Airways, Turbulence and Ralph’s 2nd step to Permanent Residency
I am back! Ralph and I went to Cebu last March 17 via Cebu Pacific Air where we took the 5:20PM flight. His hearing date was March 18 at 9:30AM so we needed to be there a day before the scheduled hearing otherwise the Immigration would dismiss the application.
We left the house at lunch time and headed straight to Mila’s Restaurant to dine before taking the HLS van which was located right next to the restaurant. Ralph had wanted to leave earlier to prepare for any would-be delays during the travel.
And indeed he was right! We left Hinigaran before 1:00PM which was a bit earlier than what we had planned. We intended to leave by 1PM but the van was full enough to leave early than scheduled. I informed the driver that we were going to get off at Airways, a shuttle that takes passengers to the airport. You see, the new airport here was moved to Silay city which is located outside Bacolod. If one takes a taxi, it would cost him/her around Php500 at least because the area is a bit far from the city capital. Airways van costs only 100 per person which is very affordable. Anyway, I didn’t know where this Airways is actually located, so I just left it up to the driver to just drop us off to where it is, since he did tell me during the trip that he knew Airways. When the van took its stop and the driver motioned that we’re there, I was a bit disappointed because there was a huge crowd of people waiting. I didn’t really see the name Airways although I did see a sign that said Airport Bus. My cousin Ferd Sudario was the one who told us about taking Airways and he specifically said that we will be taking a van and not a bus. Confused and irritated, I asked one of the guys that was waiting for … I don’t know really what it was they were waiting for, if it was a bus or a jeepney because the sign also said Negros Navigation which meant that it was also a place for people who was going to take the ship. So yeah, I asked the guy if we were in the right place. He said no. My blood pressure rose so high right away. The moment the guy confirmed to me that we were dropped at the wrong location, all I had wanted to do instantly was go to the HLS terminal and kill the driver. Good thing Ralph was very patient and made great efforts at pacifying me. The guy instructed that we take a jeepney going back south and just inform the driver that we’re going to Airways.
We followed the instruction. We took a jeepney with four passengers alongside and loudly said “Airways”. The driver nodded and only then was I able to breathe a sigh of relief because finally, I thought someone knew the right way to take us to our destination.
Or so I thought! I was fidgety when the driver pulled over to an empty building just right there along the street. He then talked to a lady and I saw the lady nodded. I was already having my own silent conversation within myself. Ralph could only give me a questioning look. Then the driver said “You’re here mam”. The passengers also said that it is the place where passengers going to the airport take the van. When I heard the van, I felt satisfied. Without further ado, I motioned for Ralph to get down and go toward the lady who was very welcoming. We didn’t forget to say thanks to the passengers who have been very helpful.
When we were seated to our seats, we were informed that the van just left for the airport and we missed it and that she was going to call another van to pick us up. We were not really in a hurry so we told her not to rush the van back and that we can afford to wait a little while. However, I still did not see the name Airways so I, once again, asked if we were in the right place. The girl said No.
We were not in Airways!!! I was already going to scream, although I did it only in my mind. I was already very tired out of frustration. Where the hell were we? The lady, probably seeing that I was beginning to transform into something devilish, assured me that we will get to the airport on time. Then she made several phone calls and the next thing we knew, the van was there. Just like that. So fast. I was pleased although I still didn’t know where on earth this Airways was located, but just brushed it aside. However, it was very funny because the van ended up to be from Airways and just picked us up from that building because the lady said that we were asking for Airways. I guess all transportation that services passengers going to the airport are interconnected in some ways. Thanks to that!
We left Bacolod 20 minutes earlier. The flight going to Cebu was filled with turbulence and I must have just been praying the entire flight. Ralph tried talking to me from time to time to make sure I was ok because he knew by the squeezing and pinching I was doing to him every time the plane makes a sudden movement that I was not relax at all. I could only nod whenever he asks something because I was saying all my Hail Mary’s and Glory Be’s until the plane touched down the Mactan International Airport.
