Très schématiquement, et cela ne vaut que pour moi:
En arrivant ici, et malgré que j'avais déjà vécu dans différents pays très différents les uns des autres, je n'ai pu m'empêcher dans un premier temps d'avoir des réflexes de " supériorité occidentale". A savoir que je trouvais qu' il y avait bien des choses imparfaites, illogiques, dépassées, etc.....et il m'arrivait de m'énerver devant les " Out of stock, Sir" des vendeuses ou les " Yes, Sir" déférents en réponse à une remarque que je faisais sur par exemple la façon de faire une chose. Yes, Sir, mais ils continuaient quand même à faire à leur manière, lol!
Et puis j'ai commencé à comprendre le pays, je crois.
Et c'est ma propre échelle de valeurs qui s'est transformée.
J'ai passé une bonne partie de ma vie à courir après la réussite, l'argent, le statut social.
J'avais tout faux.
Ici, c'est une vraie vie, sans stress, avec des gens qui savent encore être heureux simplement.
Ici on sait encore aimer. On prend encore le temps d' aimer.
Et je ne parle pas uniquement de relations de couple, mais de vie en société au sens le plus général.
Ici on n' ignore pas son voisin qui est mort dans son fauteuil devant sa TV depuis trois mois, et qu' on découvre seulement quand la compagnie d'électricité vient lui couper le jus pour factures impayées, lol!
Ici on ne met pas mémé dans un mouroir pour vieux inutiles. Elle fait partie de la famille jusqu' à son dernier souffle, et même longtemps après....A-t' on jamais vu, en France, une famille aller pique niquer au cimetière sur la tombe des disparus, tout au long d' un dimanche? Eh bien ici, ça se fait....Je ne dis pas que c'est bien, mais cela montre une autre conception de la vie, de la mort, et des relations affectives.
Loin de moi l' intention de dépeindre le mode de vie Filipino comme une perfection. Comme partout, il y a des fruits pourris dans le panier, comme partout il y a des frères qui se déchirent à mort pour un héritage. Il ya des femmes battues et des maris cocus ( et vice-versa).
Mais dans l'ensemble.....quand on a assimilé la façon dont sont les choses, on ne peut vraiment pas regretter l' Europe ....
Je ne parle même pas de la Femme Filipina, qui est si différente, si vraiment femme....Mais comme tu es une fille, tunecomprendrais pas!
Si je peux me permettre, pour répondre à cette question, il y a un paramètre supplémentaire à prendre en compte: celui de l'age. On ne recherche sans doute pas les mêmes choses à 20 ans, à 40 et à 60. Ton appréciation est, il me semble, fortement liée au fait que tu as eu une vie très bien remplie avant. J'ai aussi été expat dans plusieurs pays, si j'avais attérri aux Philippines à 20 ans, je m'y serais assez rapidement ennuyé: pas assez d'action, pas assez d'opportunités, trop loin des centres ou se joue l'histoire du monde (cf Fernand Braudel). Maintenant une fois qu'on a des enfants et qu'on recherche une vie plus paisible, on y découvre effectivement plein de choses sur les relations humaines et la qualité de vie. Personnellement, même si j'en profite beaucoup aujourd'hui je ne pense pas rester plus de quelques années. Je reviendrais sans doute pour ma retraite mais avant ça j'ai encore beaucoup de choses excitantes à accomplir et à découvrir...
Mais rassure toi, j'ai aussi plein de projets excitants malgré mon âge semi-canonique ( hum....)
Comme j'ai dit avant, mon appréciation ne vaut que pour moi. Et il y a sans doute dans l' ordre naturel des choses, un temps pour galoper et un temps pour apprécier avec sérénité.
C'est vrai que la question de l'ennui sous les tropiques se pose.
Néanmoins, mon copain et moi aimons les choses simples. La mer, un climat qui permet de vivre dehors et non dans une boite-appartement, internet, du dessin pour mon copain, manger plein de poissons 😏 et vivre une vie nonchalante au plus près de la VIE j'ai envie de dire, c'est tout ce qui semble nous convenir.
Nous aimons les concerts et le cinéma mais nous ne sommes pas (enfin surtout moi) des urbains. Consommer c'est pas notre truc, faire partie d'une bande de djeuns branchés non plus, on veut juste l'essentiel pour ne pas se perdre dans les futilités. A mon sens à Paris il n'y a pas l'essentiel mais toutes les futilités possibles pour faire oublier qu'il manque l'essentiel.
Ca m'étouffe.
En fait on aime vivre comme un ptit couple de vieux 😄, entre nos activités créatives, notre petite cuisine et nos longues discussions.
Que notre temps nous appartienne, et qu'on ait un environnement qui nous permette de le passer agréablement, y a rien d'autre qui nous fait plus envie.
