There are hundreds of posts on this forum about expats adjusting to the Filipino culture but I have recently came across a situation (that I won't go into here) that had me thinking about when the situation is turned around and it's the Filipino that needs to adjust to the Western culture.
I'm sure it has happened many times where a guy has met a young Filipina woman online and had no intentions of ever moving to the Philippines and just came here to marry them and help pack their things to move back to their home country. I personally don't agree with guys who meet girls online, get married within a couple months of knowing each other (and even less face time together) but I'm curious to know how one would prepare a girl for such a major life change. Not that I think that guys who do this are too concerned with the girls needs and overall mental health.
There is certainly going to be some extreme culture shock happening and they will be a great distance from the only support structure they have ever known in their lives (their family). Personally, I don't know exactly what I would do to prepare my girlfriend for such a move. The differences are almost impossible to explain to someone who has lived their entire life in a 3rd world country (especially if they have lived all that life in the province). I wouldn't even know where to start but I think it would be cruel to one day say, "Pack your things honey, we're going to the US. You'll figure it out once we get there."
What would you guys do to prepare your girlfriends/wives for such a move?
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Jack Peterson DI Forum Luminary Highly Rated Poster SC Connoisseur Veteran Air Force
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Fantastic Thread Dustin, one that should if members are Honest will bring some real life stories and Truths.
For me, I gave up after 2 years of even Thinking about taking my Wife to EU. The Daughter would have gone in 1 min but she would have been wanting to come back in 6 months. I realized that not Withstanding the Weather, Everything would have Gone Wrong, As it would have been Spain, I thought it might have made the Difference, but the Language although she would have mastered this I am sure, would give cause to Frustration. It would have been the day to day Small things that would have escalated. Cooking on Decent Equipment, although we have this, she still cooks daily on Charcoal.
Not being able to Burn at night. Having to do here Work Now, (As in Job)Today not Later only.
The List could go on forever, the main thing to my Advantage is they watch so many Foreign Films on TV and I can say that this was a saving Grace for me. She said OH! How and why do people live in all that Confusion? That said it all to me. No. Firmly here we stay, I can cope with the Culture and have Adapted far more in the time than she ever would have.
I will admit that she is still finding it Hard to accept and adapt to the fact she has a Foreign Husband, So What would Happen if WE just Upped Sticks and Went. My Humour Insanity would I think become a Health Insanity.
That is my testament.
Morning All,
JP
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