Expat Vlogger Comes to Paradise Guam and is Shocked!

Expat Vlogger Comes to Paradise Guam and is Shocked! | Ep 344

Рет қаралды 3,582

Living in the Pacific - Expat Island Life

6 ай бұрын

The vlogging "California Expat" recently came to Paradise Guam for a visit and made some good observations... except for one!
Check out John's channel... / @watchcaliforniaexpat
We're living a tropical island lifestyle from the Philippines to Guam. Come along as we travel back and forth sharing slices of life from the 🌴 Tropic Shade.™ I've spent over 19 years living in the Far East and the Western Pacific and I still have a firm grip on that spirit of adventure. No place can be called Paradise without the Beaches, Rainbows, Waterfalls, Fiestas, Sunsets, and Happy & Friendly Peoples! #paradise #guam #philippines
🌴 We were once "Retired in Samar" but we are now "Living in the Pacific."
😎 For more about us, check out our "Bio" on our home page.
View our videos by category here: / @tropicshade
🏅 IF YOU ENJOY THIS CONTENT, CONSIDER THROWING US LITTLE SUPPORT -
JOIN US ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=64... (GET BLOG ACCESS!)
BUY US A COFFEE OR A BEER? www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted...
BITCOIN: 1MGQrYWinMBH2rXPfe3P2aLX5K7vL1SDKv
*New to Crypto? Join Coinbase to get started: coinbase.com/join/rlandis
🎵 AUDIO 🎵
Music: www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
📱 FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL 📱
✅ Facebook / livinginthepacific
✅ MeWe: mewe.com/group/5f55855133ccc8...
✅ Instagram: / livinginthepacific
✅ TikTok: / livinginthepacific
✅ Twitter: x.com/Tropic_shade

Пікірлер: 72

@Cinnamonrollseveryday 5 ай бұрын

I love this vlog, what will I need to visit Guam from the Midwest USA?

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Passport only. Although Guam is a U.S. Territory, because flight routes might take you into other countries (intentional or unintentional), a passport is required.

@Cinnamonrollseveryday 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade very nice, thank you 😊

@MrBreadman420 5 ай бұрын

My father was stationed on Guam and I decided to come over to visit him for a month. A months vacation turned into living there for 12 years.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

I've always said that Guam is an affliction there is no cure for.

@WatchCaliforniaExpat 5 ай бұрын

Hi Randy, I appreciate you mentioning my video and correcting some things I got wrong. I really enjoyed my time in Guam and hope to learn more about life there.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

I sent you an email. Next trip, I'll show you where to get Mexican! 😉

@WatchCaliforniaExpat 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade I responded and I'll come back just for the good Mexican food lol. I'm missing that in the Philippines

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

@@WatchCaliforniaExpat Let me know when you're heading this way!

@WatchCaliforniaExpat 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade Will do!

@dgibbsfl 5 ай бұрын

His name is John, it's on every one of his video intro's. And he's a pretty good guy. He is a Cebu guy for a while now with a fairly successful outsourcing firm. He also has a restaurant in Cebu. He just opened his third outsourcing branch in Davao. I have heard all the same things about Guam that he talks about. The one thing I know for sure about Guam is that they need to replace those awful metal benches at the sleepy little airport where all the concessions close by 5pm while international travelers have to wait for several hours at a time into the late evening on layovers. I quit flying United and the Guam layover was one of the reasons. United just recently started flying direct to Manila.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

United has been flying to Manila from Guam for years. I think the first N/S flight from the mainland began late last year. Guam was a sleepy airport during and after the pandemic and it's just now starting to see more flight activity. Nothing close to what it was pre-pandemic.

@gtrs4ever 5 ай бұрын

It helps being retired military and having access to shopping on base helps. I don't live there anymore but again having access to Space A flights helps when I come to visit.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Absolutely! Thanks.

@rogerhoover8044 5 ай бұрын

Great info

@MarkPuke13 5 ай бұрын

Now thats cool❤

@brucelatham6636 5 ай бұрын

I just visited Guam last week. The main thing I experienced was just transportation. Some prices were higher but some things were not bad at all. I was able to take the trolly. Taxies were not real bad. Most will only deal in cash.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

If you're gonna be here for just a day or two, can't beat a car rental. Hope you enjoyed it!

@jogalbreath5216 5 ай бұрын

Thanks Randy! I am lookinf forward to my visit!

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Have fun!

@flyingauditor 5 ай бұрын

I was stationed at Andersen AFB, when it was a SAC Strategic Air Command, many moons ago.

@comm2531 5 ай бұрын

Agreed with everything you said. I think that prices have gone up here in the United States and the prices are not that far more expensive than here in the United States. Even beer. Rental cars are very reasonable and so are hotels.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

According to RentCafe, the average rental price on a 2BR apartment in the U.S. is $1702. 😬

@TheGuntar 5 ай бұрын

Just went to the chain resturant Texas Roadhouse with the wife, steaks, 1 drink each, I app shared, and tip was over 100 bucks!1 Ouch!! I am glad we both perfer diners. Any good diners there? I am ex-Navy with base privledges. We are looking at a place to "retire" to in a couple of years so we can go exploring the world around there. We are not sure it will work for us, but we are look closely at Guam.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

There are a few "diner" type places here, and a bunch of mom & pop eateries. If you've been here before, you know that Guam is good!

@tedjohnson4451 5 ай бұрын

I'm 200 Days from Retirement @ 100% Income Replacement from Pensions... But, no Healthcare in my Pensions. I'll be less than Three Years from Medicare Eligibility. Planning to be in the Philippines until then. Guam is on my "Radar" once I get Medicare at least to visit for Healthcare.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Good plan.

