Sunday, December 19, 2010

LAST PLANE OUT

I never missed a plane until yesterday when my flight from San Francisco to Portland left while I was doing a week’s laundry and preparing binabad na pork chop for Oyet and Jack.

I was very particular on plane schedules. I knew I got it right so what happened is still a mystery at least to me.

Anyway, Oyet made frantic phone calls as I braced myself for the possibility of having to shell out a few hundred bucks for the fine and rebooking cost. An emerging worst case scenario since it’s the peak season of air travel is not being home for Christmas which would be unforgivable.

But miracles do happen. The voice on the other line finally became that of a human and after a pause, she said there’s another plane leaving for Narita at 12 noon. She is now booking me and if I can get on that plane, I would be able to catch my connecting flight to Manila in Tokyo. I never packed so fast in my life. Luggage in tow, Oyet and me ran to the 16th Street BART Station. And the fucking train have to stop 2 stations before the airport because of what was explained as "heavy traffic ahead". Finally at the airport, we have to run searching for the Delta Air counter which have to to be at the far end of the terminal. I was not booked but was able to insist on getting a boarding pass, endure the long security check queue, and barely have enough time to board the plane. I made it and what Oyet and me has to go through is certainly worthy of an “Amazing Race” episode.

Somebody up there must like me after all and perhaps, it might be because of those churches...






PHOTOS EXPLAINED (top to bottom): (1) St. Patrick's church count among its congregation a sizable Filipino community. It was first built in 1872 then restored in 1906 in the aftermath of the great San Francisco earthquake. It is today registered as the city's Landmark No. 4. (2) The origins of the Episcopalian Grace Cathedral started in a little chapel built in 1849 during the great California gold rush. Two bigger structures were subsequently built with the third going down during the 1906 earthquake. The present structure was started to be constructed in 1928 on a donated property and was completed in 1964. It is the third largest Episcopal cathedral in the United States. (3-4) Bernal Hills offers a sweeping view of San Francisco. I was shooting for a panoramic view of the city's skyline and did not really notice the churches that came out in the photos. But there they stood, as if on cue, posing for me. (4) I saw this church while walking down from Bernal Hill. Never knew of a St. Kevin until then. A Google search result says that the church was named after Kevin of Glendalough, Ireland.

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