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The Plan in Stages
2008-02-10 05:16:00
Phase 0 Preparation (details of these will be discussed in succeeding posts) This has already started now. We need to research the best kind of visa we will use for our long stay. Also, we just found out that we could not officially sublet our apartment. According to our landlord we should "not let them know" if we planned to do it because it is officially not allowed. We're starting to let our friends and colleagues know about our plans to see if anyone also want to sublet our apartment.Phase 1 (sometime in April or May) Scouting visit to the Philippines. This will be around 2-3 weeks.Here we will try to see if my husband can work remotely there for his clients. He needs a place, where he can have at least a spacious desk to work on with a computer and a good broadband connection so he can call his colleagues here via VOIP. Then, we would also look for possible places where we can stay.Also, we arrange to open peso bank accounts. We will also meet and network with my old coll...
More About: Plan , Ages

And of course to answer the question ... Why?
2008-02-09 12:04:00
I have a very stable but stressful job in the IT field here in the Netherlands. I am aware that I am pretty fortunate to get a job like this here in this country where it is so difficult to settle down as a foreigner -- especially if you do not speak the language. But that's another story. To say the least, my husband and I have concluded that this country and I have "irreconcilable differences" and incompatibilities. After more than 2 years of living here we concluded it's time to move on since he believes his business is now ripe for globalization. And that is where going to the Philippines will make sense.However, I have always wanted to come back to the U.S., which was my home for almost a decade. On the surface, the U.S. is clearly an attractive place to live. What with all the nice cars, nice houses, countless entertainment and sightseeing opportunities. I could also have a nice paying job in a heartbeat! But living here in Europe, also opened my eyes to how fragi...
More About: Question , Answer

The Top 5 Things I learned from living in...
2008-02-09 11:00:00
The Philippines * faith in God and Christian values * friendliness, hospitality and generosity to visitors/people you meet. Helping people in need. * respect for parents and older people * being close to family * to excel in work and academicsthe USA * following your heart * being independent or self-reliant * responsibility in personal finances * courage (lakas ng loob) and adventurous spirit * good communicationThe Netherlands * Learning to Deal with your situation (difficulties) * Emotional toughness (not to be too affected emotionally by negative comments/difficult people) * Eating Healthier fresh foods * Be confrontational and brutally honest if needed (Filipinos are not normally confrontational) * Being practical and placing less value on material things and more value on personal improvement.On the following posts, I will explain each briefly.
More About: Living , Things , Learned