Bringing My Wife to the Philippines for the First Time
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2024
- It's finally happening - we are finally going to the Philippines! Although I (Mico) was born in the Philippines, it will be Nicole's first time visiting the country I was born in and spent the first 6 years of my life. Bringing my wife to the Philippines for the first time is really exciting, but also a little nerve-wracking! This is also the first time I will be going back to the Philippines in 15 years, so lots of questions have been coming up for me about what it means to be Filipino and how that coexists with my dual-identity as a Canadian.
Although there are lots of question as I bring my wife to the Philippines for the first time, we are also both SO excited!! We will be spending 2 amazing months exploring this beautiful country all while I learn more about what it means to be Filipino and hopefully connecting with my roots a bit. I am so proud to be Filipino, and Nicole is so proud to be married to a Filipino, and hopefully our time in the Philippines will give us the chance to connect with my Filipino heritage in a new way.
Today's video is a travel day vlog. We started the travel day in Sri Lanka and make one stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before hopping our second flight to Manila, Philippines. The travel day is all overnight, so it was a bit of a rough one. Thankfully, flying the Sri Lanka and Malaysia to Philippines isn't too far a distance, so the journey went off without a hitch.
Being a Filipino-Canadian couple is a pretty awesome experience for the most part. Now that we are in the Philippines, we're pretty sure being able to have two countries to call home could be the biggest perk of our inter-racial relationship! I am really hoping to make my wife's first time in the Philippines a really special one so that we can revisit the country I was born in many times in the future. As full-time travelers, we are always excited about finding countries we feel comfortable settling in for a while, and we think Philippines will be one of these countries for us.
Aside from the incredible beaches and destinations we will be visiting in the Philippines, I am most excited for my Canadian wife to try Filipino food and experience more of the culture, but also to meet my Filipino family! And then there is also the chance to see her first impression of the Philippines! I cannot wait to see what she thinks of the country I was born in.
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== Connect with us! ==
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== OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL GEAR ==
+ Matador soap bar case: amzn.to/3S9JheW
+ HeroClip Carabiner: amzn.to/3itXX5Z
+ Toiletry kit: amzn.to/41T51z8
+ Travel Adapter (Universal): amzn.to/3HEwqL3
+ Makeup Remover Cloth (Erase-Your-Face): amzn.to/47lUP3a
+ Ex-Officio Underwear: amzn.to/47rT7NF
+ Nicole's long white shirt (this isn't the exact one, but it's the one I'd buy today): amzn.to/3HtO0SB
+ Vessi Shoes: crrnt.app/VESSI/pgldkja7
+ Sleep Mask: mantasleep.com/?rfsn=7760145....
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+ Nicole's main backpack:amzn.to/3TmHy6N
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== Chapters ==
0:00 Leaving Sri Lanka
0:53 A bit of Mico's Filipino story
3:27 Why we're a bit nervous to visit the Philippines
5:55 Nailing this Tagalog
6:57 We're in the Philippines!
9:06 Our first meal in the Philippines
11:17 First impressions of Manila
12:04 Manila Airbnb room tour
13:42 Our plans for the Philippines
=========
Hey there! We are Nicole and Mico and in March 2021, we quit our jobs, sold our belongings, and began traveling the world! We never thought we'd be making travel vlogs on CZcams, but after realizing that we had a unique opportunity to share our adventure and make the world feel more familiar and inviting to anyone watching, we took the leap and picked up the camera! We hope our videos show how wonderful, delicious, and friendly the world can be.
Enjoy Philippines!!Filipinos are very hospitable and loving people.from NYC
Welcome to the Philippines! Hope you have fun reconnecting to your roots Mico - discovering your heritage with Nicole sounds absolutely brilliant.
Reconnecting with your roots after being away 15 years can really feel weird. Just go along with the flow, have an open mind, and be respectful of the culture and customs of the locals. Learning to speak and understand a few local words will help. Welcome to the Philippines🇵🇭❤️
Absolutely
How very exciting to reconnect with your Filipino culture, and it will be interesting to hear and see your reactions. The family episodes are going to be as good if not better than the previous videos.
Nice cant wait for the series
Very happy for you both and I would like to wish you the very best, Have a wonderful vacation
Thank you so much!