@get2dachoppa249 5 ай бұрын

Made my first trip to Guam last October as a planned historical trip starting in Honolulu, then using Guam as the starting point for Saipan, & Tinian. Unfortunately, the typhoon warning that happened when I was there made me abandon my Saipan/Tinian trips, so I’ll try again later this year. There’s still stuff on Guam that I didn’t see that can justify a return trip this fall.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Check out the bomb loading pit in Tinian when you get there.

@get2dachoppa249 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade That was my intent. However, big Air Force has reactivated parts or all of North Field, so I'm not 100% sure the bomb pits are accessible to the general public any longer.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

@@get2dachoppa249 WTH? 🙄

@get2dachoppa249 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade I believe the operational term for it is dispersal of forces. Given the increasing tensions in the region over Taiwan & North Korea in general means not having all your eggs in one basket at Anderson AFB & Naval Base Guam.

@fortybelow1973 5 ай бұрын

Yea, rent a car and drive to the south. It is best to do a loop, see both sides of the island. I've been here 38 years. My children are "Chamaoles".Their mother (RIP Helen, cancer) is Chamoru and I'm a haole from Alberta. The locals are very chill, unless you are an outsider "know it all", trash talking beautiful 'Isla Guahan'.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

"Respect" is a very powerful concept here.

@fortybelow1973 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade "Respetu para Isla Guahan". Yes, show it and you will usually be treated the same. Esta

@LtDave 5 ай бұрын

Good commentary of the information put out by the California expat blogger. I happen to know this person and he generally puts out good information. I really appreciate the clarification of some of his comments. Especially, regarding the constitutional protection.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

He was pretty spot on... except for the constitutional issues. As a side note though, when you vote here, you do get to "checkmark" a presidential candidate, it's just not counted in the results. I could be wrong, but I believe it's done simply to check the political "temperature" of Guam, IMO.

@LtDave 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade I use the absentee voting system. I set it up through the US consulate here in Cebu City, Philippines. I use my military retiree FPO address to mail the ballot back to California. I assume a US citizen can do the same from Guam.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Although U.S. citizens, permanent residents of Guam cannot vote in the U.S. election. But AD military and DOD personnel can vote absentee if they desire (as long as they maintain a home of record address on the mainland.

@LtDave 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShadethanks for the clarification - important information!

@LtDave 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade Glad to see that you're getting a lot of interaction of this video. Also as a FYI, your channel showed up for the first time in a while on my KZfaq feed.

@mommaweathers3620 5 ай бұрын

You got it right about everything being so expensive, suffice to say we are experiencing the same problems here in the mainland. I'm thankful my late husband was a retired military (Navy) and it does help some shopping at the commissary and the Navy exchange but they're also beginning to feel the effects of the shut-downs. But I'm an optimist and I also believe that things will get better at some point.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

We actually found the Commissary and Exchange on the mainland (Columbus AFB) to be more expensive than Walmart... not to mention the cost of a 60 minute drive. We would only go on occasion for Calrose rice and Kikkoman soyu and would stock up. Then one day Walmart began carrying Botan rice (brand) and we never went back to Columbus.

@mommaweathers3620 5 ай бұрын

Agree.

@mommaweathers3620 5 ай бұрын

@LivinginthePacific sorry got interrupted ...I do agree about the AFB commissary and exchange.

@LtDave 5 ай бұрын

@@TropicShade how are the prices at the Guam commissary? More expensive than the mainland commissaries? I used to go to the Los Angeles Air Force Base commissary to stock up on the meats, dairy and others specific items.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Honestly, I can't say. It's been 11 year since we left the mainland, but from what I remember, Walmart beat their prices on most everything. Remember that Commissaries now all fall under one roof (DECA) and they all charge a surcharge at checkout. Add in the tip for the baggers and well, savings probably don't amount to much. Then subtract your travel expense and... 😢

@mastisu 5 ай бұрын

To add on the topic of not being able to vote for President if you are a U.S. citizen on Guam….if you are born on Guam, and you move to a State and become a resident there, you can vote for President. I think that fact is often misunderstood.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Absolutely, residency makes all the difference. Thanks for that!

@AmazingPhilippines1 5 ай бұрын

We are on the last day of the huge Sinulog Festival here in Cebu City and it appears the crowds are much smaller with many hotels still having rooms available when they would normally all be booked at this time. The "economy" and personal incomes were devastated by 2 years of lockdowns and it is a slow recovery especially with inflation. I might want to visit Guam at some time for medicare issues. I wonder how "backed up" the medicare system is there or is it easy to get an appointment?

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Inflation is hurting the masses. As long as you are current with Part B premiums, no issue getting appointments here. Not hard to book appointments - couple weeks out. Or you can just head to the emergency room. You can book an appointment in advance at any Dr.'s office or FHP... www.takecareasia.com

@LtDave 5 ай бұрын

Same here Rod, let me know when you want to go and maybe we can coordinate our itineraries. I need to go to take care of some VA health issues that aren't covered here at the VA Manila Clinic.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

Make sure to give the VA here a heads up that you are coming.

@user-hk8uu2qm9t 5 ай бұрын

That guy is John Smulo and lives in Cebu city. He has a business in San Francisco and Cebu city. Another of his youtube channels is called American Entrepreneur in the Philippines.

@TropicShade 5 ай бұрын

I like his editing style... but it's a lot like work! 😳