Thursday Babe Blogging: Online Project Edition

Yes indeed, ladies and gentlemen, today we have the unveiling of the "online project" which I have been mentioning for the last 3 or 4 weeks on this blog. The online project is also this week's Babe of the Week: Epril from the Philippines.
I met Epril online last month, and we have been chatting and video conferencing and telephoning each other every day since. I, like hundreds of my fellow Pattaya expats, have decided to go find a Filipina. I'm flying over to Manila tonight, then going down to the southern city of Cagayan de Oro for a fun-filled weekend with my new-found companion, and — assuming everything is as good in person as it is online — we will be coming back to Pattaya together on Monday.

So, allow me to explain my decision to choose a girl from The Philippines:

First and foremost, it is about communication. I have learned more about Epril in the month we have known each other than I ever learned about Pui in the 18 months we were together. I have chatted with Epril's entire family, who all speak English... whereas I could barely communicate with Pui's family. Epril understands me, understands the details of our relationship, and generally knows what to expect... as do I.

I put a lot of effort into learning the Thai language, and I speak it better than 99% of the expatriates in Thailand. It still wasn't enough in the end. A lack of understanding and a lack of communication with Thai girls (when I strive for perfect understanding and great communication) are the first reason I have chosen a Filipina.

Second, it is about culture and attitude. I had no problem with the Thai mindset in general, but with Pui, the devil was in the details: The lack of real interest in putting together a coherent plan for her future, my future, Pot's future; the lack of caring about things that are not of Thailand; and the impression I got that no matter how long we stayed together, I would still be "farang", and still be simply "he who gives me money."

Epril, on the other hand, has the opposite values: She can tell you exactly what she wants out of life, out of our relationship; she has a keen interest in cultures other than the one she was raised in, and can toss out a "Simpsons" quip, or the lyrics from Beach Boys songs; and she figures the money she makes from working will be more than enough to keep her family back home happy.

Yes, of course, I'm sure that I could have found a Thai version of Epril, and I'm sure that girls like Pui live in The Philippines, but as any person who is knowledgeable of both countries will tell you: Somebody like Epril is the exception, not the rule, in Thailand, and somebody like Pui is the exception, not the rule, in The Philippines. Quite simply, I am facing a 10-to-1 Pui-to-Epril ratio in Thailand (and that would actually be a 100-to-1 Pui-to-Epril ratio in Pattaya), and I've decided to better my odds.

Which leads me to my final, albeit least-important reason I'm choosing a girl from The Philippines: To merely hunt in a different direction. I've had four relationships here in Thailand: From a perky, witty college student with a blossoming modeling career to a plain-faced, simple rice farmer... They all seemed to represent different variations on a recurring theme of frustration. If I am to encounter problems or difficulties in my upcoming relationship, I only hope they are of a different sort.

Anyway, I leave tonight from Bangkok, and should be back at my desk on Tuesday morning, Pattaya time (Monday night, America). Pictures and stories of my (and Epril's) adventure will be forthcoming.