The Road to 40 Day 222/365: Flying Back to Manila

Today was our scheduled flight back to Manila, and the lazy picture-taker in me forgot to take pictures.

Since we got married, Che and I decided to go back to the Philippines every other year to be with family and friends. Last year, we went to Vietnam during these holidays, so we were set to go back this year.

Ticket prices can be crazy during this time of year – budget airlines cost as much as a regular Singapore Airlines flight. It’s the primary reason why we decided on a pre-arranged schedule of going back to the PH, so we can buy tickets early in the year.

We bought our tickets in February or March this year, unaware that just a few months later, Che would be assigned to the Philippines for three months.

Since we were just here earlier this year, we actually considered traveling elsewhere and canceling our flight. However, it didn’t make economical sense, and any time in the Philippines is always welcome anyway.

On this last day of ours in SG, I prepared breakfast for all of us before the cleaner came in. Usually, the cleaner works for three hours, but Che requested to clean for just 2 hours since theres not much to do.

I asked the cleaner to start in the kitchen, where she proceeded to stay for about 45 minutes. I know it takes a while for me to wash the dishes, but she took longer than necessary, I feel like. I was supposed to ask her to change the sheets, but since there were time constraints, I asked her to clean the toilets instead.

She managed to only clean one of the toilets, while I still had to clear our dining table. She wasn’t able to vacuum the room as well. We’ve never had issues with this cleaning service until this one.

After she cleaned up, I ordered delivery food for Vino and I so that I don’t have to do dishes anymore. He was quick to request for burgers, McDonalds, specifically.

Che arrived a little after we had our lunch. She took another call before we left the house. Our Grab driver was a bit chatty, but I usually talk to the drivers especially if there’s traffic.
Drivers tend to be angry and frustrated when there’s a jam. They sometimes think they shoudn’t have taken the job, short of blaming you for the inconvenience they are experiencing. So I humor them with whatever they want to talk about so that they forget what’s going on in front of them.

At the airport, I bought some drinks while Che and Vino had a little snack before boarding. The timing was just nice, as we managed to go into the boarding gates right as they were starting to board the plane.

Vino’s really getting used to eating on the plane, as he had a lot of the in-flight chicken meal. He used to avoid eating for fear of vomiting, and sometimes he would say he doesn’t like the food outright. A growing boy needs his food to grow more.

Che used the “travel later” option of Grab, as it’s a bit tricky to get a ride in Terminal 3. I learned from a Grab driver before that there’s a bit of complication with the renewal of their licenses, and if they are caught without valid paperwork, they could be fined up to Php150,000. Even if the documents are in process, the guards in Terminal 3 apperently don’t accept it as “valid” papers.

With the “travel later” option of Grab, you can choose your pickup time and input your flight number so that you can coordinate with the driver as you arrive. I think it’s a bit more expensive than booking on the spot, but it’s very convenient and cheaper than airport transfers.

Unfortunately, two of the bottles I bought broke after it dropped to the floor as we were walking towards the pickup point. We were hoping that only one of them broke, but it turned out both of them broke.

It’s disappointing, but there’s no use crying over spilled whiskey, as they say.

We checked in to the hotel, where we will stay for the night. Tomorrow, we move to a different one as we set a bit of time for just the three of us before meeting everyone else over the next few days.