Eat, Pray, Fly: Mary Grace Cafe @ NAIA3

Who wouldn't be thrilled that, an hour before your flight out of Manila, you could still have a cup of hot chocolate paired with one of the best ensaimadas?

On the day I flew out to Seoul three months ago via the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, my friend Cielo treated me to a lunch of Vigan longganisa with sunny side-up eggs, and a plateful of stories...at Mary Grace Café right inside the airport!

                (Mary Grace cafe's interiors don't 
              make you feel you're in an airport)


On Level 4 of the Terminal, passengers in the café, who were also flying out to another city, were having ensaimadas, pastas and other Mary Grace goodies that I was sure were so much better than any in-flight meal!

That afternoon, as my plane to Seoul was taking off from the NAIA runway, I was busy burping from the Vigan longganisa and apple pie! And I was probably the only passenger on that flight who was actually carrying in my tummy an excess baggage of Mary Grace café favorites! Ha-ha-ha! 

I am now back home in the islands and have been craving for those yummy ensaimadas again. So, when my brother was flying back from Manila via the same terminal, he was able to bring a few boxes of ensaimadas home for me. Thanks to Cielo and her son, Lawrence, who helped me reserve some ensaimadas. I was worried that, since my brother's flight was at night, by the time he got to the airport, those always sold-out ensaimadas weren't available anymore at the airport's Mary Grace café.

And when those Mary Grace ensaimadas finally arrived home, they were paired with my mom's special tablea tsokolate! 

A bite of the soft, buttery ensaimada in the palate drowned by the warm tablea tsokolate, so rich and flavored with a mother's love is always a special holiday experience. 

       (My mom's tablea tsokolate and Mary Grace               ensaimadas sitting on our breakfast table!)

And while I am enjoying my Christmas holidays with these goodies, I hope you make time before your departure or after your arrival at NAIA's Terminal 3 so you can enjoy those yummy Mary Grace ensaimadas and other goodies as well!

Either way, welcome home, or have a safe flight!

Ear Force One: Going Deaf When Flying!

When I left Seoul last December 2014 for my Christmas vacation in the Philippines, I knew I was in trouble. Days before I flew out, I caught a bad cold which I couldn't shake off even with my Korean doctor's medications. So, when the cold still persisted on the day of my flight, I rushed back to his clinic and told him I was flying out that night and I was worried, not because of my in-flight meal or a delay in my flight, but because of this nasal problem! 

       (Watching TV while waiting at my Korean doctor's clinic)

Years ago, I had to cancel my flight to Jeju Island when I hurt my eardrums after some confined water scuba diving lessons I took in Suwon City, just south of Seoul. The same Korean doctor advised me from flying. During that time, I could even feel my eardrums tighten up just riding the building elevator. I learned my lesson that time.

This time, about nine hours before my flight, my doctor gave me additional medication and told me to get some candies to chew minutes before take-off and minutes before landing. As expected, all throughout the three-and-a-half hour flight from Incheon International Airport to Manila, I had to attend to my nose, but I made sure I had a lot of tissue with me. Ha-ha-ha! 

And the worse happened.

      (Instead of a 'Mabuhay!', this sign at NAIA3 greeted me.                                      WTF, NAIA manager?)

My eardrums suddenly told me that the plane started its descent even before the pilot announced it. How? I could not equalize! I started to go deaf! During the flight, I had my earphones on to listen to some sleepy music. This time, the bass tones of the music were inaudible, and although I still could hear some passengers behind my seat talk, their voices sounded far and sounded like whispers. And the worst thing? I felt these invisible screws pressing into both ears. They were not that painful, but I was worried they'd rupture my eardrums! It was the same feeling when I scuba-dived, descending into the water and feeling the pressure against both ears, but this time, I wasn't wearing a wet suit; I was wearing a worried face for the whole 30 minutes until touchdown!

And when the plane landed at the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, I couldn't celebrate my coming home! How could I? I was deaf! 

        (Sad looking Christmas decors greeted me at NAIA3)


I couldn't wait to run out of the plane. I had to see a doctor. And since there was no line at the Immigration lane for "PWD/Senior Citizens", I went for it. I later realized this was my lane. 'PWD' means 'persons with disability': my eardrums were disabled!  Although it was Christmas time, the first words I spoke to the first three Filipinos at the airport (Cebu Pacific ground staff, the Immigration Officer and the Customs Officer) weren't yuletide greetings, they were "Meron po bang medical clinic dito sa airport?" (Is there a medical clinic in this airport?).

