Print Page - planning a trip in october

... in response to planning a trip in october, posted by outwest77 on Sep 3, 2001

A few more travel tips:

For foods to avoid, I would recommend that you stay away from kinilaw or kilawin (uncooked seafood or meat). As far as the rest of the foods, it depends on what your stomach can handle. I always tried to carry a small bottle of Tabasco sauce if I was going to someone’s home for lunch or dinner. You never know what they will put out on the table in front of you. I always at least sampled almost everything, as long as it wasn’t moving. If it tasted really gross, I would politely whip out my Tabasco and douse it good. That way, it all tasted like Tabasco. The only problem with that plan was that when I offered them some, they often liked it and my two bottles ran out in 2 weeks. I suggest that you discuss ahead of time with your lady friend some of the things you cannot eat and she will try to steer those foods away from you. My list included squid, bagoong, dinaguan, balut, and anything not fully cooked.

Drink only bottled water & no ice. Beer and sodas are fine and Tanduay Rum can’t be beat.

Bring at least 12 changes of clothes. You’ll use at least 2 per day and need to allow a couple of days for laundry service.

Like Dave said, a hand towel is good for wiping the sweat when you go out. Handkerchiefs don’t work very well. Bring about 6 small hand towels.

Bring Pepto Bismol Chewable tablets and eat two before meals. It might save you from any intestinal problems.

Let your girl carry your money, change it, and pay for everything. You can pay for the hotel with a major credit card.

When everybody is fighting to carry your bags at the airport, bus terminal, or ferry pier, let them. But have your lady friend do the negotiations. It isn’t that expensive and saves a lot of hassles, especially if you will bring heavy bags on board a ship or ferry.

Take tons of pictures.

And most important: just try to relax and have fun. Be humble and polite. Smile!

Ray

... in response to Travel Tips, posted by Ray on Sep 4, 2001

I go with one carry on backpack, and buy clothes over there, as they are very inexpensive. If you are a large size, this is not a feasable option, as you will not find anything to fit you. I wear XL t-shirts, but what they sell for XL in the PI equals about a medium here, and their "free size" won't fit your average 15 YO. They will always try to sell you the "free size", don't do it. Two places to buy t-shirts that fit are Islands souvineers and habitat, which you can find in most malls. Look for "Lives" jeans. They are filipino imitation levis, and at about $8 are a bargain. You can find them in most malls and robinsons department stores.

You will often pay considerably more (50%+) for a hotel when using a credit card, so I use cash only.

I take several large bandanas, hand towels would work fine.

I usually take granola bars, beef jerky, or something similar with me for the plane ride, many times this has been dinner. If nothing else, there is always some hungry child in the street who would love a granola bar, which may be their dinner for the day also.

I don't let ANYBODY carry my money, and have on many occasions gotten better deals on taxi's, etc. than the girls I was with. Most often, you have to dicker with them. When filipino sees american price doubles automatically, but if you negotiate with them they will usually give in and give you "good deal" at normal price. Filipinos are born barterers, and it is normal to find them in the checkout line at the grocery store or mall asking for "discount". You can't beat 'em, so join 'em.

When fighting my way through the vultures (taxis) at the airports, I always ask "How much to ***?", usually in front of several of them, and let them dicker it out between themselves. This way, they are competing against each other, and you will almost always get a decent fare. I always walk past the first 3 or 4 that greet me until I have a group of them around me before applying this method, and it works. Have a firm grip on your belongings until you decide which one you are going with.

When getting in any taxi, be sure the meter is running or price has been negotiated beforehand, and make them stick to it. Many of them will try to take advantage of you if you let them. When they stick to the normal fee, I almost always tip them well, if they try to screw me, I don't tip them at all.

Bottled water, bottled juice, and san miguel are good staples. When in doubt on food look for a mcdonalds (I NEVER eat at mcd's in the states, but over there it is sometimes a welcome sign) Jollibee, shakey's, or greenwich. I eat at greenwich a lot while there, you can get a small pizza and a drink for a buck. (Sometimes it takes two of them to fill the hole)

When asking directions from a filipino, best to ask three or four of them. They are so anxious to please, if they don't know where something is, they will just point some direction rather than appear unhelpful.

If you find yourself in a nightclub, watch yourself. A drink for you may only be 50 cents, but the ladies drinks are $4+. I have paid as much as $8 for a bottle of san miguel in nightclubs.

