While I’d rather talk about anything other than myself (including Martial Law, the questionable judging on Manny Pacquiao’s last fight, and even Donald Trump’s hair) for my first column here in the Dumaguete Metro Post, I guess it’s good to share a little background since we’re going to get to know each other over the coming weeks, months, and hopefully, years.
I was born in Connecticut in the U.S. (that little state sandwiched between New York and Massachusetts), but I quickly escaped after high school and five inglorious years at the University of Connecticut.
My origins with pen and paper (and then keyboard) grew not from English Literature classes or a job in journalism, but my lifelong dream to be an author.
Wanderlust was also in my DNA, I guess, since both of my parents were born in Germany and emigrated to the U.S. for work. When I was young, we traveled a lot as a family, and by high school, I was exploring Europe unsupervised (a scary thought). So we — and later, I — traveled as much as possible.
In fact in 1999, I managed to backpack around the world for a year with a buddy. We hit 34 countries in six continents — including the Philippines. Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Boracay (there was only Station 3 then), and Davao looked a whole lot different then.
Back from my life-changing year abroad, I made my way out to California, where I lived in Sacramento for a decade, working in the real estate industry. I tried to follow everyone’s advice and “settle down” but it almost killed me — I was jumping out of my skin for new challenges and adventures on the world stage.
So in 2011, I decided to chase my life-long dream of moving abroad, exploring the world, and writing about it. I sold or donated all of my possessions, quit my job, and bought a one-way ticket to Costa Rica. People thought I was crazy for giving up a big house, nice cars, a great job, and all of that stuff, but for me, I would have been crazy not to.
I lived in the little seaside village of Tamarindo for a year, where I wrote my first book. The next year, I moved north to Nicaragua, and wrote another book. People still asked me when I was coming back to the United States to settle down, but instead, I made my way across the globe to live in Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia for three years, writing books, articles, and blogs as I went.
While in Asia, I took a trip to the Philippines once a year, and found it a marvelous cultural paradox. If you tried to design a more complex, chaotic, beautiful, humorous, and awe-inspiring country, you couldn’t even come close to the Philippines!
So when I built up my blogging/marketing business enough (It’s More Expensive in the Philippines), I made the move. Unfortunately, I posted up in Cebu City for the first six months of my stay, and didn’t care for it at all. (Sorry, Cebuanos.)
But then a Filipino friend from Bacolod told me that I should check out Dumaguete, and the City of Gentle People gave me the warm and fuzzies from the start (for the many reasons I’ll document in future columns). Four months later, here we are.
So what makes me qualified to write a column in the Dumaguete Metro Post? Good question.
It’s definitely not my writing acumen (as you can tell). I don’t have technical expertise or even sage life advice for you. Come to think of it, I don’t even know Dumaguete that well yet.
But I am curious as hell.
What’s down that little dirt road? Why do people here say things this way but other things that way? Who is that I keep seeing? Tell me the name of that cool place I should visit again? And how does this whole thing keep from falling apart?
I’m in love with the little odd-shaped cultural pieces that I discover every day that, when shuffled, sorted, and held up to the light, make up the puzzle of a fascinated life.
In this column, I’ll try to put that puzzle together as we explore Dumaguete and Philippines culture, together.
Along the way, I promise you two things: 1) I will fail gloriously, as it would take someone much smarter than me 10 lifetimes to decode life in the Philippines, and that is why 2) We’re going to have so much fun.
Ready to get started? I’ll see you next week. Salamat ug amping!
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Author’s email: hi@normschriever.com
