I-129F June, Part II

[SM2017 148]

2 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

The Hotel we stay at is in the Manila Ocean Park.  I really love that place.  There are cheaper places around but the Ocean Park along with the restaurants makes it a perfect spot to stay.

 

Don't forget to have Inasal!

Oh yes I'll let him try Inasal!

 

When you get back you should go have dinner in Tagaytay or Cloud 9 in Antipolo

[John & Rose 7,239]

Just now, Paul & Mallory said:

YES.

 

I tell people around me all the time that the absolute worst part of this whole thing is just being apart from Paul. I just miss him - plain and simple. I wish I could hug him or just look him in the face (in person, not on a screen). He tells me all the time that we have quite a ways to go till the finish line, even after he gets here (AOS and whatnot), but I remind him that at least at that point, we will be dealing with this and facing it TOGETHER, side by side in person. Not separated by an entire ocean and 6 hour time difference. Which I'm getting so sick of.

YES.  AOS will be a cake walk because we can do it hand in hand.  My time difference is 14 hours behind!  I wake her up at 3:15 pm my time (5:15 AM hers) the day before to get the kids up for school and she calls to wake me up at 7:50 pm her time (5:50 AM my time) the same day to wake me.

[SM2017 148]

2 minutes ago, Tony and Tillie said:

Yes he can. Tony drove my car when we went to Tagaytay. We had breakfast at the Bag of Beans, then went to Tagaytay Highlands to check out homes, then had snacks at the Taal Vista Hotel.

 

Here's from LTO: "Driving in the Philippines with a Foreign License. Foreigners who hold a valid driver's license issued by the road authority of their home country can drive here in the Philippines for up to 90 days after their arrival provided that their license is in English."

Last time we had one of my friends drive for us, so  we went to Tagaytay and had lunch at Taal Vista too, in Taza, that cute restaurant within the property. He liked the place and wants to go back there and spend a night or two, but there is really not much to do there. I know there is the Sky Ranch, but aside from that, nothing really.

 

We can only go to places where we can just Uber right now tho.

[SM2017 148]

1 minute ago, John & Rose said:

YES.  AOS will be a cake walk because we can do it hand in hand.  My time difference is 14 hours behind!  I wake her up at 3:15 pm my time (5:15 AM hers) the day before to get the kids up for school and she calls to wake me up at 7:50 pm her time (5:50 AM my time) the same day to wake me.

@Paul & Mallory I know it sucks. Especially when you just want a hug after a long day at work. We'll get there, it just takes some time. *sigh*

 

@John & Rose Hahaha same set up with us when we didn't have the same work schedule. He wakes me up as soon as he gets home because I need to get ready for work. Then I call him to wake him up. (Thank you internet!) Now we have the same schedule, we have more time to talk, but the waking up thing is a bit different now. There's like a race on who wakes up first.

[vocaledge 3,340]

11 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

YES.  AOS will be a cake walk because we can do it hand in hand.  My time difference is 14 hours behind!  I wake her up at 3:15 pm my time (5:15 AM hers) the day before to get the kids up for school and she calls to wake me up at 7:50 pm her time (5:50 AM my time) the same day to wake me.

That must be really har don your relationship.  A 5 hour difference drives me crazy enough.

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

9 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

YES.  AOS will be a cake walk because we can do it hand in hand.  My time difference is 14 hours behind!  I wake her up at 3:15 pm my time (5:15 AM hers) the day before to get the kids up for school and she calls to wake me up at 7:50 pm her time (5:50 AM my time) the same day to wake me.

YEP, exactly. And massive time difference aside - I kinda like your setup there. That's so sweet.  

 

Paul has struggled with getting back on Swedish time since he left last time, which was April. It's already late morning there when I wake up for work in the mornings, and it's super late at night there by the time I'm home from work. He's up in the evenings, my time, most days so that we can talk on the phone (we text all day long), and his sleep pattern is always off. He says, "ah, screw it, I'll be on American time for good eventually".  

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

5 minutes ago, SM2017 said:

@Paul & Mallory I know it sucks. Especially when you just want a hug after a long day at work. We'll get there, it just takes some time. *sigh*

 

@John & Rose Hahaha same set up with us when we didn't have the same work schedule. He wakes me up as soon as he gets home because I need to get ready for work. Then I call him to wake him up. (Thank you internet!) Now we have the same schedule, we have more time to talk, but the waking up thing is a bit different now. There's like a race on who wakes up first.

