Am at Dee's house, freshly showered. And I tell ya, I feel much cleaner after a shower here. For one, I'm not sweating as soon as I get out of the shower.
The flight started out a bit worrisome. Even before they started serving dinner, we hit turbulence. After dinner, they turned the cabin lights off so people could sleep. I'm not sure how many hours I slept before I got woken up by the plane pitching back and forth and up and down like a roller coaster. It was the worse flight turbulence I had encountered ever. At one point, I think the plane angled about 45 degrees clockwise, but the pilot straightened the plane right away.
I lifted the eye cover they gave us to check on Mom. (Philippine Airlines gives away this satiny pouch which contains a pair of socks, an eye cover, and a travel toothbrush and toothpaste.) She looked worried. I went back to sleep. I didn't want her to see me worried too. Eventually, she did the same.
That was before we hit the dateline. The TV monitor showed the map with the plane and the route marked in red. The second half was relatively smooth, although there was still some turbulence.
A couple of hours before landing, they woke us up and served breakfast. Landing was uneventful.
There seems to be a custom, only in Philippine Airlines: After landing, the passengers would applaud. I don't think I've seen it in other airlines.
Well, I dunno about that applause. One would think that landing a plane safely should be par for the course. Otherwise, the pilot should be looking for another job, don't you agree?
That kinda reminds me of one of Mom's stories:
A priest and a jeepney driver die at the same time and they both go to heaven. Just as they believed, they were rewarded with things they could not have on earth. It was the driver who was first granted a huge mansion to live in. The priest was excited and he thought that, surely, he deserved an even bigger mansion.
But when he was lead to his new home in heaven, it was a very small cottage. He asked God why the jeepney driver got a huge mansion, while he -- who did God's work most of his life -- only got a small cottage. God replied, "That's because, when you say Mass, the people fall asleep in church. But when he drives, all his passengers pray."
I suppose that flight's pilot will be getting a big mansion.
Showing posts with label 2008 Philippines again. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2008 Philippines again. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Monday, October 06, 2008
Candelaria to Manila
Going home was a big production. *sigh* I would have preferred a quiet exit, but since Mom was with me, I suppose Auntie Eying felt it was necessary to give us a big send-off.
We were woken up on Sunday morning at 3:45am by my aunt, knocking on our door. I quickly took a shower (Mom took hers the night before) and we all hurriedly finished packing. The van had arrived at 1am from Manila to pick us up.
By 5:00am, we were piling into the van. It wasn't as full as it was when my cousins went back to Manila, but it was still full. The driver Benny came with Zaldy's right-hand Mator, who sat in front with Boyet. Mom, Auntie Eying and I sat in the middle row. JJ sat in the back with the luggage.
We picked up Auntie Baby in Amungan an hour later. She had been waiting since 5am with Uncle Use and her son Jeffrey. And off we went.
Well, when you have Mom, Auntie Eying, and Auntie Baby all in one vehicle, don't expect to get any sleep. They were chatting and joking and laughing all the way to Manila, reminiscing about old incidents, telling funny stories about schoolchildren (both Auntie Eying and Auntie Baby are grade school teachers), retelling familiar jokes.
We stopped at the JollyBee in SBMA (Subic Bay Military Area?) for breakfast, then we were off again. We arrived in Manila close to lunch.
On Friday, I made reservations online for Rothmann Hotel where I stayed last May. Unfortunately, they couldn't process my reservation for two business days. I just assumed they would have an opening. So when Zaldy et al arrived, I asked him to confirm my reservation, and it turned out that they were full. (I later found an email where they responded to my question but no confirmation of my reservation.) They recommended the hostel across the street.
So, we drove to the hostel and they luckily had vacancies. But the rooms were very small. It's about half the size of a regular hotel room. But, at least, there were private bathrooms. The clerk gave us "deluxe" rooms, which were slightly bigger, for the same price as regular rooms. And they allowed us to have three people in each room, so we only had to rent two rooms. The price was PhP1900 for each room with breakfast for two, plus PhP450 for an additional person and PhP200 for an additional breakfast. Then I purchased a 16-hour internet access card for PhP965.
