O Jeng, eto na update mo, read it word for word ha :p
Dec 16, alone again, naturally.
When I woke up, I was alone in the apartment. Sajo had left an hour or so ago.
I follow an established routine and was soon out the door heading to work. On the road, with an intersection ahead, I notice a motorbike go by and slow down a bit…the driver seemed to be looking at something down the road where I was coming from.
I turn at the corner and he’s, er, biking down that street, considerably slower. Until he stops, and turns his bike around. This time I knew what was happening. He drives back and past me until I cross the street and turn at another corner. I hear his bike nearby and hear him turn off the engine.
Next thing I know he was walking beside me. Are you Indian. I say no, without a smile. Really, I have to get to work. He tries to start some small talk. I walk on, until he asks me something and I get my opening. I don’t want to be rude, but NO.
That was that.
Dec 17, the wait is (almost) over
After lounging in the apartment in the morning, I find myself asleep on the couch with all my luggage near the door. I awaken to the crude, rude and startling sound of the apartment intercom. The taxi has arrived half an hour earlier than I wanted. Oh well...better to be early than late for my flight.
My cab driver is a pleasant late forties Cypriot whose youngest daughter is my age. His English is laced with a Cypriot accent and his words are not exactly what I would use when I speak but I manage to understand him and we carry on a limited conversation, just how I like 'em.
At Larnaca, I give him a generous tip and he finds a trolley for me. I thank him and get the taxi company's number. You never when you'll need it.
An attempt to not make her feel bad.
Inside I realize that I am early, and the check-in counter isn't open yet. I while time away at Sbarro with spaghetti lunch. A Filipina happens to be cleaning the dining area and she says how lucky I am I can afford to fly home for the holidays...She asks me how much a ticket costs nowadays and I fumble. Not having paid for my ticket is not something I'd like to brag to her about. My phone rings and Tita Eva's call saves me from answering.
In less time than I would have hoped, I finish my food and decide to hang out downstairs. To have coffee. I watch the small airport traffic and decide to take photos. Nothing interesting. Just what the eyes tend to see when there isnt much to see.
No window seat for me.
Once the Emirates ground crew started setting up the banners and the countere. I walk up and was first in line. But still no window seat for me. The lady at the counter decided that it was weird to see an e-ticket yet have the computer say I had a regular ticket. Whatever. My name is there right?!? Still, I am delayed, and I was not happy about it. After minutes of waiting and clearing things up without apparently clearing anything up, I am issued my boarding passes and my bags are deposited. Inside I grab a bottle of white Cypriot wine and waited for the boarding announcement.
Dec 18, 12:05 AM Midnight rush
Arrived in Dubai International Airport after a three-hour flight with very little sleeptime and a bad pasta dinner. I hurry over to the quiet area and find myself a lounge chair to sit in. I wrap my arms around my backpack to prevent theft and tried to sleep as soundly as possible.
Apparently those lounge chairs are not as comfortable as I thought. I think I would have been better off sleeping on the floor...but it was better than an upright chair. Besides, I couldnt find a quiet and safe corner where I can sleep on the floor. I had 8 hours to kill in Dubai, and by God I had to sleep! I slept a bit, for three hours, waking up every 30 or 40 minutes I think. And then I stopped trying. Time to window shop.
Restlessness is not a good trait when you have no choice but to wait.
Dubai Duty free didn’t offer any good Christmas gift goodies so I splurged on Costco coffee instead. I whip up my laptop and work on my EC while I sip my coffee as slowly as I can. I compute and recompute, made my list and checked it twice, thrice...redesigned the form mentally and forgot about it...an hour later, I was restless again. Time to find out where my gate is.
Might as well play.
The thing with Dubai International Airport, is that the screens displaying flight times and gate numbers dont do so until 15 or 10 minutes before your plane leaves.
I insist on waiting for it on the board though, and decided to let Buddy play a bit. I take snaps of the useless Samsung board and go on the walk-a-lator for the nth time that day, taking photos while Buddy and I moved. Satisfied with the shot, I made a last attempt at waiting to see the gate announcement. None still. Fortunately, I hear my flight number and gate announced.
The wait is almost over…really?
Once in the plane I perform my ritual of placing my book on the front seat pocket, removing my shoes, covering myself up with the blanket, putting on my headset and fastening my seatbelt. I peruse the Entertainment guide and mentally plan out my own TV Guide on my head, allowing for generous sleep time in between.
