So why marry a woman of Southeast Asian origin? Is it their quiet deferential innocence, their exotic oriental mystique or their coy shy smiles? Most of the blokes who read this may empathise; you know the drill, broken hearts and all that. 

My wife Brenda lived, in a barrio called Candaguit (pronounced cun-dug-it) until she came out to Australia. Bren’s family home is a single storey rough-brick iron roofed dwelling. It has a narrow kitchen, a square shaped lounge-room and 2 small bedrooms. The house is only 26ftL X 22ftW on a piece of land measuring approx 35ft sq. and until only 12 months ago had no running water, no refrigeration and no toilet as we know them. Candaguit is approx 45 k’s from Cebu-City; a two-hour bus ride, no kidding, the roads and traffic congestion initially is really that bad. Once out of the city into the rural areas, out in the sticks or the bush as we Aussies call it, the trip becomes fairly pleasant, I had never seen so many shades of green in my life.

After my arrival and during my entire visit Bren was my interpreter, for her english was particularly good. Her parents/siblings could understand me o’k, but were only able to reply in short broken sentences. That incidentally made my stay all the more fun, since I was able to get away with embarrassing myself due to cultural differences, whereas I wouldn’t have done so back home. Filipinos are most gracious, friendly and hospitable to foreigners, Australians are held in ‘very high regard’ as I soon found out on a daily basis.

If you plan to marry a Filipino beauty, you would do well to stay with her family rather than in other accommodation, it is the best way to get to know the family but ask first as you may put someone out of his or her bed.