Have a great trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Larry.

... in response to Travel Tips, posted by Ray on Sep 4, 2001

OutWest,
Ray gives good advice concerning the woman negotiating prices for carrying your bags. I will go further and recommend you don't take HEAVY bags....don't even take bagS(plural) at all. Take only one(1) - uno - no more! The porters and other pests will irritate you trying to pull them out of your hands (yes, they are that aggressive) - you can control one bag much much better.

The worst thing about luggage though is just the plain inconvenience of where to put it when getting on buses or jeepnies or worse the tricycles. Life is much more basic over there and you will have to carry whatever you take for long distances sometimes. What feels light picking up in your bedroom while packing is a whole different ballgame when walking along a dusty road in tropical heat with a healthy case of diarreah creeping up on you! (Yeah, you'll probably have some good 'bathroom' stories to share when you get back.) LOL

Start prepacking about a week early and just keep asking yourself "What do I absolutely HAVE to have?" Buy the small travel sizes of everything you use like toothpaste. Eliminate anything possble. It's amazing how little you can live with if you have to. And it's so nice to be able to carry all your stuff in one bag. I get it down to one small athletic bag and have stayed nearly a month. Now when I went back to visit with Melly, that was another matter. We carried the max limit for NorthWest Airlines since filipinas have no qualms about traveling around the world with a bunch of boxes that makes them look like an ant trying to carry a concrete block.

SteveG

... in response to One Modification, Ray..........., posted by SteveG on Sep 4, 2001

Hi Steve!

I know you have a "thing" against taxi drivers and porters in the Phils (LOL!). I happen to be one of those guys who don't like to travel too light. I like to be prepared and that 140 lb baggage allowance costs dearly when you buy your plane ticket. That's why courier fares are highly discounted, because they use all or part of your very valuable baggage allowance to ship their stuff by air without paying the higher air freight charges.

Buying your clothes over there may be a viable option for some guys, but I have to buy long shirts in a big & tall men's store here in the States. In the Phils, I could look for 10 years and probably never find my size. Same for shoes (size 13) and pants.

As far as the porters go, I never really have any trouble with them. These guys work their buns off and are very good at what they do. These are the guys that are working and supporting with families and not asking Bear for money to buy homes with swimming pools (sorry Bear :-) ). Sure, they can be a little pushy sometimes, but you have to know how to handle them. Take the first guy and negotiate a price. If you think it's too much, ask the next guy standing beside him. The price will come down quickly. Many of the official porters at the depots ask a fair price to start with and there is no need to haggle.

As an example, I had 3 bags (about 150 lbs) when I boarded the ferry in Cebu. I paid some old guy P35 to haul all that crap through the crowds of people, up the stairs and gangway, through the narrow corridors and up several flights of ladders, all in 100+ degree heat and 99+% humidity. That was possibly the best bargain I ever got in my lifetime. If I’m boarding a bus and only need to carry the bags a few yards, then of course I’ll do it myself, but overall I think the porters provide a very valuable service at a very reasonable price. You don’t have to feel intimidated by them.

Anyway, I just wanted to let the inexperienced people out there know that those porters in the Phils aren’t necessarily the devils you make them out to be (ROFL).

And no, I don’t carry all those bags down a dusty road in the jungle. I hire a trike for a few pesos to take me to the where I need to go. I really was not inconvenienced at all by having three bags of junk. And the pasalubong (small gifts & souvenirs) you bring means a lot more to them if you carried it across the Pacific ocean with you instead of buying the same thing down at the corner sari-sari store. It’s not the gift itself that impresses, but the fact that you went through all the trouble to bring it 10,000 miles with you to give to them. Believe me on that one!

Ray

... in response to A Counter Opinion..., posted by Ray on Sep 4, 2001

Ray,
I must just look gullable or something but I have porters asking for $5 to $10 and taxi drivers wanting $40 to over $100. I guess it's a good thing I can't go armed when I go there or I might lose my cool and do a Dirty Harry on those guys. LOL Seriously, I am too independent for my own good I guess, I don't like asking anybody for help at all and that includes hiring somebody to carry things for me as long as I am healthy enough to do it myself. If I had billions of dollars, I would still mow my own grass, paint my own house do all my own car work etc....it just goes against my grain to hire somebody to work for me. Having a servant or maid would be embarassing to me - as if I were saying I was too good to work but the person I hired wasn't - and I don't see how it could not be demeaning to the person doing it. Anyway, I'm wandering off the subject here. Back to the porters - when those guys come on so strong insisting they 'help' me and then demand $10 and add insult to injury by having the nerve to act as if I would be cheating them by paying so little....well lets just say it gets in my guts and burns. :) But you know that, don't you?? LOL