Ta réflexion sur les femmes filipinas m'intrigue énormément !! Je suis une fille mais il est possible que je comprenne malgré tout, ma vision de la condition de la femme dans notre société occidentale est très différente de celle véhiculée par le féminisme habituel, ce qui me vaut l'incompréhension voir "la rage" de bcp d'entre elles 😄...Alors peut -être que ton expérience avec les filipinas confirmerait ma propre opinion ;)
Dakodak, je vais à la pêche aux posts ;)
Les titres de tes posts à ce sujet sont ils assez évocateurs?
Bonjour à tous et merci pour toutes vos infos sur les Philippines.
Je ne participe pas beaucoup parce que je n'ai pas encore de connaissance pour compléter vos postes.
Alors juste un petit coup de main à Nanao avec ce lien intéressant.
http://voyageforum.com/voyage/mariage_aux_philippines_D3311371/
comme disais coluche chacun voit midi a sa porte !!
personnellement j'avais 23 ans quand j'ai decouvert les phisl , j'en ai 50 a present , et le premier truc que j'ai dis quand je me suis retrouve a puerto galera en 1983 c'etait que ma vie serait un jour la !! aux phils , j'ai realise mon reve a 47 ans ! par manque de moyens , si j'avais eu les moyens que jai maintenant 25 ans en arriere je l'aurai fais sans hesiter , les phils c'est un coup de coeur pour un ensemble ! les lieux , les ambiances comme les gens , c'est un tout , tu te sens bien ou pas
s'ennuyer ? j'en connais en france qui ont tout a porter de la main et qui se font caguer un max (comme ils disent a marseille)
si tu as des gouts simple pour une vie simple avec des gens simples alors tu aimeras ce pays , mais comme dis si bien getehem tu comprendras les gens que si toi tu veux faire l'effort de les comprendre , comme il dis les reactions primaires que l'on a au debut de notre installation sont conditionnes par la vie de "tout cuit" et du plus parfait possible " a laquelle la france nous a habitué , les habitudes europeennes sont a bannir le plus vite possible si on veut s'integrer le mieux possible
quand aux femmes filipinas elles sont le rouage principal de la vie familiale ici aux phils !
elle est omnipresente dans les decisions de la vie meme si le cote macho de l'homme filipin veut faire croire que c'est lui qui mene la danse
bon voyage aux philippines nanao a toi et a ton compagnon
je suis à la recherche d'informations sur la ville de Cantilan dans la province de Surigao del SurY a t'il quelqu'un parmi les habitués du forum et des philippines qui ait déja séjourné à Cantilan et ses environs??? et qui pourrait me renseigner? Merci yannick...
dis, tu ne pourrais pas créer un fil de discussion pour ta question au lieu de parasiter les autres sujets?
Cela fait CINQ fois que tu postes ce message sur des fils de discussion qui n' ont aucun rapport avec ton souci!
Hi everyone. We re a couple I m French and my girlfriend is Filipino. We re not married yet. I d like to bring her to France for a long-term stay so we can…
Hi there,
I’m explaining our situation—my daughter and her young family have just moved to Polynesia, specifically to the island of Raiatea. That’s great, of course, and my wife and I are planning to visit them. However, flights that go through the United States are causing us a problem because we’ve been to Cuba. I think we’ll need a visa because of that.
Has anyone else dealt with this situation before? Any advice on flights and visas would be really helpful.
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
I have two questions about applying for a Non-Immigrant O Visa at the Thai embassy in France for someone over 50:
- - Do I need to provide the address(es) of stay in Thailand (hotels, staying with a Thai friend)?
- - Financial proof: Is a retirement statement showing over 2,000 € per month sufficient, or are bank statements also required?
I know there’s already a lot of information about the visa requirements on the embassy’s website, but from my experience—having dealt with embassies in other countries in previous years—I know that the information is sometimes (!) incomplete or inconsistent. So, I’d rather hear from people who’ve recently gone through this process to avoid any surprises after submitting my application, which could cause unpleasant delays.
Hi there,
I’m heading to Senegal in January for a month and was wondering if I just need my French driver’s license or if I should get an international permit?
Thanks!
JL
I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?
Hi,
I’m writing to ask for some info—I’ve heard that you **must** have travel insurance to land in Zanzibar.
What’s the process, and which insurance should I get?
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Seb
Hi,
I’m planning a trip to Laos from France with a transit through Thailand involving 2 entries. I might spend up to 7 days max in Thailand (round trip).
The flight I’ve spotted: arrival at BKK and return to France 31 days later.
With the new regulations/visa:
"Starting September 15, 2026, French nationals holding an ordinary passport will be able to stay in Thailand visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism purposes only, down from the previous 60 days."
How do you think the counting is done?
- Number of days spent in Thai territory?
- Entry and exit dates: number of days between the two?