They had a small dining area in the front of the lobby where the cousins laid out the food they brought with them. Judith brought several boxes of buko pie; we took two. I ordered 200 pieces of yema from Sonia, but she refused to charge me for it. She even made extras for us to eat right there. And they were better than the ones I brought home in May. She made them with finely ground peanuts, which adds a unique flavor to them. I'm gonna have to learn how to make them.
Two days prior, Mom had ordered some pastillas from a local maker and they were very good too. They are softer and a much better quality than the premade ones that are sold at the bus depot and other roadside stores. Then she asked Auntie Baby to buy PhP1000 worth of linga, which is sweetened sesame seed sticks. We were snacking on them on the way to Manila.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure we made such a ruckus at the hotel with all the little children running around and arguing about a video game. It was already 3pm when the last of the cousins left. Mom and Auntie Baby decided to go shopping at the nearby Robinsons Mall. I went upstairs to work.
In the evening, Auntie Eying, JJ and Mom went back to Robinsons for dinner. Auntie Baby stayed behind until I finished work and we headed out to search for them. We thought Boyet was with them, but it turned out that he got left behind. When we found them, they were at a restaurant right next to Goldilocks and they weren't happy with the food at all. Auntie Baby and I decided to go to Goldilocks after hearing that review.
We ordered bangus belly sinigang, laing (gabi leaves cooked in coconut milk), barbequed pork on a stick, and sago at gulaman for drinks. It was a very good meal. When Mom, Auntie Eying, and JJ joined us, we ordered halo-halo for dessert. I was stuffed.
Then we headed home and I worked some more, while Mom and Auntie Baby went over to the other room to play cards. We all went to bed by 9pm, but I got up around 2am to prepare for the burning of a virtual temple. A little after 4am, I took a nap for a little over an hour then got up again around 5:30am. The temple burn ended at 7am.
Everybody had already woken up and were clamoring for breakfast. Boyet had left very early in the morning for his 5am flight. Mom and Auntie Baby took a shower before I did. I was having problems with the preparation for the second burn, so I said I'd follow them downstairs. They were able to claim their free breakfast tickets and I asked for my breakfast to be packed. I rushed back to the room to keep working. JJ delivered my breakfast soon after.
The hotel's wireless network proved to be less reliable than the internet cafe. Thankfully, I had some help. The second burn ended at 7am, but I took care of a few things before signing out and taking another half hour nap.
The hotel allowed half-day rentals, so I extended our room for a half day so I could take a nap. Auntie Eying and JJ had to go to the Veterans Administration, then they checked out of their room and moved their things to our room. Mom and Auntie Baby left for lunch while I was taking a nap. They came back with very good food that they purchased from a turo-turo (literally "point-point", it's a small eatery or cafeteria where you point at what dishes you want). I had tinola (a chicken dish with broth and green papaya), lechon kawali (pan fried pork), and rice. I set the dried fish aside for Auntie Eying.
Then I alternated between napping and using up my internet minutes. I was able to show Auntie Baby the YouTube video of my nephews, and another of my niece and sister.
At 5:30pm, we got ready to leave. We said goodbye to Auntie Baby, Auntie Eying, and JJ in front of the hotel as our ride arrived.
There was traffic as we expected. We decided to go with the hotel's airport transportation for PhP700. They said a cab would have cost us PhP300. (I'll have to check how much it cost me last May.) But for our safety, we decided to go with the hotel car. Mom was chatting with the driver the whole time. And we were lucky to get a glimpse of the infamous sunset over Manila Bay as we turned into Roxas Boulevard.
Check-in was fairly easy. As I expected, we went through security three times. But there was a porter who helped us with our luggage from the car to the check-in counter.
We just got through the third and final security and documents check before we board, and we're waiting fohr our flight. Two more hours....
We were woken up on Sunday morning at 3:45am by my aunt, knocking on our door. I quickly took a shower (Mom took hers the night before) and we all hurriedly finished packing. The van had arrived at 1am from Manila to pick us up.
