Well after a fabulous first day together we decided to round things off with dinner , we went to go to the Abe Restaurant at the Fort...filipino food so a new experience for me...going out as a couple was a fab feeling and I am sure anyone whoever saw us could see the light of love beaming in our faces..

We enjoyed a really cosy meal together and already started to talk about ourselves as a real couple.Trouble was it was about 730p.m. when we finished our meal and Maristela's sister would be expecting her back in the house. At this stage I was blissfully unaware of what events were unfolding that would potentially turn our new realationship upside down even before it had started. Like love struck teenagers we said our goodbyes and after I was dropped off back at the hotel, maristela continued back home..........that night I sat lonely in the hotel room, all I could think about was you guessed it, my new love maristela...it was all consuming...and my thoughts were just all about seeing her again the following morning around 9a.m...

Well morning came and as planned I waited at the hotel reception for her arrival...and waited and waited.....no exageration it was nearly lunch time and despite numerous telephone calls without success Maristela had still not turned up....what was I to think...I kept trying to telephone her mobile, and after feeling that this was hopeless, I got throiugh....maristela was crying...she said we could not see each other again...my jaw dropped...like the rug had been pulled from beneath me....my new love taken away before we had even got to know each other....She told me that her sister had forbidden us to meet again. It only took me a minute to realise that this was not going to stop me , so I asked for the address...got reception to write it down and order me a taxi. The race to find maristela began.....I jumped in the tax and off we went....the address was in makaiti city and after about 30minutes of going around in circles, I spotted maristela waiting at the side of the road.....we pulled up,she jumped in and we off went to her house.....

There were lots of narrow walkways....but eventually we came to the house....maristela went inside and then asked me to come in and sit down.....like a naugthtly schoolboy I sat there for 20minutes waiting for the sister to come out from the bedroom....(background -Maristela lives with 3 sisters and 2 nieces, her father lives in siargao and her mother died when she was 3 years old, so the eldest sister was the leader of the household).

I could see her sister pacing up and down in the bedroom through the ajar door, then she came out and sat in front of me....it felt like 5 minutes before she uttered a single word...with a very dissapproving face she asked what were my intentions...was I going to marry Maristela? I said what!...I had only just met her...i could not answer that question......I soon realised what it was like to be interigated by a filipino police women, very strong woman no messing I can tell you. I was asked a series of questions all aimed at testing my intentions to her younger sister.......Throughout this ordeal maristela was standing crying one minute and then smiling the next hoping that all work out ok...After an hour or so, I could gradually see her expressions softening and she even started to ask me general questions about me and what I do.....I guess I had just been through the ' are you a suitable boyfriend' test ......and I must have passed!! so much so I was asked to stay for lunch with the whole family................now my integration into filipino family life had begun........