7 weeks now

[Piamed]

Hi SephEan

The waiting is hard for me but I have my work to distract me. It's much worse for Pia. Now that the wedding planning is over, she has graduated and submitted all the documents for her visa application she has had little else to occupy her time. Until today.

Pia's activities
Today she enrolled for and a started a cookery course. This is something Pia has wanted to do for a while; learn new dishes and methods of cooking.

Prior to this she had tried to work with her old company but of course whilst wanting her as an employee the boss knows (he was one of our ninongs) that at some time in the very near future she will be leaving so they do not want to be left high and dry suddenly, which is understandable .

Another thing that Pia was going to try to do was undertake driving lessons but the only vehicle available to her to learn in was a Jeepney . Also the only place for her to practice was on the national highway. The owners of local open spaces available, would not allow it. So we decided that she should wait until she is here to start the lessons.

My activities
For myself, although I have work which is quite demanding time wise, I still have a large amount of time to miss my wife and contemplate when her visa will be granted.

So, I keep finding things to do in the house in preparation for her coming. I wash the curtains, buy new toilet seats, cutlery, tidy the garden etc. Its a fine balance between wanting to have the house perfect for her and still leaving enough for us to do together and her to do alone so that she makes her mark on the house (red sofa aside) and feels its hers .

One of the spare rooms is used to store all the wedding gifts I brought back (courtesy of very large luggage allowances) and the copious amount of new stuff that I bought that Sofi (sorry Pia) and I will rearrange together.

That's how I get through this and also meeting pinoy as I try to establish an initial pinoy social network base of people she can talk to and meet with until she establishes her own friends both pinoy and indigenous (not foreigner here ).

Everywhere I go I meet new potential friends and let Pia speak to them on the phone. I met a filipina yesterday, spoke to her hubby last night and am going to their house for lunch today. Pia is the most anticipated passenger at Leeds airport . So many have seen our wedding pics online and some have even spoken to her on the phone. My neighbour, Singaporean and complete with expensive taste, can't wait to take Pia shopping (hala hala) .

Suggested activities
Another thing you might consider SephEan is whether you want to do a course in the UK and start looking while over there. Also, you might consider the things that you will need to take with you when your visa is granted, little things such those small bowls used for mixing th soy sauce with the little chilli peppers (sorry, I can't recall what they are called) and vinegar.

By the way, I have emailed them 3 times and received 3 responses. The longest took 3 working days; the others 2. And I have been advised my submissions will be added to my wifes application file.

Anyway, hope that helps a bit!

God bless you!

[SephEan]

Hi SephEan

The waiting is hard for me but I have my work to distract me. It's much worse for Pia. Now that the wedding planning is over, she has graduated and submitted all the documents she has had little else to occupy her time. Until today.

Pia's activities
Today she enroled for and a started a cookery course. This is something Pia has wanted to do for a while; learn new dishes and methods of cooking.

Prior to this she had tried to work with her old company but of course everyone knows that at some time she will be leaving so they do not want to invest further training etc., which is understandable.

Another thing that Pia was going to try to do was undertake driving lessons but the only vehicle available to her to learn in was a Jeepney....hehehe. Also the only place for her to practice was on the national highway. The owners of local open spaces available, would not allow it. so we decided that she should wait until she is here to start the lessons.

My activities
For myself, although I have work which is quite demanding time wise, I still have a large amount of time to miss my wife and contemplate when her visa will be granted.

So, I keep finding things to do in the house in preparation for her coming. I wash the curtains, buy new toilet seats, cutlery, tidy the garden etc. Its a fine balance between wanting to have the house perfect for her and still leaving enough for us to do together and her to do alone so that she makes her mark on the house (red sofa aside) and feels its hers.

One of the spare rooms is used to store all the wedding gifts I brought back (courtesy of very large luggage allowances) and the stuff that I bought that Sofi (sorry Pia) and i will rearrange together.

That's how I get through this and also meeting pinoy. Every where i go I meet new ones and let Pia speak to them on the phone. I meet a filipina yesterday , spoke to her hubby last night and am going to their house for lunch today.

Suggested activities
Another thing you might consider SephEan is whether you want to do a course in the UK and start looking while over there. Also, you might consider the things that you will need to take with you when your visa is granted, little things such those small bowls used for mixing th soy sauce with the little chilli peppers (sorry, I can't recall what they are called) and vinegar.

Anyway, hope that helps a bit!

God bless you!

Hi Piamed!! that is a great help. thank you so much. I just told my hubby while i was reading your post and chatting with him at the same time (right now), that i would like to enroll to a culinary school, like ur wife. i have less knowledge about cooking and i dont want my hubby to get starve. lol... gonna inquire first and hopefully i can find somwhere near my place. maybe i could enroll for a week session...