By 5:00am, we were piling into the van. It wasn't as full as it was when my cousins went back to Manila, but it was still full. The driver Benny came with Zaldy's right-hand Mator, who sat in front with Boyet. Mom, Auntie Eying and I sat in the middle row. JJ sat in the back with the luggage.
We picked up Auntie Baby in Amungan an hour later. She had been waiting since 5am with Uncle Use and her son Jeffrey. And off we went.
Well, when you have Mom, Auntie Eying, and Auntie Baby all in one vehicle, don't expect to get any sleep. They were chatting and joking and laughing all the way to Manila, reminiscing about old incidents, telling funny stories about schoolchildren (both Auntie Eying and Auntie Baby are grade school teachers), retelling familiar jokes.
We stopped at the JollyBee in SBMA (Subic Bay Military Area?) for breakfast, then we were off again. We arrived in Manila close to lunch.
On Friday, I made reservations online for Rothmann Hotel where I stayed last May. Unfortunately, they couldn't process my reservation for two business days. I just assumed they would have an opening. So when Zaldy et al arrived, I asked him to confirm my reservation, and it turned out that they were full. (I later found an email where they responded to my question but no confirmation of my reservation.) They recommended the hostel across the street.
So, we drove to the hostel and they luckily had vacancies. But the rooms were very small. It's about half the size of a regular hotel room. But, at least, there were private bathrooms. The clerk gave us "deluxe" rooms, which were slightly bigger, for the same price as regular rooms. And they allowed us to have three people in each room, so we only had to rent two rooms. The price was PhP1900 for each room with breakfast for two, plus PhP450 for an additional person and PhP200 for an additional breakfast. Then I purchased a 16-hour internet access card for PhP965.
They had a small dining area in the front of the lobby where the cousins laid out the food they brought with them. Judith brought several boxes of buko pie; we took two. I ordered 200 pieces of yema from Sonia, but she refused to charge me for it. She even made extras for us to eat right there. And they were better than the ones I brought home in May. She made them with finely ground peanuts, which adds a unique flavor to them. I'm gonna have to learn how to make them.
Two days prior, Mom had ordered some pastillas from a local maker and they were very good too. They are softer and a much better quality than the premade ones that are sold at the bus depot and other roadside stores. Then she asked Auntie Baby to buy PhP1000 worth of linga, which is sweetened sesame seed sticks. We were snacking on them on the way to Manila.
Anyway, I'm pretty sure we made such a ruckus at the hotel with all the little children running around and arguing about a video game. It was already 3pm when the last of the cousins left. Mom and Auntie Baby decided to go shopping at the nearby Robinsons Mall. I went upstairs to work.
In the evening, Auntie Eying, JJ and Mom went back to Robinsons for dinner. Auntie Baby stayed behind until I finished work and we headed out to search for them. We thought Boyet was with them, but it turned out that he got left behind. When we found them, they were at a restaurant right next to Goldilocks and they weren't happy with the food at all. Auntie Baby and I decided to go to Goldilocks after hearing that review.
We ordered bangus belly sinigang, laing (gabi leaves cooked in coconut milk), barbequed pork on a stick, and sago at gulaman for drinks. It was a very good meal. When Mom, Auntie Eying, and JJ joined us, we ordered halo-halo for dessert. I was stuffed.
Then we headed home and I worked some more, while Mom and Auntie Baby went over to the other room to play cards. We all went to bed by 9pm, but I got up around 2am to prepare for the burning of a virtual temple. A little after 4am, I took a nap for a little over an hour then got up again around 5:30am. The temple burn ended at 7am.
Everybody had already woken up and were clamoring for breakfast. Boyet had left very early in the morning for his 5am flight. Mom and Auntie Baby took a shower before I did. I was having problems with the preparation for the second burn, so I said I'd follow them downstairs. They were able to claim their free breakfast tickets and I asked for my breakfast to be packed. I rushed back to the room to keep working. JJ delivered my breakfast soon after.
The hotel's wireless network proved to be less reliable than the internet cafe. Thankfully, I had some help. The second burn ended at 7am, but I took care of a few things before signing out and taking another half hour nap.
