The expensive lesson

I was convinced I was invincible.


Up until this morning, at least.


I missed my flight home. I've been sitting on my tiny tush for the past couple of hours (4 more to go, actually), waiting for the next available flight, which is this afternoon as well.


Ever heard of the saying, (more familiarly) from the 90's Brandy song "Almost Doesn't Count"? Well, it's true. Exasperatingly true, I might add. 


               Sure, I woke up at 4 in the morning... 


                      Sure, i cleaned the condo...


                               Sure, I got a relatively fast taxi...


But it still didn't make up for the fact that the airport check-in counter closed minutes before I got there. Which left me no choice but to have my ticket rebooked. I suppose I must have looked ultimately funny because I was carting around my Krispy Kremes, lugging around my... luggage (of course) and being weighed down by my oversized carry-on (for my books, and Dean, my laptop.)...and to be told at the counter that they had closed 10 minutes ago. yech.


For the longest time, I thought I could wrangle myself out of any situation (and talk my way through anything), but no, not this time. "We're closed, Ma'am." And that, dear friends was that. Silly old me had to walk over to the Cebu Pacific Service Center with tail between legs and heavy bags in tow.


And so, two hours and a couple of thousand pesos later (and work schedule changes), your loyal servant is sitting comfortably cross-legged on one of the lounge chairs, munching on leftover Potato Chips for breakfast. There has never been a time when Natural Sea Salt-flavored chips has tasted so delish. What's for lunch, you ask? Umm... Krispy Kremes. (They're fattening, and they're for my brother, but the original glazed ones are just scrumptious.)


I reckon I'm lucky Dean (the laptop) is fully-charged, and my 3-day unlimited internet credits won't expire until 3pm (just in time for boarding)...and there are so many interesting people to watch.  Actually, I'm more concerned with just "hanging out" online, than actively taking pictures (and the usual crazy things that I do when I'm bored.)


Even luckier was the fact that I had money on hand which allowed me to get things done quickly. Shiet. What if I had only a couple of hundreds (for terminal fees, haha) and nothing else? Lord, Tabang... (Anyway, that couldn't have happened, because I always have the blue plastic "magic" card which contains funds I've earned (a.k.a. bled, cried, lost sleep over, worked hours for) over the past months.


Which almost made me realize how much of a risk all this was...I mean, for the longest time, I've always done things at the last minute, or close to it. I've escaped most times unscathed, but now this....is a different story. I absolutely will not do it again. I promise. *Pinkie Swear.*

(Is that an overcast sky...or just plain smog? )

Yes, after this [expensive] fiasco, I vow never again to do things at the last minute, or be late again (to which my aunt said that "somebody" was going to be happy upon hearing this, I suppose she meant my mother, haha).

----- 

When one is stuck in an airport with long hours before her and no one to spend it with, one tries to busy herself with activities...or thoughts. I'll try my best to entertain you, because, dears, I am trying to entertain myself too. :-)

1.) Years ago, it was Dunkin Donuts...then Gonuts Donuts...and now, it's Krispy Kremes!  <-- Personally, I'm not a big pasalubong giver since recent years, because I've been travelling alone more, and it's taxing to bring along donuts when I myself am an incorrigible packer. But hey, it makes people happy (my brother gobbles the stuff up), and people from work like trying new things, so I guess it's ok to bring things occasionally.

2. My back hurts a little. Which reminds me, that apart from the procrastination, I also vow to try to "pack light". Enough said. :-)

3. Christmas at the psych department meant a lot of presents and cute stuff from the other residents. 

4. I think I like the NAIA Terminal 3 better than the for PAL. For one thing, there's lots of space here, and lots of comfortable chairs. 

5. The lady next to be is carrying a month-old baby, wrapped in a white wrap-around blankie, trying to push its little fist out from his covers (so cute.) , and she goes, "Gang, why don't you go and get tickets, if you need money, use the HSBC ticket. "Gang" was a tallish guy in pink who did as he was told. He spoke to me in Hiligaynon...and in bits and snatches of conversation, asked I had a husband, 'cause I looked 30. Yeah, his wife agreed. You look haggard. (Who wouldn't, after shelling out that much money...and lugging around the bags?)


Oh, and maybe all I needed was a shower to return me to my former glory.


I just want to get out of here.


Love, 


S. 

