I had a personal encounter with this foreign visitor who accidentally bumped a Dabawenya in a mall in Brisbane Australia on Christmas eve few years back. The incident later blossomed into a nice friendship and he ended up travelling to Davao City mid December 2007 and took his bride (Delia) on January 8, 2008. The bride’s brother (Jobbert) from California as the groom’s best man while the bride’s niece (Sweet) from Singapore as the maid of honor. The groom all by himself was warmly welcome to the family of the bride. The courtship took a long time but all is well that ends well and they’re back in Brisbane January 13, 2008 where they both live together as married couple and they’re back to work.
The kids call him Uncle Les and he had nothing but good words for Davao. The travel advisories had not prevented him from coming and he was determined, he came, he enjoyed, he discovered and left only with good words for this city.
During his three weeks stay he also had dental check up and was amazed having a young doctor checked on his set of teeth where he had a fixed bridge done in four hours in a dental chair, cozy and cool clinic and the price very affordable yet the works are of good quality. Back in Australia it will cost him thousands of dollars (Australian or close to half a million pesos).
The couple with the help of some relatives were on top of their wedding arrangements and the event last week turned out very successful, very solemn and classy with all the trimmings.
They were gifted with an overnight island accommodation (by Judy and Arsy and Joey of Fremont) and they love the place, the food and service very excellent commented “Unlce Les”.
They traveled to Manila and made a side trip to Palawan but if given the chance they would rather go straight to this island of paradise in the south.
The taxi drivers he said could understand him because they also can communicate and his frequent visit to the malls by himself were aided by the good cab drivers.
He frequented the malls and SM City. He together relatives and friends also hopped into several restaurants and savored the food of Davao. He likes fruits also specially table banana (Lakatan or Binayang in Cebuano).
On the day that he and his wife were about to leave Davao via Silk Air that Saturday for Singapore then to Brisbane, he went for a last minute shopping at Victoria Plaza after dropping by the Sacred Heart Parish in Bo. Obrero to pick up their marriage license. Unfortunately the license was not ready and they authorized me to pick up that piece of paper for them instead. Left me their address so I could mail the document to them.
Boarding another cab and instead of heading home, he hopped in to another mall where he got several color beaded bracelets as accessories to the dresses carefully selected by the couple as pasalubong back home. “I got them at N Triple C”, said Les. Hearing him said that we thought that could be a new discovery of him again. You call it NCCC but I like to call it the N Triple C.
Les paid particular attention to the various stuff sold in the mall like furnitures at Victoria Plaza and the home decors and accessories at the Citi Hardware.
The couple had big plans as they are considering Davao as one of their choices where to retire in the future.
And there you go an Australian national had some great time in Davao City.
Posted by jologskeyks on January 17, 2008 at 8:23 am
ma’m loving links kita dito ha—hope yu can do the same–http://coffeetalkwithlovely.blogspot.com/
Posted by Ryan Lloyd on April 7, 2008 at 10:06 am
wow!!! i can’t imagine that there is still australian who can appreciate the philippines. Sometimes i hate australia, becuase of their unjust travel advisories to the philippines. Ang australia lng ata ang may ganyang travel advisory always sa philippines. I’m a filipino and i’m now living here in australia, and i easily get upset everytime the australian government will raise an unfair travel advisory to the philippines. That’s why i’m not shocked why almost of their travel agents doesnt include philippines in their promoted or featured destinations….well, i love davao and i live philippines….go, go., go
Posted by prixbanzon on April 9, 2008 at 12:32 am
Hi Ryan thaks for the visit and we appreciate you too for still loving our Philippines and Davao and talking of travel advisories the business sector of Davao came up with resolutions addressed to all embassies to be specific on the places of their travel ban rather than put it as a general statement because it is very discriminating. I agree with you that advisories issued do harm than good. If your last visit to Davao was five years ago then you would see a different landscape now when you plan to come for a trip. Spread the word. Thanks.