I need to start blogging again…
Every time I get an idea I wanted to write about I start thinking of what I wanted to say about it…usually when I’m in transit or just letting my mind wonder while taking a bath or when I’m experiencing something new or funny…thing is, what always happens is the moment I start thinking “oh, I should write about this…” the moment is usually gone…lost forever.
Some of the topics still sticks but I usually end up forgetting what I wanted to say about it…sayang!
Things I wanted to write about in the last week…
Let’s try to capture this in chronological order.
Early Monday morning while I was waiting for my flight at the Centennial terminal, I started people watching. There was nothing else to do and since my flight wasn’t leaving for at least an hour yet, I settled myself in an empty bench a short distance from most of the people. I was leaving on the first flight and had gotten to the airport at around 3am. There weren’t many people yet considering it’s the peak season for traveling in the
Philippines - especially domestic. (trivia: did you know that the centennial domestic terminal closes? I don’t know from what time but it doesn’t open until 2:30am. I found this out the hard way July 2005 as I was going home for a few days for lolo daddy’s birthday)
Geez! Ang haba na ng intro ko… sobrang free association kasi…
Anyway, I was people watching and soon enough the airport began filling up. There was a cute baby who looked like a Beatle, naked in a stroller… can you picture this? A lightweight stroller – not the traditional pram- with a naked baby strapped on. He had big deep-set eyes (dreamy –not sleepy or maybe I’m imagining things or I was just sleepy) and long black hair. Think John Lennon in the 60’s but on a stroller and naked. Now that just became disturbing. Okay, I just got distracted again. I was trying to recreate the airport in my mind and all I could think of was how to describe this baby. Sheesh! This story is NOT about that baby. He was just one of the interesting people who passed by me. It’s just I thought he looked cool with the Beatle’s hair and naked at 3am in an air-conditioned airport. Although I remember it being really humid outside as I was getting in the airport.
Anyway, soon enough even the benches around me got occupied. It wasn’t crowded yet but you could say that these benches were full or obviously taken. There was just enough space for the passengers seated (with their baggage around them) and still feel comfortable and not be encroaching on anyone’s personal space.
Imagine my surprise when a woman who was obviously with her family (husband, kids and all) suddenly squeezed herself into the bench in front of me. I glanced towards their direction and noticed the guy who was already seated at that particular bench shift politely to give her more room. Then it started…
Although she was around 6 feet away from me, I could here her clearly. She was mad -in a fit of a temper actually – and it was directed towards her husband. Uh oh. Domestic dispute. I suddenly remembered Sop and her stories of openly listening er, eavesdropping on the oftentimes loud conversations of people in coffee shops (remember Starbucks?). This time it’s not like I have a choice. It was really loud although not actually shouting and it made me uncomfortable. And it was so hard to keep myself from laughing that I actually had to hide my face behind my bag a few times.
Fortunately, the kids were not witness to this. When their mom took the seat in front of me, there was no space for anybody else so they lingered while their dad talked to their mom. After a few moments she said, go ahead and find seats I’ll follow when it’s time to board. Obviously, feeling a bit dramatic or maybe she just wanted to be alone to cool-off her temper (which makes more sense). However, after a few minutes, the guy came back and tried to woo or talk her out of her temper…ergo the pretty embarrassing conversation in front of me.
It started with an argument about a dog…I don’t know whose it was. But it was about a dog, between the mom and one of the kids. She was mad at the dad for taking the kid’s “side”. Then I degenerated to kid’s lack of respect and how they act so perfect around the guy’s relatives (ok, I’m presuming they live in Davao as half of the conversation sounded Davaoeno…but the guy is Tagalog or at least his relatives/family lives in Manila/Luzon) but they don’t give her respect…to his family never thinking she was good enough (my conclusion)…to maybe they should split up and the guy should take the kids with them. What?!? Over a dog?
Luckily, the flight started boarding soon after…
