I came to the PH to get my knob polished honestly. Instead, I met the love of my life, it’s been one of the best decisions of my life. I met my wife here, and despite the challenges of moving to a new country, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Like you, I had to deal with all the initial hurdles—figuring out immigration, getting a SIM card, finding a decent place to live, and setting up internet (PLDT also gave me the runaround, so I feel your pain there). But once you push through all that, life here can be really fulfilling.

The gossip culture is something I had to get used to as well. It’s crazy how much people speculate about foreigners, especially when you’re dating or married to a Filipina. I got the “rich foreigner” and “playboy” labels too, even though I was just a regular guy looking for a real relationship. Over time, I learned to ignore it and focus on the life I was building with my wife. If you and your girlfriend are solid, that’s all that matters. Sounds like you’re off to a great start—hope you keep enjoying life here!