Just Got Back

[piglett]

thanks for the other points of view guysall of my wife's brothers & sisters are either in college or have already graduatedexcept for the youngest who is only 11the oldest sister is a midwife & she is married to a seamenthe next oldest sister is taking the bar exam this fall & is married to a pinoy who is living in the USthen there is the oldest brother who just got a job as a seamen& the next oldest brother will soon be taking a job as a teacherthat only leaves 2 more brothers, the youngest my wife & I pay his tuition there is also an adopted sister who is 18 & she is taking some kind of computer course there in the province.so maybe the brothers & sisters don't end up asking for any or very little cash However there are many many aunties & uncles & even more cousins that will askmy wife & i were in the province 21 hours & durring that time she 2 people that i know of asked her for money. don't these people have any pride ????hell if they came to me & asked for cash to buy piglets or baby chicks ......well maybebut instead of learning to fish they just want me (or my wife) to hand them the fish W T F ???? do they want me to cook the fish for them too ?how about wipe their bottom & tuck them into bed at night toodon't get me wrong i like the island where my wife is from & most of the people are nice too but is that just beacuse 1/2 of them are looking for a pay day from us ???having people ask my wife day & night for money will be hard on her (they don't have balls enought to ask me)so due to that fact i don't think we could ever buy a place in Sibuyanmaybe try renting a place for a few months but not buythanks guyspig

Hey Piglett,I had to Google Earth the island of Romblon to find its location. Looks like about 5 miles wide and only 15 miles long.Even if you found a remote area to live away from her extended family, word will get around eventually and your frontdoor will be revolving for uninvited guests. Unless, you make it plain and simple to your wife that the new sheriff is in town and house rules set by BOTH of you must be strictly enforced. I suggest learning a few Tagalog words like "sorry -- hindi pwede, walang pera", so that in her absence, YOU could communicate your rules clearly. It will take a few times for them to accept that reality.In some cases, the wife can't or won't abide to your wishes because the enormous pressure from her family or shestill feels obligated (utang na loob) to return favors to her family. As you may know, the importance of family culturealso extends outside of immediate family. If things get out of hand in Romblon, perhaps a compromise between you and your wife. Ever consider Batangas, inwhich you already mentioned your port of departure from Luzon. At any rate, please try to put everything on the tablebefore your "honeymoon" is over. It's much easier to give and take during that time.Respectfully -- Jake

the island that my wife is from is just east of Romblon but it is still part of the Romblon provinceit took us 6 hours to go all the way around it on a motorbike ( my bottom still hurts) :)but yes you are rite in time even if we were 3 hours ride away i'm sure atleast some people would show up with their hand out.i myself don't give a sweet sh*t & i would be glad to show them the door after i get tired of themi would 1st be nice & ask them when they intend to go home but at some point i would have to play the @sshole & boot then out the door.i know these this would cause huge problems for my wife so i just can't have any of that going on !!!so yes maybe Batangas but then again many people would in time jump on the boat & come see usonce learning that we had a place therenope i'm thinking more like 1 hour from Cebuwhy that area???first no one from Sibuyan ever goes there instead they go to Manila which is a little closerhowever from Cebu i can grab a plane for about p1750 & be on a near by island in abut 45 min.if i then charter a boat i am only about 5 or 6 hours away from Sibuyanso if my wife & i want to go see her family we canbut it's really hard for any of them to come see us unless we invite them & they come back with us when we return homethankspig

Piglett, Don't worry about anything, because you seem to have it all down to memory, just implement it! Good luck!

i think it's probably best if we (my wife & i) just go to some out of the way place where it's hard to find usthat way we can pop in & see relatives there & then just head on out when we are ready. it's not that i don't like people but i just can't deal with 10 people being at my house all of the time. that would drive me crazy.also if we find a place where there are some other expats there is bound to be atleast a couple that we enjoy talking with from time to time. that is the other thing all i know is the word "adobo" that's all of my tagalog guys so it would probably not be so good if there was no one except for my wife who could speek english & i was isolated for 3 or 4 months at a time.oh PS: i would also like to add "Red Horse" to the words that i know :th_signs083: :hystery: :)thanks guyspig Edited July 24, 2011 by Jake
Had to fix my own post

[piglett]

