Are you sure you really want to
Move to the Philippines?
I highly recommend it for people like me. You need to be ready for some massive changes though. Some of them include the most basic things in life. After getting here, for a few brief moments, I thought to myself what have I done?
All the changes had got to me. The unpainted buildings. Most buildings needing repairs. The homes most Filipino live in are just a few rooms. Shotgun homes we use to call them in the rural USA. There are holes in the walls, the floors might be dirt but usually concrete floors. The nicer homes are usually made of cement blocks though. Very strong buildings, in part because of the cyclones that will be coming. No place for most to run, only the most well off Filipino can take their families deep within Thailand or other Asian countries to avoid the storms. I worry what if that rare cat 5 storm comes in on me. I’d like to high tail it out of here but I can’t afford to take all four of us so I would stay too.
Cold Showers In The Philippines
I’ve talked about this before but I thought I’d visit it again now that I have one of these hand held water heaters I’ve been told about. It was a shocking experience for me! People that live in the colder climates usually miss this important point, the water here is generally warmer here than on a winter day or even summer day. Ever in the USA and I suppose most of the western world. The purpose is to provide water pressure but it also helps to heat the water.
The last few days it has been rainy and cloudy so the water temperature has dropped. Last night it was really cold and most homes do not have water heaters. Its even rarer to find a house with a large water heater like I was accustomed too in the states. I’ve only seen one advertisement that indicated it had full size water heaters..
But we do have a couple of ways of easing this cold. The first is quite inexpensive at P200 or around $4.00. Every bathroom has a bucket and a pale. You drop this little water heater in the bucket and it warms the water up in a short time.
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The package that comes with it indicates you should not test the temperature of the water with the unit still plugged in and in the water. I figured that was for just an added precaution in case something went wrong and the device became defective. Wrong answer!
A few days ago I decided to use it for the first time. We have had it about a month now. It seemed to be taking forever to get the water warm so I pulled it out of the water and was going to hold my hand near it to see if there was any heat coming off it. As my hand was approaching, ZAP! I don’t even touch the dang thing. Wont have to tell me twice.
So I asked Jessie why the water wasn’t getting hot. She said, “You’ve got it in the wrong socket, that one barely works!” Geesh, if that was barely working I’d hate to see what it feels like fully charged!
Common Sense is Still Required In The Philippines
That points out another difference from here and the USA. In the USA no one would dare sell a product like this. They would be sued before the product were on the shelf a week. The law here though seems to expect one to have some common sense. Sometimes that gets carried to extremes too but we don’t have the ridiculous product warnings here that you see in the US.
Since I got zapped, perhaps the same as saying I was lacking of common sense! I wasn’t expecting it to reach out and grab me though.
Philippine Water Heater
There is a better or more expensive. This option seemed grossly inadequate to me when I first saw it. I wasn’t to happy with it but then I realized that it works just fine. Its a device that hangs on the wall near the plumbing of the shower. It is installed by redirecting the water through it.
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These units start at about $100 and go up to $300 for the fancy digital models. I was quote $300 to buy one including installation. I passed. I don’t’ know how long I’ll live in this home and I hate to pay for it to be installed. That’s significant money as it is more than a months rent!
So for now, I’ll keep showering the way many Filipino do. Jessie often used the bucket at room temperature as most Filipino do. If I’m going to do that, I’ll at least use the water heater but that’s just too much of a pain in the back for me. I’ll just take a cold shower, it feels good after you get use to it. Its always a bit of a shock to my system after walking for a mile or two at dusk which is when I usually take a shower or at least my last shower of the day. It depends on if I go out or not. I’m a home body and can easily find ways to amuse myself as long as I have an Internet connection.
Tagged with: Living In The Phlippines • Philippines
Filed under: Living In The Philippines
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Hi Rusty – On those wall mounted water heating units, here in Davao the hardware store will generally install it for free if you buy it from them. I’ve seen them as low as P3000. When you are ready to move, it’s easy to unhook it and bring it with you too!
I’m a country boy Bob.
They don’t have any hardware stores here. LOL Well they do but none that install it. I doubt that Ace Hardware in Cebu City is going to do it for me. Maybe I’ll ask if I go down soon. I don’t think I’ll be able to this month. Utilities bills are higher than normal. Grrr.. Still hopeful though.
I have an upcoming post you might be interested it. Its a bit delicate though so it may take me a while to figure out how to say it.
Going to write about the Manny fight now. Might put it on my CEX site, I’ll let you now when I do it. Will try to get something for your site after that.
