⌛ Another newbie, albeiit a cooler and prettier one, hehehe

Greetings, everyone! My name is Carla and I'm an American-raised Filipina. I absolutely LOVE Dumaguete. It's my home and I'm extremely proud of where I'm from. Living all over the world has broadened my eyes some, but nothing compares to home. I haven't found any place that could equal the love and beauty that I feel for Dumaguete, a place where my heart and soul is bound for life. No matter where I go or live, I will always find my way back.
I haven't been back for a while, but I hope to soon. I've just gotten married, and right now we're both working for good American companies here in Dubai.
If anyone wants to hit me up for a chat, you are welcome! I especially love chatting with fellow Northern Virginians. NOVAns are close to my heart.
Thanks for letting me be a part of this forum and I wish everyone a splendid new year!

 

Welcome aboard Carla. We were just up in Northern Virginia last summer(and for us that is a long way up:D )...visiting our son and his family at Quantico. USMC officer. Anyway....it is a very pretty spot there in Virginia...we drove around and saw quite a lot of the area. Mt. Vernon in particular stood out for us....ole George was a smart dude...got the best block of land! What a view!!

Hope you are finding Dubai great living. Haven't been there for about twenty years...did spend a decade working in Jeddah. Nice enough...good money...great diving...My wife would love the Dubai shopping even better than Jeddah though - no doubt. Particularly the gold souk....

Have fun there....and in Dumaguete...and Virginia...

 

Thanks, Garbonzo! My brother-in-law is a US Marine, too, Gunnery Sgt. John Pettinato. He just got home last month, safe and sound, from Fallujah, having been gone for more than a year. A big hearty thanks to all those supporting our troops, who are bravely fighting for their lives and for America.
How did you find Dubai back then? It's completely changed now. It's incredible. I sometimes feel awed that I'm witnessing history being created right before me, but the traffic it's creating - what a mess!! Can't deny about the shopping, though. It's the best!!

 

I only spent a few days in Dubai. Was working for a Jeddah-based airline then. Dubai though...was pretty frantic..even that long ago..Things had slowed down a bit in Saudi with the lower oil price - but Dubai was still full speed ahead...don't think it has slowed down there since '73...I didn't drive in Dubai, just took taxis...but they seemed to drive better than in Jeddah...they sometimes stopped for traffic lights and signs...

Good to hear your brother-in-law is back...hope it was his last tour. Son's unit is heading there again in a few months....

Enjoy Dubai and travel around the region if you get the chance. We loved Cairo.....stunning amount of history there!

 

Hi Carla,

Greetings from a fellow Northern Virginian! Like you, I don't live there now, but I still have family there in the Herndon / Chantilly /Fairfax areas, and visit quite often. My wife is orginally from Valencia, so Dumaguete is the other location we enjoy visiting often.

Take care and enjoy the board, it is interesting

 

garbonzo - my brother worked as a flight engineer for saudia airlines and was based in jeddah from the late 80's to early 90's -
His marriage ceremony was outdoors at the carrilion next to the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington - with a great view of the wash.monument in the background - we used to go up to NOVa from florida to visit family almost every summer

 

Cebudiver small world! I was working for Saudia '78-'82, then another stint '84-'91. In the Inspection department - Metrology. Not a bad place to work. And fantastic diving....bet your brother liked it too. Love those 30 meter dropoffs...especially at night. A couple ex-Saudia staff are retired, or working, in the Philippines now, others will be....still keep in touch with many of them.

Like your work on TT....plenty of good advice there...

 

Thanks for the tremendous welcome, everyone. I'm really enjoying this forum as everyone seems to be so charming and helpful. Glad to know that there's another NOVAn in Dumaguete! We're originally from Falls Church and Annandale area. We sold our house, but my sister still lives in Alexandria while the other one moved to California, so we often have to go back and forth.
I don't want to shock anybody, but I've never tried diving in my life because I get claustrophobic underwater. But there's always hope, and I'm planning to try diving when I come back to the Philippines, you know, maybe try to overcome my fear. Why the change of heart, you ask? Because I read in the forum somewhere about diving at Apo Island, and it sounds INCREDIBLE. In all the years I lived in Dumaguete I never got around to seeing Apo Island, but then I never knew much about it until I read comments from some of the members in the forum. It sounds like a diving paradise and I would so love to see it, if only to get a wetsuit on, dip my toes in the water and then drive the d*mn boat back to the beach topspeed! Hehehe.

 

Dubai, must be one of those Love it or Hate it Places - I was there last year - Two days only and that was two to many. Whats, good about it?

All the staff in the shops were Philippinos, (you wont see any arabs dirty their hands by actually doing the work) and all complained that it was too expensive to send any money home and they would not go back.

Us as Brits just felt, unwelcome amongst the locals, the traffic was bad, the shopping hideously overpriced. So what's left?

For Shopping, eating, great shows, awesome hotels, good times, sunshine and pure value for Money I am still struggling to find any thing to match Las Vegas!

 

Well hello

I was born in Alexandria Va. I guess that makes a little like family. moved to Califorina for high school and college. But Philippines is home now. just an OFW for PI right now. lol