On the Plane trip home

- August 30th, 2009

6:45 AM

Cebu Pacific Flight 625

While people-watching on the flight

I had an overwhelming sense of resignation and uncertainty when I boarded... this happens all the time whenever I leave the big city and head back for my hometown.

It's always temporary, but I always have this feeling everytime.

I left my camera on my cousin Hershey's bed (since i sleep with my camera next to me, i think it got lost in the covers and I had forgotten about it.)

My nephew Rhys reminds me of another little baby.

* sigh *

----------

CHEAPER EXCESS BAGGAGE COST

I boxed up all my books, and clothes and sent them via cargo hold c/o my airline, Cebu pacific. If you don't want to pay for too much excess bagagge, this is the way to go. You pay less than 1000 for something that would cost around Php 5000 in extra charges at the airport, AND you get to pick it up hassle free when you get to your destination. If you ask me, that's a real bargain.

Cebu Pacific has a good service.

-------------

People-watching and other thoughts

They have a travel magazine on deck...and I've been reading on the must-see destinations in the Philippnes. There are a lot. *sigh* (Here we go again, more places to think about.)

My fountain pen is leaking. (I am writing on the folding table now, which, i suppose, was put to better use as a snack table when they used to offer snacks in-flight. They don't anymore.) I think it's ratty how they don't serve snacks anymore on trips. In the middle of the trip, one or two flight attendants started pushing a cart down the aisle...it was loaded with sandwiches, drinks and whatnot. The recession is upon us, and even airline passengers feel the pinch.

A guy one seat across the aisle behind me is bouncing a little pink baby (about 3 months old) on his knee. She appears calm and quiet and is not making a fuss aside from the occasionaly cooing. She is dressed in a terry-cloth jumper, pink and perfect, complete with a little white baby ski cap. Undoubtedly a girl.

My ears hurt, this is the first time in all the years that i've been flying to manila and back that my cochlear system has let me down. *sigh* Can my luck get any worse? Swallowing big gulps of air is not working. (I'll be partially deaf for a few days, of course. Bummer).

The little baby is asleep now, sucking peacefully on a pacifier. Her dad's the one carrying her...a terribly young-looking dad. If he didn't have the baby cradled in his arms, I'd have said that he was fresh out of college...a varsity basketball team member, I assume, judging from his build and well, white basketball sneakers.

Early fatherhood is fine, of course, as long as you know how to get milk. :-p

I'm sitting next to a couple of ladies on this flight. The elderly one is in denim cut-offs, wearing a shawlish-looking dark blue t-shirt, made for a man, but apparently chosen by her for comfort. Both of her hands were protectively clutching a black Louis Vuitton tote (genuine or not, I didn't really care), as if all her life savings were hidden in it's deep recesses. She was silent and coughed occasionally, but was mostly asleep during the flight, never once taking off her grey and black fedora, not even for a minute.

Another lady, younger, and presumably her daughter, judging from the way they communicated with less words was equally interesting... She kept fiddling with her i-pod and cellphone before the "Turn off your cellphones please" reminder came on, and I noticed her elaborately decorated fingernails and toenails. They were very distracting...especially since she was wearing jewel-encrusted high-heeled sandals. I snuck a peak whenever they slept.

I didn't feel like being chatty on this plane ride...I just felt tired, and that I needed to keep to myself. I was feeling resigned.

Before I knew it, the plane had touched down, and I exhaled... It was a rough-ish landing and there was turbulence above, but still, it was nothing to worry about. I had no thoughts nor feelings nor premonitions of my death that morning. It was cool. Nothing to worry about.

While the plane was coasting, I took my phone out and texted my mum, because they said they were picking me up. The guy across the aisle from me gave a little laugh and went, "Here na me, where na you?" when he saw me texting.

He laughed because we weren't supposed to turn the cellphones back on yet as per airplane regulations but I hurriedly did it anyway, so he figured I was texting my boyfriend.

Yeah right.

Boyfriend.

Ha!

So I just smiled, and said no.

I waited patiently in my seat until the last few people filed out, and then i got my tote, a black Victoria's Secret bag, the one and only one I had and stepped out into the Dumaguete sunshine.

I was home.

For now.

P.S. They didn't even have a game (I always win something in these games, mind you.). Thanks to my cousin Ged for taking me to the airport at 5 in the morning.