Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
virgin white sanded beaches and islands, great diving spots, awesome volcanoes, awesome tracking spots,awesome tropical forest reserve parks, awesome food, smiling welcoming populace, huge temple sites (borobudur and prambenan), culturally very diverse and rich
i didn't find any places in Philly appealing, but i would easily settle and live in Bali
Philippines also has white sand beaches and 250 volcanoes. In 2012, Boracay was awarded as the best island in the world from the international travel magazine Travel + Leisure.
Philippines also has white sand beaches and 250 volcanoes. In 2012, Boracay was awarded as the best island in the world from the international travel magazine Travel + Leisure.
bromo mountain beats every mountain in Philippines IMO byfar its still one of the most stunning volcanoes i've ever seen
indonesia just have more to offer than philippines, its one of my favorite country in asia
It is my own choice if I loathe Austronesian sounding last name. I am entitled to. I am not a hypocrite so I am honest on my opinion. For me, it really does NOT sound good at all. Try to compare Maclang, Dimaitim, Sunga, Macalalag, Kabugao, Kalayaw etc to Perez, Martinez, Gonzalez, de los Santos, de la Paz, Fernandez. If you favour the Austronesian names, it is your right... But don't question me for loathing the Austronesian names.
You are surely entitled to your own opinions (as I am to my own), but I find it very interesting that you assume my previous post targeted you specifically even though my previous post did not mention your name or anyone else. You stepped forward with your direct reply so at least I (and the rest of the forum) now know your opinion regarding Spanish and Austronesian surnames.
In any case I stand by my personal opinion that a Filipino/a with colonial mentality is defined as one who finds all aspects of Spanish culture as superior/refined (thus "saving" the Philippines) while anything related to native Austronesian culture is ignored and seen as inferior/primitive. (This colonial mentality is undoubtedly a subset or extension of the inferiority complex.)
On a side note: I live in a big city in the U.S. that has large populations/communities of Filipinos and Mexicans situated close together. From my personal observation, they maintain friendly/neutral relations but otherwise remain socially separate (for the most part) to their respective groups despite having a shared Spanish colonial heritage. I believe several factors are into play here (not a complete list):
1) the ignorance of youth (especially with regards to world history); Filipino youth will often tout "Asian pride" while Mexican youth will often tout "Azteca/Aztlan pride" etc.
2) language barrier (Mexicans are not keen to the Filipino language despite having thousands of Spanish loan words); due to observation #1, many Mexicans find it strange and/or fascinating that Filipinos have Spanish words in their language
3) despite having a semi-Hispanic culture, Filipinos are seen and perceived as Asians (instead of Latinos) by the majority of the Mexican community (which is technically not incorrect); as an example, many Mexicans fail to realize the similarity between their Quinceañera and Filipino Debut etc. etc.
4) a significant distinction between the two groups with respect to education and job/career choice
ETC ETC
back on topic: I hope that Filipinos and Indonesians/Malaysians can put their religious differences aside and strengthen their cooperation to bring prosperity in Southeast Asia as Austronesian brothers and sisters.
You are surely entitled to your own opinions (as I am to my own), but I find it very interesting that you assume my previous post targeted you specifically even though my previous post did not mention your name or anyone else. You stepped forward with your direct reply so at least I (and the rest of the forum) now know your opinion regarding Spanish and Austronesian surnames.
In any case I stand by my personal opinion that a Filipino/a with colonial mentality is defined as one who finds all aspects of Spanish culture as superior/refined (thus "saving" the Philippines) while anything related to native Austronesian culture is ignored and seen as inferior/primitive. (This colonial mentality is undoubtedly a subset or extension of the inferiority complex.)
On a side note: I live in a big city in the U.S. that has large populations/communities of Filipinos and Mexicans situated close together. From my personal observation, they maintain friendly/neutral relations but otherwise remain socially separate (for the most part) to their respective groups despite having a shared Spanish colonial heritage. I believe several factors are into play here (not a complete list):
1) the ignorance of youth (especially with regards to world history); Filipino youth will often tout "Asian pride" while Mexican youth will often tout "Azteca/Aztlan pride" etc.
2) language barrier (Mexicans are not keen to the Filipino language despite having thousands of Spanish loan words); due to observation #1, many Mexicans find it strange and/or fascinating that Filipinos have Spanish words in their language
3) despite having a semi-Hispanic culture, Filipinos are seen and perceived as Asians (instead of Latinos) by the majority of the Mexican community (which is technically not incorrect); as an example, many Mexicans fail to realize the similarity between their Quinceañera and Filipino Debut etc. etc.
4) a significant distinction between the two groups with respect to education and job/career choice
ETC ETC
back on topic: I hope that Filipinos and Indonesians/Malaysians can put their religious differences aside and strengthen their cooperation to bring prosperity in Southeast Asia as Austronesian brothers and sisters.
