Toilet's Plane adventures

My trips have always been coupled with so much memorable feat, from funny little moments to outright disasters, from series of unfortunate events to a domino of lucky moments. They've been all fun. Memorable. One time I was too early for a meeting in another countryI had to sleep at the train station. No enough money to buy food except for 40 kroner worth of small McDo burger (thats around 400 PhP). Another time coming from another country one of the turbines seemed to had a problem, good thing we landed already, but had to be towed near the actual parking, welcomed by ambulance and firemen.


Flying with me was never a dull moment for officemates. One time my colleague was so sure something will happen just because he was flying with me. All was almost perfect, when at the last x-ray they had to detain me because of a large swiss knife complete with all sorts of screw driver, a clipper, pliers, the works. Imagine how I forgot it was there and how from the Phiippine Airport, that large thing got in another country. My colleague swears that one of these days, I'll probably give him a heart attack.


Recently, I've only been flying local, Cebu mostly, with Davao here and there. No more international adventures. But I guess luck is still at my side.


I've been late a lot of times. But at one time, I had to check in at a counter with a very large man (buwaya looking), with a very big belly, and a look that says "Don't mess with me."


I gave my e-ticket to which he sternly replied, "Late ka na ha, next flight ka na." At which he started muttering all the payments I had to make.


"Sir, hindi po ba guaranteed seat kasi naka book ako? before naman konting oras nalang nakaka check in pa ako"


"45 minutes before the flight. Dapat andito ka na, kundi ibibigay namin sa mga nagaantay ng flight ung slot mo." My world just crashed. I wanted to argue that I could just be upgraded to business class since I was an elite member, but he wanted me to buy another ticket. i just idn't understand why he was being so unhelpful. he wouldn't even benefit from another ticket sale.


I was never good with arguments and confrontations. I felt bad. The ground staff was a bit rude, he was never accomodating, never listened to my own opinion and treated his own as final and unbreakable. Plus, since I was on a hurry, I had to pay 1000k to upgrade myself to business class.


With my then smug face, I dragged my broke ass towards my unwilling business class seat.


But recent events came with a different twist. I learned to wake up earlier. Dress up faster. Pack up lighter. So with another PAL flight, I went an hour earlier last monday.


My flight was 3:00pm. I was there minutes before 2:00pm. I waited till I get to the counter from the short line that i followed.


Another check in coutner reopened. I was motioned to go straight towards it.


"Sir saan po? Wag nyo sabihin Cebu." an all smile pretty staff greeted.


"Ha? Cebu nga," I said with a contorted face to emphasize my puzzled state.


"Sir, Overbooked na po tayo ngayon,"


To which I defensively replied "Hindi ako late. Ayan o, wala pang 2:00. 45 minutes diba?"


My voice was rising already. My ears felt like they were on fire.


"Sir, oo nga po. Kaya po we sincerely (yeah right) apologize and would like to make up for your lost time."


I was ushered to a small operations office with a seemingly senior staff welcoming me as if i was part of a korean travel tour. It turns out that "make up for your lost time" means that i would have to be rebooked at the next flight. It means that I have to wait another 2-3 hours. It means that I would have to eat some more pastries at the lounge.


But it also means that I get to have a Free Roundtrip Ticket anywhere around the Philippines, valid for one year. I can now hear the songs of vacation calling. I've got the ticket. I only need the date when.


hehe. sometimes, my misadventures are replaced with a much welcomed adventure.


i love life. i love me. i love the Philippines.


Mabuhay!

Batangueno ka ba?

I'm Batangueno, but even I had some hard time reading lolo's account of the events. Read on. If you're a Batangueno, you might be able to relate a bit. Recieved this SMS from my godmother. hehe:

MEDIA: Lo, pakisalaysay po ang nasaksihan nyong vehicular accident.

