Update: Back in the Philippines, Girlfriend & 2020 Itinerary

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#philippines #reekay #vietnam

Author: Reekay V.

Since 2012 I’ve been traveling through various islands of the Philippines as a full-time Expat and spent 1999 living in Vietnam.

Share with me my ongoing adventures of life in the Philippines. Hopefully you find my observations helpful in your own adventures.
— Reekay

124 comments

  1. My ‘Soundtrack to Asia’ Playlist.. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCCdOFKKMy37ByidpR1C4Ejb9EhQzRVrM
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    1. Congrats dude and, welllll, ( inside joke) its It’s not easy finding the right Pinay. Been here and following long time and hope it all works out. I live by your mom so to speak and enjoyed your California pieces…
      Mabuhay.

    2. happy for you guys. so all three of the vloggers I follow now have good relationships. you ned and tim k. I have been to Davao last 4 years and will be back there again in October when I retire. good luck to your time in there and to your girl. hope to see her on one of your posts soon.

  2. 11:04. Most fish soups in the Philippines will have the whole fish including the heads and it actually tastes very good I’ll even eat my wife’s fish head soup.
    So she made that soup especially for you. 🙂

  3. Congratulations on your relationship, Reekay. Thanks for your informative videos about the Philippines and Vietnam over the years.

  4. Hello Reekay. I’m not sure it’s an earwax issue, since your symptoms are also similar to secretory otitis media, which is caused by eustachian tube dysfunction and is simply a buildup of clear, non-purulent fluid in the middle ear space behind the eardrum. Do you have a history of bilateral cerumen occlusion? If so, then this is nothing new for you, though it’s very unusual for someone to have a bilateral wax impaction as you’re describing, but it could certainly be the case following attempts at self-remediation. Can you perform the Valsava maneuver? That’s when you hold your nose and blow gently (not hard). You should feel your eustachian tubes open briefly with only slight pressure and you should notice a significant change in hearing if this is the issue. If you cannot manually open your eustachian tubes, then you could try an OTC anti-histamine such as sudafed or benadryl to see if that makes any difference. You’ll know in a few hours if it helps or not. If not, then you should see any physician or PAC (physician’s assistant) and let them know about your inability to open your eustachian tubes. If you can open them, and there’s no change, then you might have experienced either a sudden hearing loss (SHL) or you have a bilateral occlusion due to your own attempts at cerumen intervention. At this point, it’s time to know if you have a conductive hearing loss (HL) due to wax impaction or if you’re experiencing a SHL. The latter is noting to mess around with, especially since you have a very narrow window for treatment. I’m not even sure if a physician in the Philippines would know what a SHL is, or that the treatment options are generally high doses of oral steroids, followed by trans-tympanic steroid + gentamicin injections. In the US, we also use hyperbaric chamber treatments along with the steroids for maximum effect. I’d see if you could find an ENT in the Philippines who was educated in Germany or perhaps had their residency there. It’s not uncommon to find exactly this type of ENT physician in SE Asia. They would be your best bet for an accurate diagnosis and treatment. Best of luck!

  5. glad you found someone that blends with you. Good luck in your travels with Vi. Maybe I’ll catch up with you the next time you’re in Riverside Cty.

  6. Hey, Henry, I like seeing you back in the Philippines again. Just my opinion that is were you belong. And for me and maybe some others, we can understand the locals. Keep up the good work.

  7. I was so busy all year working nights I’ve apparently missed out on your latest news in your life.Congrats on your new relationship and enguagement so big congratulation Reekay n Thank you for this video.

  8. WoW,,, what a happy dude you are,,, you don’t need tell us Reekay you can see it in your face,,, its like youve written the next love song,,, Very many congratulations to you both,,, V is definatly beautiful,,, and I hope she dose join you on the channel in time,,, I always like another perspective on life, you can change your channel name now to,,, HAPPY CHAPPY REEKAY xxx

  9. Great to hear that you’re in a happy and fulfilling relationship, wish you both all the success in the world and the same happiness and satisfaction that I have with my loving Filipina wife here in Israel

  10. From my home in Montreal to a hotel in Manila usually takes around 30 hours with an average 2 stop flight. Sigh, and I am unable to sleep in planes. Don’t pressure the girl too much, you seem to have everything all planned out and she has to fit in… A tough job.

