I have had a setback

[piglett]

i figured i would just update this old thread instead of starting a new one



I'm thinking about hopping on a plane the 1st week of July & just showing up in Manila at my wife's apartment
the air fare is high as hell though, but i am close to saying
"screw it I'm going anyhow"
it will probably only be a 1 1/2 week trip, the 3rd through the 14Th
the cheepest i can get so far is $1666 through China Air
however that flight arrives at about 11:30pm in Manila
& after customs & getting my bags in hand it will be 1:30am +/-
probably not the best time to go bang on my wife's door  
so I'll probably have to shell out $1800 to get the arrival time (8am - 10am) that i want.

Uncle Ray you out there???
what are the pluses & minuses if i bring a fish finder for my father in-law
i don't want to open up the flood gates  
but i know he needs one so what do i do


thanks
pig

[Bob_S]

& after customs & getting my bags in hand it will be 1:30am +/-
probably not the best time to go bang on my wife's door 
so I'll probably have to shell out $1800 to get the arrival time (8am - 10am) that i want.

What's the cost for a hotel near the airport?  Find one cheap enough and you can arrive at 1:30 and go straight to the hotel maybe for less than the more expensive flight price difference.      Heck, you can send your wife the moolah and she can get the hotel for you ahead of time and meet you there, waiting for you in your room.

[thekfc]

Piggy,
~After you get your online quote, call the airline (s) directly - they do not publish their lower class fares to the public.
~There are a lot of hotels within 30 minutes of the airport - there in even one within the airport.
http://manila-airporthotel.com/
~At this time of night, it shouldn't take you that long to get through customs.
~Also if you are worried about the cost or options, try flying out of a bigger city so that you will have more options. Just take a cheap/convenient "shuttle" from Manchester to a bigger/closer airport/hub & go from there.

And piggy, July 3rd (a Sunday)/the 4th of July weekend - that could be a heavy travel day.

[piglett]

What's the cost for a hotel near the airport?  Find one cheap enough and you can arrive at 1:30 and go straight to the hotel maybe for less than the more expensive flight price difference.      Heck, you can send your wife the moolah and she can get the hotel for you ahead of time and meet you there, waiting for you in your room.

last time i checked i could get a deal on a room close to the airport for about 30 bucks. the thing is i don't really want my wife to know i am on my way.
i want to see the look on her face when i say
"well I'm standing here on the sidewalk out front , are you going to let me stand here all day ??"ha ha
i guess i could go for the cheepest flight & after catching a few hours sleep grab a cab & go pick up my unknowing wife 

Piggy,
~After you get your online quote, call the airline (s) directly - they do not publish their lower class fares to the public.
~There are a lot of hotels within 30 minutes of the airport - there in even one within the airport.
http://manila-airporthotel.com/
~At this time of night, it shouldn't take you that long to get through customs.
~Also if you are worried about the cost or options, try flying out of a bigger city so that you will have more options. Just take a cheap/convenient "shuttle" from Manchester to a bigger/closer airport/hub & go from there.

And piggy, July 3rd (a Sunday)/the 4Th of July weekend - that could be a heavy travel day.

i even searched near by airports (Boston) & i am still stuck with the same prices. Marily takes her exam on July 2 & 3 so i figured on showing up on the 4Th or 5Th & i could spend some time with her.
i have only made 1 trip so far & the visa people mite look rather strangely at that
but if i make at least 1 more i hope they will be happy.
the VSS is way overloaded rite now so my noa2 is probably still a month away
i expect the entire visa process to take 6 more months , but i could be wrong

i did go down to the BON (board of nursing) last week &
they want to do a "professional credentials evaluation" on my wife's nursing degree.
they say it will take 5/6 months & they can do it while she is still in the PI.
once she arrives here & gets her S.S.C. she can apply for her nursing license.
so things are looking up 


thanks all
pig 

[Jeff S]

...

what are the pluses & minuses if i bring a fish finder for my father in-law
i don't want to open up the flood gates  
but i know he needs one so what do i do


thanks
pig

You mean from an import duty standpoint or the ramifications of giving him a gift?

