| After a 16 hour flight, I was excited to get moving beyond the limited parameters of the airplane. This was a "direct" flight, but we stopped over in Guam to re-fuel, otherwise an ACTUAL direct flight would have taken 13-14 hours only. Since this is the 3rd time I've visited the Philippines in the last 3-1/2 years, I knew what to expect. My mind was more occupied with wanting to take a shower and get out of my clothes. For those that have never been, the arrival begins with passing visa verification. Then you locate your "balikbayan boxes" in the baggage claim with the assistance of one of the staff working in the airport. I give him $2 tip for getting my boxes onto a push cart. From there, we had porter push our 4 boxes (2 carry on luggage per customer) through customs, where my mother tips them also. Why? My mom fears customs will open our boxes and give us trouble. I don't know if this is necessary. The philippines is notorious for corrupt acts like this. For now I just go with it. Then our porter takes us pass another airport "guard" That checks to "see" if those indeed are our boxes. What a job, but again we run into more politics influenced by money. I look at the guard who checks our boxes. He doesn't really do anything, just looks at them, then returns a look toward my pocket as a signal for another tip. So I give him $1 just to let us pass. Then our porter continues to push our luggage toward the excited crowd of family members and relatives waiting behind the metal barricades that we "balikbayans" or returnees to the Philippines will eventually cross. I locate my Auntie Edith who waves and signals where to meet us. I tip the porter $2 and my nephews/cousins take the cart from there. I've passed the 5 thresholds just to exit the airport and 4 of those required some sort of tip. This is how it works here -- you comply, you get by. One van carries one group of relatives along with our boxes filled with old clothes and items from Costco like coffee and electronics. And we ride in a separate car. First stop: somewhere to eat, and of course it's the usual JolliBee, Philippines' equivalent to McDonald's. Althought we arrived at the airport at 5am in the morning, it's "supposed" to feel like 1pm in the afternoon b/c of jet lag; but I don't know what to feel since my body is still adjusting. And it's not that easy to sleep on the car ride, which is a whole other experience if you've never been to the P.I. So I stayed up for the 2-1/2 hour ride north toward my mother's province in Moncada, Tarlac. We drove my dad's car, a 1997 honda civic, which is supposed to be somewhat reliable. But his car over heated due to a combination of over-exaughstion and a shitty engine. Luckily we were only 30 mins away from our final desitination, so we let it cool down with buckets of cold water and continued on...without "air-con." Good thing it isn't too hot this time of year. Gheh-toooOOOHHH! So we arrive at my Auntie Edith & Uncle Dave's place where we are helped with our luggage to our room. I feel bad that my mother, father and myself are occupying my Aunt & Uncle's room, but of course they insist. Their room has been upgraded since the last time I was here 8 months ago. The roof is now sealed with an ACTUAL ceiling instead of a gap between the tin roof and concrete-masonry (cmu) walls. This used to let the inner rooms "breathe" especially during hotter monthss. Now, their new air conditioning unit makes life for all of us a lot cooler. Grounded in the middle of farmlands, mosquitos are common and heat is inevitable all year around, so sealed walls and air con are good ideas. |