The hotel allowed half-day rentals, so I extended our room for a half day so I could take a nap. Auntie Eying and JJ had to go to the Veterans Administration, then they checked out of their room and moved their things to our room. Mom and Auntie Baby left for lunch while I was taking a nap. They came back with very good food that they purchased from a turo-turo (literally "point-point", it's a small eatery or cafeteria where you point at what dishes you want). I had tinola (a chicken dish with broth and green papaya), lechon kawali (pan fried pork), and rice. I set the dried fish aside for Auntie Eying.
Then I alternated between napping and using up my internet minutes. I was able to show Auntie Baby the YouTube video of my nephews, and another of my niece and sister.
At 5:30pm, we got ready to leave. We said goodbye to Auntie Baby, Auntie Eying, and JJ in front of the hotel as our ride arrived.
There was traffic as we expected. We decided to go with the hotel's airport transportation for PhP700. They said a cab would have cost us PhP300. (I'll have to check how much it cost me last May.) But for our safety, we decided to go with the hotel car. Mom was chatting with the driver the whole time. And we were lucky to get a glimpse of the infamous sunset over Manila Bay as we turned into Roxas Boulevard.
Check-in was fairly easy. As I expected, we went through security three times. But there was a porter who helped us with our luggage from the car to the check-in counter.
We just got through the third and final security and documents check before we board, and we're waiting fohr our flight. Two more hours....
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Filipino food!
We went to Amungan to visit Auntie Baby today. Mom, Auntie Eying, Boyet, JJ, Aling Meding (who took care of Mamang). JJ's brother Michael drove his grandmother's van.
When we piled into the van, Michael asked me to explain to Mom that the van doesn't have air conditioning. I told him to just open up the windows and tell her that it's "natural" air conditioning. After we got going, the breeze was so nice and cool. Auntie Eying was feeling cold.
We left Candelaria at 9am and got to Amungan in half an hour or so and, as soon as we got there, they started serving food -- puto, suman, and buko juice. (Puto is steamed bread. Suman is sticky rice wrapped in palm leaves. Buko is young coconut.)
And talk, talk, talk.
At noon, they served lunch. With rice, we had pusit (calamari), alimasag (crab), nilagang baboy (pork boiled with vegetables), pinakbet (vegetables cooked a certain way) with fish, and more buko juice.
More talk, talk, talk.
Auntie Baby has two grandsons with her son Jeffrey and his wife Maricel -- Ivan and James. When I was last here in 2005, I met them for the first time. Ivan was fierce and carried around a real bolo (a kind of hatchet) that was bigger than him. James (whom Ivan calls "James Bond" or "JemsBan" in the local accent ;) ) was still a babe then. James is now three and takes a liking to me. He has huge enticing eyes. Everytime I ask him something, his response is "Opo," which is the respectful version of "yes." The boy is a charmer.
When Jeffrey arrives, he showed us a monitor lizard that got caught in a trap. Thankfully, it was tied up. The kids hovered around it and weren't afraid at all.
Auntie Eying sent a text to Paz, whom we met during the wake. It turned out that Paz got training as a massage therapist and she had given Mom a full body massage for PhP100. Yes, that's US$2. And then she had the misfortune of playing "tong-its" (a card game) with Mom during Mamang's wake. Their agreement was that, if Paz won, Mom would pay her double the price of the massage, and, if Mom won, the massage was free. Needless to say, by the end of the evening, Paz owed Mom eight hours of massage. Poor Paz.
Anyway, Paz arrived in a tricycle after lunch, and more relatives who live in the baybay (seashore) passed by after finding out from the tricycle driver that there were guests. Soon, there were a lot of people, but that's not unusual at Auntie Baby's house. Her house is Grand Central Station of Amungan.
Around 1pm, while Paz was paying for her debt (i.e.: giving Mom a massage), a vendor of rice cakes arrived. She was selling a huge tray of bibingka, which is sticky rice topped with sticky caramel sauce. And it was freshly made and still very hot. She sold us quite a bit.
