My first taste of flight inconvenience

Sure I thought I won't be blogging for the rest of the week as my way of doing sacrifice (internet fasting, that is) for the Lenten season. But just before the onset of Holy Thursday, I never thought there's a need for me to unload this unsatisfying, disappointing feeling that urged me to sit on a chair, turn on the computer and blog about it. The thing I like about writing, or blogging for that matter, is it allows me to speak up my mind, say out loud what's in my heart, rant about everything and anything I could think of, without feeling guilty that I can hurt somebody else's feeling. The fact that I can completey share my thoughts without being afraid that someone might contradict or reject them is liberating. So speaking of liberating - I want to liberate this gnashing feeling I had in my heart, coz for a second, I thought I'm having hypertension.

This is such a terrible day! Actually, as of this writing, I'm supposed to be home with my family. Like I said in my previous blog, I'm spending lenten season back home. I'm a type of person who plans ahead. Who sees to it that everything is in order. Who wants to be in control of her time. So because I knew that going home at this point of time, where everyone else are also taking a trip back to their respective homes, I knew darn well airport is a mess - flights fully booked, passengers here and there. So I booked my flight two months in advance. Roundtrip. I arrived early (I seriously take the "check-in one hour before departure" rule). Everything was fine. I got my ticket and proceeded to the waiting area excited to read the book I brought along. But lo and behold! After passing my things on the x-ray machine, the guard asked me to check-in the herbal medicines (which are for my mother). Normally, I'd hand carry them. And I've been doing it for quite sometime. And since arguing with the guard, who obviously is just doing her job, is the least of my concern, I agreed to go back to the counter and have the bottles checked in. Oh I thought I would only pay an additional 100 pesos, but wait, why are they making me pay 400 pesos? 400 pesos for the damn 6 bottles that weighs 3 kilos? Are they kidding me? Coz it's not at all funny! And I can remember well, very well, that when you travel go-lite (go-lite means you don't have baggage for check-in but you're allowed to hand carry 2 of your belongings but not exceeding 7 pounds), you will only add a hundred peso in case you decide to have your baggage checked in. Of course I told the airline personnel about that, yet she insisted on her point so who am I to insist on mine when I'm not even sure if they have amended the rule or not. Okay, 400 pesos down the drain huhuhuhu... Good thing I had some extra cash so I didn't run around the airport like an idiot looking for an atm machine like what had happened two years ago when the payment for my excess baggage went nuts.

Boarding time...

One thing I like about this airline is that they usually call their passengers to board the aircraft 30 minutes ahead of departure time. And as soon as everyone is seated comfortably on their seats, attendants done demonstrating safety measures in cases of emergency and all those tape-recorded reminders (which I had already memorized), up we go climbing high into the sky. But today was different. I was seated in the front row beside the window which is actually my favorite spot and Im so happy about it, yet I noticed the flight attendants weren't doing their usual routine - headcounts, demonstrating how to put on a lifevest, etc. I glanced on my watch and 10 minutes have already pass the hour of our ETD. A few moments later, the captain's voice emerged from the cockpit, informing us that our flight will be shortly delayed. Apparently, the airport at my destination was closed due to bad weather. Well, what else is knew... I always say that my hometown is Forks. Yep, that Forks in twilight, where Bella Swan and the Cullen lives, that famous book, remember? Take this as a joke : there are only two seasons in my hometown, rainy season .... and.... VERY rainy season!

We waited for 3o minutes. Then another 30 minutes. I keep on twitching from my seat. Another 30 minutes. And I'm no longer reading the book. What the hell is wrong? And why I'm hearing flight attendants saying we're deplaning. Deplaning? Oh my God!!!! The flight was cancelled!!! It took all my sanity to realize and understand the simple word CANCELLED! What the ****?!!!! Urrrggghhhhh!!!! I'm sooooo... disappointed? dismayed? angry? frustrated? Name it!! To hell with the rain!!! Why does it have to rain on this day, on that hour, at that time exactly? I don't blame the airline for taking such action, they're doing us a favor actually. I mean they're looking at our safety and as much as I wanted to go home, I wouldn't wanna go home unidentified or worse unfound because the plane crashed. Ewwww.... Trust me, I'm best at having morbid thoughts hahaha!

So I went back to the counter hoping there are still available flights. And like I said, it's peak season so you don't expect to catch a vacant flight easily. And the line is so long! And what's taking us more time to inch forward is that some passengers cannot decide which flight they will take, if they're going to cancel or rebook, or if they want to re-route it to Timbukto or to God knows where. I'm really impatient when it comes to this, that's why I book my flights early to avoid panic, the uber-dreaded long lines and these inconsiderate creatures who take too much time on their turn not thinking about the seemingly mile queue behind them.

Homaygawd!!! The last thing I wanted right then is to re-route my flight or have it scheduled on Black Friday - that I'm sure only a few would be travelling. As luck would have it, they scheduled a special flight for tomorrow at 4PM. Yes, I really do want to protest. Why can't they make it at 4AM instead???!! I really wanna go home soooo badly huhuhu...

After the gruelling flight reschedule session, I went downstairs to claim my baggage. And there! I found them beside the conveyor looking like lost puppies waiting for their owners to get them. Finally, I managed to get home without any complication, thank God. While sitting on the cab I realized how exhausted I am, how famished and how this day has been soooo.......urrghh! never mind! I'm just glad the pizza that my roomate left last night was still on the table and I grabbed it without any word. Hahaayyy... Tomorrow is another day (a line from the commercial). And I hope it's going to be fine. I hope it's not going to rain in Forks. I hope my flight won't be cancelled or delayed. I hope to be home...