I’m leaning toward the first option, but to avoid any administrative hassles with Thailand (fines, etc.) and before booking my ticket, your input would really help.
Hi there,
we’re planning our trip to the North Cape this summer. We bought a new vehicle for it. Unfortunately, the registration document is still being processed, and the delay seems long—I don’t think I’ll have it in time for our departure...
I have the transfer documents, insurance in my name, and all the supporting paperwork, but not the registration document. So my question is: does the ferry company require the registration document *mandatorily* when boarding in Denmark or not?
Thanks for any insights...
Hi everyone,
I bought a new apartment in Pattaya that will be finished at the end of 2013, and I’d like to buy more later...
I think it’s a good investment idea, but I’d love to hear from those of you with experience—what do you think? I’d also like to know how to handle rentals... Should I go through agencies, or are they usually rented out directly by the building management companies?
Thanks in advance for your replies! 🙂
Hi everyone,
I have to leave for Perth, Australia in a week, for 7 days, and I couldn’t get my international driver’s permit due to processing and delivery delays.
The information I’ve found about whether an international permit is required is contradictory. Some sources say you need one, others say you don’t.
Could anyone let me know if an international driver’s permit is necessary to rent a car in Australia (Perth), or if a French license is enough for a 7-day rental?
hi everyone,
I need to apply for a new eTA for Canada.
do I need the number from my old eTA or not?
because I can’t find my old eTA number anymore.
thanks for your replies, have a great weekend
Hi there,
I know there are similar topics here and elsewhere, but they’re a few years old, and I need an up-to-date answer to make sure I don’t throw over 1000 € out the window. Thanks for your patience.
I’m planning a trip from France to Alberta/British Columbia, and I’m unsure about which bank card to use for the security deposit with the rental company (I’m thinking of going with AVIS).
I contacted Avis Canada, and they told me a credit card is absolutely required. I asked my bank for a credit card (a *real* credit card), but they only offered me a deferred debit card.
My question: For a rental with Avis Canada, is a Gold International Mastercard deferred debit card usable for the security deposit needed to finalize the rental? Is the "CREDIT" label enough? (Some cards say "CREDIT" and others say "CARTE DE CREDIT"—seems minor, but it’s actually a big deal in how the card works.)
I’ve seen conflicting info everywhere I look... My bank says it’s *usually* okay (the deferred debit card), while Avis Canada insists it *must* be a credit card, not debit—even when I mention the deferred debit card.
I know the whole credit card concept is already confusing, and on top of that, some sites say a deferred debit card counts as a credit card, while others say it doesn’t.
Thanks to anyone who can share a recent experience!
Have a great day
Hi,
I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family,
to help me sleep.
I’ll have the prescription with me.
Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it?
Same question for antibiotics?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi everyone,
I’ll explain my situation.
Unfortunately, I lost my passport, and I only realized it two weeks before my departure for a humanitarian mission in Libya. I’m a nurse, and this mission really means a lot to me.
First, I applied for an emergency passport, but it was denied by the Val-d'Oise prefecture on the grounds that a planned humanitarian mission wasn’t considered an urgent reason.
So, I submitted a biometric passport application on July 20th. Since then, the tracking has been stuck, and the town hall can’t (or won’t) give me any clear information. Every time I call, I get a different story. The last update I received was that the passport had been produced since July 23rd with a status of "about to be shipped," but nothing since then.
I’ve managed to push my departure back to next Tuesday at the latest, but I’m starting to really panic.
Have any of you submitted an application around July 20th, especially in Val-d'Oise (95)? How long did you wait between the passport being produced and it being available at the town hall? Is it normal for this step to take this long?
This mission means so much to me. I had everything organized, and I’m also supposed to attend a friend’s wedding right after near the border.
Thanks so much to those who take the time to respond or share their experience. 😔
Can anyone tell me exactly if a passport "valid for the duration of the stay" is enough, or does it need to be valid for 6 months after the trip?
I checked the embassy’s website, but that info is missing.
Hi there,
I’ll be arriving in Seoul on November 18th after spending about a month in India.
Do you know if I’ll need to fill out any additional documents besides the e-arrival card?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
I’m a bit embarrassed because I need to travel to Quebec from February 27th to March 13th. I’m a regular visitor to Canada—this will be my 10th trip since 1997, plus a year as a permanent resident (2000–2001) and a cross-country run from Vancouver to Halifax in 2011. So, I’m definitely not a terrorist!
But since our last trip in July 2015, they’ve introduced this eTA thing. Seems more like a way to make money than to actually secure Canada, if you ask me, but anyway, that’s not the point.
I applied for an eTA for myself, my wife, and our two kids. They all got approved within hours, but not me! I was asked to create a GC key and then an IRCC account, which I did. Normally, you get news within 72 hours, but since Monday, January 15th, nothing!
