Season 6 Discussion

[millennium]

I hate Asuelo.

I hate him because he's pathetic.   I can't stand pathetic.   I hated Danielle precisely because she's pathetic.

Every episode, every scene, Asuelo is groveling or crying or apologizing.  It's hard to watch.   His high-talker voice only makes it worse.   "Kalani said she don't like brown men just white men ..." yet there he is, bowing and scraping at Kalani's side, prostrating himself before her father and sister, rolling over, exposing his belly and whimpering, "please love me."  Where is your dignity, Asuelo?   Pathetic.

I'm wondering what's wrong with Jonathan.   If I were a younger person and in a hotel room with Fernanda when she came walking out of the bathroom in that towel, well, I don't think we would have gotten within a mile of a club that night.   But Anthony Weiner is like, "um, would you please hurry?"   Maybe his Cialis hadn't kicked in yet.   Or maybe his subconscious was still processing all the cruel jokes about his big nose.

Eric is despicable but at the same time I don't know why he puts up with Leida's shit.  He clearly has the upper hand in this relationship.   Even at this early stage there have been many red flags but Leida is willingly ignoring them and plodding forward, which says to me that she wants to be here more than Eric wants her to be here.   That was a tough scene on the Balcony of Woe.   Eric looked 80 years old as he sat there staring off, almost as if the show had time-jumped by a decade.    Why doesn't he simply call her bluff: "If you don't like it, go home.  I'll just find somebody else on Neurotic Asian Cupid."   I don't see Leida's appeal myself.   She's average in appearance and repellent in terms of personality.  And she comes with an entourage that needs to be housed and fed.  A real siren, that one.

I thought Ashley looked ghastly without her makeup.   What was she thinking going out like that?   The "outspoken protective friend/relative" is becoming a stock character in 90-Day world.   Melanie's sister, Evelyn's friend, Kolini, countless others ... and now Natalie.   Smuggo Jay wasted no time dividing and conquering.   Ashley, fool that she is, grabbed the bait, then made an ass of herself trying to justify Natalie's banishment to the other bridesmaids as they donned their Vegas In Space dresses.  Jay's kissy assault at the kitchen party desperate and staged.   And it was odd that everybody was standing around indoors wearing in their winter coats holding red and yellow plastic cups.   It was like an indoor kegger.    Say, didn't Ashley used to have a kid?  

The Russia storyline is pretty straightforward and not conducive to mockery.  Steve's pushiness had me a little worried.  He doesn't seem to fully realize where he is.  "So the doctor told me an ambulance is coming to take Olga and me to Siberia.   That's good, right?"

Nothing could induce me to watch the live show afterwards.   "Fan favorites Angela and Michael?"  That was all I needed to hear.  Goodbye!

Edited November 13, 2018 by millennium

[gavinmac]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

 

Eric is despicable but at the same time I don't know why he puts up with Leida's shit.  He clearly has the upper hand in this relationship.   Even at this early stage there have been many red flags but Leida is willingly ignoring them and plodding forward, which says to me that she wants to be here more than Eric wants her to be here.   That was a tough scene on the Balcony of Woe.   Eric looked 80 years old as he sat there staring off, almost as if the show had time-jumped by a decade.    Why doesn't he simply call her bluff: "If you don't like it, go home.  I'll just find somebody else on Neurotic Asian Cupid."   I don't see Leida's appeal myself.   She's average in appearance and repellent in terms of personality.  And she comes with an entourage that needs to be housed and fed.  A real siren, that one.

 

Balcony of Woe!  I think I commented weeks ago, maybe on another thread, that Eric should have just gotten himself a super-hot looking 25 year old Filipina on a dating site. He could have shopper for younger, better looking, and a woman who wouldn't have minded that apartment at all and been happy to cook and clean for him. Instead, he went for an older, average looking single woman with a kid and all the family baggage, a wife who who complains about everything thinks cooking and cleaning are beneath her. I don't get it. 

[millennium]

26 minutes ago, gavinmac said:

Balcony of Woe!  I think I commented weeks ago, maybe on another thread, that Eric should have just gotten himself a super-hot looking 25 year old Filipina on a dating site. He could have shopper for younger, better looking, and a woman who wouldn't have minded that apartment at all and been happy to cook and clean for him. Instead, he went for an older, average looking single woman with a kid and all the family baggage, a wife who who complains about everything thinks cooking and cleaning are beneath her. I don't get it. 

Maybe he imagines she will come with a considerable dowry and cha-ching! he can trade in the air couch.

[Drogo]

On 11/12/2018 at 6:31 AM, Major Bigtime said:

That wasn’t a twin bed, it was your basic full-size version. I’ve had a queen for so long I forgot what a full-size mattress looks like.

Respectfully, that was a twin bed.  Both of my kids have full beds, and they're more square (like a small queen.) When you lay on one, another person can lay next to you easily.  

Leida should have been happy to have a bed Eric couldn't fit in with her. 

[minamreeka]

9 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

Now I need to rewatch to see if Eric is left handed.?

