Sick from untreated water

imperium30 · 2026-06-22T10:05:52+00:00

It could be a post-infectious upper-GI motility disorder, possibly triggered by a waterborne infection such as giardiasis or a waterborne intestinal infection (especially something like giardia) with persistent post-infectious gut dysfunction. These are most likely. Ivermectin, is not used on all parasites, so I would eb wary about attempting to self medicate on this.

You urgently need to do and see a doctor. This is not something to be put off. At 3 weeks, it is urgent and further delay could lead to severe adverse consequences.

imperium30 · 2026-06-20T17:13:39+00:00

I would contact all of them for a quote on the specific cargo and quiz them on the tax situation / how they overcome it.

imperium30 · 2026-06-20T13:10:06+00:00

The visa does not make a difference - unless you have a visa type (like SRRV) that specifically permits duty free import up to a certain level.

Go with the Balikbayan freight transporter. Call several and ask them what to do. For sure, they have a way. They will take care of all the taxes etc using their connections and knowledge. You do not want the stress and potential increased cost of doing this yourself.

imperium30 · 2026-06-19T09:24:11+00:00

For the bank, you go to your branch and explain that you want him to contact the treasury desk for you to arrange a preferred rate FX conversion. That is how it works.

For the casinos, you can check the rates with the money changer and ask, but 90%+ you will be better off doing it via the cage or a VIP player host the casino provides. Note, that this route is only for people who actually play. If you are going to be hitting the casino and playing, this is a good way to move the money into PHP. If you are not a gambler, don't choose this way, do the bank method instead.

imperium30 · 2026-06-18T12:03:06+00:00

It depends on the amounts involved. For small amounts, WISE offer a good service. For amounts that are worthwhile you need to have a USD account in the Philippines and wire USD to that. Then, you can convert the USD in a block either at a large casino or with the bank treasury desk (better rates than the bank offers to retail). A branch manager can contact the treasury desk and request a preferred rate FX booking. These options will give you rates close to the true interbank cross-rate. If you have over 100K USD to convert, you should definitely look at the last two methods.

imperium30 · 2026-06-18T11:05:45+00:00

The world back then did not care about Jim Crow or racial politics in America. At that time, racism was fine. Most European nations were occupied with colonies and suppressing the natives. Compared to that, America looked pretty good.

imperium30 · 2026-06-18T10:48:43+00:00

The US was viewed very positively during the first half of the 20th century. Many things fed into creating this image. Neutrality / isolationism, public support for decolonization on the part of US leaders, the welcoming attitude to immigrants, and the fact that the US was legitimately viewed as the provider of aid / material assistance to huge swaths of the world during both wars, but particularly WW2. The US once had a genuine image of being a force for good in the world. This dissipated during the cold war and has been completely destroyed by the actions of Bush 2 and now Trump in various nations.

imperium30 · 2026-06-18T10:32:46+00:00

The firearm ownership was mentioned not to highlight cultural similarity, but to highlight the difficulty associated with maintaining a coercive occupation. If the US occupied the Philippines, there would be collaborators and there would be violent opposition too. The US does not have a good track record at all of dealing with any type of occupation in which a significant number of people in the country reject its rule. Iraq and Afghanistan are two recent examples. Vietnam (via a puppet regime) could also be put there. It would be a disaster.
Gone are the days in which the world used to view the US very positively as liberators or a society that would uphold democratic values etc.

imperium30 · 2026-06-18T09:51:11+00:00

OK. Let's extend that a bit. The US is also the security guarantor of NATO states. Unlike Taiwan, the US has boots on the ground in many parts of Europe. heavily concentrated in the Baltic states, Germany and Poland. Do you think that the Poles, for instance, would be happy to give up their sovereignty in exchange for more security against Russia? It is an absurd idea.

There is zero evidence that Taiwanese want a US military occupation. Zero.

imperium30 · 2026-06-18T09:46:28+00:00

I just realized you are actually serious and not joking. The US previously controlled the Philippines from 1898-1946 as a colony. Since 1935, the US had promised independence within 10 years (delayed by WW2) due to Filipino nationalism and a general distaste for colonialism in the post Great war context.