I love y’all so much! Your enthusiasm, hunger to learn and relate to different cultures, sense of adventure, and I could just keep going. So excited to watch Mico rediscover his heritage and to watch Nicole learn right alongside. What a gift to be able to enjoy. ❤
Awe we love this comment so much! We can't wait to share more with you! It's going to be so fun ☺
Really excited about the upcoming videos!
Thank you so much! We are excited to keep sharing. The next video will be coming out on Wednesday!
As an American married to a Filipina, this was fun for us to watch. I can't wait to see more. - John
Awesome thanks for watching! We're excited to share more with you!☺
I know the excitement of going home to the Philippines and would really enjoy the days while being there. Come December 2023 I will also try to visit the Philippines and reminisging thse days that I worked, see my friends and relatives....which \i really missed a lot. Thank you for sharing this. Roland from Toronto, Canada.
Looking forward to your adventures and the content you will share to us. Thank you for sharing some background of your unique story.
Our pleasure! Thanks for watching!
Glad to start the Philippines series.
My mom had a very similar experience immigrating to the US from the Philippines, assimilating to US culture and losing some of her Filipino identity. Thanks for sharing your story, I'm excited to see your travels there and I hope to do the same soon!
I really appreciate the videos that show you guys traveling from destination to destination!
Our pleasure! We like to also consider it our time to tell a story as it's more fun than just showing an airport or two 😋 Glad you enjoyed!
Mabuhay! Welcome back and welcome to Pinas, guys!
Welcome and welcome back to the Philippines ❤❤❤
Thank you! Very excited to finally visit again!
I’m so excited for you both!! And I’m sure you will be both welcome with open arms, that’s just how Filipinos are😉
Thank you so much!!
Welcome to the phil.nicole mico and God bless you enjoy your vacation
Thank you it's our pleasure!
Looking forward to your guided tour of the Philippines, hopefully I will learn something,certain to be entertained, have fun much love ✌️❤️🇬🇧
Awesome, thanks for coming along with us for another country 😁
welcome home mico and nicole ,enjoy and have fun to every tourist destination.
SO excited thank you!
First time watching your content and waiting for your travel vlog
Welcome to the philippines
Thank you! Can't wait to share more with you 😊
Welcome guys, enjoy your stay in the Philippines. 😍😍😍😍
welcome back
Looking forward to seeing your future videos there👌👍take care thanks for sharing
Thanks for coming! Can't wait to share more 😊
Sunday lunch with Nicole and Mico is back! 😍
I shared Mico's questions and struggle a lot as a first generation Asian immigrant as well. The first time I went back after 18 years was a very strange experience: everything looked so familiar like in my memory, but there were also differences with the same things being much older and the newer things looked unfamiliar in familiar places. The people felt the same and different at the same time, with them being much older and have taken on much more life experiences. I also stayed for two months because I felt like I needed to be immersed and learn about my culture and heritage.
I think being in-between is a strange place to be, and certainty can feel awkward and uncomfortable. However, I've come to think of myself as a bridge between the two cultures--I can help connect the two and foster understanding. Instead of seeking what I can get, I appreciate what I'm given and think about what I can give. I've learned to embrace myself as a person with my own unique, privileged experience of two cultures. Instead of being neither, I can be a good blend of both. I still get questions of "where are you REALLY from?" though 😂
I hope Mico will come to a place that fits for him too! And it's exciting to see Nicole walking this journey together with him.
Also, I've never seen ads on baggage compartments in planes. I had to laugh a little at the gesture to include ads anywhere in Asia 😂. Big shout out to Nicole's backpack still looking pristine after all this travel too!
Will said. Same experience
Excited to see this upcoming series, especially for Mico’s perspective! You also had me wondering how many takes it took for the intro… putting on your backpacks and leaving Negombo looked well choreographed! 😂
Hahaha thanks! I think we managed with only 2 takes to get the backpack times right. We're slowly getting better 😂 A year ago it would have taken 10 takes 😅
This is the first time I saw your vlog and I am so excited to your upcoming adventures. Welcome to the 🇵🇭
Thank you!! 😊 We are so excited to share with you!
Welcome and welcome back kababayan! It will be quite a shock to be back, take it all in as a part of the experience. I was also a former OFW and only a few years away from the Philippines (from Cebu) and there are already many changes. Enjoy your trip and Mabuhay!
Thanks for the tips! So glad to finally be home!
2months is a lot, enjoy and share with us during/after ! ^^ looking for this series. have fun
Yes it is quite a while! There is so much to see and explore 😁
Wow nice seeing you both enjoying your togetherness !
