Tampo

I grew up in an environment where “Tampo” is a common norm of showing displeasure or dissatisfaction whenever your partner, mother, relatives or friends did not the do the thing that you wish for, or things don’t turn up the way you wanted them to be. It is a common practice for a Filipina as a way of sulking in an almost child-like behavior. It is a behavior that might be normal in a society in the Philippines, but probably be misinterpreted by a western people. Filipinas usually can not show their emotions of displeasure or dissatisfaction directly, so Tampo is their way of letting it out.

Last night, after waiting for two to three hours for the “talk” over Skype that he had scheduled, an unforeseen invitation from his dart team came through via phone call. The talk schedule was aborted leaving me sulking… Although Tampo is a common practice to a Filipina, the fact that my fiancé is an Austrian, at this moment this is not really my option. I have to think logical and reasonable that the situation was not intentionally made by him. And as a human being he also need his social group. So I have to tell him that it is ok, followed by the abrupt clicking the end button of the voice conversation as a display that I did not like the situation. This is a common example of Tampo…

Then after a few minutes I have went back to my senses leaving the old practice behind and told him that I am mad, and told him that there is nothing I can do but to let him go with the dart game, and at the same time I am telling him that I do not like the situation.

This article shows that adjustment should not always come from the Western partner, a Filipina should also make some little changes about their behavior to make it match with their partner.

After the dart game, he called me up on Skype and stayed for one hour or so in his sleepy state to make amends of what he did or for what the situation turned out to be.

Although I did not fully integrate the Tampo behavior in this situation I got the amends that I wanted which is the usual purpose of making Tampo in the first place. He made some extra effort to make me feel important than any other things by staying up so late because I have told him in a direct way that I am not pleased with what’s happening and not by displaying the act of Tampo…

Marriage in Switzerland

In my quest to find answer in how to get married in Austria, I have researched the Austrian embassy for answer. Most of the time Google will give me answers but those answers came from other European embassy. I read forums, local and international alike, about the steps in acquiring a visa to Austria for our marriage. The usual answer I got is all about schengen visa which is basically a tourist visa…

Sometimes I stumble some questions of other Filipinas asking about how to get married to their boyfriend’s home country like Switzerland. Although this site is focused on Austrian visa, I decided to add some info about getting married to other European Union member states. I found this info from a Swiss Embassy:

To prepare for civil marriage in Switzerland, the Filipino fiancé/e has to present the following original documents:

1.) Birth Certificate* issued by the National Statistics Office
* If birth has been registered late (more than 30 days after the date of birth):
-   Birth Certificate issued by the Local Civil Registrar’s Office
-   Original Certificate of Baptism
-   Original Grade Card, Transcript of Record or other school records
2.a) If previously married:
· Annotated Marriage Certificate issued by the National Statistics Office
· Certified true copy of Court Decision of the annulment of marriage
· Certified true copy of Certificate of Finality of the annulment of marriage
Attention : Divorce for Filipino Nationals do not exist, it is only possible to annul the marriage.
or
2.b) If widowed:
· Marriage Certificate issued by the National Statistics Office
· Death Certificate of spouse issued by the National Statistics Office
3.) Original Passport of the Filipino fiancé/e (including previous passports if any)
4.) Community Tax Certificate or “Cedula” (issued recently)
5.) Notarized Parental Consent to contract marriage (for 18 to 21 years old only)

The Embassy may ask for additional documents, if deemed necessary.