"Never use your left hand for anything. Don't touch anyone with it, don't eat with it, don't pick things up with it – as it's considered the hand you use to wipe yourself in the bathroom. If you're left-handed and suddenly everyone looks at you with disgust, that's what's going through their minds."

This advice comes up all the time for travelers in the Islamic world.  In reality no one cares if foreigners use their left hands because people don't actually wipe themselves anymore we use the little mini water hoses and wash hands afterwards anyway.  I'm not sure how this advice is still so common.

1 hour ago, gavinmac said:

Balcony of Woe!  I think I commented weeks ago, maybe on another thread, that Eric should have just gotten himself a super-hot looking 25 year old Filipina on a dating site. He could have shopper for younger, better looking, and a woman who wouldn't have minded that apartment at all and been happy to cook and clean for him. Instead, he went for an older, average looking single woman with a kid and all the family baggage, a wife who who complains about everything thinks cooking and cleaning are beneath her. I don't get it. 

I'm not sure there is a woman alive who would accept Eric happily.  Dude is bringing literally NOTHING to the table.  Hot 25 year olds can at least find a sugar daddy with a little sugar.

[Raja]

7 minutes ago, minamreeka said:

This advice comes up all the time for travelers in the Islamic world.  In reality no one cares if foreigners use their left hands because people don't actually wipe themselves anymore we use the little mini water hoses and wash hands afterwards anyway.  I'm not sure how this advice is still so common.

I'm not sure there is a woman alive who would accept Eric happily.  Dude is bringing literally NOTHING to the table.  Hot 25 year olds can at least find a sugar daddy with a little sugar.

He brings a table, which may be more than she started with  and a US passport. It doesn't hurt that often what is seen as hot locally and internationally are built on two different standards.

 

As to the standards of the Islamic world, perhaps 18 years of war with their fundamentalist prejudices the thinking 

Edited November 13, 2018 by Raja

[Baltimore Betty]

1 hour ago, gavinmac said:

Balcony of Woe!

OMG, perfect description.

I like how dramatic Leida got, "I have to clean that up by myself." All of the sudden she is poor little rich girl, if daddy is so rich just get him to pay for a cleaning crew, I am sure he cannot deny his princess anything she wants.

One red flag about Eric (we all saw it) was the way he was just completely checked out, just sitting on the BoW, watching his store bought bride cry about how shitty his apartment is and how filthy it was, not even a word of sympathy from him or an apology that she had to see that mess.  Ex wife 1, new wife 0.  

Eric should not let ex and soon to be wife hang out, misery loves company.

Will Leida and Eric get married while her family is visiting or will they do that after they leave and cannot get back to the states for the wedding?  If she is here because Eric proposed the next logical step is to marry.  But then again we would miss a bride crying because nobody from her family is at the wedding.  Dollars to donuts the ex wife will be at that wedding and the ex roommate/daughter will not.

Why do all the couples get hung up on planning a wedding when usually none of the brides family can attend and money is always tight?  City Hall/Justice of the Peace is legal and cheap.  

[Kellyee]

Did anyone else notice that Leida appears to have no maternal instincts or bond with her child? He was obviously tired and clinging to Grandpa while New Daddy tried to man-handle him away, and Leida just sat there. I also noticed that before her parents arrived, Eric was holding the kid most of the time. I think that poor child needs to be in Indonesia with his grandparents. Let his mother do whatever stupid thing she wants, but protect the little boy from this train wreck.

[queenjen]

None at all @Kellyee.  I don't think i've seen her touch him or talk to him. On their first night in the 'cabin', Reina put him to bed and she said goodnight from the doorway. He didn't seem to even notice her. My kids would have been howling for me in this situation. I'd say Aless has been tended to by house servants, his grandparents and his aunt while his mother explores getting famous all around Asia and now the US.

[fountain]

11 hours ago, gavinmac said:

I think the problem is that he's a kid who grew up watching American TV shows where the father is always in the delivery room. He doesn't realize it's a new development. I'm 47 and my father was at work teaching high school when my mom gave birth to me, he came to the hospital after school. I didn't see Olga begging for him to be in the room or him asking her if she wanted him in the there. What's wrong with pacing in the waiting room and then handing out cigars like fathers used to do? 

I guess what is “wrong” with it is women often want support from their spouse. IDK, it didn’t seem like Olga had any doulas or anything so what does she just wait around in pain until the baby comes out? Could be something like 20 hours and she seemed alone to me. I don’t think she asked for Steve because it wasn’t allowed not because she didn’t want him there.

What I found most interesting is that in many of the foreign locations we have seen thus far in the show the medical places seemed pretty progressive and modern, even the place on before the 90 days with the couple that had the miscarriage, the medical facility seemed to have modern equipment (sorry so am so bad with names I don’t remember their names). This place in Russia is so old and creepy looking, it definitely surprised me.

Edited November 13, 2018 by fountain

[CSS.MD]

46 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

OMG, perfect description.

