Passenger Talesstories about my experiences as a traveler and passenger

I came from Cebu yesterday via Cebu Pacific that is why I landed at NAIA Terminal 3. It was my first time to use Terminal 3 as a take off and landing point. Of all the NAIA Terminals and some of the airports I’ve been to around the Philippines, Terminal 3 is the most similar to international airports in other countries like Seoul, Singapore, Kyoto and Bangkok. The layout of the check-in counters and the immigration counters and the fact that even non-passengers can enter up to the airport lobby. It is a shame that Terminal 3 is not yet fully utilized. It is newer and the lay-out is much more suitable for international passengers than old NAIA. Maybe the government can transfer the international flights to Terminal 3 and rebuild and refurbish old NAIA so that its facilities will be at par with the modern international airports like Singapore and Incheon.

As I made my way out of the airport, I checked the airport signs to see where I can get a taxi. When I went outside, I walked towards the area where I can see signs for airport taxis. I also noticed that there was a shuttle taking passengers from the airport to nearby destinations like Terminal 2 and MRT in Pasay (I think). There were two kinds of airport taxis, the flat rate taxis and the metered taxis. The flat rate airport taxis white-colored SUVs while the metered taxis are yellow-colored sedans. Flat rate taxis are more expensive but they can seat more people or accommodate larger baggages. If your traveling light and alone or up to four passengers, then the metered taxis would be a better choice. Since I was alone and traveling light, I opted for the metered taxi. These airport metered taxis are twice more expensive than the regular taxis because you are paying the trip from and back to the airport. These special taxis are not supposed to pick up passengers along the way. As I have mentioned in my previous post, the flag down rate for the 1st 500 meters is P70 and for every succeeding 300 meters thereafter is P4.00. The dispatcher gives out slips of paper, one for the passenger and another for the transport company. It includes the passenger’s name, destination and the plate number of the taxi. Included also are the telephone numbers where you can report any act of abuse and/or discourtesy. You can call the Office OIC, CPMD & Terminal 3 at telephone numbers 8777888 loc. 8090/8089 or 4252265/4252271. You can also send comments or suggestions thru text via 0917-8395242. I would like to say in advance that I have not tried using these numbers so I cannot say if they work or not. These are just the numbers indicated in the transport dispatch slips. I also wrote down the LTFRB hotline cellphone number listed at the back of the vehicles 09214487777. Again, I have been lucky not to have needed these numbers so I cannot attest to their veracity. The driver of the taxi I rode in was courteous and careful in driving so I was lucky. However, passengers should still remain vigilant because I know that there are still airport taxi drivers who take advantage of their passengers.

We are really lucky that we live in this age because there are so many conveniences available. Before, smokers had to make their own cigars or cigarettes but now they can buy cigarettes almost everywhere. Recently, electronic cigarettes were invented and are now widely available in the market. These cigarettes usually come with a mouthpiece, a heating element, a rechargeable battery, and electronic circuits. Of course, as of now e-cigarettes cannot yet replace the traditional cigarettes, but who knows in the future? We can never tell.

While I was trying to update my blog template, I came across the advice that it is very important to back up your files, whether online backup or saving to disks other than in your laptop or pc. Of course, I was just going to try my hand at upgrading while waiting for my friend to do the actual deed. As usual, I got lost just reading what I needed to do so I just said to heck with it and patiently waited for my friend to get around to upgrading my blog. But I really want to learn how to back up my blog so maybe this long weekend I will try my hand at it.

One sign of growing old is when wrinkles start appearing. These appear in the face, neck, and even hands. Some people fear the appearance of wrinkles very much. They don’t like to be reminded that they are growing old. That is why anti wrinkle treatments are popular especially among women. Creams, ointments, gels, tablets and other products related to reducing fine lines or wrinkles in the face are selling like hotcakes in pharmacies, department and grocery stores. Even those only in their thirties are already encouraged to buy these treatments. Considering that stress can cause the appearance of wrinkles, then the market for anti wrinkle treatments are really growing because the lifestyle today is very stressful.

When I first entered the workforce, I had no idea about social security, life insurance, health card and stuff like that. I entered as a contractual employee so I did not have the benefits that were given to regular employees. It was my mom who advised me to get voluntary social security and get a health card even if I had to pay for it. After working for a couple of years, she also recommended that I get a life insurance. An officemate also told me that it was better to get insurance while still young so that you can finish paying it early. I did not have to get a life insurance quote because I just went with my mother’s recommendation. I can remember one officemate gathering information about life insurance so that she can compare prices and benefits. Today getting insurance quotes are easy because they are already available on line. That’s the beauty of a wired society, everything with just one click.