If residing in Switzerland, the Swiss or foreign fiancé/e has to submit the following to this Embassy (by mail, fax or e-mail) before the Filipino partner submits his/her documents:

Copy of Certificate of civil status / Kopie Personenstandsausweis /copie Certificat individuel d’état civil
Copy of Certificate of residence / Kopie Wohnsitzbestätigung / copie Certificat de domicile**
Copy of passport / Passkopie / copie du passeport
** Not applicable for Swiss nationals who are registered at this Embassy

Marriage preparation (personally at the Swiss Embassy in Manila)
Together with the above-mentioned documents, either both the bride and the groom or one of them must fill out and sign personally at this Embassy the “Application for Marriage Preparation” (Form 0-34-A) and the “Declaration concerning the Marriage Conditions” (Form 0.35). The Swiss part must indicate the correct address, the date and place of birth, marital status and commune of origin. It is mandatory to indicate the place where the civil ceremony will take place in Switzerland. The fiancés will get the “fact sheet on married names” and “fact sheet on marriage in Switzerland: rights and obligations” which should be studied carefully.

The Embassy shall be verifying the Philippine documents with the local competent authority before legalizing and transmitting them together with the above-mentioned forms filled out and signed by both or one of the partners to the Federal Office of Civil Status in Bern in order to forward them to the place where the marriage shall take place.

The Swiss partner has to organize personally his/her needed documents for getting married in Switzerland. If the partners file the demands of marriage preparation separately, a copy of the form 0.34-A “Application for Marriage Preparation” filled out in Switzerland has to be provided to this
Embassy.

Fees: An advance payment of PHP 20’000.00 – 22’000.00 (covering time-based fee for document processing, preparation of marriage fee, transport fee, telephone fees, postal fees, document verification fees) is required upon submission of the documents.

It is payable in Philippine Peso and on “cash” basis only. Any remaining balance will be returned to the applicant. The Embassy reserves the right to ask for an additional advance payment if needed for the verification of the documents.

Please note that incomplete documents will not be accepted.

Taking up residence in Switzerland before marriage (for marriage purposes)

If the Filipino fiancé/e plans to take up residency in Switzerland please submit the following documents together with the documents for marriage for the application of a residence visa.

Three (3) “Visa D” application forms, which must be completely and properly filled-out and signed by the applicant (write in block letters and use black or blue ink only). The form may be obtained for free from the Embassy or downloaded from the following link:
http://www.bfm.admin.ch/bfm/en/home/themen/einreise/visumantragsformular.html
Four (4) identical, clear and colored passport-size photos (with white background; must be taken
within the last six months. Please do not staple the photos on the form).
Two (2) photocopies of valid passport (inside front cover containing holder’s information and photo, inside back cover containing « Important Reminders », signature and other passport information)
Police Clearance (must be recent with correct information corresponding to the documents presented and translated to any Swiss national language) *Please provide 1 photocopy of the Police Clearance and translation.
VISA PROCESSING FEE (beside the advance payment for the marriage preparation)
For Adults: PHP 3’700.00
For Children (from 6 to below 12 years old): PHP 2’200.00
For Children below 6 years old: Free of charge
postage fee PHP 500.00 (price depends on the exchange rate).

Personal appearance is required except for the bride or bridegroom who is residing in Switzerland. There is no need to make an appointment. For the submission of papers please refer to the Embassy’s visiting hours.

The whole procedure for marriage and acquiring a visa for the preparatory procedure for marriage is approximately 4-6 months provided that all documents are found in order.

Contact Information of the Marriage Section
Mailing Address: Embassy of Switzerland
24th Floor, Equitable Bank Tower
8751 Paseo de Roxas 1226 Makati City
E-mail: man.vertretung@eda.admin.ch

Visiting Hours: Monday – Thursday from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Marriage Section Hotline: 0063 2 757 9000, then press 7
Marriage Section Fax: 0063 2 757 3717

I hope this post will help other Filipina who are seeking to enter Switzerland to get married to their respective Swiss fiance. For more information I think it is better to call the hotline above.

