Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Our International Airport & My Mixed Emotions



The Departure Area or lobby of the NAIA always evokes mixed feelings within me. There was at once a feeling of exhiliration with a tinge of apprehension if I was the one boarding the departing plane with a little sadness thinking of those I'll be leaving behind, however briefly. But nothing can compare to what I feel this morning. Today, I was supposed to send off the love of my life as he prepares for his flight to Dubai but I missed him by a few minutes because of the horrid traffic in Edsa, Makati. I wasn't able to say my prompt goodbyes and only caught him by phone about 20 mins. before he boarded his plane when we hurriedly bid our goodbyes and shouted our 'i love you's' with a promise to stay in touch. It was sad, at the same time I was hit by nostalgia as I went inside the main departure lobby just near the entrance to the boarding gates. Normally, I feel excited stepping into those same passageways and lanes but those days belong to the past, when I was part of the delegates to attend the yearly Time Inc. conferences. Stepping into those same large hallway, surrounded by bustling travelers with a worried look on some OFWs queuing at the check-in counters, brought back those happy memories with people I also cherish and became part of my professional and personal life. But in this case, the feeling was overshadowed by my intense longing for that one special person in my life,who after passing thru those immigration counters may be off to a brand new horizon, while I'm stuck in this country hounded by problems. I just have this feeling inside me that things may never be the same again between us and God only knows what's in store for us, for our relationship, and for our individual lives. If we are meant to be lovers still or will we become just the best of friends in the future. And i am also filled with regret thinking our last few days together before this 21st of Nov. 07 were not enough to bid each other our last farewells.

Such is the irony of airports. The place is teeming with activities, a lot of emotions from people, foreign and locals alike. SOme happy to be leaving the country, others hesitant and fearful, some amazed while those left behind sinks to depression and a feeling of deprivation, of not having to touch or see the face of their loved ones again for a long time. At once a place of euphoria and despair.

But there is brightness too amid the cold, gray skies of this day and the chaos at the departure area, shown by strangers assisting another stranger. I say this based on this morning's experience, when two staff of GulfAir, who perhaps sensing my agitation and disappointment over missing my honey's flight offered to deliver my letter to him in person before his plane took off. And that is one of those unexpected things that we encounter, feeling a stranger's concern over another's plight. Showing us that in times of turmoil and despite the commotions at the airport, there is always plenty of reason to smile, to be amused and be amazed. Again, proving that International airports can both signify a beginning as well as an end...

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Crispy Pata Nites!


Ah! What sumptuous feast it is.. At least, that's what a meal with your old, reliable and very Crispy Pata seems to signify. A taste of the fun times shared with people we like. Yes, I've come to look forward to those fun-filled moments, where we not just share a drink of iced-cold San Mig Lite or Strong Ice, or perhaps a frozen margarita but also have our fill of the so-called pulutan topped by that crispy pata. The manner itself of partaking in such a delightful delicacy is consistent to the theme of friendship and teamwork. It's like there is this one whole part of meat or pork that each of you share w/ one another, that you all try to finish together, dipping the crisp & juicy meat into one spicy, sweet and sour concoction (suka't toyo, if you must) and delighting in every morsel and every drop of vinegar on your lips. Something to relish in the same way we relish that special moment of camaraderie, a celebration of friendship. Never imagined that eating out and having a night out that include such food, your simple crispy pata can be equated with fine friendship - truly a feast to savor, and reminding us all that despite our trials, our daily hassles, there is still something in this world worth capturing and worth re-living every now and then..

Thursday, August 9, 2007

A poem -feb 14 of 1986

Love may mean a lot of things
to a lot of people..

Yet to me, love is just to have
-- someone to hold me and care for me,
someone to comfort me when i'm down,
one who stays a friend always.

And, to put it simply, love to me
is just merely having a man
as sweet and wonderful as you.

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Felt once and still Waiting for my Own Personal Utopia


Woke up to the sound of knocking, but not on my door. It was just a noise emanating from the neighbor's , someone banging on their door - not something I care about. Groggily, slipped past the covers, checked for my cellphone's inbox. It read: 7:45AM no message. Time for my morning bath, as I hesitantly pulled clothes from my closet, undergarments and towels in hand, proceeded downstairs. Thought to myself: 'Late again for work. What a way to start Monday.. '

Briefly scanned the table, aiming for breakfast and there.. yes!!.. some semblance of the good life, saw the adobo, a left-over from dinner, with the wind barely wafting through windows, smells like rain. At that moment, it was almost magical, like the old days, days of yore when troubles are light years away.. as I pondered through my meal, a cup of piping hot coffee, sumptuous pork adobo w/ shards of liver and hmm, newly-cooked rice amidst an almost cool and wet morning. Ah! felt like utopia, albeit briefly. As I wait still, to this day, ever hoping for my own personal utopia...