Three Countries

[JimOttley]

We live in three different countries just now.

Soon it will be just two again.

Then I hope just one here in the UK.

I'm happy today because we both got to see the kids online.

This pic was taken today, Ana in Seoul, me near Liverpool, kids in Manila.

My daughter has changed so much even in just the last 2 months, still has reddish brown hair though looks so strange on my little Asian princess



This is my bonnie wee Scottish lassie last time I saw her in Manila in March



She has grown up so fast :( I really want Ana back with the kids because it is really not good for her to be apart from them when they are so young.

James last December




All Together




At least all the papers we needed in Korea are now ready so Ana will be home in a couple of weeks


Jim

[Tawi2]

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[jencha8569]

thats good news then congratulations
nice pics by the way ur little princess is so pretty

[JimOttley]

Thanks Tawi!

Janna is pretty sharp, very inquisitive, she's the spitting image of my older sister when she was little, so much an Ottley it's unreal.

I think we had just bought those shoes that evening in Mall of Asia but you're right, they grow so fast.

Yep it just takes time

[Northerner]

You have a beautiful family, Jim. I wish you all the best for the future

[JimOttley]

You have a beautiful family, Jim. I wish you all the best for the future

Salamat Northerner


Jim

[trader dave]

some of the aggro some people have to go through never ceases to amaze me just to live together as a family

best of luck to you and your family for the future

[miss.piggy]

Beautiful pics Jim. Hope you sort the papers out so you all get together soon!

[joebloggs]

everyday passes is one day nearer to you all being together

bit of luck my misses will be seeing her family in the phils, for the first time in 5yrs in April because of the sacrifices she has made for them.

[JimOttley]

Cheers everyone!

Just feeling good seeing the kids today particularly seeing how Janna was changing so fast.


Jim

[joebloggs]

Cheers everyone!

Just feeling good seeing the kids today particularly seeing how Janna was changing so fast.


Jim

i know how you feel, my misses family will be in for a shock when they see how tall our little gal is, shes 9 now and as tall her her mom, the last time her family in the phils saw her, she was 3 1/2 they will not recognise her now

[JimOttley]

i know how you feel, my misses family will be in for a shock when they see how tall our little gal is, shes 9 now and as tall her her mom, the last time her family in the phils saw her, she was 3 1/2 they will not recognise her now

yes I can imagine Joe, 5 years is a long time for your wife to have been away, for such a family oriented culture it is really breaks their hearts being separated from each other for a long time.

Ana get's desperately homesick within 6 weeks of being away from home :( she was crying her heart out to me on the phone every night a few months ago but at least she's going home now.

Jim

[joebloggs]

yes 5yrs is too long, but my misses has always been away from her family studying since she was 18, so it doesn't bother her as much as say many filipinas. but she wants to see her 1yr old grand daughter and for her family to see little joe.

it's been 5yrs because she got pregnant with little joe (who will be 3 on the 5th of nov ) , she found a good part time job working for the NHS, trying to pass her driving test , and medical exams so she can work as a doc - this has taken near 3yrs) well hopefully end of next month it will be all over and also because of many problems with my family - at least the ones i have left made it thru this year

so hopefully next year will be a for us both

[Florge]

aaawwwww... you got a very lovely family... don't worry.. all will be well Jim.

[bornatbirth]

that must be very hard that you are all apart and with the kids being so young,i cant imagine how that will feel.

good luck to you!

[Ji&Ma]

That must be very hard for all of you sometimes as I can imagine...
Wish you good luck Jim and hope you will be soon united with all your family again

[monkeyface]

I can imagine how hard it is for you and your family. I think this is the one of the most complicated LDR I have read. Being away from your partner is hard enough and learning that she is in another country away from the your kids too makes it more complicated.

If you don't mind me asking, I assume the relatives take care of the kids, but how do you get to see them online? How often? Sorry if you find me invasive.

Take care.

[JimOttley]

I can imagine how hard it is for you and your family. I think this is the one of the most complicated LDR I have read. Being away from your partner is hard enough and learning that she is in another country away from the your kids too makes it more complicated.

If you don't mind me asking, I assume the relatives take care of the kids, but how do you get to see them online? How often? Sorry if you find me invasive.

Take care.

We had a computer and SmartBro 3G modem in Manila but the computer appears to have packed in shortly after Ana left to go to Korea, it will be something trivial for me to fix if I were there no doubt but it means that they have to go to an internet cafe just now.

At the moment Nanay is looking after the kids she has lived with us for nearly the last 5 years, I hate that she has to look after 2 young children for us at her age, as she has worked so hard all her life to bring up her own kids she deserves a rest, but we had no other choice if we were to get the papers we needed for the Philippine authorities.

At the moment Ana gets to borrow a laptop from a Filipino neighbour in Korea and we just use yahoo and webcam.

To answer your question at the moment we maybe get to see the kids once a month, when Ana is in Manila and the computer is working I would get to see them every couple of days.

On our own computer in Manila, I use Skype for video calls but most internet cafe's just have yahoo available.

At least Ana will be back home in a few days time.


jim

[monkeyface]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for answering my question. I had to ask cos my brother was in the same situation before. He's working abroad and his wife worked here but lived in a different place. The kids were left under the care of my brother's in-laws. He had always told me how difficult it is, since his in-laws are not very good with computers. He only got to see his kids on weekends when his wife is home. Fortunately, things have changed for them.

I understand how you feel about your Nanay but I have to say it is better than leaving the kids with strangers. It is said that grandparents love their grandchildren more than they love their own children, which I don't think is a bad thing.

I'm glad to hear Ana will be home soon and you will be able to see them more often.

Take care and I wish you and your family all the best.

[JimOttley]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for answering my question. I had to ask cos my brother was in the same situation before. He's working abroad and his wife worked here but lived in a different place. The kids were left under the care of my brother's in-laws. He had always told me how difficult it is, since his in-laws are not very good with computers. He only got to see his kids on weekends when his wife is home. Fortunately, things have changed for them.

I understand how you feel about your Nanay but I have to say it is better than leaving the kids with strangers. It is said that grandparents love their grandchildren more than they love their own children, which I don't think is a bad thing.

I'm glad to hear Ana will be home soon and you will be able to see them more often.

Take care and I wish you and your family all the best.

Our family is huge we would never leave the kids with strangers if the worst came to the worst Ana's brother would have taken them in, he has a really nice house at the extreme edge of north Calaocan and is a very good man.

At least nanay will get a break now that Ana will be home.


Jim

[JimOttley]

Well in 8 minutes time Ana leaves Korea so we will be back to just TWO countries

Jim

[Arthur Little]

Thanks for sharing your lovely family photos with us, Jim. Roll on the day when you will all be together again!

[JimOttley]

Thanks for sharing your lovely family photos with us, Jim. Roll on the day when you will all be together again!

Thanks Arthur

Ana is back on the ground safe at NAIA just going through immigration and customs now