Arrived here ok..

[jackmac452]

Well after 18 hours of flight...I arrived here on a very hot night...I was surprised at the amount of children still up and on the streets so late...but they were very polite and Ok to talk to. The Karaoke bar opposite our flat was still belting out songs at 6am in the morning but we were informed that was only because of New Years eve. thank goodness. The place is very nice..even the cardboard city place and the people are so, so polite to us..I have never seen so many Security Guards with guns before anywhere... one even followed me in to the toilet and waited for me to finish...My wife is even more beautiful than ever and my son is so, so Gwapo, but everyone thinks he's an American baby...hmmm..I soon put them straight..Got my fist taste of Filipino nightlife tonight..had to be escorted out of the brother in laws district in Pildera because the locals were afraid of us walking through at night. The women here are beautiful (my wife is the best though) well worth coming here for holiday and the people are so friendly and curious about the UK. One thing I was surprised at though..We all think men come here for beautiful girls, but I've seen a lot of western men with plain ladies..thats because their hearts are in the right place and they WILL look after you ...Palaging talaga...

[LadyJ]

What a lovely story!! So glad that you're having a nice time out there.

[somebody]

Glad you had a safe journey over. Must be nice to get away from the cold have a great trip

[jackmac452]

Thank you very much LadyJ... but I was wrong about the Karaoke bar..it's open every night till about 5am. but have found the air conditioning louder and it even sounds better than the singing..hehehe.. A note for everyone at home...it's over 30 degree's here during the day...I miss the cold wet slushy snow and the freezing cold...hehehe..byee

[jackmac452]

Well after 10 days here I thought I might give a reprise about what has happened. Sorry to say, but now we cannot wait to get away from here, we cannot get no sleep at nights for the noise, the heat for me is now getting too much, I sleep a lot of the day (when I can) My missus is a complete Angel though...I've never met anyone who works, cooks, cleans like her...I have to push her in to the chair to stop her at times, and she is so beautiful. Sometimes I wonder what good deed I did in a past life to deserve her in this one. At 60 I'm finding it hard to run around after a 14 month old manic baby, ohhh the crying and noise making...it does my head in....hehehe..but when he looks at me and smiles...my tension just ebbs away. We went for a walk to her friends home in Cardboard city? by the side of the Airport..My goodness, how poor the people live, but how nice they were. brought a big lump to my throat when I experienced their kindness, something I have not had in England for many a year. another strange thing is..All the cats I've seen are white? no multicoloured ones at all. There are lots of Western men here with Pinoy girlfriends and wives but I am surprised at the ages of the ladies..Most of them are over 30 and they seem to be very happy couples (maybe their wives clean all the time also like Nisa) We have decided to go to Boan (?) where her cousin lives as it's quieter and cooler there. By the way, Nisa has loads of cousins and family here near us, but not one has even mentioned money to her..or even wanting to borrow it...so that blew one of my main worries out of the water.. One thing though that p**d me of though , is the red tape we have to go through for visa, passport for junior..we had to register him as a late birth certificate child and the man blatantly asked for 4,000 peso's so we could go to another department to get another piece of paper...so I decided to show him my British side and told him to go and get lost (not in them terms, but more politely) then I told him I will go to the British embassy to have him registered there as a UK. citizen...I know I cannot do that, but it worked.. He gave us the paper slip for nothing and we got the other paper slip ok as well. I have a sneaking feeling (but not arrogantly) that the Filipino people look up to the British people (I don't know why) but being British does have it's upside here..two more things..everything is so cheap here (except electrical goods) and everywhere you go..Starbucks, Kentucky, McDonalds and Jollibee's, all have guards with big guns....some with shot guns even. bit of a culture shock that one...By and large I am feeling ok here, only the sleep/Heat question pops up. Those Jeepny's are ace.. but the motorbike and sidecar I find are terrifying.. One little bit of advice I would give, (but would be difficult for a lot of men) come here for a holiday and meet someone here..There are hundreds of thousands of beautiful ladies here just longing for someone to treat them right and to be faithful to them. Glad I came but Manila is getting too much for me..Ohh and the diesel fumes...really make you choke...but then..it's snowing like hell at home and I'm nice and warm here with a nice cool drink...byeee.

[aromulus]

Looks as if it going alright, then.....

Yeah, quit moaning about the heat as it is -8 here, at this precise moment.

[bornatbirth]

sounds like your getting the same experience as most of us, you will get use to the heat and spending enough time there you will be eating rice all day long

[fred]

Take my tip...Get yourself up to Tagaytay for a day or six!! The temperature drops considerably(a bit like an English spring day) and the views are well worth the hour and half journey from Manila..You will also have the opportunity to see the worlds smallest volcano surrounded by Taal lake..Booootiful!!

[jackmac452]

Hi again..Fred, took your advice and went to Tagaytay..smashing place, maybe thinking about getting somewhere to stay there for a while...Sorry to say my love affair with Manila has gone very, very sour...The polution is so bad (my throat is permanantly sore) the bloody Kareoke bar across the street is on for 21 hours a day with the Worlds worst singers using it, was laughed at when I asked them to tone it down at 3am..Bloody cockroaches 2" long scaring me to death..Nisa's uncle dying after scratching his foot then walking in a puddle with Rat wee in it.(that really worried me)..The best time I have had so far is when we went to one of the cardboard cities to see her friend, which is by Pildera, near the airport...The people were so, so poor, but fantastic...enjoyed my stay with them immensley. Would not let me help them at all....makes you feel, who are the real people, these or the glittery, sickly people we watch on the TV. everyday, I know who'd I'd vote for..(wowowee Willie is getting fat now...maybe too many fingers in too many pies...hehehe)
But above all this is the fact that my missus is so lovely...in every shape or form...a tower of strength whilst I have been here, but even she now says she is worried about how I'm feeling...Going to Bo'hol soon, see if thats better...Manila? nah...had enough...