Hi guys/gals I'm Nick, a Londoner by birth but living in Manchester since mid 1997. I love the Philippines, people and country. Was there in 1993 for 2 weeks and again a year later for nearly 3 months. A more friendly and hospitable people I've yet to come across. Would just love to make some local friends if at all possible, although I don't think there are many Filipino people here in or around Manchester, unlike South Wales or London. There used to be a lot in Bradford when the NHS teaching place was going. Not sure if they are still taking trainees or not but it's about 40 miles from here and without a car, makes no odds anyway. So that's me in a nutshell. Hope to make some friends in due course, especially if you live in/around Manchester. Until then, I'll BCNU.
Hi Timmers. Thank you kindly. I appreciate that lovely welcome. Maraming salamat. ... shame I've forgotten most of the little Tagalog/Visayan I learned back in 93/94 but still remember the odd word/phrase or two.
Well Nick, you know more than me, I always say life is too short to learn Tagalog You'll have to get yourself back to the Philippines for a holiday if at all possible There are plenty of Filipinos knocking around, I saw one or two when I was visiting Manchester Royal on a daily basis a few weeks back. My wife works in Manchester and she tells me she has bumped into a few Filipinos in Manchester city centre and on the Metro. There are a few single Filipinas on the site but not many.
Thanks for that info, Timmers. I remember buying loads of travel guides and Culture Shock Philippines amongst others before my first visit. I'd gone out partly for a holiday and partly to meet my then penpal (Filipina in Himo-Aw on Southern Leyte) but fell out with her very quickly when it became apparent she wanted money and gifts virtually from the get-go. I then met another in Himo-Aw I quite liked but was never told she was a tomboy, which I think is the correct coloqualism for not into guys, putting it politely. Since then chatting/befriending on Facebook hasn't been very productive either - first one disappeared on me then when came back was posting photos of her child and Filipino BF, neither of whom she had previously mentioned. More recently I've been chatting to a very nice but young Filipina for over a year but since sending over some money (unasked for btw) for Christmas and her birthday (February), she has since 'gone quiet' on me too so I guess best just to leave it until I go on holiday again and see if I meet anyone. I'm sure there are Filipinos in Manchester but just few and far between - but probably easier to recognise by another Filipina than it is for me? Oh well. Anyway there may well be a few single ones on here but I'm here primarily to make friends online and/or off. I don't get out that much these days as I'm having a few mobility problems thanks to a slowly healing and recurring leg ulcer/anxiety issues but damned if I'm going to let it/them get the better of me so once again thank you and nice talking with you. All the best to you and yours, Nick
Well Nick, I can see we do not need to offer you any advise on what to watch out for when meeting a Filipina online, looks like you have already had one or two bad experiences, I sense though that you already know that there are many good Filipinas out there, finding them online is always a bit of a lottery, pay you money and take your chances kind of thing as they say. There are many people on the forum that met their loved ones online and have never looked back, so keep trying, even if you don't meet the right one I'm sure its fun chatting online. If you ever get to the stage of bringing a loved one to the UK then this forum will be of extra help for you as we all use our experiences of gaining settlement visas to help others on the same path
Oh yes I'm well aware you can't generalise or tar everyone with the same brush. I knew an American who was married to a lovely Filipina some years back (sadly he's since died and I've lost contact with his family) and I had the pleasure of visiting them several times and met their Filipina friends - mainly his wife's friends I suppose and she also worked on the same base (Suffolk) as he did and they were all very nice so I totally agree that there are very many nice, good people out there so yes, I know what you mean. Thanks for the re-assurances and yes of course it's fun to chat online. Especially all the ones in the same area of Mindanao who keep writing and then pestering for money all the time for one reason or another. I'm sure it's some kind of organised group there as they are all in the same place according to their profiles and of course I always politely have a reason or excuse why I can't. As for bringing someone to the UK, I doubt that will ever happen as I'm never likely to have sufficient funds for that. My mother has deemed fit to only leave me a relatively small sum in her will when her time comes and most to my younger, richer brother along with a long list of reasons for this going back to year dot which I'm not going to bore you with so chances are it would be more likely for me to either take an extended holiday out there or possibly retire out there should that ever be possible? Not 100% sure yet as there's obviously a lot to consider and sadly even with my UK state pension, which is likely to be less owing to missed NI contributions over the years (apparently according to HMRC), it's unlikely to be sufficient to sustain a life out there but who knows? Still over 3 years before I reach retirement age anyway and who knows, might even bump into Ms Right around that proverbial next corner before that happens anyway, although I've been round that many corners I guess she's gone another way. lol. Ok have to go out now. Catch you later aligator.
