A for Airport

Smell that? That’s the scent of anxiety coming from all these people waiting for their flights to be called. Okay, maybe it’s just me. You can’t blame me – in a few hours I’ll be touching down on my home base in the Philippines after exactly 2 years, 2 months and 24 days of working here in Riyadh. I’ve always loved airports. When I’m in one, I can always sense the feel of adventure that comes with the standing in line, checking in, getting a boarding pass, having the passport stamped, and waiting for the airline’s call for boarding. Perhaps, the only thing I don’t like, because of the slight inconvenience, is having to do the pseudo-striptease every time I go through the x-ray machines where it is required to take off your watch, belt, jacket, or any other article of clothing with metals on them, in addition to surrendering your mobile phones, cameras, and the like. We’re flying economy, and therefore, do not have the privilege of lounging in the.. well, lounges, and as I scan the waiting area full of thobe-clad Arab men, women in abayas, and the mass of iPhones, iPads, Samsung Galaxys, Motorola Xooms, Macbooks, multi-branded laptops and other electronic devices relative to them, on the hands of the men and women in business-looking attires (this is a Dubai-bound flight after all), I am overwhelmed with feelings of excitement, and yes, I admit anxiety. Not because I’m waiting for our flight number to be called, but because I might be arriving home at a slightly wrong timing. I have been informed by my mother that they are currently experiencing typhoon signal # 2 back home, and might not be able to make it to Manila in time for the surprise summer getaway I planned for them.

“Please Lord, let everything happen as I planned. I already paid for those non-rebookable, non-refundable tickets. Please. :)”

I’m listening to this to keep me a bit distracted:

Well, I’ll leave you to it. See you in Manila.

I got the feet for a new feat

This page has been hibernating for two months. I have a handful of valid excuses in mind to justify the neglect (for the lack of a better word) but I feel it will only take so much space. Well, I am up and awake now thanks to the butterflies in my stomach that just won’t be still. I haven’t felt like this since that day I was leaving the Philippines to work in Riyadh. Time really flew. Now I’m all jittery at the thought of going back home after 2 years and 2 months of (too much) sun and sand(storms).

Okay, so I’ve got two weeks from today to prepare all my stuff and make sure that I get everything I need to have everything on my calendar done. It took me about 2 months to plan everything and squeeze in as much as I can in 6 weeks.

See what I mean?!

Those days are colored for a purpose. And most of those days are going to be spent outdoors – walking, swimming, trekking, running, climbing, exploring. So I figured I’ll be needing some special paraphernalia while I do all that. I discovered Vibram FiveFingers thru a friend a few months ago and I thought it was just a perfect fit for my feet. I got the KSO model which, according to the label, is designed for just about anything my feet could feel like doing. Cheers to that!

Now check out my new pair:

    

For the love of country… err, Jollibee

I’m not one of those who have an inner dilemma of loyalty between McDonald’s and Jollibee (or any other competing fast food chain for that matter). I just eat whatever I have a craving for. So when I heard the news about a newly opened Jollibee (the only one there is in Riyadh so far) in Batha, I automatically made a mental note to pay it a visit. I was in it for getting a taste of home; I imagined myself biting into a Chickenjoy that would transport me via Nostalgia Express into a familiar place that I had known since childhood.

We decided to go on the 2nd day after the opening. The 20-minute drive to the place was the easy part. When we reached Jollibee, the ground floor of the building housing the store was packed with Filipinos waiting to enter the restaurant. There were families with their kids excited to see the happy bee in red, white and yellow. And since all establishments here in Saudi Arabia are divided into the bachelors and family sections, we all had to wait as the guard alternately called for people from both sections to come in.

When we finally managed to squeeze ourselves in to the dining area, I thought I was just minutes away from munching on Pinoy-style crispy chicken. Boy, was I wrong! I stood in line for almost 2 hours.

    

I was doing OK when I took my pick from one of the 2 queues to the cashier at around 8pm, but by time it was finally my turn to order at the counter by 10pm (I’m not kidding), I heaved a big sigh of relief and just blurted out what my grumbling stomach commanded me to.

Some Riyals and 20 minutes of homeward driving later, this is what we feasted on at the dinner table. What we stood 2 hours in line for was gone in less than 10 minutes. It was definitely all worth it.

       

                     

This really isn’t about patronizing a particular brand. It is more about getting the feel of home in a foreign land. And wow, it rhymes, too!