new member advice needed please

[cardiffian]

hi everyone,
i met a filippino lady on filipinaheart about 3 weeks ago and things seem to be progressing well between us,we are communicating useing e;mails at the moment and i am planning to go and visit her by the end of the year. I am a single parent with a 14 year old son so i can&#39;t just drop everything and go to visit her at the moment,i found this site after searching the web and you seem to be nice helpful people who can give me some advice please.Can you let me know what i should be doing now and until i go to the philippines so that if in the future we become an item so to speak we are prepared . thanks in advance everyone jeff style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Wave.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Wave.gif

[walesrob]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cardiffian &#064; May 6 2006, 02&#58;40 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
hi everyone,
i met a filippino lady on filipinaheart about 3 weeks ago and things seem to be progressing well between us,we are communicating useing e;mails at the moment and i am planning to go and visit her by the end of the year. I am a single parent with a 14 year old son so i can&#39;t just drop everything and go to visit her at the moment,i found this site after searching the web and you seem to be nice helpful people who can give me some advice please.Can you let me know what i should be doing now and until i go to the philippines so that if in the future we become an item so to speak we are prepared . thanks in advance everyone jeff style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Wave.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Wave.gif
[/b][/quote]

Hi Jeff, welcome to the forum, we are a friendly bunch here style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

I think most other members will agree with me when I say that it&#39;s better if you meet her first before deciding on how you want this to progress. You say that you are emailing each other on a regular basis - thats good, and keep it going, get to know each other really well. Remember to save those emails (and letters, cards) so that if you do decide to take things further, you have plenty of evidence when it comes to Visa time, but thats a long way off yet&#33;

Most members on this forum have "been there, done that" so feel free to ask anything you want.

[Pauldo]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cardiffian &#064; May 6 2006, 02&#58;40 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
hi everyone,
i met a filippino lady on filipinaheart about 3 weeks ago and things seem to be progressing well between us,we are communicating useing e;mails at the moment and i am planning to go and visit her by the end of the year. I am a single parent with a 14 year old son so i can&#39;t just drop everything and go to visit her at the moment,i found this site after searching the web and you seem to be nice helpful people who can give me some advice please.Can you let me know what i should be doing now and until i go to the philippines so that if in the future we become an item so to speak we are prepared . thanks in advance everyone jeff style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Wave.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Wave.gif
[/b][/quote]
Hi Jeff, welcome aboard.
Not wanting to be a damper on your enthuse, but three weeks is an awful short period to start laying even tentative plans for the big &#39;M&#39;.

Be prepared to find out a lot more about her before you fall head over heels in love, do the ground work, ask key questions, collate information and make sure it gels over time. There are many things that people can easily hide on-line, such as eight kids, two divorces, three weddings, etc etc.

I lived in the PI for ten years, and knew quite a few girls before I met my wife, (but don&#39;t tell her) so it is not the usual English zenophobic negativity I&#39;m speaking here.

She is probably genuine and honest, but don&#39;t let lust coloured glasses distort your view of things. Keep your focus, keep a touch on reality, listen carefully to what she says, keep all her messages, cards, telephone records, copies of any money sent to her, and other communications. You will need them and the information in them to make the visa application when the time comes.

Good luck.

[cardiffian]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(walesrob &#064; May 6 2006, 03&#58;19 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Hi Jeff, welcome to the forum, we are a friendly bunch here style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

I think most other members will agree with me when I say that it&#39;s better if you meet her first before deciding on how you want this to progress. You say that you are emailing each other on a regular basis - thats good, and keep it going, get to know each other really well. Remember to save those emails (and letters, cards) so that if you do decide to take things further, you have plenty of evidence when it comes to Visa time, but thats a long way off yet&#33;

Most members on this forum have "been there, done that" so feel free to ask anything you want.
[/b][/quote]
thanks very much for the advice i know i will have to go and meet her before anything happens between us,i have allready started keeping all our email&#39;s sent between us and i hope to go to visit her by the end of this year and then perhaps i can get a visa for her to visit here.I know i am jumping the gun so to speak and i am keeping my feet firmly on the ground and will see how things develope in the future,could i also ask if there is anything else you would advise me to do when i go there thanks in advance everyone jeff

[Eljohno]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cardiffian &#064; May 7 2006, 03&#58;25 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
thanks very much for the advice i know i will have to go and meet her before anything happens between us,i have allready started keeping all our email&#39;s sent between us and i hope to go to visit her by the end of this year and then perhaps i can get a visa for her to visit here.I know i am jumping the gun so to speak and i am keeping my feet firmly on the ground and will see how things develope in the future,could i also ask if there is anything else you would advise me to do when i go there thanks in advance everyone jeff
[/b][/quote]

Hi Jeff,

welcome to the forum. The guys have given you sound advice so far. Do take your time to get to know this girl as emotions can sometimes lead to making sudden decisions about a long term commitment. You say that you want the girl to come visit you here in the Uk but to get your girl a tourist visa can be very difficult and it is much simplier for you to go to the Philippines as no visa is needed for up to 21 days.

Make sure you keep receipts and all paperwork between both of you in case that you plan to marry in the future, things like phone cards, online chats, start sending letters and get your girl to do the same.

Have a good look around this forum as it has loads of info.


John