The Cebu Pacific staff didn't know; the Immigration Officer pointed me downstairs; but it was the Customs Officer (thanks to her!) who ushered me to the medical clinic just behind the Customs area. It was already 2AM (the Cebu Pacific flight from Seoul was delayed by 90 freakin' minutes!), and I was tired, sleepy and deaf!

Luckily, the medical staff, Nurse Perez and Doctor Gatmaitan (I hope I remember their family names correctly; they were on duty on December 21, early Sunday morning), were able to attend me. The doctor told me that I was lucky my eardrums didn't rupture, but they were inflamed. I told him I was going to take another flight (this time, a domestic flight to Bacolod) in three hours, and I was worried (again!). He gave me some decongestants.

And although the take-off my the last leg home was worry-free, the same thing happened to me during the last 20 minutes. My eardrums went crazy again and I had trouble listening to the murmurs and whispers on board, even though I was still chewing candies. So I just distracted myself with the glorious sight from my seat window: the dark skies gradually turning red and orange as Sunday morning started to peep in. And on the final minutes of the plane gliding over the low clouds and seeing those green plantations below, I was just happy I was home. Deaf or not, but I was finally home! 

(Morning has broken...)

*  *  *  *  *  *

Here are some tips I found on the Internet when flying with cold:

1. If it's a slight cold, do take decongestants before flying. And bring a lot of tissues!

2. Chew some candies or gum minutes before take-off and minutes before the plane starts its the descent.

3. For babies and kids with colds, it's better not to let them fly because they may not know how to equalize. Do you ever wonder why kids cry a lot before landing? Maybe it's because they don't know how to equalize and they're experiencing a lot of pain. It's advised to feed them so that they would naturally suck in liquid which would aid in equalizing the pressure.

4. If you had injuries in your eardrums, do consult your doctor as they may worsen.

5. Do visit your doctor before and seek advice and medication if you're worried, like I was!

6. Immediately visit an EENT (ears, eyes, nose, throat) specialist after experiencing deafness during a flight. (After I arrived home, I visited one in Bacolod and he gave me antibiotics for my inflamed eardrums.)

Travel safe, everyone!

PS. Thanks to Dr. Gatmaitan and Nurse Perez of NAIA3!

A Pinoy At NAIA 3: Those Useless Trolleys

I have always wondered why nobody at NAIA3 collects these trolleys at the boarding gates to bring them back to the security check area to be used by passengers on succeeding flights. 

Maybe, NAIA management couldn't afford to pay one more staff to do this?

Maybe, NAIA management doesn't know how trolleys work?

Or maybe, NAIA management doesn't give a rat's arse about passenger convenience.

                (Useless trolleys at Gate 115 
                        of NAIA Terminal 3)

The walk from the pre-departure security check to the assigned boarding gate at Ninoy Aquino International Airport's Terminal 3 is quite a distance, especially if your gate is the farthest. And a trolley for your hand-carry luggage would be a big help, especially if you've been travelling all night long and have been dragging a heavy maleta on your left hand and carrying another bag on your right shoulder.

At the Incheon International Airport in South Korea, there was always a Korean lady who gathers all these trolleys for passengers in the pre-departure area to use for their hand-carry luggage. She collects them at the boarding gates and brings them back to a spot near the duty-free shops, where the next passengers, who just cleared immigration, could use as they make their way to their assigned gates.

But at NAIA 3, oh well. Let's just say management must be 'natutulog sa pansitan'. No offense meant to the glorious pancit, especially if cooked with lots of sahog and pork chunks. 

I have been passing through NAIA 3 all these years as I always took Cebu Pacific from Seoul to Manila, and then from Manila to Bacolod City. And every time, I always looked for a trolley after I passed the last security check at the pre-departure area. There was always none. Nada! Umasa ka pa! But lo and behold! When I arrive at my assigned boarding gate, I'd always see a few huddled together, useless and stored away, which just means the NAIA general manager doesn't want you to use it.