Handbook for Schengen Visa

Upon research about Schengen Visa, I stumble a site which share the manual or Handbook for Visa Application in European Union state members. Browse through the pages below for a comprehensive instruction for the Schengen visa and other type of visa in European Union countries

Schengen Visa Manual

LEGALIZATIONS of Documents in Austrian Embassy

I emailed the Austrian Embassy what are the steps to legalize the Birth Certificate and CENOMAR. They gave the following instructions:

LEGALIZATIONS

Legalization is the process of certifying a document so that it will be recognized by the legal system of a foreign country. For this purpose, a document needs to be certified by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila and then again certified by the Embassy in order to gain recognition.
Ang ligalisation ay isang proseso na nagpapatunay sa isang dokumento upang ito ay makilala ng legal napamamalakad ng isang banyagang bansa. Dahil sa layuning ito, kailangang patunayan ng Pasuguan ng Ugnayang Panlabas sa Manila at ng Embahada ng Austria ang dokumento.

- Documents for legalization must be filed in person. Please bring your passport.
Personal na dalhin ng aplikante ang mga papeles na ipapaligalize. Maaaring dalhin din ang pasaporte.

- Requests for legalizations are accepted every Friday from 09:00 – 11:00 a.m. and with no prior appointment (Austrian citizens may submit documents for legalization Mondays through Fridays and within regular business hours).
Mga kahilingan ng ligalisation ay maaring dalhin tuwing Biyernes mula 09:00 – 11:00 ng umaga na hindi nangangailangan ng appointment.(Ang mga mamamayan ng Austria ay maaaring magsumite ng dokumentong tuwing Lunes hanggang Biyernes sa loob ng opisyal na oras ng Embajada.)

- Legalization of documents pertaining to visa or residence applications may be requested on the day of your scheduled appointment.
Mga dokumentong nais na ipaligalize kaugnay sa visa o kaya sa aplikasyon sa pagka-residente ay maaring i-file sa nakatakdang araw ng appointment.

- The Embassy may only accept NSO-issued documents that have been certified by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila. Mga dokumentong galing lang ng NSO at pinatunayan ng Kagawaran ng Ugnayang Panlabas ang
maaring tanggapin ng Embahada.

- Please bring an extra copy of all documents to be legalized.
Maari lang na magdala ng kopya ng mga dokumento na nais ninyong ipaligalize.

- Kindly pay the consular fee in the exact amount. (Consular fees in Philippine Pesos are subject to monthly adjustments of the exchange rate).
Maaari lang magdala ng eksaktong bayad. (Ang consular fees ay binabanggit sa araw ng inyong pagtawag ng appointment)

Please note that legalization of your document will require three to nine weeks, as all documents presented for legalization are subject to verification regarding their authenticity. The Embassy will contact you once the legalization requested has been finalized. Ang proseso ng ligalisasyon ng dokumento ay aabutin ng tatlo hanggang siyam ng linggo. Makakatanggap kayo ng abiso mula sa Embahada kapag tapos na ang ligalisation. If you are unable to submit or claim your document(s) personally, you may authorize another party, who must be in possession of a notarized letter of authorization, his/her photo ID, and your claim stub. In exercising due notarial diligence the Embassy is obliged to request proof of identity and legal stay of the document’s owner in Austria (e.g. valid visa or residence permit).Kapag hindi ninyo mismo maisumite o makuha ang mga dokumento, maaari ninyong ipakuha sa inyong kinatawan, na may dala ng isang sulat na nagsasaad ng kaloob na kapangyarihan, ID ng kinatawan at claim
stub. Bilang katunayan ng pagkakakilanlan at legal na paninirahan sa Austria ng may-ari ng
dokumento, ang Embahada ay obligadong humiling ng mga dokumento katulad ng balidong visa o kaya residence permit.

Please inform your sponsor, relative or inviting party of this procedure and the anticipated processing time. The Embassy reserves the right not to reply to inquiries by relatives, sponsors or inviting parties regarding facts already contained in this information leaflet.
Maaari lang ibahagi ang mga impormasyong nabanggit sa inyong isponsor, kamag-anak o kung sino man ang nag-aaanyaya. Maaaring hindi na tumugon ang Embajada sa mga katanungan ng mga kamag-anakan, isponsors o sa mga taong nag-aanyaya sa mga bagay na nakasaad na sa polyeto.