  11. She probable want children best to you both. Trust is hard to attain sometimes she don’t trust anyone but her themselve if she been burnt in a relationship. . You seem happy that great

  12. I did the same Airbnb thing with my Filipina for over a year and wound up marrying her a few weeks ago. At first I was worried about the age gap but my family in the USA all got along with her and she is just a perfect match. So good luck

  13. Reekay, I’m watching your video for a second time with my wife, and we both agree that your symptoms sure sound a lot more like a sudden hearing loss than wax or eustachian tube issues. If you’re not 100% better today, you should go see an ENT and be sure to emphasize three things. First the sudden change, second the severity, and third the binaural nature. The best time for treatment of a SHL is within the first 48 hours. The clock is ticking. Think of a SHL as a transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the auditory system. Most of the time there isn’t enough blood getting to the nerves in the auditory system for the nerves to function, which is why people describe a SHL as “waking up and feeling like they are under water”, but there is enough blood getting through the keep the nerves alive. Steroids shrink swelling and if effective they could restore normal blood flow and save the neurons being affected. If you seek treatment soon, and you find a good ENT who understands the treatment options (listed in my other comment) then you can likely turn this around and get some or all of your hearing back. If you wait and don’t address it, then this is the quality of life that you’ll have, for the rest of your life or until we figure out how to use stem cells to repair the damage. Work on the latter is progressing very slowly, due to the complexity of the auditory system, placement of the end organ, involvement of the various structures in the brain, etc. Don’t count it anything in the next 15 to 20 years. By the way, because a SHL involves neural damage, most of the time hearing devices do not improve one’s quality of life by much at all, even the most expensive types. This is why immediate treatment is preferred. Best of luck.

  14. congratulation to you with your new girl friend you deserve it try hydroperoxide for the earAbout 10 minutes on each year

  15. Very happy for you two! You have found what I found over 4 years ago. A beautiful lady from Davao City. Davao has many nice women that are not Big City Girls like Manila produces. I am still here in South Orange County CA but, plan to be back in Davao in March or April at the latest and we can all meet for lunch.

  16. Wonderful to learn more about Vie. You really seem happy and I hope she’s the soulmate you’ve been looking for. All the best to you Reekay!!

  17. Hello Henry and congrats on your new relationship! She looks great and I hope the best for both of you! Hope you get better too.

    1. after 3 months it simply wasn’t working out, so we went our own ways back around july, 2019.

  18. you shared a Wilson Pickett song on your facebook page, but now you’re singing this song.: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEztui18cA8
    All the best!

  19. Please Reekay this time when you are in Cebu let’s have Pho, both you and your girl my treat. Just a short visit cause I know you are busy. Any time that’s good for you cause I m here at Solinea condo across the street from the mall. I have lived in Murrieta over 20 years, so we have sort of been neighbors

  20. Few months back he was dating an older vietnamese woman saying how much he loved vietnam in comparison to the philippines what happened?

    1. the vietnamese woman i was dating (in saigon, 46 years old).. i gave it 3-months and we simply were not a good match. plus, she had made plans to live in holland and that did not interest me at all. people meet, date and often move on. not much mystery about that.

      as for vietnam (the country)… i still love vietnam and plan to return for a while with my filipina g/f.

  21. I meet you in Forbes. San Antonio Plaza. I can tell you what to do with you ear. I am in Davao now.

    1. of course. even her parents advised her and her sister to consider no kids in order to have a better life. her parents are not catholic and very open-minded. so she (my g/f) prefers a life w/out kids in order to be together and focus on our relationship.

  22. Congratulations Reekay, treat her good so she can continue to make fish soup for you. She is really very pretty and you guys make a beautiful couple. Please keep the videos coming. I am an expat in training and your videos are informative and inspiring to me. Keep up the good work and have a great day.

  23. Warm olive oil in each ear will do the trick, put rolled up tissue in the ear to hold in the oil.
    I had a plug develop that was 1/2 inch thick, one over-night treatment cleared the mess out.

  24. I am from Davao and found it a very safe place to live. We r building a house in Samal to retire. Samal is an island fronting the city. Good luck!

  25. Take a look at Baguio, the weather seems to be perfect every time I am there. 68 at night and 72 during the day

  26. Man Reekay, well done brother, you inspire me so much man. All your vids, i get to learn something by just listerning to what you have to say. Congrats to you both. She found a real man!

  27. Well done Henry, glad you found someone, good to know your nearby ( I,m in Butuan) just bought a car so we may be up to Davao soon, we can meet for dinner.

  28. I went deaf like that in Davao City (next to Abreeza) and after paying and seeing 15 doctors, I just gave up…. completely deaf for 6 months. I have no hope in any Filipino for any medical reasons at all.

