Iloilo Here We Come Again

July 27, 2018

I no longer remember when I last visited Iloilo, oh yeah just a few years ago with Edmund, Oyen, and Nyke. It was a spur of the moment thing. Out of the blues Edmund convinced himself it was time to bring Nyke and Oyen to his birthplace. Or it was Oyen who convinced him.

According to him, the day after their high school graduation ceremony, he set out for Manila. He came back after two years for a short visit but he felt everything had changed. His friends had different interests and their jokes and punchlines sounded foreign to him. After that visit, the only times he went back to Iloilo were when his brother Edward got married, to attend the funeral of his auntie Manang, once for the Dinagyang festival with me, Oyen (one year old), and Aileen. I don’t remember if he visited once or twice again after that. His siblings regularly went for the town fiesta but I wasn’t sure if they ever invited Edmund to join them. Most of the time he was just an afterthought. Or they were planning something but Edmund wasn’t part of the plan.

He had not attended any of their school’s annual alumni gathering ever since he graduated and had no intention to attend in the future. But that changed. He renewed his friendship with his classmates in the last few years thanks to Facebook. They now have a Viber group and regularly keep in touch.

He is spearheading their first class gathering in October and his female classmates living abroad are coming home to attend with their respective families. He is also attending the school alumni for the very first time in 40 plus years. I’d rather that he just go by himself so he doesn’t have to worry about me while he meets with his friends and classmates but he got me plane tickets too so Iloilo here we come.

He was wearing shorts and rubber shoes while I wore long pants and long sleeves blouse.

On time is always good.

It was my first time at PAL’s domestic airport lounge.

I had heavy breakfast at home but when we arrived at PAL’s airport lounge, I ate again.

Irresistible PAL lugaw

This toilet is better and bigger than the toilet inside PAL’s international business class lounge. The toilet attendant is pregnant. There’s a female passenger who entered the toilet and upon seeing that the attendant is pregnant, she gave her unsolicited advice: “Kailangan marunong kang umire at huminga”. What’s with this woman? Eh lahat naman tayo marunong umire at huminga kahit mga lalaki. Lahat tayo nag-u-uu syempre. Kung hindi tayo marunong huminga eh di tigok na tayong lahat.

Boarding, no one ever asked for my identification.

Full flight

Medyo masama pakiramdam ko.
A—-“Tart nahihilo ako”.
E—-“Buntis ka?”
Pwede palang mabuntis kahit nanonood lang kayo ng Netflix gabi-gabi. Ano yan wifi? No wiring necessary?

It was a cloudy day so I was nervous the flight could be a little turbulent.

Up up and away

Bye Luzon, we’re going to the Visayas.

I ate at home, I ate at the airport lounge, ngayon time to eat again.

By the time I got off the plane, I was 8 pounds heavier from all these food.

Did you see the oneline video showing some Chinese factory making meatballs out of rats? OMB ayaw ko ng kumain ng meatballs.

This one is delicious.

Palabok

Cloudy skies over the Visayas

Excited to see what’s beyond the clouds.

Iloilo’s airport is nice and clean.

Iloilo ari na ako.

His classmate Nonoy came to pick him up from the airport. How sweet.

Edmund arranged for a car with driver for the days we would be in Iloilo.