|
|
Hello everyone...
|
Posted:Oct 6, 2009 11:09 pm
Last Updated:Mar 7, 2010 12:37 am 12336 Views
|
Hello my friends:
After almost a two and a half year absence I have decided to write again...I apologize for my vanishing act and I truly pray that you are all healthy, happy and safe. May God bless you always...
Since my last post, I have been around the world and back again. I lived several months in Cebu, Philippines, came back to America with my fiancee, got married, had a , and here I am. The economy has taken its toll on my business, but we are surviving. Thank God for all His blessings...especially the gift of true friendship,which I have finally found again recently.
Since the time my wife has come to America, my life has been a whirlwind of heartache and pain. Never had I loved someone so much and perhaps that is why my heart was left so vulnerable. I wish I had happy news to share about my beloved Daice, but there has not been much to share since she came her...asides from the birth of our beautiful 19 month old boy named Lorenz. The adjustment from living in the Philippines her whole life to living in America, as a mother and step-mother and wife, has been extremely hard for her and I can only pray it will get better. It has been a long and difficult adjustment for her, but she has also had alot of support from her multitude of Filipino friends here and yours truly. I honestly thought she would be happy by now. Sad to say, I am half the man I used to be, because my heart has been broken time and time again from behaviors and attitudes that I never saw in her before she came here. Still I am hopeful and humbly ask for any prayers you may be willing to pray on our behalf.
However...
I STILL BELIEVE IN LOVE...and will never forget the amazing journey I started on this site back in 2006. Though still in turmoil, I still maintain love in my heart and refuse to succumb to bitterness. This is the path I have chosen...the path I followed because I saw it as God's Will, and I accept my path...wherever it may lead. However,along even the darkest paths, and amidst the worst possible weather, God has a way of shining His light upon us. It has happened to me, at my darkest hour, that the Lord has sent an angel to be my companion...someone to pray for me, comfort me, understand and advise me, and someone who has simply been there for me whole heartedly. For this I am so thankful and our friendship has become a most important part of my life. May the Lord continue to bless this precious gift always and forever.
Being around the world and back again (twice) can really change a person's perspective on life...what really matters? What doesn't? And what is most important in life? While we learn and grow along the way...some things do not change. For me, my family has always been my top priority and it has almost never been easy. My family now has grown and it is still not easy. In fact, trying to blend a family of a Mom, Dad, brother and sister, two from a previous marriage, and a new wife and has brought me to the brink of insanity...Until I met a wonderful friend who has helped me put it all into perspective...someone who believes in me and prays for me...and someone whom I really BELIEVE IN! It is truly a blessing to share a true friendship and for the first time in a long time, I feel alive and hopeful again...
May God bless you all my friends..
Brian
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Happy Easter!
|
Posted:Apr 7, 2007 5:24 pm
Last Updated:Sep 10, 2007 2:34 pm 13739 Views
|
Happy Easter everyone! May God be with you and bless you during this Easter season and always. May you always find comfort, peace, and love in your hearts. Beleive in yourself and always take time to connect with that part of you where God dwells. God bless you ALL always and forever.
Brian 
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
Our Visa Process Update
|
Posted:Mar 30, 2007 6:06 pm
Last Updated:Oct 6, 2009 10:32 pm 14620 Views
|
Hello friends:
Wishing you all the very best and may God be with you and bless you always.
Well, as many of you know, Daice and I are engaged to be married and have begun the process for a K-1 Fiancee Visa so she can come to America. I spent a great deal of time researching the process and, for all the horror stories one reads about, the process is not very difficult...if you know the correct process. The major issue with the K-1 Visa process, is the length of time it usually takes. The K-1 is the quickest Visa to obtain and during my research heard anywhere from 4-6 months to 6-9 months. Naturally, we were hoping and praying for the 4-6 month (hopefully 4) version and, honestly, even that seems long!
The process has two parts. First, I had to file a petition on Daice' behalf. The petition consists of a basic application form and lots and lots of evidence of relationship. This evidence includes photos of us together, copies of letters/email sent and received, letters of intention to marry (from each of us), a biographical data sheet each, birth certificates, passport photos, and in my case, a copy of my divorce decree. Everything I read about this part of the process said that it takes about four months for an approval because of the volume of petitions received.
Once the petition is approved, all the information is sent to the American Embassy in Manila, Philippines, at which point Daice will be contacted with instructions on how to apply for the actual Visa. These days the applicaion is done online and once the embassy receives the application, they will contact Daice and give her a date for her medical exam at St. Luke's in Manilla, as well as an interview date. This stage of the process is said to usually take about one month.