We took a hotel which we have already made reservation with a day before we left. It was Nikkei Garden hotel located in Mandaue city. The hotel was closer to the Immigration office and very far from the airport. We then had a very sumptuous dinner that night after which I watched HBO’s ’30 Days of Night’ movie starred by Josh Hartnett. Is it spelled correctly? Gosh I hope so.
Anyway, we were early at the Immigration the next day. We met up with Atty. Abellon, who, I later gathered, was from Dumaguete city. He was very intimidating at first, (I actually disliked him from the beginning) but he turned out to be ok and very accommodating in the end. Perhaps he was just sizing us up. He approved Ralph’s application for probationary status and he was going to send the documents later that day. There was another couple there with us too. The guy was from Michigan and the girl was from Mindanao.
Happy with how the immigration matter has turned out, Ralph and I then headed straight to SM to eat and watch a movie as we have originally agreed to do. We had our lunch at Greenwich where Ralph saw a good news in his inbox. His boss gave him a hundred-dollar bonus ‘coz they had their first sale. I was very happy for him. Ralph has been working really hard for his online job and his boss has been very nice to him as well. What a nice day it was having received a couple of blessings.
After lunch, we went to watch Solomon Kane. Actually there were a few movies to choose from but Ralph said they were mostly chick flicks and he hates chick flicks movies. One time, I watched Practical Magic (I told him I have only watched it once and it happened a decade ago, but the truth is that I have seen it the umpteenth times already). He had no choice but watch it with me and at the end he said he can feel his tits growing! LOL. That’s just his way of saying he does not dig chick flick movies.
After the movie, we roamed the mall more because we had all the time in the world. We saw a ticketing office of Philippine Airlines and booked our flight back home which was going to be the day after. We took the 3:30PM flight. The check-out at the hotel was 12:00PM and that gives us enough time for travel from Mandaue city to Cebu airport. Everything was going perfectly well.
Before we left the mall, we ate at Pizza Hut because Ralph was craving for a Pizza. It was too big for us so we had the remaining pizza’s packed and taken out. We arrived at the hotel around 6PM where I took a nap right away and woke up to watch StarMovie’s ‘My BestFriend’s Girl’ starred by Kate Hudon and Jason Biggs. It was hilarious but very nice.
The next day, the hotel car drove us back to the airport where we arrived just in time for lunch. Ralph and I had a very nice lunch at a restaurant inside the domestic airport. We thought it was Chinese because of how the restaurant was decorated but the foods were not Chinese at all. I didn’t get the name. Too bad, but it was indeed very good.
After lunch, we then checked our bag in and had coffee inside. Actually, we only had that coffee because Ralph was after the smoking area. He was dying to have a smoke then. We wanted to have the Irish coffee but the Irish whisky was not available so we settled for a cappuccino instead. After the coffee and a stick of cigarette, we waited in the pre-departure area and surfed the internet. The good thing about Cebu is that it has WiFi access everywhere! Not just at the airport! I loved it!
As we waited for our flight, there was one incident where I was so upset with Ralph. It was because we kept going to several cafeteria’s just so he can smoke! I was getting too frustrated because in the very first coffee shop that we went to, I had insisted that he smokes all that he can while we’re there so we won’t have to waste our money and order something even though we were not hungry just so he can burn his lungs! But we settled it in the end like we always do.
We arrived smoothly (only one turbulence) in Bacolod 10 minutes earlier than scheduled. All I can say is that, I enjoyed our trip to Cebu so much. It was one of the best travels I’ve had! It’s so so nice to spend time with someone you love.
Check out our Cebu Travel Photos that we posted on Facebook.
We had to go to Cebu for Ralph’s scheduled hearing in Immigration Cebu District Office at Mandaue City.
Posted by Ralph Dia Ritoch on Saturday, March 20, 2010
