Comments Posted By Brian
Displaying 121 To 150 Of 1,055 Comments
Re: Iran
I think things had to change there, but it wasn’t too long ago that our current president was tweeting about bad it was that other presidents were wanting to invade Iran just to get reelected. (But if he is a member of your tribe, all is good. LOL. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.))Re:Video
Yeah I agree, a lot of bad choices on that guys part and we are only hearing one side of the story. A couple of things that caught my attention.He said at the beginning was something along the lines of “tolerance of foreigners has decreased”. Much of it is probably because there is a significant minority of foreigners that are a**holes. The term, Ugly American, is a stereotype for a reason. Unfortunate that a few ruin it for the rest.
Secondly, he mentions that the PI does not seem to be keeping up with the rest of SE Asia. Though I have not been to the PI, from my readings and visiting of other SEA countries, this does seem to be the case. And it is probably self inflicted by the Filipinos themselves.
» Posted By Brian On 02/March/2026 @ 7:50 am
>I’m already in the last relationship I’ll ever have, for better or worse.
I think you have a keeper with Swan, but I am getting that deja vu feeling all over again reading that statement. Seems like it has been written a time or two before.
For example, as you stated in your linked post………… #grimace
>When I first employed Loraine I made it clear that I was never going to love again.» Posted By Brian On 02/March/2026 @ 7:26 am
Quite the collection of hats. Do you favor one over the others or just randomly grab one each day?
(Random hat thought. I remember as a kid, one of my parents absolute rules was “no hats in a restaurant.” among other places. That definitely got ingrained in my brain, as to this day, I never wear a hat in a restaurant.)
» Posted By Brian On 26/February/2026 @ 5:49 am
I think that is the first pic of you in the PI without a hat. LOL. I was starting to think you even wore one to bed.
» Posted By Brian On 24/February/2026 @ 12:26 am
John, you and I are on the page (I think). Most relationships are transactional and as long as a person understands that, then nothing wrong with it. The transaction could be love – love. Could be money – companionship. Could be money – green card. Etc.
Where it usually goes south is when one side does not understand or believes there is another reason for the relationship.
» Posted By Brian On 20/February/2026 @ 11:39 pm
Re: Walk at Cubi Point
you have access to a car and driver, correct? Any reason you couldn’t hire him to take you to various locations for a day hike?Re: Video
Not sure if everything in the video actually happened to one person or if it is an aggregation of multiple stories, but I am sure that the overall content is true. Quite depressing.As has been discussed here, I think that all relationships are transactional in some way. In the west, a common relationship transaction would be trading love and affection for love and affection.
In the PI (and most other southeast Asian countries), a foreigner/local relationship is often the foreigner giving the local an economic benefit + stability (and love and affection) in return for affection and companionship. Not every foreigner/local relationship is like this, but a significant portion is. Is there anything wrong with this? No, as long as both parties are aware and honest about what the relationship is built on.
Most guys (around the world) let their little head do the thinking for their big head. They need to look at things rationally. The guy in the video should have said to himself, “Okay, I got this hot 20 something local saying she loves me, a 60 year old foreigner. Would she feel the same way if I hadn’t built her this house? Gave money to her relatives? Gave money to her? Would I be able to land an equivalent girl if I were back in my home country?” If the answer to any of those is NO, then she probably doesn’t love you in the traditional western ideal of love. She may like you, she may enjoy being with you, but probably doesn’t love you per our definition.
Again, nothing wrong with a relationship built on that, as long as you know it going in. This guy obviously didn’t. Cautionary tale, but bound to be repeated many many times going forward.
» Posted By Brian On 20/February/2026 @ 1:25 am
IMO, I wasn’t impressed with the video. The guy is kind of doing a “humble brag”. People find their level of comfort. For example, drinking bottled water in a third world country is not something I do because that is what expats say should be done. I do it because the rates of GI sickness/disease from drinking tap water in those countries is many many times higher than drinking bottled water. The risk (sickness) vs. reward (saving a few pesos) is a no brainer in my book. (But yeah, I have no problem in brushing my teeth with tap water.)
LOL on the quotes from your 2017 blog. Can a plan not go as intended if a person is 100% in control of that plan? hmmm. 😛
» Posted By Brian On 18/February/2026 @ 3:34 am
Beef prices, among other things, are sky high in the US also. Inflation is insidious a nd for expats on a non-COLA based pension, it could eventually be a problem if they have no backstop.
Perused exchange rates, and it appears that the PI peso is getting slightly stronger, but I would think still a ways to go before any concern for US based expats. UK pound seems to be tracking the same way. Though I am sure a 20% drop vs. the USD coupled with inflation would be a concern for some.
Not sure if you were being facetious regarding not looking forward to the hash/bar crawl. Seems like that would be right up your alley. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 17/February/2026 @ 12:21 am
Interesting comment in your linked “days of your past” series about retiring in Seoul.
