Say you wanted to be near the Philippines but not really wanting to live in that country....Guam could be a good alternative to living in Philippines. Guam would probably be a better option because its U.S. territory, not as congested, very close to Philippines if you need to get there....(4 hour flight) You can use MEDICARE there and they have VA hospital. Great for retirees or those in VA healthcare system. Warm climate all year down. Proximity to Asia makes traveling in those places easy to get to. Bali in 5 hours, Japan in 4. Less if you go to southern Japanese cities. Hawaii is around 8 hours away. You can make it to Australia in about 4 if you're going to Northern Australia like in Cairns. You can buy land on Guam too. It's pricier in general for things than in the states, but not to the point where you spend an awful lot. Guam itself is beautiful, great bars, nightlife, boating, sports activities. Excellent resorts. Guam is a great place for those wishing to be closer to the Philppines without actually living in the Philippines. Telephones all tied into the U.S. system, and television as though you were in the states. The kind of place that when you return from a trip to the Philippines, you go "Boy is it quiet". You get the Hawaii feel without the huge prices.