I like how dramatic Leida got, "I have to clean that up by myself." All of the sudden she is poor little rich girl, if daddy is so rich just get him to pay for a cleaning crew, I am sure he cannot deny his princess anything she wants.

Why do all the couples get hung up on planning a wedding when usually none of the brides family can attend and money is always tight?  City Hall/Justice of the Peace is legal and cheap.  

Dramatic? You don’t say! But she says other people are the ones “exaggerating” and she claims she never claimed she’s “filthy rich” (but then Ms. Hypocritical Oath keeps on playing up the “Indonesian Princessness” of it all).

This woman completely lacks self-awareness. I swear she’s the type of person who thinks anyone who calls her out on her scammy BS is just “jealous because I have more YouTube followers than you”. ????

SPOILER: You don’t have to be rich to be spoiled. ??‍♀️?

[Drogo]

11 hours ago, Spike said:

Perhaps he grows pot to self-medicate his “PTSD”?  He would be too cheap to pay market rates.

Why do we think Eric has PTSD?  Did he say that?

[queenjen]

14 hours ago, ChiMama said:

Isn't Myrtle Beach kind of trashy and party-motivated, a la Daytona, Panama City Beach, Va Beach, some of the NJ shore locales?

I was surprised we didn't see Shep (from Southern Charm/RelationShep) swoop in, being that there was new blood in town.

[fountain]

That apartment of Eric’s was just plain gross, I cannot believe people live like that and would allow it on tv. While Leida is a princess I don’t blame her about the mess, who can live like that. I also wouldn’t be willing to clean up someone else’s mess either.

I find the blonde women refreshing in the sense that she seems to have a decent place and some income because in recent years on this show it has been more of a “broke people buying love on credit” kind of show. I think a few of the people should focus more energy on getting better employment and cleaning instead of getting a spouse.

[Baltimore Betty]

1 minute ago, queenjen said:

I was surprised we didn't see Shep (from Southern Charm/RelationShep) swoop in, being that there was new blood in town.

LOL.  Does his Bat Signal go off when a new 19 year old enters the zip code?

[Stardancer Supreme]

6 hours ago, HaaCHOO said:

Kalani told that to the viewers even before we ever saw Asuelu.  She said her father wanted her to marry a White guy...and I think she mentioned preferring older Jewish men.

And yet she ran to Samwah and got pregnant by a brown man.  These folk need serious therapy!

Free Asuelu, Oliver, and Alessandro! 

[Raja]

27 minutes ago, fountain said:

I guess what is “wrong” with it is women often want support from their spouse. IDK, it didn’t seem like Olga had any doulas or anything so what does she just wait around in pain until the baby comes out? Could be something like 20 hours and she seemed alone to me. I don’t think she asked for Steve because it wasn’t allowed not because she didn’t want him there.

What I found most interesting is that in many of the foreign locations we have seen thus far in the show the medical places seemed pretty progressive and modern, even the place on before the 90 days with the couple that had the miscarriage, the medical facility seemed to have modern equipment (sorry so am so bad with names I don’t remember their names). This place in Russia is so old and creepy looking, it definitely surprised me.

Not wrong, just new. I remember the original  1977 Roots miniseries and the birth of Kunta Kinte, there were the women and mid wives in the hut while all the men stayed outside. It was only on the Phil Donahue show in the same period that he would discuss things like men starting to be in the delivery room and documentary film makers showing the birth started to get broadcast on PBS.

[Raja]

1 hour ago, Baltimore Betty said:

O

Why do all the couples get hung up on planning a wedding when usually none of the brides family can attend and money is always tight?  City Hall/Justice of the Peace is legal and cheap.  

I remember way back in season 1 the online commentary was all the snark on the couples until they got to the wedding scenes, then all of the sudden you thought it was Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Is it better to play pretend royalty for a two day party or never to have that moment in life? Judging by the lowering marriage rates I would guess that most don't go through the extravagance,  But then most don't have a camera in their face and the world waiting to talk about how cheap they are.

[Baltimore Betty]

1 minute ago, Raja said:

Not wrong, just new. I remember the original  1977 Roots miniseries and the birth of Kunta Kinte, there were the women and mid wives in the hut while all the men stayed outside. It was only on the Phil Donahue show in the same period that he would discuss things like men starting to be in the delivery room and documentary film makers showing the birth started to get broadcast on PBS.

My mother did not have my father in the delivery room, it was the mid 50's to early 60's and it just was not done, besides my mother was out like a light during all of our births.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

7 hours ago, doyouevengohere said:

Fun fact: Beraboo , WI is the hometown of the Ringling Brothers of the circus fame.

I know! I'm currently reading a book (Truevine, it's excellent!) that gives a very detailed history of the circus(es) and sideshows where that factoid was mentioned and I thought that was kind of fitting since Eric is such a bozo. And, of course, Baraboo is ALSO apparently the hometown of Future Young Nazis of Amerika.

I'm also curious if the hidden easter egg of this season is "sisters who let their sisters run their lives" ... I am not a fan of either Leida or Kalani by any means, but on the other hand I cannot figure out why said sisters really seem to be the bosses of everything they do with no questions asked (and both have living fathers). Kolonic considers Aless HER BABY, and Leida can't do anything without Reina's permission.