Great gift, and very thoughtful. It's business equipment that will help him feed his family and/or make money, not a handout. You're not making him dependent on you, just helping out the family.

I wouldn't worry about it unless he has pulled something in the past like: Gee lost it send another, or I'd rather have the cash, or the fish finder is great, now send a new outboard. But somehow I think he'll just appreciate it.  

[piglett]

You mean from an import duty standpoint or the ramifications of giving him a gift?

Great gift, and very thoughtful. It's business equipment that will help him feed his family and/or make money, not a handout. You're not making him dependent on you, just helping out the family.

I wouldn't worry about it unless he has pulled something in the past like: Gee lost it send another, or I'd rather have the cash, or the fish finder is great, now send a new outboard. But somehow I think he'll just appreciate it. 

I don't think the duty guys will care much but if they ask "it's a gift"
i was worried about the gift giving aspect of it.
i have a friend that tells me one in the $200 range will probably get the job done.
he said he will even help me pick out a quality unit that is EZ to use & will hopefully give years of good service. i can then score a 2 amp battery charger & a small battery once i arrive & probably head to the province for a couple of days. I'll limit my time there but i wish to hand deliver the unit directly to him.
no one will know that Marily & I are in route we will just pull up in a trike & walk on in the house.

i may check out the Manila zoo once we get back to the city
what kind of other places should i have a look at boys?
I'll have a few days to kill with nothing on the docket but honeymooning


pig

[Jeff S]

Fish finders have come way, way down in price over the past decade or two. Nowadays the $79 ones perform like the $500 ones used to 20 years ago. The state of the art is changing fast. Just got back from some training for some multi-beam sidescan sonar, tied to a GPS that has sub-centimeter accuracy. You can find a tennis show laying on the bottom in 2000 feet of water from nearly a mile away and plot it's position within the accuracy of the diameter of a dime. Obviously, it's used for more than finding fish on small boats, but the trickle down technology and software that makes it to commercial units is astounding.

[piglett]

Fish finders have come way, way down in price over the past decade or two. Nowadays the $79 ones perform like the $500 ones used to 20 years ago. The state of the art is changing fast. Just got back from some training for some multi-beam sidescan sonar, tied to a GPS that has sub-centimeter accuracy. You can find a tennis show laying on the bottom in 2000 feet of water from nearly a mile away and plot it's position within the accuracy of the diameter of a dime. Obviously, it's used for more than finding fish on small boats, but the trickle down technology and software that makes it to commercial units is astounding.

I'm after a unit that is very simple to use
if it will go down 200 feet that is probably all that is needed
the directions will probably not be available in Tagalog so I'll have to read them & have my wife tell her dad what i said
so as long as we can get it installed & up & working inside 3/4 days we are good to go.

thanks
pig

[Jeff S]

PM sent

[thekfc]

~Avilon Zoo - Fun place to go, the last part of the road getting there is a bit rough so get ready for a bumpy ride. 
~American Cemetery and Memorial
~Mall Of Asia  -Shopping, food  it also have a Movie theater complex & IMAX. There is even an Ice skating rink. 
Also spend some time at the esplanade (behind the mall), there are score of restaurants, "entertainment" and a great view of the sunset.
~Tagaytay City -Taal Volcano & Palace in the Sky.
~Manila Ocean Park - A bit small compare to other Ocean parks but good. I like the area where you put your feet in a pool of small fishes & they come and nibble at your feet. It is fun. 
~Rizal Park - great for a good lazy day.
~Banaue - There are ancient burial caves in the mountainside with ‘hanging coffins’ .
~Coconut Palace - Built of coconut wood & shells and was constructed by Imelda Marcos to accommodate Pope John Paul II. It cost about 100 pesos ($2.50) to enter.

~Fort Santiago - More for the wife if she haven't been there.
~Chinese Cemetery - It is like a village.

The other guys/gals can fill you in on other place to visit or give you more/better feedback on the above.

[Ray]

A fish finder? Sounds good to me.

Other places to visit:

Subic Freeport Area

Corregidor Is.