Yes I replied right away because it was I who said that " I wouldn't be so happy if I had an Austronesian sounding last name ".
Anyway, this question may be off topic but I am just wondering why Filipinos accuse fellow Filipinos who appreciate Spanish culture and influence in the Philippines a colonial mentality and having inferiority complex right away while appreciating American culture and influence is totally acceptable ?
Have you been to all the mountains in the Philippines ?
Indonesia is bigger so it's normal to have more to offer, however I think Philippines is easier for a Western guy to settle in.
"I think" is a strong word there, what you think is true might not be true to the others Bali is just on a different league compared to any cities/places in Philippines. Bali has this special charm that chants foreigner who visited them, its chaotic yet so beautiful, and the ever lovely smiling Balinese is just another addition to the island's attractiveness. Bali is very easy for foreigner to settle in, its one places in Indonesia that has English speaking population, it also have highly developed tourism infrastructure, reasonable schools for exapts kids, amazing cultural heritage, relatively still cheap (though price quickly becoming not so with price peaking up lately), very tolerant population and one of the safest place in Southeast Asia. There is a reason why Indonesian government mostly held their conference in Bali, its relatively stable and safe! its people are carefree and very trustworthy towards each other, even more than the rest of the country. It is one of the places on earth where i've seen scooters left parked running without anyone caring or tempted to steal it.
The rest of the country is however a different story, apart from Java and Bali (and maybe Sumatra), infrastructure is very poor. It wouldn't be easy to settle to let's say eastern part of Indonesia. English outside of Bali is also hardly used, but you can easily learn the local language within a month or so. I personally find Jakarta very unattractive city to lived in but other city like Surabaya or Tangerang seems reasonable enough, they are the 2 most promising city (in my view) other than Bali.
Cities in Philippines are not that different to other cities in Indonesia in terms of livability, plus i can have more if i stay in Indonesia than in Philippines. Visa is a challenge for expat in Indonesia however, a month in Indonesia? even if i rush myself to catch all the bus and ferry schedule, wouldn't be enough for me to\ experience all that Indonesia has to offer! i noticed that large number of expat in Indonesia married local ladies to enable them actually settling in Indonesia for a longer term.
It is my own choice if I loathe Austronesian sounding last name. I am entitled to. I am not a hypocrite so I am honest on my opinion. For me, it really does NOT sound good at all. Try to compare Maclang, Dimaitim, Sunga, Macalalag, Kabugao, Kalayaw etc to Perez, Martinez, Gonzalez, de los Santos, de la Paz, Fernandez. If you favour the Austronesian names, it is your right... But don't question me for loathing the Austronesian names.
Are you Melismatic Echoes? If so why did you create another account? haha
Anyway, this question may be off topic but I am just wondering why Filipinos accuse fellow Filipinos who appreciate Spanish culture and influence in the Philippines a colonial mentality and having inferiority complex right away while appreciating American culture and influence is totally acceptable ?
There isn't really an "American culture" per se since the United States is a melting pot of cultures which vary from region to region (though it is largely western-European based, which therefore includes Spain) so what exactly is being appreciated? You mean like fast food and television sitcoms? In other words, the U.S. is such a diverse country so there isn't really a prototypical way to be "American."
Also, speaking English as a native language does not automatically mean "appreciating American culture" but rather a consequence of being born and raised in the U.S., just like Spanish loan words in the current Filipino language are a consequence of historical colonialism.
In any case, Filipinos who "appreciate American culture" aren't actively trying to promote the English language over Tagalog/Cebuano/Illocano and align itself with the Anglosphere (unlike the respective agenda of Hispanophile Filipinos). Also, American traditions like tail-gate parties, trick-or-treating, groundhog day, etc. aren't actively done in the Philippines or encouraged.
Of course, there is American influence in the Philippines but it is nowhere near as glorified or championed as Spanish influence in the Philippines. Instead, it is perceived as a given (and thus taken for granted).
As it stands, it seems Philippine Independence from Spain was a mistake for Hispanophile Filipinos.
Last edited by kanjelman7; 01-26-2014 at 04:07 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Bali is just on a different league compared to any cities/places in Philippines. Bali has this special charm that chants foreigner who visited them, its chaotic yet so beautiful, and the ever lovely smiling Balinese is just another addition to the island's attractiveness. Bali is very easy for foreigner to settle in, its one places in Indonesia that has English speaking population, it also have highly developed tourism infrastructure, reasonable schools for exapts kids, amazing cultural heritage, relatively still cheap (though price quickly becoming not so with price peaking up lately), very tolerant population and one of the safest place in Southeast Asia. There is a reason why Indonesian government mostly held their conference in Bali, its relatively stable and safe! its people are carefree and very trustworthy towards each other, even more than the rest of the country. It is one of the places on earth where i've seen scooters left parked running without anyone caring or tempted to steal it.
