Fiancee And I In Phils And Thailand

[davewe]

This has become the only forum that I consider positive enough about PI to post my latest trip report. Other forums if you post positive comments, you find yourself fighting for your life.

 

I arrived in Cebu April 2nd late at night. My fiancee was waiting for me across the street from the airport at Waterfront Hotel and Casino. I was exhausted (but not that exhausted :) ) and our reunion was everything I could imagine.

 

Janet grew up in Alcoy, Cebu but lives in Leyte, where she works and just graduated college. After a 7 hour ferry ride, she took the bus 3 hours to Alcoy to spend a few days with her family and then back to Cebu to meet me.

 

The next day we met Janet's boss who at 78 years old took the 7 hour ferry ride from Leyte to Cebu, wanting to meet me (and check me out I am sure). Arranged to meet at a restaurant in Ayala Mall. She showed up with her older sister and best friend. We all had a nice lunch and I let the boss check me out. I of course paid for lunch (the boss is rich, but still it was my treat) though all three women took out their senior citizen cards for a 20% discount. I tried to use my drivers license as ID for the same discount but that didn't fly :lol:

 

Next stop, coffee at the bosses friend's house. A very upscale home in a gated community overlooking Cebu. Rich even by American standards. Who says all these people are poor? Very nice hospitality and I mostly watched a group of older people raucously play mah jong.

 

While Janet and I are engaged and the K1 visa process is well under way, I hadn't given her a ring yet. I made a reservation at Lantaw Floating Island restaurant. I didnt realize how far it was from the airport and we paid the driver to wait for us (he ended up asking for more which I eventually ponied up).

 

Nice dinner and afterwards I did the bended knee thing and pulled out the ring I had brought from the US, never letting it leave my sight.

 

What did Janet do? Giggled! She was embarrassed and that was her way to deal with it. I was still on my aging knee and trying to figure out what to do. As she held one hand over her mouth to hide her giggles she stuck out her left hand so I could slip the ring on. Fit perfectly thank God.

 

With the engagement now formalized the next step was obvious. The next day we took the bus to Alcoy to meet the family again (I'd met them once before) and have lunch on the beach. Janet is one of 10 kids, so the lunch was a major catered undertaking. Janet had rented a cottage on the beach and after lunch she and I and a ton of kids went swimming and snorkeling. Got fantastics pics and video.

 

I sat the parents down and formally asked for their permission to marry Janet. Now I beleived this was a done deal and they knew all the details about our plans. Hmmm - not quite. They knew the high level stuff but not the details like where we would get married, when janet would leave for the US, when I would return to PI, etc. I started sweating big time as janet translated. After what seemed like forever, her dad said everything was fine and shook my hand. What a relief!

 

Two days later we returned to Cebu (after a glorious trip to a waterfall). Via Cebu Pacific we flew to Bangkok for Janet's first ever trip out of PI. While we only had one day there we really liked Bangkok. Clean and modern, it's a great city and while I have no interest in moving to a city so big, I liked it a lot.

 

A day later we traveled to Chiang Mai for the bulk of our adventure. We stayed out of the city at Secret Garden, a quaint hideaway run by a couple (the Swiss husband was super friendly, the Thai wife did most of the work and was a wonderful cook). The next day we had one of those life altering experiences, riding and bathing elephants in one of the camps that Chiang Mai is famous for. I managed not to fall off and Janet was a natural.

 

BTW, thoughout our trip virtually every person we met thought Janet was Thai. They all approached her and spoke Thai to her and she acted like a deer in the headlights; I would have to explain that she is a Filipina.

 

We spent time in Chiang Mai during the famous Songkran Water Festival, a wet and wild national new years party! Total blast even for a geezer like me.

 

All too soon we left Thailand, returned to Cebu and the Waterfront Hotel and the next day I returned to the US and Janet to Leyte.

Edited May 8, 2013 by davewe

[dalidali]

Very nice story Mr. Davewe.....I like it.....all of it.....

[Old55]

What a great story Dave, thank you for sharing it with us. And congratulation! :cheersty: :tiphat:

[Mike S]

This has become the only forum that I consider positive enough about PI to post my latest trip report. Other forums if you post positive comments, you find yourself fighting for your life.

 

I totally agree ..... one of the very few places where you can pretty well express yourself without fear of being bushwhacked .... anyone however who crosses the line doesn't last very long as Sir Tom has a very quick ban finger when it is needed .... you can glean some very good info from here and hopefully add some of your experiences like you did above .... a very nice report and I hope the two of you will be very happy together ..... :thumbsup: :cheersty:

[lyno 47]

Great post Davewe I love a happy story it brightens ones heart.And you are right about this great forum,i don't think you would find a better one anywhere great posts by friendly people.I wish you and Janet a long and happy life together :cheersty:

[Jollygoodfellow]

Yes is a very nice story. :thumbsup:

I split the topic about traveling with a Filipina to HERE so it does not take away from the OPs topic.  :cheersty:

[Papa Carl]

Great story, loved it. So nice to hear the positive.

 

Ellie and I had the same experience where everyone thought she was Thai, and she was the same, like a dear in the headlights, staring at me as though I could explain and better than she that she was a Filipina.

 

Wish you all the best, and hope your marriage is full of the same great experiences as I have with Ellie and our 2 and a half year old daughter now.

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

Papa Carl

[i am bob]

Great post sir! Hope to hear more on your adventures in the future!

One thing about this forum? I think all our members seem to be just a little more in love with our special ones

[BrettGC]

Nice story Dave!!  Sounds like you had a great time, really glad to hear the family thing went off so well and sounds like you both had a great time all around.

 

Have to agree with you as well; I've found this forum to be the most friendly and informative - there is another that I'm a member of that's nearly as good but I won't name it for fear of JGF hitting me with his big stick ;)

 

I see you're from Portland; I actually lived there for a while a few years back (NE Hancock St) and loved it. 

Edited May 15, 2013 by BrettGC

[davewe]

Nice story Dave!!  Sounds like you had a great time, really glad to hear the family thing went off so well and sounds like you both had a great time all around.

 

Have to agree with you as well; I've found this forum to be the most friendly and informative - there is another that I'm a member of that's nearly as good but I won't name it for fear of JGF hitting me with his big stick ;)

 

I see you're from Portland; I actually lived there for a while a few years back (NE Hancock St) and loved it. 

It's a small world. I live on S.E. Stark, not too far from Hancock! I think Janet will like Portland - it's a friendly city, as US cities go. But while I hope she enjoys it I don't want her to enjoy it too much - lol. I will retire and we'll be leaving in 4 1/2 years, hopefully to PI.