What do you miss most from the Philippines?

[Robb&Ann 101]

Ok, here is a question focused mostly at those who have been recipients of a K-1/K-3/etc. visa.

What do you miss most from the Philippines? What was your biggest adjustments to life in the United States? What did your spouse do or could have done to make the transition the most comfortable?

Here is why I ask. I had lived in the Philippines for a short while. I know that for myself there was some irritating adjustments. Some foods and comforts were not available while I was there.

I love my Ann dearly and want to save her some of the discomfort I had felt.

I have sought out Filipino foods and snacks. I have made sure it possible for her to watch any Filipino TV programs or movies, and listen to local radio programming. I know all the best Filipino restaurants here, the Filipino community center, even found where a mass is performed in Tagalog. We have plans for howto keep her in easy contact with family and friends.

While I am forced to wait for our NOA2 and watch as CSC gets slower and slower, preparing things for her acts as a exercise in keeping my sanity without her.

Edited March 28, 2013 by Robb&Ann

[Mark and Rassel 9]

Ok, here is a question focused mostly at those who have been recipients of a K-1/K-3/etc. visa.

What do you miss most from the Philippines? What was your biggest adjustments to life in the United States? What did your spouse do or could have done to make the transition the most comfortable?

Here is why I ask. I had lived in the Philippines for a short while. I know that for myself there was some irritating adjustments. Some foods and comforts were not available while I was there.

I love my Ann dearly and want to save her some of the discomfort I had felt.

I have sought out Filipino foods and snacks. I have made sure it possible for her to watch any Filipino TV programs or movies, and listen to local radio programming. I know all the best Filipino restaurants here, the Filipino community center, even found where a mass is performed in Tagalog. We have plans for howto keep her in easy contact with family and friends.

While I am forced to wait for our NOA2 and watch as CSC gets slower and slower, preparing things for her acts as a exercise in keeping my sanity without her.

Vonage has a deal for 40.00/mo unlimited phone calls to Globe phones. That globe phone will not be charged minutes against the call. You can purchase a globe phone w/minimum load and it will work just fine. Skype!! Those 2 things seem to do pretty well . . .

Mark and Rassel

[Darnell 8,478]

what is your city in USA ? I ask, cause you need to find the Asian Markets nearby.

[Robb&Ann 101]

what is your city in USA ? I ask, cause you need to find the Asian Markets nearby.

Phoenix AZ

Several Asian markets nearby. Even access to durian,mangosteen, and redhorse. (Ironically she isn’t that into any of those butnormally those are harder to find items.)

[Robb&Ann 101]

Vonage has a deal for 40.00/mo unlimited phone calls to Globe phones. That globe phone will not be charged minutes against the call. You can purchase a globe phone w/minimum load and it will work just fine. Skype!! Those 2 things seem to do pretty well . . .

Mark and Rassel

Skype is a given, we use Skype over 8 hours a day as is. I already have unlimited text to the Philippines. Vonage sounds good and I am working on setting up a VDID number that will allow people there to call her here directly without any additional cost above that of a local call on globe. (I am a computer programmer who had designed one of the major international callback systems several years ago.)

Once I have accomplished that I plan to post details on howothers can do the same.

[Tintin and Mike 127]

Globe Duo for $25 per a month and unlimited

Good luck!

[Caryh 5,206]

What my wife really misses, besides family, is all the fresh fish and fruits they have in the Philippines. We can get durian, its frozen but still good. Not as stinky as Davao City durian to, so that a good thing. For about half of the year we can get golden mangoes. We can get green mango here pretty much all year round. Neither of these are the round mango you see in the average grocery store. There are a number of fruits we can get during different parts of the year but none are as good as fresh picked ripe fruits she got all year long there. Not much we can do about fresh ripe picked until we get back there. But we do constantly get what Philippine fruits that do hit the Asian Market here in the USA. Fish that hasn't been frozen of the types she had is also in short supply here, as in none. We've searched out and gotten a few of her familiar fish, all frozen, and regularly eat them. But its not like having fresh from the fish market fish.

We have not managed to locate chicken intestines yet in the USA. We can get the feet, which she loves, but not those dang intestines. I'm beginning to think I'll need to go find some free range chicken farmer this summer and make a deal to buy some.

If you can locate a grocery store that is specifically a Filipino grocery store, you'll be miles ahead of just an Asian Grocery store. We have just one here and they have some treats my wife likes that is not found in any of the regular Asian grocery stores.

Mostly you're going to have to play it by ear. What she will miss or not miss is going to be entirely an individual affair. Sounds like you've got a good base in place though. Just find the exclusive Filipino grocery store if you can. Then again, Asian groceries may be different if there are a lot more Filipinos around than there is here in Minnesota.

