No angst.....just happy

[2maccall@frontier 11]

We were married on December 7th,2017 at Max's Restaurant in Quezon City (can't forget that date) and waited 3years,2 months and one day until we met again on Feb. 11th,2021 in San Francisco. Proof of her dead spouse held us up for over a YEAR,and then COVID. She has a fulltime job,getting used to living at a Rocky Mountain ski resort and will take her written driver's test this fall.  She had to stay 37 days straight at the Bayview hotel since if she would have gone back home after her medical exam, she would have been quarantined in her province for at least 2 weeks. Soooo we decided 37 days straight was the answer. Basically could only leave the hotel for embassy paperwork. After she received her visa,she had to stay at the Hilton or the Marriot since all the medium priced hotels were only for overseas workers. HAD TO PASS the COVID TEST upon entering the hotel and getting on the plane. if she had failed it would have been a financial disaster since everything was booked ahead of time. She had to pass every single time. I want to say that the real test of our relationship is how we talk to each other and really LISTEN to each other. I am 68 and she is 58 and neither of us has children but she has supported her 4 nieces and nephew by paying for their college,they call me uncle and I really do consider them as great kids. I see many of these posts and I just think to myself "if it is real....it will happen".

Edited July 18, 2022 by 2maccall@frontier
Punctuation

[John & Rose 7,239]

Bayview is nice.  You definitely have stories to reminisce about during those cold evenings at the ski resort!  How did she like the cold and snow?  Thanks for sharing.  Many of us old timers know that while the wait can be stressful, it means zero once you are together.  All that self inflicted stress melts away once you are back in each other's arms.  You had a longer journey than us.  we were just 770 days total but you are 100% correct.  If it is real, it will happen.

 

[2maccall@frontier 11]

3 hours ago, John & Rose said:

Bayview is nice.  You definitely have stories to reminisce about during those cold evenings at the ski resort!  How did she like the cold and snow?  Thanks for sharing.  Many of us old timers know that while the wait can be stressful, it means zero once you are together.  All that self inflicted stress melts away once you are back in each other's arms.  You had a longer journey than us.  we were just 770 days total but you are 100% correct.  If it is real, it will happen.

 

She didn't like it at first,but she is coming around. Tried skiing once and she swears never again. Ha ha ha. We have snow on the ground for over 6 months so she really has no choice. It is the temperature adjustment. When I am warm in the condo she is freezing,but she is gradually getting acclimated. I don't know if I ever will adjust to the Philippines heat and humidity. I'll never forget getting into the terminal in Manila and it as like opening the oven to get a pizza. Whew !!

[John & Rose 7,239]

1 hour ago, 2maccall@frontier said:

She didn't like it at first,but she is coming around. Tried skiing once and she swears never again. Ha ha ha. We have snow on the ground for over 6 months so she really has no choice. It is the temperature adjustment. When I am warm in the condo she is freezing,but she is gradually getting acclimated. I don't know if I ever will adjust to the Philippines heat and humidity. I'll never forget getting into the terminal in Manila and it as like opening the oven to get a pizza. Whew !!

We were lucky as Chicago is much more humid than the Philippines so the heat was comfortable for me and for some reason they love the snow. It has only been a couple years. My guess is that will wear off and they will stop waiting for a good snow fall. That haven’t experienced a real blizzard yet. I am looking forward to see their reaction to 12 or more inches of snow in a single storm.  

[flicks1998 1,044]

19 hours ago, John & Rose said:

Bayview is nice.  You definitely have stories to reminisce about during those cold evenings at the ski resort!  How did she like the cold and snow?  Thanks for sharing.  Many of us old timers know that while the wait can be stressful, it means zero once you are together.  All that self inflicted stress melts away once you are back in each other's arms.  You had a longer journey than us.  we were just 770 days total but you are 100% correct.  If it is real, it will happen.

 

Ive stayed in the Bayview at times over the years and its a great location for having to do anything Embassy related.  Bayview Hotel has a very sad history going all the way back to WWII when the Japanese occupied Manila.  The book "Rampage" by James Scott gives more graphic detail on the Bayview during this time.  In short, it was used as a rape hotel by the Japanese.  Parts of that hotel were destroyed but I dont think the entire structure was.  I highly recommend that book to get a good insight on what Manila was like during that period.  The destruction of Manila does not make it into too many US history books (most US books of WWII focuses on Europe) but Manila was one of the most, if not the most destroyed capital in the world during the period.

 

The Filipinas Heritage Library which is located next to Ayala Triangle Park in Makati has a ton of history during this period and well worth a visit.  I believe advanced appointments are still required. 

Edited July 19, 2022 by flicks1998

[John & Rose 7,239]

4 minutes ago, flicks1998 said:

Ive stayed in the Bayview at times over the years and its a great location for having to do anything Embassy related.  Bayview Hotel has a very sad history going all the way back to WWII when the Japanese occupied Manila.  The book "Rampage" by James Scott gives more graphic detail on the Bayview during this time.  In short, it was used as a rape hotel by the Japanese.  Parts of that hotel were destroyed but I dont think the entire structure was.  I highly recommend that book to get a good insight on what Manila was like during that period.  The destruction of Manila does not make it into too many US history books (most US books of WWII focuses on Europe) but Manila was one of the most, if not the most destroyed capital in the world during the period.

 

The Filipinas Heritage Library which is located next to Ayala Triangle Park in Makati has a ton of history during this period and well worth a visit.  I believe advanced appointments are still required. 

Thanks for this.  I love history especially WWII.  I had to teach my wife that the Philippines were attacked at the same time as Pearl Harbor.  I was amazed at how little they know about their own history.  Corregidor is a regular stop about once a year.   American Cemetery gets visited almost every trip.  

[2maccall@frontier 11]

My wife is pretty well versed on the war and a lot of Filipinos still hold angst against the Japanese for it, especially the older ones. We have went to Corregidor twice as I had to go the first time to see where the guy from my home town,(Walla Walla,Wa) led the contingent after MacArthur skipped out to Australia. Wainwright.  I was disappointed in 2014 when the North side of the islands was closed due to danger of explosive devices from where the Japanese first landed their barges to go up the "tail" to Malinta Tunnel. Evidently,the fox holes and dugouts are still there from the defensive positions.  I know the history of the Bayview,but I won't tell my wife. 

Edited July 19, 2022 by 2maccall@frontier

[2maccall@frontier 11]

16 hours ago, John & Rose said:

We were lucky as Chicago is much more humid than the Philippines so the heat was comfortable for me and for some reason they love the snow. It has only been a couple years. My guess is that will wear off and they will stop waiting for a good snow fall. That haven’t experienced a real blizzard yet. I am looking forward to see their reaction to 12 or more inches of snow in a single storm.  

w0w,are you sure Chicago is more humid than the Philippines? Cauayan City is constantly 93-96 degrees with 88-91 humidity.  Just drops a bit during their cold season.

[John & Rose 7,239]

2 minutes ago, 2maccall@frontier said:

w0w,are you sure Chicago is more humid than the Philippines? Cauayan City is constantly 93-96 degrees with 88-91 humidity.  Just drops a bit during their cold season.

I spend most of my time in Manila and the heat there is much drier than Chicago for some reason.  I never understood that but the other day my wife agreed when she walked out of the air conditioned house and felt like she was hit with a bucket of hot water.  I've never experienced that in Manila even as the temps were equal or higher than Chicago.