A MIRACLE HAS HAPPENED!!!!!
I filed the petition on March 7, 2007. We we expecting an approval sometime in July, which means her Visa wouldn't be ready until August/September 2007. We knew about the timeline ahead of time, and although the wait is difficult, we are managing. HERE"S THE MIRACLE...I received a Notice of Action letter two days ago saying that as of March 22, 2007 the petition was ALREADY APPROVED! ONLY 15 DAYS!!! I am still in shock and it hasn't really "sunk in" yet but we are both so happy! The process is long from over, but what was supposed to be the longest wait is over...IN ONLY 15 DAYS! Oh my! Praise the Lord!
If all goes well, Daice' medical exam and interview should co-incide with my trip to Philippines in May and...God willing...she can come home to America with me! (Oh please God!) I will travel to Manila with her and we will stay there about a week for the medical exam and interview.
I am really speechless and I really am in AWE at how quick the first phase was! Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes and may God bless you all!! Take care and be well.
Brian
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
Next installment...
|
Posted:Mar 10, 2007 8:15 am
Last Updated:Oct 14, 2009 9:21 am 13818 Views
|
Hello everyone:
I hope you are all doing well! This post will focus on something we all love to talk about ...public restrooms.
During my recent trip to Cebu, Philippines, there were many cultural differences from my hometown of Smithfield, RI, USA. One of the hardest to ignore was the public restrooms. Firstly, I can say that most of the "comfort rooms," or CR's as they are called there, were quite clean. That is always something to appreciate when travelling anywhere! However, there were several stark differences to the public restrooms in my country.
The first difference was that most of the toilets had no seats. I suppose this was to save money, as well as have one less thing to keep clean. It really wasn't much of an issue, but definitely stood out in my mind. As a man, seatless toilets required less "aim" and with strong enough legs...who needs a seat anyway? Lol.
The second difference, and this is a BIG SUGGESTION for first-time travellers to Cebu, is that CR visitors must usually bring their own toilet paper/tissue! I won't give details, but suffice it to say that I learned by trial and error on this one....yikes! Again, this is not a big deal IF YOU ARE AWARE OF IT beforehand. Little packets of tissue are available near the entrance of most CR's for 4 Pesos. When I asked Daice the reason for no tissue in the stalls, she logically replied, "Because that's expensive ha!?" Well that makes sense and now I know what to expect...no worries.
The third difference was that some toliets had no water supply connected to it. For these (and I only encountered a few) there was a big bucket of water nearby (sometimes there is a faucet or hose into this) with a smaller bucket, which is used to manually flush out the toilet bowl. I actually had fun with this, perhaps because it was just new to me.
Well, that's it for now. Not the most glamorous of topics, but it is just one of the many things I found interesting in the Philippines. I will post more of these "mini-topics" in days to come. To try to elaborate on the whole trip at once is a bit overwhelming for me, so I will do it in "installments."
Take care and God bless everyone!
Brian
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
A little about my trip to Cebu
|
Posted:Feb 25, 2007 11:48 am
Last Updated:Nov 22, 2009 9:43 pm 13747 Views
|
Hello everyone! I hope you are all well and full of Peace and good health. I arrived home in the USA on February 6 and here is a little about my trip to Philippines...
I HAD A WONDERFUL TIME!!! Cebu is beautiful and the people are so friendly. Most importantly, Daice is absolutely wonderful and we are madly in love. After folowing many of the usual customs of courtship, I asked her family for her hand in marriage and we are now engaged! Needless to say, we are both very excited and happy about the course God is leading us on in this life's journey.
We spent most of my 19 days in Philippines together and it was so nice to actually spend real time together after 6 months of email, online chat, text messaging, letter writing, and phone chats. For us, it was as if we had never been apart and the transition to face to face relationship was seemless and very natural. All of the things I had grown to love about Daice were brought to life and I am amazed at how well we had gotten to know each other from over 9000 miles away! I never anticipated any major adjustment period, however, I also could not have asked for a smoother transition to face to face relationship! It is amazing to me!
Daice is a student and she attended (most of) her classes while I was there. Asides from that, we were able to spend entire days together and it was such a blessing! We did visit several places in and around Cebu including the Marion Monks Monestary, Moal Boal, some waterfalls, and Bohol. All of those places were very nice, but nothing compares to just being with the one you love. Some days, we did virtually NOTHING and it was great! We visited her family several times and asides from the obvious language barrier (I am still learning Visayan)...we got along quite well. I can honestly say I enjoyed spending time with her family...especially her nieces and nephews who really took a liking to me.
