MONEYBACK

Can you tell the distance between Asia and America? I bet you can give a rough guess when buying a ticket for a visit to that Asian country you haven't gone before but you are eager to meet someone you have met online to see her in person. Maybe many stories have already been told of their own story how they met the most wonderful lass a lady of their dream. Here is Philip a truck driver in North America plying his cargo truck to deliver newly packed vegetables and fruits from California to Canada. It is not as as easy to say that it could be a demanding job if not the long trip navigating the busy highways and beat the traffic to reach the pitstop to have some drink or coffee for a break and if one has been delayed the long line of truckers will stay on the highway to wait for the traffic to open. So on that day Philip who is one of the truckers stuck on the road, clicking the button of his cellphone came upon a lady on his chat line introducing himself to her as a trucker and on his way to deliver the full truck of vegetables and fruits up north but he is here on the way, got into a traffic jam due to the past bad weather of snowstorm and blizzard waiting it would stop. While waiting for snowploughs to clear the road all truckers have one side to be on one line, farther there is another line at the other side to control the flow of traffic. Traffic policemen are there and set up signs when to go and to stop so commuters left and right will drive one at a time. Philip started his truck when the traffic has started to move. He told the lady Elmira that they would chat again later when his truck would be at the next pit stop to fill up his gas. But as it may seem it is a long long trip before he will reach his destination because of the traffic. The weather has been like this since the beginning of the month that there is a snowstorm almost everyday. But truckers like Philip who is a food supplier has no trip to be cancelled, people need to eat, it is food that Philip is bringing to them. There is another traffic jam Philip has encountered. This time due to the blizzard and whiteout where drivers cannot see the vehicles in front of them and keep on driving the tendency is a car pile up. Yes a car pile up when many vehicles bumped the car infront of them and that could be as many as fifty vehicles or more and possibly many injuries occured, maybe a broken leg, broken arm or a ditched car. The pile up may only stop when the traffic policemen arrive at the scene to investigate and put the traffic back to order but no one can go through until they have check the damaged vehicles and ambulances bring the victims to the hospital Since Philip truck is long and big he has no scratch or no damage at all with his truck so he could continue his trip. A few small cars have to be towed for repair. Philip is on his eighth hour trip so he felt his hungry stomach asking for food. Not much is inside his lunch box but only a jug of orange juice some bread with sliced cheese could last for two meals that's what he prepared thinking he could arrive on time at his destination. If he prepared more it is likely thrown away. He prefers to eat in the restaurant already. He took the chance to eat before the traffic will continue and his run will likely be delayed. After all the victims were sent to the hospital and the damaged vehicles were towed away the traffic officials opened the traffic and the commuters are relieved. Philip drove away his big truck passing by the small ones until he calculated how far to go with his trip. The delay is about three hours, not bad thinking it didn't take a half day. Upon arrival to the warehouse he left right away going to the hotel for the night. He ordered a sumptous meal feeling exhaustion and hunger after this long trip. Before bedtime he opened his messenger and read the message of Elmira. On the line he express his desire to visit her in Asia. They talked how long is the trip to go there. How long are his papers to be process? His papers took sometime to process waiting for the renewal of his passport. He took round trip tickets definitely to assure his return date of going back to work. When he arrived at the airport he waited for Elmira at the Gate II Terminal at Cebu International Airport, Philippines. Philip thought his trip ends in Cebu City but no, they have to take a boat trip to an island. In the island the resort fascilities are updated and upgraded where Elmira works. Philip feels relax, this is a nice vacation and a place to visit the lady of his dream. Then the meeting of her family happened at their not so old house well kept as to the standard household complete with bathroom and has a second story. The windows are made with clipped shellboards and the walling is made of wood. It has ceilings and the roof is galvanized iron. Since it is built along the seashore the seabreeze cools the burning heat of the sun and the fresh air is invigorating. Philip and Elmira find their time together to discuss about their wedding plan. Philip's desire to settle down is going to happen in a month as he took only two months vacation and so the preparation must be fast. He is ready to marry Elmira being in their right age and asking Elmira's hand to tie the knot has all the chances no looking back. By going to Elmira's place is too far to set another time for the wedding. They planned to have a civil wedding to be officiated by the town mayor whose office is in Cebu City. How many people could go with them to witness the wedding? How much would they spend at the restaurant for the reception? He heard from Elmira that aside from the reception at the restaurant after the wedding another reception will be held at their house and all the people in the community will be invited to attend being the first time a foreigner married one of their residents. To Philip this is unreasonable, only relatives must be invited to a wedding. But they said this is also a tradition where people take the chance to dress in their finest and to taste special food recipes in this occasion. roast pig, fried chicken, chicken apritada, pork chop and cakes, rice cakes for dessert and cocktail and soft drinks. Philip is not prepared for this and he has to consult his family if they agree to pay some of it. Philip's parents almost disagree but Philip was able to persuade them as he promised to pay them back and invited them to attend his wedding. Philip didn't expect how much he is going to spend for the reception even bigger than his round trip ticket to meet and wed his wife although Elmira will be her most valuable treasure once she will be with him in America.