  29. I’ve used Murine brand of earwax remover (carbomide peroxide) and it’s a life saver. It might take a couple of days before the clog releases and you have to use the plunger bulb it comes with and use both hands to squeeze the plunger so water rushes into your ear with sufficient force.

  30. Reekay glad your back in the Philippines. Back when I was in the “International Dating Bis” I always recommended to client going to Davao to 1. Avoid Manila 2. Fly to Cebu via Soul Korea or Japan overnight if needed or necessary for your comfort. Book a Cebu-Pacific domestic flight same or next day to Davao for $35-70.00 depending on the time of year. Faster less expensive and far less travel stress.

  31. Try chewing gum, hanging upside down or careful using a qtip and gently cleaning your ear. Sometimes when I go flying in a plane it happens with the ears. I hope that your ear clears up. Good luck with your relationship voyage with Vy. Welcome back to the Philippines.

  32. I called a Teladoc here in usa and they prescribed a steroid for my ear infection it cured it in a few days.

  33. So happy for you. I know how lucky we are when we find the right person. Been with my Jen coming up to 7 years this May and I cannot think of a time in my life when I have ever been happier. I hope everything goes well for you and your good lady :0)

  34. Congratulations I’m very happy for you thank you for your wonderful videos keep up the good work

  35. checked out your soundtrack to asia, and was just blown away by all the red lines in the list, in other words, your list is also my list. just wild. extend it by adding London Beat, thinking about you, and Lenny Kravitz, fly away. cheers to you.

  36. This is ROBERT hope ifnyou are in the BACOLOD or TALISAY area we can do lunch or dinner at our home or at a nice seafood restaurant, i have bern here for 9 months now retired corrections LIEUTENANT/Officer know living in the Philippines i shared info with me about 10 , months ago on my money management n other issues

  37. I have been around since you had 8k. Congrats brother on the lady. I found mine in cebu and spent the holidays with her and her family.

  38. Thats wonderful but if she is traveling with you she cant be working so she deserves to be financially looked after.

  39. Glad to hear that after all the years you finally found your ideal partner, Reekay. I was going through on the same situation when I was looking for a partner who likes not only to work with you between goals and values, but as well as be the part of the family. My Vietnamese wife is fully committed to me. It takes ages to look for the right person, but definitely rewarding once you know she is for you.

    I wish all the best for you two. And thank you for your cool advices as it helped me to find the love of my life. By the way, Happy advance Lunar Year, Reekay.

  40. Just curious Reekay…and I am not trolling you …I am just curious and would like your honest opinion since I am interested in the region. Looking at many expats videos, it seems like they are going through a second mid-life or a sort of existential crisis: very unstable, turbulent relationships, can’t decide which country or city to settle in, whether to buy or rent, whether to marry or stay single, etc, etc. I am not retired yet, but my dream retirement, if at all possible would be a more peaceful and more stable one. Maybe I am just dreaming… So the question is, if you had a magic wand and could decide your fate, wouldn’t you prefer a stable old age, maybe with a rather wrinkly and old-grumpy wife, maybe with those annoying little rascals aka grand-kids,….in a small city or rural part of the USA? Rather than a tumultuous and adrenaline filled life with a lovely young sweet Asian model? Again, I am not judging you or anyone, I am also dating a young Filipina, but I am just looking forward 20, 30 years ahead, which one would be ideal, between the two lives, if I had control (of course I understand the former is hard in the modern social settings we have in the West)…just a thought experiment. Thanks Reekay..

    1. no doubt, ‘some’ or ‘many’ expats are as you described… going through some mid-life crisis after a divorce or hitting some age-milestone in their head. that much is a given.

      but many are simply at retirement age and after discovering the PH, they also end up discovering a much wider spectrum of dating choices. and exploring those options before making a commitment is the smart thing to do.

  41. the biggest problem I can see is that I am guessing she does not work. It takes two incomes these days to be able to live comfortably

    1. not a problem. in fact, her not working is what allows her to go where i go. she has nothing holding her to one place (job, school, kids).

      as for income(s), two incomes are needed in the West. but not in the PH to live comfortably. we’re enjoy a wonderful life together without her working.

  42. Surprised to see you’re back in the Philippines? What happened to the Vietnamese girl you were dating last year. Last I heard you preferred Vietnam and Vietnamese women.

    1. the viet-‘girl’ (age 46)… i gave that 3-months and it simply was not working out. plus she told me she had solid plans to move to holland and i was not about to follow her to holland. so i told her it was best we went our own ways.

      i never said i preferred viet-women. i said i find them very beautiful and classy. but my preference ranges from vietnamese to filipina to japanese women. (and certain korean women).