4thFloor Prince Building, 117 Thailand Street (former Rada Street)

Legaspi Village, 1229 Makati, Metro Manila

tel. (+63/2) 817 91 91, 817 49 92 , fax (+63/2) 813 42 38, e-mail: manila-ob@bmeia.gv.at

website: www.bmeia.gv.at/manila

Take note that the embassy only accepts legalization paper every Friday from 9AM to 11AM. Be sure to be at embassy before 9AM. The security guard from the lobby will ask for four of your contact numbers may it be landline, or mobile. He will also ask for the email address. The embassy will need these contact information. If you won't be able to provide this, the guard will not let you in. Do not forget to leave your cellphone at the guard station too, because once it ring inside the embassy you will be in trouble, better be safe than sorry.

Note: Schedule of Legalization was move from Friday to Tuesday until Thursday. You should be at the embassy before 9am every Tuesday until Thursday.

Requirements for Philippine nationals for Marriage in Austria

After several contemplations, finally, you and your Austrian partner decided to get married in Austria. The Austrian Embassy in Manila will require you the following documents:

List of Documents

Required Documents:

Certificate of No Marriage Record – CENOMAR (NSO-copy, *DFA-certified, Marriage Counseling Certificate of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO)) – the counseling Certificate can be obtain even if you don’t have a visa yet.
Wedding Date Confirmation from Austrian Civil Registrar’s Office
Extract from Birth Registry (from future spouse)
Affidavit of Liability provided by future spouse in Austria, either notarized by a notary public, or given at the respective authority (Police, District Commission etc.)
Copy of passport of future spouse
Residential registration of future spouse
Lease agreement or extract from land register (in case of ownership) of future spouse in Austria
Proof of income (previous three months) of future spouse in Austria
Divorce Paper Certificates
Child Support Certificate if your former husband has a child to the previous marriage

General Requirements

Please note that if traveling as a group or family, each individual application must be supplemented with a complete set of documentation!

Each applicant must appear in person to submit application
Application form completed and signed by applicant (if you don’t want to go back to the Philippines after the marriage, you will need to submit the National Visa Form not the Schengen Visa Form)
Passport, valid 6 months beyond expiration of requested visa and with at least one blank page
Photocopy of passport data page
Photocopy of previous Schengen visa, if applicable
Any expired passports
2 recent and identical color photographs
- 35mm x 45mm in dimension, well contrasted, frontal facial view, neutral facial expression, mouth closed, image must take up 2/3 of photbut not exceed 36mm in height, eyes above center of photo, eye color clearly recognizable, distance between pupils 8 t10mm and on a white background.
Birth certificate (NSO-copy *DFA Authenticated and Legalized by the Embassy) and a photocopy
Birth certificate(s) of child/children and a photocopy, if applicable
Marriage certificate and a photocopy, if applicable
Flight reservation, corresponding to the intended duration of stay stated on the application. (Qatar Airways offer free reservation just visit or call their Makati Office for details, also KLM have this feature)
All-risk travel insurance and a photocopy, valid for all EU-countries, Norway and Switzerland, with a minimum medical coverage of Euros 30.000, corresponding to your travel itinerary. (you need to purchase this one so that you will get the copy of the policy)
Please be informed that you may be asked by the immigration authority to present a valid insurance policy upon arrival.

Acceptable Insurance Agencies:

Apart from all major insurance companies in Austria, the following Philippine carriers are accepted (in particular order and subject tchange without notice):

- Fortune General Insurance Corp.
- Federal Phoenix Assurance Co.

- EVEREST Int’l Group Admins.
- MAPFRE

- Paramount Life & General Insurance Co.
- World Wide Travel Insurance

- Standard Insurance Co.
- Malayan Insurance (this is the cheapest among all insurance policy in my experience)

- ASSIST Card
- UCPB General Insurance Co. Inc.

- ACE Secure
- BPI – MS Insurance Corp.

- Blue Cross
- CHARTIS Philippines Insurance, Inc.

