Feeling Old All Of A sudden

Navajo52 Contributor

122POSTS

9 years ago

Well, here we are; baby-boomers trying our best to live a lifestyle (mentally a well as physically) that puts聽 us at an age of 25 or 30 years old. Up until now I've done pretty well at ignoring the grey hair on my head and even my whiskers. Living a life with a wife 17 years younger than me and even raising some great daughters with the youngest at just 13 years old.

I managed that until today when my 13 year old went to the Angeles VFW post to pick up a letter for me. It was from the Dept of Health & Human Services--Medicare department.
Yep, I received my US Medicare card in the mail! Talk about shock; I can remember my parents getting these same cards in the mail and thinking then-my gosh they are old!

So what now? Do we just accept that we are a bunch of old guys that refuse to accept we are the age we are or do we get more active and do whatever is needed to extend our lives here in paradise? Guess that's the reason for serious health issues I'v tried to deny and avoid but darn, shouldn't we have quit the game and moved over here years ago???

I for one intend to accept the fact that I'm 65 years old and enlist the help of my wife and daughters to help me forget it. Now,,,,,, where did I put my dentures?????

Nephi52

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Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

9 years ago

Navajo52 wrote:
So what now? Do we just accept that we are a bunch of old guys that refuse to accept we are the age we are or do we get more active and do whatever is needed to extend our lives here in paradise?

Your body is only as old as your opinion of your age.
Once you sit down in front of the fire with a newspaper you might as well die and get it over with.
Stuff that for a game of soldiers - get out there and prove you're still alive.

Buzzardman Active member

72POSTS

9 years ago

Old? You youngsters aged just 65 will soon realise that that old feeling soon passes. It's true that you are as old as you act

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

9 years ago

I'm not getting old until I can't move around on my own, and even then I'll be disgusting to the nurses looking after me who'll assume I've lost my marbles .... but one might let be have my oats out of sympathy.

Rammers Contributor

131POSTS

8 years ago

You mean sitting down in front
of the Aircon?

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

8 years ago

This is hazard of living here when all the family want to help you do things. I'm 70 but went through a stage when i lost weight and diagnosed as pernicious anemia. That was last year and now with daily b12 and other vit tabs I'm back up to almost normal. Do 30 pushups in the morning with our pets surrounding me and its not true that dog spit makes your hair grow!聽 Keeping yourself busy of course helps but don't upset the family in the process?

Mixknight Active member

60POSTS

8 years ago

Very nice it made me laugh thanks for that I am 74 and have a 2 year old and a 5 year old with a wonderful wife half my age. I just came out the hospital in the USA after 6 months and now learning to walk again. I say count our blessings that we can help and be helped. The joy in my kids and wifes eyes says should did this earlier and then i say earlier. Could not see all the blessings of this relationship.聽 So enjoy brother had my medicaid card before you lol.

JakyMichael Active member

44POSTS

8 years ago

the problem what burdens me more and more is that I would leave my stupid home country as fast as possible, but I can't right now because i'm not old enough to get my retirement payment. I聽 married a wonderful pinay last year and even I'm still 52 I want to spend my time with her and live at the phils right now. Because no one knows when papa jesus call you to heaven. And that's what gives聽 me more and more the feeling to wast my livetime聽 here with work and the stressful daily routine and the many people with the typical german mentality what I hate so much....

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

8 years ago

Jaky good am, i had the same problem with taking early retirement at age 56 and so let my furnished home out for rent in the UK. With that rent and a small private pension I was able to live quite well here until the state pension kicked in at 65.

Navajo52 Contributor

122POSTS

8 years ago

#10

JakyMichael wrote:
the problem what burdens me more and more is that I would leave my stupid home country as fast as possible, but I can't right now because i'm not old enough to get my retirement payment. I聽 married a wonderful pinay last year and even I'm still 52 I want to spend my time with her and live at the phils right now. Because no one knows when papa Jesus call you to heaven. And that's what gives聽 me more and more the feeling to wast my lifetime聽 here with work and the stressful daily routine and the many people with the typical German mentality what I hate so much....

I was in the same boat as you are now. Tied down to the rat race in the US and sick to death of it. Finally at 51 years old back in 2003 I said to heck with it and moved here to the Philippines to marry my sweetheart. I arrived here with only $750us dollars in my pocket and no more anywhere. Trusted to luck and to love I tossed caution to the wind.
My wife worked and still does a full time job but that was all we had to live on until I could start collecting my pensions. I was not easy and we did without a lot of things we wanted and needed but we made it and we survived. Looking back now, those lean years were some of the best times of our marriage. If you're married to the right one, things will work out.
Just be sure if you make an early move to leave yourself a financial way out should it ever be needed.

Fred Indonesia Expert

30549POSTS

8 years ago

#11

Navajo52 wrote:
Tied down to the rat race in the US and sick to death of it. Finally at 51 years old back in 2003 I said to heck with it and moved here to the Philippines to marry my sweetheart. I arrived here with only $750us dollars in my pocket and no more anywhere. Trusted to luck and to love I tossed caution to the wind.

Rock on, dude.
So few people have the guts to take a chance, all planning things down to the last penny聽 or knowing they're going onto a job with with megacash.

I did something similar but I had enough cash for a few years so I wasn't quite as crazy as you.