I have not written much for the last week. I’ve been in a mod, lazy mood I think and you know what, I think I liked it. LOL
I think I’m going to need electrical work too when I have mine installed, surely they don’t include that?
Speaking of cold showers, going for a walk after dark so I’ll need a shower when I get back. Started out earlier but Juliet pounced on Jessie’s head so I brought them both back home. This time I’ll just take Jessie.
Hi Rusty – In most Filipino homes, there is a plugin up high in the shower stall, and that is where the heating units generally plug in. Maybe you already have a plug there, just take a look.
Awww, no such thing in our bathroom. One of the sockets we do have is defective. The light fisture in there is also broken so we have to use a lamp. I’ve been thinking on getting that fixed. Just so many little things like that for me. We need so much.
I’ll probably just wait until we get this furniture paid off, six more months is all I have left I think. Maybe seven.
I’ve got other things that are more important for now. I think this house is pretty old though I’m not sure. I suspect it was built before they had electricity in Northern Cebu.
ha,ha, Rusty, I would have liked to see you getting that shock treatment.
Here in Australia, that gadget wouldn’t even make it to the stores!
I was always wary about anyone getting the schocks whenever I had that thing on, I lock the bathrooms. I always unplug from the powerpoint.
Do you know that Electroconvulsive Therapy is our last defence when depression is not alleviated by medications? No one seems to know how it works exactly, but it works.
Yeah, speaking of cold showers, I must remember to get Dawg one for me before our arrival.
Awww, that’s what I like about you, such a caring friend.
you might have got to see me do a belly dance but I’m willing to bet you’res are more fun to watch.
Yeah, I know they went back to that. They don’t always work. I knew a guy that was severely depressed, they did nothing for him. That guy was like a zombie, just no emotion at all.
I don’t think I’d agree to one, not sure, I hear they are not as brutal as they were in the 50s where they got such a bad reputation. They quit doing them in the 90′s but have returned in the US too from what I hear.
That would be absolutely funny to watch you do a shock induced shimmy!
No, ECT is not guaranteed to cure all. No emotion (we call it blunted affect) is one of the symptoms we look for in depression or schizophrenia.
Bordelines sometimes fake it, but no one can sustain it for weeks. These days, it’s general anaesthesia for ECT.
Dosen’t the medication for scizophrenia also cause blunted affect?
For some reason, I do not see the humor in my being electrocuted.
Especially when I’m naked.
Especially for whoever would have to go in there to get you.
Try this boil a kettle of water pour it in the bucket then fill it up. Nice warm water for a shower. Take that other thing and throw it as far as you can before it kills someone.
What if your monkey had been exploring when that had been plugged in.
Man, I take better care of my monkey that that.
No way would I allow that to happen. She wasn’t even in the house. Jessie and myself are not neatest people in the world, plus we have very little furniture at this point so there is no way Juliet can just roam the house or even our bedroom. Even if we were neat, I can’t imagine letting her alone in any part of the house. We didn’t do that with Geroge and he was a LOT tamer than she is.
Mindanao Bob came up for a visit yesterday and she took to him very well. Even have pictures of him with the monkey on his head.
Awwww big boy, you’d come running in there to save me, I’d have to beat you off. Or maybe zap you.
I wonder how it would be if one got a full jolt! These power lines in homes here, as you know, are twice the voltage as what you and I are use to in the states
Hey I know, next time you’re here we’ll do an experiment. I’ll yell “hey yall watch this” and you can put your hand in the water Hey, I’m part redneck but I ain’t stupid. I’m one of them thur edumacated rednecks.
As long as somebody holds my beer.
Wouldn’t want to spill any.
yeah, Rusty. Whoever comes in to rescue you will need that ECT. They will surely end up with PTSD after seeing a naked Kano sprawled on the floor.
Very funny, But you’re gonna need ECT after I get done with you.
ya’ll have to catch me first
Ya’ll? Wow, I thought that was a southern USA thing. Oh we’ll catch you.
Hey Ya’ll watch this…..
Catch her? OK somebody hold my beer. I’ll take a short cut.
Too late while you save your precious beer, I caught the sexy belly dancer.
You lot are a crazy bunch of Kanos. If you were here, I’d lock you up in my ward. Hope there’s not that many back home : )
Girl crazy since 14 and very happy about it.
Ok then I’ll have another. It’s a San Miguel. You go to the bad place if you spill beer named after a Saint.
I have a whole case of that. Only one FIlipina….