All I can say about Cebu is that I thought it was so beautiful. The poverty is impossible to ignore, so in that sense, it is far from perfect, but as far as scenery and the people in general....what a wonderful place!!! Cebu City was nice and easy to navigate. I had fun getting to know my way around and learning how to drive with the aggressive locals. Better make that AGGRESSIVE!!!! That was fun and I only "bumped" another vehicle twice. LOL. The jeepneys are wild and the variety of shapes, sizes, and colors is an attraction in itself!
I was impressed by the orderliness of things. If there is much crime, I saw none of it. There are armed guards in just about every establishment and once I got used to seeing rifles on their shoulders, I really grew to appreciate them. They are so polite and friendly...much different from security guards and/or police in my section of America. They actually open doors for people and greet them as they come and go...all with a big smile (and of course that big gun....yikes).
The food was simple and delicious! I loved the simple style of cooking and the local spices and flavors. I managed to avoid getting really sick, but did have some minor gastric inconveniences most of the time. To me it was a small price to pay for enjoying the local flavor and cuisine. Food was very cheap too. Most nights, we ate at restaurants and spent less than $10 US Dollars on a very nice meal with beverages.
The three things I noticed that were no less expensive were renting cars (even more than USA), hotels, and developing film. Gas was just as expensive too, although it didn't seem as bad b/c the cars I rented were small and used less gas. If I can suggest anything to potential travellers to Cebu, it would be to make CD's of film and then develop back home, rent cars (if necessary) from local people rather than companies, and just shop around for hotels before you go. There are many nice hotels for less money that do not advertise online. Also, book directly with the hotel and not through a "discount website."
I will write more about it when I can, but suffice it to say that I absolutely loved my experience in Philippines! I adore my fiancee! And I plan to return to Cebu in mid-April for another 19-20 days! The next 6 months or so will be expensive and difficult as we await Daice's Visa approval but we will just be patient and continue to pray for guidance from above. I hope to write again soon and may God bless you all!!!
Brian
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
The Death of my Beloved Memere
|
Posted:Jan 11, 2007 10:12 am
Last Updated:Nov 22, 2009 9:30 pm 15023 Views
|
I was scheduled to arrive in Philippines today to meet my Love but God had other plans. Just hours before I was to board the bus for New York City and a plane to Philippines, my grandmother's health took a turn for the worse. I was visiting her in the nursing home before my trip, and during my visit the nurses informed my Mom and me that she was most likely dying. She had pneumonia, a UTI, and some gastro-intestinal disease (I forget the name). My Mom was a wreck and I decided then and there to postpone my trip.
The next 30 hours were very difficult for my family. We stayed by Memere's side for the rest of the day Tuesday, and when she seemed "stable enough," we went home to sleep because we were exhausted. Several hours later, we received a call from the nursing home saying that my Grandmother was being escorted via ambulance to the hospital. We went there with her at 3am in the morning and things never really got better.
The doctors in the emergency room told us that her combined illnesses were really overcoming her and there was nothing much they could do to save her life. Amidst sadness and grief, we realized this was probably her last day. She was intravenously given some medication to relieve any suffering and then we just sat by her side and waited. The doctors and nurses were excellent, as they continued to care for my Memere (and my family) up until the moment she breathed her last breath. At 4 am we were told she would stop breathing within the hour and she ended up dying at 3pm...eleven hours later.
She sure was a "fighter" and it was so sad to see her go. It was especially hard for me to see my Mom and sister crying so badly as we held her hand as she breathed her last breath. I did my best to remain strong so I could support my Mom and Sis but the floodgates (tears) opened for me when I finally got to bed last night. I am so thankful that I was able to be there with my family during this time. Really my grandmother's whole family consists of my Mom, myself and my brother and sister and it was nice that we were all there during her last hours in this world.
I will not exaggerate and say things like my grandmother was an amazing woman. She was a very ordinary woman whom we all happened to love very much. She was friendly and sociable and wherever she went she made friends and brought smiles to people's faces. It was a joy to know her and now she is "Home." May God bless her and keep her and may her memory live on in our hearts forever.
Brian
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
Upcoming trip to Cebu, Philippines
|
Posted:Dec 14, 2006 11:08 am
Last Updated:Dec 30, 2006 5:29 pm 14834 Views
|
Helo Friends:
26 more days until I leave America for the Philippines to visit my True Love and Friend, Daice. Our relationship has grown deeper with every chat/phone call/text message and now the time is coming soon for us to finally meet.
