To be honest, she adjusted with surprisingly little fuss. Whether it was because she was relatively westernised anyway (both in terms of the food she ate and her attitude to life), whether it was because she's just someone able to adapt quickly or whether it was because we'd been living together in the philippines for a couple of years anyway and so she wasn't moving to the UK 'to be with me', we were both moving the life we had together already from one country to another, or a combination of all three, I'm not sure.

She hasn't really found much, if anything, to moan about, and has actualy admitted that living here, she has realised how bad they actually do have it in the philippines - I mean the little things in life and all the hardships you just put up with when you're there, and just assume are normal - until you go somewhere where those hardships are removed - for example having front loading washer driers that don't require you to do anything other than bundle the clothes in, piped gas, reliable hot water and electricity supplies, being able to exchange goods in almost any store without having to undergo a three hour inquisition by some SM gestapo officer over their defective 50 peso product - and being able to exchange it in a matter of minutes, not having to queue for three weeks in the inappropriately named "customer service" queue, being able to go into shops where the people working there actually have at least an ounce of knowledge about the product they're selling and don't just obviously answer yes to any question you ask, regardless of whether the product has it or not, just to get a sale. Basically, the little things in life that make it more bearable - she approves! She also approves of the fact that just occasionally, if someone does help you out, they dont hang around for money afterwards, but they actually are offering genuine assistance.

Things she found a little difficult - the cold, especially now - although she did like the 'outdoor freedom' when it was warmer which meant you could go outside without walking into a blast furnace wall of swelteringly relentless humid heat day in day out - not having previously been to a country with a temperature less than 25 degrees, she didn't realise how 'pleasant' being outside in the sunshine could be, when you're not been instantly fried by intense heat. But considering my wife is someone who considers Baguio to be too cold, again, surprisingly little moans now that we're down to about 10 degrees.

She occasionally needs a rice fix - although she's not a "must have rice morning, noon and night or I'll simply cease being able to function" type of person, she occasionally craves it, in the same way I craved good old danish bacon when I was there (that american straky crap is just appalling) - she's happily adjusted to having fries with her KFCs and McDonalds instead of rice (I know how to treat a lady), but has yet to shake off the deeply ingrained survival instinct about traffic lights (still getting used to the fact that cars stop at red lights and pedestrian crossings and won't actually set foot on the road until the oncoming driver has stopped his car, turned the engine off, left the vehicle and sat down in starbucks across the road whilst waiting for her to cross).

Despite being fluent in english, she originally got a little shy about speaking english in an english speaking country, but i think this was just 'beginner's nerves' - in the same way that I got her to do most telephone conversations in Manila because it was easier for her to speak tagalog to them, we started off doing the same here with me doing it, until I realised it was (re)inforcing a hesitation to do it herself without the reassurance of being able to revert to tagalog - more an initial confidence thing than anything else - but when I took a step back and left her to do it, she was fine.

Not having a maid was a shock to both of us - didn't realise how used to having a maid I had got. We have to clean our own toilet now and look after our own kids!

Happy to chat about any specifics or aspects you'd like to hear about - overall, the whole process was relatively painfree, to be honest. She does miss her family, obviously, but knows they are only a phone call away or a webcam chat away. She has also said, however, that she doesn't feel any longing or desire to return to the Philippines to live. This is possibly due to the fact that when she came to the UK, it wasn't the case that she was wrenched away from her family and friends, we were already living together and had already established a life together that came before other family and friends. She wasn't leaving a family home behind - she had done that already a few years back when we got married - and although she was moving away from her family, her home (ie, our home life) was moving with her, so it was only half the adjustment (if that makes any sense whatsoever - it's late and my command of language is slipping away rapidly!!) Our life here is pretty much a continuation of what it was there, but without the corrupt taxi drivers and useless shop assistants (albeit it with eye pleasing regulation mini skirts - you have to take the good with the bad ) Films come out here later than over there - another minus, although hardly earth shattering.

If there are any specific aspects you would be interested in chatting about, let me know - always happy to share.

Enjoy xmas over there - wouldn't mind being there myself to be honest - will be my first non philippine xmas for a while, but our first british one - we put up her first 'real' xmas tree today! Only the joy of snow and sub zero temperatures to go. ;D