Pacific South Morning Journal ®

Calling The Philippines “Home”  How important is a support system?  Of course, most expats manage, eventually, to set up a new and trusted circle of friends and professionals, but in our experience a substantial number don’t. These expats can suffer real distress from being removed from familiar support and from the social isolation that can happen in a foreign village, town or city. People who don’t develop a new support network before overwhelming feelings of cultural and social isolation begin to seriously affect their everyday life may profoundly suffer for it. Not surprisingly, expats, like us, who find it hard to settle in often don’t speak the local language, making it excruciatingly hard to communicate their growing distress, and possible depression, to anyone; Even if he or she does speak some Tagalog. The real danger is that a condition which may start simply with a feeling of numbness or a lack of control or motivation, is internalised, just held inside. T...

Unrealistic Expectations      M ost expats come here with their hopes and dreams in front of them. Dreams of a new life, perhaps a new wife in a country whose people speak English; so we are told. A place that will offer us a new start. All very positive dreams for the future; for our retirement years. What happens when we are confronted by challenges that we could have never anticipated? There are so many realistic challenges that, in the short intro article for “Culture Shock”, the list would be too long. Lets just take a common one. We’ll use a dramatic example to illustrate the point. Language and Isolation: Xpats often find themselves on the outside looking in. Is not exactly what they had in mind for their dream future. Lets suppose that you have found a women and you fall in love only to find that you are not exactly communicating very well.. It may feel like she says one thing and does another. You are thinking, what’s going on here? This is not exactly ...

President Donald Trump Very interesting theory on Trump's Success  The mayor of Livermore California explains Trump’s popularity and success. This is perhaps the best explanation for Trump's popularity .... Marshall Kamena is a registered Democrat and was elected mayor of Livermore, CA.. He ran on the democratic ticket as he knew a Bay Area city would never vote for a Republican. He is as conservative as they come. He wrote the following: Trump’s 'lack of decorum, dignity, and statesmanship' By Marshall Kamena, Mayor of Livermore, CA. My Leftist friends (as well as many ardent #NeverTrumpers) constantly ask me if I’m not bothered by Donald Trump’s lack of decorum. They ask if I don’t think his tweets are “beneath the dignity of the office.” Here’s my answer:  We Right-thinking people have tried dignity. There could not have been a man of more quiet dignity than George W. Bush as he suffered the outrageous lies and politically motivated hatreds that underm...