The 25 Day Shuffle & Share

[DARUMA07 25]

@Daruma - The driving school ought to be interesting.. She already knows how to drive, but I'm not entirely sure what that means.. LOL I have an 04 Nissan Pathfinder which is what she'll be practicing on.. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.. I figure I'll let her take me for a spin one early morning, and depending on how much damage she does, I'll enroll her with Sears driving school..

You will find out real quick what that means! Take a photo of your Pathfinder because it might be the last time you see it in the shape that it is in.....

Seriously, we wish you both the best. It won't be long now that the two of you will be together sharing your life. Have lots of fun and always remember what got you two together.

[Tahoma 2,292]

@Daruma - The driving school ought to be interesting.. She already knows how to drive, but I'm not entirely sure what that means.. LOL I have an 04 Nissan Pathfinder which is what she'll be practicing on.. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.. I figure I'll let her take me for a spin one early morning, and depending on how much damage she does, I'll enroll her with Sears driving school..

You will find out real quick what that means! Take a photo of your Pathfinder because it might be the last time you see it in the shape that it is in.....

[Mel & Jay 0]

Hi guys!

Reading this trail is so hilarious but amusing at the same time. I am the fiancee and my flight is like 16 days before my flight to SFO. My fiance has already been sorting things and cleaning his room for 3 weeks now.

Im amused by how YOU guys prepared for your fiancee's arrival. How lucky these women are (including me) to have these guys because it only shows how serious they are in their relationship.

I think I would require MY man to read this topic. It would really be a big help for me to relieve homesickness once i'm already there in the US.

Keep on posting more suggestions you guys!! Thanks!

Cheers!!

[Jared and May 16]

Haha, I don't mind so much about my car getting banged up or totaled.. I'm just more worried about her getting hurt.. Drivers in Connecticut can be a little aggressive and erratic. You can be sure that for the most part I'll be chauffeuring the Mrs around whenever/wherever..

Another thing I've done is upload tons of family photos + videos for her to take a look at.. When my grandmother passed a few years ago she left behind a few buckets of photos and underneath them I discovered some VHS tapes. I had them converted to DV and stumbled upon her wedding video, 8mm of my dad as a baby, some video of me as a baby, etc.. I had that digitized at iMemories.com and gave her access to the site. This morning she mentioned how her mom watched my Granny's wedding video and felt so much more relieved to see that I was "really going to marry her daughter"..

The social calendar for when she arrives is slowly building up as well..

We're going to one of my old college roommate's annual summer BBQ the second weekend after she arrives. Then that following weekend, I was planning on having a cookout at our home, and then I'm going to have my cousins come down and visit the last weekend in July. Somewhere inbetween we're going to see the Goo Goo Dolls (her favorite band) and then go visit her Auntie in NY the weekend after.. In-between there's wedding planning, walks in the park, and I hope I can catch a Red Sox game with her.. I'm hoping the flurry of activity will be enough to keep her from missing home too much in the beginning.

[lbounds 16]

I got my wife a rice cooker (about $15) and she loves it. She uses it a few times a day.

Watch your phone plans and be prepared for her to chat with family on the net for an hour or two every night. I'm glad her family comes to do that with her regular. Try to have some good filipinas for her to talk to in your area so she can speak her language and relate to from her home culture.

I got my wife a greendot prepaid credit card. You will have to sit down with her and explain costs of living and your budget whatever it is.

Be prepared for some adjustments. I hurt my wifes feelings real bad one time because I cooked a quick snack for me to eat while she was busy doing something. Meals are real important socially in her culture because this is family time. There's probably a few adjustments like that to get used to. We are both very happy and growing as a married couple.

We also got two Filipino channels which she enjoys every day.

The arrival and first days and weeks are great. Every new day is just so awesome when you are with the love of your life.

[Jared and May 16]

I got my wife a rice cooker (about $15) and she loves it. She uses it a few times a day.

Watch your phone plans and be prepared for her to chat with family on the net for an hour or two every night. I'm glad her family comes to do that with her regular. Try to have some good filipinas for her to talk to in your area so she can speak her language and relate to from her home culture.

I got my wife a greendot prepaid credit card. You will have to sit down with her and explain costs of living and your budget whatever it is.

Be prepared for some adjustments. I hurt my wifes feelings real bad one time because I cooked a quick snack for me to eat while she was busy doing something. Meals are real important socially in her culture because this is family time. There's probably a few adjustments like that to get used to. We are both very happy and growing as a married couple.

We also got two Filipino channels which she enjoys every day.

The arrival and first days and weeks are great. Every new day is just so awesome when you are with the love of your life.

This is some really good advice, thank you.. My countdown keeps getting closer, and I'm super wicked excited.. I also find Milagros hanging out with her friends a lot more now than before which makes me think that she's starting to realize that she's leaving soon.

The rice cooker has officially been broken in, I got a really nice Panasonic one..

The pre-paid Credit Card sounds like a really good way to break her into "American spending" without bankrupting me :rofl:

[dianecmea 1]

Tell her that in a restaurant, when the server asks for her drink & she choses iced tea, there are different kinds of iced tea (sweetened, raspberry, unsweetened). I felt dumb the first time I ordered one and I asked the server back "there's more than one kind of iced tea?" LOL my husband (fiancé then) tried not to laugh. and if she asks for sandwich, make sure she is prepared to answer what kind of bread (white, rye, etc). it was the same server who asked me & I asked her again "there's more than one kind of bread". My husband guffawed when I asked the question again. LOL

[andrew&evelyn 6]

Wow, I'm loving all the responses..

OK so to add a bit, because I've realized that I left a few things out..

