This is one channel you can't stop watching. The discussion is very relatable and both interviewer and interviewee are engaging. We learnt more about daily lives of ordinary folks telling their stories like reading a good autobiography books. Keep it coming Mark, you're one of the Best and original true blooded American...Cheers

That was a great interview! I'm a dual Fil/Am citizen and lived in 3 different states for 35 years before retiring to the Philippines. I brought my mother back home here rather tgan outting her in a nursing home there in the States. She is living in her ancestral home that I had renovated. It was the best decision I made retiring here in Manila. We live comfortably with my SSA pension and providing for my mother's living expenses. There is no better place than retiring in the Philippines where you have a family/friends network you can depend on.

Best interview yet. What a great guy!

very nice, interesting, a lot of realizations in life (especially with this age) and feel good interview. it almost brought me to tears, the coma situation and the talking to himself in the mirror coz honestly, it's the truth. God Bless to you both and please be happy..

Thomas' story is so inspiring and so heartwarming. I'm happy hearing it and seeing his eyes lights up sharing such ......and that he found his heart and home here in our country. Padayon!:-)

I just found your channel today.... good work Mark! It's funny how the 6 degrees of separation thing is true. I have the same scar on my chest as you, I live in Utah, I grew up north of Denver. I retired just about 13 months ago and planned on already having a couple of SE Asia trips under my belt by now but of course Covid put a halt to that. My first stop will be Thailand, hopefully by this summer. You guys reminded me of an old quote; "You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do" - Elenore Roosevelt

GODBLESS nice 👍 STAY SAFE👍🦋thank you so much for loving my country 💖❤️🦋👍👻

I grew up in dumaguee. Now in the US. But I will be back when my kids are ready and independent

Mark, this was an awesome 2 part interview. This interview with Thomas in my opinion was one of your best. I mean you had some really great questions and even better follow up ones. Congratulation my friend on a job well done.

Excellent.

In hindsight, this discussion is very interesting. @8:30 your discussion of lower oil and gas prices especially. Boy did they indeed go up. Everything went up. Partly because the FED kept rates too low, too long. Mostly because we shut down the world for two years in an over-reaction. But he's right, the President's desire to crush O&G companies and pipelines isn't helping either.

I really like tom. This was a great interview.

"Healthcare in USA" costs so much for torture

Great interview! Lots of wisdom from both of you!

What a great guy with some really good information and an amazing story about his health issues! Thanks for sharing! Take care and God bless! David

One of the most interesting and best interviews I’ve heard on KZfaq ever! Gives you perspective and lots of wisdom. Very much appreciated. Thank You.

8:20 This is exactly what happened to my brother who had terminal ailment with his kidney and needed transplant asap. During his treatments in California, he was asked to chance an experimental drug that looks very promising, and it was administered to him (injected). It's now 15 years later and he never looked so healthy. He was medically cleared and would never need a transplant.

As for businesses suffering in the US, it really depends on what business your in. You're screwed if you are in food service or hospitality. Most other businesses are doing fine. I'm in home improvement and we are holding our own.

Thank you Thomas for some very good advice and sharing your story, really enjoyed listening to you Sir. Thanks again Mark for another interesting upload.

Though Thomas is 67 already still has a brilliant mind isn't he. It reminds me of my previous ships captain who was at his 76 and still working onboard ships. Nice one.

Tom was fantastic interview ! Great job so much life experience. My regards Tom.

How right he was on the gasoline prediction!

Nice to watching your videos, and happy that you are in the Philippines, you stayed in Dumaguete where i came from, stay safe everyone and God bless.

Great video. Fascinating story-----------------you live everyday and you only die once. It's true, most of the people you care about, at the end could care less about you but you will find out the true people that care about you.