Someone came by with four large yellow-fin fish, freshly caught, for PhP400. Mom said to give PhP500. We left one with Auntie Baby and gave one to Michael, who only charged us for fuel.
After Mom's massage, we started back since I'm on a deadline and had to get to the internet cafe. When we got back, I took a quick nap and when I woke up, we had again snacked on Auntie Eying's macaroni salad. Then JJ and I headed to the internet cafe. It was 3pm.
JJ had to wait a couple of hours because the internet cafe was full. I was able to work right away because I had my own laptop and they just provided me with a network cable and a power outlet. I usually sit just outside the door where it's cooler and less crowded. While he waited, JJ bought some pastillas (a milk candy shaped into sticks) and shared with me.
The internet cafe usually closes at 7pm, but they stayed open a little later today. But as I was finishing up, JJ asked if I wanted some barbequed chicken intestines on a stick. They also had barbequed meat on a stick and we decided to get that. And since Mom and Auntie Eying had been talking about balut, we decided to get ten of those too. For those who are not in the know, balut is an infamous Filipino delicacy.
Really, it's just boiled egg...
Boiled duck egg...
Boiled fertilized duck egg...
Yes, with a duck fetus inside...
But very yummy.
So we took the yummy stuff home, had dinner and enjoyed our balut. Then we watched the mermaid show "Dyezebel" until bedtime.
Yeah, I think we were eating once an hour today. So much good stuff.
When we piled into the van, Michael asked me to explain to Mom that the van doesn't have air conditioning. I told him to just open up the windows and tell her that it's "natural" air conditioning. After we got going, the breeze was so nice and cool. Auntie Eying was feeling cold.
We left Candelaria at 9am and got to Amungan in half an hour or so and, as soon as we got there, they started serving food -- puto, suman, and buko juice. (Puto is steamed bread. Suman is sticky rice wrapped in palm leaves. Buko is young coconut.)
And talk, talk, talk.
At noon, they served lunch. With rice, we had pusit (calamari), alimasag (crab), nilagang baboy (pork boiled with vegetables), pinakbet (vegetables cooked a certain way) with fish, and more buko juice.
More talk, talk, talk.
Auntie Baby has two grandsons with her son Jeffrey and his wife Maricel -- Ivan and James. When I was last here in 2005, I met them for the first time. Ivan was fierce and carried around a real bolo (a kind of hatchet) that was bigger than him. James (whom Ivan calls "James Bond" or "JemsBan" in the local accent ;) ) was still a babe then. James is now three and takes a liking to me. He has huge enticing eyes. Everytime I ask him something, his response is "Opo," which is the respectful version of "yes." The boy is a charmer.
When Jeffrey arrives, he showed us a monitor lizard that got caught in a trap. Thankfully, it was tied up. The kids hovered around it and weren't afraid at all.
Auntie Eying sent a text to Paz, whom we met during the wake. It turned out that Paz got training as a massage therapist and she had given Mom a full body massage for PhP100. Yes, that's US$2. And then she had the misfortune of playing "tong-its" (a card game) with Mom during Mamang's wake. Their agreement was that, if Paz won, Mom would pay her double the price of the massage, and, if Mom won, the massage was free. Needless to say, by the end of the evening, Paz owed Mom eight hours of massage. Poor Paz.
Anyway, Paz arrived in a tricycle after lunch, and more relatives who live in the baybay (seashore) passed by after finding out from the tricycle driver that there were guests. Soon, there were a lot of people, but that's not unusual at Auntie Baby's house. Her house is Grand Central Station of Amungan.
Around 1pm, while Paz was paying for her debt (i.e.: giving Mom a massage), a vendor of rice cakes arrived. She was selling a huge tray of bibingka, which is sticky rice topped with sticky caramel sauce. And it was freshly made and still very hot. She sold us quite a bit.
Someone came by with four large yellow-fin fish, freshly caught, for PhP400. Mom said to give PhP500. We left one with Auntie Baby and gave one to Michael, who only charged us for fuel.
