Villages include: Xavierville Subdivision, Loyola Grand Villas, Casa Nueva Town homes, Tahanan VIllage.

• Rent Premium Village (Prices start at $600 or 30,000php) What I like in a place like this is that everything here is optional. You can have a 2 bedroom house to a 5 bedroom house. Anything goes. You can live in a house/apartment as big or as small as you want it to be You can make it as big or as small as you need to. You’ll have security but its usually just a guard or a couple of guards manning the village gate. You’ll probably have a clubhouse with a swimming pool or a basketball and tennis court and a playground.

Notable Premium Villages include: BF Homes Paranaque, Intercity Homes, San Jose Village, Better Living Subdivision,

A lesson from Filipino’s about Minimalism

Filipinos have the potential to be the ultimate minimalists because of how a lot of them are able to survive on minimum wage while buying several useless toys. The average Filipino professional makes less than $300 and the great majority of the workers makes less than $200 and the masses try to survive on less than $100

Yet a lot of them are able to buy the latest Nokia, china and iPhones. Go to malls regularly, and eat fast food as the staple diet. Starbucks is very profitable here. Establishments that have premium price for their products or services are thriving. Restaurants and coffeshops that offer free wi-fi are full. How is it possible with a $300 monthly income a foreign friend asked me? I didn’t have an answer. Its just that Filipino’s are really creative at budgeting.

A proposal for Filipinos only.
What if you ditch buying stuff you don’t really need and make sure your families needs are met and well taken care of? The extra? What if you can use it to help others?

I know you heard this suggestion a lot of times already but how do you think people who are generous and have a lot of money will be reacting as soon as they find out that people who earn minimum wage or less are able to provide their families needs and help a lot of people at the same time?

Imagine the results.

Do you want people to stop hoarding cash for themselves? It starts with us.

Its a common mindset for Filipinos to want leave the country to work overseas for higher pay. Since Filipinos are service oriented we took advantage of this by having our people work for expat packages or sending workers to places with a significantly higher pay. Filipinos have been doing this for a long time and is getting better at it so it’s pretty common now a days.

The only annoying thing is people ask me often why I haven’t gone on to this trend. Aside from the fact that I won’t leave Ish and my family to work somewhere else, is that I am confident that I am capable of working and living from anywhere and I prefer to work here at home (The Philippines).

If you’re from a different country and you want to move, live, or retire in the Philippines, I understand why you want to do so. Filipino’s might require a lot of explanation  for this so I prepared some.

Here are my reasons:

• People – I’m attached to the people. I’m familiar with how Filipinos act. We are not perfect and have a mix of good and bad traits. It needs improvement but I’m so familiar with it that I can live with it as it develops slowly and make the most of it at the same time.  Filipinos value family and relationships and God (which means that the conscience may be involved most of the time with the decision-making) . Filipinos are naturally friendly and hospitable.
• Places - The Philippines has 7,100 islands and I haven’t seen all of them I’ve only been to 3 (Luzon, Boracay and Pamana Island somewhere in Subic) and that’s it. I would like to explore more of the Philippines. Did you know that it doesn’t cost a lot to travel here in the Philippines? From Manila you can get anywhere for less than $100
• Simplicity – Living in the Philippines is not really complicated. You have a source of income, you cook or buy food, you go out to see places stay at home, take care of your family for fun. You can live in the Philippines for less than $300 if you’re single and less than $800 if you have a small family.
• Opportunity – Now we’re on to the business part. I know that there are a lot and I know that you know that the Philippines is rich in natural resources and tourist spots and all but I would like to focus on 2 opportunities in the Philippines that I like. First is that Filipino’s are good workers. In fact the Filipino’s are world famous for the service industry. Second is that although Filipinos have the potential to be the best salespeople/entrepreneurs in the world because of our ability to build relationships Filipinos are mostly shy and would prefer to buy instead of sell. Filipinos like freebies and are not shy about asking for it (which is actually another opportunity). This means that more opportunities for business are up for grabs here especially in the niche and high end markets.
• Contribution - When you make money where do you spend it? Sure I would like to help the starving kids in Africa. However I would like to feed the starving kids in my hometown first. You know, the ones I see everyday. Take care of them, send them to school, groom them to be profitable then in a few years have an army to feed the starving kids in the world. I even wrote minimal changes so I can inspire others to live a better life so we can inspire more people all over the world to do good and to do the right thing all the time.
• Sustainability – I’ve said this many times already. Staying in the Philippines doesn’t cost much. Local products are cheap. Service is cheap. We don’t like to sell but if we ever have to we sell things cheap, which explains why everything is cheap here.

So there you have it. Have a reaction? Know more reasons? Leave some in the comments below.

Aside from the fact that the Philippines is a stunning place to live, love and retire there are other reasons to stay. The beauty of the Philippines is that it offers a fresh start. Chances are you came from a highly developed country, you’ve reaped the benefits but had also reaped the stress and burdens that came with it. Living in the Philippines  also offers a fresh start and to turn on a new leaf and start over.

The beauty of a developing country is the fact that it functions with the simplicity and there are options to rid yourself of the modern complexities of everyday life.
The Philippines is not short of modern conveniences. In fact we have a lot of them as well but if you’re up for adventures in simplicity the options are still available here to experiment and have fun.
No matter where you look, happiness can be found here. Opportunities can be found here. Live, contribute, develop, love, care, make friends! The possibilities are endless.

The Philippines is a country composed of a group of 7,100 islands and is one of the preferred hubs in Asia due to it being accessible to a lot of locations around South East Asia and the proficiency of the Filipinos with the English language.

The Philippines is the preferred travel spot of several visitors from Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States because the location is a great place to conduct business or to enjoy a vacation. Most regular travelers say that the Philippines is a favorite because of the land and the people.

The Philippines has the best of both worlds because it has the combination of the attractions of th first world countries and the simplicity and opportunities of a developing country.

You might have heard that “In the Philippines you need money to be happy or enjoy yourself.” well that’s only half true. The truth is that: “In the Philippines a little goes a long way and that’s what I like about it.”

Meron akong banig kasya sampu walang hihiga lahat nakatayo. -I’m selling a mattress that can fit 10 people standing up and not lying down.

Sardines/Sardinas- is a Filipino term for several people in a cramped space.

(insert picture here)

This seems like an exaggerated picture of closeness.

Another closely guarded secret: A lot of people who live in the Philippines enjoy living here and staying here. When you’re not a tourist and you stay for a couple of years you’ll know what I’m talking about. A little goes a long wat. Fortunately and unfortunately the local’s don’t know that because a lot of them would like to go abroad and experience the stress associated with living with a first world country. They might be willing to trade places with you.  Competition for thriving in the Philippines is fairly low.

Everything is cheap. The food is good. People are friendly. The view is fantastic. Life is beautiful.