OK, back to a more constructive discussion to help OutWest on his upcomming trip. I think the number of bags you take and the troubles involved with lugging them around is very much dependent on where you are going in the Philippines. If you are going to one of the larger cities where your penpal can pick you up at the airport and go directly to the hotel, then it's no real problem to carry as much as you would if going to Disney World and staying at DaveH's house. (We are invited, right Dave???) On the other hand, when going to see Melly, I landed in Davao and in going to Surallah we had to change buses twice and several Jeepnies combined with several tricycles so to me the trouble was too much with more than one bag. What it boils down to is a personal preference really. The best we can do here is try to make guys who haven't gone yet aware of what to expect so they can be prepared with whatever makes them comfortable.

The deal with buying clothes over there is risky, I agree. If a guy wears a medium shirt, say no larger than a 15" neck he might get away with taking only a couple of shirts and buying the rest over there but forget it if you are any larger. I was considerably smaller back in 94 when we got married than I am now and still had a lot of trouble getting a T shirt to wear under the barong. I am 5'10" and at that time weighed about 185.
SteveG

... in response to Re: A Counter Counter Opinion..., posted by SteveG on Sep 5, 2001

Steve,

I’m like you. I always cut my own grass, wash my own car, do all the repairs around the house, etc. And I used to feel like you about the pushy porters in the Phils. But over the years I grew to where I would rather go with the flow and pay them 50 cents or a buck to carry the dumb bags for me. It just got to where it wasn’t worth it to fight it so that it “gets in my guts and burns” (LOL). I go to the Phils to have fun and enjoy myself, so I have learned to just let some things go and not get all upset.

Some of the common practices in the Philippines seem darn right rude to me, like cutting in line, pushing and shoving to get a seat on a bus, pushing and shoving to board the plane first, trying to listen in on someone going to confession in church, pushing and shoving to get communion first, snooping over your shoulder when you are on the computer in the Cyber café, trying to grab your bags out of your hand, staring in public, etc., etc., …

But it is more of a cultural difference than anything else, so I try to overlook a lot of the stuff that I would never tolerate here at home. “When in Rome…” Try it on your next trip and see if you don’t enjoy yourself more.

You’re right about the bags too. It’s simply a personal preference thing. My original point was that it doesn’t need to be a hassle to bring 2 or 3 bags. It wasn’t for me. After I reached my destination and had the wedding, we traveled around on our honeymoon with one small and one medium bag between us. The other bags were back in the hotel secure storage room (no charge) until we returned to the city. If I had 3 bags to transport from the pier to the hotel, I would take a cab or hire a trike for P15-20. If I went to visit the folks on the island for a few days, I took one small tote bag.

Bottom line: I do what it takes to make my trip enjoyable and hassle free even if it means compromising on some of my pig-headed beliefs and habits (LOL). And if it costs me another $5.00 total for porters during my trip, it was well worth it.

Ray

... in response to A Counter Opinion..., posted by Ray on Sep 4, 2001

Ray, Dave,

I'm with Steve on this one. I've always travelled with one bag and if I could convince them it was carry-on size then I had no baggage claim to deal with. Once at LAX a friendly Filipino family asked me to check a balikbayan box for them because they were over limit. I did it and later realized how dumb that was. If there had been drugs in that box I would have been arrested. People have been convicted for that even though they were totally innocent of the situation.

Travelling with Sally I've carried three bags and didn't really find it too troublesome - except one time. On the bus from Balingoan to Butuan we had suitcases and I had no seat. I sat on the suitcase, blocking the aisle, rocking and rolling, no air, getting climbed on and stepped on with every stop. When I finally did get a seat the bag remained in the aisle. As I start to relax I feel liquid pouring onto my sandaled feet. I think it's from the water bottle of the lady in front of me. But it's her kid who just let go right on the seat. Later in Butuan the bus driver decides to gas up BEFORE stopping at the terminal so we bake in the bus for what seemed like eternity.

