How I came to log on to an internet chat site....... Well, I'd been on my own for about 8 years after a 10 year marriage and another failed relationship (living in as they say in Phils) which lasted 16 years. At that time I would have described myself as a little bit lonely, but not unhappy. My life was very busy with a full time job in IT and at night and weekends, doing my one-man-band, 60's, 70's & 80's show, gigging in pubs, clubs etc.Originally Posted by Tawi2
What made you log onto an internet chat site for Filipinas in the first place?
It just happened that a friend of mine threw a gig my way that he couldn't manage to fit in and it turned out to be a private party for a Fil/Brit couple who had married in the Philippines and had arranged the party to celebrate their nuptials with their friends here in the UK. The bride's mother had married a Brit and she came here as a child so she had lots of Filipino friends in the UK.
Towards the end of the night I got talking with a group of Filipina's and one of them asked if I was married, to which I replied nooooooooo, my frame of mind at that time being one of a paid up member of the confirmed batchelor club. She started saying that what I needed was a nice Filipina wife, which at that time I thought was a ludicrous idea.
Anyway she went on about it a bit and she mentioned various dating websites that she thought I should log onto. Eventually I finished the gig, packed up my gear, said my goodbyes and headed for the takeaway to pick up my jalfrezi.
I thought no more about that night for a few weeks until one Sunday night when I didn't have a gig and I went for a few pints in the afternoon and fell asleep on the sofa, waking up too late to get showered and go out.
I have always chatted online to people online to various people in various countries around the world (usually english speaking countries) and being bored, I went online and went to various online haunts that I'd had some fun before.
After a while, having found no one interesting to chat to and very still bored, for some reason that Fil/Brit party crossed my mind and the only site that I could remember that the Filipina mentioned on that night was Cherry Blossoms, so I googled it and signed up, even though I wasn't really looking for a wife or even a relationship at that time, just some interesting conversation.
It was a total shock to me at then 55 years old, that almost as soon as I'd signed up, I was being buzzed and invited to chat by lots of very young, very attractive Filipina's, some even as young as 17 years old.
Anyway, although flattered, I managed to contain myself admirably and as soon as they asked me the question that almost all of them seemed to ask, "are you seriously looking for a wife", I would say no not really, but I might think about it one day. In this way I managed to get rid of the really pushy ones very quickly, which probably means I was only left with the ones who were bored because they couldn't find a prospective husband to chat to.
After that night I found that although I still had no intention of finding myself a wife or even forming a romantic relationship with anyone, I still found the thought of logging on to Cherry Blossoms and chatting to Filipina's somewhat intriguing.
I even went through a period where I wouldn't accept chat invitations from anyone under 35 (still baby snatching for me really) because I thought that might lead to more interesting conversation, but I found that the ladies over 35 tended to have even less time to waste on anyone who wasn't interested in marriage.
After about 3 months or so I met Louella online and we got on like a house on fire from the word go. She was not at all heavy (are you seriously looking for a wife?) and she really made me laugh, which is why I came back time and time again to chat to her.
Well I suppose the rest of the story would seem just natural and predictable to those of you that have been there, done that and bought the tee-shirt, but after I had fallen for her hook, line and sinker (me, a card carrying member of the confirmed batchelors association) and I had told her that come hell or high water, I would be coming to Phils to meet her, I started to live a double life. One life online with Louella and another life where I seemed to be living in a parallel universe to the real one that I inhabited from day to day the rest of time.
The rest is history, Birmingham airport, the doubts, Schiphol airport, even more doubts, NAIA, lock me up I must be crazy, Louella.......... no more doubts.
Iain.