Thank you 😊
Just enjoy your trip welcome to the Philippines
you blow my mind. the most exciting vlog about coming to the Philippines :)
SO pumped to share more!
Born in Cebu, grew up in Toronto. Just returned for a month backpacking in the Philippines mostly in the Visayas region. Had an awesome time reconnecting with the family. I think you will too. Enjoy the Philippines, so many things to do and places to go. The best is going local, minimize hanging out where most tourists congregate to trully get the feel of the Philippines.
So cool! We are excited for what the Philippines series will bring! Can't wait to share more 😊
I love you both!!
Thank you!! We really appreciate your support 😊 We can't wait to share our Philippines series!!
New subscriber here, welcome/welcome back to the Philippines. Enjoy!
Dont worry guys....Dont even try to meld in. It will happen to you naturally. How will it happen is the exciting part. Just enjoy your day and do your stuffs....Welcome to your roots! 😊😊😊
My half fil-aussie son moved in Australia when he was 5, he knows 3 languages but it’s hard for him to speak now, thankfully he still understand me when I speak to him in Tagalog.
❤ igan, welcome home!
En Palawan el nido and coron Boracay beaches, include Calaguas beach in Cam Sur. Thank you and Welcome , guys!
Thanks for the tips! Can't wait to share more!
Welcome to the Philippines!!
Glad to finally be here!
welcome home kabayan and wifey, enjoy your stay and keep safe. Eat at Jollibee and make a vlog about your first impression. ❤️🇵🇭
I'm a new subscriber.
Welcome to the Philippines. 🙂
Thanks for subbing! We can't wait to share more with you!
U2 are so wonderful and beautiful 🤩I love to see you again in the Philippines and enjoy life the way you do.............enjoy,,,,,,Namaste
Thank you! 😃🤗
To be honest I enjoy watching your video...New subscriber here..
Welcome to the philippines ♥️🇵🇭
Welcome Home ❤🎉🎉
So happy to be back!
The reason why they segregate Filipinos/ non-Filipinos - the Filipino diaspora. There are more than 10 million overseas Filipinos who maintain Filipino citizenship and many are called OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers), or Filipinos who are overseas for purposes of work only. This demographic have different checks at customs - and I mean it is good. They allow more leverage on what we bring to the country besides we have our paper work ready. We can buy more and bring more with minimal taxation. I was an OFW a decade ago, so I know.
We never knew that. Thank for you sharing such wonderful and detailed info. I think this seems very unique to the Philippines as we haven't seen this much emphasis on OFW's when visiting other countries.
Just came across your videos today. Nice to see a Filipino couple that is not foreigner male and female Filipina... you guys do an excellent job of completing each other!
Nice to meet my neighbors to the North (from Minnesota in the USA).
I married a Filipina 7 years ago and it's been different . She's a great lady, and I LOVE her family. We have been back to the Philippine 4 times in the time we have been married. We are building a house on the island of BOHOL for when we retire. It's about 3/4's of the way done so far, so hopefully on the next trip, we'll be able to stay there vs the hotel/resort.
I look forward to seeing your Canadian family interact with the Philippine family, customs, etc.
Keep up the good videos!
Haha yes I think we are a bit different that way and it's something we're proud of 😊 That house in Bohol sounds like a dream! Thanks so so much for watching and we hope you enjoy the series!
awesome! awesome! philippines is a beautiful country with beautiful people esp. of hearts. the people will love you and hoped you would not leave them back behind, or i should say, you may want to stay for good LOL .....may the Lord Jesus bless all your endeavors...please keep it coming.
New Subs here. Mabuhay ! Welcome guys. Philippines is where you'll get more subscribers, just wait.😊
we can't wait!
Welcome to the PH. Enjoy!
Thank you!
With regards to your identity, I think there's a general rule: as long as you're not ACTIVELY denying your heritage, it's completely fine. Some people might be disappointed that you do not know the languages (more at your parents than you though), but considering almost everyone here speaks English, it's not really an issue.
There are tons of people like you these days because of the Filipino diaspora. Being half-Filipino, or being a Filipino with a foreign passport isn't a big deal. Including in my own family. Literally ALL my nieces and nephews are foreign citizens. However, they have always been immersed in Filipino culture because even abroad, they grew up surrounded by Filipinos.
