Aaaaah, so in love...a taster. :)

[grahamw48]

Thanks Moy !

[DeltaRomeo]

Ahhhh Graham.. love your sense of humour.. particularly the 'Loaker' that'll be me.. I find it difficult enough to understand Brits! Oh and the song.. or your singing.. it was half way through before I recognised it! hahaha! <sorry!>
Great Pictures.. really enjoyed seeing them. thank you. and congratulations on your engagement to you both I hope the future works well for you and the Singapore deal isn't too much of a headache.
All the best

[grahamw48]

Thanks Dave.

I don't know if it's going to be your first visit to the Phils (I've been back and forwards for 22 years now), but I'm sure that after the jetlag has worn off....which affects one's singing abilities terribly, you'll find it to be an amazing place with lovely people. A mixture of scary/crazy/funny/laid back/addictive - most visitors fall in love with the place as well as the people, but a little forward planning and knowledge of how things work there does add greatly to the experience.

If you're in need of any advice concerning your upcoming trip and meeting, do ask away. There are lots of members on here who will be happy to share their experience so that your trip will go as smoothly as possible and hopefully will be full of treasured memories for you later.

[DeltaRomeo]

Yes it will be my first visit there.. first time out of the UK for 7 years actually. (No not a prison sentence! :|).
I've already cocked up in my excitement... I ordered 20000php and then read the limit is 10000php.. doh! Having read the posts on here I think I'll just complement that with £200 sterling and sort the rest out by card when I am there.
I am curious.. how did you find the heat transition from here?.. I notice it seems to be hovering around the mid 30's over there.. and when you went... wasn't it around -12 here?
I'm hoping Jet lag won't be that much of an issue.. I'm a seasoned shift worker, so hope that experience will for once be somewhat useful. Although I must add that the morning I fly (10:05 from LHR) will be straight after a 12 hour night shift finishing at 6am.. I hope to sleep on the flight.. but I'm also afraid of missing out on my in flight meal.. Well I'm sure I can sleep as soon as I arrive.. Chell will be so impressed.. start as we mean to go on!

[grahamw48]

To be honest, customs there rarely if ever check your bag, money etc. You could always stick the excess in a money belt, but up to you of course.

Personally I'd never carry much cash if I had a card to use. (Millions of ATMs there).

You'll also get a better exchange rate there, but in the greater scheme of things hardly worth worrying about for a few quid.

For some really useful info' and a general feel for the place I recommend you borrow from the library or buy the latest Lonely Planet guide to the Philippines.

The temperature and more important the HUMIDITY shouldn't be too much of a worry because you'll normally be staying in an air-conditioned hotel, travelling in aircon taxis, eating and shopping in aircon places etc.

Start to do some serious walking outdoors though and it will seem like you're trying to move through hot heavy liquid.

Think of the tropical house at the zoo.

Drink only (cheap) bottled water in Manila, and plenty of it. DON'T have ice in your drinks, salad, or eat food that's been lying around for a few hours and your stomach should survive unscathed.

The jetlag did seem to affect me more this time, both after arriving and returning...maybe old age.

[andy222]

Jetlag????. Not me mate I cant wait to get to the place. I love the phils. The only jetlag i get is when I have to leave and come back here.

[South-east boy]

To be honest, customs there rarely if ever check your bag, money etc. You could always stick the excess in a money belt, but up to you of course.

Personally I'd never carry much cash if I had a card to use. (Millions of ATMs there).

You'll also get a better exchange rate there, but in the greater scheme of things hardly worth worrying about for a few quid.

For some really useful info' and a general feel for the place I recommend you borrow from the library or buy the latest Lonely Planet guide to the Philippines.

The temperature and more important the HUMIDITY shouldn't be too much of a worry because you'll normally be staying in an air-conditioned hotel, travelling in aircon taxis, eating and shopping in aircon places etc.

Start to do some serious walking outdoors though and it will seem like you're trying to move through hot heavy liquid.

Think of the tropical house at the zoo.

Drink only (cheap) bottled water in Manila, and plenty of it. DON'T have ice in your drinks, salad, or eat food that's been lying around for a few hours and your stomach should survive unscathed.

The jetlag did seem to affect me more this time, both after arriving and returning...maybe old age.

Sounds like some good advice there! So how do you eat salad then? When it's hot back here, I feel like eating salads more!

Congrats on the engagement Graham! That was quick work! Your holiday seemed to go quickly as it doesn't seem long ago since you booked it! Guess you'll be booking the next flight soon?!

[grahamw48]

Thanks for the congrats.

I never look a gift-horse in the mouth, and she's a lovely lady.

Salad ?

There it usually consists of a deceased lettuce leaf, so you won't be missing much.

Best thing to do is to buy some delicious peelable fresh fruit which is also very cheap there....Bananas, Mangos etc.

This trip did fly past, and was the shortest I've taken...recommend you always go for the full 21 days at least, if you can.