I'm guessing based on past seasons, most of these couples WILL work out, at least for the final tell-all, but the only two I actually can see lasting a little while are Steven and Olga and Jay and Ashley. I'm betting the latter will double date with Melanie and Devar if they're not already.

[sainte-chapelle]

On 2018-11-12 at 6:18 AM, Lizzing said:

She was raised in an orphanage.  Just makes her story even sadder....though her tiny apartment is still levels better than Sgt. Bean Teeth's, seeing as how she's a pregnant 20 year old student, not a guy retired from 20 years in the US 

I felt for Olga too when she showed Steven around her tiny apartment which was lightyears cleaner than Erics. Steven smiled and said "It's nice." 

[PamelaMaeSnap]

7 minutes ago, sainte-chapelle said:

I felt for Olga too when she showed Steven around her tiny apartment which was lightyears cleaner than Erics. Steven smiled and said "It's nice." 

I think they are incredibly sweet. Am hoping/guessing that after the baby is born they come back to Maryland and live with his grandparents, who are among my favorite people EVER on this show from the little we've seen of them. I like their style. And as aging (aged?) hippies (kinda like me!), I don't think they'll be judgmental or anything, just welcoming of their grandbaby. I imagine him/her decked out in tiny little Grateful Dead onesies (you can buy them at Sunshine Octopus in Rehoboth Beach, probably not far from where the happy couple met). 

Edited November 13, 2018 by PamelaMaeSnap

[fountain]

8 minutes ago, Baltimore Betty said:

My mother did not have my father in the delivery room, it was the mid 50's to early 60's and it just was not done, besides my mother was out like a light during all of our births.

Yes but that is not how women deliver babies these days in progressive countries with medical systems that support the baby and the mom. The drugging of women with ether has been shown to cause more dramatic and risky deliveries and things like forceps had to be used in most deliveries, it definitely was not a natural way to give birth. In poorer countries, usually birth is even more natural and supported with midwives and active labour, etc. Russia seemed stuck in the middle where labour and delivery is still a 60s medical thing and I don’t blame Steve for being shocked and stressed about it. Men have been in delivery rooms for many decades already in North America, and in developing nations having a baby is often a natural event with support and guidance so even if men aren’t around women have the support of other women and midwives. Olga seemed to be put in a room to “wait it out” like having a baby was a medical procedure like getting her appendix out. IDK, it was sad to me.

[Spike]

1 hour ago, Drogo said:

Why do we think Eric has PTSD?  Did he say that?

It would be plausible for a vet, although others get it too.  But it was pure speculation, like when folks on here diagnose Colt as on the spectrum unchallenged.

[Drogo]

13 minutes ago, Spike said:

It would be plausible for a vet, although others get it too.  But it was pure speculation, like when folks on here diagnose Colt as on the spectrum unchallenged.

Certainly not unchallenged, but yes there are a lot of armchair diagnoses.  I was curious as to whether he actually said he had post traumatic stress syndrome or not since I didn't recall him saying that.  Eric was an avionics technician, so the odds he saw combat are slim... not that he couldn't have PTSD.   

[SunnyBeBe]

I just don't have much sympathy for any of these people really.  The Americans know that if they don't have much money, this long distance, foreign country romance is not going to go well.  And, most of them do seem to struggle.  Not sure about Jonathan.  They seem to portray that he may have money. (Getting engaged to a teenager? So odd. What do his friends really think?)  Except for him, it looks to me like they are doing this for TLC money.   Embarrassing yourself doesn't seem to bother some people.  

[Baltimore Betty]

1 hour ago, fountain said:

Yes but that is not how women deliver babies these days in progressive countries with medical systems that support the baby and the mom. The drugging of women with ether has been shown to cause more dramatic and risky deliveries and things like forceps had to be used in most deliveries, it definitely was not a natural way to give birth. In poorer countries, usually birth is even more natural and supported with midwives and active labour, etc. Russia seemed stuck in the middle where labour and delivery is still a 60s medical thing and I don’t blame Steve for being shocked and stressed about it. Men have been in delivery rooms for many decades already in North America, and in developing nations having a baby is often a natural event with support and guidance so even if men aren’t around women have the support of other women and midwives. Olga seemed to be put in a room to “wait it out” like having a baby was a medical procedure like getting her appendix out. IDK, it was sad to me.

When I was having my children my husband was in the room but I could have done it without him, he was busy taking pictures, just god awful angles and just a bit too much of my lady stuff.  He actually showed them to his mother...he is my ex and lucky to be alive.

A friend of mine was living in Moscow, had kidney stones but would not accept treatment until his father a pharmacist sent disposable needles from the US, this was in the mid 90's.  

As far as drugging, it was just another way men could control the women folk, why do they need to worry themselves about the birthing process, lol!

