The past three weeks or so

 I preface this post with this:

As I watched my girls innocently savor their loveliness and delight in their baubles and baths, I was reminded once again that I must “change and become like the little children.” In spite of all suffering--and sometimes because of all suffering--there is joy. It comes in a million varieties and will manifest itself differently for everyone but, always, there is joy. We need only accept it.

If never occurs to young children that they should reject simple pleasures in favor of toil. Though hard work and discipline have their place, we adults can learn something from the young who never agonize over whether it’s prudent for them to rest and play. They play because God calls them to play. It’s as simple and as perfect as that.

That was from Elizabeth, a "guest post" from Betty Beguiles.

I wanted to post something substantial the past three weeks, and there were many to write about, but somehow never got around to do.  I decided then to just write this one long one ...

December 15.  A long flight delay.  Our 9:20 flight to Cagayan de Oro was pushed back so many times that we flew out of Mactan at 4:30pm.  It was one of those days, y'know?  At so good a record of punctuality (at least, when I am on the flight), the airline gets one "miss".  Not that bad really.

Some of us were pretty prepared to meet this delay head-on, that is, we knew that we cannot really do anything much except to wait and hope for the best and dug into our books or magazines (in paper or electronic format) or strike up conversations with others (somehow it is easier to just talk since there is now one thing we have in common).

But not for the others.  Well, they did have some things in common:  RAGE and generally BOORISH BEHAVIOR.  The customer service and airline personnel were all trying to do what they can, although for the "angry birds", it seemed that nothing these airline ladies and guys did were right:  if they were silent, they are accused of having no concern; if they say something, they are accused of making excuses. 

At some point I was praying that we'd get to leave so that these loose-tongued, generous with their insults types would stop whining, more than my own desire to get to CdO to start doing what I needed to finish there.

Through these 7 hours, I observed that (among many others):

1. Those airline personnel did try the best they could under the circumstances.
2. Angry passengers have a hard time listening or hearing, or waiting. I mean how many times do they need to ask when the flight was going to happen, when the airline just announced that the flight will be further delayed and that they will inform us of the next ETD.
3. Mob rule applies. You only need one to rant about his dismay (as if we are not all dismayed) for many others to do the same. I thought for some moments, some would actually be more violent.
4. The calm ones were those who travel often, and have been in similar, or mostly graver, situations. I had to spend more than 12 hours in two airports on Easter Sunday 2000 because of delays; something that will happen to me and my friends three days after this Thursday flight.
5. Children are usually those who "adjust" well because they see all these delays as play time. While their parents are close to a nervous breakdown because of worry, the children play. Oh how good to be little children!
6. Some did really make good use of their time. A lady, who was traveling with her husband, took the time to have her nails (mani and pedi!) done. They did a pretty swell job she told a friend she saw from another flight. Some slept, and really, horizontally -- good for them. And still many others were reading out of their tablets or laptops. Me? Busy observing people, and writing notes for a possible blog post. I wanted to take "secret" videos but a voyeur I am not. Would have been nice to post some videos?

Later that evening, in CDO, dinner out with some friends.  They were worried about Typhoon Sendong believed to make landfall the following day.  Their home gets flooded on heavy rain days, although they have mitigating systems in place.  Also they were hosting a couple of guys from Manila who were scheduled to fly out Friday morning and Friday afternoon.

December 16.  Rains started at about 11:00.  Continuous light rain.  Power was cut twice, the second one maybe around 10 pm.  Rain still pouring.  Some wind.  Slept through the storm.

December 17.  Eerie feeling.  No power still.  Then we get the news of the devastation.  We pray and try to help in whatever way we can (which was little really).May not have been totally unexpected as the tell-tale signs from January 2009 were present (then, too, I was in CdO and much of the airport aftermath I will write about later in this post happened).

December 18.  Went for a walk exercise early.  Everyone had water containers out.  But water was very scarce.  Saw some of the disaster areas.  Wanted to take pictures but it was very depressing to even think of snapping some.  At 11:00, left for the airport, but was stuck in traffic.  Our friend who was bringing us to airport called the airline (friends of his) to "check" us in, which they did, but we were informed the flight from Cebu turned back because of technical issues and flight will be delayed.  Took lunch at SM after checking in our bags.  Eating places were all full.  One of very few occasions SM eating places were on wait to be seated mode.  Arrived at the airport at 2pm and heard the announcement that flight will be further delayed.  It was deja vu at the pre-departure area:  was not I in just about the same situation not too long ago?

We decided to fly to Manila with the Cdo-Dvo folks as our Cdo-Cbu flight was scheduled to fly out at 9pm yet.  At least in NAIA 3, there would be a change of environment, more "empty" spaces and free WIFI.  Our flight was scheduled to depart for Cebu at 9pm.  We left at 9:30.  Arrived an hour later.  At the luggage bay, we met our would-have-been-co-passengers from Cdo.  

Days before Christmas, a friend, Fred, died in his office at a BPO and helped out in taking care of him as we waited for his wife from Manila.  The other friends from Educhild were really super with all they did for Fred and his wife.  Great!  The day after, he was back in Manila, for his wake; his funeral was after Christmas.

At about the same time, I received word that another friend, Laddie, in Cdo was in bad shape due to his cancer.  He was brought to the hospital.  In my most recent trip to Cdo, I spent some time with him, prayed the Rosary with RodZ and Laddie's family.  He could still hear, I believe, but he could not speak, nor did he have focus in his eyes.  He caught pneumonia too.  Just this Monday evening, he was attached to a respirator.