There is a San Miguel high school between Cebu and Bogo or was it ia college or both. In any case, they run a school between here and there.
I’m pretty sure it was named after the beer company and not the saint. I didn’t know he was a saint, always thought it was just the name of the owner.
Awww, you know, I might only be a humble Pinay, but I’d been around……
on TV
Humble? Hardly. You break into the Xanax cabinet at work again?
No, I didn’t have to break into the cabinet. I had the keys, he,he
That just ain’t fair.
I meant to say blunted affect is one of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia. On the contrary, psychotropic medications affects the muscles, so someone on high doses would get stiffness of the neck and rigidity of movements among other things. But we have medications to counter-act that.
Awww, too much information Rusty!
I think you should buy that hot water system. It’s more convenient. Honestly, I don’t know how you’re putting up with cold showers.
I can put up wiht cold showers as they are usually luke warm.
Well there’s nothing funny about me being naked, I hate it myself.
Besides you asked for it.
I know about the rigidity, had a co-worker that was schizophrenic, she eventually had to retire. The voices finally got to be too much. I read up on it because of her. She had always seemed so rude when I passed her in the hall then I learned about the blunted affect. I read that muscles can be so stiff that arms may start moving themselves to odd positions and its very scary for the patient when that happens if they don’t know about it before hand.
Mental health has always fascinated me and I get a bit angry that they even separate mental health from physical. That just increases the stigma. Doctors even snicker about it. I’m amazed at the lack of understanding. If your heart dosen’t work right then you have circulation problems. If your brain doesn’t work right, then there are problems with thought or muscle control or other such things. It really makes me angry that people don’t get that and shun the mentally ill. Yes they may need confinement. Heck some insane people are funny, I can understand the laughter but not putting the people down.
We have a mentally ill guy down the street, the other day we walked past him and he was talking to his box. I’m sorry but for a brief second that was funny. Of course his plight is not funny at all. Most likely a heart break to his family and basically a wasted life.
I don’t know what mental hospitals are like in the Philippines? In the US we lock too many people up that should be in hospitals.
you used the term ‘common sense’ and ‘philippines’ in the same sentence. Thats just wrong. as if these tree monkeys ever had a clue to start with.
Some people make it really hard to respond in a manner that is appropriate..
NOTE: If any Philippines government official would like all the information related tot he person that posted it, I would be thrilled to provide and kick this racist right out of the country.
Erap. Perhaps the only Filipino that will have anything to do with you are those that have no common sense. One thing is certain, I’ve never met a Filipino that is as stupid as what you wrote above. Its truly disgusting and Its really hard to believe you are in this country. Filipino are very smart over all. They often have to be, to make ends meet. I think you cannot separate poverty from brains. You really remind me of my stalker friends from the states. Sounds exactly like something he would say. Its not easy to make me truly angry but congratulations, you’ve pulled it off. As for your intelligence and common sense, this is prima facia indication of just what your level of evolution is.
I can’t believe you said that.. I think you are a Filipino so you are one us monkeys…Erap is pare…written backwards…so do not pretend you are not one of us…probably worst than a monkey…if not a Filipino then what the heck are you doing in the land of the monkeys…as what you are implying about me and my countrymen…
I think it is a kano. I may delete it. Kind of wodnered if he has more bits of wisdom to offer.
I’ve heard worse.
Maybe you have found a troll. They don’t all live under bridges. There are amny in the world who confuse education with intelligence and who feel that because of cultural differences if people do something in a different way that makes them wrong.
I have been traveling to the Philippines for many years and I will admit that there have been many times things were done that didn’t make much sense to me. Since there were several of us and it made sense to everyone else I figured I was just odd man out. I explained my thoughts on the matter and then they did it their way and everyone was happy.
As for refering to people as tree monkeys I’ll tell you that is an attitude that can get you hurt badly in many areas of the world. I have found most filipinos to be friendly and helpful people. (There are exceptions but those kind of people live everywhere) However if you approach them with an attitude like that you will certainly get bad results.
Yeah, go say that to the mayor of Davao!
Or try a waray-waray in a bad mood.
Slice and dice.
Actually it would be better if he just left the country. he is highly undesirable. He was in the Philippines when he wrote that.
It could just be some kid though.
He probably had a bad experience with intelligent filipinos and was intimidated because we filipinos work hard and might be his boss is a filipino and he did not like to be bossed around…what do you think? too bad…LOL
Hey Erap…good luck with your life,,,and don’t be bitter with life…there are more things to worry about instead of picking on other culture….
He definately has issues about something.