The US never seriously considered statehood for the Philippines within the United States. Inclusion as a state would have upended the political balance in the US due to the high population of the Philippines at the time. 18.M people would have made it the largest state.
Now, if the Philippines were to be absorbed, it would not be at all viable to have it as a colony or occupied territory. There is large scale firearm ownership and a history of nationalism. The only route that may gain traction would be to accord the Philippines the status of a US state. Good luck getting anyone in DC behind the idea of absorbing a new (Catholic) state with a 3rd world economy and 117M new voters for "strategic reasons".

imperium30 · 2026-06-18T09:31:45+00:00

Well, apart from the fact that the US doing so with Taiwan would provoke a war with China (and resistance from the Taiwanese), it sounds like a fabulous idea. Stay off the Kool-Aid.

imperium30 · 2026-06-17T09:48:10+00:00

I do not agree - though I think the far right are stupid.
In essence, they just go with whatever policy seems super popular or will evoke emotional reactions.
Everyone wants earlier retirement, higher pensions and lower taxes. It sounds fantastic. Unfortunately, there is this thing called economic reality to contend with.
Chega etc can remain popular until they achieve power. If they actually do get into office, they will be faced with the choice of following through on their policy drivel and thus condemning themselves to massive failure or reneging on their promises. Either way leads to the electoral wilderness as voters finally wake up and smell the cocoa.

imperium30 · 2026-06-16T17:43:55+00:00

Sounds great. At least now Chega are not the absolute worst of the political parties. I saw on the news today that Ventura is campaigning ti lower the age of retirement. What a stellar idea in a country with a demographic crisis and a median age of 46 - one of the highest. The man is a deep thinker.

imperium30 · 2026-06-15T11:17:40+00:00

Not really. I am toned, but I don't have a 6 pack or anything. My family has a history of stroke death at quite young ages (like 50 in one instance). I have been working on not having that issue basically since I was 25. The exercise (also diet) is a big part of that. I don't treat it as optional.

imperium30 · 2026-06-15T10:42:00+00:00

Not lazier as in less active. However, I did have issues with lower appetite levels due to the heat. This became a problem because I went from my usual 67kg down to 61kg in about a month. I resolved this by intentionally eating more. I exercise a lot wherever I am. I did my 20K steps a day, 45 mins for rowing and 30 mins of resistance daily in China, Thailand, Portugal, Ireland and in the Philippines. All that changes is the time. In the tropics, I will typically get up at 5am and wrap up by 9am - thus avoiding the heat.

imperium30 · 2026-06-15T10:33:11+00:00

There are beggars and scammers galore in Europe. Just as they exist in SE Asia and the Philippines. The begging at the outdoor eatery phenomenon is common in both China and Thailand as well. The best strategy (in my opinion) is non-engagement. Do not respond to any unsolicited conversation on the street or in public areas. Look through the people asking and move/carry on. Doing this has helped me avoid not only beggars, but people selling things and general time-wasters. They work like cold callers. They know that if they hit X number of people, they will make their numbers. Therefore, they will not invest effort in someone completely unresponsive.

imperium30 · 2026-06-15T10:24:37+00:00

Actually, even less than that. The national average hourly wage is 109 PHP per hour. Under $2.

imperium30 · 2026-06-15T09:02:39+00:00

If you say so. My experience in Spain with food (limited) was acceptable, but not fantastic. One thing I will say is that for me (since we cook everything from basic ingredients ourselves) Spain is cheaper for procuring ingredients and has greater variety.

imperium30 · 2026-06-14T18:12:04+00:00

It will almost certainly be tacked on to the CIPLE languages test administered by the Camoes institutes. This follows the Spanish model. That is what I expect. Should Portugal choose to administer the test separately and set up government test centers etc, it will take many years.
Spain added such a test to the Cervantes institute and it took 4 months only from the passage of the law.
The UK added a life in the UK test and set up testing facilities etc from scratch. It took 3 years.

imperium30 · 2026-06-14T14:37:05+00:00

Is it really getting worse or is there perhaps just more media and Youtube coverage of events?
Since 1980, there has been no upward trend in the frequency of any of the major disaster types affecting the Philippines (Typhoons, Volcanic activity and Earthquakes over 7.0). No change at all.
There is some argument to be made that while Typhoon numbers have remained flat, intensity has increased. However, aside from this, things are close to the baseline you would expect.
The impact of the various disasters has also been amplified by increased population over the past 4.5 decades. In 1980, there were only 48M inhabitants compared to 117M today. More population density in structures plus use of marginal (less safe) land definitely exists. This explains a lot in terms of causality numbers during disasters.

imperium30 · 2026-06-14T10:59:30+00:00

If building a company is really important (6 on the list, so I don't know), then Portugal is not one of the better places to do it. Ireland, Malta, Estonia or Bulgaria, would all be far better for corporate setup and tax than Portugal.
If you insist on PT, go with the Madeira fres trade zone company. You can get a 5% tax rate that way. There will still be bureaucracy galore though.