- MAA Insurance
- PNB General Insurers Co., Inc.
Proof of accommodation at your travel desination(s) e. g. hotel reservation(s), lease agreement of host, extract from land register of host
Sufficient financial means (even with a sponsor if you have a job you need to submit one or all of these documents)

bank certificate, recent (very important with transaction details in my experience
bank book dating back one year and a photocopy
proof of employment
payslips of previous 6 months and a photocopies
business licence (in case of self-employment) and a photocopy
tax statement for the previous year and a photocopy
if you are earning online in my experience, the embassy accepted the electronic paypal, alert pay, and moneybookers transactions…

Non-refundable Consular fee in cash and payable upon submission of application… for National Visa D the application fee is 100 Euro payable in Philippine Peso. (please provide exact amount as change cannot be made)

Important notices:

All applications for visas of citizens of the Republic of the Philippines require approval of the Schengen partners and the competent authority in Austria. This mandatory and automated consultation process may take up to three weeks and cannot be expedited. Please refrain from inquiries regarding the status of your application within this period. Exceptionally, when additional documentation is needed in specific cases, the period for the decision may be extended up to a maximum of 60 calendar days.

The Embassy reserves the right to request further documentation or an additional interview in individual cases.

*certified by the Department of Foreign Affairs and subsequently legalized by the Austrian Embassy in Manila. A consular fee in the amount of 40 Euro per document, payable in Philippine Pesos, applies. Due to required verification of the Documents' authenticity the process of Legalization may take several weeks.

In my next posts, I will tackle the procedures for each requirements, like the legalization of the Birth Certificate and CENOMAR, applying for Passport, How to get a confirmed wedding date in Austria and of course the the process in getting the visa…

Austrian Visa Requirements

After spending so several months in skype and the unforgettable vacation together we decided to move forward... to live together and start a family. To realize this we have to undertake a number of legal loops like obtaining visa for the marriage in Austria. I did my own research and find an ample information about the visa requirements from Embassy of Austria in Manila, and these are what I found:

Application for Schengen Visa

at the Austrian Embassy Manila

General Requirements

subject to change without notice, last revision: 2010-08-13

Please note that if travelling as a group or family, each individual

application must be supplemented with a complete set of documentation!

Scheduled appointment (please see separate call center info). It is strongly advised to book an appointment early!

Personal appearance of applicant(s)

Application form completed & signed by applicant or legal guardian (see item 37 on the application form)
for applications by or on behalf of minors see also ‘Additional Requirements’ below

Passport (+ photocopy of data page and previous Schengen visa) valid 6 months beyond expiration of requested visa and with at least one blank page to affix it

Old (expired) passports

2 recent & identical color photographs 35mm x 45mm in dimension, well contrasted, frontal facial view, neutral facial expression, mouth closed, image must take up 2/3 of photo but not exceed 36mm in height, eyes above center of photo, eye color clearly recognizable, distance
between pupils 8 to 10mm, white background.

Birth certificate (NSO-copy) + photocopy
Marriage certificate, if applicable + photocopy

Birth certificate(s) of child/children, if applicable + photocopy

Flight reservation, corresponding to intended duration of stay stated on the application

All-risk travel insurance + photocopy, valid for all EU-countries, Norway and Switzerland, with a minimum medical coverage of Euros 30.000,--, and valid for 15 days beyond your travel itinerary.
Please be informed that you may be asked by the immigration authority to present a valid insurance policy upon arrival.

Apart from all major insurance companies in Austria, the following Philippine carriers are accepted (in no particular order & subject to change without notice):
- Fortune General Insurance Corp.
- Federal Phoenix Assurance Co.
- Blue Cross
- EVEREST Int’l Group Admins.
- MAPFRE
- MAA Insurance
- Paramount Life & General Insurance Co.
- World Wide Travel Insurance Plans
- PNB General Insurers Co., Inc.
- ACE Secure - Malayan Insurance
- BPI
– MS Insurance Corp.
- Standard Insurance Co.
- ASSIST Card
- UCPB General Insurance Co., Inc.
- CHARTIS Philippines Insurance, Inc.