This was the worst bus ride of my life. I couldn't even complain because Sally's mother was sitting behind us and Sally didn't want her to see me scowling. Next time I'll pay the P1700 for a cab; the P40 for the bus (or P60?) didn't seem like such a bargain after all :o)

Jim

... in response to A disagreement to a Counter Opinion, posted by Jimbo on Sep 4, 2001

…try to catch the air-con express. I used both Bachelor Express and LTI(?) We caught the air-con express from Balingoan to Butuan and it was great. Good movies, single seating, cool inside, and the conductor even had ice cold San Miguel for sale in an ice chest. I think the air-con bus was P90 if I remember right. You pay a little more but it is definitely worth it!! This is another time where the bus terminal porters come in handy. For about P25, he watched our bags, and when the right bus arrived, he grabbed good seats and held them for us, then stored the bags in the cargo hold. It’s either that or fight with the old women to get on first. Those old ladies can be tough!

All the inter-city busses we rode had baggage compartments down below, so I don’t know why you had to bring them on board. That’s usually optional.

Economy busses: I rode from Olongapo to San Fernando once sitting on a rice bag with chickens pecking at my butt, so I know what you mean about the discomforts. Usually they drive so fast that you get a good breeze through the windows. But for some reason, there is always some old lady asking the conductor to close all the windows. That’s when I’ll fight them…:-)

Ray

... in response to A disagreement to a Counter Opinion, posted by Jimbo on Sep 4, 2001

Hey Jimbo,

I agree with Steve too. I just haven't been able to do it without his help. ;o)) I just wanted to say that the Philippines can be easy even if you are a kitchen sink kind of guy like me and Ray. ;o)) However, I think we both come home with less than half the load. What I need to do is buy all of the pasalubong in Butuan and pretend it came over the Pacific. Maybe I can make some "Made in the USA" stickers. ;o))

One carry-on suitcase...now I have one more thing to envy about you! ;o)) I am still trying to gather a bigger harem than yours. ;o)))

Dave "Habeeb" H.

... in response to A Counter Opinion..., posted by Ray on Sep 4, 2001

Ray,

That's funny, but true about carrying pasalubong across the Pacific. I carried pasalubong and chocolate across the US and the Pacific. I'm sure the gifts were appreciated that much more and the chocolate tasted that much sweeter. ;o)) I brought some imported European chocolate that came across the Atlantic too. One of the funniest things was to watch them taste candy that they never eaten before. Marife had the strangest look when she tried a Heath bar. She thought that they tasted kind of funky. ;o)) Within a few days she grew quite fond of them.

I was amazed in LA before boarding PAL to Manila. Filipinos started unloading their balikbayan boxes and moving things around to handbags, carry-ons, and pockets, in an attempt to avoid having their over limit carry-on balikbayan boxes checked into baggage and being charged extra. Some people went ahead and paid over one hundred dollars extra for a few dollars worth of pasalubong.

It's was hard for me to travel too light to the Philippines also. If one can, that is fantastic. I always wished I could live out of a briefcase as my father often did. I couldn't find clothes or shoes in Butuan that would fit. I wear a rather petite size 11 shoe. I packed my bags to within 5 pounds of the limit. My carry-on was about 10 pounds over limit which included 4 bottles of water. My suitcases included additional items for my fiancee's sister (sent by her husband) who was visiting her family at the time I went. I was planning on placing my smaller suitcase inside my larger one for my return trip home. I decided to leave it for my fiancee's trip here. I never really had to handle my bags from Miami to Butuan City. A skycap (porter) took them in Miami when I was dropped of at the curb. My luggage went straight through to Manila. I had to take them off the belt and roll them 30 feet to the Custom's counter in Manila. A PAL employee quickly assisted me without charge. After customs was finished asking a few questions, the PAL employee returned them to the belt for transfer to my Butuan bound plane. I called the PAL guy back and slipped him a few pesos. In Butuan I had many skycaps asking to carry my bags, but I declined because I had plenty of family and hotel staff there to help with the 3 rolling bags. I was picked up at the airport by the hotel van and my bags were carried to my room. My next trip I would use the skycaps at the Butuan airport, since they are cheap, they bust their buns, and that is how they make their living. I felt bad afterward, when I found out that there are only one or two commercial planes that land there each day. In between, they must find other ways to make a living.

On the return trip (PAL), I got a cart and rolled my bags from the domestic terminal to the international terminal in Manila. Butuan doesn't have Customs, so I couldn't check my bags straight through to Miami. Manila to Miami, I didn't touch my bags. In Miami I had 6 family members to help me with 2 suitcases.