[HaaCHOO]

2 hours ago, Baltimore Betty said:

My mother did not have my father in the delivery room, it was the mid 50's to early 60's and it just was not done, besides my mother was out like a light during all of our births.

My baby was born in '66 and my husband wasn't in the delivery room (I was out like a light too).   The fathers, however, were required to "wash up" (Betadine?) before they could hold the babies.  I shared the room with one mother and the fathers visited at the same time.  The other father washed his hands/arms as instructed.  My husband, a podiatrist, had to show off and do the full Operating Room Scrub.  It was embarrassing.   ETA:  He even walked to my bedside with his hands up, palms facing his face.  Yeah, really embarrassing.

Edited November 13, 2018 by HaaCHOO
Described "hands up"

[funky-rat]

14 hours ago, gavinmac said:

I think the problem is that he's a kid who grew up watching American TV shows where the father is always in the delivery room. He doesn't realize it's a new development. I'm 47 and my father was at work teaching high school when my mom gave birth to me, he came to the hospital after school. I didn't see Olga begging for him to be in the room or him asking her if she wanted him in the there. What's wrong with pacing in the waiting room and then handing out cigars like fathers used to do? 

I was born in the early 70's.  Mom was in by herself.  Dad sat outside and smoked.

13 hours ago, Spike said:

It is funny that the hospital was so decrepit that even a couch surfer noted that it was dirty.

It looked more old than dirty to me.  He made a comment about it being "filthy" or "so dirty" or similar, but I just saw old and slightly dingy.  The birthing room Olga was in was about the size of one that a friend was put in at a local hospital near me.  It was small and cramped.  But we have a lot of small rural hospitals here - you take what you can get.  As long as it's clean, I can deal.

12 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

Looks more like an upside down smoke detector they didn't bother to put back up.

Probably started beeping.  Changing the 9-volt is a chore, you know.

12 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

Now I need to rewatch to see if Eric is left handed.?

"Never use your left hand for anything. Don't touch anyone with it, don't eat with it, don't pick things up with it – as it's considered the hand you use to wipe yourself in the bathroom. If you're left-handed and suddenly everyone looks at you with disgust, that's what's going through their minds."

 

I don't know that it's entirely true anymore, but still, I'm a lefty, and I always feared going to places that believed the left/unclean thing, because I can't use my right hand for about 75% of things.

11 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I don’t out blame on Jon for Fernanda flying off the handle in the club.  Who cares if the blonde was a plant?  Fernanda acted badly and Jonathan didn’t hold a gun to her head and made her act like an asshole.  I didn’t act like that when I was nineteen.

I also don’t think Colt is all that bad.  Just listen to the podcast, Dirty John and you’ll see what I mean.

Agreed 100%.

5 hours ago, gavinmac said:

Balcony of Woe!  I think I commented weeks ago, maybe on another thread, that Eric should have just gotten himself a super-hot looking 25 year old Filipina on a dating site. He could have shopper for younger, better looking, and a woman who wouldn't have minded that apartment at all and been happy to cook and clean for him. Instead, he went for an older, average looking single woman with a kid and all the family baggage, a wife who who complains about everything thinks cooking and cleaning are beneath her. I don't get it. 

He probably couldn't find anyone else who was in to cosplay and video gaming like he is.  I don't have anything against cosplay, but it takes a certain person to do it, and do it well.  I just don't have any interest.  I like video game, but not stuff like Halo, and not for hours on end.

Edited November 13, 2018 by funky-rat

[HaaCHOO]

2 minutes ago, funky-rat said:

Dad sat outside and smoked.

HaHA!   The doctors were probably smoking too...during the event.

[Spike]

2 minutes ago, HaaCHOO said:

HaHA!   The doctors were probably smoking too...during the event.

My mother’s doctor would smoke while examining patients.  In the 60s and 70s.

[funky-rat]

9 minutes ago, HaaCHOO said:

HaHA!   The doctors were probably smoking too...during the event.

My mom had the only female OB/GYN in the area because she felt most comfortable with her and she came highly recommended to my mom from some nurses she knew and trusted.  So it's entirely possible she would smoke outside the room -  I know lots of doctors smoked once upon a time.  Mom told dad that once I was born, he needed to go outside to smoke.  She grew up in a house with FOUR 4 pack a day smokers, and she hated being teased for smelling like an ashtray, and she didn't want that for me.  Dad just ended up quitting rather than have to go outside.  But just to show you how much things changed and how quickly, they thought my mom might be having twins....so they x-rayed her.  It was only one x-ray, and I don't believe it harmed me, but there were no sonograms then.  Not even 10 years later, they wouldn't have dreamed of x-raying a pregnant woman.

Edited November 13, 2018 by funky-rat

[HaaCHOO]

7 hours ago, millennium said:

I hate Asuelo.

I hate him because he's pathetic.   I can't stand pathetic

YIKES!  Asuelu is probably NOT pathetic in his country.  He worked at a resort that catered to foreign tourists. He had skills enough to "romance" an older spoiled American.  He probably handles other Samoan jobs and life with aplomb.  I guess many of us would be considered "pathetic" by the islanders if we were plopped down in Sam-wa and expected to climb up/cut down coconuts, build huts out of sticks and stones, and prepare native foods.