Proof of accommodation at your travel desination(s)
e. g. hotel reservation(s), lease agreement of host, extract from land register of host
Sufficient financial means
- bank certificate, recent
- bank book dating back one year + photocopy
- proof of employment
- leave of absence, approved by employer
- payslips of previous 6 months + photocopies
- business licence (in case of self-employment) + photocopy
- tax statement for the previous year + photocopy
Consular fee in cash, non-refundable and payable upon submission of application
(please provide exact amount as we cannot make change)

Important notices:
All applications for visas of citizens of the Republic of the Philippines require approval

Additional Requirements

Visiting family & relatives, friends
- proof of relationship to applicant, if applicable
proof of sufficient own financial means may be substituted with:
- ‘electronic’ affidavit of liability by your host, given at the respective immigration authority in Austria
   (district commissions, in Vienna: local police stations)
   Your host must present the following at the respective immigration authority in Austria:
   - copy of your passport (data page only)
   - his/her passport or personal identity card
   - lease agreement or extract from land/title register
   - residential registration
   - proof of income of previous 3 months
   - recent account & credit card statement(s), loan agreements, utility bills
   - proof of fulfillment of other financial obligations (down payments, loan repayments, child support etc.)
Please note that while a ‘guarantee letter’ or ‘invitation letter’ from your host is welcome, it is no legal
substitute for an ‘affidavit of liability’!

The affidavit of liability given by your host is transmitted directly to Embassy by the respective immigration authority after approx. 48 hours (hence ‘electronic’). On the day of your scheduled appointment it will bejoined with your application. As of June 1, 2009 notarized affidavits of liability are no longer admissible.

Conferences, Seminars & Conventions
- invitation letter, if applicable
- confirmation of registration
- proof of payment of registration/participation fee, if applicable

Business travellers
- company letter (cost assumption regarding travel expenses, accomodation) with signature of company executive & company stamp
proof of sufficient own financial means may be substituted with
- ‘electronic’ affidavit of liability by the hosting company given at the respective immigration authority in Austria (district commissions,
   in Vienna: local police stations) by an official company representative (executive or authorized employee).
   As of June 1, 2009 notarized affidavits of liability are no longer admissible.

Students
- proof of admission by the educational institution in Austria (college, university etc.)
- proof of authorized leave of absence

Marriage in Austria
- birth certificate (NSO-copy, DFA-certified) *
- CENOMAR (NSO-copy, DFA-certified) *
- recent NBI or police clearance (DFA-certified), if a subsequent application for a residence permit will be made (must be no older than three months upon submission at the respective immigration authority in Austria!)

Documents of fiancé/fiancée in Austria:
    - recent extract from the birth registry, copy
    - wedding date, confirmed by Civil Registrar’s Office in Austria
    - ‘electronic’ affidavit of liability, given at the respective immigration authority in Austria (district
commissions, in Vienna: local police stations)

Your fiancé/fiancée in Austria must present the following at the respective immigration authority in Austria:
       - copy of your passport (data page only)
       - his/her passport or personal identity card
       - lease agreement or extract from land/title register
       - residential registration
       - proof of income of previous 3 months
       - recent account & credit card statement(s), loan agreements, utility bills
       - proof of fulfillment of other financial obligations (down payments, loan repayments, child support etc.)
The affidavit of liability given by your host is transmitted directly to Embassy by the respective immigration authority after approx. 48 hours (hence ‘electronic’). On the day of your scheduled appointment it will be joined with your application.
As of June 1, 2009 notarized affidavits of liability are no longer admissible.

* Please note that following the certification through the DFA, birth certificate and CENOMAR must be legalized by the Embassy as part of the fulfillment of requirements and prior to the issuance of a visa. Due to the necessary inquiry at the issuing authority regarding the authenticity of the documents, this may take several weeks, depending on the processing time of the respective Philippine authority.