I've been thinking about the driving lesson too, i know how to drive tho, my friend thought me but i want to learn from a professional one..but the prob is even if i gt help from a driving school i doubt if my family would be trusting enough to lend me the car.

hey Piamed, i dont think u have read about my post regarding the hotel which is near my hubby's place..i asked him abt that and he said its near. maybe when i gt there and ur wife maybe we could say hi to each other personally

and hey the things u do in preparation for the coming of ur wife, that is so sweet! i wish you both happiness and the best luck in life!!

[Piamed]

Hi Piamed!! that is a great help. thank you so much. I just told my hubby while i was reading your post and chatting with him at the same time (right now), that i would like to enroll to a culinary school, like ur wife. i have less knowledge about cooking and i dont want my hubby to get starve. lol... gonna inquire first and hopefully i can find somwhere near my place. maybe i could enroll for a week session...

You are most welcome and good luck with the cooking course. I wish I could attend a pinoy/asian cooking course.

I've been thinking about the driving lesson too, i know how to drive tho, my friend thought me but i want to learn from a professional one..but the prob is even if i gt help from a driving school i doubt if my family would be trusting enough to lend me the car.

I guess cars are valuable financially and practically. I am about to order a new car, will I be enthusiastic about Sofi driving it right away (first 10 years), hmmn, probably not! Only, err, kidding honey.

hey Piamed, i dont think u have read about my post regarding the hotel which is near my hubby's place..i asked him abt that and he said its near. maybe when i gt there and ur wife maybe we could say hi to each other personally

Sorry, I did not see your reply about the hotel. It would be really nice to meet you both. Pia and I are still undecided about whether she will work or we will start a family sooner.

If she does work I will try to secure a job with my old company up here for her. That will help to ensure she can get her qualifications considered, a common problem.

If I can't help her get a suitable one up here we may have to move down to your area so that she can get a job with my current employer. We will see!

and hey the things u do in preparation for the coming of ur wife, that is so sweet! i wish you both happiness and the best luck in life!!

I am trying so hard to ensure that she is able to have friends so that she can have her independence, when she wants it, adjust to life in the UK sooner and not feel so homesick. Pia and I wish you and your hubby God's biggest blessings over your life together.

[scott&ligaya]

Piamed, Having just gone through similar preparations for Ligaya's arrival(now happily settling in) I have thought about would I have done anything different, the only thing I think she would have loved would have been for me to have gone to the "wet" market in the city centre and made sure I had already got the salmon heads in the rif!!!!!!!!


Sephean,
have faith, it will work out for you, and try to get yourself out more again, go running,swimming if you can and generally get yourself in the best fitness you can for your hubby (best present ever), once you get here and start in on the fish and chips, potatoes, kebabs, fast food and other UK favourites it all goes to crap! lol.

[Piamed]

Piamed, Having just gone through similar preparations for Ligaya's arrival(now happily settling in) I have thought about would I have done anything different, the only thing I think she would have loved would have been for me to have gone to the "wet" market in the city centre and made sure I had already got the salmon heads in the rif!!!!!!!!

You know, I don't think Pia eats fish heads...really! Sis, yes!

Sephean,
have faith, it will work out for you, and try to get yourself out more again, go running,swimming if you can and generally get yourself in the best fitness you can for your hubby (best present ever), once you get here and start in on the fish and chips, potatoes, kebabs, fast food and other UK favourites it all goes to crap! lol.

I told Pia i will buy a new set of scales and chart her 'progress'.

[aromulus]

Come to think of it.....

Jet is gathering a bit of ballast around the beams.......

Mind you, she needed a couple of extra oz's in places....

[Piamed]

Come to think of it.....

Jet is gathering a bit of ballast around the beams.......

Mind you, she needed a couple of extra oz's in places....

I'm not sure that we have control over where those oz's go!

[SephEan]

Sephean,have faith, it will work out for you, and try to get yourself out more again, go running,swimming if you can and generally get yourself in the best fitness you can for your hubby (best present ever), once you get here and start in on the fish and chips, potatoes, kebabs, fast food and other UK favourites it all goes to crap! lol.

Thanks Scott&Ligaya!! Is that really her name "Ligaya"? Wow!! thats really a nice and sweet name. About going out again, actually i already have plans this saturday. Thanks for the advice.. about the best present, well i think i still have it, lol!!!..can't wait to try european cuisine..

[Sangoma]

, and try to get yourself out more again, go running,swimming if you can and generally get yourself in the best fitness you can for your hubby (best present ever), once you get here and start in on the fish and chips, potatoes, kebabs, fast food and other UK favourites it all goes to crap! lol.

We call this the Heathrow injection. Anybody who was trim and passes through Heathrow, usually doesn't remain trim for long......................

[SephEan]

We call this the Heathrow injection. Anybody who was trim and passes through Heathrow, usually doesn't remain trim for long......................

Really? Is that it? oh i can't wait to be there!! lol! need some fats!