Coming Home

Half-baked excitement engulfed me when the airplane i was boarding touched down the NAIA runway, once again im back to the Philippines. After six months of being far away from family, from friends, from habits and from minimal wage, i could almost feel manila's bustling cityscape (the pollution i am saying), its energetic people (the snatchers and kidnappers i am referring) and all other ingridients (malls eveywhere, the crowded buses, cigarette vendors) that makes manila one of the most unique cities in the world.

The Flight

It was a long flight, sixteen hours (16) hours from Dubai to Manila via Kuwait where we were transferred to another airplane and via Bangkok where the plane refueled. I flew via Kuwait Airlaines because thats the only airline my money could afford to get and i was not expecting anything like the Emirates experience. Just as i have imagined, the plane was not not new, the food was not great as well, the seats were old, not even a hot compress nor an in flight entertainment of choice. Nonetheless the travel was smooth though very long, and thought of coming home made all other inconviniences a little easy to bear.

The Arrival
I arrived in Manila at aorund 4:30 pm. Its late afternoon and there wasnt that much people around. I could clearly see the difference between our airport compared to Dubai, Kuwait and Bangkok's. Our airport lagged behind its counterparts in terms of facilities, modernity and scope. Just when all countries seem restless to beef up in making their airports bigger, bettera and at par with the best in the world, our government seem to enjoy its complacency leaving ours at its rotten state. Anyway, i checked out of the Arrival area after an hour, alone and arrogant. At the open parking, i could see a lots of families waiting for their loved ones to arrive with excitement painted all over their faces. Suddenly i was transported back to memory lane, not so long ago, i was in the same situation, fetching our Aunt who's coming from the US and driving them home to the province. Now its my turn to come home, Sadly, i have to do this on my own, without the party, without news and without noise.

I took the taxi from the Airport road and like an old man who regained from a temporary lost of sight, i could not help but wandered around everytime the taxi would stopped at traffic. Though nothing has changed much along EDSA, its a delight seeing the MRT, the Megamall and the Galleria again. I dropped down at the bus terminal in Cubao en route to Cabanatuan. Its another 4 hours travel but its ok. I havent done this in six months and its all worth the wait.