Please also note that you may have to present a marriage counselling certificate by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (www.cfo.gov.ph) when leaving the Philippines. The CFO-certificate is not required by the Embassy but it may be required by the Philippine Immigration Authority upon departure.

Medical treatment
- medical certificate issued by licensed physician (diagnosis, recommendation for further treatment)
- treatment plan by receiving physician/hospital in Austria
- estimate of treatment costs
- affirmation by public or private health insurance carrier regarding assumption of costs of medical procedure/treatment
- proof of financial capability to shoulder treatment costs
- proof of transportability, depending on severity of illness

Minors
- application signed by both parents
- proof of enrollment at school
- proof of authorized leave of absence from school
- travel clearance for minors issued by the respective local authority

Contact info
please provide your e-mail address, telephone and/or mobile phone number(s).

Hope this info about getting the Austrian Visa will help other Filipina in obtaining one... If the purpose of travel to Austria is to get married, I highlighted in this post the additional requirements by the embassy in obtaining a visa to Austria...

Meet the Parents

Under construction.......

The Airport Pick-Up

Finding Simorgh

Under Construction...

Planning the First Vacation

We decided to move our relationship farther. He decided to visit me again, this time to spend time with me. Around October, he announce that he will have a vacation with me for a month in the coming January next year. This news made me really excited, but he always said back then that he will see what will happen... meaning if he will see if vacation will push through or not. But he gave an exact date of his travel which the 20th of January. At first I am hesitant to plan anything because he hasn't purchase his flight ticket yet, but he gave me again an assurance that he will come... so I started making plans for a three-week-long vacation.

Some of the Filipinas let their foreign husband or boyfriend decides where to go for their vacation together. Me on the other hand had all the freedom to choose where to spend the whole three weeks in the Philippines with him.

I love travelling, and for that reason alone I am meticulous in every detail of the trip. I make sure I get the best deal at the cheapest price possible.

The are lots of things to consider while travelling, like the following:

BUDGET - One important factor in travel planning is the budget for the trip. Your itineraries, extra curricular activities, and accommodation can only be determine if you have a concrete budget for the trip. So I have to asked him his intended money to spend for this whole trip... and he gave me a rough estimate of $1500 to $2000. This may sound huge for Filipinas like me, but breaking down all the cost for this travel is a challenge. From there I know that I have to chip in... Other Filipinas may find this weird but me as a girlfriend who love his boyfriend much, I will give him the best I could, the best place the Philippines has to offer for this important phase in our relationship. Another challenge was my sister asked me if, she and my mom and the kid from the neighbor can join for the at least five days in our vacation.

DESTINATION - Once you determine your budget, you can now move on to choosing where to spend your vacation. With our tight budget I have to find a place where it would not incur much expenses at the same time the place would be something he would love and I will definitely like too. I choose Palawan for this trip, Elnido and Puerto Princesa specifically. I choose this place because we are both water person.

On the way out from Big Lagoon El Nido

ACCOMMODATION - While most foreign filipina boyfriends are the one who booked their own hotels for their vacation, in our case, this task was put in my shoulder. With a tight budget for three weeks, I need to find a good hotel that will suit his taste... I specifically stated that it should suit his taste because I can basically go whatever hotel available, it doesn't have to have air condition or a hot water. A hotel does not have to be a five star to say that it is good, for example in Puerto Princesa we stayed in Ysabelle Mansion which has good AC and hot water plus a free airport pick-up for just $27 the room is the same as the Lotus Garden who charged $47 a night. So basically we are able to save $20 a night. In booking a place to stay, never gave the hotel the impression that you will be travelling with a foreigner, because you will never get a discount. I got the accommodation in El Nido with 400 pesos off after several emails... I basically hide the fact that I am with a foreigner, so we were able to save P4000 which is equivalent to $93. A big saving for a local like me.

