Day 5 Home Sweet Home

October 30, 2009

After our last hearty buffet breakfast at the Orchard Parade, we brought our baggage down the hotel lobby ready to go home. The baggage now weighed thrice as heavy as they were days ago. I myself am a light traveler so I don’t have to worry about freights and enjoy much of the trip. But the boisterous Ruby Laquindanum asked me to carry a huge box of perfumes and lotions. Hail to a lucky day! Indeed, he travels fastest who travels alone.

Why do Filipinos love to carry many luggages during travels? How can they enjoy the trip with much burden on their backs? Sometimes, I get culture shock with my own culture.

            We waited at the hotel lobby for our transport to the airport. It’s a lazy day. Our energies had been drained by too many activities. Some sleep at the receiving area, others chill out, while others socialize with other tourists. Dr. Maglaqui befriended some tourists from the Middle East. These tourists have no way of communicating except through key words browsed from a pocket dictionary. We gathered that they are businesswomen on a business trip in Singapore. Wow! The status of women in the Middle East had drastically changed. Clad in their traditional robes, they do business the Singaporean way!    

We arrived at the airport before 11:00 a.m. Our flight is still at 2:20 p.m. so we have lots of time processing our tax refunds. As usual, Dr. Maglaqui had lots of questions on where to go, what to do, whosits and whatsits galore. And worst, she’s hyperactive and wants things done at once. She wanted to check in early. I told her that the counter is still close. She insisted on checking in. I told her that rest of the group are still processing their tax refunds, she wouldn’t budge. We left her alone with her hyperactivity. She’s simply so excited in lots of things.

The colorful airport flowers bid us goodbye. In a soliloquy,   I whispered: ‘Goodbye Singapore. You are such a great nation. Asia has much to learn from you.’

On our way to the plane, Dr. Canlas discussed with me some concepts on relevant education. I tried to absorb his ramblings as best as I could but the words simply slipped away. We were all exhausted. Even the prints, curves and smiles of the flight stewardesses of Singapore Airlines failed to excite us. The flight was smooth. Were the pilots good? Or was it our exhaustion?

Going home is a lot easier; no intimidating questions, no qualms and no butterflies in the stomach. Entering the country feels like a demandable right. Tired and exhausted, I am ready to hurl invectives against those officers who will attempt to stop me from entering my country.

I joined the van going to Mabalacat. As expected, the heavy traffic (not flowers) greets us ‘Mabuhay!’ With our heavy baggage, the driver sends us off on a literally door-to-door basis.

As Dr. and Mrs. Lagman disembarked, I whispered, “Home sweet home.”

“Yeah, it’s nice to be home.” Mrs. Lagman answered smiling. She invited me for dinner which I politely declined.    

I was the last to be sent off. Some members of my household did not know about my Singapore trip, my baggage may invite questionings worst than that of the immigration. I asked the driver to drop me off at Mabalacat College so I can park my things. And so he did, I thanked him profusely.

Hello Philippines! Did you ever know how much I miss you? No matter where I go, you will always be the place I long to go back to. You will always be my home.