Dave H.

... in response to A Counter Opinion..., posted by Ray on Sep 4, 2001

A while back when someone mentioned picking up gifts locally when you arrive at a foreign country, I was planning to post a rebuttal, but didn't. However, now that Ray has brought it up, I think it deserves reinforcement. Bringing basically American made products, or gifts, no matter how trivial they seeem, is of far more importance than what the actual gifts are. Everywhere in the world I've been, the fact that someone goes to the trouble of bringing something all that distance far outweighs the utility, desirability, or actual value of the items. Even when I used to manage a maquiladora in Tijuana and visit there several times per month, I stop and pick up doughnuts for my girl's coffee break in San Diego. It was funny because the doughnuts in Tijuana are cheaper and better - nonetheless, they appreciated the ones from my side of the border far more. The "exotic-ness" of having the American product is the main attraction. In Japan, gift giving and receiving have a VERY complex unwritten protocall, and I can assure you that if you were American and showed up at someone's home with a Japanese gift - even an expensive or highly desirable one, it would be considered an insult. Bring it - it'll be appreciated far more. Just MNSHO.
-- Jeff S.

... in response to One Modification, Ray..........., posted by SteveG on Sep 4, 2001

Steve,

Next time I go to the Philippines, I want you to come over and pack for me! ;o)) You have it down to a science. I did manage to get my load down to 2 suitcases and a carry on. A mere 150 pounds total. =8-0 There were a few times I could have used an extra arm or two. Fortunately, some stuff stayed (chocolate) and I left a suitcase for my fiancee to use. I returned home with one suitcase and a carry on. It was much more managable. One light bag would have been even better. I wish someone would invent reversable shirts and pants that stay dry and don't hold odor. How about odorless underware that you can wear for a week or two, then throw away. LOL Wait a minute...no one smells their own B O anyway....

Dave H.

... in response to Steve, help..., posted by Dave H on Sep 4, 2001

Dave,
You wear underwear when you travel??? I'm shocked! Those are precious ounces that could be shaved from your luggage!!! At the very least using your g-string rather than more conventional undergarments could keep you decent while trimming your luggage weight. I might even go so far as to bleach out the purple dye to save a bit of weight.... besides a change of color might do you good! :)

I guess I should break my packing technique into two categories depending on the purpose of the trip. I say this because the gifts you take can easily outweigh your own personal stuff many times over - and that darned chocolate is heavy, isn't it?

When going to meet a girl for the first time I say travel as light as possible, I see no reason to take gifts other than the barest minimum. It was important to me to know how I would be received purely based on myself as a person, not my money. I wanted a woman who would love me and only wanted love in return no matter what our financial situation. How can you know you found that if you never give her the chance to show it? I think it sets a bad precedent to show up with gifts the first time you meet anyway. No matter how cheap the gifts may seem to us, they are way beyond the means of the average Filipino family and you give the impression of being filthy rich and lose with money. Besides it may put pressure on her to try to make the relationship work even if she doesn't have any feelings for you because she feels she owes you. Of course there is a middle ground here and things like chocolate are not likely to ruin your life if you take them! :)

On the other hand on subsequent trips, once a commitment is made or you are married, it's fun to take gifts with you to surprise everybody. In fact, once you are married forget about ever traveling light again. :) I mentioned before, when Melly went home to visit the first time, she went before me with a friend and carried about a ton of stuff. I followed after 2 weeks with the max baggage and even carried two 2' tall Power Rangers for our nephew. All the trouble of carrying them around the world was worth it to see his eyes when I gave them to him. Kids there appreciate toys so much and can eat their weight in chocolate in a short time. I took probably 10 of the big bags of chocolate that trip.
SteveG

... in response to Help is on the way, or is that confusion..., posted by SteveG on Sep 5, 2001

Steve,

ROFLMAO! Very funny and yet informative! My dad used to save weight and space by wearing those darn little bikini brief underwear. I always felt that they looked much better on a woman! ;o)) He didn't wear socks either. Next time I won't bring my XXL Power Ranger and Micky Mouse footy pajamas. ;o) I was thinking lime green G-string myself.