Edited November 13, 2018 by HaaCHOO

[HaaCHOO]

2 hours ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

9 hours ago, doyouevengohere said:

Fun fact: Beraboo , WI is the hometown of the Ringling Brothers of the circus fame.

I know! I'm currently reading a book (Truevine, it's excellent!) that gives a very detailed history of the circus(es) and sideshows where that factoid was mentioned and I thought that was kind of fitting since Eric is such a bozo.

Good one, DoYouEvenGoHere...(and PamelaMaeSnap)!

[millennium]

16 minutes ago, HaaCHOO said:

YIKES!  Asuelu is probably NOT pathetic in his country.  He worked at a resort that catered to foreign tourists. He had skills enough to "romance" an older spoiled American.  He probably handles other Samoan jobs and life with aplomb.  I guess many of us would be considered "pathetic" by the islanders if we were plopped down in Sam-wa and expected to climb up/cut down coconuts, build huts out of sticks and stones, and prepare native foods.

It's not his job skills that I question, it's his lack of self respect.   Perhaps it ingrained in the Samoans that tourists are their superiors, I don't know.  But the way Asuelo goes around like a whipped dog, making promises to whomever demands it ("you better not hurt my daughter," "you better not cheat on my sister," "tell me right now that you love my sister") is so humiliating to watch.   Captain Lou, your precious daughter spread her legs for him.   Kolonic, your innocent, deflowered sister was apparently too careless to use birth control.   It could be just as easily be argued that Kalani fucked up Asuelo's life but of course Yosemite Samwa and daughter aren't going to look at it that way.

[CoachWristletJen]

1 hour ago, millennium said:

It's not his job skills that I question, it's his lack of self respect.   Perhaps it ingrained in the Samoans that tourists are their superiors, I don't know.  But the way Asuelo goes around like a whipped dog, making promises to whomever demands it ("you better not hurt my daughter," "you better not cheat on my sister," "tell me right now that you love my sister") is so humiliating to watch.   Captain Lou, your precious daughter spread her legs for him.   Kolonic, your innocent, deflowered sister was apparently too careless to use birth control.   It could be just as easily be argued that Kalani fucked up Asuelo's life but of course Yosemite Samwa and daughter aren't going to look at it that way.

Yosemite Samwa... that's kinda perfect. ;) 

If anyone has intel, I would be interested in knowing more about how young men in Samwa are socialized. Is Asuelu the norm or was he the wus who was picked on by his peers? Not sure how all that goes. I've wondered if the reason Kalani's dad became such a crusty old jerk is because he came to this country a similarly gentle, guileless creature and had the rug ripped out from underneath him too many times.  That being said, I tend to think that he was always a jerk who raised two jerk daughters. I would really like to see Asuelo grow a pair because he needs to step up as a dad for Oliver's sake. Somebody has to get a job and raise this child!

I agree that none of this that happened is his fault nor does he have anything to apologize for. He's not a Mormon. Kalani may well have gone to Samwa with her clock ticking in her ears.

In the meantime they are trotting off to Utah because Kalani was too incompetent to manage her own life. She quit her job and rented a pricey Air BnB with the last of her savings, apparently, because her sister was too much of a jerk to let them live with her on account of perceived slights.

I'm still trying to figure out if Kalani is touched in the head or just trying to figure out the learning curve here. It's a big one.

Edited November 13, 2018 by CoachWristletJen

[Spike]

9 minutes ago, millennium said:

It's not his job skills that I question, it's his lack of self respect.   Perhaps it ingrained in the Samoans that tourists are their superiors, I don't know.  But the way Asuelo goes around like a whipped dog, making promises to whomever demands it ("you better not hurt my daughter," "you better not cheat on my sister," "tell me right now that you love my sister") is so humiliating to watch.   Captain Lou, your precious daughter spread her legs for him.   Kolonic, your innocent, deflowered sister was apparently too careless to use birth control.   It could be just as easily be argued that Kalani fucked up Asuelo's life but of course Yosemite Samwa and daughter aren't going to look at it that way.

Kalani is huge, so I doubt hot fit American men (which she wants in that typical double standard) are pursuing her.  Add an annoying personality and way of speaking and I don’t really know what she has to offer in a relationship.

1 minute ago, CoachWristletJen said:

Yosemite Samwa... that's kinda perfect. ;) 

If anyone has intel, I would be interested in knowing more about how young men in Samwa are socialized. Is Asuelu the norm or was he the wus who was picked on by his peers? Not sure how all that goes. I've wondered if the reason Kalani's dad became such a crusty old jerk is because he came to this country a similarly gentle, guileless creature and had the rug ripped out from underneath him too many times.  That being said, I tend to think that he was always a jerk who raised two jerk daughters. I would really like to see Asuelo grow a pair because he needs to step up as a dad for Alessandro's sake. Somebody has to get a job and raise this child!

