Sunday, January 30, 2005

WEDDING FILE 1: "ARRIVAL TO THE PHILIPPINES"

December 17, 2004

It was 7pm when our friend Don dropped us at the Bahrain International Airport. We unloaded his car with the usual Pinoy travel necessities like: a suitacase full of clothes, a huge balikbayan box full of goodies (fruits, appliances, chocolates, coffee...etc.), a hand carry full of more goodies, a bag of laptop and accessories, and Lany's wedding gown (very huge box...very fragile...if you tilt or knock it over she will give you a nice concussion!). Very light indeed considering that its only our 3rd trip back home. I guess veteran expats carry heavier than usual packages.

When we got to the airport, we met up with our friends the Caday family and their well-wishers. We took a few photos and then went on our jolly way to check in our laguages. I was praying hard that our things wouldn't weigh more than it should. Or else I have to unpack and unload some of my stuff. I heard a lot of nasty rumours about airport personel, and I don't want to be in trouble with one of them. I also made an extra prayer for the immigration guy to let us through on this date. Because our "exit pass" is a day ahead of our departure. He has the right not to let us pass. I did this trick last year and it worked. Good thing that he was nice, or else it would have led us in to a much bigger mess.

My things came over the weighing scale and was taken in without any hassle. Darn! I could have put an extra kilo in it. When it was Lany's turn it went over an extra 2kg! Could the fruits inside the box got contaminted with soil and germinated into a tree?! It can't be! (I haven't tried to use this alibi before. But if you have the balls to do so, then the best of luck to you. Hope that the person behind the counter is a blonde! hehehehe!)

Bahrain's Duty Free is small but complete. The showcase of items are immense and well displayed. I took photo of the the dancing Santa near the toy section. I even danced to his tune of jingle bells! I really felt the spirit of Christmas because we were on our way home. Yipee!!!!

As we boarded the plane, I felt the stigma of another agonizing trip home. 12 hours is a long time to sit. Even if there is inflight entertainment, I can feel my but flatten as the minutes pass me by. My problem with sleeping on the planes uncomftable seats seems to be my biggest dilemma. I tried alcoholic beverages, but these things makes you got to the bathroom every now and then. Nah! I will stick to the movies instead.

So there I was, sitting beside my future wife as she sleeps on my shoulders. For a minute I thought I was getting some well deserved sleep, but the thought of the work ahead of this wedding wakes me up like coffee. Oh well! Another film flashed before my eyes. Time to watch another one.

To make the story short...we reached the Philippine airspace at around 4pm. We took small clips of the landing, and NAIA airport along the way. My heart pounds as we near the arrival area. Oh man I cant wait to see my fathers expression when he see's me and Lany! We were about to see them in a minute, but Lany's trolly has a break problem...wait!...no breaks on either of our trolly's! I have to come back up the ramp to get her. At that time I felt like an Alaskan Salmon swimming againts the rush of travellers trying hard to gain control on their descending trolly.

I spotted my father in an instant! I guess its an instinct to distinguish our parents from a crowd. Never have I been lost since I was a child. And I won't lose sight of my old man now! I saw my future mother inlaw at the arrival station...and she ain't smilling at all. Well, atleast not at me. Probably a maternal instinct too! Hehehe! Anyways, I will let it go this time. I know that she has this feeling that her daughter will be taken away anytime soon.

And so we parted ways for the mean time. For now we join our own biological family towards home. I am glad to be with them...I can't wait 'till we get there. I miss home cooking so much, I swear that anchovies will taste like gourmet food in my mouth. ahhhhh!!! I know that my dad has cooked something special because he kept asking what I want. Let me guess, hmmm...Adobong Pusit! Hahaha!

My night ended with a bottle of cold San Miguel Beer after shots of Emperador Brandy. My tired body was ready to give in from my beds invitation of sleep...Tomorrow is another day...a working day! We have loads of preparation ahead of us. Thank God for my cousin RIA, Tita Wena, Babs my sis and My inlaws for all the help that they gave us when we were away. Godbless each one of them!

to my Dear cousin Geoffrey, who is now serving the people of Kosovo through the United Nations...I wrote each and every blog here. Thanks for the wonderful comment! Tell Mylene about this site will ya? Keep reading and stay off o' those landmines will you?! Take care! Send me a few pictures if you have time.

love,

Dennis (I use to be little John when we played Voltes Fivaaaa!!! Now I'm not so little anymore. I can now play Big Bird! Haha!)

Friday, January 28, 2005

BACK TO BAHRAIN

Marhaba!

We are back in sunny Bahrain since last tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005. And this time we came back married. There is a different feeling inside me coming back with a wedding ring around my finger. Suddenly, I don't have the fear of people's comments that we are very sweet in public. Being in an Arab country, you have to act proper most of the time. Otherwise people of different races look at you differently. Now, we can flash our shiny wedding rings in their faces and tell the whole world that we tied the knot!!! In your face man! (ring finger up in the air! bling! bling!)

The sad part about all these, is the fact the we left home once again as we look towards the future in another country. We will surely miss our parents, friends ,and the hamock tied between two coconut tree's in Boracay. Damn! That piece of net is a slice of heaven for us... I wish we had more than 40 days to spend back home. Oh well, all we have now are just memories to cherish and an empty wallet. Hehehehe!

In a couple of days I will be blogging about our experience preparing for the wedding, the wedding itself, the honeymoon in Boracay, and our days running around Pinas. I hope we keep you entertained and informed. So if you are still interested, keep reading!!!

Dennis and Lany