What made you decide not to retire there? Memories? Cost? Combination of the two?
Other than the last year or so, it does seem like you were pretty happy and content there; probably even before you met your wife.
» Posted By Brian On 14/February/2026 @ 12:51 am
Glad to hear that things are back to (somewhat) normal.
Re: video
Yup, most of it is common sense. I do agree with the vlogger on participating in the partner’s family functions. Seems to me just to be a sign of respect for your partner. Putting the shoe on the other foot; when you were back in the States, would it have bothered you if Jee Yeun told you that she did not want to go to Thanksgiving, birthdays, other get togethers, etc? Anyway, IMO must something a person does when in a relationship.Re: Sohee
Hard to know what demons people live with inside their head that would cause them to take their own life. On one hand, I think it is pretty selfish, as the ripple effects of their act generally affect a lot of people. I remember hearing a cliche about suicide – “a permanent solution to a temporary problem”. Sad situation when it occurs.» Posted By Brian On 10/February/2026 @ 11:43 pm
Hope the doc appointment goes well. Probably just age related, which sucks in its own way, but beats the alternative.
Re: Baguio
What was it about the city that would not make it a long term option? I think I am more of a mountain person than a beach person, so a place like that would tick boxes for me in that regard.» Posted By Brian On 04/February/2026 @ 12:16 am
So, when I see your trail and the start and stop are at two different places, does that usually mean a trike ride back to the start?
Did new owners take over at IDM or did Cliff and Ashley just add a second bar to their portfolio?
Re: Love and relationships
As I have said before; John, you are a person that needs to be with someone. You don’t function well living the single life. You seem to have two speeds in relationships – 0 or 100. Not much in-between. If you were living in the hinterlands of Afghanistan rather than having ended up in the PI (or Thailand or Vietnam, etc.), you would somehow find someone to fall in love with. I think that is baked into who you are. Not saying that is right or wrong, but it is who you are. LOL» Posted By Brian On 03/February/2026 @ 5:09 am
What happened to all of your old dart gear? Did you want to make a clean break and just got rid of it? Good luck in the tourney if you do decide to participate.
» Posted By Brian On 31/January/2026 @ 12:02 am
@canadian. I LOL’d at your comment. I have to admit, that thought did cross my mind also.
But Swan does seem like a winner, and as John said, no love without trust. And even though he said he will not fall in love again, looks like it happened. But, I do think that it is better to be (generally) trustworthy than to live without trust of your fellow human beings. That would make for a pretty miserable existence IMO.
» Posted By Brian On 29/January/2026 @ 11:33 pm
Read the 2016 year in review. Hmmm. Are you thoughts still the same 10 years on? Or has time helped to heal some of those wounds. Anyway, keep on keeping on!
» Posted By Brian On 29/January/2026 @ 1:01 am
Does your US address still exist for you? Or is it going to someone that can forward the new credit card to you. The world is going more and more cashless.
» Posted By Brian On 29/January/2026 @ 12:57 am
As I’m sure you know, the H in HDMI stands for High, as in High Definition (Multi)media Interface.
Doesn’t work quite as well with HTMI. Would have been better labeled to be just a TMI cable. But, still funny.
re: begging
Yeah, the in your face begging I don’t like. In one of your recent referenced posts, you mentioned the begging in Thailand and how it is pretty passive. Hasn’t changed. Never had a beggar approach me. They just kind of sit there on the sidewalk and try and look pitiful. They usually succeed in looking pitiful but my understanding is that most of them are “professional” beggars run by a gang boss so I never give any money.BTW, in that same post, you mentioned wanting to visit Chiang Mai and/or Phuket to see if they were more you style. Did you ever make it to either one?
Re: Relationship age gap
What is the acceptable age gap equation? (At least in developed countries. Doesn’t seem to apply (or is followed) in less developed areas. LOL)Your age/2 + 7 = minimum acceptable age to date
So, when you were 60, min. age to date was 37, so Eun Oke was within range.
Your companions in the PI, well……………. LOL. Anyway, age is just a number, right?!
» Posted By Brian On 27/January/2026 @ 12:34 am
I guess it is a good thing that things haven’t changed in your neck of the woods. Familiarity (whether good or bad) brings comfort of a sort.
Re: meme on sold out hotels
Never had to use it, but it was suggested if you go into a sold out hotel and they are adamant that they have no rooms, ask
“If President XXX stopped in here and needed a room, would you make one available?”
“Well, yes, we would find a room for him.”
“I can tell you that he will not be coming tonight, so please give me his room!”(Apologies, but it was funnier the way I heard it. LOL)
» Posted By Brian On 26/January/2026 @ 1:12 am
Exciting trip back but in the end, all it good. Recently returned from Asia to the US, and had a two hour connection in San Fran. They had ONE passport booth open for US citizens. Aargh. Made it to the connection, but like you, walked up to the gate when they were making final call.
