My Trip Report

[robert angel]

Ahhh Yes,


>>>It’s a full meal with eggs, chicken, onions, peas, carrots, corn, or whatever you can find to throw in.  Shrimp, ham, or spam are also good options. Be sure to use plenty of garlic and soy sauce to taste<<

Sounds like Ray's done to Fried Rice what we've been doing with Ramen Noodle soup for years! Can we come over? We love a good bowl of fried rice--it's 'comfort food' for sure....

Sounds like we've got more possible variety than does Bubba Gump shrimp!

[Ray]

Where are you guys at on hot sauce?

I like the original Tabasco and usually stay away from anything hotter.

I'll put Tabasco on almost everything and I eat jalapenos every day. Ill go through a large 12 oz bottle of Tabasco and a gallon of jalapenos in a few weeks but the wife is just now starting to appreciate them in very small doses.

And yes, I've known Vietnamese guys who could drink a 12 oz bottle of original Tabasco for breakfast. They know their hot sauce!

Probably the biggest joke in the Philippines is that "Mother's Best Hot Sauce, The World's Hottest"...   ROFLMAO!

Ray

[Jeff S]

Ahhh Yes,


>>>It’s a full meal with eggs, chicken, onions, peas, carrots, corn, or whatever you can find to throw in.  Shrimp, ham, or spam are also good options. Be sure to use plenty of garlic and soy sauce to taste<<

Sounds like Ray's done to Fried Rice what we've been doing with Ramen Noodle soup for years! Can we come over? We love a good bowl of fried rice--it's 'comfort food' for sure....

Sounds like we've got more possible variety than does Bubba Gump shrimp!

Took a friend to a ramen shop recently and had to laugh. He never knew ramen was anything but a dried packaged product.

I'm not a big Tabasco fan - don't like the vinegary taste, but hook me up with some Tapatio or Mezotti's Habanero sauce (an Italian version,) and I'm a happy camper.

[robert angel]

We like Tabasco pretty good, including the green variety. I think most Filipinos like a lot of things with a 'vinegary' taste to them. But hey, so do Canadians!

My wife never was much into olive oil or balsamic vinegars, but now she knows the different varieties and we like to make salads and cook with both--vermouth too and she likes Lea & Perrins thick worcestershire sauce on a good steak.

That's a great idea Ray had on putting chili on steamed rice with shredded cheese and chopped onions. Sounds like a poor pilipino's coney island...

I like throwing an uncooked egg in a bowl of boiling chili, mixing it up, then adding some cheddar cheese.

There's Filipina about 30 minutes drive from us who loves to throw parties for no logical reason--more appropriately called 'eat fests' --nothing extreme, maybe some karaoke and the gals dancing for fun, a little poker in the back room, and she makes the best chili I've ever tasted.  But like the best chefs, she never can quite tell you exactly how she does it--it's a 'pinch of this' a 'bit of that' and never quite the same twice, but always awesome.

Maybe the best thing is as is the way of many Filipinas we know--she refuses to let you leave w/o bags, or at least plates, of her great food to take home. Now THAT's my kind of people!

[thekfc]

I was always given some kind of sauce with meat or chicken to go with the rice.
Ahya usually mix Jute with her rice or some, she also use vinegar or some other type of vegetables. The sauces I sent/brought sure did come in handy & they did enjoy every bit of it.

At Ahya's home we would eat rice daily but when we were out I would "mix" it up - rice, noodles, bread, etc.

With all the food I ate, I though that I would put on some weight but it was quite the opposite - I lose weight.

[thekfc]

I too love brown rice as well as whole grain rice. They are my choice of rice when I dine out. I hope that I can "convert"  Ahya to include some brown and whole grain rice in her diet.

She did ask me how do I cook my rice & I told her that I add olive oil or other oils to the boiling water before I cook the rice. I told her that I like my rice "fluffy".

[thekfc]

We opened the gifts on the day we returned from our honeymoon.
We were surprise at the gifts that we received.
2 rice cookers, toaster oven, a beautiful electric fan, plenty of glassware, picture frames & albums, bed sheets, etc.

I am only taking 1 rice cooker (I told her I already have one at home but she insisted), a beautiful photo album (I will customize it) and a lovely wall clock. I (we) decided to keep everything with Ahya - although she wanted me to take more with me to NYC. They will sure come in handy for her & when I decided to spend more time in the Philippines.

[robert angel]

Sounds sweet, Kfc--thanks as always for sharing. It'll  be a happy day for all of us when she gets over here. Hopefully you're enjoying the 'cooler' weather there. Did you hear that it was up to 103 degrees in NYC this week?

[thekfc]

Sounds sweet, Kfc--thanks as always for sharing. It'll  be a happy day for all of us when she gets over here. Hopefully you're enjoying the 'cooler' weather there. Did you hear that it was up to 103 degrees in NYC this week?

Yes I did hear about the 103° in NYC, I was online one day & the header on Yahoo was heat wave in Northeast.

FYI, I am back in NYC - I arrive late last night.

[thekfc]

This time Ahya was the only on to drop me off at the airport. I did not want to leave & I can tell  the same for her. But we had our hugs & kisses & then I was off. I waited until the last minute - I was the next to last passenger to board the plane.

[thekfc]

Earlier in the week I asked Ahya this question:

If you had a choice of a place for the two of us to live together - what city would you pick? NYC, California, Florida or another city in the USA?

Her response - Baguio City or another "cold" city in the Philippines.

The Philippines wasn't one of the choices that I gave her.

[piglett]

We opened the gifts on the day we returned from our honeymoon.
We were surprise at the gifts that we received.
2 rice cookers, toaster oven, a beautiful electric fan, plenty of glassware, picture frames & albums, bed sheets, etc.

