Rusty Ferguson: My Introduction
Welcome to Live in the Philippines and welcome to my space on it.
I’m quite honored to have been asked to provide my outlook and experience in the Philippines and living as an American Expat in Cebu Province. It is smart on Bob’s part and it is good for me as well. Working together on the net is extremely important but it is often hard to get others to see that. I’m glad Bob is not one of those!
Who am I? My name is Rusty Ferguson but that wont tell you much about who I am. Who I am is a pretty complicated matter as it is with all people. First a little only how I see me. I am a contradiction. I’m a liberal Christian. I’m a gun totin’ fan of the ACLU! And if you haven’t already figured it out from the contractions, I’m a southerner. I have always marched to the tune of a different drummer which isn’t always pleasant. I don’t like staying on the surface, I like to go deep, beyond the obvious. I’m an explorer, always have been and I love to learn. I’m an American expatriate that is living the good life in the Philippines and trying to grow in the process.
I was born in 1959. I grew up in Jackson, Ms. Some say that gives me the inherent ability to tell a story. My English teachers, especially those from my college days might say you were wrong. 
I went to Millsaps College and earned my bachelor in Business Administration with my major in accounting. From there I worked as an accounting clerk at a bank for a short time and then on to the IRS as a revenue agent. Most people refer to a revenue agent as a field or business auditor. We are often confused with revenue officers who are the tax collectors and probably have the hardest job in all of the IRS. After 10 years or so I became a computer analyst, again with the IRS. In part, I took this position as result of being diagnosed with lupus around 1993. The travel required of revenue agents became a bit more than I could handle.
I finally got tired of the politics of working in an office so I walked out the door. Also, the illness had progressed making it harder for me to be at a given place at a given time. I was missing a lot of work so I finally decided it was time to file for disability in 2002 and it was approved. I had learned there was potential to earn a significant income on the world wide web. That was appealing to me as I could work when I wanted or am able too. I’ve had some smashing success at times. At other times, it can get pretty dry. Now, I’m concentrating more on slow but stable earnings from the web.
I’ve been building sites on the web since 1988 or so. You might say there was no web in 1988 and you’d be correct. What we had then was Fidonet. The only web was the phone lines we used to call individual computers but it was the birth of bulletin boards or computerized communities. These early bulletin board were far more local though, not world wide like the web. The early web didn’t have much interaction, instead the web gave the user information. Now, websites need the interaction of users, like you.
My flexible schedule also made it easy for me to move to the Philippines. I made the move in February of 2008. While some people come here do so without any income, I’m one of the lucky ones that come with a solid pension provided by my Federal Employment. My health is not great, but I’m well enough to get out there and have some fun. I’m limited in what I can do, sometimes more limited than others.
As I learn about the Philippines, I’ll share what I learn here. I want and need for the reader to challenge me in my positions or just add to my positions. Just cause I say it, doesn’t mean I’m right. It is okay if you express you’re disagreement. In fact, that’s the best way to help me. I’ll either defend my position or I will change. In most cases, both will happen, I will adapt and learn. You might find the same is true of you.
I’m often asked why I came here. I came for two major reasons, the major reason is the lower cost of living. Though I give up some things here, I gain much more as my income from my pension is staggeringly higher than what most Filipino earn. Secondly, I came for the ladies. I had one female friend for a couple of years and she’s stunningly beautiful, even by Filipina standards. Things have worked out very nicely for us. I’m very happy with her. Careful though, I wouldn’t recommend coming to the Philippines for one specific woman. That’s a big move for that reason. I think you should be coming for other reasons and prepare yourself if that one romantic interest may not work out. You might get lucky and have things work out but most are not so lucky. Many leave here broken hearted. That can only happen if you count on that one person. Now if you have that one person you can trust, that can ease your transition a great deal.
This was my first trip to the Philippines and it is quite a different world. I had never been to a developing country before. I really had no idea of what I would find here. My first few moments were amazement, I couldn’t believe the people drive like they do. I was surprised at the beauty I saw amongst the poverty. The poverty being much greater than I had anticipated. I was also surprised by all the roosters crowing and the cock fights even on Philippine Television. You’re coming into a different world so be prepared and I believe it is up to me to adapt to their world, not the other way around.