Nice summary of your Thailand trip. Agree with most of it. In my humble opinion, I think the concerns about language are a bit overblown. There are people in Thailand, Vietnam, etc. whose English language skills are pretty darn good and a person is able to have a good conversation with them. And, if their English language skills are that good, that generally means that they are educated and somewhat worldly. But, probably not going to meet them working in a bar. LOL
Realistically (excluding Swan), how many deep conversations do you have with locals in the PI? I would posit that most of your in-depth conversations are with fellow expats, which would be the same whatever country you were in (e.g. your time in Korea is an example of that. I’m sure that there were a significant number of Koreans that you worked with who were quite good in English, were educated and had a pretty good worldview. Obviously, out of bounds from a relationship standpoint, but those type of people exist in any country. I have met people like that in almost every country I have spent significant time in.).
» Posted By Brian On 25/January/2026 @ 3:51 am
Re: your trips to Pattaya
Yup, as you. mentioned, Pattaya is not all girlie bars once you get just a little bit away from the strip or go north or south a bit. Demographics are changing. First it was the Western sexpat, then the Chinese (and Russians) came in droves, now it seems as though there are a lot of Indians coming to explore Pattaya.Safe travels back! Good to get away on trips, but always nice to sleep in your own bed.
» Posted By Brian On 24/January/2026 @ 12:31 am
you mention that PI is a better fit than Vietnam. Just curious as to what does the PI do better than Vietnam? Maybe I should reframe the question. Why is it a better fit? Mainly language?
A bit of apples to oranges, I suppose. Barretto is what, 20K population and Da Nang is 1MM+
I’m sure there are Vietnamese beach towns with populations 50K or less that would be a good comparison.
» Posted By Brian On 23/January/2026 @ 1:13 am
Guessed wrong on the song (again)!
After your initial comments, I thought for sure you would go with
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znq4vA54wb4
Looks like Vietnam is worth exploring. Spent a short time in Quy Nhon for business. South of where you are at and pretty rural and off the tourist track so would like to go back to Vietnam in general and see other places.
» Posted By Brian On 20/January/2026 @ 12:28 am
I am sure it is a cultural thing. For example, why are subway systems in Asia (at least the ones I have been on) pretty spotless and people respect the rules, unlike places in the US?
But, the culture can be changed. I just got back from Taiwan, and 20 years ago, traffic sucked. Not so much the amount, but the lack of rule following, especially by scooters. Fast forward to now, and it is like night and day. Everybody (cars and scooters and bikes) stops at stoplights, and even more so, they stop before the crosswalk so people can cross safely and don’t have to dodge vehicles blocking their way.
Don’t know what your thoughts are on public cameras, but in this case, it has helped tremendously. There are cameras on almost every stoplight stanchion. Calling out people for their behavior and fining them has worked until it is second nature. Kind of like seat belts in the US. Seems like Taiwan made a concerted effort to clean up this aspect of society.
The PI could do something similar. But, obviously not a priority. The island you recently went to seems to be on top of the garbage situation, so maybe they should export their methods to the rest of the country.
I think prioritizing the garbage situation would have a lot of positive spill over to the rest of society – and probably would increase the tourism numbers.
» Posted By Brian On 18/January/2026 @ 6:43 am
Looks a heck of a lot cleaner than Barretto. Especially those pics of your walk to the beach.
Never have even thought of retiring to the PI, but for me, the littering and garbage would be a real turn off.
» Posted By Brian On 17/January/2026 @ 9:04 am
I saw that Vitaly, the notorious Russian a-hole, was deported from the PI back to Russian.
I wonder if his new videos will be coming from the Russian front? LOL
Looks like you are having a good time so far. Enjoy!!
» Posted By Brian On 16/January/2026 @ 1:18 am
Looks like a very cool (pun intended) place. Mainly domestic tourists or does it cater to the international set also?
» Posted By Brian On 15/January/2026 @ 5:37 am
Re: Brian, I brought some of my Hash shirts, but it has been too damn cold to wear them.
Even so, most of the hash shirts are not my style. LOL. I would be asking, would my mom/grandma, etc approve of me walking around in a shirt that has a picture on it like this? 😛
» Posted By Brian On 15/January/2026 @ 5:31 am
Seems like you have gone with non-hash attire on this trip. Probably a good idea, considering some of the artwork on your hash shirts. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 14/January/2026 @ 2:05 am
John, I think you are the type of person that needs to be in a relationship. You dont do well on your own.
You have a winner in Swan, so dont f*ck it up. But, if by some weird action of the cosmos, things go south, my money would be on you getting involved in another relationship. LOL
» Posted By Brian On 13/January/2026 @ 3:06 am
«« Back To Stats PageLooks like the trip is going well. How do prices compare to Baretto? I assume that there is a pretty big expat community there? Going to try and do a hash with them?
Re: relationships
Looks like you are in a relationship now, or is the current iteration more of “companionship” than relationship?» Posted By Brian On 12/January/2026 @ 1:28 am