Another Look at Cebu

Lonely Planet has this to say about Cebu City, Cebu : "With apologies to a few Peace Corps veterans and the like, if we were to draw a portrait of the average foreigner here, it would be of a self-exiled, twice-divorced, chemically dependent middle-aged man with a much younger Filipina on his arm. Sound familiar?" I can't argue with that assessment, but I think they're really missing the forest for the trees. Yes, there's a pervasive sex industry in Cebu. I have been propositioned on the street, watch escorts pickup at the mall, and frequently feel like a foreigner among the foreigners. You know what else I see though? Kids playing basketball in the ally down the street from my apartment, the staff and their friends laughing and carrying on outside my window, and regular people going about their business. Cebu is a university town, a port town, and a technology town. Everyone I've had "normal" interactions with have been nothing but gracious, friendly, and helpful. If we replace "Cebu" with "New York/Chicago/Seattle/Dallas/L.A." and "foreigner" with "millionaire," what do we have to say for ourselves? Cebu isn't surrounded by picturesque beaches and fishing villages, but there are some great shows at the local disco, and lovely people if you care to look.