1. I've got a brand new rice cooker that I've tried out twice.. hehe
   
2. I already got her an iPhone, but she's selling it to a friend to get the new one!!
   
3. I know where most of the Asian marketa are
   
4. She has my digital camera, I left it with her so she could take pics with her friends & family before she leaves.. I also ended up getting a DSLR because I started to notice how many pics we'd take on a trip.. LOL
   

@Tahoma - the flowers is a great idea, I'm going to do that..

@Daruma - The driving school ought to be interesting.. She already knows how to drive, but I'm not entirely sure what that means.. LOL I have an 04 Nissan Pathfinder which is what she'll be practicing on.. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing.. I figure I'll let her take me for a spin one early morning, and depending on how much damage she does, I'll enroll her with Sears driving school..

On our way home after hubby picked me up at the airport we pass this one area where there are so many cars. I asked him what is going on there why so many cars parked outside. I'm thinking there was some kind of party...hubby laugh so hard while telling me what is it. It's a company thats sells cars....Back in PI theres only like 5-7 cars in the showroom..I never seen a showrooms that have 500-1000 cars

If she is under 5'feet get her a pillow to sit on the car while she drives. I have to used one as I cant see the road....

[andrew&evelyn 6]

Tell her that in a restaurant, when the server asks for her drink & she choses iced tea, there are different kinds of iced tea (sweetened, raspberry, unsweetened). I felt dumb the first time I ordered one and I asked the server back "there's more than one kind of iced tea?" LOL my husband (fiancé then) tried not to laugh. and if she asks for sandwich, make sure she is prepared to answer what kind of bread (white, rye, etc). it was the same server who asked me & I asked her again "there's more than one kind of bread". My husband guffawed when I asked the question again. LOL

This scenario makes me laugh too..I don't order sandwich at all as they asked so many questions From what kind of bread to what kind of cheese you want to your sandwich.I let hubby do the job!

[Jared and May 16]

Tell her that in a restaurant, when the server asks for her drink & she choses iced tea, there are different kinds of iced tea (sweetened, raspberry, unsweetened). I felt dumb the first time I ordered one and I asked the server back "there's more than one kind of iced tea?" LOL my husband (fiancé then) tried not to laugh. and if she asks for sandwich, make sure she is prepared to answer what kind of bread (white, rye, etc). it was the same server who asked me & I asked her again "there's more than one kind of bread". My husband guffawed when I asked the question again. LOL

LOL, yes she loves ice tea so I'm going to have to introduce her to our various flavors.. I should probably even stock up on some before she arrives, thanks for the reminder..

That's a pretty story about the types of bread too.. Hehe.. Just down to 18 days.. Woohoo!

If she is under 5'feet get her a pillow to sit on the car while she drives. I have to used one as I cant see the road....

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[dianecmea 1]

This scenario makes me laugh too..I don't order sandwich at all as they asked so many questions From what kind of bread to what kind of cheese you want to your sandwich.I let hubby do the job!

LOL After what happened, I never ordered again. I just point at what I want on the menu and I let the husband do the ordering. It took months before I got the courage to order again myself. Actually, my husband finally said he won't do it for me...

And there was this one time, I wanted broccoli as a side but I guess I was saying it wrong (brocCOli instead of BROCcli) and the server could not understand me. After several attempts, I just said I want corn HAHAHAHAHA! It has been months but my husband still teases me about it.

Edited June 19, 2010 by dianecmea

[Rocky_nBullwinkle 6]

So maybe it's just me but the PI boards have been a little dull as of late.. I was hoping to maybe kick off a fun thread..

So today is officially 25 days before I pick May up at JFK and to say I'm excited would be an understatement. I wanted to share some of the things I've done to prep for her arrival and ask others to share their stories about picking their significant others up at the airport for the first time..

1. Cleaned the whole house
   
2. Made tons of room for her in our closet
   
3. Order The Filipino Channel & AT&T U-Verse
   
4. Made a shopping list of some foods to pick up the day before she arrives
   
5. Arranged things she sent back with me from my last trip (women's products in bathroom)
   
6. Bought a 25 lb bag of rice
   

So what did you guys/girls do? What are some other helpful things to ease the homesickness? I've been living by myself for about 4 years now so the condo has plenty of room for

Also how awesome was the airport pickup/drive home..? I'd love to read some stories...

Buy her a walis tambo. it will help her clean the kitchen floor.

[Jared and May 16]

Buy her a walis tambo. it will help her clean the kitchen floor.

LOL I had to Google that.. When I saw the tambo word, I was thinking about the alternate toilet paper.. :rofl:

[dianecmea 1]

LOL I had to Google that.. When I saw the tambo word, I was thinking about the alternate toilet paper.. :rofl:

I don't think they have the walis that we are used to in the Phils. the walis they have here is hard... I've been here for 3years and i still don't like it. If you have non-carpeted floors, better to get the Swivel sweeper but I don't suggest you buying that before she arrives coz she may think you brought her to the US to clean your floors. LOL

It's good you have activities planned already. Try to keep her really busy. When I arrived here, my husband couldn't get time off work so I was all alone all day. Made me really homesick. So he got me cat

I don't think you will ever get everything ready, so, after she's settled, offer to take her shopping and let her shop! Any woman would love that! And remind her not to convert everything to pesos or she would go out empty handed.

And oh! don't forget towels!

Edited June 21, 2010 by dianecmea

[Jared and May 16]

LOL she's already planning on going shopping the first weekend.. Food, clothes, etc..

It's so crazy to think just 2 weeks / 14 days from now my sweetiepie will finally be here.