I agree that none of this that happened is his fault nor does he have anything to apologize for. He's not a Mormon. Kalani may well have gone to Samwa with her clock ticking in her ears.

In the meantime they are trotting off to Utah because Kalani was too incompetent to manage her own life. She quit her job and rented a pricey Air BnB with the last of her savings, apparently, because her sister was too much of a jerk to let them live with her on account of perceived slights.

I'm still trying to figure out if Kalani is touched in the head or just trying to figure out the learning curve here. It's a big one.

The child is named Oliver.  

[RichiesOlderBro]

8 hours ago, millennium said:

Say, didn't Ashley used to have a kid?  

Ashley has two small children.

8 hours ago, Dance4Life said:

 Maybe the negotiation of attending labor had to do with the cameras and getting more payment from TLC...????

Ahh...this makes a lot more sense now.  I bet TLC had to pay to film in the hospital and was worried they wouldn't get any film from inside the delivery room so they made Steven insist on being in the delivery room.

Edited November 13, 2018 by RichiesOlderBro
spelling

[OldButHappy]

1 hour ago, HaaCHOO said:

HaHA!   The doctors were probably smoking too...during the event.

Don't forget the nurses...

 

[HaaCHOO]

33 minutes ago, millennium said:

It's not his job skills that I question, it's his lack of self respect.

Most would think his current behavior is cultural and in survivor mode.   He has already been threatened by Kalani's large father and has NO support here.  I'd do my best to lie low and get outta Dodge.

[funky-rat]

18 hours ago, Pink-n-Green said:

As a native, I offer my sincere apologies.  I promise you, we're not all like that!  "Yinzers" are an embarrassment to all of us.  As for your boss....tell her that we do NOT consider Greensburg to be a part of the Pittsburgh area.  It's not even in the same county for goodness sakes.  And NO area has more oddball terms than we do; I promise you that.

Mr. Funky had an aunt who lived in Pittsburgh proper.  She was a sweet person, but it seems most people I come across are "Yinzers" as you mentioned.

15 hours ago, spankydoll said:

I spent a lot of time in Greensburg when I worked for Verizon and I can't imagine anyone throwing shade about how sophisticated the area is. And I stayed in the Harrison Ford room so I am fancy!

She would return home many weekends to visit her family (a good 4-5 hour drive each way), and come back with magazines showing local happenings, theater, art, etc, and whine about how much devoid our area was of that kind of thing, and how miserable she was.  In the end, we call complained about her a ton to the owner about her oddball policies on things (like pooling our work in to a "work box" and then pulling things out of it to do - just bizarre - and how we were NOT allowed to verbally ask things - it all had to be done in writing on 3 part forms), so he gave her the choice to leave of her own choice, or be let go.  She left.  After she left, we found a notebook in her drawer (we were legitimately looking for something) that she would take in to the bathroom with her.  It was full of nasty comments about us, but they were pathetic, like she didn't like someone's glasses, and someone had stinky food for lunch, etc.  Last I checked, they were back in Greensburg.  She flipped her lid one day because she went to a restaurant and ordered chicken pot pie.  She loudly yelled "THEY GAVE ME SOUP!".  Yep, this is Dutch Country, and you get PA Dutch Pot Pie here - which is similar to Chicken And Dumplings in the south.  It's a broth with chicken, potatoes, and squares of doughy goodness.  A good place will also do ham and beef.  We all told her that all she had to do is order a "Meat Pie".  You'd have thought she had been asked to run over puppies with her car or something.

[PityFree]

1 hour ago, Baltimore Betty said:

When I was having my children my husband was in the room but I could have done it without him, he was busy taking pictures, just god awful angles and just a bit too much of my lady stuff.  He actually showed them to his mother...he is my ex and lucky to be alive.

A friend of mine was living in Moscow, had kidney stones but would not accept treatment until his father a pharmacist sent disposable needles from the US, this was in the mid 90's.  

As far as drugging, it was just another way men could control the women folk, why do they need to worry themselves about the birthing process, lol!

I was in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 1999 during grad school.  We had to buy special insurance that would medevac us out to Finland or another place in Europe in case of any medical emergency.  At the time (it’s been a long time so I don’t know how things are now) hepatitis and HIV were huge problems in their medical system.  Women in the Russian Federation who had the means traveled to Finland to give birth rather than give birth there.  I’ll be honest; I’m nervous for Olga in that hospital.

Edited November 13, 2018 by PityFree

[Rt66vintage]

On 11/11/2018 at 9:12 AM, iwasish said:

Isn’t Vegas famous for the huge buffets that only cost a couple bucks? I recall going to Reno and they had buffets with all kinds of food, including prime rib and.i think you could get  big steaks in some restaurants, they are towns of excess.

Everything in Vegas (?Reno) was cheap when the Mafia was running things. I think it all changed sometime in the 80s. ?Reagan administration. 