After Mom's massage, we started back since I'm on a deadline and had to get to the internet cafe. When we got back, I took a quick nap and when I woke up, we had again snacked on Auntie Eying's macaroni salad. Then JJ and I headed to the internet cafe. It was 3pm.
JJ had to wait a couple of hours because the internet cafe was full. I was able to work right away because I had my own laptop and they just provided me with a network cable and a power outlet. I usually sit just outside the door where it's cooler and less crowded. While he waited, JJ bought some pastillas (a milk candy shaped into sticks) and shared with me.
The internet cafe usually closes at 7pm, but they stayed open a little later today. But as I was finishing up, JJ asked if I wanted some barbequed chicken intestines on a stick. They also had barbequed meat on a stick and we decided to get that. And since Mom and Auntie Eying had been talking about balut, we decided to get ten of those too. For those who are not in the know, balut is an infamous Filipino delicacy.
Really, it's just boiled egg...
Boiled duck egg...
Boiled fertilized duck egg...
Yes, with a duck fetus inside...
But very yummy.
So we took the yummy stuff home, had dinner and enjoyed our balut. Then we watched the mermaid show "Dyezebel" until bedtime.
Yeah, I think we were eating once an hour today. So much good stuff.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
SEA to SFO to MNL
Sept 22 Mon
I was up by 7:30am. The Shuttle Express driver called me at 8:50 and said that he would be early. I was still rushing through breakfast. He picked up another passenger first, and he arrived at 9:15 as secheduled. By 10:30am, I had checked in, gone through security, and found a seat at my gate. I took a nap and got woken up by a business traveller having a meeting on his cellphone. At 11:45am, I went off to find lunch.
SeaTac Airport has changed a lot since I last flew in May. There's a new food court area that I overheard an airlines agent recommend to another traveller. The food court is a wide open space with shops and restaurants; it kinda reminds me of the Minneapolis airport.
I found Ivar's and ordered a bowl of white clam chowder. There wasn't much time to wait for anything more than that. Then I rushed back to my gate with the brown bag and wolfed down my clam chowder as the previous flight was unboarding. I was done by the time they started boarding the business class.
The flight was delayed, so it was already 3:00pm by the time I got my bag at the baggage claim at SFO and walked out to the curb to meet Dee. Then we rushed to downtown San Francisco to pick up my mom's passport. Dee was telling me how they were also rushing and running late that morning for my mom's appointment, because my mom didn't bring her cellphone and she was looking for a bathroom. I was authorized to pick it up so that she wouldn't have to park. She warned me of the security checkpoint, so I left my things and only took my ID and my cellphone with me. It was an easy pick-up. Then we headed to my dad's, chatting and catching up on news on the way there.
We had to go to the bank and I had to wire some money using my dad's computer, so I didn't really have time to nap at all. I had a snack and, by 6:30pm, we were rushing to pick up my mom with my little nephew in tow.
Dee just dropped us off in front of the international terminal and we were on our own. It was after 8:00pm. We checked in and waited for a wheelchair for my mom. It turned out that the flight would be non-stop after all; the itinerary said that there was a stop in Guam. When we got to our gate, I went and bought a sandwich for her and a salad for me, and two bottles of water.
At 9:30pm, they started boarding the folks in wheelchairs first. We were lucky to get a two-seater row. I initially sat on the aisle seat, but we traded later because my mom had to go to the bathroom more frequently. The flight was delayed for more than an hour while they figured out why the computers were saying that the plane was 1,500 lbs heavier than the available fuel. We didn't leave until after 11:30pm.
The flight was a little less than 14 hours long. We mostly slept and read and ate when we were served. I was reading "I, Avatar" by Mark Stephen Meadows; it made me miss Second Life less.
Sep 24 Wed
We still got to Manila on time, a little after 5:00am local time (GMT+8). Yes, Tuesday was compressed into about eight hours, and I slept most of that, so there's no point talking about it.
In Manila, going through immigration was very easy, surprisingly. A lady agent was directing traffic in the lines while she whistled a happy tune. And the agent behind the booth smiled when I came up and he didn't ask any questions at all. He just stamped my passport, took his copy of the form and smiled again as I thanked him. The aide who was pushing mom's wheelchair also assisted us with getting our luggage. Going through customs was even quicker. And we found Zaldy quickly enough.