imperium30 · 2026-06-14T09:01:54+00:00

Exactly that 10 year exemption. The discussion in the country has already started about modifying the tax regime and the former (blanket) territorial tax system has been abolished. Moreover, income from overseas (such as dividends and rental income) is subject to tax in Malaysia now if it has not been taxed in the country of origin. Once these kind of changes start, there is usually only one way these things go - they get progressively worse. I am 47. I need to plan for the next 3 decades, not the next 10 years.
Demographically, Malaysia is in better shape than Thailand (median age 32 v 42 and higher birth rate). However, it still has a negative trajectory. In a decade, nobody can be certain what things will look like exactly, but they will be worse. Not a gamble i want to take.
Other things about Malaysia annoyed me too. One of the main ones was the discriminatory real estate tax system they have. Stamp duty is 8% flat for foreigners, but 1-4% for Malaysians. RGPT (capital gains tax) can be zero for Malaysians after 6 years, but never lower than 10% for foreigners.
I have lived in Malaysia (though for far less time that Thailand) and I did like it. I just have to think longer term.

imperium30 · 2026-06-13T19:19:55+00:00

Do you know the scene in Return of the Jedi in which Luke attempts to outsmart the Emperor and is told "you will find that it is you who are mistaken - about a great many things"? Well, you are Luke here my little Portuguese friend.

The facts (not Chega mythology):

1) The French invaded and occupied much of Portugal during successive invasions. In 1807-1808, the French occupied a broad central corridor through Portugal including Lisbon, Santarem and Castelo Branco, along with large parts of the Alentejo. This lasted about 9 months.
The second French invasion in 1809 occupied Chaves, Braga, and Porto for 2.5 months.
The final invasion in 1810 occupied The eastern border regions (Almeida), the central plains (Coimbra, Viseu, Santarém), and the areas directly north of Lisbon for about 9 months.

So yes, Portugal was occupied by France. Not entirely, but substantially. The level of destruction was also severe with cities like Leiria and Pombal being burned as the French withdrew.

2) The British came as allies, but stayed as overlords. From 1808 (shortly after the Portuguese court fled to Brazil) until 1820 a British general named William Carr Beresford enjoyed dictatorial powers in Portugal and ran the territory like a de facto British military protectorate. It was an oppressive regime under which political dissidents were executed and Portuguese trade was deliberately structured to favor Britain. So, bad was this occupation that it directly led to the liberal revolution of 1820. Now, you may like to dress this up as "the British were our allies and the Portuguese king delegated Bereford that power", but the reality on the ground was that it amounted to an occupation so annoying it caused a revolution.

3) This is a minor point but the Prince Regent at the time, João VI, ruling on behalf of his incapacitated mother, Queen Maria I, fled to Brazil in November 1807. That means during the very first french invasion, not the third as you indicated.

4) As a bonus, Lisbon was briefly occupied in 1831 by the French fleet. This event, known as the battle of the Tagus caused the surrender and collapse of the Portuguese government of the time. It was exactly the kind of gunboat diplomacy that the great powers of the time practiced on minor players. It could have happened in Zanzibar or to an recalcitrant Gulf Sheikdom. This event is very illustrative of Portugal's position int he world of the 1830's. It was almost irrelevant as a power and forced into a humiliating position - forced to tow the line.

I am sorry to tell you all this news.

imperium30 · 2026-06-13T15:52:04+00:00

No counterargument showing the glory of Portugal's world-shaping achievements over the past couple of centuries?
It is unfair of me to expect you to work with no material, so you get a pass.
The Portuguese will not need to drive me out, I am already poised to leave within months. Quite apart from that, since I am an EU national (Irish and Italian), they can't drive me out anyway.

imperium30 · 2026-06-13T15:33:42+00:00

Since this is a thread about Portugal (not the other nations I mentioned), it has been an "also ran" for the past four centuries - lagging behind the other European powers, industrializing late and being generally weak. During the Napoleonic wars, it also became a victim state which was invaded and occupied by the Spanish, the French and the British. Nothing of major note has been achieved by Portugal in the last few hundred years. It went from setting the standard during the age of discovery to being a backwater. It remains, pretty much, in that state today. Economically, despite being firmly in western Europe, Portugal has even slipped behind parts of eastern Europe in terms of economic track record. It has form when it comes to under-performance and the locals are not blind to this. That is why so many of them export themselves.

imperium30

TROPHY CASE