I started my stay in Talisay City near Cebu City. After three months, we moved to Bogo City in the northern area of the Cebu Province. It is about 80 miles or 120 Kilometers north of Cebu City.
Bogo City is a beautiful fishing and agricultural city. Things are changing though, the Bogo just became a city in June 2007 as opposed to a municipality. This change should bring about growth, so things will be changing here in Bogo.
My biggest hurdles are the language and medical issues. I’m greatly limited by not knowing the language. On the other hand, because I’ve done so much walking around the city and going to local eateries, I’ve learned more than many others would in the same time period. Certainly more than the casual tourist.
I often walk through the city and take pictures. On one of those walks, I stumbled upon a Filipino home selling mostly birds but they also had a tame Filipino Monkey. His name was George. He was one of the coolest things that ever happened to me and he symbolized all the changes I am trying to make happen to me. I was coming to this wonderful land, I’m unknown and I can be anyone I want to be. I can re-invent myself and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. My illnesses can slow me down but I’m getting out in the world. I’m exploring. Trying to communicate with others as best I can not knowing the language. George my Filipino Monkey symbolized everything that was happening to me here. We lost George at the end of July in a mysterious death. It is still hard to accept. My girl and myself miss him a great deal. Until you’ve had a wild primate accept you and look up to you for care and protection, it is likely impossible to fully understand what it is like. I will get another Monkey when the opportunity is right. I’m not going to support taking one from the wild, George had been rescued. I wrote an article celebrating his short time with me and my new Filipino Family that you can read at Cebu Experience.
I’m looking forward to getting to know all of the regular visitors here, I hope you’ll offer help as I learn and perhaps, I can share a few things new to you or even better yet, cause you to rethink some of what you already believed.
One thing that is really hard for me is the expats that talk smack about the Philippines. I understand that there are some reasons to be critical at times but even during those times, I hope you’ll be respectful and remember that we are visitors here. What may seem odd to us may be the Filipino way and if your constantly putting things down, maybe you should go back to where you came. The Philippines is a different place but not a lesser place.
Hi Rusty- What a wonderful and open insight into life in your environment in the Philippines. I like your style of writing open and easy and full of simple observation.For one who has not been in the Phil’s for quite one year I think you have faired very well indeed. I look forward to reading more of your experiances i the weeks to come.
Regards.
Jim.
Welcome to the Philippines. I enjoyed reading your blog and hope you can continue writing on your experiences in Cebu for a long, long time. Have a good day!
Hello Rusty, welcome. I fully agree with you 100%.
Cebu is a cruisers’ choice of destination. We, however, have chosen to sail over to Davao which is off the beaten path, but I have family here. I hope to be able to read more about Cebu from you, and one day, when we have our vessel ready again, we will sail over and explore Visayas.
Cheers!
Hello Rusty,
Welcome to the team here at LiP, welcome to thos eof us who have decied to make the Philippines our home and welcome to the elite? group of federal retirees … I did 38 plus years with the USAF, 10 active duty and 28 as a GS.
I see a lot of similarity in our viewpoints and I am glad for that. I’ve been actively associated with the Philippines for probably 9 years now and have lived here in Luzon (near but not in Manila) for two now.
I have very few non-Filipino freinds because a huge proportion of the Westerners I meet seem to come here with the objective of finding fault and making all around them aware of just how “marvelous” they are. Leaves me cold, indeed … our Aussie friends have a saying for it … FIGJAM … F… I’m Good, Just Ask Me.
Wishing you better health and continued success here in the Philippines and do write often.
Hi Rusty
Welcome to the site and look forward to hearing your contributions, don’t think i am being too critical here but can you bear in mind there are different nationalities here…leads to a few difficulties in reading, for example i j\have no idea what the initials ACLU stand for and your american references as well are a bit obscure for me, can you make allowances for us non americans (i am british)
actually Rusty i don’t know about yr illness, sorry about that, could you amplify about it sometime, unless its too personal
thanks and good luck
Hi Rusty
I look forward to reading your posts.