Zaldy hired the same driver Benny, who took us to the Victory Liner station the last time I visited. This time, he was driving a red SUV and it was full. There was Benny and Zaldy in front, me, my mom and one of Zaldy's neighbor Mator (his real name is Anthony but his brother nicknamed him after a cartoon series), Obet (Nancy's husband) with two of their kids in the back next to the luggage. It was about 6:00am when we started off. Then we stopped at a rest area. We had breakfast at a Chow King and I was able to buy a sim card for my phone. Forty-five minutes later, we were on our way again.
Zaldy said that there's a new road that goes faster because it bypasses the zigzaggy area. So, we took that route, except it seemed we had to pay toll at least three times. We also encountered three accidents on the road -- a small truck in a ditch, a head-on collision, and another collision with a car ending up perpendicular to the road. It didn't look like there were any injuries in any of them, but the vehicles looked really dented. We saw an ambulance come up behind us and then go in the opposite direction a few minutes later, with sirens both ways.
There was supposed to be a tropical storm, but the wettest weather we encountered was heavy drizzle. Some roads had flooding on the sides though, and most of the rivers had high waters. But something about the cloudiness, the blue mountains in the distance, the thick green foliage, and the quietness of the fields where the new road run through. It reminded me of my high school days when we lived in Bataan. And it was very soothing. Very quieting and refreshing to the soul. I hadn't felt that for a very long time.
It was already noon by the time we arrived in Candelaria.
I touched Auntie Eying's hand to my forehead (a traditional form of greeting an elder) and hugged JJ, who had been my helper during my last trip and who had kept me informed via email of what was going on with Mamang since my last trip.
I hugged Ate Hels, whom I hadn't seen since 1982. "Ate" (pronounced "ah'te") is an honorific title for an older sister but is often used for any older female relative in the same generation. Ate Hels is Auntie Eying's oldest daughter and Zaldy's sister. Auntie Soling, whom I saw during my trip here last May, was seated by the coffin and I gave her a hug too.
Auntie Soling stood up with me while I viewed Mamang's body. It doesn't look like Mamang at all. It doesn't feel like her. It was as though it was a stranger's body lying there.
Soon, we were called for lunch and I went and joined the rest. Zaldy, Mator, and Benny headed back to Manila soon after lunch. They'll be picking up Zaldy's other siblings in the next couple of days.
Mom is in good spirits. I think seeing her sister and my cousins and other relatives is helping buffer the whole thing for her. She said it hasn't sunk in yet.
I was up by 7:30am. The Shuttle Express driver called me at 8:50 and said that he would be early. I was still rushing through breakfast. He picked up another passenger first, and he arrived at 9:15 as secheduled. By 10:30am, I had checked in, gone through security, and found a seat at my gate. I took a nap and got woken up by a business traveller having a meeting on his cellphone. At 11:45am, I went off to find lunch.
SeaTac Airport has changed a lot since I last flew in May. There's a new food court area that I overheard an airlines agent recommend to another traveller. The food court is a wide open space with shops and restaurants; it kinda reminds me of the Minneapolis airport.
I found Ivar's and ordered a bowl of white clam chowder. There wasn't much time to wait for anything more than that. Then I rushed back to my gate with the brown bag and wolfed down my clam chowder as the previous flight was unboarding. I was done by the time they started boarding the business class.
The flight was delayed, so it was already 3:00pm by the time I got my bag at the baggage claim at SFO and walked out to the curb to meet Dee. Then we rushed to downtown San Francisco to pick up my mom's passport. Dee was telling me how they were also rushing and running late that morning for my mom's appointment, because my mom didn't bring her cellphone and she was looking for a bathroom. I was authorized to pick it up so that she wouldn't have to park. She warned me of the security checkpoint, so I left my things and only took my ID and my cellphone with me. It was an easy pick-up. Then we headed to my dad's, chatting and catching up on news on the way there.
