# Drachillix leves North America for the first time. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 10, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306 "2015-04-10T05:51:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/41 "2015-04-13T13:27:37Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > Expensive? I have easily spent as much on women over 4-6 months who eventually decided not to pursue things any further than a kiss goodnight. That’s not projecting that they “owe me” anything, that’s an after the fact cost benefit analysis. > > I am an overweight balding 40 something atheist IT guy/SCA member ([www.sca.org](http://www.sca.org)) that does not make epic money. > > Atheist pretty much wipes out 70% of the dating pool. Plenty of the “non-religious” or religiously ambivalent have other preferences that limit my options. I have been doing online ads for 7 years or so. several great connections but nothing that worked long haul… > > A friend of mine introduced me to a couple overseas dating sites. Its completely backwards from US dating sites. In the US women often get 100’s of replies, men get a few. I signed up for one of the sites copied and pasted my OKC profile in and stepped back. 24 hours later I had 40 replies. Granted 25 of those were scammers, but within a few days I had over 100 easily had whittled down to 3-4 women who seem like the real deal, that can type/speak decent english, are attractive to me, and that comply with a couple common sense requests (my scammer tests). > > I grew up in a town with 75% Hispanics, all those blonde haired blue eyed girls look the same to me. I go for the dark hair/dark eyes/caramel colored types. Much of my dating history is Hispanics and Asians because of this. > > So going somewhere where every woman fits my “type” where your average american male can find himself in a nightclub in Cebu and not pay for a drink all night with half a dozen beautiful women vying for his attention. Granted I have someone waiting for me, but that’s like “plan C” if it flops. So what makes you think that Filipinas are attracted to poor overweight balding 40 something atheist IT guy/SCA members in any greater numbers than American women? Or maybe they have other motives? I see too many down sides for me to even consider it. I know nothing about you but one friend in particular that always complains about not being able to find women has incredibly narrow criteria for women he would be willing to have a relationship with. George Clooney could be picky. He is no George Clooney. He also has done nothing to make himself more attractive like hitting the gym, getting a decent haircut, getting a better job… Some things are out of your control. Other things are not. It does seem like you thought about contingencies and are not going in blind. I hope it works out for you. ---
**Author:** ![elninost0rm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ed655f/32.png) [@elninost0rm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elninost0rm)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/42 "2015-04-13T14:32:17Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > If shes pulling a 10 year con job that’s longer Than the average marriage in United States lasts. > If it’s a 2 year plan I can make sure we don’t buy any fancy cars or houses in that time. It’s not about the money. It’s about the path of least resistance to citizenship. But in any event, I wish you luck in your endeavor. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/43 "2015-04-13T16:42:46Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Also, the Philippines isn’t a great choice if you are avoiding religion, as its probably the most Christian country on the planet. Also note that intercultural relationships come with more than enough complicated areas of mismatch (family obligation, in particular, is a huge one) to more than make up for the BS you think you are skipping out on with American women. Gritting your teeth though church every Sunday is a lot easier than gritting your teeth every day when your mother-in-law moves in. I appreciate your input as I know you have far greater immersion in a variety of cultures than i. I did not actually seek out the phillipines. The last few candidates were A Russian woman, 2 Chinese women, and the woman I am meeting. She was not the prettiest, the skinniest, the youngest, and she was one of 2 with a child. Both the Chinese women after a while felt more like they were seeking green cards than relationships. The Russian woman who seemed wonderful by any standard did not want to come here and wanted me to come live with her, it was kinda tempting but I really didn’t want to leave the US permanently. This left the philipina one who claims to be a closeted agnostic that only goes to church for holidays. She claims no desire to practice any religion once out of view of family. She was an overseas worker in taiwan for 6 years and claims to have not attended church there and has no real desire to and often seeks to work during common church attendance times. I have read several websites and forums regarding cultural differences and relationship expectations in the phillipines as well as providing her with links to what I was reading and discussed what she thought of them. We covered alot and she made some suggestions as to how to deal with some family members i may encounter. Much like many of you are serving as reality checks for me, she has friends and family who feel I am just looking for a “maid with benefits” and that she should be wary of trusting me. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/44 "2015-04-13T17:03:01Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > So what makes you think that Filipinas are attracted to poor overweight balding 40 something atheist IT guy/SCA members in any greater numbers than American women? Or maybe they have other motives? I see too many down sides for me to even consider it. > > I know nothing about you but one friend in particular that always complains about not being able to find women has incredibly narrow criteria for women he would be willing to have a relationship with. George Clooney could be picky. He is no George Clooney. He also has done nothing to make himself more attractive like hitting the gym, getting a decent haircut, getting a better job… Some things are out of your control. Other things are not. > > It does seem like you thought about contingencies and are not going in blind. I hope it works out for you. I do have some narrow criteria but they are more regarding SCA. I have had very little acceptance even from the “nerdy” types. I had initially suggested getting involved in this activity while I was still married. my now ex wives reply was “Do I get to be queen?” When I said “not for quite a while at best” to which she replied " this sounds like a stupid activity". She also hated camping. I had one girl for a while seems like everything was great and wonderful religion had never come up but at the same time I had spent many a Sunday morning snuggled up with her as opposed to dashing out to church. Comicon, star Trek marathons, sca and Ren Faire stuff every other weekend. I thought I had found “the one”. As soon as religion came up she told me to get the hell out of her apartment and never contact her again. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2015, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/45 "2015-04-13T18:35:21Z")
Well, you’re going into this with your eyes open, obviously. All there is to say is a sincere “Good luck”. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/46 "2015-05-12T17:36:02Z")
Well survived the 14 hour plane ride. The heat and humidity was kinda oppressive at first but I have experienced similar in florida, so there texas, etc. The lady I planned to meet was waiting for me at the airport and has been nothing but awesome…we head for palawan tomorrow! ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/47 "2015-05-12T17:57:18Z")
Thanks for the update. Keep us informed. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/48 "2015-05-13T06:09:55Z")
Loading up for palawan shortly… survived a little wandering and shopping near my hotel. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/49 "2015-05-13T06:16:27Z")
Did that storm hit you? There was a typhoon over the weekend, wasn’t there? Typhoon Noul. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/50 "2015-05-13T06:51:57Z")
Just missed the typhoon, I was watching it closely on the Japanese hurricane tracking center site. It basically cleared the north end of the phillipines about 24 hours before I landed and manila just had a few windy stormy days but I don’t think it was even enough to stop the airport. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/51 "2015-05-16T09:30:29Z")
Did the honda bay island hopper tour out of palawan. couple bits if Snorkeling a bit of coral reef full of all the fish you see in fancy saltwater aquariums. Been a while since I have spent that much time swimming and spent the better part of today feeling like a giant ache, but I would go do it again tomorrow. Got to see a pretty good sized sea turtle up close. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/52 "2015-05-16T09:32:26Z")
i think my favorite joke “oooh do they have rice” is wearing a little thin already. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/53 "2015-05-16T23:08:54Z")
\*Tres \*awesome. Keep the travelogue and relationship gossip coming. Happy adventuring … ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/54 "2015-05-17T04:00:31Z")
Indeed. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/55 "2015-05-17T11:15:45Z")
> [@](#): > > Now that you’re out, good luck trying to get back in. I have friends. ~~ **Cecil Adams** 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Duality](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.duality/32/4098_2.png) [@Mr.Duality](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Duality)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/56 "2015-05-17T13:00:10Z")
Boracay is one of the worst tourist traps in the world. [http://annaeverywhere.com/boracay/](http://annaeverywhere.com/boracay/) Think about visiting Bohol instead. It’s touristy but not aggressively so. I recommend Bohol Beach Club. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/57 "2015-05-17T13:29:40Z")
> [@Mr.Duality](#): > > Boracay is one of the worst tourist traps in the world. > [http://annaeverywhere.com/boracay/](http://annaeverywhere.com/boracay/) > > Think about visiting Bohol instead. It’s touristy but not aggressively so. I recommend Bohol Beach Club. It is what it is. It’s a touristy party island. If you want a cultural experience or a quiet undeveloped beach, the Philippines has countless options. But if you want to be in a giant international party on a gorgeous beach, Boracay is the place to be. It’s not the style of travel I choose all the time, but I had a heck of a time there (it probably helps that I was coming from rural China, so overdeveloped westernized shlock was like a breathe of fresh air). ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/58 "2015-05-18T04:30:49Z")
We actually already decided to pass on boracay in favor of another spot just north of manila. Went to the underground river, was interesting but would by far prefer a tour guide more focused on the science than which rocks look like the last supper or a nativity scene! or an angel. ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/59 "2015-05-18T14:57:16Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > We actually already decided to pass on boracay in favor of another spot just north of manila. Baguio ? ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306/60 "2015-05-18T23:57:35Z")
> [@simple\_homer](#): > > Baguio ? Batangas. Just gonna be there a couple days as palawan was wearing a bit thin and then it’s back to manila for a couple days of meet n greet with various bits of her family. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drachillix-leves-north-america-for-the-first-time/717306.md?page=4)