Hi Rusty, I stayed in cebu several times. I am looking forward very much your next articles. God speed!!! And welcome!!!!
Hi Rusty
I too suffer from Lupus. Find the docs here better then the ones I have encountered in the States. Spend 300p to visit my very well educated and experienced rheumatoid doc here. Tests and treatment are cheap here as is medicine relative to the states in most cases. I live relatively pain free and have a very active lifestyle. If you ever want to chat and compare meds LOL feel free to contact me at my email. Until then nice to meet you
Welcome Rusty,
Great opening post. Looking forward to reading more of your insights and experiences.
Karen
Nice post Rusty, good on ya for getting out of the USA, I’m trying to do the early retirement thing…but a bit unlucky on the timing with the economy and all. Cebu is my fav destination know it well and will most likley try there first…Talisay was one of the locales we looked. Went thru Bogo years ago dont rememebr it much other than a small town. Look fwd to ur next post…don’t worry ..I won’t hold it against you for being a confederate.
BK from : MI
Wow, thanks for the wonderful welcome folks. Sorry so long getting back over here. I wasn’t expecting Bob to post my first article so soon. I didn’t know until last night. I work on a lot of sites and I can’t get to all of my own sites everyday. LOL
Ellen who did the caricature? Where can I get one?. I’ve been wanting one of myself and girl standing shoulder to shoulder but with George on my shoulder too.
Hey Corey, always good to know other lupies.
I’m sure I could use some help. Maybe I should ad a rheumatologist would be a good thing for me to add. My lupus is not so bad now, it almost killed me in the 90’s. Now the side effects of all those toxic meds are probably a bigger problem. I did great the first six months I was here but I’ve had hey fever or lupus or a combination now for the last two months. 
I was walking 1.5 miles a day on average. Trying to get back up to that now.
I try to make lupus a small part of my life and future. It ruled too much of my past. One proble is I’m very photo-sensitive and it goes way beyond rashes.
Hey Rick b!!! the ACLU is an acronym for The American Civil Liberties Union. They are very much to the left (liberal). Sometimes it hard even for me to stomach their positions. But if one thinks through what seems to be absurd on the surface, the reasoning of their position comes clear. I’m sure some on the right would think they are Satan’s tool and I can understand why someone would think so. Often, I have a hard time with what they do but their intent is to keep the majority from imposing its will on the minority and to hold the governments power in check by forcing it to adhere to the Constitution. Rick, I often rub Britts the wrong way. I don’t intend too but my causal way I think is the main culprit. I’ll also argue where the wise man might just shut the f up.
I hope I don’t rub you the wrong way. I’m aware that there are many others here than Americans. I tell my story as an American for obvious reasons.
Brian, yea if your not the home body type, Bogo might not be the place for “you’.
I do miss some things a bigger city would bring but if i left here, I’d probably look hard at Bantayan Island, even more remote. 
I love it here but I’m too easily amused.
Jim, I have a feeling your pretty insightful yourself. Open is a word that people often use to describe me. It gets me into trouble at times. I tend to see things in 1’s and 0’s. On or off. I don’t make judgments when I say something that others do make judgments on. And they assume I’m making the same judgment. I’m not! I don’t’ know how to make the change so that I don’t do that. “I am, who I am and that’s all I am. ” Popeye was wise old sailor.
Brian, I assume your not a Confederate… Now I noticed you failed to spell that with an upper case C. You know down in the Confederacy that’s grounds for hanging. I’ve had this one problem. I can’t find a exchange rate for Confederate money. Can you help me out there? It is the only form of legal tender I fully recognize. I assume you are not from our beloved country of the south, maybe someday we’ll accept you so you wont be feeling so jealous and left out.
