A Filipina To Dutch's Journey

It feels good to be back and to write again. The weather in the Netherlands gets warmer, the flowers start to bloom and say "spring again!"
My husband has day off today, and we started to clean our garden to prepare for another beautiful summer at home. As what I posted yesterday on my page, I will share the exciting day I have had yesterday. Can you guess what it is? Well, yesterday I got my Dutch passport! It took only five days to process my application.
Maybe some of you might think or might ask: how to apply for a Dutch passport? Before I got my Dutch passport, I first took the Dutch Naturalization Exams. One must have a complete legalized documents,  living in the Netherlands for three years, has taken the Dutch Language Course with the IND's accredited schools, then passed the five parts Dutch Naturalization Exams. After I passed all the exams, I received a diploma. From there, I started the process for the naturalization. It takes up to one year for the processing. It takes a lot of time, money, and patience. I filed for the Naturalization in our City Hall, the City Hall forwarded it to the IND. Upon approval, the IND sent the letter of approval to our City Hall, and the City Hall invited me for the Naturalization Ceremony. It was only after the ceremony that I became a legalized Dutch and I can already apply for a Dutch passport.
When I applied for a Dutch passport, the City Hall took back my residence permit, I do not need it anymore. My Dutch passport indicates that I have a two nationalities. I am still a Filipino and a Dutch at the same time. After the long and intensive naturalization process, applying for a Dutch passport is already easy. My identity is already stored in the Dutch government's database. I was so excited yesterday, the time for me to pick up my passport. Finally! The payment for a Dutch passport is 68 euros. Now, I am glad that I finished all the procedure. With my Dutch passport, I wish to see the New York city with my family in the future. 

The Day That I Became Dutch

With our honorable city mayor.

It was à cold, rainy day. But I woke up and started the day with full of excitement. It was one of those special and significant days that come only once in our lifetime. The waiting is over. Finally, I was declared à Dutch national, not by born but by naturalization.
There was a Dutch exams first in the Philippines before I moved in the Netherlands as an immigrant. When I arrived in the Netherlands, I went to Dutch schooling as à preparation for the naturalization exams. It was à five part exams.
 1. Knowldege in Dutch Culture
 2. Dutch Writing
 3. Dutch Listening
 4. Dutch Reading
 5. Dutch Speaking.

our Dutch family

Wok Wilhelmina

If you like your food steaming and hot.

the second of my four plates :)

my third plate.

My last plate. I love dessert!

I took the 5 exams one time and passed the four parts right away. But because I have à hearing problem, it was only on my third try that I passed the one part, the Dutch speaking test. After I passed that part, we started right away the process for naturalization. The process was eight months long. The naturalization fee cost àlmost 900 euro's. This country that considered as an expensive country, everything cost money, àlmost everything cost big money.

For the celebrant, a flower lover :)

Because my sister in law had faith that I can cook Dutch dishes too :)

Because I love working in our kitchen :)

cash gift from my mother in law.

true Dutch.

Our honorable city mayor was there and conduct the ceremony. The ambiance was solemn, the place is at the wedding hall in the city hall, an ancient building with many antiques everywhere. Vlaardingen is àn old city with rich history. My husband ànd my son were there also. My husband made some photos. After the ceremony, we have à family dinner at my favorite Wok Restaurant, the Wilhelmina. To my surprise, my Dutch family were entirely there and waiting for us. It was à joyous night with them. I received bouquets of flowers, gifts, but most of all, I am grateful to my Dutch family for their love and support. To my husband, I am forever grateful to him for giving me à happy Dutch life. Please celebrate with me through my photos. 

Long Long Distance Love Affair

Because of him, flying became a part of my life.

How did you meet? I got that question so many times. I am talking about me and my husband. It was a long story to tell, many people find it inspiring, some people believe it is magic, but I want to tell you, finding true love is like finding a needle in a haystack. Especially, finding true love on the internet is not that easy and very risky.

Three years as a tourist in Holland.

Me and my husband have met on a social network, Fanbox. That was October 2008. He came in the Philippines December but we have not met. I was not convinced that someone I met on the internet can fly half of the world and like to meet me, though he was already a vacationer in the Philippines before we met on the net. December 2009 when we met each other in person. I fetched him at the airport, he stayed with our family in our house for a couple of days, then I went with him for a long holiday.

Diamond earings, the first "pasalubong" I got from him.

The rest is history. We were in a relationship for three years and we are married now for two years. I know friends who also met a guy on the net, have a long distance relationship through the internet. Some succeed, many failed and caused them headaches and heartbreaks. 

My husband is in the Netherlands and I live with my parents in the Philippines. At first we meet online only on weekends because with the nature of his work, it is not possible for him to come online during daytime. We have a six hour gap. I was working in Citibank but I don't have a computer at home. We agreed we meet only online on weekends but every day we leave offline messages to each other.

We need to trust and to be trusted if we want our love survive the distance. Before my husband came to the Philippines to meet me, he sent a bouquet of flowers for me. He is arriving December 2009, I received the flower month of April, and July when he told me that he already purchased his plane ticket.

We haven't met yet but he sent me a bouquet of flowers.

He made me feel he is so real. Possibly because he also felt how real I am. I always tell him the truth, I am not adept at pretending. When I went with him for a long holiday, he saw how simple I am, and I am not after for money and good times. 

The process for me to be able to live with him in the Netherlands takes a lot of time, money, and patience. I have to take first the Dutch MVV Exam at the Royal Dutch Embassy in Manila. Eric paid it and I took the test. Eventually, the Dutch Government gave me special consideration because my left ear is deaf and my right ear is only 60% working.

Things come into the right places because two months before our wedding, the Dutch Government granted my MVV or my residence permit. We got married on December 2012 and the following month,  we return in the Netherlands as husband and wife.

MVV Exam, a Dutch reviewer that he sent to me.

We are in a long way now of our relationship. I can proudly address him now as my beloved husband. We now have a son. I have already taken the Naturalization Exams and it goes well too. I never thought it that I can find true love from a box that full of trash. I am thankful that I am still a blessed girl.

I am thankful to this kind-hearted man for he made his home my home.

For those who are asking me now on how to succeed in a long distance love affair, especially for those who just met on the internet, I would say: honesty is the best policy. A relationship that starts in pretending and lying will never turn out right. I believe in a saying that what you sow is what you reap. This one too is very important, no matter how much you feel you want to love and to be loved, do not close your eyes to the obvious danger. Use your intuition to sense lies, cheating, and pretender. It is better to back out, feel the temporary frustration than to risk your future happiness. If it is love, it's love. If it is not let go, let God, and move on. As for me, I love so much our love story!