saying goodbye...
oh the 2 weeks before i left the philippines was c-r-a-z-y! during then, at work, my stress and emotional levels were at an all-time high. with all the changes happening at the same time (deadlines, reorgs, turnovers, politics). everyday after work naman, it was all gimiks! eating, drinking, dancing, clubbing! even on the night before my flight i was out till like 5am with my globe friends. 5am! and i seriously haven't packed yet then. seriously. the memories of those 2 weeks, especially the last night, i would never ever forget. i am thankful for having such wonderful friends.
i did manage to pack everything in time for an early check-in. my ever-dearest family brought me to the airport, and saying goodbye wasn't so bad. it wasn't the usual tearful scene (contrary to that with my friends the night before), which was good because we're not used to seeing each other cry. sometimes, even without all the drama, all the things you want to get across do so. i have to say free online chat, video, and voice calls help a lot! they're better than nokia in connecting people.
and so my new journey began as i left to join baby here. we are happy to have been given this opportunity. but it's not all good. we do have our fears and doubts like, how would it be living out of our comfort zone, away from my family and all our friends, in a foreign land with people who don't only look differently but who speak differently as well...what if i don't get a job (which baby says is really no problem. thanks, baby!)...how would it be with only the 2 of us...in my case, are there english masses here...i know i will be meeting a lot of christians from baby's family's church, which for me is a great thing really, but will there be catholics as well...how can i keep my faith...
my flight and my small miracle
i had baby's family's friend on the same flights plus we met a filipina who was on her way to austria for the first time, to finally be with his austrian husband (they met at palawan while he was on vacay there). so even if it was my looongest flight yet, it wasn't so bad. except for the fact that my roaming wasn't working the whole time. me and my mañana habit.
at our stop-over in taipei, all the shops were closed since it was almost midnight. i told my travel buddies that i will just meet them at the gate because i had to look for an internet cafe so i could tell pau that i was there already. i found an internet booth, which offered free internet, so i was able to log on for quite a long while. call it coincidence but in that small internet booth happened my small miracle.
while i was there, a filipino came in asking about wi-fi, and i told him the booth had wi-fi. after a while, i asked him where he worked because he looked familiar. so he introduced himself, father vic apacible, the rector of edsa shrine. he took the place of bishop soc villegas. he, along with some friends, one of whom i also got to talk with, were on the same flight to taipei, but would be taking a different flight heading to rome, where then archbishop gaudencio rosales was to be appointed as cardinal. i felt so honored to be with him, even for just a casual (one-on-one, take note) chat. it was like the best stop over ever. before he left, he brought out from his pocket a rosary scapular. he placed it around my neck and blessed me. it may not sound to you as anything close to a miracle, but this was it for me. his being there, his blessing me, in the most unexpected of times. God gave me an answer - that through this one big leap baby and i decided to take, He will be with us. that the flight i was taking was going the right way. the experience told me to hold on ever so strongly to my faith. and that's what i'm determined to do...galing no? wala lang.