  43. I wish you and your girlfriend happiness and success.

  44. If any body want to have real friends , real girl friend, set up your own business in foreign countries , Language Barrier is biggest things. If i have lived in countries like Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong , and Singapore longer , I could have done many things .

  45. Hey Reekay, great vlogs, I am also a vlogger in Hanoi Vietnam. Let’s do a collaboration when you come to Vietnam. I’ll help you with business visa stuff, accom etc as well. I just wanted to know what camera you used for this video to give the blurred background?. Looks like you used a iPhone XS Max in portrait mode right?. I’ve added you on Facebook my name is Wiri wiz te Moni lets meetup and colab. Cheers bro.

  46. I’m happy for you both. Like you said it was well worth the wait. Never settle or be in a hurry in a relationship. I’m attending a Korean Christian Church here in Florida and would love to meet a beautiful Korean lady and have a strong relationship with. I lived in Korea for several years and read, write and speak the language. I’m taking an advanced Korean class every Saturday morning to learn more vocabulary and sentence structure. I really enjoy your travel tips on your videos too.

    1. absolutely. it’s not even an issue. we have a great relationship.

    2. @Reekay’s LifeBeyondTheSea I guess you feel comfortable being with a woman that young…

  47. I’m so happy for you, Reekay. I met my Filipina fiancee almost 2 years ago and we’ll be married within the next 3-4 months. My fiancee is also so easygoing and kind and we’re very compatible. Like your girlfriend, my girlfriend’s parents have been married for about 30 years. She’ll be with me here in the US until I retire, which will hopefully be soon, and thereafter we’ll move back to Luzon.

  48. I had a similar nightmare on my last trip to cebu city. I departed Houston Texas for a 16 hr flight to Taiwan. I had a one hr connecting time which is cutting it close as long as no delays. And YEP we had delays leaving Houston and I missed my connecting flight to Cebu. Eva air put me on Cathay Pacific to HK then HK to Cebu city. My original arrive time in Cebu was to be 10am but after the extra traveling I arrived 7pm! Needless to say I was tuckered out!!

  49. Jist wondering what you do with your things, in Vetnam, like scooter, and personal effects?

  50. You couldn’t find a 40something with 3 kids ? Lol .. philippines is heaven for Western men period… Young women treat you like a King.

    1. been there, done that.. several times in the ph and vietnam but i’ve found that (for me).. someone in their 20’s is more my speed.

  51. What about babies? Does she want babies? Is that no longer a deal-breaker for You?

    1. @Reekay’s LifeBeyondTheSea Cool beans! Time for a visit to a clinic for a quick Snip Snip, then? Best wishes for you and Vi.

    2. her parents actually advised her and her sister, life would provide greater opportunities if they chose a life without children.

      her sister is married and living in the province still. but vi (my g/f) is happy being with me knowing that children are not part of our future.

  52. Hi Reekay. Congratulations on you new found love Vi. What is your methodology on meeting Filipinas? I found your video: be yourself, slow it down, and things are not always what they are very interesting. Thanks for Sharing.

  53. Hello Ricky, glad to hear you are doing great. I am Joe from California, I heard you mentioned Calexico, I am from Calexico, I have been to Perris, I have family in San Jacinto and Hemet also. I am now here in Iba Zambales, Philippines, well would be nice to meet you someday, keep up the great job with your videos! Ingat ka palagi.

  54. wooo your gf is just 21 years old, too young…yes age doesnt matter as long as both of you know how to compromise in relationship.. at her age she should be exploring maybe finishing her study, get her own career and someday knows can bring something to the table not just for sex and good looks.. and im hoping you helping her also to let her grow and be independent and not be just a plain housewifey or housegf. By the way,, Im happy for both of you.. i mean it.. i see in your eyes how happy you are with her.. please take care of her heart:)

  55. I think you are not a good person because you had a girlfriend in Vietnam close to your age.  As you traveled to the Philippines to do a visa run, you started to develop a relationship with your 21y/o Filipina.  You were unfaithful to your Vietnamese girlfriend.  She seemed like a really good women and could had been a good person to help and comfort you when you are less able to help yourself.  A young Filipina women will not be capable of seeing things that could go wrong health wise.  You are 3 times her age and more likely 25 plus years her parents.

    1. if that had actually happened, i’d agree with you. but it didn’t. i broke up with my vietnamese g/f in July of 2019. i didn’t even meet my current g/f (in the PH) for the first time (not even online) until months later in September fo 2019.

      so, no.. i did not cheat on anybody. the previous relationship had already ended before i even knew who my current g/f was.

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