An amusing clash of culture

[russ01539]

Hi everyone.

I got the posting itch today. Sorry.

My fiance arrived here in UK in May '06, and we are really settling well together, and have some real laughs. Usually at each other, but not always shared by my friends cos of their lack of 'understanding to Pi culture and humour', and my fiance can be a real joker when the mood takes her.

Now when I first visited Pi back in 04 I found it hard to understand why my loveley fiance and family fell about laughing (at me usually) everytime I tried to speak tagalog or do something 'Philippine'. I felt like a clown but laughed along with them, and what a great first visit.

However, now Wena is here, I have (albeit to myself) been laughing at some of the things my fiance has done since she arrived here in UK. (And I know I will be in for a beating now cos she sits next to me reading this post!!!!! lol)

I hope your not bored yet.

1.) Explain to your spouses please that dogs in this country DONT have rabies. I spent the first 3 days scraping Wena off my back and returning her freyed nerves to normality every time we walked past a dog. Especially the big fur Saint Berhards dog living outside a shop in our town. At first she thought someone had laid a rug out, until it moved ! LOL I guess you had to be there and see the look on her face.
2.) Buy your spouse travel sickness pills BEFORE they arrive. Your average filipina has never travelled faster than a Jeepney in reverse, suddenly 90mph is like light speed, and makes u a bit dizzy - oh and sick too.
3.) Oh yes, explain what all the cocophony of soaps are that we use in our modernized world. Washing powder went into the dishwasher, dishwasher tablets, dont work in the washer, and pegging bounce deodorant sheets to clothes in the wardrobe !! to name but a few.

I would love to hear some other odd things our loving partners have done in their first few weeks here. But dont worry as i am fast finding out, they learn from their mistakes very quickly, that is if u point their mistakes out, in a gentle and understanding way.

MORE POWER TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as my fiance put in her letter to the embassy asking for the return of her passport and visa. GULP!!!!!!!! I nearly fainted when she sent me the copy of her letter she had sent. It was like looking at another 9 month nightmare !!!!!!!!! Fortunately they took it in context.

Look forward to hearing from you.

PS. Equaliser - if u read this, my fiance went through CFO with your fiance Ashley - and would like to extend her best regards to you and your fiance.

[ivor&mel]

There's an old link to being married to a Filipina in case some have not seen it Rather americanised, unfortunately: perhaps it's time to create an English version? Or was there already a thread about that? My memory...

[russ01539]

ANother - not so amusing thing happened for my fiance yesterday.

As usual she like to join in with everything I am doing and to help and support my efforts. Well after being busy in the house and with work for the past fortnight the front garden needed some weeding.

Well it was not so amusing when my fiance Wena thought she would remove the nettles that had been growing - by hand with no gloves !!!!!!!!!!

Yikes - she wasn't a happy bunny.

[Eljohno]

ANother - not so amusing thing happened for my fiance yesterday.

As usual she like to join in with everything I am doing and to help and support my efforts. Well after being busy in the house and with work for the past fortnight the front garden needed some weeding.

Well it was not so amusing when my fiance Wena thought she would remove the nettles that had been growing - by hand with no gloves !!!!!!!!!!

Yikes - she wasn't a happy bunny.

Its funny how we just take knowing things for granted and forget to mention things to our wives like " use gloves when touching the nettles"
We forget how much our wives need to adjust to life. I have worked with the public on different occasions and you get used to people complaining, shouting etc but Rhea got the full force of some man complaining in her work and it made me feel like i needed to be there and protect her but i guess it is just part of getting used to a new life here in the UK

[fred]

I was sitting down at home minding my own business watching football (as you do) and the wife came in muttering about somthing or other (as she does) when I heared her say ..."and he wouldnt say boo to a goo"..

I turned down the TV and asked her to repeat what she had just said.
"Boo too a goo" she repeated..
Mystified !! Then my 17 yr old stepped in and told me that she meant
"Boo to a goose".
Ahhh!!!,
anyway I turned tv volume back up.
You get used to it after about 15 years.

[russ01539]

My fiance is suffering withdrawal symptoms. We cant find her dried fish any where, and the sun aint strong enough here to dry it naturally. Anyone got any ideas ? Preferably the choice flavour would be Milkfish.

And no Rob she won't appreciate dried sheep s***.

[ivor&mel]

Any Chinese or other Asian supermarkets up in your neck of the woods? Or maybe a shopping trip to Chinatown in Manchester?

[fred]

[quote=russ01539]the sun aint strong enough here to dry it naturally. Anyone got any ideas ?


Rubbish man!! We have been having a heat wave..Perfect daing weather!
A green house would accelerate the process.
The neighbours will not be happy.

[Eljohno]

Try not to give my wife ideas on how to get her dried fish as i am trying to get her of the stuff.

I got Rhea some normal Trout but she had no interest in it....

[russ01539]

Well I found an excellent Chinese supermarket in Lancaster (for those of you in the North West). It is owned by a Chinese guy who's wife is Filipino, and there is not a lot they dont do. Wena went wild on the plastic, and now I have a fridge full of Gabi - awaiting the Sinigang party she will throw for my family this weekend.

If anyone is interested, it is just by the bus station in Lancaster.

I have also managed to find and meet and introduce my fiance to a large group of Filipino/Thai ladies based here in Kendal, but living as far afield as Newcastle, who regularly meet up (Husbands welcome too), so if anyone wants their details mail me and i will send them back to you.

PS. My fiance has just worked out that Blue Portable Toilet cubicles are not in fact post boxes. hehehehe You should have seen the look on her face - and his..........

[ivor&mel]

I think it'd be useful to post info about these Filipina meets across the country. Mel and I discovered that there's a twice-weekly meet here in Sheffield in McDonalds! (*spit*) plus occasional pub/club meets.

Did you tell her it was the postman inside, by the way?

[russ01539]

SSSSSSSSSSshhhhhhhhhhhsssssssssshhhhhhhhh, dont say anything but he was welsh and his name was Rob, and he was hanging upside down from the light fitting.