My Retirement in the Philippines: Phase II

This child and his family will join me in my new home.

Rather than trying to develop a single plan for my retirement, I’ve followed a multi phased plan for adjusting to my retirement abroad in the Philippines. For those who are new to this blog, the first few months of living abroad provided me with a gradual transition into a new culture, lifestyle and home.

I began my retirement abroad by moving to Cebu City, the second largest city in the Philippines. Urban living insured that I would never be too far from the kind of amentities that a typical American expatriate would expect. I lived in a condominium with security among a large population of other expatriates from the United States, Japan and Korea.

I had easy access to the upscale malls that provided a wide range of stores, boutiques, and services. I was never too far from a cup of Starbucks, a Big Mac, a TGIF dinner, or a Pizza Hut meat lover’s pan pizza. On top of those familiar sights, I now had access to affordable dental and medical care, regular massages, and the nightlife of any large urban center.

When I turned on the television set, I was greeted by the Sci Fi, National Geographic and Disney channels among many others. For all intents and purposes, I had been able to create and establish a new life that mirrored my old life back in the United States.

But, to be honest, as much as I enjoyed a continuation of my comfortable old life … it was kind of boring at times. It did not provide me with the kind of adventure that I had sought by my decision to retire abroad. It did however, provide me with a nice and comfortable transition to a new country, with little or no culture shock.

During that time, the most fun part of life was exploring beyond my cultural boundaries. It was a pleasure to make new friends, to learn a new language, and to explore a multi leveled culture. That really was what I had been looking for in my retirement abroad. Adventure, fun, and experiencing a new part of the world.

So, I am now currently posed to move to phase two of my retirement abroad. I intend to integrate myself more fully into Filipino culture. I am currently seeking out new housing accommodations in the Filipino community rather than an expatriate community. I’m not doing anything too radical yet. I’m seeking accommodations in a middle class Filipino neighborhood and forcing myself into a tighter budget.

This will require some changes in my lifestyle. I will be a little further away from the central business district of the city. I will have less access to the large malls and taxis. Instead I will have to do more shopping at small local markets and employ a combination of trikes, motorcycles, and taxis to get around.

My neighbors will be primarily Filipino. I will have to adapt a little more to Filipino culture. Finding a suitable apartment that was not designed for Western tastes has been an interesting exercise in cultural compromise on my part. Hot water is not the norm here for showers. Use of a washer and dryer for laundry is also not the norm. On the plus side, the apartments that I’ve been looking at provide ample space for a wash area, for outdoor living activities, and a lot of terrace space – things absent from my condo.

I will actually probably get a fixer upper that will need some TLC to get into proper shape. The advantage to me of all this? Well, I am now slowly immersing myself deeper into Filipino culture and living the real Philippines. That’s a plus. I will have a rental unit that’s twice the size of my condo, but at less than half the price of the condo. That will enable me to save even more than I am able to now.

Oh and one other thing. The friend who built the sari-sari store? Well, the store is now up and going, but has been passed on to her family. Interestingly enough, she’s now developed into a romantic interest and we’re setting up these lodgings to also raise her children. But that’s another story …

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