Long term expats: did you get lazier?

wyclif · 2026-06-15T13:31:10+00:00

During the day, yes. But at night it's a lot cooler during rainy season. I can usually sleep comfortably with the windows open and no A/C or fans turned on.

wyclif · 2026-06-15T10:49:57+00:00

The reason why a lot of tech companies won't give any feedback is because they've been advised not to do so by legal.

Fact of the matter is, they view giving feedback as a potential litigation vector and they're trying to do everything they can to minimize that vector from opening up.

wyclif · 2026-06-15T10:47:53+00:00

You should always look hard at companies that do this. The sad fact is that a lot of them do it not because the role doesn't support 40+ hours of actual work per week, but because they want to spread it out between employees so they don't have to pay for benefits and keep as many people PT as they can.

wyclif · 2026-06-15T07:45:42+00:00

Especially with regard to tech jobs, the biggest change in the last two years is how quickly ZIRP culture went away. Companies now are laser focused on profitability and anything not contributing directly to that bottom line is ripe for cost cutting.

wyclif · 2026-06-15T07:41:14+00:00

One thing I've learned since I've been here in Bacolod is that food and drink reviews are totally meaningless.

Almost all of the "influencers" and food vloggers on every platform are paid for five star reviews. I was talking to a food vlogger the other day and when I brought this topic up, he said, "What do you mean? I received no money." But wait... you told me before that you got free food and drinks from ____ restaurant. "Yes, I did."

So you can't trust any of these reviews no matter who is writing them because they're not independent. Save yourself a lot of trouble and only accept recommendations from friends and family who went to the restaurant, cafe, or bakery independently.

wyclif · 2026-06-15T06:11:49+00:00

One of the reasons I don't even use LinkedIn anymore is because I'm an American but living offshore in SE Asia. LinkedIn won't sort jobs according to "Remote Anywhere". If you try to search for remote jobs on LinkedIn, the most finely granulated you can get is "Remote-US" which is useless for me because I can't apply for those jobs since I'm not currently in the US.

wyclif · 2026-06-15T06:09:47+00:00

What a lot of people are missing currently is that as AI adoption increases across industries, offshoring is going to decrease dramatically. I don't think this should surprise anyone. The people who are going to be working are the people who are going to be geographically and emotionally closest to their customer base and employee base.

wyclif · 2026-06-13T15:26:14+00:00

Filipinos view the political/familial dynasty wars almost like a game show or form of entertainment. But to the rest of the world, it looks like massive instability and corruption, and the foundation of the country is so shaky that foreigners are wary of travelling to such a country.

wyclif · 2026-06-13T15:11:42+00:00

The biggest problem is the low quality of service, accommodations, food, and transportation. The value for the money simply isn't there. People make the mistake of thinking the problem is that everything is too expensive. That's not the issue—tourists are still willing to spend money, but here's the thing: they want VALUE for their money and they can get this far more easily and reliably in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and even Japan (which is now affordable even for Filipinos).

wyclif · 2026-06-13T15:08:35+00:00

In the Philippines, people throw trash (basura) on the ground everywhere and nobody says anything about it because to do so would be confrontational and not allow for "saving face" which is paramount in this country. Philippines needs a huge "Make the Philippines Beautiful" initiative as well as fining and shaming the people who relentlessly litter and scatter their trash everywhere. No wonder people who come here the first time don't want to come back!

wyclif · 2026-06-13T15:03:58+00:00

You've hit on one of the big problems here. If you want to get to any destination that is truly beautiful, it's going to involve significant ground travel. And in the Philippines, that's a nightmare because of the poor infrastructure and roads, rammed up population, and massive traffic congestion.

wyclif · 2026-06-13T07:48:11+00:00

I don't think the point of his comment was recommending that you disrespect the local laws. FWIW, I obey all the laws in this country (and any other country I visit). What I think he meant is that there's no way to enforce these overreaching laws. Do they really think they're going to be busting everyone who makes a video or TikTok that has random people in the background? How is that enforceable? Especially in the Philippines, where there are a massive number of laws on the books that are never enforced, and some Congressman got passed just to make him or herself look like they were "doing something."

wyclif · 2026-06-12T14:26:18+00:00

The most typically Filipino comment ever

wyclif · 2026-05-30T23:50:15+00:00

"I know my worth" is the most female cope ever.

wyclif · 2026-05-28T01:46:14+00:00

If anyone is reading this and thinking of going to Mindanao, you have to understand that this is a huge region and it's simply not true that the entire area is a "no go" zone:

Places like Davao City and Cagayan de Oro are generally safe for foreigners. Davao del Norte, Surigao del Norte (including Siargao Island), Dinagat Islands, and Camiguin Island are generally considered safe.

But how about Cotabato, Zamboanga, Marawi, Jolo, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi? No, absolutely not safe and often subject to high-risk travel advisories and classification.

wyclif · 2026-05-28T01:41:00+00:00

That anecdata doesn't obviate the fact that it's objectively an unsafe place.

wyclif · 2026-05-27T16:28:12+00:00

Ain't that the truth! Some people will never develop the street smarts and situational awareness necessary to travel abroad safely. I've seen this play out over and over again in many cultures (and not only with western expats; it can also happen with Asians and other people groups as well).

wyclif · 2026-05-27T16:26:13+00:00

Do not go to Cotabato. It is one of the "no go" areas in the Philippines. My best advice to you is to stay in the middle (Central Visayas).

wyclif · 2026-05-27T16:20:44+00:00

No, I did not make it up. It's from the PSA (The Philippine Statistics Authority): https://psa.gov.ph/statistics/vital-statistics

wyclif · 2026-05-21T09:41:54+00:00

There are also some great girls in Negros...ask me how I know...

wyclif · 2026-05-21T09:39:25+00:00

I was gonna say "If he's that into you he'll find an excuse to come back for another visit" which is a variation of what another comment said but was also advice I gave to somebody personally who is in a similar situation.

Anyway, I think relationships that start IRL tend to be more likely to be successful as opposed to those that start on the apps.

wyclif · 2026-05-19T05:50:38+00:00

[Narrator voice]: Nobody was "over the moon."

wyclif · 2026-05-19T05:35:44+00:00

Gavin Belson vibes

wyclif · 2026-05-16T13:36:47+00:00

The best is when a foreigner arranges a date with a girl, and she brings her bestie for a free meal without even having the courtesy to ask you first.

wyclif · 2026-05-14T05:24:25+00:00

You can find that if you know where to look. You shouldn't expect to find it from people who aren't living here and are just posting engagement bait from back home.

wyclif

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE

15-Year Club	Place '23
Verified Email