I have much more experience with the Philippines as they are the best to me! For examples sake I will be speaking mostly about the Philippines in this website. The tables of Photo's and Video's shown below are taken at various times there. Comments should give you a feel of the place and the life style. Philippines can be a friendly place. Spending our dollars there really stretch the value and can be worth 50 times more there. The way they address us (especially the girls), the respect they show and we seem to be treated with (like we are special) makes this a tropical, less aggravating, slower paced life, and the Filipina's, well it's a man's paradise!

First, I am a Martial Arts Expert with training in Chinese Gung Fu/ Kung Fu, Thai Boxing, Indonesian Pentjak Silat and Filipino Kali, Eskrima, Arnis. I have training by some of the best instructors we had in the USA during the 1970's and 80's and even on into the 1990's. But I also have extensive training of them in those countries as well. I have been traveling to these places and been doing training trips lasting for months at a time, many times over the course of many years! It is from both experiences with the people from those countries and living in them among them in their own culture that I draw my experiences for helping others travel enjoy, meet people or do business there!

About differences, the Culture & Behaviors. There are distinct differences in how we live, were raised and how influenced. We think and act differently. What we expect people to act like is different. The environment and the influences on these countries from outside forces help to shape the culture and societies there. Another huge force is economics. Humans are much like dogs and other animals no matter how much we denie it. Self preservation, greed, a want for power or at least survival and comfort is most important goals in life(like sex). Same for our loved ones, family and friends. Family, extended family, friends are much closer, more helpful and involved in all their lives. Commonly families had 12 -16 children, same for aunts and uncles, all who have many friends. The shear numbers of them make them much more social in the Philippines and allows the average poor families to survive. Each work or have things they do to help the family. Their struggles in life pull them closer and each will usually try to get better off. Earn more money, they are driven to send some money back home regularly for parents or siblings to better their lives! It's a fight a struggle they are all focused on. If you were barely clothed, did not get three good meals a day, limited comforts, and had no good solid, safe walls and roof over your head. How might that effect your behavior and motivations in life. They will cling to and put their hopes into religion and things like gambling, hoping for improvements in life that for many years the Government did not seem to care about. Good it's tropical and is never really cold (near freezing) there. They think 60 ( F ) is cold. Native motives and thought in Asian Countries mentioned like China is very different also. Chinese are very business minded, detailed, organized, ordered, in comparison and much like the Japanese most all live in a far superior lifestyle then the average Filipino. Much of these things I'd rather talk to you about one on one in private, clients only. My experiences and advice is limited to the these Asian countries China, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Our behavior needs to be modified in ways to match behavior expectations, their view of what's normal. Act talk do things in a certain way and they will like you and treat you well, gets your best results. It's important if your in, and dealing with people in the same place for long periods. You won't know it but Filipinos observe and judge you. Tsimosa (cheese mose a) - triggering gossip there is easy to do and it seems to travel faster then the phone lines. It will be exaggerated, and embellished and then things made up about bad behavior and it could bring your work, business, training, or enjoyment to a halt or much worse. If you don't know, there are many kidnappings, killings, and people (foreigners) held for ransom in the Philippines and also a high number of Muslims especially in the south (Mindanao, near the Dipitan area is the birth place of the Abbasyoff Terrorists). Most of the aggitators who incite, finance and rally them up are Saudes! You can draw your own conclusions but I have had involvement in the training and fighting against those factions. An insiders view, getting past the tourist fascinations is important, things are not necessarily what you think you see! It can cost you dearly!