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• 1 2021-04-19T07:14:46+00:00 A Love Affair Across Cultures 3 Jessie, Marcy, and the Philippines plain 2021-04-20T21:58:06+00:00 Sometimes, it feels as if Jessie's life started when she met and married my grandfather, Marcial. Her memories seem crystal clear for much of her life except the period before her life intertwined with his. Maybe there are parts of her past she would rather remain in the past. Maybe, as an orphan, memories are just harder to preserve without a large family and friend network to reinforce what she can remember. But, it was clear that she grew up in one country (Cuba), then spent further formative years in the United States, and then was ready to fully embrace the Philippines as her new home. Her fluent Spanish from Cuba helped her connect with her Spanish and Tagalog speaking mother-in-law, and Jessie quickly became a family favorite of the Lichauco clan with her mix of American "can-do" spirit, ability to adapt (she learned Tagalog and even officially represented the Philippines during my grandfather's tenure as Philippine Ambassador in London), and her beauty and charm captivated everyone. My grandfather was an avid hunter, and my ever vivacious grandmother quickly took up the sport too, and says she has probably seen more of the Philippines than native-born residents there owing to their many hunting trips and adventures across the country's numerous islands...