There are times when the land of her birth feels like it's a foreign country for Ellen, who lived in Canada for 30 years before moving back to the Philippines. Here she and her Norwegian husband describe their repat-expat life on beautiful Samal Island in Davao, their passion for sailing, and advice for those planning to move to the Philippines.	Ellen

-Where were you born?

Zamboanga City. But I lived in Davao City for 21 years before immigrating to Vancouver, Canada in 1978.

-In which country and city are you living now?

Island Garden City of Samal, in the Gulf of Davao, Philippines

-Are you living alone or with your family?

I am living with my husband. He is Norwegian who immigrated to Vancouver, Canada in 1991.

-How long have you been living in the Philippines?

11 months

-What is your age?

51

-When did you come up with the idea of living in the Philippines?

At first, we had no intentions to come here. When we started our sailing venture from Vancouver in 2002, we planned to keep on going until we reached Norway. When we were in New Zealand, my brother came to visit and enticed us to get off the beaten path and sail to Davao instead. We decided to come here so I can be close to my parents, and besides, Philippines is central to both Europe and Canada. We can easily fly to either Norway or to Vancouver to visit our families there. So far, we have not regretted coming.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?

No. Being a returning resident, I automatically get 1 year. My husband got the same – one year. He flies home to Norway every year, so he shouldn’t have problems with getting visa extensions. If I don't fly with him, he will just get 21 days, and we just have to go to the Immigration office to get it extended to one year.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?

Since we left Vancouver, we carry expatriate insurance coverage. We are both covered while away from Canada, and can be flown back if necessary. We carry this insurance so in case something happens to us, we will not get bankrupt by medical costs. We opted for a higher deductible to keep the premiums down. The only disadvantage is that most insurance plans like this do not cover pre-existing illness.

Here in the Philippines, the medical system is excellent, and cheap. I have had surgery done here 2 years ago, and the cost was still under our deductible, so I had to pay it myself. If this same surgery was done in North American, it would have cost me several 10s of thousands. Dental work is very cheap here too – at a fraction of the price we pay in Canada.

I do believe you can get local health insurance cheaply here. I am just not sure if it is 100% coverage. Besides, one has to be ready to pay first in hospitals here. If you are admitted or scheduled for surgery, they require deposits paid upfront. You can get refunds from your insurance later.

-How do you make your living in the Philippines? Do you have any type of income generated?

Our income comes from investments in Canada. We are not retirement age yet, so we do not receive any pension payments. My husband goes home to Norway once in a while to work in his family’s business. In New Zealand, he was able to work in another sailboat. Here in the Philippines, we are both not working for pay, but just helping out in the business of my family. In return, we do have a house to live in. If not, we will still be living in our boat which has been our home since 2002.

I can still speak the local dialect and the main language, Tagalog. As for my husband, he works in the boatyard with the locals. Most will speak English but with a heavy accent. It is difficult for him to communicate with them as he is not sure if they can understand perfectly – most will say "yes, sir" but not because they understand, but just that they hear you. Also, they are embarrassed to admit that they don’t understand – saying "yes, sir" is the best alternative. He has gotten used to it by now, and refuses for me to come and be the translator. He prefers to work with them directly and suffer the consequences.

In a way, we are visitors and we respect the local customs. We do not pretend to know everything but rather encourage them to suggest something. If they can’t then we come in to introduce another way. It is important for them not to "lose face". At work, they have their own tiered levels of "positions". A supervisor will not be caught on his hands and knees working with the lower levels. At times, you just have to let them do their way, and when it fails, we do not do any fingerpointing, just continue to redo the work and hope they learned their lessons.

A lot of expats, sad to say, give the impression they are better than the locals. Some think that since they are here to spend their money and contribute to the local economy, they should be treated like kings. Some also complain a lot about everything they see. The locals are very friendly and hospitable and are very proud. To see and hear this from a foreigner will only offend them.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?

I miss Vancouver - my son, the cold weather, the seasons, the fresh and clean air, the mountains, the snow. Other than that, I have everything here - my husband, my family, the sea, seaside house, our sailboat. This island is a paradise, beige-white sand, clean waters, laid-back lifestyle, no pollution, no traffic and most importantly, no typhoons. If we want a dose of city lifestyle, it is only a 10-minute ferry ride over to Davao.

-Do you have other plans for the future?

Our lifestyle is quite carefree - when the sailing itch comes, we go. Now, we concentrate on getting our boat hauled out for maintenance. Samal can be our base and we can sail to other parts of the Philippines (7,000+ islands to explore), other countries like Brunei. Borneo, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Thailand.

We can also start any boat-related type business - i.e., support services, parts and supplies, repairs and even boat building. We will see how it goes.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?

Currently we live in this beachhouse with 2 rooms for free. We can also have a place for our boat to berth.

-What is the cost of living in the Philippines?

Cheap. For the first time in our cruising life (and we sailed across the Pacific Ocean and visited 12 countries) we can actually have a positive cashflow. Food here is very cheap. Fruits and vegetables, especially, and they are plentiful here. We are social or occasional drinkers, and we find alcohol here much much cheaper, i.e. beer, rum, gin. Wine is comparable - some more expensive than others. So groceries, including house supplies and our vices, cost about US$300 per month. Internet, phone and cable - approx US$75 per month. Housing is free and we don’t own a car - so our biggest expense is our medical insurance, boat maintenance, airline fares.

-What do you think about the Filipinos?

Locals are very hospitable and treat foreigners with respect. But of course, one has to watch for those that do take advantage on foreigners - there are scammers, thieves and corrupt people here. In general, you can live peaceably with them, but it is always good to know people and have contacts. Sad to say, there is a lot of corruption, and under the table payment is unfortunately a way of life here. The sooner you accept it, the sooner you get on with life. Foreigners, especially whites, are "millionaires" to the locals. Therefore they are targets for high pricing, "donations" and scams. Lastly, have lots of patience. Things move very slow in the tropics and things don't work out the same way you are used to back home. Just shake your head, smile and roll your eyes upward and say "only in the Philippines".

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in that country?

Positive - near my family, cheap cost of living, lots of fruits, vegetables and seafood, easy lifestyle, a property overlooking the gulf and our boat (we can’t do this in Vancouver).

Negatives - still can't get used to the heat and high humidity.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in the Philippines?

Do your research, check with other expats living in the country and most importantly, come and visit first to get a general feel of the place. Sometimes, as a visitor or tourist, that is not enough. If possible, live here for awhile. Don’t pack up and close shop back home and move here immediately - regardless, always keep the back door open. It is best, if you can, to not keep all the eggs in one basket. And if somebody approaches you, makes friend with you, then asks for a loan, donation or help with an ailing relative, dog, or pet mouse - run!

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about the Philippines?

• http://www.sailsamal.com - my website - Cruising information for sailors, lifestyles information about Davao and Samal.

• http://journeytosamal.blogspot.com - blogsite of an American soon to retire in Samal

• http://www2.sunstar.com.ph/davao/index.html - Davao news