LOL
Someone asked what lupus is. It is an auto-immune disorder similar in many ways to MS and Rheumatoid Arthritis. In short, it is were your immune system gets confused and attacks your own tissue as if it were a foreign organism. It can be very mild or it can kill you in days. Usually it acts over a long time. It is like having a mild but semi-permanent flu. My case is considered moderate to mild. It can go into remission which I think mine did but the Filipino sun may have woke up the wolf. We lupies call often refer to the world as the rashes it causes on our faces resembles the mask of a wolf. Only 5% of us get the mark of the beast as I like to call it. Joint pain and ‘toxic fatigue” is the most common problem.. I could go on for days but not here. I’ve had a lupus focused website up for years but I haven’t had time to do anything with it.
Soon I will The disease took over my thought processes for a long time and I’m avoiding that. I don’t want to be defined by it any more. 
Hi Rusty! Can I take the liberty of telling what ACLU means? Ok, it means the American Civil Liberties Union. It’s a national organization that advocates individual rights, i.e., the right to bear arms.
But Rusty you said you want to stay “beyond the obvious”. But isn’t a cliché for southeners to have guns? They all have guns. Even Candice Bergen’s florist in the film Ms Congeniality has a gun.
Seriously I enjoyed reading your piece. I love seeing the Philippines even in the eyes of non Filipinos. There’s a sense of freshness to it. On the two times I was in Cebu, only once that I really enjoyed it and that was the time when we left the city and went to Badian Falls and stayed at nearby Moalboal Resort. Or maybe I am confused w/ my geography here. On the way there, when the bus stopped at Carcar, I marvelled at the children vendors who were no more than 6 years old I think. The older kid who was about 6th– I think– seemed to be admonishing his younger brother who was about 4 or 5 to be more alert in enticing buyers. What were they selling? Just a bunch of pitifiul macopas in plastic bags, a fruit that I don’t think being commonly sold and bought in my native Luzon. Cebuano was a distinct visayan that I could not make out even if I understand visayan spoken in DVO. Somehow I understood that the brother seemed to be ordering his younger brother to be more active in selling. I’ll never forget this scene.
Continue sharing us your impressions or otherwise, Rusty. Good luck as well.
oh sorry…you already did!
My brother used photoshop
Ellen,
Hmmm, I wonder if I could do that msyelf then. Probably i could with the correct filter. I would like ot have one drawn for me but I think that would be very expensive.
Roy, the south is changing. Far fewer hunters these days as it is hard to have a place to go any more unless you own land.
And its okay to start on the surface.
Now don’t get me started on all the symbolism that can be found in guns. 
Like when Alice Cooper sang “I’m your gun, pull my trigger and I get bigger.”
.
Or Desperado, “Your as stiff as my smoking barrel.”
I think I’ll stop now before I get too deep and someone “shoves me into the shallow water.”
I couldln’t resist.
Now I’m trying to think of an article for my next post…. Something new. It will come to me. Just had an idea. About the expectations when one comes here. I know I’m not as rich as all the Filipina told me i would be.
Hi Rusty- I can’t say for sure, but I bet you could find somebody to draw a caricature of you for only a few hundred pesos.
Yea, I know Bob, just have to find them. There’s a guy around the corner with a sign on his door indicating he is a graphic artist. I’ve been meaning to text him and see if he’s still in the business GF has a nephew that is a graphic artist but I’m afraid I’ll have to pay the family tax on that one. I’m sure you know what I mean. That’s just what I call it.
Hi Rusty- There is a kiosk in a local mall here in Davao that will draw a charcoal caricature of you, but I am not sure the price. Surely there must be something like that in Cebu!
I have not seen any street artist here. That would be cool. What I really wanted was on of myself with my girl and the monkey on my shoulder. It is amazing how fond of the monkey I became.
Bogo is pretty small, it just became a city a year ago and I think that might be a reach.
We can’t even keep our lights on 4 Sunday’s of the month. But it could be worse, a lot worse from what others have told me about more remote locations. I can’t wait till I can get a motor and GPS and get myself lost. I’ll find cool things once I can do that.