Constipation can be a problem in the first few days too, but you can buy some little pills from any branch of Mercury drug and watch the world drop out of your bottom. Be prepared to make a mad dash for the loo about 4 hours after taking though.

My lady will be off to Singapore on a work contract soon, so hopefully I'll be able to visit her there later in the year.

Any other questions, fire away. I'll be happy to tell you how to live on £200 a week including hotel, excursions and food for two. ...but not everyone is as tight as me.

[South-east boy]

Thanks for the congrats.

I never look a gift-horse in the mouth, and she's a lovely lady.

Salad ?

There it usually consists of a deceased lettuce leaf, so you won't be missing much.

Best thing to do is to buy some delicious peelable fresh fruit which is also very cheap there....Bananas, Mangos etc.

This trip did fly past, and was the shortest I've taken...recommend you always go for the full 21 days at least, if you can.

Constipation can be a problem in the first few days too, but you can buy some little pills from any branch of Mercury drug and watch the world drop out of your bottom. Be prepared to make a mad dash for the loo about 4 hours after taking though.

Sounds like the salad isn't the same as here then! I never suffer from constipation, more the opposite of that, specially if I have too much of certain fruits etc! Will have to be careful wih what I eat though as I ended up in hospital on a drip with gastroentiritus when I was in Canada!

[grahamw48]

Same here...first trip to Manila...1990 !

That's why I'm careful now .

[Ann1984]

what a lovely couple! you had a Fantastic moments Graham!!

Cheers

[grahamw48]

Thanks Ann....and now I'm missing her.

[Ann1984]

Go Back to Philippines!!! Graham!!! I'm sure she missing you too.

Be Happy.

[grahamw48]

Award for shortest video and 'most untidy room' ?

My god I sound common.

.
http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...feb2012058.mp4

[Dedworth]

Award for shortest video and 'most untidy room' ?

My god I sound common.

.
http://s21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...feb2012058.mp4

Very little risk of it going "viral" and you ending up on the front page of The Sun Graham

[grahamw48]

No, I haven't uploaded that one yet.

[stevie c]

Graham what are your plans now that you are engaged fiancee or spouse visa?

[grahamw48]

Spouse I would think.

Can't really see the point in Fiancee-only one.

My only concern is the fact that the ex (who I married in Manila) has re-married in Sweden after our divorce here in the UK.

Did she get an annulment from the Phils ?

If not, how does that affect my marital status in the Phils...and chances of re-marrying there ?

Hmm....need to investigate. Maybe fiancee would be better. At least I know I AM divorced here.

[grahamw48]

One I just found...bit fuzzy.

.

[stevewool]

thats not fuzzy mate , its your eyes, a beautiful lady you have found yourself graham

[grahamw48]

Yes, doesn't even wear make-up, and totally gorgeous.

.
.

[fluentlee]

how come I can't see the pictures on this post except for the first one :(

Lee

[grahamw48]

Should be able to.

They're all still 'public' on my storage site. I just checked.

[fluentlee]

Should be able to.

They're all still 'public' on my storage site. I just checked.

Well, I'm at work, so maybe they've blocked pictures here?

Or maybe I need to be a "respected member" before I can view stuff like that on here?

Oh I don't know :( But I'm glad you had a great time with your fiance in the Philippines =) How long was your visit?


Lee

[grahamw48]

You don't need to be a respected member to view them....must be settings on the work computer.

I only went for 2 weeks, but we really got along well together and were very relaxed in each other's company (after 3 months communicating online).

I had been looking for 'the right' girl for at least 5 years though, and of course I've been to the Philippines many times before.

[fluentlee]

Ooh so you proposed before you left?

Yea, it's prolly my work computer, I'll try to check this thread out later when I get home, I really want to see the pictures =) I actually recognize your profile picture, that's in MOA isn't it? My fiance and I had our picture taken at that exact place as well =D


Lee

[grahamw48]

Yes, it was in the MOA (taken by a shakey-handed security guard...so fuzzy).

Yes, I proposed while there.

[fluentlee]

Wow congratulations! Are you coming back to the Philippines to get married or will she be going to the UK?

Sorry if I'm bombarding you with questions like this, your story just seems so similar to mine. Proposal was also at MOA, by the bay =)


Lee

[grahamw48]

I didn't actually propose in the MOA.

My fiancee had just signed up to go work in Singapore for 2 years....and actually flew there yesterday, so plenty of time to decide where to marry.

[South-east boy]

I didn't actually propose in the MOA.

My fiancee had just signed up to go work in Singapore for 2 years....and actually flew there yesterday, so plenty of time to decide where to marry.

If Mercedes doesn't know anyone there, I have a nice Filipina friend who lives there (and has quite a few friends there too) who works as a housekeeper for British family who live there for most of the year. Let me know if Mercedes would like to meet up with her sometime and I'll send you her details.