So, last Sunday, when I arrived at Gate 115 of NAIA Terminal 3 (a very far walk from the security check!) before 2 PM to wait for my flight to Seoul and saw these useless trolleys just stored on the side, I decided to talk to a Cebu Pacific male staff sitting at the gate counter and told him to at least inform the management that these trolleys could still be used for the passengers' convenience if only somebody cared to bring them back to the security check area. But basing on the reaction on his face, I think I wasted my time talking to him. I was right. During my one-hour wait before boarding, those trolleys didn't move. This means that even Cebu Pacific staff don't actually care about the convenience of their own passengers.

I hope the NAIA management would read this complaint. Although maybe to them, this would just be a suggestion. 

I am not asking NAIA to be as convenient and efficient as the Incheon International Airport because Incheon has been consistently voted as the best airport in the world, and NAIA, sadly with its broken moving walkways, broken toilets (would you believe international passengers had to use the employees' toilets last Sunday??) and the least attention to passenger convenience, just couldn't compare.

I'm posting this blog to whomever is running the country's premiere airport (and please don't tell me there's no CCTV camera covering Gate 115, thereby preventing you from noticing the idle trolleys); I hope next time I would be able to use one of these trolleys after I clear the security check!

I hope. I'll keep my camera ready again next time.

                   (Can NAIA really live up to 
                        the name of Ninoy?)

Buhay-OFW: Tips Para Sa Mga Uuwi sa Pinas

It's the time of the year again at madami sa ating mga kababayang OFW ay uuwi at gustong makapiling ang ating mga mahal sa buhay at mga kaibigan sa Pasko.

Uuwi rin kasi ako next week and I was thinking of sharing the things I observe tuwing umuuwi ako sa Pinas. All these years of going in and out of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) , naging habit ko na ang mga ito: 

No. 1: Dress down, no borloloy, no flashy jewelry

Siguro, kasama na sa ating ugali na kung galing ka sa labas ng Pinas ay dapat 'imported' din ang dating. Yung iba diyan, maski na super-init paglabas ng NAIA, naka leather jacket pa rin at naka-scarf. They expected na may snow sa pilahan ng NAIA taxi, yata. 

Itong klaseng 'appearance' ay mismong binabantayan ng mga may masamang balak na naka-abang diyan sa NAIA. Yung ibang OFWs kon-todo gold earrings, gold necklace at kung anu-ano pang kumikinang na alahas na suot. These OFWs are setting up themselves as a target. They're screaming 'OFW ako at madami akong alahas na dala! Hold-apin n'yo ako!'

Lalo na pagnaka-uwi ka na sa bahay ninyo. Hindi mo kailangan magsuot ng alahas kung mamamalengke ka man lang sa talipapa.

No. 2: Try to avoid landing at NAIA if you can

Kung meron man lang international airport na mas malapit sa probinsiya mo at merong flight from your job site papunta doon, doon ka na lang mag-landing. 

Ang hometown ko is Bacolod at dati akong kumukuha ng flights from Incheon to NAIA3, tapos connecting flight to Bacolod. Pero na observe ko na magulo at nahihirapan akong dumaan ng NAIA3 kasi malaki at very crowded, lalo na kapag December. Kaya ginawa ko ay nag Incheon to Cebu, tapos Cebu to Bacolod na ako. Mas convenient at stress-free para sa akin. At hindi na ako kailangang managalog, puede na ako mag-Hiligaynon, total, nagka-intiendihan din kami ng mga Cebuano staff.

No. 3: Do not carry a lot of cash with you and watch your bag all the time

Hindi ako nagdadala ng madaming cash sa handcarry bag ko kung uuwi ako ng Pinas. (Ayan, yung balak na mag-abang sa akin sa NAIA, inuunahan ko na kayo. Wala akong perang dala! Ha-ha-ha!)

Bakit? 

Una, may limit as to the amount of currencies na puede mong ilabas sa bansa na pinanggalingan mo. Kaya, para walang hassle sa Customs sa Incheon International Airport, hindi ako nag-bibitbit ng madaming Korean won. Kung may bibilhin akong pagkain sa Incheon airport, Korean credit card na lang ginagamit ko. At tamang-tama lang ang pesos na dala ko rin.

Pangalawa, ang cash na binibitbit mo ay puede pa rin yang mawala at madukot, or yung bag mo ay makalimutan mo kung saan-saan. Madami tayong napapabalitaan na nawalan ng bag na may laman na maraming pera diyan sa loob nag airport dahil sa sinalisihan, ó niloko, ó nagpaloko.

