dndtheworld

[dndtheworld]

Then. Pandemic. Now.

It’s 3:30 am when my alarm goes off. Like the usual I switched my lights on, made my bed and put on a groovy music to hype my mood. I took a shower and put on my make-up at 4am. By the time I’m done dolling up myself, I’ll enjoy my cup of coffee while waiting for my pick up.  And oh by the way, I am flying to Paris. Not my favorite destination but who am I to complain. I feel posh already thinking I’ll be rubbing shoulders with French business class passengers. Of course this is the “hilas” side of my career. Like we own an airline that set us off in different countries and continents in one week. In my case my usual route is Paris, Rome, Copenhagen, Denmark, Munich, German, and New York and Boston, Massachusetts, not much of Asian countries because you know Asian countries are just our neighbors.

Alright let’s get to work, As I boarded the aircraft with my crew, I will have briefing with the captains and introductions will follow. Being the boss I will go first. This is my moment of raising my Filipino pride, like Ms. Universe presenting Philippines to my very diverse multi-nationals set of crew under my supervision. Whenever I have this sense of euphoria I can hear my elder brother little voice at the back of my head “ka hilas gyud” that makes me giggle. It’s a reality that only my friends and colleagues can relate to. We will ensue our duty once we retouched our lipsticks and ready to welcome our passengers; and the rest is “tea, coffee or me?” service especially to those good-looking with strong passport holder passengers. As what we say you might win a golden ticket from a third world country resident to the first world country of resident. Laughing out loud here! Because I never had the luck, I am still a third world resident with my beautiful husband. Love wins!

   So yeah, I travel the world. At least I used to. I was a flight attendant for 11 years and became a Cabin Services Director or a Purser at the age of 27 yr. old. I’ve been to places tucked away in the map and never heard of it. Like Djibouti, in east Africa, where it is politically situated near Somalia. The Coute d’Ivorie and Ghana in south-west Africa, where you get the best quality of Shea butter. And Have you heard of Namibia in west Africa? It was 2017 when I set foot on this beautiful wildlife sanctuary. We are on a tour and our tour-guide/ driver is a local woman, we are heading to a wild-life safari where you could watch the lions, leopard, zebra, elephants and other exotic animals like the “sigbin” looking cat as per our ancestors would call it and I thought so too!  it was a caracal cat on their natural habitat. As we were wondering and in awe as we witness zebras crossing the street and kangaroos by the road, it started raining and our tour-guide stopped, went out and cried and dancing in the rain. We found out that they were suffering of drought for 5 years, and there have been a lot of wild animals dying because of the drought. So we went out as well dancing and praising the higher being who blessed us with rain that day. We cried too!  What a memory to cherished! What a realization that we are blessed in so many ways being in a tropical country. So it’s not always “hilas” there’s a bit of a dramas too.

There are also mundane things we do in between flights. Like for my grocery I have to fly to Japan and Czech Republic. To guarantee top quality of beef, Wagyo cubes and fresh vegetables, Japan is my destination to nourished my over-work body. For my sausages, cheeses and other dairy products it will be Prague, Czech Republic. The grilled juicy kielbasa sausage is all I need to complement my charcuterie board.

Then pandemic happened.

From a very fast life and high maintenance lifestyle to almost nothing. We came back to Iligan city, the city of waterfalls, a water that taste like tanduay or Pilsen beers, thanks to my husband for the introduction. One day I found myself at Robinsons supermarket in their dairy section, they only have mozzarella cheese. I almost cried. Not to mention their department store. My Japan grocery shopping became Daiso not-all-88pesos prices. From 5-star and Michelin starred restaurant to everyday lechon with pater (I am not complaining with this perfect combo but I gained weight too much!). I slowly acclimatized to my reality. It is actually the life I have imagined when I was still flying, when I came to appoint of exhaustion and burnt out of my career. I had a good run of 11 years crisscrossing the world, meeting awesome people, learning from my mistakes and grown into a person I am today. ‘til this day I always get a lot of questions if I missed flying, and if I still want do it again. Of course I do miss it a lot. I still dream of travelling, I still want to but as a passenger with my husband and hopefully our own family. it is embedded in my being for eternity, but to go back as a flight attendant I already gave up my wings to pandemic and to give way to those who aspire to travel the world, to give chance to others “mag-hinilas” and most especially for those who dream like me to give the world to their parents and family who made a lot of sacrifices for them.

It was a closed chapter that I keep on looking back while I am doing this blog. It was fun, exhilarating and one of a kind journey. I will not have it in any other way.

Here’s to more Lechon and pater. Cheers!

[dndtheworld]