I like reading regency novels. The lighted ballrooms filled with dashing and beautiful aristocrats where the women wear long gowns cover the ankles but almost lay bare the bosom and the fitting tights of the men coupled with ruffled shirts and high cravats seem like a page out of a fairytale story. Let’s not forget the horses and the carriages that were the only means of land transportation. I became familiar with horse tack like saddles, bridle, stirrups, reins and others because of the hundreds regency novels I have read over the years. It seems that “happy-ever-afters” appear more plausible than when reading contemporary romance novels.

Shoppers today are very lucky because most of the grocery and department stores use laser barcode scanners to get the prices of an item. It is so much faster than the cashiers typing the prices and errors are minimized. Stores usually use the hands-free barcode scanners or gun style laser scanners like the Symbol LS2208. Long lines are still the norm during peak shopping hours but these lines move a lot faster.

When we are young we are not conscious of our skin. We do not care about the scars on our legs from the wounds we got while playing. I remember my grandmother always scolding me to take better care of my legs because when I grow I up I won’t become a Miss Universe or a beauty queen. If course there was never a chance of that but it was just her way to illustrate the point. I remembered this advice when I saw a girl in the church wearing knee leggings and I saw her legs full of scars. I wanted to tell her to take better care of her legs because she would surely regret those scars when she gets older. It is the same with the face. We should take care not to touch our pimples in such a way that they will leave scars. It is better to apply a zit cream so that the pimples will heal faster without scars. Scarring on the legs are easier to manage because you can always hide them with long pants or dark stockings unlike your face which is always visible to the world, unless you wear a veil covering your face like the Muslim women in conservative societies.

Last Tuesday, I was walking along Ortigas on the EDSA Shrine side when I suddenly saw a motorcyle stop in the middle of the rode and the driver quickly got disembarked. Following the motorcycle was a black vehicle who also stopped behind the motorcycle. I was getting nervous already because I thought that the motorcyclist was going to pick a fight witht the driver of the black vehicle. I hate fights and I did not want to witness anything. I continued walking and no fight happened. Instead the sidewalk vendors were getting excited and they ran toward the two vehicles. I could hear one woman screaming for somebody to be fetched. I did not look back but continued walking. I was really scared and I did not want to see of somebody was run over. The other pedestrians were just looking at the drama that was unfolding. I do not know what really happened but I think a child was run over. When I was around 100 meters from the scene, it seemed that nothing happened. The people continued to wait for public transportation and the traffic continued to flow. I guess, that is how life is. I’m sure that night was a turning point or a tragic night for somebody or for a family but for the others it was just another ordinary night in their ordinary existence.

The day after that incident, I witnessed another accident. This time it was along CP Garcia Avenue. We were going home riding our service and wondering why traffic was very heavy when we came upon a taxi that stopped in the middle of the street. Then we saw that there was an accident. The front bumper of the taxi was torn off and a motorcycle was lying on the other side of the rode. There were people standing around the area while traffic was building on both sides of the road. I did not turn to look because I did not want to see any bloody person. Others in the car were looking out and Kuya Alvin was theorizing about what happened. When we passed by the Red Cross building, the accident happened in front of the Red Cross, we could see a man lying on the pavement in front of the building while the employees were milling around. He did not look bloody but I did really turn to look. Mawi, one of my officemates was saying that the man was texting. If he were the one driving the motorcycle, then I’m glad he was not seriously injured since he was still lucid and texting.

Those were two accidents in two consecutive days. On that same Wednesday, Ate Mia also told us that she witnessed a motorcycle accident early in the morning on her way to our meeting place. I guess everyday there are always accidents happening but when you witness these things, they seem more real and frightening.

It is normal to have pimples or acne when you are a teenager and suffering from changing hormones but when you leave the teenage years behind, you look forward to leaving those irritating things behind also. Unfortunately, not everybody is lucky. Some people suffer from pimples all throughout their lives. They are always on the lookout for creams, ointments and what-nots to vanquish their pimple problem forever. With all the products available, it is very hard to choose one that is suitable for you. One way to determine what to buy is to check out discussions and review about products. The internet is full of such sites that compare and contrast products like the proactiv reviews, which gives detailed reviews about the Proactiv product. Of course, the best way is still to consult your dermatologists. But it won’t hurt if you already have some knowledge about the products before going to your dermatologist.