I just recently came back from a two-week vacay to my home country, the Philippines, and I’m still struggling to get my ass back in gear for work and life here in Japan. For 14 days, I gobbled down practically any Pinoy food that I could get my hands on. Matter of fact, the moment I got out of the NAIA Terminal 3 gate, I was facing two Jolly Hotdogs (from Jollibee) that the brats — er, siblings pala, bought before they went to the airport to pick me up.
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The Cebu Pacific way might be really cheap but it was very very stressful and full of B.S. And even if I saved about 5万円 when I switched from PAL to Cebu Pac, I still don’t know if I’ll stick with the Osaka route (oh I forgot to mention that Cebu Pac’s based in Osaka, 8 hours by bus or 2 hours by Shinkansen from Tokyo) or go back to flying via the very expensive PAL or JAL. Ugh, the dilemma.
And the deal with the baggage allowance — man, I dunno what to say. They wouldn’t let me carry my backpack because I already had a camera bag with me. B.S. So fraaak it, I had to check in the backpack and pay 4千円 in excess baggage fees. For those who don’t know, CP allows only 15kg for checked-in baggage and 7kg for hand-carry luggage.
So anyway, I checked in the backpack that was supposed to be my carry-on luggage but I only managed to take out the 17-50mm f2.8 Tamron lens that I was transporting for Mach. I forgot to retrieve Viel’s PSP. And I was very worried coz ya know, things sometimes get lost during baggage retrieval in the destination airport (especially if it’s in Manila — and no, I’m not kidding, I’ve heard stories). I couldn’t relax during the 4-hour-flight — if you can even relax in that very very cramped seat. Gah. But what can I say — the fare’s very cheap so I shouldn’t have expected much.
As soon as the plane landed and we were allowed to go, I sprinted through the immigration check and the other crapolas to get to the baggage conveyor belt and then waited for my bags. Everything was still there! Good thing nothing got damaged and/or lost. Whew.
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Most of the time I was in Pinas, I was bumming during the day and going out when it was dark (vampire mode). I’ve been meeting friends here and there and majority of what we did was EAT. Yes, eat, eat, eat. Oh, and some bowling and drinking coffee on the side.
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Toio arrived in Manila on the 6th and Operation: UP Day started. But it was frakkin’ hot so by the time we were done snapping pictures of The Oblation I was already complaining. So, hello, SM North with all its powerful air coolers. Woo!
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I only watched one movie during my vacation and it was part of the annual Metro Manila Film Fest. Sadly, I didn’t enjoy Tanging Ina Niyong Lahat as much as I enjoyed the first installment. I laughed at some lines and jokes, particularly at the beginning but I was itching for the movie to over when we were only halfway through the story.
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Being an OFW, I had to drag my butt one early morning to the POEA building in Ortigas. Holy kamote! The lines were so long! It was only 830AM but the number on the screen was already on 900C. I was 600A. So I searched for the Express counter (where you can pass your documents and then have your receipt/clearance delivered to wherever you want them to) but the line was also frakking long. Ugh.
But I endured the Express line and after around an hour, I got out of the POEA building hoping and praying that they are efficient enough to deliver my papers before I had to leave again for Japan.
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On the 11th, I forced myself to get up and prepare for the long journey back to Tokyo (MLA-OSAKA-TOKYO almost 16 hours total). My baggage checked in, my papers tucked inside my carry-on bag, my Smart cellphone load almost disappearing into nothingness, I met up with Jac inside (where else) the CR near Gate 112 of NAIA-T3. We ate (not in the CR, of course) what was probably our last meal in Pinas for this year — SomeFoodInABox (haha, forgot the name already–thank you, memory gap).
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And as usual (this is becoming quite a routine whenever I have to fly from Manila to Japan), one hour into the flight, I felt this sting — with matching tears-tears pa. Waaaah, I don’t wanna go back to Japan just yet. I miss my mother. I miss my biggie lil sis Carabelles. I miss my friends. I miss … eh, I miss everyone.
Waaaah.
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Oh well, back to work again.
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PS – This one’s a better vacation. No surprises, only smiles, and laughter, and good friends, and siempre, FOOD! Yeaaaah!
Parang ang ikli ng bakasyon mo. 🙁 Once per year lang ang vacation mo?