In the "message" section of the account, it says "explanation letter (required)" with a deadline of January 25th, but I can’t find any explanation anywhere—despite searching the Canadian government website and Google. No links, nothing!
I’ve emailed them but haven’t heard back yet. I’m thinking of calling the Canadian embassy in Paris tomorrow. Even though I’m not stressing yet, it’d be a bummer if everyone else got to go without me!
If anyone’s had this issue before or knows what this explanation letter is about, I’d love to hear more.
hi there
I’m heading to Seoul in September, and to do that I need to get a travel authorization that we apply for through K-ETA....... turns out I can (barely, I admit) fill out the form up to the address of our "stay location," but every address I’ve entered has been rejected by the system. I’ve tried my hotel, the Lotte Hotel (which is well-known in Seoul), the airport—basically, I’ve entered at least 20 addresses, all rejected....
So, to anyone who’s successfully gotten the authorization, could you tell me which address you used to get that "elusive" approval?...
Hi there,
I have a 9-seater passenger vehicle that I use for my business in Paris, transporting people.
I’m planning to go to Algeria with my family.
The vehicle registration lists my company as the owner.
Can I get a TPD (Temporary Admission Document)?
Will I need a KBis extract or a power of attorney?!?
Thanks for your help.
Worst case, I can add my personal name as a co-owner on the registration, but that would be a real shame!
Hi, are there any travelers who’ve recently crossed the border between Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan) and Beineu in Kazakhstan?
It was closed for a while.
Thanks for any info!
I bought a one-way flight (Ryanair) and a return flight (EasyJet) to spend a week in Morocco in April.
My passport expires 3 weeks after the return date.
Some websites say the passport must be valid for 3 months at the time of entry.
However, it will still be valid both on entry and return, but its validity will only be 1 month at the time of entry (and 3 weeks on the return date, everything prepaid).
It's an individual family trip.
The consulate can't give me an answer—they're still looking into it (really!)
Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht).
This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea?
Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast!
Cheers,
Bruno.
My partner, our 8-year-old daughter, and I are going on vacation to Gex.
We’ve decided to spend one day in Switzerland and another in Italy. Will we need ID (national ID card or passport)? Do we also need ID for our daughter?
Hello,
We’ll soon be moving to Madagascar long-term.
As a French national, I need to obtain a short-stay visa that can be converted to a long-stay one. To do this, I have to send the required documents to the Madagascar embassy in Paris.
No issues with that procedure so far.
If I get this visa, once I arrive in Madagascar, I’ll need to provide the same documents to the Ministry of the Interior in Anosy. I’m trying to find an email address or website for the Ministry to check which documents I need to submit (I think they ask for additional ones).
If you have any info on this, I’d appreciate your replies.
Best regards,
M. Buisson Eric
I’d like to know if anyone has already applied for a private visa to Russia with an invitation from a Russian resident.
I traveled earlier this year with an e-visa, but since I want to stay longer, I’ll be visiting my friend who lives in eastern Russia.
For the visa application, does the invitation need to be on an official paper form issued by the Russian ministry? And most importantly, do I need to present the original for the application, or is there an electronic version that can be sent directly to the consulate in France?
Thanks for any info if you’ve gone through this process before!
I filled out the B2 form to apply for a visa, created an account on Atvis to pay the visa fees and schedule a meet-up, but every time I try to pay with my Boursobank Visa 1st card, they refuse the payment with a message telling me to check my details (address), even though everything is correct. Does anyone know why this is happening, or maybe they don’t accept Visa cards? Are you aware of this?
Thanks for your feedback!
Elisabeth
There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.
Paper documents might not be accepted.
Is this real or just a hoax?
Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received.
Thanks everyone.
Hi there,
We need to apply for a B2 visa because we visited Iran in 2018. It currently costs $185, but they’re planning an additional $250 fee per person for the same visa—it’s been approved but not yet implemented. Does anyone know when this fee will take effect?
Thanks in advance!
Elisabeth
Hi there,
In November, we're heading off on a 4-month trip. We'll be landing in China and plan to leave the country via a land border into Vietnam.
I’ve read that China may ask for proof of exit within 30 days (flight ticket or other reservation). Since we’d be leaving by land, I’m wondering how this works in practice.
Has anyone here been in this situation recently?
Did the airline ask for an exit ticket before boarding?
Did Chinese authorities require proof upon arrival?
Is a train/bus ticket to Vietnam sufficient?
Is a cancelable or flexible reservation accepted?
je suis à la recherche d'informations sur la ville de Cantilan dans la province de Surigao del SurY a t'il quelqu'un parmi les habitués du forum et des philippines qui ait déja séjourné à Cantilan et ses environs??? et qui pourrait me renseigner? Merci yannick...