I know it - those are the things I miss the most. Him just being at home, even if he's in another room or doing something else. I miss that feeling of his presence. Being someone who's always lived alone, before he came along, it surprised me how quickly I grew accustom to it and miss it now.

[John & Rose 7,239]

6 minutes ago, vocaledge said:

That must be really har don your relationship.  A 5 hour difference drives me crazy enough.

I am at work all day while they sleep so that isn't terrible.  I would spend all day chatting and that would really cut into my VJ time!

 

In some ways I can see that 5 or 6 hours can be tougher than 14.  

[John & Rose 7,239]

7 minutes ago, Paul & Mallory said:

I know it - those are the things I miss the most. Him just being at home, even if he's in another room or doing something else. I miss that feeling of his presence. Being someone who's always lived alone, before he came along, it surprised me how quickly I grew accustom to it and miss it now.

That is so true.  I have lived alone for the past 7 years after the divorce.  I kind of got used to my life and my routine.  Now I am bringing a future wife and two teenagers over to live with me!  I would have been scared to death about how to handle that but for some reason, it is very comfortable and natural with Rose and the kids.  I thought I would be freaking out because my space will be invaded but I find myself freaking out because they aren't here.  You have no idea how much that surprises me.

[purplepink 264]

Wow.

 

So that was pretty much the most useless tier 2 convo ever.

 

I think it is because my fiance is nice. He doesn't push or get loud lol.

 

I should have been the one speaking to the officer. 

 

They said we haven't been assigned. Still working on June 1st  

[John & Rose 7,239]

18 minutes ago, SM2017 said:

@Paul & Mallory I know it sucks. Especially when you just want a hug after a long day at work. We'll get there, it just takes some time. *sigh*

 

@John & Rose Hahaha same set up with us when we didn't have the same work schedule. He wakes me up as soon as he gets home because I need to get ready for work. Then I call him to wake him up. (Thank you internet!) Now we have the same schedule, we have more time to talk, but the waking up thing is a bit different now. There's like a race on who wakes up first.

I hear China Telecom is coming to the Philippines!  They are offering great speeds at great prices.  My one biggest complaint there is the internet.  Globe and Smart both are satisfied with what they have so there are no upgrades or service enhancements.  Duterte warned them that if they didn't get better he would let China in.  They will be there in March and are offering 200 mbps wifi for 1500 php per month with guaranteed speeds.  

[John & Rose 7,239]

1 minute ago, purplepink said:

Wow.

 

So that was pretty much the most useless tier 2 convo ever.

 

I think it is because my fiance is nice. He doesn't push or get loud lol.

 

I should have been the one speaking to the officer. 

 

They said we haven't been assigned. Still working on June 1st  

I got the same yesterday from them.

[John & Rose 7,239]

19 minutes ago, Paul & Mallory said:

YEP, exactly. And massive time difference aside - I kinda like your setup there. That's so sweet.  

 

I get to eat dinner with her while she has her morning coffee.  All told, it isn't perfect but it isn't that bad either!

[Tony and Tillie 340]

3 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

Duterte warned them that if they didn't get better he would let China in.  They will be there in March and are offering 200 mbps wifi for 1500 php per month with guaranteed speeds.  

I just hope they find a local business partner who is willing to COMPETE with the local providers and who does not have the backing of a corrupt government official.

Telstra once attempted to setup shop here. It did not materialize because their local business partners were part owners of Globe and Smart. Geez!

[vocaledge 3,340]

19 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

I am at work all day while they sleep so that isn't terrible.  I would spend all day chatting and that would really cut into my VJ time!

 

In some ways I can see that 5 or 6 hours can be tougher than 14.  

Yeah 5 hours is hard.  Basically when his work day is done, I'm ready to fall asleep cos its 4.30am... and when i wake up in the morning, he's asleep, so when he wakes up theres just an hour or so before he starts work when we can converse.  Because of that, we make sure to schedule days off so that we use our time wisely - weekly date night, for example.  And we sleep together every night so that even if we aren't talking, we have that intimate time of falling asleep/waking up, and just being together.  But its hard for sure.  Can't wait to be on the same time zone haha