Ang ginagawa ko ay pinapadala ko na sa bank account ko sa Pinas ang gusto kong dalhin na amount, depending on my budget. This way, safe na ang pera ko maski gumastos ako ng konti sa remittance charge, or nalugi ng konti sa exchange rate. Ang importante ay safe ang pera ko at may peace of mind ako.

 No. 4:  Be smart and be aware of your surroundings and the people even inside NAIA


Tuwing papalabas na ako ng arrival area, pagkatapos kong dumaan ng Customs sa NAIA 3, tulak-tulak ko yung maleta ko, palaging madaming tao nag-aabang sa labas at tila paranoid ako kaagad. Basta ang attention ko palagi ay sa mga gamit ko at sa mga taong nakakasalubong ko.

Pero one time, diyan sa CR ng NAIA 3, may isang taong na nagpapanggap na kunyari jumi-jingle. I noticed him kasi, after dumating yung flight ko from Seoul at 12:30AM, madaling araw, dumeretso ako sa CR after clearing the Customs para mag-toothbrush. Yung connecting flight ko kasi papuntang Bacolod is about 5AM kaya nakigamit muna ako ng CR bago mag-kape.

Yung tao na yun ay tila nag-aabang ng mga pumapasok. Nang pumasok ako, nandoon na siya sa urinal. Natapos na akong maghilamos at mag-toothbrush, pero nandoon pa rin siya. Ewan ko kung may urinary tract infection siya kasi five minutes na yata siyang nagji-jinggle. Sigurado akong hindi siya pasahero. Baka nag-aabang siya ng isang pasahero na gagamit ng kubeta at mag-iiwan ng bag na walang bantay.

Maski puede pumasok ang mga sumasalubong sa Arrival Level ng NAIA 3, sana e-check ng security ang mga CR (both men's and ladies' CR) para siguradong walang kahina-hinalang mga naka-tambay doon. 

No. 5: Do not let your luggage and bags out of your sight even inside NAIA

Baka merong gustong maki-pagkaibigan diyan mismo sa loob ng airport habang ikaw ay naghihintay ng susundo sa 'yo, or habang nasa coffee shop ka bago mag check-in sa connecting flight mo papuntang probinsya. Careful lang madami nang naloko na kunyari nag-offer silang babantayan ang maleta mo habang nasa CR ka. 

At maraming nagpapanggap na OFW rin at gustong makipagkaibigan at yayain kang sumama sa kanya, ó kanila, para isang hotel na lang kayo kung sakaling delayed or cancelled ang flight ninyo at kailangan ninyong mag-hotel. Ingat kayo sa mga taong hindi ninyo kilala. Very friendly sila at kunyari iiwan sa inyo ang kanilang mga gamit.

Kung mawalan ka ng gamit, mabuti na lang kung honest yung makakita ng bag mo kung nawala lang dahil nakalimutan. At madami na rin akong narinig na merong flights na merong nagnanakaw sa loob mismo ng eroplano tuwing natutulog ang mga pasahero. Kung sa eroplano pa lang, mabuti kung may lock yung bag mo na inilagay mo sa overhead compartment. Ako, naka-padlock yung handcarry ko at inilalagay ko sa OPPOSITE SIDE na overhead compartment para makita ko kahit naka-upo ako. 

Ang payo ko ay natutunan ko kay Fox Mulder sa TV series na X-Files: "Trust no one."

No. 6:  Take note of the taxi number and be aware of taxi driver

Most of the time, kung galing akong Seoul, hindi na ako lumalabas ng NAIA. Naghihintay na lang ako sa coffee shop para sa connecting flight ko papuntang Bacolod.

Meron, ilang beses na rin, na kailangan ko muna mag-overnight sa Manila. So, ang ginagawa ko, ay kumukuha ako ng NAIA Taxi papunta sa hotel ko para safe, kasi past 12 midnight na ang arrival ng flight ko.

Kung gabi na, mas mainam na kunin ninyo ang NAIA Taxi. Maski mahal, isipin niyo na lang na nagbabayad kayo ng premium para sa inyong safety. Nakakatakot kasi na kumuha lang ng taxi doon sa 'departure level'. Madami na tayong nababasang mga insidente ng panloloko at panghohold-dap.