I had to bring a few presents since we had already met in our dreams. ;o)) A lot of room was taken up with a doll and musical keyboard I brought for her young niece. She now calls me "Daddy." :oD Hmmm...maybe she really means "Sugar" Daddy. $:-I

You aren't kidding about that chocolate being heavy. Getting rid of it lightened my load considerably. There was so much chocolate in the belly of that PAL 747, I was worried that the plane was going to get the Hershey squirts. 8-0

Dave H.

... in response to Travel Tips, posted by Ray on Sep 4, 2001

Like Ray says,

"And most important: just try to relax and have fun. Be humble and polite. Smile!"

I only had only came across two people that weren't very happy to see me (Muslim)in downtown Butuan. I just kept my smile, ignored them and walked on. I thought my fiancee was going to kick one guys butt. Another Filipino who appeared drunk or crazy, was starring at me with an angry look. When I smiled, he smiled back and waved, saying "Hey Joe!" Being humble takes a bit of work when all of the pretty young ladies smile and call out to you. ;o)) It takes a couple of days to realize they are talking and looking at you. They will glance at you in restaurants or in the street and quickly turn away when you look back. It became sort of a game. The hardest part is coming back to the US and being ignored. ;o))

Good luck and have a great time!

Dave H.

... in response to planning a trip in october, posted by outwest77 on Sep 3, 2001

!st tip is to follow your heart & have GreaT FuN, OK?!?

A very nice gentlemen named Steven recently returned from PI and is now engaged to a very pretty woman.

He shared about his visit in one of my Romance Clubs on Yahoo and he made a webpage of tips for a good trip. Below is it's URL

http://freepages.family.rootsweb.com/~heraldry/page_pi_tips.html

He answers some of the questions you mentioned.

Blessings my friend and I will pray for your safety & happiness,

Jean

@^:^@

... in response to Great web page, posted by donb2222 on Sep 3, 2001

That was a great page with lots of usefull information. I do have a few things that I did differently and a little to add. I kept the gift giving to the immediate family. I brought around 20-25 lbs of chocolate in my suitcase and they shared it with others. Most of the candy I found at the local supermarket in the Philippines and it was probably cheaper.

If you are a big dude, it will be hard to find clothes and shoes that fit. I showered and changed clothes 2-3 times each day, due to excessive sweating. It took a least a day for my clothes to dry on the clothes line. If it was raining, it took several more days before they were ready to wear. I was glad that I brought plenty of clothes.

Make sure your electric razor will operate on 220 volts. It may have a switch or you will need a power converter. Some hotels will furnish a power converter if you ask at the front desk. Filipinas didn't think that I looked like a monkey with my goatee and mustache. OK, maybe they thought that I looked like a gorilla, since I am much larger than a monkey. ;o{0=

I brought handkerchiefs to wipe off sweat, but ended up using a hand towel.

I brought cash and one Visa card. I had planned to put some of my cash and valuables in the hotel safety deposit box, but it was no longer available. I gave some of the cash to my fiancee to carry and dispense as we needed. I divided the rest up and carried it in several locations on my person. There are various places to carry money; front pockets, neck wallet, money belt, ankle wallet, in shoes, or hand bags. If money is divided between more than two or three places, it gets very confusing. I put a wide rubber band around my money and wallet so I could feel it move if someone tried to pick my pocket. I only carried a comb in my back pocket. I had a throw down wad (small amount of cash with larger bill on outside) if I was confronted by a robber with a gun. With knives, I had the option. I never felt unsafe or had a problem. I didn't go into tight crowded areas and generally maintained my space even on jeepneys. I didn't bring traveler's checks because I don't like using them. It would have been nice to have a bank account in the Philippines. Since I will be married soon, the next time I go, I will deposit most of the money into my wife's account (from US), then take it out as needed, using the ATM. I heard good and bad about using ATM's with American bank accounts.

The photos that I had developed and printed were of poor quality. But, I was using Advantix film and it was done at a super market/department store, not a professional photo center. I was able to reprint photos from the negatives using my computer and photo scanner. They were much brighter and clearer.

My American sister-in-law made a creative photo album with many colorful shapes and designs inside to take to my fiancee. She put in photos of me, my kids, family, house, and car. She included photos of me and my kids at various ages and locations. It was a big hit with everyone and gave my fiancee a better idea of what to expect in America. She treasures the album! I wish that I would have brought a video of my family and community.

Dave H.

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GoodWife / Planet-Love Archives => Threads started in 2001 => Topic started by: outwest77 on September 03, 2001, 04:00:00 AM