Weekend break

The Clarivoyant flew in from Singapore early in the morning of last Saturday. I fetched her at Terminal 1 and was pleasantly surprised that her plane arrived ahead of schedule. It was also pleasant that there seemed to be only a few flights arriving that morning as the usually full parking lot was practically empty. It was a full contrast to my usual forays into fetching at Terminal 1 when I usually had to arrive early enough to be able to park the car in a convenient spot near the waiting area for arrivals.

The Clairvoyant flew in via Tiger Airways, a discount airline affiliated with Singapore Airlines. It is the dominant airline flying out of Changi's budget terminal but it berths at NAIA's Terminal 1. Previously, it only flew between Singapore and the Philippines via the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga. Tiger is also a cheap and reliable airline but its flight schedule is quite limited for now, making it probably the third choice behind Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines in as far as convenience and expense is concerned. The Clairvoyant also mentioned that they have a policy prohibiting the consumption of food and drinks not purchased from the airline inflight. While legal considering that one is practically on Singapore while aboard the aircraft, it seems to be an unusual policy considering the passengers' own rights. It is, though, an ingenious strategy for selling snacks or meals.

Our entire Saturday went, quite literally, to the dogs. Or maybe the correct term is "to The Dog," referring to our Labrador Retriever who at 7 years still think of himself as a puppy. Our lab was injured last week as he played with our other dog, a terrier mix. And so we ended up at the U.P. Veterinary Hospital where our lab met other dogs of his kind and started behaving as if he wasn't injured at all. It was a complete reversal from the night before when he complained so much on the way up to our room and practically kept me awake all night leaving me lacking of sleep prior to my trip to the airport. Credit to the "miraculous healing" goes to the two labs being examined in two adjacent rooms at the hospital including one female whom our dog seemed to be trying to impress. Add to that a cute Golden Retriever puppy, a companion of the female lab, who was also very friendly. I guess these labs are just being true to their published temperament, which probably makes their breed most attractive to many people including those with kids.

Sunday was spent visiting parents including surprising the Clairvoyant's as they didn't have a clue that their daughter would be coming home for the weekend. We had lunch out and had a great time at Rack's over at a branch of a major mall chain nearby. In the afternoon we visited my parents' home and enjoyed the afternoon and dinner with our niece and nephew who were quite eager and excited to see their Auntie after some time. They kept asking me the previous Sundays where she was and when she'll be back. So finally their questions were answered and they got to play and show stuff learned at school.

This morning I drove the Clairvoyant to the airport for her flight back to Singapore. She'll be back soon again for another break. It's her turn to travel this March so I won't be going to Singapore soon. My turn comes up in April and during the University's summer break. I must admit it looks like a hectic schedule but it is also an exciting one and allows us to have a bigger and hopefully more wiser perspective of things.