God bless you brother
new sub from Calgary! have fun down there, enjoy the traffic😂
Thanks for subbing! O gosh the traffic! haha 😲
I enjoyed you guys cause you’re a great couple . I subscribed and can you let me know the name of your bib and how much .🙏🏽
New subscriber kabayan welcome back to our mother land.. OFW in KSA
Thanks for watching. We can't wait to share more of the Philippines 😊
This resonated with me, i'm ethnically Indian but spent most of my life in Southern California. I was crossing the Syria/Lebanon border one time (before the war of course) and when the guy asked me where I was from and when I said "California, USA" he rolled his eyes and said in his thickest Arabic accent "NO, where you from - your FATHER!!" 🤣 At that point I realized that there is a certain image of what an "American" looks like in other parts of the world.
Even in America/Canada. Same question
try to go visit BGC taguig city and explore your first impression relax and enjoy tour the whole neighborhood of BGC is pedestrian friendly and pet friendly and very safe to travel
It's coming very soon! Great tip!
Try to visit Isla Gigantes in Iloilo after your Boracay trip
If you are a Canadian passportholder then you are a Canadian citizen regardless of parentage. But my friends in the same situation as you are, refer to the country as HOMELAND, regardless of acquired nationality. Mabuhay and welcome. Best to get in touch with relatives if you still have relatives.
Ur 6yrs old came to Canada ...my son 4yrs old came to Canada but still speak Filipino languages
Hello I watch your series and I have two questions first what’s the name of the building you stayed at on the airbnb app and did the airport in Manila need any proof of health? Thanks
New sub here. I'm looking forward to following your journey in the Philippines.
Welcome aboard! Looking forward to sharing more of the Philippines with you!
Hi! The air bnb you guys stayed in manila seems so nice. May i know what is the name of that hotel? Thanks so much. Hope you guys find time to reply. More power to your channel.
I wonder..HOW BEAUTIFUL your Kids are going to be!!!❤❤❤
Welcome 😂❤
Nice to meet you, Ncole and Mico. Congratulations on your marriage. Love your video content. If I may ask, what province are you two from? I live in the U.S. in North Dakiota and we share a border with Manitoba. My parents emigrated from the Philippines to the U.S.in the late 1950s several years before I was born, so I consider myself more American than Filipino. I can't even speak Tagalog, but I'm studying it now. I served in the United States Air Force when I was 18 and my first assignment was in the Philippines at Clark Air Base. I spent 18 months trying to track relatives. My Cousins were all born in Canada when my Uncle emigrated there in the 1950's. I plan on visiting the P.I. again at some point in the future. My brother toured with a group of stunt performers from L.A. to China during the pandemic, and was forced to leave, so they stopped in the P.I. which was under quarantine at the time. Fortunately, my brother was able to contact relatives who had him stay with them and he got to see our family's ancestral home. Looking forward to enjoying more of your videos. P.S. Mico, don't know if you or Nicole knew this, but there are Tim Horton's shops in Manila. I can't live without my double double and Timbits. LOL. Best wishes you two! 😊👋
Hello, YT algorithm has blessed me with your video, new sub here!
Thanks for subbing! So pumped to share our adventures in the Philippines with you!
I came to Canada when I was 10 yrs. old. But my parents trying to speak and teach me Tagalog. Now im in my late 20s and still fluent speaking Tagalog. It’s sad some filipino parents are embarrassed teaching their kids of their heritage.
I have a similar story. I left Philippines when I was 3 years old and didn't go back for 50 years. Grew up Canadian and didn't learn to speak Filipino. My parents told me back then the teacher said speak English at home that's why we didn't learn Filipino. Of course teachers can't say that now. I went back for the first time this past March on a recon mission. Everything was great and planning to move there next year. Only issue was I had to keep saying sorry sir/mam I can't speak Filipino but it was all good. 😀
Enjoy vacation.
Thank you we will!
I’m a little perturbed that your parents didn’t immerse you more in our Filipino culture/language (you could be speaking or understanding 2 languages by now) but you’ve got great personalities and high energy that it was fun watching your video. I’m looking forward to your Philippine adventures. 😊
Yes it's very common in my experience. At least with the filipinos I grew up with in Canada. I'd love to learn more of the language though!
Yup..he could have the best of 2 cultures had Mico been taught early how to speak a bit of Tagalog..His appreciation would have been much deeper... i guess.