OK thanks for the clarification -- the island of Sibuyan is just southeast from Romblon Island. Wow, the trip around theperimeter road of the whole island looks pretty exciting. Yeah, my "roids" would be flaring up, unless I make a few SanMagoo beer stops along the way....he, he.While I was stationed up in Bath, Maine I came to realize how wonderful the people from New England are. You are noexception coming from New Hampshire. The northern hospitality rivals that of the Philippines. I was practically adoptedby a family from Bath and they fed me until I nearly overdosed on lobster....he, he.Good luck to you sir -- Jake

I myself have never heard of overdosing on lobster but it mite be possible :)I made sure to take my wife Marily to the discount mall in Manila while i was there. she only owned 2 pair of pants & i explained that she wouldn't be having much need for shorts for about 9 months out of the year.she found 5 more pair of pants that she liked & i told her to buy 3 more pair before she gets on the plane to come to the US. my understanding is that some Asians have a hard time finding clothes that fit rite in the USi think i'll take my wife ice fishing the 1st winter & see how she likes itwe have a pond rite down the street from the house here so if she gate cold i can take her home quickly.oh also that 6 hours around the island did include a few stopsi like buying bottles of coke for p7 really well & due to the fact that we were inviting people to our wedding i figured i better stay away from the beers.thankspiglett Edited July 24, 2011 by piglett

[Old55]

OK thanks for the clarification -- the island of Sibuyan is just southeast from Romblon Island. Wow, the trip around theperimeter road of the whole island looks pretty exciting. Yeah, my "roids" would be flaring up, unless I make a few SanMagoo beer stops along the way....he, he.While I was stationed up in Bath, Maine I came to realize how wonderful the people from New England are. You are noexception coming from New Hampshire. The northern hospitality rivals that of the Philippines. I was practically adoptedby a family from Bath and they fed me until I nearly overdosed on lobster....he, he.Good luck to you sir -- Jake

I myself have never heard of overdosing on lobster but it mite be possible :)I made sure to take my wife Marily to the discount mall in Manila while i was there. she only owned 2 pair of pants & i explained that she wouldn't be having much need for shorts for about 9 months out of the year.she found 5 more pair of pants that she liked & i told her to buy 3 more pair before she gets on the plane to come to the US. my understanding is that some Asians have a hard time finding clothes that fit rite in the USi think i'll take my wife ice fishing the 1st winter & see how she likes itwe have a pond rite down the street from the house here so if she gate cold i can take her home quickly.oh also that 6 hours around the island did include a few stopsi like buying bottles of coke for p7 really well & due to the fact that we were inviting people to our wedding i figured i better stay away from the beers.thankspiglett

Piglett it is your responsibility to keep your wife warm at all times. Trust me on this one my friend.

[piglett]

OK thanks for the clarification -- the island of Sibuyan is just southeast from Romblon Island. Wow, the trip around theperimeter road of the whole island looks pretty exciting. Yeah, my "roids" would be flaring up, unless I make a few SanMagoo beer stops along the way....he, he.While I was stationed up in Bath, Maine I came to realize how wonderful the people from New England are. You are noexception coming from New Hampshire. The northern hospitality rivals that of the Philippines. I was practically adoptedby a family from Bath and they fed me until I nearly overdosed on lobster....he, he.Good luck to you sir -- Jake

I myself have never heard of overdosing on lobster but it mite be possible :)I made sure to take my wife Marily to the discount mall in Manila while i was there. she only owned 2 pair of pants & i explained that she wouldn't be having much need for shorts for about 9 months out of the year.she found 5 more pair of pants that she liked & i told her to buy 3 more pair before she gets on the plane to come to the US. my understanding is that some Asians have a hard time finding clothes that fit rite in the USi think i'll take my wife ice fishing the 1st winter & see how she likes itwe have a pond rite down the street from the house here so if she gate cold i can take her home quickly.oh also that 6 hours around the island did include a few stopsi like buying bottles of coke for p7 really well & due to the fact that we were inviting people to our wedding i figured i better stay away from the beers.thankspiglett

Piglett it is your responsibility to keep your wife warm at all times. Trust me on this one my friend.

oh i don't think that will be a problemwhat mite be a problem is getting her to not almost lay on top of me when we are in bed (sleeping)now when we are in bed & not sleeping i don't mind :)however when sleeping i like to stretch out a bit which i am finding hard to do with my new bride next to memaybe once she arrives here i'll have more room given that we have a queen sized bed, but probably not.pig