Pero maski NAIA Taxi na ang sinakyan ko last year, yung driver ay sinubukan pa rin akong hingan ng extrang pera. Tinanong niya kung saan ako galing, since feeling safe ako sa taxi niya, sinabi ko na galing akong Korea. Tapos, humingi ng tip; sabi ko wala na akong peso, pero humingi pa rin ng 'pera ng Korea' para daw souvenir niya. Hindi ko siya binigyan. Dinedma ko na lang.

And if you can, take a picture of the cab's plate number and body number.


No. 7:  Inform, text or call your family

Kung nag-iisa kayong dadating, ipaalam sa pamilya ninyo ang flight number and date of arrival niyo. At dapat tawagan or e-text ninyo sila kung dumating na kayo, especially yung detalye ng taxi kung wala kayong sundo.


No. 8: For single-lady travelers, or senior citizens: Ask someone to pick you up

For female OFWs arriving alone, especially at night, I would strongly suggest that you ask a family member or relative or a friend to meet you at the airport. Mabuti na yung may kasama ka sa taxi sa pag-uwi kong wala kayong sariling sasakyan. Yung mga may edad na OFW ay dapat magpasundo rin kasi sila rin ang target ng mga manlolokong kababayan natin diyan sa NAIA or mga manloloking taxi driver.

No. 9: To save time as 'Balik-manggagawa/OFW', secure your OEC online before Christmas

Dati, yung wala pang online, hassle ang pagpunta sa  OWWA/POEA satellite office sa Bacolod City para mag-secure ng OEC receipt na kailangan natin sa paglabas uli pagkatapos ng bakasyon. 

Para sa dagdag ng information, heto yung info from the Philippine Embassy in Seoul:

https://www.philembassy-seoul.com/offices/migrant-workers-office

No. 10: Pag-isipan nang mabuti ang pagdala ng 'pasalubong'

Minsan nakasabay ko sa check-in counter sa Incheon International Airport ang isang pauwing OFW. Dalawang malalaking karton ang dala, bukod sa maleta. Siguro umabot sa 50 kilos ang timbang ng lahat ng bagahe niya. Palagay ko, sumakit ang likod niya sa pagbuhat ng mga karton mula sa bahay niya pa lang papuntang Incheon Airport.

Nasa kultura na natin ang magdala ng pasalubong pauwi, pero isipin natin kung aling ang mas economical; kung aling paraan mas makakatipid tayo. Halos lahat nang sinasabi nating 'imported' ay mabibili na sa Pinas. Maski sabihin natin na mas mura sa labas, kung magbabayad lang din tayo ng excess baggage na malaki, ay hindi na rin tayo nakatipid.

At kung may balak tayong bumili man lang, bibilhin na natin ang ating pang-regalo sa Pinas, nakakatulong pa tayo sa ekonomiya ng bansa. O, di ba?

No. 11:  Ipagpatuloy ang enjoyment ng Pinoy delicacies maski sa return flight

On my flight back to Seoul, since most of the time, I take Cebu Pacific (kasi mas mura), pero yun nga lang, kung gusto mong kumain ng in-flight meal nila, you have to pay for it. Ako, may sarili akong dalang in-flight meal.

Last time, I brought with me Jamaican patties and for dessert, Dolor's sapi-sapin! So, maski wala na ako sa Pinas, enjoy pa rin ako ng Pinoy delicacies. O, di ba? I just buy my softdrinks from the stewardess kasi makahingi pa ako ng ice. 😂

Yung nga lang, kawawa yung katabi kong pasahero. Maglalaway siya. Ha-ha-ha! There was one occasion, where during the flight to Korea, baon ko empanadas and tarts, and another time I brought ube jam (read blog here)!

No. 12:  Enjoy your time with family and friends

Lahat tayo bihira umuwi, kaya enjoy dapat natin ang panahon sa piling ng ating pamilya, kamag-anak at mga kaibigan. Alam ko na meron kang mga kamag-anak na hindi gustong makita. Ha-ha-ha! 

Maski palagi kayong nagcha-chat or nagme-message ng pamilya niyo, mabuti na yung masabi niyo ang gusto niyong sabihin, lalo na sa inyong mga anak. Dapat ma-intindihan nila na ang buhay ng konting kaginhawahan dahil OFW ka ay hindi panghabang-buhay. 

If you have other tips to share, please share. Salamat!

Ingat at 'Happy Trip'! 😊

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year sa fellow OFWs! 😍

#ofw #pinoy #balikbayan #filipino #overseasfilipinoworker #naia