We had to go to the bank and I had to wire some money using my dad's computer, so I didn't really have time to nap at all. I had a snack and, by 6:30pm, we were rushing to pick up my mom with my little nephew in tow.
Dee just dropped us off in front of the international terminal and we were on our own. It was after 8:00pm. We checked in and waited for a wheelchair for my mom. It turned out that the flight would be non-stop after all; the itinerary said that there was a stop in Guam. When we got to our gate, I went and bought a sandwich for her and a salad for me, and two bottles of water.
At 9:30pm, they started boarding the folks in wheelchairs first. We were lucky to get a two-seater row. I initially sat on the aisle seat, but we traded later because my mom had to go to the bathroom more frequently. The flight was delayed for more than an hour while they figured out why the computers were saying that the plane was 1,500 lbs heavier than the available fuel. We didn't leave until after 11:30pm.
The flight was a little less than 14 hours long. We mostly slept and read and ate when we were served. I was reading "I, Avatar" by Mark Stephen Meadows; it made me miss Second Life less.
Sep 24 Wed
We still got to Manila on time, a little after 5:00am local time (GMT+8). Yes, Tuesday was compressed into about eight hours, and I slept most of that, so there's no point talking about it.
In Manila, going through immigration was very easy, surprisingly. A lady agent was directing traffic in the lines while she whistled a happy tune. And the agent behind the booth smiled when I came up and he didn't ask any questions at all. He just stamped my passport, took his copy of the form and smiled again as I thanked him. The aide who was pushing mom's wheelchair also assisted us with getting our luggage. Going through customs was even quicker. And we found Zaldy quickly enough.
Zaldy hired the same driver Benny, who took us to the Victory Liner station the last time I visited. This time, he was driving a red SUV and it was full. There was Benny and Zaldy in front, me, my mom and one of Zaldy's neighbor Mator (his real name is Anthony but his brother nicknamed him after a cartoon series), Obet (Nancy's husband) with two of their kids in the back next to the luggage. It was about 6:00am when we started off. Then we stopped at a rest area. We had breakfast at a Chow King and I was able to buy a sim card for my phone. Forty-five minutes later, we were on our way again.
Zaldy said that there's a new road that goes faster because it bypasses the zigzaggy area. So, we took that route, except it seemed we had to pay toll at least three times. We also encountered three accidents on the road -- a small truck in a ditch, a head-on collision, and another collision with a car ending up perpendicular to the road. It didn't look like there were any injuries in any of them, but the vehicles looked really dented. We saw an ambulance come up behind us and then go in the opposite direction a few minutes later, with sirens both ways.
There was supposed to be a tropical storm, but the wettest weather we encountered was heavy drizzle. Some roads had flooding on the sides though, and most of the rivers had high waters. But something about the cloudiness, the blue mountains in the distance, the thick green foliage, and the quietness of the fields where the new road run through. It reminded me of my high school days when we lived in Bataan. And it was very soothing. Very quieting and refreshing to the soul. I hadn't felt that for a very long time.
It was already noon by the time we arrived in Candelaria.
I touched Auntie Eying's hand to my forehead (a traditional form of greeting an elder) and hugged JJ, who had been my helper during my last trip and who had kept me informed via email of what was going on with Mamang since my last trip.
I hugged Ate Hels, whom I hadn't seen since 1982. "Ate" (pronounced "ah'te") is an honorific title for an older sister but is often used for any older female relative in the same generation. Ate Hels is Auntie Eying's oldest daughter and Zaldy's sister. Auntie Soling, whom I saw during my trip here last May, was seated by the coffin and I gave her a hug too.
Auntie Soling stood up with me while I viewed Mamang's body. It doesn't look like Mamang at all. It doesn't feel like her. It was as though it was a stranger's body lying there.
Soon, we were called for lunch and I went and joined the rest. Zaldy, Mator, and Benny headed back to Manila soon after lunch. They'll be picking up Zaldy's other siblings in the next couple of days.
Mom is in good spirits. I think seeing her sister and my cousins and other relatives is helping buffer the whole thing for her. She said it hasn't sunk in yet.