[Mothra]

16 hours ago, gavinmac said:

I think the problem is that he's a kid who grew up watching American TV shows where the father is always in the delivery room. He doesn't realize it's a new development. I'm 47 and my father was at work teaching high school when my mom gave birth to me, he came to the hospital after school. I didn't see Olga begging for him to be in the room or him asking her if she wanted him in the there. What's wrong with pacing in the waiting room and then handing out cigars like fathers used to do? 

TV has a lot to answer for re: expectations in the young, and in the less affluent.  I think you're right, that Steven thought a) that the hospital would look like one on TV and 2) that he would be welcomed into the delivery room.  Setting aside cultural differences, I suspect that there are maternity wards in small, rural towns in the US which don't look a lot better and where the father's presence isn't automatically assured, especially if the father isn't the husband.

Edited to add:  I was born (1947) in a bedroom in my grandmother's house with doctor and nurse in attendance because the local hospital (Hinton WV) was so filthy infections were rife and people who shouldn't be dying there were.

Further, I got real tired of Steven's outrage over the possibility that he "wouldn't be allowed to see my own son born."  Not once did he say, "Olga is all alone, with no mother or grandmother to hold her hand while she is scared to death and in pain.  I want to be there to comfort her and do what I can to make this more bearable for the mother of my son."  Like others here, I was afraid he was going to be arrested for raising a ruckus.  I'm glad he finally got to be with her, but for her sake, not his.

Edited November 13, 2018 by Mothra

[CoachWristletJen]

1 hour ago, Spike said:

Kalani is huge, so I doubt hot fit American men (which she wants in that typical double standard) are pursuing her.  Add an annoying personality and way of speaking and I don’t really know what she has to offer in a relationship.

The child is named Oliver.  

Mea culpa. Oliver. I went back and corrected it.

And after I spelled Alessandro right and everything... ;)

Edited November 13, 2018 by CoachWristletJen

[Mothra]

Medical school in Indonesia, according to Wikipedia (https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/omarosa-manigault-donald-trump-uses-a-tanning-bed-every-day/)  grants *bachelor* degrees in medicine, as well as doctorates.  You go directly to medical school from high school.  Again, wikipedia:

The standard Indonesian medical school curriculum is six years long. The four years undergraduate program is composed mainly of classroom education, continued with the last two years in professional program primarily includes rotations in clinical settings where students learn patient care firsthand. If they pass undergraduate program they will have "S.Ked" (Bachelor of Medicine) in their title and if they finished the professional program and pass the national examination arranged by IDI (Indonesian Medical Association) they will become general physician and receive "dr. (doctor)".

Me again:  So it's entirely possible Leida is "a medical school graduate" yet is not a doctor and cannot practice medicine anywhere, not even in Indonesia.  That would explain her father's pressing Eric about Leida's continuing her education.

[Spike]

16 minutes ago, Mothra said:

TV has a lot to answer for re: expectations in the young, and in the less affluent.  I think you're right, that Steven thought a) that the hospital would look like one on TV and 2) that he would be welcomed into the delivery room.  Setting aside cultural differences, I suspect that there are maternity wards in small, rural towns in the US which don't look a lot better and where the father's presence isn't automatically assured, especially if the father isn't the husband.

Further, I got real tired of Steven's outrage over the possibility that he "wouldn't be allowed to see my own son born."  Not once did he say, "Olga is all alone, with no mother or grandmother to hold her hand while she is scared to death and in pain.  I want to be there to comfort her and do what I can to make this more bearable for the mother of my son."  Like others here, I was afraid he was going to be arrested for raising a ruckus.  I'm glad he finally got to be with her, but for her sake, not his.

When he commented on her size, I wonder what his reaction will be to the C-section scar.

[iwasish]

My father had to stay home with the kids while my mom was in labor, there was no family around to help watch us. The doctor was supposed to call him when the baby was born but he said he forgot and my dad didn’t find out my sister had been born till several hours had passed. 

My dad got his revenge by forgetting to sign the check to pay his bill. 

[sasha206]

1 hour ago, HaaCHOO said:

Most would think his current behavior is cultural and in survivor mode.   He has already been threatened by Kalani's large father and has NO support here.  I'd do my best to lie low and get outta Dodge.

Right.  I think he is terrified that they are going to keep his son from him.  The one sister sure as hell has tried.  I'm sure if there was no child involved, Asuelo owuldn't be anywhere close to that woman and her disgusting family.

[Kellyee]

Quote

Further, I got real tired of Steven's outrage over the possibility that he "wouldn't be allowed to see my own son born."  Not once did he say, "Olga is all alone, with no mother or grandmother to hold her hand while she is scared to death and in pain.  I want to be there to comfort her and do what I can to make this more bearable for the mother of my son."  Like others here, I was afraid he was going to be arrested for raising a ruckus.  I'm glad he finally got to be with her, but for her sake, not his.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that it was all about Steven, all the time. Something about him just creeps me out. The way he kept hanging on her before she left the room. And that he was glad he was annoying her. He's clingy and immature. He never seemed to care that much that she was in pain. And he kept saying "his son", not "their son". Kalani does that too, 

I feel terrible for Olga. She has very limited options and no support.