KFC Marily & I also received a bunch of glassware & a photo album & a clock
i guess those are popular gifts to give there.

I loaded up my bags & brought all the gifts back with me except for the 230v fan that we received which we left in the province at Marily's parents house. 

[thekfc]

KFC Marily & I also received a bunch of glassware & a photo album & a clock
i guess those are popular gifts to give there.

I loaded up my bags & brought all the gifts back with me except for the 230v fan that we received which we left in the province at Marily's parents house. 

Most of the items would be of more use to her there than here with me. 

I do plan on spending more time in The Philippines & these items will sure come in handy.

[thekfc]

I did ask Ahya how much money would she me to give her a month - she said that there isn't much that she needs, she already get an allowance for managing the cafe (which is doing much better since I "upgraded" it). She just want an occasional Pizza, Jollibee, birthday gifts for the nieces/nephews, etc.

Well I surprised her,  I did put her as an authorize user on 2 of my credit cards. I handed her both of the credit cards (they have her name on them), she turn around & gave me back both. I told her to hold on to the Paypal Plus credit card.

So whenever she need something, I will just call the credit card company & tell them that the card will be uses in Phil & she will have a 2-3 days window to use it/do a cash advance or I can just transfer money to her account but she too do not trust the banks there. We did a test to make sure that "her" card work there & it did.

I check the fees for using the card (s) versus Xoom, Western Union, etc & the credit card fees are lower so I will save a little there.

[thekfc]

Also the credit card cannot be used outside the USA until I call the credit card company to tell them that it will be used outside the United Stated & where. That is one form of protection  if the card is stolen/or try to be misused.

I also get an instant alert whenever any of my cards are used.

[piglett]

I did ask Ahya how much money would she me to give her a month - she said that there isn't much that she needs, she already get an allowance for managing the cafe (which is doing much better since I "upgraded" it). She just want an occasional Pizza, Jollibee, birthday gifts for the nieces/nephews, etc.

Well I surprised her,  I did put her as an authorize user on 2 of my credit cards. I handed her both of the credit cards (they have her name on them), she turn around & gave me back both. I told her to hold on to the Paypal Plus credit card.

So whenever she need something, I will just call the credit card company & tell them that the card will be uses in Phil & she will have a 2-3 days window to use it/do a cash advance or I can just transfer money to her account but she too do not trust the banks there. We did a test to make sure that "her" card work there & it did.

I check the fees for using the card (s) versus Xoom, Western Union, etc & the credit card fees are lower so I will save a little there.

I am a cash only kind of guy so i left Marily one of my ATM cards.
she found a bank in Manila that doesn't charge ANY ATM fee.
so i deposit cash here text her & then she can go get it rite away.
so i guess Xoom , WU, & money gram (walmart) are all out of luck
I told the bank to authorize the card for the next 2 years to be used in the Philippines

piglett

[piglett]

Earlier in the week I asked Ahya this question:
If you had a choice of a place for the two of us to live together - what city would you pick? NYC, California, Florida or another city in the USA?
Her response - Baguio City or another "cold" city in the Philippines.
The Philippines wasn't one of the choices that I gave her.

You have to understand that your girl has never been to ANY city outside of the PI. Once she gets here see will start to see things in a different light.


piglett

[thekfc]

I am a cash only kind of guy so i left Marily one of my ATM cards.
she found a bank in Manila that doesn't charge ANY ATM fee.
so i deposit cash here text her & then she can go get it rite away.
so i guess Xoom , WU, & money gram (walmart) are all out of luck
I told the bank to authorize the card for the next 2 years to be used in the Philippines

piglett

She uses BPI.
I also gave her the cash I had onhand 9,000 pesos , I kept 1,500 pesos to pay for the terminal fee and any 'extras' at the airport.

[Gato4Astrid]

Also the credit card cannot be used outside the USA until I call the credit card company to tell them that it will be used outside the United Stated & where. That is one form of protection  if the card is stolen/or try to be misused.

I also get an instant alert whenever any of my cards are used.

Last October when I was in Colombia (Cali) all my credit/debit card (except one) were declined.  My business credit card was approved, so I had to pay for the hotel stay with this card, just in case.

When I got back, I told my bank why was my credit cards declined.  They did it out of protection.   They advised me to tell them the next time I go abroad.   

Just like what you have written  ...

[Gato4Astrid]

You have to understand that your girl has never been to ANY city outside of the PI. Once she gets here see will start to see things in a different light.


piglett

TheKFC, in addition to Piglett's posting .........  you will have to take her to another city in PI to give her some experience.

Does she know what is it in Calfornia, Florida, NYC, Roswell ?

[thekfc]

TheKFC, in addition to Piglett's posting .........  you will have to take her to another city in PI to give her some experience.

Does she know what is it in Calfornia, Florida, NYC, Roswell ?

She does. She may even know more that you  .

She may be a "homebody" but she know about life "outside" the Philippines. She have family in Long Beach, California as well as in Canada. She have a brother in Bahrain & was set to go there until we started "getting serious" - you can say that she put off going to work in Bahrain for me. Her 3rd sister have been all over Asia - Japan, HK, Singapore, etc & that sister speak the languages as well.

Just because someone haven't been outside The Philippines doesn't mean that they do not know about life (or places) outside PI. They may not have the life (yet) but they may know about it.

Also name a song & I will bet that she can out-sing you lyrics for lyrics.

[thekfc]

More Pics

[thekfc]

While we were waiting at he Airport in Cebu a tornado came very close to the airport.

[thekfc]

Some of the gifts we received.

[thekfc]

The floating restaurant In Bohol.