Through Facebook conversations, George, the narrator of Goodbye, Philippines, gets glimpses of Filipino lives in the Philippines and among expatriates and Overseas Foreign Workers. Although he prefers to keep his emotional distance, we gradually see George’s longing for meaningful connections and his ongoing grief for his deceased partner. The interest is both documentary (George is a writer) and personal, as he discovers the breadth and uniqueness of the gay community in the Philippines and in North America. He is often reminded of the disparity between the deprivations and emotional angst of his youth and the sufferings of the younger generation. As his health begins to decline, George continues to encounter younger gays, writers, and others with similar interests. Facebook gives him licence to be bolder and more direct with his questions about others’ lives. On one trip to the Philippines, he is hospitalized, in delirium and dependent on local care until he is well enough to f