Navajo52 Contributor

122POSTS

8 years ago

#12

Fred wrote:
Navajo52 wrote:
Tied down to the rat race in the US and sick to death of it. Finally at 51 years old back in 2003 I said to heck with it and moved here to the Philippines to marry my sweetheart. I arrived here with only $750us dollars in my pocket and no more anywhere. Trusted to luck and to love I tossed caution to the wind.

Rock on, dude.
So few people have the guts to take a chance, all planning things down to the last penny聽 or knowing they're going onto a job with with megacash.

I did something similar but I had enough cash for a few years so I wasn't quite as crazy as you.

Yea, it was quite the adventure without a doubt. Also seeing and experiencing how "the other half" lived gave me an appreciation for all the things I took for granted back in the States. Imagine having to save cash just to be able to take our kids to Jollibee!
Good memories though and I still think I'd do it over again. I do feel bad though for people that try that with a gal they hardly know or worse yet a bar girl out of Angeles City. In that case those are the real risk takers.

JakyMichael Active member

44POSTS

8 years ago

#13

The following plan I made to find a compromise between the high risk of quit my job and move to the phils without money now, and waiting to long to leave here.聽 Last year I bought a property in a new made subdivision that house will be finally built end of 2017 or spring 18.聽 Next couple weeks my Sweetheart will get her visa (hopefully) and then I will flight to cebu check the status of the house construction and bring her with me to germany...My retirement payments will come in 9 years so we have to live here vor a while. But I have some savings from selling my house here, it's not enough to live from that for 9 years but 3 or 4 years I can leave earlier from that money.....So the next 5 or 6 Years we will spend our time in germany and I will use that time to show my Angel the nice places in Europe and go for vacation once a year to the phils look for the house, furnish it and prepare everything for the final day where we can live in.....ok, that's only my plan, many unknown things can happen, but on that we have no influence. So let's hope the best and as long I'm healthy and in a good relationship with my Angel every other thing is secondary.......And sorry guys for my bad english 馃榾

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

8 years ago

#14

Jaky it is not a good idea to have a house built here whilst you are abroad. There is a good deal to be saved by the builder by reducing cement and steel bars in your house. No one will be the wiser until 5 years time when cracks appear and wow betide the place if their is an earthquake. Some expats assume that tradesmen are the same as as in their home country but this is not true. Even family are not beyond arranging for highly edited receipt notes etc .聽

Honestly you should be aware of this and of course there are no guarantees for you at the end, only a pretty house to show for your cash. Do not accept other peoples word for the building quality or friends advice, best to be there.

Navajo52 Contributor

122POSTS

8 years ago

#15

Peter Clark wrote:
Jaky it is not a good idea to have a house built here whilst you are abroad. There is a good deal to be saved by the builder by reducing cement and steel bars in your house. No one will be the wiser until 5 years time when cracks appear and wow betide the place if their is an earthquake. Some expats assume that tradesmen are the same as as in their home country but this is not true. Even family are not beyond arranging for highly edited receipt notes etc .聽

Honestly you should be aware of this and of course there are no guarantees for you at the end, only a pretty house to show for your cash. Do not accept other peoples word for the building quality or friends advice, best to be there.

Very-very true. even if you are here in country during construction you need to be onsite all day every day. If not, items and tools will go missing as well as they will revert back to the way they know how to build. Anything not locked up will go missing. Most do not own their own tools and you will have to supply. Collect and count all tools at the end of every work day!!

JakyMichael Active member

44POSTS

8 years ago

#16

thanks for the warning guys, but in my case it's a little different. The house is in in a new planed and just started subdivision, all the houses there are similar, everything inside and outside is the same. So I visited and checked the model house, what was the first one they built,聽 properly in any details and right now they continuing building house by house. So I can see and check the ongoing construction works online and also I will fly back to cebu in a couple weeks and look for it personally. If my wife and me are back in germany, I can send my sister in law to look for everything...So it's written in the contract that the overtaking will be in November this year.. On that date I will be there and control the finished house, and complain about every detail who's not similar with the model house and they have to fix it....

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

8 years ago

#17

I suppose you need to know something about the construction industry to spot weaknesses and scams because when the concrete has dried and painted the problems don't show for a while.聽 Shortcuts can be made to save expenses and of course its more expensive to correct things later if at all.聽 I find bathroom windows are always too small and placed up high near the ceiling. Bedroom windows facing South will need screens or coloured glass to keep the suns hot rays out or an aircon that works out at an extra 1000 pesos per unit on your bill per month. Hope it works out Jay but remember that building to an absolute minimum spec will enable the builder to give low quotations and your house will not be EXACTLY to the same quality as the show house. My wife in the Uk sold Barrat homes and all the show houses were fantastic but when the new owners built theirs and fitted doors on the rooms they didn't like them as much.

JakyMichael Active member

44POSTS

8 years ago

#18

thank's for you information, I will try to make as much short controls there I can, and my house is still not started to build, so I can check the houses from other owners before when I'm there and when there's something different to the model house I will compline it and start to argue immediately....馃榾馃挭馃榾

Peter Clark Serial expat

242POSTS

8 years ago

#19

There are some aspects of homes in the Philippines that don't gel with Europeans and one thing is interior wall paint. We are happy with mat finish (called flat here) walls and the Filipinos prefer shiny surfaces. Suppose its because of the hot weather and tiles on the floor that are usually shiny .... and slippy!聽 To me they look like plastic! If you want to have a mat finish, ask them to buy a white flat water based paint and then tint it with your choice, they are very good at tinting. Davis paint have a nice range of "Pastels" that you can choose from and get them to copy it in flat.