LOLO: Akoy naka-ungkot laang dine at akoy nagitla sa busina. May mag inang hasing hasi pa ng paghihikap ay gabeng gab-e na, Bakingga aring dyip ay saksakan ng tulin!

Ay di ako’y palakat na sa maginang di naiingli! Aba’y maiiipit na’y nakaumis pa eh!

Kainaman!

Sa pagiwas ng dyip ay sumalya sa tarangka. Tiklap ang tapaludong lasa ko’y kwangki ng kiche !

Kabugnot ng drayber, ngalngal eh !

Note: Do not click Read more....

Me and My Glass Slippers

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, in the castle of Nicanor Abelardo, I donned beautiful clothes. Just for that time, I pretended to be rich. Just for that moment I tried to speak intelligently. Just for a second, I stripped myself of my usual rags and slipped on my glass slippers…

Well, not exactly. They were made of leather and not of glass. I had to buy new shoes at the urging and persuasion of my friends. Plus, I bought new shoes just in case I’d have to run fast up and down the stairs and lose my shoes in between flights at which time, someone might pick it up and look for its right stinking feet.

5:00pm. We were already at the CCP area excited to watch the 8pm-showing of Cinderella. Had a quick light dinner first while looking at the different people obviously there for the same purpose.

By 7:00, we were ready to wait for us to be allowed entrance to the theatre. It was the 2nd of August. And this was how my one-night fairytale started.

The curtains opened with Cinderella wiping the floor with a rag… and a kid wailing “Mama, weewee! Mama, weewee!” twelve times I think. Then… enters my most favourite character for the night… the fairy godmother. Her delivery of lines had spunk with a touch of ghetto. She was refreshingly funny. She had attitude which gave life to most scenes.

A little later on, my curiosity about the evil step sisters and the step mother was satisfied with the entrance of two annoyingly funny characters and a baritone-voiced step mom. They were a funny bunch all through out the play and their costumes were sights to behold.

“The prince is having a ball!” I loved how they choreographed their dance and some funny antics done along the way. The geeky tall lanky girl caught my eyes. She was like a child like we all were that night, tallest as she may have been.

Though someone commented that the Prince Charming isn’t really charming at all, he did deliver well, a bit dramatic though with an accent that I can’t really pin point. Now, the King and Queen were a different matter. They were as interesting as any other lead. It was during their king-queen moments that I first heard the audience go “awwwww.” It was with them that each and everyone’s fairytale materialized… a love that surpassed age and time.

“Impossible…” It was how the song started to prelude to my most awaited scene. The Magic. How the pumpkin changed into that beautiful carriage was how I pictured it done, almost the same as that in the cartoons. The scattered lights, the outline of the carriage, and then the carriage itself… the scene simply left me in awe. I waited on how Cinderella would change into a beautiful gown. But to no avail, there were no flying gowns, no blinding lights, just a switch of characters with awkward wigs… my one and only little disappointment. Though I guess everyone had mix emotions on how the gown should look like.

Music, that one thing that gives soul to a musical play. My portkey to my little world of fantasy… my non-existent musical career (though I could swear hearing applause during bath time).

Second time I heard people go “awwww” was when one song went “Do I love you because you are beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you…”, “Do I love you because you are perfect or are you perfect because I love you.” It just hit home. (Oh did I just murder the lyrics? I hope not.)

The songs were wonderful, and the orchestra was a very commendable team. They awakened the Disney kid in me. It felt like home. And with all the “awwwwws” I muttered, the last was when the orchestra gave its last note. And then from a kid, I was once again an adult, a very satisfied adult.

And before standing up from my chair, I checked if I lost a shoe. I didn’t. But I did gain a very memorable experience worth going over and over again. I didn’t loose a shoe for someone to fit it in my stinking feet, but I did get myself a poster (ok ok, forgive me, I was broke after this and could only afford a poster for my collection of plays, a cd would be nice though… ahem ahem). Remember…

“Impossible things are happening everyday”