Fascinating

You dont realise how lucky you are when you got urr health imm 67 when I was 65 I got run down and run over by a fork lift and was underneith it he heard my scream was very lucky squashed my right shoulder now have implants insted off bones in my upper arm and shoulder the pain was worse that I I've ever felt I decided to retire as I lost 80 percent off my use off my right arm so that's when I said to mywife let's go retire in the house in the phillipines.

Great interview. Not only because of Tom's story but the questions you ask. You are getting so much better at this with every interview you conduct. Keep up the good work.

Thank you .one of best.stay healthy

Lot of long painful roads people suffer through.

I too shudder at the thought of nursing homes ,my Filipina wife worked at several because she was good with old people. On the occasions when I picked her up at work I would notice a lot of the staff were dumpy sloppy, uncaring unmotivated white women that drove beat up cars and their husband or boyfriend would be on probation. US vets, look into whether VA aid and attendance benefits are payable in the Philippines and who may receive payments. It would sure beat a nursing home in my opinion.

Great interview. Tom really spoke with clarity about what is important in life. Glad he made it out alive, reinvented himself and is doing well.

great interview. a follow up would be nice. thanks for all you do

Good stuff Mark.

In the UK we are so lucky with free quality health care, still happy to give it all up to get back over to my girl in Cebu

Great interview, one of your best. Thomas’s vision was awesome to listen to. His ability to analyze and communicate was spellbounding.

love your interviewing style

Thomas was right in his forecast, gasoline now at $6-7/gal in CA. due to Russian Oil being blocked by the West.

Great interview and wish Thomas the best!

Thank you for your story. It’s very interesting I look life different now. I hope you can interview more interesting people. I wish you good health.

Another great one. Thank you Mark !

Good I’m done thank you. Awesome ending from Tom!! Thanks for this good interview.

Your best guest so far, well done mate

Mark I believe in God and I believe this gentleman really had the experience with our Father in Heaven. I really hope that it will convince you that we have a loving Father in Heaven. This is my favorite video yet...Thanks for all you do...Great interview!

Tom is a nice guy and very wise.

Great Interview! Thank you Thomas for sharing your life story and your thoughts.

Amazing stories thanks for interviewing this guys having bad and good experience in the Phils..subscribed you to hear for more ..watching from Yokohama Jpn

From your perspective as a person who grew up in the 60’s-80’s, is it an easier fit to the current lifestyle in the PI? I’m referring to the cash society, standing on lines at a bank, limited products on shelves, etc. it sounds like the U.S. in the mid to late 70’s. I’m wondering if younger expats find it frustrating, whereas older expats may find it nostalgic and a welcome slowing down of life.

wow got to watch part 1 now huge insight

Smart man Tom. I like to hear more stories from Tom.

Ready to go now, but, not vaccinated, not sure about being Used as a guinea pig. Brilliant interview and channel

As usual another great interview Mark. I really enjoy your method because the interview is more like a conversation instead of a basic Q & A. Once this pandemic is completely over and travel gets back to normal perhaps we can hook up for a chat. Stay well and all the best to you and Jen.

Great guy and have a lot of experience in life.

The first time i saw the terminator Sarah Conor was a waitress at the beginning and was having a terrible day when her coworker said to her in a hundred years no one is going to care. And your conversation Thomas has only reaffirmed my belief.

What a wonderful interview Mark! Really fantastic life advice from both of you guys. Keep up the great work.

Really enjoyed your talk with Tom. He overcame so many issues to be where he is today & knows that the Philippines is for him. So cash is king there & its really comes thru when you talk about the brownouts.

Excellent... enjoyed it!

Very good advice!!

Great interview. Thanks.

Good story!

the perception of oil supply is what drives the price last summer oil futures went into negative territory for the first time they were literally paying you to take it. and now the perception with the executive orders to shut down the Keystone Pipeline and no new oil leases on public land is driving the price up. supply hasn't really changed

Amazing interviewing skills. Credit to Thomas for his genuineness and interesting stories.

