Notes at the airport
While my trip to Cebu was the more exciting part of last month's adventures, it was the various notes i cribbed during countless hours at the airport that provided a couple of insights to life at the waiting lane. Here are some.
Delays
The word "delayed" strikes up a terror in your heart when uttered under two occasions: The first one is when your casual girlfriend uses the word to describe her state out of the blue and matter-of-fact. The second one is when you've made sure you got to the airport on time, checked in your luggage early, and then sat down all eager to board your plane and get the hell away from (or toward) your destination.
To hear the word "delay" at the airport gives you an inexplicable sense of sadness and disappointment. Through no fault of your own, your travel time is significantly bumped up in minutes or hours. And you earn extra time pondering if taking this flight was a good idea after all. I guess that's the reason: delays give you additional time to think why there's additional waiting time. In this scenario, you can't win. Either be paranoid with the delay, or be frightened.
Nuns
This is probably stating the obvious, but why do people avoid sitting next to nuns while waiting for their flight?
I came to this conclusion after witness three planes' full of passengers jockeying for seats at the lounge and yet finding three nuns happily occupying a full row to themselves.
Why do we avoid nuns at public places when we can? Why do we get this feeling that once you sit within 3 feet of them, nuns will automatically sense your hedonistic lifestyle and give you a tongue lashing? Sitting next to priests are a bit more tolerable (but not so much), but nuns make us uncomfortable. Maybe it's the catholic school/laity/church upbringing most of us Pinoys had where the stereotypical madre is strict as stone, but my Catholic school experience partly consisted of doing errands for friendly sisters. I was never smacked in the hand by a ruler or made to pray out loud as punishment. But still, i cringe sitting next to them.
iPods
The iPod, while a wonderful piece of audio equipment, is more than just a modern Walkman. While using an iPod at public places is a sign of a need for entertainment, it can also be a high-tech display of privacy. Plugging both ears with the white headphones frees you from the grueling responsibility of trying to be friendly to the person next to you. Music, especially when listened over headphones, is a selfish indulgence we all are willing to imbibe. This is why despite the upgrades, you seldom find people enjoying videos or games at public places, as both are tools that give opportunities for interaction. And enjoying tunes is a clear signal for most people to stay the hell away. At least until you run out of batteries.
Airport waits are anything but fun, but with the right mindset, countless hours can seem like minutes. All you need is your imagination, an iPod, and some 50 feet away from the nearest clergy.
Delays
The word "delayed" strikes up a terror in your heart when uttered under two occasions: The first one is when your casual girlfriend uses the word to describe her state out of the blue and matter-of-fact. The second one is when you've made sure you got to the airport on time, checked in your luggage early, and then sat down all eager to board your plane and get the hell away from (or toward) your destination.
To hear the word "delay" at the airport gives you an inexplicable sense of sadness and disappointment. Through no fault of your own, your travel time is significantly bumped up in minutes or hours. And you earn extra time pondering if taking this flight was a good idea after all. I guess that's the reason: delays give you additional time to think why there's additional waiting time. In this scenario, you can't win. Either be paranoid with the delay, or be frightened.
Nuns
This is probably stating the obvious, but why do people avoid sitting next to nuns while waiting for their flight?
I came to this conclusion after witness three planes' full of passengers jockeying for seats at the lounge and yet finding three nuns happily occupying a full row to themselves.
Why do we avoid nuns at public places when we can? Why do we get this feeling that once you sit within 3 feet of them, nuns will automatically sense your hedonistic lifestyle and give you a tongue lashing? Sitting next to priests are a bit more tolerable (but not so much), but nuns make us uncomfortable. Maybe it's the catholic school/laity/church upbringing most of us Pinoys had where the stereotypical madre is strict as stone, but my Catholic school experience partly consisted of doing errands for friendly sisters. I was never smacked in the hand by a ruler or made to pray out loud as punishment. But still, i cringe sitting next to them.
iPods
The iPod, while a wonderful piece of audio equipment, is more than just a modern Walkman. While using an iPod at public places is a sign of a need for entertainment, it can also be a high-tech display of privacy. Plugging both ears with the white headphones frees you from the grueling responsibility of trying to be friendly to the person next to you. Music, especially when listened over headphones, is a selfish indulgence we all are willing to imbibe. This is why despite the upgrades, you seldom find people enjoying videos or games at public places, as both are tools that give opportunities for interaction. And enjoying tunes is a clear signal for most people to stay the hell away. At least until you run out of batteries.
Airport waits are anything but fun, but with the right mindset, countless hours can seem like minutes. All you need is your imagination, an iPod, and some 50 feet away from the nearest clergy.
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