Living and Loving 9: Webcams (Saving Time), Staying Focused and Internet Cafes

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We continue our ongoing series with saving yourself time with webcams, staying focused and what internet cafes are all about.

WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS
Since it can be rather difficult to meet quality Filipinas, you don’t want to waste time.  With all the bots, hustlers, baklas/bayots (gays or ladyboys) and the like out there, identifying quality women can be a chore.  As with all things in life, you will get better at this over time as you become more     efficient.  The most important and invaluable tool at your disposal (and one that will become your best friend) is the WEBCAM. If you are going to venture forth into relational uncharted waters, you MUST have a web cam.  Furthermore, you must insist that your contacts have webcams. Excuses are a red flag as most laptops now have them built in and just about every ‘internet cafe’ have them.  After chatting for a bit over Messenger or other app, move as quickly as you can to cam.  If you ask someone and they tell you they don’t have one (or can’t access one), tell them that you will move on as not being able to actually see them is a deal breaker.  Don’t waste time chatting over text when there is no cam as the odds are you will be wasting your time and be disappointed later.

Scammers or fake profiles can sometimes play games when it comes to this. For example:

YOU:  Do you have a web scam.
HER: You first.

This can go one of two ways.  The person you are chatting with could be simply shy or they could stalling/covering up for a fake profile.  Many Filpinas will want you to show your web cam before they shows theirs. That’s cool but in order to avoid misunderstanding, be sure to use direct language.  Ask if she has a webcam and don’t accept a “you first” for a “yes.”  If they vacillate, ask them again until they tell you they have a web cam.  Once that is established, ask them directly “If I start my web cam, will you also start yours.  Don’t accept any more “you first” BS until they promise to start theirs.  Remember, time and efficiency is paramount. If they answer yes to both questions, go ahead and start your cam.

Filipinas are funny, though.  Even after promising to start their cam, sometimes they won’t.  It’s annoying but par for course.  In this case they are either liars who never intended to cam (buh-bye and block) or they simply got a gander of your handsome self and didn’t like what they saw.  Either way, it’s all good – you have saved yourself from more time wasted over text chat with someone you don’t want to meet.

WHERE YA GOING?
Since we are the topic of efficiency, you might want to consider where you will actually be going when you visit the Philippines.  Looking at a world map, the Philippines doesn’t look all that big.  The nation is an archipelago after all, and the total land area of the scattered islands is about that of Arizona in the United States.  Looks can be deceiving, however, as the islands that make up the country are scattered across a VAST expanse of water.  Traveling across this expanse is not easy.  “Highways” here are often congested and dangerous two-lane roads so travel from city to city on the same island can require long travel times. Traveling from island to island requires either going by via local airlines (Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines) or taking a long trip on a ferry.  Oftentimes, these are not direct trips and you will have to transit through hubs in order to get to your final destination.  In short, traveling in the Philippines is usually neither quick nor easy (cancelled/delayed flights and ferrys due to weather, maintenance issues or the like).  So, unless you are possessed of gobs of money, time and patience, it is advised that you limit your trip or vacation around one or two geographical areas.  Fortunately, most dating sites allow you to sort results by location.  For those seeking the most ladies, I would recommend either the Manila area on Luzon or Cebu City in the Visayas.  Although congested and dirty, these two metro areas have the most dating/meeting opportunities in the Philippines by far.

STAY ON TRACK
In previous chapters we talked about the type of person you are and what you might be looking for.  Once you arrive in the Philippines, you are going to be faced with a lot of distractions when it comes to available women.  Stay on point, soldier and remember that you have a goal.  If you have found promising gals online before arriving, don’t get whiplash from all the pretty Pinays passing you by.  This is particularly true for guys seeking long-term relationships or marriage.  Again, it is easy to find a beautiful Filpina.  What’s harder is finding a GOOD woman that ticks all the boxes.  That is true anywhere in the world, and it’s true here.

INTERNET CAFES
Internet Cafes (or PisoNets) are businesses in the Philippines where customers can ‘rent’ computer time and utilize the internet.  These establishments are scattered all over the country.  Some consist of a single coin-operated desktop in a grimy sari-sari (family convenience store/shack) and other more established can boast hundreds of useable terminals with high-speed fiber internet access and airconditioning (for the equipment, not for your comfort).  Many First World Western nations don’t have internet cafes as folks there can afford their own computer.  Many Filipinos cannot, however, so you will see them literally everywhere. Costs are about 15-40 pesos per hour depending on the set up and offered amenities.  Some larger cybercafes even have private booths that run over 100 pesos an hour.  In short, location, air conditioning, higher internet speeds and quality of the hardware will dictate the cost.

You also have to be aware that when you are chatting with someone in an internet café, they won’t have much privacy.  They will literally be surrounded by a number of other users and workstations, some gaming, some doing homework and others working to snag a foreign boyfriend.  There are also restrictions on how much time they have, and when that time is over and there is a waiting list, they have to stop.  Hence the ‘sorry but my time is up.”  This can be frustrating, but it is simply the reality of internet cafes.  Some gals will use this as an excuse for you to send them money. (This money request ranks second on the money requests, right behind “Can you please send me money for load.)  These requests for money will be further examined in the next installment of this ongoing series.

Until then, stay thirsty my friends!

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