Each morning the sun rises over the beautiful blue sea

by Babel-Fish | May 18, 2009 at 08:23 pm

241 views | 48 Recommendations | 12 comments

Each morning the sun rises over the beautiful blue sea that laps this beautiful tropical island of Negros, that I now call home.

The traffic builds up past my home as the lucky Filipinos that are employed journey to work. My neighbors all have fairly well paid jobs that is indicated in the area where we live and the cost of housing and rent.

As I write my partner is cooking breakfast, will defiantly not the breakfast one would expect in UK or America but more a Filipino in its nature. My partner is a very good cook and that factor can be seen in my girth.

Now I live a very good life my military pension allowed me to retire early and seek an economy where I could live in luxury of the lifestyle I wish to pursuit. However the downfall is that I am surrounded by poverty.

Poverty is very apparent when I travel around the city of Dumaguete, where there are beggars on the street and one can see how many citizens live and how many forage all avenues to earn a daily wage or money to put just one meal on their table each day. Even if I sit and drink coffee outside the local McDonalds there are streams of street tradesmen that try to sell me their wares and the street beggars will hone in on the man with white skin. Most of the beggars ship in from the Muslim areas of the Philippines and treat begging as a business. The parents send their children out to beg on the streets.

As a foreigner here most Filipino’s think that I am a very rich man and some wish to take advantage especially in the local market. Price’s rises to three times the rate than what they would give to a local Filipino. But if your face is known like mine is and you speak the local tongue the prices level down to a more acceptable rate. In fact where I lived in Cebu for seven years the local traders would give me a better price than my partner could get, because they had become friends. However I never worried about paying that little bit more as I knew that it would put more food on the table for someone less unfortunate than me.

The one good thing is that by being here I am helping boost the economy by spending my British pounds, each year I spend 1 Million peso’s on my own lifestyle and my partners, I sponsor children going to school and many other things.

One thing else I love to do is promote tourism as the more people visit third world countries the more money flows into the third world economy. So please if you go on holiday abroad consider the Philippines or even my small neck of the woods on the beautiful Island of Negro’s. I would be pleased to see you, we could have a cold drink on Rizal Boulevard and share the view of the sun going down over a beautiful clear blue sea.

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Babel-Fish

at 20:25 on May 18th, 2009

Its amazing how one can enjoy and also join a fight to help eradicate poverty.

jazzyzazzy

at 01:10 on May 19th, 2009

Am on ma way babel-fish.But only in my dreams.Sounds like you have found paradise on earth.A place where you make a difference to the less fortunate.surrounded by the beauty of nature.

Babel-Fish

at 04:30 on May 19th, 2009

The wales are beautiful and can be seen at the north end of this Island I live on. Poverty is a thing that I have learned to live with it can sadden the heart. One can only help so many, I employ people to do things I could do myself however they need the money. My gardener has pickup more work from my neighbors and friends before he had an hard time to find any work whats so ever. Its things like that that please me, because he worked hard on making my garden look great others seek his talents.

Babel-Fish

at 04:42 on May 19th, 2009

Yep, but then there are problems in paradise, if you can't get used to the noise of cockerels and videoki however I am use to it now and nothing really bothers me. As an artist I can never capture the beauty I see, its beyond any artists capabilities.

It was always my dream to retire early to a tropical island and be pampered by dusky maidens, however now I am here I am only pampered by one it did not destroy the dream. lol

Dreams do come true, some times all you need to do is to be bold and go for it.

Barbara McPherson

at 05:47 on May 19th, 2009

I hope you have a big house. You've made your corner of paradise so inviting!

patgarcia

at 06:39 on May 19th, 2009

Beautiful! I met someone from Philippines and he said my city La Paz Mexico reminded him of his home. I can see why from the photos , another paradise. Thanks for the story.

Babel-Fish

at 15:50 on May 19th, 2009

Having been to Mexico myself, yep the Filipino would of found a lot of things that would be a reminder of home. The Spanish left their stamp well embedded. And Mexico has its beauty as well and deserves more tourism to boosts its economy

Babel-Fish

at 15:58 on May 19th, 2009

yep but I will have to move the art and craft work shop and clear out my art studio to make room for beds, lol. However accommodation is very cheap here one can pay US$100 or less for a two bedroom apartment per month. my own big house costs twice that its really to big for the two of us, but I like loads of space and a big garden.

Art Gallery Dubai (not verified)

at 17:12 on May 19th, 2009

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I honestly admire your honesty and consideration to some Filipino citizen. It only shows how good your heart is. It also encourages me how a foreign man like you to adopt and easily blends well to other country like Philippines.

sara star

at 22:16 on May 18th, 2009

The whales look beautiful and the people in the cafe welcoming. It beckons me. Sorry to hear about the poverty.

Babel-Fish

at 10:40 on May 22nd, 2009

Thanks

jimt (not verified)

at 16:54 on May 27th, 2009

Yes, a thousand times yes. I too plan to retire there in a little village of Tanza nor far from you. Alas, I have about 8 years before I can come there for good.. but that is my plan and for all the reasons you cite.. and a few you have not mentioned. Thanks for reminding me of my dream.

Jim