Dave was giving the list of survival things and Charly and I were adding to it. Dave did ask if he missed anything?
I will plead youth and inexperience and I was led astray by questionable companions. Why not? It seems to work for everyone else!
I'm quite sure I know what you mean with "soft-nosed" but I'm curious how that term would describe a, let's say, "promiscuous" woman? Is this a Filipino saying or does it come from somewhere else? First time I've ever heard that one. Perhaps it's an antonym of "hard-nosed"? Please do enlighten me, kind sir.
What about the relatives? I've never been there for more than 3 weeks, but once you live there do you hear more or less from them. Living in the US it's typically high ticket items like a hospital visit, but being so convenient it seems like it might lead to more visits for smaller items.