I was In Metro Cebu for two and half months. I almost think i did see street artist once upon a time. But too much information may be coming into this old dogs mind. Yea 50 ain’t that old but geesh I thought it was when I was 25.
I’m sure I’ll find something.
Corey, I see I did respond to you here.
I replied to your email last night, if you didn’t get it check your spam folder or better yet just destroy the yahoo mail account and get gmail.
Just ribbing you a little.
HI Rusty!
You can always inquire at a local University! I can ask my sister-in-laws if they if they know anybody that is enrolled in the arts. Where do you live exactly?
Hi Rusty, I enjoyed your article and I am looking forward to reading more of your blogs from Bogo, Cebu. Who knows, I might see you before long. I am retiring this coming May of 2009…will probably be in Cebu around June of 2009. My mother was born and raised in Carcar. We left Cebu when I was 9 yrs old and moved to Mindanao. I grew up in Mindanao. I have been living in the US for 42 yrs…I am a little nervous about going back there to live. My apprehension is whether I will like Cebu or not. Of course, after 42 yrs. I am Americanized in many ways. My heart tells me, “go and get to know your motherland and explore”…….Please tell us more of your life in Cebu. Thanks, Laura
Hi Rusty
Great opening! I also remember the Wildcat BBS and the squeal of the modem. The first time I had it working I was as giddy as a 5 year old at Christmas. I am also looking at moving to the Island of Cebu. My wife has relatives south of Cebu City near Moalboal so I was thinking about moving to an area north of Cebu City. I am sure I do not need to explain why. I am curious if you used a shipping company and a container to move?
Yea, you don’t. Didn’t take me long to learn about the family tax.
No I left most of my things behind, I either sold them or just left them.
Still have some items that I’m trying to get shipped over.
I contacted one company but they wanted $3000 and I just didn’t have that kind of cash to spare. I’m still kind of amazed that what I did have evaporated pretty fast. I hope to get an article out today about one shipping company I have used since I got here and if you find any good info about shipping to the PH, I’d love to hear about it. I left my main PC behind and I really miss it. LOL
Rusty… Very late reading your posting. Looked at your link to your site and read about George. How sad…
I always wanted a monkey, but the higher power in the household, wink wink, forbids it. I think that TWO monkeys in the house is too much for her! When we met, I used to joke that the only difference between men and monkeys is that we have less fur. I told Becky that we are driven by four primal needs… Food, beer, TV remote, and hanky panky. Give us all four and we stay out of trouble… Just like a monkey.
A very belated “welcome” to you!
Hi John,
Yea, the two monkey joke was the first picture I sent around to my friends. Looking back on it is one of my favorites. Know that I know monkeys a lot better than I did the day I got him, it obvious to me we are sizing each other up. I was a little afraid of him and he of me. I said that at the time we took the picture but now I know that’s exactly what we were doing. We became good buddies.
My monkey was neutered. In captivity that is probably the only humane thing to do for them since there is no chance for contact. If you had a male and female that would be cool but I’m not sure how they would interact with you.
I met a Filipino just this week that told me he had two, a male and female that slept in his bed with him. We sometimes wanted to do that but we were afraid we’d hurt him so we didn’t.
Now the remote and any other gadget it was crazy for but he learned to leave them alone. I discovered that putting him in the shower (off of course) and chaining him to the curtain rod was the best way to train him. More than anything, he hated being away from us. I even learned through trial and error which faces I could use to get him to behave.
I learned the different from showing teeth in a grin and a yawn. If I was to bear my teeth in a threat and then try to pick him up he would squeal for help as he thought I was going to hurt him. I only did that twice as I didn’t know what I was doing.
He was naughty though, always trying to push the boundaries. Every one in Bogo knows me from the Monkey sometimes calling me the Monkey man.
As for hair…. I think I might have more. LOL
I would have had another post by now but after I spent two hours working on it, word some how opened up and grabbed it and saved it while I was editing it in an HTML editior. I’m sure I hit the wrong keys that caused it but I even lost my backup.
Oh well, it should post today sometime.