Enjoyed the conversation Mark, you are very good at this, I would like to meet you someday!!! America has good tings about it but imo it is overrated for the most part. There is a sweetness about the Philippines that cancels out the bad things there that isn't in America, fortunate for me I can find it in my Filipina wife smile I was in El Nido 12 years ago i didn't't want to leave, it was most wonderful, I was there February 2020, i left after a few hours, believe me it's changed a lot, I hardly recognized the town. Now would be the time to go before everything opens up you won't regret it, I'm even considering on returning now for that reason.... I love Palawan but it's been found out.

Great interview. Glad it wasn’t his time. He shared some serious wisdom and life experiences. You have a great channel. Pearls of wisdom from expats for expats. Especially Your recent tutorial vlog “How not to Fail in the PI”. Thank you.

Great interview Mark thank you 😊 thank you Tom

Great advice

Another great 😊 interview.

He was a young man when his medical issues began.

The old man is very interesting and well educated . 😆

What makes me nervous about a future in the Philippines are the deals being done with the Chinese. We know or it seems they have a plan for world domination. How will that effect life in a he Philippines?

Mark 2 thumb up great video!!!!

Like you mentioned Every Man Has a Story How does that song go //you take the high road ...i,ll take the low road and i,ll meet you some were in the middle ,, Good chat /Thanks Mark & Thomas

Watching this guy he had good predictions

cool dude!

Very valid points, Tom. One thing people need to be careful of, is the vitality of the Filipino Peso. At 54 pesos per dollar just over a year ago, people on a fixed income enjoyed that rate... NOW, its at 48 Pesos per dollar, and is expected to go to 44 pesos by February 2023, and could go lower. That's like a 10% hit on your income. Your $1200 per month pension, is now worth about $1080 in the Philippines and could go lower, I've seen it at 42 before. PLUS, with the cost of housing, and inflation going up... If your on a limited fixed budget, you need to do some due diligence to make sure you can live comfortably anywhere.

I had MRSA for almost 2 years, it was a total nightmare

Fascinating insight, thank you Mark

👍👍👍

"Where is this money coming from?" when discussing the house and car buying - 1) The New Economy. 2) the kids who graduated around 2008 are the ones employed, and need to buy a house and car. They are re-fi ing their student loans, and moving on......finally. Many have skipped traditional school. As I would do if I could do it over. 3) DiFi will fuel this new economy.

I'm hoping my crypto blows up so I can come visit !

Interesting interview as always, but why so many commercials? There is literally one every 3 minutes or so.

Great interview. Lots of insight, but I do have a question. Both of you say that you could live quite well on $1200.00 a month, does this include health care? I mean you factor in some sort of transportation car/motorbike what have you. Then food and housing it seems a bit low. Thanks.

Aww, your oil analogy is wacked by the Russia-Ukraine war. Lolz

Would like to hear an interview a Filipina married a foreigner and lives in the Philippines

The healthcare "system" in the U.S. is disgusting! So incompetent and inefficient, yet robbing the sick people. Older people should seriously move to an Asian country where they are treated best. I am not old yet, but I don't even want to go to my dentist in the U.S. I am waiting for the world borders to reopen and I will catch a flight to Bangkok, Thailand or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for world class dental and healthcare.

You were told it was not your time. Why did you say you would die if you went home?

hahahaha! a seer! did you follow the big guy who told others the you die tomorrow. "they say here in the phil if you follow that guy and see a light where he is taken away, you become a seer. hahahha. try playing cards or something.

Can you go somewhere else more quiet to do your interview thing? Because the place where you had with Thomas was just too noisy with those other expats too loud in their conversations. Just a suggestion.

Good interview..I disagree with Tom regarding a rise in energy prices...Keystone pipeline is not even operational yet and prices for oil are low...the oil will now be transported by rail and ship instead, but there is now more supply than demand and that is not going to change with clean energy like wind and solar becoming more prevalent and battery tech improving, and abundant supply of natural gas around the world.

This guy cannot speak in full sentences . He's all over the place. He's a mess.