Good to see you are positive and upbeat about your situation, that wont do you any harm at all Good luck
Welcome @Mancunian_Nick . I don't meet the normal income requirements either but my wife is coming here under rules for disabled people - I claim disability benefits.
Hello everyone. Thank you kindly for your kind words of welcome. Very much appreciated. Warms the ol' cockles of me heart y'know. Howerd, glad you managed to get things sorted. I'm also on PIP and got a an appeal claim for my ESA in the pipleline as we speak. I don't consider myself disabled but have various mobility issues which should, if things were done right, allow me the low rate mobility rate but as you probably know, the government are keen to get people off ESA and onto JSA. No idea for what reason seeing as the rates are the same and I already get a small disability allowance along with my JSA as it is. Only difference would be that I wouldn't have to sign on and would have thought that would suit HMG down to the ground as I wouldn't be included amongst the ranks of the unemployed but guess logic doesn't apply to the Tories these days. Sorry gone a bit off-topic so I'll leave it there. Where abouts are we all btw, if people don't mind saying? I heard there was a members map here but so far been unable to find it. Anyone? Would be interested to see who's local and who isn't.
If you are on PIP, you don't have to meet the £18,600 income requirement to bring a wife/fiancée into the UK, but it is very expensive and being on a minimal income without savings would make it very difficult. The UK government has made it very expensive over the last few years. I am sure there must be single Filipinas over here - the nurses and those who married older men that have passed away. I found the right Filipina at the age of 62 and we married 3 days after my 64th birthday. She turns 41 4 days after arriving in the UK. Have a look on the user map to find those in your area... http://www.british-filipino.com/index.php?usermap/
Hello again Howerd. Thank you again for the further information and yes, you're absolutely right in your evaluation. Very astute my friend. ) Seems only 7 in Manchester and a few who haven't been on in 2 or 3 years but that's ok, I never expected there to be many in this area anyway but the beauty of the Internet I suppose is that the UK (or world) is a very small place. - which by continuation also means I found the usermap you/others had mentioned so thanks again. Finally, for now, thank you for sharing that snippet of personal information about you and yours. Lovely story and glad things worked out for you both. There certainly used to be lots of trainee nurses over in Bradford a few years back. Not sure if they are still doing that today but it's 40 to 45 miles away and most are probably too busy to get on the Internet anyway. A friend of mine in the real world told me a short time back that most younger people (don't know what age has to do with it really but I see where he was coming from) use mobile apps and sites to chat and date and meet up these days rather than the Internet. Times have changed I suppose and he's probably right. Oh well, c'est la vie.
I think most members do not publish what part of the UK (world) they are living in @Mancunian_Nick. Maybe if you became a hospital visitor you could find the lady of your dreams?
Hi Howerd. Well people aren't obligated to give out info. Personally I believe if it's only a general location (ie I say Manchester but it's a big place! ) but I'm looking for friends too not only a possibility of more. I'm certainly not going to that extreme. You could suggest cutting myself so I could go in as a patient and achieve the same objective! ... I don't think so! Thanks anyway.
Apparently there are still plenty of Filipino nurses in the Bradford area according to a Filipino family (from Bradford) that visited us a few months back. They were here to see my mother in law, she worked with members of the family whilst working in Saudi so they met up. I remember them saying that there are lots of Filipinos still working at the hospital there, the family in question has been in the UK for over twenty years. I expect there are quite a few Filipinos in Manchester but as members have said, they tend to keep a low profile, your average Filipino is more than happy to stay at home, you wont see them out gallivanting in the pubs of Manchester or anything like that