Divasoria shopping district

Aristocrat Restaurant (for BBQ chicken)

Ray

[piglett]

hey thanks for the ideas guys
last time i was there was full of stress
between what the church wanted (had to take a bunch of classes & convert )
also all the wedding prep
this time i want to head to the province hand dad his fish finder maybe take a boat ride & just eat some red fish & rice
once back in Manila i have no real schedule to keep
i just figured on seeing a few sites & kickin back 


pig

[thekfc]

You had to take classes too & convert?
It looks like you didn't have anytime to enjoy the sites - enjoy yourself on this next trip.

Me & Ahya talk about going back to visit & these were some of what we decided on:
We will stay in a hotel.
We will not tell anyone we are coming.
We will visit the family about halfway into our visit.
We will spend some time in Pangasinan, Baguio City and the outlying areas.

[ignorante]

This is all obviously the culmination of a lengthy and elaborate plot to scam you for a fishfinder.  She is probably a ladyboy.

 

[piglett]

You had to take classes too & convert?
It looks like you didn't have anytime to enjoy the sites - enjoy yourself on this next trip.

Me & Ahya talk about going back to visit & these were some of what we decided on:
We will stay in a hotel.
We will not tell anyone we are coming.
We will visit the family about halfway into our visit.
We will spend some time in Pangasinan, Baguio City and the outlying areas.

exactly we ran all over hell & back day & night so we could get all of this sh*t done that everyone else wanted. weather it was the church of the dam visa people. i intend to just show up & say"hello here i am" (or something like that ) & yup it will be the same deal in the province we just show up there on the weekend & then leave about 3 days later, the rest of the time belongs to us. 

This is all obviously the culmination of a lengthy and elaborate plot to scam you for a fishfinder.  She is probably a ladyboy.

 

ha ha ha your funny but, i did a very thorough check & she is all woman


pig

[ignorante]

 

[thekfc]

ha ha ha your funny but, i did a very thorough check & she is all woman
pig

Yeah, he tested her by trying to have her wear his trousers but they didn't fit so she pass.

[piglett]

Yeah, he tested her by trying to have her wear his trousers but they didn't fit so she pass.

smart @ss

[Dave H]

according to Howard ( he should know he was in the same boat)
if a person with a nursing degree from the PI has never passed the national nurses exam there then there entire transcript will have to be reviewed page by page lesson by lesson lab by lab .........you get the point.
basically if Marily doesn't pass that test by the time she arrives here she has to go back to nursing school PERIOD

there are sooooo many problems in getting a PI nursing transcript reviewed & certified it basically is a huge waste of time & money.


pig

Hey pig,

Sorry to hear that! Most don't pass on the first try. I know a lot of people who didn't pass the last test. I think the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) has made the test  tougher since there are so many nursing graduates now and complaints that many nursing students are now being pushed through diploma mills and don't meet the higher standards of the past. The PRC is trying to save the international reputation of Philippine nurses...which was further tarnished a few years ago by the June 2006 Philippine nursing board exams scandal.

After passing, their "entire transcript will have to be reviewed page by page lesson by lesson lab by lab" ANYWAY. It took about 2 years for my wife's and Steve B's wife's CGFNS International Credentials Evaluation Service (CES) to be completed.

A good thing about living in the Philippines is that I no longer have to demand all Filipino nurses if I am hospitalized!   The nasty Russian male nurse that I had while in a US hospital 4 years ago pushed me over the edge! I made them push my bed to a room on the other side of the hall and spent the rest of my stay under the wonderful care of half a dozen Filipina nurses. Even my physical therapist was a Filipino!  

It is a GREAT idea to go visit her...it will cheer you both up!

Good Luck,

Dave

My former nurse checking visitors

[Dave H]

This is all obviously the culmination of a lengthy and elaborate plot to scam you for a fishfinder.  She is probably a ladyboy.

 

Hey ignorante,

Interesting theory...if anyone wants to meet a ladyboy, just let me know. I know plenty! I won't tell... some are quite sexy.   I see many of these Fil-Am "couples" out and about early in the morning at Jollibee and McDo.