Sunset View from the balcony of El Nido Four Season Resort

TRANSPORTATION - 50% of the budget went to accommodation, planning for transportation would be a hard task too. So I informed him ahead that we will be on public transportation most of the time, it means he will be riding jeepneys, LRT, MRT, buses and FXs as mode of public transport in the Philippines. Airport Taxis are costly too so I picked a taxi outside the airport and made a good bargain before I picked him up... I gave attention to small details like this whenever there is a chance that we could save something I go for it. And as for air transfers to another island, I checked the all local airlines for promo, since I will be shouldering this expenses, I see to it that I will get the cheapest fare possible... no airline promo slipped my attention. Because of this I was able to get a P300 ($7) airfare from Manila to Puerto Princesa, a very good steal.

ACTIVITIES - Although we have tight budget I see to it that we will able to experience the activities in our destination. Ahead of schedule I already arranged our tours for this vacation, like the city tour in Puerto Princesa, the Underground River Tour, Island Hopping in Elnido... Since my family will also be going, I had purchased the Island Hopping tour, one ticket after every paycheck of my online gigs. I deposited to our scheduled tours whenever I have extra money, it helps a lot in keeping on track with our budget without losing the fun.

View from Matinloc Shrine El Nido

FOOD - This is one of the most important part of the budget. Most of the expenses go for this part. In order to help ease the budget I looked for promo and deals for restaurant in Manila like the Ensogo Deals or Ebay Kuponan. Get a nice food for half the price of its cost

El Nido ArtCafe

Planning a vacation is not as simple as it means. A careful planning means a rewarding trip at the end.

The First Vacation Together

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Getting to Know Each Other Phase

The Reason why this blog was created is to saved each moment, journeys I embark into getting married to my Austrian boyfriend, the legal loops in that matter. But since, I started sharing the start of this story, I decided to share a little tidbits how the relationship grow from friendship to intimate relationship.

Six months after we met, I have learned that he and her 3-years long time girlfriend broke up for some reason unknown to me. Then me and my boyfriend at that time ended the relationship due to irreconcilable differences. Then we started talking as friends... I find him boring at that time (probably because of language barrier). I usually find excuse to talk to him while he is online. We are like this for a month, then suddenly he showed interest to move our relationship further. In our situation I find it premature so I can't bring myself to trust him. And besides her former girlfriends are the type of girls who wears dresses and make up while me on the other hand, is comfortable with jeans and tees. So it is hard for me to trust what he says. For a month he kept on asking me to give it a try, and after so much consideration I told myself why not. I already moved on, I will find someone to share my life with anyway so why not try with this man.

So this is how our love story began...

The Meet-Up

How and When did you meet your husband?

While most of Filipinas met their husband or boyfriend online, I met mine first in Cebu International Airport in flesh and blood...

It was January when my American friend invited me for a week long holiday in Cebu to meet other chatters from AE, all expense paid and I will share a room with my other female friend. Who am I to said no? As an avid traveler a free vacation like this will be surely accommodated... So I went with my 7-days travelling bag from NAIA Terminal 3 to Mactan International Airport in Cebu. At the arrival area I saw first saw him waiting for us, he standing next to the van with her girlfriend. (Of course I don't know that day that we are destined to be together.) I didn't even know his name back then.

I felt an unexplainable attraction on our first meeting. This kind of feeling was not entertained because, I am more like a logical person, “love at first site” is not really my thing. And besides I was engaged to be married to someone else at that time. He seems cool and decent. During our drinking session he knows when to stop drinking, which I find important for a person, it means he is a man of discipline. We had shared some jokes and talks for a limited time... (the gorgeous girlfriend was there all the time so not much interaction between us.)

No communication between the two of us after the holiday...Then after 3 months he added me in Facebook. I don't know how he got it because I never gave my personal Facebook account to those who attend that holiday. He said hi and hello then no more connection after two months.

I never knew at that moment what lies ahead. For me he is a passing stranger I met somewhere during a fun time in an island. This is where all it started. Our First Meeting…

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A Journey of a Filipina in Getting Married in Austria