Needless to say, we are both very excited and feel a sense of "relief" as the time nears to be together. I never expected to find myself in a long distance relationship, but after experiencing it for the past several months (we met in July 2006) I can say with conviction, "It is not easy!" There seem to be so many pitfalls to an LDR, any one of which could add no small amount of turmoil to an already difficult situation caused by distance. Thankfully, we have been able to overcome any of our misunderstandings with good and steady communication. When words and language are the only way to express yourself (no physical) it is amazing how good you get at communicating your desires, fears, concerns, and dreams. Anyway, being apart from each other physically has been the hardest thing of all and in a few weeks we finally have a chance to just be together.
I am surprised at my lack of nervousness. Perhaps I will get the jitters as the time draws nearer, but right now I feel like a awaiting Christmas. For my part, I have so far been able to avoid expectations and I pray this continues over the next several weeks as, to me, expectations can only cloud the experience of just being together.
I will be leaving from JFK in New York (about 3 hours drive from my home) on Tuesday, January 9, 2007 and flying through Vancouver and Hong Kong en route to Cebu with an ETA of 11:45 on Thursday, January 11, 2007. I will be traveling back to the states via the same route on January 29, 2007. I am thankful for the (almost) three week visit, but cannot help but wish it was longer. The annual Sinulog Festival will be happening during my visit, as well as (potentially) the Asean Summit in Cebu City. It is really hard to think of any of the wonderful things Philippines offers for tourists when all I want is to spend time with Daice.
I have a hotel in Cebu City, right near the dormitory in which she lives, so that will be nice. We will travel to Compostela to meet her family and I am excited about that (okay, a little nervous for that one too). Over the past several months, I have learned much about the culture and people of the Philippines and am just thirsting to be immersed in Daice's world.
Well, that's it for now. I will be sure to share some stories when I return. May God bless you all and have a Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Brian
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
Missing in Action...
|
Posted:Oct 9, 2006 7:21 am
Last Updated:Oct 23, 2006 12:45 pm 14534 Views
|
Hello My Friends:
Just a quick note to say that although I have not been so active on Chinese FriendFinder or in blogs, I am still thinking of all of you and praying for your well being. In the three months since joining this site I have grown to know and love many of you on various levels and although we may never meet, I consider you all a part of my life! Anyway, thanks for the kind words and prayers always.
For me life has been good and I am enjoying each day as it comes. The weather is nice here in New England this time of year and it makes for pleasant working outdoors. My are doing well and thriving. David is in pre-school and loves it. Jeanne-Marie is in first grade and made a good adjustment to all day school! My ex and I have finally come to terms on a divorce agreement and it is a fair one for the both of us. Seems the lawyers are really more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to divorce...of course, the more disagreements, the more money they make so what can one expect? 
My friend and Love, Daice, has abandoned her plans to work abroad so we can at least give our relationship a fighting try! I was so happy when she decided this! It has been almost one month since she made her decision and our love for each other has continued to grow through daily chats, phonecalls, and text messaging. I will be travelling to Philippines in January so we can finally meet in person. I have my flight and hotel booked already and we are both very excited about it! Of course a little nervous also...because one never knows if the mutual affection of long distance relationships will be present face to face. Of course we are both hopeful and pray for the best.
Anyway, thanks to all of you who have shown support and given prayers. I do pray for all of you also and will try to be more active here on Chinese FriendFinder if I can. I do still read your blogs even though I may not always comment. May God bless you all!
Brian
|
|
|
1
comment
|
|
A Little Cheese....
|
Posted:Sep 15, 2006 6:41 pm
Last Updated:Sep 25, 2006 5:40 pm 13537 Views
|
An elderly couple had come upon hard times financially. One day while getting the bare necessities at the grocery store, the 70 year old woman, during a lapse in judgment decides she will steal a can of peaches.
She gets caught, receives a fine, and appears before the judge for sentencing. The judge asks the elderly woman, "Ma'am, why on earth would a nice lady like you steal a can of peaches?"
The lady responded, "I am sorry your Honor, I was just so hungry. It won't happen again."
Believing that the punishment should fit the crime, the judge asks, "So, Ma'am...how many peaches were in the can?"
"Six, your Honor," replied the lady.
The judge then started, "For your punishment then, then I am going to sentence you to six......"
Just then the woman's elderly husband jumps up and interupts, "Wait your Honor!! If you are sentencing her according to the quantity of the contents of the can she stole...I think you should know that she ALSO stole a can of peas!"
Take care and God bless my friends!
Brian
|
|
|
0
Comments
|
|