The best way to tell a ladyboy in the Philippines is if she looks and dresses like a Latina..."she's" probably a ladyboy! If you check and determine that she is really a lady (not a post-op dude)...she is probably a bargirl. Most traditional Filipinas are very conservative in public. If "she" looks too good to be true..."she" probaby is! Anyone can look good with makeup and fake boobs...even a dude!  

Dave

[Tanuki]

Hey ignorante,

Interesting theory...if anyone wants to meet a ladyboy, just let me know. I know plenty! I won't tell... some are quite sexy.   I see many of these Fil-Am "couples" out and about early in the morning at Jollibee and McDo.

The best way to tell a ladyboy in the Philippines is if she looks and dresses like a Latina..."she's" probably a ladyboy! If you check and determine that she is really a lady (not a post-op dude)...she is probably a bargirl. Most traditional Filipinas are very conservative in public. If "she" looks too good to be true..."she" probaby is! Anyone can look good with makeup and fake boobs...even a dude!  

Dave

Those pictured must be post-op.  I don't know how else they could get there legs that close together, if I were to try that the boys would be crowded and it would hurt really really bad. That real bad pain in you can feel on the pit of your stomach.

[Dave H]

Those pictured must be post-op.  I don't know how else they could get there legs that close together, if I were to try that the boys would be crowded and it would hurt really really bad. That real bad pain in you can feel on the pit of your stomach.

Hey Tanuki,

I remember when they used to be "men"...I'm not sure if they have been totally clipped yet?

Dave

[Ray]

Hey piggy,

Are you still thinking of just showing up at your wife’s place unannounced? You’re crazy man!

But I love it! I actually did the same thing with my first wife way back before we were married. I took 45 days vacation and caught a military hop to the PI, never telling her anything.

I arrived in town at about 9 pm and I smelled like a piglett after around 48 hrs of travel. I got a room at a hotel a block away and cleaned up. Then I just walked over and banged on the door. She was sleeping and  was completely surprised but happy as a pig in shyt. It was really hot so we spent the night in the air-conditioned hotel room I already had for the night.

Keep in mind that there are certain dangers involved in these tricky schemes. (1) She could be unexpectedly out of town or back in the province for some reason. (2) Her “cousin” that she never mentioned could be staying over night when you get there. (3) She could mistake you for a local pervert and cut your head off with her bolo, etc., etc…

If you just show up outside and call her on her cell, make sure you keep an eye on the back door and windows for that “cousin” in case he tries to make a run for it…   

Ray

[thekfc]

(3) She could mistake you for a local pervert and cut your head off with her bolo, etc., etc…

Cebuano New Hampshire Lechón. 

[piglett]

Hey piggy,

Are you still thinking of just showing up at your wife’s place unannounced? You’re crazy man!

But I love it! I actually did the same thing with my first wife way back before we were married. I took 45 days vacation and caught a military hop to the PI, never telling her anything.

I arrived in town at about 9 pm and I smelled like a piglett after around 48 hrs of travel. I got a room at a hotel a block away and cleaned up. Then I just walked over and banged on the door. She was sleeping and  was completely surprised but happy as a pig in shyt. It was really hot so we spent the night in the air-conditioned hotel room I already had for the night.

Keep in mind that there are certain dangers involved in these tricky schemes. (1) She could be unexpectedly out of town or back in the province for some reason. (2) Her “cousin” that she never mentioned could be staying over night when you get there. (3) She could mistake you for a local pervert and cut your head off with her bolo, etc., etc…

If you just show up outside and call her on her cell, make sure you keep an eye on the back door and windows for that “cousin” in case he tries to make a run for it…   

Ray

Cebuano New Hampshire Lechón. 

YUP boys that's my plan & i think it's a good one
a simple plan is always good & this one is very simple
yes there could be problems , but i just don't see it going down like that.
she will not be out of town because she retakes her test on July 2nd & 3rd
i figure she will be resting up after such a hard test.
also i deposit her "pay" in on the 15th & 30th however i'll only put a little in & tell her "i'll have to add more in a few days" well i can make good use of those day to get my @ss on a plane & get to Manila. I'm still looking at leaving the east coast US on July 3rd "which is the 4th already there due to the international date line" so i'll be arriving on the 5th there if all goes well.


time 4 bed
piggy