[marklovetina 52]

i miss my family and friends back home + filipino foods...

what my husband did to help me... he taught me how to drive so i can go to places i want to go... he looked for an asian restaurant ( Asian Buffet )... Asian Store... Church... i made friends to filipinas around here in my place... i did PT job... and of course skyping with my family in the PH.. and mostly important my husband gives me attention, we don't fight, and he supports me... when i come to the PH last year to visit my family... the result of all what he did to me... i want to go back home to him because i really miss my husband so much... i've realized that maybe i am a little bit adjusted here in the US... one time i told to my husband i don't really miss PH now as much as i miss it the first time i come here in the USA back in 07-2011...

[Dean_De 61]

Ok, here is a question focused mostly at those who have been recipients of a K-1/K-3/etc. visa.

What do you miss most from the Philippines? What was your biggest adjustments to life in the United States? What did your spouse do or could have done to make the transition the most comfortable?

Here is why I ask. I had lived in the Philippines for a short while. I know that for myself there was some irritating adjustments. Some foods and comforts were not available while I was there.

I love my Ann dearly and want to save her some of the discomfort I had felt.

I have sought out Filipino foods and snacks. I have made sure it possible for her to watch any Filipino TV programs or movies, and listen to local radio programming. I know all the best Filipino restaurants here, the Filipino community center, even found where a mass is performed in Tagalog. We have plans for howto keep her in easy contact with family and friends.

While I am forced to wait for our NOA2 and watch as CSC gets slower and slower, preparing things for her acts as a exercise in keeping my sanity without her.

What i missed most i the Philippines aside from my family and friends are the fresh seafood and being able to go outside our house and ride jeepneys or bus anywhere I want to go especially when eft alone at the house doing nothing. Well,I know as long as one has a car here you can go wherever you wish however that's tough when one can't r is not allowed to drive yet. We have to wait or our spouse to drive us around :'(

[Mike & Weng 0]

This was a great topic to read. I keep on asking my Fiancee if she would get home sick and she always says no. Anything else you guys miss from the Philippines?

[actob99 156]

My wife really misses fresh fish that she can get daily in her province. Fresh Minnesota lake fish just isn't the same I guess. Also a big wakeup for her is she just can't go outside and visit friends or a neighbor in the dead of winter in MN.. She misses her friends and family and how easy it is to just go next door to visit when she is bored..

[Caryh 5,206]

My wife really misses fresh fish that she can get daily in her province. Fresh Minnesota lake fish just isn't the same I guess. Also a big wakeup for her is she just can't go outside and visit friends or a neighbor in the dead of winter in MN.. She misses her friends and family and how easy it is to just go next door to visit when she is bored..

Before my wife was working she used to comment how the neighborhood was so empty and she was the only one around during the day. All the neighbors work here, and none of us hang out, just a hello if we run into each other. She's really dying for spring to get here this year. As to fresh Minnesota fish, I'm shocked she doesn't like walleye, but did like crappie as long a the heads are left on

[actob99 156]

Haha, when is spring going to get here?? She keeps asking and I keep saying this is a good ole MN winter to break her in. Last year we had it easy. Were up in Northern WI at the csbin and theres two feet of snow still in the yard. She shoveled the yard for a couple hours so the dogs had a place to walk, lol.

She likes walleye and crappie very much and I do pretty good fishing to keep it on her plate. But she still misses those damm little fish out of the ocean that we will buy everyday. There pretty good, but nowhere close to fresh walleye...

Anf funny about the heads..... She caught a couple dozen panfish and a couple bass this last fall and tried cooking them the way she does in the province and it didn't work.... So I had to show her our way and she likes them just fine now.

[Caryh 5,206]

Haha, when is spring going to get here?? She keeps asking and I keep saying this is a good ole MN winter to break her in. Last year we had it easy. Were up in Northern WI at the csbin and theres two feet of snow still in the yard. She shoveled the yard for a couple hours so the dogs had a place to walk, lol.

She likes walleye and crappie very much and I do pretty good fishing to keep it on her plate. But she still misses those damm little fish out of the ocean that we will buy everyday. There pretty good, but nowhere close to fresh walleye...

Anf funny about the heads..... She caught a couple dozen panfish and a couple bass this last fall and tried cooking them the way she does in the province and it didn't work.... So I had to show her our way and she likes them just fine now.

I think my wife doesn't like walleye because I cooked it my way. She just told me not long ago she didn't like my pan fry way. Coated with flour and a bit of salt and pepper, then fried. She always marinates and then fries with nothing on the fish. She prefers the skin and head on to. The crappie fillets she didn't care for. The gutted with head she liked, but not as much as those silly fish from the Philippines.

[Hank_ 9,174]

Try this - after you rinse the fish off pat them dry then coat with flour, then dip in egg, then coat with bread crumbs, and of course salt and pepper as you fry them up. Not saying your wife will like 'em but they are good! I use to do just the flour thing but this is way better.