Halfway through my first movie, I was still awake and they were serving breakfast. I fidget while I decide if wine would go well with my omelette as I needed wine to fall asleep. My body clock says its morning, and I rarely sleep when I'm already awake on mornings. Regardless of the quality of sleep I've had.
I pass on the wine and decide to finish the movie and tune in to classical music so I can sleep. Movie and several overtures later, I was still awake. Eyes closed but very much awake.
A Movie Marathon in the sky
Read or watch? I decide to watch movies. After all, I can catch up on reading...but I can't watch movies I've missed. So watch I did. Three movies, several CSI, Will and Grace episodes, and lunch later...I've slept for maybe half and hour and nothing more. I will be awake until the time we land.
The wait is almost over. Really.
I breeze past Immigration and somehow got stuck in Baggage claim. My brightly-colored luggage shows up more than half an hour after I reached the luggage belt. I finally think I can truly rest.
Duty calls
I meet up with my parents and we decide to head off to Duty Free. I have chocolates to buy and I won't be commuting to this area, no sir, no thanks. I do something stupid at the cashier however and end up ruining one of the longest days I've ever had...lack of sleep and too many movies tend to ruin foresight.
Oh and I fail to win myself a car at a promo thing too. Why am I not surprised?
Home is where they wait for you.
Reached home close to midnight where I find all 4 kids are still up. Waiting for me, they said. But they were really playing PS games. Still, I feel bad and give them one chocolate a piece. It was late at night and I didn't want them to eat too much sugar. Tomorrow they can have as many as they want.
I eat, again. Dinner I think but to my screwed up sense of time it could be anything. We talk over dinner and then realized that it was almost 2 AM. I finally prepare for bed and convince the kids to do the same. By 3 AM, I manage to fall asleep..but not without trying. Hard.
Day 1 of the longest short vacation.
I get up at 9 AM and decide to take the kids to the mall. I promised I'd buy them clothes. Fortunately for me the boys pass and I'm with the two girls. So I hit the mall and we try on outfits. By early afternoon, I convince my parents to leave me behind as I wanted to shop for some stuff. Got myself new red shoes, a blouse and a pair of cheapo jeans. At least they fit. Hurray for me!
Towards the evening I found myself SMSing people if there was anything planned for that night. Since there really was none, we had several "Tara" and "Wala e" and "Wag na lang" which eventually ended up with me and Don somewhere near Timog (with permission from Pia of course). Catching up is always nice.
A Whirlwind
Everything became pretty much hectic from that day on…With midnight being the earliest time II’d be home. I had days filled with buying Christmas clothes for the kids in the morning and meeting up and having dinner and/or drinks with friends in the evening. I would try to squeeze in Christmas shopping in the morning, with spurts of work interference on the side and then attend a Christmas party in the evening. On the 24th of December I find myself finally just as home…only to realize that meant I was in charge of cleaning up the house for Christmas dinner and yes, post Christmas gift opening mess. But all is well that ends well. Got myself new shirts as gifts.
On Christmas day I find myself alone in the morning with strict orders to be in Sta Lucia by noon. Interesting day this would be, I thought. So I go anyway. What else would I do? I while my day away watching people do retail therapy and try to arrange for what has become a yearly habit for me…coffee with neighbors. Creature of habit, that is what I am. Plans forge through, but the actual coffee time did not.
Nevertheless it has been moved to the following day after other errands were cancelled. Coffee Bean with Erik and Allan…we don’t really do anything significant. We just…have coffee. Post coffee I’m home. But not for long. I find myself in City Lifestyle Spa with Pia, Don and Con. They wanted to do Spa, I wanted to try it out. Afterwards, we meet up with Lette and Z and head where? Coffee Bean again! Looking back, they shouldve given me a present at least.
What vacation?
I find myself at work after Christmas for training. Finding that immensely untasteful, I arrange for an out of town trip with Jaque and whoever we can manage to convince. In the end it was me and Jaque and her officemates. I know for certain that I’ve lost my pangungulit touch. Only one person came close to joining the trip and he flaked out…you know who you are (and I still say its very disappointing..tsk tsk tsk).
Finally, my final week prior to departure
This one’s easy. Work. Had them piling up as soon as I welcomed 2006 in my sister’s garage in San Pablo with the rest of my family. Hours prior to departure, I was still at work, resolving an issue that made itself known way too late.
So there! I doubt if anyone read all of that…if you did. Thanks. Promise I wont do anything like this again. Hahaha!