I used to blame my parents for not teaching my brothers and I Filipino growing up. But my parents were new to Canada in the 70's and they said the teacher told them to speak English at home with us so we could learn English better. Of course teachers can't say that anymore.
Very neat! :)
Thank you! Cheers!
so funny you haven't learned Tagalog but you sound like a Filipino speaking english - amazing! your genes show up thru your voice, how cool is that
So cool!
New subscriber here in Philipppines
Thanks for subbing! Can't wait to share more of PH with you!
welcome kabayan
Hi, your video appeared on my feed and your thumbnail looked interesting. Mico, since you were born in the Philippines to Filipino parents, you are considered a "balikbayan" and under Philippine law, you can actually apply for Filipino citizenship thus making you dual citizen under Philippine law. When you travel to the Philippines, you can present both your Canadian and Philippine passports. And with Philippine citizenship, you are obviously accorded the rights of a citizen including owning real property, etc. Just letting you know though, that I do not know the taxation part of it. So, there.
Very good info! We wish we had known this in advance however we've been traveling for a while and didn't have access to my old passport anyways. Great to know though!
DFA Passport scheduling is jam-packed right now however. The latest schedule I think will be after 1 month so be prepared for hassle when scheduling passport renewal.
Welcome home MICO! 🎉
Thank you! It feels so good!
Metro Manila MALLS are waving guys! Enjoy!!!!😊
Yes we got to go to the malls!
That's funny, that happen to me too on immigrations in Manila long time ago, mine is completely opposite from Mico before i became an American citizen, they thought i was a foreigner so they direct me to that line so when i show my passport and speak tagalog, they were surprised i was speaking fluently. lol
start from the top Batanes..then down south.
there's a lot of famous Canadian vlogger in the Philippines
Welcome to the Phils.
Our pleasure to finally be here!
Mico, you're a Third Culture Kid. There are loads of us! I used to hate it when people asked me... but what are you?!?! I'm a human is what I am. (I'm also Canadian, but I live in the UK but ethnically I'm not from either of these countries I was born elsewhere) Love your videos you guys are adorable.
I can totally relate! Glad there is more people who are like me (Mico). I feel like there is a community of us out there just dispersed throughout the world haha. Thanks for watching :)
While you are in the Philippines...just take it easy - open your eyes, and don't be critical of anything because anything would be unexpectedly new or different from your liking (not typically what you're used to) ...life here in the Phils. is different from what you used to or grow up in Canada...Hope you enjoy your stay & like it....Keep safe.
Thanks for the tips!
I hope you bring her in tagaytay and baguio and also in palawan and boracay
Yes! Great recommendations!
Go go go....pogi...
OMG this is going to be me when I comeback to the Philippines lol
It's your accent that determines your identity. You sound like an American so they won't treat you like a local there, even if you look like one. Also, when you speak, no one would say you don't belong in Canada, that's all just in your head. People would only reject you as a local in Canada if you still had an overseas accent.
In our experience people always make assumptions on where you're from, regardless of your accent or what you say. It's a complex issue but something I think many people go through as more people continue to travel and move around the world. Thanks for watching!
Actually if you brought your Filipino Passport they’ll give you both 1 year entry instead of the usual 30 days
I wish we knew that!
Yes when i and my husband going to the Phils for vacation we are separated in the imigration.. then when we went back into my husband country i was so scared because my husband get inside first and i was behind... Then my husband waited me while the immigration checking my passport. And then the security guard keep telling my husband to go because its not allowed to wait on that place . But my husband said that he is waited me.... Scary Phils immigration...
Hi we watched your videos in Sri lanka
Thanks for watching them! We hope you enjoyed them all ☺
Looking forward to this stop…
Awesome! We're so excited to share 😊
🥰🥰🥰🇵🇭
Hi I subscribe need to follow while you're in the Philippines. Ingat guys ( take care)
Thank you! Glad to have you here!
Give us a daily dose of Nico&Mico 😃🙃
Haha if only we could release a video everyday!
Sa boni. Maybe sm light
yes!
Rule #1 Filipino Time, LOL things move slower in the Philippines. Currently my wife and I have been in Negros Oriental since March 28th and we will be leaving soon. If you get out to the provinces it is a much different culture lifestyle. I should have said rule #1 is take toilet paper with you to public restrooms. Some have it and some do NOT. have a great time both of you.
Hi hello sir, any job vacancy there in Canada can u help me pls.....
Welcome home to your motherland and roots
So happy to be finally be home again!