Butuan #1

[Jim]

Sailover,

They've had my ATM card since February. It is a seocndary account at my bank and transfer money for Mitch's mom to withdraw every Monday. When they start construction in December the procedure is already in place.

I won;t transfer any money until they tell me what they plan to do with it and then we'll follow up before they get more. No way will I give them access to unlimited funds. Not a good idea as you said.

[Jim]

I have heard that 'live for today' stuff quite a bit here. They seem proud of it. They also often say it when someone ELSE is paying since they are broke because they lived for today, YESTERDAY.

When you are in survival mode, you either spend your money or someone else will need it and you'll give it to him. Better to spend it. No n ]eed to save for retirement...that's why you had children.

[Jim]

Eman,

It does happen here and it happened once to my Costa Rican wife. She was in the bank getting the money and someone with a cell phone alerted their partner outside and her purse was snatched. She was telling the truth. Bank guards are useless to the customers.

In 18 months, Divina, my first GF, had a few disasters and I sent her money. I'm not sure her disasters were real but there were only two of them. I've had nothing at all suspect happen with Jessa or Mitch. When I sent Jessa money for three months, I told her to go to the ATM with her brother as a guard and she never had a problem.

I will tell you that there are dishonest, GFs here who are out for your money but it is rarer. No one in either LA or the Phils is particularly adept at hiding greed. It's an easy red flag to read, I think there is less envy here. People are just happy and muddle through their daily struggles without complaint or trying to rip people off. Just Manila cab drivers.

[Sailover]

Things are different these days. Much different. The days of fearing Escobar's next bomb are gone and there IS a future to be planned for. So the excuse of spending it all now because tomorrow may never come isn't valid. Especially when you are expecting someone ELSE to provide for lunch tomorrow.

How long will you be in Thailand? Will you bring Mitch?

[Jim]

EJG69 and SFNM,

Well stated. As of June 2010, I will be chauffeur primarily as I believe Jessamae will be starting school too, [Otherwise, I'll be babysitting while my nanny attends classes].

She is as much an employee as a relative and I feel that I owe her the opportunity to finish HS because of what a great person she is. But I definitely wasn't referring to Mitch who is my GF. Mitch mainly tells me what I am allowed to do.

[Sailover]

"Mitch mainly tells me what I am allowed to do."

PLEASE tell me you are kidding. I couldn't stand yet another man getting cock blocked by the woman he is supporting!

[Jim]

Mitch doesn't have a passport yet so she can't go to Thailand with me. She should be able to apply for it in late October when we jump through the last hoop.

I'll be in Bangkok 5 days, October 6th through the 10th. My 16 months is up October 7th so I'm getting the most I waited until the last minute to leave.

Mitch doesn't tell me what to do with anything important but I let her make a lot of the small decisions. We don't have any control issues because she doesn't argue with me. She asks and normally I say yes.

[Sailover]

Will you partake of the pleasures of Thailand? (I hear there are lovely parks and sights)

[Jim]

Ye, Sailover, the sights of Thailand. Parks, museums, maybe a picture with an elephant.

Those were the pleasures you were referring too, weren't you?

[Sailover]

Of course that is just what I meant. Why, are there other pleasures a man might enjoy there too?