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My wife and I are heading over for our vacation in November. We each get two checked suitcases. She's already filled 3 of the 4 right up to the 50 lb limit with gifts and goodies for family and friends. Today I asked if she could find it in her heart to leave me room for a few sets of clothes. I guess I'd better pack my carry-on myself, lol. It's worth it in the end, though. The family is always grateful for pasalubong (gifts).

Cheap ticket to the Philippines

Has anyone ever bought a cheap ticket to the Philippines and sold it? I have a flight from Seattle to Cebu on January 15. It's one way. It was dirt cheap at 353.00, but unfortunately I have to stay here a while longer for family stuff, so I won't be able to go back for quite some time. If anyone has done this before or knows what to do or how to do it safely, I'd appreciate it.

Four days into our long-distance relationship, my girlfriend wanted to tattoo my initial on her ring finger

Good morning. Has anyone had similar experiences at hardware stores?
I've been coming to the Philippines 🇵🇭 on and off since 2013, and there's one thing about hardware stores that hasn't improved at all in all that time.. I won't name names.. you know who they are.

We went to buy tiles for our place and found ones we liked. We needed about eight, but were told we had to buy a box of twenty-five. The company won't sell eight. I had ideas for the leftover tiles, so we agreed to take a box.

Then the salesman tells me there's none in stock? So I asked when they'd get more / whether another branch had any.. you'd think I'd asked for a gold bar! Everyone panics, and nobody can tell me when I can get some.

Are they so popular they sold out? Or are those six on display just sitting there for no reason?

Yep, not one straight answer.

We moved on.. we needed another type of tile too.. picked one… we need a few boxes.. none in stock and no help finding an alternative.. lucky I don't have much hair left to pull out.

We walked out with no tiles and the money still in my pocket.. they're clueless.

We went to another hardware store to buy one stair tread.. we actually found one that fit, but there was no price tag, so we carried it to the checkout.. enter the chaotic system.. there are two barcodes.. praying one of them works! We paid and left.

I keep asking myself.. there are several people standing around doing nothing.. yet lots of items have no price tag, and when you ask.. it's like you've posed some great dilemma. I guess we interrupted their gossip lol.

I've raised these problems many times, and they're still there.

If I hear one more 'oh, nosebleed' I'm going to lose it. I wonder how these people are trained, or whether they just hire a few warm bodies to fill headcount and put them on the sales floor.

The staff don't know much, and as a tradesman I find it really frustrating when they don't even know nut and bolt sizes!

Before I wrap up.. one more thing I find unacceptable is the constant searching of staff every time they come in and out of work.. they even make them take off their socks and shoes! Utterly degrading and Stone Age.. it shows how little they think of their staff.

… searching our tiny sling bags is a joke too, but.. hey, it's company policy.

It seems some policies are strictly enforced, while the policy of training is forgotten.

Driving ninety minutes into the city only to be let down every time is exhausting, and the companies don't seem to listen to customers at all… we're definitely not the only ones with complaints.

Advice, please

What do you need for the affirmation/affidavit to get married at the US Embassy in the Philippines?

Hi everyone! American citizen here. I have an appointment at the US Embassy in the Philippines to get the Affidavit of Legal Capacity to Marry (Affirmation), but apart from the appointment, I can't find a complete list of what's required.

I'm divorced, and right now I have a scanned copy of my divorce decree/certificate.

For those who've gone through this recently, what documents did you bring, especially if you're divorced? Did you need the original divorce decree, or was a copy enough?
Any recent experiences or advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

This is an expat community

This is a place for expats to share helpful tips and advice. We share experiences, opinions, excitement and observations among ourselves. We have no intention of offending the Filipino people, whose country we are guests in. This is about sharing opinions, advice and observations. We might vent our gripes to help each other have a better experience in a country that may be very different from the culture we came from. All without outside judgment and condemnation, and without offending Filipinos. We're not looking for arguments or hostility with the people of our host country. This is where we hash out anything and everything and share laughter, sadness and bewilderment among ourselves. We don't welcome toxic comments from non-members eavesdropping and snooping on our conversations. Our free-ranging, unfiltered conversations aren't meant for other people's ears, and we have no intention of engaging with the offended people listening in.

A place where the owner personally goes out and hits the streets to promote the business

When you notice a stranger staring at you from the corner of the elevator

Happy family

Tell me something, all you fantastic people who've moved to the Philippines from other countries. I'm just curious: aren't there some pretty heavy-duty weather events there, like earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis and so on? I'm wondering how often that actually happens, or whether it's limited to certain areas.

Hair damage

My hair has always been long, dark, thick and full. Since I started living in the Philippines, it's always brassy from the sun and the sea (understandable, and though annoying, fixable with a salon color every few months), but the real problem is how thin it's gotten, the lack of volume, and how sooo dead the ends always are. It feels like someone else's hair now.

I knew being in Asia would eventually change my hair. When I first started backpacking I washed it rarely (usually once a week), and as stupid as it sounds, I used bottled water to keep it as safe as possible from the notorious hard water here. But once I settled down here, I couldn't keep that up, especially since I'm in the water most days and wash my hair way more often now.

I know it can be a mix of a lot of things: heat, sun, diet changes, hard water, etc. But I'd just like to know if anyone has tried something that made a noticeable difference. I'm not expecting an overnight transformation. I just don't want to damage it further, and I'd love to see it get thicker again.

I use a good shampoo and conditioner (sulfate-free) plus argan oil. I try to rinse out saltwater with fresh water as soon as possible, and I never sleep with salt in my hair or go to bed with wet hair. I only use cold water (that's all there is, no shower head, just a tabo, a water dipper). I condition it often, and I never put direct heat on it.

Open to any suggestions at all. Products, diet, supplements, anything. Please please please 🙏🏽

Looks and money are everything

Just another day in the Philippines

I told my husband to put the cap on his toothbrush... he didn't.

They found a lovely middle ground.

Hunting season's starting. Can I bring frozen venison? To the Philippines, I mean.

Filipina wants half of everything

My old aunt told me a story about a friend of her barber

There was an old European guy, around 80, who moved from Europe to the Philippines

Then when he passed away, she contacted his family on Facebook and by email asking for HALF of everything

They weren't married and there's no legal case at all. It's like asking a random millionaire for his house.

So funny to see people who know nothing about the law

My mother-in-law won't put food in the fridge. Is she trying to kill me?

Looking for some advice, please. I arrive in 3 weeks, and I don't have a motorbike license here in the UK. I've read that I can't apply for one until I've had a 6-month visa extension.

What normally happens when I hit a police checkpoint, obviously riding without a license? $ .... or a ticket?

Also, is there a way to get a license before the 6-month visa extension, like in Thailand?

Huge thanks to everyone who contributes to this group. It's such a helpful knowledge base for me ...

Just a normal day in the Philippines 😂